[fic] catharias for a dropout
Gift type: Fanfic
Title: Catharias
Author: jessiekit
Recipient: dropout
Rating: PG-13+
Word Count: 3340
Warnings: Slash? Duh.
Spoilers: Um if you haven’t seen season 5 I recommend not reading this.
Summary: Dean and Sam have been sent to Antarctica to search out/ wait for an important angelic item.
Author notes: OCC at some points and a bit AU (mainly coz I cant see the boys in Antarctica) but it was fun to write : ) The name of the fic is from one of my fav bands. The guy’s voice reminds me of Cas if he could sing. Check them out, they’re pretty cool. Sorry if this isn’t the best, this is the first Fanfic I have ever written, but I enjoyed this so I might continue it! Any continuation will still be for [dropout]. Happy Holidays!
He’s been waiting awhile. He’s waited longer, no doubt, but this freezing weather just seems to makes the time drag a lot slower than usual. Staring out over the icy landscape of Antarctica, Dean sighs. He’s got so many layers on he can’t count and his muscles are still quivering violently. Sam had offered him his jacket, but Dean merely snorted and waved his brother off with a gruff, “What, are we gonna have a sleepover after and braid each other’s hair?” before turning and walking to the door of their accommodation. He knew he had over reacted but he was in no mood to be patient with his brother’s worrying.
Sam simply rolled his eyes and turned back to his research papers. He knew Dean had been dealing with some heavy issues recently, despite how much his older brother kept in him the dark, and he had taken to giving his sibling some space. Nothing he seemed to say or ask helped or made Dean give him any more information than he already had. He stared at the door after he left and sighed, leaning back. He had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well.
They had been here a few weeks now, looking over any scrap of information they could find. But so far they had come up with nothing. Zilch. Nothing that could indicate why they had been lead to the very bottom of the earth for a hunt. Dean had wanted to hand it off to some Australian or New Zealander hunters who might have a bit more experience in the field and have a few more resources at hand, but Sam seemed so set on traveling that Dean couldn’t say no. If the world was going to end, why not see the vast, white nothingness that was Antarctica? It was a mystery to Dean why Sam had found it so exciting. If he was so keen for snow he could have just taken him to Alaska in the wintertime. At least then there would trees or wildlife besides penguins.
Dean looked around him. The vastness of the landscape almost overwhelmed him as it contrasted so heavily with the twilight sky. It had been dusk for a few days now and it was messing around with his internal clock, causing him to be a little crankier than usual to Sam. But his brother had so many questions that Dean didn’t know the answer to. Do we even know what we’re looking for? Did the Angels give you any extra information about this task before we left? Why hasn’t Cas leant a hand? It was driving him a bit mad, but at the same time he couldn’t stay mad at his little brother. He was quite grateful of the fact his brother was so keen to see Antarctica or he would have a very bitchy, whiny Sam on his hands.
He growled under his breath and shook lightly in his coat. Zachariah had been so unspecific when he’d sent them here.
“You are to wait for a priceless object to arrive to you. We can’t say much more than that, but if it was to fall into anyone else’s hands, then the Devil will be roaming for a lot longer than you would like. Happy hunting Winchesters!”
Well gee, that was descriptive. Now here he was, standing in the middle of a frozen wasteland on the day and time that damn annoying angel had specified, and there was no mystical angelic item falling from the sky. Why wasn’t Castiel here? Dean felt goose bumps rise on his skin at the thought of the dark-haired angel. He hadn’t seen the seraph since before Zachariah had given them their task, no matter how often Dean called for him. Swallowing thickly, Dean stared at the ground in front of him. What if something had happened to Cas and Dean didn’t know? Somehow the hr felt strangely responsible for the socially awkward angel. The guy probably wouldn’t be able to do up his own buttons if he was told to, let alone subtly move among humankind as he tried his best to help the Winchesters stop the Devil. He and the angel had grown rather close over the weeks Sam had been gone, and after seeing his future and the state his angel friend was in, Dean had to admit he had been a little more worried about him than he ever had been. He wasn’t sure why, but it almost felt like the worry he had felt for Cassie or Lisa, for the short time he had been involved with them, and it irked him.
