Summary: Dean and Sam get a shock when they find Castiel outside their motel room as a toddler, immediately suspecting foulplay. For some reason, the tiny boy won't go near Sam, and Dean becomes his soul comfort. Please R&R!

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or its characters.

A/N: Wow, I'm so sorry for such a late update! Hope you enjoy! I made myself cry writing the ending *Sniffle* but I really hope it was worth the wait for you guys, and as always, thanks so much for all the support!

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Soul Comfort

-Ten-

Dean did hold Castiel all night, and even fell asleep with him in his arms. The little boy had cried once or twice in the night but Dean had expected that. The poor thing was really quite sick, and all Dean could do was hold him and dab his forehead. But he awoke to find Castiel still shivering in his arms, the thin sheet that the hunter had wrapped around him soaked in sweat. He shuffled a little, hearing familiar whimpers and sounds escaping Castiel woke up.

"Hey, buddy." Dean said softly, kissing his head, "How are you feeling?"

"Dean, I hurting..." Castiel said tearfully, "I..."

He sneezed and burst into tears, Dean pressing a tender kiss to his head and hushing his cries. The little boy snuggled into his blanket, pulling the teddy bear closer to him and kissing it.

"Baby sick too." He said, looking to the bear who still had the band aid on his head from where Dean had placed it during a small game of Doctors the two played when Castiel woke up in the night.

"Yeah, poor Baby." Dean said quietly, "Let's get you dressed."

Castiel sat crying softly as Dean dressed him, the hunter picking him up and holding him close as they headed downstairs. The poor little guy was so upset because of how ill he was, he didn't want to eat, and he cried near hysterically when Dean left his side.

Two hours into the day, and Bobby, Sam and Gabriel just told Dean to stay with him to stop him getting so upset. Dean cradled him close, eventually leaving him in just his shorts because the poor thing was so warm. It broke Dean's heart to see him so ill, and the hunter was willing to hold him for as long as necessary.

The two were curled up watching Disney movies that afternoon, Castiel watching with tearful eyes and blinking softly and tiredly as he rested in Dean's embrace, his pacifier there in his mouth as it had been for the past hour.

"You feeling any better?" Dean asked, Castiel shaking his head and snuggling closer to Dean.

He hiccuped and pulled his teddy closer to him, holding onto it and sniffling softly whilst tears fell down his face.

"It'll pass, little man." Dean promised, "It'll pass. It's okay, baby boy, it's okay."

"Yuv you, Dean..." Castiel whimpered past his pacifier, "Yuv you so much."

"Love you too, buddy." Dean whispered, kissing the baby angel's head, "Love you too."

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do they put Dumbo's mama in jail?" Castiel asked as he removed his pacifier, the childish innocence almost breaking Dean's heart, "She was just looking after him, like you look after me."

"They don't understand that, Cas." Dean replied, "They just think she's dangerous."

Castiel just sniffled and nodded, curling closer to Dean as they watched the movie. When the scene involving Dumbo going to visit his mother in jail came on, Castiel put his pacifier back in and looked up at Dean, the hunter not caring if any of the others thought him a sap for knowing this song.

"Baby mine, don't you cry.
Baby mine, dry your eyes.
Rest your head close to my heart,
Never to part, baby of mine."

Sam and Bobby looked up, completely intrigued as to why Dean was singing along to Dumbo. But as they entered the living room, they understood why perfectly.

"Little one, when you play
Don't you mind what they say.
Let those eyes sparkle and shine,
Never a tear, baby of mine."

The look of love between the two of them made Sam tear up a little, especially when Castiel held onto Dean's hand. The way Dean held the tiny boy was just mesmerising, and Bobby felt tears pricking the back of his eyes too.

"From your head to your toes,
You're not much, goodness knows,
You're so precious to me,
Cute as can be, baby of mine."

Castiel had finally fallen asleep, and Dean pressed a tearful kiss to his head, keeping him cradled close. He never wanted to let him go. He just wanted to hold him for the rest of his life and keep him held there in his arms, to keep him as the baby he'd come to love so much over their time together.

He couldn't bear thinking of Castiel growing back up. He knew that the love for him wouldn't fade, but that in all likelihood it would just grow and grow. But Dean was afraid of the lack of ability he had to be able to deal with the change. And Castiel wouldn't let it go, like he owed Dean a debt or something, and all the time, Dean would have to remember these times and know he could never, ever have them back.

That broke his heart.

Castiel slept soundly on Dean's chest, the hunter rubbing his back gently as he slept as well.

"Look at 'em both." Bobby said softly, "God, Dean's gonna be a wreck when Castiel grows back up."

"Cas isn't ever gonna let it slide that Dean looked after him for all this time." Sam breathed, "He'll constantly want to pay Dean back for it, and I don't know how Dean can take hearing about it...Remembering it. He's having the one piece of normality in his life, the one thing he's always wanted taken from him by something beyond his control. It's gotta be hard."

"Yeah." Bobby replied, "I'll start dinner."

Sam looked sadly to his brother and the sleeping angel, watching as Dean's eyes opened and he realised he was still holding Castiel. A smile spread across Dean's lips, one of pure contentment and happiness which almost had Sam in tears. He worried for Dean, for how badly he'd react to Castiel growing back up again.

He wondered if it would be gradual, and he'd go through different stages, or if suddenly one day Dean would awaken to find a fully grown Castiel trying to fit into a child-sized bed. Castiel turned his head a little before resting it back in its previous position, his hand wrapped around Dean's finger. Dean rubbed his back, pressing a little kiss to that mop of hair. Sam just prayed things wouldn't get worse with Castiel's flu.

But they did.

A couple of hours after Castiel had woken up, he threw his dinner up into the trash can that Dean had just managed to get under his chin, and the poor little guy was so hysterical afterwards that he threw up again. Gabriel had intervened and healed Castiel, going against his original decision to let the tiny angel go through the flu as a human child would. But that didn't stop Dean cuddling Castiel that night in bed since the poor boy didn't want him to go anywhere.

And as long as Castiel needed him, he would always be there. Without second thought, without question and without anything to stop him from being there.

-TBC-

Hope you enjoyed the stupidly late update, and more events with regards to who is to blame for Castiel's deaging will come along soon

Thanks for reading so far!

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