Dean hadn't been ready.
His steely hardness, his unflinching ability to shoot a man without remorse-it wasn't enough.
He'd crept into the garden, grass crunching softly underfoot, roses flushed and blooming bright under the pale, thin rays of sunlight, each petal glittering with whispers of frost, despite the warm day.
A flutter, his blood ran cold, and then-
"Hello, Dean."
A part of him didn't want to see.
He whirled, Colt locked in sweaty fingers, and pulled the trigger.
The sound rang in his ears, reverberated in the air.
Lucifer only smiled, with pity and amusement.
"Come, now. Is that any way to greet your brother?"
Dean's heart thudded frantically.
"You're not my brother," he bit out.
Lucifer's lips twitched. "No," he agreed. "I'm not."
The ruffle of feathers, and he was inches from Dean's face, towering over him.
"You've tried your hardest to be a thorn in my side, Dean Winchester," he purred, craning ever closer. "That ends today."
Dean swallowed.
Lucifer raised his chin, stepping back.
"I'll even give you a gift before you go."
Dean's eyes narrowed. "A gift?" He echoed.
Lucifer's eyes glinted. "But of course," he replied smoothly. "After all, it's as much for Sam as it is for you."
Dean's breath caught in his throat. "What?" He croaked.
Lucifer huffed a laugh. "You should know by now, Dean. When an angel takes a vessel, its soul lives on."
"You're lying," Dean growled.
"But how do you know?"
Dean said nothing.
"I never wanted Sam dead. He's still in here," Lucifer tapped his head with long fingers. "Though he's damaged goods now. Little Sammy couldn't handle being me."
He tilted his head.
"I could let you speak to him."
Dean's upper lip raised in a snarl. "Why would you?"
Lucifer gave a light shrug. "Why not? Sam only has so much time left. Crushed under all that grace," he sighed, "He can't hold on forever." Hazel eyes flicked back to Dean. "It's the one thing he asked me for. Besides, you won't be leaving this garden alive. How can I say no?"
Dean opened his mouth, but Lucifer raised a finger. "You get three minutes."
Dean watched as Lucifer's expression of calculated indifference vanished, and in its place, came wide, wet eyes.
He watched as Sam gasped in air like a drowning man, breaths stuttering and chest heaving. His legs buckled, and he crashed to his knees, eyes round with disbelief as though Dean was God himself come to save him.
Then, Dean watched as reality seemed to slam into him like a brick wall. His eyes filled with tears, and slipped down his cheeks, leaving shimmering trails in their wake.
"A-Ah…"
Dean finally snapped out of his reverie, and he took a step closer. He crouched down, so that he and Sam were face to face.
"...Sam?"
Sam shook with silent sobs, the picture of agony.
Dean swallowed hard.
"Nnn...ugh...D-D'n."
Dean grasped Sam by the shoulders, looking at him intensely.
"Sam? Can you hear me?"
Sam weakly raised a hand to grasp Dean's jacket with trembling fingers.
"Dee," he hiccuped. "M' s-sorry….M' sorry."
Dean pulled him against his chest, wrapping one arm around Sam's shaking shoulders, the fingers of his other hand resting atop Sam's head. He closed his eyes.
"I know," he murmured. "I know."
Author's note: This was an idea that's been poking at me for a while now. I'm considering developing it beyond this drabble, but I don't know, maybe I'll just leave it how it is.