I think the reason why Dean & Cas is such a loved and popular pairing is because viewers love relationships with progression and development. Most of the times in tv shows the writers introduce a new character as a love interest from the get-go and that rarely sits well with the fans. That doesn’t mean we’re stubborn, it means we want meaningful relationships, we want background, we want to be able to see it for ourselves that these 2 people belong together. Dean and Castiel’s relationship wasn’t supposed to be viewed as a romance, but it happened anyway. Their heartbreaking history together, their parallels, their emotional connection and the amazing chemistry between the actors made sure of that. That’s why I love them, because no matter how much writers try to force chemistry and romance, Dean and Cas just look at each other and they captivate you.