These Things That Linger
Summary: Post 6x22. Cas struggles with his feelings over the Winchesters. Set during his smiting spree. Based off a tiny spoiler from the most recent Con that Sam’s more willing to forgive than his brother.
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These Things That Linger
Amidst the fallen vessels of his brothers and sisters all around him, Castiel doesn't notice the one that has crept behind him. He turns just in time to see his sibling fall, knife still poised at Cas’s back; dead like the rest. The weapon would have had no effect on him had it landed, but he wouldn’t have seen it in time.
He was being protected.
Castiel is…He doesn’t know what he is. Confused, surprised, angry, but he does know exactly who to see about it.
He’s in a beaten down motel room a thought later, advancing on the boy sitting on the far bed. Dean’s already up and blocking his way even knowing it’s futile. The hunter is slammed against the opposing wall and held there before he can get past the obligatory threat.
Those two have never had an inch of self-preservation instinct when it comes to each other and that wasn’t likely to change.
“How did you do that?” he demands of Sam, still hunched over, staring toward the floor. “How?!”
He thinks he may be angry.
Sam subtly tilts his head Dean’s direction, maybe assuring himself that his brother’s in no danger, but he doesn’t raise his eyes.
“That’s not the question that’s loudest in your head.”
Castiel towers over the human, Dean’s curses and struggles falling on uncaring ears. Cas trembles, rage or fear or both.
“Why?” he grits out, a strangled sound.
Sam smiles and he looks at Dean, meeting his eyes. Dean calms, but looks monumentally uneasy and ready to strike as he’s released from the wall.
Not by Castiel’s doing.
“Because you’re our family. Family…always gets another chance.”
Dean’s shoulders relax incrementally at that, his expression suddenly a bit sad.
“Sammy…”
Cas regards Sam, breathing heavily. Only a few heartbeats pass before Cas is gone, leaving the brothers to themselves. He can’t let them see his weakness. Be it uncertainty, or, much more likely he fears, a profound sense of loss.
Castiel rolls his shoulders, immediately chiding himself for the all too human movement, and sets the exchange from his mind. The Winchesters no longer have a place in his heart and he must remember that. There’s still so much to do, after all.
And he still has so many of his siblings left to find.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These Things That Linger
Amidst the fallen vessels of his brothers and sisters all around him, Castiel doesn't notice the one that has crept behind him. He turns just in time to see his sibling fall, knife still poised at Cas’s back; dead like the rest. The weapon would have had no effect on him had it landed, but he wouldn’t have seen it in time.
He was being protected.
Castiel is…He doesn’t know what he is. Confused, surprised, angry, but he does know exactly who to see about it.
He’s in a beaten down motel room a thought later, advancing on the boy sitting on the far bed. Dean’s already up and blocking his way even knowing it’s futile. The hunter is slammed against the opposing wall and held there before he can get past the obligatory threat.
Those two have never had an inch of self-preservation instinct when it comes to each other and that wasn’t likely to change.
“How did you do that?” he demands of Sam, still hunched over, staring toward the floor. “How?!”
He thinks he may be angry.
Sam subtly tilts his head Dean’s direction, maybe assuring himself that his brother’s in no danger, but he doesn’t raise his eyes.
“That’s not the question that’s loudest in your head.”
Castiel towers over the human, Dean’s curses and struggles falling on uncaring ears. Cas trembles, rage or fear or both.
“Why?” he grits out, a strangled sound.
Sam smiles and he looks at Dean, meeting his eyes. Dean calms, but looks monumentally uneasy and ready to strike as he’s released from the wall.
Not by Castiel’s doing.
“Because you’re our family. Family…always gets another chance.”
Dean’s shoulders relax incrementally at that, his expression suddenly a bit sad.
“Sammy…”
Cas regards Sam, breathing heavily. Only a few heartbeats pass before Cas is gone, leaving the brothers to themselves. He can’t let them see his weakness. Be it uncertainty, or, much more likely he fears, a profound sense of loss.
Castiel rolls his shoulders, immediately chiding himself for the all too human movement, and sets the exchange from his mind. The Winchesters no longer have a place in his heart and he must remember that. There’s still so much to do, after all.
And he still has so many of his siblings left to find.