A/N: Episode 5.18 "Point of No Return" deleted scene. This happened in my head back when the episode first aired.Characters: Dean, Cas, Sam; Dean/Cas implied. Spoilers for 5.18; probably doesn't make sense without seeing it.

Disclaimer: Fic is for fun, not for profit.

Wait for Silence

"What are you going to do with that?" Sam asks, but Castiel's gaze is firmly on Dean.

"You know what to draw," is all he says, and offers Dean the blade.

Dean swallows against the sick feeling in his stomach and meets Cas's eyes, bewildered by the angel's forgiveness and unflinching trust. Dean takes the razor and Cas unbuttons his shirt.

"I don't understand—" Sam starts, stepping away like what they are about to do is blasphemous, which means he understands exactly.

"I'll draw them away," Cas says evenly, "So that you can rescue your brother."

Dean looks to Cas's eyes one more time, searching for the reassurance like he always does, but this time for a very different a reason. Cas's wide blue eyes are still dark and steady. "Do it," he says, and Dean hears the echo of his own voice.

Dean inhales then exhales then makes the first cut.

Sam dances away, hands waving like he doesn't hear Cas hiss, doesn't hear Dean cuss, doesn't see the blood.

Cas stands rigid and still until Dean is finished. Dean steps back to check his work but instead he sees, for maybe the first time, Castiel for what he is—dangerous.

Cas wipes his carved chest of excess blood with his tie and tucks in shirt, returning his appearance to some semblance of normal. Dean clenches his jaw; he knows better.

Sam is all nervous chatter and half-formed plans, but Dean sees nothing but Castiel, the angry, avenging, warrior angel of the Lord.

"Wait for silence, then find Adam," Cas orders, readying to open the warehouse door.

"Cas—" Dean reaches out to touch his coat, bloody box cutter in his other hand. "Cas," he says again, and it's not an apology, and nobody here believes in luck, so maybe it's a thank you.

Whatever it is, it's not enough.

-end-