Archive of Our Own ^beta

He's noticed for a couple of hours now. The angel looks warily at the younger Winchester who hasn't mentioned it, or rather seemed to be fully ignoring it despite the trouble it seemed to be causing him. “S-Sam, are you okay?”

“What, yeah, why?”

“Your breathing is… different.”

“O-oh, yeah, it-it’s fine. It’ll calm down after a few minutes, don’t worry,” Sam says with a wheeze in his breath.

It didn’t calm down after a few minutes and the angel continued to worry. It seemed like something to worry about, especially when it got worse, not better.

“I’ll be okay, Cas, I just got to go drink something,” Sam says then heads to the kitchen.

Castiel stares after him, still worried. He knew if Dean were here he’d know what to do. So Cas took out his phone and texted the older Winchester. Dean, is it normal for Sam’s breathing to be slightly altered?

Dean was quick to text back. Altered? What are you talking about? What’s happening??

Cas was just about to text back when his phone began to ring, Dean’s name displayed on his screen. “Dean?” he answered.

“Altered how? Like he’s having trouble breathing? Is he wheezing?”

“I—yes? Perhaps? He says he’s fine, that it’ll calm down in a few minutes but breathing is essential to humans, so…”

“Cas, go into my room.”

“What? Why?”

“Just head to my room, Cas, now.”

“O-okay.” Cas quickly makes his way to the older Winchester’s room and goes in. “Okay, now what?”

“In the top drawer of my desk, in the back on the left side, there’s an inhaler.”

“Inhaler? What is that?” he asks as he searches the drawer.

“It… it’s kind of, uh, L-shaped. The plastic casing is blue-ish, but there’s a metal tube inside it. Give it to Sam, he’ll know what to do with it. Oh and remind him it’s a new one so he has to prime it, don’t forget to tell him that.”

Cas scans the little instrument quite certain it is what Dean described. “Okay.”

“And make sure he doesn’t take runs or exercise until his breathing is back under control.”

“Okay.”

“Cas, watch out for my little brother, or I’m gonna hunt you down.”

“I know, Dean. I’ll take care of him, I promised.”

“Remember, tell him to prime it before he uses it. I got to go.”

“Okay, I will. Don’t worry, Dean.” Castiel hangs up and goes to find Sam, whose breathing still has not settled. He was drinking coffee at the table. Cas walks over to him and holds out the inhaler. “Sam, here.” There’s a spark of recognition on his face.

“Where did you get this, Cas?” he practically rasps.

“I was worried about your breathing, you need air so if you’re having complications it’s something to worry about. I’m sorry, I asked Dean for advice and he said that this would help you. Oh, he said to tell you it’s a new one, so you have to ‘prime’ it, whatever that means, he was very adamant on making sure you knew that.”

Sam nods. Castiel watched intently as Sam took the cap off the casing and shook it in his hand, he pointed it away from him and pressed the top metal canister down, it made a hissing noise as it sprays something into the air and Sam did it two more times before he pointed it back at himself.

He exhaled before putting the mouthpiece into his mouth, pressing the top down, then inhaled. He took the inhaler out of his mouth but held his breath for a moment before swallowing and breathing more normally. Castiel could already hear a difference.

“Sorry,” Sam mutters, noticing the angel staring. He puts the inhaler back in his mouth and repeats the action again and it seemed to work better the next time and Castiel was a little awed at the tiny human contraption.

“So, that inhaler helps you breathe?”

Sam put the cap back on and slid it into his jacket pocket. “Yeah, I’m surprised Dean still carries one around. Well, I guess not that surprised. I had asthma when I was a kid, it got pretty bad in the winters and stuff, freaked him out a bit. Guess the trials really took a toll on me, huh? Surprised he didn’t come running when you told him.”

“Asthma, that’s the human condition that’s affecting your breathing?”

“Yeah, well, that’s what I’m assuming anyway, which the medicine worked so, most likely.”

“It’s good that you knew what to do, I wasn’t aware of either your asthma or the inhaler.”

