A/N: Meh, not my best by far but I've re-written it a few times and this is what I've got. This chapter was originally supposed to be more plot but I'd been asked to make the chapters a bit shorter and several of my friends threatened to knee-cap me if I didn't write out the Castiel bathtime scene. So yeah, since I value my mobility, this is what I saw in my head. Hope it comes across well. :/
Dean didn't stop driving until they had put Washington state far behind them. Their overnight bags had been given up for lost since it was no use trying to go back. The meager clothing they contained could be replaced and they held nothing else so valuable it was worth revisiting a location they knew the demons might be waiting for them. The drive was tense and silent until Dean crossed over the state border into Idaho as Sam hadn't bothered moving from his crumpled position in the back seat and Cas had remained as quiet as ever, perched on the hunter's chest. With the state behind them finally, Sam dared crawling up into the front next to Dean, his hip and side protesting the movement and reminding him of his fall earlier. He settled in with a tired sigh and rubbed absently at Castiel's back. The angel had made no move to rid himself of the oversized shirt wrapped around him and that worried the hunter a little since the angel usually tried to free his wings every chance he got. Cas had instead hunkered down into the folds of warm cloth and hidden himself away as much as he could between his rabbit and Sam's chest. Legion's presence had definitely disturbed the infant much more than any previous demon encounter.
Dean couldn't figure out who he was worried about more. His little brother looked utterly worn out. Mud and dirt caked almost every inch of him and he reeked of stagnant water and sweat. Thin red lines crisscrossed his cheeks and the exposed skin on his arms from where branches and brambles had nicked him in his flight and dark circles were present under his eyes as the adrenaline of the day wore off at last. Castiel on the other hand he could barely see and that bothered Dean more than he thought possible. He was fighting down the urge to pull the car over just to check the angel for any injuries but he knew Sam wouldn't be sitting calmly if there was any chance Cas had been hurt. Instead he distracted himself by filling Sam in on what he'd learned from Hezrial. His brother was too tired to even argue when Dean tried to assure him that his phone had been on but hadn't rang even once during the conversation with the angel. The lack of contention from Sam bothered Dean more than if he'd just lit into him about it and it only increased his worry.
Every big brother instinct Dean had was in overdrive by the time he pulled into a small town whose faded sign announced it as Clearview Acres. Squat houses lined the main road running through the community interspersed with the occasional business that was only identifiable as such due to the peeling and weathered signs hanging out front. A single theatre marked what Dean figured was the center of town and the choice in accommodations was made fairly simple since there were only two hotels to be found. Dean pulled into the first one he came to and booked them a room for the night before all but dragging his weary brother inside. Sam wordlessly let himself be led into the room and then headed straight for the bathroom with Cas still clutched in his arms. Dean hesitantly followed to the doorway. "Hey, I'll hold him while you're taking a shower," he offered.
Sam paused to think over the logistics of trying to hold an infant while he bathed before deciding better of it. "Yeah, alright, but he needs a bath too," he said tiredly as he handed the filthy bundle over to the waiting arms of his brother. He hated letting go of the angel but the idea of a hot shower was too tempting to resist and he knew Dean might have an easier time of coaxing Cas out of his hiding spot within the folds of the shirt. His brother had always had a stronger bond with their friend than Sam could claim and even in his infant form Cas reacted strongly to Dean's presence. It was a connection Sam now found himself envying a little but he pushed the emotion down in favor of concentrating on the lure of hot water on his sore muscles.
There was an immediate sense of relief for Dean as he accepted the angel into his arms. The hot shower would do Sam a world of good and it afforded Dean a chance to alleviate his desperate need to check Cas over for injuries. He doubted his friend was hurt but since he couldn't fret and fuss over Sam the way he wanted to when his brother was hurting, he turned all those protective urges toward the grungy bundle in his hands instead. He waited till he could hear the water running in the other room before making his way back to the two narrow beds jammed into their tiny sleeping quarters. He eased Castiel down onto his own mattress and peeled away the grimy layers of fabric to reveal the small angel hidden in them. Cas was curled tightly around the now stained rabbit whose once soft fur had become matted with algae and dirt. Dean frowned and brushed the back of his fingers along one chubby arm. "Hey Cas. Come on man, it's ok. No one's gonna hurt ya," he crooned gently.