He shifted uncomfortably and coughed slightly as something caught hit eye. Lights had begun to appear across the sky, like the southern lights, only their colours were unnatural pinks, blues and oranges rather than their typical neon green. Dean stared at the wonder, completely mesmerized by the shifting colours when suddenly a bright white light flashed before his eyes. Crying out, he fell back into the snow, covering his eyes, only to grit his teeth and move his hands to his ears instead as an ear-piercing screech threatened to rupture his eardrums. What ever the held it was that fell from the sky must be huge if it carried such an aura. Then realization flooded his mind and his heart skipped a beat.
Opening his eyes, he found the light had died down to a bearable brightness and the screech had settled to a soft hum. Shifting forward slightly Dean felt his breath hitch in his throat as he took in the sight before him. A man, completely naked, was lying facedown in the snow, the light his body seemed to emit reflecting off the snow like glitter. Cautiously, Dean shifted to his knees and crawled forward. The man looked pale and was smaller in his build, but still looked toned and fit. His dark hair was ruffled and stuck to his head as the snow melted against the warmth of his body. Dean shook his head slightly. This couldn’t be right. There was no way this was what the angels had meant. As he closed in on the body, he reached one hand out, hesitating before placing it lightly on the man’s shoulder. Swallowing, Dean steadied himself before pushing the man onto his back, gasping as he did.
A familiar round face with slightly slanted eyes and soft full lips met Dean’s eyes as he felt his stomach drop. This man was Castiel. Or rather, Jimmy. Castiel had fallen and landed here in Antarctica. Dean didn’t know what to do for a moment, it seemed too much, but letting his senses kick into gear, he tore off his jacket, despite the freezing cold, and pulled Castiel up to a sitting position, draping the jacket around his naked body. Quickly as he could, he pulled the other’s body up over his shoulder and trudged back to the building he had been staying with Sam. He could feel Castiel’s heart beat slow and faint against his shoulder and his muscles convulsing violently as the man shook. Shit… Dean thought. He must have hypothermia. Who knows what kind of conditions an angel would contract if they fell. He thought back to Anna Milton. When she had fallen, she was reborn as a human child to a couple who had desperately wanted a child, causing her Grace to fall separately and being imbedded in a tree. Did this mean Cas’ Grace had fallen somewhere too?
Dean shook his head. He would wait till he got inside to deal with all that extra crap. As he reached the door, he kicked it violently, both hands occupied keeping the other’s body balanced on his shoulder as well has keep him covered up. He was freezing and deserved to keep as much dignity as a fallen angel could keep after falling from grace and landing naked in a snowfield. Growling at the fact his brother hadn’t opened the door yet, Dean kicked again, calling out. “Sammy! Its Dean, open the damn door!” He voice was rough and deep and his bit his lip, trying to keep as much cool as he could. He could feel the former angel’s breath rattling in his chest as his shivering died down and stopped. Dean’s heart skipped and he whined anxiously. If a person exposed to cold stops shivering, chances are they’re getting worse rather than better, and if Cas hasn’t had to regulate his temperature manually, Jimmy’s body would be struggling to regain control over simple bodily functions.
Wrenching the door open, Sam stopped abruptly, looking down at Dean. “Dean, what’s wro- Shit…” Seeing the body slung over his brother’s shoulder, he let realization flood his brain. “This is what Zachariah sent us to wait for isn’t it.”
Dean pushed past his brother, growling in frustration as he found he didn’t know what to do with
himself. “Yeah, pretty much.”
“Well, uh, is he okay? Has he broken anything? Is he still alive?”
He really did not have time for these questions. He knew in the back of his mind his brother meant well, but at the moment he really couldn’t afford to be standing around when his friend was possibly dying in his arms.
“I don’t know Sam, just please do me a favour and consider for one moment that I know as much as you do?”
Sam opened his mouth to say something, only to shut it a moment later. “I’ll grab some extra blankets and some towels then.” He half said to himself before disappearing from sight.
