The next morning Dean woke up to Sam throwing a pillow violently at his head.
"You fucker." Dean growled sleepily as he sat up and chucked the pillow back into his brother’s face. Sam just snickered and walked away.
Looking at the clock Dean was annoyed to see that it was 7:30 in the morning. WHY THE HELL DID SAM GET HIM UP THIS EARLY!!! His brother sure could be douchebag sometimes. Freaking morning people.
Dean glanced at the empty space next to him. His angel was gone from the bed. He must have left sometime in the middle of the night before Sam woke up. The hunter felt a pang of sadness and emptiness that always showed its ugly face when his angel was gone. Dean knew Cas would be back soon though. He never left Dean's side for long.
Dean threw back the blankets and got up slowly. His brain was foggy from sleep so he didn't realize that the sheets were wrapped around his legs. As he tried to move he tripped and fell face first, his head smacking into the side of Sam's bed.
"God damn it!" Dean shouted clutching his face. In anger he kicked his leg to knock the sheet loose only to smash his ankle into the side table. "Mother Fucker!" He hissed.
"Having some trouble Dean?" Sam asked taking a bite out of an apple and walking over to him.
Dean struggled to stand and flipped his brother off. "Why'd you get me up so early Sam?"
"The job Dean. We need to figure out what the hell we're up against. People are dying Dean!" Sam said giving him an exasperated look.
Dean was still pissed but Sam was right so he didn't say anything. They had a job to do and Dean had gotten distracted. Because of that people in this shitty town were still dying. He was supposed to be saving them. Hunting the fuckers responsible for their deaths. Continuing their father's legacy.
The family business. The whole reason Dean's life was so difficult and why nights like last night were so precious to him. The reason why his life has been one nightmare after another. Sacrificing his time and happiness so others could live. Live their own full happy lives with friends and family while the Winchesters suffered, constantly facing pain and death. However, hunting was also the reason Dean met Cas. That was the one thing that continued to make the hunter believe he was doing the right thing. That made him believe he was on the right path. The angel was the one good thing that had come out of his fucked up life.
Before going to hell Dean's motivation for hunting had been his family. Watching out for Sammy and his father. Together as the broken, torn apart, family they were and it definitely was no picnic in the park. However when Dean went to hell for that year, forty years for him, something inside him broke. The thing that made Dean Winchester the hunter he always had been. The thing that had always kept him human.
They had taken away his spirit. His reason for hope. The demons stripped it from him through years of torture and forcing him to torturing others.
After he was back on earth he had to fight every day to find a reason to get up in the morning. To find a reason that life was worth facing all those tortured memories. He had to find a reason not to just take his pistol, place it to his head, cock it, and fire.
Dean had always told himself the only reason he had held on was became of Sammy. To stay alive for his little brother. Keep him safe like his father had always instructed him to do. Now however, Dean suspected that there was always something more that had kept him alive during that time. Something to do with his angel. Maybe he had sensed there was some missing memory of happiness from when he was raised from his eternal damnation. Maybe there was just a supernatural bond between the two.
Whatever the reason that Dean kept on living in his hollow empty shell of a body he was now glad he stayed. Dean knew that Cas had finally been the one to heal him. To really heal him. To heal him where his angel mojo had no effect. He had been the one to make the empty feeling in his chest become full once more. Yes the repairs were scared and tattered but he truly felt whole again with his angel nearby. He saved the hunter in more ways than one and for that he would always be grateful.
Dean hoped Cas would reappear soon and help out with the hunt. He didn't want to spend all day with Sam. Listening to his rants and his rabbit trail stories. He would much rather have Cas be there to hopefully, relive some of the stress and tension.
As Dean thought, he made his way limping into their small kitchen. He was surprised to see that Sam had actually made a pot of coffee for once. 'At least he did something useful waking up so early' Dean thought to himself. His brother usually just went on a run in the mornings and picked up a coffee for himself from Starbucks or some other girly place.
Dean grabbed a mug and poured the strong dark liquid into the cup, filling it to the brim. Dean had always drunk his coffee black. Even when he was younger. It was probably because they never had enough money for things like coffee creamer, but always needed a way to stay awake when conducting case research for days at a time.
Unlike Dean, Sam always needed his coffee with something in it to make it less bitter. Dean would find him passed out in books of lore because he refused to drink the black coffee. So finally one day Dean had made Sam a special coffee. He had spared some of their limited supply of sugar and milk to give the coffee a better taste.
