1 - Guardian Angel

"I'm-" Castiel lowered his head and clenched his fists in his hair, panicking a bit. "I'm sorry, I should have told you I was-" gay? Madly in love with you? How should he properly end his confession?

Dean's expression got suddenly kinder. He dropped the magazine, and took a hold of Castiel's shoulders, bringing him closer. "Cas", he said softly, his eyes gentle.
Probably giving the wrong impression.
"You don't have to be ashamed of being gay. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. And I want you to know I am here for you, and I will always be. Alright?" He pulled him in for a hug, having mistaken Castiel's panic for coming-out stress!

"..." Castiel felt terrible for loving Dean's embrace that much. He ended up burying himself against him, taking in his scent, his warmth, his kindness. He was so desperately in love with this angel it hurt. Yet felt good. Castiel sighed. "I'm sorry," he whispered against Dean's shirt.

"Hey. You have nothing to be sorry about." Dean gently patted Castiel's back, feeling his chest swell with affection. He had wished so many times to hold him and comfort him, during the life he had to endure in his bigoted, suffocating household. And now that he could do that, he... he almost wanted to never let go.
Then his stomach made a weird sound, and he widened his eyes before quickly disentangling himself from the hug, fretting towards the bathroom and slamming the door behind his shoulders.

I AM GREAT AT KILLING ROMANCE

"... Dean?" Castiel was a bit taken aback, but he walked towards the bathroom, knocking on the door a bit awkwardly. "Are you okay?"

Dean didn't answer. And actually a full ten minutes passed before Castiel could hear the sound of someone flushing the toilet, and the door to the bathroom opened back again short after that. No, Dean didn't look like someone who was okay. He stared at the other man, a dumbfounded expression. "... I... sorry, apparently I... needed to go to the toilet", he murmured. "That sure caught me by surprise. It has been years since the last time I felt the need to."

"..." Castiel looked at Dean, dumbfounded. "You mean you've been eating all that food without ever going to the bathroom?!" Angels are wonders.

"Well- yes?" Dean didn't seem to find anything weird in that. "I mean... nothing in my body told me I needed to go, so I didn't. I figured hunger was just a temporary thing or something." Yes, angels are wonders, but to their credit, this one in particular isn't really the brightest star in the sky!

"Isn't it worrying then that your... human needs tend to grow in number?" Castiel looked at Dean for a while, worried for him. "Do some of your angel powers still work?"

Dean seemed to think it over. "I can still communicate with my brother, and with other angels", he said, counting on his fingers. "And I can still heal, I think. Last time I checked I could. And I can fly." He scratched his head. "I can't get back to Heaven, nor get back to be invisible."

"Have you... Lost any more of your powers since the moment you appeared to me?" There had to be a link, right? What if Dean was becoming... human?

Dean frowned. "I don't know. Not that I can think of- wait a second." He closed his eyes, seemingly concentrating really hard. After a minute, he slowly peeked out. Then opened both his eyes again, looking suddenly frustrated, and a bit scared. "I can't fly anymore", he said, worry laced tight with each word.

"And he can't sense us if we're invisible to human eyes," Sam sighed, as he turned to Eileen. "His state has grown worse with passing time."

Castiel frowned slightly. "Could it be that you are... slowly becoming human?" The biggest question remained why, though. Somehow, Castiel was sure it couldn't have just been because of- hold on a second. Dean happened because he felt lonely, what if he turned human because of how hard he was pinning for him?

Eileen frowned, worry creasing his brows. Her mouth pressed in a thin line, she turned to Sam as well. "This is already pretty bad. You two should have called for help when he first found himself unable to disappear again." She turned to Dean again, not intentioned to reproach Sam for that. "We really need to find out why this is happening. And - we better do it quick."

"I... How would that be possible? I am dead", Dean let out, a bit nervously. "Been dead for a good while. Sure, I am an angel, but I have never, ever, heard about anything like this happening!" Admittedly he was starting to panic a little bit. He sat down on the couch, nervously passing a hand through his hair.

"Have you heard of a similar case before?" Sam stepped towards his brother as well, studying him carefully. "... When you first appeared to me, I remember you being unable to disappear for a while. Do you know what happened back then?"

Castiel sat down by Dean's side, and laid a hand on his shoulder, to comfort him. "Maybe this is all my fault, Dean," he whispered after a little while.

Eileen seemed to reflect for a couple of seconds, then shook his head. "No. I assumed-" She stopped, looking unsure. "I thought that maybe... you know, that was a difficult time for you. You were feeling angry, frustrated, alone. And I have always assumed that was the reason I appeared to you. To be of comfort."

