Thank you so much for all the comments. A shout out to everyone is still reading this. Also, thank you as always to the friend who helps the ideas flow. Enjoy!
Dean noticed Cas wince slightly as he slid into the Impala. "Cas, I'm so sor-."
"Dean Winchester, say you're sorry one more time time, and I won't talk to you til we get to Bobby's," threatened the angel, mad at himself for showing such weakness.
"Aright. Sorry, hon," apologised Dean. "For saying sorry that is," he added quickly, seeing the astounded look on the angel's face.
They made good time, a combination of Dean's ridiculous driving, a low need for food, only stopping for gas, and lots of energy shots. When they finally did arrive at Bobby's, Cas nearly had to drag Dean out of his beloved car. "Evenin', Bobby," Dean called through the door, holding open for Cas.
"Castiel!" Bobby greeted, slightly surprised at the presence of the angel.
"Looks like you finally managed to pull Dean back."
"Not without much effort," Cas replied with a shudder, causing Dean to hang his head a little.
"Dean." Even Bobby, who didn't show much emotion, pulled him in for a hug. "Ya' idjit." Dean smiled one of his dazzling smiles that made Cas' heart flutter in his chest. "Coffee, boys?" Bobby called, walking into the kitchen.
"Tequila..." Dean started, before seeing the devastated look on his angel's face. He cringed internally at the scars he had left on Castiel, wanting so badly to wipe away those memories and make it all better. "Coffee works just fine," he revised, relieved to see the pain disappear from Cas' face.
"Castiel?" Bobby called.
"I'm good, Bobby." Dean sat down in one of the armchairs. Castiel made to go sit on the couch before Dean hooked an arm around his waist, pulling him into his lap. "Are you certain?" he asked, looking in the direction of the kitchen.
"About time." Cas and Dean both turned, seeing Bobby standing in the doorway smiling. The Lord's Angel loved Bobby in that moment, love him for blessing this, blessing his love for Dean.
"Glad you approve," the hunter snorted, resting his forehead against Castiel's, getting lost in his eyes.
"Alright guys, tone it down a notch. I can only handle so much of that," Bobby chortled, handing Dean his coffee.
"Sorry, Bobby," Castiel said, his cheeks flushing a slight red. Dean started laughing, shaking Cas with him.
"There's no reason to be embarrassed, babe," he sighed in response to the questioning look shot at him by the angel. Castiel smiled at him, the use of a human term of affection giving him great pleasure. "So, what've you got for us?" Dean questioned, looking past Castiel to Bobby who was grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.
"Well, I've been hearing reports of a Wendigo in the mountains of Colorado. It sounded like an easy job for you to go on, especially with an angel at your side." Dean bit his lip at that. Cas was a great fighter, probably better than the older Winchester on a good day, but the thought of anything happening to him, anything at all, made Dean uneasy, his stomach quivering with fear. Using his special angel powers, Cas could sense how unsettled his hunter was, sent him a questioning glance.
"That sounds great. We'll head out first thing in the morning." A gigantic yawn ripped through Dean's chest. Without a word, Cas dragged Dean up the stairs to the spare bedroom.
"What is wrong, love?" he inquired innocently once they were in bed, kissing up and down Dean's neck to help him relax.
"I can't... imagine what it would do to me if you were hurt while we were hunting for this thing. I don't know what I would do, Cas." His eyes were filled to the brim with silent unshed tears.
"Shhh... Nothing will happen to me. We've fought these many times. If anyone should be nervous it's me. You are so fragile. I can mend myself without a thought, but you. You are so easily hurt, and you manage it every single time." Before Cas could continue, Dean crushed his lips, not being able to last another second without the feel of Cas against him.
"I love you more than I've loved anything, ever," he whispered sweetly into Cas' ear before falling into a deep sleep.
"Cas!" Dean was yelling, trying to ward off the Wendigo. The angel had been thrown into the solid rock wall, knocking him unconscious. With a cry of rage, the hunter killed the beast before rushing to Castiel' side. The angel was dinged up pretty bad, his wing was bleeding, a big gash running along his forehead. "Castiel, wake up. You promised you wouldn't get hurt," Dean said sternly, hoping that Castiel could hear him.
"Ow," Cas whined, scooting himself closer to Dean. Relief flooded Dean's mind, before he turned to the necessary work to Castiel.
"You're hurt pretty bad. You can fix this, right?"
"It would take too much energy to repair my wing," Castiel gasped as he focused on his head. "We'll need to fold it and wrap it until we get back to Bobby's." Sweat beaded on his face, and Dean could tell he was in a tremendous amount of pain.
"Take us there."
