Molting
Dean rolled over in his bed to come nose to nose with a messy haired Balthazar. The silver winged angel was curled up next to Dean, looking sickly. A frown crossed Dean's face and his eyes scanned the angel's body for clues. Maybe Balthy had finally caught Cas' flu or something? Yeah, nothing is ever that simple. There was no clue to what could be ailing the angel except for the dull ruffled wings spreading across the bed. Usually the angel's feathers were always glistening and held close to his body while he slept, but not this time. It looked like Balthy was trying his best not to let them touch anything. Dean's fingers stroked a feather and Balthazar let out a gasp, pulling away. Dean sat up fully, eyes wide.
"Balthazar, what's wrong?" he questioned.
"He's molting."
"Jesus Christ! Wear a fucking bell!" Dean shouted when Gabe appeared out of nowhere.
"No, it's me, Gabriel. I'm the angel praised about in the bible, but that's an easy mistake to make and why would I wear a bell when I can piss you off?" Gabriel said with a smirk. Dean rolled his eyes at the angel.
"Watch it, Angel, you may have your powers mostly under control now, but I can still toss your ass in holy fire," Dean threatened.
"Gotta catch me first," Gabriel chuckled before disappearing and reappearing on the fan on the ceiling. Dean was slightly tempted to turn it on and watch the angel spin.
"Whatever," Dean sighed, deciding that he'd be the one in time out if he flipped the switch to the fan. "Molting?" Gabe nodded.
"Yeah, angels are part bird after all!" Cassie went through his last week," Gabe added. Dean frowned.
"Cas didn't complain about his wings or look like he's been hit by a truck," Dean said, trying to recall if Cas had been acting strange or not. Heck, he didn't even notice missing or falling out feathers.
"Cas has soft baby feathers that just molt into more soft feathers since he's still a baby. Plus, they grow back so fast you barely notice. Balthazar's are turning into thick flight feathers with razor tips almost like mine," Gabe clarified. Dean nodded, understanding what the issue was now.
"How bad is it?"
"Cramps, feather loss…he'll live, but he's not going to be doing much of anything for a day or two till the bad feathers all fall out and grow back," Gabe explained. Dean nodded, glancing at the door to his bedroom and listening to a loud clatter from downstairs.
"Speaking of flying…aren't you supposed to be watching Castiel while Sam and Bobby are away?" Dean questioned. Gabe paled slightly.
"Uh, see ya later!" Gabe called disappearing from the room. Dean listened as Gabe's voice reappeared downstairs in the kitchen as he yelled at his little brother. Dean chuckled lightly and turned his gaze back to Balthazar. The angel had not moved a muscle. A sigh left Dean's mouth and he gently picked Balthy up into his arms and carried the angel to the bathroom connected to his room. Once inside Dean set Balthazar down onto the sink counter and looking through the cabinets for something that may help. Sam had gone on a med run a few nights after Cas had broken his arm so now they were completely stocked up with every type of medication possible for kids and hopefully birds.
"It just happens on its own, Dean, you can't just lather me up with cream!" Balthazar grumbled fingers scratching at his left wing and sending a spray of dried out and damaged feathers in all directions. Dean snatched the angel's hand.
"Yeah, and scratching at them won't do any good either. I'm just trying to find the shampoo for your wings. Any idea where Sammy put them?" Balthazar frowned.
"Why do you needs that?" Balthazar questioned.
"I'm going to give your wings a bath to help sooth them a little. Maybe it'll take your mind off the itching and cramping," Dean explained.
"Third shelf," Balthazar instructed. "Behind Cassie's pain meds for his arm." Dean pushed the pain medication to the side and grabbed the hiding feather shampoo for doves. Well, in this case it was for angels. Dean turned the water on in the tub, checking to see if it was warm enough before turning to Balthazar. Now he had to try and remove those damn clothes without hurting the angel. Gently, Dean began to lift the angel's shirt up, pushing the wings through the holes cut into the shirt. Balthazar tried to pull away when the shirt tugged on his feathers, but it didn't stop Dean from getting the shirt off.
