Mint and apricots

9. Sugar

Castiel was the first to recover and took action quickly and efficiently, as he had become accustomed to do in emergency situations. How many times, within the walls of his office, had he found himself having to manage the personal crises of his patients? In those moments, strong nerves and a clear mind had proven to be fundamental skills.

Now, Cas knew he had made a rookie mistake, leaving Dean in charge of the conversation that had just gone sideways. Finding himself in front of two brothers who knew each other better than anyone else in the world, he had acted lightly and believed that this was, in fact, the best solution. Now it was too late for regrets. No, it was time for him to roll up his sleeves and, first of all, make sure that his husband couldn't create any more trouble.

So, before Dean could even think about taking a step towards the door to run after Sam, Castiel put a hand on his shoulder to hold him in place.

"I'll go," he stated in a serious voice.

Although Dean was perfectly capable of recognizing those situations when it was better not to take the risk of contradicting his husband, that day he was too shaken to react normally to the usual incentives. As soon as he sensed that the grip of Castiel's fingers was there to restrain him, he frowned.

"What? Why?"

Cas ignored his betrayed tone and looked around for a place where to put him. Then, without answering his questions, he led Dean to the long wooden bench at the entrance and finally let go of his arm.

"You sit here and wait for me. Do not move."

In no time, Dean's bewildered gaze became outraged.

"Don't treat me like a child," he protested sharply, and for Castiel it was the last straw.

"Then stop acting like a five-year-old!" he exclaimed, widening his eyes and beginning to forget whoever could have heard them or stared. "Your brother is not ready for this kind of confrontation, can't you see it once and for all? Do you want him to go back to the so-called love of his life? Is that what you want, Dean?"

His husband looked at him as if Castiel had just forbidden him to have lunch with a double hamburger and then go on drowning himself in apple pie.

"Of course not," he mumbled, lowering his gaze, but Cas didn't feel moved to pity.

"Well, then fix that behavior. I can't save Sam alone, not if you keep working against me."

Having said that, he turned his back on Dean and walked out the door. Despite being aware of Dean's impetuous nature and his good intentions, Castiel could not avoid losing his patience with him when he crossed the line in such a blatant way. Dean was the person Sam was most fond of, he had practically raised him side by side with their mother and having a father that everyone would have called at least hard-to-please, how could he possibly not know when to stop before the dam overflowed yet?

As he ran down the steps outside the police station and exposed himself to the pounding rain, Castiel tried to calm his nervousness, remembering Dean's reasons. His husband was worried to death about his younger brother. He hated that one man, an apparently cruel man, had managed to harm him, but he hated even more the thought that Sam kept his faith into that person after all the injuries, physical and mental ones both, that had been inflicted on him. And Dean was shaking, trembling at the thought that Sam could be already back on that death path.

"Sam!" Castiel called in the rain, spotting his brother-in-law's tall figure twenty meters ahead, on the sidewalk. "Sam, wait!"

"Leave me alone, Cas!"