Title: The New Neighbours
Words: 2,007
Rating: T
Note: Not beta'd as always. Dinner at the Novaks, what could go wrong?
Balthazar stood up with a sigh, his hands rubbing together as he went around the table to Castiel's side. He put his hands on Castiel's shoulders, gently rubbing calming circles with his thumbs and enjoying the look on Dean's face as he did so. He leaned down and whispered into Castiel's ear, "I made pie. How about you bring it out?"
Castiel nodded, leaving the table once Balthazar had taken a step back. He began to clear the table piling the silverware on a side table for Gabriel to worry about later. After all, the angel had brought the plates into existence, it was only fair that he took care of the dirty dishes afterwards too. He poured everyone drinks, eyeing the kitchen where Castiel had disappeared. The pie was on the cooling rack, ready and waiting to be carried to the living room to be eaten. All Castiel had to do was get it and yet it had been five minutes since he had gone in there and not a peep was heard from him.
"So..." Gabriel muttered with a sigh. "Did dessert take a detour to hell or something? Where's your bro?"
"I don't know." He stood up to check up on him but Dean beat him to it, already halfway to the kitchen door. He sat back down, eyes still on the kitchen door, and asked Gabriel, "Is this your doing?"
"I don't mess around with food," Gabriel told him, hands up in surrender. "I didn't do anything."
"GABE!" Dean yelled from the kitchen. "Get in here! HELP!"
The two angels rushed to the kitchen where Dean was holding Castiel who was lying on the floor. He was shaking him, calling his name but there was no reaction. The pie was on the floor next to him. Balthazar threw himself on the floor, his hands trembling as he reached for Castiel. He was still warm but hardly breathing, his pulse weak. He looked to Gabriel who stood over them unsure of what to do.
"Do something!" He yelled at the archangel. "Help him! You got him into this mess! Save him!"
It took a moment for Gabriel to register what was happening. He took one quick look at Castiel's face – at Jimmy's face – and at the pie on the floor and ran through a list of possibilities, none of which made sense. Mentally, he called out for Michael while he pushed Dean and Balthazar away and carried Castiel out of the kitchen and laid him out on the couch gently.
Michael, while not appearing physically, sent him a mental message. James Novak had a walnut allergy, the message said. I am letting Castiel's Grace through for one moment. He will be fine but if Castiel manages to fight me off as I close him out again, our plan will be ruined.
"Just heal him," Gabriel whispered. "I'll worry about Castiel later."
It is done. He will rest now. Another message said.
"This was a rookie mistake, Michael. How is Jimmy's still reacting to human weaknesses?"
For a moment there was nothing and then: Get Balthazar and meet me. I'll be waiting.
Gabriel leaned down to push aside a stray lock of hair that had fallen across Castiel's now sweaty face. He completely forgot about Balthazar and Dean who remained in the kitchen as he popped Castiel up to his bed and tucked him in. He had to get Balthazar and meet with Michael. There was a lot of explaining to do.
Meanwhile in the kitchen...
Dean was on the floor, his hands on his lap staring down at the floor. When he'd walked into the kitchen and saw Castiel on the floor he had never been so scared before. He stood at the entrance of the kitchen, looking down at the floor where he laid, in shock. Then it seemed as if the world sped up. He yelled out for Gabriel and suddenly he was on the floor, Castiel was on his lap and he was trying desperately to wake the man up. He didn't even register when his brother and Balthazar had come in, he just felt Castiel being pulled away from him and suddenly found himself staring at the floor, his hands shaking.
He knew a mild allergy attack when he saw it; Ben had a dog allergy. He remained on the floor, desperately running through possible allergens when he saw the pie laying a few feet away. Even on the floor, he could see the walnuts in the crème that practically overflowed the actual pie. He stared at it, trying to think of other possibilities and failing. Why had Castiel's absolute best friend make a walnut pie know that he had an allergy to it? Something wasn't right.
"Walnuts..." Dean said to himself. He pulled himself up and repeated, "Walnut pie. You made a walnut pie?"
Balthazar leaned away from him on the kitchen counter, his hands on his face, which was riddled with worry. He couldn't get the image of Castiel laying on the floor looking half dead. He felt Dean stand up, heard him whisper something to himself and then practically yell at him. Dean wasn't important – not now, not ever. Castiel was important – now and forever.
"Who are you?" Dean asked, reaching out for Balthazar and turning him around. He faced the man, angry and scared. "Castiel could've died. Allergies killed people everyday – he could've been one of them. Who the hell are you? You're not his best friend. A best friend would know about every single allergy, every single thing that could kill him!"
"I didn't know!" Balthazar hissed back. "I – I wouldn't have made it if I had. His body... it's different now than before. I didn't know about this."
"How in the hell-"
"Get out of my face, Winchester."
