In your Little, Innocent Eyes


Written by: SchattenDpg

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural, Castiel or any of its characters. They belong to the CW and/or their respective creators. Original fic by SchattenDpg (c) 2010

Summary: Despite his strong and confident look Castiel is more than that, and most of the times it hurts to be seen as the threat he isn't for most humans. That of course, isn't seen by the eyes of this guy, who seeks protection under Castiel's wings. Takes place during "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester", with no real spoilers.

Most people saw him as awkward, and uncomfortable. Even Sam saw him like that, to an extent, and that misperception hurt more that he'd like to admit.

{{{{{**_**}}}}}

It mostly wasn't his fault. All the immemorial years of loneliness, watching and only watching the world go by could do that to someone, and he, in order to protect himself from hurting, from having human feelings, decided to steel his looks, hide that little bit of humanity he had inside and bury it as deep as he could. However, he knew it all will blossom out again over the years, he just wished it didn't at the moment it started to.

With all the big cosmic changes going on at the moment, the last thing he needs is soften up, nevertheless, that's what he's doing, or more accurately, that's what's happening to him, and there's nothing he can do to stop it. To be honest with himself, he's not even sure he wants to.

Because, while Lilith and Alastair slaughter without regret, he feels deep inside every single lost the human kind suffers, especially those who have no evil intentions inside them; the children.

It's odd how much he has gotten to care about them in the short time he has walked on Earth, but it's true. He would rather see himself mutilated than see a child suffering any kind of pain.

He can be a little exaggerated most of the time.

Everything seems very unlike his thoughts, and instead of chaotic and fast, his surroundings look peaceful, bright, and happy, with the kids running around, enjoying the time without worrying for what's to come, or for what will happen to this whole place if…

He's snapped out of his thoughts by a little tug on his trench coat and he looks down, finding a little kid, rubbing his eyes with his free hand and sniffling softly. Instantly, something clenches in his gut, he's not sure of what it is but he's sure it's there, and he's almost as sure that it is because of this kid, because of what happened to him and because he's… crying.

Another round of tugs on his coat and he blinks, crouching down next to the kid, where he's still rubbing at his eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asks, as soft and low as he can. His voice still comes out a little gruffly, but the kid doesn't try to run away, and instead he takes a long, uneven breath and Castiel's gut clenches once more. He places his hand flat on the kid's tiny shoulder and gives him a soft, encouraging grip and the kid takes his hand off of his face, showing him blue eyes as intense as his own, puffy and red from crying. "What happened?"

"I lost my mommy," the kid replies unsteadily, and Castiel tilts his head to the side, frowning a little. "She was talking and then I couldn't find her."

Castiel nods, but remains silent as the kid stares at him, straight into his eyes. There's something in the kid's eyes, sadness and despair, and it hurts him to see a kid so young experience such things, it hurts more to see those feelings so clear through his eyes. But there's something else he can see there, there's a hint of hope, hidden under all that sadness, and that is when he realizes what he can do, what he has to do.

He stands up, eyes fix to the horizon as the kid, who barely reaches Castiel's waist, looks up at him, rubbing at his eyes one more time.

"Come with me," Castiel says firmly, before looking down and meeting the kid's eyes. "We're gonna find your mom," the kid smiles wide and bright and nods. The gesture makes a warm feeling run Castiel's chest and his lips quirk a little in a way he's not sure how to name.

He starts walking, not even worrying about stopping to check if the kid was walking beside him, or after him, and he halts when the kid's little fingers grip his hand tight, making him look down.

The kid just smiles, and without saying anything Castiel starts walking again.

The kid stays quiet for a moment, and they just walk around the park. Castiel waiting for the kid to tell him if he spots his mother, but the kid remains silent, just gripping his hand tight and following his lead, probably sure he'll take him safe and sound back to his mother. And he's sure he can find her without any help, but he doesn't have much time to waste in this place.

"Where were you-" Castiel started softly, and the kid made a hum-like sound, looking up at him, "- when you saw… your mother for the last time?"

"Hmmm," the kid looks down, placing his little finger over his lips and frowning, looking deep in thought. It makes Castiel's lips quirk up again. The kid snaps his little fingers; as if he got the answer he was looking for and looks up at Castiel. "I was playing near the swings."

Castiel stops and turns to look at the kid, looking back to where they came from and heaving a sigh.

"That is this way," he says sternly and the kid looks down, rubbing the back of his head, completely messing his mop of light brown, straight hair and chuckling slightly. "Come on," he says and the kid nods, getting serious and following him, hand still grip tight.

Castiel walks along with the kid back to where they came from, looking in every direction for a woman resembling the kid in some of his features, like the light brown hair or the blue eyes, but he comes clean after a while. The kid is looking up at him when he looks down, and he tilts his head to a side.

"What is it?" Castiel asks and the kid shakes his head, at which Castiel looks up again, looking a woman running around in the distance, from side to side. He grips the kid's hand a little tighter and gives him a little tug, at which the kid looks up at him. "Come on."

He starts to walk and the kid follows him close, alternating his sight from the front to Castiel's face and then back, as if wondering where was he taking him to.

