[color=#b97703][i]Today?[/i][/color] Cas blinked, suddenly much more awake than he had been a second ago. After Iris had made it sound like it would take a long time for him to get home, he’d lowered his expectations quite a bit. He had thought that he had at least a few more days in the other districts before they made it to the border of the capital. So, when she said that she was going to get him back today, his heartbeat quickened with excitement. [color=#b97703]“No, no. I’m already up,”[/color] he shook his head, tossing his blanket aside and standing up from the sofa to get his blood flowing. If there was a chance that he could be back in his own bed by dusk, he didn’t want to do anything to delay it.

When Maisie gave him toast and another cup of tea, he thanked her and sat back down to eat. Already, his thoughts were racing, injected with fresh energy as he fantasized about returning to the capital. He appreciated everything Iris’s friend had been doing for him, but it couldn’t compare to the comfort of being safe in his own home. He missed his room, his father, the gourmet food, the in-house bar, and everything else he hadn’t had access to since he’d been abducted. Looking forward to having everything he’d lost since he’d woken up in Regis’s basement, he ate his food with haste, so they could leave more quickly, and he could get back sooner.

Chasing the toast with his tea, he glanced at the kitchen, only noticing then that the room had fallen oddly quiet. His gaze landed on Iris, and he frowned. Standing still by herself, she looked like she had fallen under a trance. He recalled the depression she’d spiraled into the night before and wondered if she was still struggling with everything that had been going on inside her head. She certainly didn’t look like she was doing any better today.

He hesitated for a few seconds before he got up again and made his way over to where she had turned into a statue. [color=#b97703]“Iris, are you okay?”[/color] he queried tentatively. Although he was in a hurry to get back to the capital, he didn’t want to rush her so quickly that their efforts worsened her condition. If staying at Maisie’s place for a little while longer would help her recover from the demons that were plaguing her mind, then he was willing to do it. [color=#b97703]“This doesn’t have anything to do with what you said last night, does it—?”[/color] As he spoke, he reached out to touch her arm and then froze. Her skin felt warmer than usual, as if she was running a high temperature.

[color=#b97703]“Whoa,”[/color] he exclaimed, retracting his hand. [color=#b97703][i]Is she sick?[/i][/color] Stepping in front of her, he pressed his hand against her forehead without asking for permission, his eyes widening as his palm heated up instantly against her skin. Now he was certain: She definitely had a fever. [color=#b97703]“Iris, you’re hot,”[/color] he observed aloud, only to feel his cheeks grow warm with the realization of what his statement had sounded like. [color=#b97703]“I mean, your face is hot… like, burning up. I didn’t mean you’re hot... Although, I wasn’t implying that you’re not hot either! I-I just…”[/color] Aware that he was rambling, he pressed his hand against his own face in embarrassment and leaned back against the edge of the counter to put distance between them. [color=#b97703][i]Smooth, Cas. Very smooth,[/i][/color] he thought in humiliation, taking a deep breath to compose himself.

[color=#b97703]“Are you feeling okay?”[/color] he asked, awkwardly dragging his fingers through his bed-messy hair as he tried to will away the redness in his cheeks. [color=#b97703]“It feels like you’ve got a fever.”[/color]