Chapter Text
Sam stared across the coffee shop in shock. He’d never seen the blue-eyed man before, not in real life, but he’d seen him in his dreams every night for months. It was weird. They’d meet, fall in love over several nights, with or without misunderstandings along the way, and then repeat the cycle. Dream stories that would pause and pick up where they left off the next night.
The guy was sitting alone, with coffee and a sandwich. Once Sam was reasonably sure he wasn’t waiting for someone to join him, he made his way over. “Um, hi. Look, this is going to sound really weird…”
“You!” The guy looked up and he promptly fell off his chair. “You’re real!”
“So are you!” Sam offered him a hand up. “I’m Sam.”
“Castiel.” He pulled himself up with the offered hand, and awkwardly transitioned it into a handshake. “How are you real? Did I fall asleep at my desk or something? Michael is going to kill me…”
“No, you’re awake, I think. I’m awake. Or I am having a much weirder dream than usual, because I’ve never recognized you before while I was still dreaming.” Sam sat at the table, and Castiel joined him.
Castiel leaned forward, eyes practically glowing blue. “You have the dreams too? Where you’re a pirate and I’m a merchant whose ship you raid, or we’re spacemen who get stranded, or…”
“My personal favorite is the one where you’re an angel and I’m the demon-blooded abomination you save.” Castiel was real. His handsome dream man was real and sitting across the table from him.
Castiel laughed. “I would make a terrible angel.”
“I think that was kind of the point?” Sam shrugged. “What was your favorite, then?”
“I liked the one where you were a soldier and I was the helpless civilian you saved from the Nazis. Completely implausible but a lot of fun.” Castiel smiled. “Any idea what’s going on here? Because how are we dreaming together?”
“I have no idea.” This was not something Sam had ever considered a possibility for his dreams. “You know, now that I know you’re real and having the dreams, I should probably ask my brother if he is too. He’s in them, all of them. Some of the others are people I know, too, a lot of them I don’t recognize, but Dean’s the only one I think is always there.”
“I recognize a lot of them as well – my family and coworkers." Castiel chuckled a little. "In the dream where I was the angel who pulled you out of Hell, the part of Lucifer was played by my ex-boyfriend Nick. Excellent casting choice, the guy was a total assbutt.”
Sam let out a snort. “Michael was played by my half-brother Adam. And the guy you delivered me to, once I was free, that’s my real brother Dean.”
"I was wondering why I always see that guy." Castiel picked up his sandwich and took a bite. “Your real brother is hot.”
Sam’s heart stopped. This wasn’t possible. Not unless the gods had a very sick sense of humor. “I know. Everybody loves him.” But Castiel was supposed to be his, dammit. Just this once, Sam was supposed to be the one the handsome man fell for.
“You really think he might be having the dreams, too?” Castiel continued, as if he weren’t breaking Sam.
Sam took a deep breath so that he could speak normally. “I don’t know. He’s always in them. Everyone else comes and goes, but Dean’s always there.”
“Always thought that was weird." Cas shrugged. "But then, I guess he’s as important to you out here as he usually is in the dreams.”
“Yeah, Dean’s all the family I really have… I barely know my half-brother, and both my parents are gone. He’s my best friend. There were times where it felt like he was literally all I had.” And there were times, like now, where it seemed like Dean was all he'd ever have.
“That would certainly explain why he’s always there. I was starting to wonder.”
“I should go. See you tonight.” Sam got to his feet and turned away.
“Wait!” Castiel reached out and grabbed his arm. “We probably won’t remember meeting in the dreams, it would be incredibly out of place, but now that I know you’re real, I can’t just… let me see your phone?” Sam handed it over reluctantly. “There. Now you have my phone number. And email. And Twitter. And Facebook. And just for good measure my home address. Contact me. Please. Otherwise I’ll drive myself crazy trying to find you again.”
“Yeah. I’ll do that.” Sam turned and walked off.