Neither of them expected it to go down like this.

Not like this.

It was honestly just a blur now, both forgetting how this even happened in the first place. An angel had attacked them, and no ordinary one at that. The Winchesters and their angel were just on a normal hunt when they had been ambushed by none other than Lucifer himself.

It was dark outside, being past midnight already, it was bound to be. The night was eerie, shadows twisting and bending. Both brothers had their guns raised high, but not daring to shoot. Shooting would only enrage the fallen archangel. But it was Cas who had stepped in front of Dean, a bold move being a near death sentence to stand up to Lucifer.

In fact, it was.

Lucifer told Cas to step down, to back away, so he would be able to get to Sam. Cas wouldn't have it though, trying to block Dean and be a defensive shield for him. Cas knew Lucifer wouldn't try and hurt Sam, but Dean was an easy target and could easily be killed by the archangel.

Lucifer had given his warning, then that was it. Just a flick of the wrist and Cas felt his grace shatter at the seams. His vessel slowly began deteriorating, skin, flesh and muscles being ripped apart near his chest. Blood spewed and flowed from him, Cas's eyes wide with shock the entire time. He was unable to believe that this was happening. That this was it for him.

Cas was on his knees, blood already soaking his clothes a dark crimson in color. His face contorted in a painful expression as he let out a awful scream. The burning within him was stretching throughout his entire body, every fiber within him screaming for the pain to just end.

Dean was down next, having dropped his gun and grabbed onto Cas once the angel had received the initial blow. All the Hunter could think and process was Cas' name in his head as he wrapped his arms around the angel and held him close.

Cas.

No.

Cas!

"Cas- Cas listen to me, listen to me!"

Cas was held in Dean's arms now, holding back built up screams in his throat, his head hanging loosely like a ragdoll's now. Every second more brought plenty more doses of pain for the angel as his grace was disintegrating.

"Cas!"

Dean's voice was cracked and broken. This was the last thing he wanted. He couldn't lose Cas. Not after all this little angel did for him. Castiel had dragged him out of hell. He had saved Dean so many times, and did so even without a thank you in return. The thought of Cas dying protecting them made Dean's heart drop to his stomach and cringe horribly. There was no way Dean would let Cas die here. Not now, not ever.

The light was starting to shine brightly from within Cas, burning him up even more. He tried to pull away from Dean as much as he could, but the Winchester had a death grip on him.

"Dean, no, please-"

Cas was trying to push his Hunter away with his remaining strength. He knew what would happen if he died in Dean's arms. Cas couldn't bear leaving such a horrid scar to Dean. Please. Please, Dean, no.

Cas struggled, but it only accelerated the process. He was yelling at Dean, telling him to let go, but the Hunter wouldn't budge.

Soon the angel's eyes started to glow a bright white, Dean screaming and wailing the whole time, curses flying out of his mouth. "Don't you dare leave, you son of a bitch!"

The light became too intense even for the elder Winchester's eyes and he had to shut them, having tears escape before he did.

Sam was the one to see the horror laid out on the battlefield here. It had all happened so fast, and Sam hadn't even noticed Lucifer's disappearance. It honestly didn't matter, because the one thing on his mind was his unconscious brother on the ground.

Blood.

Blood.

So much blood.

Sam had seen quite a lot of gore in his days, but this topped it all. Sam honestly felt sick when he saw it all.

Dean's shirt was completely shredded, and what little pieces remained were dripping with the red liquid. Cas was wrapped in his arms, cold and motionless, laying forever still now. But what was most horrifying was the scar. The wings of an angel were burnt onto Dean's chest, shoulders and arms, blood layered on top of the pink flesh, some of the liquid flowing of Dean's body in tiny tendrils swirling into puddles beneath him.

Sam, as horrified as he was, he dared to go and touch his brother's body. He was shocked to find that Dean was breathing. Dean's chest was rising up and down with each slow breath he took. Though, it increased rapidly as Dean awoke to find what was before him.

It burnt him, tore him apart in every way imaginable. Not just physically, but emotionally too.

When Cas died in his arms, like all angels, his wings were left burnt to the ground,

Or this case, burnt across Dean's body.

It was a horrid scar that Dean would have to carry now. Forever. It went from his chest, up to his shoulders, and the mark of Cas' feathers were burnt into Dean's arms as well.

Deep sorrow was imbedded within Dean, having to carry this weight with him. Never again would Sam see the spark of joy in his brother's eyes. All of that was gone now. Cas' wings where a scar that would stay. For good. No matter how much or how hard Dean try and wash it all away, it never left.

Dean wouldn't forget Cas' wails of sorrow, his anguished screams, telling Dean to let go and leave. All of that rang in Dean's ears constantly, never ending. Dean wished so many times for the screams to go away, but he feared that if they did, it would only recreate when Cas had gone silent for good... So they stayed, ringing in his ears, making him want to scream himself sometimes.

Every time the Winchester would look in a mirror, the scar would only remind him. Of how he couldn't save Cas, how he had been so weak and foolish. How he could have just been quicker, or, at least done something to have stopped it all.

How he couldn't save his angel.