It had been a week since Castiel's accident and he hadn't woken up yet. Dean had stayed at the hospital every day, only going home to sleep for not long at all before he was up and on his way to Cas' bedside again. His parents had told him that he should try and get back to normal or he was going to go crazy sitting in silence for hours on end. Of course, he hadn't listened. How could he go back to normal without Cas? Cas was his normal. He was nothing without him.

Dean wanted to tell him all of this but he just wouldn't wake up. Dean eventually bowed to his parents' wishes when he kicked a hospital vending machine when it took too long to deliver his soda and then started crying. He could tell there was something wrong with him but he was scared that if he left Cas by himself, something might happen.

And so, when he was walking into his first class of the day exactly a week after, he had a heavy feeling in his stomach and tears threatening to spill constantly. He kept his head down in every class and even his math teacher, who had the reputation as being the strictest teacher in the school, looked at him with sympathy. Dean hated every minute of it. He didn't want people to look at him like that. He wished more than anything that they would go back to mocking him and Castiel, if only he was there.

This pattern continued for another week before Dean's name was called out by the teacher in History. Dean thought that maybe he'd been caught with his phone out. He'd ben checking it every five minutes in case Anna or Michael called him with an update on Cas. He looked up nervously and everyone in the class was staring at him. The teacher motioned for him to come to the front of the class and then pointed at the door where one of the ladies from reception was waiting for him. He followed her down the halls until they arrived at an office door.

"Mrs Harvelle, Guidance Counsellor" was written on a brass plaque on the solid wooden door. Dean gulped. The lady opened the door and he stepped inside. He stood by the door until Mrs Harvelle looked up from her desk and asked him, politely, to sit. He did. Dean didn't know much about Mrs Harvelle, he'd never had any need to visit guidance before. All he knew about her was that she was the mother of a younger girl in school, Jo.

Mrs Harvelle studied Dean's face. She couldn't determine which emotion Dean was feeling from his face, which was completely blank.

"Dean. I think you know why I've asked to see you." Dean looked down at his hands and nodded.

"You've not been focused on your school work this last week. This, of course, is to be expected in the circumstances. But that isn't what I wanted to talk to you about. I understand what it is like to be in your situation. Before my husband died, he was out for a long time. I know the feeling of uncertainty. And I just want you to know that I am here if you need to speak to anyone but do not feel obligated to me. Okay?"

Dean wanted to tell her that is wasn't okay. He wanted to stand up and shout at this woman and tell her that nothing would ever be okay again unless Castiel woke up and came back to him. But he knew this was irrational. He knew that his rage was not directed at her, she was only trying to help. His rage was directed at Castiel. If that idiot hadn't thought it was okay to cross the street at the worst possible time then he wouldn't be lying motionless in a room that smelled very strongly of disinfectant.

Dean decided to just nod.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked hesitantly. Dean thought for a moment and then he saw a drop of water hit his hand. He hadn't realised he had started crying. He looked up at Mrs Harvelle and opened his mouth. He shut it quickly again when he felt a vibration in his pocket. Nerves shot straight through every part of Dean's body and he began to feel sick. He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out. Anna's name was flashing on the screen. Dean suddenly didn't know if he wanted to answer. There were only two reasons Anna would call him at school. The thought of one of them made something horrible twist inside Dean's chest and he felt breathless. He finally forced himself to push the talk button and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Dean. It's Cas. He's awake." Dean could hear that Anna was crying and the mixture of her sobbing and happy hysteria flowed through the phone to Dean who smiled wider than he ever had in his life as his own tears ran down his cheeks. Then Dean said the first words since he'd stepped into the office,

"Thank you, Mrs Harvelle, but I have some place else to be." Dean turned and walked out of the room and down the halls, getting faster and faster until he was sprinting across the parking lot and wrenching open the door to his car. He sped to the hospital, breaking just about every motoring law. His sprint continued through the wards until he stood outside his door.

Dean could hear Anna and Michael's voices on the other side of the door. He felt very strangely nervous. He was only going to see Castiel, the person who he had spent every day of his life with. He shouldn't feel nervous but Dean was acutely aware that his feelings for Castiel had strengthed in the last two weeks. Or maybe they hadn't. Maybe they'd always been there, it had just taken something to jolt Dean into realising it. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

Castiel was lying on his bed still bandaged up with the cast on his leg. He looked tired but as soon as he saw Dean enter the room, his face brightened with a smile that hit Dean in the stomach. Oh, how he had missed that smile.

"Cas." Dean whispered as he walked to Castiel's bedside. He tried to wipe his tears away but they just kept flowing relentlessly. He was now right beside Castiel. Close enough to reach out and take his hand but he restrained himself. He didn't want to do anything that might suggest they were closer than friends in front of Castiel's parents.

"Dean." Cas replied in a croaky, quiet voice. He had also begun to cry now. Their eyes locked and they started to laugh. Castiel reached out to Dean and grabbed his hand with force that was surprising considering how weak Cas looked.

But he didn't just stop with Dean's hand. He used his other hand to grab Dean's elbow and pulled him down. Dean was confused for a moment until Cas pulled him all the way and their lips collided. The kiss tasted of salty tears and the natural taste of Castiel's mouth. Another thing that Dean had missed dearly. They parted but Dean kept his eyes closed until he was standing upright again. He held on to Cas' hand and looked down at him.

"I think I love you, Dean."

"I know I love you, Cas."

Aren't you lucky that I updated so fast? I didn't actually realise I'd left it at such a horrible cliffhanger so I thought I would update sooner rather than later.

I cried while writing this so I hope it tugged at some your heartstrings as well.