A/N: I'm so so so SORRY for the late update. But after my exams got over and I almost wrote that promised epilogue, I finally caught the SPN-8, and well, you can imagine what happened during the Purg flashbacks. And I just had to write this.

I know it seems strange and abrupt, considering there is absolutely no build-up for a fight of this magnitude, but it was a long-time coming. And after 5-6 weeks and about 20 drafts of working on a backstory, where nothing seemed to make sense, I leave to your imagination as to why this escalated this fast. (And no, I don't need theories because there won't be an explanation.) I guess I already explained that there was no way Dean, with his pathological need to prove himself independent, and Cas, with his overprotective nature, would last long on this trip.

And as to what happened in the bar, I'd like to think something of this sort did: (Ref. to my profile page for the video link; albeit in a little more believable way and Cas wasn't an innocent bystander. My headcanon pretty much says Cas started it and Dean was the one who ended it.)

Chapter 10 A

"What the fuck was that?" Cas yelled slamming the hotel room door behind him.

"The bastard got what he deserved," Dean yelled back, turning around to face his new husband head-on. It was hardly one week into their 2 week roadtrip/honeymoon and the tempers were already running high.

"That man is in the hospital, Dean," Cas said with much exasperation. "He was threatening to sue."

"My brother is a lawyer," Dean fell back on the usual reply. "I'm not scared of him."

"Your brother…" the strain was visible in the voice "is a corporate lawyer. He has never even set foot in the court." Dean smirked. "You just can't go around beating people up." Cas said the last part with as much exasperation as he could. Truth be told, he was somewhat impressed at the way Dean took on that Terminator of a guy… of course, that was until blood started pouring and the cops arrived.

"I can, if he touches my husband," Dean justified.

"Oh for— for the last time, we were just dancing," Cas repeated, the anger back in his voice.

"You don't need to grope someone's ass to dance," Dean retorted. "Even I know that."

Cas sighed and lowered his eyes. It was in a way his fault. Well… not really. It was completely Dean's fault. He had been getting a bit too close to that Benny guy since yesterday and Cas just wanted to turn the tables on him. Of course, his luck the half-giant guy he was dancing with decided that it was okay to let his hands wander. "I can take care of myself," he replied angrily. He wasn't some damsel in distress, damnit.

"Why don't you just admit you have problem taking help from "that guy in the wheelchair "?" Dean asked angrily. Cas held his breath. Dean heard that, he thought. That's what this all is about. He shook his head silently, "That's not—" but Dean kept talking. "Then why is it okay for you to come to my defence every single fucking time, but I can't do the same?"

Cas gulped. He really had no answer for that. "I… I just didn't want you to get hurt," he replied, softly. "Dean, I…" but was again interrupted with an "Ah... Hah. There you go, thank you."

"Dean could you just…"

"No Cas," Dean cut-in before he could even finish the thought. "I don't want you to apologize. I just want stop treating me like a goddamn cripple. I get enough shit on my own without you having to pile up more of it."

"I have never…" Cas started, anger seeping back into his voice, but Dean turned away and stripped off his bloody shirt. Cas flinched seeing the purplish blotches on his torso. This was why he didn't want Dean fighting. But, of course, Dean wouldn't care about that. "Oh screw you, Dean," he muttered, tears barely stinging his eyes. "Forgive me for not wanting to see you get hurt. I've seen at your worst and I just don't…"

"Damn right. I don't need you to protect me. I can take care of myself," Dean snapped. He was tired of being so dependent on Cas for every little thing... for not being in control of anything around him. He had never felt so helpless as he did right now. Not even when he was tied up on that rack in Hell. And all because of Cas. He should never have agreed to this… this thing.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," Cas gritted. "I should have known I was getting married to a self-centered dickhead."

"Then why did you?" Dean asked angrily. "Oh, wait! Maybe it's because you have an inherent need of being needed. Bloody pathetic Florence Nightingale complex, if you ask me."

"Oh screw you, Dean—" Cas started, but Dean wasn't done yet. "That's exactly what this trip is about, isn't it? What this entire relationship has been about… You trying to prove how much I depend on you. That I have to keep bearing your presence because you fucking saved my life."

