Round 'n Round We Go

~Part One~

It's early when Cas wakes, though he already knows that Dean isn't there beside him. He can tell by the frigidity of the cold sheets he lays on. He isn't sure where his mate is, though he has a few ideas, because this isn't the first morning he's woken alone. His first thought for Dean's whereabouts―bathroom―is confirmed when he hears the distinct and horrifically sickening sound of Dean throwing up into the toilet. It makes Cas' gut churn, but not because the sound wants to make him haul as well, but because his lover, husband, mate, Omega is in distress and there's nothing Cas' can really do about it. He just has to wait for the morning sickness to pass.

Slinking out of bed at barely a crawl, his husky morning voice cuts through the air, reaching the ears of his pregnant husband.

"Dean?" He tries, feet dusting over the carpet of their bedroom floor as he approaches toward the bathroom. "Are you okay? Do you need help?"

He's first answered by the disgusting sound of vomit hitting the toilet bowl, but a weak voice follows a moment later as Cas pushes open the plain white door to their ensuite.

"I'm fine." Dean obviously lies, voice shaky and slightly breathless. "I didn't mean to wake you; go back to bed, Cas."

Cas' eyes fall on his Omega husband, slouched against the rim of the toilet bowl. Dean's pale skin has taken on a slightly greenish tinge and Castiel chooses to ignore his husband's words and instead lowers himself down beside his lover, smoothing the flop of sweat covered fringe away from the even sweatier forehead.

"Oh, Dean…" he sighs and croons all at the same time, tone laced with worry and concern. "I'm sorry this is happening to you."

The Omega's brilliant, forest green eyes meet his Alpha's, but their usual brilliance doesn't shine through, instead they are dull and Cas can glimmer more than just an ounce of pain that lays behind them as Dean smiles weakly back.

"'S'not your faul' Cas…" he mumbles before turning his face back to the porcelain bowl as the emotion behind his eyes takes on a state of alarm.

Cas watches completely helpless as Dean heaves the remaining contents of his stomach into the toilet. The Alpha can do little more than frown as Dean practically hangs his head over the bowl.

There's at least a full minute of silence between them before Dean blinks a few times, the light behind his eyes getting minutely brighter… Cas thinks.

"I…" Dean's voice breaks, "I think it's over…"

Cas feels relieved, but it's a cautious kind of relief, because he's seen Dean lie about not being in pain too many times to fully believe his words.

"I'll get you some ice water then." He replies, standing.

Suddenly, he feels a light grip on his pyjama pants and he turns his attention back to the ill man on the floor, entire being softening as he wishes to do nothing more than alleviate and take away all of his pregnant husband's suffering. Being an Alpha is about being strong, but Cas already knows that he is weak to anything concerning Dean. He would fight the whole world just to make sure Dean is okay. He wants to gather the other man in his arms and cradle him until all the pain goes away, no, scratch that, he wants to take the man into his soul and surround him with love and care until he feels well again.

"I'm fine Cas. Go back to bed." Dean sighs.

"Don't be ridiculous," Cas almost snorts. His heart is almost leaping from his chest with concern seeing Dean like this, barely able to hold himself upright. "You are not fine."

Dean gives him a wilted pleading look as he grips the edge of the porcelain bowl, knuckles turning a shade whiter.

"Don't you move," Cas orders and warns at the same time. "I'm getting you some ice-water."

Dean doesn't mistake the Alpha-order in his husband's voice, he can clearly hear it, but he's never exactly been known for following Alpha-orders. His brother, Sam, even more so. The only Alpha Dean ever listened to was his dad, because his dad commanded his respect and treated Dean with respect himself. His school teachers however, they received none of his obedience. As an Omega, he was expected to follow the rules to the absolute letter―Alpha's never experienced the same expectations of course, it was always "Alpha's will be Alpha's"―but he'd never cared for rules unless they were his father's.

Cas' rules are different though. He can disobey Cas as much as he likes, he will receive no punishment for breaking them, and as much as he wants to shove it all back in Cas' face to prove he isn't a pathetic Omega, he just cannot muster up the strength to do so. He is just too exhausted from vomiting.

So, when Cas returns to give Dean his ice water and help him back to bed, he receives a withering glare―which Cas ignores, having been on the receiving end of it more times than one can count.

"I don't need help." Dean bites, as moodily as he can manage, shrugging Cas' comforting hands away.

Cas flinches, but releases his Omega without argument. He loves this man. He loves this man because he isn't a useless Omega who expects the world to be given on a silver plater. Dean's fought his battles, knows his place in the world because he's fought for the right of it. Cas just finds that really hard to remember when his affections are being roughly discarded at two-twenty-five in the morning by his suffering lover. Is he really so undependable? Is he really so useless that even Dean refuses to let him help? The thought makes him want to cry, because Dean's always like this, avoiding Cas' help whenever he can get away with it. Even with the bread box the other day, Dean got mad at him for simply getting the box down! Does everyone else see him as Dean must? Unreliable? It seems unlikely, but then why does Dean see him like that?

Cas is shaken from his thoughts when his husband nearly stumbles and falls, but Dean does manage to make it back to bed without Cas' help, though only just, and Cas absolutely insists on tucking him in, which warms something very deep inside Dean's heart, though he'd never admit it aloud.

"I'll see you when you wake…" Cas soothes, whispering into Dean's ear lovingly as he entwines their fingers.

The Omega nods and can't help the little smile pulling at his lips. He knows Cas is just trying to take care of him, he's not quite sure why he's acting almost as gruff as his uncle Bobby, but for some reason, he cannot stop himself.

His eyes flutter closed, the clock blaring the bright blue numbers that tell him it's only two-thirty in the morning, and he sleeps, under Cas' watchful eye until the Alpha himself is lulled into more fitful dreams.