Castiel stood in the middle of the rundown hotel room, waiting for Dean to emerge from the bathroom. Normally he would just appear wherever she was, but after the last unfortunate visit he decided that his current position was much safer.
He listened as she hummed one of her favorite songs, identifying it as Metallica. Still humming, she walked out of the bathroom wearing her usual tight fitting jeans and a black bra. Sensing his eyes on her, Dean glanced up and gasped, grabbing a shirt off her bed.
"Dammit Cas!" she scowled, holding the shirt to her chest, "Quit doing that!"
"I thought you did not approve of me appearing in the bathroom. This is not the bathroom," he defended himself.
"Yeah, well…" she softened, "What's wrong?"
He tried to ignore the way her arms lowered while waiting for him to answer, slowly revealing more of her chest. "Nothing is… wrong…" he mumbled vaguely.
"Cas," she frowned, somehow making his name sound like an order.
Despite her annoyance, he continued to avoid her gaze, acting as if he found the wallpaper incredibly interesting. Dean finally realized what was making him so uncomfortable and slipped on her shirt, leaving a few more buttons than necessary undone.
"I was checking in," he sighed, finally meeting her gaze.
"Checking up on us? Really Cas? That's sweet…" she tried to hide her amusement.
"It isn't funny, Dean," he growled, "You draw danger like a magnet."
"Thanks for your concern," she rolled her eyes, "But we're fine." She crossed the room and grabbed a glass bottle, twisting off the lid and pouring herself a drink.
"Then why do you need that?" the angel argued, taking the glass from her.
"Because I like it," she huffed, reaching out a hand.
Eyeing her carefully, he swallowed the whiskey before handing her the empty glass.
"Enjoy that, did ya?" she scowled, taking the glass and pouring another drink.
Cas watched as she lifted the glass to her lips and ignored the strange sensation in the pit of his stomach. "You shouldn't consume such quantities of alcohol," he warned, "It is detrimental to your health."
"This from a guy who drank a liquor store," she rolled her eyes. "Being a hunter is bad for my health. This won't make a difference."
"Dean, I think I know what we're dealing with!" Sam called, the door swinging shut behind him. "What's with your shirt?"
"Just a little something for our resident angel to look at," she smirked, swallowing another shot of whiskey.
"I'm sure he isn't interested," Sam snickered, dodging the pillow that was thrown at his head. "Hey, Cas, what's up?"
"Hello, Sam," the angel nodded in greeting. "As I informed Dean, nothing is… up," he frowned at the strangeness of the human's expression and continued, "I was just verifying your well-being."
"He was worried, don't let him fool ya," Dean grinned, winking at the pouting angel.
"I simply wanted to be sure nothing had killed you… again."
"Thanks Cas, we're fine," Sam assured him, "Right, Dean?"
Dean remained silent, staring at the floor in front of her. The two men turned to her and she jumped as if she had just noticed them. "Yeah," she offered them a fake smile, "Always."
"Are you sure about this, Dean?" Sam whispered to his sister. "There are a lot of them."
"I'm sure, Sammy! Now shut it!" She poked her head up and over a stack of wooden pallets, surveying the scene before them. Vampires. At least twenty of them, all sleeping. "I can kill most of them before they even know I'm there."
"Dean, that's a lot for you to take on alone," Sam argued, "Maybe I should…"
"No! You need to untie those little girls and get them out of here," she ordered. "I'm a big girl, Sam. I can handle this."
"Alright," he sighed, "Whenever you're ready."
Satisfied, Dean drew her machete. She made her way closer to the sleeping monsters, staying behind cover as often as possible. Sam took off in the opposite direction, his destination the two young girls tied to a support beam of the crumbling building. He began to run when the shouts rang out, closely followed by three distinct thumps. You better stay alive, Dean, he half ordered, half prayed. Reaching the children, he began working on untying them.
As he worked, Dean hacked her way through the nest of vampires. Dodging teeth and limbs, she beheaded everything in sight. No longer thinking, only acting on instinct. She felt more alive than she had in weeks. She had downed nineteen of the leeches and the only one remaining was crouched in front of her, teeth bared. "Man, you are one ugly son of a bitch, you know that?" she taunted him.
"And what are you?" the vampire sneered, "Nothing more than a pathetic human. You may kill us, but there will always be more. Something will always be hiding in the shadows, chasing you down. You dare to call yourselves hunters? You are nothing but prey."
