Nathaniel and Castiel walked on the beach, enjoying each other's company. Their fingers were linked together as they walked, and they held hands as if letting go would cause them to drift apart. Casiel smiled as Nathaniel planted a kiss on his cheek. They laughed and talked as they strolled through the monochromatic blue beach. It was early enough in the morning to where the sun wasn't rising yet, but it was not dark either, so they would be alone for at least another hour.
"-and you remember those time I used to mess stuff up in the student council room?"
"Yeah?"
Castiel blushed.
"I was really just trying to get your attention."
Nathaniel smiled as he wrapped his arms around Castiel's waist.
"Well, you have it now."
They kissed again before Nathaniel set Castiel back to his feet and they held hands again. They continued to walk and talk for a while before Nathaniel slowed down.
"Castiel, I have something I really want to ask you?"
"Go ahead."
"You know I really love you? I don't like you. I LOVE you."
Castiel smiled.
"I know, and I love you too."
"I know it is sort of early to be asking you this, and we can wait until you're ready."
"Just ask me."
"I've been building up the courage to ask you this for a long time."
"What is it?"
Nathaniel stopped walking. Castiel turned and looked back.
"What's wrong Nat-"
Nathaniel had gotten down on one knee and held a silver ring in a black box towards Castiel.
"Will you marry me?"
Castiel felt as if all the air in his body had disappeared when Nathaniel said those words. He wanted to speak, but the world went silent, and he didn't have the air to mutter his response. He brought his hands to his chest and smiled, nodding as tears started to roll down his cheeks. Nathaniel smiled as he slipped the ring onto Castiel's finger before standing and embracing him.
"I love you."
They kissed.
"I love you too."
Castiel trembled as he stared down at the ring, tracing it with the fingers of the other hand. Tears never stopped rolling down his cheeks for a second as the events that just happened replayed in his head.
"So you're the one who made him think it was okay to defy me? You two have no business being together!"
He started to squeeze the trigger.
"Cas!"
Nathaniel ran over, shielding Castiel from the bullet that came to him. Castiel froze as Nathaniel's blood decorated the room. His flesh ripped with the impact of the bullet, opening the wound wide enough for Castiel to see daylight on the other side. Nathaniel's father smirked as his son collapsed. Castiel caught him before he hit the ground and dropped to his knees, holding Nathaniel gently as he panicked.
"Nat?! Oh my god!"
Nathaniel's felt himself slipping away and placed a hand on Castiel's cheek.
"I…I love…"
He coughed, and his mouth filled with blood, which ran over the edges of his mouth and down his neck and chin.
"Baby!"
Nathaniel's eyes glazed over as he went limp. Castiel hugged him tightly.
"No!"
"Heh…"
Castiel looked up to see Nathaniel's father aiming the gun at him.
"One down. One to go."
He aimed at Castiel who trembled as he held his boyfriend.
"Just close your eyes. It will all be over soon."
CLICK!
Castiel flinched, only to look up and see Nathaniel's father staring down at the gun. He'd run out of ammo.
"DAMMIT!"
He pulled out the magazine to inspect its contents. Just then, a loud knock was heard at the door. Nathaniel's neighbors had gathered outside his apartment door to see what the commotion was.
"What's going on in there?!"
Nathaniel's father glanced at the door before glaring at Castiel.
"Dammit."
He ran over to Nathaniel's window in his bedroom and threw it open, climbing out and using the fire escape to get to his car before speeding off.
BOOM!
Nathaniel's front door flew open, and the tenants gasped at the sight before them. They called the police and an ambulance and after speaking to the cops, Castiel was able to go to the hospital with Nathaniel.
He wiped his eyes as he looked over to his fiancé. Nathaniel had been unconscious for hours and according to the doctor, wasn't going to wake up any time soon. The bullet tore up his lung beyond repair, and it wouldn't be fixed until they came up with the money to get a new one.
Castiel wiped his eyes again before sighing and walking over to Nathaniel. He kissed his fiance's forehead.
"You're gonna be pissed at me for this, but I have to do it."
The next day, Castiel dropped out of school.
_Imagine this is the next chapter_
Castiel entered the clothing shop, taking a deep breath when he noticed the extremely handsome owner standing behind the counter.
"It's only $450,000 dollars. I can get it. I'll just have to find a job."
The owner sat at the counter, quickly sewing up a dress that looked similar to the one Rosalya had been wearing. He heard Castiel come in and glanced up before waving him over.
"Hey, I was here to ask about a job ad I saw-"
"You're hired. Pass me the violet thread."
"Uh…"
Castiel looked into the drawer labeled purple. He pulled it out to see fifteen different roles of thread, each a different shade of purple.
"Which one's violet?"
The shop keeper, who remained unnamed, never looked up from the dress as he reached over and grabbed the violet thread.
"Thank you."
"I didn't do anything…but okay."
He continued to sew, occasionally asking Castiel to pass him something, only to get it himself before gently returning to his focused state of whatever he was working on. Time came to close the shop and he locked the front door.
"We go out the back. Customers come in the front. Understand?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Great."
The shop keeper passed Castiel a broom.
"Sweep up back here."
"Okay-"
The strange man set the dress down on a shelf behind the counter before leaping over the desk and hurrying over to the racks of clothing, quickly picking up pieces of clothing and accessories shoppers had dropped during the day. He finished shortly before Castiel finished sweeping and looked down at his watch before opening the register and pulling out a few twenties. He passed one of them to Castiel before stuffing one down into his pocket and counting the rest of the money in the register. He pushed it shut and looked up at Castiel.
"You know you can go home now, right?"
"O…kay…"
The man gave Castiel a strange smile before pulling out his phone and hurrying out the door. Castiel stared down at the twenty in his hand.
"Twenty dollars a day…at this rate…it is going to take me forever to get this money! Where the hell else am I gonna get cash? I have to get a second job…"
Castiel groaned as he hurried out the door to the supermarket across the street.
Castiel got the job that day, and another one at a fast food restaurant. He worked almost all day every day, saving up every penny he earned. By the end of the month, he'd earned $1,560 dollars and only had two hours to sleep every day. He lost weight and his hair slowly began to fall out as time passed, and his friends began to worry. He was inching up the sidewalk one day when he felt himself growing increasingly tired as he progressed.
"Almost there."
He wiped his brow and paused, leaning on a bench.
"A…almost there…"
He couldn't go on.
"Ugh…"
He fell onto the bench, taking a load off his worn bones.
"No time…"
He tried to get up before his legs buckled and he fell back onto the bench again. He tried to catch his breath, but felt it getting harder and harder. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his back and heard a familiar voice.
Actually…I think I wanna cliff hang there. Mwahaha…ha…..don't worry. The next chapter is coming soon.
