After losing a battle, Dean and Cas are trapped in a walk in freezer in an abandoned diner. Sam was captured and there's no hope for a rescue. When Cas can't heal his own injuries Dean does what he can to help but will it be enough? Will they freeze to death? Will the cold bring them closer together? WHUMP! No smut. Enjoy!
I don't own supernatural, or it's brilliant character development.
Sam fell on the table with a flat thud. He had taken a few too many hits and lost consciousness.
Dean's face slapped onto the wall, knocking down some cheap decorations, as the witch's spell forced him into it harder he failed to keep hold of his gun that was filled with witch killing bullets. Dean caught a glimpse of his little brother laying across the booth's tabletop on the other side of the diner. It was obvious the diner had not been in use for some time now or maybe the owner planed to reopen when they had more money. Someone was paying the electricity bill to keep the place humming and the cash register was still proudly on the counter. But the recent activity reported by the neighbors, as in screams, missing persons and weird light flashes at all hours of the night, it had obviously become a hub of some kind of supernatural activity not that of a struggling small business owner.
Dean watched while the witch sauntered across the grimy tiled floor to Sam.
"I'll be taking this." She wore tight, light blue jeans with oversized rips on the knee with a long white tunic top that proudly revealed a flowery black bralette underneath. She lifted Sam up with an upturned finger wave in the air and Sam floated behind her, feet dragging on the floor, chin to his chest and arms hanging freely.
"Sam! Wake up, damnit! Sammy!" Dean struggled to break free from what felt like magnetism holding him to the wall. When the calvary finally arrived.
"Put him down." A low gravelly voice demanded from the other side of the diner. "NOW."
"Goody! You're here too! I was expecting the angel to come!"
"Cas?" Dean muttered against the wall unable to turn his head and actually see the angel himself.
"I SAID put him down." Cas demanded again more fiercely and Dean knew it was him. "I will not ask you again."
"But, Sugar, you haven't looked at the menu. We have two specials today, Sam Winchester, comes with a side salad OR Dean Winchester with extra hot sauce. What'll it be?" She cocked her hip to the side as she effortlessly held up both, specials. She smiled wide at her own wit.
Cas didn't balk. "I'll take both. This is your last warning, witch." He took a step closer.
"This is just too rich! Baby, you haven't figured it out yet?" A wide arm movement welcomed and insisted him to take a moment to look around, when he had nothing to say she explained. "You flew in here so fast and focused. You can't feel it? I guess that demon was telling me the truth. Wonderful! I'll be going then. Oh and sugar, we just sold the last Sam but I can get you some freshly frozen Dean! On the house!" She flicked her other hand and her chin together that sent Dean flying straight into Cas who had his back to the kitchen door. After they flew through that, they were lunged through the open doorway, thrown against the back wall of a small metal room and a large metal door magically slammed shut.
oooooooooooo
When Dean came to he was all tangled up with, but mostly on top of his best friend. Shelves and boxes had fallen over them but Dean couldn't see through the barely lit darkness and he couldn't tell where they landed. One thing he knew for certain. It was damn cold. Dean knew this temperature was too cold, even with global warming, for Texas in July. Then he thought. 'Why the hell isn't Cas conscious? He's a freakin' angel for crying out loud!'
"Dude, Cas!" Dean yelled abruptly and punched Castiel's thigh with as much force as he would punch a demon to save his brother's life. The only response was a minute groan. Dean regretted hitting him so hard. That was when Dean put two and two together. He thought. 'The witch had said something about expecting Cas and getting help from a demon so maybe she learned some angel warding or something.'
"Crap. Don't worry Cas. I'll get you outta here in no time!" Dean said as he used a nearby metal shelf to stand. He limped to the thick metal door that had a tiny square window where some residual light came through. Dean rubbed the back of the window with his left hand since his right wrist felt a little sprained. He could see the diner kitchen and wondered if it was morning yet.
"Oh, great." He spoke out loud as if Cas was conscious. "We've been stuck in the freezer this whole time." Dean grabbed the chrome handle on the door and thrust it up, down, clockwise, and whatever other way he thought might have the slight chance of working.