With his brother gone, Dean automatically hurried down the hall to his bedroom, laying Castiel on his back on the bedding. He could feel his heart racing as he looked at the former angel’s paler-than-normal face. He felt helpless. He honestly didn’t know what to do. Polar survival wasn’t one of the things he specialized in, but if anyone knew anything about it, it would be Sam.
“Sam, how do you cure hypothermia?” He called, tugging one side of his sheets back and sliding the other’s body beneath them. He pressed his fingers to Castiel’s face. It felt like an ice cube, but Dean couldn’t take his fingers away. Tentatively, he pressed him palm the former angel’s cheek, allowing his other to do the same and looked down the man. The last time he had seen him, Dean hadn’t been on good terms with the angel, despite the kind of relationship the two shared. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows either side of Castiel’s shoulders, his breath ghosting over the dark haired man’s blue lips before pressing his against them. He’d been meaning to do that since he had last seen the angel but hadn’t had the chance. It had been too long since the awkward angel had invaded his space and honestly, Dean had missed him like crazy.
“So, you finished yet? Or you want to let him freeze to death.”
Dean all but threw himself off his bed, face turning bright red. “S-Sam.” He croaked, looking at
Castiel’s unconscious body then back at his brother. “I, uh, was listening for his um, breathing. You know, to make sure its even and stuff.”
Sam frowned at his older brother, but let it slide. He knew what his brother was really doing, he wasn’t dumb, and he hadn’t been months ago when this whole human-angel relationship (or as Castiel called it ‘an even more Profound Bond’) had started. But right now he was a little more focused on keeping his friend alive.
“Is his body dry?” Sam asked, looking at Castiel covered in Dean’s blankets.
“Of course he is.” Dean replied, frowning and crossing his arms.
“I’m not accusing you Dean, its more the fact that if he isn’t, he will just get worse.” Thinking back to survival class in one of the high school he had been to, Sam starting ticking off his mental check-list. “Nothing obstructing his airways? No wet clothing on?”
Dean rolled his eyes. “Yes Sam, now what else do we need to do?”
Sam looked at Castiel and back at Dean. “Well, I’m not gonna sound pushy here, but you need to remove your clothes.”
“Excuse me?” Dean deadpan stared at his brother. He couldn’t be serious.
“Dean, you don’t have an electric blanket on your bed coz you shot gunned the room with ducted
heating. He needs heat in the blankets with him. We can’t keep moving him around, since we need to keep him stable. I’m sorry man, but the next best thing is body heat.”
Dean shifted uncomfortably and glanced at the man lying in his bed. His breath rose and fell in shallow bursts. He didn’t really have a choice.
“Come on man, you didn’t have an issue with getting so close a minute ago!” Sam said, annoyed.
“Fine. Just get the
hell out of my room. And bring in a hot water bottle or something, his body is
like an ice cube.”
He waited till his brother left before letting out a sigh of defeat. He knew he had to do this, but something didn’t feel right. Maybe it was their fight the last time Dean had seen him, or maybe it was the slight fear that it might be Jimmy beneath those blankets, not his Cas. Not letting himself wait anymore, stripped off his jackets, shirts and thermals, leaving his briefs on, and walked over to the bed.
Pulling back the covers, Dean slipped into the bed, allowing his knees to rest either side of the other man’s thighs, shifting so his arms slid under his torso, hugging Cas to his chest. His skin was icy to the touch, causing dean to flinch on contact, but as he held the former angel there, he felt his body growing accustom to the temperature. He felt his body relax and his knees slide down so they aligned with Cas’ and his chin come to rest on his shoulder at the base of the other’s neck.
It had been awhile since they were this close, but he almost didn’t mind. At least he was here again. At least he was alive. He heard Sam walk back in with the hot water bottle and felt him place it down at Dean’s side, but he didn’t acknowledge his younger brother, nor did he acknowledge him. Dean respected his brother for his actions, knowing that now was not the time for cheap-ass jokes. As soon as the door was shut, Dean slipped the water bottle between his and Castiel’s chest. He needed to reheat the man’s core temperature as quickly as possible. Sam hadn’t made the water temperature too hot, to allow for Castiel’s body temperature to adjust slowly as he didn’t want the man to go into shock. But all Dean could do was wait.
