Dear readers – I'm sorry about the long delay in getting this final chapter to you. I took a week off of writing to participate in GISHWHES then the first week of school added another delay. But I have finally finished this story. You asked for it. Let's finish with a bang, literally. Enjoy the M rating!

As the dust settled, Sam was helping a woozy Nick to his feet, the Ghostfacers were fuming that yet another film of a spirit was ruined when the camera crashed to the ground, and Dean was helping a barely conscious Castiel to his feet and dragging him to the bench.

He deposited his friend on the seat and looked him over as Castiel leaned forward, burying his head in his hands.

"Hey, you OK?" Dean asked.

"I will be fine. I just need... a moment." Castiel growled out.

Dean ran a worried hand through his hair and sat down next to Castiel on the bench, watching the rest of the group recovering from the chaos. Everyone had taken a bit of a beating from the spirit but looked like they were gradually getting their bearings.

"No. No. NO!" Ed was pressing every button on the camera, trying to get it to play back the video that Maggie had taken. "C'mon work, you stupid camera!"

"Here, let me try," growled Harry and grabbed the camera from his partner.

Maggie was apologizing when Sam approached the trio, "Maggie, you did great. Cas and Nick are alive because of you. Don't worry about the film."

Maggie beamed at Sam's compliments and Harry took notice of the interaction, quickly draping an arm over Maggie's shoulder, "Yeah, Maggie, great job," he said, but he was glaring at Sam, who tried hard not to laugh at Harry's show of possessiveness.

"You know what, Harry? You didn't do too bad yourself." He had, after all, managed to get a salt round off, stopping the spirit from hurting Castiel further.

Harry tried his best to look casual, "Well, we are professionals."

Sam sighed, "Just… be careful, guys. And, seriously, don't try to do this on your own. If you need help, call me." Sam handed Ed a slip of paper with his phone number on it.

"What about Spirk over there?" Ed pointed a thumb to the bench where Dean and Castiel were sitting. "Not sure they want the competition from the Ghostfacers."

Sam huffed in exasperation, "We aren't in competition. We don't want any publicity, just to help."

"Let me guess," chimed Maggie, "saving people, hunting things?"

Sam gave her a quizzical look as did her two counterparts.

"What?" She shrugged her shoulders and looked around at the three men now staring at her. "I read the books."

"Really?" Ed turned on her, "You read these douchenozzel's books?"

"Shut up, Ed! It was research!" Maggie responded, mumbling to herself, "mostly."

Sam had officially had enough. "Just, be careful guys," he pleaded before shaking hands and saying goodbye to Nick then walking over to Dean.

Dean stood up and handed Sam the keys to the Impala. "There's something that I've got to do. Take Cas to the car and I'll meet you there in five."

Dean approached Melody's dressing room cautiously. He wasn't sure why he felt like he had to see her, maybe to let her know everything was safe now. He knew how scared she had been and would probably be pretty freaked out once she heard about Lance.

She answered the door looking pale and scared, "Dean?"

"Hey, Melody, can I come in?"

"Of course," she said as she stepped aside for him to come in. "What's going on? I thought it was over but I heard about Lance?"

"Yeah, we were wrong about who the spirit was. Turns out it was Nick's old girlfriend. She was only after people who she thought had been with Nick."

Melody paused for a moment, "Wait... Nick and Lance? Hmm, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, they were... really close," she mumbled with an eye roll.

Dean raised his eyebrows at the implication, "Yeah, well, we definitely got rid of her this time. Bitch almost killed Cas before we got her."

"Oh my God, Dean."

"He's OK and you're safe now." Melody looked relieved. Dean took a step towards the door, "Listen, we've got to get going but you take care of yourself, OK?"

Melody came up to him and threw her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, for everything," she whispered before stepping back and looking up at him with a knowing smile, "And you take care of Castiel."

Dean huffed an inward laugh, "You too, make him look good."

