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The first time it happened, Castiel couldn’t breath. The feeling was so strange that he had to wait until it had dissipated before he could move. He was unaware of what had caused the sensation. After it passed, he turned towards the Winchester brothers and gathered his thought, jumping right back into the research for their next hunt. He dropped the thought from his mind.
The next time he felt it, he was in an embrace with arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him close to Dean Winchester’s chest. Castiel felt his muscles relax, before the feeling of heat coursed up his spine, spreading over his neck and into his face. He recognized the sensation from before, the same prickling heated skin. Dean tensed his arms before releasing him. Castiel looked into Dean’s eyes, wondering if he could see what was happening to him. Dean quirked an eyebrow up and shrugged before turning away. Castiel was relieved and confused at the same time. His skin felt suddenly cold and he couldn’t think about it further as they were thrown back into the action, another attack bursting from their left.
The sensation returned later, as Dean clasped his forearm tightly, pulling him close to his side. The prickly started in his cheeks and only spread to his neck this time. Castiel huffed out a breathe and darted his eyes over to Dean. Dean was looking around for danger, unaware of the effect his hand was having on Castiel. Castiel was firmly of the opinion now that whatever was the matter with his body was related to Dean. Dean’s fingers tightened on his arm and Cas felt the heat spread to his shoulders and, surprisingly, his thighs. The burning of his cheeks felt like a beacon and his breath was coming a little quicker than usual. He righted his mind to the current situation and promised himself that he would ask about this human reaction later.
When Castiel found himself standing in soaked clothes with the torrents of rain pushing his hair close to his forehead, he didn’t realize it was time for him to ask. He continued to stare at the closed door, lifting his arm to knock. He heard the grumbles of voices beyond the door before it was wrenched open and he was looking into the face of Dean.
“It’s very nice weather, we are having,” Castiel remarked, blinking at Dean. Dean looked at him strangely before grabbing the lapels of his overcoat and pulling him into the room, away from the raging summer storm. Dean closed the door and turned to where Castiel stood, dripping water onto the greenish-grey carpet. Castiel continued to look curiously at Dean.
“Cas, dude, why were you standing out there in that damn storm?” Dean asked, furrowing his brow. Castiel tipped his head to the side and stared at the elder Winchester. He shifted his gaze to look around the room, blinking.
“Where is Sam?” Castiel asked, turning to look back at Dean.
“He was at the library, probably waiting out the storm, like a sensible person,” Dean huffed, “Let me grab you a towel so you’re not standing in puddle soon.”
Castiel felt the familiar heat flash up his body, catching his breath as he watched Dean walk back into the bathroom. Dean returned and approached him with a towel outstretched. “Here you go, man,” Dean said, lightly tossing the towel into Castiel’s hands. Castiel stood with the towel in his hands, unsure of how to continue and feeling even warmer.
Dean sighed, “Cas, take your coat of first,” holding his hands out to take the dripping coat from Castiel’s hands as he slipped it off. Dean disappeared into the bathroom, out of Castiel’s sight. He heard the show curtain being pushed to the side and decided Dean must be hanging up his coat in the tub. Castiel pressed the towel to his face, feeling the tough fibers of the towel scrape along his overheated cheeks. He felt the heat in his face as he brought his eyes up to Dean’s, where he stood under the bathroom door frame.
“I feel feverish,” Castiel stated, “do I look feverish?”
“I thought angels couldn’t get sick? It seems to soon for you to be sick from the rain,” Dean said, stepping forward to press the back of his hand to Castiel’s forehead. “You don’t feel feverish, just damp.”
Castiel frowned, feeling the heat flare in his cheeks at the touch of Dean’s hand. “I can feel the blood rushing and warming my face. This is not the first time. I was worried I was ill,” Castiel said lowering his eyes to look at the towel in his hands.
Dean smirked, looking over Castiel’s face. “Cas, I think you’re just blushing. Nothing clearly to worry about, however strange it feels to you.”
Castiel mulled over the word, blushing, trying to place it to the situations in correlations with it’s meaning. “I don’t recall being embarrassed or ashamed when it happens, although the tinging of red to my skin does express the symptom,” Castiel said. He looked over at Dean whose smirk had widened on his face.
“It doesn’t always mean the same thing,” Dean stated. “Embarrassment and shame are a couple of the causes of blushing, but it can also be from happiness or, sometimes, desire. I can’t tell you what emotions you are feeling, dude, but I can tell you that your body is reacting normally.”
“Does that mean it is okay if my whole body is blushing?” Castiel asked, raising his eyes to the ceiling as he once again felt his blood flaring and rushing throughout his body.
Dean’s smirk seemed frozen when Castiel returned his eyes to his face. Dean’s face seemed to take on a pinkish hue around his cheeks and ears. Castiel blinked and processed the information. “I think I am beginning to understand,” he murmured before stepping closer to Dean. “I think I would like to test whether or not it is natural to blush with your whole body. Would you be willing to show me?” Dean blinked down at him, slowly nodding his head before closing the space between the two of him.
When Sam returned from the library and entered the room, he raised an eyebrow at the angel’s flushed face, looking around for his brother. Castiel watched Sam’s eyes look at the closed bathroom door before returning to regard Castiel. Castiel felt himself blush and stuttered out in answer to the younger Winchester unasked question, “I’m blushing because I’m happy. Dean was teaching me about blushing.” Sam’s raised eyebrows made Castiel blush brighter. Castiel felt he was going to be an expert in blushing.