Commencing at the siren, any and all crime, including murder, will be legal for 12 continuous hours.
Police, fire and emergency medial services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning at 7 am, when the Purge concludes.
Blessed be our New Founding Fathers and America, a nation reborn. May god be with you all.

Dean participates in the Purge, Castiel doesn't. What happens when Castiel has to leave his house and comes across Dean, who wants to kill everyone in his way.

A/N It's not a problem if you haven't seen the movie: The Purge. It will be well explained in the fic.

TW: There will be violence and mentions of blood. If you're triggered by this I would recommend you to not read it.

March 21st, 2022.

Castiel closed his little bakery he owned, located on the end of a long busy street. He had only two hours left until it began.

They called it: The Purge.

Castiel has never been fond of it and even though unemployment is at 1%, crime is an all-time low and violence barely existed anymore, he still didn't like it. He was scared, that's why he had a really expensive alarm system. Castiel trusted that thing to keep the bad guys out.

Oh, how he was wrong.

Castiel took a short walk home, watching the people on the street closing of their shops and return to their homes as quickly as possible.

He didn't blame them, most of them were either scared something might happen on the way so they could never reach their houses, or were excited about Purging that night.

Castiel saw his neighbor walking the dog, his last chance to do so before the Purge began. "Safe night." His neighbor wished Castiel when he walked passed him.

"Safe night." Castiel replied, he was curious if he would see his neighbor again in the morning.

Luckily, Castiel did reach his house safely without any troubles and started on dinner.

He finished making his mac 'n cheese and sat down at his large dinner table, eating alone as always. He lived alone, had no kids or a boyfriend. Yeah, Castiel is gay.

His house is way too big for one person, but Castiel liked his space. It was a huge house with multiple bedrooms he never used, unless he had guests. Every bedroom had their own bathroom and the two biggest bedrooms had a walk-in closet.

Not only that, but the house also contained an enormous kitchen and an even bigger living room. Because Castiel loved books, he also had a small room transformed into a sort of library, with high bookcases against the walls.

And let's not forget the most important room, also known as the security room. The same room, he went to as soon as he finished his dinner.

It was only 3 minutes until the Purge began, and even though Castiel knew he would be safe, anxiety twisted his stomach in knots. He had a bad feeling, like something was going to happen and not something good.

Castiel pushed away those feelings and typed in his password on the touchscreen of his alarm. The metal doors made a loud noise and rolled down every door and every window, covering his house up like some kind of bunker.

Castiel turned the flat screen on against the wall just in time to see the usual announcement they played every year.

Release the beast and Purge in our American streets. Your New Founding Fathers encourage your participation.

A man said, reading the slogan of the Purge and then a woman started talking, explaining the rules of their annual Purge.

This is not a test

This is your Emergency Broadcast System announcing the commencement of The Annual Purge sanctioned by the U.S Government.

Weapons of Class 4 and lower have been authorized for use during the Purge. All other weapons are restricted.

Government officials of ranking 10 have been granted immunity from the Purge and shall not be harmed.

Commencing at the siren, any and all crime, including murder, will be legal for 12 continuous hours.

Police, fire and emergency medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning at 7 am, when the Purge concludes.

Blessed be our New Founding Fathers and America, a nation reborn.

May God be with you all.

As soon as the woman finished, a siren roared in every street of America.

It has begun.

Castiel had a peaceful evening at first, he put some music on, mostly to block out the screams coming from outside and read a book. He was easily lost in the stories about the Boy Who Lived, but his peace was interrupted very soon after.

It was only a half hour after the Purge had begun, when Castiel heard a loud bang. He suddenly heard the metal doors going up, making his heart thump loudly in his chest.

It was impossible to enter his house and turn off the alarm so there was only one thing that could have happened; his alarm system failed.

He was hoping the loud noise coming from his house didn't attract people, otherwise he wouldn't be safe anymore.

Castiel ran to his security room, reading error on every screen. He tried everything but wasn't able to fix the alarm.

He sat down, hands in his hair. He wasn't leaving his house, he decided. Until he heard banging on his front door.

Castiel knew he had only one option left, the option he dreaded the most.

Run outside.

Castiel figured he couldn't use the doors and him being on the second floor didn't help very much. He had to jump out of a window in order to survive, so ran to his bedroom and opened the window, feeling the wind blow through his thin T-shirt.

