Illegitimi non carborundum 5/?
Banner by spnnewsletter Edition 1231 this story was listed as slash - who am I to disagree with the spnnewsletter ? So the story might get into this direction.
When Dean returned Jimmy had finished eating and Sam was at his laptop busily typing. They needed to talk. Alone. Although Dean really thought the other man likable and nice he neither knew his alignment nor how much of Castiel's knowledge was accessible by Jimmy or the other way round. So he rather not had him around while coming clear with his brother.
Fortunately soon after the other man had finished eating he pointed at the bathroom and asked: "Mind if I..." and as both brothers nodded he rambled on: "Haven't had a decent shower in months... By the way, you don't happen to do laundry today? Because Cas never bothered to change those clothes and they surely must be reeking by now. And I don't have anything to change into."
Sam took a glance at Dean who shook his head mutely. They were both tired and surely not in the mood to wrestle with laundromats today. "I'll give you some of my clothes." Somehow the thought of Castiel - Jimmy! No, actually really the thought of Cas - wearing his underwear made Dean not only blush but also summoned butterflies into his stomach.
~*~
As soon as the Winchesters were alone, Dean started: "I've run into Junkless. He wanted to know where Cas is. Told me Alistair injured his Grace and he might be dyin'."
"Did you...?"
Dean simply shook his head and Sam raised his eyebrows.
"Are you telling me you lied to an Angel?"
"What else should I have done, Sam? Let Uriel take Cas away from us?"
Sam deliberately ignored the whiny tone of Dean's last remark "What if he was right and Castiel is dying? What if he could help him? Save his life?"
Dean slowly shook his head. He had been thinking about the strange feeling Uriel gave him every since the Angel had disappeared again. "Please Sammy, you have to trust me on this one. The guy is giving me the creeps. I don't know what he's up to but it is no good."
Sam noticed Dean's genuine struggle to come up with an rational explanation and something inside told him to go with Dean on this one. "Ok, so we won't tell Uriel. I talked to Bobby and he actually said the same."
Dean eyed his brother suspiciously. "To not trust Uriel?"
"No, about Cas. That his grace might be injured."
"How can we heal him? What do we do now? "
"Same as you do with every injury. Spare that part of the body and let it heal."
"Yeah, geekboy, but how is Cas supposed to spare his Grace?"
Sam had no idea so he simply shrugged. "Don't use his angel-mojo, be human, I suppose."
"You suppose."
"There isn't exactly a WikiHowto entry on mending ones Grace!"
"Look Sam, I'm sorry. We both are tired and drunk. How about we grab somethin' to eat and hit the hay as soon as Jimmy's finished?"
~*~
Neither did it take Jimmy long to finish his shower nor all three men to fall asleep. Actually Sam had wanted to literally paint the walls first with all kinds of universal safety-symbols warding not only demons off but angels likewise. But Dean had pointed out that if one of the two fractions were able to sense or otherwise locate Castiel/Jimmy they'd already done so and kidnapped him. So apparently they were save for at least a few hours. It was not even midnight when Dean stirred in his sleep and cracked his eyes open, trying not only to blink the heavy sleep away but also to figure out why he'd woken up in the first place. He was lying next to Sam because this room had only two beds and as uncomfortably it was sharing a bed with his brother sleeping next to the man he lo... the Angel he li... the Angel. Period. Well, it would have been awkward so both Winchesters were sharing a mattress again for the first time in a long period. Dean was not sure if one of his brother's cuddle fit was the reason for him waking up but Dean indeed had to entangle himself first from Sam's long limps and deliberately ignored the wet spot on his chest where his cuddlesome brother had drooled on him.
"Dean"
It was more a sensing than an actual hearing so soft was the voice the older hunter's name was whispered in. One long stride and he was next to the other bed trying to figure out if it was Castiel or Jimmy needing him.
Dean turned on the small light on the nightstand next to the second bed and crouched down so he was on eye level with the other man. Eye... Bright blue, the intense color of the sky itself. Fitting for an Angel. Angel... somehow Dean knew Castiel was the one staring at him through glassy eyes. The Angel cracked his dry lips open again and partly moaned partly whispered "Dean" a second time.
"You're thirsty? Wait a sec, I'll fetch you some water."
It didn't take Dean long to return with a glass. He helped Castiel sit up and take a few hesitant sips thinking that this was the first time he'd seen the Angel drink something.
"What...?" Castiel asked. It was no actual speech, more of a breath carrying the idea than a word. Nevertheless Dean understood. It would have been one of his first questions, too.
"We are not sure. Alistair kinda hurt you. Sam thinks it's your Grace. We're in a motel right now because you kept puking, travel sick maybe. You're really scaring me, Cas. Is Sam right? Is your Grace hurt and you are... dying?" He nearly choked on the last word. The concept of Angels dying was not really new to him. He could recall quite vividly their encounter in Bobby's kitchen after the encounter with the victims. Where Cas had told him about his fallen brothers. About Lillith. And the Apocalypse. But until this very moment dying Angels where nothing more than a concept. Two words put together. Things had changed in the last few hours. Now there was emotion linked to those words - and quite a lot of emotion. Emotions that now made his voice raw and his eyes burn.
Castiel closed his eyes again obviously exhausted, still being held up by Dean. After long moments the Angel opened his mouth again to whisper: "I am afraid, your brother's assumption is correct." His head lolled forward, more and more of Castiel's strength consumed with every word.
Dean pulled the Angel closer, let him lean on the hunter's shoulder. "What? The grace thing? Or the... dying?"
"Both..."
Chapter 6