Castiel stands in his kitchen, his once luxurious oven replaced by the grease stained shell of an appliance from Dean's home. The property owner may have a problem with it later, but for now, Castiel does not care. He moves boxes into the kitchen, filling them with plates and cups, wrapping them in newspaper to keep them from breaking during the short move. Castiel hates to waste tape on these boxes, considering the short distance they will travel, but it is to ensure they stay safe. When a box is filled, he slides it into the living room, barren of furniture, except for the bookshelf and a few stands. Dean or Sam will collect each box and carry them across the street while Jess begins unpacking them.

Castiel was unsure of what to do with his furniture at first, he thought of renting a storage unit to keep them in. When Sam and Jess mentioned they were finally going to have a real space together while they attended law school, Cas offered them his furniture. Dean keeps the smaller tables in his basement and the larger pieces, covered, in the garage until Sam and Jess can move them. All except the bed and bookshelf, Castiel threw the mattress in the trash and donated the frame to a thrift store. He plans of keeping the shelf for his collection of books, growing each time Dean takes a trip to the store finds something that catches his eye.

Castiel cleans the refrigerator; throwing leftovers in the trash, keeping bottles of salad dressing that have yet to be used, along with other foods that are still good. He wipes the fridge clean of spills and stains, then moves to the cabinets, setting aside canned goods and boxes of cereal. Most of the cereal is Dean's that Cas bought for days Dean would stay over and need a quick breakfast. Most of them are empty so he tosses them in the garbage as well. When the furniture and utensils are cleared, Castiel sweeps and mops the floor. He vacuums the other rooms as well. He wonders if he should re-paint the walls white, but Dean tells him the next owners can take care of that.

Once Castiel's house is cleared of his possessions, Dean and Cas work on unpacking, while Sam and Jess take a trip to a local pool to cool off. They have been working hard, and Castiel feels bad having them assist in the move when they are on vacation. Castiel replaces Dean's chipped and cracked plates with his own, they keep anything that still looks new. Dean re-stocks his refrigerator and cabinets with the foods from Castiel's house, scoffing at the salad dressing like it has offended him. Castiel chuckles, shakes his head, and continues unpacking boxes.

Dean clears a few of his drawers and half of his closet for Castiel. Their clothes have become a mix already though, from Castiel spending nights at Dean's house and forgetting socks and sweaters, and Dean doing the same. He shrugs his shoulders and begins laying out his clothing anyways. Dean helps by hanging his dress shirts and pants in the closet, being careful not to wrinkle them. Dean laughs when he picks up Castiel's trench coat, telling him he needs a new coat for the winter, something thicker to keep him warm. When Castiel remarks that Dean's leather jacket will not match his office clothes, Dean nods and hangs the coat.

"You'd look good in it anyways," he says, kissing Castiel's cheek before he leaves the room.

When Castiel is finished folding his clothes and placing his toiletries in Dean's, much bigger, bathroom, Castiel finds most of his photos are lining Dean's tables. They are pictures of Castiel when he was a child; some with his family, some with Dean, and others are pictures Dean took of him, catching him off guard. Castiel runs a finger over the frames and smiles to himself. Castiel holds one in his hand and wipes the dust off with the edge of his shirt.

Dean begins cooking; Castiel can smell eggs frying and toast burning. He slides the picture frame back on the shelf and walks into the kitchen. Castiel wraps his arms around Dean's waist and kisses the back of his neck. Dean hums and flips an egg in the pan. He scrapes them onto a plate and pulls toast from the toaster, buttering it with Castiel attached to him. He laughs while he pours them both orange juice and sets them on the table. Castiel slides into his seat.

"You made eggs for lunch?"

"Yeah, we had extra from your place so I figured I would use 'em."

Castiel nods and begins eating.

"We still need a place for the bookshelf. Do you know what we're going to do with the extra T.V.?"

"I think I might clear out a spot in the basement, make like a study for you down there. We can go to the hardware store, get some carpeting, all that stuff." Dean says between bites. "We can give the T.V. to Sam, an early birthday present. He's got a shit box for one anyways."

"The basements lonely, I'd be alone down there I mean. Just me and my books.'

"Then I'll put the T.V. down there, we can make it our get away, how does that sound?" Castiel smiles as he dips his toast in his yoke.

"That's nice, actually." Dean smirks and bites into his toast.

Sam and Jess return, walking into the kitchen with sunburns.

"We can make Sammy do all the work, too." Dean laughs.

Sam raises an eyebrow in confusion but Castiel waves him off and tells him not to worry about it.