March wasn't exactly warm, but the house was warm enough, so Castiel didn't bother with a sweater. He regretted his decision almost immediately, but he didn't have time to grab something warmer as the door broke open. Loud footsteps pounded against the floors, two running upstairs. Castiel closed his eyes and jumped, landing rather hard on his right knee. It wasn't broken, just a bit bruised and bloody, however Castiel didn't feel anything as he ran down the street. He was frantically looking for a safe place to hide. Then, he saw it. A small alleyway, hiding in the shadows. There might be people in the alley, but Castiel decided to take a leap of faith.

He was very relieved to find the alley way empty, so he crouched down behind a dumpster and closed his eyes.

*********

Meanwhile, Dean Winchester just shot his boss. In his opinion, he had every reason to do so. Ever since he started working at the garage, his boss kept complaining, bringing him down and downright offend him. So, yes, he killed him, but tonight was the night to do these things. And it wasn't like his boss had a wife or kids, otherwise Dean would've felt guilty.

Dean purged alone, he couldn't trust other people, especially not tonight. He hid in the shadows, trying desperately to not draw attention to himself. Yes, he was strong and knew a few things about handling a weapon, but he couldn't compete with the larger groups roaming around. Dean heard laughing nearby and sprinted to a small alleyway, praying they had not seen him.

Somehow his prayers were answered because the voices faded away. Dean was getting used to the darkness and could finally see his surroundings. On the other and of the alley, he saw a curled up person hiding behind a dumpster, making himself as small as possible. Although Dean could tell the person would be no threat, he couldn't help but be cautious. Again, he couldn't trust anyone, especially not random strangers outside in a dark back alley. So Dean took out his gun and made his way over.

Might as well enjoy the Purge.

Dean towered over the smaller frame of the man in front of him, gun in his hands and pointed at his head, just in case something happens or he just wants to kill him.

The man finally noticed the presence of Dean and looked up, fear in his big blue eyes, making him look younger than he actually was.

"Please, oh my god, don't kill me." The man whimpered, tears threatening to fall. He was shaking in fear and Dean couldn't help but feel bad for the guy.

Dean didn't react at first, and the man probably didn't take it as a good sign, as he squeezed his eyes close, waiting for the gunshot that never came.

Instead, Dean crouched in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder, feeling the muscles tense beneath his fingers.

"Hey, buddy? Relax, okay? I'm not going to hurt or kill you." Dean whispered gently, not wanting to scare him off.

"Why should I trust you?" The man whispered back shakily, still too afraid to look at Dean properly.

"Because if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead right now." Dean stated, his eyes never leaving the man in front of him.

"I'm Dean." Dean said, holding out his hand.

"I'm Castiel." Castiel replied, firmly shaking his hand, Dean couldn't help but notice how soft his hands were. Small sparks danced along his skin, leaving goosebumps on his arms.

Dean pulled at Castiel's hand until he was standing, not letting go of his hand. Castiel was a bit shorter than him, with stunning blue eyes and actual sex hair.

Conclusion? Castiel is really hot, even just illuminated by the moonlight. Dean wondered what he looked like in the sunlight, smiling and not frozen in fear.

Dean claimed he wanted to be alone on this night, but there was something about him that made him change his mind.

"I'll keep you safe, help you through the night." Dean smiled softly, brushing the raven black hair out of his eyes.

"Why?" Castiel asked confused, his head tilting in the most adorable way.

"I don't know."

*********

"I need you to stay very quiet, okay?" Dean whispered gliding against the wall, his hand still in Castiel's. It was warm and it made them feel safe, although neither one of them admitted it out loud.

Tonight is not about romance, it's about survival.

Romance would just be a distraction, but Dean found himself looking at Castiel a lot. Whenever Castiel looked back, he whipped his head back forwards, feeling his cheeks heat up. Dean was glad it was dark outside, so Castiel wouldn't see. Or maybe he did and didn't mention it.

After they were 100% sure they were safe, they walked around a bit more relaxed. Dean decided he would take Castiel home. He put two and two together and quickly figured out Castiel can't go home for whatever reason. Otherwise, he wouldn't be out on the streets like this.

Dean noticed Castiel's shiver and scanned his body. The only wore a T-shirt and blue jeans, no wonder he was shivering. He was probably freezing his ass off.

