Illegitimi non carborundum 8/?
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It was still dark outside, the only light coming from the lamp trying to illuminate the parking lot when Sam woke up. His brother was gone. The spot next to him still warm but the youngest Winchester couldn't take chances. He was about to turn around to check if there was light in the bathroom and his brother taking a leak when he heard the groan. Castiel. Sam was wide awake in the blink of an eye.
Dean was sitting on the other bed next to the angel having put a steadying arm on his shoulders while Castiel was hunched over, elbow on his knees, face resting in his hands - a picture of pure misery.
"You goin' to be sick?" Dean asked in a low and sympathetic tone.
Sam sat down on the Angel's other side and shot is brother a questioning glance that was answered by a mute shrug.
"I... " Castiel moaned again and then continued to answer the older Winchester's question. "I don't know, Dean. It... it hurts. It's gnawing and hot... like my inner organs are... fighting each other."
Sam had just opened his mouth and was about to ask his brother whether Castiel or Jimmy had eaten anything he believed capable of causing this kind of distress as Castiel suddenly froze for a few heartbeats. Then the Angel straightened his figure and said in a very confused voice: "Jimmy said I should stop acting like a pussy and eat something. I fail to see how consuming food could help ease the pain. And why is he comparing myself to a cat?"
~*~
A few minutes later Sam watched Dean preparing a small bowl of muesli for the Angel - although the youngest Winchester had preferred some kind of soup they had nothing else they dared to give him. While Castiel was coherent again he still was very weak. Actually eating prove to be nearly too much. The muesli was not even half eaten as the Angel's eyes began to drop and after another two spoons it was only Dean's alertness preventing Castiel from falling head first into his unfinished meal.
"Out like a candle." the older Winchester stated. "Help me carry him to the bed again? And tomorrow we'll show the poor guy how real food tastes!"
~*~
Morning came without any other incidents and Sam was the first one to wake up. The spot next to him was empty again, Dean had slept on the floor next to the injured Angel. Sam could not blame him. Jess had complained enough of him taking up all the space and cuddling her out of their shared king-size bed. And Jess had been smaller than Dean. And this bed was only a queen. What did startle Sam nevertheless was how Castiel's arm was hanging out of the bed down to Dean ending in their hands entwined.
"Rise and shine, you two lovebirds! Unfortunately this isn't the honeymoon suite and we have to get our breakfast ourselves!" Sam hollered with a huge grin on his face.
It was not easy to decide who turned the redder shade.
~*~
Castiel had no clue what he'd like for breakfast so Dean ordered half the items available. Although it was clear the older Winchester was hoping a lot of the stuff would land on his own plate in the end Sam didn't like the idea of Castiel trying too many of the heavy things his brother had ordered. After all Jimmy - or Castiel, Sam was not sure yet - seemed to have an easy to upset stomach.
Coffee was something the Angel really didn't like. Even after pouring such an amount of cream and sugar in it that Sam himself had to frown in disgust Castiel still could not enjoy the taste.
"Perhaps you are more a tea drinking type?" the younger Winchester asked hoping for the Angel to like something a bit more easy to digest but Dean had other plans. He gestured for the waitress to come to their table again and ordered hot chocolate with cream for the Angel - which Castiel loved.
He really had a sweet tooth. Pie, pancakes with syrup, donuts, the Angel didn't leave anything for Dean. But the older Winchester simply smiled while watching Castiel enjoy the food with an ecstatic - bordering on obscene - expression on his face. "Does Jimmy like the sweet stuff, too?" Sam asked while the last bit of donut disappeared in Castiel's mouth. The Angel shook his head and gestured in Dean's direction. The oldest Winchester hadn't quite finished his bacon, sausage and eggs he had ordered. "Jimmy would appreciate this kind of food. He seems to like a lot of Dean's choices..." the Angel contemplated softly and Sam was not sure if he was talking about the food any longer.
~*~
When they returned to their motel room it was clear they would not leave for Bobby's before noon. On their way back Castiel had gotten even quieter than normally, obviously feeling queasy. No wonder he couldn't stomach all that sweet crap he'd wolfed down. Sam would have gotten sick too if he had tried. The Angel went straight back to bed probably hoping sleep would get rid of that problem and both Winchesters sat on the porch in the morning sun to not wake their sleeping companion with their discussion of what to do next.
"We should really head to Bobby's as soon as Cas feels better again." Sam stated matter-of-factly.
Dean agreed nodding.
"And speaking of him feeling queasy all the time: Just don't encourage him to stuff his face like you do. He has no idea how much of which crap he can stomach. He needs help and by not delivering him to Uriel this became our responsibility we have to face. I don't know how much Jimmy is aware of. And I don't know if Cas is really listening to whatever the guy tells him. So we should not rely on him telling your Angel to stop."
