{Dean's POV}
I heard a knock at my door. Since I assumed it was Cas, I rolled over on my bed. Tears were already forming in my eyes. I didn't know how much longer I could take this torture.
"Dean." It was Sam, not Cas. "Open the door. I can and will get in, whether you want me to or not. Let's just make this easier and let us in."
Us. Cas was out there too.
I stood and made my way to the door. "I can't, Sammy. You know that I can't let either of you near me."
"Please, Dean." Now, Cas was talking. My heart shattered a little more, and a pulse of heat flared in my arm. "We can help."
"Help? You guys can't help me."
"Yes, we can," my brother told me.
I didn't know if it was a good decision or not, but I let them in.
The moment the door was unlocked, Cas came barreling into me. He threw his arms around my neck and kissed me. He kissed me like a soldier who just came back from war. He kissed me like we hadn't seen each other in years. He kissed me like it was the only thing he had left.
And I kissed him back.
I wasn't going to let the Mark deprive me of the only people I loved. And it sure as hell wasn't stopping me from kissing Cas for another moment longer.
When Cas pulled away, the pain in my arm caused my knees to buckle. He held my face in his hands, so I would look into his eyes.
The beautiful, icy color soothed me as he spoke. "Dean, fight it. Don't let the Mark win. I know you're so much stronger than it. Please, we have a way to fix everything."
After what felt like an eternity, the burning subsided, and Cas helped me sit on our bed.
Cas sat beside me, rubbing patterns on my back and shoulder blades. Sam stood in front of us.
"Listen," Sam started, "we've spent our entire lives saving people, saving the world, and saving each other. That needs to stop. You have to promise me that once this is over, you'll drop hunting and will live a normal life. Okay?"
"What do you mean? I can't just-"
"Dean. I can't save you if you're just going to put yourself into more danger. When this is over, I want your biggest worry to be your cholesterol. Promise me."
I looked at Cas, who smiled at me lovingly.
Could I give up hunting, the thing I've spent my entire life doing? Could I be normal again? I could, I decided, as long as Cas was with me.
"Yes, Sam. I will stop hunting. I'll go be a boring guy who actually works for a living and comes home to an actual house."
He nodded. "Okay. I just want you to be happy. And I've already been happy. I had my time with Jess; I had my time with you. Now, it's time for you and Cas to be happy. Together. If there's one person that I'd give my life for, it's you."
"Give your life for?" I interrupted. "What do you mean?"
Cas's hand stopped. "Yeah, what do you mean?"
Sam smiled at us both. "I want to take the Mark. If you transfer it to me, you guys can live happily ever after. No, don't argue with me. I know that you're about to. You can't handle the Mark anymore, and it's going to kill you. Let me take it. I'll go live my life travelling so it can't hurt the people I love. I'll never stay still. I'll figure out something. I just..." His voice broke. "I just want you to be happy. I want you to be safe. I want you to live. So, please, let me do this for you. Let me save you because you've saved me so many times."
"I can't... I can't just let you take the Mark. I know what it can do to people. I can't do that to you. I can't be the reason you die."
"But I can help you. You're worth so much more to me than I do. Plus, you've got Cas to live for; I don't have anyone." He clasped his hand around my forearm. "I can handle this. Let me do this for you, Dean."
I didn't want to, but I grabbed his forearm, finally letting those tears fall.