"Promise. And I'm fighting for the right story too. Dean should definitely end up with Castiel."

This time Dean smiled at her for real, raising one eyebrow, "I'm working on it," he quipped and Melody laughed as Dean walked away.

The drive back to the motel was quiet. Castiel had fallen asleep in the back seat practically the moment he sat down while Dean and Sam sat in the front, things unsaid creating a thick tension in the car. When they pulled in, Dean gave Castiel the room key and told him to go get some rest before he opened the trunk to pull out two bottles from the small cooler he kept there. Sam had already taken his spot on the hood of the Impala when Dean walked up to him and handed him one of the bottles before leaning back against the car, legs crossed and one hand shoved into his jeans pocket.

Sam downed half of his beer and shifted anxiously for a moment before clearing his throat, "So... you and Cas, huh?"

Dean shrugged slightly, "Me and Cas..." he responded contemplatively and took a swig of his beer.

Sam gave a sharp nod of his head, his mouth quirking up to just the hint of a smile, "Good," was all he needed to say. Sam though it was good. How could it not be? His brother deserved someone in his life who would be good to him and Castiel, Sam was certain, loved Dean fiercely. The angel who had watched the whole of human history had decided that Dean was the one human worth rebelling and falling for. He believed that Cas would stand by Dean through just about anything.

Dean tilted his head and gave and almost imperceptible nod of his head, a feeling of overwhelming relief that he had the support of Sam. His simple acknowledgement was enough. Sam knew that Dean wouldn't want to talk about his feelings so he gave Dean the one thing that he did need; his approval. The two brothers sat on the back on the Impala like they had so many times before, not needing to say anything, just sharing the comfortable silence.

"Here," Sam's voice finally interrupted the quiet after their second beer. Dean looked at his brother's hand as he held it out.

"What's this?"

"Room key," said Sam matter-of-factly, "You need to talk to Cas and I'm getting my own room."

"But..."

"See you in the morning, Dean," Sam picked up his duffle and walked away from his brother towards the motel's office.

Shit, thought Dean as he downed the last of his beer. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this nervous with someone. Dean Winchester, smooth talker, could pick up anyone with his slick humor and smile, but this felt different.

But it was just Cas, right? Cas was still Cas, his friend of, what has it been, seven years now? It seemed like longer. It seemed like his life could be divided into two distinct halves - before Cas and after Cas. How had they even gotten here, he wondered. From the moment the powerful angel had burst through those barn doors years ago the two of them have had something... undefinable.

But maybe that makes sense for them. They've never exactly been normal kind of people. Maybe what they have doesn't have a definition and doesn't need to. Since when had the Winchesters ever lived by any conventional rules? An angel without his grace and a hunter who once didn't even believe in angels – what a pair! Dean summoned up his courage, laughing to himself that taking this step with his best friend somehow was more terrifying than the monsters that he faced almost daily, and opened the door to the motel room.

Castiel was sitting on the edge of a bed, his elbows resting on his knees as he studied the ragged carpet of the motel floor. Dean thought he looked a little better, some color had returned to his face and he looked comfortable, freshly showered and wearing Dean's old grey sweatpants and grey threadbare Led Zeppelin t-shirt. His hair was still damp, Cas had obviously towel dried it and nothing else as it stuck up in every direction, reminding Dean of the first time they met. Cas looked up at Dean and when their eyes met, Dean could see a sadness there.

"Hey, Cas, how you feelin'?" Dean tried to be casual, tossing his keys on the table and striding to the bathroom to splash water on his face and clean up.

Castiel was slow to respond, then looked around the room, "Where's Sam?"

Dean spit out his toothpaste, "Got his own room. He… um… thought we could all use the extra space to… uh… rest." He rinsed and grabbed a towel and dried his face off, leaning on the doorframe to watch his friend.

"I'm sorry, Dean."

"What?"

