"Good job, Cas," Dean said as he threw his gun in the trunk of the Impala. "Not bad for your first vamp hunt."
The Winchester's had called Cas for help, there was a huge vampire nest that they wanted his help to take out. Cas was just glad that they actually wanted his help on a hunt for once.
The hunt went well, and Cas has even managed to 'gank' a few, as Dean would say.
Cas had started heading for his usual spot in the car, which was the backseat, but before he could reach it, something grabbed him by the shoulder and forcefully turned him around.
He was now face to face with three angels.
"Hello, Castiel." Said the first angel proudly, having found one of 'heaven's most wanted.'
"Asriel," Castiel breathed, taken by surprise.
"Cas!" Dean shouted while Sam jumped out of the passenger side of the car, holding a gun at the ready.
Yeah, like that was going to do anything against angels.
Dean, luckily, was still by the trunk of the car, and he pulled out two angel blades and tossed one to Sam, who caught his without looking.
But before Sam and Dean couldn't even take a step toward the angels before Asriel turned Cas around again and put his own angel blade by Cas's throat.
"Don't take one more step," Asriel said mockingly, "Or I'll rip his Grace out and take him to heaven myself."
Of course, that didn't happen, because Cas dropped his own angel blade down from his sleeve, and cut into Asriel's side. He didn't cut deep enough for any terminal injuries, but enough that Asriel was surprised and quickly moved his arm away from Cas's neck. When that had happened, Cas spun away from the group of angels and punched Asriel in the face.
At that point, chaos had ensued. Sam and Dean ran from the car and started fighting the other two angels, while Cas had tried to fight Asriel without killing him. They were his brothers, and he hated everytime he had to kill one of them.
Dean was able to knock out, not kill, the angel he was fighting, but Cas saw Sam about to deliver a fatal blow for the one he was up against.
Turning away from his own fight, he shouted: "Wait, don't kill them!"
Sam, surprised, looked away from his fight, but not before he had killed the angel.
But because of Cas looking away from Asriel, the angel blade was now back against his throat. Cas had prepared another minor attack with his blade, but before he could get to it, Dean had walked up behind Asriel and thrust his blade through Asriel's head.
Cas looked around at the remnants of the short battle. Two out of three of his brethren were dead, and the other one still had many injuries. He sighed and turned to Dean.
"Why did you kill them?" he asked quietly, looking Dean in the eyes.
Dean blinked, confused, and looking a little offended. After all, Dean had just saved his guts. "I'm sorry, what?"
"You didn't have to," He started, but decided against it. Dean wouldn't understand anyway. To him, Angels were just another type of monster to kill.
"I will meet you two back at the motel later," Cas said, and before Dean could say anything else, Cas had teleported away.
Sometimes Castiel thinks that the Winchesters forgets that every time they kill an angel, they are killing one of his brothers.
Sometimes he thinks the Winchesters forget that he himself has killed many of his brethren. Even though Castiel has the name of each and every one of them imprinted in his brain.
Sometimes he thinks the Winchesters forget that once, Castiel was not hated amongst, angels and he didn't hate them either. To be honest, Castiel still doesn't hate them, and he probably never will.
Sometimes he thinks the Winchesters forget exactly how much Castiel has sacrificed for them.
Sometimes Castiel thinks that the Winchesters don't even care.
Dean was legitimately surprised when Cas asked him that. Since when did he care? This is what happens almost every time they face the winged jerks. He turned to Sam and shrugged.
"I guess we're going to the motel then." He said to Sam and shrugged. Cas did have a tendency to fly off at random times.
On the way back to the motel, San turned to Dean. "What do you think that was about?" He asked curiously.
"What, you mean Cas?" Dean replied, not keeping his eyes off the road. "Probably just surprised. Not many people can get the jump on him."
"Yeah," Sam said in reply, "It's just, I don't think he wants to kill them."
Dean frowned. "And we do?"