He remembered Sam's reluctance to try it and how much he had whined about the gross taste. That is until Dean called him a baby. He had received an extra evil bitch face but convinced Sam to take a small sip of the coffee. Let’s just say, after that day they never had any more milk and sugar left over when Sam as done. Dean never got the opportunity to try it. He always saved it all for Sam.
Something’s just never change. Dean though wistfully to himself as he brought the piping hot drink to his lips.
As he turned around to get started on research there was a soft flutter of wings and Castiel appeared standing directly in front of him.
Dean jumped and dropped his cup of coffee. The mug shattered on the ground and the bitter burning drink spilled onto his feet scorching his toes and staining his white socks.
"Son of a Bitch!" Dean shouted in surprise. "Damn it Cas!"
Dean quickly moved out of the puddle of coffee and glass shards. Rubbing his head he grabbed a towel and moved to clean up his mess.
However, when Dean turned around he saw Cas. His face full of regret and unspoken apologies. In his hands he held the cup Dean had dropped. It now looked as if it had never shattered and it was once again full to the brim with coffee.
"My apologies Dean. I didn't mean to startle you." Cas said looking at the ground ashamed and holding out the drink.
"It’s alright Cas." Dean said taking his coffee back from the angel.
"Hey Cas!" Sam called out from where he was sitting at their small table in the living room.
"Hello Sam." The angel said turning to look at him.
"You come to help with the research?" Sam questioned.
"Of course. I'm always happy to be here to help the Winchesters on their hunts." Castiel said glancing back at the tired looking Dean.
"Well we better get to it. We’re wasting time." Dean said with a sleepy groan.
As Dean sat down he ended up knocking over Sam's coffee into his own lap burning his legs and groin.
"Damn Dean you sure are having some shitty luck today aren't you." Sam commented as Cas cleaned up the mess and healed the hunters burns.
He ignored his brother’s comment and thanked Cas.
Dean sighed he knew it was going to a very long morning.
~~~~
A little later on Sam spoke up breaking a very long silence that had been filled with only the sound of rustling papers and the soft click of computer keys.
"So get this, about a five years ago this same thing happened here. Random murder sprees with loads of casualties. No survivors." Sam paused his eyebrows knitted together before continuing. "Then one day a ten year old girl came home from school with a fully loaded .45 automatic pistol. She murdered her whole family. Shot her mom, dad, and her two older brother’s right between the eyes. Later she was found hiding in a closest by a neighbor. She told the police that someone had made her do it. When they asked who made her she had said something had gotten inside her and forced her to kill her family. After this the rest of the attacks just stopped."
“She said there was something inside her?" Dean asked "So is this like a demonic possession thing?"
"Well it could be a dozen different things Dean." Sam began listing off just a few of the supernatural beings this case sounded like. "It might be demons, ghosts, a Khan worm, ghouls, hell even a cursed object. The facts just aren't adding up to any one thing."
Dean frowned this whole case had been weird. They had found this one totally on accident. The brothers had just finished off a Wendigo who was killing campers in a secluded forested area near Boone, North Carolina. They had been heading up to Grand Rapids, Michigan to meet Bobby and help him on another case. On the way, they stopped off at a small rest stop in West Virginia only to run into a distraught woman handing out new temporary laws. They had been enforced due to multiple mass killings taking place. The boys stayed nearby in a motel that night and checked the local papers. What they found surprised them. Apparently many folks in the town had started becoming unusually violent. They would be totally normal one day and then go on a massive killing spree the next. Sam had called Bobby and told them that they had found another case and would head up to Michigan a little later.
That was over a week ago. The Winchesters were absolutely stumped. They were even having a hard time finding any witnesses. Well... living ones anyway. There were plenty of bodies though. These attacks seemed to be happening every couple of days now. Nice person suddenly going dark side, killing the whole street. Usually ten or more people would be killed before the murderer would turn their guns on themselves. There had already been four more attacks since they had arrived.
Castiel suddenly looked up from an old newspaper article and asked "Is this girl still alive?"
Sam looked at his computer screen again and after a moment said "Yeah. She is. Her name is Heather Williams. She’s now about sixteen years old."
"Where is she?" Dean asked intrigued. This was the best lead that they had found so far.
"Uh....... She’s in a mental institution for kids. It’s not too far from here. About half an hour’s drive." Sam said reading the information that was appearing on his computer screen.
"She's in the nut house?" Dean asked raising his eyebrows.
"Dean.... she said something got inside her and made her kill her family."
