Cas and Dean had been together for a long while. Back when he was an angel. It started because of his wings.

He showed them to Dean, who was awestruck. And lovestruck. They were an inseparable pair. Every night, Cas would unfold his wings and wrap Dean up in the bundle of black feathers.

He'd actually sleep in there with him. Normally, angels don't sleep. But they could if they wanted to. Cas would fall asleep in there with his hunter all bundled up in his big, black wings.

Dean would awaken, enveloped in his angel's soft black feathers. He'd smile at his sleeping lover. "Good morning, Cas." And he'd kiss his forehead.

This all changed dramatically one day, all because of the actions of a deceived angel.

The first night Cas stayed at the bunker as a human, he didn't know what to do. He had no grace, no wings, no nothing. He simply had nothing.

He didn't know what to do with himself. He certainly didn't know how to face Dean. No more wings. No more feathery cuddling. No more, no more.

Dean expected to see his ex angel in their bedroom, but alas, he wasn't. He tried to find him, searching throughout the bunker. He walked past the bathroom door, until he heard muffled crying.

He put his ear to the door. "Cas? Is that you, angel?"

Nothing but muffled sobs. It was as though he was trying to keep Dean from hearing him.

"Cas, you okay?"

Still no reply. He tried the doorknob; locked. He knocked on the door. "Cas, you answer me, or I swear I will bust this door down."

"Go away, Dean!" Cas sobbed.

"Hell no. What're you doing in there? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, go away!"

"Well, you don't sound fine. What's going on?"

"Dean-"

"Cas, open the door."

"No! I'm fine, Dean!"

"Open the door and show me that you're fine."

He heard a light sigh on the other side of the door. There was a shuffling sound and the click of the lock. Dean took it upon himself to open the door. What he saw left him speechless.

He saw Cas, tears stains caking his face, his angel blade in his hand. His right sleeve was rolled up, so it was easy to see the fading scars on his arm. The small row of scars in lines across his forearm.

"Cas...-" He couldn't find the words.

"My wings are gone," Cas sobbed. "I... I don't know how to... how to handle it. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do." He started sobbing again.

Dean took him into his arms, letting the ex angel sob into his shoulder. He was just a broken mess, that's what he thought.

"I'm a mess, Dean. I'm a broken angel, nothing but a mess."

"Listen to me, Cas. All messes can be cleaned up. Okay? But this isn't the answer. It's never the answer. You hear me? Cutting is never the answer unless the question is 'what's never the answer?' You got that?"

Cas could only nod. He kept sobbing into the hunter's shoulder. "My wings, Dean." He rasped.

"Shh, it's okay. I'll be your wings, Cas. I'll be your wings."

"I'm sorry! I'm just weak! I'm sorry, Dean!"

"Shh, sh, sh, sh. It's okay, baby, I've got you. I've got you, don't you worry. I can be strong enough for the both of us."

Cas continued to sob until Dean took him to their bedroom. He held his ex angel close, combing his fingers through his hair. He had calmed down, but not by much.

"How long, Cas?" He whispered.

Cas took deep breaths. "Since I lost my grace. Because I didn't know how to-" He started crying again.

"Sh, sh, don't cry. It's okay, don't cry. You'll be okay. You'll be fine. Just go to sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."

"No I won't. I've tricked myself into believing that for so many nights. Out there, out in the world. Why should tonight be any different?"

"Because tonight, you've got me. And I will always be here for you. I'll always be there. Okay? Always."

"But... but my wings-"

"I will be your wings, Cas. I will be your wings. You know I will. You don't need wings to define who you are. It's what's inside that counts."

"There's nothing inside. My grace was inside, and now it's gone."

"Who needs grace?"

"Angels. Angels need grace, Dean. Without it, I'm nothing."

"You'll always be my angel. Grace or no. You're my human angel."

"Dean... look at my back."

"What?"

He sighed lightly. "Look. At. My. Back."

Cas sat up and took off his red jacket, the one that replaced his trench coat, and all that remained was his shirt. Dean reluctantly lifted up his shirt so he could see his back. There were two horrid gashes at his shoulder blades. Right where his wings used to be.

"Cas...-"

"What?" He spoke through gritted teeth. "Do I look hideous?"

"You could never look hideous. Never. I don't care what Metatron did, you're still beautiful. I love you, Cas. Whether you're equipped with wings or not."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Damn it, Cas, look at me," He cupped his ex angel's face in his hands, forcing him to make eye contact. "I. Love. You. Do you hear me? I will always love you. No matter what happens. Don't you let anything make you doubt that. I love you, Cas. Whether you believe that or not."

"Dean... I-I just... I'm broken."

Dean grabbed his hands. "Then let me fix you back up again. Okay?"

"How, Dean? What is there even left to fix?"

"You can't think like this, Cas. You've gotta let me help you. Don't let this get in the way of us. I want it to be like old times. Just you and me, loving each other like crazy. All the little kisses, the hand holding, can't we just be like that again?"

"I... I-I don't... I don't know. I just... I feel... empty. Without my grace, I feel... hallow. There's nothing but a blank space."

"Then let me fill it."

Cas sighed and curled up in the hunter's lap, his head resting on his chest. "Can we really be like that again?"

Dean wrapped his arms around his angel. "Of course we can. I know we can. I love you so much, angel."

He closed his eyes to conceal the tears. "I'm no angel. Not anymore."

"You're my angel. Nothing or no one can change that." He gently rubbed his back up and down, his fingers traipsing the gashes in his shoulder blades.

Cas winced slightly at the touch. "My wings. I... Dean they hurt."

"I'm sorry, baby," He moved his hands to his lower back. "That better?"

"I... I believe so. And Dean?"

"Yeah, angel?"

Cas reached in his pocket and pulled out a small black feather. "There was one feather left. I... I want you to have it."

Dean took the feather, stroking it gently. It was so soft he could hardly even feel it.

"Thanks, Cas." He half grinned.

Cas had busied himself playing with the buttons in Dean's shirt. He kept fingering them until he faded off to sleep.

Dean looked down at him. "Cas?" He whispered. "Baby, you asleep?" He got no response.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He mussed up his angel's raven colored hair, until he fell asleep with him.

(A/N: Was that angst? I'm sorry. It's better than the intentional angst on my mind. Trust me, you got off lucky. Thankfully for you, no one died. You're welcome.

So I literally have no idea how many reads I have now. I'm gonna go with 283,729 thousand reads cuz PFFFFT! I DUNNO! Actually, you know what, that might not be enough. Oh well.

Peace Off, My Mini Marshminions!)