Time drifted past and Dean felt warmth return the former angel’s body. A few hours after he had slipped into bed with the other man, Dean heard a sound come from the other’s throat as well as his eyebrows furrow. Blinking with surprise, Dean pulled his head back and looked down at Castiel’s face. Slowly, the dark haired man shifted his eyes under his lids before opening them. Dean gasped at the vividness of the colour. It never ceased to amaze him just how blue Castiel’s eyes were, just how striking and perfect they were. Gazing down into them cautiously, he allowed the other to glance around before focusing on Dean’s worried hazel eyes.
“Dean, you seem alarmed.”
Dean blinked, again. “Really Cas’?”
The other man frowned even deeper, tipping his head slightly. “Really what?”
If it wasn’t for the fact it took nearly twenty four hours for a hypothermia victim to fully recover, Dean would have thrown the covers off and stormed from the room.
“Really, as in, ‘Gee Cas you haven’t seen me for nearly a month, I’ve been sitting around this frozen wasteland and you fall from the sky half dead in front of me!’ really. Yes I saved your life and you’re welcome.”
Cas looked like he had been slapped in the face. “Uh, thank you, very much Dean, I appreciate what you have done.”
“And that’s it?” Dean questioned, looking down at the former angel.
“What else do you want me to say Dean?” The other man’s tone was in no way hostile, but rather that of confusion. Looking down at his and Dean’s bodies pressed together he looked back up at his human companion’s face. “Do you want to explain this? Or should I take it for what it is?”
“Well, I see your mental state is back to normal.” Dean grumbled under his breath. Looking down at the seemingly oblivious angel he shook his head and smiled warmly, receiving a smile in return from the man below him. He had missed this, even if it had only been a month. Castiel had been with him since he had rescued him from hell and even after he started the Apocalypse and his brother released the Devil. There were so many things he owed to Cas and it only hit him now just how much it would affect him if he lost the blue eyed former angel.
Then he remembered what he really needed to ask. Swallowing nervously he looked down at the seemingly content man. “Cas, why did you fall?”
He saw happiness fade from Castiel’s blue eyes but the smile remain. Cas turned his head and sighed. “Why else Dean?” He murmured. Dean felt hands trail up along his sides and shivered, not from the cold. “Find out you have been living a lie and having to fight against your own family in a losing war takes its toll on you.”
Dean rested his chin on Cas’ chest as he nodded, understanding. “I’ve seen our future Cas, I
don’t want to end up that way.” Damn he sounds like a typical chick, but for once he didn’t care. He had seen Cas destroy himself for him and he wouldn’t let it happen again.
“Dean, I know you have, but I’ll tell you the difference between myself then and myself now.” He coughed slightly and clenched his eyes as if he was in pain. His muscles were stiff from being as cold as he was and the fatigue was coming back to him. He would need to sleep again soon. “I didn’t choose to fall last time. I fell because Heaven deserted me. I was forsaken. My grace dwindled away till I was like an addict coming down off a high, using everything I could to try and sustain it.”
He saw Dean’s confused face and realized he didn’t know what he was talking about. “You didn’t think Zachariah only showed the future to you?”
Dean quirked a sarcastic smile. “That manipulative son of a bitch.”
“Indeed.” Yawned Castiel from bellow him, letting his head relax back in the pillows. Dean saw exhaustion creep back into the former angel’s eyes and placed his head back down on Cas’ shoulder, this time pressing his cheek against the other’s slightly warmer one.
“I’m pretty sure you’ll make it through the night since you seem fine now.” Dean murmured, eyes sliding shut. “We’ll discuss our plan of attack in the morning I think.” He ran his nose lightly up behind the other’s ear earning himself a shiver he was sure wasn’t from cold.
“I believe this would be a good idea.” Castiel tried to chuckle but only succeeded in a small bought of weak coughing. “I think you’ll need to teach me how to make use of these bodily functions too, now my grace no longer keeps this vessel stable.”
Dean smirked at how he could take that statement, but instead let his eyes droop, tightening his grip around the dark haired man. “Don’t get ahead of yourself now, you’ll have time to get used to it.”