"Fuck. It's enchanted or some shit. What are we gonna do, buddy?" Phone had zero signal and was low on battery. Dean looked back to Cas and suddenly noticed how serious his injuries were. Dean's eyes were adjusting to the dark before but now he saw the blood on Cas' temple that was dripping down the line of his jaw. He saw Castiel's pale skin in contrast to his thick dark hair. But mostly he saw his friend's whole right arm hanging from its shoulder in an abnormal position and bent the wrong way at the elbow under his trench coat sleeve with blood all around the floor.
"Cas?" Dean walked over quickly and knelt next to him. Dean pushed the shelves back against their walls and shoved frozen boxes away and off of Cas. He leaned in closer and grabbed Cas' face with his hand and picked up his head slightly. "Hey hey hey. Cas! Wake-up! Can you hear me? Cas! Damnit! Castiel!"
The angel moaned in the back of his throat and Dean felt the muscles in his neck engage so he stopped holding it up. Cas couldn't get his eyes to open just yet. He was feeling the strangest sensation. He knew that he had experienced it before but had forgotten the term. There were other more important things to remember now. Like the time Dean said that he needed him and they were brothers. The specific feeling of being forgiven and realizing how badly he needed that forgiveness. The emotions, thoughts and feeling attached to the concept of family, his family, the one Dean invited him to be a part of. These were all things Cas made sure he would never forget, even if he survived another millennia. However, this unpleasant sensation just about over all his skin, but especially on his nose, was something he could understand forgetting on purpose.
"D-D-Dean?" He shuddered, still somewhere between consciousness and nothingness.
"Cas, geez, ya gave me a heart attack there buddy. C'mon, open your eyes. We got trouble. I need you."
Those sweet words, in whatever context would away rouse this angel. He inhaled long and deep through his nose which he immediately regretted since it spread that sharp unavoidable feeling surrounding his body into his lungs.
"What… What's wrong? Where's Sam? Where are we?" By the last sentence Cas had met Dean's eyes with his half opened ones.
"Well. Okay, short answers: a lot, that bitch took Sam and the diner's walk-in freezer."
He stared at Dean straight then asked. "Are you hurt?" Looking the hunter up and down and finding he was cradling his own wrist.
"I'm fine." Dean scoffed at his angel's selflessness.
"Your hand." Cas started to move to sit up but Dean desperately reached out to his shoulder to steady him. Then he used the same left hand to as-casually-as-possible block Cas' gaze of his hideous looking right arm. This rushed movement of Dean's finally gave Cas a chance to understand the look on the hunter's face. Dean was wildly concerned but was poorly trying to keep a generally composed and stoic face.
"We'll find Sam, Dean." Cas said monotone, thinking that must be what he's so worried about. Anything said in that voice was immediately believable to Dean.
"Ugh, yeah, I know, I know. One problem at a time, kay? We've got a situation right now."
"...Your wrist?" Cas could tell he was missing something.
"Um. Well you got the right body part. Cas..." He continued cautiously. "I have to ask you something, personal."
Cas' head did the little tilt unable to determine what Dean was about to say to him. "... Anything, Dean."
"Okay, just don't- uh. Promise me you won't freak out?" Cas bobbed his chin once in reply. "I was just wondering, out of curiosity and all that...um… can angels heal their own broken bones?"
"With our grace, yes, of course. Why do you ask?"
"Okay, okay. And is there a longer wait time or something?"
"Not significantly."
"Okay, fine, okay. What about a possible dislocated shoulder?" Dean knew he was pushing his luck but Cas still had not caught on.
"The same answer."
"Son-of-a-bitch. You probably can't really feel it cause of the cold."
"Cold, yes, I had forgotten the term in regards to this feeling. That is simple."
"Woah, wait, you actually feel cold? Since when?" Dean's disbelief mixed with concern were all adding up to what he feared the most out of this unlucky situation.
"Since….now." Cas replied simply.
"That BITCH! Oh I'm gonna fuckin' burn her alive one match at a time." Dean looked down thoroughly pissed.
"We'll find Sam. Let's go."
Dean mumbled under his breath "We can't."
"Sorry?"
Dean spoke through gritted teeth. "We can't leave. The witch that took Sam tossed us in here like hamburger meat, locked us in with some freakin' hoo-doo-voo-doo crap to…"
"...To what Dean?" Cas tried to bend to see Dean's expression that was hidden to him.
Dean finally took a breath and meet Cas' confused gaze. "To hurt you, Cas. Or both of us with these temperatures."