Dean took off his jacket and placed it around Castiel's shoulders. Castiel protested, but Dean wasn't taking no for an answer. Eventually Castiel gave up and cuddle up in the softness of his jacket, feeling a lot warmer now.

They continued the way in silence, not because they didn't want to talk, lord knows how many questions they wanted to ask each other. No, they stayed quiet because of the fear, what if they got caught?

After minutes of silence, which felt like hours, Castiel finally spoke up. He couldn't handle the awkward silence anymore.

"Where are we going?" Castiel asked in a hushed tone, still afraid of the people who might be lurking in the shadows, ready to tear him apart.

"My house." Dean replied in the same hushed tone. "Why are you outside tonight?"

"The alarm system broke and people tried to get in my house, I had to jump out of a window." Castiel explained, watching Dean.

He never really looked at him, maybe shallow, but not really. His apple green eyes hard yet gentle when he looked back at him. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds, before shyly tearing their gaze away.

"Is that why you're limping a bit?"

"Yeah..."

Castiel found it rather odd that he felt so safe with the guy who was probably purging himself. Castiel didn't even know anything about this man, for all he knew he could lead them to his house to kill him. How can he already trust a guy he just met, on this night for crying out loud.

"Why are you outside?" Castiel asked unsure, afraid Dean might get angry.

Except, he didn't get angry, he was just silent. Not saying anything, letting the question and uncertainty linger in the air. Castiel kept quiet as well, telling himself he should just do what Dean wants to not piss him off.

Dean wasn't planning on doing anything to Castiel. The only reason he didn't speak was because he was unsure of the answer himself. Why did he go outside? He wasn't a killer. Well, now he was. Frustrations maybe? Build up anger he had to release before he explodes?

"I think because-." Dean began, but abruptly stopped when he saw Castiel's frightened expression.

"Cas? Are you okay?" Dean asked concerned, looking around and ready to defend himself and most importantly Castiel.

Since when is Cas' safety more important than mine?

"I'm sorry, you scared me. Why did you call me Cas?" Castiel asked curiously.

"Because Castiel is such a mouthful." Dean smiled, letting Castiel know it wasn't meant to offend him.

"Okay." Castiel smiled back a little bit more relaxed than before. "What were you saying?"

"Hmm?"

"Well, you tried to tell me something, go on."

"Oh, erm, yeah." Dean stammered, he cleared his throat before speaking up again.

"Well, I'm outside tonight because, I don't know really. I think I just have a lot of frustration and anger bottled up inside of me and I can't get rid of it, doesn't matter how much I try." Dean sighed, but continued. "I thought purging would make me feel better, but to be honest, it didn't. I feel horrible for what I've done tonight. I wish I could rewind time and do it over. I wish I stayed at home and watch some tv or something, anything other than this." Dean finished.

It was Dean's turn to let his head hang low, not daring to look Castiel. He didn't want to see the pity or disgust in his eyes. He couldn't handle that. Not now.

"You saved me." Castiel said, his voice low due to the people walking around. He sounded confident as if this was the surest thing in the world. As sure as the earth was round and the sun comes up every day.

"If you wouldn't have purged tonight, I would be dead by now."

"You don't know that."

Castiel glared at him with one eyebrow raised, telling him he is wrong and an idiot without saying it out loud. Dean chuckled softly, not feeling as tense anymore. He practically felt the stress and tension flowing out of his body, leaving a warm happy feeling in its place.

They continued talking whenever they could. They still felt restless, but happy nonetheless. They needed to learn more about each other, absorbing the words. Dean shared stories about his childhood and his little brother, who was not that little anymore. Castiel smiled and laughed almost as if he was there at the time.

Dean wanted more of his glances, his smiles, his words. He craved it.

Castiel makes him feel safe and carefree. Dean could be himself around him without fearing he consequences. He hadn't felt that way about someone for a long time, not after Lisa. Even with Lisa it never felt right. Not really.

They were great together and loved each other very much. However, there was something missing.

Dean never felt protected, he was always the one who was being strong for her, not the other way around. Never the other way around.

And even though he was practically body guarding Castiel, he felt safe. As if they were in a little bubble with only room for the two of them.

Dean almost dreaded the next morning, knowing he would never see him after this night.

They almost made it.

