Work Text:
Castiel stretched his legs when he walked out of the Impala. He took a deep sigh, closing his eyes and focusing on the feel of fresh air going through his nostrils. He turned around, opening his eyes and looking to the surroundings with deep care: long grass and gannets embellished the aisle towards the main entrance. He could hear some ducks splashing water, probably on the shore of the lake.
Then, nothing.
The silence was astounding. Castiel had been around since the beginning, but ever since he came to Earth, there was always noise around: the leaves creaking underneath his step on a hunt, the roaring of the Earth as a bridge to Hell was opened, the tearing of the Winchesters skin after a fight, Dean’s silent prayers…
But this. This was new. And beautiful.
The sound of wild breezes crashing against his hair. The sunlight brightening his skin. Dean’s quiet breaths.
He would never get enough of this.
Free will was their new normal, and their family finally had the opportunity to do everything they’ve always dreamed to do: explore the world, take vacations, peacefully sleep without the never-ending worry that the world was coming to an end.
The previous months have been of transition: Sam and Eileen creating the North America Hunters Network on the bunker and helping everyone in every possible way; with Jody and Donna’s help they kept the activities below the police’s radars.
Meanwhile, Dean had decided that he was ready to see the sun. Or so he said.
Deep down, Cas thought that he had quitted to his place in the bunker because of him. Because Cas wanted a garden, and the sunlight through the curtains, and going to the farmers market like any other family. He wanted to brunch with Jack and Claire on the weekends. He wanted that white picket life. And Dean was willing to give it to him. He was ready to quit to all he knew, only if Cas remained by his side.
And here they were: Their first trip of pleasure.
Jody had recommended the place since the cabin by the lake belonged to a friend of hers. They didn’t give a second thought to the idea.
“What do you think, buddy? Nice, right?”
Castiel nodded, his eyes closed as he let his mind wander for a moment, connecting and turning one and the same with the nature that surrounded him. “Is perfect, Dean.”
…
Yamato softly caressed the strings from the guitar in his hands. He hummed an old song he hadn’t heard a long time ago and was suddenly brought back to his memories. He lifted his gaze just enough to see Taichi on the other side of the room, frowning in front of a bunch of papers. He let out a sigh: He would never change.
“I thought we agreed on no job these weeks, Yagami”.
Taichi lifted his eyes and turned in his direction, fondly smiling with the image of Yamato playing with the guitar. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw him doing anything unrelated to astronomy.
Yamato smiled, and this time the brown-haired could see that smile reach his eyes, a shinning blue replying to him. He answered back with the same expression.
Yamato had just unpacked from a 10-months mission on the International Space Station, where he had conducted a serious study on Mars that would improve the measurement of radiation on its surface. When Taichi said it, it sounded boring, but Yamato was able to make it sound like the most interesting thing in the universe. Yet, in that precise moment, all Taichi wanted from him was to relax. He had earned it.
He, on the other hand, had a lot of work to do.
But not every day your boyfriend comes back from the space (literally), so he went and rented a house next to a lake, a silent solitary place where they wouldn’t be bothered. Far away from Texas warm weather and New York noisy rhythm. And far away from their siblings and friends, scattered around the world.
It was a dream come true.
“Not all of us can leave work behind like you, spaceman.”
Yamato rolled his eyes, letting the brunette have a moment of fun at his expense. He had missed Taichi’s smile more than he’d ever admitted. “Ha, ha… So mature Taichi”
“I mean it, Yamato. You can leave your job whenever you want: the moon will still be there.”
“You know that the moon is always moving right? And that I’m not even working on the moon right now?”
“Yeah, yeah… Whatever. My point remains: the moon will still be the moon. But this freaking thing is unreadable.”
Yamato left the guitar by his side and walked towards Taichi. “What are you reading anyway?”
“Ugh, don’t ask. The French sent a resolution project at 11:58 on the last day of sessions. We’re supposed to take it back as soon as the Opening Sessions finish, and of course, being the damn bastards they are, they sent it all in French, no translations available. I have to work with 300 pages of a project while on vacation.” Yamato nodded, without speaking. Taichi let out a frustrated sigh, “You know? Sometimes I hate them so much: Yes, they’re an official language of the UN, but that doesn’t mean they should be so annoying. That’s on them. And they didn’t even win the war!”
Yamato kept nodding, used to Taichi’s summer rants. Somehow, the French delegation by the UN managed to annoy him every damn year, and Taichi became more and more reluctant about the language.
“Do you want some help?” Yamato asked, already fitting his glasses on his nose. Taichi denied with a smile.
