[ depression. ]
summary: itâs breaking deanâs heart to see you wilting away in his bed, suffering from a depressive episode.
cw: depression (symptoms, behaviours, thoughts, etc.), non-sexual nudity, angsty fluff, angsty/sad dean, pure comfort, loverboy!dean, depressed!reader, set in the bunker/later seasons
bf!dean winchester x gf!reader âź wc: 4.28k
dean winchester had never been a stranger to letting dark feelings consume him; he knew what it was like to feel like youâre drowning from the inside with thoughts that made your soul crumble piece by piece.
he knows.
he gets it.
but with you? it was different.
you werenât like himâyou allowed yourself to wallow in your sadness, letting it suffocate you like a weighted blanket until one day it magically lifts and youâre back to being yourself. it was routine at this point, something you just accepted as part of your life.
dean, however, spent his days existing alongside his depression, running through life like a bulldozer, never allowing himself to rot in the sadnessâbecause deep down he knew he wouldnât be able to get back outâbut instead using it as a means to keep himself going through the challenges he faced.
his heart ached as he watched you spend day after day in his bed, withering away amongst the sheets, letting your unspoken thoughts and feelings eat at you, draining the usual light in your eyes into dull lifeless voids.
each morning was the same routine.
âyou want some breakfast, baby?â dean asks, sitting on the side of the bed with his hand carefully threading through your greasy unkempt hair.
you shake your head. again.
and dean sighs. itâs like clockwork.
âyou sure? i can bring you something.â
âjust wanna sleep,â you mutter, your quiet croaky voice barely louder than a whisper.
deanâs heart breaks in his chest. you look so sad. so broken. so absent.
he looks away, not wanting you to see his frown. âalright. iâllâ uhh⊠iâll leave you be then,â he sighs and wipes a hand down his face. âiâll be in the library with sam if you need me, okay?â
and with a creak of the mattress and another soft sigh, heâs out of the room, and youâre back in the quiet solitude of his bunker bedroom, blanketed by the dull smell and thick air that seems all-consuming.
back in it.
back in the midst of your own tired brain, spewing out things youâd never dare say aloud.
things youâd never share with dean.
but deanâs not an idiot. he knows depression like the back of his hand, and heâs seen your episodes beforeâthough it doesnât make it any less painful whenever you enter one.
you spend your days in and out of consciousness, swimming in the dire thoughts that plague your mind and leave you feeling empty.
and you perhaps look even worse than you feel. you should be embarrassed, you think, letting dean see you like thisâthe unwashed hair, the unbrushed teeth, the crinkled pyjamas youâve been wearing for days that are starting to smell.
but you donât care.
itâs hard to care.
youâre so wrapped up in your own brain, trying to fight the onslaught of grim thoughts, that you donât even see the impact youâre having on dean.
heâs tried everything.
he was gentle at firstâthe soft-spoken words and tender touches that just made you feel worse.
guilty⊠maybe.
and when his soft love didnât help, he moved onto bringing you things, like a meal or your toothbrush, but every time he tried, he was met with a grunt or hum of disinterest.
and it broke his fucking heart.
even sam could see the stress that your dynamic was having on dean. he watched his brother wallow in despair, going days without a smile and the usual bite of confidence that he walked around with. he was losing himself in worry, but yet, the pair of them were clueless when it came to helping you; they didnât know what to do.
theyâd grown up just coexisting in their shared anguish, not letting their afflictions get in the way of life. they couldnât afford to let it get in the way, no matter how much they were struggling.
but you were different.
and to them it was different.
so as the days of you rotting in his bed went by, deanâs own light began to fade. he walked around the bunker dejected and heavy-hearted, just existing with a sad level of apathy. he didnât care for the cases sam would bring up; he couldnât find it in himself to worry about the potential victims or the entities that were no doubt wreaking havoc.
not when he was worrying about you.
you were lying in his bed, half asleep, as you heard deanâs footsteps patter down the hallway. you pulled the blanket further up under your chin, almost shielding yourself from him and whatever he was going to say to you.
the door opened with a creak, the light from the hallway illuminating the dark room. dean popped his head in, letting his eyes land on you. âsweetheart?â he asked quietly, letting his gentle voice float through the stagnant air that reeked of you.
when you didnât respond, he sighed, opening the door wider and stepping into the room. you felt his weight pull down the mattress as he sat, and his hand met your side over the blanket, gently rubbing, trying to coerce a response out of you.
