"Mommy, why are the stars still falling?"
Dean keeps his head down as he passes the pair, their eyes focussed on the cloudless sky as bright lights shoot toward the Earth. That noise again, and he glances back over his shoulder. Once again he sees a street of people staring at the sky, and once again he shoves his hands deep into his jacket pockets and continues to trudge down the street.
This is what I get for leaving my baby with Sam.
"I suggest you let it go and we both go our separate ways"
Dean curses himself for letting his guard drop, turning slowly to meet waiting eyes. The shadow of widespread wings stretches over him, and he finds himself sizing up the skinny boy against the impossible stretch of invisible feathers.
"And who's gonna make me, douche bag?"
Practiced fingers flick the shining silver blade out the end of his sleeve, and for a moment the boy seems startled by its presence.
"That's right" Dean smirks, nodding slightly "My angel held on to his blade when he fell. Let's see if you had the same luck"
The young angel finds himself slammed against the wall, an angel blade working its way slowly up underneath his ribcage. A blast of blinding light and Dean flinches away, shaking the blade back under cover, the cold metal pressed against his forearm.
He shoves his hands back into his pockets, turning back to the footpath, when the blow hits him square in the back of the head and knocks him to the ground.
"At least let me wash it" Sam pleads "you're practically human now"
"I have no need of clean clothing in this state" Castiel repeats, for what seems like the hundredth time "I will not be leaving this place in the near future"
The front door slams open and Dean storms into the room, his face bruised and swollen
"That dick of an angel with the compensation problem" he spits the words before anyone has the opportunity to ask
"Adriel?" Castiel's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and Sam smiles at the human expressions starting to show in his daily life "I thought he would have died when he fell, he was never the strongest angel in the garrison"
"He had a couple of buddies there to help, but I handled them. Most of them lost their swords, apparently. Anyhow, you good, buddy?"
"Yes, I am still good, despite being cast down"
"No, Cas, I mean-" Dean sighs "Forget it. You smell, have you learned to shower yet?"
"I have no need to-"
"I get it, but dude, you stink. Grab some clothes from my room, go take a shower, and let Sam do the bitch work and wash your trenchcoat"
Castiel eyes him for a moment, but obediently rises to his feet.
"Of course. I did not realise my smell was offensive. I will… clean up"
"Thanks buddy. And hey, I brought you something"
"A gift?"
"A gift I nearly died for"
"Why would you risk your life for a gift?"
Dean reaches into his pocket, running his thumb lightly over the smooth glass vial as he draws it out. He holds out his closed fist, waiting until Castiel reaches out his cupped hands to receive it. When the vial touches his skin, it glows with the same intensity as the old smitings, and Castiel drops it like it burns.
"What's going on, Cas?"
"I can't. Thank you, Dean, but I- I can't take it"
"Why the hell not?"
Dean steps toward Castiel as he moves to disappear, staring blankly at his feet when nothing happens.
"Cas…"
He hesitates, refusing to meet Dean's eyes, then turns his gaze to Sam
"Sam, would you kindly show me how to work the shower?"
"Y-Yeah" he glances toward Dean with confusion in his eyes "of course, Cas"
Castiel fidgets worriedly with the sleeves of the grey shirt as he avoids Dean's eyes, staring at his feet in clean socks. Unlike Dean, he wears the shirt buttoned up over the faded jeans, and Dean can't completely suppress a little smile.
"it is a complex issue I cannot completely explain to you"
"and you're not even gonna try?"
He sits down cautiously on the couch, pressing his fingertips together lightly as he concentrates. Dean joins him quietly, letting the angel have his thinking time, sprawling out with his arms across the back of the sofa like he always does. Castiel steals a couple of glances at him, but mostly focusses on his hands like the hold the answer to his questions between them.
"Well" he says finally "It will make me go back to being an angel"
"Well yeah, that was kind of the idea, wasn't it?" Dean tries and fails to hide his confusion, his eyebrows knitting together as he leans forward to meet Castiel's gaze "talk to me, Cas. What's going on?"
"If I become an angel again, I will have to leave you. And Sam. I am… I am not ready to leave yet"
"You don't have to leave, you can stay as long as you want."
"You don't understand" He shakes his head in that pathetic way that always makes Dean want to hold him and protect him "I will have to go, to fix heaven. I will be a target. And if I stay here, so will you. And Sam."
"A target from who?"
"Everyone. Angels, Demons, even the few humans who are sure to find out what is going on here."
"The Angels would target you?"
"Of course. It is my fault they were ejected from Heaven. They will not let me go peaceably"
"It wasn't your fault, it was that damned Metatron"
"That is not the way they will see it"
Both their gazes drop to the floor, lost for words, and Sam walks in on the sombre scene.
"What happened here? Someone die again?"
"No, but it won't be much longer" Castiel tells him, as if he is stating a simple fact rather than breaking bad news "I should leave you before I put you both in danger with me"
"No" Dean answers quickly, "No, you're not leaving us. You're safer here than anywhere else. You stay put and we'll find a way to handle all this"
"Keep it safe" Castiel insists, hovering as Dean examines the little glass vial "I will need it again eventually. When I leave here"
"You're not leaving here until we give you the go ahead"
"Of course" he hesitates "I will not leave without your permission"
Dean eyes him over sceptically, cracking a little smile again at the angel swamped in his clothes.
"I'm keeping it on me, so you can't sneak off"
"You don't trust me"
"Frankly, no" he smiles properly now at Castiel's hurt face "at any rate when you want it back you're going through me"
He rummages through the kitchen drawers for a few minutes, triumphantly holding up a wrinkled tube of glue. Castiel watches with confusion as Dean seals the edge of the lid, making sure it is screwed on tightly, and threads a leather cord through the raised lip.
"What are you going to do with it?" He asks finally, as Dean tugs on it a few times to test for security.
"I told you" he shoots Castiel the little smile he keeps reserved for his angel "I'm going to keep it on me at all times"
Castiel reaches up from the bed, tapping lightly at the vial hanging around Dean's neck and watching it brighten and shine at his touch.
"You're taking care of me"
"I said I would, right?"
"Thank you, Dean"
"No problem, buddy. You get some rest, you keep forgetting to sleep."
"I am aware. I will sleep. And I will see you when I wake."
He says the words as if he has to reassure himself, and Dean smiles down at him
"And buddy, I have a present for you"
"Dean, if this is about-"
"Not your grace, I told you, I'm keeping that"
"What, then?"
"I thought if I was wearing it, you should have this"
He reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a familiar black cord with a golden charm hanging from it
"Is this...?"
"I know it didn't work out for finding God, but it did find me a lot of... of strength, I guess" he starts to get flustered as he speaks, and Cas reaches up to tap at it the same way he did with the vial "maybe it can help you as well"
"I thought you got rid of it"
"I did, before I remembered where it came from, and where it had been with me. It only took a second to go back for it"
"Thank you, Dean. I love it"
Dean slips it lightly over Castiel's head, tucking the blankets up over him and taking half a step backward
"Have a good nap"
"What will you do, while I… nap?"
Dean meets his eyes for a moment, before he turns away nervously
"I'll watch over you"