Title: Day 6
Author: tarotgal
Fandom: Sueprnatural
Rating: R
Pairing: Sam/Castiel
Disclaimer: Not my characters. I wish they were mine. I definitely don’t get paid for this.
Summary: Sam has allergies and Cas has a mission.
Notes: Written during my 12 Ficlets in 12 Days in 2015 project for sexualoddity

It was always the worst for Sam in the mornings. Castiel could not help but notice this. He was noticing more and more about Sam now than he had before. Before, when Sam was just Dean Winchester’s brother. Before, when Team Free Will had not even begun. Before, when everything had been new and pure and simple. Not like now. Not at all like now.

Now things were complicated. That was what came of knowing more. And knowing more, in this case, had felt so very good. Doing with Meg what the pizza man did had been wonderful, and he would forever cherish those moments. But this was something else entirely. This with Sam was like being filled anew with grace. It was intimate and sacred and special. Which was why it saddened him when Sam woke beside him feeling miserable and in obvious distress.

“ehPTschooo! ehhKTchuhh! heh.. eh… ehhhhhhhhh... “ A pause, when Sam hoped the sneeze would not come and Castiel knew it would but hoped it would be quick so Sam was relieved of this torture as quickly as possible. “ehhh! Ehhhhh!” Sam's nose twitched violently, nostrils so pink and round Cas could do nothing but stare at them until, mercifully, the sneeze finally struck.  “ehhhhhhIHGGshhhhh!” The sneeze sounded as though it were ripping its way out of him, forcing him to do what he didn't want to do. Sympathy and compassion for mortals was ingrained in angels; Cas had no choice but to feel that. However, it was more in this case. Sam Winchester had been through so much. He didn't deserve to have such discomfort thrust upon him immediately upon waking.

“Let me heal you.”

Sam looked up from the tissues bunched at his tickling nose. He breathed heavily and carefully through his mouth, trying not to set his sensitive nose off again. “You cand't heal allergies. You've tried before.”

Castiel knew this, of course. Angels had excellent memories. He had tried precisely fourteen times before on various occasions and not once had his healing made any difference to Sam or his nose. Once he had used so much of his “mojo” as Dean called it, Castiel nearly passed out from it and Sam had been forced to cradle him and stroke his forehead until the dizzy discomfort passed, sniffling and sneezing off and on the whole time. So, yes, he knew that all of his previous attempts pointed to the fact that he could not heal allergies. But he also knew that Sam was already getting congested. And though Sam with a stuffy nose was admittedly kind of adorable, it did make certain things difficult, such as saying things properly in Latin. He couldn't hunt properly when he was stuffed-up like this. And his penultimate reason for being here was to make sure that the Winchester brothers were safe and able to hunt demons. Surely that meant he should be able to help somehow, in some way. “I believe I should try again.”

Sam shook his head and climbed out of bed. “D'no. I'll take a shower. That'll work.”

That rarely worked. Perhaps Sam had forgotten. Humans did not have memories as good as angels. Perhaps he needed reminding. “It has helped three times out of the past twenty-one times you have woken up sneezing.”

Sam's expression was unreadable, but Castiel assumed the wide eyes and knitted brow meant he was impressed by the accuracy of the statement. That had to be it. “Well...” said Sam, finally. “This timbe it will helbp.” Sam headed to the bathroom while Castiel continued to lie there. Sometimes, Sam invited him to the shower, and the sensation of water rushing down his bare back while Sam pressed against his bare front was largely pleasing to his vessel... and to Cas as well. But Sam had said nothing this time, so Castiel gave him his privacy, understanding humans sometimes wanted sex and sometimes wanted space. However, he had walked the earth long enough to know that sometimes humans wanted things that were bad for them. The sound of Sam sneezing throughout his shower only solidified this theory.

When Sam emerged, his hair was damp, his cheeks were flushed, his chin was smooth, and his his nose was still full of sneezes. “ehhhhHihtch!” Sam sneezed into his palm as he blindly walked toward the tissue box. He found it as though he were possessed by some supernatural instinct to locate it when he was most in need of it.  He wiped his hand and his nose simultaneously, but the moment it was dry, he sneezed again. “ehhhhhh-Hihggshhhhhhh!”

Castiel stood and walked around the bed to him, concerned. “I think I should try again to heal you.”

Sam shook his head. “I just took some allergy medicine. When it kicks in, I'll stop sneezing.”

This was also a lie. Or, at best, a significant exaggeration. Allergy medicine seemed to lessen the symptoms, but not once did it stop his sneezing entirely. When Sam woke up sneezing, he spent the rest of the day sneezing. “That will not help as much as you think it will. But I believe I should be able to help, if you'll allow me to try.”

Once again, Sam shook his head. “We don't have time for that. We need to get going. Dean's probably already waiting.”

As if the elder Winchester brother could hear through the motel's substandard wall, Sam's cellular phone rang. With a hard sniff to clear his nose as best he could, Sam answered. He listened to what Dean said, which Castiel could hear, because he could always hear the Winchesters. “Are you and your angel done boning yet? We got demons to catch, Sammy.”

“We're on our way... now... ehhhhh!”

“Oh God, is your hayfever acting up again?” Dean followed this question with an exasperated sigh.

“I'lll be... ehhh—fine—ehhhhhhh  ehhh-HIHGshhhhhh!”

