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Michael let his eyes linger on the young dark haired lamb that was sitting curled up into himself, underneath one of the only trees in the pasture. Concern was evident on his usually stoic face, the ever-present guilt he felt for taking the lamb away from his family and people stirring in his gut.
"How long has he been like that?" Michael's tone was flat, no emotion escaping despite the worry that danced briefly across his features before disappearing behind stoned features as he turned to face the ram beside him.
Gabriel shifted fearing what was to come and bracing himself for Michael's anger as he confessed, "Just for the last few days after I found him in the woods near the wolf country. I- I um yelled at him. I’ve tried apologizing but he won't talk to me now. I told him he wasn't allowed to wander off on his own anymore. And that he shouldn't of been in the first place. And maybe some other things...” The flock leader looked up from the dewy ground at their feet and towards Michael, his features tense preparing for the backlash, rambling out an apology in hopes that the ibex would offer some restraint in his reprimand. “I'm sorry Michael, I just thought maybe if he heard it from you he'd understand-"
Gabriel flinched, his unfinished apology hanging in the air, as he watched Michael raise his hand. He watched the emotions run across Michael's face, confusion replaced his own fear as he saw no signs of anger on the ibex’s face.
"No I don't blame you. I doubt my initial reaction would've been much different. I'll speak with him."
Michael left Gabriel standing in a mixture of shock and disbelief after his handling of their young ward's behavior. He had expected some kind of out lash, fearing for the worse as he knew how the ibex felt about the ward, if not for yelling then for not keeping a better eye on the young lamb who had always shown signs of a strong independent streak. Regardless of the reason, Gabriel counted himself lucky to avoid Michael's wraith as he headed back to join the rest of his flock, his nerves settling.
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Michael stood over Castiel now, looking over the boy, a frown set on his face as his horns cast a shadow over him. The young lamb hadn't seemed to notice his approach though even if he did he wasn't acknowledging it, probably under the assumption that it was Gabriel coming to coax him out of his sullen mood. It wasn't until he spoke that the lamb's head shot up, whipping around, bright blue eyes looking up at him in shock from underneath his long black lashes.
"Hello Castiel."
"Michael! What are you doing here?"
"Hm, heard you got into some trouble, something about being somewhere you shouldn't."
"I- I already apologized."
Castiel’s tone turned harsh and he turned away from Michael, focusing on the ground once more. Michael frowned his own tone turning from light to one with more authority backed behind it, "Castiel." The little lamb looked back up at him, fear swept across his young face now and he began to close his body up again, preparing for a scolding.
Guilt stirred in his stomach as he hadn’t meant to have this effect on the lamb. He hadn’t trekked down the mountain at Gabriel’s request to chide the lamb, though that was the reason he had given his associates for the sudden departure from his duties. Sighing Michael ran a hand over his face and looked up at clouds that floated lazily across the blue sky, it was evident that Castiel was sorry for the worry he had caused them all but it stirred something inside him when he learned that the boy had been taking his punishment so harshly. He was aware of the longing that Castiel had for his old home, though he had hoped the lamb would've adjusted by now. He was starting to wonder if the lamb would ever accept the pasture as his home.
"You just worried us, everyone just want to keep you safe. You're very important to us" -to me.
Castiel’s expression didn’t change instead he just curled back up into himself leaving Michael with a stab of guilt once again. He wanted to make Castiel feel better so that the little lamb would return to running about with that adorable and infectious smile on his face. Ideas rolled around in his head, trying to find one that could possibly cheer the lamb up.
"Hey Castiel, do you know how to skip rocks?"
The lamb lifted his head at the question and Michael watched as he knitted his brows together and slowly shook his head. A small chuckle escaped Michael as he continued to watch Castiel try and process how one could possibly skip rocks. He bent down a bit and offered his hand out to Castiel giving him a grin, "Come on, I’ll teach you."
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Castiel stood back his eyes focused on Michael as he combed through the rocky shore in pursuit of the special rocks that he had told Castiel were key to performing the trick. He had scoffed at the notion that rocks could be special as they all looked the same to him and in that anytime he had thrown a rock into an open body of water it had sank. But the notion that someone could make a rock skip across water was fascinating to him due in part largely because of his doubts.
As he kicked at the rocks around his feet he glanced up past the lake and towards the forest, the longing to be back with his mother and people stirring. He knew it wasn’t possible though, and he wasn’t sure why he clung to the hope that he would be able return one day. Gabriel had nailed that coffin shut when he yelled at him and told him that his people had given him up, like he was just an object, a token of war. And that he should accept that he’s actually wanted here among the pasture people and that they wouldn’t surrender him without a fight, unlike his own people had done.
