nervousHe struggled to his feet, resting a hand against a nearby tree until he got his bearings. He let his senses search, and was pleasantly surprised to find he was fully charged up. So. He had somehow gotten out of Purgatory, and somehow done it as a fully-graced-up angel. So what was the downside? (He'd spent enough time with Dean to know that....Dean. Sam. Dean.) Castiel instantly searched out with his grace, seeking the Winchesters. There they were. Interesting. He could feel them, closer than he'd been able to in a few years. Had they lost their hex bags? Did they think the conflict in heaven was over? ...Was it over? (It's never over.)
He straightened up, flexing his wings to go to the Winchesters when he heard the flap of wings nearby. He turned toward the sound, seeing a blond woman (Angel-in-a-woman-suit. Wings. You can see her wings. Danger. Danger!) approaching. He had no reason to be afraid of her, everyone knew Naomi. He could see (It's stained. Like Raphael. Like Zachariah. Flee!) her grace though..Castiel listened to his instincts, taking off quickly from his position.
There were many things Castiel was good at. Languages, empathy (they always teased you for that), never battle (you weren't made for it. not like the others) but flying? Few were as fast as Castiel, as graceful in the air and as utterly impossible to track. Still...this speed was new for him. It took him a few precious seconds to adjust but it wasn't long before he was on the other side of the world, on the outskirts of Jerusalem. The Holy Lands would make his grace difficult to detect, and he did what he could to dampen it even further as he contemplated his new-found powers.
He sat in the shade of an olive tree, the rough bark biting into his back even through his layers of clothing. He rested his head on the trunk, closing his eyes with a sigh. The instant his eyes were closed, his vision was filled with an immense light. (Gold. Light. Warmth. Brother.) He opened his eyes widely, sudden knowledge flowing through his mind. Of course. He hadn't come alone. Jerusalem. That's why he came here.
Castiel was within the Al-Aqsa Mosque with a thought, gathering up a few holy instruments before blinking his way over to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and gathering a few others. Two more stops-one at the Beit HaMikdash and another to pull a single twig from the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi-and he had what he needed, reappearing in a small dip some where in a desert just as the sun was setting.
He spoke Enochian as he worked, combining the ingredients he had gathered with the sand of the desert, and as he finished his incantation, the same light he had seen within himself earlier, filled the darkening sky. (Gold. Warmth. Brother.) A voice he hadn't properly heard in eons (Brother. Strength. Love.) filled his ears, his grace, his very being. He watched unblinking as his brother rebuilt his vessel from the sands of the desert. Grain by grain, his familiar form took shape, and Castiel could not help smiling. The unending power (strength. speed. light.) that had wrapped his grace in its own protective shell flowed out of Castiel, and into the vessel before him.
The vessel blinked its eyes open, and within was captured the grace of an Arch-angel, the glory and power of Gabriel. After a moment the eyes settled to their usual honeyed tone, and his trademark smirk graced Gabriels' face. "Hey Bro. Took you long enough. Have too much fun trying out some of my powers to let the cat out?"
Castiel simply smiled at his wayward brother and stepped forward to embrace him. Gabriel had saved him in Purgatory, showed up to destroy several Leviathan as they had closed in on him. He had taught him the correct way to speak the words needed, to take his brother's grace into his body, to cross the plane. When Castiel had come across to earth, Gabriel's strength had protected his vessel, protected his grace, protected his very being, he never would have been able to make his way on his own. He hadn't been wrong when he'd told Dean there was no way across for him. By himself, Castiel never would have survived.
His embrace was returned after a startled moment, Gabriel's arms slowly encircled Castiels waist, and his wings cradled Castiel's true form. It had been years. (Decades, ages) since Castiel had been so completely enveloped in love, not since the first days (before the creation of man) had he felt so at peace. He could feel Gabriels' grace soothing his own, smoothing rough edges and healing tender spots. He had missed this, communing with one of his own on such a level. To do so with an Arch-angel...well most angels at Castiel's level would never have spoken with an Arch-angel, never mind communed with one. Gabriel's true voice filled his mind, thanking him in a jumbled song of love and joy.
Written for
princess_aleera on a prompt from the WAFF-a-thon thread:"Castiel/Any (preferably male, but doesn't need to be an angel) Castiel feeling safe."
It's not quite what was asked for, I apologize. I just kind of got this in my head and went with it. I hope it's ok. I've never published anything I've written before, and this was done very quickly with no real checking over, so that I wouldn't chicken out and not post it. Sorry again!