Chapter 2
The weeks repeated for Cas, every day the same. Get up, get dressed, make breakfast, make his lunch, walk to school. Lessons, get beat up, home, which meant staying in his room whilst his parents screamed and cursed at each other. Dinner in silence. Sleep. Repeat.
As the weeks past with Novak getting fairly standard beatings Alastair was getting bored. And Dean knew this could only mean trouble.
For once Castiel had been a step ahead of the bullies avoiding them and the beatings. He felt a half smile creep across his face at the thought. A couple of little kids clattered past him, making him jump. He laughed at his own skittishness.
Then yelped as Azazel's strong arms encased him and held him steady as he squirmed and tried to get free.
"Hi Cassie" Deans usual welcome "Hope you're excited because we've got something special planned for you today!" They dragged Cas to Deans black Chevy impala and shoved him in the back seat. Dean climbed in beside him and pulled him back every time he made a grab for the door.
Azazel drove them to a field a few miles from town and they pulled Cas out into the middle. Azazel landed the first punch, in Castiel's stomach, causing him to double over, quickly followed by an upper cut that sent him sprawling onto his back. Dean stamped on his stomach until Cas had curled up into a foetal position, coughing and gasping for breath. Then it was Alastair's turn. He grabbed Cas by the collar and pulled him tripping and stumbling to a tree that boarded the field; the he produced a length of rope and proceeded to tie his arms around the tree. After landing a fair few punches of his own, Dean and Azazel egging him on all the way, he moved around to Castiel's arm, only just visible in his periphery. He produced something from his pocket, but Cas couldn't see what, Dean and Alastair were glancing uncertainly at each other,
"Hey, Al, maybe that's taking it a bit" Cas never heard the end of Deans sentence over his screams of pain. A knife, Alastair had a knife.
Dean watched in horror as Alastair carved in to Castiel's skin, sure he hated Novak because of his perfect privileged life but this was too much. Before he could do anything Alastair was done. A harsh, bloody A now scarred Cas' skin. He was still gasping and choking down sobs of pain. Alastair had cut deep,
"let's go boys!" Alastair said, tossing the knife to Dean as he strolled past,
"Al! We can't just leave him here!" Dean yelled
"You going soft Dean?" Alastair taunted
"Dude, he'll never get out of those ropes" Dean argued
"Don't worry, a farmer will be by tomorrow evening to untie him, c'mon," and with that Alastair made for the car, Azazel following behind. Dean looked back at the whimpering Cas, he couldn't leave him, but he dare not cross Alastair. Acting quickly he slashed half way through the rope.
"You can pull yourself free from here" Dean whispered, Cas lifted his head and glared reproachfully at him as he jogged to join the others.
Dean had overestimated Cas' strength. It took him near four hours to get free, blood running from his arm the whole time. Once free Cas fell to the floor, cradling his arm, trying not to think how the scar would likely be with him for the rest of his life.
After getting lost several times and stumbling around the countryside in the dark he made it home in the early hours of the morning just as the sun was emerging over the horizon. His parents were sound asleep. Castiel bandaged up his arm and made a sandwich before going to his room and collapsing into bed.
Cas was awoken by his mother shaking him abruptly,
"Get up Castiel!" Then leaving. Cas dragged himself down to breakfast, making sure it covered the bandage "You were quiet last night. You know in this family you're expected to come down for dinner, not stay in a your room." She lectured, unaware that her son hadn't been home till a few hours ago.
Once she had left Cas called the school, pretending to be his father, then went back to bed.
Dean had spent the night having dreams of Castiel's screams. He hoped he'd gotten home okay, Dean still envied him, but there was something else, guilt, he never should have let it get that far.
Dean didn't see him around school. Alastair still on a high from what he had done. Dean didn't say much that day.