Disclaimer: I don't own any aspect of the Supernatural series. All I do is show my love for writing by incorporating Reiko Souma and her guardian (both of whom belong to me) into whatever I enjoy. Also, please keep in mind that I only started to watch the television series on DVD at the end of August and am at season seven. So, not all of the characters that have been introduced to date will be in this story. Please bear with me, and feel free to give feedback in whatever way you want.
This story is based on an idea of a pairing that I - laugh if you want - half-envisioned during class one day, half-dreamed about one night. I hope you enjoy a slightly unique twist on CastielxOC that doesn't take him out of character!
I'm also dedicating this story to all of my followers on my Reiko Souma role-play page on Facebook. Congratulations, and thank you, to all of you for doing your part in helping me to reach and surpass one hundred (100) "likes" on Facebook! We did this together! :D
"I don't think I'm at Tokyo University anymore," she stated aloud. One moment, she was sitting at her desk. There was an Advanced Placement Abnormal Psychology exam coming up and, despite it being tomorrow, Reiko Souma wanted to be as well-prepared as possible. Now she was standing outside...wait, where exactly outside was she? Even more, how did she get to where she was now at? The university was nowhere in sight.
Now another question came to her mind. Was she dead? Had she not had her scrapes with anaemia and emotional issues to heal from some more, the woman might actually be frightened. Surprise, she wasn't. Nor wtas she surprised. If this indeed was her time, then she was ready to accept it. There were just no guarantees that her life would bring her any reward for good behaviour. Part of her was convinced that she had done nothing good to deserve the blessing of a happy afterlife.
A soft whoosh tussled her long bubblegum pink hair about. "You seem resigned to accept your fate, no matter what the outcome." The deep voice of a man spoke behind her. When Reiko turned around, she saw that he was standing some distance away. Whoever this man was, he wasn't wrong. "However, this isn't yet your time, although I will return you to your previous environment shortly."
I think I've been in Japan too long. Who uses terminology such as 'previous environment' to describe someone's dormitory room? It was rather archaic, to say the least. Nobody speaks like that anymore. Or, so the psychology major thought. This guy apparently did. "So, if it's not my time, then why am I here?" Reiko couldn't help but ask. Her deep pink eyes were curious, probing, seeking to find out more. "Why are you here...wherever here is?" And again, how?
The man's crystal blue eyes were pure and piercing as they made direct contact with the woman standing before him. He hadn't begun to bridge the distance with her, and she hadn't budged an inch. "I'm here because I'm an Angel of the Lord, Reiko Souma. You're here because I brought you here, to show you what lies in your short-term future. Behold." With a snap of his fingers, Reiko found herself in another new environment.
Now she was in a hospital. This, she was used to. What she wasn't used to was seeing herself lay in the bed when she was standing right there. Seriously, this couldn't be real. Turning to her left, she saw the man who called himself an Angel standing beside her. "I'm seeing myself...but I'm used to being in the hospital. I've been sick all of my life. How is this different?" Reiko asked.
"Take a look at your vital signs," she was instructed, so she did just that. They were as low as they usually were, she pointed out. "At this point in time, ten years into the future, you've been holding those markers for well over two weeks." Again, this wasn't anything new. "You'll be like this for four months, Reiko."
Now that was new! "Do I die afterwards?" she asked. Her voice didn't shake at all. Neither did it falter. Then again, did she really want to know?
"That is not for you to know as of now." In other words, she shouldn't have asked.
"Fair enough." There was no use in pursuing this point, so she let it die. "Next question, is there anything that you require of me?"
The Angel placed two fingers against Reiko's forehead. As if she blinked, she suddenly found herself standing inside of her dormitory room once more. "Upon your return to your hometown, go home to the man who raised you for awhile. He worries for you more than he cares to inform you." She blinked, and he was gone. Now she was alone again, unsure of what to think about all of this. One thing she was sure of, was that nobody would believe her if she was to say anything about a man who called himself an Angel and took her to a couple of places with a snap of his fingers or a touch to her forehead.
I'm sure Shourim worries far more than anyone could ever realise, Reiko thought as she returned to her studies.
—•—•—•—
Fortunately, this was Reiko's final semester. What better way to release some of the pent-up stress before finals, than to take a walk around campus? Outside, the air was chilling and getting chillier. It was fine by her. She pulled her black fleece jacket from the coat rack and put it on before grabbing her keys. Having been captain of her high school's track team, she was used to going out for a jog every now and then. This afternoon's exercise would be more relaxed and in the form of a walk.
Tokyo International University's campus was absolutely gorgeous. Several hundred acres of grass was laid out beautifully with several pathways neatly paved for the walkers to enjoy scenic routes between buildings. Students who were weary from travelling to and from their respective destinations could easily stop and sit on one of the many benches that dotted the distance every several metres. Each of them were passed by a walking Reiko, who didn't stop for even a moment to rest. She walked along until she saw gentle white flecks starting to come down.
It's snowing... Coming to a stop, she raised her hands up to shoulder level and turned her palms upward to receive the snow. Welcoming it happily, Reiko then tilted her head towards the sky. This moment was simply-
"A beautiful moment before you, yes?" Reiko lowered her head to meet eyes with the Angel. Her hands soon fell to her sides as well. "Each flake represents a good deed that covers over evil with its blanket of purity. Much like what you've been trying to do recently." A snowflake landed on Reiko's nose before melting. Then another snowflake landed on her shoulder as she tried to figure out how this Angel guy knew these things about her.
Which wasn't remotely close to fair when she knew next to nothing about him. "How do you know all of these things about me when I only know one thing about you?" the woman finally asked. She knew that he was an Angel of the Lord, as his bringing her to places that one couldn't get to instantaneously otherwise had shown. "Do you have a name, for instance?"
