Title: There Is Always Hope
Author: martyred-wings
Pairing: implied Castiel/Dean
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mr Eric Kripke. I make no money from this - this is purely for entertainment purposes.
Summary: Castiel watches Dean sleep and ponders.

***

Castiel stood in the shadows of the motel room, watching Dean as he slept. Night after night he'd been standing there, watching, unable to tear his eyes from Dean's sleeping face, marvelling at how peaceful the man looked. It was rare to see Dean so peaceful, so relaxed, without his guard raised up against the world, allowing his inner beauty to just shine through; that inner beauty that Castiel had always known was there.

Castiel continued to watch, feeling at peace; something he himself rarely felt in recent times with the ongoing war with the demons still apparent, so to feel peace now, in the simplest of pursuits was worth it.

He watched as Dean sighed in sleep, his eyes fluttering slightly as though he were about to wake, and Castiel readied himself to leave. He did not want to be caught by Dean unnecessarily, to be caught loitering in the shadows - just in case. He had no way of knowing what Dean felt, of how he felt about Castiel himself, whether the hunter felt anything for him at all. All the angel knew was that he loved Dean, as much as he was able to love and to understand the emotion. He'd never felt that emotion with any other of his charges before in his long life. He knew that if it came down to it, he would lay his life down for Dean, would compromise his soul, his true nature, everything he was for Dean if circumstances called for it.

Dean settled down, with another sigh, falling back into a deep sleep, leaving Castiel there, waiting, watching in the shadows. He continued to watch, feeling love plunge down and sweep over him as Dean smiled in his sleep, looking truly happy with whatever his dreaming mind was showing him.

And then Dean murmured something that was too quiet for human ears, yet with Castiel's superior hearing, he heard.

Dean had said his name.

Castiel.

Dean turned over in his sleep, settling down further into his pillow, as he murmured Castiel's name once again. The word was said with so much love, so much affection, that it gave the angel hope. Perhaps all was not lost, perhaps there really was hope for him, for Dean at the end of this war; hope for them both together.

He ghosted forward on silent feet, to lean over Dean's sleeping form, pressing a gentle kiss to the hunter's dreaming forehead, before he left, called away by his superiors on other business.

Moments after he left, Dean's eyes fluttered open, blinked once, twice in the night dark gloom. He felt warmth spreading through his body seemingly starting at his forehead. He felt peace, love, and he felt loved, protected, safe. He smiled to himself, knowing, somewhere deep inside himself, that Castiel had graced him with a visit in the night, had left him with a small reminder of his protection.

"I love you, too, Cas," murmured Dean, before he settled deep into sleep once again.

Even though Dean had not expected the angel to hear his murmured words, Castiel still did; brought to him on the wings of the night as he roamed across the Earth on angelic duties and wings of shadow. He allowed himself a rare smile, his heart soaring as high as he was, and he knew there was hope indeed.

If all else failed, there would always be hope.

There would always be Dean ....

 

 

fin

***