Chapter 13: Hide and Seek

Castiel is sitting down, pretending to flip through some magazine that had been on the table, ensuring that his lap is covered, while Dean leans against the table, one leg crossed over the other.

Sam walks in the door, and glances between Castiel and Dean, who still is shirtless.

"Dude, gross," are the first words out of his mouth. He wrinkles his nose and glares at Dean slightly.

Dean leans back and tilts his head towards Sam. "What the hell, man? I was just bandaging a cut," Dean says as he slips his arms through his shirt again.

"Whatever".

Castiel looks quickly back at his magazine, and pretends to be reading an article about old cars. Sam takes his coat off and raises a hand to wave hello at Cas. He looks between Dean and Cas again, before shrugging and walking towards the kitchen.

Dean looks at Cas and rolls his eyes, whispering, "He seems grumpy as hell". Castiel can't help feel it is perhaps because of the fact that he was continuously forced out of the house, whether to go on a hunt, or to run errands, or just to escape the feeling of being a third wheel. The irony wasn't entirely lost on Cas, who had been the third wheel for so long. He highly doubted that Sam would want to hear again, about how a third wheel would add stability.

Sam walks back out, eating an apple. His poor attitude seems to be satiated slightly as he sees Dean is dressed, and has pulled the Sam's computer onto his lap. Castiel feels the need to explain the situation to Sam, as to not continue to make anything awkward.

"We were sparring, Sam. I accidentally cut Dean."

"Nice" he says, but a small smile has replaced his frown. "Hey, I'd be up for some sparring actually. I know Dean goes easy on you."

"Hey, watch it, Sammy," Dean grumbles, but his eyes are fixed on Cas. Castiel closes his magazine and figures he is alright to stand up now, so he does so.

He narrows his eyes at Sam for a moment, before deciding that this might be a good idea. While he and Sam are fine when it is just them, there was always a small hint of annoyance, possibly even hostility, when it was the three of them. If this would help to quell that, he was happy to spar Sam, even though it most likely means bandaging some bruises the next morning.

"That would be fine", Castiel says, stretching to the side and rolling his shoulders back several times. Luckily the room is still set up from before, and Dean only has to move some chairs back for them to have ample space.

Castiel shoots a glance at Dean, whose body is tense and rigid. His lips are forming a hard line as he shoots lazers into the back of Sam's head. He gets up and strides into the kitchen quickly, before returning with a bottle of whiskey and a glass.

"Good times, guys," he says, as he takes a drink from his glass and holds it up to the Sam and Cas. Cas ignores Dean's tantrum, and focuses on Sam. Sam who seems twice his size. He sees the punch coming but it connects before he can react. It hits him in the chest, and he stumbles backwards, but makes sure not to fall. He doesn't hesitate, ducking to the side as Sam throws another punch, he drops to his knees and hits Sam back in the side. He realizes a little too late that he had actually punched harder than he expected.

Expecting the recoil, he tries to say "sorry", but Sam's fist connects first, knocking Castiel back hard against the ground. His head connects with the floor, and he sees blackness briefly before several odd images flash through his mind, none of which he recognizes.

When Castiel opens his eyes, Dean is pressing a rag to the back of his head and he is propped up in a chair. He blinks several times, allowing the room to come into better focus.

"I am so, so sorry, Cas! I didn't mean to hit you so hard, and then your head hit the ground really hard. I swear, I didn't mean to actually hurt you. I was being stupid and-"

"Damn right you were being stupid," Dean interjects. He shoves a glass full of whiskey towards Cas, and tells him to drink. "If you can, hold this towel to your head...you were bleeding a little bit, I'm gonna grab some more gauze pads for you".

Castiel's head is already throbbing, and he takes one sip of the alcohol before putting it down on the table behind him. He watches, still slightly dazed, as Dean motions for Sam to follow him to the kitchen. Dean's wearing his angry face, the face that meant "don't fuck with me", and Cas knows that Sam is in some trouble.

It isn't a moment later that he hears Dean, yelling in a way that is meant to be quiet. "What the fuck did you think you were doing?!"

Sam's response is inaudible, but Cas expects it won't be long before Sam starts to yell back.

"What the hell is wrong with you lately? You storm in here all pissed off, and then make Cas fight you," Dean hisses.

