AN: This story is a future fic revolving around the element of this season that I love the most. If you wanna read about defeating the Darkness, find another fic, this one's all Lucifer centred. Stroy and chapter titles from my current favourite, and perfectly Casifer song, Emperor's New Clothes, by Panic! the Disco. And this is Sammysmissingshoe, so y'all know that that means lots of tortured Sam and enough angst to fill all the world's swimming pools. Enjoy!

Being the Devil's meatsuit was far from pleasant. Castiel now understood how Jimmy Novak must have felt when he'd said yes to Castiel. But holding onto an everyday, run-of-the-mill angel was nothing in comparison to trying to contain the power of the Morning Star.

Aside from trying not to let himself explode from the force of it, it was just as difficult as to watch his life go by, but Castiel was unable to live it. He watched his friends hurt, laugh, love. He missed being able to do just that.

Well- maybe he could do without the hurting.

Anyway, the time he'd seen them hurt the most was when they'd found out. Lucifer may have been possessing him, had access to every single thought, memory, but the Winchesters knew Castiel too well. It wasn't long before they'd figured out he wasn't- well, him.

Both Winchesters had been furious, but to this day, Castiel wasn't sure whether Sam was angrier with him for saying 'yes,' or at the Devil for possessing his friend.

Dean Winchester was less difficult to decipher. He'd grabbed Lucifer by the collar, ordering him to get the hell out of Cas so he could kick his ass for being a self-sacrificing idiot.

Sacrificing himself for the good of the world. Where ever could he have learned that?

The boys had insisted that they were going to kick Lucifer out, solve the Darkness on their own. But Lucifer had simply smiled with Castiel's mouth, sweetly informing Dean that Castiel was alive and well, and would only remain that way so long as Dean didn't interfere. The Darkness would first be defeated, and then, and only then would Castiel even be considered for release.

As strong as Dean Winchester tried to act sometimes, Castiel had learned what each and every facial expression he had had meant. Years of studying his friend's reactions to everything had taught him a lot. For instance, the slight twitch of his upper lip meant someone was about to be punched in the face. A smile and a laugh immediately followed by a sip of beer meant he was feigning happiness, but was still aching inside.

But the look he'd seen then, the hardened, maybe even cold, eyes accompanied with a slight quiver of his bottom lip- it meant that the world's greatest hunter, vessel of Heaven's fiercest weapon, the man who had saved the word time and time again, was trying not to cry.

Dean Winchester crying was a rare sight indeed. It wasn't his fault, he'd been raised to never shed a tear, because crying meant that you were weak, and a hunter can never be weak.

Wise words, John Winchester. That's definitely the advice that every six-year-old needs to hear.

Upsetting his friend was not Castiel's intention. No, all he wanted was to stop the Darkness. Consequences be damned.

But Castiel did hope that someday his friends would be able to forgive him. It'd be pretty hypocritical if they didn't. Honestly, how many times had they been the ones to give into something evil for the sake of saving each other. Or, less significantly, the world.

Forgiveness was a best-case-scenario though. In order to be forgiven, he'd have to believe that he was going to live through this entire ordeal.

Which, of course, he did not.

It wouldn't be an unbearable loss or anything. Ambriel was right about him. He was expendable, which is why he had felt so- okay with allowing the Devil to possess him. His death would be nothing, not in the grand scheme of things.

Like it or not, they needed Lucifer's help in defeating Amara, and if Castiel's life was what it cost, so be it. He didn't see himself as a hero, but he was okay with that.

If he was unable to live as a hero, he supposed he'd have to be content with dying as an angel. But- an angel who had doubted, an angel who had rebelled, but most importantly, an angel who had loved. His redefining of 'angel', he'd believed, would spark a revolution in all his brothers and sisters. An example to look to, a chance at hope for change.

How naive he had been...

Against all protests, Lucifer had stayed in Castiel's body. He'd made sure to make both Winchesters as uncomfortable as possible throughout. Snuck up behind them, slipped in a few annoyingly unpleasant yet not overtly traumatising nightmares, and too damn many false betrayals just to watch the fear in their eyes.

So when the time finally came where the act was no longer an act, it took both boys by surprise.

It hadn't been easy. Hell, besides defeating Lucifer, the first time, it was the most difficult thing they'd ever done, but at last, the Darkness had been defeated.

Amara's body, once the all-too-long glow of death had finally ceased, fell to the floor.

Silence swept throughout the room, each brother casting a glance to one another, and then both their gazes landed upon Lucifer. Who just so happened to be grinning.

"Alright," Dean said, wariness practically dripping from his voice. "She's dead now. So why don't you just go ahead and slip out of our friend." Oh, the blinding desperation of wishful thinking.

With a smile that looked so wrong on Castiel's face, Lucifer answered simply, "No."

And then both Winchesters were hurled into opposite walls.

Sam was lucky, having hit shoulder first. It was far from pleasant, but it was better than landing head-first.

Which is, naturally, the exact way Dean landed.

It had been weeks since the banshee incident, but after having his head forcibly slammed into a wall over half a dozen times, yeah, this repeat was less than helpful for his recovery. But Dean would be damned if he let himself fall unconscious right now. It was not the time for hurting. Not when the two people he cared about most in this now endangered world were in trouble.

"Enough with the games, Lucifer." Sam snapped as he got back to his feet.

