Plaid Shirts and a Trench Coat

Chapter 9 *Castiel's POV*

I lay there at four am, listening to the playlist Dean made me on his iPod. Most of it is stuff we listen to in the car, or stuff that used to play, when I popped in before they stopped hunting. Now that they're back in the family business, Dean whipped out the cassette they left in the impala after they took their last hunt. They haven't listened to it since then, so it was nice to hear the songs again, on the way to the motel earlier. Sort of, nice...

I press next, because right now I'd rather not listen to "Carry On My Wayward Son," because of the images it brings back. A song called "James Dean and Audrey Hepburn" by Sleeping with Sirens comes on. The beat is awfully mellow compared to some of the music Dean listens to. For example, "Collide" by Skillet, "Eye of The Tiger" by Survivor, and "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. Why would he listen to a song talking about hell, considering the traumatic experience he had before I pulled him from perdition?

Dean is also religiously into Metallica and bands like that, while I enjoy the more soft pieces. Like piano music, that soothes you sleep. I've been getting a kick out of Mumford and Suns recently. They're very soothing to me. "Dean?" I nudge the (hopefully not) sleeping Dean next to me. "Cas, I'm sleeping." He mumbles against the blanket. "I apologize- but I wanted to know, why must one want to sleep with sirens?" I ask, while pausing the song. "No one does, unless they're, well psycho. It's the name of a band." He sits up and rubs his eyes. "Guess I'm up." He stretches, to reveal a trail of hair on his stomach, then stumbles to his feet. What was I doing? A celestial like me cannot fall for a human.

He walks over to the fridge and pulls out a beer. "Alcohol? At this time?" I tilt my head in concern as he pops the lid off with his finger and chugs it. "Only option, other than the hot water. Would you like to go to the store?" I jump off the bed as he raises his eyebrows. "One- water is healthier even if hot. And two- yes." I place the iPod down, with the earbuds tangled around it. "After our hunt, Cas." He smiles. "You shouldn't disappoint a celestial."

"What you gonna do, Cas?" He crosses his arms as a smirk presses against his face. "Nothing. Funny how the first reason I came here years ago, was to hurt you. Now, I do on accident and it's like my life flashes before my eyes." I stop for a minute and ponder every decision I've made, while staring at the floor. "Dean?" He looks up with a smile on his face. "Have I hurt you?" He takes a deep breath and places the bottle on the counter. "Cas, everyone hurts everyone. Whether they like it or not." I felt my heart break in a hundred pieces as he continued with what he was saying. "-but that's part of life. Cas, I'm okay. Look at me."

I look up, at a soon to be bandaged up, damaged Dean Winchester- and suddenly remember the times after every hunt. Me having to press my fingers against his forehead to heal him, or the same with Sam. The times I was powerless and couldn't save them, and I saw their lives leaving their bodies, and I couldn't do anything about it. I remember the time he sold his soul, and the time Sam had jumped into the pit. The fight with Lucifer and my brothers, Michael and Rafael. Meg, and the others. I remember riding down the highway in silence, in the back seat of the impala. Sam would ask Dean if he was okay, and Dean would say "I'm fine, Sammy," and I would want to say, "I know fine is not okay, Dean," but I never would.

"You don't seem okay." I mumble. I look over to see Sam curled up with the blanket, sound asleep. No noises come from the room except for AC and mine and Dean's voices. It's still quite early, so I'm sure everyone is still sleeping. I haven't gone to bed, due to the playlist Dean made me. He only got a few hours of sleep, which is the usual. "Cas." He chugs the rest of the beer and then begins to shake his head and sway back and forth as if he's caught up in the wind. "I told you it was too early for alcohol." I say, as I catch his stumbling body in my hands and lay him on the bed. "One usually never effects me." He says. "You had quite a few after our picnic, Dean." He looks up at me and smiles. "You used the right word. Picnic." He smiles again. "Yes I did." I smile, and wipe the stray hairs from his eyes. "Get some rest." He opens his eyes again, and grips onto my arm, with surprisingly tight force. "But the hunt."

"I'll wake you and Sam when we need to go." With no last words, his eyes close, and he's out like a light. What a weird saying, right? Out like a light. Maybe that is true, since Dean was just awake, and flicked off into dream land. Just like how a light flicks off instantly when you turn it off. I walk over to the table and sit at it, while listening to the playlist. The sun is completely risen, and birds are chirping. I think of how peaceful it is right now, and how terrifying the night will be. Dean stirs, and Sam begins to snore.

*Two hours later*

I went thru the playlist twice already, but it is so good that I'm listening to it a third time. I look over to see Dean yawning, and stretching his arms again. "Will your body not rest anymore?" Heook his head as I look over at sleeping Sam. "This is the only time Sam has slept this long, Cas." Dean looks over at his sleeping brother, then gets up and grabs a warm, carbonated water. He shows it to me and winks. "Thank you." I say, over the music. "You're welcome." Dean stands there, leaning against the counter and stares out the window. I walk over, and stand beside him.

I stare outside to the forest of trees on the left, and the street on the right. The sun was shining, and birds were chirping. There were few clouds and I could feel Dean's heartbeat running through his body. "You know what, Dean?" I ask. He looks at me and gives me a half smile. "Maybe not everything, but something feels right, right now..." He turns back to the window and I see his chest fly out, then back in as he takes a deep breath. "You know what Cas?" He looks at me one last time before turning back to the window. "You're right. That one right thing, in this moment...Is that I actually feel okay for once.

"I hope your okay-ness stays for at least until Sam gets up, or maybe for forever."

"Nothing is forever, Cas." He mumbles.

"I will be, if you want me to. If you need me to, that is."

"I do need you...to be." He doesn't make eye contact and his voice stays monotone. "Then I'll find a way to stay." I cross my arms, and look out the window, trying to find a way to stay here with the Winchesters until time ends.