A Rogue Nightmare

By the time he had managed to settle into the passenger seat and haul the door closed behind him, Cain had the key in the ignition and the truck began to rumble over uneven gravel. The jerking motiok of the vehicle making him grimace and lash out a hand for balance upon the dashboard.

"Who..." He swallows, his voice dry and rasping and his mind reeling to form thoughts. He groans and hangs his head into his hand. Pressing a palm over crooked shades so he might obscure the glaring light of their surroundings.

The Nightmare lifts his palm sceptically off of his shades to catch how Cain leans in with a deliberate emphasis on his behaviour. The Dreamkin scoffs softly and proceeds to drop his hand from his face to wind lethargic arms around his stomach instead. Finding respite from holding his head aloft by sinking back against the headrest.

He wasn't truly behaving, was he? Not in the way his Maker wanted. Nightmare's were not supposed to be wandering the Waking World. And yet...

Cain's question succeeds in stirring a hesitant blink from the Nightmare. A pause fit to burst, preceeding a slow turn of his head down towards his own body.

He attempts to stand up straighter and disguise just how poorly he must seem for Cain to comment that he does not trust his legs, only for him to realise he had been slouching against a tree. The attempts made to right himself only ended with both hands grappling with the trunk and the world being taken for a wild spin.

"I'm..." He was going to say fine, but that wasn't true at all, was it?

Swallowing down the tight burning in his throat, he raises his head again to realise Cain had moved. A disoriented swing of his head searching for his missing company only to find him in the process of dragging a dead deer towards his truck.

He huffs out softly as he musters up the strength to lean off the tree and teeter after Cain and the beast he was dragging.

By the time he had managed to settle into the passenger seat and haul the door closed behind him, Cain had the key in the ignition and the truck began to rumble over uneven gravel. The jerking motiok of the vehicle making him grimace and lash out a hand for balance upon the dashboard.

"Who..." He swallows, his voice dry and rasping and his mind reeling to form thoughts. He groans and hangs his head into his hand. Pressing a palm over crooked shades so he might obscure the glaring light of their surroundings.

"Something about you is different."

Everything about him felt different. Was it that obvious to the casual onlooker, too? The Corinthian had hoped he was doing a better job of hiding it, but he felt awful.

The first thing that indicated to him something was wrong, was when he fell asleep.

Nightmares don't sleep.

And when he woke up, he felt like he'd been hit by a truck. His limbs felt heavy, his stomach ached, his head pounded in a way he'd never experienced before. He had stepped outside in the hopes fresh air would cure him, or at least he would put distance between himself and whatever cursed object was causing this misery. He subsequently discovered that balance was harder to maintain and the sun was too damn bright.

Cain had obviously spotted his disorientation even before the Nightmare had noticed the encroaching Demon and tried to play it cool. His smile was too forced, tightly stretched over grinding teeth.

He attempts to stand up straighter and disguise just how poorly he must seem for Cain to comment that he does not trust his legs, only for him to realise he had been slouching against a tree. The attempts made to right himself only ended with both hands grappling with the trunk and the world being taken for a wild spin.

"I'm..." He was going to say fine, but that wasn't true at all, was it?

Swallowing down the tight burning in his throat, he raises his head again to realise Cain had moved. A disoriented swing of his head searching for his missing company only to find him in the process of dragging a dead deer towards his truck.

He huffs out softly as he musters up the strength to lean off the tree and teeter after Cain and the beast he was dragging.

⋆｡‧˚ʚ💋ɞ˚‧｡⋆   𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞  𝐨𝐟  𝐲𝐨𝐮

𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 - send  ‘reverse’ for the sender and  receiver to  swap.  adjust wording as needed!

[  fever  ]  sender  presses  the  back  of  their  hand  to  receiver’s  forehead,  brows  knitting  with  quiet  concern

[  medicine  ]  sender  sets  alarms  on  their  phone  just  to  make  sure  receiver  doesn’t  miss  a  dose

[  blanket  ]  sender  layers  blankets  over  receiver,  adjusting  them  until  they’re  just  right

[  soup  ]  sender  blows  gently  on  a  spoonful  of  soup  before  offering  it  to  receiver

[  water  ]  sender  holds  the  glass  steady,  murmuring  encouragement  until  receiver  takes  a  sip

[  hair  brush  ]  sender  carefully  brushes  receiver’s  hair  back,  slow  and  soothing

[  ice  pack  ]  sender  wraps  an  ice  pack  in  a  towel  and  presses  it  gently  where  it  hurts

[  temperature  ]  sender  wakes  up  in  the  middle  of  the  night  just  to  check  if  receiver’s  still  warm

[  pill  ]  sender  places  medicine  in  receiver’s  palm  and  waits  until  they  swallow  it

[  quiet  room  ]  sender  dims  the  lights  and  turns  everything  down  low  so  receiver  can  rest

[  slow  ]  sender  stays  at  receiver’s  pace,  arm  ready  in  case  they  stumble

[  bandage  ]  sender  changes  the  bandages  carefully,  apologizing  even  when  it  doesn’t  hurt

[  lap  ]  sender  lets  receiver  rest  their  head  in  their  lap  while  they  stroke  their  hair

[  night  watch  ]  sender  refuses  to  sleep  deeply,  listening  for  every  shift  or  breath

