Dean woke in a bed, covers up to his chest. He opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. It appeared he was in a normal bedroom, not a hospital room, which made him happier. He could see the sun rising through the open window that was straight across from the bed. He could barely make out what the hushed voices were saying outside the room. It was barely, but not impossible.
"It seems as if he has quite a lot of emotional damage," an unfamiliar voice said.
"How do you know this?" Sammy asked.
"As I have said before, I'm Castiel Angel of the Lord. I am able to assess these things."
"Why are you even here? Aren't there things in Heaven that are more important?" Sammy asked. Dean could tell he was scoffing at Castiel.
"I was assigned to Dean, Sam. It's my job to make sure he's safe. At this moment, he is a potential threat to himself." Dean sat up when Castiel said that, blood rushing to his head and causing vertigo. He shut his eyes trying to fight the nausea and heard the door open.
"Dean," Sammy choked out, on the verge of tears. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" Dean questioned. There was a person, who he assumed was Castiel, standing in the corner of the room.
"What Dad did to you!" he practically yelled. "Castiel told me, and with the way you've been acting, I believe him!" Dean hung his head, looking at his hands. "Just tell me it's not true. Tell me Castiel is lying," he said more solemnly.
"Lying is a sin. Also, I am not attempting to deceive you, Sam," Castiel said. Sammy gave Castiel the dagger eyes.
"What did he tell you, Sammy?" Dean asked quietly, shamefully even.
"In his words, 'John Winchester sexually molested your brother last night at a motel in Los Angeles, California, before leaving him alone to fend for himself.'" Sammy sat on the bed at his feet, his eyes burning into Dean. All Dean did was nod to what Sammy had said, and his baby brother let out a sigh before sitting next to Dean.
He felt Sammy's arms wrap around him and he nuzzled into his baby brother's chest as he started to cry. Sammy started to gently rock him back and forth while humming Open Arms by Journey. Dean just let himself go. He knew he was safe with Sammy. He had never let himself be so vulnerable around his brother, but he knew that Sammy understood he was hurting and broken inside long before the events of the prior night. There was no use in hiding it anymore. He continued to sob, tremors shaking through his body. Sammy continued to hum and rock him while nuzzling his own face in the crook of Dean's neck as a comforting gesture.
Dean didn't know how long they had sat like that or if Castiel was still watching them. He had dozed off with Sammy holding him, only waking when he heard Sammy and Jess whispering. He kept his eyes closed, however, to make it easier to eavesdrop on them.
"How is he?" Jess asked. Sammy shifted to reposition so that it was easier to talk without disturbing Dean.
"He cried himself to sleep. I hummed him a song that he said Mom used to hum to him. He kept crying out in his sleep, but I knew not to wake him because of my psychology course. I've never seen him so broken."
"Have you thought of having him talk to a counselor or a trained professional to assess his mental health? Being raped by your own father can definitely cause some psychological trauma," Jess said as she sat on the bed. He could feel the bed shift and Sammy reposition him on his lap.
"No, Dean doesn't like opening up to people. Just to find out what happened was hard enough, and I'm his brother."
"So, what're you going to do then, babe?"
"I'm going to take him to Uncle Bobby's house, then on a hunting trip. He'll enjoy that." There was silence, and Dean heard Jess leave. His head was gently laid against the pillow, and Sammy left.
"Dean?" Castiel asked, the bed shifting again. Dean opened his eyes and really looked at Castiel for the first time. He had piercing sapphire eyes that had an unnatural glow to them, jet black hair, stubble that starched along his jaw, and tanned skin. It was his eyes, however, that caught Dean's attention, the familiarity lingering in his mind.
"Your eyes," he said quietly, trying to figure out why they were so familiar to him. He closed his own eyes, thinking back in his mind before the realization hit him.
"Cas? Cas from the werewolf case in Atlanta?" Castiel's eyes pierced him more, the memory coming back. Cas had helped him and John hunt down a werewolf that was killing a family for revenge. The trench coat and suit looked familiar too, but it was his eyes that brought the memory back. Cas nodded and Dean moved closer to him.
His hands ran over Cas' face, feeling the warmth under his fingers. Cas' breath was on his hands, warm and moist. Even after what had happened with John, he wasn't scared of the deep feelings that were coming to the surface after months of hibernation.
"Why didn't you tell me you were an angel back then?" he asked. Atlanta had been seven months ago. "Why didn't you find me again?"
"John disapproved of our feelings for each other, so I came to the conclusion that it was best that I stay out of sight. I was still there, Dean, but your human senses could not detect me." Dean realized that Cas meant he had been following him for the past seven months.
"Did you see John do what he did? Were you there when it happened?" Cas nodded solemnly and Dean sighed.
"I wish I could have been of assistance, but I had to let it happen. It was an event that was set in stone that will help you on your life journey."
"How does being raped by your own father help on your life path?" he asked harshly.
"Dean, you have to realize that I do not know what your path is, but I do know that this even has already started to make you stronger." Dean nodded and leaned against Cas. He felt his angel's arms wrap around him.
"Cas, are we allowed to be together in the way I want us to be, or is there some rule against it in Heaven?" Cas seemed hesitant to answer his question.
"It is looked down upon in Heaven, but it is not unheard of. Angels and their charges seem to have deep feelings for each other most of the time, but very few to the extent of having relations past that of an angel and a human. It is even rarer for an angel in a male vessel to have feelings for a male charge, but it is still possible. As an answer to your question, I do not think there's a rule against it, but it is looked down upon." Dean was letting what Cas said sink in. It was possible for them to be together. He wasn't worried about how he had thought of having a normal life. He only cared about that moment in that room with Cas, his angel.