I know what you mean. This was a story that ended up being about Team Free Will, but in a different incarnation. They all had to make terrible choices, and Dean is the only one who never really got a say at the start of the process.

This isn't a Dean/Cas story by any stretch of the imagination, but I always figured that Castiel loves Dean. I don't know if it's romantic love, or some form of love that's not easily understood by humans, but there's a depth of passion there that's unmistakable. That's how Sam gets through to him: "I know how you feel about him." Because Sam is perceptive that way, bless him.

So, yeah. Cas had to sacrifice his friendship with Dean in order to save his life. It's a difficult trade-off.

I like to think that, eventually, Dean and Cas would become friends again, supposing that Dean's friends and chosen family are able to prevent him going off the deep end after Sam's death. Which, as I've said before, I'm not sure is even possible.

Poor boys.

I'm really glad you liked the story enough to come back and comment again, though! :)