The four of them were in the Impala – the ragtag group of unlikely friends brought together by fate cruising down the road. Dean was of course driving, Sam in the passenger seat with a map spread across the dashboard in front of him, Kevin and Cas situated in the back.
Castiel was a bursting ball of energy ("Like a puppy," Dean said, rolling his eyes). "This will be such an experience," he said enthusiastically, watching the scenery fly past the window. "I've never been to a beach before. Well," he looked down at his hands resting in his lap, "At least not while I've been human."
Sensing the slight mourning in Cas' voice, Sam turned around to look him in the eyes. "It's gonna be great, Cas. Dean's never been to the beach either."
"I've been to the beach!" Dean said indignantly.
"A lake doesn't count, Dean."
"They're all the same. Water and sand – you've seen one you've seen 'em all."
"The ocean's a lot bigger than a lake. I went with some friends back at Stanford, it was great. You'll have fun. We'll all have fun." Sam glanced back around, Cas once more smiling largely out the window. Kevin similarly was looking out the window, but wore a blank expression.
"Hey, Kevin," Sam started, "You never said if you've been to the beach."
"Uh, yeah, I have," he said, turning to face Sam. "I went once when I was little. With my mom. I don't remember it much…"
Dean caught Kevin's eyes in the rearview mirror. "This is gonna be awesome, and we're gonna have fun and get all sorts of snacks and build a damn sandcastle or whatever, okay? So both of you back there cheer up, alright, I can't handle you two being all emotional all the time."
Kevin and Cas fixed Dean with indignant glares.
"I was chosen as a prophet of the lord and forced to go on the run then the king of hell killed mom and girlfriend."
"I caused all my brothers and sisters to fall to earth and had my grace removed, making me mortal, I believe emotions are to be expected, especially in my human state, Dean, did you forge-"
"Alright! Kidding... You've got problems, I get it. We've got problems, okay? But today isn't about talking them out, it's about forcing down our true feelings to have a good time at the goddamn beach."
Sam gave a small chuckle. "You'd make one hell of a guidance counselor."
"Shut up… Bitch"
"Jerk."
Dean parked the Chevy just below the dune blocking the beach. The sound of the crash and pull of the water could be heard through the car, and when the doors opened it grew tenfold. The salty brine of the air assaulted them, tickling their noses. It was slightly overcast, the sky a woolen gray with shoots of honey poking through the clouds. Still, it was warm in the high noon hours of the day and excitement was palpable among the group.
Cas climbed out of the vehicle and immediately felt hotwired, raw, overwhelmed by new sensations. Every nerve tingled in unexpected ways. He stood absolutely still, drinking in the moment. "It is so… new," he said, voice barely above a whisper. Dean stared at the fallen angel in wonder. It was new for him as well, but to live in the moment in a completely new body seemed almost incomprehensible.
"Jesus, Cas, we haven't even gotten to the actual beach yet." A small smile graced Dean's lips.
Sam began the ascent to the top of the hill then turned to look back down at the rest. "You guys are gonna love this."
"You ready, Cas?" Dean clapped Castiel on the shoulder, awakening him from his reverie. He nodded.
Leading Cas by the elbow Dean climbed the dune, Kevin by his side. The quartet stood at the top facing out toward the horizon. Shoots of amber light pooled into the water from the constellation of pin-holes in the cloudcover. The navy blue sea swelled and fell as if breathing, reaching out to brush the sand gently before pulling back, the foam bordering the shore like lace. For the most part they were alone, save two surfers half a mile up the coast, and ships gliding along the horizon.
"Even on this cloudy day, this place is rival to that of heaven's beauty." Castiel dropped to sit on the dune and then gasped. Sam, Dean, and Kevin looked down to see Cas plunging his hands in and out of the sand, picking up handfuls and watching it slither through his fingers. Dean bent down to do the same. "It's warm," the angel smiled.
"Hah, come on, Cas. I brought towels and some snacks, we can set up down here," Sam chuckled and led the way down the slope. Kevin bounced after him.
"It's so much bigger than I remember it being," Kevin looked out at the water's vastness. "But maybe that's because my mom wouldn't let me go that far in to the water. We also didn't stay that long. She was afraid I'd get a sunburn."
"Well we'll stay all day. No worries of sunburns with these clouds." Sam and Kevin exchanged smiles.
"Cas, hey slow down!" Dean's voice traveled down the hill after Castiel who was running toward the water's edge. He stopped just short of the incoming swell, backing up as it advanced up on the sand. The water caught his shoes regardless. "Cas, you gotta take your street clothes off first."
