“No fucking way,” he growls. “They’ll rip you to pieces. I’m not gonna hide back there like some fucking coward.”
“Dean,” he says pleadingly. “It’s me they want. You’ll stand more of a chance of getting out of here alive.”
“Don’t fucking argue with me, Cas. I ain’t going,” he snarls, gripping his weapon.
Cas swallows, nodding. “Fine. But stay behind me. Please.”
He touches Dean’s shoulder, grip firm. If Dean is here, they have more of a chance of surviving, both of them. But if things get really bad, Cas will use some of his Grace to transport the human out of here, safe while the Leviathan are distracted.
“No fucking way,” he growls. “They’ll rip you to pieces. I’m not gonna hide back there like some fucking coward.”
“Dean,” he says pleadingly. “It’s me they want. You’ll stand more of a chance of getting out of here alive.”
“Shit,” he mutters, gripping his makeshift weapon tight as the steps get closer, more menacing. “Come on, Cas. Let’s rip into these bastards. Fuckin’ big mouths…”
Cas’ eyes are wide in fear, gripping the angelic sword. “Dean…I’m not…powerful enough.”
Dean clenches his jaw, nodding, and steps in front of Cas protectively. “I’ll take care of ‘em.”
“Dean, no,” he growls, clutching his sword tighter. “Go to the back of the cave. They won’t be able to smell you. If anything…if anything happens to me, hide there until they leave.”
“Shit,” he mutters, gripping his makeshift weapon tight as the steps get closer, more menacing. “Come on, Cas. Let’s rip into these bastards. Fuckin’ big mouths…”
Cas’ eyes are wide in fear, gripping the angelic sword. “Dean…I’m not…powerful enough.”
He grunts, shaking his head clear. “What? Yeah, I’m fine.” He sits up, pulling his dirty coat back on. “What’s that noise?”
Cas swallows, eyes going wide, mouth dry. He clutches his sword, stepping in front of Dean protectively, uttering only one word.
“Leviathan.”
Dean startles, jerking awake. His hands swing out in defense, a hunter’s instinct, barely missing the wall next to him. The noises outside still and Dean looks around, disoriented for a moment. “Cas?”
Cas looks wild and alert, looking at him in worry. “Are you all right?”
Dean jerks with night tremors, thrashing in his sleep and reaching around wildly for a non-existent knife in the dark. Bushes shake outside, as if reacting to the noise, the sound growing closer, like formidable steps.
Cas hears the sounds, alert. He turns to Dean, eyes wide with concern, but Dean’s noises are what’s attracting them. He doesn’t want to physically wake Dean if he doesn’t have to, so instead he semi-shouts his name, forceful. “Dean!”
“Night,” he murmurs with a frown, not catching the last bit. He curls up against the wall, burying his face into the coat as he closes his eyes.
Cas hears him falling asleep, glancing up at him every now and then as the time ticks by. He gets lost in his thoughts, finishing the sigils after a couple hours, unsure of what to do. Ideas float in his mind, replaying the memories of the souls—of him—doing all of those terrible things. To his brothers, to the humans, to Dean…
He swallows and nods slowly, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “Uh, yeah. Ditto,” he mumbles.
It overwhelms Castiel then, the sadness and the emotions. It feels too much like they’re saying goodbye, but for Cas it’s what he needs to do. For Dean’s sake. Dean should never be with someone as terrible as he is. It isn’t right.
“Sleep well,” Castiel says, turning away from him.
In a quiet voice, barely audible, he adds: “My beloved.”
“For what?” he asks quietly, glancing up at him.
“For giving me good memories,” he says quietly, eyes filled with so much emotion, so much wistfulness. “I wish I could change the past and do everything differently. The times when…with us. They were the happiest I’ve ever been, in the millions of years I’ve existed.”