deancasbigbang:

Title: Life Could Be a Dream, Sweetheart
Author: ireadhpinenochian
Artist: topieornottopie
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Dean/Cas
Warnings/Tags: canon-typical violence, fluff, angst, baker!Dean, psychic!Cas, established relationship, non-explicit past child abuse (mentioned), canon au, bakery au
Posting Date: 10/16/2017

Summary:  Dean is an ex hunter turned bakery owner. Cas is his basically perfect boyfriend with one slight flaw – he never stays the night. When what was supposed to be night terrors turns out to be an actual monster trapped in Cas’ dreams, Dean decides to call in a favor from an old friend. But Cas is reluctant to accept any help for what he views as his responsibility, especially when that help puts Dean in danger. Besides, would the two of them even be enough to take on the monster that Cas has failed to defeat his whole life? Or will the monster prove to be more than a match for the two of them in an ever-changing dreamscape that Cas is only mostly in charge of?

– – –

“It’s a good plan,” Dean told him.

“It’s too dangerous,” Cas replied. “Dean, you die in my dream you die in real life. The adversary is not something to take lightly. I’ve been fighting him my whole life and I haven’t been able to defeat him!”

“Exactly my point!” Dean threw his hands up before walking back to the counter to grab the broom. He had already cleaned the tables as he waited for the clock to tick down the minutes before he could close. “If you can’t do something on your own, then you ask someone to help you.”

“This isn’t your responsibility, Dean,” Cas told him. He was standing behind the till, trying to count the money. He had started over twice now, getting distracted each time Dean opened his mouth.

“Like hell it’s not!” Dean flung his arms out, nearly knocking over a stack of plates fresh from being washed. He looked sheepish for a moment at realizing what he had almost done and then furiously began sweeping. “I mean, come on Cas. Didn’t we just have three rounds of sex to celebrate exactly why this is my fucking responsibility?”

Cas threw the money back into the register with a huff. He leaned forward on the counter and hung his head. “I can’t let you risk your life for me, Dean.”

“Why the hell not?” Dean demanded. He had stopped sweeping to glare at Cas. “Cas, I spent my life risking my life for complete fucking strangers, you bet your ass I’m going to risk my life for you.”

Cas was shaking his head when he answered. “You’re not understanding me, Dean. It’s too dangerous.” He said it slowly as if Dean just hadn’t heard.

Dean threw the broom to the ground in frustration and marched over to Cas. “I don’t care, Cas. I’m not letting you go another night fighting a monster without backup.”

“No,” he said again in a growl. “He will kill you, Dean. I cannot allow that to happen. He will not take anyone else from me.”

“He’s not going to, Cas. Me and you? We’re good together. We’re the perfect fucking team, babe.”

“We’ve never fought together a day in our lives.”

Dean shrugged. “So?”