Sorry that I have been on hiatus for so long guys! And I hate to say that this isn't me saying that I'm back immediately, but I've been taking time off for school and other topics that I may share in the future. So, to apologize for this long gap in our story, have a little side one!
*This is off the timeline/plot, like a one-shot.
"'Go to Dermin', you said. 'It'll be relaxing!' you said!" Dean shouted at Castiel, both men of the sea racing across the sandy beach. The sun beat down on their already tired-selves, but both refused to stop running while the angry crowd behind them refused to do the same.
"It was no fault of mine that the one peaceful place I know of happened to be one that you ruined with all of your-" Castiel stumbled slightly before hurriedly picking up the pace, "your pirate-nonsense!"
"It's not nonsense!" Dean defended irritatedly, his own anger as evident as the crowd's.
"Oh really? Then obviously the things you did to get the townspeople in such a mood at just of the sight of you was justifiable and their current thoughts are created on false ground?"
Castiel didn't hide the sarcasm in his voice as the two veered sharply to the left, the sand making it hard for them to find traction under their feet. He reveled slightly in the silence that came from Dean, knowing that if the two of them weren't in their current situation that the pirate would be red with embarrassment.
"It was a long time ago!" Dean tried to argue, but Castiel only smirked as he glanced briefly at the pirate, one eyebrow raised sarcastically. Turning his attention back to the front, Castiel and Dean both caught sight of the approaching town.
Soon enough the two were racing down the cobblestone streets of the village, the occupants storming behind them.
"I'm a bad influence on you, " Dean muttered before grabbing onto the sleeve of Castiel's shirt which was usually covered by the familiar tan coat, pulling the former sailor with him into one of the houses.
Rushing, Dean and Castiel shoved a decent piece of furniture in front of the door, the wooden dresser assisting them as they held back the townspeople. The two leaned against it side-by-side, catching their breath as they tried to ignore the shouts and shoves coming from the opposite side.
"What now, pirate?" Castiel asked while wearing a small smile, unable to enjoy the trouble that the two had found themselves in.
"Ship's at the port, all we have to do is reach it." Dean's voice was louder than it needed be, and the two looked at each other and frowned before both heads looked towards the barricaded door.
Castiel's eyes grew wide as his gaze searched the luckily-empty house. The silence crept in stealthily, and both hesitantly moved away from the door. That's when Castiel's eyes found the door on the other side of the room.
"Move the dresser!" Castiel barked just as the back-door burst open, revealing several enraged townsfolk. They flooded into the room as Dean and Cas ripped the dresser away from the door. The leading man of the group raced forward and grabbed Dean's arm, in retaliation Castiel threw back his arm and landed a solid blow on the man's nose, feeling the crack of bone under his fist.
Dean wanted to comment on the defensive look Cas wore, but he held his tongue as he threw the door open.
Standing outside the door were more of the villagers, enclosing the two inside of the house. Gradually they pushed through the doorway, pushing the duo towards the other half of angered townsfolk.
"Lovely," Cas muttered, the two of the surrounded. One of the villagers in the front cleared his throat, he stood next to the one with the broken nose.
"Dean Winchester, you made one hell of a mistake showing your face back here."
Cas and Dean stood back-to-back, their empty scabbards a heavy reminder of their disadvantage. Yet the two continued to circle the crowd while their eyes searched, both of their minds wired to the same frequency. Escape.
"Well," Dean replied, and Castiel could have sworn that he knew that Dean was wearing that one grin. "I hate to be one to correct your statement, but it was not even my mistake that led myself back to this location. In fact it was unbeknownst to me that I would be returning to this very island that I had visited once before- which you all seem to remember clearly."
"I hate you," Castiel muttered under his breath so that only Dean was able to hear the comment, and the former sailor knew that such words probably only caused Dean to grin even more.
"Shut up," the man with the broken nose barked, heavy-set eyebrows narrowed at the two. "Now I don't know who you think you are with your attempt at an elongated answer, but Winchester you're going to pay for all the crap you created."