"Wait! My Angel? Why is he suddenly my angel?"
Of course Sam could not simply tell Dean the truth. "Because I happen to notice the ways you two linger in each others personal spaces and how you exchange longing looks even when others are around. Because I know you long enough to tell you are head over heels for the guy." Yeah, that would go so well. Sam had to take a different approach. Backhandedly. The indirect way. So instead he just shrugged: "He pulled you out of the pit. Sorry, if it bothers you I can refer to him as 'our' Angel instead."
A quick glance told the younger Winchester his brother had taken the bait even before he answered with a cocky grin: "Nah, I think it's pretty cool having my own Angel..."
~*~
It was nearly noon when Sam could no longer pretend to not hear his brother's stomach growling. He sighed deeply and clicked the laptop shut.
"Lunch?"
Normally this word would have been enough for Dean to grab the keys and hurry to the next diner but right now the oldest Winchester clearly lacked any kind of enthusiasm. He just shrugged.
"Dude, I can hear your stomach rumbling. Either you get something to eat or I'll have to turn on the music."
And boy Dean hated the laptops speakers even more than Sam's taste of music. Still it proved to be not enough encouragement for his brother to even stand up. Dean was still sitting on the second bed, discarded newspaper to his left, remote for the muted tv on his right, and his eyes ever so often resting on the slack figure of the Angel.
Sam had to haul out the big guns. "Oh, I see! You want to stay and watch over Castiel sleeping? I could get something to eat while you two..."
Dean interrupted him nearly instantly: "Nah! I'll... I'll get us dinner. Hey, Cas!" The Angel did not even stir and Dean had to stand up walk to the other bed and poke him two times before there was any kind of reaction. Castiel turned the other side. Sam tried to bite back a chuckle. He knew how hard it could be to wake Dean and obviously the Angel was as deep as a sleeper as his brother was. The older Winchester gripped the thin duvet covering the still sleeping form and pulled it off in a brisk motion.
"Homullus ex..." Castiel mumbled in a raw and sleepy voice but was interrupted by Dean's cheerful "Rise and shine, Cas!" Drowsily - and very reluctantly - the Angel sat up and rubbed his eyes in the attempt to wake up completely. Parts of his hair were standing up in different directions, parts were pressed down. The old t-shirt he had borrowed from Dean was rumpled and there still was the imprint of the cushion's crinkles on the right side of Castiel's face. Even Sam had to admit he looked very cute.
"I'm going to get lunch. Try to wake up 'till I'm back." Dean said with a forced grin, took is jacket and the car keys and actually fled, leaving Sam to a still very sleepy Angel.
~*~
"Perhaps you should take a shower..." Sam suggested as Castiel's eyes dropped at half mast again. "Dean always seems wide awake after. And... no offence - but you really could use a shower without your angelic cleaning magic."
Slowly the other man rose and stumbled into the bathroom to return again after two minutes of silence. In a confused voice he stated: "I need... a towel. And clothes?"
With a slight grin Sam handed the Angel the requested items. "And Cas, if you have any questions regarding... washing and stuff ask Jimmy." The younger Winchester returned to his laptop and continued reading hoping Castiel would not need his help under the shower. Perhaps it would have been better if Dean had stayed here coping with the Angel's very human problems? However it was too late now for that so he went back to research. There were a few links that could lead to useful information regarding fallen angels but Sam had only finished looking through the first two pages when he heard the familiar rumble of the impala outside. He shot a quick glance to the bathroom but the door was still closed. One paragraph later Dean was back carrying two bags of food. The scent of italian and chinese take-away filled the room and made Sam realize he too was starving.
"Where's Cas?" his brother asked after dumping the bags on one of the beds.
"In the bathroom. I sent him to take a shower a few minutes after you left. He was starting to smell..."
Dean stopped dead in his tracks and turned slowly to Sam. He had a somehow dumbfounded expression on his face Sam could not explain. "He was in the bathroom the whole time I was gone?"
The younger Winchester just shrugged: "Yeah...?"
"You tell me he's been in the bathroom for nearly an hour?"
Sam shot a glance at his watch. An hour? Really... it had been the better part of an hour now. "I just..." Damn, he somehow had forgotten the time over his research - not for the first time.
While Dean went directly to the bathroom Sam tried to apologize: "Sorry... But what can possibly happen in the bathroom? The shower wasn't even..."
"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" the older Winchester interrupted his brother, followed by a panicked: "He's gone. Sammy, he's gone!"
Chapter 9