Dean looked at him, his eyes widening. "Oh- don't even say that", he exclaimed, almost sounding angry. "How could it be your fault? You are my protégé! If anything's happening, it's almost surely my fault. Maybe I am not doing something right - maybe I am missing something." He slumped against him, feeling exhausted.

"But Dean's been demoted," Sam protested, frowning. "He's not even supposed to guard Cas anymore. They shouldn't have that strong of a bond."

Castiel pressed his lips together. "Or maybe I dread so much the moment you'll be gone I might have sort of... prayed for you to stay with me forever?" He felt miserable. To him, it was the only reason why Dean might have been trapped here against his own will.

"That means nothing. Spiritual bonding doesn't 'get demoted'. Demoting has no meaning with this. It's something deeper", Eileen argued. "Dean has looked after Castiel ever since he was born. He tended to his soul every day, got mad each and every time he got mistreated, got sad whenever he couldn't do anything to lift him up. You can't get over something like that." She paused. "It's affection."

Dean lifted his head up again, to stare at Castiel. Apparently deep in thought. "... honestly? I don't think a prayer has that much power", he answered, thoughtfully. "Listen, don't... don't beat yourself up over this. Really. Whatever it is - it will get solved. And it's not your fault." He tried to look at him in the eyes. "Now can you smile, please? As your guardian angel, seeing you with that sad frown is really a bad blow for my ego." He threw him a dorkish smile.

"... I'm sorry, Eileen", Sam said after a little while. Granted, he had been looking after someone himself, but... Kevin was an 'easy case'. He knew Castiel's pains had probably been as hard to bear as had been his and Dean's to their own guardian angels, back when they were human.

Castiel couldn't help but smile awkwardly back at Dean. In fact, he all but dived into his arms, closing his arms tight around him. He was glad Dean wasn't mad at him for his selfishness.

Eileen shook her head to him. "It's alright. I'm sure you understand now." She walked to him, laying a hand on his arm, gently. "Let's go. We have to find out what is going on - and we can't do it if we stay around your brother and you keep fussing over him." She smiled softly at Sam, trying to soothe him.

Dean blinked, but hugged him back, patting his shoulder. "There, there", he murmured, ruffling Castiel's hair a bit, affectionately. "Now", he added then while clearing his throat, gently pushing Castiel away to look at him. "This has been a heavy, weird day. What about we have some Chinese take-away and watch a bad action movie?"

Sam nodded. He did look at Dean one last time, though, before turning away. "Do you think God would know what's going on?"

"Sounds fine to me." Castiel stood up and got his phone out. "Do you want the same as usual?"

"We can always try and ask", Eileen commented. "Knowing him, he'd still fins a way to help us out." She casually offered her hand to Sam, knowimg fully well that it was easier to travel and end up in the same place, that way.

"Yup!", Dean sighed, letting himself slump further into the couch. His gaze wandered to the floor, where it got caught by.the discarded magazine. Which reminded him where the conversation started. He chuckled a bit, reflecting on the fact that now he would have comcentrated on findimg Castiel a boyfriend.

Sam took her hand, and gently squeezed it, as he offered her a soft smile. Yes. Yes he loved her to no end, but he feared to have her flee him the moment he would confess to her.

Castiel came back a short while later, and cleared his throat, as he grabbed said magazine and rushed to hide it back in his bedroom. When he came back, he looked a bit sheepishly at Dean. "Can we... never mention that magazine ever again, please?"

Eileen smiled back at Sam, and wasn't she lovely when she smiled. In a blink, they were gone from that room, and back to Heaven.

Dean laughed. "Aw, are you that embarrassed? It's not that bad - hell, I'd say it is pretty tame, for being a porn magazine." Because yes, that thing had naked men in it, full fronta naked men, so it classified as porn. "But, alright then. If you don't feel up to talk about it, then we'll leave it be. But, in any case..." He paused, gazing meaningfully in Castiel's direction. "I'm here for you."
That was meant to be a friendly offer to speak. It had came out pretty dirty, though.

Unfortunately for them all, Bobby was a bit busy at that moment, so he couldn't see them right away, unless it was an emergency of the upmost importance. Sam bit his lips. To him, Dean's well-being was of the upmost importance, but... he looked to Eileen, seeking advice.

Castiel blushed. Hard. "D- Please tell me you didn't just offer to stand naked in my room while I-"
Feeling another sort of embarrassment rising up, he quickly let himself fall into the couch, keeping his legs close. Oh god. Why didn't he rush back to his own room.