"You all really know how to hold a grudge, huh?" Dean remarked with a raised eyebrow, and his eyes were also raised as they found what they were looking for above their heads. His hand nudging Castiel's to inform the former sailor; an escape route had been found.
"What are you all waiting for, grab them!" The broken-nosed man ordered, and at once the crowd rushed in to capture the two.
Dean leaped out of the way of the first who tried to barrel into them, and his raised arms grabbed onto the low cross-beam that helped hold the small roof. Hurriedly he pulled himself up, knowing Castiel was right along side him. The pirate wore an impressed smile, Cas always seemed to know what the plan was.
Castiel led the way, racing across the beam before holding onto the beam as he swung down, his feet finding the soft stomach of one of the villagers. Standing up, the former sailor glanced back at Dean worriedly before racing out the door.
The pirate calmed his sense of worry, and before he could give in to doubt Dean completed the same set of actions as Castiel, his arms grabbing the beam and swinging down.
But this time the crowd was a bit more prepared, and the pirate's landing was met with greedy hands. Dean struggled bravely, trying to push forwards towards the open door which stood so near, letting in the free breeze to drift amongst the closing feeling of captivity. His fight was only restrained by hands that held him, despite how hard he tried to tear away.
The man with the broken nose walked forward, a grin slightly hidden under the hand that tried to ease the amount of flowing blood.
"Get him in chains, we can carry out the sentence tomorrow." There was a rumble of protest at the sound of waiting. But the man with the broken nose smiled as he pulled his hand away from his nose.
"Hey, relax! We're just giving him our hospitality until then." Just as a shiver ran throughout the crowd about the man's meaning, Dean only narrowed his eyes at the idea. For the pirate had experienced worse than the beating he would receive from the town, and his past now became his build of defense.
The man with the broken nose began to walk out the door, but he paused before pointing to the crowd.
"I want all of you to try and find his friend as well, person who finds him gets a bonus."
Dean could easily endure the abuse he was soon to receive, but at the sound of a bounty on Castiel's head, the pirate was once again trying to pull away from the townsfolk. Fire sprang from his gaze as he drilled the flames into the broken-nosed man's own eyes. But the leader of the town only smiled at the sight, and he ignored the flames as he walked through the door.
Castiel was worried.
He knew that as soon as he had exited that house that Dean wasn't going to make it out. The possibility of him getting captured had far outweighed that of his escape. Yet Castiel waited, and how he hated waiting. The only thing that had held the former sailor back from charging back into the house was Dean. If he had gotten captured along with Dean, then the pirate would have been furious, but Castiel wouldn't have cared.
In fact, the former sailor was about to go back into the house when the man with the broken nose stepped out, forcing Castiel to take cover behind one of the many beautiful trees that stood behind the house.
Of course, there could have been a better admiration for such nature if Dean wasn't Dean, Castiel thought with an annoyed sigh, cursing the pirate for being so arrogant at times.
His eyes followed the man with broken nose until the cursed being took a turn into the streets and out of Castiel's sight. Deciding to rearrange his priorities now that the man was out of sight, Castiel instead stared back at the house. His eyes drilled into the doorway, waiting for a sign.
Hope fluttered in the former sailor's chest as the pirate walked through the doorway. Of course this hope was deflated at the sight of Dean chained, and being wrestled out of the house. Pride, that was what Castiel felt as Dean fought against the townsfolk. Anger was what he felt next, and the former sailor began to step out from his hiding spot when the pirate spotted him.
Their eyes drilled into each other, both stubborn as they fought against each other to help one another.
I'm getting you out of this mess right now, Castiel argued with a frown.
Stay exactly where you are, Dean countered, his eyes just as frustrated as Castiel's.
I hate you, Castiel relented slightly, releasing a sigh while he continued to watch Dean struggle.
I know, Dean concluded, and the former sailor watched helplessly as the pirate winked before he began to assault the townspeople verbally with words laced with all sorts of vile weapons. The pirate soon disappeared around a corner, his captors trying hard not to strangle the life out of him immediately.
