Status: Another short story for NaNoWriMo. Also, wildly unedited.
Bookwarm
Slightly Ill
Things continue to move smoothly as the weeks past. Sometimes they share humor novels (some Christopher Moore joint about luck-monsters) and in the middle of the month, Castiel opens up a novel about 9/11 and death that leaves him guarding back tears in the middle of his commute. The second to last week of January, Dean introduces him to the anti-hero James Stark. But then, at the start of the month’s last week, Castiel notices Dean beginning to look a little green around the edges.
On Wednesday, he stumbles onto the train, nose comically (and, dare he say, adorably) red and cheeks ruddy. He has a pocketful of tissues he tries not to blow into and the commotion he’s causing when he sneezes, well...he’s getting a lot of dirty looks. He’s obviously miserable, Cas can see that, and the unfriendly looks he’s getting isn’t making it any better. As he sits down in his usual seat, Cas can do nothing but give him a sympathetic smile.
After work, Cas takes a detour. He stops at the closest Whole Foods and buys some teas and honey, some vitamin D and other 'get-well' ingredients. He also (guiltily) pilfers a large food container from the hot food section of the market and purchases some ribbon from the general store at the corner of his street.
After he’s settled in for the night, he carefully assembles his flu-time care-package. Quickly jotting down some recipes for the perfect tea on index cards and assembling the ingredients in neat order. When he’s done, he slips the ribbon neatly around the top and ties it off.
He falls asleep content and warm, snuggling deep under his fleece blankets, but around midnight, the idea comes to him. He quickly slips out of bed and patters his bare-feet across the cool wood floor. It doesn't take him long to find it - a run down copy of one of his favorite books - and he gingerly adds it to his bundle.
The next morning, as he leaves the train, he drops it purposely into Dean’s lap.
On Wednesday, he stumbles onto the train, nose comically (and, dare he say, adorably) red and cheeks ruddy. He has a pocketful of tissues he tries not to blow into and the commotion he’s causing when he sneezes, well...he’s getting a lot of dirty looks. He’s obviously miserable, Cas can see that, and the unfriendly looks he’s getting isn’t making it any better. As he sits down in his usual seat, Cas can do nothing but give him a sympathetic smile.
After work, Cas takes a detour. He stops at the closest Whole Foods and buys some teas and honey, some vitamin D and other 'get-well' ingredients. He also (guiltily) pilfers a large food container from the hot food section of the market and purchases some ribbon from the general store at the corner of his street.
After he’s settled in for the night, he carefully assembles his flu-time care-package. Quickly jotting down some recipes for the perfect tea on index cards and assembling the ingredients in neat order. When he’s done, he slips the ribbon neatly around the top and ties it off.
He falls asleep content and warm, snuggling deep under his fleece blankets, but around midnight, the idea comes to him. He quickly slips out of bed and patters his bare-feet across the cool wood floor. It doesn't take him long to find it - a run down copy of one of his favorite books - and he gingerly adds it to his bundle.
The next morning, as he leaves the train, he drops it purposely into Dean’s lap.
♠ ♠ ♠
January 25, 2015: Actual new chapter.