A brief "hello" to whoever is reading this! :P Ok, so this the fourth challenge (word), and it is WAY overdue. I had great difficulty with this word, particularly because the first thing that came to mind when I thought of "headboard" was sex, and explicit sex isn't something I'd like to write. So, after trying and trying and trying to get my head out of the gutter, I was finally able to manage to pull it up to the curb with this short story. It implies HEAVY Destiel, so don't say I didn't warn you - because I totally did. This is a bit different, so I hope you like it, and I'm sorry it took so very long to post.

SPN Write-Off Day 3
Challenge Word: "Headboard"
Character(s): (Heavy) Dean/Castiel, Sam
Rating: M (Mature Content Suggested)
Genre: Humor
Setting: Sometime in Season 4.

Literally Bound

As soon as his watch hit 6:15, Sam stopped tapping on the impala's door handle with his fingertips and took one last look at his phone. It was still blank. His brother still hadn't called. Sure, it might be a bit strange for his brother to need to call when he was just right there, behind that motel room door that sat just a few feet away from the front of the impala... but it had been hours. Hours since he had heard anything from the room. No grunts, giggles, laughs... nothing.

Sam knew what his brother was doing - what his brother kept doing whenever he had the chance. Its just, this time it was a bit of a bother. That, and it was a bit too silent for Sam's tastes.

Not that he didn't mind the silence. It was just unusual.

Minutes passed by as Sam continued to wait, and to tap on the door handle impatiently, though this time he did not hear the tapping. All he heard was the tick of his wristwatch as he stared intently at the door, just... waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...

"That's it!" Sam shouted, shoving the door open and unfolding himself from his cramped position. He slammed the car door and stood up straight, cracking his back. He then took a step forward, toward the door.

But what if they aren't done? He thought, his mind immediately flashing to the last time he walked in on his brother and...Well, Sam didn't want to go into details, but let's just say there was a lot of mess and flexibility, and things that shouldn't -

Sam shook his head, clearing his mind. There are just some things you can't un-see.

As he started toward the door yet again, he managed to peer into the small slit the curtains had made, but saw nothing but darkness inside. They've got to still be in there, Sam thought as he leaned forward a bit more to try to peer farther inside. I've been out here this entire time, and I never saw either one of them even open this door.

Sam fished his motel key out of his pocket and slid the key into the lock. He waited a moment before he turned the key, and said a silent prayer, hoping that when he opened that door he didn't see something that would make his eyes burn or bleed.

Almost as an afterthought, he knocked on the door. "Dean?"

There was no answer, but a soft muffled sound.

That sound, however, was enough to put Sam's fears aside and throw open the door, ready to help Dean out of whatever bind he was in -

- though not having expected that to be a literal bind.

"What the hell?" Sam's mouth dropped as he stared at his older brother. The door hit the wall with a loud thud, then slammed shut once more.

Dean had just managed to undo the rope around his mouth long enough to spit out the tie that had ended up inside his mouth, as a gag. "Hey, Sammy," he said with a smile, despite the fact that his arms were bound with a chain to the headboard, with his legs tied to their corresponding bedpost.

"Dean, what the-" Sam started, looking from his brother's bound arms down to... "Why is there a pillow on your - oh, oh, God." Sam went to turn away, and head back out the door.

"No, wait-" Dean said, attempting to move before he remembered he was chained to the bed. "Dude. Untie me."

"Untie you? Why are you tied up in the first place? You said you two were just going to talk!" Sam whined as he turned to look up at the ceiling. "Why did I believe you?"

Dean snickered slightly, in too happy of a mood to really be upset at being stuck to a bed. As long as Sam really planned to unlock the chains. "Sammy, listen. I need you to do me a favor."

"As long as it's not-"

"No, no." Dean said sternly, then grinned. "I need you to unlock these chains."

"Where's the key?" Sam asked, hesitantly.

Dean's grin widened. "Its attached to the pillow, can't you see?"

"I'm not looking at the damn pillow, Dean!"

"Oh, so then you're looking at-"

"No! Dean, just-"

"Just what? I'm tied to a freaking bed, what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Can't I just break them? Or pick the lock?"

"What's the fun in that?"

"Dean-"

"Dude, it was a joke." Dean said with a laugh, "Lighten up."

Sam grumbled as he walked towards Dean and grabbed the lock and began to pick at it, but just as he started to fiddle with the lock, he saw a figure appear out of the corner of his eye.

Castiel stood beside the bed, and his blue eyes focused on Dean with a mischievous twinkle. His hair, Sam noticed, was uncharacteristically messy. That, and something was missing...

Castiel reached forward, toward Dean, and grabbed the tie that had fallen from Dean's mouth and onto his chest. Dean grinned boyishly up at the angel. "Hey, Cas."

"Hello, Dean." The angel said, then disappeared with a twitch of a smile.

Sam's hands stilled on the lock as he stared wide-eyed at the spot where Castiel had just been. "Dean, tell me he didn't-"

Dean smiled, his eyes closed. "Oh, but he did."