"Oh, but, Sammy." Lucifer responded, and damn did that sound wrong in Castiel's voice. "You know how much I love games."

Sam's back hit something solid again. But this time, it wasn't the wall. It was the ceiling.

Ah, Lucifer's games indeed.

Gravity would have done the work for him, but what's the fun in being the most powerful creature on Earth if you don't get to exploit that fact by preying on your enemies with a burning hatred for them, but a flaming passion for pain?

So- instead of letting plain old gravity do the work, Lucifer hurled Sam to the ceiling, and then slammed him back down to the floor, face-first. He felt the angel inside him give a flinch at the crunch that followed. Still, Sam tried to get back to his feet.

He'd barely even made it to his hands and knees by the time his body gave up and collapsed back to the floor again.

Dean grabbed his aching head, and moved to aid his fallen brother. But Lucifer was having none of that. Brotherly love wasn't exactly Lucifer's favourite thing to witness.

He held a hand out, and Dean slammed into the wall again.

"Down, boy." Lucifer chuckled as he made his way over to Sam. He grabbed his collar, pulling him up until he was on his knees. Well- he would've been supported by his knees if he could even remain upright.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Sammy."

Being punched with all the power an archangel possessed hurt like hell. Literally.

Sam was hit with so much force that he flew all the way back to the wall, and it cracked beneath his body at the impact. It was a miracle he was even still conscious.

Knowing Sam was going nowhere anytime soon, Lucifer moved over to Dean. He grabbed the struggling boy by the throat, lifting him up in a mirror of what he'd done back in the Cage to try to get Sam to say 'yes.'

Dean's eyes were already glassy with pain, and a weakly struggling hand came up to bat at Lucifer's.

Pathetic.

The angel inside him was screaming now, challenging Lucifer to let him fight back, warning that he'd overcome him and kill them both if that's what it took.

Again, pathetic.

Lucifer let Castiel feel his fingers tightening around Dean's throat, staring directly into Dean's eyes, forcing Castiel to watch the light fade from them.

One Winchester incapacitated, the other writhing and choking beneath his hand, and their precious, little angel left with nothing to do but watch and scream inside his own skin.

'Team Free Will,' as they'd once deemed themselves, was helpless. Lucifer could finish them right here, right now. Slowly. Painfully. Far before they could ever stop him from bringing about his own apocalypse.

But- where was the fun in that? Killing them? No, no, no, no, no. Far too easy. Besides, too many people were still rooting for the Winchesters. God knows why. Were he to kill them, they'd probably just come right back like the cockroaches they were.

No. He'd have to try something else... Something much more- fun.

Right before Dean Winchester could find the relief of passing out, Lucifer released him.

"Alright, boys. Here's how this is gonna play out." Lucifer explained as he let Dean fall to the ground. He calmly made his way back over to Sam again, who was still struggling to breathe. Lucifer loomed over him like the all-powerful being he was.

"I-" He frowned, worried that Dean's brush with death was distracting him. "Hey. Dean." He snapped his fingers. "Just a little loss of oxygen, your brother deals with it all the time. You're fine. Eyes up here, buddy."

He repressed his grin as Dean gave a cough, a groan, and lifted his head.

"There we go. Now, as I was saying," Lucifer grabbed Sam by his hair, and yanked him up to his knees, and he gave a small cry of pain and a wince as he was lifted. "Your brother's coming with me."

"N-no!" Dean shouted hoarsely.

Lucifer sighed. "Your brother should've told you, Dean." He waved a hand, and watched with disinterest as Dean began to cough up blood. "I hate that word."

Sam struggled beneath Lucifer's hand, but Lucifer knew it wasn't to try to free himself from being taken by him. No, he was trying to wiggle free to save big brother.

Ugh. Sentiment.

Lucifer's grip on Sam remained unrelenting. "Like I said, I'm taking Sam. And you know why?" He smiled, and the world shook. "Because I know that with Sam in my hands, you'll go crazy. But you won't follow me, because you know I'll kill him. I've got no reason not to. You'll try, and try, and try to find some way to save him, but in the end, you know- we all know- that your inevitable decision to save Sam will cost you the world."

Dread and horror filled Dean's gut, much like the way blood was filling his mouth. Because it was true. Given the choice of Sam or the world, Dean would choose Sam. Every. Damn. Time. And damn Lucifer for knowing it.

Lucifer's grin got wider. "Thought so. Have fun all on your own, Dean. Remember me when the sky starts raining blood, alright? And I'll take good care of your brother."

Just to further unnerve them both, Lucifer tucked a strand of Sam's hair behind his ear, sending cold rushing through his body as he bent down to whisper, "Won't I, Sammy?"

Now Lucifer knew that Sam's struggles had grown completely selfish. He no longer fought for the sake of his brother, but in fear. The world's greatest saviour Sam Winchester, was scared.

"Dean!" He cried in panic.

Lucifer let Dean see that terrified look on his brother's face, the last he'd ever see of him. And once he saw Dean's eyes widen in panic, Lucifer vanished, taking Sam with him.

AN: Next chapter is fully written out, but I just found out yesterday that I made the school play, so I may be a little delayed in posting it, so I apologise. But, y'all know what you do get!

Sneak Peek: "Sam had a plan. Honestly, he did. The fact that it was suicidally stupid just made it all the more- Winchester."

Drop a review if you're enjoying so far, and wish me luck as I prepare for the series finale of Gravity Falls tonight!