Dean and Castiel start their seeds in small pots, leaving them at the windowsill to get light. They are growing flowers delphiniums and brunneras, the ones Dean gave Cas some time back. The plants are complicated, not what Castiel or Dean is used too and they both struggle. Dean becomes overwhelmed just reading about them in the book he gave Castiel. They both decide small steps are best, they will begin them both in small pots, and if they do not take, they can find different ones to plant at the hardware store.

Dean softens a patch of soil in the backyard for a garden; they still have not decided what they want to plant. Jess says they should plant tomatoes again, but offers no suggestions on what else. Sam does research, finds out that peppers and squash, as well as tomatoes, produce throughout the season and would be their best option for growing. If they grow too many, they can offer some to the neighbors, Castiel thinks. Jess offers to drive to the hardware store with Castiel to pick up the plants.

Castiel's small pots are being used for the flowers, so they decide to go with some that have already begun growing. They make Castiel's task easier, taking the task of growing them from a seedling off his hands. Jess excitedly carries the vegetables into the backyard when they return and Castiel follows her. Dean is standing over the garden, shirtless, wiping the sweat from his brow. Castiel's eyes rake over him and he blushes when Dean catches his eye and smirks.

Jess lays the plants on one side of the garden and begins measuring out spaces, placing one plant over its space. Castiel lets Dean take a break while he digs holes for each vegetable. When he is done, he has three neat rows of three for each plant. He is positive he will grow more than he can use, but now he will have an excuse to talk to his neighbors. Dean comes back outside, showered with a new shirt on. Castiel guides him as he begins placing the plants in the soil. When they are finished, Jess waters them with a new watering can she bought Castiel. There is a sunflower painted on the side with a grin that makes Castiel laugh when he sees it.

Sam makes them sandwiches while they work and calls them in when he is finished. Sam has been searching for a new place for Sam and Jess to call home as well as making final adjustments for their wedding. They want to wait, save up enough money before they exchange rings, so Sam decided to research costs, plugging in figures according to their personal desires. They want something small, being that their family is small, and with the furniture donation from Castiel Sam is sure they will be able to save up enough in the next year. Dean promises to pay off any debts they cannot afford, but Sam wants to do this on his own, says Dean has already done too much.

Castiel pulls tea from the fridge and pours glasses for everyone, setting them at the table. Dean practically inhales his sandwich and complains about the lack of mayonnaise when he is done. Sam pulls a face at him and puts his plate in the sink. He announces an official date for his and Jess' wedding and Dean says they need to celebrate, a party on the weekend when he does not have to wake up for work the next day.

Sam takes Jess to a park, so Dean and Cas take advantage of the empty living room. They watch re-runs of Dr. Sexy and Dean complains about the current love-triangle taking place in the show. During the episode that Dr. Sexy is shot, Castiel catches Dean wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. Castiel pulls his head on his lap and runs a hand absently through his hair. Dean says they should watch something else but Castiel keeps the remote out of reach. Dean tries to wrestle him for it, throwing them both off the couch with a thud.

Castiel groans when he hits the floor and again when Dean grinds against him. While he is distracted, Dean pulls the remote from his hand and flips to another channel with a show about cars. Dean helps him to his feet and Castiel sinks into the couch. Dean smirks at him and holds the remote in the air when Castiel makes a grab at it. So Castiel plays dirty back, he rubs the heel of his palm against Dean who inhales sharply but only tightens his grip on the remote. His arm threatens to fall when Castiel licks a stripe up his neck and bites on his ear lobe but he still cannot get the remote back. Dean snickers and holds the remote under his arm, watching the show.

Castiel nods and slinks in the couch for a moment. He squints at the television and tries to make sense of the car chat, but gives up after a few moments. Everything is about engines, mufflers and tools, things Castiel knows nothing about. He sighs and stands in front of the T.V., which gets a complaint from Dean. He pulls his shirt over his head and brushes his hair to one side with his fingers. Dean's jaw drops and he throws his shirt over his shoulder and walks up the stairs to the bathroom. He figures a mid-afternoon shower will feel nice after working on the garden all day.

Castiel hardly makes it to the threshold of the bathroom when Dean pulls him against his chest and carries him into the bedroom. Dean has his arms pinned against his chest and all he can do is hope Dean does not drop him. Dean does, he flops him onto the bed and climbs over him, gripping his calves and sliding Castiel against him. Dean grinds against him once and nips at his neck. Castiel tries to wriggle away, he needs to shower and Dean is distracting him.

"I think you're the one that distracted me," Dean nearly growls in his ear.

