A/N: So, here is the second chapter. Thank you for the reviews and messages. You're very sweet. Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.
"Sir?"
Dean gulped, still staring at what appeared to be a younger version of Castiel. A younger, human, Castiel to be exact. Although, there were a few things about this one that were different. This Cas, for starters, wasn't wearing the angel's signature trench coat, just a raggedy old black hoodie with Metallica written in white lettering on its front. Truth be told, he looked like everyone else. He was even slumping a little, instead of his other counterpart's rigidly straight posture. "I'm, uh, I'm fine. I just-ouch!" Dean began as he got to his feet. A sharp twinge shot up the hunter's right leg with such ferocity it caused his balance to wobble. Dean stumbled to the side, his shoulder slamming into the brick building next to him.
A hand gripped at Dean's other shoulder, steadying him and squeezing in concern. Ironically, Cas' hand was in the same place where the real one had branded him all those years ago. "Thanks," Dean muttered, "I think I hurt my leg on something." The human Cas made a small noise of sympathy in the back of his throat. Their eyes met once again, but this time, lightning flashed and illuminated the cramped alleyway. Now in the light, Dean could see the rain running in rivulets down Cas' face. His long lashes were wet and his blue eyes stared into his with blazing intensity. Dean felt an odd longing for the angel he knew and loved.
Realizing that he was staring, Dean blinked and grinned apologetically. Cas' eyes widened to resemble saucers and he choked out a strangled gasp, stumbling backwards with his hand covering his mouth. Startled, Dean raised an eyebrow; Castiel was acting as though he had just seen a ghost. 'What the hell? What did I do?' Dean thought in confusion. Thunder rumbled overhead louder than before. Dean wasn't focusing on the weather, though; he was watching the suddenly terrified Cas, who had been fine just a moment ago. The shorter man glanced away, eyes wild, and took in a couple of deep breaths. "Are you okay? Didn't mean to spook you," Dean said.
When Cas let out a whimper, Dean's heart clenched. He reached out a hand to try and comfort the shaking man, but Cas flinched. He felt a tiny stab of guilt at the frightened expression on Cas' face. After a few moments, Castiel seemed to compose himself, whispering something inaudible under his breath. "Do you have anyone that you can call? Family or something?" Cas said, looking back at Dean. The hunter opened his mouth then closed it, still confused; wait, was there an edge to this Cas' voice? Dean shook his head and glanced up at the black clouds that blanketed the sky.
"I have a younger brother, but I don't think I can reach him from here," he heard himself saying. Cas nodded and glanced over at the entrance to the alleyway with a cautious, guarded expression. Dean's hunter instincts kicked in and he tensed, taking in his surroundings. The portal had dropped him into a large pile of dirty garbage bags in the middle of a dark and smoky alleyway. A black dumpster sat against one of the brick buildings, filled to its brim with garbage. Leaning against it, a stack of grimy cardboard boxes lay crumpled with a few broken bottles sprinkled beside it.
There were a few doors along the alley, but most of them looked like they were locked. For good reason, too. Dean's eyes trailed up the brick walls, taking in the graffiti and blackened soot covered areas. He assumed, judging from the blinking neon sign above their heads and the cars lining the street in front of them, that he and Cas were in some kind of city. Though, there was something a bit off about the atmosphere. Trying to ignore the gnawing feeling in his stomach, Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair, sprinkling drops of water on his face. "Where am I?" he asked.
Cas seemed genuinely surprised by Dean's question and his brow scrunched up in confusion. "You don't know? Did you...did you hit your head or something?" he asked. Dean mimicked Cas' frown and looked around again. Nothing about this place was familiar to him. Cas seemed to understand. "You're in Portland, Oregon. In a pretty bashed up part of town, I might add," he said, tilting his head.
Dean felt a small flutter in his chest. 'Oh hell no, don't start with that crap. I'm not getting warm and fuzzy chick feelings for Cas,' Dean growled at his heart. After he understood what he was doing, he shook his head to clear it and rubbed at a small bump near his temple. "I must have hit my head, like you said, cause I don't remember being in Portland," Dean said. His mind was reeling; he couldn't understand how he could be so calm and at ease. Maybe it was because it was Castiel in front of him.
Yet, there was something about this version of the angel that was making Dean's heart act like it would around a hot chick. 'Weird,' he thought. At the sound of Cas clearing his throat, Dean looked up expectantly. Cas had an eyebrow raised and a small frown on his face. 'He looks so much like the real one. How can I tell them apart?' Dean thought. Cas ducked his head shyly and scratched at his hair for a moment, avoiding Dean's gaze. He looked as though he was contemplating something.
Without warning, Cas grinned as brightly as the sun. "Well, if you have nowhere to go, you're always welcome to crash with me. My apartment isn't that big, but I could figure something out," he said cheerfully. Dean almost laughed out loud; maybe there was a way to differentiate between them. However, Dean Winchester was no fool. He shifted his weight and crossed his arms over his chest. "No offense, uh, stranger," Dean began carefully, "but I have no clue who you are or what you're all about. How can I trust you?"
The hunter wasn't lying; he didn't know this Castiel. The shorter man's sunny grin faded, replaced with an almost sheepish look, and he hummed a bit in agreement. He even gave a small chuckle and a shrug of his shoulders. "I guess you're right," Cas said with a hint of a laugh in his voice. Suddenly, Dean was shoved to the wall with a gun pressed under his chin, aimed towards his brain. His skull struck the brick wall hard enough to cause the hunter to see stars.
