It's been a few months since the whole debacle with Amara and Chuck, but it wasn't until now that Sam and Dean had gotten around lifting back the wards Amara had melted. Most of them hadn't been that difficult to lift back up.
Plus, Cas was helping.
Yet, as Sam read through the ingredients of the last ward, he frowned, he was certain they didn't have that last ingredient. Still, instead of announcing it out loud, he showed it to Dean, prompting this one to frown.
Castiel, who had been sitting at the table looking at the blueprints of the layout of wards in the bunker, looked up, feeling the stares.
"What is it? Do you not have it here? I can get it for you." He reminds. After all, Chuck had fixed his grace and wings as a gift for helping him. Also as a petty way to get back at the other angels for turning their backs on Him while He was dying.
Point is, he could now go anywhere in the world. Yet, Sam and Dean look uncomfortable.
"It's nothing." Dean ends up speaking, setting the bowl aside. A ward to keep huge amounts of demons out wasn't that important. They could always use regular wards, plus, everyone here was warded against possession and it wasn't like anyone knew where the bunker was to begin with.
"You said there was a ward left to lift."
"Yeah, it doesn't matter."
"Why?"
"It's nothing. Really." Sam tried to put the sheet with the ingredients away, Yet, Castiel reappeared right behind him and snatched the paper away. And Sam felt awful for the sudden thought of having not missed Cas teleporting like this.
"Dude-" Dean tried to snatch the paper just for Cas to reappear across the table. "I fucking hate that." Dean can't help but bite out.
The brothers just give up.
And when Castiel reads the ingredients, he frowns.
"We can get everything here." He states, looking at them with confusion. "Why did you say we didn't?"
Dean snatches the paper back.
"Because it's stupid, alright? We don't have the third ingredient and last time I checked you weren't a fucking toolbox." Dean snaps harshly, after the Leviathan bullshit he had made up his mind about never asking Cas for anything regarding angels.
Always happy to bleed for the Winchesters.
Cas had said. That had left Dean with an uncomfortable feeling grappling at the pit of his stomach. Cas was his friend. Not some sort of toolbox or pantry to grab ingredients from whenever needed. Asking for blood had been one thing.
But this?
He wasn't gonna ask this of him.
"But I can give it to you." The angel says easily.
"And I said no, so stop it."
"But-"
"Cas, I'm serious." Castiel made a face, he looked like he wanted to keep protesting. Yet, he ended up dropping the issue, he didn't seem particularly happy though, but for once?
Dean didn't feel an ounce of guilt, he wouldn't apologize for this.
Sam also, for once, did side with Dean. Because his brother was right, Cas wasn't some sort of toolbox, he was their friend.
Meanwhile, Castiel scowled, but he didn't argue, he could tell Dean nor Sam would give in. And while he appreciated their words and understood their reasoning…
Well, he has done worse things behind their backs in order to protect them, lifting a ward without their knowledge wouldn't be the worst thing he's done.
He just had to wait until they were both asleep.