Two weeks passed fast. Castiel didn’t come to school, so Sarah went to visit him every day to deliver his homework. That wasn’t the only reason for the visits. Ares was recovering well, but Castiel didn’t want to leave him alone. Every time he needed to go out, Castiel called Sarah to keep watch over Ares if she wasn’t at his house already. Sarah’s mother had noted how much time Sarah spent at Castiel’s house but since she came home for the nights, went to school, and did her homework, Grace didn’t find much to complain about. The circumstances were unusual so maybe she could allow a little bit more freedom.

It was one of those days when Castiel was out. He had gone to a band meet up with Leon. The month had changed, it was December now and the contest loomed closer than before. To Sarah’s understanding, Castiel still struggled with the song. Every time Castiel came from his room from one of his brainstorming sessions, his brow was creased, and mouth was just a tight line. Sarah wished she could’ve helped but she didn’t know much about music.

But today Leon and Castiel were holding a meeting to put their heads together and hopefully find a solution. Castiel had threatened he wouldn’t come back before they had a song ready. She had wished them luck and prepared to stay dog sitting for a while.

Sarah closed her math book and stretched her back and arms. She had finished all her homework and glanced at the topics of upcoming lessons, but Castiel wasn’t back yet. Ares slept in the kitchen, based on the silence in the house. Only the clock ticked on the wall, sounding unnaturally loud in the quiet rooms. Sarah rubbed her eyes and stood up. She packed her books in her bag. She should check on Ares and get a glass of water, maybe a little snack to eat.

She tip-toed to the kitchen and peeked inside from the door. Ares was sprawled on the floor. His back was against the gate that blocked his access to the living room. An inflatable cone around his neck made his head flop to the side. Castiel had got rid of the plastic cone as soon as possible and replaced it with the inflatable one he said would be more comfortable. Sarah believed it was true, even though her experience with neck pillows on holiday flights kept her from believing in total comfort of this new arrangement. Sarah smiled softly while watching the sleeping dog. Ares looked peaceful. He would wake up if she went to the kitchen now. She could get her water from the bathroom.

The doorbell rang and made both Sarah and Ares jump. Ares stumbled on his feet. His loud bark and flashing teeth made Sarah’s skin prickle, but more so she was concerned about who was at the door. Heart thumping in her throat she headed to the door just as the doorbell rang the second time, launching Ares into louder barking. Sarah wondered if the dog remembered to breathe at all.

Sarah creaked the door open just enough to see who was outside and was ready to slam it shut from the slightest sign of something being wrong.

“Oh, Sarah! Hi!”

Sarah’s shoulder sagged in relief when there was no axe murderer politely trying to enter the house. She opened the door for Castiel’s mother, Audrey, who had both hands full with boxes and bags. Franz stood behind her with even bigger box in her hands. Sarah swiftly moved out of the way, so Castiel’s parents could manoeuvre inside.

While Castiel’s parents unloaded their car to the hallway and living room, Sarah hurried to calm down Ares who was still barking and whining. Sarah tried to scratch him behind the ears, but Ares dodged the attempts bouncing in place and trying to see Castiel’s parents.

“Shh, you can’t jump. Calm down Ares, please.”

“Where’s Castiel?” Audrey asked, pulling Sarah’s attention from the dog.

“He went out with Leon to talk about band stuff.”

“And he left you here alone?”

“Well, I more so volunteered. He doesn’t want to leave Ares alone. He didn’t know you’re coming today.”

“We wanted to surprise him. The job lasted a lot longer than we thought,” Audrey sighed. She grabbed three bags full of groceries and made her way towards the kitchen. Franz moved the big box in the middle of the living room.

“Oh, Ares. Sweet baby. How are you doing?” Audrey cooed at the dog when she got to the gate. Ares whined and squirmed. He licked Audrey’s hands when she tried to pet him.

“He’s clearly missed you,” Sarah smiled and tried to usher Ares away so Audrey could get inside with her shopping. Franz came to greet Ares as well.

“How is Ares doing?” he asked and turned his grey eyes to Sarah.

“He isn’t as sore as he used to be. The leg still needs to be in cast for another six weeks minimum. Castiel has put him in a bit more restricted diet so he doesn’t gain too much weight.”

“Poor baby. Did you find out who the driver was?” Audrey asked while trying to fit all the milk cartons in the fridge. She had assumed Castiel hadn’t done much shopping and had been correct. He only went to the store for necessities and nothing else, so he wouldn’t need to be away from Ares too long.

“No. We didn’t see the license plate because everything happened too fast.”

“That’s a shame. It would’ve been nice to get the driver take some responsibility.”

“Yeah. But hopefully this scared them enough to start driving more responsibly. Although I doubt it.”

