Daily Drabble 37

[coffeebuddha]

Title: Small Comforts
Author: coffeebuddha
Rating: PG/FRE
Characters/Pairings: Dean Winchester/Castiel
Word Count: 586
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.
Prompt: "Dean/cas (or Cas/Dean either or) -- some nice hurt/comfort with castiel resting up from his ordeal in frontierland." Requested by topetine.

  

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Letting Dean believe he's more weakened than he actually is isn't the kindest or most defensible thing Castiel's ever done, but comfort of any kind has been difficult to come by for what feels like much longer than it actually is--so many millenia in heaven seem impossibly short in comparison to the last few years of walking the earth. It's true, he's weakened and slow and tired, and there's a small thrill of panic curling low in his spine, because it feels just enough like falling, but he's functioning. There's no need to be alarmed at his condition, because in a few short hours he won't even have a condition.

But...

But when he appears in Dean's room later that night, there's a flash of concern on the man's face that isn't completely masked by the shadows his hat is throwing. There's guilt there too, a silent acknowledgment of the selfish thoughtlessness that all too often accompanies his desperation, and Castiel shouldn't take pleasure in that, but it's a familiar look that he saw countless times before he left for heaven and Dean left for normality. It's a look that brings back flashes to a time when they were still broken, still desperate, but they were together in a way that they don't seem to be anymore. The world was falling apart around them and death threatened from all sides, but somehow it felt better than it does now, when there are too many lies and secrets between them to possibly ever set things right.

So he's willing to take the guilt and only feels a slight pang of it himself, and when Dean presses him back toward the bed, he lets him. He lets calloused fingers that never quite learned how to be completely gentle strip off his coat, suit jacket, and shoes. He lets himself be arranged against pillows and tucked under covers.

Dean's feet are bare and his head is bowed, and when Castiel catches at his wrist, he makes no move to pull away.

"You discarded your blanket." They aren't the words that Castiel wants to say, but he lets them hang between them anyway, the silence uncomfortable in a way it hadn't used to be.

"Yeah, well," Dean grunts, his head still lowered. He shrugs and lets the sentence trail off, and even in the dark Castiel can make out the light flush that works its way up his neck. He wonders a little at that, but doesn't comment, instead reaching out to flip back the corner of the comforter Dean had pulled up around him.

"Come," Castiel says, tugging gently on Dean's wrist until he looks up, green eyes still partially shadowed by the brim of his dusty hat, and has to brace his knee against the mattress to keep from falling over. "If you have misplaced yours, then you may share mine."

Dean's lips quirk in something that isn't quite a smile and he huffs out something that bares only the slightest resemblance to a laugh, but he also slides into the bed next to Castiel, his hat tilting at a ridiculous angle when he settles his head down on the pillow and his body impossibly warm against Castiel's side. He slings an arm over Castiel's waist, and it's possession and care and need. Castiel returns the embrace, and when Dean murmurs a, "Thanks, man," into his shoulder, he holds on tighter and reminds himself that Dean always has and always will be worth every decision he's made.

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Thank you for reading! Feedback is always appreciated!

First commenter gets to pick the next prompt! When requesting, please keep in mind that I try to keep these between 100-500 words. For a list of my fandoms and squicks, go here. AUs, crack, genderbending, etc are all welcome in addition to more canon compliant prompts.

IMPORTANT: I'm embarrassingly behind on Criminal Minds and Castle, so please keep the spoilers for the latest seasons of both AWAY from my journal in your prompts and comments. Thanks!

Funny story. I had a dream that I'd already written and posted this. It took me until this evening to realize that nope, I really hadn't. I'm special like that sometimes. Oops?