"Castiel! Get your lazy ass up here!"

Castiel sighed. "Coming right away, Father." Castiel set down the frying pan he was cleaning. At least he was done cooking dinner-who knows what Father was going to ask him to do.

Thankfully, it was nothing too painful. "Your Mother and I are going out." Father informed Castiel when he got upstairs. "Do not expect us home for at least 2 days." As he talked, Father began strutting back and forth in front of Castiel. "While we are gone, you are to mop the floors, air out the bedrooms, and do something with that deer skin. Oh, and mount the head in my hunting room."

Castiel nodded stiffly, trying to hide the feeling of revulsion churning in his stomach. Father had a room full of hunting trophies from almost very kill he ever made. Usually, he preferred to stuff the animal's head himself, claiming it was some kind of ritual for him. But occasionally, he ordered Castiel to do it for him. It was by far Castiel's least favorite chore. How anyone could kill a harmless animal and then keep part of it as a reminder, a trophy even, both confused and repulsed Castiel. But it wasn't like he had much choice in the matter.

"I expect all this will be completed upon our return. If not, there will be severe consequences. Is that?"

Castiel nodded again, but didn't realize Father had taken that exact second to turn his back to him and couldn't see he nod. Father whirled around.

"I said." Father marched up to Castiel and stared down into his eyes, teeth bared, like some kid of rabid animal. "Is. That. Clear?"

"Yes sir." Castiel had long learned that the worst possibly thing he could on front of Father is to exhibit fear. If there was even ever one flicker of fright in Castiel's eyes, it was worse than if Castiel had over-cooked dinner, another grace offense.

"Good." Father finally said, turning away and heading toward the window. "No do something useful for the first time in your pathetic life and help me and your mother down."

5 minutes later, Castiel was waving out the window as his parents stepped through the giant boulders at the edge of their hollow. Once they were out of sight, Castile turned away from the window and exhaled heavily. Well, at least he had the tower to himself for a few days. He want exactly happy about that, though-he'd wanted his parents home 2 days from now. His parents never acknowledged his birthday, but Castiel hoped they would have this year. He was turning 20 after all-he was a full grown man now! But what did that even mean for him? It wasn't as if Castiel was going anywhere any time soon. Castiel often wondered about how in the world he would live in this damn tower his entire life. But it wasn't just his lifetime- it would be forever. As soon as Castiel showed any sign of aging his parents would force him to heal himself, again and again and again, whether he wanted to or not.

It was strange, staring into a future of eternal confinement in this tower. But it wasn't as if Castiel could leave. What would happen to his parents of he left? Most likely, they die within a month, maybe less. Castiel could never do that to them. They were his parents for God's sake! They found him abandoned in the woods, took him in, and raised him as their own. Castiel had heard this story for as long as he could remember. He couldn't just abandon them, not when they didn't abandon him.

Castiel sat down gently on the old sofa. His chores could wait a few minutes. Gabriel leaped onto the couch and sat up on Castiel's lap, innocent eyes looking beseechingly into Castiel's. Obviously Gabriel wanted to leave the tower as well. He been living here ever since he'd snuck in 10 years prior and Castiel had convinced Father to spare the poor kitten.

Castiel looked down at the cat on his lap and chuckled at his expression. "Gabe, you're a cat. You aren't allowed to make puppy eyes."

Gabriel scowled and gave the cat equivalent of a frustrated huff. Honestly, Castiel wonders sometimes if Gabriel really was 100% cat. It was just not natural for a cat to act that human.

Castiel and Gabriel sat on he coin for a while, just enjoying the peaceful silence. After about 10 minutes, a short rumbling noise broke the tranquility. Castiel pushed Gabriel gently off his lap. "C'mon, lets grab some lunch."

Castle led the cat back down to the kitchen. "Omelet?" Gabriel just stared at Castiel. "Well you don't have to eat it. You already have you lunch, remember? You just chose not to eat it." Castiel lifted the cat onto the counter before leaving in search of eggs and some fresh vegetables.

Castiel had just finished assembling the necessary ingredients and finally finished cleaning the frying pan when he heard a loud "Crash" come from upstairs. Well that wasn't supposed to happen.

