Castiel didn't need to say that he understood, or that there hadn't been another option. He understood it now, that Sam's survival had meant more than what Castiel was going through. He'd survived. It should be enough--but he'd been tortured, assaulted, and something had been taken away from him that he hadn't ever been able to get back, just like it had been taken away from Dean by Lucifer.

But Dean invited him back into his life after everything he'd done before and since. The hand on his hand.

"Even so I... I don't know how you can stand to touch me after what I did."