Maybe their hopes were up too high or maybe they weren't careful enough. Dean could even see his house. Oh, how bittersweet that was.

They heard laughing and shouting, the noise coming closer and closer. Castiel was terrified, unable to move. Dean was sure Castiel was about to pass out. Dean took Castiel's hand and tried to run back, escaping the fate that was waiting for them.

A white minivan and two motorcycles on either side of the van stopped in front of them. The motorcyclists had animal masks on their faces, the rest of their bodies covered in black clothes.

Three others jumped outside of the minivan knives in their hands. Dean was worried, frightened even. Not so much for getting hurt, he was concerned for Cas. At least Dean could defend himself just a little, although the chances were not high as the others had multiple guns and he had one with not much ammunition left.

None of the masked people spoke, they just stared in silence, making them even creepier. Shivers ran over Dean's back and not the good kind of shivers.

Castiel held his hand in a deathly grip, grounding him somehow. He had to make sure Castiel stayed safe. It was weird how strong he felt for a guy he just met a few hours ago, it just felt natural. Like they had been friends forever.

The men slowly walked towards them, they couldn't escape. They were surrounding them from every side.

Why did they choose them?

Dean dared to look around, inspecting every single one of them. They were with about 8 individuals, all of them a knife in their hands. They probably thought guns were boring or something.

Dean didn't know how to protect Cas, he was already trying to cover him with his body, but there were too many.

One of them, probably the leader, circled them. Then he went for Castiel, sneaking up behind him and putting a knife to his neck. Dean growled low in his throat and grabbed his gun in one quick motion, aiming at the guy's head. He learned how to shoot at a very young age, so he was sure he wouldn't hit Cas.

Dean took the safety off with a click and shot the captivator quickly pulling Castiel to his chest. The person was now laying on the ground, blood coming from under his mask onto the street. Castiel seemed to unfreeze and grab the knife from the ground. Instead the others were frozen, staring at their leader now dead on the ground.

Dean took Castiel's hand again and tried to run. That triggered something inside the masked men as they all lunged on the two men.

Castiel and Dean were being attacked from every side, Dean tried to protect Cas and punch everyone that was aiming for him. However, he was being attacked too. He quickly lost sight of Castiel, which angered him even more. Dean fought every one of them coming his way. He shot two more before he ran out of ammunition. He took the fallen knives off the ground, improving his chances of winning.

Meanwhile Castiel was trying to defend himself with a knife he never learned how to handle. He cursed himself inwardly for not listening to his father and taking some self-defend classes.

He was holding himself up though without taking too much damage.

But then he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He stumbled forward for the pain, bringing his hands to the place he had felt the sharp pain. Castiel felt something wet and sticky oozing from the place and as he looked down, he saw an almost black substance covering his shirt.

Castiel was feeling weaker every second, finally collapsing on the ground, breathing heavily. He heard someone shouting his name, he recognized the voice, but couldn't place it.

Then everything went black.

Dean saw one of the masked men getting closer to Castiel. Dean tried to fight his way out, trying to save Castiel, but he was trapped. Dean fought and fought, taking down more people. Unfortunately, they didn't stay down. Dean was too distracted to actually kill someone, his eyes drifting back to Castiel every chance he had.

Dean looked his way just in time to see the same masked man plunging a knife into Castiel's stomach. Castiel turned a sickly white, looked down at his body and collapsed on the ground.

He wasn't moving anymore.

Dean's vision turned red, he felt nothing but rage. He started swinging like a mad man. He killed some of the men. However a few of them ran away, fearing for their lives. Dean didn't even think about running after them for revenge, although he would've really liked it. His main priority was a motionless Castiel laying on the street.

Once there was no one left, Dean ran to Castiel in record time. The first thing he noticed was the blood, on Castiel's shirt, on his hands and the red pool next to him.

He touched Castiel's neck, searching for a heartbeat. He was relieved when he found one, but it was way too slow and soft. If he didn't do something, Castiel would die. There were no hospitals he could go to, everything was shut down.

Dean placed his hands under Castiel's back and legs, picking him up bridal style. He ran home with Castiel limp in his arms. Dean was starting to panic now, what if he was too late.

