Hey, guys! I'm sorry I didn't get this up sooner. I reeaaalllyyy hope you don't hate it. You have no idea how much I appreciate all of the follows/favorites and the many views! I never really thought this story would get any...
Anyway! I hope you like it, and please please please feel free to tell me any errors you catch! That would be amaazzinngg. Okay, I'll stop talking now.
Hope you enjoy! xoxxoxooxoxxoo :)
When my dad arrived, he pulled up next to me and my baby and the headlights seared into my eyes. I had been standing there in the dark, my thoughts getting deeper as my eyes adjusted to the darkness that had completely overtaken the area. There weren't many streetlights around and I didn't have a flashlight, so I made sure the doors to the Impala were locked, and got into my dad's car.
"Hey, dad. Sorry about this. I just checked her out the other day and she was fine. Don't know what the problem is, but I think it's the engine. Maybe we can have Uncle Bobby come and tow it for us," I said, referring to the Impala.
"Dean, may I ask why I am picking you up at a random lot, in the dark, after you ran out of the house in the middle of a discussion?" He asked with a slightly sarcastic tone.
"There's a beach through the woods... I come here sometimes when I need to think," I said after a moment of hesitation. "I'm sorry I stormed off. I was being immature and selfish. I'm just so sick of this repetitive act of not being able to do anything. I'm losing my freakin' mind."
"You're damn right it was immature and selfish. I know there's a lot happening right now, but you need to be a fucking man and stop acting like a princess," he said. I knew better than to expect him to tell me anything different, but his words still felt like ice.
"Yes, sir," I replied. I wondered if I should bring up Cas, but decided against it, thinking it would make him more aggravated. We sat there in silence before he said something I never expected.
"So, you spent a fair amount of time there 'thinking' or whatever. What exactly have you thought we will be doing about your... boyfr- um- Castiel," he said, awkwardly. He called Cas my boyfriend. Well, almost did- but still. I knew it didn't mean he was okay with Cas and me, but it still made my chest leap. What he said shocked me. He didn't say it the same way he had been speaking before. It sounded like he wanted to do something, but just felt incredibly uncomfortable with it. It took me a minute to process that he was attempting to help, and expecting an answer.
"Well, I had only been there for a little while until I found Cas there. His dad was, um," I cleared my throat, "his dad was working late and Cas made it out of his house for a while."
"Why didn't he come for help?" My dad asked, just like I had when I was talking to Cas.
"He said that... um, he said his dad would-" I paused again, clearing my throat, "He said his dad would kill him if he ever talked to me again." My dad didn't say anything, but I could see him grip the steering wheel tighter. If I looked close I could see him getting somewhat distressed, and it was not what I had been expecting, considering his attitude about everything before. Before, it just seemed like he cared, but didn't want to care. But then, he seemed like he was trying harder and he knew we had to do something. Finally. "What can we do?" I asked when my dad continued to stay silent.
"I'll have a word with Mr. Novak. We will do our best to make it so that Castiel won't get hurt again," he said as we were nearing the driveway to our house.
"Thank you," I said as we parked. It was a thank you for the ride, a thank you for not being a dick about me having a boyfriend, and it was a thank you for finally realizing that things needed to change ASAP. He nodded and we got out of the car and walked up to the door. Sam opened it before my hand reached the door knob and the guilt started to seep into my skin when I saw the worried look on his face.
"Hiya, Sammy," I said, innocently. He just gave me a cold solid look and turned away and back into the house. When my dad had gone into his bedroom, I went to talk with Sam and make sure he didn't totally hate me. He texted me a couple times after I left earlier but I either didn't notice them or ignored them, knowing I would be back soon. I really did feel bad. I hadn't talked to him much all weekend and he just got more and more worried. I just couldn't deal with worrying about him with everything else going on. When I walked into the living room, he was sitting on the ground with his homework splayed out on the coffee table.
"Uh, Sam?" I said. He looked up at me looking displeased. I thought to myself that he had finally given up on worrying about me, and then he was just pissed.
"Dean, you're an ass," he said.
"I know, I'm sorry. Look, I just didn't want you to worry."
"Worry? Have you even taken a split second to notice how worried I have already been?"
"Yeah... I guess you're right. I'm sorry, man."
