Disclaimer: Guess what, I still own nothing.

The next day, Dean kept an eye out for his small dark-haired friend when he and Sam went to play outside again. At around three o'clock Castiel's head reappeared by the fence and he climbed over once again, this time with the help of an empty crate he'd found in his new house's basement.

"Cas!" Dean yelled from under the elm tree and ran over to his friend. "I was 'fraid you weren't coming after all!"

"Hello Dean," Cas greeted, pleased that Dean seemed so happy to see him.

"CAS!" Sam shrieked, running over and launching himself at Cas in a bone-crushing hug.

"Oof," Cas grunted. "Hello Sam." He tried to wrap his arms around Sam as well, but found that the younger boy had pinned his arms to his sides in his over-zealous hug.

"Let 'im go, Sammy, he can't breathe," Dean laughed, and his brother obliged.

"Whazat on your face?" Sam questioned Cas, pointing. Dean followed his brother's gaze and saw a red, blotchy bruise on the left side of Cas' jaw roughly the size of a half-dollar.

"Yeah, what happened?" Dean asked, concerned. Cas' cheeks went pink.

"I- I tripped," he stammered. "There was a loose floorboard upstairs in our new house and I didn't see it and I couldn't catch myself and I hit the dresser."

"Ouch, I'm sorry," Dean said, wincing. "Hope it feels better soon." Cas looked at the ground. "Hey, don't be embarrassed, everyone has dumb clumsy moments like that sometimes."

"Right," Cas said softly, but his flush didn't go away. He eventually looked up at the tree that Sam and Dean had been standing under and saw a rope tied to one of the lower branches.

"What are you guys doing over there?" he asked, tilting his head to one side curiously.

"Climbin' the tree. Come and see," Dean grinned, taking Cas' hand and leading him over, Sam trotting alongside them. "This is a secret though," Dean explained to Cas when they got there. "Our mom doesn't like us climbin' up, so we only do it when she's not here. You have to promise, to swear on your life, not to ever, ever tell." Dean looked into Cas' eyes solemnly. "Promise?" Cas nodded gravely.

"Promise," he affirmed, an expression of extreme seriousness on his face. "Where is your mom, anyway?" he asked.

"Oh, she's at the hospital," Sam answered carelessly. Cas' eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"Working," Dean cut in quickly. "Working at the hospital. That's where she works. She's a nurse." Cas instantly relaxed, breathing out a puff of relieved air. "She works a buncha weird hours, and right now on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays she works for the whole day, and today is a Thursday. During the summer me and Sammy gotta be home alone for a long while, unless Aunt Ellen watches us. But we're okay. We manage. Anyway, wanna climb up?" Dean pointed to the tree excitedly. Cas swallowed nervously, looking up at the tall tree, but saw Sam and Dean's eager faces and took a deep breath.

"Yes, I would love to, thanks," he said weakly, not wanting to disappoint his new friends.

"Awesome! You can go first, since you're a guest," Dean said graciously, handing the end of the rope to Cas. Cas took it, trying to stop his hands from shaking. He looked up at the branch the rope was tied to. It wasn't that high up, he told himself. It really wasn't. And he most certainly was not going to chicken out in front of the Winchesters. He wasn't sure exactly what you needed to do to be someone's friend, but he was determined to prove to them that he was worthy. Cas straightened up and pulled the rope taut. He leaned back, made the rope support his weight, put his feet on the tree trunk, and pulled himself up. Then, slowly, just like a mountain climber, he walked up the tree, gripping onto the rope for dear life. Sam and Dean's whoops rang in his ears, and he couldn't help but let a triumphant grin slip over his face.

Finally he reached the branch (which really, he realized, wasn't actually that high at all). He clambered onto it then smiled down at the boys. "I made it!" he called down happily.

"Good job!" yelled Dean. "Move outta the way, we'll be up in a sec." Cas nodded and stared at the branches in front of and above him. He spotted one that appeared comfortable to sit on, and made his way over. It was an exciting sort of terror, almost, knowing that you could not slip or lose your footing on the branches or else you'd fall. He was quite proud of himself when he managed to get to his branch and sit on it without plummeting to his doom.

By the time he sat down, Sam and Dean had already made their way up the tree, for they were much quicker and had had more practice. Dean sat on a branch opposite Cas so he could face him, while Sam stayed on the lowest branch and began swinging his legs, singing quietly to himself. Dean chuckled a little bit, watching his brother.

"Funny kid," he said to Cas, nodding at Sam. "He's in his own little world sometimes."

