[color=#b97703]“I’m alright,”[/color] Cas shrugged when Iris said she hoped he wasn’t feeling stiff. He couldn’t say he was perfectly fine, since his shoulders did ache a little after he’d laid next to her on the ground for the past few hours, but the discomfort was already fading fast. He was sure it would go away completely after he gave it a couple more minutes. [color=#b97703]“You can use me as a pillow anytime,”[/color] he smiled at her as he took his hoodie back. Even though it wasn’t completely comfortable, he’d enjoyed the feeling of her body pressed up against his while she’d napped. He’d have no problem doing it again if she wanted to as well.

Sliding the jacket over his arms, he brightened as she said that her appetite had finally returned. [color=#b97703]“That’s great to hear,”[/color] he nodded, giving her hand a squeeze when she reached out to take his. He hoped that meant she was on the mend from whatever had been causing her fever. If it was just a twenty-four hour bug, they wouldn’t have to stay in one place longer enough to worry about getting caught by the rebels. Even though he still hadn’t made up his mind about whether or not he wanted to go back to the capital, his nervousness about being killed by the Scourge hadn’t disappeared. The rebels couldn’t know that he was having second thoughts about going home, after all.

[color=#b97703]“I’m feeling fine,”[/color] he answered her question vaguely. Thoughts of his father and of his home were still stirring around in the back of his mind, but physically, he was doing well enough. His injured arm was only a little sore, and laying down for a while had eased his bruises. He’d had better days, but given the circumstances, he couldn’t complain. After another night of decent sleep, he would be ready to keep moving to wherever she planned to lead him next.

At Iris’s suggestion of moving on to another place for shelter, Cas considered the options. The small camping setup she’d put together was peaceful, but it was a little too exposed for his taste. He had a feeling that after the sun went down, he was going to be concerned about letting himself sleep soundly when anyone could stumble into them during the night. If she was still feeling too sick to keep moving, he would put up with it, but otherwise, he had to admit that he preferred the thought of having a roof over his head while he slumbered.

[color=#b97703]“We can do that anywhere,”[/color] he leaned into her shoulder teasingly when she said they could keep cuddling if they stayed. [color=#b97703]“As romantic as it is to sleep under the stars, I think I’ll sleep better inside four walls and a roof. If you think you can handle walking a little more, we can keep looking.”[/color] Letting go of her hand, he picked up his water bottle and rose to his feet in preparation to pack up and go.