( he hears the flutter of wings (familiar, and yet dean's pulse jumps, his mind still playing the events of his supposed death over in his mind, still on the defensive) before cas appears before him, and the knife he'd almost pulled on rastus he does pull on cas, the blade pressed sharp beneath cas' jaw. it's a panicked reaction more than it is rational, but it's just as likely that that cas could've ended up here, too. (maybe sam wouldn't have killed him for murdering his brother, but maybe he would have. then again, that might have fucked up the timeline even more, and sam's definitely smarter than dean when it comes to that kind of shit.) he's just being cautious, that's all. hunter's instinct. he knows a knife won't do any real harm to an angel, anyway, he just has to be sure first.

he narrows his eyes, his locked gaze unflinching as he searches cas' face for hints of the cas he knows, not the cas whose hands he can still feel wrapped around his neck.

hello, dean.

well, that's a start. but still not enough. )

Cas. ( it sounds almost like an accusation. ) You got ten seconds to convince me you're really you or so help me I'll carve a damn sigil into my arm and blast you back to kingdom come.

( the only thing that gives him any hope is the fact that he'd probably be thrown halfway across the pier already if this were actually bizarro cas. )