Song Remains the Same

Chapter 33: Mr. Self Destruct

"Dad, your boy's about to fall, he walks the razor's edge.
He's on the brink of fading out, he's at his bitter end."
- The Juliana Theory

Dean Winchester vaguely heard something drop—whatever he'd been holding (he didn't remember). His internal alarm blared deafeningly. For a single moment, he could only stare in absolute, complete shock.

Under the flickering neon motel sign, Castiel was kissing Alex. The two were close, too close—it almost looked like Alex was inside the damn trench coat—and the angel had a tender hand cupped against her face as they kissed in an unapologetically sensual way. The way people in love kiss.

"Don't let it happen. Trust me. They'll undo each other. Destroy each other."

The words that 2014-Dean had told him echoed violently. The shock was fading quickly into anger, a sudden horrifying fear that it was too late, that all of his suspicions had been so much truer than he had dared to think. Dean suddenly found himself remembering what that damn cupid had said: "Like it or not Dean, some things are just meant to be!" No. Not this! It couldn't happen—for a million and one reasons, but most of all because it got his baby sister killed in the end! The irony wasn't lost on Dean either: Alex's guardian angel (the dude who was supposed to protect her) was knowingly doing something that would land her six feet under. That motherfucker.

Dean felt like something snapped. How dare that angel bastard? Cas knew that being involved or whatever was what got Alex killed... and he was still out there, kissing her in the most romantic way Dean had ever seen anyone kiss anyone. His stomach turned.

"Think about it, Dean," Cas had said to Dean recently. "I don't feel things the way you feel them. I'm not human. I'm incapable of... that."

Incapable my ass, you fucking liar. That damn angel had all but sworn that he wouldn't let himself and Alex end up together, that he'd 'do anything' to prevent it. Something like hatred coursed through Dean's veins as he watched the angel and his sister part. Cas took both of her hands in his and the two gazed at each other in silence with indescribable, soft expressions.

How long had this been going on?

Dean's fists were clenched, his nostrils were flared, his blood was boiling, and he couldn't just stand there anymore. He stormed out, flinging the motel door open in a fit of rage. Alex immediately backpedaled toward the Impala, letting go of Cas's hands and looking at her brother in alarm. Cas was stern, but Dean was too busy charging into the space between them to care or notice. Dean grabbed his sister roughly by her upper arm, forcefully propelling her toward the back door of the Impala. "Ouch, Dean!" she protested, sounding surprised as she tried to pull her arm away.

He only gripped harder. "Just get in the damn car!" She stared up at him in shock and fear, and maybe any other time knowing he'd made her afraid would have upset Dean, but today? Today he wanted her to be scared, he wanted her to wake up because what she was doing with Cas was dangerous and she should be afraid. He hadn't saved her ass all these times over the years to watch her throw her life away now.

Behind him, he heard Cas take a step closer. "Dean, what are you doing?"

Dean's skin crawled and he turned with deliberate slowness. "Does this look like any of your business, Cas?"

Cas's face darkened. There was no mistaking the threatening tone in his deep voice. "Let go of your sister, Dean."

Dean did just that so that he could turn around to Cas and get in his face. He was shaking, barely containing his wrath. "You got some damn nerve, Cas! I thought I could trust you! You lied to me!" he shouted accusingly, grabbing the angel's lapels as hard as he could. Cas looked unperturbed at the physical assault—his face only registered guilt, which only made Dean want to pummel him into the ground even more. Sam appeared in the doorway, just in time to witness what happened next.