"I was wrong about the spirit and without my grace, I was a liability to this hunt. I was nearly killed. I was powerless against a simple vengeful spirit. I can no longer even heal your wounds."

"Dude, are you kidding? Do not apologize. You did great. Don't worry about the healing, we're all a little banged up, but that's part of hunting. Shit, you've even earned a shotgun seat for the next hunt."

Castiel's expression changed. Those sad, pleading eyes squinted like he was trying to figure Dean out. "So, you still want me to hunt with you?" His tone indicated that he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yeah, Cas," Dean said, a hint of exasperation in his voice as he turned back to the bathroom to put away his towel, "I still want you to hunt with me – us."

Dean turned back around and his heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he found Cas standing less than a foot from him. Shit! Cas may not be able to zap around anymore, but he still was a sneaky bastard. "Dammit, Cas! What-"

"You kissed me," Castiel stated and moved forward a little, crowding Dean's personal space even more, "why?"

Dean's mouth opened and closed a few times, lost for words, and suddenly feeling very cramped in the doorway to the small bathroom.

"Why do you want me to stay, now?" Castiel pressed, inching closer, boring into Dean with those damn blue eyes.

Castiel was so close Dean could feel the breath of his words ghost over his skin. But even more, he could read so much in the angel's eyes. There was sadness, pleading, confusion and hope. And Dean remembered what Sam had said, that the spell would only work with the grace of an angel who was in love with a human and what Melody had said about how clear it was that Cas loved him. And everything in that look made sense. Cas was asking him, needing him, to love him back. And that was all it took for Dean to surge forward, closing the gap between them. With both hands on Castiel's jaw, he pulled their mouths together and kissed his friend.

Castiel made a surprised sound in the back of his throat and froze, arms hanging stiffly at his sides. Come on, Dean thought, don't let me be the only one here. Please, Dean sent a silent prayer to anyone listening, please let this be what Cas wants, because he knew, without any more doubts that he wanted Cas, needed him, loved him. After a moment, Dean pulled back, keeping his hands on Cas' cheeks and met the man's eyes. And, damn, he was looking at Dean with a freaking adoration that kind of scared him and thrilled him at the same time.

"Cas, I've always wanted you to stay." Dean sighed.

Castiel blinked and finally came out of his shock, rewarding Dean with an upturning of his mouth, a hint of a smile that did something crazy to Dean's insides. And this time Castiel leaned forward and brought his mouth to Dean's, tentatively, cautiously. And the relief, the freaking relief that Dean felt when their lips touched washed over his whole body like the first breath of air to a drowning man.

At first the kiss was timid, Cas' inexperience showing as he pressed his lips to Dean's. And that itself was a turn on for Dean. He would get to show Cas all the pleasures that his new humanity had to offer, make him forget the loss of his grace as he showed him the advantages to being human, one touch at a time.

Dean slid his hand to the back of Castiel's neck and deepened the kiss, moving his lips, skillfully urging Castiel to do the same. The softness of his mouth was an odd contrast to Cas' stubble rubbing against his chin, and this new sensation was all Cas. And Dean thought to himself that Cas wasn't the only one here treading new waters. The thought of being with a man should have freaked him out, although in all honesty, men had shown up in a few of his more kinky fantasies and the occasional Casa Erotica rental. But somehow, because it was Cas, gender just didn't seem to matter.

Right now the only thing that mattered was that sinfully wrecked noise that Cas just made, and holy shit, did that just go to his groin! Dean groaned in response and opened his mouth to lick a teasing line across Cas' lower lip, seeking more. And Cas eagerly opened for him, letting Dean explore and taste with his tongue. Cas tasted fresh and sweet, like the mint toothpaste he had just used and he smelled of the nondescript ivory smell of hotel soap and something else heady and purely human.