"How did you get the rope tied to the branch?" Cas asked abruptly. The question had been bugging him for some time now.

"Oh, I got a chair from inside, and stood on it, and then was able to tie it from there. That's what I do every time," Dean answered, shrugging. Cas looked at him with awe.

"You could have fallen," he pointed out. Dean shrugged again.

"I haven't yet."

"You must be really brave," Cas said admiringly. "I wish I was brave."

"Aw, I'm sure you are." Cas shook his head but didn't elaborate. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, enjoying the cool breeze that had picked up.

"It feels nice up here," Cas said pleasantly. "The breeze makes me feel like I'm flying. I wish I could fly." Dean shuddered.

"Not me. This is as high as I'll go. No flying for me." Cas gave him a surprised look.

"But you don't seem like you'd be scared of anything," he remarked, sounding almost let down. Dean flushed just the faintest bit.

"I'm not scared of flying, I just don't wanna," he said defensively. Cas looked down shamefaced, evidently worried that he'd angered his friend.

"Hey, it's okay," Dean said, noticing. "I'm not upset. Sorry." Cas looked back up with a small, relieved smile. "So," Dean said, trying to move on. "It's cool that you're talking more and stuff today than you were yesterday." Cas blushed a little. "But I know almost nothin' about you. So we're gonna play a game, okay? I'm gonna ask questions, and you're gonna answer them, then you can ask me a question. Got it?" Cas nodded. "First, what's your favorite color?" Cas thought for a moment, squinting, before answering.

"Blue. Dark blue," he decided. "Yours?"

"Same. But I like red too." Dean looked at Cas expectantly, waiting. After a few seconds of silence, he told him, "Now you're supposed to ask a question."

"Oh okay... Um... What's your favorite... Animal?"

"Horse, probably. Like a cowboy. And Dad took me horseback riding once, a long time ago."

"Dogs!" Sam piped up from the lower branch. Dean and Cas laughed.

"Mine is birds," Cas said. "But not small birds. Big birds, like hawks and eagles. Ones that have huge wings!" He spread his arms out wide to indicate the size, but then wobbled on his perch and quickly put his hands back to their previous spot. Dean laughed, for Cas looked a little bit like a bird himself, sitting on the tree branch, breeze ruffling his messy hair.

The two continued the back and forth questions (with occasional interjections from Sam) for a while, as it kept them both well entertained. Dean was hoping to get Cas to share a personal story, like about himself or his family, but the younger boy seemed reluctant to do so at first.

"Next question... What's your absolute favorite thing in the world to do?" Dean asked, hoping to achieve his goal.

"Reading," Cas answered promptly.

"What kind of books do you like?" Dean urged, trying to get the boy to really open up.

"Well," Cas began thoughtfully. "The books I'd always read were the ones in my father's office back in Pontiac. My real father, not Jim. In his office he had this tall, tall bookshelf filled with big books, most of them about real things like places and animals and things like that. My mom said I wasn't supposed to go in his office, but I really wanted to look at the books and learn how to read, so I would sneak in when no one was paying attention and try to read the books. Eventually I figured it out and I learned a lot about a lot of things." There was a happy, faraway look in Castiel's eyes as he remembered the past times. Dean was fascinated. Sure, he liked reading comics and good fantasy paperbacks, but he couldn't imagine learning to read on encyclopedias when he was only five or so.

"That's- that's really neat," he stammered, impressed. "Do you still read them?" Cas' happy expression faded.

"No, they belonged to my dad. Jim doesn't like those kinds of books." Cas frowned and looked at the ground, kicking his feet unhappily. Dean was deathly curious to know what had happened to Cas' real dad, but he knew from his mom that it was impolite to ask questions like that. Besides, Cas seemed to get upset whenever he mentioned his stepdad or his real dad.

"Well, there's a library downtown near the school," Dean said instead. "Maybe you could visit sometime and find the books you like there?" Cas smiled a little bit.

"Yes, maybe."

"I know how to read too. I'm gonna be allllll ready for kidnergarden in September," Sam said proudly, drawing out the L in 'all'.

"Kindergarten," corrected Dean.

"Whatever," Sam said, making a face at Dean. Dean rolled his eyes at his brother's attitude.

"What's yours?" Cas asked softly.

"What's my what?"

"What's your absolute favorite thing to do in the world?" Cas was giving him such an intense look with those crystal blue eyes, like he really was truly interested in what Dean had to say, it made Dean a little nervous.

