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He can't sleep. He tosses, and he turns, and try he might, he even downed some sleeping pills. But hell if Cas can stay asleep for more than a few minutes. It gets to a point where he's afraid to close his eyes, to even blink, because that's where the nightmares live. Behind closed eyes. Memories of falling, memories of failing, memories of bloodshed, memories of insanity; they twisted and morphed themselves into horrendous things. Things like seeing himself take his own life. Things like seeing himself take Dean's. Those were the most frequent, and frankly, the ones Cas feared the most. Because sooner or later, with the way things were going, with what Dean himself had told him he was going to have to do, it seemed like some of those nightmares were coming true. But for now, he tries to push those thoughts away. He takes another pill and closes his eyes, hoping for the best.
When Cas wakes up yet another time in the middle of the night, he gives in. He dials Dean's number. He ends the call before it even connects about five times before finally feeling ready. He hits redial. It takes less than two rings, and Dean answers.
"Cas." He sounds half asleep and mildly worried, but all Cas needs is to hear his voice.
"Hello, Dean." There's a long pause, and the only thing that lingers in the silence is the sound of Dean's steady breaths, patiently waiting.
"Cas, is everything okay?" There's a creaking noise that sounds like Dean is sitting up. "I'm driving over right now, where are you staying? Cas?" Cas could almost cry.
"Dean, no, I'm okay, you don't need to do that. Could we just...talk?" He holds his breath.
He can hear Dean sink back onto his bed. "Sure. Talk to me." That's all Cas has to hear. The dam breaks and in rolls the flood. He tells him he can't sleep. He tells him about the nightmares. He tells him about what he sees in the nightmares. He tells him about waking up in a cold sweat, still feeling like he was drowning. He tells him he's broken. He tells him everything.
Dean is silent for a moment. It's just for a few seconds but it feels like decades before Dean finally speaks again.
"Cas, close your eyes."
"But-"
"Just do it."
He closes his eyes. His grip on the phone gets tighter, as if Dean's voice is about to slip out of his grasp. There's another few seconds that last way longer than they should. And then he hears it. Dean starts to hum, just barely loud enough for Cas to hear. Its a soft tune, with a melancholy ring to it. It's simple, but Cas loves it already. His eyes are closed, but they aren't screwed shut anymore. Dean's voice is quiet, and Cas can feel sleep slowly become his friend again.
"Through rolling hills,
and wandering souls,
I will rebuild,
your broken road.
Years of war,
have taken their toll,
but I love your scars,
the young and old.
Now, don't fall,
for yesterday.
Now, I'll take all,
your demons away."
When Dean is done, all he can hear is Cas's patterned breaths, and he knows he's finally asleep.
"Night, Cas."
The line clicks off.