Supernatural One Shots

Nightmares / Castiel

Warnings: Death, Anxiety, Panic Attack, Fluff

Pairing: Castiel and Y/N

Things have been tough the last few days.

I've been hunting with the Winchester boys before they found and killed Azazel, getting revenge for their beloved mother. Being a part of that entire process was maddening and highly emotional; it was rough for a while. They're like big brothers to me, and I don't know what I'd do without them.

Everything really changed after Castiel raised Dean from Hell. Not only did he join our dynamic of a group, but I honestly fell for the Angel. I was sweet on him, and the boys knew; honestly, sometimes, I swear Dean was jealous because of all of it. But now, I lay here tossing and turning in my dimly lit bedroom in the bunker; sleep eludes me as haunting nightmares refuse to release their grip.

The distant echoes of creaking walls and the faint hum of the bunker's machinery provide an eerie soundtrack to my restless night. Every attempt to find solace in slumber is met with vivid and unsettling images, remnants of the horrors I just faced on a recent hunt. Usually, things don't get under my skin, knowing I can't save everyone, but this hunt destroyed me.

A soft knock echoed through my room, catching my attention. "Yes?" I called out, leaning up off my bed.

"Can I come in?" Castiel answered.

"Of course," I replied.

"Are you alright?" Castiel asked, stepping forward. "Are you having trouble sleeping?" He looked up and down at my figure, one of my legs draped over the covers while the other was under them.

I nodded, rubbing a hand across my face as I attempted to blink tears away. "Yeah... This last hunt just really got to me..."

Castiel's expression softens as he approaches you. "I'm sorry to hear that," he says sympathetically, sitting on my bed. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"It just hit really close to home..." I teared up, rubbing the palms of my hands to my face. "How the demon was killing little girls, making the older siblings watch. That's what happened to my little sister; it killed her and made me watch it all. She was four Castiel. I was only 16. My parents thought I was crazy and that a normal ass man did it, but I knew. That brought me into this hell of a life; I ran away from home and started hunting."

Castiel listened attentively, pulling me closer and holding me tightly as I cried over unresolved trauma. "I'm so sorry," he whispers softly, "No one should have to go through something like that."

Castiel laid down next to me, pulling me into his lap. He stroked my hair gently and rubbed my back in a comforting manner. "But I'm proud of you for turning your pain into something positive," he says with admiration. "You're making a difference out there."

I gently sobbed into his chest, finding warmth and comfort in his embrace. "We were too late... We didn't get to the house when she needed us; she was already too far gone. I watched as her sister held her, Cas; I watched another little girl be ripped out of a normal life into a life of horrors." I cried, "I watched another girl go through what I had."

He holds me tighter, offering whatever comfort he can. "I'm so sorry," he repeats again, his voice full of emotion."You're not alone," Castiel says firmly, "You have Dean, Sam and I." He pauses momentarily, continuing, "And you're making a difference out there. Not every hunt will go how you like, but you can't stop trying because of that."

He strokes your hair gently once more before leaning back slightly to look at you with concern. "Do you want to talk about it some more? Or would you like to just rest?"