âitâs 4 oâclock,â dean murmured, studying your face and the way you hid it in the pillow. âyou donât wanna get up? youâre not hungry?â
he knew his questions were redundant. heâd asked them every day since youâd first fallen into this depression.
you shook your head against the pillow. âmâtired,â you muttered.
âi know, sweetheart. i justââ dean sighed, âiâd just like you to eat something. itâs late⊠and iâm sure youâre hungry.â
he waited.
but you didnât respond.
âi can make you a sandwich. some toast?â he offered, still rubbing your side over the sheets.
you shook your head again, silently pleading for him to give up like he usually does with these conversations.
âbaby, please,â deanâs voice wavered, his usual gruff tone wobbling with emotion as he looked down at you. âplease,â he begged again.
ânot hungry,â you muttered, finally giving him a reply with words.
dean sighed. his hand moved up to your head, brushing some hair out of your face. his touch was gentle and reverent, like you were something thatâd break if he wasnât careful.
cause perhaps you were.
âi know youâre not, sweetheart, but i want you to eat something. you need to.â
the stale air around you felt thicker as the moments of silence grew, and you felt it suffocating you.
âplease, dean,â you tried.
âno⊠iâm gonna make you something, and youâre gonna eat it for me, okay?â
your eyes finally fluttered open and hesitantly looked up to his. deanâs eyes immediately softened. there you were.
âbabyâŠâ
the look of hopelessness on his face made your chin trembleâit was beyond your control. the way his eyes looked sunken in was a reflection of your own misery.
he moved his hand to rest against your cheek. his touch was warm, and you found yourself swimming in the contact.
âcâmon, angel. pleaseâŠâ his voice was strained, tight with emotion that he was trying to keep from spilling out all over you; he didnât need to make you feel any worse. âlet me get you up. come sit in the kitchen. just you and me.â
he didnât give you time to argue with his words. instead, he gently peeled the blanket away and slid his hands under your body.
a groan of protest left your throat, but your body melted into his as he pulled you up off the mattress.
âthere we go,â dean muttered, letting you sit against him. your tired eyes blinked at him, conveying all the words you couldnât find the energy to speak. âi know, sweetheart, i know. just for ten minutes, yeah?â
you blinked slowly, watching his face search yours. his expression was a mixture of concern and empathy, and you felt your heart lurch at the sight, knowing you were the cause.
his hand stroked your cheek as the silence grew once more. âyouâre⊠youâre a bit ripe, baby,â dean finally spoke, his tone gentle and a little reluctant.
you swallowed. you knew those words should embarrass you, but⊠you couldnât find the energy to care. âi know,â you whispered.
dean nodded. âcâmereâŠâ
his big arms wrapped around you, caging you against his chest. his hand rubbed your back, attempting to soothe away the sadness he could feel emanating off you.
you melted into his embrace, his warmth alleviating some of the tension in your body.
âi love you, baby. let me look after youâŠÂ please. it kills me to see you like this,â he whispered into your hair.
you let out a soft noise, one that left your throat without your permission.
âi know,â dean murmured. he pulled back and looked down at your face, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. his eyes softened as he met your tired gaze. âiâm gonna run you a bath, okay? iâm gonna help you.â
he nodded along with his words, almost reassuring you with his actions.
you wanted to argue. you wanted to tell him to go away, that you didnât want a bath, that you just wanted to sleep.
but the pain in deanâs expression stopped you. the way the frown tugged down on his lips and the way his eyes silently pleaded with you had your chest tightening.
