Chapter 5: The Angel, the Hunter, and the Vessel
The sun had set without the Winchester brothers paying much attention to it. They had been going over everything that their new companion, Castiel, had told them. It all seemed impossible, crazy even, but Castiel was very convincing. After talking things through with the brothers, Castiel realized that the influx of information had exhausted them. Dean had been yawning for the past several minutes, while Sam was rubbing his sore eyes. Castiel took a step towards the boys. Dean tensed up, reaching for his brother, but when he looked up at Castiel he felt comfort in the presence of an angel. Dean quickly calmed himself down and waited for Castiel to continue his step. "I will leave you two for the night. You are both tired and need your rest." A surge of energy filled the air.
"What about you?" Dean asked, knowing that Castiel had been through hell that day too. "Where will you go?"
Castiel gave Dean one last blue-eyed gaze. "I will be around." He then disappeared in a gust of air, leaving the Winchester brother's hair tossed up and shirts disheveled.
Dean stood up quickly and stomped his foot. "Can't he just use the freaking door?" Pulling at his clothes, getting his layers back in order, and running his fingers through his hair, he looked at Sam. Sam had a grin on his face. It was something Dean hadn't seen in a long time. "What's that stupid smile for?" Dean said, automatically ruining the moment Sam was having with himself.
"I'm just relieved. That's all." Sam stood, walked over to the small bathroom in the room. He was carrying some extra clothes with him. "School is tomorrow, and we've got an angel on our side." He was about to close the door to the bathroom so that he could take a shower when Dean stopped him.
"We're not going back to school, Sam." He said sternly, holding the door open with a firm grip. "You heard Cas. His brother is out to get you, and I'm not leaving you out of my sight." Dean was right about Lucifer being a threat to his little brother, but Sam wouldn't have any of it.
"Dean, you may not need education since you have your heart set on being like dad, but-" Dean glared at Sam for mentioning their father. Sam didn't stop. "- I want to do something else with my life. So I am going to school whether you like it or not." Sam then yanked the door from Dean's grip and slammed it shut.
Dean stood back. He was completely shocked by his brother's behavior. Sure Sam was currently a fifteen year old, hormonal, teenager, but usually he was level headed. Dean sighed, knowing there was no way to convince his brother otherwise. "I'm not letting you go alone then." Dean shouted through the door to Sam. He was defeated. "There is no way I am leaving my brother alone." He repeated, this time softer and to himself.
Soon after they both took showers and relaxed, the brothers were both in their beds, lights turned off and the television playing softly in the background. Sam had fallen asleep almost instantly, while Dean was left with racing thoughts. He tossed and turned in his bed. The sheets tangled around his legs. His head had started to hurt again, though the swelling had ceased. All that was left was the bruised area of skin high on his freckled cheek. He tenderly prodded his skin with a slim finger. He closed his eyes, finally feeling his brain reach the edges of unconsciousness. The last thing he felt before he drifted off was a tender touch to his forehead. It was cold, but comforting. The tight features of his face melted away into the night.
That night Dean had strange dreams. He dreamt of places he had never seen, yet knew they existed somewhere on a map. He then dreamt of a dark place that heated him to his core and scorched his skin. He felt pain in that place, but then was overwhelmed with that same cool and tender feeling. His dreams then placed him in white room filled with artwork that he would have never spent the time to look at properly. He felt like he was safe in that white room until he came to greet an older, bald man. He felt like his body was dragged from that place and thrown into a movie reel. Small blurs of life passed by him. He saw the deaths of many people he didn't know. His head felt like it was spinning and he couldn't wake up. His thoughts finally placed him in a forest. The sounds cracked around him and everything was dark. He was walking ahead of someone, but trying to look back at the person's face was meaningless. All he could think of was getting out of that place and making sure the person behind him didn't get left behind.
That was when Dean woke up.
He shot up straight from his bed, throwing his twisted blankets off of his body. His black shirt clung to sweat soaked skin. Yanking it from his body, he threw it to the floor at the side of the bed. His chest rose and fell quickly. Dean glanced over to the bed next to him where Sam was sleeping. When he found his brother sleeping peacefully, he sighed and fell back down to his bed. It was early morning, almost four, and the sun hadn't risen over the horizon yet. Though some light from the streetlights peaked its way through the closed blinds. It was then that he saw a silhouette against the dull light.
The silhouette spoke, calming Dean instantly. "Have you been dreaming?" Castiel asked, voice as serene as ever. He was staring through the blinds. What little light had shown through the blinds illuminated the irises of Castiel's eyes. They brightened up to a pale blue. Dean rubbed his eyes, still tired and completely exhausted from a rough night of sleep. He yawned and nodded at the same time. Castiel caught the nod from the corner of his eyesight and then asked the next important question. "Of what?"
