I Promise | A Destiel High School & College AU

CHAPTER 23 - I Owe You a Fair

"What comes is better than what came before."
-I Found a Reason by Cat Powers

The harsh light of the hospital room greeted Castiel as he awoke. He blinked as he struggled to see past the pounding headache he had raging through him. Once his eyes became adjusted to the light, he looked around.

Sam was asleep on the window ledge inside the room, overlooking a dull and uninviting town. And Benny, with his feet on Castiel's bed, was watching Wheel of Fortune. Where was Dean?

Castiel shuffling around made Benny turn his head. He shut off the TV and focused on Castiel. "Hey," he said. "How ya feelin', kid?"

Castiel was about to respond with a 'fine' when he noticed how dry his throat was. "I'm a little thirsty, actually," he said.

Benny rose and told Castiel he'd be back. Before he left, he grabbed the pillow that he had been sitting against and chucked it at Sam before running out the door. Castiel chuckled as Sam shot awake. His chuckle quickly turned into a coughing fit as he became aware of his wound.

Sam rushed to his bedside and tried to help Castiel sit up in an attempt to get more air, but all it did was shoot a searing pain through his abdomen and trigger an earth-shattering migraine. Sam's concerned look turned to one of fear when he realized he was at a loss of what to do.

Castiel's childhood struggle with asthma was, once again, proving how present it still was as he lost more and more air. It seemed that Cas' luck was finally beginning to turn, because by the work of some miracle, Dean happened to walk in at that moment. Benny texted him when he left the room to get Castiel some water that Cas had woken up. Dean had never driven faster in his life, and he was glad that Benny found a motel room less than a block from the hospital.

"Cas?!" Dean called. He ran to the side of Castiel's bed and surveyed what he could before ordering Sam to find the inhaler that Dean had in the backpack he'd been carrying throughout the journey. He was glad that he'd left it in the hospital room.

Sam fiddled with the zippers and the faint sounds of miscellaneous objects hitting the floor could be heard, but Dean was only focused on Castiel. "Breathe with me," he said as Castiel's bluer than blue eyes focused on his. "In and out, Cas. In - and out - "

The inhaler was shoved into Dean's outstretched hand and he handed it to Castiel, but Castiel wouldn't take it. He continued to fight for a breath as he shook his head and pushed the inhaler away. Dean made a move to protest, but Castiel caught his attention when he grabbed Dean's face in his hands and forced their gazes to meet. Dean was all too confused to do much of anything besides stumble over words as he studied Cas' eyes. Before he knew it, Castiel's breathing began returning to normal.

By the time everyone's heart rates had returned to normal and Castiel was breathing normally again, Cas let go of Dean's face and rested his head on his pillow, recovering from his recent attack. Dean, still looking dumbfounded, looked from the inhaler to Castiel and back again.

"Why..." he began, "why didn't you take the inhaler?"

Castiel smiled before opening his eyes and looking at Dean. "I knew you would be able to calm me."

Although touched at the thought of Castiel trusting in him enough to choose him over his inhaler, Dean still argued. "Cas, that could've been a hell of a lot worse. What if it hadn't have worked?"

"But it did," Cas challenged. "I'd rather look at you than swallow that bitter shot of fake air. And now that I know it works, I don't ever want to see that inhaler again."

Dean sighed. "Cas..."

"Throw it away," Cas demanded. "I don't need any more remnants of my past."