âokay.â
dean let out a shaky breath. âyeah, okay. good⊠thatâs my girl.â he placed a tender kiss on your forehead, letting his lips stay against your skin for a few moments before pulling back. âyou stay here. iâll be right back.â
he pulled away from you, your body instantly feeling cold at the absence of his touch. he ducked out into the hallway and down to the bunker bathroom, ready to fill the tub for you and wash off your layer of grime.
you slumped back down into the mattress, your heart beating faster in resigned anticipation. you didnât want to get up. you didnât want a bath. you just wanted to fall back into sleep and avoid being awake, like youâd been doing all week.
but deanâs face appeared in your mind, and you knew how much this meant to him. your heart ached knowing you were the cause of his sadness, and so you sat back against the sheets, waiting with a heavy heart for him to return.
dean entered the room again only moments later. he stood beside the bed looking down at you, a cautious yet glum smile pulling at his lips. âbathâs running. you justâ you just wait there.â
you watched him pull out the drawers of his dresser, grabbing an old shirt and a pair of his boxers, before dipping back out of the room in a rush.
a few minutes passed before dean returned again. he approached your sad state on the bed and loomed over you with a steady presence. âokay, sweetheart. bathâs full. câmere.â
he bowed down and slipped his hands under your lifeless body, pulling you away from the warm sheets of the bed and into him. your head instinctively ducked into his neck, searching for closeness as he began carrying you out to the bathroom.
âit's gonna be okay, baby,â dean murmured into your hair. âiâm gonna look after you, okay?â
his gentle words made your heart flutter, the first sign of life in your chest in days. a warmth spread, and you sighed, nodding in response.
dean walked you into the bathroom, closing the door with his foot before setting you down in front of him. the tiles were cold against your feet, and the fresh air of the bathroom invaded your nose. it was a lot, after being surrounded by the stale air of his bedroom for so long, but deanâs presence somehow made it all feel okay.
you looked at him, waiting to see what heâd do, but his eyes were already on youâround and wide with that same glimmer of concern, but still full of so much love.
âletâs get you undressed,â he said softly, his hands already moving to the pyjama shirt youâd been marinating in for the past few days.
you nodded, wordlessly, and let him pull it over your head, your arms slipping out of the fabric and covering your bare chest. deanâs eyes flickered down to the covered skin, and a small smile grew on his lips. âsânothing i havenât seen before, baby. youâre alright.â
you felt a smile threaten to tug on your own lips at his small remarkâanother beat of life returning to you momentarily.
dean pulled down your pyjama shorts and underwear in another careful movement, gently lifting your feet to slip them out of the leg holes.
âthere we go,â he huffed softly, throwing your soiled clothes into the laundry basket.
deanâs face softened as his gaze returned to you, and his eyes swept over your form reverently. âmy beautiful girl,â he breathed out, the love seeping from his words. your sad heart soaked it up as he cupped your cheek with his palm, the contact almost electrifying for a moment, waking you up from your slightly hazy state.
âletâs get you in the tub, yeah?â he murmured once again, his green eyes flickering between yours in assurance.
you nodded.
and dean nodded in return before leaning down and pressing a kiss to your forehead, âthatâs my girl.â
he guided you to the bathtub. bubbles floated on top of the water, and steam plumed up into the air. the sweet scent of your body wash filled your nostrils as you stood in front of it.
dean watched your eyes take in the sight, a small smile gracing his face. âi did alright, didnât i?â he let out a soft laugh.
you glanced up at him, your heart skipping a beat at his beautiful face. god, you loved him. âyeah,â you replied softly, your voice nothing more than a mere whisper.
but still, dean smiled.
he was pulling more words from you in fifteen minutes than he had been for the past week.
âhop in, baby. itâs nice and warm.â
you tentatively dipped a foot in, testing the temperature, before committing and taking a seat in the water.
the warm water surrounded you, gently lapping at your skin like gentle kisses on an ocean shore. it felt nice, and you were already feeling better than you had been all week.
