Sam launched himself towards the pair, chest screaming in pain as his heart hammered against his ribs. He watched the fear grow in his brother's eyes as his head turned to face Sam, cupped by the demons hands, Dean didn't want Sam to have to see this, not again. A solitary whisper escaped Dean's lips, a final prayer: "Sammy".

Sam fell to ground, knees skidding over the rough gravel, slicing through his jeans and hands as he watched the demons muscles ripple and body heave as he finished off his brother with sudden, sharp, twist.

Broken.

What was left his of tattered soul shred into pieces, simply falling apart under the pain. He was too late. All the times he'd watched his brother die, yet he'd come back; Sam was sure that Dean could be saved. He sat now, tears streaming down his face, as the same thoughts ran around his head: what can I do? How can I bring him back? He knew the answer; he couldn't. Dean was dead, he'd watched him die, held him in his arms, there was no coming back. No deals this time, only death.

So enmeshed in his grief, Sam failed to notice the presence of another. The gentle tug of fingers slowly working through his growing hair, and the swirls being traced along the nape of his neck went unnoticed at first. He instinctively collapsed into the arms of the stranger, fearing not who it was, for why would it matter? Dean was gone; nothing mattered anymore. The strong arms beneath him were warm and comforting and the gentle rocking motion that ensued helped to ease his pain. Beneath his fingers Sam felt the familiar scratch he registered as a trench coat: Castiel. He breathed in his scent, his warmth, his essence. Yes, definitely Cas.

As Sam continued to weep, he was lulled by the gentle rocking of Cas's body and the sweet murmurings against his neck.

"It's alright Sam, we'll be okay." "I'll make it better, whatever it takes. I'll make the pain go away."

Against his back and cheek began the gentle stroking of feathers that eventually wrapped around the pair, protecting them from the world and the aching that it forced upon them. Just the two of them, yet neither felt alone. Not with the safety of the others arms around them.

As the callous night drew on, the murmurings against Sam's neck changed to sweet kisses made damp by the falling tears. Sam let go, uncaring now about the consequences of his actions and the cold light of tomorrow. He moved his lips to Cas's and let the night carry the pair away. Tears, pain, passion and warmth were all they had left and all that they shared, feeding off each other's loss long into the night.

Cas's hand gently trickled down Sam's back, pausing on his hip then slowly stretching out to rest on the top of his thigh. His thumb swept backward and forward, applying pressure, caressing the top of Sam's leg, allowing him to change his mind if he wanted to. Sam laced his fingers through Cas's hair in response, moving to nibble and peck along Cas's neckline. He moved his hands, slowly creeping them up underneath Cas's shirt to skim along the straining muscles of his arched back. Cas rocked forward onto his knees to push his hips flush against Sam's. He groaned as Sam lay the pair down against the cool mattress, straddling him as he began to work on undoing Cas's belt.