Dean searched his pockets of his jeans for his keys with one hand while running, he couldn't waste any time. Dean quickly found him, giving him some relief. He jammed the keys in the lock turning the knob and entering his home. He gently placed Castiel on the couch and went back to lock his door with many locks. He couldn't risk it again, he has to keep Castiel safe. After he was done Dean sprinted up the stairs looking for his suture needle and filament. Yes, he kept those around. He was prepared for anything.

In high school, he was known as the "bad boy". He was always late to class, even skipped a whole lot of them and participated in fights on school grounds. Dean couldn't let his father know so he often stitched himself up when needed, using google to learn how to do it himself.

Dean found them in a first aid kit in the bathroom, so he quickly made his way downstairs again. He let himself fall in front of the passed out Castiel and lift up his shirt. He opened the first aid kit he brought with him to clean the wound, so he could see where Castiel needed the stitches.

He worked quickly and gently, not wanting to cause Castiel any pain, but knowing he had to work lightning speed to keep him alive. Otherwise, he would bleed to death.

Dean soon finished and cleaned up the stuff he used. He sat next to Castiel on the ground, watching the beautiful man in front of him. Even when he was almost dying, he looked like an angel.

Dean prayed for the first time in his life that night. Praying to God to help Castiel, to make him wake up. He did that for the next hour, but soon found himself drifting off. He was worn out from the fighting and worrying about Castiel. He fought to stay awake, but failed, letting the darkness consume him.

*****

"Dean?" A small voice asked, shaking him awake. Dean lifted his head from where it was lying on the couch and instantly met those familiar sky blue eyes. They looked even bluer in this lightning, hypnotizing him.

In only took seconds for Dean to wake up from his daze and figure out that Castiel was in fact awake. Dean lunged himself at the still weak Castiel and hugged him tightly, still making sure he didn't hurt him.

Castiel buried his head in Dean's chest and Dean ran his fingers through his raven black locks. Dean felt like crying from relief, thanking God in his head.

They stayed like that for a while, just seeking comfort in each other. They soon went from hugging to cuddling with Castiel's head nestled in Dean's neck. Dean's fingers softly grazing his arm up and down. Castiel sighed in content, he could lay like this forever.

"Dean?"

"Yes, Cas?" Dean answered, a big smile stretching his face.

"I want to thank you for what you did, protecting me." Castiel replied shyly, his head still buried in the crook of Dean's neck.

"You don't have to thank me Cas, I'm just glad you're alive."

Glad was an understatement.

"Why?" Castiel asked in a small, uncertain voice, moving from Dean's neck so he was staring straight into Dean's eyes.

"Why what?" Dean asked, confused with raised eyebrows.

"Why did you protect me, you killed others, what is so special about me?"

"Honestly? I don't know. There is just something about you... Look, Cas, I think I'm falling for you." Dean whispered that last bit, but he couldn't stop now. "We talk like we have known each other for years, I just feel comfortable with you. I never felt like this with anyone before. I know this sounds weird, I mean we just met and I don't want to scare you off. Hell, I don't even know if you play for this team-." Castiel interrupted him with a tiny giggle and even though Dean was anxious he messed everything up, he smiled at the cute sound Castiel made.

Castiel leaned in closer, their noses touching, his warm breath fanning over Dean's face. His eyes fluttered shut and he moved even closer, their lips mere inches away. Castiel closed the gap, feeling the softness of Dean's lips on his. Shivers ran down his back, it felt like tiny electrics ran from his lips down to his whole body. As cliché as it sounds, he even saw fireworks behind his eyelids. Castiel played with Dean's hair while Dean snaked his arms around Castiel's waist, hugging him even closer.

They soon had to part because of the lack of air in their lungs. They still let their foreheads touch, both breathing heavily. Castiel gave Dean a soft smile and moved to lay his head on his chest. He placed his hand next to his head, his breathing starting to slow down again. Dean wrapped his arms around the slim body lying on top of him and closed his eyes.

At one point, they both fell asleep again, engulfed in each other's warmth. The sound of an alarm shook them from their peaceful sleep. The alarm indicated that it was now seven o'clock and the purge was over.

They made it.

******

Castiel took him out for dinner a week after the events of the purge, to thank him again for what he did. They shared their second kiss under the stars while they were on a walk through a park close by the restaurant.

It was safe to say that after that night Dean never purged anymore. He promised Castiel to never do it again and he kept that promise.

He was too busy keeping his boyfriend safe at home anyway.