Out everything Gabriel had said in his moment of rage that was what had hurt the most. Because he knew it was true. And even though the flock leader had swiftly apologized once he realized what he had let slip it didn’t lessen the blow. A part of him had hoped that when the deal was made that forced his new home to be amongst the pasture people he’d be able to join Michael in the mountains, but that hope had been diminished quickly. Michael had told him that the mountains were too dangerous for a lamb so young and important, and that he wouldn’t be able to watch over him since he had duties of his own. So he had been left in Gabriel’s charge.
It wasn’t like he disliked Gabriel, no he liked the ram quite a bit, it was just he tended to be a bit overbearing at times. Castiel felt he was old enough and strong enough now to be able to care for himself, to an extent. He was aware of his limits. And it wasn’t like he had actually gone into wolf country, he bent down and picked up a stone clenching it in his hand at the memory of the argument that had turned quickly into a shouting match ending in Castiel’s new restrictions.
The sound of footsteps, perked Castiel’s ears up and he saw Michael coming towards him, arm’s full of stones and proud smile on his face. Castiel couldn’t help but smile back, as he didn’t know anyone who could be so happy over a bunch of rocks. But that was why he liked Michael the most, he was simple when it came down to it. Michael had always been more open with him from the start, almost coddling him in way but doing so in a manner that didn’t make him feel smothered. Though it could have to do with his duties in the mountains keeping him from spending an abundance of time with Castiel.
“You ready?”
Castiel nodded, dropping the rock he had been gripping and began to follow the ibex. He found himself jogging a bit to keep up with Michael’s longer strides as they made their way back to the riverbank. Michael dropped his collection of stones down in the sand at the lambs feet and pulled one rock up as he stood again, facing Castiel. The serious look reclaimed his features as he began to explain the process of rock skipping to Castiel.
“Alright now if you ever want to do this by yourself first thing is that you’ve got to pick the right stone. It’s gotta be smooth, see?” Michael presented Castiel the stone he had picked up, and rolled it around in his hands so that he could see all sides of it. “And round and flat. It doesn’t have to perfect but its most important to use ones that are smooth and flat.”
“So once you’ve got a smooth stone, you want to hold it like this,” Castiel nodded as he watched Michael hold the flat side of the rock with his thumb on one side and his middle finger on the opposite side, “and then you want to stand shoulder width apart with your side to the water, the side you're throwing with away and just-”
“Flick it.” Castiel watched with disbelief as the stone jumped along the surface of the water seven times before sinking underneath the lake’s surface. He felt a wide grin growing on his face as he turned towards Michael, meeting his own grin, “Show me again!”
Michael laughed at Castiel’s reaction full of childlike wonder, his own smile growing as the lamb began to fall back into his normal cheerfulness and quickly bent down to pluck another stone from the pile and proceeded to flick it across the water. The stone only skipped five times but Castiel still seemed impressed, “Again!”
This routine went on for a while longer before Michael made Castiel try it for himself and found himself laughing at the frustration the lamb displayed when he failed.
“You make it look so easy.”
“You’re just throwing it too close Castiel. Here let me help you.” Michael came to stand behind Castiel, placing the stone in his hand before slipping his hand around the lamb’s. He moved Castiel’s fingers in place on the stone with his own and moved their arms together releasing the stone out across the water. They both watched it skip twice before sinking, a smile on Michael’s face as he looked down at Castiel who grinned back up at him.
Reaching down for another stone Michael froze when he felt a quick kiss land on his check. His hand moved up to touch the spot, the fading warmth evidence that he hadn’t imagined it as his body reacted by causing a faint flush to spread down from his ears. Michael stood fully and looked down at Castiel, trying to find reason in his face for the sudden affection. It wasn’t that it was uncommon for the lamb to be affectionate. If anything he could be overly so. The oddity in the action had been the spontaneity of it.
He watched through his grey eyes as the lamb shifted nervously now, wringing his hands together before he met Michael's stare. The lamb had a small smile on his face that grew once he finally broke the silence between them.
“Thank you Michael.”
Michael blinked. A grin working its way onto his face once more as he pulled the lamb towards him, patting his head as he felt Castiel hug his waist and nuzzle into his chest. “I am really sorry for worrying you all.”
“It’s alright Castiel. You’re just so very important to us. We want you to be safe and happy.” He broke the hug, his face falling back into its default as he spoke again. “Now let’s head back, I can’t stay down here all day but next time I come visit I expect you to be a master at skipping stones.”
A frown started to form on Castiel’s face as he remember that the ibex had important duties, ones that didn’t involve spending time with him. Though at the promise of another visit, one that he hoped would be sooner rather than later he found his frown halting and changing direction as he reached for the ram’s hand his eyes bright.
“Alright.”