"Are you gonna tell me what the hell is going on?"
"It's Cas. There's just a lot happening with him right now. But you don't have to worry about it, okay? It'll be fine."
"Whatever, Dean. I'm sure I'll find out what the deal is at one point before I die. Maybe." I felt bad, but chuckled under my breath.
"I'm gonna get some shut eye. You should too," I said, walking out of the room.
"Jerk," I heard him mumble.
"Bitch!" I yelled from the hallway, but just loud enough for him to hear.
I didn't sleep well that night. Knowing that my dad was going to try and help was good, and Sam being there for me was great, too. But I still couldn't help but think about the fact that Cas was all alone. I wasn't the one that needed a supportive brother and a helpful father, he was. I just lay there thinking about what could have been happening to Cas right that second, in that house with only him and his father. Well- I always assumed it was only him and his father. He never talked about siblings. Around an hour before I had to wake up for school, I fell into a light sleep, but my dreams consisted of blood and bruises. Just everything so broken. When I woke up shortly after, to my alarm buzzing and ringing obnoxiously, I hauled myself out of bed and into the shower. The steaming water felt wonderful, but I then realized how hungry I was. It made sense, I had barely eaten anything for days. I supposed that the fact of my dad trying to help was enough to organize my mind to a certain extent. Just enough to help me realize how human I was and how much I needed food to function. After I got out of the shower and changed, I packed my books and my uncompleted homework into my bag. When I walked into the kitchen, Sam was sitting at the table eating eggs with toast. I quickly scarfed down the eggs that he had left in the pan, and stole a piece of toast off of his plate.
"Dad's gonna take us to school today," I said, thinking I would speak to try and escape his glare.
"Okay. Where's the Impala?" He replied, going back to his breakfast.
"Broke down while I was out last night. It should be at Uncle Bobby's by now," I said, reflecting back on the night. He nodded, and then my dad walked into the room.
"You boys ready?" He asked, getting his keys. We nodded and I followed him out the door with Sam following after disposing of his dishes. The car ride to school was mostly silent and it ended with me informing my dad when to pick us up and a small wave from him as I got out of the car. After we dropped Sam off, he told me he would go to talk to Mr. Novak after work, but I just kept thinking what I was going to see when I saw Cas. What if his dad found figured out that we saw each other the night before? I continued to walk in the direction of his locker. I just needed to see him and know that he was alive and well. I wondered if he would talk to me again. I sort of assumed he would after seeing each other at the beach, but I wasn't sure. It was frustrating not knowing what was going on inside his head- again. When I rounded a corner, his locker came into sight and I could see Cas- but he wasn't alone. I could barely tell who was there through the crowd of people. It wasn't Jo or Benny. It wasn't Ash. Then I realized- Uriel. I ran towards his locker and the closer I got, the more clearly I could see. Cas was standing with his back against the locker, and Uriel was in front of him. I couldn't hear what he was saying yet, but the look on Cas' face said it all. He was trying not to look Uriel in the eyes as he went closer and closer toward him. It was happening fast, and I felt like it never took me quite that long to get there. When I ran up to them, I grabbed Uriel and violently threw him on the ground. I turned to Cas and I could see the fear. He was shaking and he had started to breathe frantically.
"Hey- hey, Cas. It's okay," I said as I gently placed a hand on his cheek and on his elbow. He nodded and his breathing slowed a small amount.
"Dean!" He choked out, and I turned around, only to be met with a fist crashing onto my eye socket. I stumbled, trying not to fall on Cas, and regained my balance. It wasn't a bad hit, but damn, there was never a time when I punch didn't hurt. I turned to Uriel and anger took over. How dare he? Cas was hurt, he was a mess, it was clear, and he still approached Cas like nothing. I wanted to retaliate. I wanted to make sure that he knew never to mess with Cas again, but I couldn't I had to regain at least some of my control. Cas at least needed that. Uriel came at me again and his fist slammed into my gut. I doubled over, but stood back up, knowing that I needed to be there.
"Okay! It's over! You win!" I heard Cas scream. Uriel laughed and all I did was take Cas hand and try to walk away. Far away. I didn't trust that Uriel wouldn't just chase after us, but we needed to stay away from him, or any sort of violent confrontation for that matter. Cas shouldn't have to deal with that. He couldn't. Uriel didn't follow us, but I knew it wasn't over. We would have to put up with him when we were at school, and we had to resolve everything else when we weren't. That was definitely not fair, but I disregarded those thoughts. I had no use for them at that moment.
