Holy Vision

Chapter 6

Dean woke the next morning wincing at how sore his neck was. He looked down and found the angel still breathing softly against him. His wings were still around them although now sagged on the ground from exhaustion. When Dean finally looked up, he did not expect to see Sam standing there with his arms crossed and an amused smirk playing at his lips.

Dean immediately removed his hands from around Cas and tried sitting up a little more. "Sammy! Hey. How did you sleep?" he asked stupidly.

"I could sure ask you the same thing," he said with a chuckle. Dean wanted to also find this as hilarious as Sam did but all he could do was frown. Sam noticed. "What happened?"

Dean sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well Cas, he-uh-. I don't know Sammy." Dean noticed Cas' wings twitch and perk up at the sound of his name. He frowned again. "I woke up and he was in the room. I guess I followed him outside and we talked. He was upset, said he visited the crime scene. The angel left there, he was uh," Dean paused looking down at Cas sleeping peacefully against him, "he was Cas' best friend up in Heaven I guess. I don't know he just fell apart and grabbed onto me. I didn't want to leave him out here."

Sam nodded. "Well I packed all the things and they're all loaded up. I just need you two in the car. I can drive if you want," he offered.

"No, no it's fine. I'll just haul him into the back seat and we'll be on our way."

Sam smiled softly and almost knowingly at him. "Okay Dean."

Dean shook Cas lightly and whispered for him to get up because it was time to go. When there wasn't a response he shook him harder and said his name louder. Still nothing. "Come on Cas stop playin'." No response. "You're gonna be the death of me I swear," Dean mumbled as he put a strong arm around Cas' waist and used the other to push himself up. He almost fell over with the extra weight but caught himself against the car. He held the angel against him as he tried to open the door. He wouldn't had realized he was blushing over the whole ordeal unless he hadn't heard Sam's snickers. "Shut up!" he growled before carefully laying Cas into the back seat. He stood over him and let go of the back of his head and slid his arm out from under his back. He thought he heard Cas whimper from the lost contact but quickly shut the door before he could overthink it.

"Where am I going?" Dean asked.

"Just drive," Sam laughed.

As they made their way to Minnesota, Dean found himself very frequently glancing in the rear view mirror. He told himself he was just making sure Cas was okay, but he secretly adored the look of serenity plastered across his face as he breathed softly and the way his wings would twitch out every so often. Then he remembered how tightly Cas' body was pressed against his last night and how whole he felt. He wanted to wrap his arms around him again and be overcome by the other man's warmth.

He quickly tore himself from those thoughts though. He shouldn't be wanting to hold any man in his arms for the sake of his reputation and certainly not Cas. He reasoned that the only exception to that was when the other was upset or grieving. He did hug Sam through his tough times and saw no problem in that. But this was different, he thought. This wasn't just a hug or a quick pat on the back. It was more intimate. Dean shuddered at the word. What would Dad think?

When Dean glanced back up at the angel he was awake and staring out the window. He smiled to himself and said, "Well good morning sleepy head." Cas didn't say anything or even acknowledge anyone had spoken to him. Not even his wings reacted to his voice. Dean frowned. He realized Cas was sitting very close to the door and pointedly staring out the window like he was trying to concentrate on anything but being in the car. His wings were pulled tightly against his back and never moved a muscle. "You okay buddy?" Dean asked. Cas nodded minutely without looking away from the outside scenery. Dean focused back on the road and tried not to glance in the mirror again for the rest of the trip.

As they pulled to a stop at the crime scene, the brothers got out of the car and made to talk to sheriff but noticed Cas hadn't moved a muscle. Dean sighed and look to Sam. "I got it. You go get the details." Sam nodded and ducked under the police tape.

Dean walked around to the other side of car and leaned inside the window Cas had been staring out. "Are you coming?" Cas glanced away from Dean and began to stare into his lap. He shook his head slowly.

"I can still feel him and hear his screams. When we die our wings are burned into the surface and our grace seemingly evaporates, but some of it stays behind in the air. When I came last night I felt it and could hear his voice begging for mercy and crying out in pain. I can't go in there again Dean." Cas' eyes met Dean's in a mix of fear and reassurance.

Dean tried his best to smile. "Don't worry about it. We'll get the facts and figure this out. Okay?" Cas' wings flitted out at the soft tone in Dean's voice. He patted the inside of the car and made to rejoin with Sam when a hand softly grabbed hold of his wrist. Dean leaned back into the car.

Cas didn't seem to let go as his eyes turned sad and his wings drew back in embarrassment. "I do apologize about last night Dean. I don't understand what came over me, but I let myself cross boundaries without your permission. I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."

Dean smiled genuinely and put his hand over the one gripping his wrist. "You did what any one else would've done in the same situation. We're family Cas, and I'll always be here when you need the comfort. You don't have to apologize."

Cas' wings seemed to brighten at Dean's words. They expanded as far as the impala would allow and shivered outwards. Cas reached his other hand out and placed it on the side of Dean's face, running his thumb over the stubble there. Dean's cheeks flushed at the contact but his smile remained plastered across his face. He watched as Cas' feathers individually shimmered and twitched as if to gain his attention. They flapped excitedly under his gaze and gave off a radiating heat.

Cas' expression changed when he realized Dean was no longer meeting his eyes but staring behind him again. His head tilted and nose scrunched in confusion as he asked, "What are you looking at?"

Dean quickly pulled away from Cas' touch and rubbed the back of his neck. "Nothing. I'm gonna go catch up with Sam and see what he's got." He rushed off toward the scene, leaving Cas alone with muddled thoughts of Dean's once again odd behavior.

"Hey. Is he okay?" Sam asked as Dean approached him.

"I think so. He just didn't want to come in here again. PTSD or something," he mumbled.

Sam gave his brother a weird look. "Right. So there's nothing new or different about this one. No strange markings or signs of any clues that could lead us to a who. No blades were found so we can't track him that way." Sam sighed. "I don't know what to tell Cas. Heaven basically shut him out and all the angels don't necessarily like him so it could be anyone."

"So what? Just wait until this guy slips up? Keep letting Cas' friends die? What if he kills Cas?" Both boys stared at each other with apprehension and uncertainty. This killer could be out there searching for Cas next or maybe even the boys themselves. The thought made Dean's stomach churn as he pictured Cas sprawled on the ground with lifeless eyes and his dead wings burnt into the pavement.

Sam must've thought something similar because he said, "Is he still in the car? By himself?"

Dean's chest tightened. "Cas," he whispered. He was the first one out the door and beside the car. When Sam caught up he saw the empty back seat and heard Dean shout "Son of a bitch!"

The angel was gone.