The angel perked up at the sound of his voice and unfurled himself a little from his hiding spot. Castiel hesitated a minute as he looked at where Dean's fingers were still rubbing in slow sweeps up and down his arm. He seemed reluctant to let go of his rabbit but the lure of being held by Dean was apparently too strong and he finally let go of the bedraggled toy to reach for the hunter instead. Dean immediately obliged and plucked the infant up from the soiled clothing he'd been wrapped in. He shook his head as he got his first good look at their young friend. A large smudge of dirt marred the little upturned nose and his normally tousled hair was downright unruly after all the running and hiding. Something that looked suspiciously like pond scum was smeared in a sickly green film over Castiel's shoulder and he was sticky with a thin layer of Sam's sweat and stagnant water. "Wow. I hate to say this dude, but you stink," Dean said, crinkling his nose.
Castiel merely blinked up at him with his usual detached stoicism. If his current state of disarray was bothering him, there was certainly no outward sign of it and as Dean brushed futilely at his wayward locks the angel relaxed farther into his shoulder. The wings he'd sealed tightly to his back finally loosened and unfurled, giving a few quick flaps before settling into a more relaxed position and he nuzzled up into the hand above him, effectively thwarting any attempt Dean was making at smoothing down his hair. His hands curled into Dean's t-shirt and he pushed forward in his attempt to snuggle under Dean's chin again. The hunter recoiled a bit as the smell rolling off the angel hit him but Cas was not about to be put off and he tugged at the t-shirt beneath him until he managed to gain enough leverage to get where he wanted to be. "Whoa! WHOA! Dude, NO! You're FUNKY, Cas. No snuggling till after…" Dean protested in vain as Cas finally nuzzled up against his neck. "Ah crap. That's just freakin' great. Thanks. Now I need a bath," he griped. He couldn't bring himself to be truly mad at the infant though as the angel made a quiet snuffling noise against his neck and his little hands kneaded happily in Dean's shirt.
The hunter sighed in defeat and rubbed at Castiel's back as he waited for Sam to finish up his own bath. The action was rewarded when Cas opened and fluttered his wings a few times before smacking his lips in contentment and nuzzling a little closer under Dean's chin. "Yeah, yeah. You're cute. Don't push it," the hunter grumbled. He couldn't help the smile tugging at the corner of his lips though that belied his words. Much as he didn't want to admit it, he was grateful for the bundle of warmth pressed under his chin regardless of how the angel smelled. The alternative wasn't something he could bear thinking about and if he'd been more given to introspection in that moment it would have surprised him how much the little angel had come to mean to him over the few short days since he'd hatched. His friendship with Castiel had always been odd and often strained over the years he'd known him but he'd found himself caring about the awkward being more and more as time passed and Castiel's sudden departure a year ago had hurt more than he'd been willing to admit. Now that the angel was back and in this helpless form, Dean had latched on to that feeling of being truly needed again.
The shower turned off a while later and Sam re-emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam. The circles under his eyes were still there but much less pronounced and he no longer looked like a failed attempt at a B movie swamp monster. Dean had curled up on his bed with Cas and was by that point holding his nose to ward off the smell but he'd made no move to dislodge the infant. Sam gave him a smirk that said he was trying not to laugh. "What?" Dean said defensively, "he wanted to cuddle."
Sam chuckled and shook his head. "Bathroom's all yours."
Dean didn't need to be told twice and he bolted up from the bed in his urgent need to clean off the child he was holding. He turned on the water and plugged the tub before stripping down to his boxers. Castiel's tiny jeans were a mess as well and Dean tossed them into the sink for washing later. Cas watched the whole ordeal with detached interest until Dean lifted him up and then stepped into the tub. The hunter sank down into the warm water and set the angel down, turning off the tap when the water reached midway up Castiel's chest. The infant raised his wings to keep them from getting wet at first and he looked around perplexed before turning curious eyes up at Dean. Sam arrived a moment later, dressed in clean clothes and looking much happier for it, with a small plastic cup he'd grabbed from the sink. "You might need this," he said with a lopsided smile as he sank down next to the tub.
"Thanks," Dean said snagging the offered cup and scooping up a small amount of the warm water before pouring it in a thin line between the angel's wings. He wasn't sure how Cas would react to getting them wet but as the water poured down his spine, the infant flapped them quickly in surprise and they slapped flatly against the surface of the bath. Cas didn't seem to mind too much though and after a moment, he let them simply relax, spreading the long glowing feathers out against the water like luminescent lily pads. Dean grinned over at Sam. "Huh, what'dya know. I think he likes it." His statement was cut short with a sharp exclamation as Cas discovered his big toe hidden below the surface of the water. The angel had reached out and grabbed hold of it and was, at that moment, prodding curiously at the bottom of Dean's foot. Dean shifted and bit his bottom lip. "Ticklish! Ticklish! Cas, not cool!" He peeled the angel away and turned him the opposite direction while Sam devolved into a fit of laughter. "Dude, that is NOT funny. We have seriously got to get him a rubber ducky or something else to play with instead."