"Are you okay?" I asked Cas as we went into an empty classroom, a weak attempt at getting away from everyone else.
"Yes. I'm alright. Are you? Oh my God, this is all my fault. I'm sorry, Dean," he said as he let go of my hand, covering his face with his.
"Cas, I'm fine, that was nothing. Don't you dare think that was your fault. Uriel was the one that did that, not you. I can't even imagine why you would think that," I said, confused at what he was thinking and why he would say that.
"All of this is my fault," he said as he clutched his hair. I stepped forward and removed his hands from his head before wrapping my arms around him. I was careful not to hurt him, but I was still holding him enough that he stopped shaking.
"No it's not," I whispered. I knew it wasn't much, but I was sick of trying so hard to get him to realize. That was all that I said, and I hoped that it was enough for him to at least calm down for a while. We had the rest of the day to go through, and then we would have to go deal with whatever came out of my dad's talk with Mr. Novak. Shit. I hadn't even told Cas about that. I pulled back from him and placed a kiss on his forehead.
"My dad's helping us. He wants to, and he is. He's going to talk to your dad today," I said in a hushed voice, not wanting to make Cas uncomfortable. His eyes widened and he froze.
"Dean, please tell me this isn't a joke."
"I swear. We're gonna figure this out," I said. Cas smiled and held the back of my neck, pulling me close and pressing our lips together. I could feel him about to cry, but I could tell that it wasn't from fear, or pain, or distress. But from relief, and comfort, and a human touch that was there to help, and soothe, and love. I supported him even more, pressing my hand on the small of his back and moving even closer. All of the sudden, the door to the classroom opened, and a very shocked and very spacey looking Mr. Brown walked in. Cas and I jumped apart and rushed passed him and out of the room as quickly as we could. He didn't even get a word in before we had briskly walked down the hall.
"Oops," I said as we got to my locker.
"Dean, what if he says something? What if my dad starts asking questions again and he tells him about that?" Cas asked, panic breaking in his voice.
"Hey! Didn't you hear me? My dad's gonna help us and it'll be fine. Just relax, would ya?" I said, leaning in as close as I could without it being too much. He nodded and took a deep breath. "Do you have your phone?"
"Yeah, why?"
"If Uriel does as much as give you a bad look, you call me."
"Dean, I'll be fine," Cas said, rolling his eyes slightly, but not rudely.
"Please," I begged. I needed to know that he would be alright, and if he wasn't, then he would call and I would be able to find him. He sighed and handed me his phone from his pocket.
"Here. My dad takes my phone constantly to make sure I haven't put your number back in after he deleted it. I had it written down somewhere, but he found that, too." I took his phone and added my number in with a different name. I tried not to think about how many bruises he had just from having my number in his cell phone, but the thoughts pulled at my mind. The bell finally rang and Cas and me parted ways. I almost wished Uriel would just come at me. I wanted to end it. With everything that Cas had gone through, he shouldn't of had to be afraid at his school. But I knew that nothing was that easy. I would have to put up with all of it until we figured something out.
The rest of the day went on without a call from Cas, but I did get a call from my dad. It was after fifth period, right before lunch, and I went to the library to pick up a few books.
"Hello?"
"Dean, I'm sorry. I went to speak with Mr. Novak, but it didn't go well. He threatened to call the police if I didn't leave. He said I was accusing him of something absurd with no proof. Are you positive that he is the one that has been doing this to Castiel?"
"Of course! Dad- please. There's no one else that would do this. Mr. Novak is lying!" I received a glare from the librarian as my voice raised more and more, but I didn't care.
"Alright. Dean, calm down-"
"How? This is so fucked up. Cas needs to get out of that house!" Silence. I had never spoken that way to my father. Sure, I would talk back, but never swearing, regardless of how foul his language was around Sam and me. He didn't say anything for a while.
"I will pick you up after school, then we can discuss this further," he said. Then he hung up before I could say another word. I tried to stop myself every time I felt the need to throw my phone across the room, knowing I needed it. But I could live without the books. I released the rage and frustration as my two chemistry textbooks flew across the room and crashed into a chair.
