Title: Darkly Dreaming Dean
Author: Haildarkmorrow
Rating: PG15
Genre and/or Pairing: Dean/Castiel, Sam
Spoilers: all episodes to be safe (cause spoilers suck)
Warnings: some gore, swearing...does that even count?? hurt!Cas L
Word Count: 1,453
Summary: don't wanna give one; just read it, you'll love it! Really! XD
A/N: Thanks for the beta citizencandy you rock the casbah!

***

Dean wandered through the eerie darkness, pupils dilated like a cat's, searching for even a flicker of light.

The only distinction in the black was a dark grey mist that swirled around him, reaching out cold ethereal fingers that caressed and whispered of terrors long forgotten.

An ominous feeling slithered down his spine, portending the horrors awaiting him at the end of the serpentine path.

The tread of his footsteps and the rhythmic bu-bump of his heartbeat echoed in the gloom. Dean wanted to shout, to break the unnatural quiet, but didn't know what to say.

He couldn't bring himself to call out anything ridiculous and inane like 'hello?'

An orange glow up ahead sent a wave of foreboding crashing through him once again. Something awful was waiting for him, something evil.

Dean raced towards the distant glimmer, the tense, syrupy atmosphere made him feel like he was running in slow motion. The fog plucked resentfully at his leather jacket as he passed, a child-like phantom greedy for attention, unwilling to be left alone.

The incandescent shimmer became flames, seeming to devour the insubstantial shadows.

Illuminated in the war between light and darkness, were the figures of two men.

As Dean got closer, recognition pierced him like a shard of ice; it was his brother and Castiel.

Sam was holding the battered angel up by his neck, malicious laughter rising above the roar and crackle of fire. Castiel's eyes were scrunched up in pain as he tugged ineffectually at Sam's fingers wrapped around his throat.

'Cas!' Dean yelled out in panic, a hand outstretched towards them. 'Sam, what the hell are you doing!? Let him go!'

Sam twisted his head to look at Dean with a vicious grin he'd never seen before.

His eyes were a glittering pitch-black. The flames writhed in the monster's reflective gaze, its smirk widened upon seeing Dean's horrified expression.

'Guess again, Dean.' Its voice was sickly sweet like rotting apples.

'Lucifer,' Dean said, the name saturated with loathing.

'Correct.' It hissed.

Before Dean could even blink, the fallen angel stabbed its left hand through Castiel's chest. Castiel's scream of pain, came out as a strangled gurgle.

Lucifer's hand was a dark red glove, glistening drops of blood splattered onto the floor like tears.

Dean's sanity fractured like shattered glass as the Devil yanked its hand back out, and profanely sucked its fingers. Castiel coughed up blood and went still, arms hanging limply by his sides.

It smeared the sticky gore over Sam's face, like macabre face-paint, throwing its head back and laughing. Madness had a soundtrack.

Dean tried to move, wanting to go to Cas, wanting to save him, but he was paralyzed. He couldn't even scream, like a butterfly pinned to a mounting board.

Lucifer dropped him with a bored air and bent over Castiel, seizing his shadow; the haunting silhouette of the angel's wings.

He ripped out the shadow with a casual cruelty that scared and horrified Dean. Castiel's scream, his proof of life, resonated through Dean's soul as it reached for the heavens.

The cry broke the spell on Dean and he launched himself recklessly at the grinning Devil, seeing red, the colour of murder.

The phantoms dispersed at his touch, slipping through his fingers like smoke. The only thing left of Cas was a small shadow fluttering above him. Dean held out his hand and a black feather drifted onto his palm, and began to fade; Dean could see his hand through the feather, before it vanished altogether. Dean's empty fingers curled into a fist.

'Dean!'

Someone was shaking him, it was Sam; Dean gasped and lashed out, almost shooting him with the gun that'd been under his pillow. Sam jumped backwards.

'Whoa, don't shoot! Dude, it's me!'

Dean was panting and staring at him with wide green eyes. Sam held his arms above his head in the classic 'I'm unarmed officer' pose, and smiled nervously at his brother. Dean lowered his gun and ran a shaky hand through his hair.

'Sorry,' He croaked.

'Uh, that's ok man…you were having a nightmare, you scared the shit out of me when you didn't wakeup.'