And, did he believe in smiling? For an Angel, this man sure looked very sad. Reiko thought that heavenly beings were supposed to be happy and radiating with it religiously. Why wasn't he smiling? His eyes failed to hide a feeling of sorrow within.
"My name is Castiel, Reiko. My Father sent me to watch over you," came the answer at last. So, Angels did have names! Mystery solved.
"Why me?" she couldn't not ask. "Is it because of my health and what you showed me the last time I saw you?"
He nodded, coming closer to the woman. "I couldn't help but notice your lack of a jacket." Seriously? There were so many things that Castiel could say, and he had to point out that she was missing a jacket? Angels apparently didn't know much about women's fashion.
"I'm wearing a three-thousand yen jacket that's made out of fake fleece," Reiko corrected him. That was when he reached out his right hand and placed it on her left shoulder. It felt soft, but strong. His hand was also a good deal bigger than her own. That had to be an Angel thing right there, their hands being bigger than that of humans. "Okay. Why are you really here, Castiel? My gut tells me there's more to your visit than your god sending you to watch over me and lecture me on my fashion."
"You've been carrying a terrible burden on your shoulders since your parents died-"
"Nobody talks about my parents, especially if they never knew them," Reiko cut in, suddenly not liking where this conversation was going.
But, Castiel remained calm. "Your burden is what's been giving your stress the fuel to getting sick," he said, finishing his original statement, "I'm here to warn you today. It's time to start releasing that burden from your life if you don't want to be hospitalised extensively." Or repeatedly, like she has been in the past.
"Yeah, well...what if I don't know how to let it go?" Swallowing a forming lump, the woman tried to not let tears form in her eyes. She would be the first to admit that she missed her parents dearly, even after they had abused her so harshly and neglected her to a point. She missed the smile that she had seen on their faces on the day of their return from Las Vegas. "They're burning in Hell whilst I go on...living. Missing them. Wanting to see them smile again. Wanting to know..." Reiko swallowed another forming lump. "...wanting to know if they really were going to change for the better like Shourim tried to tell me they had." That did it for her. Bring on the tear factory.
Crying during the first snow wasn't something that Reiko expected. She just wanted to walk around campus to relieve some of the stress that came with preparing for the last final exams ever. All of her classes required an extensive research paper, which Reiko had finished yesterday. She was ready to turn them in to her respective professors. Then she would have to answer hundreds of questions and write a lengthy essay on each final. Finally, the woman had to prepare her valedictorian speech since there was plenty of talk going around of her being at the top of her graduating class. All of Reiko's classes had been Honors classes, after all.
Her thoughts about finals and graduation scattered when she felt two strong arms coming around her gently, pulling her to him. Reiko was still crying. Shoot. She really didn't like crying in front of anyone, especially in public. Yet that was exactly what was going on right now. She was crying, and Castiel the Angel of the Lord was comforting her. "Your parents aren't burning in Hell, Reiko," he reassured her. Oh, he had better not be lying! Her eyes widened. "They also watch over you, and they are proud of you."
She was crying harder now, a borderline sad case of sobs as she stood there in Castiel's comforting hug. If Angels were even supposed to give physical comfort like this, then it was appreciated. Although Reiko wasn't hugging him in return, she did appreciate this. His standing some centimetres shy of two metres in height allowed the woman to use the Angel as a shield to hide her sorrow from the world around her.
Come on, Reiko. Get it together. You don't even know if Castiel's job duties include providing physical comfort to a sobbing human who clearly misses her parents. Nor did she know whether her arms coming around him in appreciation for his kindness was allowed. She didn't want an army of Angels coming after her over some technicality.
Not to mention she valued her life! She reached one hand to quickly wipe her still-coming tears from her eyes just as Castiel pressed her closer to him. It was like hugging a somewhat firm wall, at least until she felt his lips pressing against her right temple. They were surprisingly warm. She thought that he would be stone cold, but no. He wasn't.
"You should rest now, Reiko," Castiel said softly in Reiko's ear. Opening her eyes showed that the two of them were back inside of her room. How had that happened? Then she remembered. Angels can teleport people to certain places. She used her hand to keep drying her tears, now that her crying was slowed. When she looked up, Castiel was looking at her with what...concern? Indifference? Reiko couldn't tell. "I'll come see you again soon, Reiko Souma," he said, moving back from her. One blink, and he was gone. How did he dothat?
It then dawned on Reiko what Castiel had done. The Angel had kissed her. Nobody's ever done that before, at least until now. Of all the possible choices, it had to be an Angel.
An Angel gave me my first kiss. Not a person, an Angel. Even though he had kissed her temple, it was still a first kiss. Nobody was going to believe her if she ever told them. If. Reiko wasn't going to for one reason: who would believe her? Not only that, but they would never let her hear the end of it. Some of her classmates - Reiko didn't really have any friends at all - would laugh her off as having been drunk and tell her to sleep it off, it just might be a dream.
Reiko wasn't going to tell anybody.
"Castiel's right," the woman said to herself aloud. She had paid the extra money for a private dormitory room, not wanting to share a room with anybody. She took her studies very seriously and didn't want to have a reason to blame anyone or anything for her grades being less than perfect. "I do need to rest." Finding her iPod Touch, Reiko plugged her headphones into it and shut her eyes. The sounds of Tchaikovsky filled her ears as she shut her eyes and soon drifted into a peacefully deep sleep.
So, this is the start of what I hope will be a successful first Supernatural story. I hope I didn't do a bad job with Castiel! Please leave your thoughts if you'd like, or if you think I need a beta to preview before I post anymore chapters, then feel free to tell me that as well. Otherwise, I'll just keep plugging along. Anyhow, thank you for reading!