When Dean and Sam finally arrived in New Jersey, Dean looked about ready to fall over. He had been up for days, switching shifts with Sam to get some sleep, and even then he didn't sleep much at all. He had a lot of time to think about what was happening with Castiel. He didn't deserve something like this, being trapped to one spot waiting for a human of all things to come pick him up.
Yet there he was, waiting for Dean. It would have been sweet, almost embarrassing even, that Cas called him first, if it wasn't for the fact that it was either them or Gabriel and Dean wasn't sure that the ArchAngel would be up for showing up to pick up baby bro. Dean laughed at the thought. Gabe standing there, signing paperwork while Cas stood in the background, looking as small as possible.
But thinking about it, and seeing it are two different things. When Dean walked into Cas' room, he wasn't expecting to see a small light haired man sitting next to him, watching TV and acting like nothing was wrong. "Hey there, Dean-o. Cassy here got lonely. Shouldn't leave your boyfriend all alone like that." Gabriel said as soon as Dean walked in, eyes still glued to the TV screen above the bed.
Dean just rolled his eyes and replied "He's not my boyf-" but then Cas chose that moment to look over and give a sheepish smile and Dean couldn't quite force himself to finish that sentence, ending it with a huff. So instead he went to sit next the Cas on the other side of the bed, propping his feet up on the edge and leaning back to watch the soap opera on the TV.
"What'd I miss?" Dean said, trying to ease the awkward silence that had fallen over them.
"The gardener, Clyde, is in confinement, and Jessica is trying to figure out how to tell John that she is impregnated with her brother's child. And now there is a new character, Paul. He's Jessica's dad and we just learned that he is a priest." Cas explained matter-of-factly before turning to Dean. "Is this how people act in 'suburbia?' This is more complicated than anything I have ever seen."
Dean just laughed again and rolled his eyes, gently patting the hand Cas had rested on Dean's shin. "Not normally, Cas. Usually, there's a crazy plastic surgeon too." He winked at the nurse who had just walked in and chuckled when she blushed a little. Cas wrinkled his nose at this and Gabe whined out "Spoilers!" Dean couldn't stop laughing for a whole 5 minutes, almost falling out of his chair a couple of times.
"I do not see how this is so humorous, Dean. Doctors go through intense training before they are given their license. Mocking them in their place of business is inappropriate and rude." Cas snapped at him and this sent Dean into another fit of giggles that even Gabe joined in on a little bit later.
When he finally needed more air, Dean stopped to look at Cas. He was focused back on the TV, or at least was pretending he was. He had moved his hand off of Dean's shin and was resolutely not looking at him. Gabe took that as his cue to leave, dragging Sam out by the sleeve of his shirt. Dean just stared at Cas, waiting for him to instigate a conversation.
When the preview for the next episode came on and still Cas had not spoken, Dean ventured to talk to him. "What happened to you, Cas?" his light mood now forgotten in respect for the serious one that drifted in almost as if out of nowhere.
Cas sighed and it was just so human that Dean had to stop himself from climbing onto the bed to hug him. "I... when I left, I had to go up to the Host, as I had said. They were upset with my actions, telling me that I had betrayed them with my choices." He paused and looked down, staring at his hands. Dean took this opportunity to take Cas' hand in his, which totally meant nothing he would tell himself later. Cas took a deep breath and continued, voice a little shakier than before. "They took it. They took my Grace."