Chapter Text
“You never fly on Mondays,” One kid asked from the tower, “What do you have against Mondays?”
Cas looked up from his book, startled. “Nothing!” This was a lie. “I just don’t feel like it.” This was an understatement. He hated Mondays with a burning passion. If he could, he’d get rid of them entirely. Technically his family could, but they wouldn’t.
“But you're the best at tag!” They complained.
“Sam is also good at tag!” Cas pointed to the kid on the other towers. “Why don’t you ask him?”
“Because we’re not allowed to!” When Cas cocked his head, they continued, “The teachers said he ‘needs space’.” The kid mimicked the teacher's voice. “Also we already asked and he said no.”
“Why does he need space?”
“You don’t know?”
Cas glared at the kid. “No I don’t.”
“Really?” With another look, the kid spilled. “His brother, Dean, you know Dean right? Yeah? Okay, Dean’s missing!”
Some of the kids from the tower next to theirs glared at them for talking about Sam’s brother.
“Oh like you don’t want to talk about it!” The kid called over to them.
“His brother’s missing?” Cas repeated. “Why?”
The kid looked down at Cas, then flew down. “You’re the new kid, right?” He asked, “Well, the newer kid?”
“‘Newer’ kid? And yes I am.”
“Well Dean and Sam came a week before you did so yeah,” The kid trailed off. “Oh you are the new kid? Nice! This school doesn’t get many new kids so two in one year…”
“Yes,” Cas said while walking away.
“Where are you going?”
“To talk with Sam.” With that, Cas left and made his way over to the little boy over in the corner. “Hello Sam.” He said gruffly.
He looked up at Cas with big eyes, “Yes?”
“I heard your brother’s missing?”
“What’s that to you!” He said, words like spikes. “You didn’t know him! No one here did!”
Cas held up his hands defensively, “Well I would’ve liked to, but you’re right. No one here knew your brother like you do. I am sorry for that. I hope you find him soon.” After Cas finished, he turned to leave.
“Wait!” Sam shot up.
“Hmm?”
“Why did you say that?”
“Because,” He looked away for a moment but then turned back, “Because I know what it’s like to lose family.”
Sam snorted but then realized Cas was telling the truth. “Oh really? Did someone run away in your family?”
“Yes actually, two of my brothers.” His face turned to stone, revealing nothing.
“Oh.” Sam blinked, “Who?”
Lucifer and Gabriel. “Two of them.”
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I.”
They shared a moment of silence for each other’s lost brothers. The bell rang and shook them out of their silent conversation.
“Well I better get going. Good luck.” Sam said softly.
“And you too.”
Cas had a free period. Instead of going out during free periods, like most kids, he decided to visit the gardens. The whole field of white flowers dedicated to his family stood there proudly, almost like they were mocking him. The sun lit each of the flower’s petals with a soft light, casting the illusion that they were more powerful than you’d think. He took a seat on the bench with his family’s name on it, taking in each wonderful flower aroma he could. That’s when he noticed the small golden speck in the white clouds of flowers. It was a tiger lily! A variant of color! A hope of something new! Something different and not perfect! Right as he was about to get up, one of the gardeners plucked away the lily. It hurt, but he knew exactly why. Imperfections were not tolerated. He thought while glancing at the bag full of ‘imperfect’ flowers.
Every time he tried to escape the fiasco of his family, it somehow seemed to follow him. Like a bear to honey. Or more accurately, a fly to the garbage.
“Come to admire your weird cult family’s handiwork?”
Another one of these kids. There had been some kids that had not liked that Castiel and his family moved to town. Their family’s had heavily sided with the Daemones. Cas never usually had problems with those types of kids, but very rarely, they’d pick fights with him.
“My family is not a cult.” He said shortly.
“Pfft! Of course it is!” Another kid snorted. “Born and raised by your family, live and die by your family, right? That’s your motto or something like it.”
“Our ‘motto’” He said mocking the other kid, “Is nothing like that!” Cas stood up and took a breath. “And why should you care?”
The majority of the group backed up, but one brave or stupid kid stood her ground. “Then what is it, if it’s not creepy!”
Cas took a step closer but she still stood strong. “It’s none of your business!” He growled.
“Well if you don’t tell us, it’s gotta be something very cult-like!”
“Fine!” Cas practically shouted, “It’s ‘to live and to die by family is a life well fought’ and it’s not creepy or cult-like!”
By then, the girl had already stood down. Almost all of the kids were quivering in fear. Cas was confused at first, but then realized it was because he had let out his wings. He scowled at each of the kids, then roughly tucked them back in with a jerk of his head and a shrug of his shoulders. He continued his scowling, then left.
The next day, the school was filled with the chatter of kids gossiping.
‘Did you see his wings?’
‘The size of them!’
‘It's true what they say about that family!’
‘Pure white, like snow!’
“Can’t believe Clarissa actually stood up to him like that!’
‘I wish my wings looked like that.’
‘No wonder his family’s so proud of themselves, imagine looking like that!’
His first thought was: Good, none of them suspect anything. Then his second was: It’s all a lie. How could he bathe in praise not meant for him?
He ran away, tears streaming down his face.
‘Woah! look what you’ve done!’
‘Sorry!’
His heart burned as his throat closed up. I wish I was normal.