Cas was hesitant, letting Dean lead and explore until Dean's tongue swiped over his own and he shivered, causing Dean to smile into the kiss. Dean licked the roof of Cas' mouth which pulled a soft whimper from the angel and Dean could feel Cas' inhibitions coming down as his hands came up to thread through Dean's short hair. Cas sucked on his tongue before delving his own into Dean's mouth, exploring tongue and teeth and lips like he was trying to memorize every inch of him.

Dean's hands slid down Castiel's back and pulled in when they reached the small of this back, crushing their bodies together before sliding up under Castiel's shirt to finally explore skin. Castiel's hands were still in his hair, gently grabbing small handfuls, causing shocks of pleasure to wash through Dean. Castiel moved forward, pushing Dean back against the door, surprising him with his eagerness.

Dean reluctantly broke the kiss to pull Castiel's shirt over his head as he ran his hands under Dean's shirt, prompting him to tear off his own as well. Castiel stood back, still breathing heavily as his eyes hungrily roamed over Dean's body. Damn, Dean thought he looked gorgeous like this, eyes dark with lust, lips red and slick from being kissed and cut chest rising and falling with his deep breaths. He slowly brought his right hand up and rested the palm over Dean's heart as he closed his eyes and let out a slow breath.

Dean was a little confused by the sudden slow down in the action and asked cautiously, "Cas?"

"I can feel it, Dean," Castiel whispered, the gravel in his voice even lower than usual.

"What?"

"My grace. I threaded you back together with my grace when your soul and body were torn apart. It pulses through your veins and I can feel it now. Metatron doesn't have all of my grace because you hold it inside of you."

"Cas…"

"It's, OK, Dean. Even if I never get my grace back, it's OK. If you are the only thing left of my grace, than I am happy, because it lives in you."

Dean always knew that they had a connection of sorts but he never realized that Cas' actual grace was what breathed life back into his body after hell and it now lived in his very cells, connecting them in a way that even he could barely understand. Dean had no words; he was always more of a man of action anyway. All he knew was that he wanted to take away Cas' pain and fill the emptiness left by his grace.

Castiel tilted his head and opened his eyes as they began to rake over Dean, taking in every curve, freckle and scar and then his hands followed, tracing the lines of his eyes, ghosting over Dean's skin. Dean stood, transfixed, aching to touch Cas back but somehow knowing that Cas needed this. His long fingers traced the outline of Dean's tattoo and ran across the line of his collar, stopping to map a scar on his arm.

"These are all new. When I remade you, I wiped away every scar." Castiel kissed along the line of the mark, just slightly lighter than the skin around it. He continued like this, exploring Dean's torso with his fingers and tongue and lips. It was as if Castiel was relearning Dean through touch. Dean leaned his head back against the door, breathing out soft moans at the gentle caresses and running his fingers through Cas's hair. Castiel's touch made Dean feel treasured, filling a need he had carried with him his entire life.

Dean was so hard in his jeans it hurt and when Cas' tongue licked along his hip, he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled Cas up by the shoulders and dragged him to the bed, pushing him down and crushing their mouths together in a blinding kiss as he straddled Cas' hips and rubbed their bodies together, desperately seeking the relief of the friction between them. When he pulled away and looked down at his friend Cas was smiling, fucking smiling up at him with the most smug look he had ever seen on the angel's face.

"Fuck, Cas! Were you fucking teasing me? Where did you even learn that?!"

"Dean, inexperience doesn't mean ignorance. I have observed human interactions for centuries and I rebuilt your body. I know where you are sensitive." And to prove his point, he leaned up and dragged his teeth over the skin just behind Dean's ear, pulling a soft curse from the man.

"Well, that's just cheating. Now I'm gonna have to find your turn-ons so we're even," Dean grinned down at Cas mischievously. "Hmmm… maybe this?" Dean whispered onto Cas' cheek as he swirled a finger around Cas' nipple, causing the angel to arch his back and suck in a breath as Dean chuckled at his friend's reaction.

