You Soar & You Drown (Destiel AU)

Chapter Eleven

All things must come to an end, right? I cried while writing this chapter :(

Cas finished arranging Dean on the bed in the most comfortable position he could manage for the unconscious Winchester, then the angel went into the kitchen and set to work. He used soapy water to sponge the angel sigils and devil’s traps off the floors and windows. He used his “angel mojo” as Dean called it to wipe out the salt barriers and the other various angel/demon traps he’d set up around the cabin. He moved Sam and Gabe, who were in the living room, to where Dean was in the bedroom, then he set up that room with all the various traps he’d been using on the house—salt, angel wardings, everything. At least they would be protected.

Then Castiel went into the living room and waited. He sat on the couch and patiently waited. He wanted to see who would find him first—the angels or the demons. Or maybe they’d come at the same time.

After a day and a half of waiting, he was done. He set up the summoning things, said the spell, and stood there with a demon knife in hand, ready to kill the evil son of a bitch.

Crowley appeared right behind Cas, which the angel wasn’t expecting. He swung around, aiming for the king of hell’s head, but Crowley effortlessly dodged him and said causally, “I wouldn’t be doing that if I were you. Without me, your friends will never wake up. With me dead and you alive, the spells to heal them will never be activated.”

“Fine.” Cas tossed the knife to the side, where it impaled itself in the wall. “Then please, please kill me. I just want…” he swallowed, trying to keep his voice from cracking, “I just want them to be okay.”

“No.”

“No? No what?”

“I am not going to kill you.” Crowley smirked and sat down in an armchair, still managing to look casual. The skies outside reflected Cas’ emotions right now—pitch black with darkness and anger. Crowley’s skies would probably be gray and emotionless.

“Why the hell not?” Cas snapped, unable to control his anger. His voice came out in a feral growl, one that he’d never used before, not even with Lucifer or any of the other angels or demons or anything. “WHY WON’T YOU FUCKING KILL ME, YOU SON OF A BITCH?!”

(He’d picked up a few things from Dean.)

Crowley smirked. “Because I think he wants his turn first.” He disappeared.

A cold hand suddenly clapped over Castiel’s mouth. He tried to struggle against it, but it was too strong. Someone’s arm encircled his chest and plunged an angel blade right through his heart. The angel holding him eased him down gently, so he hit the floor without a sound. “Quiet, now,” he hissed in Cas’ ear. “Your friends are waking up and we don’t want to have them listen to your screams, now do we?”

Castiel could hear shouting from behind the bedroom door where he’d locked the Winchesters and Gabriel in, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. He had maybe three minutes before he died, one of which would be spent in unconsciousness. Probably. Cas didn’t want Dean to watch him die.

He felt the presence of another angel enter the room, and then Gabriel’s voice shouted, “Raphael!” and the angel who’d stabbed him disappeared.

“Castiel, no,” his brother whispered as he stroked Cas’ hair back from his eyes. “Please, Cassie, don’t die on me. Please don’t die.”

“Tell Dean…I love him,” Cas whispered, choking on his blood. “Tell him…I wouldn’t have wanted it…to end.”

“Cas! Don’t talk like that!” The dying angel felt the other’s tears drip on to his face as Gabriel scooped him into his lap and clutched him tightly.

His brother held him as he died.