Castiel immediately gripped the frying pan as a weapon and inched up the stairs towards the main room. He peeked only his head through the m doorway, looking in. It took him a minute to locate the source of the noise. On the floor in front of the window, laying in a crumpled heap, was a person. A stranger.

Castiel felt slightly giddy. It was weird to think about, but other than his parents, he had never actually met another person before. Was everyone like his parents? What if he didn't even speak the same language him? But then, Castiel thought of a much darker question. Why was he here?

His parents were constantly warning him about the shifty characters that there were in the 'outside world'. There world was filled with people who would use him and abuse his power. What of this was one these people?

Castiel didn't put much weight in the notions, however. This was a real live stranger, here in his tower! Seeing as the man was unconscious, Castiel inched closer towards the stranger. After examining him for a moment, Castiel realized why the man was unconscious- an egg shaped lump was forming on the crown of the man's head. Obviously he had bumped his head on the way in. ouch.

As Castiel stared, the man let out a groan and opened an eye. Castiel panicked and hit him over the head with the frying pan. The man immediately sunk back into unconsciousness. When Castiel examined the man again, he realized with a wince that he'd struck the man directly on his bruise. Seeing as the man was unconscious and couldn't very well feel or remember anything, Castiel felt it was only his duty to heal the man. After all, it was his fault the stranger was unconscious to begin with.

Castiel knelt down next to the strange man and took one of his hands between his own. Before he could say anything though, Gabriel leapt up on top of Castiel's hand and growled.

"Hey, I hurt him, I have to heal him. Whoever he is." Castiel argued. "He won't realize a thing." Castiel brushed the cat off and whispered, "Heal."

The bump rapidly disappeared, as did a few scratches on the man's hand. Whoops. Castiel proceeded to lift the man up off the floor and placed him on the couch. Now that the man's face wasn't planted on the floor, Castiel could fully see the man. But he wasn't just a man-he was an angel.

He was as beautiful, more beautiful than any drawing of a person Castiel has ever seen. He was young, but the smooth skin on his face was bunched up next to his eyes in permanent smile lines. The stranger's slack face was dotted with freckles that were mostly concentrated on his nose. It appeared as if some godly being had being pouring powdered sugar freckles on top of his face and too much spilled out in one place. No, Castiel decided, that wasn't a good comparison. It would be a crime to call any part of this man's face a mistake. Formed by a godly being, on the other hand, seemed very plausible.

Castiel's one way staring contest with the stranger was cut short by a tug on his ankle. Gabriel was biting at the leg of his pants leg, trying to get his attention and drag him away from the sleeping beautiful stranger.

"Oh come on, how bad could he be?" Castiel asked aloud.

Gabriel bounded towards the window and pointed towards a satchel that lay discarded below the window tat Castiel hadn't noticed. The stranger must have dropped it when he banged his head. Gabriel dragged it over to where Castiel was standing.

"Gabe, don't look it the stranger's bag. It's rude." Gabriel rolled his eyes and opened the bag himself. He crawled inside of the satchel and emerged clutching something between his teeth. Castiel was about to tell Gabriel not to put foreign things in his mouth when-was that a crown?

So they didn't just exist in fairy tales! Castiel stared at the crown in wonder. It looked expensive. How did this stranger come to have it? He didn't look particularly wealthy. His clothes were worn and his boots were scuffed. But maybe that was just the current fashion?

The stranger began to stir again, and Castiel froze. What was he going to say? Was the stranger going to remember receiving the bruise? How would Castiel explain the bruise's disappearance? What is this really was a botched kidnapping plot? At that though, Castiel woe up from the daze he had been in since he saw the stranger on the floor.

Strange man. Climbed up the tower. Looked poor, dirty. Had a suspicious item in his bag. Any and all glamour and novelty of meeting a stranger quickly dropped away and Castiel dove to hide behind a pillar near the couch, shrouding himself in the tower's shadows. Castiel held on to the frying pan tightly, hoping he wouldn't have to use it again, as he heard the man stir and slowly wake up.