A/N: By demand this fic will be continued. So disregard the chapter title of Oneshot in the first chapter please and thank you. I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 2
The rain was still sliding down the windows in the morning. The pitter patter of it would have been comforting if Dean wasn't so damn worried about Castiel. The ex-angel's fever had spiked quite a bit since the night before and Dean had woken up to a cold and clammy hand grasped in his. Dean had quickly jumped up and tried to wake Castiel who replied only with a slight shift and groan.
Even now, Castiel's features were anything but relaxed. His brow was contorted and the look on his face radiated pain. He shook like a person would when sickly and pale. He lay on his side, his eyes closed, although it was clear he was still struggling with the concept of sleep. Dean let out a long breath and pressed his lips to the top of his crossed fingers whilst he sat on the chair beside his bed. He could almost see how hazy Castiel's eyes were behind his eyelids. He turned his head to look at the clock.
3:33pm
Dean's mother had always told him that threes were lucky numbers in China, supposedly because it sounded like the Chinese word for "alive". Although according to other lore bad things came in threes. Dean scoffed and looked away from the triple threat of numbers on the digital alarm clock and back to Castiel. Castiel inhaled a sharp intake of breath and immediately a harsh coughing fit proceeded to occur.
Dean felt anything but alive in that moment.
"Cas." He called out as calmly as he could, his fingers reaching for the small of Castiel's back and rubbing in a circular motion. "Cas…man…its ok it'll be ok you're ok."
The mantra was more for Dean's benefit than Castiel's. If Dean didn't believe it, that Castiel was going to be alright; than how was Castiel himself supposed to believe it? Dean could feel Castiel's heart rate increase as he coughed and Dean felt his fingers begin to shake in fear. Suppose Castiel needed a hospital or something, Dean wouldn't be able to let strangers touch the ex-angel without wanting to just take over himself, plus Castiel would be terrified. Dean instantly felt better when the coughing stopped, but the feeling of dread soon returned with a vengeance when Castiel's broken, sad, eyes looked up at him.
"D-Dean…" Castiel's words barely made it past his lips. He trembled, his hands shaking like a hypoglycemic without food. "Chest…hurts…"
Dean felt horrible. Here Castiel was in pain for the first time that Dean knew of and Dean felt helpless to soothe him. He knew the basics when it came to medical attention, but the only person he'd ever taken care of in his life was Sam. He knew what Sam liked when he was sick, what to feed him, where to rub his back when he coughed. He was walking blind in the dark with Castiel.
"Ok Cas…" Dean thought quickly and suddenly his fingers were not on Castiel's back but on his chest. They rubbed gently along his skin and Castiel's breaths became a little less shaky. "Lay back down ok? Just lay down Cas."
Castiel nodded and obeyed. He lay back down; his shirt caked in feverish sweat and the sweatpants sagging off of his hips a bit. His face had made a permanent indent in the pillow beneath him like a plaster cast.
"I just want to breathe Cas ok?" Dean lowered his voice. He found that he was speaking the way his mother used to when Dean was a small child and in need of comfort and reassurance. His fingers traced Castiel's chest slowly. "It'll be ok. I know it hurts Cas I know."
"Dean…" Castiel whined, tears in his eyes. He shook again, the random spasms when pain shot through one's body. Dean sighed hard. He hated seeing anyone in this state especially Castiel who was so scared to begin with without adding newfound human illness into the already confusing equation. "Thank you…"
Dean knew the sincerity was pure. He smiled a bit and smoothed back Castiel's hair from his forehead. The rain had slowed even more and was now dripping from the roof to the ground below outside. The sky was still dark, basking the room in a comforting gray. It was quiet, only the two men's practically synchronized breathing could be heard.
"Dean." Another groggy voice came from the hallway. Dean turned his head to see Sam, rubbing his eyes and yawning a bit. "When did Cas get here?"
Sam spoke as if nothing strange had happened in the past month, like this was just another hunt and Castiel arrived late in the night. Sam's question hung in the air as Dean found himself only able to concentrate on the ex-angel sleeping in his bed.
"Dean?" Sam asked. "Did you hear me?"
Dean shook his head releasing himself from his trance and walked over to the doorway where Sam stood. Dean gave a small smile at his brother then looked back at Castiel who had somehow managed to fall back asleep.
"Last night, late." Dean replied, his voice quieter and somewhat more timid. "He's pretty messed up Sammy…"
"I couldn't tell," Sam said, clearly worried as he too stole a glance at Castiel. "Dean, just please don't do what you did last time."
"Last time?" Dean asked.
"Last time something went wrong, with me, with Cas," Sam explained. "You'd stay up all night worrying, I never saw you properly sleep once. Just please. Take care of yourself Dean. For me, for Cas too? He'd want you to be ok."
Dean looked back at Castiel again, his smile fell. Castiel was sleeping obviously not well, but he was still sleeping. Dean figured that was what he needed right that moment.
"Kevin and I, we're going to get some more things that we need," Sam said. Dean still worried sometimes about his brother's physical and mental state after the whole trials ordeal, but Sam had so far made quite the recovery. Ezekiel had left him unscathed. "You can come with us or you can stay, either one is fine. I'll get some meds for Cas and some soup or something."
"Thanks Sammy." Dean said, Sam nodded and turned to walk down the hall. Once he was out of earshot Dean licked his lips and muttered under his breath. "Dammit Cas…"
Dean turned around and sat back down in the chair. He didn't move for awhile.
