Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural
Dean and Sam were on their way to the store to pick up supplies—which really meant they were out of beer.
Of course all the parking spaces nearby were full so they had to hoof it part of the way.
That's when they saw the people coming out from the park they were passing. A lot of people, all with expressions of those who have witnessed the less than pleasant.
The two exchanged looks before carefully making their way into the park, Dean motioning with his head for Sam take the trail into the forested area while he checked out the main area. Sam nodded—pointedly ignoring the fact that it would leave him alone to his hallucinations because he couldn't think about that, lives could be at stake—and they silently agreed to meet back at the entrance should they find anything.
It was in their best interest to avoid confrontation. They were only lightly armed; Dean had a half-empty flask of holy water that he'd forgotten to take out of his jacket and an iron switchblade in his pocket and Sam only had Ruby's knife and the hope that there were suitable substitutes for wooden stakes along the trail should need call for them.
When the main area came into view for Dean, it was eerily clean and pristine, the grass lacking the expected litter and bodies. It was too perfect not to have been freshly-cleared.
It was empty, excluding one park bench in the center.
Castiel sat, looking serenely out onto the landscape. There was a figure next to him but Dean wasn't given much time to think on it when Castiel lifted his right hand without turning and lightly rubbed his middle finger and thumb together in a slow motion as if contemplating snapping.
Dean stiffened; when they had last seen him, Cas had said that they better hope that they didn't meet again. Cas'd obviously been talking about trying to pursue him but Dean had only stumbled across him by accident as opposed to actively seeking him out.
Apparently Castiel realized this too and, after a moment, lowered his hand.
"Cas? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be smiting the countryside?" Dean asked, approaching where Castiel sat; he already knew that Dean was here, no point in hiding it.
Castiel looked up at Dean, "A god does not solely destroy."
Dean glanced over to see a blonde in her mid to late teens beside Castiel kneeling in front of the bench. It gave him the creeps.
Castiel noticed his gaze and placed his hand on her head fondly, causing her to give slight shiver at the unexpected contact, "Isn't it beautiful?" Castiel said softly, slowly moving his hand down her hair in a gesture that gave Dean the chills, "A lost child finally finding her faith, her Way back to her true God."
Dean felt nauseous, "Is she...?" his voice edged on sickened horror.
Sure enough, upon closer look the girl's hands were clasped together and her eyes were closed.
"Child," Castiel gently addressed the girl as he removed his hand, prompting her to look up, "tell him what you are doing."
She turned to Dean, "Praying, to the one true God."
Dean looked away in disgust, "The hell, Cas..."
He missed the light smirk that briefly crossed Castiel's face that spoke of nothing good coming from it.
Castiel placed a hand on her cheek, "You've proven your love for your God; will you show me the depth of that love?"
Her eyes widened and she nodded as though some great honor had been bestowed upon her.
For a fleeting moment Dean thought he was telling her to do something unforgivable as she moved to kneel directly in front of Cas, but what actually happened was completely different and made Dean just as sick to his stomach.
Before she could bow her head again, Castiel tilted her face up with a gentle smile, "I know you are restraining yourself, my child, do not feel ashamed or unworthy. As one of my flock, you needn't be reluctant to display your love and piety."
She swallowed and nodded then hesitantly allowed Cas to help her up onto the bench to begin praying against his chest and Dean felt the very blood drain from his face at the sight.
Her knees rested on the seat of the bench on either side of Castiel's legs, but a position that should be merely indecent was now just wrong.
"Speak your devotions." He commanded softly.
She looked up at him uncertainly, "I…I cannot put my prayers and praises to voice, to bind them to mundane words would lessen them…" she trailed off and rested her head on his chest, her shoulders tense and trembling slightly.
Dean realized with an internal lurch that she thought Cas was going to kill her for being unable to do as he said and wanted her last moment alive to be pressed against her 'God'.
Castiel tilted her face up and placed a light kiss of forgiveness on her forehead, "I understand, my child." He said benevolently and her whole body relaxed. He removed his hand and she took it as her cue to start goddamn praying again.
Then Cas began stroking her hair and it was just too much.
Castiel gave Dean the same majestic smile he'd worn when killing Raphael and Dean turned away before he could literally throw up.
All those monsters' souls had turned Cas into one.
"Damn it, Cas," No more, please, "Why would you…"
Castiel's majestic smile effortlessly slid into a serene smirk as he answered simply, "My favorite pets turned and bit me, so I had to get new ones."
Later, Sam would find his brother shakily using a tree as a support and informing him that they were screwing the beer and getting hard liquor and whiskey instead. The closest thing to an explanation that Dean would ever give for his condition was making Sam promise to shoot him if he was ever weak enough to give in to the temptation of respite and bow down to Cas.
