Dean was laying across a sticky counter spilled beer soaking into his shirt. It was all part of the game. He whispered to himself but it felt real enough. He could hear the whispers behind him. The murmurs of surprise when the man standing next to him slipped his hand between dean's stomach and the bar unbuttoning his pants.

"Cas?" He whispered nervously. "They won't remember this right?"

Cas shook his head and put a finger over his lips. "No they wouldn't remember" or "stop talking" He wasn't sure which the gesture meant. His pants were lowered slowly he flushed, burning hot embarrassment working it's way through him. Why couldn't he have just taken it all off and save Dean this on top of everything else. He buried his face in his arm trying to hide trying not to hear the crowd around him. Mostly they seemed oblivious but he could still feel the eyes on him when a finger worked its way into the elastic band at the top of his thigh pulling it to smooth out the material. He felt the hand stroke over the curve of his ass gripping lightly. He was glad no one could see how hard he was. How the head of his cock was peaking over the lace trim. He wanted to grind against the counter to find some relief in the friction.

"Stop moving Dean." Sam's voice cut through him like a knife. Cold and direct the way he had been before they shoved his soul back in him. It sent a shiver down his spine. He bit down on his own arm trying to still himself. He heard the sliding of leather through belt loops and a thrill of anticipation went through him. "Cas" The Angel stepped forward taking the leather strap from him. "Now." Sam was leaning over him whispering in his ear, his breath hot on Dean's ear. "Normally we'd do this bare, with your ass open to whoever wanted to watch. I think this is better, really shows how much of a bitch you are." He stroked his hand down his brother's back. "You're my bitch aren't you dean?" Dean nodded nervously "Good," Sam continued to pet him "Now count, and think about what you've done."

The first strike of the leather fell rocking him on his heels.

"One." He whispered trying not to smile.

"Dean." The voice he expected behind him came from the other side of the counter. He looked back as the strap fell again. "Eight" He growled reflexively. "What are you doing here Cas?"

"I came to get you." He said putting his hand on Dean's arm dragging him out of the dream world. Dean fell forward when he woke caught by the chains wrapped around his chest. Cas jerked them breaking the metal like it was nothing. Sam caught him easing him down. "I've got you." He whispered. Finally able to relax. "Cas, we have to get out of here."

"Right." The Angel put a hand on each of their shoulder and in the next moment they were in the Impala under a starless sky. Cas healed Dean then looked behind them at the warehouse they had found him in. "I think we should go."

"No arguments here." Dean said starting the car. He turned the radio up louder so they couldn't talk over the sound of it.

"Are we going to talk about it at least?"

"No." He said "Stop asking."

"At least tell me what you saw."

"Same as the last time." He said "Exactly the same. Right down to the curtains on the windows and you hating my guts."

"You're sure?"

"I am." He said trying to change the subject.

"Because Cas said he thought you were trapped in a nightmare"

"Forget what Cas said." He closed his eyes running his hands over them "I need a drink."

The bar was clean, cleaner than a bar should be anyways. A tv in the corner was tuned to a sports channel but it looked like golf was all that was playing at the minute. The bar tender filled the shot glass and slid it to him. He downed it and motioned for more.

"Bad breakup?" The woman smiled at him sitting on the bar stool next to him.

"No."

"So you wouldn't mind buying a girl a drink?"

"I'd love nothing more."

"What the hell Dean." Dean jumped when the door opened.

"What?"

"It's been hours why didn't you answer your phone?"

"I was busy." He smiled and the girl walked out of the bathroom wearing his shirt.

She looked between them "Maybe I should go."

"It's okay," Sam rolled his eyes at Dean but smiled at her "I was just leaving."

She watched him go before crawling back onto the bed with Dean. "He seemed upset."

"He'll get over it." He wrapped his arms around her then rolled on top of her. Kissing her until she was panting beneath him.

Sam was worried. It was his normal state but lately things had been getting worse. It was like Dean was pushing him away again. Like there was some secret between them that was taking it's toll. He pulled a jacket over him self curled uncomfortably in the front seat of the Impala trying to sleep. He sighed realizing he wasn't going to be able to.

He didn't mean to but he found himself wishing he could get help. The words were falling from his lips before he had a chance to think about them. "Cas, if you're listening we need to talk about Dean."

He jumped when the Angel appeared in the back seat his arms folded over his chest looking like he was thinking. "I'm here."