Dean continued to tease Cas' nipple as he moved his mouth to lick up the side of his neck, stopping to suck Cas' earlobe, pulling a soft sigh from Cas, before whispering, "Oh, you like that too, huh?" Castiel hummed an affirmative and nodded his head.

Dean huffed a soft laugh. God, he was enjoying watching Cas. The man's head was tilted back onto the pillow, exposing a long neck and his back was arching as he writhed and moaned at Dean's touches. When Dean's hand ghosted over Cas' ribs, the man shuttered and laughed, just a soft low rumble in his chest, but it was a sound Dean had never heard before and it washed over him, relaxing him the way the sound of water bubbling over rocks in a stream could. Castiel, the angel of the Lord, who was always so controlled and stiff was coming apart, losing control, under Dean's hands and it was beautiful.

Dean leaned to his side, propped up on one elbow with a hand behind Cas' head as his other hand continued to explore the man's torso, rubbing soothing circles in the dip of his hipbone, tracing the hard lines of his abdomen, trailing the line of dark hair below his navel. With his mouth, he alternated between deeply kissing Cas' mouth and exploring the rest of his neck with his tongue and teeth and lips, all the while whispering soft encouragements. "Yeah, Cas, feels so good. Yes, let go… enjoy."

But when his hand slid under the waistband of Cas' sweats and he placed his hand over the hardness of Cas' cock, the man under him bucked and positively growled his name in that whisky voice that sent shivers down Dean's spine. Dean stroked him a few times and watched in wonder as Cas was coming apart, practically vibrating with want and need.

Dean had always prided himself on being good in bed, wanting to take care of his partners and feeling gratified at all of the reactions he could draw from them. But this was something else entirely. Dean wanted to drag every possible sound out of Cas and drink in every reaction to his touch. He wanted to break him down to the basics of humanity, make him feel nothing but the thrum of energy and bliss and release and convince him that it's worth it, all of this crappy humanity can be worth it for that moment of connection he wants to give Cas.

Dean lifted himself off of Cas to sit up and Cas whimpered, positively whimpered, a beautiful wrecked sound, at the loss of Dean by his side. Dean grinned and placed a peck of a kiss on Cas' mouth saying, "I'll be right back." He rummaged through his duffle bag for a moment, returning with a bottle of lube and a couple of condoms, which he tossed on the bed, before kneeling between Cas' legs. Cas was looking up at him, blue eyes boring into green, looking completely debauched, he was just about the sexiest thing Dean had ever seen.

Dean made quick work of removing Cas' sweats and boxers, freeing the man's cock, hard and swollen and glistening with pre-come. Dean took in the sight and surprised even himself when he had an overwhelming desire to put his mouth on Cas. He had thought being with a guy would be awkward, but this just felt… right. He had never done this before, but he knew what he liked from girls, how hard could it be?

He licked a line from the base to the tip and just went for it, covered Cas' cock with his mouth and explored with his tongue. The heavy heat of it felt good on his tongue and when Cas moaned his name in the sexiest voice he had ever heard, it spurned Dean on. He was trying every trick that he knew he loved; swirling his tongue just under the head, hollowing his cheeks to suck in quickening rhythm, and stroking the base of his cock in time with his mouth. He looked up at Cas and the sight was just about enough to make him lose control himself. Cas was looking down at him with a look in his eyes that could only be described as adoration. And when Dean sucked and licked at Cas' slit, the man's head fell back and his hands flew up to card through Dean's hair. Dean could feel Cas was close and picked up his rhythm to match the thrusting of the man's hips.

"Dean, ah, ahhhh," Cas hissed as he came, pulses of hot salty liquid were swallowed down by Dean as he sucked the last of Cas' climax from him.

Dean was feeling pretty good about a job well done, as he pulled off Cas and crawled up to meet the man's mouth, gently kissing him back to awareness. When Cas' eyes finally fluttered open he smiled up at his lover and whispered, "Dean," with a reverence that Dean could never quite understand.

"Yeah, Cas?"