"I'm just fine, Dean. There is pain and coldness but I'm fine. There's no need for your concern." Cas started to look over himself but Dean's hand reinforced his face, along his jaw, a little too forcefully, keeping him from seeing anything on his right side and keeping his gaze between them. "Dean, I'll ask again, tell me, what's wrong?"
"Cas, it's your arm." Dean whispered it afraid to say it any louder.
"Which part? I can't...I can't tell." Cas realized his whole arm was vaguely numb.
"All of it, dude."
"How do you mean that?" Cas' eyes moved frantically and danced over Dean's face trying to study every line. Dean glanced over to his right and Cas tried to follow the shape his eyes drew. "Tell me, please." Cas begged.
"Listen, I need you not to look at it, okay?"
"Why?"
"One time Sammy's arm broke when we were little. I saw it and I almost threw up on the spot. I didn't know bone looked like that in the middle. I remember all the jagged splinters coming out… and a gash so huge that I learned more anatomy in those few seconds than I did all high school. My dad covered his little arm with his jacket and told him not to look while he drove to the hospital. Sammy said it hurt but I saw it and I thought he was gonna need a robot arm replacement for sure. When we got there, the nurse took the jacket off and that's when Sammy first saw it. His eyes just went into complete horror mode. Dad had to hold him down on the table until they got the doctor there to sedate him. He was just fine after a surgery and stitches and a cast. The point is, he went into shock, immediately. And God, if you go into shock right here and now I don't know what I'll do."
"Dean, I'm not a child."
"Have you ever broken a bone and weren't able to heal it?"
"No. Not ever."
"Well then, today, you're a kid." Cas rolled his eyes but Dean insisted. "Just please, please don't look. Promise me?"
Cas sighed but understood it was important to Dean so he turned his head the other way. "I promise…"
Dean's good hand was finally free to work. He tried looking through the end of the sleeve and decided, much to his dismay, that he had to cut the sleeves of all of Cas' layers off. It looked like Cas had a handful of pens stuffed up under there and Dean knew he couldn't risk getting sleeves caught on bone.
"I'm sorry but I gotta do this." Before Cas could beg him to reconsider, Dean's knife was splitting his trenchcoat, jacket and white shirt from cuff to collar. Cas hated to listen to the sound of the material splitting as the blade pulled its threads apart.
"I'll get you a new one, promise." Dean really did mean it.
"I want the same one." Cas whined.
"We'll see what Amazon can do for us." Dean kept his focus on carefully pulling off the final layer of material off the wound. Some parts stuck to what seemed to be frozen blood.
"Shhhhhhit." Dean exhaled.
Cas couldn't hold back. The promise had slipped his mind and he began to turn his head towards the damage. Dean saw this out of the corner of his eye and instinctively swung up his right hand to block Cas' eyes. The two awkwardly collided and Dean regretted his choice in hands.
"ShitFuckBalls!" Dean hissed at himself and again cradled his right wrist against his chest.
"Dean! Dean, I'm so sorry! Are you alright? Let me heal it!" Cas tightly turned away realizing his mistake. Cas turned only enough to touch Dean's head that was bent into his chest as Dean seethed in agony. Nothing happened.
"You can't." Dean breathed heavily. "Remember? The witch probably covered this place with graffiti for you."
"I needed to try." Cas said defeated. "I'm sorry, Dean."
Much like after taking a shot of strong whisky Dean took in a sharp breath, straightened his back and put on the face.
"It's alright, I'm fine." Dean's voice was back to normal.
"You are not fine." Cas argued.
"I know." Dean admitted easily. "I'm trying to lie to myself, not you. I know better than to lie to you, buddy." Dean's accidental tone of endearment did not go unnoticed by either man.
"Damn it's cold!" Dean complained as he got back to work ignoring the awkwardness and changing the subject. He used his right hand fingers only when necessary but only a few were working properly, the sprain was feeling more like a break. Cas waited as patiently as possible. Dean busied himself with cutting smaller strands out of the cut sleeves and tying them across various sections of brokeness. So far Cas had only flinched a few times but Dean suspected Cas was holding a lot of it in too.
"Cas, I'm literally putting your arm back together like a jigsaw puzzle and trussing it like a freakin' roast, and you're practically human right now. This hurts, doesn't it?"
"Yes." Cas answered very fast.
"You don't have to hold back. I won't think any less of you. Dude, this hurts me just looking at it."