Castiel whimpers when Dean slips his fingers below the waistband of his pants and grips him through his boxers. He kisses a line down Castiel's neck. His grip releases and he removes his hands, kneeling over Castiel. Castiel feels cold in all the places Dean's hands were and wants them back, but Dean is wearing a face that makes him squirm.

"What, Dean?" His voice is debauched so he clears his throat.

"You just, you're beautiful." Castiel nods and Dean slides his hands up his chest, works a nipple under his finger. Castiel tries to remain still but Dean makes it difficult.

"So are you," he whispers, circling his fingers around Dean's wrist. Dean catches one and presses a kiss to his palm.

Dean slides his own shirt off, tossing it to the floor. He unbuttons Castiel's pants, sliding them below his hips, revealing pale skin. When Dean catches his eye, Castiel swallows hard because Dean still has a look that he cannot place. Dean shucks his own pants off and throws them on top of Castiel's. Castiel slides up the bed until his head is resting on a pillow and cradles Dean between his legs.

Dean kisses his skin, all the places he can reach from his forehead to his toes and Castiel feels his skin light on fire. Every place Dean's lips touch is a new itch he needs to scratch. Dean keeps his touches gentle and the fire ignites through Castiel's veins. Dean's never this gentle, not usually, his first time Dean was this gentle. Castiel grips into the bedspread and widens his legs when Dean presses kisses into his hips. Dean' palms smooth over his thighs, warming his skin.

Dean pulls his and Castiel's boxers off, letting them slip off the bed and reaches in the night stand for the lube. Castiel can hear scraps of paper sliding around and makes a mental note to throw them away at some point. They are old letters, papers he does not need anymore, now that he has Dean. Castiel waits for Dean to press a finger against him when he hears the cap snap and is surprised when something cool slides over his fingers. Dean smoothes the liquid over them and angels himself over Castiel.

Castiel presses a finger in, Dean bucks at the touch and ushers Castiel to keep moving so he does. He slides a finger in and out until Dean asks for another, repeating the process. Dean teaches him through whispered words, lost in the pillow covers. Dean moans against his skin, sending shivers up Castiel's spine. Every gasp and movement makes the heat rise under Castiel's skin, eager fingers sliding in and out.

Dean pulls Castiel's hand away, but Castiel lubes himself. Dean shifts back until his is positioned above Castiel and Castiel presses in, a feeling that makes him groan and grip Dean's hips. Dean eases himself until Castiel is fully sheathed. Dean continues to kiss Castiel's skin as he works himself, setting a slow rhythm. Castiel's eyes fight to stay open as he gives into the sensations, curling his toes with each slide inside of Dean. Castiel wants to come but Dean's pace is still so slow, teasing him with each clench as Dean pulls up, threatening to let Castiel slide out. When Castiel cannot take the teasing, he grips Dean's hips, still him, and pumps himself to completion. Dean comes shortly after and they lay in bed until they catch their breath.

During the week, Castiel and Dean begin work on the basement. Castiel moves the furniture to the living room so they can paint. Dean says they should use a manly color but Castiel settles for a warm, neutral color. Dean complains at first, but concedes when they begin painting. They paint everything except for the room that houses the washer and dryer. The process takes longer than either anticipated so the extra furniture takes up space in the living room until they can get the flooring done.

Dean and Cas argue over what to do about the floor. Dean wants carpeting, something shaggy and soft that he can walk on, but Castiel worries about it being ruined if they have a leak. Dean rolls his eyes and pouts because Castiel has a good point. They both decide against wood floors for the same reason. The last thing they want is mold growing. In the end, they get tile, a design Dean picks out. Castiel thinks it looks ridiculous laid out against the color of the wall, but Dean likes it so he deals.

Cas decorates while Dean marathons a show with Sam and Jess, something about a serial killer that Cas is sure will give him nightmares. Instead, he places his bookshelf and begins organizing his books that have been sitting in their boxes since he moved it. He is exhausted by the time he is done, but Dean is still watching the creepy show, so he tries to rearrange the furniture. He moves two chairs to a corner, with a table between them and plugs in a lamp. He moves his desk to a good spot and decides to wait before fiddling with wires and extension cords.

Castiel pushes Dean's recliner to the middle of the floor, where it can sit in front of his T.V. Castiel has no idea how to set it up, so he does not bother with that either. When he is finished, the room seems bare, the furniture is minimal but it suits their purpose he supposes. Castiel arranges pencil cases and other accessories on his desk and stands back to admire it. He is proud of his handy work and happy to have a place to escape to with Dean. He relaxes in Dean's recliner with one of the books Dean bought him and plans to read for most of the night, or until Dean stops watching scary shows.