[  warm  cloth  ]  sender  presses  a  cool  cloth  to  receiver’s  neck  or  wrist

[  cough  ]  sender  rubs  slow  circles  between  receiver’s  shoulders  through  every  coughing  fit

[  carried  ]  sender  helps  receiver  move,  taking  more  weight  than  they  should  without  complaint

[  pain  ]  sender  distracts  receiver  with  quiet  stories  or  memories  until  the  pain  dulls

[  soft  voice  ]  sender  speaks  more  gently  than  usual,  like  anything  louder  might  hurt

[  held  ]  sender  sits  behind  receiver,  arms  around  them  so  they  don’t  have  to  hold  themselves  up

[  protective  ]  sender  stays  curled  close  even  after  receiver  falls  asleep

[  food   ]  sender  convinces  receiver  to  eat  “just  a  little  more”  with  a  smile

[  stay  still  ]  sender  gently  stops  receiver  from  pushing  themselves  too  hard

𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

❝  hey.  i’ve  got  you.  ❞

❝  don’t  rush.  we’re  not  going  anywhere.  ❞

❝  let  me  do  it  for  you,  okay?  ❞

❝  i  know  it  hurts.  i’m  right  here.  ❞

❝  you’re  allowed  to  rest.  i  promise.  ❞

❝  just  focus  on  breathing.  i’ll  handle  the  rest.  ❞

❝  you  don’t  have  to  be  strong  right  now.  ❞

❝  tell  me  where  it  hurts.  i’ll  be  careful.  ❞

❝  i’m  not  leaving  until  you  feel  better.  ❞

❝  i’ll  stay  up  with  you  if  i  need  to.  ❞

❝  it’s  okay  to  lean  on  me.  ❞

❝  shh…  you’re  safe.  ❞

❝  i’ve  got  time.  all  of  it’s  yours.  ❞

❝  you  don’t  have  to  say  thank  you.  ❞

❝  let  me  take  care  of  you.  ❞ 

❝  you’re  doing  really  well.  ❞

❝  i’m  right  here.  breathe  with  me.  ❞

❝  don’t  apologize.  this  is  what  i’m  here  for.  ❞

❝  rest.  i’ll  wake  you  if  you  need  anything.  ❞

The fact that Castiel isn't flirting flies straight over the stranger's head. Not that the Corinthian really cares about this third wheel. This wasn't about the sex. It was about proving a point.

But nevertheless, the Nightmare plays into the narrative with flirtatious ease.

The fresh mortals cheeks flush with a rising burst of heat that he is wholly unfamiliar with, and he is suddenly acutely aware of the weight of a dozen eyes upon him watching this bizarre scenario play out. Embarrassment was an emotion he was still unused to, yet it was becoming a far more prominent feeling in Castiels company the longer he remained in this mortal form.

He could not help but attempt to bat Castiels hands away on occasion when the Angels searching bordered on fucking ridiculous. He hadn't been touched by someone else since turning mortal, and the duality of sensation being borderline heavenly, but coming from Castiels tone deaf frisking was threatening to make him scream. By the time Cas had stooped to stick his fingers beneath his laces, the Corinthian felt fit to try and kick the asshole in the head.

He found himself unable to make eye contact with the man in fishnets when Castiel finally stood back up. His throat feeling painfully tight as he forces down a swallow and shoots Castiel a glare that he hopes conveys how fucking stupid the Angel really is.

Below are a series of sentence starters that vary in levels of toxicity. Level one being the least toxic, all the way to level three being the most. (TW: Abuse)

Level One

❛ I should walk away from you, but we both know I won’t. ❜

❛ Be angry if you want, just don’t be gone. ❜

❛ Oh, now you want my attention? Funny how that works. ❜

❛ If you didn’t want me to assume things, you shouldn’t act so damn suspicious. ❜

❛ If loving you ruins me, then so be it. I was halfway ruined before you anyway. ❜

❛ Every time you leave, I lose my mind a little more. ❜

❛ If loving you is a mistake, I’ll make it again and again. ❜

❛ I’d rather fight with you every day than feel nothing with anyone else. ❜

❛ I’m not jealous, I just don’t trust your taste in people. ❜

❛ You always say you’re ‘busy,’ but somehow you’re never too busy for everyone else. ❜

❛ You see the monster in me and still keep coming back. Why? ❜

❛ You’re the only thing that makes me feel anything. That’s the problem. ❜

❛ You think anyone else will love the worst parts of you like I do? ❜

❛ You say I’m too much, yet you’re still here. Interesting. ❜

❛ Don’t get offended. I’m just being honest—something you should try sometime. ❜

❛ Pretend all you want, I know exactly which buttons to push. ❜

❛ Don’t act like you’re innocent. You knew exactly what you were doing when you let me in. ❜

❛ I want all of you. Even the parts you only show when you’re at your lowest. ❜

❛ You don’t need to love me perfectly. Just let me be the one you fall apart with. ❜

❛ You wouldn’t last a day without me keeping you from screwing everything up. ❜

❛ Don’t play innocent. You know exactly what effect you have on me. ❜

❛ You want honesty? Fine. You’re my weakness and my favorite obsession. ❜

❛ I don’t need to control you. You already bend the second I raise my voice.❜