Dean looked at himself and realized he was soaked. He pulled at the dripping wet shirt, sticking to him and pursed his lips.

'You-'

'Poured a bucket of water on you, yeah,' He gave Dean a sheepish grin.

'Thanks,' He said sardonically, his expression sour.

'Dean, you were…screaming,' Sam looked at him with concern. 'Were you dreaming about Hell again?'

'Hell?' Dean reiterated, a faraway look in his eyes. 'You could say that. I don't wanna talk about it.'

Sam frowned and opened his mouth to say something.

'Where's Cas?' Dean interrupted, leaving Sam with his mouth open, looking like a carp.

'I don't know,' he shrugged. 'He could be anywhere. Probably still looking for God or something but- you're not actually listening, are you?'

Dean was sitting on the very edge of his bed, holding a cellphone to his ear with an intent expression, ostensibly ignoring Sam. The phone only rang twice before the angel picked up.

'Yes?'

Dean released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. Hearing Castiel's voice made him instantly relived, but also strangely tense. His throat was suddenly dry.

'Uh, Hey, It's Dean.'

'I know.'

There was a long pause on both ends.

'How're you?' Dean asked, and cringed, feeling like an idiot.

'I'm fine.' Castiel said from behind Dean, who fell off the bed with a cry of 'Jesus!'

'Hey Castiel,' said a surprised Sam.

Castiel nodded a hello and looked back at Dean, still holding the phone against his ear. Dean stood up and shut his phone with an irritated snap. Castiel blinked and stared at his phone in confusion.

'You do that on purpose, don't you?' Dean growled.

'I don't know what you mean…why are you wet?'

Dean rolled his eyes and sighed.

'What're you doing here, Cas?'

'You sounded upset, is anything wrong?'

'Ha! Oh nothing's wrong, Cas! The whole world's just going to hell, literally! But how could anything, possibly be wrong?!' Dean shouted, with a frustrated flail.

Sam muttered something about breakfast and made a fast retreat. Neither watched him go, gazes too busy locked on each other. Dean's thoughts seethed as he glared at Castiel. The normally deadpan angel frowned slightly and abruptly turned away, his back facing Dean.

'It was just a dream, Dean. Sam is fine.'

'Damn it, Cas! Stay out of my head!' Dean said furiously, disturbed by how easily Castiel could see through him.

'You can't hide from me, Dean!' Castiel growled, equally angry, walking towards Dean with the intensity of a panther. Dean fought the urge to step back.

'We are fighting this war together,' Castiel said softly. 'You need to trust me, and Sam. You are not alone.'

His words sank into Dean like ink on parchment, healing him. The horror from his nightmare seemed to fade, like Castiel had said, it'd just been a dream. Here, now, this was real. He still had his fears, he was still scared, but Castiel made him feel something he hadn't in a long time; hope.

Dean smiled. Castiel blinked, temporarily blinded by the brilliance of Dean's smile aimed at him.

'Thanks Cas,' Dean said and patted him on the shoulder. The angel smiled back, baffled by Dean's unexpected reaction, he'd assumed a violent retort.

Dean's smile widened, when Castiel got all awkward, all he wanted to do was mess with him. His grin turned cheeky and he pulled Castiel into a hug, he stood frozen, arms outstretched like a petrified tree.

'Um, Dean, I'm not comfortable.'

'Relaaaax,' Dean said biting his cheeks to stop from laughing.

Castiel's arms slowly lowered and wrapped around Dean, reciprocating the hug. He was surprised by how good it felt…but he was acutely aware of Dean's wet form pressing into him, making him feel extremely awkward and then Dean's hands crept down to his ass.

Castiel's eyes widened and he gave an involuntary gasp. Dean was suddenly holding empty air and he toppled forward with a surprised whoop of laughter. His hands caught the floor, stopping him from falling on his face. He imagined the expression on Castiel's face and chuckled.

The laughter subsided as Castiel's scream from the dream echoed in his head. He shuddered, and tried to blame it on the damp clothes. Yeah, right.

Dean suddenly wished that he'd held Cas for longer. Then again, Castiel was his angel and sooner or later, he'd see him again.

With that cheery thought, Dean headed for the shower, whistling. He knew he'd be having sweet dreams tonight.

Fin

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