"Now I'm cold," Balthazar grumbled, shivering since his wings did nothing to help warm him now. Dean ignored the angel's complaining and plopped Balthy into the warm water of the tub. Balthazar's body went rigid when the water touched his itchy wings, but then slowly began to ease into the soothing water. Dean smirked as a small purr left Balthazar's lips and squeezed the shampoo into his hand. Balthazar leaned into Dean's touch as the hunter gently rubbed the shampoo into the feathers. Some grey tuffs of fuzz fell into the water and Balthazar played with the tiny feathers as they spun in the water.
"Dwean, can I comes in?" Cas' voice called from the other side of the door.
"Yeah, Cas, doors open," Dean called, putting some more shampoo into his palm. Cas pushed open the door, and waddled inside the bathroom, thumb in his mouth and trench coat dragging on the floor behind him. One arm was hanging in a sling from a previous adventure the angel had encountered. "Hey, Buddy, what's up?" Dean asked as the little angel pushed a stool over to the sink counter and began climbing towards the cabinet.
"I hits my arm when I fells," Cas explained, reaching for his pain medication. Dean remembered the crashing sound from before and shook his head.
"Where's Gabe?" Dean asked.
"Cleaning the kitchen," Cas stated bluntly as he popped one of the tiny pills into his mouth and then put his thumb back into place. Dean decided not to ask what exactly was getting cleaned up and went back to trying to help Balthazar with his molting issue. Cas scampered over to Dean's side, staring down into the water that held most of Balthazar's old feathers.
"Ouchy," Cas muttered as his eyes fell on the raw bald spots on Balthazar's wings. Balthazar pulled his wings in slightly.
"Want to get flight feathers now, Little Bro?" Balthazar grumbled, directing his gaze towards Cas. Cas leaned against the rim of the tub, bobbing his head up and down quickly. Dean reached out a free hand, just in case the force of Cas' head bobbing sent the angel fling into the tub head first.
"Yeps! I wants to be just likes yous and Gabby!" Cas shouted. Balthazar stared at his little brother for a moment with wide eyes. A smile slowly spread across his face and he swept a hand across the water, splashing Castiel.
"Course you do! Who doesn't want to be like me?" Balthazar shouted triumphantly. Dean chose that time to dunk the angel under water to get all the soap off. Balthazar sputtered, glaring at Dean with big eyes and the hunter just laughed with Cas. "You two are so funny," Balthazar said sarcastically, lifting up his arms. Dean picked the angel up out of the tub and rapped him in a towel before getting him dressed in his clothes again. Dean brushed his fingers through the few feathers that were still there and smiled when he noticed that he could see some new ones already poking up out from under the angel's skin.
"Feeling better?" Dean questioned, opening the door for both angels. Balthazar flapped his wings gently, a smile spreading across his face.
"Yep!" Balthazar exclaimed, flapping a little harder and lifting up off the ground slightly.
"Good then the two of you can help Gabe clean up whatever mess is down there while I finish my nap," Dean instructed them. Both angels frowned and Balthazar did a fake faint, falling flat on his stomach.
"Ah! My wings!" he faked. Dean rolled his eyes, lifting up the angel in his arms and then looking over to Cas. The smaller angel was giving him big puppy dog eyes. Damn it. Dean reached down, pulling Cas up into his arms as well.
"Gabe and Custos can handle whatever mess was down there, right?" Dean asked, as he opened the door to the angels' bedroom. Cas turned his head slightly, looking towards the kitchen.
"Umm…how much water can a hellhound puppy drink?" Cas asked suddenly. Dean froze in the doorway and glared down at Cas.
"Why?"
"Uh, say a certain angel broke the kitchen sink when he fell and the pipes burst," Cas mumbled. Dean's eyes bulged out of his head and he turned around, heading for the kitchen.
"Then again, you two are healthy enough to scoop out water with a bucket," Dean decided.
Balthazar is molting and the kitchen is flooding. How much better can it get?