A Dark Path

Untitled Part 7

"What are you doing?" Cas wondered a little after mid--day, finding Dean in the library with his attention on the laptop before him, seemingly engaged with the news he was trying to gather. "I was under the impression that you preferred to leave the research to Sam."

"Looking for a case."

"Oh," Cas frowned, searching the library for Sam, but he was nowhere to be found. He didn't think it wise for Dean to be going on any hunts this soon after his incident with the Mark, but he knew that any implication of such thoughts would not go over well with the gruff hunter. Sam might do a better job at deterring his brother. "Find anything?" 

With an exasperated sigh, Dean shook his head. "Nothing. Man," Dean pushed the laptop away from him as if disgusted by its presence, "It can't possibly be this quiet. There's gotta be something."

Cautiously, Cas moved closer to Dean. "Why are you so inclined in finding a case? I was under the impression that you were going to take a break for a time...."

Green eyes stared up at him, thankfully not in anger. "That was the original plan," he admitted, leaning back against the chair, "but I can't do it, man. Staying in one place just isn't my style. I need to get out of here and do something. You know what I mean?"

The angel tilted his head in slight understanding. "You are restless." He should have known this would happen. It didn't matter that Dean had been warned to take it easy, he was a hunter to his core and that would always be the thing that pushed him forwards. That and his brother. The Mark of Cain singing in his veins aggressively probably didn't help that natural need to fight. In fact, Cas knew, it made that natural instinct that much stronger. 

"I know you guys are worried," Dean rolled his eyes as if their concern wasn't that big of a deal, but the strain his muscles and voice made it clear that he knew just how big of a deal it was, "but I can't do this. If I'm going to beat this, and beat it in a way where I'm still me in the end, I have to get out there and do me."

"Do you?"

Chuckling quietly, Dean nodded. "Yea. Hunt. Drink. Play pool. Flirt. Have sex."

"I see."

Again, green eyes stared at him, this time with a raised eyebrow. "You see?" Before Cas could expand, Dean shrugged and pushed himself into a standing position. "Yea, I guess you can see. I mean, you get restless too. How can you not, being an angel that was so used to flying the universe and all?"

Cas squinted his eyes at the sudden change of topic, uneasy about the focus on him now rather than the attitude of the hunter. "I do okay."

The look the angel was given was incredulous. Cas never could tell a decent lie; not unless he was going for an all out betrayal. "Sure you do."

They stared into each other's eyes, only mere inches away from one another. Usually Dean would say something about personal space and hurriedly walk away from the awkward situation, but at the moment he was lost in pools of blue, and Cas wasn't inclined to separate unless told otherwise. It wasn't until movement near the archway caught both of their attention that Dean coughed strangely and stepped further away. "I think I'm going to head to the garage. Take care of Baby."

"I'll come with you."

"Whatever." 

As Cas followed Dean, Sam gave him an encouraging smile that said more than Cas could understand. He wanted to clarify what it was exactly that Sam was expecting from him in that moment, knowing there was some sort of expectation to the glimmer in his hazel eyes, but knew better than to ask with Dean still in earshot. He supposed he'd have to ask later.