âgood?â dean asked as he lowered himself beside the tub, sitting on his knees.
you relaxed back against the porcelain. âgood.â
dean smiled once more, taking in the sight of you. âiâm glad,â he murmured. he let his hand reach over the tub and dip under the water, meeting your knee. he gave it a gentle squeeze.
you let out a deep sigh, a long sound that seemed to escape your lungs without your consent. dean just nodded. âi know, baby,â he said, squeezing your knee again. âi'm gonna wash you and get you back to bed. i know youâre feeling rough, my baby. just let me do this for you.â
his tender words struck at your heart, your heartstrings tightening as a frown grew on your lips. as little as his words seemed at face value, they meant the world. he saw you. he saw the pain that existed within you, and yet, he was okay with it. he understood it, and you could see he was more than willing to help you shoulder it. that much was clear.
and so you nodded once more, words seeming too daunting for you to handle. dean hummed and picked up your shampoo bottle from beside the tub. âcan you wet your hair for me?â he asked, his soft eyes falling over your face.
you swallowed and slipped down, dipping your head into the water.
you found yourself falling back into a hazy state as dean began washing your hair, his gentle hands massaging the suds into your scalpâthe motion tender and careful, like he was touching you for the first time again, cautious that youâd pull away.
your eyes fluttered shut, your wet lashes draped over your warm cheeks as he rinsed and conditioned your hair. emotions bubbled in your chest at the feeling of being looked after, cared for like your soul had been aching for. dean took care of you with such love, and your fragile soul soaked it up, revelling in his presence for the first time in days instead of feeling repulsed by it.
the salty tears escaped your eyes while dean began scrubbing your body clean.Â
dean saw them.
âoh, sweetheart,â his voice wavered. his free hand came up and cupped your cheek, almost guiding your face to meet his gaze. âitâs okay. youâre okay.â
you looked at him through your blurry vision, the tears still spilling down your cheeks and your throat closing up from how much his touches were forcing up emotions that suffocated your airways.
you whimpered.
âi know, baby, i know. iâm so sorry you feel like this,â dean murmured. he leaned forward and placed a kiss on your forehead, letting his lips linger a few seconds longer than necessary, as if he was trying to kiss away some of the hurt from inside of you.
your lips trembled, and your chin quivered. it felt too much. it all felt too much.
you let out a sobâa quiet one, the sound broken and pained.
dean felt his heart rip. there was no other way to describe it. he felt your pain evaporate from your insides and expel itself into the air in the form of sobs.
maybe your tears were good, and maybe your sobs too.
he kept gently scrubbing your body clean, his heart twisting at every cruel sound that escaped you. âi know, angel, i know. iâm so sorry. i wish i could make it better.â
you cried.
for the first time in weeks.
you felt the floodgates open, and you had no way of closing them. the sounds were almost guttural, ravaging your insides and tearing out of your mouth.
but as painful as it all seemed, your sobs lightened itâlessened the load of what you were carrying inside, lightened the heavy feeling that had manifested itself into the dull ache in your chest.
you couldnât see through your tears by the time dean had drained the bath and managed to wrap you in a towel and pull you into his arms.
âi wish i could take away your pain. iâd take all of it, every last drop, baby, just so youâd never have to feel like this again,â he whispered into your hairline. his voice was so soft, so raw, and so sincere. âiâm so sorry.â
he kept his strong arms around you, holding onto you like a vice, feeling like youâd shatter into a million pieces if he were to let go. you just collapsed into him, your body seeking his comfort after days of stubbornly rejecting it.
when really
it was all that youâd needed.
you couldnât say how long you stood in the bathroom together, just letting him hold you. but it didn't matter. you felt your internal turmoil lessen with each second that passed, like dean alone was sucking out the oxygen that kept your painâs flame alight.
your heart beat in your chest; a steady rhythm gently pounding under your skin. you could feel deanâs too, right under your ear as you rested your head against him, neither of you caring about soaking his shirt with your wet hair or the droplets of water that were landing on the floor.
it didnât matter.
dean finally pulled his head back, a gentle sigh escaping his lips. his gaze flickered down to your face still buried in his chest, searching for solace in his touch, in his presence.
