Always- a Destiel / Hogwarts Fic

Chapter Fourteen- Stay

Castiel's stomached ached with loss as he stared down at the still figure of Dean Winchester, who lay in the pristine white bedsheets of the Hospital Wing. His eyes were closed and his mouth hung half open and the sounds of long, relaxed breaths escaped it. Cas allowed his hand take hold of Dean's, his thumb stroking the other boy's hand in repetitive, soothing motions. He couldn't help it, he looked so peaceful when he was asleep, much unlike the usual hardened expression he wore when he was awake.

The Wing was empty except for a person who was covered from head to toe in bandages on the other side of the room. However, Castiel suspected that they were far too wrapped in their own problems to care about two boys holding hands.

Sam, who had been beside Dean previously, had left at last to get himself some breakfast. Cas couldn't blame him, the poor kid hadn't eaten in three days, in fact, he hadn't even gone to classes ever since Dean collapsed.

Cas tried to get an idea of what Sam was going through. He tried to picture his favourite brother, Gabriel, in Dean's place. He shuddered at the very thought.

Then again, this felt just as bad. It was so bad he could hardly stand it. Dean Winchester, the boy whom he had fallen in love with from the moment that he laid eyes upon him. Dean Winchester, the boy with the inescapable and possibly deadly fate. He was the boy who had been through so much and yet asked first little.

In fact, one of the only things Dean had ever asked of him was that he were to stay away from him and yet that was one of the few things Castiel could never do.

* * *

Slowly, his vision cleared.

Dean knew that he was in the hospital wing from the moment he had started to regain consciousness, the smell of Healer Mages Disinfectant provided an unmistakable stench. He could feel the soft sheets on his skin and the inviting crackle of a fire close by.

Eventually, Dean opened his eyes, disorientated, the room swam before him. As his vision cleared he saw an unmistakable figure. It was Castiel looking over him like a guardian angel. He felt a sudden lurch in him stomach and the near irresistible impulse to kiss him. Yet it seemed as if there was a barrier between them, so instead, Dean only said the one thing that came to him in that moment.

"Cas?"

"Dean..." The other boy paused for a moment before taking a few tentative steps back. "I should- I should go now. I'm sorry, I never should have come."

"No. Stay."

If these words had caught Dean by surprise it was nothing compared to Castiel who looked as shocked as he did the one time Snape had told them there was no homework. Slowly, he walked back over to Dean's bedside and took a tentative seat.

"Cas... I'm sorry."

"Dean you don't have to apologise- you're in the hospital-"

"Yes I do. I hurt you Cas, that day with the boggart. I never should have said those things and the only reason I did was because I loved-!"

The doors burst open to reveal a girl with dark brown hair and rosey cheeks.

"Dean, I thought I could hear your voice! Oh thank god you're awake!" She gushed as she ran over to him.

"Oh hiya Lisa." Dean said with false enthusiasm.

"I should go." Castiel said bluntly as he stared at the two, anger slowly building.

"No. Cas hold on."

"Goodbye Dean."

He stormed out of the room and carried on walking until his legs gave way to his emotions and he sank down to his knees exhausted. He felt bad for leaving Dean behind and yet he also felt betrayed that he had chosen Lisa over him. His emotions were as conflicted as the day of the boggart when Dean stormed out on him.

Little did Dean know that Cas didn't have to face his boggart that day in the classroom. He met his biggest fear from the moment Dean started yelling at him. He even murmured riddikulus right after he left in the hope that none of it was real. It was no use, he had to face reality.