He was burning. Everything was just pain, and misery and despair. He wanted to be out, but he couldn't. As much as he tried to escape he just couldn't. The unstoppable screaming and the smell of blood and flesh were so disgusting. He wanted throw up, wanted faint just to get this out of his system but he just couldn't. There was no escaping, no way out.
And then there was Alaister. Again. The demon was holding a blade, a huge blade, and Dean knew that was for him. Panic grows up inside him and he wants to run but suddenly he can't move. All the muscles in his body paralyzed like ice. He sees the demon getting closer and closer, the grin in his face and the sick joy in his eyes making Dean just want to die, to not get through this again. But he can't do this either, 'cause he already dead. Like a movie, he sees his hands reaching out for Alastair's blade. See the look of satisfaction on the demon's face when he points to Dean's a woman in the corner. Impossible to stop what he's doing, Dean moves to the woman, a hot blond in black clothes. She's crying and begging, but he just ignores everything. He start to torture her, over and over again, until the cry stops and she's nothing more than a mess of blood and bones on the floor. He looks at Alastair, who is pleased as Dean's ever seen him before. Suddenly, he feels a very white glow taking him and wakes up sweaty on his bed.
He keeps looking at the ceiling of the cheap motel room that he and Sam are sharing. He's heart is beating fast and he can barely breath, he's shaking and sweaty and so much afraid, that don't even notice the angel looking intently to him on the other side of the bed.
-You were having a nightmare.
Dean finally gets up to see where the rough voice is coming from. He's eyes rests in the angel, relieved.
-Cas, don't do that. You shouldn't be spying on people when they're sleeping, it's creepy.
-I'm sorry Dean, but you are my charge, and I must keep you protected at any costs. For me to do that appropriately, I have to check on you regularly, and that does include when you are most vulnerable: sleeping.
Dean nods his head in irritation; although he feels a little better now, knowing that Castiel always has his back.
-So what, you just keep following me around? Yeah, that not creepy at all.
Castiel just ignores him and ask:
-What were you dreaming about?
-Rainbows and unicorns. -He says, completely waked now and eyeing Sam's bed just to discover that his brother is not there.
-Where's Sam?
-Your brother went on a little nocturnal adventure.
-hoho, Sammy you dog! -Dean says, with a smile and a malicious look in his face.
Dean looks at the angel, who's just staring at him still sitting on the bed, and ducks his head and gets uneasy all of suddenly. He doesn't know what to do. On one hand he wants Castiel to leave so he can back to sleep, on the other, he's afraid that if the angel goes, the dream will be back.
-Cas?
-What, Dean?
He raises his head, still not looking at the angel's eyes.
-You think you could... this is ridiculous, never mind. -He says, and takes the sheets again.
He's surprised when Castiel reaches closer to him and lift his head until they're looking at each other's on the intimate and intense they always do.
-You're afraid.
Dean doesn't say anything. He doesn't have to. When the angel looks at him that way, he knows that even his deepest secrets are not safe anymore.
-You don't have to. I am here. I raised you from perdition and will do as much times as you need. -He says, pushing the blond gently to the bed.
-Could you just... stay?
Dean asks, green eyes staring at Castiel's blue ones. He can't look anywhere else. The love and protection he finds in there are so great and endlessly that suddenly the whole world got ugly compared to Cas's eyes.
-Of course. -He says as he lays back into the hunter's side.
They just stare at each other for a while. Dean very aware of the fact that there's a male angel laying on his bed right now, and he just doesn't care. This is the better he felt in months, probably in years, and he utterly doesn't give a fuck to anything else.
-Don't leave me? -He says as a question, feeling the vulnerability in every word.
Castiel apparently can feel it too, 'cause he gets closer to him.
-Never Dean. Rest now. When you wake up tomorrow, I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere unless you want me to.
Dean closes his eyes, falling asleep more and more at every breath. Before he falls completely, he close the thin distance between he and Cas, his eyes still closed, and kisses the angel. It's barely a kiss, more a brush of lips, so soft and sweet that Dean although wants to deeper it, just get back and falls sleep on the arms of the angel. A sleep without any dreams, like he wanted to.
Next morning when he wakes up, Cas is not there.