"No!" Dean shouted getting right up in Balthazar's personal space. He wanted answers. He needed answers. "You're his best friend and you didn't know? If I was his friend as long as you've been, I would know every little thing that could hurt him. Every single dust mite, allergen and whatever else that he could even possibly get him killed. I would keep him away from it like the plague. Not make a damn pie covered in them!"
"OH! Winchester wants to protect little Castiel, does he?" Balthazar snapped. "Protect him from all evils in the world. Keep him locked up and safe? He isn't some delicate flower that needs protecting, Dean."
The doors to the kitchen were pushed open before Dean could reply – which seemed to be the trend for the day. Gabriel came in, his hand on his forehead and sighed. He took one look at the two of them, so close together, and cocked an eyebrow. He said nothing as Dean took a step back, looking at him questioningly.
"He's fine. Just a mild allergy attack," Gabriel told them. He pointed to the pie on the floor and said, "Probably walnuts, yeah? He didn't know judging by the now dead pie or else he wouldn't have grabbed it."
"But he's better now?" Balthazar asked concerned. "May I go see him?"
Gabriel shook his head. "Let me take some water up to him and see if he wakes up. I'll let you know."
He took a bottle of water from the fridge and left without another word. Dean and Balthazar watched as the double doors swung back and forth and the sound of Gabriel's steps as he went up the stairs. Dean let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and turned to apologize to Balthazar.
"I get the impression that you don't like me," Balthazar commented before Dean could apologize.
"No," he answered truthfully. "I don't. But the same could be said about you."
"True."
There was a pause between the two as they took in the new information. Dean spoke first. "Why? What did I do to you? We just met."
"The same could be said about you," Balthazar echoed with a sigh. He mentally checked that Gabriel wasn't anywhere near them and asked, "How long have you known Cassie?"
"I don't know... A few weeks, I guess."
"It took only a 'few weeks' for you to infiltrate every bit of him," Bathazar said letting a bit of the real anger and annoyance he felt enter his words. "Every conversation is Dean can do that, Dean said this and Dean, Dean, Dean, DEAN!"
"That's not my fault. I can't help what he talks about."
"No, you can't," Balthazar conceded.
"Then what the hell is your problem?" Dean demanded. "Tell him to shut up if it bothers you so much."
"You have so much power over him," Balthazar muttered without looking at Dean. "Power you don't even know you have. He would die for you, he has died for you and not a thanks was given. If anything you expected him to die for you!."
"What-what are talking about, man?"
"No one should have that much power over anyone. Especially not Castiel."
"Power? It's not like anything special or-"
"He's more special than anyone else you'll ever meet, Dean," Balthazar corrected, his voice as cold as ice. "And you haven't figure that out yet, then you're not worthy of him."
"What?" Dean asked dumbfounded. What in the hell was going on?
"He - he cares about you more than he should. More than he's allowed to but it doesn't matter to him because you're the great Dean Winchester."
"What the hell are you-"
"He loves you, Dean and if you hurt him I will drown you in a sea so infinite you'd wish to be back in Purgatory."
Gabriel entered kitchen, pushing open the double doors harshly. Startled, it took Dean a moment to try to understand what the hell Balthazar was thinking. Eventually he gave up, looking at his brother and back at Balthazar before brushing past Gabriel. Gabriel watched at Dean as he got his coat and left the house without a word. His eyes narrowed at Balthazar.
"What the hell did you say to him?" Gabriel yelled. "What did you do?"
"I spoke my mind," Balthazar replied with a shrug. "That is all. It is not my fault that he isn't man enough to see the truth."
"Why you go and say that for?!" Gabriel yelled this time throwing his hands up in exasperation. It was like trying to keep a baby monkey from being eaten by a lion that had pissed off a dinosaur! One impossible shit after another and he was expected to go along with it? Oh, the life of a archangel/trickster! "This was not what we agreed on."
"I shall look after Castiel for the night," the angel said, ignoring Gabriel. "And leave in the morning. Call if you require further assistance."
"You better not have ruined this, Balthazar," Gabriel warned as the angel passed by him. "There will be consequences if you did."
"I kept a promise." He turned and looked at Gabriel for a moment, biting his lower lip. He looked on the verge of tears but that couldn't be, thought Gabriel. Why would he want to cry? Before he could ask, Balthazar turned away leaving him alone in the threshold of the kitchen.
"Damage control falls to me then... As always."
He would have to apprise Michael of this little tidbit of information without Balthazar. Who knows what the archangel might do if he found out that Balthazar might have cost them the entire mission. Castiel was fine now, Michael had somehow taken care of everything and by tomorrow he wouldn't even remember going into the kitchen. Good thing too because if it hadn't been for Jimmy's unknown allergy, things might have escalated between Balthazar and Dean even more than they had just now. And the last thing they needed was Balthazar saying some keyword that could trigger Castiel to come back for real – the mission would be truly over then. All Gabriel had to worry about was Michael. For now.
Note: I know nothing of allergy and allergy attacks apart from the bit I read online.