The Fight
Cas fiddled with Sam's computer as he sat cross-legged on the floor. He was looking through several YouTube videos and one had caught his eye. It showed how to make origami figures from simple sheets of paper. Cas's big blue eyes widened as he watched the creatures take form. He wanted to try it.
Cas reached around himself, feeling for anything paper-like, but not looking away from the computer. He didn't want to miss a step. Finally, his fingers found some paper and he tore it from whatever it had come from. Carefully, Cas folded the sheets of paper. The first few were terrible. They looked more like origami snowballs. The little angel didn't give up. Again and again he ripped out more paper and folded it until finally creating a series of paper animals that didn't look like they had gone through battle.
Just as Cas was working on a kitten, he heard footsteps behind him. The angel spun around, grinning ear to ear. It was Dean. The hunter was dressed in a robe and was drying his wet hair off with a purple towel.
"Dwean! Look!" Cas cried, holding up the paper animals for the hunter to see. Dean smiled at the angel, taking a step forward and kneeling next to Cas. He took a swan from Cas' hand and grinned at the paper animal. He then cast his gaze down to the floor to look at the others, but he froze when he saw what was actually surrounding the angel. Cas followed his gaze, eyes landing on the shredded pieces of paper and an old leather journal. Castiel's stomach rolled. It wasn't just any journal. It was John Winchester's journal. "Dwean, I…" Dean snatched at the papers and the ruined journal. His eyes were wide and his mouth was half open in shock of what he was looking at. "Dwean, I didn't…"
"Didn't what?" Dean asked slowly. "Didn't care what this meant to me? Didn't realize what you were doing? Didn't –"
"No, Dwean, I'm sorry. I didn't mean too. I wasn't looking and –"
"JUST…" Dean trailed off, glancing around and lowering his voice. "Just…shut up alright?" Dean turned away from the angel then, running a hand through his hair. Cas watched him, frozen in place. Dean turned back around after a moment, fingers brushing the ruined paper in his hands. "Damn it, Cas…" His angry green eyes fixed on Cas' blue. "How could you? You...you know what this means to me and Sam. You know this is...was one of the only things we had left of Dad. You knew HOW MUCH THIS MEANT TO ME!" Dean's voice grew louder and Cas cowered from the hunter, tears springing from his eyes. Dean's never yelled at him like that since before he was hit with Lydia's spell. Dean looked like he wanted to shout at the angel like no tomorrow, but instead he took a breath and turned on his heels. His feet pounded hard against the wood as he marched down the stairs. Cas rushed after him, spouting apology after apology, but Dean didn't pretend to hear him.
"Dwean, I'm sorry," Cas whimpered slumping down onto the second to last step. His eyes were big and wet with tears. Dean didn't even look at the angel. The hunter only continued walking down the stairs before disappearing into Bobby's office with the journal and ruined papers clutched in his hands. Cas shivered, letting out a small sniffle as he sat by himself on the stairs. Custos instantly heard the angel's soft whisperings and hesitantly approached the upset angel. The puppy sat down in front of Cas and licked at his master's face. Cas looked up at Custos, a smile still not popping onto his face. The puppy whimpered and head-butted the angel gently, nuzzling against Cas' face. Castiel buried his face into Custos' fur and let out a muffled sob, not able to hold in in anymore. There was once again the pounding of more feet against the wood stairs after a moment or too, but Cas didn't waste the energy to look up.
"Cas?" Cas, what's wrong?" Charlie gasped, rushing over to the angel when she spotted him on her way downstairs. Kevin was right behind her with Balthazar and Gabriel in his arms. Cas refused to look at her, too upset to do anything other than cry. Charlie quickly shot away from the sobbing angel and rushed into Bobby's office. Kevin knelt next to Cas then, pressing a warm, gentle hand between the upset angel's shoulder blades.
