#datdof

For @faithlesshunter happy birthday bestie! <3

Rating: E

Relationship: Castiel/Dean Winchester

Tags: endverse, angst with a happy ending, eventual smut, falling in love at the end of the world, slow burn

Read on ao3

Relationship: Castiel/Dean Winchester

Rating: E

Summary: Dean knows what happens if they lose to Lucifer. He's seen what becomes of his brother. Of Castiel. He knows the kind of man he's destined to become when the world dies because of him. It was always bigger than them.

Whatever you do, we will always end up here.

While Dean grieves for the brother imprisoned in his own body by the devil, Castiel hunts for the father who brought him back from the dead only to abandon them all. But the world is slowly ending around them, and sooner or later they have to accept that here at the end of all things, all they've got left is each other.

It's the end, baby. There's nothing they can do but brace for the storm.

Chapter 3: Deus In Absentia (6.6k)

Excerpt:

“The hell’s that supposed to mean?” Dean’s mattress squeaked, his voice growing closer as though he’d turned toward the wall.

It means, Cas thought, that Dean would be crowned a saint for his selflessness, if such positions still mattered. “It means the only person standing in the way of your happiness is yourself.”

Dean scoffed, and Cas flinched at the distinct sound of the cap of the whisky bottle Dean kept in his nightstand. “Yeah, that’s rich from the guy who spent a billion years thinkin’ god gives a crap about any of us. Where is he, Cas? Huh? Still think he’s got some secret up his sleeve to fix this shit? This was his plan, man. I’m –”

“You certainly know a lot about keeping secrets.” Cas knew it was a low blow, given the truth Dean had told him earlier that day. Back when the world was theirs and the guilt of his survival wasn’t bleeding Dean’s heart so badly he refused to really live.

“Fuck you, man,” Dean muttered. “Ain’t my fault you’re goin' through some reverse angel puberty crap.”

“Do you suffer these indignities for some larger purpose? Misery isn’t a currency for forgiveness.” Cas kept pushing. He needed Dean to fight back. Needed him to say he didn’t regret what they’d done. That this wasn’t the end of them. Needed to keep him talking so that he wasn’t swallowed by the silence of his monstrous guilt.

“Well fuck me, Father, for I have sinned. This ain’t confession, Cas. Shut the fuck up.”