I Promise | A Destiel High School & College AU

CHAPTER 12 - I'm Going to Look After You

"Little by little we lose our friends, we lose everything, we keep losing and losing until one day we say, What the hell am I livin' around here for? I got no reason to go on. But with you, kid, boy I got a reason to go on. And I'm gonna stay alive."
-Mickey, Rocky IV

There are a lot of things Cas is unsure of.

He doesn't know what makes a Phillips screwdriver better than any other screwdriver. He doesn't understand how people like the taste of peanut butter. He's always overthinking what happens after death. And he has no idea how he's going to get by after college.

But if he's certain about one thing, it's that he hated hospitals.

The smell reminded him of countless visits to the doctor when he was younger. The nurses are all nice enough to make the money they need. And don't even get him started on their excuses for food.

He just wanted to get out. The wound didn't hurt anymore. It was sore, but nothing he couldn't handle. He'd endured a lot worse.

Dean rarely left his side in the days Cas was at the hospital. He only slept when Cas slept, only went home after he made sure Cas was okay for the night. If not for Sammy, Dean would've stayed.

Cas appreciated the generosity, and it meant a lot to him. But it got rather suffocating at times. Cas never liked a lot of attention, but he knew better than to push away the one person he had left. He'd be lost without Dean. Lost, alone, and afraid.

~

"Well, Mr. Novak," the doctor said. "It looks like we've done all we can for you. You can leave whenever you're ready."

Cas smiled and sighed a breath of relief. He couldn't wait to get out of there.

Dean hadn't showed up yet that morning, which Cas found odd. He was almost always there before Cas woke up, if not soon after.

He wasn't too worried about it. He'd just give Dean a call...

You've reached Dean Winchester. Leave a message.

Well, Cas may be a bit weak from the lack of movement in these past few days, but he wasn't staying in that hospital any longer than he needed to.

It was beyond a struggle to get back to his apartment. Two train rides with a hole in his chest and no shoulder to lean on proved to be challenging.

After he successfully made it into his apartment, thanks to the spare key he kept above the door, he sank into his bed and slept his thoughts away. Thoughts like I hope Dean is okay.

When he awoke the next morning, his chest was sore and he had a grand total of zero messages or missed calls from Dean. Concern blanketed Cas' mind as he jumped to the worst of conclusions.

What if he left...what if he's gone for good this time?

His thoughts traced back to the first few weeks after Dean left the first time. His hand found the scars that littered his arm and plagued his dreams.

He was almost tempted to bring those nightmares to life again...almost.

He shook his head clear of those thoughts and suddenly became aware of his desperate need for caffeine. He wasn't allowed any coffee while hospitalized, and he needed to refuel.

He made his way into the kitchen with much support from the counter and started a pot for coffee. Before he was in the hospital and before he had reunited with Dean, he had a morning routine of making coffee while he watched the news. He thinks the news is quite possibly the most boring and depressing program on television, but he likes to stay up to date on what's happening.

He grabbed the remote and clicked On, pouring the hot coffee into a mug. He leaned against the counter as he read the headlines and listened to the reporters.

He couldn't believe what he saw.

There, on the TV, was his apartment. The headline read, "Local college student shot by uncle."

He scurried over to the window and peaked his head out, careful as to not be spotted. Sure enough, there were swarms of news vans and camera crews with reporters standing and talking into microphones, accompanied by a handful of neighbors chatting and pointing.

Cas closed the shade and went back to the TV, seeing if he could catch any of the story.

"...Castiel Novak was admitted to Lebanon Memorial Hospital early last week after being shot in the chest, and has been reported to have just returned to his apartment. The shooter was his uncle, Metatron Novak, who is currently in custody with an unknown motive for shooting his nephew. In other news..."

Great, Cas thought. Just what I need.

He sipped his coffee, paying little attention to the TV, until a familiar face popped up on the screen.

"Dean Winchester, assumed to now be in his late teens or early twenties, has been spotted wandering about the Lebanon area. If you see him, do not approach him. He is incredibly dangerous. Contact the authorities immediately if you see him..."

The drone of the TV was silenced by several sharp and frantic knocks at the door.

"Cas?! Are you in there? It's me, Dean."

Cas was admittedly afraid, and hesitant. But Dean had done a lot for him...how "incredibly dangerous" could he be?

He opened the door to a horrible sight. Dean looked as though he hadn't slept in days, the bags under his eyes and the heaviness of his eyelids suggesting so.

"Hey," Dean said, uneasy on his own feet. "The hospital said you checked out. Can I, uh...can I come in?"

It didn't look like Dean was waiting for an invitation, as he made a move to try and get in the apartment anyway. But Cas stood in front of him.

"Dean? What's...what's going on?" Cas asked, not too wary of his boundaries.

"Nothing," Dean replied all too quickly. "Everything's fine. I just really want to come in."

He made a move to come in again, but Cas stopped him, again. "Not until you tell me why your face was on the news and why they think you're incredibly dangerous."

Dean stiffened as a lump rose to his throat. "I, uh, don't kn-know what you're talking about."

Cas was more pitiful now than he was afraid.

"Yes, you do," he said.

Dean's eyes pleaded with Cas' to not make him tell. But Cas needed to know. Plus, it only seemed fair. How often had Castiel practically poured his heart at Dean's feet, and how often had Dean returned to favor?

Dean opened and closed his mouth again and again, as if wanting to talk but the right words wouldn't come out.

Then it was like every muscle in his body betrayed him as he fell forward into Cas' arms. Cas was caught by surprise at the sudden weight on his still-aching chest, but he wouldn't let go.

"I...I can't. P-please don't make me, Cas. I c-" Dean stuttered. Before he could say more, Cas interrupted.

"Shh," he soothed, rubbing circles with one hand as the other kept Dean from falling over. "You're safe. I've got you. It's okay...it's okay," he said, despite overwhelming evidence that suggested that everything was most certainly not okay.