Calming down, Castiel closed his eyes and began to think. Obviously he was going to have to free Dean from wherever he was being taken.
Moron, Castiel couldn't help but roll his eyes at his, Castiel paused.
What was Dean to him? A friend?
Although that was probably as close as Castiel could get to what he felt when he was with Dean, it fell short. The word was incomplete, unable to name what it was, what bond that the two seemed to share.
Focus, Cas the sound of Dean's voice bringing himself back to the situation at hand. Rising from his hiding spot, Castiel snuck back to the house, casting a glance into the doorway and thankful to see that it was still empty.
Walking around, Castiel found one of the bedrooms of the house, and he searched for a closet.
"Good thing I didn't bring my coat," the former sailor muttered as he grabbed a dark brown jacket, the total length of it much shorter than his own. Looking around the unoccupied building, Castiel finished off his quick disguise with a straw hat. Briefly he glanced at himself in the mirror, pulling the brim of the hat down to cast a shadow over his eyes. But those blue eyes were still noticeable, and the former sailor shrugged to himself before heading out.
"Should be doable," Cas muttered to himself as he exited the house, his eyes cautiously looking around as he walked down the main street.
There were fewer vendors and much less of a crowd compared to Darton, which did settle Castiel's unease.
The sun was preparing to set, the sky growing less bright gradually. A bubble of noise drew Castiel's attention, and he looked up to see a small group of townspeople walking along the road, their eyes scanning everything in sight. Possibilities flew through Castiel's head, and for a moment the sailor hoped that Dean had escaped. Yet the idea was squashed, it was impractical due to the lack of excitement that would have buzzed throughout the town.
There hunting someone down, Castiel decided.
There hunting down you, Cas, Dean's voice corrected like an instructor.
Hurriedly Castiel dodged into an alleyway, before he cursed himself.
"That wasn't obvious at all," Castiel muttered before running down the shaded alley. And just as he predicted, the bustle of a group began to chase him. The former sailor couldn't help but feel the familiarity of this situation, Dean imprisoned and racing through alleyways… the thought brought a small smile back onto his face, and Castiel felt a calming presence of reassurance.
Changing his pace, Castiel stopped immediately before turning around and racing straight at the hunters. Like a bowling ball the former sailor burst through them, and he headed for the cobblestone street. The curses of the gathered hunters were loud and thick before they trailed behind Castiel, bursting out of the alleyway.
"Not that bad of an influence," Castiel relished in a Dean-like grin as he jumped onto one of the vendor carts before using it to jump onto the roof of the building that stood behind it. The cart toppled to its side as he grabbed onto the edge of the building, his feet scraping at the outer-wall to boost himself up. For a moment Castiel laid on the roof, his heart beating from the excitement while his mouth held the shape of Dean's grin.
Maintaining that form, Castiel relished in the feeling as he stood up and looked down at the red-faced townspeople. Ripping off the hat and jacket, Castiel gripped them both in one hand held high.
"Gentlemen," he began, "you may return these back to their owner, I have no use." With that, Castiel dropped the articles of clothing from his high position.
The former sailor bowed to the men, "I do so have enjoyed my brief stay here and will surely miss this place, for I presume this will be my last visit."
Ignoring the shouts and curses that followed him, Castiel strode away from the edge of the building and lept across the opposite edge to a smaller building that sat behind it.
"It was somewhere over here," Castiel thought aloud, his arms crossed as he tried to remember the placement of the jailhouse. Blue eyes narrowed in focus scanned the various rooftops that grew darker with the setting sun, until they widened in victory.
"Ah! There you are!" The former sailor glanced around, as if to look for his companion to revel in his discovery. Shaking his head, Castiel raced across the rooftops in a hurry.
I almost forget sometimes that you're not by my side all the time, Castiel thought to himself, jumping one last time. He looked at the jailhouse that rested next to the building he currently stood on, and Castiel could almost feel Dean's arrogant presence resonating from the building.
