Castiel barely manages to rasp out Dean's address before passing out. Meg, with the help of a few kind customers, gets Castiel in her car and heads to Dean's place. She pulls up and quickly drags a half conscious Cas to the front door, his arm is slung over her shoulders and he shuffles, often tripping over his feet, beside her. They reach the front door, Cas presses a hand to the wall to steady himself and take some weight off Meg. She knocks on the door and a few seconds later it swings open. Sam looks them over and turns around.
"Dean, it's for you!" He yells. Dean appears behind Sam, his green eyes widen in shock.
"What happened!?" He yells ushering them inside. Meg sets Cas down on the couch. Footsteps approach them, they stop in the doorway.
"Well, he looks terrible." Meg freezes. She knows that voice; slowly she turns hoping she is wrong. The blood drains from her face when she sees him.
"Crowley." She breathes. He smiles at her with a look like a cat finding a mouse on his face.
"Hello darling." He says sipping his drink. Dean sighs.
"Everybody out. Now." Crowley raises his eyebrows but nods.
"Me and Meg here need to have a little chat anyway. We can do it while she drops me off." With that he sets his drink down then walks out the door; Meg lets out a shaky breath then follows shutting the door behind her. Dean looks Cas over then turns to his brother.
"Sammy, go get the first aid kit and a rag with warm water." He commands. Sam runs off to do what his brother said, Dean then turns back to the boy laying on his couch. "Oh Cas...what did you do?" He whispers as he bends down to assess Cas's injuries closer. Cas laughs softly.
"I did what you said....I stood up for myself." He breathes. Dean hangs his head and sighs.
"Cas I-" Suddenly, Sam comes running back in the room with everything Dean asked for. Dean takes it then tells Sam to go to his room and call Gabriel. Dean takes the rag and gently dabs at the blood caked on Cas's face; Cas flinches. "Sorry." Dean says pulling the rag back. He presses the rag to a nasty gash on Cas's cheek, he wipes away the blood and puts a butterfly bandaid on it. 'How could I be so stupid!? I should've known he would get hurt!' Dean thinks to himself. Pain flashes in his eyes; as Dean raises his hand to clean another cut, Cas reaches up and gently grabs his wrist.
"It-it isn't your fault." Cas says. Dean sighs.
"Yeah it kinda is, Cas. I was a jerk." He explains. Cas chuckles.
"Yeah you kind of were." Dean smiles. He loved Cas's laugh. There is a moment of silence before Dean looks up at Cas.
"Cas...I'm sorry." Dean sits down on the couch. Cas sits up and grits his teeth, he looks at Dean. Cas notes the guilt in Dean's bright green irises.
"It's ok." Sam walks back into the living room.
"Gabriel will be here in a minute."
