Archive of Our Own ^beta

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The University of Kansas was a lot fancier than Dean remembered from when his class visited the place in high school. There was a big, white building at the front with cream-colored statues and a small fountain by the main entrance. Going to college always seemed like something out of a dream, but he was finally here. The scholarship committee was kind enough to let him postpone college for two years until his home situation improved and it luckily did. Well, it didn’t have anything to do with luck at all. It was all the work Dean put in. He worked full time at a coffee shop down the street from his house and part-time at his uncle’s mechanic shop. Dean wouldn’t lie, it was tough as hell and there were multiple occasions where he wanted to quit and give up. To be honest, if he was doing it for himself, he probably would have given up a long time ago. However, every time Dean got sick of running around working ten hours every day, he saw those stupid puppy dog eyes Sam would sport at him.

Sam is his little brother, four years younger than Dean. He is annoyingly smart, kind and has the biggest bitch face Dean’s ever seen. The brothers have always been extremely close, and at a point in their life, they were all they had. Their mother passed away when Dean was five years old, and since then everything changed. When Sam turned ten years and had his birthday party completely ruined by their dad’s drunk antics, Dean promised himself he would get Sam away from there. Luckily, their dad had a brother named Bobby who more than once offered to let Dean and Sam sleep over. Those sleepovers are some of Dean’s fondest memories. Currently, Sam was in high school acing everything that came his way and he loved to come home and gush about all his accomplishments to Dean. Dean truly loved that kid to death, and he could finally rest peacefully at night, knowing Sam was somewhere safe.

Truth be told, Dean was shitting himself standing outside the main building. He was twenty years old and was just starting college. It was a little embarrassing to be a little behind other people his age. Students walking past him were eyeing him curiously and some even checked him out. Of course, Dean only thought they were seizing him up. He stood out even more, as he was starting in October and not in August when all the other new students arrived. Some business had to be taken care of before Dean could properly start and here he was. Grabbing the hem of his grey hoodie nervously, Dean stepped inside to register himself.

Castiel Novak was not like the rest of his family. They were all in their own way, loud and outgoing. A trait he currently found himself jealous of as he saw the poor guy walking around in circles with a sheet of paper in his hand and a bag in the other. There was no doubt he was looking for his next class and he was visibly struggling. Castiel found the man quite endearing. He was wearing a grey hoodie with a AC/DC shirt underneath and dark blue denims. Even though he was a good 30 feet away from him, Castiel could spot a few freckles on him that matched his dark blonde hair perfectly. If he wasn’t holding a map over the school grounds, Castiel would be convinced the guy was a model or something. He was currently sitting at one of the benches outside the cafeteria, sketching a building for one of his classes.

Castiel looked down at what he was wearing and quickly decided he did not look like someone the guy would talk to. Castiel was wearing his black jeans with a dark brown sweater paired with his beloved leather jacket. The piercings in his ears and lip combined with his dark messy hair would probably scare the poor guy away. He looked lost enough already.

Then Castiel spotted Crowley, a horrid business student known for using people until he was done with them, walking towards the unfairly good-looking new guy. Without even looking at him, Crowley walked past him and pushed him slightly with his elbow, making the guy drop his backpack resulting in a lot of stuff falling out. Before he even realized what he was doing, Castiel found himself walking towards the guy, feeling sorry for him. Crowley was long gone before he reached him, and the guy was crawling around on the ground picking up his pencils and sheets.

“Hello” Castiel spoke, once he found himself standing in front of the man. Forrest-green eyes met Castiel, and he had to take a step back from the beauty that was crawling in front of him. “Oh. Hey!” the guy replied, smiling at him before continuing gathering his stuff. “Do .. Do you require assistance?” Castiel asked and immediately cringed at himself. Who talks like that? The laughter his vocabulary erupted from the man however, made it worth it. “I don’t know man, are you offering?” the guy questioned with a cheeky grin, obviously amused. “Yes” Castiel managed to cough out, suddenly feeling shy with all the attention on him. Without waiting for a reply, Castiel silently crouched down and started gathering the stuff the other man hadn’t picked up yet. Their eyes met several times, but Castiel quickly looked away every time. Once everything was back in the guy’s bag, they stood up and good-looking guy reached out his hand to Castiel. “Thanks for helping! My name is Dean” he grinned. Castiel felt his cheeks flush as he took Dean’s hand and shook it slightly. “No problem. I’m Castiel”.

“Castiel? What a uniqe name! That’s really pretty” Dean smiled, releasing his hand and letting it rest on the strap of his backpack. “Oh, thank you” Castiel answered, wanting to look away from Dean’s blinding smile but finding himself unable to. “Are you named after the angel? I think angels are so cool, except the ones who aren’t of course, and I don’t think they are as cool as werewolves you know? Although if I had to pick a favorite supernatural creature, it would probably be angels. What’s yours?” Dean asked excitedly, making Castiel flustered by his sudden outburst. “Uhm … what’s what?” Castiel questioned, cocking his head slightly to the side. “What is your favorite supernatural creature?” the blonde repeated, not at all bothered by Castiel’s confusion. “Oh, I don’t really know, I haven’t thought about it before. Definitely not angels though” he said, trying his best to smile at Dean. Before Dean got the chance to react however, a loud “DEAN!” could be heard over the courtyard. Both boys turned at the voice and saw a red-haired girl waving happily to Dean, jumping up and down. Said man turned back to Castiel with an apologetic smile. “That’s the one person I know here, Charlie. We were gonna meet up, so I’ll have to go, but don’t think I’m giving up on finding out what your answer is” Dean said, winking at Castiel at the last part. Castiel didn’t get the opportunity to reply, before Dean was off jogging towards his friend. Well, now you know two people here Castiel thought to himself, smiling and feeling proud of himself for daring to talk to a new person.

