Wings
Dean had somewhat grown accustomed to Castiel appearing at his side. It was getting to the point that he could usually sense the Angel when he appeared. There was something ridiculous about the whole situation.
"Personal space, dude," Dean said, his mouth full of toothpaste. He felt Castiel back away. He quickly finished his evening ritual before turning back to the Angel. "So, what's…" his voice trailed away.
"Dean?" Castiel questioned, tilting his head slightly, reminding Dean a bit of a dog. Or would have, if Dean wasn't too busy staring somewhere else.
"Dude," Dean said in awe.
"What is it, Dean?"
"Your wings," he answered. Then he stopped. "Why can I see them?"
Castiel looked very confused. "You should not be able to see them at all," he said, glancing at them, as if to check that they had not changed.
"Well, I can," Dean said, his eyes wide.
Castiel attempted to tuck them away where Dean could not see them, but knew the attempt was pointless.
"They're beautiful," Dean said.
"They're not," Castiel replied, shaking his head. "They are hardly wings at all. They are a burnt and broken skeleton of what they once were." The other angels had always made their disgust at them quite clear.
Dean wanted to reach out and touch them.
"What happened to them?" he asked, still staring at them. Castiel found it quite unnerving. He didn't want Dean looking at them. They were horrible and unsightly.
"Hell," he finally answered.
Dean finally looked away from his wings and into Cas' eyes.
"I did this?" he asked, sorrow falling over him.
"Hell did it," Cas corrected.
"The only reason you were in hell was to get me out," Dean pointed out.
"I volunteered to do it." No one else wanted to.
"Well, then you're an idiot," Dean said. He was staring at Castiel's wings again.
"Please stop," Cas practically begged.
"What?" Dean asked.
"Staring at them. Stop."
"Sorry," Dean said halfheartedly. "They're just so…"
Hideous, horrible, unsightly, Cas thought he would say.
"Beautiful," was what Dean said instead.
"They're hideous mutilations," Cas corrected.
"They're beautiful," Dean insisted. Castiel relaxed somewhat.