Author's Note: Written for TheFigureInTheCorner who wanted: "Castiel and Nathaniel get into a fight or something and one of them falls down some stairs and gets hurt and the other has to help them," which I tried to do. I'm so sorry it's crap, dude. I wasn't sure which role should fall to who and whatnot, so you get both split into two chapters, le first one featuring them in le elementary years back when Child!Natty was a terror and Child!Castiel fixed busted dolls x3

Oh, and Herman-Sherman is the name of my friend's pet snake. I'm not creative, so I'm borrowing it o_e'


Castiel is minding his own business, getting a drink at the fountain when he hears rubber soles rapidly thudding on the lacquered tile. He lifts his head and glances back to see Nathaniel sprinting, the styrofoam bathroom pass hanging from his wrist. The unruly blonde eight year old always took the pass and blew off class for the rest of the day. Castiel has no idea how he keeps getting away with it.

Currently, he glowers after Nathaniel in annoyance. "Somebody else might actually have to go to the bathroom y'know."

Nathaniel skids to a stop and wrinkles his nose. "Like I care, loser."

Castiel breathes a sigh of exasperation and turns back to the water fountain. He knows there's no reasoning with this kid. He probably should know not to turn his back on him either but the thought doesn't occur to him until his face is pushed down to the cool metallic drain and the water spouts into his hair.

"Whoops," Nathaniel snickers obnoxiously.

Castiel raises his head and shakes the water droplets out of his hair. "You're a jerk." He wheels and meets Nathaniel's simper with a heated glare.

"Boo hoo." Nathaniel sardonically rolls his eyes and flicks Castiel in the forehead.

Castiel shoves him back and tries to push past, only to be tripped in stride by Nathaniel's outstretched leg. He stumbles, reflexively catches himself before he can greet the floor with his face. When he straightens himself he feels his irritation boil over and attempts to shove Nathaniel again. The slippery little bastard dances away and backward, tongue poked out jeeringly.

Castiel indignantly sticks his tongue out right back.

He realizes Nathaniel's skirting the stairs at the same moment Nathaniel realizes he's skirting the stairs, his heels leaning back on air where they expected solidity and eyes popping wide, jaw dropped. A gasp leaps from Castiel's lips and he dashes forward, quickly grabbing for Nathaniel. His fingertips are a hairsbreadth away but gravity is faster than he could ever be and Nathaniel tumbles backward in a flurry of limbs as a startled yelp is hooked out of him.

There's an unsettling thump as he hits the bottom, sprawled out like a frog on the highway. Castiel is frozen in shock until a whimper rising from the bottom of the stairs yanks him out of it. With a small, shaky noise of his own he jogs down the steps and drops beside the Nathaniel, inclining his head and peering intently through sable fringe. There's blood freely pouring out of his swelling nose and busted lip, down his mouth and chin, collecting in a saucer sized puddle.

Pockets of air in the glistening ruby liquid make little bubbles that Castiel can see his infinitesimal reflection in and this sends an army of ants crawling up his cold spine. Nathaniel pulls himself up on his knees and lets out another little cry, an uprooted tooth sliding out in the bloody brook that travels down his mouth. Castiel's heart is a jackrabbit in his chest and before he can ask if Nathaniel's okay, he just starts crying.

Sniffles clog up the nosebleed and shiny tears spill soundlessly from frightened golden eyes and Castiel does. Not. Know. What. To. Do.

Part of him screams to go get a teacher now, but Nathaniel is crying. It seems wrong to leave someone who's crying and bleeding alone, even if that someone is a stupid bully. He fumbles around and anxiously fingers to get one of the many pockets on his cargo pants unbuttoned and fishes out a packet of tissues.

He'd been a target for cold after dumb cold this past winter and his mom had insisted and nagged until he carried tissue accordingly. The habit just stuck and for the moment Castiel feels insanely grateful it did. He takes a few out and charily wipes the smears of blood from Nathaniel's nose. The actual bleeding from the broken tooth (the little pointy on on the bottom) and busted lip haven't stopped, but his nose has so Castiel gently dabs under there too.

Nathaniel is so stunned he stops crying. He stares at Castiel in a mix of confusion and animalistic distress. Castiel mops the sheeny tear tracks away with another ball of tissue and meets Nathaniel's eyes with a mask of calmness he doesn't really feel at all.

"Can you get up?"

"Nuh-uh." Nathaniel shakes his head, gaze misting over with new tears. "It hurts."

"What hurts?"

Nathaniel starts to point to his knee, but apparently his hand hurts too because he winces and makes another little pitiful noise. Castiel's insides twinge in sympathy, teeth worrying at his lip.

"What if I help you?"

"M-Maybe." Nathaniel's voice wavers.

Castiel hauls him up from under the armpits and secures an arm around his waist. Nathaniel maintains a fragile balance, sniffling softly as he puts an arm over Castiel's shoulders. Castiel holds his wrist gingerly and supports him to the office. It's not a far walk at all, but it feels like it's worlds away with how slow and careful he's got to accommodate the pace for Nathaniel.

Mrs. Jarjayes is at her desk, typing away, keyboard clicking rapidly. She looks up when they cross the threshold and gasps as her gaze lands on Nathaniel, practically lunging out of her chair. "Oh my god!"

"He fell down the stairs," Castiel explains awkwardly, pulse fluttering with a mild crest of panic because Mrs. Jarjayes is freaking out, but she's an adult so she's supposed to know what to do!

Luckily she recovers herself and composure, firmly ordering one secretary to call Nathaniel's parents and the other to get the school nurse as she swiftly speed-walks up to them. Castiel briefly wonders why adults always do that and why they don't run, but the answerless question is brushed to the wayside as she then starts guiding him and Nathaniel-by-proxy to the plastic chairs that line the wall.

What happens after is a massive blur of hullabaloo. She asks lots of questions for Nathaniel about running in the halls and what hurts where and how bad, and Castiel can't keep up with it all. He's pretty grateful when Mr. Herman-Sherman glides over and excuses him back to class. He gives him a pink slip with a little note and his initials so he won't get in trouble.

Despite genuinely wanting to get out of here because he knows he can't do a damn thing, Castiel still feels a little troubled about just leaving Nathaniel alone. He kind of wants to ask if he's going to be okay just to have that reassurance...But he's too shy and the words jumble into gibberish and dissipate in the back of his throat. He just ducks his head and obediently marches back to class.

Nathaniel doesn't come back for a couple of weeks, much to the relief of all the kids he picked on on a daily basis. Castiel learns from Amber that he twisted the knee and broke a couple fingers. She doesn't seem sorry about it at all, though Castiel supposes it's understandable with the way he's always harassing her and her friends.

Castiel doesn't really feel bad for Nathaniel either...Err, well maybe he does. But just a little teeny tiny bit.

It's hard not to feel bad for someone when you watch them break down in tears and bleed all over the floor.

Castiel feels mildly relieved on some level or another when Nathaniel does come back. He's also pleasantly surprised when Nathaniel is, well, nicer. To him, anyway. Not nicer in the sense that Nathaniel goes out of his way to be friendly, but nicer in the sense that he doesn't have to worry about getting his head dunked in the water fountain anymore.

And that's all Castiel needs.