Cas eyed the painting Charlie was describing, curious as to how she knew so much about its making. She had hung it up in her room on the first day, she explained, as it was her favorite. She had bought it from an artist at a convention. It depicted a small man reaching his hand up to a ring, his eyes hating and loving the golden object. Cas realized quickly it was a Lord of the Rings painting, and he internally chuckled. Charlie and her fandoms…. Dean had never taken much of a liking to the series. Cas had watched it once or twice, although now he felt he should watch it again, for Charlie, at least.

He pointed up at it, making sure she was watching, and nodded, making numerous hand motions that simulated reading a book. It took her a moment before she understood, though she still seemed oddly satisfied that he was responding. He was trying to explain that he had only read one book but had seen all the movies.

"You read it…?"

Cas had to credit her. She really was trying to understand. She was following his fingers and his shuffling feet and how his eyes seemed to stare happily at the hobbit in the painting. While she didn't fully get it, she cared. Castiel nodded at her question; close enough.

"Well have you seen the movies!? Those are great!"

He shook his hand, making a half-and-half kind of figure. He wanted her to know that he wanted to watch them again with her. It would be fun, something to take his mind off of the daunting situation that threatened to eat him whole. He grinned, knowing Dean would laugh and call him a nerd and give him a pat on the back… three years ago.

"Oh my god you haaave to see it. Friday night, my room, okay? Make sure to sleep well the night before as we'll be pulling an all-nighter."

Cas almost laughed, exhaling smoothly. The last time he stayed up all night was when he had first met Dean, as neither could sleep after watching all those horror movies. My, how he had grown in so short a time. Although… it really hadn't been that long. They'd really only known each other for 14 years, so short in the time of an entire lifespan.

14 years, he now wanted to breathe out into the hallway. 14 years held so much weight and joy. 14 years clung to the walls, grinning and frowning all at the same time. 14 short years.

"Should I call you Cas or Castiel?" It was a question Dean had wanted to ask all night. He found the word 'Cas' slipping from his mouth many times, always trying to cover it up afterwards. It was a perfect sound that always felt sweet on his tongue.

"Cas is fine. Would you like a nickname too?"

Dean giggled, "No, thank you. Dean is good enough."

After finishing 'The Changeling', Castiel and Dean had decided to be friends. Maybe they were too old for that, but many would argue they were too old to be in Halloween costumes running down the street for free candy. Neither ever really grew up, so when they sealed their friendship with a handshake, it was final. A pinky- promise of sorts. A beautiful time indeed.

While neither cared to admit they were terrified, they came to the consensus that there would be no sleep. An all- nighter.

At one A.M., they had drank so much Coke and iced tea that the house radiated with their energy. Watching another show required too little movement, and they were both generally bored with the idea. Something exciting needed to happen.

"Have you ever played imagination games, Dean?" Cas asked as they both sat on the couch, pondering what they should do for the rest of the night. It was the perfect hour for both their minds. Everything was spinning.

"What are those?"

"Oh, well," Cas leaned on his shoulders, "they're games that you… play in your imagination. Like you could be a dog or an alien and you just kind of make up the story as you go." The topic was one that brought a spark to the boy's eyes.

"Like the ones kids play? With nerf guns and stuff?"

Cas looked down at the mention of it being a kids thing to do, "Yeah… kind of like that."

Dean shook his head, ecstatic and feeling very silly at that moment, "We're 17 years old and about to play knights and princesses. Oh my god…" But it wasn't a joking statement; it was pure excitement. He and this other complete geek were about to play an imagination game. The geek was also pretty cute, dark hair and had these small fuzzy wings on his back. His face was round and young, his eyes very wide. It was a curious thing to look at, how his mouth curved slightly upwards when he spoke, like he could never really erase a grin from his face. Of course, Dean had no idea if he was gay, as many people weren't, and with a face like his he probably had a beautiful girlfriend. He couldn't get his hopes up.

"So is that a yes?" Cas, obviously, was oblivious to this small worm of feeling that twisted inside Dean, and was awaiting a response.

"Let's do it."

"Keep going," Sam told him, seeing how Gabe's eyes lit up when he spoke. "What happened?"

Gabe sighed, following Sam's request soon after. "I… I gave him a hug- a bro hug. You and Dean must have those, right?"

Sam's mouth curled up a bit. "Yes."

Gabe shook his head in confirmation. "Well, hugs were always Cas' favorite. He would always say that the love of his life would know that a hug was worth one thousand kisses." Gabriel silently laughed. "That sap."

'You know," Sam responded, approaching Gabriel and leaning on his shoulder, the grass cool on his ankle. "The more I hear about Cas, the more I realize why Dean loves him so much. Dean is a complete sap too, he just doesn't like to show it."

"Yeah… Cas is like a proud lovestruck teen. He used to be, anyway. Yet, the more time he spent with Dean, I could see them settling down. They weren't excited when they were together anymore, just...comfortable. That's something solid."

Sam sniffed, his heart still heavy from the memories. The angel statue still stared wordlessly at them, its wings frayed in some places, yet it still looked like it was about to take off. It watched their silence for a good long while, listening to their uneven breaths that were carried through the wind. A guardian to their love.

As time moved around the boys, they stayed almost still. The sun peaked over them and lowered, the grass curled by the millimeter under their feet, the clouds came and went, entranced to only go one way. And yet, the boys became- for a time- ageless. Spectators at the center of their lives. Neither cared to say it, but they both knew… this was a moment they would not get back.

Sam and Gabe turned to each other at the same time, each holding a small smile on their face.

"Ready to go home?" Sam asked, a whisper that soon became the breeze.

Gabe swallowed, nodding. He glanced at the statue again, who seemed to confirm that it was time. The trees said the same, waving them towards their house. "Yeah," Gabe could finally answer, following Sam through the archway of pines.

They would find out what happened to Cas- who happened to Cas- and solve it. For now though, both brothers were content with the time they had had. Sam driving at fifty on the roads that were never crossed, and Gabe asleep beside him, his gold hair falling over his face, and the wind sparking a happiness he hadn't been able to find.

And the statue behind them did not turn to watch them. The inked wings sat waiting to be saved, the eyes in the trees grinning in the silence