“Get yourself under control and meet me out at the car. And try not to breathe too much when you're outside, okay? I'll get the air conditioning going and roll up all the windows.”

Castiel knew that would help the problem but certainly not eliminate it. But maybe he could. As Sam pressed the button to end the call, Castiel walked over to him again, hand up. “Let me heal you.”

“Cas,” Sam sniffed and shook his head yet again. “It won't—“

“I can try.” He reached out, attempting to lay his hand upon Sam's forehead. This time, instead of addressing the symptoms, Castiel planned to target the allergy itself, intending to drive it straight out of Sam's body. If it worked, the man would not have to worry about allergies ever again. It would be his present to Sam—a late Christmas present, but a welcome one, he was certain. Sam would be so grateful, he would probably kiss him again. Or more. And that might make them late to meet Dean. But that couldn't be helped. And ultimately, Dean would understand. If anyone would understand the need for sudden, spontaneous, grateful sex, it would be Dean Winchester.

But the moment, he touched his fingers to Sam's head, he knew it wouldn't work. The healing power of his grace touched his charge, his human, his lover, but it did not penetrate. It danced there, as if held back by some invisible barrier, until Sam reached up with his hand and batted it away. “Don't, Cas. I'm fine.”

Castiel cocked his head but did not step away. “I have observed that often humans say that they are fine when they are, in fact, the opposite. Here...” Hand Castiel tried again, summoning all that he was and trying to pour it into Sam to calm his tickling nose and end the allergic reaction within him. There had to be a way of doing this. There just had to be. He moved in closer. Perhaps the distance was the problem. He might have to be in closer contact with Sam. That could certainly be arranged. He could snap his fingers and remove their clothes. He could press himself to Sam or spread himself for Sam while trying to draw the sneezes out.

“ehhhhHihgtchhhhh!” Sam sneezed. It was not working this time, either. Growing impatient and clearly not thinking the same thoughts Castiel was, moved away, escaping the touch. “This is useless. I was born this way. This is the way God wanted me. You can't fix it or change it, Cas.”

But Castiel refused to leave it at that. He who had allowed blind men to see and lame men to walk would surely allow Samuel Winchester to stop sneezing. It seemed such a small thing that would make such a huge difference.

So Castiel was determined to try again. This time, he reached out and, instead of touching Sam's forehead, pressed his fingertips to Sam's nose. He channeled his healing power into the touch, trying harder than he ever had before. His hand shook he was trying so hard, wanting to help, wanting to heal.

“Cas, thanks, but there's nothing you can...” he trailed off.

Castiel's vessel's heart gave an exited leap. It was working. This time, it was working. This time, finally, Sam would feel better.

Then Sam pulled away from the touch. His breath hitched. His nose twitched. His eyes closed. “heehhhh! Ehhhhhh! Eh! EhhhhPihgtshhhhhhh!” But it did not stop at just one. “ehhhhHehhgshhhh! HehhChishhhhh! Heh heh ehhhhhhh-Gihtchuhhhhh!” Sam wiped, bunched, and dabbed tissues at his nose through all of this. “ehhhGhdshhhh!”

Weak and needing to collect his breath, he sat back down on the bed, leaning against the pillows and headboard, scrubbing tissue after tissue at his tickling nose. Castiel could feel it tickling. He could feel Sam's pain and discomfort as each and every uncontrollable sneeze struck him, commanding him to sneeze even though he did not want it. Even though neither of them wanted it. Poor Sam. He did not deserve this.

And then the way to heal Sam finally occurred to Castiel. It wasn't in his touch or his grace. It wasn't about healing the symptoms or stopping the allergies from within. “I think I know what to do now,” Castiel said, his voice a low, steady whisper.. “I cannot get rid of your allergies, but I can take them into me.” He had done it before, after Sam's wall came down and Sam was so close to it breaking him apart into little pieces. Castiel had been able to endure that then. He would be able to withstand this now.

“No!” Sam pulled away, rubbing at his nose. “Cas,” he said, taking his angel's hands. “There's no need to do that. I'm fi...” Castiel looked sternly at him, so Sam changed tracks. “All right, I'm not fine. But I've lived with this for thirty years. It's an annoyance, but I can handle it.” He smiled and almost laughed. “I can certainly handle it better than you. You probably haven't sneezed in centuries.”

Castiel considered this. It was true that angels did not sneeze. He wondered what in fact would happen if he took Sam's allergies. Would they make him sneeze? Would they cease to exist? Or would they do something worse to him, because they did not belong inside of him? It would be an unnatural arrangement. But if it saved Sam any amount of misery, the result might be worth it.

“I have a better way you can help.” Sam leaned over and picked up the tissue box. He pressed it to Castiel's chest until Castiel's arm wrapped around to hold it. “Will you hand me a tissue whenever I need one? I know you will be able to sense when that is.”

Castiel could. He could tell when Sam's nose was tickling, about to sneeze. He could tell when it was full and needed a rub or a blow. And he could tell when Sam needed him. “All right,” he agreed, slowly. “If you are sure.”

“I am. I... I... snuh...”

Castiel whipped a tissue out of the box and thrust it at Sam's nose.

“uhhhh-Hihptshhhh!” Sam managed to aim at the tissue or Castiel managed to catch the sneeze or, perhaps, both at once. There weren't many tissues left in the box, but Castiel could easily take care of that and replenish the box as he took care of Sam.