[color=#b97703]“Right…”[/color] Cas agreed, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. He could tell that he’d definitely interrupted something important by barging into the room and opening his big mouth before he’d thought to check his surroundings. It was important that he swapped out the bandages on his arm for a clean, dry set, so his wound didn’t get infected, but it wasn’t so important that it couldn’t wait for a few more minutes. He stepped aside to let Maisie pass as she headed into the bedroom to look for medical supplies he could use. In the meantime, he turned back to Iris, who’d asked him a question.

[color=#b97703]“Um, yeah, I did,”[/color] he answered, wavering by the bedroom door. Now that her friend was gone, there was an open spot on the sofa next to her, but he couldn’t tell if she would be comfortable with it if he closed the distance between them while she was still recovering from her distress. She hadn’t even wanted him to know that anything was wrong earlier. However, he supposed the damage had already been done the moment he’d first stepped into the room. [color=#b97703][i]It’s not like I can make her much more uncomfortable than she already is,[/i][/color] he thought dryly, folding to his tiredness and walking over to sit next to her.

Trying to move past the super awkward moment, he settled down as far away from her as he could on the seat to give her space and drew his knee to his chest. [color=#b97703]“You know, Ethan showing up today was kind of a blessing in disguise,”[/color] he mused. [color=#b97703]“If he hadn’t cut us off, we wouldn’t have ended up at your friend’s place.”[/color] Even though he would have preferred to be sleeping in his own bed, he was beginning to realize that it was probably going to be a while before he got home. He was glad they were able to spend the night in Maisie’s cozy apartment rather than somewhere out on the filthy streets of the twelfth district.

Stifling a yawn, he leaned back into the sofa and ran his right hand through his hair again to pull out more of the water. His exhaustion was catching up to him fast, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could stay awake before it overpowered him. Since he’d been abducted, he hadn’t had a single full night of sleep. When he’d been in Regis’s basement, he’d only slept in short bursts, and when he and Iris had stayed in the bomb shelter, he’d been too anxious to remain unconscious until morning. Now, in the comfortable setting of a friendly face’s home, he felt like he could finally relax enough to catch up on the rest he so desperately needed.

When Maisie returned, he forced himself to sit up a little straighter. He still needed to deal with his injured arm, so he couldn’t fall asleep until it was taken care of. At her assumption that he wouldn’t be able to do it by himself, he shook his head, prepared to tell her that he was still going to try. However, Iris spoke first, making the decision for both of them that she would be the one to redress his wound. He sighed but didn’t have time to argue before Maisie chased her friend’s declaration with a question. [color=#b97703]“You have no reason to feel bad. I’ll sleep just fine out here,”[/color] he promised, knowing fully well that he was going to pass out as soon as the lights went off.

Once he and Iris were left alone, Cas turned to her with a roll of his eyes. [color=#b97703]“Yes, mom, I’ll be fine,”[/color] he repeated, a half smile tugging at his lip. [color=#b97703]“To be honest, it’s always been a bucket list thing for me to try couch surfing at someone else’s place. I’ve never had the chance before, because I was always expected to sleep at my own house in the capital… My dad said it was safer.”[/color] He shrugged, letting her take the bandages from him. [color=#b97703]“Screw safety now though. I’m already living life on the edge out here, so I’m going to do what I damn well please. Tonight, that means crashing on your friend’s sofa.”[/color]

Having said his piece, he leaned forward and tugged at the damp bandages around his arm, trying to pull them loose. Although he’d wanted to treat his own injury, he had to admit it was impossible to do with only one hand. [color=#b97703]“Yeah, if you don’t mind…”[/color] he caved, glancing up at Iris sheepishly as he accepted that he wasn’t going to be able to do it without help. After a brief hesitation, he leaned a little closer to her to give her better access to the wrapping on his bicep, so she could patch him up again without reaching awkwardly across the gap between them.