Dean stopped for a second. He remembered the dream being so real and so strange, but he could not recall the events that took place. He felt an empty hole in his chest when realizing that he couldn't think of anything that had happened. "I-I don't know." He said finally, looking down at his shaking hands. Castiel walked over to him slowly, making sure that each step was light, so that he did not wake up Sam. Dean looked up at Castiel, hands still shaking. "Cas- I-" Before Dean could say anything else; Castiel grabbed Dean's bare shoulder, holding him still.
"It's alright, Dean." Castiel said softly. He sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned over Dean. The fabric from his coat dropped down and tickled Dean's bare chest. "You just need to rest." Castiel raised his hand, two fingers protruding, and went to place it on Dean's forehead, but the older Winchester grabbed Castiel by the wrist. "Dean?"
"Last time you did that I woke up not knowing what happened." He scowled at the angel. Castiel understood. Mankind had always wanted to know the truth about everything. Who they were? How that came to be? Dean was no different. Castiel quit his quest to ease Dean of his troubles and send him off to sleep with his touch. He just stared deeply at Dean, pulling his hand away, but keeping the other firmly on Dean's shoulder. Dean yawned, rolling his head to look at Castiel's fingers on the hand touching his bare skin. "I don't want to forget, Cas. I don't want to forget that feeling."
Castiel knew it was his mission from god to keep the Winchester brothers safe. And that meant by all means necessary. He wanted to rid Dean of the dreams that gave away too much information of things to come, even though Dean had said he didn't remember. Castiel knew that if he stayed in close range with Dean that his powers would cast the things he knew upon the older brother. Castiel wanted to lift that burden. He knew there were many other burdens in Dean's life that he couldn't even begin to fathom, but just this one he wanted to rid from Dean's mind. Castiel lifted his hand again, going in for a second try. "Dean, I must-"
"It just felt so real." Dean whispered. He was stuck in the state between alertness and unconsciousness. With Castiel sitting there on the side of the bed, he didn't feel the need to be wary of any of his surroundings. The Angel would protect him. The angel would-
"I'm sorry, Dean." Castiel took the chance and pressed his fingers to Dean's forehead. A short sting ran up Castiel's arm and shot to his heart. Dean's eyes widened, but soon his eyelids covered up the green irises and dark pupils. He slumped into his pillow, completely at peace. Castiel pulled back, lifting his hand from Dean's shoulder. He stared at his own palm for a moment before pulling the covers over the being he was to keep safe. As Castiel stood, he stared at his hand once more, feeling the warmth of Dean's flesh slowly drift away. "I am sorry." He said once more before returning to his post at the window of the room.
That next morning was strange. Dean woke up to his brother shoving him from side to side and yelling into his ear. "Dean! I am not going to be late to school because you slept in!" Sam shoved Dean's tired body once more before giving up on his brother. He grabbed his bag and headed for the door. "Come on, Dean!" Dean yawned, rubbing his eyes, and sat up. His hair, which was normally at ends in the front, was matted down on his forehead. He didn't feel all too rested, and he had no clue as to why that was. He was surprised that he had actually managed to sleep his way through the night. Rubbing his eyes again, Dean got up from the bed and reached into his bag.
"Give me ten minutes, Sammy." He requested, grabbing some new clothes from his bag. He noticed that he had woken up without a shirt on. It had somehow made its way to the floor. Dean shrugged, thinking he must of gotten hot that night and taken it off in his sleep. It was nothing out of the normal. He proceeded in changing his clothes and then went to brush his teeth. Sam was standing impatiently by the door. As soon as Dean was ready, Sam quickly opened the door and headed out, only to bump straight into an angel in a trench coat.
Castiel looked down at Sam, not smiling, nor frowning. He was completely still. "Good morning, Sam." He said before passing him up and heading through the door towards Dean. "Dean." He said swiftly. Dean looked up from tying his bootlaces. He gave Castiel a confused look and then proceeded to tie his boot up, figuring that the angel would explain himself soon enough. "Uh- Dean. Are you well?" He asked, his stoic face giving off small hints of worry.
"I'm fine, Cas." Dean pulled his jean's cuffs over his boots. He then grabbed his leather jacket and pulled his arms through its sleeves. He was still giving Cas a confused look. Castiel still hadn't explained why he was there. It was early morning and Dean had just woken up. "Cas, what do you want?" Dean asked harshly. Deep within him he felt some pent up anger towards the angel. He wasn't sure as to why, since Cas hadn't done anything bad. The feeling was there, as was the dull warmth in his shoulder. His hand made its way up to his shoulder to rub it gently.