"I love you, Dean."

"I know," said Dean before placing another kiss on Cas' lips, deepening it with his tongue.

Dean was finally working his own pants off with one hand and Castiel joined him, looping his thumbs through Dean's belt loop and pulling off his jeans and boxers once Dean had them unbuttoned. Castiel began stroking Dean and he hadn't come from this little contact since high school, but damn, he could now. But he wanted to be inside Cas, to fill him up, to fit into that grace-shaped hole inside of Cas and cleave their bodies together, let Cas feel his grace through Dean.

He knelt up and poured a generous amount of lube onto his fingers and slid one hand between Cas' legs, and rubbed soft circles around Cas' hole before sliding one finger in. Castiel stiffened at the new feeling and Dean rubbed his free hand over Cas' thigh, placing kisses along the tender skin on the inside of his thigh. When Cas sighed, a deep pleasure filled release, Dean began to move his finger again, in and out, circling as Cas' muscles adjusted and began to relax. Dean added a second finger and scissored them, grazing over Cas' prostate, causing him to buck his hips in surprise.

"Dean, oh, please, please!"

Dean smirked to himself that he had the angel begging for more. Damn! It was the hottest sound he had ever heard. He sucked a deep red mark into Cas' inner thigh as he continued working Cas open with his fingers, adding a third and reveling in the delicious jerk of his hips that he could draw out every time he stroked that perfect spot.

"Dean, I want you inside of me," Castiel growled out and Dean pulled his fingers slowly out of Cas and sat up, quickly grabbing a condom and rolling it over his cock and applying more lube to himself. He leaned forward, slotting his body perfectly over Cas' stopping when his head was just teasing at Cas' hole.

He looked down at the angel beneath him and whispered, "Cas," over his lips and when Castiel crushed their mouths together desperately, he pushed his erection into Cas. Both men groaned in unison as the new feeling overtook them. Dean began to rock forward, bit by bit until he was fully sheathed in Cas' tight heat.

"Oh, fuck, Cas," Dean moaned, eyes squeezed tight, as the feeling of being inside his angel overwhelmed him.

Cas' hands moved to his face, cupping both of his cheeks as he breathed, "Dean," forcing Dean to open his eyes and focus on Castiel. Their eyes locked and Dean could feel an electricity between them. He didn't know if it was the grace they shared but damn, it was better than anything he had ever felt, that is until Castiel began to rock his hips up under Dean and the feeling became even more intense.

The men found a perfect rhythm together as their bodies moved, Dean thrusting and pounding against Castiel's prostate, sharing waves of pleasure until he could feel the tension coil in Cas' body and revel in his erratic breaths and repeated moans of, "Dean, Dean, yes, there, more Dean!" And when Castiel came, muscles clenching tightly around Dean, he too was pulled over the edge as he let himself go, floating in the intense ecstasy of his orgasm.

When Dean could finally see again, he gently pulled out of Cas, tied off the condom and cleaned them both up with a towel before laying back down so that he and Cas were both on their sides, facing one another, legs tangled up, lips so close they were breathing the same air. Castiel reached up and stroked soothing circles through the short hair at Dean's temple, damp with sweat.

"So, Cas, what do you think about the best part of humanity?" Dean smiled at his question.

"The best part of humanity is how much I can feel," Castiel added shyly, "for you."

Dean pulled Cas to him, kissing him soundly before settling Cas' head down on his shoulder, arm draped across his chest.

Content and comfortable, Castiel soon drifted to sleep with Dean comforted by the slow rhythm of his breathing. When Dean was sure Cas was asleep, he placed a kiss in the mess of Cas' hair and whispered, "I love you, Cas." Castiel opened his eyes just slightly and smiled at the quiet declaration then closed his eyes, drenched in the warmth of his favorite human feeling.

Thank you all for reading along and for all of your lovely and helpful comments. They help to make be a better writer and encourage me to keep writing.