SO. HERE. Destiel AU fic based on Remember Me.
Cas was eleven at the time. Street station was silent at that time of the evening, beginning night. Air had gone chill and Castiel, only in hoodie, pressed against his older brother's side. Balthazar looked down at him, gentle, slightly foxy side curving on his lips. Castiel couldn't help but smile back tiredly.
It had been a very long day, first Cas at school while Balthazar had been working. Castiel had had to spend some of his time in the library when Balthazar had been forced to work overtime. But as the library had closed, Castiel's brother had been there immediately to pick him up, no matter what his boss said. Cas was what was important and they'd go with his schedule, not some old bastards who rather sat in his office than worked in the shop like he was supposed to, leaving most of the work to Balthazar.
Castiel looked up at his older brother. Balthazar looked good as always, blonde hair messy in somehow neat way. His black coat hung open and exposed the white v-necked t-shirt underneath. Balthazar shoved his free hand on the pocket of his jeans while other one had been laced together with Castiel.
Castiel shifted slightly, blinking his eyes wide to keep them open. He'd probably crash the exact moment that they'd get back home. He glanced around in the station, trying to peek further on the rails, trying to hear if the train was coming. Not yet.
Night air, despite being chily, was more fresh than what it seemed to be in the day. Probably it was just the change in temperatures. Slight chill made Castiel pluck the worn out sleeves of his grey hoodie over his fingers. His other hand was being warmed up by Balthazar's. He didn't mind.
The complete silence of the night was being broken by sounds coming from the stairwell. Balthazar tilted his head, looking towards the stairs just in time to see two teenagers turn and stand back against them. Balthazar could see they were muttering to each other. The way the other one kept glancing over his shoulder made older Milton brother feel very uneasy.
Two boys turned and approached. Castiel's attention returned to Balthazar from the railway as he felt his brother's hold on his hand tighten. Castiel didn't say anything, just let his eyes lower from his brother's clearly concerned eyes past him to the boys approaching. Castiel couldn't help the way his fingers curled tighter around the sling of his heavy backpack.
Boys came too close and Castiel could feel Balthazar pulling him against himself, his icy blue eyes drilled to boys as a warning. Boys, clearly immigrants, turn quickly and head to the stairs. Castiel heard his brother sighing and younger brother furrowed his brows, looking up at his brother. Balthazar returned the look, relaxing by his brother's side before mumbling the words of reassuring.
It's alright. We'll be home soon. I'll make you a toast and we can watch cartoons before you go to bed.
Castiel knew that Balthazar would have handful of tasks to do when he'd be going to bed. It made him feel slightly guilty. He'd should be helping his brother instead of letting him make supper, wash dishes and put Cas in bed alone. Lucifer was working nightshift again so they'd be home alone. Tonight, Balthazar wouldn't once again be able to go and spend some time with his friends or just take some time for himself.
As Balthazar heard the sound of the train in the distance, he tilted his head up to look, attention being drawn away from the surroundings. The train rounded the final bend to the station and Balthazar shifted little, Castiel still firmly by his side.
The deafening sound of the train filled the small space and echoed from the walls of the station area and the gust made Castiel clutch on the back of Balthazar's dark coat.
Balthazar took a step further, and Castiel was first one to notice there was something wrong with the picture.
The guys who had just moments earlier disappeared in the stairwell had came back with two-man relief. There were four of them, and only two of them, other one being only a child. But in Balthazar's eyes their assaulters looked like children as well. Barely seventeen eighteen, he evaluated quickly.
Balthazar didn't feel thretened much before the boy standing in front of them lifted his too big hoodie slightly, revealing the small caliber gun tucked under the waistline of his jeans. Balthazar could feel his heart jumping on his throat and his movements next few seconds were rapid. It didn't even cross his mind at the point that his quick movements would probably easily freak out some of the attackers and make them do something they'd regret... Or wouldn't. Older Milton yanked on Cas' hand and pulled him against himself, covering him with his arms as much as possible.
Castiel didn't feel safe even in his brother's embrace. He stared at the assaulter over Balthazar's arm, his sky blue eyes widened with fright. His hands rose up and they clutched tightly on the shift underneath Balthazar's coat. Balthazar can feel Castiel's heartbeat against his stomach as they pressed tightly against each other. God, his younger brother was barely even breathing at that point!
"Alright, let's stay calm, alright?" Balthazar said, his ever so calm voice actually wavering. It was possibly because of the fact that Castiel was with him and being endangered. "I'll give you my stuff and we'll all walk away from this, okay?" With that he unwind his other hand from around Castiel to dig his mobile from one and wallet from other pocket.
Assaulter by their right reached out his hand, jerking it as a sign for Balthazar to give them to him. Seeing that his victim hesitated for a moment he barked out orders to hand out the stuff right now, or he's 'shoot the kid's brains in the pavement'.
This made Balthazar quickly shove his belongings on boy's hand. Castiel made a whine and one of the assailants fixed his eyes on him. Castiel made a sound as the oldest of the boy's reached out and grasped on his backpack, yanking. He clutched on Balthazar tighter, but as his brother muttered 'let it go', he did as he was told and let the pack be torn from him as one of the boys went through Balthazar's wallet. Soon, emptied from money, credit cards and coins it got abandoned in the pavement.
