Just refreshed my dash after being a couple days deep
And now I'm seeing Leviathan-stuff in reverse and I don't know what the fuck happened or how they got out/got into the mansion/Becky and Chuck's house but all I can think is "holy shit fuck fuck fuck no god shit shit shit".
Thanks guys.
And before you ask, I'm really not sure if that's sarcastic or not.
Your cat is ridiculous. I like him. -Castiel touches both of their heads, and they appear in Castiel's room- I keep the cats in here most of the time... Crowley hates when Levi gets loose and climbs the curtains. And Gabriel leaves Nut with me while he's gone.
“My cat is too smart for his own good. We’ll have to be careful, he likes exploring. And getting into trouble.”
“Though he does seem to like your cats well enough.”
[text] I think that Elphias Levi, Nut, and Ezekial should be friends. - Cas [sent] [text] Let's get drunk together [deleted]
[Text] Huh. A cat play-date. I agree- I can pick up more cat food and catnip at the store, if you would like to bring them over in an hour or two. Unless you’re busy. [sent]
[Text] Is there anything you’d want to eat or drink? [sent]
Castiel was sitting at his bed in one of Paxton's safe houses, debating making a trip into the kitchen for another bottle of bourbon. He'd finished off yet another and had no reason to stop now- at least, the fact that he was already drunk wasn't reason enough for him.
Tipping his head back to look up at the ceiling, Castiel felt another pang of homesickness. It's why he had started drinking in the first place, to try and smother that feeling. But he longed to go back home, to see Rachel and the kids, hell, he'd even wanted to see Dean a few times. And being without his new family, he'd started to miss his old one. The Dean of his own universe, Sam, Bobby. His home in Heaven. Brothers, sisters. Even his father.
Tired blue eyes slipped shut, a sigh escaping his lips. "I just want to go home," he whispered. "Just want to go home- for one day, that's all I'm asking. Home for one day."
He felt sleep pulling at the corners of his mind and Castiel let himself drift away.
Huffing as he tried to roll over, Castiel swatted at his nose. He frowned. Before falling asleep, he could've sworn that he'd been lying in bed. Why was grass tickling his nose?
Prying open an eye, Castiel suddenly jerked awake, scrambling to sit up suddenly. His head snapped around, looking at the front yard of a large house with surprise. The sun on his back, the mountains in the distance, the house right in front of him- all of it was so familiar he knew it in an instant.
The Winchester home in Colorado.
But how the hell had he ened up here?
Slowly standing- which Castiel found surprisingly easy and assumed he was sober- he glanced around. There didn't seem to be anyone around, and aside from the sounds of birds and the wind, there wasn't much else.
Castiel heard the front door creak and the screen door swing open and slam shut. "The hell're you doin' out here, man?"
Whirling around, Castiel's eyes widened. Dean stood on the porch, beer in hand as he looked down at Castiel. His green eyes looked brighter than they had in ages, the corners of his lips tilted upwards, prepared to smile as he nodded back towards the house. "C'mon, Rache's got burger's fixin' out back, and the kids are rearin' to got at 'em. Can't wait on you forever, Cas."
Castiel's mouth opened and closed for a good minute, trying to figure out what to say. What the hell was going on? Dean had been pissed at him, last they'd talked, and Castiel wouldn't have expected a greeting like this unless someone was drunk. And it didn't look like Dean was drunk...
Dean just huffed a laugh and shook his head, smiling. "Don't just stand there, get your ass into the house."
Still puzzled about his eerily warm welcome, Castiel slowly walked towards the house. Following Dean through the door, he peered around cautiously, almost expecting things to have changed.
But the house was clean, bright, and as friendly as normal. Although... off. Something was off, even if Castiel couldn't quite place it.
Dean slapped his shoulder, wrapping an arm around his neck and pulling Castiel close. He laid a kiss onto Castiel's temple, an the ex-angel stiffened. "C'mon, Rache and the others are out back."
"The others...?"
"Yeah, Rache, the kids, Paxton, Becky and Chuck, the mansion crew- Even Crowley's well behaved, for once, surprisingly. Well, as well behaved as the King of Hell can get, y'know?"
Castiel merely stared at Dean as the hunter smiled brightly. "I don't... what about- But Becky-?"
Dean tilted his head curiously, smile still on his lips, though a little faded now. "What about Becky?"
"I thought she was in a coma. I thought you were in a coma."
Dean tilted his head a little, looking confused, then laughed. "Cas, man, you gotta stop drinking right before bed. Pretty sure that was a nightmare."