"I'm fine." Cas noticeably strained to answer just as Dean tied another square knot. Dean had timed it perfectly to get to the truth.
"Okay, then I need a break. I'm almost to your elbow. I started at your wrist but I need to go back and put a splint on at least two fingers, your wrist and your forearm."
"How did this happen?" Cas asked honestly as Dean found a place to sit on Castiel's left side. The floor was ridiculously cold and went through every layer when he sat.
"Well, I was tossed like a rag doll straight at you. We hit a little bit of everything till we hit this parking spot. Let's see there was, the cash register on the counter, the first door frame knicked us good, and then there was shit in the kitchen, I remember hearing clangs. Then we both hit this thing's door frame pretty hard, I don't remember the landing. When I woke up you and I were under the rubble of freezer shelves and rock hard meat. Overall, that bitch needs some pitching practice. But not before I slice you and BURN YOU BITCH!!" Dean yelled at the ceiling as if she was watching.
"Dean?" Cas questioned his sanity for a moment.
"I'm cool, it's fine, we're good."
"Deep breath." Cas reminded gently.
"Yeah, yeah." Dean shrugged him off.
"You were also unconscious?"
"Yeah." Dean got up. Break time was over and he worked on his next set of ties above the elbow.
"For how long?"
"Dude, I have no clue!"
"I know I arrived here at 8:52 P.M. What time is it now?" Cas asked knowing Dean always had his watch on.
Dean was shocked. "Jesus, it's just after five in the morning. Damnit, that bitch's had Sam this whole time now.
"We'll get him back, Dean."
Dean layered curses under his breath but never once allowed his anger to come out on his work on Cas' arm.
A few minutes later Dean spoke calmly now in a tone that actually stole some of Cas' pain away."Hey, Cas?"
"Hmm?" Cas was so tense under Dean's ministrations of his arm even though Dean's touch was as gentle as possible. Dean had been watching as Cas grit his teeth silently and squeezed his eyes tight.
"I'm ready to put the arm back in the socket now. I'm not gonna lie. It's reeeally gonna hurt." Dean explained but Cas knew he couldn't sugarcoat it. Cas recalled the times he had seen the brothers fix themselves up after a bad fight, before they were friends. They tricked one another by saying 'on three, one…' and SNAP it swiftly into place before even getting to two, let alone three.
"I know your plan, Dean."
"Uhh… Yeah, I'm gonna pop it back into the socket. It's not fun." Dean found some solid footing and a good place to set his right elbow, avoiding his own wrist, and his left hand that would work.
"Now, I know how you say that you will count to three and then you don't ev-" Cas was cut off by the sound of his own scream. Dean didn't say he would count. He didn't ask if he was ready. He didn't give any warning at all. He outsmarted the angel without words.
Cas' eyes saw flashes of white and black as he tried to understand the feeling of pain. It was as sharp as the tip of a blade but also broad like being hit by a blunt weapon. It was brightly hot and yet seering cold. There was no end in sight. The pain pushed aside any thought that it might dissipate. He could only focus on how it felt second by second. Castiel wasn't too far removed that he didn't know what pain felt like. He had suffered many injuries in various battles. He had in particular a very serious injury on his right wing back before he was stationed to watch Earth with Anna. When he was injured as an angel the pain was fleeting. It's just enough to let him know how bad the injury was then most of the feeling would be swept away easily by grace. If it was particularly bad there was still the promise of it being over soon.
This.
This pain had no such hope.
There was no promise it would end soon.
Cas didn't know what to put his faith in or what foundation to stand on in this extreme moment so he did all he could think of, he grabbed onto Dean. His fingertips digging into the arm under Dean's jacket. His face forcefully seeking solace in Dean's shoulder. Anything.
Cas' scream lasted several long seconds. Dean had never heard such emotion come out of Cas. Dean felt his heart clench and his stomach jump into his throat at the sound of it. Cas seethed wildly between groans almost like sobs through his still tightly grit teeth. Dean's voice cut through the storm.
"Okay, it's okay…" He cooed into his hair.
Dean sat facing him. And held the broken angel in his arms until his breathing settled and Cas held his head up again. His face was wet and his eyes screamed exhaustion.
It looked like Cas was going to say something but Dean spoke first. "I'm so sorry I had to do that to you."
