come out of the garden, baby (closed)

[depressant]

WHO: castiel (au) & dean winchester
WHEN: during/after the mingle
WHERE: the hospital
WHAT: dean broke his leg, cas is under the weather
NOTES\WARNINGS: nothing outside of the setting

Castiel just couldn't get warm. Not since he'd been borne up out of the water by those slick black tentacles, by that void-fathomless creature. He'd grit his teeth and bore it up until the point Connor had helped him find his way to the hospital and its bright lights, but he was flagging hard by the time that they arrived, giving the doctors and nurses plenty of reason to do their handiwork. Once they had time to see him, he'd been checked over and administered bedrest and a regimen of antibiotics which they hooked to his arm through a tube that attached to an IV on the other end.

His symptoms were the first sign of fever, of course, and they explained to him that pneumonia was a real concern for near-drowning victims. He wasn't going to argue. He found Dean a while after being checked in to make sure that he was all right— and then let himself to succumb to the order for bedrest.

A few days later, and he's feeling considerably better, but he still gets tired faster than he should when he pushes himself up and out of bed. He doesn't mind, though. As boring as it is, Dean will be here longer, and he doesn't want to leave him alone.

After he has breakfast, he washes up and ties his hospital gown tight around himself to go see how Dean is doing on this fine, dreary day.

Comments

[venatoris]

[ It’s so unbelievably boring.

Dean is crawling the walls at this point, ready to just jailbreak the place and hobble home to the bunker. He can sit in bed there as easy as he can sit in bed here, risks be damned.

The pain meds are nice, though.

He’s cranky when Cas appears at the door, flipping through a book he’d managed to get a hold of, but he obviously isn’t really reading anything. There’s no TVs, the walls white and rooms clinical, and Dean is slowly losing his mind. ]

Hey. [ He snaps the book shut, tosses it aside and sits up. ] What do you say we break out and get the hell outta here?

[depressant]

[ castiel is less bored than someone might expect of him. patience is a virtue that he's clung to, desperate to retain any past shred of dignity. but still, he doesn't mind putting on a show for dean, so dean doesn't have to feel quite so alone.

leaning in the doorway, castiel laughs under his breath. ]

You sure you want to give up the drugs?

[venatoris]

That’s what liquors for.

[ Except it’s kind of a long ass trek back, and the impala is at the bunker, so it’s not like they can simply drive.

He gestures Cas in. ]

C’mon in, welcome to paradise. How’re you holding up?

[depressant]

I've found it doesn't have quite the same effect.

[ castiel comes where he's beckoned, perching on the edge of dean's bed, on dean's good side. ]

I'm fine. Tired.

[ his mouth twists, making obvious his disappointment. of all the things he hates about being mortal, the ability to tire may be the worst. ]

You?

[venatoris]

Cold.

[ it’s a valid gripe, hospitals are always cold, keeps disease spread down but that doesn’t mean he likes it. ]

And tired. Hungry for my own cooking and real food. I’m gonna make a feast when I get out of here.

[depressant]

Do you need another blanket?

[ he knows there are extras. he has a few in his own room, because he kept complaining about the chill— though no matter how many he piled over his prone body, he seemed to remain.

castiel's lips twitch at the corners. ]

I'm looking forward to that.

[venatoris]

Nah, I'm good. C'mon, lay down - body heats better than a crappy hospital blanket.

[ He slaps the mattress and scoots best he can, groaning as he moves his bad leg out of the way. ]/s,all>

Tell me about it. I'm gonna make burgers, chili, fries...maybe some pizza. Whatever I can get my hands on.

[depressant]

[ castiel gives a grunt of an answer and complies, levering himself down into the space that dean vacates for him. turned toward dean, he rests his head against his pillow after grabbing the blanket to pull it up over both of their bodies, his bent knees pressing into dean's thighs. it doesn't take long for the air beneath the blanket to warm with the heat from their bodies. ]

Burgers. I haven't had a burger in—

[ he can't even remember. he hates that he can't remember how long it's been, but he supposes it gets the point across and all. ]

—Well, it's been a while.

[venatoris]

[ Gay as it is, it's much better. So much better. He wriggles a little, trying to get closer, but with a heavy cast he has to stay on his back. ]

Me either. Stuck on that friggin' ship, now this place...haven't been able to get to the store.

[ like, where the meat comes from he doesn't know and he is not going to be asking, either. ]

And pie. We're gonna have pie. [ He turns his face, peers at Cas. ] Got any requests?

[depressant]

For... pie?