“Nah, go play the guitar. I’ll keep trying to translate this thing and then I’ll throw it to the lake while I scream ‘Vive La Revolution’ or something like that.” Yamato smiled, before leaving a soft kiss on Taichi’s forehead and going back to his previous place: an armchair by the window, where he could see herons flying above the lake.
Once he was sat, Yamato closed his eyes and played the old song by memory. He recognized Taichi’s lotion lingering in the air, as well as the smell of coffee they had for breakfast. He hummed the lyrics, and opened his eyes for a second, just to see the relaxed smile on Taichi’s face.
This vacation was worth everything.
…
“Dean, did your order something?”
The blonde watched in Cas's direction, walking through the door with confusion painted on his face, a package in his hands. “What do you mean, Cas?”
“I found this in the mail.”
The terror took control of Dean’s face immediately, slightly stuttering. “Is it…?”
“No, the package is not cursed. I’ve already checked, and these are just some books.”
“Do you think somebody sent them? Sammy maybe? Or Rowena?”
Cas tilted his head, unable to understand the ideas roaming in Dean’s head. “No. These are ordinary books. And they’re not addressed to any of us. Nor our alias. And it’d be odd that they sent them on our first day here.”
Dean relaxed when he heard it. “Well, maybe they’re from the owner, and he forgot to mention it. Nothing to freak out about.”
“Do you remember his name”
Dean bit his lip, forcing his memory. “Uh… I dunno. It was something like… Austin Vernon. Am I close?”
Castiel denied with his head. “It seems unlikely. They are addressed to someone with Japanese ancestry. His name is Yamato Ishida.”
“Uh… Maybe the post-service got the address wrong. Leave it on the mailbox.”
Cas left a resigned sigh out of him. Sometimes it was hard to believe that coincidences and mistakes existed out of a master plan to force them to watch one another die, over and over. A fond smile lit up his face.
“You’re right. That’s what I’m gonna do. Thank you, Dean.”
The blonde winked in his direction, something that made the angel blush just a little bit . “Always at your service, Cas.”
…
“Do you think they’ll be angry with us?”
A metallic sound took Yamato out of his head. Taichi was still with his nose buried at the pages in front of him, taking notes on a notebook that was next to him. But he was sure of what he heard.
Yamato left the guitar and walked outside, where the mailbox’s red flag stood tall, announcing the arrival of mail. He openly smiled, rushing to get the package he has been waiting for for some days. Then, walked back, so focused on the brown-paper package that he didn’t recognize the worry in Taichi’s face.
“Yama… are you okay?”
Ishida only nodded, too focused on the item in his hands to pay attention to the older Yagami.
“Yeah, yeah… Just went out because I heard the mail arriving. The books I ordered are finally here.”
“That’s weird. It’s a long weekend in here, I thought mail workers didn’t work today.”
Taichi face showed confusion, and Yamato was speechless because… what could he say about the American calendar? So he changed the topic.
“So, what were you saying?”
Taich left out a sigh: he knew Yamato was a workaholic worse than him, and of course he’d rush out to pick his books. He knew they were about the next project he’ll be working on and wasn’t surprised that the blonde was trying to avoid talking of them. So, he returned to his current worry.
“I asked you if you think they’ll be angry with us.”
“For skipping 8/1? It’s unlikely.”
The brown-headed nodded, reluctant to agree with the blonde. Yamato left his package and walked towards him, gently placing his arms around Taichi and leaving a soft kiss on his temple. “Are you worried, Chi?
He nodded. “I know it’s stupid. The others have occasionally missed it too, like when Mimi and Koushiro went on their honeymoon.”
Yamato nodded “Or when Miyako was in the hospital for the birth of their child.”
“Or Takeru having his first reunion with his editor.”
“See?” said the blonde, placing another kiss on Taichi’s forehead, speaking with a smooth and soft voice. “They’ve missed them in the past and we’re still friends and we can still count on them. And they know they can count on us.”
“But… this is different.” Taichi shrugged, letting himself be hugged my Yamato’s arms “I feel selfish, because not only I’m missing the reunion, I’m also making you miss it because I want you just for myself. And I… I feel like I’m failing them as a leader.”
Yamato sighed, controlling his urge to roll his eyes. “Taichi, we’re not children anymore. We’re not fighting wars to save the world.”
“Excuse you? What do you think I do every day at work?”
