When Castiel falls, it is an eternity before he hits the ground. His wings are tattered and frayed, his grace torn from his body, and he cannot move. He cannot hear his brothers or sisters, cannot feel Father, cannot see or think or protect himself.
The scavengers come. He has not the strength to even cry.
Gabriel finds him. He says it's an ex-angel thing, and he puts a gentle hand on Castiel's skull.
Dean hits his knees, gun slipping out of his grip. The cannon-fodder demons scatter, sticking to the receding shadows, and Sam sketches a protection sigil onto the air.
Too late, Dean thinks, and he wants to believe it's not his fault. But he knows it is. He looks up, meets Gabriel’s eyes.
Gabriel fell, too, and he survived. But Gabriel is a trickster, and Castiel was so good. Was.
“He did it for you,” Gabriel whispers, and the roaring wind steals the words, as Gabriel’s presence whirls around them.
He did it for you. Dean closes his eyes as Gabriel throws back his head and screams.
Choose, the great voice thunders, filling Castiel until there is room for nothing else. Your life or his.
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timeasmymeasure
rend me and redeem - AU, PG, character death
Date: 2012-03-05 04:57 am (UTC)The scavengers come. He has not the strength to even cry.
Gabriel finds him. He says it's an ex-angel thing, and he puts a gentle hand on Castiel's skull.
Dean hits his knees, gun slipping out of his grip. The cannon-fodder demons scatter, sticking to the receding shadows, and Sam sketches a protection sigil onto the air.
Too late, Dean thinks, and he wants to believe it's not his fault. But he knows it is. He looks up, meets Gabriel’s eyes.
Gabriel fell, too, and he survived. But Gabriel is a trickster, and Castiel was so good. Was.
“He did it for you,” Gabriel whispers, and the roaring wind steals the words, as Gabriel’s presence whirls around them.
He did it for you. Dean closes his eyes as Gabriel throws back his head and screams.
Choose, the great voice thunders, filling Castiel until there is room for nothing else. Your life or his.
Give to him all of me, Castiel gasps.
And he screams, and he falls, and he lets go.