Cottage on the Hill (MxMxMxMxM)

Chapter Twenty-eight

(A/N - I am so sorry this took so long. My job is taking up a lot of mental energy and I just needed to get through the holiday season without spontaneously combusting. Thank you for your continued support, this is a long one, so I hope you guys enjoy it!)

6:15am, Friday November 6th

I jerked and squeezed my eyes shut tighter. The loud rumble of trucks filled my head like a buzz. What the hell is that noise?The warm body beside me shifted and rubbed their fingers across my expose shoulder.

"It's the builders arriving. You don't need to get up, yet," Cas said softly. I grunted in response and pulled the blanket over my head. I'm too tired for this."I've got your medication here, when you're ready."

"Which one?"

"Deferasirox." Cas lifted the blanket to look down at me. He's sitting up with his Ipad on his lap, so clearly drawing something.

"What are you drawing?" I asked softly, shifting until I was sitting up beside him, head resting against his shoulder, eyes drooping somewhat, and my chest feeling rather tight. He tilted his screen to show me the picture of a tiger, prowling through a cluster of trees and shrubs.

"It's a tiger. A Sumatran tiger to be exact. I thought about doing it to donate to a charity auction, but I don't know if they would even want it." He sighed, lips twisting into a frown.

"What's the charity for?" I asked, closing my eyes again. He reached over and switched the lamp on, then turned the ceiling light off. How did he know the light was hurting my eyes?

"It's the National Aplastic Anaemia charity." I choked on a breath. "They're looking for a cure, and the auction is in a few weeks in Edinburgh. I think James said it was on the 22ndof December or something."

I stared at the picture again and frowned. How do I respond to that? Is he expecting me to go to said auction? I don't think it'll be exactly possible for us to go to and auction when I'm still weak from chemo.I bit my lip and sighed, rubbing my eyes to sit up on my own. Cas cocked his head at me.

"Everything ok?"

I hummed. "Everything is a reminder." My voice barely rose above a whisper, but he definitely heard it. I saw a nerve twitch in his face and something flash across his eyes. "Where are the others?" I changed the subject.

"Ollie and Hale are downstairs and I think James is outside with the builders. He hasn't got work today, or at least, he doesn't need to go in. It'll just be the four of us today." He leant over and kissed the side of my head.

"Aren't you over seeing the house?" I cocked my head in his direction, then noticed the orange juice sitting on the side table. "Is that...?"

"What? Oh, yeah. Here you go. I'll set the timer." He handed me the juice and I downed it as quick as I could, even though Deferasirox is tasteless. I'm yet to be convinced of this."James hasn't actually spoken to the builder yet, and I don't think the builder is convinced that we actually have the money to get this house done on the tight schedule that we're after."

"So he's down there convincing the builder?"

Cas hummed and closed his tablet, setting it aside and taking the empty glass from me. "Do you want to stay in bed for a bit?"

I nodded.

"Do you need a bucket?"

"I don't think so. Not yet. Can I have a jumper?" I asked softly. Cas nodded and slid out of bed. I watched him pad across to the chest of drawers and pull out one of my hoodies. The way his muscles rippled across his back, and the little pouch to his stomach, and strong hands that are so often on me, all of those things made my heart skip, and my head fill with fog.