"Hey! You! Get out, or I'll have to call the principal," I heard from behind me. I didn't really acknowledge her, I was too caught up in what was happening. I just walked out of the room and went to lunch so I could see Cas. I knew that I needed to tell him the truth. I needed to tell him that he had to go home with his father again, and that I still couldn't do a fucking thing. All I wanted to do was run up to him and tell him that he never had to see his father again, and that every thing would be okay. I walked up to the lunch table he was sitting at, and sat down beside him.
"Hello, Dean," he greeted with a smile.
"Hey, babe... Um, listen," I paused. His smile quickly faded and he looked at me with furrowed brows.
"What is it?" He asked. I sighed, not wanting to tell him the same thing I had been for so long.
"My dad tried to talk to you dad, but it didn't work out. My dad questioned whether you were telling the truth, that it was your dad that did this, but I know it was, and we'll make sure he knows that, too. He just said that there's no proof. But he still wants to help, Cas, he really does." Cas turned away from me to face the table in front of him. His face looked blank. "Cas?"
"That's okay," he said. He sounded like he was being honest, and that scared the shit out of me.
"What?"
"Dean, that's how it's been. Nothing has changed, so it's not worth getting upset about."
"Cas... I'm so sorry."
"Don't say that. I'm fine. Plus, he wasn't even that bad yesterday," he mumbled the last part, and I knew he was lying. I looked at him with concern and he tried not to make eye contact with me.
"Why don't we hangout here after school? You can tell your dad you have to study or something and he won't know you're with me," I said. I wanted to at least try to get Cas away from his father as much as I could. He smiled a small smile and finally looked at me again.
"I shouldn't. He gets upset when I change plans last minute. It was usually okay, but these days- I don't know."
"Okay. That's okay, don't worry. I just wish I could spend more time with you instead of you having to be there all the time." I trailed off a little bit.
"I know. But there isn't-"
"Anything we can do. I know," I cut him off. He gave me a warm but painful smile, and that was the end of that lunch conversation as Jo and Ash came over to our table.
"Hey, guys," Jo said. Ash nodded at us, and they both sat down. I never really felt like being around my friends anymore. There was just too much going on, so I felt like I had no mental or physical energy to be social.
"Hey," both Cas and I said at the same time.
"So, Cas, how are you feeling?" Jo said. I forgot for a moment what she was talking about, but then I remembered the lie we told them when they saw Cas so beaten up. He said that he had gone dirt biking over the weekend and he took a bad fall. Yeah... we really needed to come up with better excuses.
"Oh. Yeah, I'm getting much better. Thank you," Cas said. Everything was so complicated when we were with friends. They had definitely noticed there was something wrong. Not the abuse, but they noticed I missed football practice. They also noticed Cas didn't run. He had talked before about how much he loved to run and how he was on the track team at his old school. He said that once the week started up then he would start running again, but he didn't, and they noticed, but were still totally in the dark. Cas glanced at me and I placed my hand on his knee, reassuringly. Jo and Ash seemed satisfied with the answer, and shortly after, Benny and a girl named Charlie came over. She was a friend of Benny's. We all ate our lunch with casual small talk and then we had to finish our classes for the day. I had my phone in my pocket, but still checked it every few minutes when the teachers weren't looking to make sure Cas hadn't called.
The rest of the day felt like I was swimming through tar. Every minute felt like an hour and I just had to get out of there. When the bell finally rang, I went to my locker to put my books away, then I went to Cas', but he wasn't there. I guessed he had already gone outside, so I walked out. I had to wait there for my dad anyway. When I walked out of the doors, I saw Cas sitting on a small stone wall waiting for his dad. I jogged over, even though I knew I couldn't stay.
"Hey," I said.
"Hello, Dean. Oh, shit- Dean my father is going to be here any second," he said, looking around.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay before I left," I said.
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you," he said, looking at me.
"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"See you tomorrow, Dean." I lightly brushed his hand with mine before walking away to my dad's car that had been waiting at the curb. I got in and my dad was just staring. He was staring at Cas.
"Dad?" I asked.
"Castiel. His face," he said, softly- well, as soft as his voice got. I sighed and looked at Cas with him.