Dean flashed Castiel a reassuring grin- which did nothing but unsettle Castiel's stomach- and turned to head through the house and to the backyard. Castiel trailed after him slowly, still looking around the house suspiciously.
Something just seemed... off. Like he could almost see it, at the corners of his eyes, but when he turned to get a better look, whatever he'd seen was gone.
And another thing... Becky and Dean had both been in a coma, to his knowledge. If Becky had woken and he didn't know, that was one thing. But Dean? Surely Rachel would've called him, texted him, something to tell him that Dean had woken up.
So what the hell was going on here?
Stepping onto the back porch, Castiel froze once more, blue eyes wide as they took in the scene. Kids were running around, screaming and playing games. Becky and Chuck had taken up a lawn chair, talking and laughing with Crowley and Brigid. The other Castiel and his Dean were sitting by the pool, watching Gabriel try to dunk Sam underneath the water while another man- was that Sachiel?!- sat with a couple of children, telling them a story.
Paxton was manning the gril and caught sight of Castiel, turning to wiggle his fingers, his sharp blue eyes narrowing as a smirk turned up his lips. Dean had slipped behind Rachel, resting his head onto her shoulder as he nuzzled into her neck. She was laughing, smiling, just as carefree as Dean was.
Eying them cautiously, Castiel slid over to where Paxton was, throwing the demon a confused glance. "What's going on?"
Paxton quirked a brow, small smirk on his lips. "We're having what's called a cook out, Castiel. It's when-"
"I know what a cook out is!" Castiel snapped, glaring at Paxton. "I mean, why are we having a cook out at a time like this? The Brotherhood is after us, and having all of their enemies gathered in one place isn't- what?"
Paxton was giving him this bewildered look, a smile twisting on his lips as if he'd caught Castiel in a lie. "What Brotherhood? What're you talking about?"
Castiel tilted his head, looking at Paxton incredulously. "The Brotherhood- the guys who captured you, tortured you, starved you. The idiots who took Peri, they turned Claire, they caused Becky to go into a goddamn coma! They're the ones who have been ruining our lives for months!"
Not waiting for a response, Castiel turned and rushed over to Dean, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and towing him towards the house. "Hey!"
"Sorry, Rachel, I just need to borrow Dean for a moment."
"The hell, man?!"
"Dean, shut up."
Dragging the hunter into the house, Castiel all but slammed him into the wall. "WAKE UP. WAKE UP NOW."
"What the fuck, Cas, settle down!"
"Dean, this isn't real. This is a dream, it's not reality. You need to WAKE UP."
Dean pushed against Castiel, frowning. "Cas, calm the fuck down man. Of course this is real, what the hell are you on?"
"I'm not on anything. Dean, you're in a coma still, and somehow, I got into your head, or your dreams or-" A thought occurred to him that stopped him dead, jaw going slack for a moment. "I'm in your Heaven?"
Dean was looking at Castiel like he was crazy, pushing against the ex-angel. "Look, man, whatever you're on, you need to knock it off. This is real. I'm not in a coma, okay? I'm awake. You're the one that's acting weird."
Pushing Dean back up against the wall, Castiel glared. "Dean, you charged the Brotherhood. You took off after them and didn't listen to anyone. Castiel- the angel- came to get you, and you tried banishing him. The grace you had in you from Michael caused your soul to go with it when the grace was banished. Your car crashed. Your soul's in Heaven and your body is in a coma. Dean, please, just try- just try to remember."
Dean had been about ready to rip Castiel a new one, but by the look in Castiel's eyes, the hunter paused and sighed. At first his expression read as Dean simply trying to amuse Castiel, but it quickly became confused. He frowned, his brow furrowing and his expression becoming more and more worried.
"Cas?"
"It's alright, Dean. You're alright."
"I... Am I dead?"
"...No, you're just in a coma. Come, it's time to go home."
Dean looked over Castiel's shoulder, towards the backyard where everyone was still partying. Castiel's heart ached for Dean; he could see the longing plain as day on the hunter's face. He'd give anything to give Dean the life he wanted, the life he and Rachel deserved.
"Come on. Let's go." Tugging Dean gently down the hall, Castiel walked with Dean through the house. When they reached the front door, Castiel nodded his encouragement and Dean opened the door and stepped through.
He vanished from sight.
Castiel stood there for a long moment, staring out at what was Dean's front lawn. He didn't want to go back. He didn't want to go back to Dean being pissed at him, to feeling broken and angry and useless, to getting so drunk he didn't remember his own name to deal with everything.
But he had obligations to keep.
Castiel stepped through the door and opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling of Paxton's safe house. Scooting down on the bed, Castiel curled up on his side, wrapping his arms around himself before falling asleep.
