Dean had never seen Castiel like this. Sure, he'd seen the angel beaten raw, but that was when he was an actual angel, before he was stripped of his Grace and left as a human. Cas had been spending his days at the bunker since Sam and Dean had found him, the brothers teaching Castiel the ropes of human behavior.
The coughing was what worried Dean the most. He sat perched on the edge of the bed Cas' bed, watching the raven haired man groan in agony and clutch at his throat.
"What's happening to me, Dean?" Cas' voice was completely hoarse and barely audible. He attempted to open his crystal blue eyes but could do so just enough to make out Dean's blurry figure looking down at him.
"I know, Cas," Dean whispered softly, his voice gentle and soothing. "Being sick sucks, man. And no one likes it. But you're taking your meds so you should be back at it soon." He pressed his palm against Cas' forehead, frowning at the intense heat radiating off of the ex-angel. "I'm going to make you some soup. I'll be right back."
Dean stood and tucked the blankets around Castiel, making sure that he was comfortable, before traipsing off to the kitchen to put some soup in the microwave. As Dean waited, he leaned against the counter, letting out a soft sigh. He wanted to take away Cas' pain, just like Cas had done for him so many times. He...he loved Cas.
And of course, those thoughts stirred up the ones that seemed to be constantly coursing through his mind: his feelings for Castiel. Dean couldn't deny that there was a strong bond between himself and the angel-now-human. He just didn't know how he should act upon it or if he should act upon it.
Dean was stirred out of his thoughts by the ding of the microwave. He carefully brought the soup back into Cas' room, shaking the man gently. "C'mon, Cas. Sit up, this'll make you feel better."
Cas struggled to open his eyes and sit up, moving very slowly, as every inch of his body was in pain. He was hot, he was cold, his head hurt, his throat hurt, his eyes hurt, hell, even his skin hurt. He was sweating and shivering, dark circles under his eyes from restless nights due to congestion. He leaned back against the headboard, turning his head slightly to look at Dean.
The hunter held back from handing the bowl of soup to Cas, afraid that in his sick state, he would drop the hot liquid on himself. Instead, Dean began feeding Cas, whispering words of encouragement as the other man grimaced as he swallowed.
Once the bowl was done, Cas shimmied back down under the covers, shivering a little bit. Dean couldn't help but lay down next to the ex-angel, wrapping his arms around him. He didn't know what had come over him but...he felt like he needed to just...cuddle Cas.
"Dean, what are you doing?" Cas asked in a hoarse whisper, tilting his head slightly.
"Uhh…" Dean was shocked for a moment, unsure of what to say. "Cuddling. It's part of the healing process. All scientifically proven and stuff."
Cas was silent for a few moments, and Dean was afraid that he would refute the prior statement. "So, you cuddle Sam when he's sick?"
"Um...yeah. Sure."
Nothing else was said on the subject and Cas fell asleep in Dean's arms. Dean just held Cas, smoothing down his hair and listening to him breathe.
"'Bout time," Sam muttered as he walked by the open door, earning a glare from Dean, who soon fell asleep.
When Cas next awoke, he already felt better, having slept in Dean's arms. He looked at Dean, smiling at the hunter's sleeping face. He curled closer to the older Winchester, staring up at Dean until his face went blurry and he falls asleep once more.