Nathaniel sneezed.

Castiel frowned from the back of the classroom. He had been trying to sleep.

The teacher stopped in the middle of her sentence, looking at Nathaniel.

"Are you okay?" She asked. He nodded, and the teacher shrugged and went back to her lecture on "how wonderful math is,' and 'Castiel, are you listening to me?' and 'Castiel, I know you're sleeping back there. Go to the principal's office.'

And he walked out happily, spared from the rest of the lecture on how beautiful trigonometry can be, but not to go to the principal's office. He went to sit in the courtyard instead, popping his headphones in his ears and closing his eyes as he leaned his head against the tree.

Nathaniel found him.

Castiel had just been dozing off when suddenly his earbuds were ripped rudely from his ears. He gave a noncommittal noise of annoyance, glaring up at Nathaniel.

"You were supposed to go to the principal's office," Nathaniel said, returning his glare. His voice sounded nasally.

"Eh. Courtyard was closer."

Nathaniel rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "You're impossible."

"You're just saying that 'cause you know you want me."

"You had better not start quoting Justin Bieber songs at me."

"... That was unintentional."

Nathaniel opened his mouth to respond, but instead broke off into a coughing fit that lasted for around thirty seconds.

"Hey, don't get me sick," Castiel said, backing away. He frowned. "Actually go ahead. I won't have to go to school."

Nathaniel shook his head, coughing again. He cleared his throat before speaking up again. "I'm not sick."

"The sky is green."

"I swear, I'm not," Nathaniel said, getting up to walk away. "Just- allergies."

"In the middle of winter?"

"M'not sick."

And then Castiel's hand was on his face.

Nathaniel jerked away, staring at Castiel like he was an alien species. "What are you doing?"

"You're sick. You have a fever."

"Okay, but I'm not going home. You've seen my dad," Nathaniel muttered. Castiel shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

Nathaniel ended up going down to the nurse's office during fourth period. He had stood up to turn a paper in and nearly passed out.

Castiel had been half asleep again when it happened, so, of course, the teacher had decided he'd be a perfect candidate to help Nathaniel get down to the nurse's office.

"How many times am I going to end up stuck in a hallway with you passing out on me?" Castiel grumbled, kicking at the ground. Nathaniel didn't hear him, the blood pounding in his ears from his splitting headache. He rubbed at his temples, frowning when his vision darkened again. He stumbled.

Castiel caught him by the shoulders with a surprised "hey!"

"Sorry," Nathaniel murmured, his speech slurring slightly. Castiel felt Nathaniel's face again, giving a small gasp.

"Golden Boy, that is definitely not a normal temperature. How are you even conscious?"

"Not..." Nathaniel trailed off, staring at something in the distance, or maybe nothing in particular. Castiel's eyebrows furrowed.

"Really? We're this close to the nurse's office and you're doing this now?" Huffing, he dragged Nathaniel to the nurse's office by his upper arms, quickly making it appear as though he'd been helping Nathaniel walk before opening the door to the nurse's office.

The school nurse glanced questioningly at Nathaniel.

"Fever," Castiel supplied. She rushed over, taking Nathaniel from Castiel and laying him down on one of the crappy plastic-coated cots. She pressed a thermometer to Nathaniel's temple, frowning as she read it.

"It's nearly 104 degrees," she said, wetting some paper towels and placing one over Nathaniel's eyes, one on his forehead, and one on his neck.

"He's definitely going home," she murmured. Castiel tensed.

"That's not a good idea. His parents work until pretty late and they have meetings tonight," he lied smoothly. She looked at Nathaniel's flushed face.

"You're the emancipated one," she said, turning to Castiel. "Take him to a hospital or something. I'll call down to your classes to excuse you."

Castiel groaned inwardly. Outwardly he just forced a grin. She'd probably call Nathaniel's parents if she thought Castiel would strangle Nathaniel.

"You got it."

Well at least he was getting out of school.

Nathaniel had some kind of infection from something or other; Castiel hadn't really been paying attention. It was an ear infection or something that'd spread, he was pretty sure.

He was put on some antibiotic mix and sent home a day later.

That didn't mean he actually went home; Castiel had pretty much just forced him to stay at his apartment until he was well enough to not get himself killed by his dad.

"They'll be so caught up in the 'where were you's that my dad won't do anything about my being gone for a few days," Nathaniel reasoned, eyes half lidded as he laid back on Castiel's couch.

And he had been right.

And Castiel was glad about that.