Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Supernatural. They dutifully belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW.
Would You Like to Watch the Bees With Me?
-Inspired by mishasminions post on Tumblr ZQKLqugAvkVc
"Some things in the world just don't make sense to me anymore. Though, I know a few things for sure. My name is Dean Winchester. I'm not crazy. Cas is an angel. And… I think I love him as much as he loves bees."
"I'm sorry, Dean." Sam apologized to his brother Dean as he watched him walk through the doorway into the mental health clinic. "It's really for the best." Dean's mouth twitched into a small, half smile as he disappeared through the door, only to be seen again at the end of his stay. Sam didn't know how long it would take to get his brother back to the way he used to be, before all the hallucinations and night terrors. He just wanted his brother healthy and unafraid of what wasn't even there.
Dean sighed heavily as he followed the nurse in front of him. He held his new clothes in his arms. They were simple blue, cotton pants and oversized shirt, along with a white t-shirt to wear underneath. He could tell already that he wasn't going to like this idea of being admitted to a psych ward. The nurse showed him to a blank room where he could change and hand over his possessions for the time being. Dean entered the room wearing a leather jacket, black t-shirt, blue jeans, combat boots, and the necklace that Sam gave him as a child. He came out of the room with his possessions in a bag. i These clothes are too thin. /i He thought, handing over his clothes and reluctantly giving up his necklace.
"You will get these back when you are done with your stay." The nurse smiled, turning and handing Dean's possessions to another nurse who was walking by. They exchanged a few words and nodded at each other before Dean watched the last of his world walk away down the sickeningly white hallway. "Alright," The nurse gave Dean a sweet smile. "I'll show you to your room." Dean looked back at the other nurse walking away with his things before following the nurse in front of him to his room. It wasn't far down the hall from the changing room. They went past a set of doors with locks on them, passed up the common room where group activities took place, and then passed a few other patient's rooms before they made it to Dean's room. As the nurse unlocked his door with a key dangling from a lanyard, another patient was being led to the room neighboring Dean's. The nurse stopped and introduced the two. "Dean, this is your neighbor, Castiel. Castiel, this is Dean."
Dean extended his arm out to shake hands with the man. Though Castiel, who was basically beautiful, gave Dean a questioning look and just nodded at him without taking his hand. "Hello, Dean." Castiel said. His voice was rough and deep. Dean pulled his hand back realizing physical contact wasn't his neighbor's choice of greeting.
They parted and went into their separate rooms. Dean was handed a small sup of water and two small pills. He took them and popped them into his mouth, swallowing with some water. He knew the pills were a part of his treatment, but he wasn't comfortable not knowing what they were. He asked and the nurse responded with "they will help you sleep." It didn't sound too bad. Dean hadn't slept in days due to the things he saw. He was always alert, ready to fight off any demon or monster that came out from the shadows. The nurse closed the door behind him. It was lights out within the next hour.
Dean looked around his room and sighed. It wasn't anything special. A simple room with white walls, a single, barred window, and a small, twin bed accompanied by a pillow and a fleece blanket. There wasn't much to do in an empty room, so Dean just plopped down on his bed. He crossed his arms behind his head and lay back on his pillow. After a few moments his eyelids grew heavy and he drifted off into a drug induced sleep.
That night went surprisingly well for Dean. He didn't wake up screaming at the demons in his mind. He slept peacefully. The only reason he woke up was because of the lights turning on in his room and the door opening up. "Good morning, Dean. How are you feeling?" His nurse asked and came into the room holding a tray. Dean rolled his neck as he sat up from his bed. He shrugged his shoulders. He was feeling the same as when he first stepped into the funny farm.
"Same old. Sam old." Dean rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes and raised his arms up to stretch out. "More pills?" He asked, watching the nurse come closer. She nodded and handed him the small pills and a cup of water. "Great." Dean rolled his eyes as he took the pills and swallowed them without water. She urged the cup towards him, but he held up his hands. "Nah. I'm fine." Dean gave his best smirk to the nurse and she returned with a weak smile. The nurse watched as Dean's gaze traveled to the far corner of the room. He was lost even when se called out his name. Dean kept staring, his breathing kicked up a notch. i"Get out of here."/i He growled towards the corner.i "You need to leave."/i
"Dean?" The nurse asked. She stepped towards Dean and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Dean? There isn't anything there." She explained to him that the corner was empty. Nothing was there, nothing that she could see. Dean's glare softened back to normal and he looked up at the nurse. His expression was confused and a little terrified. "Lets go join the others." She weakly smiled once more, before helping Dean up from the bed and guiding him out the door towards the common room.
Dean stood tall when they entered the common room. His nurse patted him softly on the back and left him to be with the other patients and a few other nurses standing guard in case someone cracked. Dean looked around the room; there were a couple couches, one television set, and a table with some chairs. He thought of watching some TV to pass the time until it was lunch, but there were already a few people watching shark week, and he wasn't about to sit there and watch something he wasn't interested in. He needed a good football game or NASCAR to be satisfied with watching TV. His attention turned to the table. At one end was a bunch of colored paper, glue, and safety scissors, while the other end sat his strange neighbor. He looked to be playing a game of Sorry on his own. "Can I join in?" Dean asked. He took a seat across from Castiel before even receiving a response.
