The Sun Doesn't Rise in Heaven { Destiel }

15 ' In Which Cas Comes to a Realization

Castiel walks among the gardens of the palace. Yes, they are beautiful, and he notices, but he's never much had an eye for the pleasant things in life. Charlie shows him each flower, explaining what it's called and what it is to mean symbolically. He nods at her and makes idle comments.

The dressware makes him uncomfortable. The feel of tight fabric on his arms and chest leaves him with a sense of vulnerability. He cant move as fluidly.. and as deadly as he would like. And even though nobody would honestly look at his shoes, Charlie still insisted he wear court sandals instead of his new Asgardian boots.

"Here, let's walk this way," Charlie suggests, Cas down another path. "There are lilies in the pools!"

"Ah," Cas responds, feigning interest, and follows her obediently.

The nobles around eye him uncertainly. They do not recognize him, and the ones that do shy away. They think to themselves that something like Cas doesn't belong in these beautiful gardens.

He agrees with them.

Dean keeps his distance, wondering if it's smart to poke fun and argue with Cas in a place so public. He can tell the whole escapade was the little servant girl's idea. Castiel looks obviously uncomfortable, even though it fits him perfectly (unlike the blue monstrosity). Dean sees Cas's false interest in what the young girl shows him, that the beauties of the gardens hold little meaning to Cas.

But Dean notices the way something lights up in the warrior's eyes when he sees the lilies in the pools. It is as if he softens, so much so that even the harshness of his features seemingly lessens.

"My fia-, sorry, my friend loved these flowers," Cas tells Charlie, bending down slightly to get a better look. "Water lilies, right?"

"Yes!" Charlie tells him, happy to have at least captured his interest with something.

The flowers themselves are pure white, their tips flecked with speckles of a soft golden color. Cas tries not to think of it, but the memory of his friend makes him think of happier times, before war, and especially before loss, when Gabriel and himself sat among true companions and laughed.

"My world had flowers like these," Cas says. "They weren't white, though, which made it hard it get for my friend. I'd always travel to find white lilies, just for him."

"Really?" Charlie asks, looking over at Cas. "Thats sweet. Were you close friends?" She questions, raising a brow

Cas gives a short laugh, amused. "You could say that."

"Playing innocent today, are we?" Dean calls, walking up to the two of them with a smirk.

Cas frowns at him, narrowing his eyes.

"Shut up," he tells him coldly.

Dean once again hit at something Cas has tried not to think about. And he knows it. "I say, will you be wearing that when you fumble around and wave your silly dagger?"

"Can I not enjoy a little part of my day without you being an asshole?" Cas ask, his barbs starting to leave little nicks in Cas's armor.

He hears it in his question, that there's more tiredness than venom, and instead of bringing him pleasure (as he figured it would), it creates an unpleasant feeling in his chest. Hurting Cas is his sole reason for talking with Cas, so he doesn't understand why the satisfaction is absent.