Sam sighed. "No, I mean, maybe Cas I'm particular doesn't like killing angels. After all, he is one. To him, angels are his brothers."
Dean's eyes widened in realization. "Son of a-" he sighed. He was such an idiot. No wonder why Cas didn't want them killing the Angels.
But now that he thought about it, Cas was often forced to kill his own brothers. And Dean never even thought about it like that. Cas has sacrificed so much for the two brothers, but they never got it in their heads to do as little as say thank you?
They really were idiots.
Cas teleported straight to the motel, needing some time to think.
Before Cas had met the Winchester's, he and Asriel had been close brothers. The only other angel Cas had been close too was Gabriel, but he's dead now. Well, so was Asriel.
But after Cas 'betrayed' the angels during the apocalypse for the Winchester's, the majority of angels, even the ones who had once been friends, had wanted him dead.
But it was worth it. He hoped.
Dean walked into the motel, leaving Sam to get the usual end-of-case beer. Besides, he wanted to talk to Cas. Seeing him sitting at the table, he sighed at sat down next to his closest friend.
"Hey, Cas," Dean said gruffly, trying to get his attention.
"Hello Dean," Cas replied, not looking up. Dean sighed again and leaned back in the chair.
"Cas, what happened earlier? With the angels?"
No reply.
"I mean, did you know them or something?" He continued, trying to get his friend to explain exactly what was going on in his head.
Cas huffed. "Of course I knew them, Dean. I know the names of every Angel." He turned to look at Dean in the eye. "Every name of every Angel I killed is implanted permanently in my brain. There my brothers." Cas was speaking quietly, but harshly.
Dean inwardly cursed. Looks like Sammy was right after all. Man, Dean could be really thick sometimes.
"Look, Cas. I'm sorry." Cas looked back at Dean in surprise. Apparently, he hadn't expected that. Dean continued, "I never thought of it like that. But I realized that for you, the Angels were your family. I would have never been able to do what you have done. You gave up so much for us, you rebelled against your whole family, you risked losing your grace for us. We should be thanking you."
Cas blinked. Dean? Apologising and saying thank you? This was a first.
"If it means anything," Cas said slowly, "most of my 'family' hated me anyways. You were just saving my life. Even if I wanted to go back, I never could. I wouldn't be accepted. At least here, I feel more at home than I ever did with my brothers."
Dean smiled a little. "Well Cas, you always have a spot with us. To Sammy and me, you are our brother. You are probably one of my closest friends too. I hope you know that."
Dean looked at Cas, who wasn't moving at all. Dean frowned. "You didn't know that."
Man, what a good friend he was.
"Look, Cas, family don't end with blood, right? To us, you are family."
Cas smiled. "You are a better family than mine ever was."
Right then, Sam walked into the small hotel room holding two grocery bags.
"I got the beer," He said, lifting up the bags slightly.
"Alright," Dean said, clapping his hands together. "Throw me one. Did you get the pie?" He asked hopefully. Sam sighed.
"How could I, with your constant reminders?" Sam said, pulling out a cherry pie from the other bag.
"I've never had pie," Cas said quietly, "But how can you eat a mathematical term?"
Dean looked at Cas in mock shock, Sam laughing in the background.
"Never had- you've never had pie?! What kind of friend am I?" Dean grabbed the pie from Sam and started preparing three slices. "Well get ready for the best food of your life. Best dessert, by far."
Sam shook his head, "No, I'm more partial to cake, myself."
Dean rolled his eye, handing both Sam and Cas a slice. Cas tentatively took a bite, chewing slowly. Dean watched anxiously, waiting to see Cas's reaction.
"This," Case started, swallowing, "Is amazing."
"Ha!" Dean shouted, looking at Sam, "I told you he would like it."
Castiel used to think that the Winchesters didn't care about all he had sacrificed for them.
But now he knows they do.
Now he knows that he is part of their family.
He also knows that he loves pie.
A/N: hope you enjoyed!