Nobody Cares
Okay there’s a BIG difference between: “Nobody cares that you’re broken.” “Nobody cares that you’re broken; [so] clean up your mess.” The first implies that Dean doesn’t care about Cas or what Cas is experiencing and struggling with. That is not true. Oh that is not true. He cares more than anyone else about what happens to Cas. The second is saying, “Stop using excuses (i.e. your brokenness) to ignore your mess or leave it for someone else to deal with.” I’ve said shit like this to people. “I don’t care that you suddenly have a stomachache that you didn’t have a second ago; take out the trash.”
Do I actually care if they’re hurt, uncomfortable, stressed, etc?. Yes, of course I do. What I’m actually saying is, “Don’t try to make up or use some excuse to get out of what needs to get done.”
Dean was frustrated. Dean wanted Cas to pull his weight. Dean wanted Cas to own his choices, choices which led to death and chaos and all of which began with betrayal when Cas turned his back on Dean and went to Crowley instead.
Dean was still hurt (“You didn’t trust me? Me?). He was also wrestling with his guilt, per usual, that he didn’t listen to Cas once he did find out what was going on. Had they actually worked together, they might’ve prevented a whole lotta bad. But shoulda, woulda, coulda. It happened. And here was Dean, showing up and doing everything in his human power to take down Dick and put the monsters back in Purgatory permanently—something CAS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING because it was a Cas-created mess to begin with. I don’t blame Dean one fucking bit for being upset with Cas here. Now, did he go about it wrong? Yup. My telling someone, “I don’t care about what you’re feeling right now, take out the trash,” is not a correct way to communicate. They don’t like hearing it and it is ineffective because it doesn’t make them want to listen or help me. They either become angry and indignant, or hurt and quiet. Despite Cas’ reticence in helping, Dean ultimately accepted that Cas was going to collect honey, play Twister, and contemplate the moral dilemma of animal testing. Dean “Applications for Sainthood” Winchester didn’t kick Cas to the curb or tell him to get lost if he wouldn’t help as he normally would have done with anyone else. Dean was going to take Cas as-is, even if he wasn’t happy about choices Cas was making. Cas, I need a wingman. You don't want to jump into the jaws of death, that's... fine. How about we run a little errand? When they arrived, Cas was going to apologize or make excuses again—don’t know because he just says Dean’s name in that serious way, like he has something important to say. And Dean stops him: Cas, we've been over it. I get it. You can't help. Dean essentially said the same thing as he had said before but he worded it just a bit different. So his TAKE 2 was much softer than his initial outburst: Yeah, but you know what? Bottom of the ninth, and you're the only guy left on the bench? Sorry, but I'd rather have you, cursed or not. And anyway, nut up, all right? We're all cursed. I seem like good luck to you? Dean expressed his faith in Cas and related to him here. And Cas felt empowered and inspired to finally do what’s right.
The reason we love these characters is because they’re broken, flawed, and they put their foot in their mouth all the damn time just like me and just like you... and they learn from that so that they can grow and try to do better. I’m just tired of seeing Dean being misquoted as not caring about Cas here, or only wanting Cas around as some tool to be used. That is not what was being said here. It is not how Dean views Cas, and he sucks at communicating it to him, but nobody cares about Cas like Dean does, period.