Feathers and String

       A searing pain ripped through his body causing black spots to dance in his eyes. Rain pounded his face causing the dried blood to wash away. Gasping for air, electric blue eyes searched for his friend.
"Dean!" He cried and gritted his teeth as his throat burned from his attempts.
"Cas!?" Hard footfalls rushed up behind him and Cas turned to see who it was only sending a wave of agony through his spine. Crying out his vision darkened as a pair of bright green eyes filled with worry appeared in his field of vision.
"Cas! Oh god..." Dean's voice faded off as Cas blacked-out.

Dean lifted Cas' head, cradling it in his lap. "C'mon Cas, hey hey hey don't die on me. I've got you. You're gonna be ok." Dean new Cas was unconscious but he was more reassuring himself than the angel. "Sammy! I found him!" His voice was shaking, worried that he may lose Cas. Dean looked around for his brother. "Sammy!" he tried again. This time Sam came running up to where Dean was holding the angel. He stopped short with a distrusting look on his face.
"How do you know it's him?" inquired Sam.
"What?" "Lucifer was in his head a long time Dean, how do you know that he isn't still there. Or that he messed with his head?" Sam's face looked over Cas' broken, limp body.
"Damn it Sam! Its him!" Dean's voice cracked as he yelled at his little brother, eyes tearing with distress. Tossing him the keys to the Impala. "Get the car." he pleaded.
Sam tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips still unsure.
"Now Sammy!"
Sam took off the get the car leaving Dean running his hand through Ca's hair.

When Sam returned he pulled the car over and Dean cradled Cas in his arms lifting him gingerly from the ground. Carrying him to back seat of the impala wasn't easy. The dark ebony feathers of his battered wings dragged across the ground and with the damage done to them Dean wasn't so sure if folding them wouldn't cause more harm. Setting him down Dean realized that his forehead was beaded with not only rain but although Cas was shivering he was sweating. The hunter only grew more anxious about getting to the motel.
"Drive!" Dean demanded as he settled into the backseat clinging to Cas as if letting go would cause his lose. Burying his nose in the dark tufts of hair tears rolled down his cheeks freely. "It's ok, I got you Cas." The entire drive Dean mumbled to the angel telling him that he would be alright. He wasn't sure how bad the injuries were yet, but admitting it might make it true.

Cas's eyes flew open as a numbness settled over his body. Fear struck him as he realized he wasn't in the open field anymore. Instead of sky above him it was an old ceiling with chipped paint. The room smelled of beer and gunpowder.
"Dean." he croaked weakly. Cas was shocked in the realization that the hunters head lay on his chest. Dean's neck snapped up. His eyes the color of emeralds specked with gold wilted with unmistakable grief. Cas realized that Dean's stubble had grown twice as long as the last time he saw him so Cas must have been out a few days. Opening his mouth to speak only caused a coughing fit.
"Easy there Cas, I'm gonna grab you a cup of water ok? I'll only be gone a minute." the angel nodded unable to speak. Within a few moment he had returned with a glass of water and some pain killers. Cas noticed his eyes kept flicking the the area behind him. Confused he turned his head to see what concerned him. Cas's heart filled with dread as he saw what lay before him. His wings were caked In dried blood and most of his feathered were twisted out of alignment. The bone was clearly broken and dislocated at multiple joints. Ca's bright eyes filled with tears and he covered his face with his hands sobbing. Dean wrapped him in a hug, the angel burying his sorrow in the crook of Dean's neck.
"Cas we can fix them. The damage isn't as bad as it looks, trust me." Dean assured him. Cas pulled out of Dean's grasp still in tears. The hunter cupped angel's face with his callused hands and looked him in the eye. "How bad does it hurt?" his voice was filled with sympathy as his eyes searched Ca's face for any indication of how bad the pain was. After taking a sip of water Cas spoke.
" I feel like my grace is being cut out of my form." His voice was impossibly low and the vibration rumbled through Dean's fingers.
"All right. Is it OK if I pop the dislocated parts back in? As long as they stay like this they can't heal." Cas nodded and Dean prepared to pop it back into place. "K, this might hurt so-" his voice cut off mid sentence as the hunter fixed the dislocated bone. Cas stifled a scream and his eyes flared with betrayal. "What? It's better to do it while you're off guard." After repairing the rest of the dislocations Dean paused and looked at the wings hesitantly.
"Most of your feathers are twisted out of place but I put you through enough for now. Get some rest and I'll fix them when you're up." Dean flashed a sad smile and left the motel room.

A few hours later Cas reawoke, Dean had fallen asleep at Cas' side with a plaid blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Cas rested his arm around Dean's neck.
"Oh good, you're awake" mumbled Dean. "We should get back to fixing your wings so they can heal properly." Dean sat up and rubbed his hands down his face. He stood up and rolled his shoulders. "I'm not sure how bad this'll hurt so just... Brace yourself I guess." Dean's fingers gently selected a feather and he looked at Cas in the eye. "Ready?"
Cas nodded and took a deep breath closing his eyes tight. Dean gingerly twisted the feather back into position. White how pain streaked through Cas' body. He gasped as it sent a shiver down his spine. The pain was unbearable and barley Cas stifled a scream whimpering.
"Cas I don't think I can do this." seeing his angel in pain by his own doing was to much to handle. Cas' hand flew up and grabbed Dean's wrist and he tried to back away.
"No." Cas' voice was gruff and determined despite the visible agony in his brilliant blue eyes. "You need to do this. I can take it."
Dean grimaced as he smoothed another feather with the same result. Holding back the tears the best he could Dean repaired several more feathers before Cas was in a broken state mumbling in enochian, tears running freely down his face. Beads of sweat had formed on the angels brow. Dean knew that he should keep repairing the wings despite the desperate voice in his head telling him that it was wrong. The sooner everything was is place the sooner Cas could heal.
"C'mon, just a few left. You're gonna be fine." The last feather was particularly injured, the middle was bent towards the ceiling and twisted. Dean took a deep breath knowing how bad this would hurt Cas.
The angel wailed in agony arching his back and crumpling back to the bed practically sobbing. He curled himself in a ball, head covered with his hands shaking. Dean sat in the bed and collected Cas in his arms. Pressing his nose and lips into his messy hair. He rocked back and forth comforting the angel. Cas lifted his head and sniffles looking Dean in the eye.
"Thank you. If it had not been for you I would have died long ago. "
"You also wouldn't have been in this mess if it weren't for me." He pressed his lips to the angels forehead and shuddered remembering how often Cas got hurt because of him. He drew back holding him at arm's length.
"Why did you say yes?" Dean's eyes filled with tears waiting for a response. Cas turned away looking at the floor.
"I wasn't wanted. You didn't need me, I was just weighing you and Sam down." He closed his eyes as a single tear rolled his his cheek. Dean turned Cas' face to look at him using a thumb to while away the tear.
" Of course we needed you! When you were gone I couldn't eat, sleep... I was lost." The hunter's voice cracked and he took a deep breath. "I need you, and I'm never letting you go again." Dean pressed his lips against Cas'. Even though it was only for a few moments it seemed as though time had stopped the allow a few moments of peace. At first Cas was stunned and froze but after a second he returned the kiss and wrapped his hands around Dean's neck. They reluctantly pulled away from each other to breath.
"Cas. I love you, you idiot." Dean whispered. The angel bent in beaming and kissed him long and hard.
"I love you too, Dean. I promise, I'll never leave you again."

                                                                               -Ro