“Well, if I ever catch them, they’ll learn their lesson,” Franz said and straightened himself. Sarah smiled softly. Castiel really was his father’s son.

“Have you had anything to eat yet, Sarah?” Audrey asked.

“I haven’t yet. We were going to eat when Castiel comes back. But I should head home. You probably want to relax after the journey.”

“Nonsense. We’d love to get to know you better. Castiel never tells us anything about you.”

That didn’t surprise Sarah at all, but she couldn’t help a little jab of disappointment in her gut.

“Well, if you don’t mind…”

“Definitely not. I’ll get started on dinner right away.”

And with that Audrey busied herself in the kitchen, pulling out the ingredients she had just put in the cupboards. Ares hovered around her, inserting himself in the way as much as possible before settling to lay at Audrey’s feet when she started working at the stove.

“Could I get a little bit of your help, Sarah?” Franz asked and waved towards the box sitting in the living room.

Sarah agreed with a nod. Franz stepped over the gate to grab scissors from the kitchen and then followed Sarah who already inspected the box, brimming with curiosity.

Franz cut the tape on the box with the scissors and opened it. Sarah could only see colourful foam peanuts. Franz started to move them out of the way, and soon Sarah could see something green in the box. She helped with the peanuts and soon they had uncovered half of a jade green mermaid statue.

“Woah,” Sarah gasped. “It looks beautiful.”

“Doesn’t it? We found it from a street market, and Audrey just had to get it. It is heavy though. Can you grab it from that side? Sarah reached down to the box and managed to grasp the base of the statue even though the edges of the box tried to burrow into her sides. Franz counted in three and together they lifted the statue and placed it down on the soft rug, crushing a few peanuts under it.

“I love it,” Sarah couldn’t help but sigh.

The statue was tall, with the tip of the mermaid’s tail reaching to Sarah’s waist. The base of the statue was shaped as coral, and the mermaid was attached to it with just one, thin rod, making it look like the mermaid floated above it.

“Me too. I resisted at first when Audrey wanted it, but I can see the appeal in it. Where do you think it should fit? Or did you have any ideas, honey?” Franz raised his voice, so it’d carry in the kitchen.

“About what?”

“Where to put this statue?”

“I don’t know. Just find a place from somewhere.”

Sarah chuckled when Franz sighed and shook his head.

“So, what do you think?”

“Hmm, would it be too distracting next to the tv? It would get some natural light from the window.”

Franz looked at the empty spot next to the tv stand with brow in contemplative furrow. He tilted his head to the side and walked around to reflect the place from all angles. Sarah grew nervous and cleared her throat.

“Some other spots could work too. It was just the first suggestion.”

“No, no. I like it. I think it could work. Let’s try it out.”

They lifted the statue and wobbled towards the tv. Muscles in Sarah’s arms strained, and she hoped they wouldn’t need to lift the statue again.

They placed the statue down and stepped back. Sarah tried to calm her breathing.

“I think it looks great,” Franz said and clapped Sarah on the shoulder. “You have an eye for this.”

Sarah couldn’t help blushing when she muttered a thank you. They started cleaning up the foam peanuts and finished just as Audrey called them to dinner.

Sarah tried not to fiddle with her fingers or the hem of her shirt while sitting opposite of Audrey and Franz at the dinner table. Audrey had made a simple risotto from chicken and vegetables, and it smelled delicious. Ares was barred from getting close to the table with another fence, and he kept sighing on the other side, hoping for pity treats.

“It’s so nice to sit down with you like this, Sarah,” Audrey said smiling.

Sarah smiled with anxiety brewing in her stomach. Would there be an interrogation of some sort?

“How are things with Castiel? Has he been treating you well?”

“Yes, he has. He’s been really nice with me.”

Castiel’s parents smiled to each other.

“That’s good to hear. I admit I was a bit worried. You’re such a sweet girl, and he can be a bit rash sometimes. I think he gets it from me,” Audrey sighed. “I always worry about leaving him alone, but it’s good to know he has a smart girl like you watching his back.”

Saran blushed and lowered her eyes to her plate.

“I must say, you seem lot better than Rachel. I never liked her even though she acted polite towards us. There was something off about her, and I guess my instinct proved to be correct,” Audrey continued and huffed. If she had ran into Rachel, that girl would’ve heard a piece of her mind.

“Has he met your parents? I think Castiel said your mother helped with Ares?” Franz asked in turn.

“Yes, he has met them both. Mum helped with Ares, and we saw my dad on the weekend Ares got hurt.”

“And what did they think of him?” Audrey probed.

“He’s been approved by both,” Sarah smiled. “Dad is happy he found another music fan. They spent so much time talking about music I’m sure for a while they forgot I was there too.”