"No, thank you for caring for my injuries so beautifully. I appreciate everything you did." Cas was so purely and honestly thankful.
"You don't hate me? Not even for a second?"
"Not possible." Cas replied naturally. "You're the only one I would trust to do this to me." He finished.
"Really?" Dean found that hard to believe.
Cas leaned back more, giving Dean his personal space back. "Thanks, Cas." He took Cas' words to heart and smiled to himself. Dean used a shelf and pushed himself up. His backed ached from being knocked out in a weird position for so long before. So he stretched it out with a grunt. He took a few steps to the door, babying his right foot and keeping weight on his left more.
"Dean, what's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh this?" He looked down along his right leg. "Nothing, no big deal."
Cas didn't believe that for a second. He made a point to keep track of all of Dean's injuries so he could heal them when he could feel his grace again. Dean inspected the seams of the door then started to look through a box on one of the shelves.
"Oh. Gross! Oh, Hell no. Now I'm really gonna be sick."
"What is it?"
"I've seen this before." Dean hated to say it. "This diner isn't closed. It's open for business. They're selling human. Human meat and organs go to the highest bidder. Sometimes monsters, sometimes crazy people. Dude, I'll take monsters over a psycho any day." Dean cupped his fingers over his mouth and breathed. Cas had seen this pointless attempt at warming one's hands before. Adding humidity brings moisture to the skin's surface and then the water asks as a conductor of sorts for coldness to travel deeper within.
Cas brought his mind back and asked. "For monetary profit?"
"Yes. But maybe not just for money. Maybe for information too. That's how little miss bitchy-mcbitch-face learned how to ward you."
"Dean, this isn't a warding nor a sigil. I would have been able to tell. No, she said something about how surprised she was that I couldn't feel 'it'. It's something more subtle."
"Huh." Dean contemplated.
"A curse?"
"Nah, she didn't have time for a curse. Maybe she put something in here."
"A hex bag?" Cas suggested and neither of them could counter it.
"A really powerful one. She said a demon helped her out." Dean added.
"That might be effective." Cas agreed.
Dean rushed about and started to open frozen packed boxes filled with various organs, organized by blood type. Cas watched helplessly and tried not to show his growing discomfort. Dean had managed to stop most of the bleeding but without being able to stitch inside and out there could still be plenty of damage. There was also a tingling, like needles that would not stop picking away at his feet. Not only that but he couldn't tell if his face was either hot or numb. He watched Dean and tried to keep his mind off of it.
"Son-of-a-bitch!" Dean's knife hit the floor of the freezer.
"Dean? Are you alright?"
"Ah! Damn!" Dean was focused on his right palm. "I was using my left hand and I messed up. I cut my friggin' hand."
Dean, out of breath, sauntered over to Castiel's right side where the remains of his trench coat sleeve were in ribbons. Dean took a long piece and wrapped it around his palm tightly having to pull the knot with his teeth. He moved to go back to the boxes.
"Dean. It's not in here. When are things ever that easy for us? If there is a hex bag it's got to be hidden in the diner. You're tired. Sit down."
"Nah. I'm fine. Just let me finish."
"Dean…" The tone of his voice gave Dean pause to turn to face him. "...I'm cold." Cas admitted shyly. The cold was getting too much to bear. Dean's accident with the knife was probably due to the fact that hypothermia affects your fine motor skills and had caused the normally skilled hunter to be clumsy enough to hurt himself accidently. Cas added. "Your lips are blue."
Dean wordlessly accepted defeat. He moved to come sit next to Cas and rest against the wall. Feeling tired and cold himself even though he would never admit it.
"Here." Dean lifted his arm behind Cas' head and hung it over his shoulder being very careful to stay away from his wounds. "How's that? Comphy?" Dean questioned.
"Y-yes. Thank you, Dean." Castiel's face was far too pale to blush.
"We have to get outta here." Dean said calmly.
"There's nothing we can do." Cas' head was getting to heavy to hold up and he rested it on Dean's chest.
Dean didn't even flinch. He acted as if this closeness happens everyday. "They have to come in here eventually to get their merchandise." He said, unphased and rested his cheek on top of his angel's fluffy dark hair.
"Dean?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry, i-if this situation makes you feel uncomfortable."
"I'm not complaining." Dean's response made a smile spread across the angel's face and they both drifted off to sleep.
