2 - Down at Ellen's place

Dean... kind of let him do that, actually. Yeah, yeah, he had no excuses. He even helped, wrapping his arms around Castiel to bring him closer, their bodies now pressing against each other. He invaded the other man's mouth with his tongue, head spinning with something close to need.

Ellen laughed at that oh so mundane question. "Oh, you know. Jo's always around, I am surrounded by men who go hunt for months and come back stinking of ghoyls and, God knows what else. Same old." She glanced at him. "You?"

Castiel kissed Dean back for a while with just as much eagerness, but, after some time, he grew softer, and softer against Dean's lips, to the point he broke the kiss without even noticing it, his eyes half-closed, and brow slightly furrowed. "Didn't you... wish to shower?" he whispered suddenly.

"Well. Same old," he said with a smile. "Half adopted two more boys and walked around, saving people, hunting things. Wishing for rest." He went to put some glasses back where they belonged, and barely brushed his fingers against her hip while passing by, on his way back by her side.

Dean raised a brow, tilting his head. "Shower?", he repeated stupidly. Honestly shower was the furthest thing in his mind right now. But, on the other side... He turned away from Castiel, trying hard to hold back a yawn. "Yeah, you're right. I'd better go - and then crash on my. Uh. Your bed, I guess, because you aren't moving. Right?" He smirked at him, and patted his arm. "Feel free to fall asleep in the meantime", he added as he stood up, freeing the other man from his weight.

Ellen held back a smile as she kept washing the dishes. "Always out there bringing in stray puppies. You really are a papa bear", she said, amusement in her voice. She felt that light touch on her hip and barely glanced at Bobby. "You can rest, you know", she simply said. "This is everyone's home. It can be yours, too." She reached for a dry cloth just next to where he was standing, maybe barely brushing against his fingers. If they were anywhere near that.

"Mh," Castiel replied vaguely, before he straightened up just a bit to get rid of his coat, and his shirt, sighing, and stretching his shoulders a bit. God was he tired. Yet filled with a soft, fuzzy feeling of happiness.

"I already think of it as 'home', Bobby replied. He actually wrapped an arm around Ellen to bring her close, and lay a kiss on her forehead. "And not because of the walls around the place," he whispered softly. He didn't force an embrace. Didn't bring her fully against his body. He just stood there, kindly. Almost only friendly.

Dean laughed, leaving Castiel there to rest on his own as he went for the bathroom. He just took a long, long bath, the warmth making him feel content and... quite sleepy, to be honest. He only came out when the water had gone almost cold, getting dressed for the night and stepping outside to go to his - Castiel's - bed. The other man had probably fallen asleep already by then!

Ellen just smiled. She let Bobby hold her close like that, with an arm wrapped around her shoulders, like an old friend. She was a bit less shy than him, however, and less biased about showing physical affection even to a friend - so she soon enough turned to hold him. She was tired, and her daughter had been gone for nearly a month - there was more than a reason for which she needed this hug.

Castiel was indeed fast asleep in Dean's bed, his hair a mess. But it happened so rarely, and he seemed so content, the sight itself would have been endearing!

Bobby hugged her back, just barely rocking them both back and forth. "If you need something to hold onto, tonight-," he said in a soft voice. They had probably done that already ; falling asleep in each other's arms, sometimes on the couch, sometimes on a bed.

'Damn, he's cute.' Yes - Dean had just thought that a grown ass man was cute. Well, Castiel was really one of a kind, with that quiet demeanour, that ruffled hair, that lost expression. Those blue eyes... He walked a bit close to him, and... yes, bent a little to brush their lips together once again. It was too strong of a tentation to resist!

"If you could, you'd do me a favor, Robert", Ellen answered in a murmur. It happened so often, since her husband died. Being touch starved, I mean. And her daughter had well passed the age of actively seeking hugs, or wishing to sleep side by side with her mom.

Castiel frowned slightly and pursed his lips against Dean's, while he barely opened sleepy eyes. He had just fallen asleep, so his sleep was still very light.

Bobby's face cracked into a soft smile, upon hearing his birth name. "How d'you feel about lying down? I'm an old man, I'll fall asleep any minute now. I'll behave, though."

Dean blinked when he felt Castiel react to his kiss - and lifted his head, breaking it right away. He smiled, embarrassed, when he saw the other man's eyes opening just a bit. "Sorry. Didn't mean to, um. Wake you up." He scratched his head. "Goodnight", he added, turning and quickly walking to his bed, hoping to suffocate his embarrassment in his pillows. He had just behaved like a perfect idiot!

Ellen laughed. "Sure. First, though, what about you finish what you started?", she asked in a low voice, her arms still around Bobby's shoulders. She looked at him for a couple of seconds, and then took a step back to shove the dry cloth she was still holding int his hands. "I'll go brush up a bit. You know where my room is, old man", she added with a smile, gently making fun at him as she walked away.

Castiel, despite how tired he was, was oddly quick at catching Dean's wrist before he could get away from him. He hesitated a bit. "Do you... wish to sleep here?" He asked him, ad bit awkwardly.

"..." Bobby let out a chuckle, and shook his head. He did finish to dry things up, though, before he walked upstairs to gently knock on Ellen's bedroom door.

Dean turned around mid-step, face a bit red. "... no, it's... okay", he reassured him, sincerely. "The beds are small, and I'd risk waking you up. You sleep so little already, I'd hate to do that", he explained, laying his free hand on Castiel's, on his own wrist.

"Come in", Ellen answered. She was already laying in bed, dressed just a bit more lightly to be more comfortable. And cleaning her gun, ready to put that under her pillow. Usual nightly preparations that had became routine over the years.