The hunter was quiet. That kind of story is definitely a good way to get locked up in the Looney bin. "Good point....." he muttered.
"We should probably go and find her before more people die." Cas said looking at Dean.
"Alright. I'll grab our gear." Sam said.
Dean looked down at himself sitting half dressed in a black t-shirt and boxers. Dean figured he would just take a shower later. Things could get messy anyways.
"I'll go change" Dean mumbled standing up.
The other two also stood up in order to get ready.
"Should we go in suites Sam?" Dean called out from his bed.
"Uhh.... yeah that would probably be best." He called back.
Dean glanced at Cas "That means you too man." The hunter was smirking.
Castiel glanced down at the outfit he had come so accustomed to. He didn't like wearing other clothes this was so comfortable! Other outfits he wore always made him itch.
Dean darted his eyes towards Sam who was in the kitchen, busy packing up things like guns and holy water. When the hunter was sure his younger brother wasn't looking he whispered into the angel’s ear "If you don't remember how to take off that outfit I could definitely help you out." He pulled his face back and smirked at the shocked look on Castiel face.
Dean winked then turned to pull out his suit.
Castiel's cheeks were warm. The thought of Dean's gentle warms hands all over his body drove him nuts. Dean kissing his skin and grazing his teeth across his neck. The stubble on Dean's face tickling the angel gently. He imagined Dean slowly removing his trench coat and unbuttoning his white top. The hunter running his hands across chest. He thought about his lover carefully helping him put on his suite. Telling him how amazing he looked when he was done between soft, loving kisses.
The angel forced himself to focus on reality again. However he couldn't help but watch carefully as Dean pulled the black t-shirt off revealing his flat stomach and toned abs. Dean glanced up and saw Castiel watching him. So Dean picked up his own white button up shirt and started to put it on slowly teasing the angel. His gaze suddenly fell apron the faint hand print scar that he had left on Dean’s arm. His mark left forever on the hunter’s perfect skin.
Cas watched transfixed as his partner pulled on his black pants and threw on a nice tux-like jacket. Finally he put on a tie and sprayed on some pleasant smelling axe. Dean turned to Cas holding his arms out and suddenly asked "What do ya think?"
Cas had to hold back his true opinion for now and said "It looks very professional Dean."
To tell the truth Cas loved it when Dean wore a suite. He loved how fancy and dressed up he looked. He loved the way Dean slightly ruffled his hair leaving in a neat mess. It drove him nuts.
"Good." Dean said with a grin.
Sam walked by and gave Dean thumbs up. Then he grabbed his own suite and walked into the small bathroom to change.
As soon as they heard the lock click Cas was all over the hunter. He pushed him down onto the bed and sat on his legs furiously kissing the man. Dean's hands were massaging the angel’s soft hair. He groaned softly into Castiel's mouth. This was very unexpected. Cas slowly moved his hands up and down the hunters firm back feeling every inch of him he could reach.
Finally Dean whispered into Cas's ear and asked "What was that for?"
The angel leaned back and whispered "That, was because you look extremely hot in a suite." He kissed the hunter again and said "That one was for luck."
Dean smiled brightly and kissed the angels forehead multiple times hugging him tight.
As an afterthought Cas whispered "I learned that from the pizza man."
Dean bit back a growl of pleasure. Just knowing that had Cas watched porn turned the hunter on. Such a holy creature watching such an unholy human act.
Suddenly the bathroom lock clicked and Cas immediately vanished. He appeared seconds later standing across in a suite topped off with his trench coat. He had his back to Dean and was trying to fix his tie. In the mirror Dean could see the angel’s eyes on him watching silently. The hunter smiled and winked at Cas causing him to blush.
"You guys ready?" Sam asked as he walked out of the bathroom looking sharp. He had even slicked his hair back. The guy could clean up nice. Dean blamed the freaking girly perfectionist in him.
The eldest Winchester snickered. That boy cared way too much about his hair. Almost more than a girl sometimes! It was comical.
"Yeah. Let hit the road." Dean said standing up. He saw that Castiel had used some of his mojo to make Dean's sleek, black, dress shoes appear on his feet.
The three of them were about to walk out the door when Dean happened to look down at Castiel's tie. It was an utter mess. It was and tied entirely wrong and was about as straight as the angel wearing it.
"Hang on.” Dean said rolling his eyes. He tugged at the angels tie and started fixing it for him. It brought back memories from when Dean still had to tie Sammy's tie. His brother was eighteen before he could tie it properly on his own.