"I know. I told you," I said. I didn't mean to sound rude, but I had told him, and he wasn't helping me as much as he would have if he believed me before. Just then, the BMW pulled up and Cas didn't notice. He was reading a book that he had in his lap, and I wouldn't be surprised if he briefly thought he was in a different world. I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to be. The car waited longer, and my dad and me sat there, both thinking the same thing. I mentally shouted to him that his dad had pulled up, but before I knew it, Mr. Novak was getting out of his car. "Shit!" I said without thinking, and was about to get out of the car to stop him, but then my father stopped me right when I realized it would be a very bad idea. We watched as Mr. Novak stormed over and grabbed Cas by the shoulder to pull him up. I flinched as I watched Cas grind his teeth in pain. Mr. Novak threw him to the ground to pick up the book he had dropped, and I grabbed the handle of my car door. I couldn't take it. I couldn't watch what was happening. Just imagining how much worse his father treated him at home made my stomach tighten and my hands ball into fists. The door barely unlatched when my father grasped my shoulder.
"Dean! No. Stay here," he said. I was ready to ignore him, but then he got out of the car and stormed over to Cas and his father. I froze, just watching as my father did the unthinkable. He grabbed Mr. Novak's arm and violently spun him around so that they were standing face to face. Novak looked shocked and seemed to be getting more and more angry. I couldn't hear anything, but I could see them yelling. I wanted more than anything to get out of the car and race to the scene to make sure Cas was alright. He had crawled a few feet away, looking too scared to stand up. I wanted to go and hold him and make sure that dickhead didn't lay a finger on him ever again. I trusted that my dad could take care of Novak, but I still wanted nothing more than to beat the living shit out of him. I was so ready to get out of that car, but what would his father do to Cas after seeing me near him, or talking to him, or touching him in any way? He would kill him if we couldn't find a way to get Cas out of there, and how could I risk that? My mind was racing, but it froze when I saw Novak hit my dad square in the jaw. I saw blood spatter on the pavement, so he must have hit hard. At this point, everyone that hadn't left the school was surrounding them, and I saw some people take out their phones to call the police. My dad didn't hit back, he just yelled even more. Then, Novak hit again, and that was it. I got out of the car and went straight for Cas. I knew my dad could handle himself. If he felt the need to fight back, he would, and it wouldn't be pretty. But Cas needed to get the hell out if there. I ran around our dads and crouched down next to Cas, helping him stand. I didn't know what my dad was yelling, and I probably wouldn't of noticed if Novak started yelling at me, but I needed to get Cas away from them. I started to lead him away, and I was relived that neither of them noticed us leaving. They were both too caught up in fighting. I noticed that Novak kept moving closer to my dad, trying to intimidate, but my he would just push him back. Nobody could ever intimidate my dad. I never understood it, but it was just impossible. I carefully lead Cas into the school and towards the bathroom with my arm around his shoulder. I tried my best not to hurt him where I accidentally did before.
"Dean," he choked out. He was trembling and breathing short and unsteady breaths.
"Hey, you're okay. You're fine. I'm here," I said.
"Dean... he hit him," Cas stopped walking and looked at me. He was practically whispering, but I didn't think he was trying to. "I'm so sorry."
"Cas, it's not your fault, so stop saying that. He'll be fine. The police are on their way," I said as I held Cas closer to me.
"What?" He asked, suddenly.
"I saw some people calling. Cas they can help, really." He stood there for just a moment before slowly lowering himself down onto the ground. I sat with him in the middle of the hallway floor. He buried his face in my neck. I was surprised he held it together like that for that long. He had a disastrous experience at his last school, his mother just died, his father made it so he didn't feel safe in his own home, and then his father may have been getting arrested for it. His life had shattered into a million pieces and he was trying so hard to keep them all together. We sat there for minutes, I just held him in my arms. He clutched at my shirt, not wanting the contact to leave him. I heard the doors at the front of the school open, and my heart began to beat faster, terrified it was Novak, but I didn't move. I sat there, feeling Cas tense more and more as the footsteps got closer and closer. When they finally approached us, I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.