"... I understand. 'night," Castiel replied with a sleepy voice, before he let go of Dean's wrist, closing his eyes again. He actually fell back asleep so quickly he still had his arm extended towards him.

Bobby held back a smirk when he saw her getting her gun ready. Well. Those were still rare back in their days, but a saying had already caught up among hunters.
"That a gun, or are you happy to see me?" he gently teased her while he closed the door behind him, and took off his coat.

Dean simply smiled, and finally turned to his bed, crashing on it with all his body weight and soon falling asleep as well, snoring gently.

Ellen lifted her head to look at him, gun still in her hands. She arched a brow, a cheeky smirk on her lips. Yes, true - guns were indeed still rae. She had managed to get that one from Jo, who had found it on a demon she had killed back months ago. But that saying had reached her ears as well. "Your choice. It can be both." She paused briefly. "I didn't think you were the type to say that to a woman", she added, turning away again. She was still smiling widely, though.

"You're not just any woman," Bobby let out, hiding back a smile while he turned away from her as well, to get himself ready for bed. Things had been kind of awkward, in the sweet sense of the way between the two of then for the past... was it the past two years? They had had a fling back then, but then Jo had come back from her hunt with a bad injury, so they hadn't addressed it at the time. Then Bobby came and went, always at a bad moment. But now, though? He sat down on the bed, looking at her fondly.

"You're right. I'm not", Ellen simply answered, casually pushing the gun under her pillow before she turned to Bobby again. She caught that fond gaze by sheer luck, and she smiled back at him right away. Truth be told, she had always regretted not talking with him about that one... 'meeting of interest' they had something like two years before. But, yeah. As said. Bad moments and all. "Well. See something you like?", she asked with a small laugh, maybe feeling a tiny bit self conscious.

Bobby held back a soft chuckle, and adverted his gaze from her, a bit shyly as well. "Maybe I do," he sighed. And remained silent for a little while, before he took a deep breath. "So. About the elephant in the room-"

Ellen laughed. He found Bobby's awkwardness to be... sort of adorable, on a man his age. "The elephant in the room? Aren't you making it a bit big, for it to be one single night of a couple years ago? Her expression softened. "We don't have to talk about it, if it makes you feel uneasy."

"Well, I do plan on holding you in my arms to fall asleep, so I think it's worth mentioning," Bobby protested. He dared to look at her again, only to soften. "Ellen," he whispered. "I can't pretend it didn't mean anything to me back then. I know my place. And I can be your bed warmer and personal teddy bear if that's what makes you happy. I just- wanted things to be cristal clear between us."

Ellen lowered her gaze for a second. "I never said it meant nothing for me", she answered, after the silence between them had stretched for long enough. "But I don't know what is the place you wish to have. You've always said that nobody could replace Karen. You've said it back then, too." It didn't sound like she was accusing him - she was just stating the facts. "If you want things to be crystal clear, then be the first. Because until I know my place and you know yours, but we don't know each other's, then we are just two old dumbasses, don't you think?" She threw in a small laugh.

Bobby held back a soft chuckle as well, but then remained a bit thoughtful, looking down at the faded mark on his left forearm. "You'll never be what Karen was to me, just like I'll never be what Bill was to you. That's just a fact." He looked up to her. "But maybe I'd like to be the dumbass that will be there for you until the very end. Supporting you, caring for you, all of that stuff."

Ellen lifted up her eyes to meet Bobby's gaze. She stared at him for a few seconds, in silence, pondering over something. Then, she started chuckling. "I think I already said it earlier tonight - but, well. You really do know how to speak to a woman, don't you", she said, trying to hide how touched she was behind a bit of humour. She glanced down at her own, faded mark. "Well. Maybe I'd like for you to be that dumbass. That will be there for me, suport me, care for me. Help me do the dishes. All that stuff", she added with a soft smile, reaching for his hand. "Just like I'd like to be that kind of dumbass for you as well."

Bobby held back a smile, and wrapped his arm around Ellen, for a gentle embrace. He even kissed her forehead again, loving and sweet. "Then let's do this. I'll come home more often. Do the dishes. You'll hear me rant. I'll hold you tight." He closed his eyes, sighing softly.

Ellen smiled, hiding her expression against Bobby's shoulder. "Sounds good to me", she murmured, lifting herself up a bit to kiss his stubbly cheek. It was just as soft and gentle as he had been with her.

Bobby held her close that way for a good while, before he pretended the position was making his old body cringe, so they could lie down a bit.
He would definitely bid her a good night with a soft kiss, though, and fall asleep while holding her against his chest.

Ellen fell asleep like that, in Bobby's arms and with a smile playing on her lips after she had kissed him back gently and whispered him good night. For once after a long while, her sleep was void of nightmares.

Within a reasonably far distance, Selena was all but having a nice, love-filled evening. She looked at her blood-stained and tattered clothes, and at the ratty room she had been forced to take, frowning like she had never frowned before.
Well. That won't do. She glanced at the mark on her hand with disgust, still hesitating. Should she really do that? After all, claimed hunter or not, irritating an Archangel wasn't a bright idea. True, she was running low on money - and on supplies. And on... literally everything. But Raphael probably couldn't have cared less. She scoffed, and made a gesture to get her glove back and put it on again. Then she heard a weird, squeaking noise. She turned. And a family of rats was gleefully touring the bedroom, probably looking for something to eat. Her fingers were pressing on the mark before she could even think about it. Nope. She drew the line at rats and bugs.