Glancing down from the side of the building, Castiel tried to estimate how far down the jump would be. The building he stood on was not tall, but heights was never a favorite of Castiel's; more specifically intentionally jumping off of a building.
"Everytime with him there's always trouble," Castiel muttered, "next time we're going somewhere without a jailhouse," the former sailor paused, "or at least somewhere he hasn't been before."
Sighing once more, Castiel grabbed onto the edge of the building and dropped down to the dark street. The former sailor rolled a bit upon his landing, his legs unable to hold him as they were jarred from the impact. His whole body felt sore from the drop, but Castiel didn't allow himself the pleasure of a break. Standing up, the former sailor headed towards the jailhouse.
Approaching the door, Castiel slowed down, his senses heightened with adrenaline that began to flow. His hand rested briefly on the doorknob, before Castiel twisted the metal knob and slowly opened the door.
Castiel peered through the crack he had created, his eyes finding the sight of the man with the broken nose. An empty glass along with an empty bottle of whiskey sat next to his sleeping figure. Opening the door completely, Castiel entered the main room. Just the state of the building screamed old, and the former sailor didn't even look for the keys. The former sailor had too much experience with breaking out of cells to see the need for keys anymore.
Creeping down a set of stairs, Castiel hurried through the underground hallway, passing by empty cell after empty cell. A light grew closer as he raced down, knowing that if he was still being hunted for the men earlier would come here sooner rather than later.
It was the sound of a man's voice that slowed Castiel's pace and the outline of an open door was framed by torchlight.
"You shouldn't have come back," an alien voice said.
"Bite me," said Dean's voice, sounding so tired to Castiel's ears. The former sailor crept as close as he could, his back pressed against the stone wall. Looking into the cell, Castiel saw that the man stood with his back to the door. A huge mistake in Castiel's eyes, and he indulged in it quickly.
Castiel strode forward and tackled the man, both of them falling to the ground. Acting on his adrenaline, Castiel wrapped his arm around the man's neck, who in turn pulled desperately at the former sailor's arm for air. But the attempts grew weaker and weaker, until finally the man's eyes closed and his arms dropped to his sides. Releasing the man, Castiel turned to face his pirate.
Dean had watched while he was on his knees, his whole face bloody and bruised. Anger and worry bubbled inside of Castiel as he rushed to Dean's side. Grateful that his hands weren't in chains but were bound, the former sailor hurriedly freed Dean.
"You didn't kill him, did you?" Dean asked as he tried to stand up.
"Your rules," Castiel replied before he caught Dean, who almost fell back down to his knees. Dean hissed at the pressure on his injured ribs, trying not to show how hurt he was. Castiel's forehead had lines carved into them showing his concern, but Dean tried to reassure the former sailor.
"I've had worse, trust me."
"I know, but maybe this wouldn't have happened-" Dean interrupted Castiel before he could continue.
"Cas, come on. Let's get on to the Impala first before we argue, right? I'm injured after all, maybe I can wear one of those cool eye-patches too?"
"Whatever you want, Dean," Castiel muttered as he supported the pirate, both of them walking slowly through the tunnel silently.
"Hey Cas?"
Castiel glanced at Dean, curious as to why Dean's voice sounded differently.
"Yes Dean?"
Dean paused for a moment, words caught in his throat. Castiel waited watching as the gears in Dean's mind turned to try and process what to say. The original copy was edited, and instead the pirate smiled at Castiel.
"Thanks, for saving me and all. And sticking around."
Castiel, for one rare moment, decided to let his heart speak for once as the two shuffled forward.
"Dean, do you believe that the two of us share a bond?"
Dean was silent as he thought, before he nodded at the concept.
"A bond? Yeah, definitely," he wore a smirk as the idea grew on him, "Hell, a very profound bond, after all that we've been through together."
"A profound bond," Castiel tested out the idea, and the nameless feelings that had confused the former sailor now seemed beautiful in its clarification. What Dean was to Castiel, the former sailor had yet to identify that beast. But their connection, their bond:
Well it was definitely profound.