• Out of habit, Dean prayed to Castiel. After a few minutes he stopped, realizing how useless it was. He wasn't even sure that Cas could hear him in Purgatory. Old habits die hard though, and in all honesty Dean didn't really want to quit this one. When he prayed to Cas, it was like talking to him on a level deeper and more profound than he'd ever achieved in all their face-to-face conversations. He told Cas everything he had to tell: how he missed Bobby, the difficulty the brothers were having when it came to finding Kevin Tran, the way Sam always managed to piss him off somehow, and most of all, how much he worried about Castiel himself. For some time he kept that part to himself, but before long it began slipping in.

    It began as simple as

    "Hey, Cas. How ya doin'?"

    But the more he prayed, the more drawn out his voiced concerns became. Dean would inquire about his friend's well-being and safety until his voice grew hoarse from use.

    Every night, Dean Winchester poured his heart out to the angel Castiel. After he would finish, he would wait, the perfect image of stillness. He was hoping-- literally praying for an answer.

    And every night, he was met with the same deafening silence he was always given. Despite all of their "talks," Dean's heart never felt any lighter. He told no one, not even Cas, but his heart was growing heavier by the day, to the point that he feared one day his entire being would cave in under its unbearable weight.