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They made him sit in a car seat. As if being in a child’s body wasn’t frustrating enough. And if Dean believed Cas couldn’t hear his thoughts- then he was wrong and Cas would show him just how difficult taking care of a kid could be.
He started by kicking the back of Dean’s chair. Over and over again until finally Dean pulled the car over and whipped around to face him, ready to launch into it on him. And when Cas went for a serious glare to fight back Dean just seemed to lose it; laughing even more when Cas crossed his arms and glared again. He could see the beginning smirk on Sam’s lips too, which only upset him even more, his eyes starting to sting like he couldn’t even help it. Holy fuck! he hated this tiny human thing. So he did the only thing he could think of in that split second... And that was press his hands over his face and sit there in angry defeat- but not before kicking another foot at the back of Dean’s seat.
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“I don’t think you should’ve laughed, that’s all I’m saying.” Sam kept his voice low; glancing back towards Cas still buckled up in the back seat. Somewhere between staring out the window and being mad at the brothers, Cas had fallen asleep– and neither Dean nor Sam seemed against letting him sleep. “He can’t stay that way, we have to find something to reverse it.” he looked ahead again, watching the streetlights as Dean drove along.
“Sure, and we will, but if Captain Obvious back there thinks he get’s to–” he paused, thinking over how he sounded before trying a different angle. “What do you want me to do about it, Sam? Pray? To who– you think any of the other angels are gonna come change him back? I’m pretty sure- if angels go through being kids, he probably wasn’t on the ‘good’ list. You saw him, he almost bit my hand off trying to buckle him in back there.”
“You provoked him-”
“You can’t provoke an angel, Sam!” Dean exclaimed– quietly, but definitely exclaimed. “You can’t provoke an angel, look, we’ll take a few days. He’ll figure it out and we’ll find something to get him back to full size in a few days.” he pressed down on the gas a little more, the car speeding forward as Sam shook his head and looked out his own window.
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When Cas threw up all over himself in the seat two hours later- neither of them knew what to do. Sam blamed Dean’s driving, Dean blamed… well he just blamed Cas really. Did angels even get sick? At least it was just liquid- but he’d still have to get the clothes off and no way were they bringing the clothes with.
They pulled off into a truck stop and since Dean refused to even touch him, Sam was stuck with getting him out of the mess of buckles and soaked clothing.
By then Cas seemed less like the stubborn angel they both knew and just another kid with a stomach bug. Sam nudged his elbow, watching Cas lift his arms slightly so he could get the first of the three buckles. But halfway through one of the buckles got stuck, and by then Sam had a feeling that Cas bouncing his feet up and down was a lot more than just a song stuck in his head. “Cas?” Sam pulled on the buckle, almost getting it loosened where it was stuck. “You don’t have to throw up again do you?” he seemed relieved when Cas shook his head no. “What about the bathroom, is that why you’re tappin your feet?” he got the buckle and moved to the third one.
“I gotta go.” Cas answered still watching Sam unhook him from the seat.
“If you pee in my car I’ll kill you, Cas.” Dean finally piped up from the wall they were parked beside. The threat didn’t go unnoticed either, both Sam and Cas staring at him. Aside from the current predicament, Cas had helped them way more than he probably needed to.
Sam pulled him out of the seat after getting the third buckle undone, setting him on the ground and giving Dean a familiar look that said tone it down. He leaned back in the car to get the seat out, figuring Dean could clean it up while he got Cas inside the stop and cleaned him up. But because all bad things seemed to happen in threes; Cas ended up doubling over and throwing up again, and maybe throwing up made it hard to hold in, but his jeans were a lot darker after the second time throwing up. And maybe if Cas didn’t feel horrible already he would’ve been embarrassed about the growing wetness on the jeans but he wasn’t. He wasn’t used to feeling sick- and definitely not like that. But at least he didn’t pee in Dean’s car. That seemed to be the only good thing of the night.
He teetered back and forth a few times before Sam caught him, lifting him up- ignoring the fact that his clothes we’re going to smell just the same. He grabbed his pack out of the trunk and watched Dean head into the stop ahead of them, following close behind with Cas hanging against his side like a limp noodle. They needed to fix this and fast.
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A couple of truckers eyed the three of them when they came in, but were quick to help when Sam gave the story that their little brother had the flu and needed a change of clothes and a place to clean up. One trucker hung out by Sam while Dean found the clothes, asking about their trip and trying to distract Cas from the way he felt like his stomach was going to flip itself inside out. Offering to give them the number of an urgent care doctor just down the interstate a ways, but Sam insisted they’d be fine. Before the trucker left he stopped by the counter again, gave Cas some stuffed little animal and wished them an easy night. Cas just let it slide from his fingers, listening as it dropped it on the floor behind Sam, feeling the slight chill of the air when Sam leaned down to grab it... just for safe keeping, just in case Cas changed his mind, heading for the joined bathroom/shower stall they'd been given.
“See, when you’re a sick kid people take pity on you.” Sam laughed at the joke and shifted Cas so he had a better hold on him. “It was an accident, Cas. Everyone has accidents, it’s no big deal.” he tried to get Cas to show at least a little smile, but frowned when he got nothing in response.
He kept Cas standing on the counter, pulling the wet pants off and throwing them in the trash with the rest of the clothes, keeping a hand on his shoulder to keep him from falling off. “I don’t wanna sit in the carseat anymore.” Cas shivered against the cool bathroom air. “I want to sit in the regular seat.” Sam breathed out a sigh, using a towel he’d wet in the sink to scrub Cas’ skin off. “I don’t want to sit in there. I’m big too.”
“Not right now you’re not.” Sam made the mistake of laughing under his breath, and before he even knew what was happening there were tears on the back of his hand. He just– wasn’t used to this. He wasn’t used to Cas being a little kid, crying on the bathroom counter of a truck stop because he wanted to sit with them. So he did really the only thing he knew in that moment. Leaning down and scooping Cas off the counter into a hug. And for a minute it seemed like it was working, the uneven, jerky breaths that made Cas’ chest shake against his shoulder seemed to slow. At least until Dean barged in and threw his arm up over his eyes.
“Dude- put his clothes on.” Dean stated obnoxiously, dropping his arm and leaning against one of the stall doors. “What’s the hold up, fellas, why’re you cryin’” Sam kept his hand gently at the back of Cas’ head, looking back over his shoulder at Dean with a serious glare.
“Knock it off.” he finally answered with another glare. “He slammed his fingers in the door- you’d pitch a fit too, asshat.” the lie went right over Dean’s head as he made a confused, but kinda conflicted face as well, watching Sam rinse the rag once more and start getting the change of clothes ready. "Go get the car started, we'll be there in five." Sam motioned towards the door with his elbow, watching Dean lean up from the door and disappear back out into the truck stop.