“Yeah, sometimes caffeine helps.” Sam raised his mug. “But it wasn’t this time. I was beginning to consider asking if your grace would be able to help or to take a trip in town to the clinic.”

“You should have just told me, Sam.”

“I thought it would just go away. I mean the trials did mess me up, this is just one of the things. I’m sure it’ll go away in a couple of days, especially with you healing me.”

Castiel watched and waited and after a couple of days, Sam’s asthma had not gone away.

Castiel sighs, low and long as he watches the younger Winchester agitatedly. “Sam,” he warns.

The man glared at him as he returned to the table with a small stack of books. “Stop babying me, Cas,” Sam grumbles.

“I’m not “babying” you, if I was babying you I’d swaddle you, so you’d stop moving, which I do have half a mind to do now if it will cause you to sit and rest. Dean said to not let you take runs or exercise until your breathing is back under control.”

“I’m not doing any of those things, I’m just—”

“Going back and forth for heavy books, riddled with particles of dust, which is taxing on your lungs.”

Sam narrows his eyes across the table at the angel. “You were researching it, weren’t you?”

“Yes, of course, I was. I wasn’t knowledgeable enough. Now, please, Sam, sit down.”

Sam rolls his eyes and flops down into his seat. “You’re as bad as Dean, man. I think me being the one with asthma I would know what is too taxing for my lungs to handle.”

“Sure, of course, but you’re also incredibly stubborn and would bring your body to the edge of stress just to show that you can, whether it’s to show to yourself or others how capable you are, but Sam, I know how strong you are, I just want you to relax and breathe easier, just until your asthma is back under control.”

Sam huffed. “I hope when you're done healing me from the trials that my asthma goes away. I haven’t had to deal with it for years. It’s really annoying, especially how you’re babying me in Dean’s stead.”

Cas rolls his eyes. “I’m not babying you, Sam. I’m taking care of you—”

“It sounds like you’re treating me like a kid, like I can’t take care of myself.”

Cas huffed. “You can take care of yourself, Sam, you’re fully capable of taking care of yourself, I know that, but you tend to not take care of yourself as you deserve. And seeing as Dean isn’t here and he trusted me to keep you alive and heal you, that is what I’m going to continue to do despite your whining.”

Sam glared at the angel, who smirked triumphantly back. “Fine,” Sam huffed, “but I want a coffee but seeing as I’m being instructed to stay in this chair…” he prompted.

Cas nods. “I’ll go get you some coffee,” he says and starts for the kitchen. He paused in the doorway though and narrowed suspicious eyes at the younger Winchester. “But don’t get up while I’m gone, just stay seated, Sam.”

Sam huffed and leaned sulkily on his palm and flipped open the new book with his other hand.

“Sam?” Cas says, tone low and cautious.

“I got it, okay? I won’t get up, promise! Seriously, Cas!”

The angel eyes him for a few more seconds before turning and leaving. Sam huffed again, after a moment he took out his inhaler and used it. Cas knew him too well, he decided with a smirk. And maybe he liked the angel’s attention even if it rivaled his brother's overprotectiveness and overbearing safekeeping.

Cas’ words echoed in his mind as the angel returned with a mug of coffee. Nothing is worth losing you. Sam smiles at him. “Thanks, Cas.”

“Of course, Sam.”

Sam takes a sip. “You know, I do appreciate you being here and helping me, I’m sorry I’m arguing with you.”

“It’s okay, Sam. I’m sure you feel oppressed by your disease.”

Sam huffs a laugh, it’s actually not far from the truth. It felt like a constraint and Sam never liked being weighed down and kept from the things he enjoyed, which at this moment was to go outside and run a mile… or five. Or the fact that he’s woken up in the morning for the past few days in coughing fits, or the fact that his chest tightens to the point that he believes he’s going to suffocate because his body won’t function like it’s supposed to. Like it’s almost possessed.

“Yeah, it’s pretty annoying,” he says. “I’m glad you're here, Cas.”

“I’ll take care of you, Sam, I promise.” Castiel reached out and placed his hand over the hunter's. Sam smiled at the angel and he felt he could breathe a little bit easier.