"Dean, why?" Cas choked out as he cradled the Winchester's head in his lap. His hands hovered over the multiple wounds that leaked blood from Dean's body onto both of their clothes.

Dean smiled weakly up at the angel, his eyes already starting to lose the life that they held. "Be- because..."

"The demon couldn't have killed me, Dean!" Cas cried out in frustration, shutting his eyes in anger before immediately reopening them, not wanting to keep his eyes off of the dying man for a second. "I- I could heal you..."

Dean tried to shake his head, but only managed moving an inch before whimpering quietly. "No... need your strength more..."

A tear finally rolled down Castiel's cheek, dripping into Dean's hair and disappearing. "Dean, you don't understand. I need you most!" Another tear followed the first, and another, until he was openly sobbing, clutching desperately at the man. Dean murmured under his breath softly, doing his best to comfort the Angel even though he was the one hurt. With all the strength he could muster, he shakily raised a hand up to hover near Castiel's head, placing it gently on the side face and smearing blood on his vessel in the process. Cas didn't seem to mind; he brought his own hand up to clasp Dean's.

"Keep... S'mmy safe," Dean mumbled, his breaths becoming slower and raspier with each passing second. Cas nodded through his tears and opened his mouth to reply, but the mortal beat him to it. "Cas..." He coughed weakly, blood drinking out of the corner of his mouth. "I- I... love... you."

Cas gulped. He had always wanted to hear those words leave the elder Winchester's mouth, but not like this.

Never like this.

"I love you too, Dean. Always."

Castiel had never seen as much happiness shine in Dean's eyes ever as it did then. All of the horrors from his life of hunting vanished in that final moment of his existence on Earth as he stared into the eyes of the Angel he loved before exhaling, giving up his final breath. Cas could see his soul leave his body, but didn't follow its path as he shakingly closed Dean's eyes.

The world appeared duller, so Cas shut his eyes too. He crushed Dean's lifeless body against his chest, tipped his head back towards the heavens, and screamed. He screamed for his friend, he screamed for his comrade, he screamed for his love.

He screamed for God to take pity on him and send him to join Dean.

The world would never be colorful again.

Cas, Sam and Crowley stood solemnly together as they watched the flames from Dean's pyre flicker into the sky. None of them mentioned the tears in any of their eyes, or the ones flowing freely down Cas's face. Sam had already cried as much as he possibly could in his life, and Crowley was attempting to show he wasn't too soft.

None of them mentioned the absence of Castiel's trenchcoat either.

He had insisted on Dean wearing it when they burned him.

Crowley has placed a single flower on his chest, similar to the ones he would wear in his suit pocket.

Sam was wearing the amulet prop that the school-fangirls had gifted Dean with. He was the one who had painstakingly sprinkled salt on his brother's body, and he knew some of the salt was from his tears. He had placed a letter in one of the trenchcoat's pockets full of things he never got to say. Some part of him hoped Dean would see it wherever he ended up.

The three men stared at the flames that were consuming the body of the dead hunter.

Cas reached up, undid his tie, and tossed it into the fire before falling to his knees. Sam sank down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Crowley even sat down next to them several moments later.

They watched the fire until it died, and as it died, so did their hearts.

Dean's eyes opened slowly as he wondered where he was. An alien fabric brushed against his jean-covered legs, and as he looked down to see what it was, tears began to form in his eyes.

He was wearing Castiel's trenchcoat.

A red flower was resting in his lap.

Shifting his legs, he heard a crinkle from one of the pockets. He pulled out a note from inside it, his name scrawled in Sam's messy handwriting.

It took him a moment to realize he was seated in the passenger seat of the impala. Looking over at the driver seat, the sight of a familiar tie met his eyes.

Dean began to sob.

A/N: So I wrote this to make my sisters and friends cry... it worked too well; I cried while writing it. Hope you felt the feels i did