Title: Catharias
Author: jessiekit
Recipient: dropout
Rating: PG-13+
Word Count: 3340
Warnings: Slash? Duh.
Spoilers: Um if you haven’t seen season 5 I recommend not reading this.
Summary: Dean and Sam have been sent to Antarctica to search out/ wait for an important angelic item.
Author notes: OCC at some points and a bit AU (mainly coz I cant see the boys in Antarctica) but it was fun to write : ) The name of the fic is from one of my fav bands. The guy’s voice reminds me of Cas if he could sing. Check them out, they’re pretty cool. Sorry if this isn’t the best, this is the first Fanfic I have ever written, but I enjoyed this so I might continue it! Any continuation will still be for [dropout]. Happy Holidays!
He’s been waiting awhile. He’s waited longer, no doubt, but this freezing weather just seems to makes the time drag a lot slower than usual. Staring out over the icy landscape of Antarctica, Dean sighs. He’s got so many layers on he can’t count and his muscles are still quivering violently. Sam had offered him his jacket, but Dean merely snorted and waved his brother off with a gruff, “What, are we gonna have a sleepover after and braid each other’s hair?” before turning and walking to the door of their accommodation. He knew he had over reacted but he was in no mood to be patient with his brother’s worrying.
Sam simply rolled his eyes and turned back to his research papers. He knew Dean had been dealing with some heavy issues recently, despite how much his older brother kept in him the dark, and he had taken to giving his sibling some space. Nothing he seemed to say or ask helped or made Dean give him any more information than he already had. He stared at the door after he left and sighed, leaning back. He had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well.
They had been here a few weeks now, looking over any scrap of information they could find. But so far they had come up with nothing. Zilch. Nothing that could indicate why they had been lead to the very bottom of the earth for a hunt. Dean had wanted to hand it off to some Australian or New Zealander hunters who might have a bit more experience in the field and have a few more resources at hand, but Sam seemed so set on traveling that Dean couldn’t say no. If the world was going to end, why not see the vast, white nothingness that was Antarctica? It was a mystery to Dean why Sam had found it so exciting. If he was so keen for snow he could have just taken him to Alaska in the wintertime. At least then there would trees or wildlife besides penguins.
Dean looked around him. The vastness of the landscape almost overwhelmed him as it contrasted so heavily with the twilight sky. It had been dusk for a few days now and it was messing around with his internal clock, causing him to be a little crankier than usual to Sam. But his brother had so many questions that Dean didn’t know the answer to. Do we even know what we’re looking for? Did the Angels give you any extra information about this task before we left? Why hasn’t Cas leant a hand? It was driving him a bit mad, but at the same time he couldn’t stay mad at his little brother. He was quite grateful of the fact his brother was so keen to see Antarctica or he would have a very bitchy, whiny Sam on his hands.
He growled under his breath and shook lightly in his coat. Zachariah had been so unspecific when he’d sent them here.
“You are to wait for a priceless object to arrive to you. We can’t say much more than that, but if it was to fall into anyone else’s hands, then the Devil will be roaming for a lot longer than you would like. Happy hunting Winchesters!”
Well gee, that was descriptive. Now here he was, standing in the middle of a frozen wasteland on the day and time that damn annoying angel had specified, and there was no mystical angelic item falling from the sky. Why wasn’t Castiel here? Dean felt goose bumps rise on his skin at the thought of the dark-haired angel. He hadn’t seen the seraph since before Zachariah had given them their task, no matter how often Dean called for him. Swallowing thickly, Dean stared at the ground in front of him. What if something had happened to Cas and Dean didn’t know? Somehow the hr felt strangely responsible for the socially awkward angel. The guy probably wouldn’t be able to do up his own buttons if he was told to, let alone subtly move among humankind as he tried his best to help the Winchesters stop the Devil. He and the angel had grown rather close over the weeks Sam had been gone, and after seeing his future and the state his angel friend was in, Dean had to admit he had been a little more worried about him than he ever had been. He wasn’t sure why, but it almost felt like the worry he had felt for Cassie or Lisa, for the short time he had been involved with them, and it irked him.
