Castiel… His connection

Everyone who has ever met Castiel knows how awkward he is. He's always been considered an odd one, even with the angels. He never fit in with his family because—low and behold—he's not a dick like the rest of them.

The first being he ever actually cared about without being commanded to was Dean Winchester. He had no reason to be friendly with the human. Dean, when you first meet him, seems like a sleazy douche bag. But, when Castiel dragged him out of hell, he left a mark on Dean's shoulder.

From then on, there was a connection between the two of them. Cas began to view humanity with a different outlook. He saw how righteous Dean was. Dean showed the darker and the brighter side of humanity. He taught Castiel the true meaning of free will. He taught Castiel that destiny is total crap and that choice is what matters.

It is Castiel's belief in these values that would force him to fight Raphael in the second war in heaven. As the war was coming to an end, he could feel the pressure of the Winchesters' waning trust.

The night after he prayed to God, only to receive no answer, he sits outside Bobby's house in physical form. He is partially hoping that none of them will walk out and he can just sit there and think. But he is mostly hoping that one of them will just come out and talk to him. Because he misses them.

He closes his eyes, pondering what he could possibly do to get out of this situation.

He sighs and opens his eyes. He wishes he could be like a human—cry and then get over his problem. But it's not that simple. It's never that simple.

He looks up and standing before him… is Dean. Of all the people to come out, it just has to be him. Cas searches him immediately with his eyes to make sure he has no sword or some other surprise weapon to hurt him with.

"What are you doing here?" Dean demands.

Castiel opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. He doesn't have an answer. He just looks back down at the ground sadly.

Dean stands there for a second. He sees Castiel. He sees a traitor and an idiot. But more than that, he sees a man—not an angel, a man—with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

So, he walks straight up to Cas. He grabs Cas' shoulder and lifts him up to his full height. Dean looks down at him once, his eyes scanning over Castiel's usual blank face. But, for one moment, the stare of Dean's eyes makes Cas feel as if Dean has seen his way.

Then Dean does something he only does on very rare occasions: he pulls Cas into a hug. He wraps his arms around the angel. It shocks Castiel for a moment. No one has ever hugged him before and from his time on Earth, he observed that it seems to be a thing that men avoid.

But… with Dean's arms around him… he finally feels like he can relax. He closes his eyes and leans into Dean's embrace. He returns the hug, wrapping his arms around Dean's waist. "Thank you," Castiel whispers.

Both of them knew that that embrace didn't change their stances. It didn't change their views on the subject of the souls. But it's what Cas needed. It meant that Sam and Bobby would forgive him if he came crawling back. It meant that Dean still cared about him.

It made Castiel's life a little easier, which in the moment, is what Dean wanted for him. There's a connection between the two and it would hurt each of them immensely if something were to happen to the other.

That's why it brings Dean to tears when Cas' betrayal goes full swing. He loves the son-of-a-bitch and hates watching him fly off the rails. And even though Cas' brain is addled with colossal power, there's still that nagging feeling inside of him whispering:

Dean Winchester…

They're connected. No matter what happens, they will never truly hate each other. That's impossible in family, anyway.