"Yeah, I noticed." He brushed his hair out of his eyes sitting up. One foot folded under him he leaned back against the door.

"What's wrong with Dean?"

"He's in our room with some hooker."

"I thought that was normal."

"It is but something's not." He looked frustrated trying to find the words to explain it. "It's like the only reason she's there is so I would leave like he's using her to avoid me."

"That would make sense."

"Yeah, except for why is he avoiding me?"

"I imagine the dream world has caused him some difficulty." Cas said softly.

"Last time this didn't happen." Sam said "Something's changed and I don't know what it is."

"Maybe it's best if I show you." Cas hesitated "Dean probably doesn't want you to see this."

"Show me." He whispered bracing himself as the Angel lay a hand on each cheek leaning close separated by the back of the seat.

Moments later Sam scampered out of the car the cool night air hitting him like a wall. He felt sick. "That was us."

"Appears so." Cas said softly letting him work through whatever he was feeling.

"I thought they trapped their victims in a dream world."

Cas nodded "Perhaps it wa-."

"No." He was gasping trying not to throw up. "don't even think that." He shivered "That's not." He stopped as if he had found the truth under the fiction "Dean would never be submissive. He could never give up control like that." He seemed to steady himself now that it wasn't in front of him any more he could think clearly. "It was just messing with his head."

Cas looked as if he were considering the possibility. "Or," He looked at Sam pointedly.

"Or what?" He asked then wished he could punch himself for saying it.

"Or he does want to give up control and that was actually his dream."

Sam turned slightly green. Cas looked toward the building. "If you need me just call. I have to go."

"Wait." Sam said but he had already vanished. "Damn it Cas." He muttered then leaned against the car trying to make sense out of what he had seen.

Sam heard the door open and slammed his laptop shut. "Hi."

Dean looked at him questioning then shrugged "Morning." He tossed the paper bag to him "Breakfast then we need to hit the road."

"You found a case."

"I found a case." He seemed happy "well actually a case found me."

"Okay, where?"

"Truck stop about three hundred miles north of here. A reliable source just told me truck drivers, bikers, and soccer mom's have all gone missing from the gas station."

"so."

"So missing people, how do you know it's a case."

"Because it shares a parking lot with a strip club ran by vampires."

"Dean, that's practically the plot for Dawn of the Dead."

"I know." His smile broadened "but it's at least worth checking out."

"Because there's strippers?"

"Because there's strippers." Dean started packing.

Sam shook his head, maybe things were getting back to normal.

"That was a complete waste of time." Sam sat down on the edge of the bed.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you made up the case to go to a strip club."

"It wasn't a complete waste of time." Dean stretched "that girl gave one hell of a lap dance."

"That wasn't exactly a denial."

"It wasn't exactly wrong either."

"so your reliable source?"

"a drunk in a tin foil hat."

"Seriously."

"It was worth checking out."

Sam walked out of the bathroom to see dean sitting at the table with his laptop open. A blank but terrified look on his face. "You okay?"

"What the hell is this?" Dean asked before he could stop himself.

"What's what?" He asked confused.

"This." Dean spun the laptop around revealing the several tabs he had left open.

"Dean I can explain." Sam said moving to take the laptop dean slid it across the table out of his reach.

"So can I. Let me guess a certain Angel whose ass I'm about to kick told you what he saw."

"No."

"No?"

"Dean he showed me." Sam sat down across the table from him and Dean turned away from him. "Just read what I found." He turned the laptop toward him "It's really not that bad. Run of the mill dream symbolism." He clicked through the different tabs "You're dependable, you have a temper, you want to escape the 'stresses of daily life', and I'm sure there are a hundred things I didn't notice that mean something to you so other than the magic induced dream it's all normal" Sam closed the laptop "Now will you stop being weird?"

He finished the beer letting the words from the page and Sam's assurances comfort him. "I am still going to kick Cas' feathery ass for him."

"He was just trying to help."

"Dean?" Cas appeared beside him. "You threatened?"

"You showed Sam my dream?"

"He was worried."

"Next time let him worry." He growled leaning against the wall his arms crossed over his chest. "That stuff is private man."

"I'm sorry." Cas was looking over him then smiled slightly.

"What?" Dean tried for irritated and ended up just sounding tired.

Cas stepped closer his lips practically brushed Dean's ear when he whispered "I preferred the pink."