Title: ET Goes..
Disclaimers: Purely for fun only. Classic case of 'if you don't see it on screen, fill the void in yourself and write it'.
Genre: hurt/comfort you glorious!
Rating: possibly still on the PG side
Summary/Set: Dean is starting to realise how unkind purgatory really is to his angel.
Pairing: Benny/Cas/Dean friendship, perhaps a little bit more
Dean blinked his eyes open, unsure how much he'd exactly slept. Could've been a few minutes, could've been a few hours, in the same constant murky light of purgatory it was impossible to tell. He didn't feel particularly refreshed, though he didn't any point when they have decided to take a break, either. But Benny had recognised his companion's need to have a vague idea of how much rest he had actually managed and usually casually and factually shrugged in his direction, muttering 2-3 hours or 4 at him to let him know. Dean turned round to locate the usually vigilant and sentry vampire who did not need any shuteye. Instead he almost bumped into the dirty, trenchcoated form lying next him. Bewildered, the human sat up to take a better look at the angel's face from an angle that allowed him to establish that Castiel's eyes were indeed closed and his breathing noticeably deep, neither occurrence he was typically used to.
Benny nodded at him affirmatively from a few feet away, his boots perched on a rock as he leaned back on a tree stump. Dean still needed to look back and forth between them questioningly till the vampire decided to share, "he fell asleep not long after you. I guess he needed it," Benny shrugged, his voice low. "You may as well go back to sleep, it's only been about half an hour. I haven't sensed anything off around here," his companion assured him.
"Right," Dean acknowledged the suggestion being the best course of action and pulled his jacket tighter around himself to lie back down. Cas did fight and smite a few monsters that day, perhaps his mojo had to recharge, the hunter reasoned, closing his eyes. The next time he woke up, Castiel was staring into the distance a few yards ahead, scoping out their next leg of the journey as usual. He seemed no more weary and beat than what he had to get used to seeing him like in purgatory so Dean didn't question the unexpected incidence from earlier.
The second time Dean should've asked questions was when Cas disappeared without saying anything. If there was any time between sensing monsters and their attack, Castiel usually let him know if he flew off anywhere given how grouchy and touchy his ex charge has become over the subject of leaving anyone behind or Castiel going anywhere on his own, so Dean was somewhat thrown off balance when he couldn't see their third group member who was supposed to flank them. He held out a hand to stop Benny in front of him. "Cas." Dean questioned, looking around.
The fighting comrades automatically took a few steps in the direction they last saw Castiel in despite the angel's tendency to use other methods of transportation than his feet. "Is something wrong, Cas? Gimme a sign!" Dean barked anxiously and apprehensively as they covered the immediate perimeter, assuming the angel didn't fly far like all the other times they had to fight the beasts of purgatory. Weapons trained and eyes roaming around, they searched around, starting with tracing their steps backwards.
"Cas?" Dean called out again impatiently, "we're in this together you understand! If you're trying to use yourself as bait again to keep the Leviathan away from me, I swear to you Cas.."
"Dean." Benny pointed round an oversized bush where he saw Castiel supporting himself against a tree with one hand, slightly folded over at the waist.
"Cas, are you hurt?" The human hurried in his old friend's direction, offering a steadying hand against hunched shoulders.
"I just need a little rest," Castiel huffed out, pale and seemingly out of breath.
"We're taking a break," Dean established, throwing his rucksack down. Benny gave a slightly disapproving raise of the eyebrows, but took up his habitual sentinel's position.
"Come on, I want you to sit down," Dean lowered the compliant Castiel to the ground. Too compliant. "Cas? What's going on?"
"I used my powers a little too unsparingly," the angel wheezed.
"When?" Dean looked around perplexed for signs of a struggle, "did anybody attack?"
"There was no attack," Benny gave his frank opinion, "the angel's weak. He's been struggling in combat more and more, taking longer to move, longer to smite," the vampire asserted.
The human looked from one to the other, judging their expressions. Castiel pursed his lips, but didn't argue with the assessment. "Do you need a longer breather to recharge?" Dean placed a hand on the angel's shoulder. "I'm sure we could take an early stop for the night and you don't take a turn as sentry. Me and Benny will. Would that help?"
"Dean. It would be in our best interest if we just marched on. The sooner we get to the portal, the sooner the situation resolves itself," Castiel objected.
"And the sooner you fall over. We're camping out here. The surrounding trees should offer enough protection for the time being," Dean established, taking charge, "lie down, Cas," he gave the angel's shoulder a push sideways, "you know just as well as I do that a weak link pulls everyone down in battle. You're taking a rest and that's final."
Tbc