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Dean Winchester was running on fumes.
He’d been pushing himself hard for weeks, taking on hunt after hunt, barely giving himself time to breathe between them. He wasn’t sleeping, wasn’t eating properly, and the nightmares—when he did manage to close his eyes—were enough to make him dread even trying. But he couldn’t stop. There was always another hunt, another monster, another person to save.
But Dean didn’t see the signs. He ignored the headaches, the constant fatigue, the dizziness that would creep up on him when he stood too quickly. He brushed off Sam’s concerned looks, snapped at Cas when he suggested taking a break, and told himself he was fine. He had to be fine. There was too much at stake to slow down.
And then, on a rainy night in an old, abandoned warehouse, Dean’s body finally betrayed him.
The hunt had been routine—or so he thought. A couple of vengeful spirits causing trouble, the kind of job he and Cas could handle in their sleep. But something was off that night, something Dean couldn’t put his finger on. His head was pounding, his vision swimming as he tried to focus on the task at hand, but he pushed through it, determined to get the job done.
Cas was with him, as always, watching Dean’s back, his presence a steady comfort even when Dean was feeling his worst. They worked together seamlessly, as they always did, clearing out the first spirit with relative ease. But then Dean’s vision blurred, and he stumbled, his knees buckling as the world tilted around him.
Cas was at his side in an instant, his hand on Dean’s arm, steadying him. "Dean, my love," Cas said, his voice filled with concern as he looked into Dean’s pale, sweat-slicked face. "What’s wrong? Are you hurt?"
Dean shook his head, trying to push Cas away, trying to shake off the dizziness that was threatening to pull him under. "I’m fine, Cas," Dean muttered, his voice rough with exhaustion. "Just… just need a minute."
But Cas didn’t let go. He could see the dark circles under Dean’s eyes, the way his hands were trembling, the way his breath was coming in short, labored gasps. "Dean, you’re not fine," Cas said firmly, his voice tinged with worry as he gently guided Dean to sit down on a nearby crate. "You’re exhausted, my beloved. You need to rest."
Dean let out a harsh laugh, but it was weak, lacking any real humor. "There’s no time to rest, Cas," Dean replied, his voice strained as he rubbed a hand over his face, trying to will the dizziness away. "We’ve got a job to do, angel."
But before Cas could argue, the second spirit attacked. It came out of nowhere, a blur of darkness and fury, and Dean barely had time to react before it was on him. He tried to raise his weapon, but his arms felt like lead, his vision going black at the edges as the dizziness hit him full force.
Cas reacted instinctively, pushing Dean out of the way just in time, his angel blade slicing through the spirit with deadly precision. The spirit dissolved into nothingness, but Cas barely noticed, his attention focused entirely on Dean, who had collapsed onto the cold, concrete floor.
"Dean!" Cas’s voice was filled with panic as he dropped to his knees beside Dean, his hands shaking as he reached out to check for a pulse, to see if Dean was breathing. "Please, my love, wake up."
Dean’s breathing was shallow, his pulse weak and thready under Cas’s fingers. His skin was pale, almost gray, and his body was limp, unresponsive. Cas’s heart pounded in his chest, fear clawing at him as he realized just how close he had come to losing Dean. How close he still was.
"No," Cas whispered, his voice trembling as he gently cradled Dean’s head in his lap, his fingers brushing over Dean’s too-cold skin. "You’re not leaving me, my beloved. Not like this."
Cas’s mind raced as he tried to think of what to do, how to help Dean. He had seen Dean push himself to the brink before, but this was different. This was worse. This was Dean’s body finally giving out, finally saying it couldn’t take any more. And Cas had been too caught up in the hunt, too caught up in the routine, to notice just how bad it had gotten.
Cas took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm, to focus. He had to get Dean back to the bunker, had to get him warm, had to get him somewhere safe. He couldn’t heal Dean the way he used to—his grace was too diminished for that—but he could still take care of him, still be there for him.
Carefully, Cas lifted Dean into his arms, holding him close as he carried him out of the warehouse and into the rain-soaked night. The Impala was parked nearby, and Cas gently laid Dean down in the back seat, tucking a blanket around him before hurrying to the driver’s seat.
The drive back to the bunker was tense, every bump in the road making Cas’s heart lurch as Dean remained unconscious, his breathing shallow and uneven. Cas kept glancing back at him, his worry growing with every passing mile, but he forced himself to focus on the road, on getting Dean home.
