Cas lay on his back, body covered in blood. He heard Asmodei's breathing getting shallower and shallower and extended a hand to grip his brothers. The creatures were gathering around the bloodied Angels, readying one last attack.
"Cassie..."
"Don't talk," Cas whispered, his fast heart clenching painfully. "Don't move. It'll be over soon, I promise." He felt his pulse pounding in his head, as if it knew how little time he had left and wanted the exhaust its beats before the inevitable end.
"...are you scared?" Asmodei asked, voice ragged.
Cas coughed, feeling sticky blood on his lips. "A little," he admitted. "Are you?" It hurt to talk, it hurt to breathe, to do anything but he just needed to ride it out. It wouldn't be long now. The creatures had torn at him until entrails were hanging out, limbs ripped from body, blood bubbling at lips, and yet he had not died. These creatures, powerful and horrible they may be, could not easily kill an Angel. It took effort and this was to be the last wave.
Asmodei gave a hoarse laugh. "No," he said, coughing horribly. He gripped Cas's hand feebly. "I'll see her again."
Cas could help but feel just a tiny bit jealous. At least his brother would have someone after death. "You saved us," he said softly. "You know that right?"
Asmodei huffed. "I wasn't even supposed to be in this story."
"We make it up as we go along," he whispered.
"My only role in this was to be the Hidden. To be spared from punishment regarding Eve and her Apple."
"I only had one role too. Save Dean."
"We all know how that turned out," Asmodei whispered in a vaguely joking tone. "All of Heaven knows what you were supposed to do."
"What will they say about us now?"
Cas felt the grip on his hand tighten as Asmodei's ruined body spasmed. "I do not know," he said through gritted teeth.
"What happens to Angels when they die?" Cas asked, wincing as his voice came out thin and rattling.
"Heaven, Cas, Heaven. One full of Angels, and in that Heaven you have everything. I'll have Esmerelda." His voice had a tone of underlying wistfulness. "You will be able to watch Sam and Dean, perhaps even visit dreams."
Cas closed his eyes, an emptiness that came from missing someone so much filled up his body. A scream shook the blackness and Cas cursed softly. "I thought they had gone," he murmured. Asmodei never answered because a beast landed on top of him, ripping at his body, tearing at his throat. Destroying the voice box, almost severing his entire neck.
And Cas was left listening to the gurgling, gasping, final breaths of his brother as they slowly faded into nothingness. Cas watched as Asmodei momentarily glowed, wings scorching the ground, scaring it's flesh as a permanent reminder of the Angel who died there. He gathered all of his remaining strength and forced himself to move over until he was nearly on top of Asmodei. Pressing their foreheads together, Cas murmmered one last goodbye.
"Under Heaven may you rest brother, and may Father find you and guide you." He slid the dark eyes shut, it just didn't seem right to leave them open in such a place.
Cas lay back, entwining their fingers as he felt the creature bear down on him once more. Pain ricocheted through his skull and the creature slammed what seemed to be a rock down on his head. He felt snarling jaws at his throat, felt his oxygen cut off, blood bubbling at his throat and his thoughts turned to Dean.
He remembered the time he had stood, just watching unseen as Dean raked leaves, his heart aching. He remembered the acute longing he felt in Purgatory, he felt when he was falling. He thought of Dean in Hell, of his beautiful soul simply burning so brightly, of the tears streaming down his face when he began to torture the soul of a twenty year old woman, of his screams for Sam. He thought of Dean's lips on his.
Hot and cold and perfect in every way there was. Cas craved Dean as he lay dying alone in Eden, both sad he wasn't with him and overjoyed at having saved him and Sam. He began to think to the youngest Winchester.
Sam was sweet when Dean was gruff, head smart when Dean was heart smart. A kind, caring, compassionate person who deserved more than the shit life Angels had given him. Sam deserved to go to college, to be raised with a mother and a loving father and a brother who teased him instead of raising him. He deserved to get married to Jess, to pass on amazing genetics to their children who would visit Dean on holidays because they would still be brothers and they would still love each other. The brothers, particularly Sam in some parts, just deserved Heaven on Earth for all they've done. Sam, who jumped into Hell to save his brother, who fought through Lucifer time and time again, who did the Trials. Sam, who knew that the world was worth more than family sometimes and, therefore, had to be put first. Sam, who released Amara because he loved Dean.
And of course, Dean. Dean, who lived everyday with the guilt of dragging Sam back into the life, who raised Sam, who stole for Sam, who suffered for Sam, went cut and bleeding and dying for his loved ones. Dean, who loved so deeply and so profoundly that he could cut through all of Heaven,Hell, and Purgatory, who took the Mark of Cain to kill a threat to Humanity, who had died for everyone he loves and would do so for years on end, who sold his soul to save the last of his family. Dean, who deserved so much more than this life, deserved so much more than to have his heart broken by a fallen Angel.
Cas felt tears running down his cheeks. Or maybe it was blood. His thoughts were getting fuzzy, blood ran down his face and torso and arms. One last breath lingered on his lips, four words which he was utterly content at being his very last.
"Dean, I love you."
AN: what if I told you this was the final chapter? It's not, thankfully! I'm very sorry for killing our Angel...again. Please don't kill me and enjoy the pain and suffering! Thanks for all the reviews I have gotten throughout the story so far, I don't deserve them. Thanks again and i hope you enjoy.