ZzzzZzzzZzzzZzzz
Cas woke with a start and a quick breath.
He sat up fast, neglecting Dean who was leaning on him.
"Dean? Dean!" He shook him with no reply. Cas rested Dean against the wall and got up. With a stretch and a shake it was obvious that his arm was perfectly fine, as if nothing had happened at all. Cas checked his body and it didn't feel cold any more. His lips weren't chapped and his toes felt remarkably normal. But Dean was just as marred from the freezing temperatures as before. Blue lips and a red nose not to mention being so tired he wasn't easy to wake. Cas marched over to the door and used his strength to push. It didn't budge. It was thoroughly sealed with strong magic. Next, he used his bare hands to wipe the small square window clean. That squeaky sound must have alerted someone in the diner because someone was stomping into the kitchen and down the hall. Cas regretted bringing attention to their location and he ducked under the window until he heard a familiar voice.
"Dean!! Cas?" Someone yelled.
Cas stood up to verify since the heavy door muffled the voice and he was greeted by the face he hoped to see.
"Sam!" Cas exclaimed.
"Cas! Is Dean with you?"
"Yes, we were freezing to death. My grace was blocked until just now."
"I just burned a hex bag! I didn't know what it was for." Sam spoke loudly through the window.
"How did you get away?"
"Long story. Let's get you guys out first."
"I'll heal Dean."
"No, wait! You've been in there for hours, if he comes back to room temperature that fast he'll go into shock!"
"Dean was talking about shock earlier. Is it that serious?"
"Dude, you have no idea. You can warm him up slowly… Like with body heat."
Cas just stood there looking square through the window at Sam. Sam knew how Cas felt about Dean and had even talked to him about it and this mention of body heat just felt like another one of his attempts to get Cas to admit his feelings.
"I'm not joking, dude. It's the best thing for him right now. Listen, this spell needs a counter spell...I need to get a few things. I'll be back okay?"
"Please, hurry!"
"I will. I will." At that Sam ran out of the diner.
Cas turned and quickly went to Dean, taking off his now mended trench coat and laid it over him. He sat so that he could hold Dean to his chest with both arms. He healed the wounds on his head, the concussion damage, repaired the wrist, the cut from his knife and the other various cuts and bruises but as promised did nothing more to warm his body with his grace. In a matter of minutes Dean started to move some and his unconscious self opted to cuddle more closely into Cas. Cas went stiff at first but soon melted into it. Dean's knees were against his legs, curled up slightly. His arms were wrapped around Cas' thin waist and under his suit jacket. Cas' favorite was Dean's nose that was nestled into the crook of his neck. He could feel the hunter breath against his skin and it made the small of his back tickle.
"Mmmm...Cas? You… You okay?" Dean moaned.
"Dean, how are you feeling?" Cas whispered.
Neither man budged from their position.
"I'm fine. You're warmmm." Dean purred and actually nuzzled a little closer causing Cas to go stiff again. He understood Dean wanting warmth subconsciously but he never imagined Dean wanting this much closeness especially after confirming who he was holding to.
"Um, Dean? I don't think you're completely conscious."
"Hmm? Yes I ammm."
"Are you sure?...I mean we're very close together…"
"You don't remember what I said before? I said I'm not complaining." Cas couldn't see Dean's face so it was hard to tell how conscious the hunter actually was. "Why are you so warm?"
"Sam found the hex bag and burned it. He's left to go get things to counter the spell locking us in here."
"Your arm?!" Dean suddenly lifted his head a looked at the perfect right arm that was holding him.
"It's fine Dean. All thanks to you. Thank you for caring for me…especially when I was worthless."
Dean sat up more and perfectly pressed his cold lips to Cas' warm ones for a single moment. Afterwards, Dean brought a hand up to cup Castiel's face and coax the angel to open his eyes that were still closed from the kiss. He waited till the two blue oceans were looking at him full of contentment and confusion.
"I care about you. I was so scared when I saw your arm. I didn't want you to feel that much pain. It was my fault you got hurt. I'm sorry, Cas." Dean kissed him gently just as before all lips and light pressure. "And you have never once been worthless."
"Dean."
"Yeah, buddy?"
Their faces were still so very close and neither moved to change that fact.
"You kissed me."
"Yeah, is that okay?" Dean smirked.