"Um, excuse me?" I heard a woman's voice. It was gentle and kind, unlike anything that had been in my life for a while. Cas pulled back from me and we both looked up. She was a small, but strong looking woman with her blonde hair tied back, and in a blue uniform with a gun and a badge. I didn't know if I felt relieved or upset at the sight of a cop finally coming to help. I looked at Cas and he began to stand up, but winced slightly when he put most of his weight on his wrist.
"Hang on, I gotcha," I said, helping him stand.
"Are you two Castiel Novak and Dean Winchester?" The woman asked, once we stood.
"Yes, ma'am," I said, "I'm Dean, this is Castiel."
"Alright. Why don't you boys come with me." Cas stayed silent and I nodded. We followed her down the hall, and I noticed Cas trying to hide his quivering hands. I held my hand out to him, not sure if he was alright with people seeing. He looked at my hand then at me. I guessed that his dad would still be outside, but he would already know by then that we were together for that short amount of time. He shook his head subtly, and it stung a little, but I understood. His eyes weren't bitter or disheartening, they were full of gratitude, but still pain and fear. When we walked outside, there was a police car and an ambulance. My dad was at the ambulance and Novak was talking to the other police officer. My dad looked worse. Novak must have hit him at least a couple times more, and all Novak had was a light bruise on his cheek. We were walking towards them when Cas' father noticed him and started storming over to us in a rage. I jumped in front of Cas and the police officer that had been walking with us stood in front of me.
"Sir!" She yelled as Novak reached us.
"That's my son! I have a right to take him home! Come on, Castiel," he yelled in anger.
"Sir, we still have quite a few questions before you leave," she said suggestively. He looked more mad than I had ever seen someone. He gave me a glare and I swore he was trying to murder me with his mind. Then he looked at Cas, and I didn't know how, but it was a million times worse. The look that he gave him was pure hatred. Cas was behind me so I couldn't see his response, but seeing the officer's heartbroken look on her face, I was guessing Cas was on the edge of melting under the glare of his father.
"Fine," he spat out, "but I have things that must be done, so you better finish quickly."
"Come with me," the officer said, taking his elbow and leading him away. She looked disgusted, like she knew exactly what was going on. Once they were far enough away, I spun around to Cas who looked like he hadn't breathed the whole time his father was talking to us.
"Breathe. We're fine, just relax," I said quietly.
"No, Dean. No, I can't," he gasped. He reached out his hand toward mine, just enough for our fingers to brush. I didn't know if he realized he was doing it, but I took his hand anyway.
"Cas, listen," I said, "You're not going back there." I didn't have much of an idea what was going to happen, but I knew that there was no way in hell that Cas could go back. I wasn't finished talking, but the other police officer walked over to us. He was tall with brown hair and looked like he was prepared for anything.
"Hi, I'm officer Ross. Do you mind if I ask you boys a few questions?" He asked. I was pretty confused why they had to ask so many questions over a fist fight, but I went along with it.
"No. Go ahead," I said, still holding Cas' hand tight. He was standing slightly behind me, with his shoulder pressed against the back of mine. "I'm Dean."
"Dean, did you see what happened between you father and Mr. Novak?"
"Yes, sir," I replied. I appreciated the respectful way he was speaking. I knew Cas and me were standing there very obvious, but it didn't seem to bother the officer at all. Maybe he hadn't noticed, but if he did, I wasn't used to that response from a grown man. The only reactions I had experienced were not easy.
"Alright, and who attacked who first?" He asked.
"Novak was pushing Cas- um- Castiel around, so my father went to stop him, and Novak hit him after some time of them yelling. He hit him a couple times, but I was in the school with Cas before anything else happened," I said. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know whether I should come right out and say that Cas was being abused by his father, or wait until we know that the police will believe us. The officer nodded and wrote something down in his notebook.
"And you are Castiel?" He asked, looking at Cas.
"Yes, sir," Cas said, weakly.
"Okay, and is what Dean said true? Your father was acting violently towards you, and then everything played out just like that?" The officer asked. Cas stared at the ground for a moment and I squeezed his hand for reassurance. He nodded and looked at the officer,
"Yes."
"Are you injured?" The officer continued. He must have suspected the bruises that covered Cas' face to be the aftermath of what happened.
"No, sir." Ross looked confused.
