Disclaimer: I don't own SPN but this story.

The Truth

Cas stared at Dean from those huge blue eyes, tears running freely down his face, fear, pain, hurt, panic, dread, all obvious in the oceanic depths while his right hand was lifted, gun in it. "Dean, please..." He whispered, not really able to move his lips. The hunter was busy fighting the witch they had hunted down and his hands began to shake when he looked over the damn bitches shoulder and saw his fallen angel standing behind her. The gun was lifted to Cas' temple, unstable, because the raven haired man was trembling violently, his eyes wide with so many things unsaid

"Don't!" Dean screamed but Cas didn't lower his hand, he held the gun to his head, his lips moving with whispered pleas for help.

"It isn't his decision to make." The witch gave an ugly laugh and smashed Dean back against the wall behind him, breath knocked out of him and for a moment he lost consciousness, blinking his eyes rapidly to make the numbness go away. "I will kill the one you love most of all!" She snickered and turned towards Cas. "Pull the trigger darling, it will kill your hunter to see his beloved die."

Dean tried to get up but was held down by invisible chains that cut into his arms and neck when he tried to move. With sudden clarity he heard every whisper that fell from Cas' lips as he stood a few feet away from him, his tear stricken face a mask of desperation and terror. "Is it true, Dean?" It was as if the hunter felt the words more than he heard them.

"Yes!" Dean yelled at his angel, at the man he loved more than anything. "Yes! It is true!" He struggled to get up, ignoring the wild laughter of the witch. "I love you, Cas." It was too late and though Dean was sure that Cas had already known what Dean had just told him, he didn't want the angel to die without ever hearing those words from his lips. Why hadn't he told him earlier? Why had he hesitated? Their life was so dangerous and now Cas had to pay the price.

"I love you, too." Cas whispered, smiled through his tears and took a deep breath. "Goodbye, Dean."

"NO!" Dean's voice echoed back from the walls of the warehouse as well as the shot that deafened him for a few seconds. He had never felt such pain in his life, he had never felt so lonely and deserted as in this very moment when Cas' finger was forced to trigger the gun that was pressed to his temple. Blood sputtered in all directions and the body of his angel fell to the floor with a loud thud. Cas was dead.

The hunter closed his eyes, going limp in the invisible chains the woman had bounded him with, but what did he care? There was nothing left for him on this earth, there was nothing he could fight for any longer. Hot tears ran down his cheeks as he cried helplessly. This was too much. His mother, his father, Bobby, Helen, Jo and now Cas, the man he loved more than his own life... He couldn't take it any longer. Pain exploded in his chest, gripping his heart tight, squeezing the breath from his lungs and he was embraced by blackness.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Cas ran over to the other bed in their small motel room where Dean was sleeping. The hunter was obviously dreaming, he thrashed around, his arms and legs tangled in the sheets, a thin layer of moisture on his cheeks while he was mumbling incoherent things under his breath, choking on his tears when Cas reached his side.

"Dean, wake up." The fallen angel demanded but it didn't help. "Dean." Louder this time without success.

"S' true." Dean murmured. There was so much desperation in his voice that it took Cas off guard and struck something deep within his chest. He gripped Dean's shoulders tight and shook him till his eyes burst open and he shot up into a sitting position, his arms instantly wrapping around the man in front of him. "Love you, Cas." It was like a whisper and nearly torn from his lips with the breath that followed these words when Dean finally realized he was awake.

"God, Cas!" Dean whispered and let his tears fall freely onto the other man's shoulder where he buried his head, inhaling the scent of the man he had just seen kill himself in his dream. It had been so vivid... After a few seconds he drew back, not looking into Cas' eyes. "Do I talk in my sleep?" He wanted to know, afraid of the answer.

"Yes, you do." Cas answered honestly.

"It's the truth, angel."

"I'm not an angel any more."

"I love you. You're my angel, no matter what." Dean's heart still raced. Now Cas knew, he wouldn't die without knowing that his hunter loved him.

"I know, Dean." He kissed Dean's temple. "I love you, too."

END

Just popped up into my head, don't know where it came from.