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"Adam?"
Adam's head jerked up and it took him a moment to focus on Castiel. In this brief moment Castiel caught a short glimps of horror and pain before it was hidden again behind the haunted and guarded look that was on Adam's face nearly all the time since he had returned.
“What?” Adam snapped at him. He buried his face in his shaking hands. “Never mind.” the young human added, scratching his face forcefully.
Castiel was worried. It was hard to worry him, especially after his time with the Winchesters who were the masters in doing things you should worry about. But Adam – even though he was a Winchester – was a whole other case.
He hadn't been raised as a hunter. He had never learned to live with loss, responsibility to big for anyone and with pain. But he had been sucked in nonetheless and had been in the Cage even longer than Sam. Castiel was surprised he was even able to breath and walk and talk.
He remembered. Castiel was sure there wasn't a second of his time in hell with the two angry archangels that he didn't remember. It was evident in the way he was shaking all the time, his heartbeat never slowing down, neither did his breathing. Castiel saw it in his eyes and heard it in the way he spoke – if he spoke at all what was seldom enough. But most of all he heard it in the screams that accompanied every night and the silence that filled the day.
Castiel had looked intensely at Adam the whole time and had apparently startled the younger man. The anger and fear Adam had every right to feel made him lash out at everything, a habit Castiel had gotten used to while looking over the young human.
“Stop looking at me like that!” Adam snapped at him, fists balled at his side and it wouldn't be the first time his outbreak became violent. “I'm fine.”
Even though his voice had gone softer at the last words they were as far from the truth as one could get. “You are not 'fine'.” Castiel denied with a slow shake of his head, intense gaze fixated on Adam.
Suddenly Castiel found himself pushed a step back, fists pounding against his chest in a useless gesture intended to hurt him, to make him stop and go away.
“I am fine! I am FINE!” Adam said over and over again, his voice getting louder every time, fists still hitting Castiel's chest. The angel just stood still, allowing Adam to take his pain and frustration, his fear and all the nightmares that haunted the human out on him.
Only when the blows slowed down and Adam started to sob he brought up his arms and pulled Adam in a tight embrace. His wings unfolded themselves and enclosed them even more as Castiel tried to give his human a sense of security.
He pressed light kisses to the top of Adam's head and to his face which was wet with tears. Adam was strong, he was stronger than most angels were. Castiel was certain he was stronger than he himself was. The young human might not believe it but Castiel was sure after everything he had gone through Adam would make it. Adam was a survivor and he was strong.
“You will be Adam. I'm here. I'll take care of you and you will be fine.”