DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT ADDISON AND KARA EVEN THOUGH KARA PLAYS A MINOR ROLE I THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH MENTIONING SO YEAH.

Soooorrryyyyy.

Apologia. Apologia. Apologia :/

What are quotes anyways? Just famous people thoughts right? Yeah well I have important thoughts too! Just not at the moment...

-Me

I spent most of my days in hospital in and out of a painkiller induced coma, which I can very easily compare to being underwater in a lake on a summers day, because it was bright and murkywarm and at the same time.

On some of the rare occasions when I was awake they pumped me full of breakfast milkshake things that tasted astoundingly similar to liquefied chalk with the nauseatingly obvious flavour of added vitamins. I was starting to get the feeling these people believed that my pale skin was a side of malnourishment or something, because every time I was awake I got vitamins or something incredibly healthy.

I would have killed for some chocolate.

Sometimes Castiel would pop in, never bringing anyone with him, and sit next to me for a while. I couldn't really see him through the fogginess but I could feel his presence. It became harder for me to ignore him when he would take my hand in his.

In those moments I wanted to jolt awake, jump off the bed and kiss him, but the way he drew patterns on the back of my hand with his thumb just made me more relaxed.

One day I woke up and the nurse told me that I wouldn't be pumped full of painkillers anymore, she said I'd made a speedy recovery. Then she, rather bluntly, said I was, rather suddenly, being discharged the next day and left.

I sat there and tried to ignore the bright room, settling instead for staring at the sliver of sky I could see though the blinds. Then a splash of colour interrupted.

A head poked around the doorframe.

"Hey." Castiel said from the door. "Glad to see you're up. You look a little less like a zombie today." He leaned slightly against the wall, as if waiting for some kind of cue from me. I nodded and he moved into the room more, coming to sit in the chair next to the bed.

"I hope so, because apparently they're booting me out tomorrow."

"Too bad, it was nice not hearing you talk so often."

I reached over and hit him in the shoulder, surprisingly it didn't hurt me, but it definitely hadn't hurt him either.

"I also think I like this weaker version of you better." He grinned. "Less hazardous to my health."

"Ah yes, because you're the one in the hospital bed." I rolled my eyes.

No, that would be me. Still I could see a few lingering bruises on his face from where my Dad had punched him, he was still hurt.

He must have seen how worried I looked, because he sighed.

"Don't look at me like that Addie. I'm fine."

I nodded, unconvinced, then my expression changed again, to annoyance.

"Did you just call me Addie?"

"I thought I'd try it. No?"

"Absolutely not." I laughed.

"Too bad, Addie."

I growled back at him, something about how he'd pay for coming up with that nickname. He just stood up and waltzed around like an invitation for me to get up and hit him.

"Oh by the way your Aunt came to town. She's kind of..."

"Flighty, odd, quirky?" I offered.

"Uh. Interesting."

"Is she still here?"

"No. She was really worried and came to see you, but she had some fashion thing to do so I told her I'd watch over you. She called me your 'guardian angel'." He pulled a face. "I'm not sure whether I should rub that in or puke."

"Charming." I grinned. "It's too bad she couldn't stay, I would have liked to see her."

"She said she'd be back in a week or so."

That wasn't too bad.

"What about Dad?"

"Prison."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he can't hurt you anymore. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore. Ever."

"Thank you."

"It's my pleasure." He took a bow, his red hair falling into his face. "Though there is one thing I ask in return."

"Uh oh."

"Guess what's in two days?" He asked, looking incredibly sheepish.

Uh oh. Double uh oh. Infinity uh oh.

"The semi thing?"

He nodded grimly.

"But but but but I don't want to go." I whined. "I'm too injured."

"You are not, liar. You feel fine. Anyways, you promised before."

"Two days doesn't give me enough time to find a dress."I protested smugly, folding his arms.

"That's why Lysander and I are coming over tomorrow, bringing dresses Lysander borrowed from his brother's store."

I struggled with this idea for a while. "Fine, but you can't see any of what I try on. It has to be a surprise."

