Blah blah, disclaimer here. Don't own, no money, etc. etc.
Guardian and Protector
You wake up groggy and confused. Your right eye seems unable to open completely—or at all—and you can't move your legs. Panic sets in, and you force yourself to take a deep calming breath as you try to remember what happened. Slowly, it comes back to you:
You, Dean, and Sam had gotten warned about a demon in Newark, New Jersey. Every night, it possessed a different mother and forced her to slaughter and cook her children and then feed them to her husband for dinner. The three of you had heard about this demon from another hunter and had quickly driven to the east coast to help.
You'd decided to bring Castiel along so you could split into two pairs and cover both exits. You were fairly sure the demon was laying low in the tunnels beneath a crypt when it was between possessions.
At high noon, the four of you entered the mausoleum. The secret passageway had been easy to find, and when the tunnel branched off, Sam and Dean went one way while you and Cas went the other. After walking for about ten minutes, the tunnel emerged in a cavernous area filled with over a dozen demons.
You and Cas wordlessly decided to bide your time, and a moment later you saw Sam and Dean in the other tunnel entrance across the way. The four of you jumped into action, and you immediately began reciting the exorcision rite. You'd barely made it to "immundus spiritus" when you were grabbed from behind and dragged through a previously unseen doorway. It was clear that the demons not only didn't want to return to hell, but also saw that you are the boys' weakness.
You return slowly to the present with a sigh. You have no idea how long you've been here—come to think of it, where the hell was 'here' anyways? Why hadn't the boys rescued you yet? Were they captured too? Were they still alive?
You try to switch positions to evaluate your surroundings, but you are tied to an empty bed frame, which is standing on its end up against the wall. All your weight is hanging on your wrists, which explains the numbness of your arms and why your shoulder hurts so much—it's probably dislocated.
"Ah, the pretty prize is awake," leers a demon near you. His vessel is hairy with bad teeth and only one eye. He starts towards you, and you lash out. The only result is that the barbed wire holding you to the bed frame cuts even more into your skin. Blood is streaming down your arms. The demon grins at you and then licks up the trail of blood flowing from your left wrist.
The feel of his tongue makes you shudder, and you scream as loudly as you can, "HELP!"
"Fool!" Another demon spits as she approaches you. "Who do you think is going to hear you? All you're going to do is make us angry." She backhands you across the face, an ornate ring on her hand cutting your cheek.
You whimper but otherwise remain still. In the distance, a hoard of demons is nearing, eager to join the fun. You're going to die here, your fear makes you absolutely certain of this fact. Where are Sam and Dean? If they could rescue, they would have by now! The she-demon laughs, and you realize you've accidentally spoken aloud.
"The boys ran off," she smirks at you, gripping your chin tightly so you have no choice but to look her in the eyes. "They were more concerned with saving themselves. No surprise; rescuing you wouldn't be worth it—you can't pull your weight with them. You're useless." You try your best to tune her out. "Unless," she continues, "they're using you as a plaything?" She studies your face and sneers. "No? But you're in love with one of them…. Which one?"
The huge crowd of demons which had gathered around you by now is cheering. You purse your lips and close your eyes, determined not to answer.
"Answer me!" The she-demon demands, slapping you again. You still remain silent. Five seconds later, a demon lays a hand on your ribcage, snaps a rib effortlessly, and causes the jagged break to puncture your lung. Another five seconds pass without you answering, and the hand returns, this time on your back, tearing your kidneys apart.
You are in agonizing pain, with silent tears streaming down your face when you answer her question. "Cas."
"What's that, pretty?" She mocks. ("Not so pretty anymore," taunts a demon behind her.)
You open your eyes, and blood begins leaking out the corners of them and out your nose as the hand behind you rests on your head. "Castiel." You repeat as firmly as you can. "I'm in love with the angel Castiel."
The demon hoard bubbles over with jeers and laughter. You close your eyes again and let your head fall to your chest. Your brain is bleeding, and in your last moments alive, you have been humiliated.
A bright light appears, and you squeeze your eyelids shut as tightly as you can, because after so long in the dark, even a little light makes your eyes hurt. You can feel blood and tears seeping down your cheeks. Is this death? Maybe you're supposed to surrender yourself to the light like that character always says on Ghost Whisperer.
The light dies down, and you open your eyes. Are you dead? You must be dead. Castiel is standing there, surrounded by dead demon bodies. He cocks his head to the side as he looks at you.
"You came," you croak. You're in way too much pain, so you've deduced that you're still alive. The sound of your voice seems to spur him to action. He runs his hands over your body, beginning with your head.
As he heals you, Cas speaks gently to you. "You're safe now; I've got you. All healed; all better."
"How'd you know where to find me" You ask as Castiel frees you from your barbed-wire bonds. The question in your mind is more along the lines of, "Why the hell did you take so long to get your ass here, if you knew where to find me?"
Castiel shakes his head. "I didn't know where you were. I'd searched everywhere; apparently this particular room is warded so angels can't see it. I was pacing back and forth in Sam and Dean's room when suddenly I was pulled here. So suddenly I didn't even have time to hide my true form." He looks at you carefully. "There's only one thing strong enough to literally pull an angel to where he's needed."
"And what's that?" You ask, leaning on him heavily as he leads you out of the warded cavern so he can teleport you to safety.
"A very deep bond of trust and love between the angel and the person in need."
You blush.
Castiel grins. "What did you say or think to bring me to you?" He is teasing now, but you know his boundless curiosity won't allow him to back down until you've answered him.
"I was being taunted and tortured. I couldn't help but tell them what they wanted to know." You are embarrassed and defensive. Cas gives you puppy dog eyes, and you sigh. "I admitted that I'm in love with you."
Cas teleports you away, and you land outside a diner. You can see Sam and Dean through the window, examining something on Sam's laptop and drinking coffee. "They're looking for us," Cas informs you. "We should go in and tell them you're okay—and you missed dinner, so you should probably eat."
You nod and take a step forward, but Castiel pulls you back. You look up at him. "Are you not coming in with me?"
"I am," Cas assures quickly. "Just, before we go in … I love you, too." He smiles shyly at you.
You smile and lean into him for a quick, tender kiss. "Good, then you'll always be there to protect me."
"Yes, watching over you will be both my duty and my pleasure," Castiel kisses you again, scoops you up playfully, and carries you into the diner.