Castiel gave one last fleeting glance at the foot Dean had scooted all the way to the other end of the tub before turning back to prod at his knee instead. Dean shrugged in defeat. At least his knees weren't ticklish. He picked up the discarded plastic cup and scooped up more water to pour over the back of Castiel's head. The angel looked up at precisely the wrong moment though and caught a faceful of it instead, sending him into a fit of sputtering and coughing that had Sam rushing to his aid. Dean wasn't terribly panicked though, he'd had the same thing happen to Sam on numerous occasions when he was younger and he waved his brother off until the angel had stopped coughing. "See? That's what happens when you try to breathe water. Stop doin' that," he said playfully as he scooped up another cupful and poured it over the infant's head again. This time Castiel kept his face turned down to keep the liquid out of his nose and he blinked up at Dean from under the curtain of dirty water pouring off him. His dark hair was plastered to his head and he reached up to push at it in an attempt to get it out of his eyes.
"Can I wash his hair?" Sam asked imploringly.
"Be my guest," Dean replied as he leaned back against the cold tile.
Sam poured a small dollop of shampoo into the palm of his hand and smoothed it into the wet tangle of the angel's hair. Cas had gone back to poking at Dean's knee but he paused as the hunter massaged his scalp and instead pressed up into the large fingers. His eyes slid closed and he let out a small nasal sigh of contentment that had Sam grinning from ear to ear. Dean chuckled. "Don't get used to it, Sam. I don't think Cas is gonna let you do that to him once we get him back to normal."
Sam rolled his eyes. "Funny." The mental image of him trying to wash the fully grown angel popped into his head and Sam resisted the urge to punch his brother for putting it there. Some things he just didn't need to think about.
Dean gently tipped Castiel backward as Sam reached for the cup to rinse his hair out. "You don't wanna get it in his eyes," he said by way of explanation when Sam shot him a confused look. Cas looked utterly lost on what was happening as well. The hands that had been massaging his hair had disappeared and he'd been tipped over without much warning. He waited patiently though as Sam poured warm water over him and when Dean sat him back upright he quickly discovered the brand new fascination of all the bubbles drifting around him. He poked at them and started back as the first one popped. His attempts to grab the second one didn't fare much better but by the third one, Cas had figured out how to carefully scoop them up from the water. He watched the rainbow swirls dancing over its surface with rapt attention as if it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen, completely unaware that he was in turn being watched with great amusement by his two caretakers. Sam was leaning on the edge of the tub with a smile plastered on his face and Dean was leaning back with a lopsided grin. They let the angel play without interruption until all the bubbles had been popped or were too small to be much fun anymore before Dean snatched a washcloth from the rack above him. He didn't want to use something as harsh as hotel soap on the infant so he settled for a small dab of the shampoo and began the delicate task of scrubbing the dirt off their tiny friend. Cas tried to examine he washcloth which made washing him all the more difficult until Sam distracted him by dipping his hand in the water and making little ripples to catch the angel's attention. Cas latched onto Sam's fingers and happily examined those instead until he was completely clean, his skin a soft pink from all the gentle scrubbing.
Dean rinsed him off while Sam pulled down a thick towel to wrap him in and together the brothers managed to get the angel dried off without too much fuss. A fine spray of water droplets scattered around the counter as Castiel's wings shivered to rid themselves of moisture which saved Dean the trouble of trying to figure out how to dry them when he knew the angel didn't like them being touched. He bundled the infant up into one of the dry towels and lifted him to his shoulder to examine his handiwork. A bright, clean face stared up at him and the child's dark locks were puffed up in a fluffy tangle Dean couldn't hope to tame without a comb. Castiel smiled timidly at him and then suddenly leaned forward and grabbed hold of Dean's face. He planted a single clumsy kiss on one stubbled cheek and then curled down into the crook of the hunter's shoulder. Dean stood frozen and entirely uncertain on how to react but Sam was practically going into a fits over how cute it was and how he wished he'd had a camera. Somehow Dean doubted Castiel would really want that particular piece of tangible evidence floating about once he was back to normal. Some things a man just cannot live down if they ever get out among his peers and this, Dean was pretty sure, was one of those things. It would be hard to take an almighty angel of the Lord seriously if there was a photo of him fresh out of a bath, wrapped in a towel, and kissing a hunter on the cheek.