[ He thought five years had torn a gap between him and Dean, a friendship burnt to bitter ashes, with just enough sinew connecting them to make sure they can't quite disentangle themselves from one another, no matter how hard they might try when it doesn't count.

When it counts, Dean can snip his fingers, point, and Cas will go. The fact that this Dean doesn't seem to want that anymore leaves Cas reeling and unable to find the footing he'd fallen into. ]

I was being mostly seriously. While, hm. Some warning would have been... let's say appreciated... There are monsters here, you said? I'm assuming I... other me... can still smite. Fly. Heal. That is useful to have on board.

[ Why, after all, wouldn't he be on board? Cas still sees no reason not to follow Dean with a smile and some barbed wire on his tongue, and he did die for him twice. Once out of his own volition even.

He picks at the frayed edges on his jeans. His tone is... not soft, perhaps, but softer than it could have been. Some of the mockery shaved off, almost like they're talking strategy on equal grounds.

What was it? Newborn steps? Close enough. ]