When they finally arrived, Cas wasted no time in getting Dean inside, carrying him down the stairs and into his room. He laid Dean down on the bed, carefully removing his wet clothes and wrapping him in blankets to keep him warm. Dean stirred slightly, a weak groan escaping his lips as Cas worked, but he didn’t wake up.
Cas’s heart ached as he looked down at Dean, seeing the toll that weeks—no, months—of stress and exhaustion had taken on him. Dean had been running himself ragged, pushing himself past his limits, and now he was paying the price. And Cas knew, deep down, that he should have done more to stop it, to help him before it got this far.
"I’m so sorry, sweetheart," Cas whispered, his voice trembling as he gently brushed a hand over Dean’s hair, his fingers lingering on the soft strands. "I should have seen this coming. I should have taken better care of you."
Dean didn’t respond, his eyes closed, his breathing still shallow and uneven. Cas felt a pang of guilt in his chest, but he pushed it down, focusing on what he could do now—on being there for Dean, on helping him heal.
Cas sat by Dean’s side all night, keeping a watchful eye on him, making sure he stayed warm, making sure he was still breathing. He whispered soft words of comfort, even though Dean couldn’t hear them, telling him how much he was loved, how much he was needed, how he wasn’t alone.
And when morning came, and the first rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains, Dean finally began to stir. His eyes fluttered open, groggy and unfocused, but Cas was there, his heart swelling with relief as he saw Dean coming back to him.
"Cas," Dean mumbled, his voice rough and weak as he looked up at Cas, confusion clouding his gaze. "What… what happened?"
Cas smiled, though it was tinged with sadness, as he reached out to take Dean’s hand, squeezing it gently. "You pushed yourself too hard, my love" Cas said softly, his voice filled with love and concern. "Your body couldn’t take it anymore. You collapsed."
Dean blinked, his brow furrowing as he tried to remember, tried to piece together what had happened. "The hunt," Dean muttered, his voice thick with exhaustion. "Did we… did we finish it?"
Cas nodded, his heart aching as he saw the worry in Dean’s eyes. "We finished it, my love." Cas replied, his voice gentle. "But that’s not what matters right now. What matters is that you need to rest, Dean. You’ve been running on empty for too long."
Dean let out a weak sigh, his eyes slipping shut as the weight of Cas’s words sank in. "I'm sorry, angel," Dean whispered, his voice trembling with guilt. "I didn’t mean to worry you. I just… I didn’t know how to stop."
Cas’s heart clenched at the raw vulnerability in Dean’s voice. He squeezed Dean’s hand a little tighter, his own emotions threatening to overwhelm him. "You don’t have to apologize, my love." Cas said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "I understand why you keep pushing yourself. But you don’t have to carry everything on your own. You’re not alone in this."
Dean swallowed hard, trying to keep his tears at bay, but the combination of exhaustion, pain, and Cas’s gentle words made it impossible. "I don’t know how to let go," Dean admitted, his voice barely more than a whisper. "It’s just… it’s all I know how to do, Cas. Keep going, keep fighting, even when it feels like it’s killing me."
Cas’s heart ached for Dean, for the man who had given so much of himself, who had sacrificed so much for others. He could see the toll it had taken on Dean, the weight of all those years of fighting, of losing people he loved, of never allowing himself to truly rest.
Cas leaned in closer, his hand still holding Dean’s, his thumb gently stroking over Dean’s knuckles. "You don’t have to keep fighting alone, my love." Cas whispered, his voice filled with quiet determination. "You’ve done so much, Dean. You’ve saved so many people, including me. But it’s okay to take a step back, to let someone else help carry the load. You deserve to rest. You deserve to be taken care of too, my beloved."
Dean’s breath hitched, a tear slipping down his cheek as Cas’s words sank in. It was everything he had never allowed himself to believe—that he deserved rest, that he deserved love and care, that he didn’t have to do it all on his own.
"I don’t know how to stop," Dean confessed, his voice trembling as he finally let go of the tears he had been holding back. "I’m scared, angel. Scared that if I stop, everything will fall apart."
Cas’s heart broke at the pain in Dean’s voice, and he leaned down to press a soft, lingering kiss to Dean’s forehead, his lips brushing over the tear-streaked skin. "I’m here, baby," Cas whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. "And I’m not going to let anything fall apart. We’ll take it one step at a time, together. You don’t have to be scared, not anymore."
Dean closed his eyes, letting the warmth of Cas’s presence, the comfort of his touch, wash over him.
Cas stayed by Dean’s side, never leaving his post even as the hours dragged on.