That hurt. More than he would ever admit. Dean had no right to stoop that low. He would've cried if he was the crying kind. Hell, he would've cried if he could show his vulnerable side. He couldn't, so he fell back on the other defence mechanism… anger.

"If you had so many problems, then why the heck did you agree to this trip?" Cas asked. "Hell, the heck did you agree to out with me?"

"That's the thing," Dean replied, his voice eerily calm. He was controlling his breathing, fists tight at his sides, gearing up for that inevitable fight. "I didn't. You were the one who wanted to stay... you were the one who did the pursuing. I just wanted to get laid. How the heck would I know I'd be stuck with some random guy I picked up in a bar?"

"I pulled you out, Dean," Cas said, his voice lowered to a threatening level, his pupils blown to their widest and his temper at its peak. "I didn't have to. I might as well have left you to rot in that hellhole. The least you could do, is show me some resp—"

"Respect?" Dean spat. "You don't respect a stalker. Especially the one who gets off on how good you look half-dead." He knew he wasn't even making sense, but he didn't care anymore.

Cas reared back. Dean might as well have slapped him. "I…" the words failed. "You were…" he didn't know what to say. "You reminded me of home... of Nick..."

"That's another thing," Dean interjected. "Stop comparing me to your brother. I'm not going to be a replacement for him in some sick incestuous fantasies…"

And that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Cas stepped forward and punched him, square in the jaw. No one talked about Nick like that. NO. ONE.

As if that was the cue he was waiting for, Dean yanked him down by his collar and hard punch landed on his right jaw. Cas reacted without thinking. Wheelchair or not, husband or not… no one had a right to touch him. Years and years of honed upbringing had ingrained it in him. He pulled his hand back and delivered another punch of his own.

Dean leaped on him, sending him reeling back with Dean on top. He flipped them over, so he was pining Dean down. "You motherfucker," Cas yelled. "How dare…" but Dean just pulled his hand out, throwing Cas off-balance. In the blink of an eye, Dean was on top of him, throwing a punch to his face.

Everything after that was a blur.

-x-

A sharp knock on the door, followed by "Police, open up" brought Dean to his senses. He looked down at bluish face of the man he was trying to strangle, his husband, and backed away… scared. Cas coughed and sputtered as the knock sounded again.

"Open up or we're coming in," the voices beyond the door said.

Cas sat up, dizzy from the lack of oxygen and dragged himself towards the door. He pulled it open and collapsed into the hands of the uniformed cop, as another rushed past him to the scared figure on the opposite side of the room.

"Sir… sir, are you alright?" the concerned voice asked, taking in his face. He knew it wasn't a pretty sight. After the bar fight and now, this… he knew he looked very shitty. Same went for Dean.

"Is… is he alright?" Cas heard another, familiar voice speak. Voice of a man he didn't even know anymore.

"No thanks to you, asshole," the cop muttered, hauling Dean to his feet, his hands cuffed behind his back. "Think you're a man, beating up some poor guy in a…"

"I'm not…" Cas stood up, his thoughts back in order. The cop looked incredulously between them, as Dean stumbled back down. The cop caught him in time and lowered him the floor, reaching for his wheelchair. "And I don't want to press charges. You can let him go."

The cop took one look at Dean and reluctantly uncuffed him. Dean immediately sat up, rubbing his wrists, scowling at the room at large.

"Are you sure?" the cop asked skeptically. Judging from the amount of bruises they had suffered, it was looked like one hell of a fight.

"Yeah, I am," Cas replied patiently. "And you…" he turned to Dean his eyes blazing. "You wanted me to stop treating you like a goddamn cripple, FINE!" he spat. "Then pack your own goddamn luggage in the next 15 minutes or I'm leaving without you." Dean nodded. "I'm gonna drop you and your car off, and I'm leaving. We're done."

"Cas, I'm so—" but Cas had walked out of the room to check them out. He returned just as the cops left, paying for the damages and inconvenience they had caused, packed his stuff up and was out the door by the time Dean had finished. He returned, silently carrying Dean's bags out and throwing them in the trunk alongside his, and waited until Dean had settled in the passenger seat to strap the wheelchair up, then settled in the driver's seat, beside the stranger in his husband's skin. "Cas, please… I…" He ignored the man and pulled out of the parking lot.

