4. Well Wishes
"Cas?" Dean mumbled.
"Dean? Thank God, you're awake! How do you feel?" Cas asked frantically.
"Where are we?" Dean moaned. He reached up to his head. "My head is killin' me."
"You hit your head when we fell down here. You don't recall?" Cas stated matter of factly.
"Where are we?" Dean asked again.
"We're in the well." Cas stated.
"What the hell?" Dean finally realized he was standing in cold water up to his chest being held up from behind by Castiel. He turned to be face to face with the angel. "I still don't know where we are. I...I don't remember anything. Where's Sammy? Where is this well? What happened? Are we even on a hunt?" Dean asked quickly.
"Alright, I'll tell you everything. What is the last information you can recall?" Cas reassured him.
"... Driving. Yeah I was driving. You were in the passenger seat… Sam, didn't come with us… There was a...uh...a ghost town… that we were going to take care of." Dean pieced together a photographic memory of them riding in the Impala together.
"Yes, you told Sam he could not accompany us because of what happened last time with Azazel. This is the well in the ghost town of Cold Oak, South Dakota. Where Azazel gathered the gifted children, including Sam, for a battle to the death." Cas paused and checked to see if Dean was following. After a head nod of approval he continued.
"A vengeful spirit pushed us against this well and we both fell. As I said when we entered this town, my abilities are weakened here. There's just too much interference and pure evil. I've been waiting for you to wake so that we might climb out. I, or rather, Jimmy's body does not have the appropriate upper body strength to both scale a rock wall and carry your dead weight. I couldn't leave you because the water depth was too high and you would have drowned. I'm sorry, Dean, I'm so damned helpless without my powers."
"Woah, okay, okay, I got it. No need to put yourself down.
"But-"
"We all have bad days. Forget about it. We can figure this out. So, no ghosts have attacked us down here?"
"That's correct. They seem to avoid it all together. It may be holy water, I can't tell, normally I can tell." Cas frowned.
"Dude, it's okay." Dean reassured him by placing a hand to his shoulder.
"I couldn't heal you. You were hurt and bleeding and unconscious and I didn't know what to do! I panicked, Dean!" Cas' eyes grew wider and looked into Dean's. "You got hurt because of me and I couldn't save you. Please forgive me!" Cas gripped onto both of Dean's shoulders and bent his head down between them and seemed to maybe be getting himself into a panic attack.
"Cas… hey, hey buddy. What's going on with you? It's okay. I'm okay now."
"No, it's not. I don't want you to die, Dean. I couldn't bear it." Cas' breathing was shallow and quick.
"Alrighty, deep breaths." Dean tried to show him.
"I need you to stay. You were unconscious for so long I didn't know what to do but so desperately needed you to be okay. Please stay with me! Stay with me forever!" Cas' words grew in volume and his breathing more erratic.
"Ok, ok buddy. You got it. Just calm down. Okay, calm down." Cas began to sob and Dean took him in for a hug. "Geez, what's with the water works?"
"It's… I normally block emotions easily." Cas heaved in a breath. "But with this interference…I'm afraid I'm being flooded by years and years of thoughts and suppressed emotions." Cas cried into Dean's shoulder while his friend patted his back.
"Suppressed? Don't do that to yourself buddy. Listen, you're on team free will now! You don't have to follow angel rules. Don't keep shit to yourself. It'll eat you up. I know. Okay? So whatever you got bottled up, just pop the cork already. Got it?"
"Really?" Cas removed himself from the embrace and sniffed. "You won't be upset with me?"
"Really! You're my brother! You can tell me anything." Dean grinned from ear to ear not knowing what he had just agreed to.
Without another moment of contemplation Cas grabbed Dean by his jacket and forced a hard kiss square on the lips for about two seconds. Cas' eyes were squeezed painfully tight while Dean's were wide with surprise.
After just two seconds of forced lip contact Dean was glad that Cas pulled away. He didn't look happy and Castiel noticed right away.
"Did I do it wrong?" Cas begged. "I'm sorry, it's just that I haven't been able to make sense of why I enjoy our time together so much. Being stuck down here made it clear to me. I think I am attracted to you Dean Winchester."
There was a long pause till Dean spoke. "Did you hit your head too?" Cas didn't offer a reply but Dean saw him deflate. "C'mon, let's just get outta here and get you back to normal."
"You… You think this is just because of the evil presence?"
"Must be. Let's get goin'." Dean was already planning his grips on the slippery rock face looking up and down the curved wall.
"Right, must be." Cas sighed. "But Dean, I-"
"Just shut-up, Cas. Don't bring it up again." Dean commanded in a deeper voice.
"Of course Dean, whatever you say." Cas replied in monotone as he tried to keep his tears to himself.