The house felt so large despite being only two bedrooms and one bathroom. Still, Dean carried in the boxes with a smile on his face, setting it in the living room among the rest of the things, a couch pressed against the corner of the room just for now until they got everything in. Sam filed in behind him, his own box in his arms as he talked to Gabriel as the boy helped Ellen and Laura unpack while Bobby and Chuck began hooking all the appliances in the kitchen in.

Castiel was sitting with Ellen and Laura, answering their questions on specific places to put certain items. His hands were folded neatly in his lap, and although he had been frustrated at not being able to help at first, he seemed happy now, a small smile on his face that had Dean staring for a long moment before Gabriel 'accidentally' bumped into him, making him blush and grumble as he continued to load boxes in.

After he and Sam managed to get the dresser into the main bedroom, he flopped down onto the bed that Bobby and Chuck had put together, letting out a flustered sigh as he allowed himself to catch his breath. Sam smiled at him, sitting down more eloquently beside of him.

"Are you excited?" Sam asked softly, watching as Dean looked towards him and gave him a cheeky grin, sitting up and ruffling his brother's hair warmly.

"You know me, Sammy. Moving around never did much for me," Dean stated, his words as easy as ever. Sam's smile twitched a little though, and the sadness in his features caught him off guard as Sam just sighed, looking down at his lap.

"I'm sorry for saying what I did...before..." Sam muttered, looking a put off at actually admitting that he was wrong. Dean looked at him curiously, a slight tip in his head at the forlorn look on his brother's face. Although Sam had hurt him beyond compare, he never imagined that Sam would apologize, that an apology had needed to be spoken at all. 

"I'm just glad you hadn't been hurt too badly after the incident," Dean responded, and that was the truth. Learning his brother had been hit after running into oncoming traffic, it had almost killed Dean, and just the fact that he had been alive at all had been the only thing that stopped him from putting a bullet in his head after what had happened.

Sam's face fell, and a tear dribbled down his cheek, "I remember when you left and Dad was still gone...the man that had hit me had gotten loose from his room. I-I could hear him screaming and he sounded so angry. I...I caused that man damage, Dean. I r-ruined his life," Sam spoke, his voice stunted, as if his secret had turned him into a robot as he struggled to process what he was saying out loud.

"He t-tried to choke me, you know," Sam continued, only Dean's breath hitching making him look over, the saddest smile on Sam's face that the older Winchester had ever seen, "Hi-his brain had been damaged, and he c-couldn't control his emotions anymore...I was so guilty, and when I saw him again...I h-had to be strong that day, but the moment that I was alone in my room, I cr-cried. I ruined...I ruined so many lives, Dean. I felt like a monster."

Sam paused, wiping away his tears and taking in a shaky breath as Dean wrapped his arm around Sam with a look of concern. He had never heard this before, and he doubted that anyone actually knew.

"It wasn't your fault, Sam," Dean eased, but Sam just shook his head, a full-fledged sob making his way through his throat as he muffled his mouth with his hand, his eyes squeezing shut tightly as tears looked through the corners.

"It had been th-three years since I had seen him...I almost for-got what he looked like," Sam cried, leaning into Dean as he finally let go of the baggage that had destroyed him since his first mistake three years ago. Dean frowned but didn't say anything. He knew Sam had to get it out, unable to stop that dam that had already broken.

"I couldn't have known, Dean. I-if I had, I never would have gotten near him, I swear," Sam whimpered, burying his head in his hands as he cried. 

"What are you talking about, Sam?" Dean asked, feeling a sense of unease crawling up his spine. Something about this story didn't feel right, and Sam's guilt-ridden sobs did nothing to ease him.

"I didn't know he was Gabriel's father, I swear!" Sam cried into his hands, and Dean felt the world go still, time slowing down to nothing as Dean stared at Sam's sobbing form. His eyes widened, and he couldn't move, only able to watch the sobbing form of his brother.

Then the world righted its mistake, and Dean was pulling Sam into a hug, letting him cry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The door to the bedroom shut quietly behind Dean as he leaned against it with a sigh, staring down at the darkening floor as the sun began to set. Sam's secret had really done a number on his emotional energy and he felt drained. Still, after he finally managed to calm Sam down, they had forced themselves back into the happy brothers that they were now. Dean wouldn't dare tell a soul, especially not Gabriel. What was done was done, and only Sam would ever be the one to speak those words to the boy.

Castiel shifted from where he was sprawled out on the bed, a slightly sleepy look on his face as he turned it towards the noise Dean had made, "Did Sam go?" Castiel asked, sitting up when Dean made a grunt of acknowledgment. Dean padded over, pulling off his jacket and then his shirt, sighing as he dumped them unceremoniously on the floor before working on the button on his jeans.

"Dean?" Castiel said softly, pulling Dean's attention from undressing and looking over at the blind man. He was sitting casually, but Dean could feel the nervous energy coming from the man, "Does this feel like home to you?"

Dean stared at him for a moment, finding it to be a strange question, but then, Castiel was just a strange person in general. It did make him tip his head, however, a thoughtful look crossing his face. The house, although new and foreign to him, did feel inviting, and he could still faintly feel the lingering presence of everyone that had helped them move in that day, not to mention the smell of Castiel that made him feel safe.

"Yeah, I would say this is home," Dean stated, not really pushing the reason on why Castiel was asking and continuing to get undressed.

"Welcome home then," Castiel said soft and almost hesitant, and it had Dean turning to him in shock, his eyes shooting wide. That statement did things to his heart, his body growing inexplicably warm, and his breath caught in his throat.

"W-what did you say?" Dean managed to get out, his throat feeling as if it were closing on itself. It must have been stupid sounding to anyone outside of Dean's own head, but that pain in his chest seemed to multiply, and that pain strangely no longer felt like pain, but a thousand warm comforts filling his body instead. 

"Welcome home," Castiel repeated, and Dean closed his eyes at the sweet sound of those words, the words that in all his life, he couldn't ever remember hearing. Why did he or Sam ever bother when they had never had a true home to begin with?

He hadn't realized that his jeans had fallen off his hips, but he stepped out of them now, climbing onto the bed and pulling Castiel into the tightest hug he could, his heart feeling like it had stopped. Those words...they felt so powerful to him now. Something that everyone heard, everyone but him, until now.

"Welcome home, Cas," Dean whispered thickly, feeling Castiel's arms sliding around him, touching his back gently in a slight stroking motion. Castiel nuzzled against his neck, breathing in deeply and lying back, taking Dean with him so he was on top of him, a warmth that covered him all over gently.

"Is it okay that I said that?" Castiel asked, noticing the tears that were beginning to wet his shoulders. Dean shook, biting back them the best he could, despite the few that made it through.

"Of course...dumbass. We both own the house, after all," Dean muttered, trying to pull something other than his overwhelming happiness out of this. Castiel only smiled against his skin, unfazed by Dean's words. He shifted, guiding Dean to lie beside him, their legs tangled together as they pulled back enough so they could at least breath. Castiel slid his hand up from Dean's side to the nape of his neck, where he stroked it gently.

It wasn't until Dean was almost asleep that Castiel spoke again.

"It's only home because it's with you."