"We would have to leave your car-"
"If it means you can heal faster, the I don't give a damn about the car," Dean snapped, wanting only to help Cas. The angel gave the tiniest of smiles before mojoing them to Bobby's living room.
"Holy Hell!" Bobby muttered, examining Cas' wing gingerly. Dean sat next to the angel, holding his hand as Castiel groaned in pain. "I'm sorry, but I have to patch this up. It's pretty bad." The look in Dean's eyes prompted Bobby to take a needle of morphine, hoping to ease the angel's pain. When Cas fell asleep, they snuck out of the room, letting him get his rest.
"Will he be okay, Bobby?" Dean whispered, taking a long sip of the shaking water glass.
"Yeah, Dean, your angel will be fine. I don't deal much with angels, but that will probably heal up in a few days," Bobby reassured him, taking shots of whiskey. Whimpering sounded from the bedroom, causing Dean to rush up the stairs.
"Baby, are you alright?"
"I'm not an infant," Castiel sighed pitifully against Dean's chest, before falling back asleep.
"Dean, I'm fine," whined Cas, trying to get out of Dean's grasp. The hunter was pushing Castiel onto the bed, urging him not to get up.
"You aren't fine until I say you're fine," Dean pushed, a tone of finality in his voice. With a sigh, the angel fell back into bed, seeing that Dean wasn't going to let him get up any time soon. "Good boy." With a huff, Castiel grabbed Dean's jacket, dragging their lips together.
"I love you, Dean."
"Love you, too," Dean whispered, hoping that this moment would never end.
It took only days for Cas to heal. Dean still fretted over his baby constantly, an attention that Castiel loved. That is, before he had to leave again.
"Dean, I'm being called back to heaven. I must go. They need me in this war. My companions have been struggling without me over my extended absence. I must go."
"Cas... Don't leave me, please," Dean begged, knowing that in a few moments tears were going to start leaking down his face. "I don't know what I'd do if you..." Then, the waterworks started. Salty tears poured down his cheeks, leaving small streaks behind.
"I will come back. I know that much. I promise you, Dean. I will always come back." Cas stroked away the tears as quickly as they fell. "I want to give you something before I leave, but I don't know what the consequences will be to you, and the only reason I offer is because I don't want you waste away while I'm gone. Dean, this is very dangerous, and I want you to think carefully about this before you accept."
"What is it, love?"
"I would like to give you part of my grace. Only a small piece of it, but you will be able to tell if something happens to me. If anything happens to me you'll know, but I don't know what it will do to you. It shouldn't do anything, but I'm not sure. Are you ready for this, Dean?"
"Yes. There is no doubt in my mind that I'm ready to do this. I love you, Cas. More than anyone, or anything, before." With only a moment of hesitation, Castiel leaned over to kiss Dean. Suddenly, there was a warmth to the kiss, and it settled in his chest.
"There, it is done," Cas said, taking Dean's hand and placing it on his heart. You now have a small piece of me inside you. It will tell you when I'm injured or if I..."
"Don't you dare say that word."
"I have to leave now," sighed Castiel, pressing their foreheads together. "I'll be back, I promise. I love you, Dean."
"You better come back, Cas. I love you too much to let you go." With tears in his eyes, Castiel was gone in a flutter of wings, taking Dean's heart with him. Dean sulked his way back inside to go find the first bottle of booze that he could lay his hands on. "Bobby! Where's the tequila?"
"Not in your damn life, boy. Cas asked me to do him a favor, made me promise that I wouldn't let you do that to yourself again. I don't plan to break that promise." With that, Dean broke down, collapsing in a kitchen chair and sobbing.
"What will I do if he dies, Bobby? How will I live without him?"
"He'll be back, Dean. He always comes back."
Life went on like that for a few weeks. Dean felt a warmth in his chest he had never felt before, and was often rubbing the place where Cas' grace now rested. Bobby didn't know what to do with him. They couldn't go hunting, not with Dean the way he was, so instead they sat around, talking, Bobby working hard to keep Dean distracted. Finally, one day, with a flutter of wings and a flash of brilliant light, Cas appeared. Dean was sleeping in the living room, his head on his chest, snoring lightly. "Dean, love, wake up," Cas cooed lightly, sitting in Dean's lap. Groggy green eyes flew open, finding Castiel so close that he could feel his breath on his skin.
"Cas!" Dean pulled him in for a kiss. "I missed you so much. God, I love you."
"I can only stay for the night. Tomorrow is the final battle, the point between victory or defeat. I needed to see you before then, to tell you that I love you. Dean, if I don't come back, I want you to do something for me."
"What?"
"Live. I want you to live." With that, Castiel pulled Dean in for another kiss, this time trailing down his collar bone, leaving small marks on his skin.
When Dean woke in the morning, Castiel was gone.