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"I'm sorry, Dean..."
"NO." Dean said grabbing Cas' hand in his own and sinking to the ground next to his friend. "Don't talk like that! It's not over... Sam went for help, he'll be back soon..."
Cas looked up at Dean from his spot on the ground, a slight smile ghosting across his face before it dissipated in wave of pain.
"Dean we both know I wasn't meant for a human life, I forget how badly I can get injured." He squeezed Dean's hand weakly. "Did you at least kill it?"
"No..." Dean said, eyes darting to the ground briefly before jumping back to Cas' face. "When I saw you fall I just... I don't know... I had to get to you. How's your stomach?" He glanced down to look at Cas' stomach. The deep gash on his lower abdomen was bleeding freely and wasn't clotting like it should. When Dean saw the wound hie eyes widened and he paled slightly while pulling off his jacket. He pressed it firmly to Cas' wound and looked back at his face again.
"You idiot," Was all Cas could manage to get out before he broke down in a fit of coughing. All Dean could do was stare helplessly as his best friend slowly bled to death in front of him.
They were in the woods. Miles away from any sort of civilization. Dean knew Sam wouldn't be back in time but he put on a brave face, for Cas' sake.
When Cas seemed to be able to speak again there were spots of blood on his lips and it sounded like there was liquid in his throat.
"Your jacket..." He said lamely, fingers twitching as if he was going to reach for it.
"Shh, my Jacket is fine, I can get another, I can't replace you." Dean cleared his throat. "Sam should be here any moment." But even to Dean it sounded forced.
"Don't lie for my benefit, Dean. I never got why humans did that." Dean took a sharp intake of breath, he had never been good at keeping things from Cas.
Cas' eyes blurred out of focus for a moment as Dean's eyes filled with unwanted tears. He scrubbed at his face before speaking softly.
"It's a sign we care about some one... a lot."
"Well I care for you too, but I would not lie to your face, I told you I would stop that." Cas' body spasmed and he coughed again sending blood down his front. Dean, still holding his jacket over Cas' stomach slid closer.
"I told you to stop talking Cas; I'm trying to say something."
"Let me go first Dean. Since I am not lying then I should tell you…" Cas said as he moved his hand to rest it on top of the one Dean had placed on the jacket. Cas' breathing was very shallow, and his eyelids felt like they weighed a ton.
"Dean, I..." Another Coughing fit.
"Maybe you shouldn't Cas..."
"Dean, want to tell you that I..." Cas' body shook again and he had to stop.
"Cas, just stop I know what you're going to say and you don't have to say it I feel the same way."
"NO, I do have to say it..." Cas gave Dean a hard look then, taking a deep breath, continued. "Dean Winchester, I have been in love with you from the moment I saw your soul burning bright in the deepest pits of hell. In the midst of despair and unimaginable pain you were still shining as bright as the sun. I could have followed your light anywhere. I have loved you from the moment i raised you from perdition and I will keep loving you until my last breath, which seems to be nearing ever closer." Cas let out a huge sigh, like a giant weight had been lifted off him and his eyes started drooping closed.
"NO, CAS, YOU KEEP YOUR FUZZY ASS RIGHT WHERE IT IS! I want to... I need to... I have something to tell you too."
Cas' looked at Dean, at his hunter, one final time, and gave him a small smile.
"I'm not fuzzy anymore, Dean, and It's like you said you don't have to say it I already know." Then Cas closed his eyes and took one last breath.
"NO! CAS!" Dean threw his jacket aside and moved his hands up to Castiel's face his right hand covered in the blood that had seeped through his jacket.
"CAS! Cas... I didn't get the chance to say it back.." Dean said as he moved his head so that his forehead was touching Cas'. Dean could feel the heat rapidly leaving his friends body and his scalding tears falling down his own face. Dean moved his face forward the few inches and kissed his fallen angel for the first and last time.
***
Dean didn't know how long he had been resting his head on Cas' still chest. All the warmth had left his body, when he finally heard the purr of the Impala.
The car skidded to a stop and Sam jumped out and ran over to Dean, but his quick pace slowed to a walk when he saw Cas' still frame.
"I couldn't find any reception here so I had to drive to the hospital, its Labor day so they had to call people in, you know small town and all, and they said they would be here in 30 minutes 10 minutes ago."
Dean Slowly got up "No, he's gone, and I don't need some fancy pants doctor telling me he is either, he died a hunter so we bury him like one."
***
10 minutes later Dean slid into the driver's seat of the black '67 Chevy Impala, started the car and drove back down the winding dirt road that lead back to the town and away from the horribly beautiful clearing that had Cas' slowly burning body in it.
With the blazing fire in his rear view mirror and a world without his Angel in his windshield Dean turned to Sam.
"Happy Labor day Sammy."
***
Dean woke up in a cold sweat, tears in his eyes. He swiped at them with a furious hand while the other one frantically searched the bed to his left. The covers were thrown everywhere and the bed was cold.
"Cas?" Dean chocked out.
"Cas!" Dean said louder with panic in his voice. Was it not a dream? Was he really gone? What Day was it? Dean was starting to panic now. "CAS!" He shouted.
"Dean, DEAN, DEAN! How do you like it?" Cas said sarcastically as he walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel.
Dean stood up slowly and made his way over to Cas.
"Are you okay? You're acting strange." Cas said, concern evident in his voice as Dean approached him slowly. Dean didn't answer but just stood there and stared at Cas.
"Okaay, something is definitely wrong, I'll go get Sam."
"NO." Dean said, his arm snapping out and grabbing Cas' wrist. "No, it was just a nightmare and I… I thought…" Dean looked down unable to finish his sentence. Cas, sensing the change in Dean's mood, pulled him into a tight hug.
"Hay, It's okay. Everything's fine, I'm fine, you're fine, we're fine. Nothing is wrong."
Dean eagerly returned the embrace. He could feel Cas muscles under the thin shirt he was wearing and the heat his body was giving off soothed him more than anything else.
"I thought you died." Dean whispered into Cas' shoulder. "That night, the time Sam almost didn't make it…"
"The one where I told you I loved you?" Dean blushed at Cas' bluntness, remembering the night as it really went.
Where Cas said I love you and Dean said it back, and as they were leaning in for the kiss, Sam arrived with the ambulance to ruin the moment. Though they shared a lot more than just a kiss as soon as Cas was out of the Hospital.
"Yeah." Dean breathed. "Let's just go to bed. Please?" Dean asked.
"Alright." Cas agreed, forgoing his night time rituals for the night. They both climbed in to bed Cas snuggling up to Dean, resting his head on Dean's chest as Dean gripping Cas tightly as if to make sure he was still there.
Cas was still worried about Dean so he made sure to stay up until he could hear Dean's soft snores. As soon as he felt Deans grip relax completely he smiled to himself and tilted his head up to give Dean a quick and soft goodnight kiss. Cas fell asleep almost immediately, wondering what his life would have been like without Dean. He brushed the thought aside quickly, instantly deciding he would hate it.