Yamato couldn’t control himself and rolled his eyes, showing how absurd it was. “Okay, most of us aren’t running around, saving the world.” Taichi smiled, satisfied that his contributions to the UN were recognized, even in something as little as his own worries. The blonde continued “And certainly, you’re not failing anyone as a leader. You’re entitled to want some space to relax, they all know it’s not because you don’t love them, but simply because you want some time unplugged. Even if you’re a workaholic and can’t leave whatever you’re reading.”
Taichi smiled, “Oh, like you, Mr. I’m-buying-books-to-read-on-vacation spaceman Ishida?”
Yamato smirked back, recognizing the spark in Taichi’s eyes that said he felt better already. (Just enough to mess with him. “You know? Some people read for pleasure, not just for the obligation.”
Taichi openly laughed, leaving a kiss on the blonde’s cheek, and slowly disentangling them. “Okay, who are you and what did you do with my Yamato?”
Yamato smirked “I’m still the same person, dumbass. It’s just that you’re acting like an idiot and I know that fighting with you won’t lead us anywhere. So I’m trying another approach. Does it work?”
Taichi nodded, making his best puppy eyes before replying. “Kinda… Will you do lunch? That’ll definitely make me feel better”
The blonde rolled his eyes but nodded with a smile. Taichi saw him walk to the kitchen and thought to himself how lucky he was for being loved by his best friend, who happened to be an excellent cook.
…
Castiel was sure there was something strange about the mailbox.
He was sure he hadn’t hallucinated. He was an angel of the Lord, he couldn’t hallucinate.
Cas had barely left the package in the mailbox when he saw how the flag went down and the package was gone. No mailman around.
Dean thought that the lack of the supernatural in their life was making Cas look for it, but for his sake they investigated: there weren’t hex bags, nor ghost presence. They did every ritual they knew about, and still, the mailbox stood still, no sign of witchery or anything strange.
But of course, Cas was reluctant to believe it.
“I’m telling you, Dean. There is something with this mailbox.”
“Cas, my angel, love of my life. Maybe you just miss these things. It’s been a while, and damn, even I sometimes miss the smell of fresh blood. When we go back, we go on a hunt. To take out the stamina in you. What do say, huh?”
Cas rolled his eyes, giving Dean his trademark bitch face. “I did not go crazy, Dean. This mailbox works as a dimensional portal. I know what I am saying.”
“Cas, Chuck’s off the radar, Rowena controls Hell and Jack keeps an eye at all times on angels. Even the monsters are behaving. There is no one powerful enough to be bitching with us right now. Do you want some chamomile and honey tea?”
“What?!”
Dean shrugged. “I asked if you want some chamomile and honey tea?”
Cas rolled his eyes, something he had already done way too much that day. “Dean, you know I only taste the molecules”
“Is that a no?”
Cas stayed silent for some seconds and rolled his eyes. “No. Let’s go for that tea”
…
But Castiel was sure of what he was saying, and he was determined to prove it, even if only to himself.
He wasn’t a stranger to Dean being reluctant to believe him. Damn, even their first encounter Dean thought he was lying.
So, when he offered to make dinner for later, Dean jumped before he even put on his apron. “Stay the hell out of my kitchen, Castiel!” And Cas bitch-faced him, while the blonde was ignorant to the fact that that was Cas’ plan to get him busy, so he wouldn’t sneak over his shoulder to find out what he planned to do.
“Great. Then I will take some time to write a letter for Jack.”
“Ain’t easier talk to the kid?” He said while he put water to boil for pasta. He was choosing the seasoning, giving Cas the chance to do as he pleased. He took some paper and his favorite pen (a ridiculous rainbow-colored pen with a pair of wings. Gift from Claire)
“For humans. But writing my thoughts and reading them out loud days after I wrote them down helps me to understand them better. Jack says is also helpful for him.”
Dean shrugged, unable to say anything else because he was no authority when it comes to communication. So, he just raised the volume of the radio that was playing some classic Journey and left Cas to do whatever he was about to do.
Which was the original plan of the angel.
Yes. He could’ve waited until Dean was finally sleeping at 3 am to write the letter, but he’d find it hard to
And he did intend on writing to Jack. It is just that that’d be his second letter of the day.
He took some paper and the feather’s pen Sam had gotten for him at Christmas and sat down to write letters.
…
“Taichi, did you order something?”
Yagami answered with a “Nah” that showed his head was buried in something else. Yamato didn’t think twice and went outside, where the red flag stood again. He frowned: he didn’t expect another package and Taichi neither.
Yet, he felt like the mailbox called in his direction “Yamato… I have something for you! Don’t you want to know what it is?”
And damn him and his curiosity, because he couldn’t stand still, ignorant of whatever was happening. Yamato rolled his eyes and fixed his shirt, walking towards the mailbox like he couldn’t care less.
