Righteous Man (Demon!Dean Destiel AU)

Chapter 2: Back in Black

When Castiel returned to heaven, Michael wasn't pleased to say the least. Castiel had stumbled weakly into the gates of Heaven and fallen to his knees with a hard thud. He was exhausted beyond the point of caring, and the only thing that was floating through his dazed mind was the image of Dean Winchester... The cry of terror he had bleated as his humanity crumbled away, leaving him as nothing more than a demon... Castiels stomach lurched, and he stuggled to keep his breathing even. 

Michael approached Castiel slowly, frowning curiously as Castiel was alone and heaving upon the floor. 

"Castiel?" He said. 

"Michael!" Castiel gasped, struggling to his feet. Sweat was beading on his glowing skin, and he trembled with the effort it took to stand. Grimacing, Castiel set his shoulders back and raised his chin in a defiant matter. Michael's gaze hardened. 

"Did you do it?" He asked, ignoring Castiel's poor condition. 

"Yes... Brother..." Castiel stammered. 

"Good." Michael reach out and patted Castiel's shoulder in an awkward way. He smiled slightly, and gave Castiel one more hard look before he turned on his heels and walked off. Castiel suppressed to urge to wipe off his shoulder and roll his eyes, and instead let out a long breath of air. Still, the image of Dean burned away in his mind. Castiel couldn't just leave Dean, especially after what had happened. 

About him, the other angels moved about their normal daily routines. A low buzz of talk hummed around Castiel, and he glared down at his feet. No doubt they were talking about him. They could be so heartless.... They didn't seem to care that hundreds of their siblings had died. He shook his head in disgust and flew off. 

It was a few minutes before Castiel landed in his favourite place of Heaven. It was a bright, vibrant meadow that was teeming with wildflowers of evey imaginable colour. They dotted the grass like little points of light, or stars in the night sky. A few plain boulders littered the grassy plains, and a sun above him shone at just the perfect intensity. The sky was a soft, light blue that oddly reminded Castiel of clear waters. It was a real paradise; the eternal Sunday afternoon. Everytime Castiel came here, he would smile and relish in it's peace. Birds sang sweet songs around him, and he took a seat in a soft patch of moss. It cushioned him perfectly. The sun beat down on him in a comfortable manner, and he laid down against the grass. He stretched his great wings out, extending them to their full length and resting them back against the ground beneath him. After that ordeal in Hell, he thought he deserved some nice downtime...

Through the high of this paradise, the though of Dean Winchester resurfaced... The black wisps and the glowing fire contrasting until the darkness had won.... Castiel began to wonder if Dean had awoken yet, and if he was alright... If he remebered what happened. With wings beating in sudden urgency, Castiel flew off. 

~~~

Suddenly, Dean woke up. He gasped in a long, trembling breaths and clutched his chest. His eyes burst open wide, searching his surroundings in a wild panic. All around him was a bottomless black, and it reeked with the metallic sting of the earth. He wrinked his nose, and attempted to sit up.

Wham! 

Dean's head crashed against hard wood, and he fell back, wincing slightly. It didn't hurt as much as he would have expected, and suddenly his blood ran cold... Was he still dead? Was he buried alive? Was he just in a different part of hell? He wasn't quite sure. He shifted slightly again, this time carefully, and felt around with his hands. He was caged in a thick wooden box that was slightly frigid to the touch. Yep, he was definitely in a coffin. But, why was he alive? If only he had some sort of a light source... Dean patted his pockets desperately, and found in his back pocket was his lighter. Thank God...