"Yes! Yes, very much so. I've wanted… this… for a very long time but I couldn't bring myself to tell you. How did you know I wanted this?"
"I didn't." Cas' head tilted adorably. "I saw little things you would do but I wasn't sure. But when I woke up like this, I knew you must feel something for me too. So I took advantage of the situation."
"I'm sorry I didn't say something sooner. You're the only soul I've ever felt this way about, Dean." This time Cas kissed Dean harder than before, pulling their bodies closer together while they breathed through their noses and moved their hands around to touch more of one another.
Finally it broke. "Geez, Cas, I didn't think you could…" Dean breathed heavily between them. "I'm fuckin' dizzy. I can't believe it."
"I'm sorry! Did I do it wrong?"
"No no no you did too good of a job. You did great! That was awesome." Dean's breathing was labored and he lowered his head to rest on his angel's chest. He could hear a heartbeat fast against his ear and he knew Cas was feeling just as much euphoria as he was. He held tight to his waist as the arms holding him close held tighter simultaneously.
"Cas? Why am I so tired?" Dean eyes were heavy and heading for closure.
"It's the cold, you're hypothermic. I'll watch over you, Dean. Try to rest. I'll keep you warm."
"Mmm-kay…" Dean mumbled and happily fell into the soft darkness again.
ZzzzZzzzZzzzZzzz
This time Cas woke up slowly. His body felt heavy. He didn't feel whole and his eyes didn't open. Something was wrong. He tried to speak but he only managed a low hum as his lips were dry and stuck together. A familiar voice called his name again and again and he suddenly felt his left hand because someone had just grabbed it. His consciousness crept through his body like a retreating lazy fog and he finally was able to pry open his lips just before opening his heavy eyes.
"Dean?" He moaned quietly.
"Cas! Hey! Hey buddy! It's okay, everything's gonna be fine. We got you, kay?"
"What…?" Cas squinted his eyes, their surroundings were blurry and he couldn't place the other sounds he was hearing.
"Sammy snuck out and got away from the bitch. He busted the door of that freezer and pulled us out. You were out cold, literally. We're in the backseat of the Impala. I don't want you to freak out but do you remember what happened to your arm?"
Cas thought for a moment. "It was healed after Sam burned the hex bag."
Dean's face frowned down at the angel lying in his lap. "Cas, buddy, no. We couldn't find the hex bag. That's why we had to get you away, fast. If we can't destroy it we'll get you far far away from it."
"But…I thought we..." Cas' sentence turned into mumbles and eventually stopped.
"It's okay, buddy. You've lost a lot of blood. We both went hypothermic. You were probably dreaming about some crazy stuff."
"A dream?"
"Do you remember?"
"I think so." Cas struggled to understand what memory was reality and what was dream.
"I had a dream too, I'll tell you about it once we get you home. Got it?"
"Alright."
"Just rest, Cas. It's okay. Close your eyes. I'm not going anywhere."
"But…"
"Shhhh. That's an order." Dean said gently and much to Cas' surprise Dean patted his head and lightly combed his hair back with his fingers. Cas thought of how Dean must have done it to Sam when they were little to get him to fall asleep when he was restless and with that thought Cas happily slept in Dean's cozy lap.
"Geez." Dean sighed.
Sam looked up in the rearview mirror to see Dean looking down with a face full of concern. Sam couldn't see but Dean allowed his hand to rest a top Castiel's hair. "He asleep?"
"Yup." Dean answered without looking up.
"Soooo... dreams huh? You too."
"No. Yes. Maybe… Shut up!"
"Woah! Someone's defensive! It must have been pretty steamy then." Dean punched his brother's shoulder. "Aww! C'mon! You can tell your brother!"
"No!"
"Please?" He begged childishly.
"No Sammy! Keep your damn eyes on the road."
"Well fine, I'm gonna guess. If I guess right, will you tell me?"
"Ha! Sure! You'll never guess, not in a million years. Go right ahead."
Sam answered straight forward and dead serious. "You kissed Cas."
Dean just slowly looked up at the rearview mirror completely taken by surprise and unable to respond.
"Ha! I knew it!!" Sam bounced up and down in the driver's seat.
"Shut up!!" Dean glowered. "You'll wake him up!"
"Deeean." Cas called in his sleep and it only made Dean's ears turn an even darker shade of red. He whispered down.
"Shut up, Cas!"