Who: Castiel, Wall-E When: Week of July 21 Where: The park What: Random Encounter Rating/Warning: Low/None Status: Complete
A lot had changed for Castiel in the last month -- all big, huge changes to what had been a mostly solitary lifestyle. He’d met Dean Winchester and everything had changed. He no longer lived alone, he no longer had his space, his time or his lips completely to himself. It was strange, but nice. Castiel hadn’t realized he’d been lonely or even a little sad until he’d met Dean.
But that didn’t mean sometimes he didn’t wish for a return to routine. For something normal and organized and basic. Sometimes being happier didn’t mean that he was less stressed out.
He was pleased for his lunch breaks. Turkey on wheat, carrot sticks, a little can of vegetable juice, and then his favorite spot on his favorite bench in his favorite park. The view of the ocean was the best here, and he liked nothing better than gazing at it while he ate.
Wally was in a sour, sour mood. He was out jogging to try and take his mind off of things. Everything with Tiffany was so fucked up. He was avoiding his normal spots, trying new things, as he wanted to get away from what was familiar. Everything familiar reminded him of her.
Being in such a craptastic place in his social life made the normally quiet man even quieter. He’d been jogging for hours, it felt, and his muscles were burning and his lungs aching. It was time to stop and flop down onto a bench to have a breather. Drink some water. Only the bench he chose was occupied.
Castiel didn’t seem to mind when someone sat down next to him. He spared the other man a glance, working through a bite of his sandwich and then turned back to the ocean. He wasn’t particularly talkative on the best of days -- and he was probably a little worse than usual during his lunch breaks, as if he were saving up his words for his employees and clients.
Still the man seemed a bit down, and so Cas gave him another look. “Okay?”
Wally shook his head a bit. “No.” He answered, quite honestly. If Castiel was saving words for his clients, then Wally was saving words for... no one, really. He had a stock pile. He was like Scrooge McDuck, swimming in a huge bank vault of words instead of cartoon coins.
Castiel would not begrudge this man for his greediness with words -- he understood. And sometimes, there just wasn’t anything to say.
Not all the time though.
Giving a sympathetic look, Cas frowned then looked back out at the view. “I”m sorry,” he said, honestly, but did not ask what was the matter.
“Thanks.” Wally responded before lifting his water bottle for a gulp. He’d caught up with his breath, though he was sort of out of the running mood now. Too bad he was miles from home and covered in sweat.
“I should be more careful with my heart,” Wally said, softly, staring out at the trees. Everything was so green and beautiful. So many leaves. In just a couple months, they’d all be falling.
“Sometimes, I do not think we get to choose who we give our hearts to.” Castiel finished the last bite of his sandwich and then offered the man next to him some carrot sticks. “Although it is wise to be careful when we can, yes.”
Wally glanced over at the offer of the carrot sticks, then reached forward and took hold of one. “Thanks.” He said, then chomped on it. Had it not been his choice? Falling for Tiffany? Was he the kind of guy who simply fell for whatever pretty girl or boy fell in front of him? It may very well have been the case.
He chewed on the carrot, thinking about where he must’ve gone wrong.
Cas nodded, chewing thoughtfully on a carrot as well. He wasn’t exactly a guru of love, that much was obvious to even him -- he had no real advice to give the man, which was probably fine since he didn’t know the situation anyway.
Sometimes it was enough to sit in a comfortable silence, wasn’t it? Vague support offered by someone just being polite and kind enough not to leave.
Wally was good with comfortable silences. He leaned back a bit on the bench, staring out into the park. That was a mighty good carrot, actually. Full of orangey goodness. He turned to look at the other man.
“I’m Wally.”
Cas liked carrots. Lots of vitamins, and just enough sugar to give him a bump through the rest of the work day without needing more caffeine or anything like that. He was pleased to share.
He looked back at Wally and gave a tiny quirk of his lips. Probably it was meant to be a smile. “Hello,” he greeted, as if that was what you did when someone finally told you their name. “Castiel. It is very nice to meet you.”
“Castiel,” Wally said, raising both eyebrows. That was an interesting name. “Nice to meet you, too.” He said, then held out his hand for the quiet man with the interesting name to shake.
Castiel had gone through a lot of names in the past month -- his given first name - James - had been discarded easily by one Dean Winchester. Jimmy. Castiel. Cas. It had taken some getting used to, but now he felt it fit better than what he'd had before. It was well and truly his name now, even if it was a little strange.
He shook the other man’s hand and gave a solemn sort of nod. Words were not his forte, and this seemed like enough.
It was enough. Wally hoped it was enough for both of them. Wally couldn’t give much more than that. Especially not today, not after the few days he’d had. He didn’t have much energy to spend on people lately, not since Tiffany kicked him out of her house. He finished the handshake and then stood. “I should...” But he really had no idea what he should do. Go back to his run, maybe.
“I understand,” Cas said with a half of a nod. He stood as well. He did have to get back to work anyway. He gave a little pause, as if considering and then offered Wally a nearly innocent expression, all bright blue eyes and too much eye contact. “It will be all right.” A pause, and then a simple gesture with another simple sentence. “I eat lunch here every weekday.” If this man ever needed --- well. Something.
Wally gave a nod. He understood. “Maybe I’ll see you.” He said, sounding slightly hopeful. Then he gave a little sigh, and took off on his run again. Back the way he came. Back to the heart-wrenching familiars, and reminders of Tiffany.