Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural, the characters, the lyrics to Hey, Jude, the melody to Hey, Jude, the beatles, etc etc

Dean was cleaning out Baby, Castiel standing stiffly to the side. Dean cursed as he dropped an armful of junk. He scolded himself for wondering if Cas was looking at his back side as he bent over.

"Dean." Castiel said. Dean looked to Cas, seeing a small square photo clutched in his hands, observing it intently. "This is your mother." Dean snatched the photo from Cas, turning and stuffing it in his wallet.

Seeing Castiel's confused and offended expression, he pulled it back out. He smoothed it out and stood close to Cas, showing him. "This was taken by my dad. They went to the beach for their one year dating anniversary. This was about two years before I was born."

"Beautiful." Dean pretended he didn't notice Castiel looking at him and not at Mary. "Yeah. Yeah she was." He replied, gazing fondly at the picture. "You know, I used to be terrified of the dark. Heh, still am, I suppose. But my mom, she would-ah, she would come in and find me huddled under the covers and sing Hey, Jude to protect me from the darkness."

He gently smoothed it out and placed it back in his wallet, before continuing to clean out Baby.

Castiel said nothing, knowing the conversation was over. And Dean popped in an old mixed tape, and the chords of a song Castiel didn't recognize started playing. Hey, Jude, don't make it bad. . .

~Seasons Later~

"So, this is your room, Cas." Dean said, gesturing to the simple bedroom.

It was bare, with only the large double bed in the middle and the chest of drawers pushed against the left wall and a nightstand on the left side of the bed, desk lamp sitting atop it.

Despite the simplicity, Dean looked on it with awe and pride. Castiel knew it was because Dean had never had a home of his own before, and offering Castiel not only a family, but a home and his own room was the greatest gift the elder Winchester could give to him.

"I love it." He said softly, grinning authentically at Dean.

Castiel lay in his new bed in his new room, eyes shut tightly.

He used to be an angel, he knew what hid in the dark. He knew it was an irrational fear and that the Winchesters would never left anything into their house, but Castiel still clutched the blankets closer.

"H-hey Jude. . ." Castiel softly sang, voice trembling. "D-don't be afraid. . ."

Dean heard noises coming from Castiel's room. He grabbed his shotgun and crept towards the room slowly.

"And anytime you feel the pain, hey, Jude, refrain. . ." Was that Cas singing Hey Jude?

Dean slowly opened the door and peeked his head in. Castiel, upon seeing the doorknob turn, started singing Hey Jude more aggressively, voice at a normal tone instead of a whisper.

"Cas? Cas! Its me!" Dean said hands up in surrender, not that Castiel could see it with the pillows over his head.

"Dean?" Castiel asked, voice shaking. "Yeah. What's the matter, buddy?" Dean said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I'm not an angel anymore, Dean. Any one of the monsters who ant me dead could walk in and kill me. And you said Hey Jude keeps me safe." He explained. Dean sighed and pulled off his boots, sliding under the covers and wrapping his arms around Castiel. "It only works if someone else is singing it to you. Hey Jude, don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin, then you begin to make it better. . ."

Dean sang and repeated and sang and repeated and didn't stop even when his throat began to hurt and his voice went to shit. He didn't stop until a couple hours after Castiel had long been asleep, breathing deeply while wrapped in Dean's embrace. Dean didn't stop because he wanted Castiel to hear him subconsciously, he wanted to protect Cas even in his dreams, as Cas protected him.

It became a regular routine, starting the next night.

Sam, Dean, and Cas would all go to their separate rooms, and after about 45 minutes Castiel would pad barefooted into Dean's room and crawl in bed with him. Dean would hold him tight and sing to him.

And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders. . .

Years passed and Castiel didn't need to be sung to anymore. But whenever Dean went on a hunt, Castiel would assure him he'd be fine on his own.

And it never failed that Dean would know Cas wasn't fine, and would call him and start singing to him. Castiel would assure him he's fine, but Dean would tell him that over the years, he's developed a need for it more than Castiel has.

"So just let me comfort you, okay?" Dean said into the phone gruffly, already humming the opening chords as Castiel settled into the memory foam mattress, laying on Dean's side to absorb his smell, hoping that the mattress would share the memory.

Hey Jude, don't make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better

Remember to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better