The conversation lulled off, and they ate in silence, enjoying the delicious food Audrey had cooked. Then Ares raised his head from the floor and stared in the living room. He let out a single “boof”. The front door opened, and Castiel’s voice carried to the kitchen.

“Sarah? Are mum and dad here?”

Ares stumbled on his feet again and walked to the gate wagging his tail furiously.

“Yes, honey. We’re in the kitchen. Come have dinner,” Audrey chirped.

Sarah heard Castiel kick his shoes off. She could imagine him mumbling a few swears too while he did it. Hasty footsteps carried him across the living room. A few hairs had escaped his pony tail, and he stared at the people in the kitchen with annoyance in his eyes. Ares wiggled in front of him, begging for attention from Castiel.

“Hi,” Sarah said with a smile tugging the corner of her lips. “We saved a spot for you.”

Castiel climbed over the gate and gave a few half-hearted head pats to Ares. He was too focused on being shocked about his parents to notice the dog. But Ares seemed happy with squirming around him and licking his fingers.

Audrey pointed at an empty seat next to Sarah.

“Sit down and have some food.”

Castiel walked at the table and sat down. He filled his plate with risotto and buttered two pieces of bread. Sarah smiled. Castiel didn’t seem to mind his mother’s food, even if seeing her wasn’t so pleasant.

“How did the meeting go?” Sarah asked.

“Fine. We didn’t finish yet, but we got some ideas. I have something to work on now.”

“That’s great.”

“Yes, nice to hear. But how have you been? You never call,” Audrey commented, her face in a slight pout.

“I’m alright. And you never call either. Why didn’t you tell you were coming?”

“We wanted to surprise you! We wanted to come sooner but work just dragged on.”

“Could’ve dragged on even longer,” Castiel mumbled while showing another load of food in his mouth.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, but what do you do for work?” Sarah asked. She was curious to know what kind of job required so much travelling.

“I’m a photojournalist, and Audrey is a writer. We usually work together, but sometimes we have different assignments as well. We just came back from a tour around Greece and Cyprus. We were documenting local culture and how the era of classical antiquity still may show in those countries. It was an interesting experience,” Franz explained.

“I got so many new food recipes to try,” Audrey sighed. “And we’re definitely going there for a holiday one day.”

“That sounds super cool.” Sarah was in awe from the thought of touring around some cool countries and getting to know their culture and history.

“Are you gonna be home for long?” Castiel asked and added more food on his plate.

“We don’t have any work that requires travelling for the rest of the month,” Franz said, and Castiel let out a pained groan.

“We get to spend the Christmas as a family again. We missed it last year, and I felt so bad for Cassy. We had each other, but he was all alone.”

“I was perfectly fine by myself.”

“Do you already have Christmas plans, Sarah?”

“Hmm, not yet. But we will probably go visit my grandparents for Christmas. And then I’ll go see my dad when we come back.”

“Oh, your parents are divorced?”

“Yes, they divorced when I was around ten.”

“How unfortunate. But it’s lovely that you still visit your father. Are you two close?”

“Why would she visit if they weren’t close?” Castiel huffed while wiping his plate clean with the last piece of bread.

“Hopefully, you didn’t have that kind of attitude when you met Sarah’s father.”

“I know when to behave.”

“Good. It would’ve been so embarrassing if you behaved rudely in front of Sarah’s father. Who knows what he’d think of you? Or us! He might think we don’t know how to raise a child.”

“I’m not an idiot!”

Sarah listened to the bickering with a smile on her face. It became clearer by a minute how balanced combination of his parents Castiel was. He had his father’s looks and his mother’s feisty personality.

Franz cut the arguing by clearing his throat. Castiel leaned back in his chair and avoided looking at Audrey.

“Would anyone like dessert? We bought ice cream, didn’t we?”

“Yes, there’s some in the freezer.”

“I think I should head home,” Sarah suggested again, but this time she was stopped by Castiel.

“Come to my room first? I want to talk.”

“Okay.”

Castiel emptied his glass from water and jumped to his feet. Sarah started to clear out her dishes, but Audrey dismissed her with a wave of her hand.

“Just leave them, honey. I’ll take care of it.”

Sarah smiled and followed Castiel.

“Remember to leave the door open!” Audrey shouted after them with a bubble of laughter mixed in her voice. Castiel mumbled something to himself while storming up the stairs. Sarah did her best to keep up with her cheeks warming from the implications in Audrey’s comment.

When Sarah got to Castiel’s room, he closed the door behind her. Sarah didn’t have time to say a word when Castiel pulled her close. One hand tilted her chin, and Castiel gazed in Sarah’s blue eyes.

“What did you want to talk about?” Sarah asked.

“Nothing important,” Castiel hummed. His eyes wandered at Sarah’s face, stopping at her lips. “I want to kiss you so bad.”

