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“He won't wake up, Cas. He won't wake up, and it's been more than a day.” In person, Sam was even more frantic than he'd sounded on the phone. “I've been through every book on sleep in the Bunker, tried twenty different spells. Nothing touches this. He hasn't stirred.”
“And you say it was a witch that did this?” Castiel bent over Dean, whose supine body was laid out before them on his memory foam bed. The man's heart rate, respiration, and basal metabolic functions ticked along at normal, albeit slightly diminished, levels. To observation, he was deep in a peaceful sleep. But according to his brother he had been in the same state for over forty hours without change.
Turning away from the bed, the angel realized that Sam was speaking, rehashing their hunt even though he'd already filled Castiel in on their call. He recognized the younger man's need to keep talking, to sift and resift through the pieces of the puzzle in search of a solution he'd overlooked. It was an impulse he recognized in himself, born of a desperate drive to keep their small family safe and whole.
Although he didn't technically need to, the angel took a deep breath as he attempted to still his mind. Conflicting emotions warred within him. He ached to track down whatever hellbound creature had been cretinous enough to interfere with his charge and ensure that both it and everything it loved was wiped to extinction. This thirst for revenge made his wings itch with the urge to fly. The only thing that held him in check was the sight of the body before him. Nothing, not even vengeance, mattered one iota compared to his desire to heal his friend, to restore Dean to full health.
Focusing his grace, he peered more deeply into the intricacies of the hunter's system. The solution presented itself immediately, and Castiel felt his cheeks heat with embarrassment. The answer was obvious. He should have guessed it at once. But before he applied the cure...
“Sam, I can heal him of this, but you should step outside.” Castiel crossed the room and grabbed the knob. He held the door open for Sam, but the man made no move to exit. Instead he planted himself more solidly next to the bed, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and shook his head.
“What? No, Cas. I'm not leaving. I've been going crazy trying to find this cure, man! I haven't slept, I've barely eaten. I've been so worried. I need to see him get better.”
Cas sighed and tried again. “I really think it would be best if you left the room, just for–”
Sam cut him off. “Not going anywhere. If you can fix him, do it now. Please.”
“Of course. May I have your word, though, that if Dean asks, you will confirm that I did ask you to leave us alone, and you declined?”
Sam looked confused, but he nodded. Resigned, Castiel moved back to the bed. He leaned over and pressed his lips to the sleeping man's mouth.
Dean's arms immediately came up to wrap around the angel's shoulders. He sighed, awakening into the kiss as if it were an ordinary day. “Mmmm, g'morning, sweetheart,” he murmured, gazing drowsily up at his boyfriend. “You back early from your trip? Wanna fool around a little before Sam wakes up?”
From behind Castiel's back, Sam cleared his throat. Dean froze, his eyes wide.
“Uhhh, hi Sammy,” he said, voice raised to carry past the intimate space of the bed. “Why are you in our room?”
Suddenly overloaded with questions, Sam managed only an incoherent splutter. Castiel grabbed the reins of the conversation. “You were hit by a witch, love. You've been asleep for almost two days.”
Dean groaned. “Sleeping Beauty curse, huh? God, witches suck. So, standard cure?”
“Of course,” Castiel replied with a soft smile. “True love's kiss, as usual.”
“Nice, babe. Thanks. But would you mind explaining why we have an audience?”
“Your brother spent quite some time attempting to find a cure on his own before he called me for assistance. By the time I arrived, he was distraught. I asked him for privacy to heal you but he didn't wish to be separated from you. I'm sorry, I know you didn't want him to know about us, but I felt there was no way to argue without arousing his suspicions...”
Struck with a wave of shame at breaking Dean's wish for secrecy, the angel hung his head. Dean put a soft hand on Castiel's cheek and pulled him into another kiss.
“S'okay, buddy. He was going to find out sooner or later, and now's as good a time as any.” He raised his voice again, directing his next words to his brother. “Sammy, me 'n' Cas are together, obviously. Get used to it, because it's forever. Any questions?” He gave no time for questions before continuing on. “Good. Now git. I've had a two-day nap and I'm extremely well-rested and full of energy. You might wanna get out of the Bunker for the rest of the day. We're gonna get loud.”