"Then again, I don't know you either, stranger," Cas continued coldly, "So, why don't you tell me why you're really here, hmm? Better start explaining fast or I might let my finger slip and end up blowing your freaking brains out." Dean stiffened and held his hands up in surrender. He had not been expecting that and he mentally cursed himself for letting his guard down. Not that he could have done anything; he had lost his gun in his dimension.
"Look, I woke up in the trash and found myself here. That's it. I'm not plotting anything, so put the gun d-!" Dean said, cutting off as the gun was pressed harder against him. Gone was the concerned and hesitant Castiel- now Dean was faced with the furious cold gaze of an avenging angel. Dean frowned; this Castiel wasn't an angel, yet he still harbored the frightening, smoldering gaze that the real Cas possessed. Though, with the real Cas, Dean could easily make a joke or say something to calm him down; he didn't know anything about this Castiel.
"If you honestly think that I'll believe that, you're more dense than I thought. Now, I'm going to ask you again, why the hell are you here?" Cas said. Dean rolled his eyes and grunted a little as Cas shoved the gun harder under his chin. "Start talking, shifter," Cas growled. Dean's face contorted into a look of pure and utter befuddlement. Cas seemed to notice and slightly released some of the pressure of the gun. Dean fought the urge to cough; the way the gun was positioned, it was right under his tongue. If it hadn't been attached, Dean was sure that he would have ended up swallowing it.
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm not a shapeshifter. I'm a hunter," Dean managed to say. Bewildered, Cas took a few quick steps back, ignoring Dean rubbing the spot the gun had been. 'Well, this is a great first meeting,' Dean thought. The other man shook his dark hair out of his eyes and reached into his hoodie pocket. Dean coughed a little then flinched as a bright flash blinded him.
Crying out, the hunter rubbed at his eyes with a scowl of annoyance. "What was that?!" he growled. Cas was staring at his cellphone, his face ghostly pale. He seemed almost desperate to find something wrong with the photo he took of the hunter in front of him. His blue eyes flicked over the screen and he swallowed hard. After a few long minutes, he slowly looked back up at Dean. "Th-this can't...you couldn't possibly be...," he choked. He began to shake and an expression of anguish and fear scrunched up his face. "Wh-who are you?" he rasped.
Dean was taken aback by the tremble in Cas' voice. He didn't know what to do and just stood there awkwardly staring at the other man. "Who are you?!" Cas shouted furiously, aiming the gun at Dean's chest. Hot and angry tears were streaming down his cheeks and his hand shook violently. Dean had never been more confused in his entire life. "Okay, first you have to calm down," Dean said, taking a small step forward. The gun clicked as Cas pulled back the barrel. Instincts kicking into hyper-drive, Dean immediately halted, eyes fixated on the gun. "Do not come near me. I will shoot you without hesitating," Cas said flatly. Dean's eyes flicked back up to Cas and he gushed out a harsh breath; Cas was completely serious. Cas' eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Are you a demon?"
"Do I look like a demon?"
Castiel stared at him for a long, tense moment then slightly shook his head. Dean sighed and tried to wrap his head around his current situation. He was being held at gun-point by the human version of his best friend, who wasn't really his best friend, but looked exactly like him and he was being threatened by the same person. 'What in the actual hell is this place? What sort of dimension did I end up in?' Dean thought in bewilderment. He realized that Cas was waiting for him to speak and took in a deep breath. He let it out slowly and even quirked his lips up in what he hoped was a friendly smile. Cas did not look convinced and tightened his grip on the gun.
"My name is Dean Winchester. I'm a hunter- a human hunter. I told the truth when I said I just woke up here. I had no idea that I was in this part of Oregon, I swear," Dean said slowly. He had his hands up in a peaceful gesture. He glanced from Cas the gun then back again. Cas' lower lip trembled and his hood fell back, revealing his slightly long, messy black hair. It hung in wet locks over his eyes and curled under his ears, dripping water down his neck. Now that Dean was paying attention, he noticed that Cas was wearing a silver ring on his left hand. It looked vaguely familiar. He also noticed that the gun in Cas' hand looked a lot like the one Dean had brought with him on the case. The only difference that Dean could see was two initials engraved on its side: C.W.
"You can't be Dean Winchester," Cas said shakily. Dean focused back on the other man's blue gaze once more. The rain had lightened a bit and Dean blinked water out of his eyes. "What do you mean I can't be Dean Winchester? Why not?" Dean said incredulously. He had to bit back the comment that it was the only name he had after remembering his different various alias'. Castiel heaved a shaky sigh and lowered his gun. Though relieved, Dean refused to let his guard down; there was no way in hell he would make that mistake again. Cas lowered his eyes to the road and stared silently at it for a moment, an expression of defeat and torment contorting his features.
About five minutes passed before Cas finally met Dean's green eyes coldly. He swallowed hard and brought the gun back up. It wasn't shaking this time. A deadly glint was in Cas' eyes as he stared at the hunter in front of him. Dean's eyes widened and a rush of fear sent the hairs on the nape of his neck standing on end.
"You can't be him...because Dean Winchester is dead."
A/N: Okay, so I hope this chapter is better than the first one. Yes? No? Let me know please. :3 I've got the third chapter in the works as I type, so be patient. Thank you!