"Whatever you wish, my dearest Addison." He winked.

He had an extra mischievous air about him today that I didn't quite trust.

"What time is it?"

"Just after lunch."

"What day is it?"

"Wednesday."

I gave him a stern look. "Go to school you slacker."

"No." He shot back, sitting on the edge of my bed. I felt the pressure change and the whole room felt a little warmer.

I don't know why they keep hospitals so damn cold, especially when they dress you in pretty much nothing.

My frustration with human kind ceased when his slight movement captured my attention.

He reached down, bunching some of the fabric sheets between his fingers. It gave me an opportunity to study his expression, which had changed.

He was biting his lower lip and seemed to be completely lost in thought, eyes scanning the bed as if mapping it out.

Then he must've noticed me watching because he looked up.

His eyes were lit with something kind of like lust, with something else I couldn't quite place.

Either way, I felt nervous and excited and all other thoughts vanished.

Castiel leaned in and pressed his lips gently against mine. I responded eagerly, like an addict ceasing their withdrawal.

He was holding my face as though I was fragile and I wanted much more than that.

I pulled him down on top of me by the collar of his jacket. He moaned, startled, and continued to be so gentle I thought maybe it was an evil twin that was bent on my inner destruction.

He pushed up on his arms, separating our lips.

"What is going on?" I demanded.

He bit his lip again and surveyed my face. We stayed like that for a while, him on top of me, we were so close his bangs were tickling my forehead.

"I don't want to hurt you." The words rushed over me and I felt like I was drowning, but pleasantly. My skin tingled.

I took his face in my hands. "I'm fine, you said it yourself. You can't hurt me, you said you never would. And the only way you're hurting me is by holding back." His expression displayed determined understanding.

He grinned. "And you want more?" I felt his breath on my ear and shivered.

"Yes." I became blissfully aware the only thing that separated us was his clothes and my thin hospital gown.

When he didn't move right away I pulled his face down to mine and kissed him angrily, he responded with equal ferocity.

An alarm beeped and he pulled back again, checking his watch.

"Uh oh Addie. I have to go now." He put on his most evil grin and ducked out of the hospital room before I could even manage a 'you asshole'.

He pushed past the same fretting nurse in the hallway. She just looked at me and shook her head before carrying on.

Despite how frustrated I was, I couldn't help but lay back and giggle. The crazy bugger was going to be the death of me.

The same fretting nurse rolled me out of my room via wheelchair the next day and dumped me unceremoniously in the main foyer. Castiel was waiting there with Lysander.

There was a brief debate over whether not we should steal the wheelchair or not, but Lysander and I were on the same team, two against one. So we opted not to.

"You guys never let me have any fun." Castiel grumbled, opening the door to my apartment and helping me inside. I was still pretty sore, incredibly so as I wasn't pumped with painkillers anymore.

"Hey," I retorted. "You're dragging me to the school's stupid pre-semi nonsense."

"Yeah but that's only 'cause he's dragging me." He pointed at Lysander who was bent over the couch with a haul of dresses.

"Please don't drag me into your useless arguments and general stupid banter." Lysander sighed, not turning his attention from the dresses.

I stared open-mouthed around the apartment.

It had been in a real state when I saw it last, my poor albums were strewn everywhere, dishes were broken on the floor.

Now everything appeared to be back in place, the floor sparkled, new dishes sat dried in the rack, waiting to be put away. I walked robotically into the panic room. The albums were back in their cases on the shelf where they belonged. It was such a happy sight.

Castiel hugged me from behind, his arms snaking around my waist. "Impressed?" His lips brushed the base of my neck.

"Definitely." I replied, leaning backwards against him. "Also incredibly grateful."

He ruffled my hair. "Uh oh, you aren't getting all sentimental now are you?"

"No. But thank you." I sighed contentedly.

Castiel was dragged backwards, we were yanked abruptly from our happy couple moment by Lysander, who shoved a dress bag in my face.

"That was rather harsh and intrusive for the actions of a gentleman." I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Allow me." Castiel stepped back into view and gave an overly sarcastic sweeping bow. I giggled.