He shifted uncomfortably and coughed slightly as something caught hit eye. Lights had begun to appear across the sky, like the southern lights, only their colours were unnatural pinks, blues and oranges rather than their typical neon green. Dean stared at the wonder, completely mesmerized by the shifting colours when suddenly a bright white light flashed before his eyes. Crying out, he fell back into the snow, covering his eyes, only to grit his teeth and move his hands to his ears instead as an ear-piercing screech threatened to rupture his eardrums. What ever the held it was that fell from the sky must be huge if it carried such an aura. Then realization flooded his mind and his heart skipped a beat.
Opening his eyes, he found the light had died down to a bearable brightness and the screech had settled to a soft hum. Shifting forward slightly Dean felt his breath hitch in his throat as he took in the sight before him. A man, completely naked, was lying facedown in the snow, the light his body seemed to emit reflecting off the snow like glitter. Cautiously, Dean shifted to his knees and crawled forward. The man looked pale and was smaller in his build, but still looked toned and fit. His dark hair was ruffled and stuck to his head as the snow melted against the warmth of his body. Dean shook his head slightly. This couldn’t be right. There was no way this was what the angels had meant. As he closed in on the body, he reached one hand out, hesitating before placing it lightly on the man’s shoulder. Swallowing, Dean steadied himself before pushing the man onto his back, gasping as he did.
A familiar round face with slightly slanted eyes and soft full lips met Dean’s eyes as he felt his stomach drop. This man was Castiel. Or rather, Jimmy. Castiel had fallen and landed here in Antarctica. Dean didn’t know what to do for a moment, it seemed too much, but letting his senses kick into gear, he tore off his jacket, despite the freezing cold, and pulled Castiel up to a sitting position, draping the jacket around his naked body. Quickly as he could, he pulled the other’s body up over his shoulder and trudged back to the building he had been staying with Sam. He could feel Castiel’s heart beat slow and faint against his shoulder and his muscles convulsing violently as the man shook. Shit… Dean thought. He must have hypothermia. Who knows what kind of conditions an angel would contract if they fell. He thought back to Anna Milton. When she had fallen, she was reborn as a human child to a couple who had desperately wanted a child, causing her Grace to fall separately and being imbedded in a tree. Did this mean Cas’ Grace had fallen somewhere too?
Dean shook his head. He would wait till he got inside to deal with all that extra crap. As he reached the door, he kicked it violently, both hands occupied keeping the other’s body balanced on his shoulder as well has keep him covered up. He was freezing and deserved to keep as much dignity as a fallen angel could keep after falling from grace and landing naked in a snowfield. Growling at the fact his brother hadn’t opened the door yet, Dean kicked again, calling out. “Sammy! Its Dean, open the damn door!” He voice was rough and deep and his bit his lip, trying to keep as much cool as he could. He could feel the former angel’s breath rattling in his chest as his shivering died down and stopped. Dean’s heart skipped and he whined anxiously. If a person exposed to cold stops shivering, chances are they’re getting worse rather than better, and if Cas hasn’t had to regulate his temperature manually, Jimmy’s body would be struggling to regain control over simple bodily functions.
Wrenching the door open, Sam stopped abruptly, looking down at Dean. “Dean, what’s wro- Shit…” Seeing the body slung over his brother’s shoulder, he let realization flood his brain. “This is what Zachariah sent us to wait for isn’t it.”
Dean pushed past his brother, growling in frustration as he found he didn’t know what to do with
himself. “Yeah, pretty much.”
“Well, uh, is he okay? Has he broken anything? Is he still alive?”
He really did not have time for these questions. He knew in the back of his mind his brother meant well, but at the moment he really couldn’t afford to be standing around when his friend was possibly dying in his arms.
“I don’t know Sam, just please do me a favour and consider for one moment that I know as much as you do?”
Sam opened his mouth to say something, only to shut it a moment later. “I’ll grab some extra blankets and some towels then.” He half said to himself before disappearing from sight.