âi love you so much,â he muttered, his voice low and delicate, not wanting to break the moment. âi want you to get better⊠and i want you to talk to me, okay? i want to help with whateverâs going on in here.â
he gently poked at your temple.
you swallowed down the lump in your throat. it felt scratchy from how badly youâd sobbed your throat raw.
but you looked up at him, blinking. you nodded.
dean nodded back.
he was gentle as he pressed you against the counter, the back of your legs hitting the edge. and he was even gentler as he rubbed in your moisturiser and towel-dried your hair.
he was so beautiful. so patient. so understanding.
and though your insides were turning inside out, practically screaming at you to back away and hide in the comfort of his dark bedroom, you stayed put, allowing deanâs presence to mute the constant array of dark thoughts from bouncing around in your mind.
he soothed you. inside and out.
and part of you hated yourself for rejecting this for so long, denying yourself his comfort.
dean thought you looked vacant as he dressed you, pulling up his old boxers over your legs and covering you in one of his shirts. his chest hurt, but again, this was more from you than youâd given him in a week.
and that meant something.
he didn't let go of you the entire walk back to his bedroom. his hand was wrapped around yours, tight, almost like he was trying to remind you of the devotion he felt for you.
the smell of his bedroom air hit your nose as you walked back in. was it really this bad before? it was like your innermost thoughts were hung in the air, polluting the room with a foul stench that reeked of misery.
you frowned.
dean let his hand run up your arm, wrapping around your shoulders and pulling you into him again. you let him, melting into his warm embrace.
âyou hungry? donât say no.â
you glanced up at his face, taking in his softened expression. you allowed yourself to nod.Â
âokay, yeah. good,â he murmured. he pulled away, reaching over to his desk. you saw the plate in his hand. two pieces of toast sat on top of the ceramic dish.
âi texted samâŠâ he explained, trailing off as he passed you the plate.
you nodded again. âthank you,â you returned, a quiet muttering.
âiâ iâm gonna change the sheets, sweetheart. i canâtâ i canât sleep another night in themâŠÂ and thatâs saying something⊠you know, coming from me,â he said, his humour lightening up the heavy mood of the room. he smiled gently. âyou sit. eat.â
dean pulled out his desk chair and gestured for you to take a seat. you slumped down into it, letting out a soft sigh.
he kept his eyes on you as he pulled the dirty sheets off his bed, stripping it bare as he watched you take small hesitant bites of the toast that sam had made. you looked tired, practically fusing back into the chair, but at least you were up. that's what dean told himself.
âgonna grab some new sheets, okay? finish your toast, baby. i'll be back in a sec.â he spoke to you like how someone speaks to a toddlerâgentle and soft like the wrong word or tone would send you spiralling back into bed for another week, but he couldnât afford that, not when he had managed to get this far with you.
you nodded, and he left the room with the dirty sheets in hand, returning only moments later with the fresh linen that immediately lifted the roomâs scent.
you had finished your toast by the time dean was done pulling the sheets onto the bed. you put the empty plate back onto his desk and looked up at him with wide tired eyes.
dean came over, standing in front of your legs. âall done?â
you nodded. âyeah.â
his hand made contact with your head, brushing some of your damp hair back and petting you. his movements were gentle, like he had to be extra delicate with you in your fragile state, but his touch sent a surge of love and affection through youâsomething that jolted you awake for what felt like the first time in days.
you looked up at his face, like really looked up.
âi love you,â you muttered out, no louder than a whisper.
deanâs hand paused in your hair. his face softened. âi know, baby. i love you too⊠more than anything in the world.â
his hand slipped down to your cheek, cupping it tenderly. his palm was warm, almost searing against your skin with unspoken words of affection. his thumb rubbed along your cheekbone.
âcan i hold you?â he asked, his twinkling green eyes searching yours, rounded like he was bracing himself for you to say no.
but you nodded, leaning into his touch. âplease.â
dean let out a breath. âmmkay, up you get then, angel.â
you stood up from the chair. he pulled the sheets back, helping guide you back into the warmth and safety of his bed. dean slipped in after you, the mattress dipping under his weight. his arms immediately wrapped around your waist, pulling you into him.
you felt your body relax for the first time in days, releasing all the tension from your muscles and melting against him almost innately. you sighed, closing your eyes.
dean pulled you closer. âi got you, sweetheart. you know iâve always got you.â
fig yaps: first time doing proper angst !!!!!! i hope itâs not cringe omf iâm hiding away after i post this !!!! BUT comfort fic ??? hopefully !!! i started writing this when i took my lil break bc i was sad as hell and all i wanted was for dean to look after me LMAOOO i hope u enjoyed <3
reblogs and feedback are appreciated :P
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