Dean considered teaching Cas how to tie his own tie but decided against it. He figured he could just tie it for him every time. The hunter actually enjoyed helping his angel.
Within minutes the tie was fixed. It looked almost professional. Dean was satisfied with his work. He looked into Cas's eyes and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Oh get a room you too." Sam interjected smiling slightly and rolling his eyes dramatically at the two.
Dean's cheeks flushed slightly but he looked at Sam said "Bitch."
Moments later his brother responded with "Jerk"
After that they left the motel for real and headed off to the mental institute.
The car ride was mostly silent aside from Dean's Def Leopard tape playing repeatedly. Occasionally he would start to sing along only to be told to shut the hell up by Sam. He always drove Sammy crazy with his music. The hunter always insisted on playing it at a level that was above normal volume. Since he couldn't sing for shit he would torture his brother by following along with the songs. That would go on for hours on long road trips. Finally Sam would snap and either ask to listen to a different artist or rip the cassette out of the player.
Recently however, Sam had gotten a himself new phone after his other one was smashed on a hunt. Apparently he could download music to it pretty quickly. So he had taken to just putting headphones in to drown out Dean.
"So how long has this girl been at the nut house?" Dean asked suddenly turning down his music.
"Uh since she killed all those people. The cops declared her mentally unstable and traumatized by the event. So they locked her up." Sam said looking over at his brother.
"Hmmmm...." Dean mumbled.
"How are we going to get in there Dean?" Cas suddenly asked from the backseat.
Dean looked in the rearview mirror to watch his angel. He knew that Cas hated riding in the back but Sam always refused to give up the shotgun seat.
"We're gonna lie." Dean said. "Tell'em we've reopened her case. Found new evidence."
"Will that work Dean?"
Before Dean could reply to Cas, Sam said "We hope so. It’s our only good plan."
Cas made eye contact with Dean in the rearview mirror before quickly breaking away. He started staring out the window remembering what had happened in this car only last night. The angel smiled softly. He hoped him and Dean would have many more nights just like that.
A few minutes later the Impala pulled up to an all-white building that had protective fences all around it. They were stopped by a security guard at a booth. As he leaned towards the window Dean flashed his FBI badge at the man and he let them pass.
Inside the nut house Dean approached the counter where a pretty young assistant was sitting.
"Hi! How may I help you gentlemen today?" She asked brightly while noticeably checking Dean out.
"Hi. Were here to see Heather Williams." Dean said as both Winchesters pulled out their badges and showed them to her.
She nodded her approval at their badges then glanced at Cas who hadn't moved.
"Is he..." She said trailing off.
"Cas!" Dean said turning to him. "Your badge?"
The angel suddenly jumped into action and dug his fake badge out of his coat pocket.
"He's new." Dean said to the lady rolling his eyes slightly.
"Ah..." She said absentmindedly glancing at Castiel's badge. "Let me see if Miss William's is available for visits today."
They only had to wait a moment before the women spoke up again.
She gave Dean a sweet smile and said "She is on the fourth floor in room 409."
"Alright thank you." Dean replied. The lady never broke eye contact with the hunter and he became extremely uncomfortable. This chick was weird.
Cas didn't like this receptionist. She was looking at Dean like she wanted to eat him alive. Like she wanted to take him home with her. There was something else off about her but Castiel couldn't seem to place it.
The three of them turned to walk up the stairs. Suddenly the woman called out to the boys making them turn around.
"Dean. Come here for a second. You'll need these."
She held up three visitor stickers. Dean walked over and grabbed then from her. Her fingers brushed against his skin and he felt a strange almost painful electrical charge pass through his body. Dean passed it off as nothing and thanked the woman.
Before he joined the others again she leaned closer to him and whispered "You should call me sometime. We could have a lot of fun." With that she tucked a slip of paper with her number on it into his jacket.
"Uh... thanks." Dean said awkwardly. He saw her eyes dart behind him and watched as she smirked.
The hunter turned away from her and saw that Cas had gone still. He looked like he wanted to rip the ladies heart out through her ass. Dean was positive that he had never seen his angel look like that before. It was almost as scary as when the leviathans had possessed him.
"Calm down man." Dean whispered to him as they started to walk up the stairs, Sammy in front of them. He touched the angels arm briefly which instantly calmed him down.
None of them saw the cruel smile and the look of the look of pure evil flash across the receptionists face. They didn't see it when her eyes momentarily flashed pure back before blinking and turning the eyes back to brown again.