A little boy sat at the bark of a weeping willow, near the lake watching quietly as ducks with their families swam peacefully on the water surface, dunking their heads every now and then below the surface. Sadly he drew his legs to his body, wrapping his arms around his knees and letting his jaw rest on his knees. Dean scrunched up his face at the sight. The ducks followed their parents around one straying behind and looking miserable as it called out for it's mother which came as soon as it noticed the ducklings abcense and heard its pitiful cries. He wished that his family resembled that, but he knew that wasn't going to happen.
He covered the rest of his face with his arms, he didn't want to see the ducks anymore.
Sam's and his mother had died in a fire and he knew that she wasn't coming back. At the motel room he always put on his brave face, did what his dad told and watched out for Sammy. But he needed time alone. Dad was there so he thought he could be alone for a moment. It wasn't like he hated Sammy, it was actually far from that. He meant the world to him and he loved to teach him new things. Even though he had to make him dinner, comfort him, tuck him in bed, listen to his worries and fears he wouldn't change it for anything in the world. Dean just couldn't help himself and he wished that there was someone showing him that kind of care. His shoulders started to shake as he hoped that everything would be back to normal.
The family of ducks started to quack in panic as he a heard several pair of wings and a loud 'sploosh.' Quickly Dean lifted his face and wiped his face on his sleeves as he stared at the pond where was a dark haired boy sprawled in the lake.
"What're you doing, you scared the ducks away!" Yelled Dean, suddenly all the sadness forgotten as anger and confusion took over. The boy in the lake looked at him with wide scared eyes and opened his mouth like a fish and tried to scramble backwards awkwardly.
Pity took over Dean as he watched the poor boy try to scramble away. "Hey, it's okay. What's your name? Mine's Dean, I'm not gonna hurt you," He told the boy who looked utterly panic stricken, stepping closer he offered the other his hand. The boy stared at him with the widest and bluest eyes he'd ever seen, his eyes shifting from Dean's hand to his face. He looked like he didn't know what to do with the offered hand as he tilted his head slightly to the side. The boy didn't look like he'd be much older than him.
Muttering, "You're weird.", he stepped forwards, paddling towards and took a hold of the blue eyed boy to pull him up. When he stood he noticed to wings spurting from his backside which he decided to stare at dumbly with his mouth open wide as he stared with his finger at the messy fluttering objects. "Are those real?" He looked back at the boy, questionmarks in his eyes.
The boy nodded shyly at Dean whose face split into a thousand watt smile. "Cool!", He frowned thoughtfully, "What's your name? You didn't answer."
Blue eyes stared at him for a quiet moment, as if scrutinizing him, before. answering with a low voice. "Castiel."
Dean frowned distastefully. "Castiel? That's a weird name. Can I call you Cas?"
Castiel frowned as if not getting it before nodding.
Dean took and tugged the winged boys hand, "C'mon let's go sit on the shore, maybe the ducks come back." Half dragging Castiel, they went to sit near the willow and as they sat down Dean couldn't help but notice that the other boy was wearing something achingly like a too big white button up shirt that dragged the ground. He laughed at the boys attire. Cas didn't seem to mind and instead wringed his shirt's hem, trying to get the excess water out of it. He watched as Castiel took a hold of his wings next and started to comb them back to place with a worried face. Again he couldn't help but to stare at the odd appandages
He didn't know what it was in those feathery things that intriqued him, but he didn't honestly care too much. Dean wanted to touch them, they just looked new, strange, beautiful and so out of this world that he had to stare. His fingers twitched as he wondered if they're soft. "Hey," He shifted awkwardly, "Can I?" He asked nervously, expecting a stern no from the other.
Castiel looked at him again, this time he looked like he was searching something and as he found it he slowly nodded to him again.
Dean flashed him a smile in thanks as he unsurely and carefully started to comb the boys feathers. Castiel inhaled sharply and hugged himself as he closed his eyes. Dean just stared dumbly for a moment before deciding to forget it and continue the task at hand. As he continued to comb he felt the flood of questions barrel his tiny mind. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't his job to stick his nose into others business, but he couldn't help himself when he blurted the question. "How did you end up in the lake?"
He opened his eyes and peered at him before asnwering, "I fell."
"How?"
"I peered too closely down to earth and fell." He said as it was the most obvious thing in the whole wide world; It left him stupefied. Dean halted his movements on the feathers for a moment before continuing. "What? You telling me that you fell from Heaven?"
"Yes." Came the stoic answer.
Frown fell on his face as he let his fingers wonder through the silky feathers, his mind couldn't comprehend that this... Dude had fallen from heaven. Things like that weren't real. Although his mother had always said that the angels watched over, but that was just a bed time story kind of thing, wasn't it? Like there were no monsters under beds either. Or closets. Ín the other hand, he couldn't deny that there wasn't a boy sitting right in front of him that had wings spurting wings from his back either. Or that he was straightening those said wings. He kept quiet even though he was done ages ago with the wings. They just felt so soft under his touch that he could keep petting them forever.
Slight pitter-patter against the leaves woke him from his thoughts. Lifting his gaze to Cas, he noticed his lightly stiff frame as he gazed the falling droplets of water. "Are you done?" He asked with a low voice, not even looking his way.
Dean let his hands fall from the appandages, "Yeah, I am," He responded as he himself also followed a drop fall from a leaf to the ground. "I should go home, my family's probably wondering where I am," He said quietly. Not wanting to disrupt the peaceful athmosphere. Only he wondered how Cas was going to go home, or was he even able to go back. But then he realized that maybe it doesn't matter, maybe it's just a stupid thought, but he can't help himself from wondering that how does an angel go home. He realizes soon that he has also vocalized the question seconds later after thinking it. Castiel turns his gaze towards him and he looks like a kicked puppy but only seconds later his face is void of emotion.
"Angels fly, Dean," Castiel says to him, his voice scolding, telling him to do the math but Dean just laughs at his own stupidity. Castiel feels a tug in his own lips and let's out a laughter of his own, first it feels weird but he get used to it for it makes him feel something he hasn't felt before. And he thinks he likes it.
Soon the laughter dies as Dean realizes that he seriously needs to get going for the weather is getting worse and he really can't tell how much the clock is right now. With this comes the sadness that he might not see Castiel anytime soon or even ever again, and he can't help himself for wishing that he could just stay here talk and get to know the strange blue eyed boy sitting right in front of him. He longs for the companionship from some outer outlet that is not his broken family. Even though Dean wishes just to stay there and forget for a while longer, he knows he can't. With those thoughts, sadness compasses him and he finds himself suddenly pulling Castiel towards his body, enclosing him with his arms into a hug. He knows that this all seems stupid later when he reflects on it, but he can't help the moment.
Castiel on his part, feels stunned; At first, he does not know what to do in his frigid form, but soon enough he copies the movements of Dean's arms and closes him too in to his own awkward hug. It feels weird and uncomfortable at first, but shortly he relaxes and it feels nice and warm. He doesn't recognize what the feeling swirling inside of him is, but he knows it's not unpleasant. And this makes him hug Dean with the same ferocity the other boy is.
"I hope we meet again," Dean whispers to the crook of his neck.
"We will," Castiel replys.
Awkwardly Dean let's go of Cas and stands up. He gazes one more time into the odd boys blue eyes and gives him a smile, "See you soon," He says before running from under the shelter of the tree. After his far enough he looks back to find that the odd boy had disapeared from underneath the tree.