"Cas? What's the matter?" he whispered gently. Cas just shook his head and clung tighter to Custos. A look of defeat crossed the prophet's face and he looked to the two angels by his side. Balthazar and Gabriel shared a quick glance before wrapping their wings around their little brother. Cas relaxed, but only a little. Still, it was a start.
"Cassie, what's the matter?" Balthazar questioned, turning his head in attempt to somehow maybe meet Cas' eyes. A shaky breath escaped past Cas' lips and he slowly pulled back from Custos, mouth open to explain, but a loud noise stopped him instantly.
Shouting could be heard in Bobby's office. Some was from Bobby and Sam, other shouts were from Charlie, but the most was from Dean. Cas flinched with each shout the hunter made and quickly buried his face back into Custos' fur. Balthazar and Gabriel grumbled in discouragement, glaring towards Charlie when she finally ventured out of the office with a look of anger blazing in her eyes. Cas was peeking out from over Cas' fur, but when he saw the anger in Charlie's eyes he curled tight to Custos again. Noticing this, Charlie mentally kicked herself and knelt next to Cas, gently petting his hair in attempt to show him he wasn't the one she was mad with.
"What happened?" Kevin whispered, nodding at Cas and then towards Bobby's office. Charlie leaned close to Kevin, whispering softly into his ear, but Castiel, Gabriel, and Balthazar could hear her no matter how soft she spoke. Kevin pulled back from Charlie after she finished, a look of shock on his face. "Seriously?! Oh...god…" Kevin covered his mouth with a hand and glanced towards Castiel before glancing back towards the office door Dean was behind. "It was an accident though, right? Shouldn't…"
"He's too upset at the moment to even stand straight. Talking is definitely not a good idea right now." Charlie sighed. "I think we should keep them both apart for a little while until Dean calms down a little." Kevin nodded in agreement. He knew how Dean got when mad. He could say anything that he didn't mean and hurt someone. In this case it would be Cas to get hurt.
"We were going shopping anyway," Gabriel stated, trying to help in the situation in some way. Charlie and Kevin both grinned.
"Gabriel, you're a genius," Charlie cheered. Gabe shrugged smugly at her, claiming that it was a gift. Charlie simply rolled her eyes at the archangel and turned her full attention on the still crying, black winged angel. She held out her hands to Cas then and the little angel reluctantly looked up at her. "Hey, Cas, let's go shopping for a little bit, okay?" Cas looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn't want to stay at home with Dean being so angry. He didn't want to be ignored.
The little angel held out his arms, reluctance in his eyes. Charlie scooped him up without a second thought, carrying him to the doorway to get his boots and coat on. Kevin followed with Balthazar and Gabriel and helped Charlie find some matching boots. That took a while of course, but they were able to find everybody a pair. Gabriel helped Cas tie his boots and Balthazar wrapped Cas' bee printed scarf that he got for Christmas from Ezekiel and Gadreel's parents around the sniffling angel's neck. Kevin and Charlie then got both Gabriel and Balthazar dressed, not even noticing Dean when he emerged from Bobby's with a deep frown on his face. They wouldn't have either if Dean hadn't tripped over one of Balthazar's mittens that had fallen to the floor.
Dean cursed when he stumbled and suddenly several pairs of eyes were on him. He turned his gaze away, kicking the mitten out of his path and started to storm past them.
"We're going to the store, Dean. You need anything?" Kevin asked. Dean huffed, refusing to even look at the group as he walked on past.
"No." Kevin frowned, glancing back at Charlie, but she shrugged and finished with helping the angels with their hats and opened the door up wide. With a few waves of her hands she ushered everyone out. Cas was the last to leave through the door. His eyes stared at Dean's back for a few moments sadly before Charlie thread her fingers between his. Cas looked up at her and she forced a smile before leading Cas outside with his brothers and Kevin.
Nothing like a little family drama to spice up your day, right? Thank you This-Is-The-Beat-Of-My-Heart for requesting.
P.S. Thank you The Bellowing Archangwhales for drawing my profile pic!