Dean lashed out and struck the vampire with her blade, his head separating from his shoulders and tumbling to the floor. "I'm human, all right," she smirked, "The pathetic human who ganked your ass."
"Dean, behind you!" Sam shouted, too far away to be of any help.
She spun quickly, but not fast enough. There was one more vampire who had not been there moments before. Probably a lookout they had missed. The girl was small and agile, leaping towards Dean before she could block her. Cas! She cried out silently, wishing her angel had stuck around after all. Sure she had teased him about checking in, but she sure as hell could use him about now.
Pain ripped through her arm and she screamed, falling back against something hard and metal. Her head struck the object and stars exploded across her vision. "Dean!" a rough, gravelly voice called out her name.
Dean tried to answer the voice, blinking away the stars. The only thing she could see were two bright blue spheres before her. The sight comforted her and she stared into their depths, drifting towards sleep.
"You have to stay awake," the voice ordered her.
She frowned at that, wanting nothing more than to sink into a deep sleep. Protected by the bluer than blue eyes watching over her. Something brushed up against her upper thigh, but she was too tired to be concerned by it.
"How is she?" another voice asked.
Dean recognized this voice too. It drew her away from her slumber just a little, her need to protect the man whom the voice belonged overpowering the instinct to sleep. The eyes disappeared for a moment and she was shocked a bit more awake. Other things were brought to her attention, the pain in her head, in her arm. Most annoying though was the wetness on her arm, expanding rapidly and soaking her jacket. She let out an involuntary whimper, seeking the warmth only one person could bring her. Seeking the eyes of her angel.
Castiel beheaded the creature that had attacked Dean, throwing its lifeless body across the warehouse in anger. Taking a deep breath, he knelt before the hunter, trying to assess her condition. The vampire had bitten her arm, tearing a deep gash in her flesh that was now bleeding profusely. "Dean, can you hear me?" he asked worriedly, taking her face in his hands and searching her eyes for any sign of a concussion.
"Dean, you have to stay awake," Cas begged her, digging in her jeans pocket for the keys to the Impala.
"Cas, how is she?" Sam hurried over to them, having delivered the girls to safety.
"Not good," the angel answered gruffly, throwing him the keys. "I'm taking her back to your hotel room. You can drive yourself."
"Got it," Sam agreed, trusting the angel's decision. If he was that worried about Dean, her life must be in danger.
Dean let out a whimper and Cas felt a strange tightening in his chest. "I will protect you, Dean," he promised, sliding an arm under her legs and back. He stood and unfolded his wings.
Cas set Dean down on her bed in the hotel room she shared with her brother. Careful not to hit her head, he laid her down on a pillow and began to heal her injuries. He brushed his fingers along her forehead and the wound on her arm disappeared. The head trauma wasn't as obvious, but he knew that was healed as well. Sitting on the bed next to her, he ran his thumb across her cheekbone gently. "How do you always end up injuring yourself?" he asked her quietly.
She stirred slightly, taking a deep breath and leaning into his touch. Smiling to himself, he pressed his palm against her cheek. "Cas," she sighed.
"I'm here, Dean," he answered her, taking one of her hands in his.
She slowly opened her eyes, bright green and clear. He studied them closely, looking for any sign that her concussion remained. "Cas?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Hello, Dean." She smiled at his use of his usual greeting and tried to sit up. "Don't," he warned, leaning forward and pressing her shoulders back down. "You are still recovering."
"Cas how is… what are you doing?" Sam paused in the doorway.
Dean glanced up at her younger brother and imagined what he saw. Her laying on the bed, Cas leaning over her, their faces inches apart… She turned her face back to the angel and blushed fiercely.
"Is everything alright?" Cas asked, his eyes filled with concern.
"Fine… it's nothing…" she muttered, staring at her hands.
"I'm glad," Cas nodded, standing to leave.
"Wait!" she cried, reaching out and grabbing the sleeve of his trench coat. She ignored Sam's bewildered stare and met Cas' questioning gaze. What do I want? Why did I stop him? "Uh… thanks for… you know…"
"Of course, Dean," Cas smiled gently, "You are very welcome."
He disappeared from the room and Dean leaned back on the bed, trying to figure out why she felt so… lonely.