"I was thinking I could accompany you on your journey to school." Castiel finally said, nervously eyeing Dean rubbing the shoulder that he, only hours earlier, had his hand on. The thought brought Castiel to look at his palm again. When finding that his hand was trembling, Castiel quickly pocketed it in his trench coat and turned in the doorway. He followed after Sam who had already begun walking to school. Dean wasn't far behind, closing the motel room door behind him, and casually walking over to his brother and the angelic guy with blue eyes.
The day was clear, just like the day before except for the few bits of clouds that Lucifer had conjured up. Sam walked a little ahead of Castiel and Dean, glancing back and giving a small smirk as he went. Dean kept rubbing his shoulder and looking over at Castiel who was staring him down. "What!?" Dean snapped.
"Does your shoulder hurt?" Castiel asked, facing Dean, yet still walking fairly easily.
"No." Dean said under his breath, picking up his pace. He looked at his feet as he walked. The anger he felt towards Castiel was slowly drifting away, but the dull warmth was still there. He did something. I know he did. I can feel it. The rest of the walk to school was silent. Castiel fell in step with the Winchester brothers. As they entered the school's yard, groups of people stared at the three. There was Castiel Asher, the strange, quiet student, and Sam and Dean Winchester, the ones who picked fights with Luc Asher.
Sam, Dean, and Castiel pushed past the crowds, finally getting inside the school. The Winchester brothers watched their surroundings, looking for Lucifer. They were on edge until Castiel assured them that Lucifer wasn't there that day. Castiel couldn't sense Lucifer, or Michael, which was strange. There weren't any more angels in the area other than him. He found it odd. "I guess that means I'm safe for the day." Sam said before heading off to his first class with a smile on his face. He grinned at Castiel and Dean as he walked off. Dean watched his brother walk away, making sure everything was okay and that his brother was safe for the time being. He then looked over at Castiel. They shared eye contact for a moment before Dean broke it off, turned down the hallway towards his and Castiel's first class.
As they walked into the classroom, every student in the area went silent. Castiel scuffled his way over to his seat in the back of the room. He sat down with no more noise than a squeak of the chair. Dean pocketed his hands and followed. He gruffly sat in his seat next to Castiel and glared at the rest of the students. They all broke contact with Dean immediately and went back to their gossiping lives. Dean sighed loudly, leaning over in his seat just a little. "Hey, Cas."
Castiel turned his head towards Dean. He had stopped correcting Dean on the nickname that was given to him. At first he disliked it, knowing that his father named him for a purpose and he should only be called by that name, but then Dean came along. Castiel found that he had grown quite fond of the small nickname. It gave him one of those warm, human feelings deep inside his vessel. "Yes, Dean?"
"What are all their deals?" He asked, eyeing the snickering students in front of them. Girls giggled when looking back at Dean and Castiel, they smiled quickly and then turned around to gossip some more. Dean wasn't much for gossip, but when it was about him, it bothered him. He had a reputation to keep up; a reputation of being the loner, the badass. Dean then caught a couple guys in the front of the classroom give him a disgusted look.
Castiel paid no mind to the students staring back at him and Dean. "They are but clouded by false pretenses." He sat straight in his seat, only moving a little to face Dean. "They have heard of your fights with my brother, and now they are quite interested in our friendship." Castiel said everything with such a straight face that Dean's expression seemed over exaggerated.
"No man, I ain't gay." Dean said, scowling at his fellow classmates. Their whispered gossiping halted and they all turned in their seats, staring at Dean. "Why the hell do they even think I am?" Dean glared over at Castiel who had resumed facing forward. He was stuck there, completely disgusted and confused. "Son of a-" Dean pounded his fists on the desktop. He kept glaring at the angel next to him. When the teacher walked in the room to start his lesson, Dean quickly whispered over to Castiel. "Dude, you need to keep your distance."
Castiel shook his head slowly. "I cannot. I must protect the Winchesters."
Dean rolled his eyes. "Great." Dean crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled to himself over and over. He didn't like the new reputation of being the closeted freak. He didn't like that one bit. He loved women too much. There was no way he could ever be gay, but when he looked over at his stoic friend, his heart jumped. That missing beat was enough to send him over the edge. Dean's temper struck a new high. He hit the desktop harder. He got up from his desk and walked straight for he door. This is not normal. He told himself over and over as he stomped his way out of the classroom. Castiel stayed silently in his seat. He watched the teacher's reactions to Dean's departure. That was when he realized that familiar glint in familiar green eyes. He felt the power of his brother before he knew that there was yet another vessel for him.
"Castiel Asher?" The teacher called, running down the list of students for attendance. Castiel raised his hand slowly, eyeing his devious older brother at the front of the room inhabiting the teacher.
Michael…