Work Text:
He still has nightmares, sometimes.
He doesn't really remember them, but he always wakes up, panting and expecting something to be waiting for him in the darkness.
Nothing ever is. Even so, he can never seem to shake the paranoia for the rest of that night, and any sleep he manages to get after that is fitful.
One night, he's woken up by one of these nightmares. Rather than attempting to fall asleep again, he lays there for a while, trying to get himself to calm back down, stop his hands from shaking and his heart from pounding. He eventually figures that he might as well try sleeping again, and he rolls over on his side to get what rest he's graced with.
He doesnt remember falling asleep, but figures he must have because the next thing he knows he's being woken up by the bed dipping slightly, and he feels a prescence behind him. He sits up, and just as he suspected, there's somebody sitting on the other side of the bed, and upon closer examination, he realises it's Castiel. Dean sighs, and places and hand on his arm, gently tugging.
"Come on, dude. If you're going to sit here and watch me sleep or whatever, you can at least lay down." Castiel looks terrified, as though he's been caught doing something he shouldn't. When the inevitable "just kidding, get the fuck out" that Cas was expecting doesn't come, he tentatively lays down on the bed, still wearing his coat and shoes. He lays on his back, staring at the ceiling and looking rather uncomfortable, as though he's worried about infringing on Dean's space. Dean huffs, and pulls Cas onto his side. Now they're laying facing each other, with their faces inches apart.
They stay like that for a while, each waiting for the other to do something, before Cas moves in slowly, his eyes flicking between Dean's eyes and mouth, stopping just before their lips touch. Dean takes castiel's face in his hands, and closes the distance slowly, eyeing him to make sure it's okay. If he was completely honest with himself, Dean had wanted to do this for a long time--a really long time--but he didn't want to overwhelm Cas, or worse. It would have been all kinds of embarrassing if he made a move, only to find out that he had misread all of the hints he thought Castiel had been dropping. The kiss itself is slow and sweet, tentative, and comforting to Dean after his nightmare. As they kissed, it was as if the tension both of them were holding seemed to just melt away.
Dean pulls back somewhat, his hands still on Cas's face, and smiles when Cas moves forward to keep contact. He kisses Cas one more time, just a brief press of lips, before he moves back again, and just looks at him.
"I've wanted to do that for ...a really long time, you know," Dean says after a while, quirking his mouth into a smile.
"I must admit I have as well... I've... seen you having nightmares. I wished I could help you somehow, but I wasn't sure of a way." He looks down, frowning slightly at the reminder of being unable to help Dean. Dean's smile widens, and he laces his fingers with Castiel's.
"Well, this may sound lame, and I have a thing against chick-flick moments, but uh, just by being here you kind of help." He pauses, unable to keep eye contact, a faint blush colouring his face. "Don't tell anybody I said that, though." Castiel laughs-- actually laughs, the kind of laugh that makes Dean's insides curl up with happiness-- and smiles at him with utter love in his eyes.
"Don't worry, I won't," he answers. Lips touch again, more passionate this time, and it's quiet for a while.
"Stay the night?" Dean asks breathily between kisses. Castiel nods-- as if he would say no, could say no-- and Dean smiles again as he begins to kiss down Cas's neck.
"This coat has got to go, though." Castiel laughs again-- Dean thinks it might be the most wonderful sound he's ever heard-- and disentangles himself from Dean and stands up, removing his coat, and then his jacket, shoes, and socks, before climbing back into the bed. He entwines his fingers with Dean's again, and kisses him, as though the few moments it took to undress --partially-- had been too long to spend not kissing Dean.
"You need to sleep," he whispers against Dean's mouth, though he sounds reluctant.
"And what if I don't want to?"
"I can make you, you know." Dean can practically hear the smirk.
"You wouldn't dare," Dean says, but he's smiling too.
"I would, if you don't go to sleep." Dean knows he's not serious-- can sense it in his voice-- but he figures he should take his advice. Though he'd had a boost of adrenaline that woke him up, weariness was slowly returning to his body, and he knows he'll regret it tomorrow if he didn't go back to sleep soon.
"Yeah, alright, whatever. I guess I can go to sleep. But not because you told you me to, understand." He turns on his other side, and Cas curls up behind him with a murmured "Of course.", and Dean can't believe he's the little spoon, but finds it hard to be suitably affronted when Cas's arms wrap around his sides, holding him tight.
Dean smiles again as he feels Cas press one more kiss to the back of his neck, and he finally drifts off to the first decent sleep he's had in at least a week.
Dean will never admit to how he feels when he wakes up in the morning and Cas is still there.