When he opened it, a yellow letter envelope glistened with the sunlight. He took it through his hands
To whom it may concern.
It was written with charming handwriting that revealed English wasn’t the first language of whoever wrote it.
Curiosity devoured him. He shouldn’t, right?
This wasn’t his house. He didn’t even rent the house.
But he was there for some reason. Because something, someone, bigger than him, wanted him at that moment in the house by the lake, right?
He left out a sigh and closed his eyes while he begged for forgiveness to every God and Goddess that ever existed. Yamato opened the letter and read it.
…
July 29th, 2021
Hello
My name is Castiel. I am currently living in this house, by the lake, because I’m on vacation.
I am writing this letter because I know this will arrive at you. I am aware that what I am about to write might sound weird, but I think we’re living in the same house, at the same time, in different dimensions.
I hope you are a human open to supernatural experiences because I have had quite some of them through my life and this is, perhaps, the less weird I have had to face.
If you’re so kind, please reply to me.
Have a nice day
Castiel.
…
To say he was in awe was to belittle the situation.
“Taichi, what day is it?”
The brown-haired frowned while lifting his gaze. “I think… the 30th. Why?”
The blonde just nodded, ignoring his question and replying with another one. “And are there other houses in this lake?”
“Not that I know about, what’s going on Yama?” Asked Taichi, lifting his head for the first time in the entire day.
The blonde calmed the tense feeling that came from Taichi. “Nothing. I’m… gonna head out to give you some quiet time”
Taichi didn’t have a chance to reply before Yamato walked out of the house, in the opposite direction of the famous mailbox.
…
Yamato was awfully quiet through dinner, the letter carved in his mind. Luckily, Taichi had had a terrible day translating the resolution project, so he was very willing to fill any awkward silence with complaints about the French. But Yamato barely heard him, still thinking in the improbability of someone living in their house at the same time, in an alternate dimension.
It wasn’t possible, was it?
Like yeah, he was open to “weird” things. He had had a Digimon partner when such a thing seemed impossible. And he knew humanity unknew more about the universe than what they did know.
Yet… he was a scientist. He would need proof to believe something like that. Was it possible? How did he not know if it was a bad joke of a stupid kid that lived nearby?
But no. Yamato felt like it was true. Like he was really living something life-changing. Again.
After all, when has his life been normal?
“Taichi… Have you ever heard of a name such as Castiel?”
Taichi was surprised by the sudden question, but he hummed for a while, before he answered “Not that I remember, though… No, wait! I did”
“What?”
The brown-headed took some broccoli from his plate and spoke. “This is really stupid, but once we had an intern at the office who was obsessed with some books about some brothers and an angel… his name was Castiel.”
“His?” Yamato was confused but somehow glad he was finding more about Castiel. Even the Castiel who wrote to him wasn't an angel or the star of a book.
“Yeah, I think so. He seemed like an important character and I remember she and another girl once argued about the lack of female characters in the book, so yeah… He’s him. I don’t know if that’s a real name, but you can always look it up on the internet, though you’ll probably be directed to the books”.
Yamato silently nodded, while Taichi returned to his story about the translation.
After dinner, he sat down on the sofa while Taichi looked on the internet for a soccer match he had missed.
“I must be getting crazy,” Yamato thought as he started writing down a reply.
…
July 30th, 2021
Hello Castiel!
I’m Ishida Yamato. I think I might be going crazy because I’m also on a vacation at the house by the lake. And I’m certain this is the only house by the lake: today I went out for a walk and didn’t found another nearby.
Are you open to strange things? Because this is weird but isn’t the strangest thing that has happened to me. I think this house has a wormhole in the mailbox! How crazy is that?! (By the way, I’m an astrophysicist, so I think I have enough authority on the topic to say it)
Anyway, how did you realize this? Please tell me this is not something common on your dimension, ‘cause I might faint.
Thinking twice, I think I do want to know if this is something common because that could change our understanding of the universe. Well, this side of the universe anyway.
I’d love to know more about your universe. Thank you for reaching out, I know this will change entirely the way I understand the universe I live in. Have a great day.
Yamato.
…
“Dean, what’s a wormhole?”
“A hole… made by a worm?”
Cas rolled his eyes. “Haha, pretty funny.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. And what in the eff are you reading anyway? Are you high on those 80’s books Sam gave you? Cause let me tell you, anything Sam reads… It’s pretty shit. I mean, I once saw them reading those Twilight books and they’re bad, man. Like, really bad”
Castiel rolled his eyes because he didn’t want to remember Dean of that time he went to his room at 3 am (cause he had a question about a case) and found him sleeping and literally drooling while a scene of New Moon was playing in the Dean-cave.