With his brother gone, Dean automatically hurried down the hall to his bedroom, laying Castiel on his back on the bedding. He could feel his heart racing as he looked at the former angel’s paler-than-normal face. He felt helpless. He honestly didn’t know what to do. Polar survival wasn’t one of the things he specialized in, but if anyone knew anything about it, it would be Sam.
“Sam, how do you cure hypothermia?” He called, tugging one side of his sheets back and sliding the other’s body beneath them. He pressed his fingers to Castiel’s face. It felt like an ice cube, but Dean couldn’t take his fingers away. Tentatively, he pressed him palm the former angel’s cheek, allowing his other to do the same and looked down the man. The last time he had seen him, Dean hadn’t been on good terms with the angel, despite the kind of relationship the two shared. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows either side of Castiel’s shoulders, his breath ghosting over the dark haired man’s blue lips before pressing his against them. He’d been meaning to do that since he had last seen the angel but hadn’t had the chance. It had been too long since the awkward angel had invaded his space and honestly, Dean had missed him like crazy.
“So, you finished yet? Or you want to let him freeze to death.”
Dean all but threw himself off his bed, face turning bright red. “S-Sam.” He croaked, looking at
Castiel’s unconscious body then back at his brother. “I, uh, was listening for his um, breathing. You know, to make sure its even and stuff.”
Sam frowned at his older brother, but let it slide. He knew what his brother was really doing, he wasn’t dumb, and he hadn’t been months ago when this whole human-angel relationship (or as Castiel called it ‘an even more Profound Bond’) had started. But right now he was a little more focused on keeping his friend alive.
“Is his body dry?” Sam asked, looking at Castiel covered in Dean’s blankets.
“Of course he is.” Dean replied, frowning and crossing his arms.
“I’m not accusing you Dean, its more the fact that if he isn’t, he will just get worse.” Thinking back to survival class in one of the high school he had been to, Sam starting ticking off his mental check-list. “Nothing obstructing his airways? No wet clothing on?”
Dean rolled his eyes. “Yes Sam, now what else do we need to do?”
Sam looked at Castiel and back at Dean. “Well, I’m not gonna sound pushy here, but you need to remove your clothes.”
“Excuse me?” Dean deadpan stared at his brother. He couldn’t be serious.
“Dean, you don’t have an electric blanket on your bed coz you shot gunned the room with ducted
heating. He needs heat in the blankets with him. We can’t keep moving him around, since we need to keep him stable. I’m sorry man, but the next best thing is body heat.”
Dean shifted uncomfortably and glanced at the man lying in his bed. His breath rose and fell in shallow bursts. He didn’t really have a choice.
“Come on man, you didn’t have an issue with getting so close a minute ago!” Sam said, annoyed.
“Fine. Just get the
hell out of my room. And bring in a hot water bottle or something, his body is
like an ice cube.”
He waited till his brother left before letting out a sigh of defeat. He knew he had to do this, but something didn’t feel right. Maybe it was their fight the last time Dean had seen him, or maybe it was the slight fear that it might be Jimmy beneath those blankets, not his Cas. Not letting himself wait anymore, stripped off his jackets, shirts and thermals, leaving his briefs on, and walked over to the bed.
Pulling back the covers, Dean slipped into the bed, allowing his knees to rest either side of the other man’s thighs, shifting so his arms slid under his torso, hugging Cas to his chest. His skin was icy to the touch, causing dean to flinch on contact, but as he held the former angel there, he felt his body growing accustom to the temperature. He felt his body relax and his knees slide down so they aligned with Cas’ and his chin come to rest on his shoulder at the base of the other’s neck.
It had been awhile since they were this close, but he almost didn’t mind. At least he was here again. At least he was alive. He heard Sam walk back in with the hot water bottle and felt him place it down at Dean’s side, but he didn’t acknowledge his younger brother, nor did he acknowledge him. Dean respected his brother for his actions, knowing that now was not the time for cheap-ass jokes. As soon as the door was shut, Dean slipped the water bottle between his and Castiel’s chest. He needed to reheat the man’s core temperature as quickly as possible. Sam hadn’t made the water temperature too hot, to allow for Castiel’s body temperature to adjust slowly as he didn’t want the man to go into shock. But all Dean could do was wait.