Even under the circumstances (the dress ones) it felt so good to be back in my place bickering and teasing with Castiel. Him and Lysander were seriously top-notch friends. The whole familiarity of my apartment was all too comforting. It was good to be back.

I was too pleased to conjure up a single thought about Dad. All to happy, all too careless.

At least until I was until I opened the black garment bag.

Castiel almost tried to break down the bedroom door when I shrieked but Lysander calmed him down with just a six words.

"The first one's pink with bows."

There was an awkward pause while that registered in Castiel's head.

What followed was maniacal laughter.

"She's going to kill you for even suggesting that one." He managed through his giggles.

I zipped up the garment back. "Absolutely not."

Lysander laughed lightly. "I assumed as much. I was merely hoping that one of you would get a kick out of that."

"Who would even think about putting that much pink on one dress. And the bows?" I had now stripped down to just my underthings to prepare for whenever Lysander handed me a real dress and not a Halloween costume for Little Bo Drag Queen.

"Addie dearest. I've selected a dress for you." The bedroom door slid open a crack.

Oh God no. Not again.

I threw my weight against it, my ribs stung. "COULD YOU NOT?" I demanded through the wood. "Also you aren't supposed to see the dresses."

"Calm down, nothing I haven't seen before." I could hear the mischief in his voice. "And I can't see the dresses through the bags I just picked one at random so I'm not breaking any rules here."

I blew a strand of cinnamon hair out of my face and let him push his way in. It was all fine and dandy until he actually came in the room, after which I began a frantic self-conscious dance named "cover up as much as possible ASAP". It's rather spastic I don't recommend trying it in front of attractive men.

"Don't be difficult." He muttered, dropping the bag containing my potential pre-semi dress unceremoniously on the bed and stalking towards me.

There was this moment of silence while he took hold of my hips and looked me over. It was both with approval and worry. I suppose I passed the fragility test because the next second we were making out. Our lips were locked in a feverish manner, I just couldn't seem to get enough.

He pressed me up against the dresser, my thighs hit the surface of it.

Furniture was getting in the way. How the hell do you deal with furniture getting in the way in a situation like that?

I don't know how most people manage, but I slip atop the damned dresser, my lips never once leaving his. Castiel's fingers skimmed up and down my thighs, my waist. I relished the feeling.

"Um."

Both of us froze.

Lysander had poked his head in the doorframe and was both blushing the same colour as a fire hydrant and grinning like a fool.

"I came to see which dress he'd picked. Bad timing?"

"Incredibly bad timing." Castiel grumbled. "Which is why you're the singer, not the guitarist or drummer."

"Cold." Kara said from behind him, and her face appeared in the doorway too. "Cold cold words coming from a guy who's making Addison's dresser so hot."

"Also Kara's arrived." Lysander said cheerfully.

"Thanks for the heads up." Castiel sighed.

I chose not to say anything, instead burying my face in his jacket and inhaling his scent. I was certain I was blushing bright red.

"Come on Cas, let the girl try on some dresses. You can ravish her after semi formal." Lysander wagered.

Castiel seemed to think that was a decent enough idea. He took my hand and pulled me off the dresser.

I shooed him out of my room, still blushing furiously, and closed the door behind him. I could hear the other two teasing him out in the living room. I smiled.

Reaching for the garment bag, I took a moment to admire the beautiful insignia for Leigh's store in gold lettering on the front. It really was nice of everyone to do all this for me. I suspected Castiel hadn't cleaned the apartment alone.

I unzipped the bag and gasped at the contents. Definitely the right dress. Not a chance in hell was I going to semi in anything else.

OH MY GOD YOU MUST ALL HATE ME.

Look at least it isn't the last chapter okay?

Also I tried really hard and like nothing came out of this chapter. OH WELL. SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG.

I would come up with excuses but

There are none. I was just uber lazy.

THE LONGER IT TAKES ME TO WRITE OUT BLOODY EXCUSES THE LONGER IT TAKES ME TO UPLOAD SO I GOTTA GET ON THAT.