-8-8-8-8-8-
"So Cas came back huh?" Kevin asked Sam as the two stood in line with two carts full of supplies. Sam's solemn look had piqued Kevin's interest and Sam had been forced to tell him about the fourth resident in the bunker. "I thought Dean was mad at him?"
Sam chuckled. Kevin sounded like a teenage girl gossiping at the lunch table.
"He was pretty pissed I guess but you know Dean," Sam grabbed a candy bar from the candy rack and placed it in the basket. He tried to push the thoughts of Gabriel out of his mind. Although he had to wonder what became of the archangel after Metatron gave the boot to Heaven. Would Gabriel have been reincarnated? "He gets over it pretty fast, especially when it comes to Cas."
"I don't know why he doesn't just admit it already." Kevin rolled his eyes. Sam smirked. When it was obvious to a prophet of the lord it must be pretty damn obvious.
"You know Dean, he's too proud to admit that." Sam laughed and helped Kevin unload the contents of the two carts onto the checkout counter. "It would bruise his poor ego."
"Ego?" Kevin scoffed. "Don't make me laugh."
The checkout lady was a kind old woman and she smiled brightly. She handed Sam his change and waved at them as they lugged the groceries back to the Impala which was parked in the far corner of the parking lot to prevent "door dings" which Dean would most certainly notice. Sam climbed into the driver's seat and started the car after Kevin climbed in next to him and buckled his seatbelt.
"We sound like a couple of teenage girls." Sam pointed out with a grin.
"What can I say?" Kevin shrugged and chuckled. "Dean makes for a good story."
The pair took off towards the bunker out of the main part of town.
-8-8-8-8-8-
"The rain is rather relentless don't you agree Dean?" Castiel asked the man next to him. Dean had decided to crawl into bed once again with Castiel and he had wrapped his arms around the ex-angel. He found there to be nothing wrong, most certainly nothing gay, about doing so. He was simply comforting his sick friend and it was no different than all of the other times he had comforted Sam when he was sick.
At least, that was what Dean would tell people if they asked.
"Yeah Cas it is, isn't it?" Dean really didn't know what else to say. There were so many things he wanted to ask Castiel.
"How could you trust that dick Metatron?"
"Are you ok Cas?"
"Cas? Will you stay this time?"
"Why Cas?"
Dean chose to hold his tongue.
"You know rain is quite the sight from…Heaven…" Castiel bit his lip and Dean winced at the mention of Castiel's home. The home he'd been expelled from, helpless by means of returning. "It is…it was always so beautiful."
"Well," Dean smirked slightly. "One day, maybe you can show me? How's that sound?"
"That sounds like a far off fantasy Dean." Castiel replied. Dean's smirk fell. He had been hoping for at least a chuckle if nothing else or even the tiniest of smiles.
"Maybe not," Dean tried to reassure his friend. "Whatever happened to hope Cas?"
"That word coming from the Righteous Man has no meaning." Castiel bitterly said. Dean was taken aback slightly. "You don't believe in hope Dean. You've made that clear."
Dean swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and opened his mouth slightly once before closing it. Castiel did speak the truth in a way; Dean had a hard time grasping the concept of faith. He would never allow himself to believe in the "Father almighty" and that he would "save everyone and everything" but that didn't mean he didn't have hope. Hope was different; faith had failed him too many times. Hope was something that was deep rooted in him, in all humans; it was essentially one of the only things that kept him going.
"Hope isn't the same thing as total surrender and faith Cas," Dean explained. "Hope is plausible, it doesn't need to be taught or proclaimed in a prayer. It just is. It's never failed me once…just like you."
Castiel's gaze fell upon Dean and the pair had another one of their "infamous staring matches" as Sam liked to call them. Dean saw the humanity in Castiel's eyes now; it was not just present though it seemed to be taking over. As if Castiel was conforming, forgetting to be heavenly and realizing that he was merely a human.
"I have failed many Dean," Castiel sighed. "Too many people, too many of my brothers and sisters, too many times. I do believe that maybe this…this whole trick was for the best. I do not deserve the riches of Heaven anymore and I certainly do not deserve your praise. I am a stain on the carpet of all that is Holy and now I am what I deserve to be…ordinary."
"Bullshit." Dean glared and Castiel jumped a bit at his abruptness. "You are NOT ordinary Cas, you will NEVER be ordinary. How many angels can say that they successfully screwed Heaven over huh? How many can say they went to Hell and back for a human? Hell, how many can say they were freaking God? None of them Cas! None of them can but you and if you think you're just ordinary…well then I must be the President of the United States of America. You will never be ordinary to me Cas."
"Yes Dean." Castiel nodded. He seemed less than enthusiastic about the speech though. Dean's words were lost on him and Dean knew that. He sighed and looked away a moment so that he could gather his thoughts. He was about to speak again, but Sam opened the door and rapped on the doorframe.
"Dinner is ready and served for all those interested, it's spaghetti." Sam motioned for Dean and Castiel to come with him and he walked back down the hallway towards the dining hall. Dean sat up from the bed and offered his hand.
"C'mon Cas," Dean lifted him up onto his feet and supported him as the pair walked to the dining table. "Humans gotta eat."
He rested his hand on Castiel's hip, Castiel's arm slung around his neck as they walked.
It fit.
Read and Reviews are always nice especially since your writer is ill herself! Chuck above I would not wish this on my worst enemy or even Abbadon.
Anyways I hope you all are enjoying so far and I hope you look forward to what is to come with this story!
Stay awesome folks!