Prologue

Castiel had felt funny for about a week after the fall. His breaths had become shallow and slow and he felt as if his chest was going to explode. He touched his cheek and found it to be hot, but hotter than usual. He had tasted the salt in his sweat for the past few days that he'd been staying at the Men Of Letters bunker with Sam and Dean. The fall had left him human and very confused and lost. He still hadn't gotten the hang of the way humans functioned and behaved and he doubted he would anytime soon, but what confused him the most after the fall was how he felt.

He felt he'd betrayed Dean beyond repair this time; the man couldn't even stand to look at him most times. He was too busy dealing with Kevin's findings and helping Sam get back on his own two feet that he hadn't even noticed Castiel, much less he hadn't even noticed Castiel was growing sick.

Castiel didn't know what was going on either. He'd felt dizzy for awhile and overheated. He'd taken his trench coat off numerous times throughout the day even though the bunker was kept at a desirable and comfortable temperature all day long. He'd felt weaker than ever before and his chest hurt like no tomorrow. He was honestly scared, he wanted to tell Dean, he'd wanted to tell him for a few days now, but he'd been scared to approach the man.

Castiel decided it was now or never, he had to tell Dean that he was feeling off. Surely Dean would know what to do. Castiel stood from his seat on his bed and begun to walk towards the living room where Dean was seated on the couch reading a magazine, Castiel approached slowly so as not to scare Dean too badly. Castiel though, suddenly felt his breath being deprived and he coughed hard and painfully clutched his chest. Dean's head spun around fast and he stood up quickly.

"Cas?" Dean asked, his voice filled with concern, he padded over towards the ex-angel and held him steady. "Cas you're burning up man…"

"D-Dean…" Castiel stammered and looked up into Dean's comforting green eyes, a look of sheer terror and pain ran through his electric blue ones. "I feel…funny…."

Castiel's vision was blurring and he coughed once again, it was a sort of barking cough that sent a pang of guilt and alarm through Dean. Dean touched Cas' forehead gently with the back of his hand and started to walk him towards the couch. Dean felt guilty that he hadn't noticed Cas' condition before, it was clear the ex-angel hadn't been feeling well for quite awhile.

Sam walked slowly out of his room. He had been almost completely healed from the stain the trials left on him, but he still was in no fighting condition. He watched silently as Dean dragged a hacking Castiel over towards the couch and laid him down gently upon the cushions.

"Cas ok?" Sam asked, walking over slowly to his brother and looking down at their friend.

"No." Dean sighed. "He's ill Sammy and it doesn't sound good…something in his chest."

"Chest cold?" Sam asked, giving Castiel a onceover before setting down the mug of coffee he'd been drinking.

"Sounds worse than that," Dean sighed and begun to remove Castiel's shoes and socks, he pulled the trench coat off of him gently even though Castiel reached and grabbed for it in protest. "Cas, man you have to take this off, it'll overheat you."

"D-Dean…" Castiel rasped out before a string of coughs took over and he grabbed his chest as he wheezed out his words. "H-Hurts…"

"Sssh Cas," Dean said, he knelt down to Castiel's level and felt his forehead again. "I know it hurts, c'mon man only you would fall from heaven and manage to end up with pneumonia somehow."

Castiel whimpered and coughed harder, each one causing Dean to jump a bit. Dean stood up and looked at Sam before walking into the kitchen. He grabbed a cup and poured some orange juice into it before walking back over to Castiel and helping him sit up. He held Castiel's shaking arm as the ex-angel lifted the cup towards his mouth and swallowed. He looked so pale and sickly it almost hurt Dean. Dean could've slapped himself for not noticing sooner.

He set the cup down on the coffee table and helped Castiel lay back down. He removed the unnecessary pillows and propped one behind Castiel's head for him to lie on. He, much to Sam's amusement, begun to undress Castiel until he was down to his boxers. Castiel tried not to blush, he felt almost naked now and he felt slightly awkward being this exposed in front of Dean. He felt a small bit of weight on his body and noticed Dean had laid a throw blanket over him.

"Get some sleep Cas…I mean if you can." Dean sighed, biting his lip. "I'll…I'll watch over you."

Castiel felt comforted at those words. He nodded and after a few more coughs he finally closed his eyes and his breathing seemed to even out. Dean backed up slowly so as not to wake him up and walked with Sam over towards the kitchen. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and popped the lid before taking a long swig.

"I saw the look in your eyes Dean." Sam commented, drinking his coffee and smiling a bit. "You really do care about him."

"Course I do." Dean said back, trying to hide the blush that had crawled up on his cheeks behind the beer can. "He's my friend Sammy, sure he did some pretty dickish things but…he's my friend."

"That's not what I mean Dean but ok whatever you say." Sam smirked a bit and walked back towards his room. Dean bitch faced him behind his back and then looked back over at Castiel who was somehow sound asleep.

He walked back over to the couch he'd been sitting on and set his beer down on the coffee table. He looked over at Castiel again. He looked so, weak. Dean hadn't seen him this vulnerable and scared before and honestly it scared Dean as well. Castiel had done of lot, he'd really betrayed them a few times, but Dean just couldn't bring himself to hate Castiel. He wasn't superman after all he couldn't do everything on his own and he couldn't do everything right all the time. Dean didn't envy him right now, being human and all.

He'd ignored Sam's earlier comment because he hadn't even wanted to admit Sam was right, not even to himself. Truth was he did care about Castiel, a lot. He'd felt twice as hurt before the fall when he'd learned of what Castiel had done, but now as he looked over at Castiel laying wheezing, pale, and sick on the couch all that anger suddenly melted away and Dean felt protective over his friend.

Dean's eyes didn't leave Castiel for the next two hours.

Read and Review

So this will be a two-shot or possibly a bit longer, I haven't decided yet :3 I hope you all enjoyed it so far and more is to come soon.