They spread towels out on the sand, placing their clothes and shoes on top for safekeeping. Once Cas was only in his swim trunks, he sprinted back to the water. "Ahh!" He slowed to a halt, hobbling. He picked up his foot, looking at the sole. Sam and Dean watched him as Kevin was removing his left shoe.
"Stepped on a seashell," Sam muttered, Dean gave a short laugh. Castiel then began picking up seashells and examining them with wonder. Dean walked over to him, watching his step.
"It's amazing, Dean. Creatures used to live in these beautiful things. Life used to grow in them. In such a pretty fragile home. Yet these kept them safe."
"Hey, don't get all nature boy on me again with all that bee crap." Dean stooped to pick up a bone-white shell with and iridescent green interior. "This one's kinda cool."
"Mmm," Cas hummed in agreement. "It matches your eyes." Dean shoved the shell in his pocket.
The day progressed in a flurry of activity. The discovery of salt in the water was of the greatest revelation to Cas: "Dean, Kevin, I suggest you do NOT taste the water. I suggest you do not OPEN your eyes under the water as well!" Castiel rubbed his stinging eyes.
"Cas, we have goggles!" Sam called from under the large red umbrella he set up, setting his book down.
"He didn't want any!" Dean yelled back.
"Dean, it's sticky when it dries! Wh- why does it do that? The water in the bunker doesn't do that. Is it the salt, Dean?"
"I bet if you blessed this stuff it would really piss off a demon," Kevin theorized.
Dean considered the thought with enthusiasm. "Now you're thinking like a Winchester!"
Kevin wanted to build a sandcastle and Cas heartily agreed. It ended up lopsided, and not very detailed, but it had a moat and survived the tide long enough to be dubbed 'Fort Free Will'.
Cas continuously collected shells throughout the day, a large pile amassing on his towel. At one point he picked one up only to call out, "DEAN, this one's alive!" Castiel ran over to where Dean and Kevin had been trying their hands at boogie boarding to show them his find.
"That's a hermit crab," Kevin said. "I had one as a pet once."
"What kind of a pet is a hermit crab? What do they even do?" Dean questioned.
"They're hypoallergenic," Kevin said, lowering his head.
The sun emerged later in the afternoon and remained until evening. Watching it set on an uninterrupted horizon – the fire blazing in large brushstrokes across the glassy but still breathing sea - was worth the trip alone, and Dean allowed one "wow" to slip out. As the night grew dark, Sam lit a small fire with which they cooked hotdogs and s'mores. Coming over to sit around it on their towels, they took in the damage the beach has dealt to them.
Mostly, they were covered in sand. In their bathing suits, in their hair, even under their fingernails. "Son of a bitch, this stuff's everywhere!" Castiel's hair was tangled and thick from the salty waves, cheeks and nose glowing from his sunkissed ventures. Dean and Kevin were in similar states of dishevelment.
After they had eaten, the fire was extinguished (compliments of Dean Winchester) and they stretched out to lay on their towels, watching the stars. The stars always made Dean feel at home; as close to feeling at home Dean imagined he ever could feel. They were constant, unchanging, and had always been there. Dean and Sam would gaze for hours up at them, and here they were again, eyes skyward, now with new members of the family to share the stars with.
"There's so many out here," Kevin said. "It was always too bright where I lived to see many."
"Sam and I used to make up our own constellations. You remember that, Sammy?"
Sam laughed. "I remember you making all of yours naked women."
"And there's Tina," Dean pointed, drawing in thin air. "Ha, kinky one, that Tina."
"The stars were angels once." Castiel's voice startled the rest. He had been keeping pretty quiet. Another long silence sat among them. "Each angel was created as a celestial body, watching over Earth, as God had intended. Only when we discovered we could use vessels, many angels grew tired of the stars. I suppose none are left now."
Dean lightly brushed Cas' arm. "Were you a star, Cas?"
"A long time ago, yes."
"Which one?" Castiel brought his head close to Dean's to even their view. Slowly he raised his arm and pointed out a small, faint star, hard to see at first. As soon as it was noticed however, it began to shine with as much vibrancy as the rest.
"It's beautiful." The star was the clearest blue, 'Like a gem,' Dean thought. "Blue."
"Mmm, blue…"
The night waned on, and after a while, Sam suggested they go. They stood and stretched, gathering their things, brushing off sand, and re-clothing themselves. In the car, no one spoke but listened to the hum of the pavement speeding below the tires, echoing the steady rush of the ocean; the moving car mimicking the rise and fall of floating upon the water. At one point Dean noticed everyone had fallen asleep. In the back, Kavin's head rested upon Castiel's shoulder, Sam was slunk down in the front as his windblown hair covered his eyes. Dean smiled to himself, stifled a yawn, and brushed leftover sand from his hair. He laughed, shaking his head.
"The beach."