Castiel feels settled, at home. Across the street was his home, but across the street was empty, a too big house in a too big town. Now Castiel has Dean, and Dean fills the empty places between his ribs and drowns him in warmth. Castiel can settle in the woodwork and rest easy when he has Dean to curl against at night. He can wake up and not have to worry about missing Dean before work because Dean will kiss him when the sun rises. Dean takes off his coat and rubs his back when he has a long day at work and Castiel will return the favor when Castiel comes home late from the garage.

Dean puts too much garlic in the spaghetti when he makes dinner and always burns the garlic bread. Dean forgets to wash the dishes most nights, but makes it up to Castiel by rubbing his feet when Castiel has washed them all. Dean knows when Castiel is working too hard and shuts the computer off for him and carries him to bed. He calls Castiel's boss when Castiel is too sick to get out of bed. All things Dean did before they lived together.

Now, Castiel does not have to worry about his sheets being too cold at night because Dean does not want to wake him in the early mornings. Dean will slide under the sheets and slide in close, when he does wake Castiel he will coo him to sleep. Dean is there when Castiel reads in the basement and when he watches T.V. on the couch. They buy groceries together and find items for the house together. Castiel does not feel empty, how can he when he has Dean.

Dean comes home with cases of beer on Friday night, tells Sam and Jess to prepare for a night of fun. Sam groans at the sight, they have been drinking almost every weekend since he came down for the summer but this is supposed to be a celebration for finally picking a date for their wedding. Dean leaves the cases in the fridge and starts ordering pizzas. Jess complains about the beers, says they should be having real drinks for such a special occasion. Dean lifts and eyebrow and tosses his keys to Sam, tells him to pick up some 'real' drinks.

In time, the house is filled with drunken members of Sam and Dean's family. The only one still sober is Jo and that is because Ellen watches her like a hawk. Bobby sits in the kitchen playing a card game with a friend of his, Rufus. He grumbles about Rufus cheating when he loses a round for the third time in a row. Castiel laughs and pulls another beer from the fridge, handing it to Bobby and his friend.

Ellen is in the back yard admiring the garden with Jo, who is trying to walk away from her, small steps at a time. She makes it to the doorframe of the kitchen and asks Jess to distract Ellen while she pours herself a drink. Ash swings around her, grabbing her shot glass and downs it in a swallow. She growls and begins pouring another, only to have Dean steal that one. He smiles and drops the glass in front of her. He ruffles her hair and turns his attention to Castiel, who is picking the toppings off his pizza and eating them.

Dean picks up a slice for himself and begins to eat; dropping toppings on the floor, that Castiel will have to clean later. A few of Sam's friends from high school are taking shots at the counter beside Jo, who is cradling a beer now. She flips Dean off and moves into the living room to watch a sci-fi movie with a few others. Castiel laughs at Dean, who shoves another bite of pizza into his mouth, spilling sauce on his pants. Castiel laughs again and starts wiping up the mess with a paper towel. Dean grumbles something about not being a kid but Castiel cleans the mess anyways.

Most of the party cleans out around midnight, leaving a few stragglers. Ash is asleep on the living room floor and no one can be bothered to wake him up. Jo is laying next to him half-awake, half-mumbling about vodka and pizza not sitting well. She falls asleep when Castiel tosses a blanket over her. He mentally prepares for the whining and grumbling he will have to deal with in the morning.

Sam carries Jess to bed, and Castiel worries about him slipping and falling until he is safe in the spare bedroom. Dean sits on the couch watching a discovery channel documentary while Castiel cleans cups, boxes, and paper plates. A stack of shot glasses are in the sink, he sighs before he begins cleaning. Dean keeps telling him to leave them for the morning but Castiel has already motivated himself.

He is wiping down a counter when Dean gets off the couch starts pulling him away from the kitchen. He leaves sloppy kisses on Castiel's neck that make him giggle, and Castiel tries to finish cleaning, not wanting to deal with the mess in the morning. Dean pulls at the waist of his pants and tugs him away from the counter. Castiel drops his washrag in the sink and lets Dean cradle him in his arms. Dean is humming the tune of a song off key and Castiel fights the urge to laugh at him again.

"I'm sleepy," Dean murmurs into his chest.

"So go to sleep. I'll be done soon, promise." He pushes Dean in the direction of the stairs.

"No, come with me, come tuck me in," Dean pulls him close again.

