[ Of course some kind of rejection is bound to be disappointing, but Castiel hadn't anticipation just the sort of reaction Dean would have. Watching Dean grab for him and seeing his feverishly intense eyes turn panicked is heartbreaking, and Castiel goes cold, stricken in an entirely different way from the moment before. ]

I...

[ That phone is a tool, as valuable in Dean's hands as a knife could be if used correctly, and he simply drops it, clinging to Castiel instead. If anything convinces Castiel that this isn't some ploy of Dean's, it's that, and he feels the guilt rise like bile in his throat, that he even considered leaving Dean in this state, regardless of his own comfort. ]

Okay. I'm... I'm not leaving. I'll stay.

[ He decides it on instinct and says the words without thinking, because what other option is there? It would be cruel to leave Dean like this, ill and afraid and desperately lonely. Castiel steps without hesitance back into Dean's space, allowing slack in Dean's grip on his pants as he kneels down and pulls Dean into a hug before he even realizes that it's happening.

But, he doesn't regret it. He holds Dean, as much as the chained collar and nearby stone wall will allow, and he strokes Dean's back and speaks softly, like reassuring one would when reassuring a child. ]

You're alright. It's alright, Dean. ...Try to relax. Just... calm down and breathe.

[ He's reassuring himself also, Castiel realizes belatedly as he holds Dean but feels his own breathing slow and deepen with the advice. ]

I'm not leaving. I'll stay. It's alright.