"Yes you can." Castiel wiped the board clean and placed the pieces back at start. He then held his hand out, eyes down casted at the board game. Dean sat back. He was a little confused as to why Castiel was holding his hand out, but then he remembered. He grabbed his neighbor's hand and shook it. Castiel then spoke. "It's nice to meet you, Dean Winchester." He then pushed down on the dice bubble at the center of the game and moved his pieces accordingly. He then looked up at Dean. "Your turn."
Dean was taken back by how brilliantly blue Castiel's eyes were. He would have been lost in those blue pools if Castiel hadn't broken contact to press down the dice bubble for Dean. He then moved Dean's board piece. It was his turn next. He pressed down the bubble. Dean leaned forward, elbows on the table, and held his chin. "So what are you doing in here?"
"Bees." Castiel answered immediately. He moved his playing piece and then stared back up at Dean. Dean's brow furrowed, but he went along and pressed down the dice bubble. The dice clicked inside and showed his number. He then moved his piece.
"Like bumble bees?" He asked, generally confused at Castiel answer. i Well this place is a loony bin. He must just be extra loony. /i
Castiel nodded. "Really any kind of bee would be fine. But I especially like the honey bees that swarm around my bedroom window." Castiel moved his game piece, getting it into the right color spot.
Dean sat back and frowned. "Looks like you're winning." He said, yawning and popping his jaw.
"I can show you sometime." Castiel said softly. Dean looked up confused. Castiel then continued. "The bees. I can show you sometime." After Dean played his turn, Castiel played, placing another piece in the right color spot.
A small blush crept to his cheeks. Why he was so nervous around Castiel was a mystery to him. His heart was pounding like crazy, but not in a bad way. It didn't beat in his chest like the times he sees things out of the corner of his eye. It beat like fluttering wings. He cleared his throat before changing the topic of bees to his own reason for being in the clinic. "I see things." He admitted. "People think I'm crazy, but I swear they are there."
"What's there?" Castiel asked and his blue eyed stared deeply into Dean.
Dean cleared his throat once more and leaned in. Castiel did the same. Dean cupped the side of his mouth to whisper to Castiel. "Demons." He sat back, guessing Castiel wouldn't believe him and just give him the look that everyone gave him when he explained his affliction. Even Sam looked at him like that. But this time, Castiel just nodded in complete understanding. "You believe me?" Dean was hopeful. Castiel nodded again and said he had seen them before also. Dean jumped from his seat. He was so happy that someone knew he wasn't lying about the demons in the shadows. Castiel just smiled up at Dean and then looked back at the board game. It was Dean's turn. "Oh, sorry." Dean said laughing at the small joke he made about the game. He sat back down and moved his pieces. They finished out the game. Castiel won of course. A few nurses entered the common room and announced it was lunchtime. Dean and Castiel stood up from the table and put away the game.
As they walked off Dean wanted to know more. They stood in line for lunch. i It can't be just bees./i Dean bit his lip before tapping Castiel on the shoulder. "Hey Cas, you still haven't told me how you ended up here." Castiel stopped abruptly. Dean laughed nervously. "I mean it can't be just bees…"
"I told them what I really am." Castiel placed a hand on Dean's shoulder. A nurse eyed the two wearily, wondering what was going on. Castiel saw her and he took his hand away. He turned back to the lunch line.
"Which is…?" Dean asked. He began walking again, to prevent a back up in the line. They both grabbed trays and had food slopped onto plates for them.
"I'm an angel."
"Really?" Dean thought about it for a moment. It would definitely explain how Castiel knew of the demons and why he was ethereally beautiful.
"They said I was insane and put me here." Castiel picked a table for them to sit at. It was right in the middle of the room, away from any corners containing demons in their shadows.
"Don't worry, Cas. You're not crazy. I believe you." Dean smiled. He felt safe knowing that an angel was on his side.
"Thanks. But I realize now that perhaps I was sent here to watch over you." Castiel came to the conclusion that he would protect Dean against the demons at all costs.
"And to remind me of what's real and what isn't?" Dean gave a weak smile, but when Castiel smiled back at him, his grin grew. Maybe getting sent to the mental health clinic was a good thing after all.
Castiel nodded towards Dean. "Yes. Also there is an abundance of bees in this place." Castiel sat down at the table and glanced over to the seat next to him. Dean soon took the seat and dug into his food.
After swallowing the first fork full of food. Dean laughed. "That's cool. Bees are awesome." It really was about the bees after all. It always came back to them. An angel who loved bees; Dean was okay with that. As long as he didn't have to face the demons alone, he was okay with anything Castiel said. "Thank you for believing me." Dean said softly, shoving another fork full of food into his mouth. He looked up at Castiel hoping to hear something in response from the angel.
"Would you like to watch the bees with me?"
It was a good enough response.