An Angel in an Asylum

Dean stared at his brother through a small glass window of the asylum. Sam was screaming for help and his hands and feet bound at all four corners of a twin bed in the middle of an all white room. Dean's throat was thick and his eyesight was blurry. "Sammy…" He whispered, unable to take his eyes away from him. This was the final straw for Dean. He was done. Done with hunting, done with losing everyone, done with life. He was going to find a way to get Sam out of here and they were quitting this fucked-up job. They were gonna find a nice house somewhere, and they were gonna live a semi-normal life… until Sam found a nice girl and left him again.

"Sir?" A young blond nurse tapped him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She said, her eyes were full of compassion.

Dean shook his head and stared down at her. "That's my baby brother in there. I can't very well just leave him alone… He's….. He's all I've got left. Can't you understand that?" He pleaded.

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Winchester. I can see if you would be allowed back in the morning, but you can't stay here. It wouldn't be safe… for you or him. Now come with me." She lightly took his hand and started leading him to the main lobby.

Dean peaked in all the windows of all the doors in the building on their way out. He heard screams, pleads, and broken sobs, and saw some people pacing around in their cells. They were almost to the lobby when someone—a man—broke out of his cell and shouted to a male nurse. "NO!" He roared. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! HE NEEDS ME. I CAN'T BE HERE! LET ME GO!"

Dean whipped his head around and he could have sworn his heart stopped. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible… He was dead. Dean watched him die…. But there he was, fighting off two nurses with a sneer on his face and dark hair more a mess than Dean had ever seen it…. Cas. "Cas." Dean said, hardly above a whisper. He tore his hand away from the blond and started walking back for him. "Cas," He said a little louder, ready to fight for him to leave. The angel turned his head and locked eyes with Dean; a very small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Hey. Hey! Stop." Dean yelled to a male nurse trying to restrain him. "Stop. I know him. Let him go." The guy stared at him like he himself was crazy, and grabbed Cas by his hair and shoved him back in his room.

Dean followed. "What do you think you're doing, sir?" He asked, a bored tone in his voice.

"That man. I know him. I need to talk to him. Please?" The guy shrugged.

"Your funeral, buddy." And allowed Dean inside.

Castiel was sitting on his own twin bed, facing the wall. A broken sob escaped his chest. "I'm sorry, Dean. I'm trying. I will get back to you." Dean's heart broke right then and there.

The hunter ghosted his way over to the angel and clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey." He smiled, tears welling up in his eyes.

Castiel turned around, salty streams running down his cheeks and disbelief on his face. "Dean? Is that really you this time?"

"Cas…" Dean whispered again. He couldn't believe this. Cas was here. He was alive, and he was here. "Cas, I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "I knew it was too good to be true." He sighed and reached for a call button.

"Cas, what are you talking about? It's me." Dean was confused.

"No." Castiel responded. "My Dean wouldn't apologize. You're just another hallucination."

Dean's heart sank into his stomach. "Cas…" He sat down on the edge of his bed and squeezed his shoulder. "Can you feel that?" He asked. A nod. "Good." Dean slid his hand down the angel's arm and grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Can you feel that?" Another nod. Dean's heartbeat sped up, and stared into those deep blue oceans of Cas's eyes. Without missing a beat, Dean ran the tip of his tongue across his chapped lips and asked: "Can you feel this?" Dean leaned across the bed and planted a light kiss to the angel's lips.

"Yes, Dean." He got in response.

"Good." Dean mumbled. "Now do you believe it's really me?"

"Yes." He reached across with his other hand and placed it on top of Dean's. "You shouldn't be sorry. It is I that should apologize." He sighed. "Dean, I'm sorry. I should have listened to you."

Dean shook his head. "Forget about it. I know why you did what you did. I'm just glad I've got you back." And Dean kissed the angel again. This time, Cas kissed him back. After they broke apart, Dean pressed his forehead to Cas's and smiled. He felt like he had a reason—other than Sam, of course—to keep on fighting. "I really missed you, you dumb son-of-a-bitch." Castiel smiled at him and pressed his lips lightly to Dean's.

"And I, you."

Dean returned the smile. Having Castiel back renewed Dean's reason to go on another day. It restored his faith. It made him feel somewhat whole again. And that was enough.