Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or its characters - these were created by Eric Kripke - I'm just borrowing them. I'm not making any commercial gain. No harm or infringement intended.

E/O Challenge: Friend. 3 x 100-word drabbles about friendship. #1: You can find friends in the most unlikely places. #2: You can't choose your family, or their friends. #3: Birds of a feather flock together. Spoilers for season 8.

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Friends

"Had a friend, she once told me, you got a friend, you ain't lonely " – 'Friends', Led Zeppelin

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A/N: You can find friends in the most unlikely places.

A Friend in Need

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light" - Helen Keller

Thrown to the floor of the freezing, dark cell, Dean screamed in pain from his extensive injuries. He sobbed as he tried, and failed, to drag himself to the dirty straw bedding.

"Don't despair, my friend. Your brother will rescue you," whispered the feeble voice through the floor-level grill into the neighboring cell.

Too weak to answer, Dean waited...

...and wept when Sam burst in.

"Wait, the guy next door," Dean begged. "I wouldn't have made it without him."

Sam nodded and unlocked the door, pushing it open.

Shocked, they stared at the ancient bones that lay beside the grating.

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A/N: You can't choose your family, or their friends. Set at the end of 8.05 Blood Brother. Contains spoilers.

Personal Crap

"Love is blind; friendship closes its eyes" - Friedrich Nietzsche

Sam waited on the dock while his brother and a stranger approached by boat. He could tell the exact moment that Dean saw him by the way his brother's features hardened and the all-too-familiar guarded expression, once only for outsiders, slipped back into place.

Dean took a protective step out in front of his friend. At Sam's glare, Dean's eyes dropped to the ground with an anguished look.

"I'm Benny. Heard a lot about you, Sam," smiled the stranger.

Wish I could say the same about you, thought Sam, as he realized that Dean's "personal crap" didn't have a pulse.

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A/N: Birds of a feather flock together. Set around 8.22 Clip Show. Contains spoilers.

Friends of a Feather

"'We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet. 'Even longer,' Pooh answered" - 'Winnie-the-Pooh', A.A. Milne

"We bought provisions," Castiel announced, raising a proud chin to gesture at Metatron.

Dean gave Sam an amused look before rummaging through the bag.

"You got me toilet paper and..." he shifted uncomfortably, "uh, I don't think another guy's ever bought me a skin mag before."

"You're welcome," beamed Castiel in pleasure.

Dean waited until the angels had wandered off, then glared, red faced, as Sam laughed hysterically. "I don't like Cas hanging around with that guy."

"You can't choose his friends. It's great he's found someone his own age," Sam giggled.

"No more pain meds for you," Dean growled.

(;,;)