"I dunno man, you know, I can ask you the same damn question. You aren't exactly Mr. Honesty with me!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what I mean, Dean."

"No, why don't you come out and say it."

"What the hell is going on between you and Cas? And don't give me some bullshit line either. I'm not an idiot."

Castiel leans his body towards the kitchen, hoping to catch more of their conversation. Their voices have died down now. He figures he is fine to stand, so he inches closer to the kitchen, pressing his body against the doorway. This feels like an invasion of privacy, but he can't help himself. It was easier when he could hear everything as an angel. At least then, eavesdropping was not something he could help.

"So is this like, a fling? I mean, or is it all "I love you and need you" levels or something?" Sam asks, his voice devoid of any of his initial anger or annoyance.

Dean sighs, and Castiel is sure that Dean has just rolled his eyes. This is an answer he is very keen to hear.

"It's Cas, you know...I mean, I don't know. I guess it is closer to the love thing, or whatever."

"Look man, I am happy for you. I've just been sick of you pretending like I couldn't know. I'm sick of having to leave, because you two want to be together and stuff. It doesn't bother me. I just want you to know that."

"Well you kinda just kicked the crap out of my guy out there..."

"Dude, I know. I'm sorry," Sam says before briefly pausing and asking "Have you told him about heaven and what happened?".

Castiel tries to listen further, but his head is pounding and the room begins to spin. He collapses against the ground, and lets out a small yell. "What the hell is going on?" he says, clasping his hands to the side of his head. Flashes of motion blur in front of him, a room he recognizes, heaven. Naomi, before she disappears, and more yelling. Castiel rubs his eyes, bringing himself back to the present.

Dean is kneeling by his side, while Sam is busy checking his pulse and propping his head up. His head feels heavy, and he notices a small amount of blood on the floor next to Dean. He assumes he hit his head again.

"Concussion?" Sam asks, looking at Dean. The guilt covers his face, which hasn't looked this troubled in a while. His brow is furrowed and his eyes keep flickering between Castiel and Dean.

"I'm ok," Cas says, pulling himself up. He is oriented again to the present, and he doesn't want to worry them further. "I think I should lay down though".

Sam and Dean somehow both maneuver Castiel into Dean's bedroom. Sam doesn't say a word about it. He won't stop apologizing, to which Castiel tells him repeatedly that it is fine. He means it too, but he has so many thoughts swimming through his mind. He wants to reel them in, one at a time, to sort through them all.

Sam finally leaves them, once Castiel's head is thoroughly bandaged and once he's taken adequate amounts of aspirin for his head. Dean helps Cas change into his pajama bottoms, and into a shirt that doesn't have blood on it. He has remained nearly silent; a look of fear and worry seems to be etched into every line on his face.

"You heard, didn't you?" he finally says, once they are settled into bed. This time, Dean has his arms wrapped protectively around Castiel. They are both sitting up still, heads against the wall behind their bed.

Castiel takes a moment to consider which part Dean is implying. The part about heaven, the part he had not yet told Cas about, or about the love thing. Cas isn't sure which part is more frightening. He settles on the love thing, since he didn't want to get into a long discussion right now. Not when his head is throbbing, and he has fresh images in his head of heaven, and that he isn't sure he wants to tell that to Dean yet.

"Yeah, I heard. I'm glad I'm not just a fling," he says, smiling at Dean, flicking his eyes elsewhere in the room. Damn, it was impossible to keep secrets from Dean, and it always had been. Thankfully, Dean doesn't seem to notice.

Dean laughs softly and pulls Castiel closer. He is touching Castiel with delicate hands, every moment is careful and restrained. It sometimes still surprised Castiel, how Dean could be all fiery passion and aggression balled into one, but that he was also incredibly soft, gentle, tactile, and compassionate. Dean hadn't said a word as he'd changed Castiel, although it had been the most bare Cas had ever been in front of Dean. Dean had treated Castiel's wounds, and it was all without an air of needing to be thanked.

Castiel mulls this over in his mind, as he yawns and scoots down underneath the blankets. Dean wraps his warm arm around Castiel, and is careful to not let his other hand drape too closely to Castiel's injured head. He tries to sort his thoughts, putting them in order, but it is like catching running water with your fingertips.

Before long, he is drifting between dreams, which he hadn't had until this night.