Chapter One

Cas never quite understood the world around him. The trees, the sky and all the people living, breathing, and thinking all perked his mind and curiosity. He couldn't help but want to know about everyone and their problems and how he could help. Cas couldn't help but look at a tree or a star and wonder about it; where it had started, when it's time would end. He was a very curious man in a very large and questioning world.

He looked around his dorm; the windows were open wide, showing the thin black screen he both despised and appreciated. A light early autumn breeze whipped through the room, blowing the curtains out and rushing through Cas' hair. He smiled and stood from his desk chair and put down his pencil. The paper wasn't due until a couple more weeks, and quite frankly, he needed a break.

"I'm going out," Cas grabbed his bag as he called to his college roomate, Sam Winchester.

"Alright. See ya later," Sam looked up from his text book and gave a slight wave. Sam was a very nice roomie in Cas's eyes. He was neat, tidy, helpful and really smart. He was a major in Law, unlike Cas whom was a Psychology major. However, they would help each other in which ever way they could. They had become friends the short month that they had known each other and bonded quite quickly over similarities and past happenings and understandings. They were both younger siblings, although Cas had an older sister, Anna, and Sam had an older brother, Dean.

Cas walked out the door and headed down the hallway, passing by a couple open doors and smiling people who would wave and nod with a quite "Hey," or "Hi", hardly ever a "Hello". It was too long of a word and the day was long enough. Something short and simple delighted everyone's ears. Cas always made sure that he smiled and greeted back, because you never know how stressed a person may be and how a smile just might help them. Anna taught him that when he was in high school dealing with his own problems, too. Sometimes that would be the only time he would smile...to help make other people be happy and smile, too.

He rushed out the building, grinning and taking in the wonderful autumn breeze. Leaves whipped around, landing in people's hair and on their shoulders, rolling across the pavements and roads all around the campus. He walked around, finding himself on a bench under a tree missing most of its leaves. Cas leaned back and took out his book from the bag at his side. It was a copy of The Hobbit. His friend Charlie couldn't believe that he had never read it or even seen the movies. He decided he'd give it a go, with all hopes of it being as good as she portrayed it to be.

Cas also pulled out his glasses and opened his book to the first chapter. It perked him up almost instantly. The way the words flowed cheerily and quick. He
liked it, and the vibe the pages gave off, peaceful but eventually suspenseful (unknown to Castiel). He had gotten to about the third chapter when a man sat beside him, music playing so loud he could hear it. It was Metallica's "Master of Puppets". Cas chuckled, his body shaking slightly. It had been a while since he heard that song, and honestly he missed it.

However, the man pulled out his iPod and hit pause, taking out his earbuds and wrapping them tightly around his device. Cas spoke up.

"You know if you keep them too tight, the wire will short and your earbuds will be no good."

The man looked at him and nodded, taking the device out of the pocket of his plaid shirt and unwrapping his earbuds and rewrapping them. "Thanks." His voice was smooth but also had a sort of roughness to it, but it was captivating nonetheless.

Cas smiled. "No problem." He returned to his reading, completely aware of the stranger still watching him.

"Hey, uh, whatcha readin?" The curious man leaned in closer, interested in Castiel's book.

"Oh, uh, The Hobbit. My friend Charlie told me I should read it. I like it so far." Cas shut the book, handing it to the handome stranger and took off his glasses.

"What's it about?"

"Well," Cas started, "it's about Bilbo Baggins, a short, chubby thing called a Hobbit. He ends up meeting this guy, Gandalf, who is trying to convince him to
go out on an adventure. Bilbo refuses, however Gandalf, being the sly thing he is, tells the dwarves 'hey go ahead. I found your theif.' And so the dwarves force Bilbo into this huge adventure to retrieve the treasure stolen by Smaug, a dragon... and that's all I've gotten to so far, really. I mean, there's more to it, but if you must know, then I would suggest reading the book." Cas gave a short laugh as the book was handed back to him.

"It sounds interesting, really." The man sat there a moment before standing up. "I'll have to check it our sometime."

"That you will." Cas said.

"Well, I should probably go. See you around." He gave a wave and headed off in another direction, and Cas thought he would never see the handsome young stranger again.