When they stop, they're just a couple of feet away from the swings where the kid said he last saw his mother. The woman is still far from where they are, but Castiel can hear clearly what's going on, as she stops every person that passes by her, asking if they've seen her lost child.

Castiel crouches next to the kid but looking to the front, where the woman in her late twenties, with waist long, dark brown hair is, and asks the kid, "is that lady over there your mother?"

He looks at the kid then, who's staring back at him with a puzzled look. Castiel points with his face in the direction the woman is and the kid turns around, smiling wide when he spots the woman. He nods at Castiel and then looks back to the front.

"Mommy!" The kid calls and the woman stops, running a hand over her face and brushing her disheveled hair off of her face, looking for the source of the calls. "Mommy! I'm here!" The kid says louder, waving his free arm in her direction and bouncing a little.

The woman's head stops right in their direction, and her eyes dart from Castiel to the kid and then she's running in their direction, her face dark with smeared mascara, nose and eyes red and puffy. The kid lets go of Castiel's hand and runs in her direction then too and Castiel stands up, looking in their direction.

"Tommy!" He hears the woman call, and she lets herself fall to her knees when the kid, Tommy, is near her, and she envelops him in a tight hug, holding the back of his head and kissing his cheek. "Oh my God! I thought I lost you baby."

Castiel hears her cry, and also hears the kid giggle between her arms, saying he's ok. She lets go of him instantly, giving him a quick glance over and looking for any scratch and when she finds none, she hugs him again.

"I'm not losing you again, Tommy. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, mommy. That man helped me find you," the kid says and she pulls away, looking at the kid's eyes before looking over his shoulder, meeting Castiel's gaze.

Unlike the kid, she recoils a little, but a quick look at Tommy's face and she's smiling, the tears rolling down her face contrasting with the happiness of her smile. She stands up, holding Tommy's little hand and walks in Castiel's direction, stopping in front of him and looking down at her kid, smiling before looking back at Castiel.

She lets go of the kid's hand for a moment, and circles Castiel with her arms and sniffles a little.

"Thank you," she says shakily, and Castiel feels the words sink with such weight that it's a little overwhelming, even for him.

She pulls back and runs a hand over Castiel's left cheek, showing infinite gratitude towards him for finding and taking care of her son. She takes a step back and Castiel nods, just before she looks down at the kid and nods.

He looks as they walk away, but not more than five feet away, the kid lets go of his mother's hand, and runs back in Castiel's direction, circling him with his little limbs and pulling him in a tight hug, burying his face in Castiel's stomach.

For a moment he feels a little confused. First the mother and now the kid? Still, he lifts his hands, placing them on both of the kid's shoulder blades and gives a little pat. He can't help the full quirk of his lips when the kid looks up, his eyes showing nothing but happiness and all the hope that was hidden before.

He lets go, and Castiel slowly pulls his hands back and watches as the kid takes one, then another step backwards. He can't help the question forming in his head, and before the kid walks away completely he calls him.

"Tommy?" The kid stops and turns to look at him again with a questioning expression in his features. Castiel looks for the right words, looking from the kid's mother and back to the kid. "Why… Why did you look for me? For my help?"

The kid looks at his mom, and then back to Castiel, walking to him.

"Because you're an angel," he says with a smile and Castiel's heart stops for a moment. The kid stops a couple of steps away from him, looking up.

"How do you know that, Tommy?" Castiel asks, crouching in front of him and Tommy waves his hands to the front, right over Castiel's shoulder blades. Castiel follows the kid's moves, and looks back to his face when the kid pulls his hand back.

"I can see your wings," Tommy says in a low whisper, smiling and before Castiel could say anything he runs back to his mother, taking her hand and waving at him, before starting to walk away and Castiel keeps his gaze trained in them.

"Tommy?" Tommy and his mother stop and turn back at him with matching, expectant looks on their faces. "Castiel."

The woman frowns and looks down at her kid, who just smiles and nods before telling his mother to go. They turn around and walk away. Castiel's eyes never leaving them.

"Castiel," a voice says behind him, right before the gust of air that moves his trench coat. He doesn't need to turn around to know it's Uriel. His presence has always being very strong. "It's time."

Castiel looks slightly over his shoulder at his brother before turning back in Tommy's direction, and without a word he vanishes, right before Uriel does the same.

{{{{{**_**}}}}}

"Tommy?" Tommy hears the tall guy call him, and he turns around, just like his mother, looking at him expectantly.

"Castiel," the man says and that's all he needs to know. His angel has a name, and his name is Castiel. He can't keep a smile from spreading across his face and he nods at him, ensuring him he understands. He looks up at his mom just to find her looking at him.

"Let's go home, mommy," he says softly, tugging at her hand and turning around to walk away. No further than ten feet away he looks up at his mom, feeling happy and relieved.

"He's an angel," he says with a smile and his mom chuckles, frowns and opens her mouth to say something but instead turns around, just to find the man is long gone. "He's watching over us," Tommy whispers and his mom runs her free hand over her arm, looking for the man in every direction.

"Thank you, Castiel," she says and turns around, smiling down at Tommy and then up to the sky, just before walking her son safely back home…

the END

A/N: Ok, just so you know, I was in the verge of tears while writing a couple of lines. This is my first Castiel fic and I hope you guys like it. Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!