“No, this is a serious question. For research, I’m doing.”
Dean sat down on the couch, surfing on the TV in search of something to watch. But he lifted his gaze, focusing his eyes on Cas’ blue ones.
“What are you researching about?”
“Parallel Universes”
Castiel looked dead serious, and Dean couldn’t help let out a sigh. “I’m gonna need a beer to know what’s going on in your mind, right?”
Castiel tilted his head, before smiling warmly. “I think you’re gonna need more than just a beer”
…
Yamato woke up the following morning and smiled to himself when he saw that the red flag stood tall.
Castiel had written back.
Taichi still slept deeply, but that only gave him more time to read his new friend’s letter, drink some tea and maybe start to reply.
He made some oolong tea for himself and took a blueberry bagel they had bought the previous day before sitting on the sofa he had adopted as his own, where the sunlight started to shine and illuminate the house and started to read.
…
July 31st, 2021
Dear Yamato-san:
I am thankful for your reply.
Even in my universe, this is abnormal. I knew about the existence of other worlds, but I always thought they were foreign to me. Impossible to reach.
The only times I could reach other worlds (because I’m somehow lucky on that matter) was through magic. Literally, divine magic. This is not the strangest thing that has happened to me, but then again, it could be. But for you to understand my knowledge and experience with parallel worlds, you need to be open to supernatural things.
I told Dean (my husband) about this, but he thinks I’m delusional. He also couldn’t explain to me what a wormhole is and I had to dig through the internet (unintended pun), and it is fascinating all the imagination humanity has to create and think of things they have not seen but might as well exist. I agree and I also believe this is a wormhole.
What are you doing in the house? I understand that this could come as a personal question, but I think the circumstances through which we met are odd, especially if you weren’t looking for something of this nature. We’re here for a vacation: my husband and I’ve had some rough years at work and decided to take some time for ourselves for the first time. My oldest daughter is looking after our son (he’s 4), and both are under the vigilance of my brother-in-law. Although I have many brothers and sisters, most of my life I felt alone. But when I got the chance to look after Claire and Jack and realized I had a family, I was mesmerized by the feeling. The happiness I find in being a parent is indescribable (at least in English, that is not my mother tongue), but that means that I’ve just been missing them a lot.
On the other hand, it is weird and comforting to have some time just for me and my thoughts. Each morning I go by the lake and sit just to see the fishes swim, is a relaxing activity for me. And then I come back for a cup of tea and then go out to send my prayers to my son and feel the wind against me. Sometimes I listen to music from my phone (I am a big fan of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé), but most times I just like to feel the grass against my skin.
I am afraid I have filled this letter with information about me, yet I would like to know about you: You mentioned you’re an astrophysicist, that seems like a very interesting area of science. Do you work in the vicinity? I would like to know more about your field of work.
I have not mentioned that I realized about the wormhole because some days ago we received a package I now know was for you, and I found odd not only the name to whom they were addressed but also that they disappeared as soon as I put them back in the box mail. Are they some passionate type of fiction work? Or maybe something for work?
You also mentioned you have had some strange experiences in the past: as someone with a life filled with them, I’d like to share some of these stories with you, but I was wondering if you could first tell me about your experiences… Mainly not to scare you too much, or you could think I’m insane.
I am not insane.
(Dean says now that a sane person would not highlight that they are not insane, but I still believe is something worth recognizing)
I am on dinner duty and I’m afraid I must go to chop some peppers. Thank you for your kind answer. Have a marvelous day!
Castiel.
…
Yamato stood still.
Because this Castiel, with his pretty handwriting, was here telling him about his life, his family and he found interesting what Yamato did. But not in the “interview” sense, but in the “you are a human being and that makes you amazing sense”.
It had been years since someone made him felt like that.
If he was honest, only Gabumon ever made him feel like he was special and interesting just by being.
He sighed, wondering what his Digimon partner was doing in the digiworld at that moment.
He made a mental note to give him a call to make sure everything was alright, and then he took a pen and paper and proceeded to write to his new friend.
Because this was the start of a new friendship. And somehow, in an era of emails instant messages, and video calls, meeting someone by a handwritten letter was as possible as a miracle.
And maybe, that’s what it was.
A friendship miracle.
…
August 1st, 2021
Dear Castiel:
Do you want to know about my weird experiences in life?
Well, it all started a day like today, in 1999.