Time drifted past and Dean felt warmth return the former angel’s body. A few hours after he had slipped into bed with the other man, Dean heard a sound come from the other’s throat as well as his eyebrows furrow. Blinking with surprise, Dean pulled his head back and looked down at Castiel’s face. Slowly, the dark haired man shifted his eyes under his lids before opening them. Dean gasped at the vividness of the colour. It never ceased to amaze him just how blue Castiel’s eyes were, just how striking and perfect they were. Gazing down into them cautiously, he allowed the other to glance around before focusing on Dean’s worried hazel eyes.
“Dean, you seem alarmed.”
Dean blinked, again. “Really Cas’?”
The other man frowned even deeper, tipping his head slightly. “Really what?”
If it wasn’t for the fact it took nearly twenty four hours for a hypothermia victim to fully recover, Dean would have thrown the covers off and stormed from the room.
“Really, as in, ‘Gee Cas you haven’t seen me for nearly a month, I’ve been sitting around this frozen wasteland and you fall from the sky half dead in front of me!’ really. Yes I saved your life and you’re welcome.”
Cas looked like he had been slapped in the face. “Uh, thank you, very much Dean, I appreciate what you have done.”
“And that’s it?” Dean questioned, looking down at the former angel.
“What else do you want me to say Dean?” The other man’s tone was in no way hostile, but rather that of confusion. Looking down at his and Dean’s bodies pressed together he looked back up at his human companion’s face. “Do you want to explain this? Or should I take it for what it is?”
“Well, I see your mental state is back to normal.” Dean grumbled under his breath. Looking down at the seemingly oblivious angel he shook his head and smiled warmly, receiving a smile in return from the man below him. He had missed this, even if it had only been a month. Castiel had been with him since he had rescued him from hell and even after he started the Apocalypse and his brother released the Devil. There were so many things he owed to Cas and it only hit him now just how much it would affect him if he lost the blue eyed former angel.
Then he remembered what he really needed to ask. Swallowing nervously he looked down at the seemingly content man. “Cas, why did you fall?”
He saw happiness fade from Castiel’s blue eyes but the smile remain. Cas turned his head and sighed. “Why else Dean?” He murmured. Dean felt hands trail up along his sides and shivered, not from the cold. “Find out you have been living a lie and having to fight against your own family in a losing war takes its toll on you.”
Dean rested his chin on Cas’ chest as he nodded, understanding. “I’ve seen our future Cas, I
don’t want to end up that way.” Damn he sounds like a typical chick, but for once he didn’t care. He had seen Cas destroy himself for him and he wouldn’t let it happen again.
“Dean, I know you have, but I’ll tell you the difference between myself then and myself now.” He coughed slightly and clenched his eyes as if he was in pain. His muscles were stiff from being as cold as he was and the fatigue was coming back to him. He would need to sleep again soon. “I didn’t choose to fall last time. I fell because Heaven deserted me. I was forsaken. My grace dwindled away till I was like an addict coming down off a high, using everything I could to try and sustain it.”
He saw Dean’s confused face and realized he didn’t know what he was talking about. “You didn’t think Zachariah only showed the future to you?”
Dean quirked a sarcastic smile. “That manipulative son of a bitch.”
“Indeed.” Yawned Castiel from bellow him, letting his head relax back in the pillows. Dean saw exhaustion creep back into the former angel’s eyes and placed his head back down on Cas’ shoulder, this time pressing his cheek against the other’s slightly warmer one.
“I’m pretty sure you’ll make it through the night since you seem fine now.” Dean murmured, eyes sliding shut. “We’ll discuss our plan of attack in the morning I think.” He ran his nose lightly up behind the other’s ear earning himself a shiver he was sure wasn’t from cold.
“I believe this would be a good idea.” Castiel tried to chuckle but only succeeded in a small bought of weak coughing. “I think you’ll need to teach me how to make use of these bodily functions too, now my grace no longer keeps this vessel stable.”
Dean smirked at how he could take that statement, but instead let his eyes droop, tightening his grip around the dark haired man. “Don’t get ahead of yourself now, you’ll have time to get used to it.”