Author's Note: Happy December 1st! I'm really happy to share this series with you again. Enjoy! Today's prompt comes for an Anon on Tumblr who asked for, "Sam to get locked in a freezer, and the fact that it's the beginning of winter makes it harder. However, Castiel saves him in time." Thanks for this anon! I hope you enjoy!

"He's gone two thousand miles

It's very far

The snow is falling down

Gets colder day by day."

—The Pretenders, "2000 Miles"

In Hell, you burn, but not in the way you expect.

Sure, there's fire in some pits, but in the deepest recesses of the infernal place, there's a biting cold. Hell burns, from severe frostbite as your skin dies, turning a horrible black color, the blood in your cells turning solid, oxygen failing to thrive. In Hell, for an eternity, Sam froze, thawed and froze again. Over and over, burning in a most excruciating way. Ever since he got his soul back, the youngest Winchester finds himself needing to dress warmer, wearing more layers than he did before. Scarves, jackets—sometimes even thermals. If Dean noticed, he said nothing, though Sam realized that his big brother kept "stumbling" upon warm clothing items in each shopping trip.

Of course, not even the warmest of clothes could stop Mother Nature. Leaves still fell, even in the warmer states. Storms still came. Even in balmy Florida, rain could still feel like icicles jabbing at his skin. And somehow, through a cruel twist of fate or a horrible joke, Sam found himself in Connecticut, snow drifting down from the grey sky.

This what you wanted, huh, Sammy? Burning snow?

He can still hear that sinister laugh ringing in his ears, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Sammy?" His big brother eyes him oddly, a frown on his lips, "You good?"

He is a lot of things—traumatized, freezing, burning, scared—but good is not one of them. Even so, he plasters a smile on his lips and lies, "Yeah."

Liar, Sammy. That's a sin, you know?

The smile falters such a bit.

Hunts still go on—supernatural creatures don't take vacations—and Sam finds that he can just go through the motions on them. Toss salt, shoot creatures, burn bodies—it's second nature to Sam and his body can just move before his messed-up brain hears Lucifer's laugh echoing around him.

Bet you wished you had listened to me before, huh, Sammy?

The walls are frozen around him. His breath comes in fits, puffs of air fogging up the sole window on the metal door. He'd been following the trail of a ghost when the door slammed behind him, locking him in the walk-in freezer.

It burns, huh? Good times, Sammy.

Lucifer's voice never leaves him when he freezes. It's almost like the wall is broken again, like he's seeing the Devil everywhere.

"Y-you're not r-real."

Lucifer cackles, the sound bounding off the metallic walls.

Well, I'm not the one dying in the frozen pit, am I?

Sam's knees buckle and he slides to the floor, curling in on himself. He doesn't know where his brother is. His brain can't keep a single thought in focus for more than a nanosecond. He wants to sleep, to close his eyes and free himself from the biting cold.

"Sam!"

Pounding on the door, a gruff voice that belies his divine nature.

"C-Cas."

The door rattles, "Sam! The door! There's a sigil on it!" That would explain the red paint Sam saw when he first arrived in here. Someone knew he was coming.

It's a trap and you fell for it!

"Sam!" The thuds grow louder and more insistent. He must be throwing his whole-body weight against it, trying to get in.

Won't do him any good.

Sam's teeth chatter violently and his eyes fall shut.

"Sam?"

Fiery hands on his cheek.

"C-Cas?" The angel's visage swims into view, the concerned man hosting him up.

"Lean on me," He orders softly, and soon, they are up. Cas winces as they move toward the door, "Stay awake."

"Y-you're bl-bleeding." Sam knows that he must've forced the door open and is even now suffering the consequences.

"I'm fine. You're the one with frostbite."

Maybe he's hysterical being on the edge of death, but Sam laughs, coughing and chuckling. He stutters, "C-Cas?"

"Almost there."

They make it outside, snow drifting around them, the wind howling. Grace cradles his body, healing the worst of the pain. He's safe, surrounded by those he cares, protected.

"I have you," Cas whispers softly, a small smile on his lips, "Rest, Sam."

And Sam does as he's told, safe in Castiel's embrace.

Author's Note: I'll be back tomorrow with a new chapter!