[ It's not that he doesn't care. It's just that there is more to this than searching for some sort of self-preservation, a desire that extends beyond the here and now. He's needed Dean since he first laid a hand on him, and even now, that need has yet to disappear. Through thick and thin, it refuses to go anywhere at all.

The hands on his face are warm, the breath he feels hot, and the words-- Castiel continues to squeeze his eyes shut, desperate for this. For anything that would keep them together. ]

You haven't lost me. You never will.

[ There's a shiver, sucking in air and sniffling just a little in the process. But it doesn't matter, tilting his head just enough to brush their lips together. It's the softest touch, barely there, and he lets his hands move up to cup the back of Dean's neck, leaning even harder against him. He needs Dean to believe him. He needs him so much, and the last several weeks have only proven how much.

Being alone had never been an option for him. He'd come into existence surrounded by many, and now... Now, he's down to one. He can't let him go. ]

If nothing else, trust me to keep that promise. I'm never going to leave you. [ He hasn't yet, and he won't. Castiel presses an even gentler kiss to the corner of Dean's mouth. ] Whatever it takes--

I'll always be with you. [ So stop fighting it. ]