Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural

There are few things in this world that Castiel truly understood. Humanity, their nuances, jokes, pain, lives all seemed so foreign to him. Every time he felt close to some idea of what was going on in their heads it would slip past like a tree whizzing by out the window. His time with the Winchesters helped, he tried pretending, tried seeing through their eyes, but Dean Winchester was the most confusing creature of all.

Dean seemed to hurtle forward with no thought of his own wellbeing, no concept of self worth, a rocket strapped to a blade of grass. Cas felt like the grass around Dean, clutching for some hope of survival, and hoping against hope for a glimpse of stars.

This case was ordinary, a djin, something they'd come against before. Cas believed Dean described it as the 'bastard offshoot' that fed on fear rather than joy. They'd tracked it town and Cas followed Dean in guns blazing, and in the flash of blue, they'd been attacked. Dean was down, and the djin dead, but Dean didn't wake up.

Cas had seen Dean die before, he'd ripped him from the afterlife before, he would not let a Winchester die. And he could not let Dean die. But Dean wasn't dead, he was just dreaming. Not a pleasant dream, a nightmare, the worst nightmare. He had it sometimes, Cas would sit by him and wait for it to pass. Dean had expressly forbidden Cas from touching Dean in his sleep or he would lift the burden. But this was no sleep, so surely this could be an exception. He placed two fingers to Dean's forehead and closed his eyes.

Shouting, banging, crying. A younger Dean was curled in a ball, blood down the side of his face, eyes wide with fear. The wall had a dent where the boy's head had made contact.

"I told you to watch him. Take care of Sammy, that's all you had to do! You can't do anything right! You break everything you touch!" John was shouting. When Cas lifted Dean from perdition he'd healed all the marks, he had erased the trace of this pain, but apparently only physically. John raised his hand again, Dean looked so small, and John looked so…

Cas couldn't help it, he was there, and Dean was crying. How could he not, before he realized he'd even moved John had been thrown into the wall and he was knelt before Dean.

"I'm here." He said softly. Dean launched himself forward, wrapping his arms around Cas's neck and burying his face in Cas's shoulder. Castiel, angel of the lord, stood, holding the boy, struggling to keep his arms from being too tight. John stood, spitting blood. He pointed at them, clearly intending to say something, but before he could Cas had taken Dean. They were gone. They were back. Dean was Dean again, the Dean that Cas knew and loved. And Dean still had his arms around Cas, fiercely, unyieldingly. Cas held Dean until the trembling stopped.

"Sorry man-" Dean finally sat back.

"I'm always here for you Dean." Cas said softly.

"Yeah. You are." Dean was weak from the poison, and from the memory. "Did you kill the other one?"

"Other one?" Cas frowned.

"Ah jeeze Cas, these things go in groups usually." Dean tried to stand.

"Sit." Cas frowned. Dean huffed, but let himself sink back down. Cas stood and did a sweep of the building, finding the other creature. It tried to infect Cas, but realized with horror too late that its powers had no effect on an angel. Cas dragged the creature kicking and biting and clawing back to Dean. He stabbed it in front of Dean, before dropping its limp body with the other.

"Hey, sorry you had to see me like that." Dean said, not looking Cas in the eyes. Cas knelt before Dean as he had in the dream world.

"I would fly to heaven and torture your father with every tool in my arsenal for laying a hand on you, the only thing stopping me is it's more important to me to be here with you."

"He was doing his best-"

"Do not mistake my priorities for forgiveness." Cas frowned, touching his thumb to the spot the scar had been on Dean's forehead. When he had pieced Dean back together he had seen every scar, every moment of pain Dean had endured, he may never be able to heal the trauma, but for now he could sit next to him. Maybe for now that would be enough. Dean put his head on Cas's shoulder, clearly still wiped.

"Thank you." Dean murmured barely audibly. Cas laced his fingers with Dean's, and contented himself in Dean's peaceful slumber.