A/N: Wow, I can't believe it's day 25 already. I actually didn't think I would last this long. Thank you all for the continuous support.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.

Day 25 - Gazing into Each Other's Eyes

Dean and Cas had just finished their 'nightly rituals', lying in bed, the sheet resting low on their hips. Cas' eyes locked onto his lovers as his hands traced softly the skin on the small of his back. "You have a lot of scars," Cas muttered as he came across another bump on the hunters skin. He felt Dean tense up slightly, Cas continued to move his hands slowly until he relaxed once again. Their eyes never leaving each others

"Yeah," Dean replied once he calmed down, "well, in this lifestyle it kinda happens,"

Cas could see the pain in the hunters eyes, all the lives that were lost because they didn't get there in time, all the pain caused to their family, all the things that he had to kill, all the bruises, cuts, scars, everything they went through, Dean felt the need to carry it on his shoulders. Cas hated that haunted look that seemed to always be in the soulful green eyes of Dean. "I could heal you of it, if you like," Cas suggested, wanting to erase the all the pain Dean went through because of this life.

"No," Dean refused vehemently. Cas looked at him in confusion, his eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed.

"Why not?" Cas asked, continuing to stare into his eyes. As though, if he stared long enough, the answer would be written in front of him.

Dean let out a small smile; he couldn't believe that he used to feel so uncomfortable with the angels gaze, "It's..." Dean paused, trying to think of an explanation, his eyes staring at his partner, who had promised to accept him, no matter what. No judgement, nothing in return, just the two of them, "Each scar reminds me why I continue with this life," Dean starts, "It reminds me, each and every day, when I go out to hunt, I am saving lives. I'm helping people. And though there are people out there dying, I am helping possibly hundreds of them by doing what I do," Dean let out a tortured sigh, his eyes finally closing, moving closer to Cas, "Behind each scar," Dean paused, his hand reaching for the angels, "has a story. And I hate them sometimes, because it reminds me that I can never have a normal life, I can't have that life that Sammy wants. That I want." Cas can hear the pain in his voice, and he wants nothing more than to protect him, to keep him out of harm's way, but he knows Dean, and he knows he will never stop fighting.

"But," Cas was shocked, he thought the hunter had finished, "there is one scar that I will never hate. That I can never hate," Before Cas could open his mouth and ask which scar, Dean gently moved Cas' arm up his own, only stopping when they reached his shoulder. The red print of where Cas' grace had touched him was warm under the palm of his hand. Cas stared at his own hand, which lay perfectly on the mark. He felt Dean's hand move his head slightly till their eyes locked again.

"I won't ever hate that scar Cas, because it was what brought you to me," Dean whispered. Cas couldn't stop the small tear that fell from his eye, while Dean let out a watery smile.

"What happened when you got this one?" Cas asked, moving away from the emotional subject, his hand moving down his arm until he reached another nearly unnoticeable bump near his elbow.

Dean let out a small laugh, "Actually, that one is one of the ones that wasn't monster related. Sammy fell onto me when he was learning to ride a bike. I fell into a rock," they shared another laugh.

And that was how it went for the rest of the night. Cas asking about a scar, and Dean telling him the story behind each one. Their eyes never leaving the others.