Sarah hadn’t expected to hear those words, and a surprised chuckle slipped from her lips. Her heart fluttered in her chest when Castiel brushed her bottom lip with his thumb. Sarah tucked a strand of stray hair behind Castiel’s ear. A smiled tugged the corners of her mouth.

“What are you waiting for then?” she whispered.

She barely finished her sentence when Castiel’s lips met hers hungry and demanding. Sarah pressed herself against Castiel’s chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. Castiel’s hands ran down her back sending electric ripples around Sarah’s body. Her face flushed when Castiel’s lips moved to the crook of her neck. She sucked in a sharp breath when Castiel kissed her collarbone.

“Did the meeting go that badly?” she asked with an amused glint in her eyes.

“I just missed you,” Castiel muttered against her neck. Sarah shivered when his lips and warm breath brushed against her skin. “I can’t get enough of you.”

Sarah smiled softly and leaned her head against Castiel’s shoulder. She felt the same. She wanted to be with Castiel all the time, to touch him, kiss him, just sit near him.

A knock on the door made Sarah jump. Castiel straightened himself but kept his arms around Sarah’s waist.

“Mum here. Are you dressed? Sarah’s phone is ringing. It’s your mum.”

Sarah blushed and slipped from Castiel’s hold to open the door and grab the phone. Castiel’s mother smiled at her sweetly. Sarah muttered a quick thank you and moved to the hallway to speak.

“Did you have a nice talk?” Audrey asked Castiel, who blushed.

“Shut up.”

Audrey laughed and winked before heading downstairs. Castiel brushed his hair away from his face. This was the reason he didn’t want his parents at home. How could he spend alone time with Sarah when his mother could come knocking on the door any minute?

Sarah returned a few moments later with a frown on her face.

“Mum called me back home,” she sighed.

“Well, it is pretty late. Past nine already.”

This was longer than Grace usually allowed Sarah to stay, but it was still a shame she had to go.

They headed downstairs, and Sarah swiftly gathered her belongings.

“Good night. It was nice to see you again,” Franz said from the living room.

“Same to you,” Sarah smiled.

Castiel followed her to the front door.

“Will you come tomorrow?”

“I’m not sure. I might have to stay home. But I’ll call you.”

“Hmm, sure.”

“I really would like to be here with you, but mum wants me to be at home too.”

“I know. It’s not your fault. I appreciate she’s been so flexible.”

“Yeah. But still sucks.”

Castiel chuckled. “It does.”

He leaned in to kiss her once, twice, three times before finally letting her go. Sarah waved at him before stepping out to the crisp winter evening’s air.

“Text me when you get home.”

“I will.”

With a sigh Castiel headed towards his room but was stopped by Franz.

“Come watch tv with me.”

Castiel shrugged his shoulders and headed to the living room, but instead of slumping to the couch, he walked to kitchen to fetch Ares. The dog scampered to his feet when Castiel clipped a leash to his collar. With Ares now with him, he took his seat on the couch just as an ad break started on tv. Ares lied down at his feet happy he could be close this human. Franz turned down the volume. They sat in a silence for the duration of one and half ads before Franz spoke up.

“Sarah seems nice.”

“She is nice.”

“And you like her? Like, like like?”

“Yes.”

“Have you, um, been… you know…?”

“Are you trying to give me the sex talk? Didn’t you already do that once?”

Franz cleared his throat. His cheeks had caught a slight red shade.

“I know you know how to…handle things. It’s just that Sarah isn’t like Rachel from what I’ve seen and, well, she might not like the same things and…”

“For God’s sake please stop talking,” Castiel groaned. “You don’t need to worry. We haven’t done anything like that yet. We’re taking things slow because she wants to, and I respect her. I’m not some inconsiderate asshole who–“

“I didn’t mean you were. I just know it’s easy to get swept along by your feelings.”

“Seriously. Everything’s fine. I’m not rushing. She’s too important to me. I don’t want to ruin this.”

The last words were quiet. Castiel didn’t talk about his feelings with his dad often. Or with anyone really. Talking about them and this topic was weird and embarrassing. Sometimes it was hard to hold back with Sarah. He wanted her so much it made his heart ache. But he didn’t want to hurt her and lose her.

Franz placed his hand on Castiel’s shoulder, waking him from his thoughts.

“You’re doing well. I can see how much you like her, and how much she likes you. You’ve grown a lot, and I’m proud of you.”

Castiel opened his mouth and closed it again. A small spark of warmth lit up in his chest.

“Thanks dad.”

They both turned their attention back to the tv. Castiel’s phone vibrated in his pocket to inform him that a new message had arrived from Sarah. She told she had safely back home. Castiel smiled at the screen.

Good night

Good night