Castiel gives up the fight and flicks the light to the kitchen off. Dean tries to lead the way but gives up when he trips over his own feet. Castiel half-carries him up the stairs to their bedroom and drops Dean onto the bed. When he threatens to fall asleep in the middle, Castiel shakes his sides and tells him to take off his pants. Dean is too out of it though, so Castiel moves him to a sitting position and takes his shirt off, lays him down and takes his pants off. He moves the sheets over them both and curls into Dean's side. Dean kisses the top of his forehead and wraps an arm over him.

"We should get married someday," Dean slurs into his hairline.

Castiel feels his body tense; he has thought the same but never voiced his opinion, afraid of it being too soon. He wants to; he wants Dean in his entirety. Dean shifts again and Castiel lays his head on his chest.

"This better not be your proposal Dean."

"No, but, someday," Dean's eyes drift close and he falls asleep in Castiel's arms.

Castiel does not mention last night, brushes it off as Dean being tired and drunk. He does not bring it up again, just goes about his routines. He wakes up and makes coffee for everyone, even Ash and Jo. They eat cereal while Castiel tends to the garden, pulls small sprouts of weeds before they can grow any further. The vegetables are nubs of life just pushing the surface, reaching for the sky. Castiel rubs the leaves between his fingers, enjoys knowing that he is creating life.

Dean joins him later, sits in the dirt and squints at the sun before pulling on a pair of sunglasses. He looks ridiculous, Castiel thinks, poking a finger into the soil and tracing patterns. Castiel watches a moment, forgetting his task. He is still tired, thinks he will take a nap later. Dean flicks a speck of dirt from beneath his nail and pulls at a strand of grass. Castiel pulls his phone from his pocket and snaps a picture before Dean can grumble about it. Dean's freckles stand out in the sun and Castiel is glad to get a picture of it.

Dean stands in a hurry when water begins to run through the dirt, quenching the soils thirst. Castiel laughs and moves across the rows of plants, being sure not to drown the plants. Dean dips his foot in the mud and wipes it off in the grass, he reminds Castiel of a child, making more of a mess than he is helping. Castiel turns on the hose and rinses off Dean's feet before letting him into the house, Dean complains about the water being too cold and bounces on his toes in the kitchen. Jo laughs at him and grabs her head when it hurts again, Dean laughs at her in return.

Castiel offers to drive Jo and Ash home while the others nurse hangovers. Ellen and Bobby came in the same car so they have no other way home unless they walk. When they get to Ellen's, Castiel tells them they should visit more. Jo has to work at the Roadhouse along with Ash, but they promise to visit when their schedules are clear. Castiel drives home with the windows down and hums the tune of one of Dean's favorite songs. The sun is shining and he thinks of what he should do with his day when he is not babysitting complaining adults.

When the flowers begin to sprout, Dean softens the soil around the front of his house. He thinks the flowers will look better lining the porch and Castiel agrees. He plants the brunneras first, one of each side of the porch steps, and one on each end of the porch. They leave the delphiniums for in between. Castiel thinks they will look nice when they are in full bloom. He is still annoyed by the plants difficulties but continues to follow the instructions thoroughly. Unlike the pumpkin mishap, he plans of getting this right.

Dean watches while Castiel works, still uncertain of the instructions, but does not question Castiel. He picks at the grass and twiddles pieces between his fingers. Occasionally, Castiel will wave him over, point out what he is doing, and show Dean. Dean always nods like he understands but his face always reads different. Castiel just laughs and scoots Dean out of the way to continue. When he is finished, Dean claps him on the back and takes in the view. The plants are sprouts, barely noticeable from a distance, but Dean still calls them beautiful. He kisses Cas and calls him beautiful.

That night, Dean makes dinner, or rather orders dinner. He gets cheeseburgers from Ellen's, the ones that melt cheese all over Castiel's fingers. He savors each bite and groans when Dean pulls out pie, because Dean can always seem to eat and eat more. Sam calls it a case of hollow leg syndrome, says Dean does not digest, it all just falls through and he stores it. Dean laughs and shovels pie into his mouth. Dean remembers the wash the dishes and even cleans the rest of the kitchen while Castiel plays a card game with Sam and Jess. He is not doing very well and is thankful when Dean pulls him away.

As they climb the stairs, Sam and Jess say their goodnights but neither makes a move towards their room. Castiel and Dean change quietly, neither having anything to say, just comfortable silence. Castiel takes his place beneath the covers, sinking into the spot carved into the mattress, the spot just for him. When Dean's arm curls around him and holds him close, Castiel knows who he is and who he wants to be. When Dean's fingers slide between his, Castiel knows he has found his place and carved his own spot, here in Dean's mattress.