It's In Your Eyes

A Place To Be Quiet

Dean's POV -

The air's cold and stabs at my fingers that still clutch my phone in my hand. We're outside and I pause to think. Cas stumbles after me, asking something, but I wasn't listening. The things around me are spinning, all the information I have crashing together in a tiny splash. I don't know enough. Only that she's not okay and that I have to find her. Charlie isn't allowed to suffer if I can help it.

I glare down at my phone like it can just give me the answer, where she is. I'm holding it so tight, squeezing it in my first so hard, it cuts into my palm, starting up an unnoticeable but bruising throb. I raise it, up and bringing my hands back, towards my ear, to cast it away, this offending item that told me my friend was crying. I could smash it. I'm gunna throw it. I pull my arm back further, all happening much quicker than in my head. I'm going to just-

"Dean!"

I look up at a sudden shout and take in Cas's panicked but stern expression, starring me down and demanding my attention. I'd forgotten where I was for a minute. Forgotten I had a friend, who wanted to help.
"Dean, I know where she'll be, for God's sake. If you'd just listen to me!" He's impatient, and the way he speaks with such urgency, shouting my name and looking me in the eye. I shocks me. But what shocks me most is.

"What? How do you know where she'll be, Cas?" He looks down at this and I watch him as he chooses his words carefully, precisely.

"I was wondering. The other day, Sunday, while you were elsewhere, I'm not sure what you were doing..." I was in a music room, with my guitar. But no one knows that except Charlie. Not even Ash or Jo, or Benny who is often there himself... "And I found her there. We talked for a while. See, we've been talking a bit and if she's in trouble, if she's hurting, I need to help too."

"Oh." I nod slowly, taking it in. He's been talking to Charlie a lot? What about? It's good, but what would they talk about?

"Here, I know the way there now. Been a few times, but it's her spot..." Cas smiles softly at his converse and turns towards the trees to our right.

He walks, just in front of me. He doesn't know how to get to most places here, the layout and whole plot of land of the school pretty much a mystery, it's clear, but his feet fall exactly, knowingly, over roots and around trees and plants, weaving a path to his destination, the only route he knows well enough to walk with semi-confidence. He's so surefooted, it's reassuring.

It's quiet between us as I let him show me the way. His face, when I catch glimpses of it as he steps over or around something, is stitched together in thought, it's clear. It's just quiet. Very quiet.

Castiel's memory -

My hand is throbbing again, a full ache most of the time, but now it's a lot hotter, sharper. I woke up lying face down with it squashed under my hipbone, smooshed up. Not streams of blood. Just a little, staining my pyjama bottoms where the scab cracked under my weight.

It's bandaged up a little again now. I could hardly stand the sight of the dried blood, but seeing the raw, baby-pink flesh and darker, liquid blood was enough to convince me to hide it under cotton.

So I walk. And keep walking. I'm not sure I'll be able to find my way back to the school... In fact, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to. But I don't care, I'll live out here. It's heavily wooded, still on the grounds, but far enough out that I hadn't seen anyone else venture this far. I can hear water, faint but distinctly trickling. And I follow that welcome sound.

Dean disappeared early on after breakfast. I punched a godamn shower. That can't be healthy. Over a boy. It's not unusual that I acted out, but violence?

I step into a little clearing, bright with the sun just past directly above us, showing through the wide gap in the trees. The water pools into a little spring like that in a film or TV show. I let out a little, breathy laugh to myself and I look into it's perfect, crystal blue water and watch the tiny, cute waterfall gush into it, dribbling down the rocks around too.

It's warm and the air is definitely heavy with damp, stormy potential, but it won't release until later, I'm sure. So I'm good for now, and I should be back in a few hours, provided I find my way okay. Instead of worrying, I revel in the weather for a minute, still fixated on that baby pool, it looks deep enough to swim in, clean enough to drink from and cool enough to provide much needed relief from this muggy heat. I'll try to come back here again, tomorrow maybe, and take a dip... It can be my place to get away, to be alone, hidden-

"Hey Cas... How'd you find it here?" A little voice, thick with emotion but still recognisable.

Charlie's back may be turned, but it's clear I've stumble upon her place. Where she comes for all those things I was going to use it for... To be alone. To be quiet. From the sound of her... To let her emotion out safely, still hidden, tucked away, unseen.

I've intruded, and all she does is pat her gentle, little hand on the log beside her, her profile showing her puffy red eyes and a knowing, understanding, comforting smile just for me.

"Come, sit with me. I could do with the company..."

I slide down next to her, starring forward, when her arms go around me, a tight, shaky hug, and a kiss, on the mouth yes, but it's a simple gesture of friendship, of trust. She trusts me, and she's known me not even three days...

"So, Cas... What's on your mind?"