Disclaimer: Supernatural, its plotlines, and its characters are all property of the CW and the show's writers. I probably wouldn't be worth only $7 and a bottle of pop if I was actually involved with the show, so its really not worth the effort to sue me, even if I would love to actually meet Misha Collins.
Summary: *DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN SEASON 11* A missing conversation between Cas and Dean after Lucifer is ejected from Cas's vessel. Dean tells Cas some things that he really needed to hear. You might be able to see Destiel if you squint, but mostly just friendship. Rated K+
A/N: I just recently got into Supernatural, so this is my first fic for this particular show. While I may explore Destiel in the future, and definitely some other relationships and characters (Bobby!), I wanted to start with something a little less risky, since it's already canon, just kind of a missing, or manipulated, scene instead of whole new scenarios. Enjoy, and leave a review if you like it!
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The Real Hero
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The boys were finally, mercifully, back at the bunker after everything with Amara was over and Sam and Dean were rescued from the British woman of letters who had been torturing them. While Mary went to take a long shower and a nap and Sam went out to get some burgers, Dean finally decided to talk to Cas and get something off his mind that had been bothering him.
"Cas?" he called across the room.
"Yes, Dean?" Cas walked over from where he had been standing and stood in front of him.
"Can I talk to you?" Dean set his beer down and turned toward Cas.
"Of course."
Dean leaned against the counter and set his beer down, contemplating his hands. Finally, after a few moments, he spoke. "Why did you say yes to Lucifer?" he blurted out.
"We needed him." Cas replied simply.
"Not necessarily. There is always another way. You put yourself in harm's way, you had to know that we wouldn't want that." Dean argued.
"Saying yes to Lucifer was the easiest way to defeat Amara. We had no other plans, and you and Sam are too important to be sacrificed."
"And you're not?" Dean asked incredulously, finally looking up at Cas.
"Of course I'm not. The two of you are the real heroes." Cas answered.
"Cas, do you think you're not important to us?" Dean asked.
"I don't know how to answer that question, Dean."
"Why do you think that you can be sacrificed, but Sam and I can't? Do you think you're not important?"
"I may be important to you, but I am not important in any other circumstance. Somebody had to say yes to Lucifer, and I thought it was best that it be me."
"That's not the point, Cas. Why don't you think you're important?"
"Can you even count how many things I have screwed up since I came down to earth? I lost my grace right when the apocalypse was happening, I killed angels, I set the leviathans free because I was trying to be God, then I helped Metatron close the gates of heaven and make all the angels fall, then I stole grace by killing more angels, and now I have set Lucifer free. What part of that makes you think I'm important?" Cas replied.
"You literally challenged Lucifer when you didn't have your grace, Cas! And you have cleaned up every mess that you have had a part in. You're important to Sam and me because you are brave and selfless and a good man."
"I am not a man, I am an angel."
"Have you met the other angels? You're more of a man than any of them will ever be. You're a good person, Cas, man or not."
"I know that you and Sam are the real heroes. Sure, I help, but I'm not as important as the two of you."
"What gave you that idea?"
"I was told. Well, I already knew it, but I was reminded of my place. And angel told me when I was looking for Amara where the angels smite her. She said how we were sent there because we were disposable, and unimportant. It didn't matter if we were killed by Amara because we weren't needed." Cas explained.
"Damn it, Cas, you're not disposable. You went into the blast area, willingly, because you couldn't be affected by smiting sickness. That is the only reason you went in there and I didn't. And you need to know that we couldn't have done half the things we've accomplished without your help." Dean pushed himself off the counter and moved toward Cas. "You're our friend. You're my best friend. You don't need to sacrifice yourself because we need you the way you are. I can't do this without you. I've lost far too much already, too many people that I care about. My mom before she came back, my dad, Bobby, Lisa, Ben, Kevin, Rufus, Garth…who do I have left? Everyone I love is either dead or off limits. I only have Sam, mom, and you. And Crowley, I guess. I'll be damned if I'm gonna lose the best friend I've ever had because some bitch told him that he's disposable when he's not."
"Dean…"
"No, you need to listen to me, Cas. Enough with this self-pitying bullshit. You're not disposable. We need you like we need booze and guns. We can't do what we do without you. And even if we could, we wouldn't want to. You're not just our friend, you're family. Nobody is more important than anybody else. So don't you dare go sacrificing yourself left and right because you think you're unimportant. I can't lose you."
"Dean…" Cas was at a loss for words.
"Just shut up and come here." Dean stepped forward and pulled Cas in for a long, tight hug. Dean held on like it was life or death, and Cas just buried his head in Dean's shoulder.
"I love you, man. I hope you know that." Dean muttered.
"I do. I love you too." Cas replied.
After a few minutes, Dean pulled back and looked down at Cas. "Don't sacrifice yourself anymore, Cas. Promise?"
Cas sniffed quietly. "Okay, Dean."
Cas turned to walk back into the den area while Dean turned toward the kitchen. Before he moved, though, he turned back around. "Oh, and Cas?"
Cas turned back around.
"You're the real hero. You're braver than Sam and I have ever been. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
And Cas smiled his first real smile in a long time.