-x-

It was about 3 in the night when they finally reached home. With only a single bathroom break, wherein Cas helped Dean in and out, too hurt and sore to actually go through the notions of taking the wheelchair down and putting it back up, they reached home in record time. Google Maps would've been proud.

Cas took down the wheelchair and by the time Dean was settled in it, there were two neat piles of bags ready - Cas' suitcase and a duffel near the open garage door and Dean's already lined up just inside the house entrance.

"Cas…" Dean started, but Cas held up a hand. "I think you can take your stuff inside yourself."

"Cas could you just…" but was cut off once again.

"No Dean," Cas said, his voice grave with just a hint of sadness. Dean knew better than to interrupt when it reached that tone. "I'm done. You were right… what was I thinking? Just because I found some dying stranger and he held onto me in his most desperate time, he would suddenly become my soul-mate. And then expecting you to fall for me, it was very stalker-ish of me.

And you had already warned me that you weren't into long-term things, I was foolish enough to think otherwise. And it wasn't because I have some kind of Florence Nightangle complex… believe it or not, Dean, there is such a thing as love at first sight, and for me it was you. I just… well, it doesn't matter anymore, does it?"

"Cas, I'm –"

"Could you just stop the fuck interrupting? You're making it harder as it is," Cas said quietly, tears forming in his eyes. He didn't want to go. He really didn't. But the past few days had been a revelation of sort. Dean wanted to be independent… he didn't want anyone looking out for him.

"You're not Gabe. You are never going to be him. So stop trying," Dean had yelled the night before, when Cas had suggested they go hiking at the Cliff Shelf, and this... after they had spent two days hiking along various other trails, instead choosing to spend the day lazing around and drinking with Benny.

"I don't want to go. But I can't be in a relationship and have to constantly keep looking over my shoulder and screening every thought and action thinking it might offend you. I have never treated you any differently than I treat anyone else, and if I did it's because I think you're special and not because…" his words were cut-off as a sharp jolt of pain coursed through his left side, where Dean had punched him. He sank down on his knees and calmed himself.

Dean hurried towards him, but Cas pushed him away. "Oh screw you, Dean," he repeated. "I don't need you pity anymore than you deserve mine. It was a fair fight, though you didn't have to hide that you had been training from me. Just proves how much you are invested in this relationship. 6 months we've been living together and you conveniently refused to mention that you've been practicing martial arts. Hell, you even went on to stop practicing because I was around. Thanks for that too. What if you'd been really hurt?"

"But I wasn't," Dean protested petulantly, but Cas ignored him and stood up. "I don't care anymore," he said with a note of finality that sank Dean's heart. They had had fights before, but never one like this. "You wanted to get laid? Well congratulations on your success, Major Winchester. You can now go back your booze and flirting and die of alcohol poisoning for all I care."

He stood back up and glared at Dean, tears pouring down his cheeks. "You are right," he repeated. "You aren't Nick. You can never be him. You aren't half the man he was. My brother is like a God to me... but you wouldn't understand that. You've never been in that kind of situation, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Ever."

He took a deep breath and pulled out the disposable cell Dean had gifted him before their wedding. "You know why I never carried a mobile phone before?" he asked softly fingering the instrument. "Because I never had a reason to look back. With you, I kinda thought I did, but I guess I was wrong. Like always." He threw the phone at Dean's feet. "Good bye, Dean," he muttered, not looking back as he pulled the door shut after him.

Dean waited with bated breath, until the need for oxygen overwhelmed him. He bent down and picked up the symbolic representation of their failed relationship… the one he had actively destroyed in the last 6 days… and threw it as hard as he could at the door his husband had walked out of.

It missed its mark, a testament to how lost he felt, and crashed on the wall beside it, shattering to pieces, just like their marriage.

A/N 2: In case you're wondering the roadtrip/honeymoon was round-way from Sioux Falls to Mount Rushmore and back. Also in case you're wondering, the Badlands National Park (where the fight took place) has a selection of wheelchair friendly hiking trails which I thought Cas would think perfect for an ex-outdoorsy guy like Dean, without realizing Dean would just see it as one more threat to his masculinity (bloody chauvinist!)

Finally, the next chapter which is almost ready is also about Dean whumping and crawling back on his knees to beg for Cas' forgiveness.