"Uhh, well," he said. "I dunno if I can pin it down exactly... Oh wait, I guess I got somethin'. Pie is my favoritest food ever, and every autumn, Mom gets fresh apples so she can make apple pie, and she lets me help bake it. I like helping 'cause it's just a thing I do, y'know? I mean, I love doing things with Sam, but it's nice to have somethin' that's just for me and Mom. And I like baking, even though it's kinda girly," Dean finished, slightly embarrassed.

"That sounds like a lot of fun, and I don't think baking is girly," Cas said seriously. "There are lots of girls and boys who bake on television."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Dean said, perking up. "Thanks. Hey, Mom makes cookies sometimes even when it's not autumn and lets me and Sam help. You should come over and help too next time she makes cookies."

"Really? That sounds wonderful," Cas said, eyes shining. Just then their happy plans were interrupted by a cry from Sam.

"Deeeean!" he wailed, tears forming in his big hazel eyes. "I got a splinter!" He thrust his right pointer finger up towards Dean, who could see a small sliver of wood in the tip.

"Oh, gosh. Alright, you're gonna be okay Sammy, I'll get the splinter out. Can you get down first?"

Sam hesitated, about to say no, but then nodded, realizing the only way Dean could help him was if he got down, and causing a fuss wouldn't do any good. He used the rope to climb down from the tree, then sat down on the grass, sniffing. Dean went to the lowest branch, hung on with his hands only, and then let go, falling to the ground. He then looked up expectantly at Cas. "Coming?" he asked. Cas wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to jump down like Dean so Dean thought he was brave, but on the other hand, the floor suddenly looked a long ways down. He went back and forth on what to do, but finally he took a deep breath and swung down like Dean had. The wood scraped his hands and the impact from landing hurt his feet and legs, but Dean looked impressed at what the smaller boy had done.

"Nice," Dean praised. "Now stay here with Sammy while I go get the first aid kit." Cas nodded and crouched down next to the whimpering youngest Winchester. Cas patted his back gingerly, not quite knowing what to do. He was greatly surprised when Sam cuddled into him, seeking comfort and distraction from his pain. Cas put an arm around the boy, for it seemed like something he should do, and echoed Dean's earlier words. "You're going to be okay, Sammy. Dean will help you." Dean soon returned with his mother's large first aid kit. He set it down on the ground and opened it, then looked uncertainly at the various bandages, ointments, and other strange items. Recalling what his mom used whenever he or Sam had a splinter, he tried to locate the pinchy things whose name was escaping him. At last he found them and took Sam's hand.

"Owie, Dean, you're pinching my skin," complained Sam, jerking away after Dean attempted to remove the splinter.

"I'm doing my best, Sam," Dean grumbled, and tried again, with similar results.

"May I please try?" Cas, who had been silent throughout the whole experience, asked timidly after several more failed attempts. Dean shrugged.

"Sure, why not. Here." He handed the pinchy things to Cas, who took them and Sam's hand. Narrowing his eyes in concentration, Cas very carefully pulled the sliver of wood out of Sam's finger after two tries.

"Woah, how did you do that?" Dean asked in amazement. Cas shrugged modestly.

"I don't know, I just was careful I guess."

"Well, good job," Dean said. Cas ducked his head to hide a smile.

"We should probably put a Band-Aid on," he told Sam. "Just in case." Dean nodded and found and appropriately sized Band-Aid in the first aid kit and put it on Sam's finger.

"Thanks Dean!" Sam said, hugging his brother, all memories of the pain gone. "And thank you too, Cas!" Sam then happily hugged Cas, who hugged him back a little more naturally than he had yesterday.

"Yeah, thanks," echoed Dean. "We mighta been stuck here all day tryin' to get that splinter out of Sammy's finger if it weren't for you." Cas flushed, pleased even though he knew it was an exaggeration.

"You're welcome," he said. "I should probably go now, it's getting kind of late and I don't want my parents to get upset. I had fun today, see you tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

"Yep," Dean confirmed, packing up the first aid kit. "See ya tomorrow." He watched Cas climb over the fence, and couldn't help but think that Cas was one strange kid. No friends, he read thick grown-up books for fun (which Dean realized was probably the reason why his way of talking sounded so perfect), he was sensitive and afraid to offend, though also desperate to prove himself. But Dean decided he definitely liked the kid, a lot. He could see many more happy summer days ahead of them.

Woo, I got this posted earlier than I said I would! Yay! Thanks to all the reviewers/favoriters/followers so far! I've sent you all virtual hugs. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!

Coming up next: Lunchtime at the Winchester's, playing indoors, and an iconic piece of clothing makes a guest appearance...