Still holding his breath Castiel crushed himself back against Balthazar. His brother made a soothing, small noise, his hand pressing on the back of Cas' head. A silver cross dangling on the thin chain showed from past the collar of Balthazar's shirt. It was the one their father had given him ages and ages ago. One of the assailants made a swinging more, trying to grasp on it.
A sudden chatter coming from the stairwell stopped him from trying another time. Balthazar's head snapped towards the stairwell.
Please, please, please, he begged inside of his head and clutched on Castiel tighter, feeling the hammering of his brother's heart and how he suddenly started gasping for air as he had been holding his breath for too long.
Train had finally stopped and the doors slid open. Too slow, in Balthazar's opinion. Actually he was in state where every single move looked and felt like in slow motion. For Milton brothers' luck the boys decided to flee the scene. In quick movement they sprinted to the train like flock of startled birds. For a moment... Balthazar felt nearly sorry for the kids.
In a such young age and so ruined already. He frowned slightly and eased his hold on Castiel as the train doors started to close. Lifting his eyes back on the boys on the train, his expression turns from frown into a contempted, irritated grimace. Oldest one of them held up Cas' backpack, squeezing on the slings. Feeling of being sorry disappeared and it was just pure loathing.
Balthazar could feel boy's eyes drilling into him, one pair after another. It was so close to be over. He had time to draw in a breath and ease his hold from Castiel slightly.
But of course it was too easy.
One of the boys reached out, hand stopping the doors from closing. Balthazar turned his head in time to see gun being extended out from the subway car. His lips parted and he opened his eyes, warning Castiel to duck down - - only if he had had time.
Castiel stood frozen as loud, sharp noise of gun going off and the muzzled flash depriving two of his senses for a moment. His ears were ringing, his eyes seeing only white. The mist of warm blood splattered on his face, across his clothes and his vision returned just in time for him to see Balthazar stumbling off from his feet and collapsing on the ground like a ragdoll, his arms slipping off from Castiel's shoulders.
Castiel couldn't move.
Officer Lucifer Milton nearly ran up the stairwell to the station as if it was a dream. Blue and red lights were dancing against the concrete walls as he walked, giving the space suddenly almost an eerie atmosphere. Calming himself down at the end of the steps, he drew in a breath. Blue eyes scanned the scene. Ten, fifteen feet from the stairs, three from the rails. Thick splatters of blood were scattered around in the pavement and smallers sprays here and there. He could feel himself getting sick. It rarely happened to him anymore, but as he walked closer to the scene, more and more his knees wanted to buckle.
He knelt before the white sheet, watching the figure through it for a while. Pale hands and part of the dark cuff were shown. And those same damn black, neat shoes. A red, dark spot had adhered somewhere around figure's forehead. Lucifer clenched his jaws before reached out his long fingers and grasped on the edge of the sheet, peeling it back.
Police officer lifted his hand slightly, fingers curling into a fist before he pressed it against his mouth, color clearly being drained away from his cheeks. Returning the sheet on Balthazar's blood soaked face with a torn bullet hole on his forehead, little to the left, he turned.
With a few steps he reached the wallet spread out in the pavement and being outlined with chalk. It had been tagged and numbered as an evidence. Without a word, a permission Lucifer picked it right out of the outlines. He flicked it open on his palm, a small picture being tucked under the plastic, in the space reserved for driver's license.
Lucifer observed it quietly for a while, regocnizing the outlines of their parent's faces, Cas held up by Balthazar, a wide grin on both of their faces. Lucifer stood by their father, smiling as well, his arms crossed over his chest.
Man could feel his stomach lurching, and as much as he would have wanted just to give in on his sickening feeling he forced himself to get up and as if it was a treasure he tucked Balthazar's wallet in his pocket.
Turning he finally fixed his eyes on his youngest brother. Now only one. Castiel stood in the dim light, his eyes blank. The round police had crouched next to him and tried gently to wipe blood from Castiel's face on the towel. Even in the distance Lucifer could see how Castiel was grasping on the blanket around him and how he was shaking. He was now a poor, poor child whose older brother had been torn from him right in front of his face.
Castiel's eyes moved slowly in Lucifer's and locked tightly. Boy wriggled from the round police's hold and took stumbling steps towards Lucifer. He was clearly panting and the small steps seemed like they were taking a lot of effort. Cas' legs stopped working suddenly and he reeled.
Lucifer moved quick, saving him from falling down. His arms, covered in deep blue fabric of his police uniform, reached out and enveloped Castiel against himself.
Blanket fell down from Castiel's shoulders as Lucifer lifted him on his arms easily, holding him for comfort. Cas' hands reached out, arms hooked around his older brother's neck as the tiny, gasping noises left his lips. Castiel tried to form words, but even breathing properly was a difficult for him.
Lucifer really didn't note how he had turned from the scene and started walking. His steps felt weighless. Castiel was all he had left anymore and it made his heart ache.
Reaching the end of the stairwell, his other knee buckled and he simply couldn't keep up. His hands clutched on Castiel, who let out a small gasping noise of surprise. He clearly was too tired, too exhausted to react any other way.
The officer close by put his hand on the shoulder that Castiel wasn't leaning on and left it there. Lucifer grunted and gathered himself, leveling his composure. Drawing a deep breath he got up and shook his co-worker's hand from his shoulder before he in quick steps moved down the stairs, ignoring the smell of the urine that had been burnt in the walls of the stairwell.