Dean’s breathing had evened out, his body finally surrendering to the rest it so desperately needed. But Cas could see the toll that the past few weeks had taken on him. Dark circles under his eyes, the lines of tension on his face that hadn’t fully smoothed out even in sleep—Dean had been pushing himself too hard for too long. And now, Cas was determined to make sure that never happened again.
After a while, Cas noticed Dean stirring. He let out a soft groan, his eyes fluttering open as he shifted slightly under the blankets. Cas leaned in closer, his hand gently brushing through Dean’s hair as he murmured softly.
"Take it easy, my love," Cas whispered, his voice soothing as he met Dean’s bleary gaze. "You’re safe. You just need to rest a little longer."
Dean blinked, his vision slowly clearing as he looked up at Cas. "Cas," he mumbled, his voice hoarse from sleep. "How long was I out?"
"A few hours, my beloved." Cas replied gently. "Not nearly long enough, considering how little sleep you’ve been getting. But you’re starting to look a little better."
Dean shifted slightly, wincing at the dull ache in his muscles. "Feels like I’ve been hit by a truck," he muttered, his voice laced with exhaustion. "Guess I really did push it too far this time."
"You did, sweetheart." Cas agreed softly, his voice tinged with concern. "But you’re going to be okay. I'll make sure of that."
Dean sighed, running a hand over his face as he tried to shake off the lingering fog of sleep. "I don’t know how to do this, angel." Dean admitted, his voice filled with uncertainty. "I don’t know how to slow down. There’s always something that needs doing, someone that needs saving…"
Cas shook his head gently, his heart aching for Dean. "You’ve been saving people. You’re not weak, my love." Cas whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. "You’ve been strong for so long, but strength isn’t just about fighting and pushing through the pain. Sometimes, it’s about knowing when to ask for help, when to let others support you. And there’s nothing weak about that."
Dean closed his eyes, leaning into Cas’s touch, letting the warmth of Cas’s words seep into the cracks in his armor. He had spent so long trying to be the strong one, the one who never faltered, but now he could feel the weight of it all bearing down on him, too heavy to carry on his own.
"I don’t know if I can do it, angel." Dean whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I don’t know if I can let go."
Cas’s heart ached for Dean, for the man who had sacrificed so much, who had given everything of himself to protect those he loved. He gently tilted Dean’s chin up, so that their eyes met, his gaze filled with love and unwavering support.
"You don’t have to do it all at once, my love." Cas said softly, his voice full of quiet determination. "We’ll take it one step at a time, together. You’re not alone in this, Dean. You’ve got me and I'm not going to let you fall."
Dean’s breath hitched, a tear slipping down his cheek as he looked into Cas’s eyes, seeing the depth of love and care reflected back at him. For so long, he had believed that he had to bear the burden alone, that no one else could understand the weight he carried. But Cas did. Cas understood, and he wasn’t going to let Dean carry it alone any longer.
"Cas," Dean whispered, his voice trembling as he finally allowed himself to let go, to lean on the man who had been there for him through everything. “Thank you… for always being there for me.”
Cas’s heart swelled with love, and he leaned in, pressing a gentle, lingering kiss to Dean’s lips, his touch filled with all the tenderness and care he had for the man before him. "I'll always be here for you, sweetheart," Cas whispered against Dean’s lips, his voice full of quiet conviction. "I’m not going anywhere. Because I love you, baby. More than anything."
Dean’s breath caught in his throat, his heart overflowing with emotion as he returned the kiss, pouring everything he couldn’t put into words into that single moment. When they finally pulled apart, Dean rested his forehead against Cas’s, his eyes closed, his heart full.
"I love you too, angel," Dean whispered, his voice trembling with sincerity. "More than I’ve ever loved anything in my life."
Cas smiled, his heart light as he wrapped his arms around Dean, pulling him close, holding him as if he could protect him from all the pain and fear that had haunted him for so long. "We’re going to be okay, my love." Cas whispered, his voice filled with quiet assurance. "We’re going to get through this, together."
Dean nodded, his heart full as he leaned into Cas’s embrace, letting the warmth and comfort of Cas’s love wash over him. For the first time in a long time, he allowed himself to truly believe that things could get better, that he didn’t have to carry the weight of the world on his own.
And as they sat there, wrapped up in each other, Dean knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, no matter how heavy the burden might seem, he would never have to face it alone. Because he had Cas—his protector, his love, his everything— and with Cas by his side, he knew they could face anything, together.