"Has you father ever acted violently towards you before?" Cas paused, and I looked at him. A tear was sliding down his cheek and I wiped it away gently, not pressing hard on the bruises. Cas nodded and the officer scribbled more in his notebook.
"Do I have to go back?" Cas asked, interrupting Ross's writing. He looked at Cas with sorrowful eyes.
"The woman who called today reported a disturbance at the school, and domestic violence. We have plenty of witnesses, but you're father is not cooperating. We are going to take him down to the station and try to work it out," he said. "Do you have somewhere that you can go?"
"Yes, he does," I interrupted. The officer nodded.
"Now, Dean, I'm afraid I will have to talk you friend Castiel alone," he said.
"Boyfriend," Cas corrected, to my surprise. I looked at him, and when he looked back, I gave him a small smile.
"Of course. My apologies," the officer continued, "I'm going to have to talk to your boyfriend alone for a few minutes." I nodded and turned to Cas, who looked scared, but a little more relaxed.
"You good?" I asked, quietly. He nodded and I let go of his hand after giving it a light kiss, and walking away. It didn't feel right to walk away from him right then. His father was so close, but he had a police officer with him, so I kept telling myself that he would be fine. I walked over to my dad who was sitting at the ambulance, wiping blood from his face.
"Dad," I said, getting his attention, "you alright?"
"I told you to stay in the car," he said, sternly. "But I'm glad you didn't." I was confused, but then understood what he was saying. We talked for a few minutes about everything that was happening, and then Cas walked over with Ross. Cas walked right over to me and grasped my hand again as I saw him take a breath of relief. I whispered to him to make sure he was alright, and he nodded.
"We're going to take Novak to the station and see what we can work out. Mr. Winchester, will it be alright if Castiel stays with you in the meantime?" Ross asked.
"Of course," my father answered. There were no charges against my dad, so we all left to get Sam. My dad called him before to tell him we would be late, but he still looked mad until he saw that Cas was in the car and my dad's face was broken. Especially when he saw Cas' bruises. We explained that Cas was coming over and we weren't sure how long, but that was all we said. I didn't want Cas to have to listen to the overall of what was happening after just having to go through it. Sam didn't ask many more questions, but I knew I would have to talk to him later. Cas was silent for most of the drive.
"Castiel, do you want me to stop by your house so you can pick up some of your things?" My dad asked. I forgot about that. Before, Cas was just borrowing my clothes so he didn't have to go back to his house, but he would be able to get things now.
"If you don't mind, that would be great. Thank you," Cas responded. When we got there, Cas and I went in so that he could pack his things. When we walked in, the house was cold and quiet. We walked up to Cas' room, and I observed the clean and bland house. There was hardly anything there except for furniture and maybe a painting on a wall in some places. We walked up the stairs and into Cas' room, which was at the very end of the hall. It was a little more interesting than the rest of the house. It was painted blue instead of white, and had a couple band posters on the wall.
"Um, I'll be ready in a minute," Cas said taking out a bag and reaching into his closet for some clothes. I walked over to a table that was next to his bed and looked at a photo in a frame. It was of two kids in the arms of a a young woman and a man. The man looked like Mr. Novak, but younger and one-hundred times happier. The woman was beautiful, with dark hair like Cas' and blue eyes. She looked so happy, and I knew that she was Cas' mother. One of the kids I could recognize as Cas. His wonderful blue eyes stood out in the whole photo, and his smile was the same. Although, the other child I didn't recognize. She had red hair that I didn't know where it came from, because both of their parents had dark hair. She was definitely older than Cas, by a few years at least. I smiled at the photo and put it down as Cas walked over.
"I used to love that photo," Cas said.
"You used to?" I asked, curious.
"It used to make me happy. It was a time when my mom was around more often. We were all so happy all of the time. Now, it just hurts to think back on that."
"I'm sorry," I said, placing my hand on his back. "Who is that?" I pointed to the young girl.
"Oh. That's my sister," he said, walking back to his bag to pick it up. "She's not around anymore. Moved out a while ago and haven't seen her since. Are you ready?" Cas said it all quickly, like he didn't want to discuss it any further, and I got the message. I nodded and we left the room. As I walked through the doorway, I noticed a small smear of blood on the door frame. I tried to ignore it and walked with Cas out to the car.