[ he notices dean's wiggle. he hesitates and then moves closer where dean can't, letting his shins wedge up against his legs and his knuckles brush his side. his chin is almost resting on his chest, eyelids heavy with some sort of satisfaction, though there's a tension in the muscles of his face despite it, like he's waiting to be pushed away— denied. ]

Isn't apple your favorite?

[venatoris]

For anything. But yeah, apple is top tier. The best.

[ Definitely his favorite.

And it gets gayer, but he's warm, and Cas is toasty against his side. A solid presence that he's found he's missed over the last however many days.

Nothing to really linger on, right? ]

What do you want me to cook for you?

[depressant]

Uh—

[ for him? castiel blinks. his chest tightens, flooding with warmth, and his cheeks pinken faintly in sympathy. beneath the halogen lights his complexion is washed out, the color nearly indistinguishable. ]

Burgers?

[ he already said that. ]

I've... never had chili.

[venatoris]

I'll make both. My chili is great.

[ Pretty damn spicy, though. Hope Cas has some kind of tolerance... ]

You'll like it. [ Hopefully.

He could sure go for some of it now in this cold ass room, and he's shifting his good leg closer, pressing it against Cas best he can for the heat. ]

[depressant]

... Thank you.

[ bobby used to cook for them when he was still alive, but after, dean just never had much time. they've eaten from portable grills and stoves, and dean's always done what he could with what supplies they could find, but every raid is a risk, and every risk has to be weighed. ]

Will you make pie? Or can we buy it?

[venatoris]

I'll make it, definitely. It's so much better when it's home made.

[ He's getting hungry thinking about all of this. ]

Apple, cherry...blueberry. I'm gonna make them all. Even pumpkin.

[depressant]

Can I— Can I help?

[ if there's nothing else to do during downtime, maybe he could learn. of course, he doesn't want to get in dean's way. ]

[venatoris]

Yeah, course. Know how, or do we need to do baking 101? Either way, I don't mind.

[ it'd be nice to have another set of hands in the kitchen. ]

[depressant]

I know the basic principal.

[ so that would be a no. ]

[venatoris]

Baking 101 it is.

[ He glances at Cas and flashes a little smile, though Cas’ head is so close he’s practically mouth breathing in the angels hair. Sexy. ]

How are you really doing?

[depressant]

[ castiel's mouth twitches in a smile, goosebumps raising on the backs of his arms and neck when dean's breath ruffles his hair. dean's question comes, and he breathes out through his nose, letting his eyes slip shut.

at first, it seems like he might not answer. but before dean can respond one way or the other, he speaks, voice soft. ]

... I, um. I don't know. I just keep thinking... I have to keep moving forward. If I stop, I'll—

[ his voice breaks, and his mouth twists. ]

[venatoris]

[ He shifts to get Cas’ head more fully on his chest, right over his heart. His arm slips around the angel, fingers hesitantly curling over his shoulder. There’s no one here, the hospital isn’t exactly a bustling place, and the door is closed. ]

Well, then we’ll just keep moving. Okay?

[ a pause. ]

Once my leg heals, anyway.

[depressant]

[ castiel moves with dean when dean pulls him in. like it's easy, like they were made for this, his ear pillowed against his chest, his upper body rising and falling with each breath he takes. it's nice. he and dean, back home, have lived out of each others pockets for a while. they've shared close quarters, they've shared beds. not ever anything like this, though, and every inch of castiel's body melts under dean's warmth, the glow of his attention.

he mumbles his agreement, and doesn't speak again for a little while.

eventually, though, he asks,

Dean, did you go to the fun fair? On the space station?

[venatoris]

] His heart beats against his ribs, right under Cas’ ear. It’s slow, calm. His anxiety is low, there’s nothing to fear. The weight of another person is as good as a weighted blanket, and he’s beginning to doze when Cas speaks again. ]

I go to the ‘fun fair’ daily.

[ Oh. On the station. ]

Oh, uh. That one. No, why?

[depressant]

[ cas laughs, he can't help it. it's a nice distraction before he has to continue on to what he was going to say.

he sighs. maybe he'll fall asleep here too. ]

I, I saw— I saw the future.

[ his smile fades. ]

I knew things were fucked up, and that they weren't gonna end well. But, um. Seeing it... is...

[ well.

it's different. it's different. ]

[venatoris]

[ He idly strokes Cas' arm as he listens, humming softly, vibrating in Cas' ear. ]

You sure you saw it, and it wasn't just something fucking with you?

[ Like, Dean knows. He's seen it. But what did Cas actually see? ]