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Once again, I'm taking a prompt from masterjediratgrl31 because I was running late this morning and forgot my prompts book at home again. I would seriously be lost without her :D

Also, I'm posting a smutty four-shot on AO3. Go check it out – it's by far the most explicit thing I've ever written ^_^

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78. Flashback

It wasn't that Castiel couldn't swim. On the contrary, he was an excellent swimmer. But ever since becoming human, his past had started to haunt him with a vengeance and he often woke up sweaty and shivering, escaping from the grasp of a nightmare due to his newly human psyche. Whenever this happened, Dean was always there to hug him and soothe his shakes and help him drift back off to sleep.

But when they started to invade Castiel's waking moments, he knew he had a problem.

"We sure it's a nymph?" Dean said as he, Sam, Castiel and Charlie prepared their weapons. After several suspicious watery deaths, the four of them had managed to conclude that the creature they were after was a water nymph and now they were getting ready to go after it.

"Positive," Sam replied. "All the signs add up. And Rosie's back at the room to give us any extra info we may have missed."

Rose had started to accompany them on more and more hunts. She and Sam had reached an agreement where she would stay in their motel room and help out with any of the research, while the other four handled the physical side of things such as hunting the monsters and impersonating government officials. This arrangement worked out nicely, as Rose often claimed that she had no desire to 'get tangled up in some hunt and possibly croak', as she put it ("I've read the books, guys. I know what happens to people like me who get involved."). And besides, she claimed, this left more time for her 'fanfiction'.

"So we're splitting up?" Charlie said. "Sam and I'll go that way and you two lovebirds take this side."

She wiggled her eyebrows. Dean rolled his eyes and swatted her around the head in response.

"Let's go," Sam said. "Call if you need help. And don't start making out against the nearest tree like last time!"

"Please, Sammy," Dean scoffed. "Cas and I know what self-control is."

Sam gave him a bitchface before turning and wading into the river with Charlie. Dean and Castiel followed and the two groups then split up, Sam and Charlie heading upriver while Dean and Castiel combed the other way.

"Nice night, eh?" Dean grinned, his teeth flashing white in the darkness.

"It's quite tranquil," Castiel agreed, his eyes darting around the black water. All of a sudden, his surroundings changed. It was daylight and his legs was moving of their own accord, sending him wading deeper and deeper into the bright blue water as strange, maniacal laughter echoed in his ears.

"That's it, pretty angel! Come on! We will be free! We will be FREE!"

Castiel struggled furiously, fighting against his leaden limbs as they dragged him further and further out. A strange black liquid was dripping into his eyes as he went out waist-deep and then further and the metallic smell of blood burned his nostrils, along with the scent of decay. Looking down, he let out a small wail when he saw that he was absolutely covered in blood and black goo.

"No! Stop!" he cried. "Dean! Help!"

"No one's coming to help you, Castiel. You're all alone…our little puppet…we're gonna have so much FUN once we're free!"

"Cas!" a familiar voice was shouting faintly. Castiel cried out, squeezing his eyes shut, fighting valiantly against the foreign influence threatening to send him under the water. "Cas! Hey, Cas!"

The voice was clearer now. Castiel could identify it as Dean's. Dean was here? He had to fight!

"Cas! C'mon, what's wrong?" Somebody grabbed Castiel by the shoulders and he was pulled into a pair of wet, firm arms. Somehow recognising this person as somebody he could trust, Castiel clutched the person's shirt and held on tight, allowing the person to pull him back. Castiel felt the water growing shallower and shallower and he clung to the shirt even tighter, until he was finally out of the water and sitting on the muddy bank.

"Cas?"

"Come on, Castiel! Come and play with us!"

"Cas, you alright?"

"We will be FREE!"

"Cas, dammit, answer me!"

Castiel felt the person shake him roughly but not violently. His bright surroundings bled away and dimmed, until he shakily realised that it was not day but night and that the person in front of him was Dean.

"Cas?" Dean's green eyes shone with worry, easily discernible in the dark. "C'mon, angel, answer me!"

Castiel took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Dean," he rasped. Immediately, Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel again, holding him close while Castiel shuddered and shook.

"What the hell happened, Cas?" Dean snapped, though Castiel could tell that he was not angry but worried.

"I – I apologise, Dean," Castiel forced out. "I – I had a – what do you call them? A flashback."

Dean stiffened.

"Leviathans?" he said tensely. Castiel nodded, burying his face in Dean's shirt in shame. This had never bothered him before! Why had he suddenly broken down just like that? Why was he so weak?

"Cut that out, Cas," Dean said. Castiel looked up at him in shock. "I know exactly what you're thinking. You're not weak, dammit. You're just human and that's what happens to us fragile little flowers whenever we go through bad crap. Am I weak for having Hell flashbacks? Is Sam weak for all his hallucinations? Is Charlie weak for her nightmares about getting killed by the Wicked Witch?"

"No! Of course not!" Castiel said immediately. But unlike them, he'd been an angel! He couldn't be weak!

"Then you're not weak for having these flashbacks. And you're not weak for having those nightmares whenever you do. You're just frigging human, just like the rest of us. Capiche?"

Castiel was reminded vividly of a moment a few years ago.

"Yes, I capiche," he replied hoarsely. Dean nodded and squeezed Castiel.

"C'mon." He stood up, pulling Castiel up with him, and then he guided him along the river bank back to where the Impala was parked. "I'm calling Sam and Charlie and then taking you back and you can stay with Rosie while I come back and finish this hunt. Unless you want me to stay with you, of course."

"No," Castiel said immediately. It was bad enough that he was clinging to Dean like a weak, needy little person without leaving Sam and Charlie without backup! "I'll be fine, Dean. Really. Rose will be adequate company until you return."

"Okay. If you're sure." Dean didn't sound happy but they both knew that the logical choice was for Dean to come back and help out with the hunt.

"I'm sure." They reached the Impala and Dean squeezed Castiel's shoulders one more time before letting him go to allow him to climb into the passenger's seat. Dean fired off a quick text to Sam before turning the Impala on and getting ready to drive off. On impulse, Castiel leaned over, grabbed his face and captured his lips in a slow, deep kiss.

"I love you, Dean," he murmured. "I love you so very much."

Dean's cheeks tinged a faint pink, so light that Castiel nearly missed it in the darkness.

"Love you too, Cas," he said gruffly. He reversed and drove off out of the bush, his fingers still clasped with Castiel's, and Castiel leaned back in his seat, his head lolling so that he could watch his human drive.