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A week into his whole college experience and Dean was happier than he had ever been. Charlie had introduced him to the cheerleaders, and he found himself fitting right in. Although Charlie wasn’t a cheerleader, her girlfriend was, Dorothy. They had been together since Charlie started college. Dean remembers vividly how Charlie would visit him at the coffee shop and gush about the hot brunette cheerleader. After six months of pining, she finally gathered the courage to ask her out and it had been smooth sailing ever since.

The cheerleading squad consisted of four other guys and ten girls. The captain was Lisa Braeden, and she seemed really nice so far. No one had commented on Dean being a bit older than the others who just started college that year. In fact, Dean had observed several other students who were a bit older than those who went straight to college after high school. Some people had taken a year off to work and some spent a bit longer to get through high school due to mental health issues. It was totally normal to have a few bumps in the road and he no longer felt embarrassed for being a bit behind other people his age. “It’s not a race, Dean. People do things in their own pace, and it really isn’t anyone else’s business” Charlie had told him, and he had to admit his best friend was a wise one.

Dean was running from one of his business lectures to one of his technology lectures when he bumped into a guy in the hallway and dropped his notebook and pencils. “Oh God, I’m sorry” Dean sheepishly smiled at the guy and picked up his things. “I’m not, darling” the guy replied in a British accent with a lazy smirk. After standing up again, Dean made eye contact with the man and managed an awkward smile in response. The brit was tall, had blonde hair with purple tips and grey eyes. “I haven’t seen you around before, are you the new cheerleader everyone’s been crushing on?” he asked Dean, quite obviously looking him up and down and checking him out. Dean felt the blush rise to his cheeks and immediately thought the blonde was mocking him or something. “I’m Dean. I just started last week” he replied bluntly, not amused by being made fun of. “Oh right! My friend told me about you. I’m Balthazar, nice to make your acquaintance darling” Balthazar answered, reaching out his hand. Hesitantly, Dean shook his hand and almost gasped when Balthazar bent down and kissed his hand with a smirk. “What the hell? Is that a British thing or something?” Dean gaped, retracting his hand with an impressive speed. “Sure” the brit grinned and started walking past Dean. “I have this wonderful friend, Dean. I’ll introduce you to him another time, he also hates British people” Balthazar yelled, walking away from him. “I don’t hate British people …” Dean grumbled to himself and continued his path to his lecture.

After two hours of studying, six hours with lectures and one and a half hour of cheerleading practice, Dean was glowing with the college experience. And by glowing, I mean he was tired as hell. “Do you want to join me and some of the other girls to go get some ice cream?” a girl on the squad named Bella asked him. “I have to pass on that one, I’m going straight to work from here. Thanks for the invite though!” he smiled. Bella shrugged and ran towards a group of some of the girls. Looking at the time, Dean realized he might as well change at the coffee shop, not having the time for a proper shower in the changing rooms. The uniforms they wore, were quite pretty he thought. The guys wore red, tight sweatpants and a white and red t shirt with their logo at the front of it and the name of the university on the back. The girls had the same colors but had skirts and tops instead of pants and t shirts. When Lisa had given him his uniform, she informed him that if he wanted to, he could also get a skirt but the guys on the team preferred pants. Dean politely declined, but he can’t say he wasn’t intrigued by the thought of wearing a skirt.

The cheerleader was standing by a bus stop, when a black, shiny motorbike pulled up next to him. At first Dean didn’t recognize the man, he was wearing grey jeans, a white t shirt and a leather jacket. However, when the man pulled his helmet off, he was pleased to see Castiel smiling shyly at him. “Hey, it’s you!” Dean grinned, walking over to him. “Yes. It is me” Castiel replied with a stiff voice, seemingly forgetting that he was the one who pulled up next to Dean in the first place. “Is it your bike? It’s freaking awesome man” Dean said, looking over the vehicle with an appreciative stare. “Yes.” Castiel answered, seemingly having lost all sense of social skills. “So … are you having trouble with it or something?” the cheerleader questioned, looking at Castiel and for the first time really noticing his piercing blue eyes. “What? No?” the biker replied confused, tilting his head to the side just like last time. Dean found it adorable. “Then why did you stop?”. Castiel couldn’t decide if the blonde was joking or not. “Uhm … Well, I saw you standing here and I know that I for sure hate taking the bus, sometimes people sit next to me and I have to talk to them in order to let me pass so they’ll know I’m getting off on the next stop and I just hate that so I thought I could maybe … offer you a ride or something? Of course, only if you would want that, I’m not going to kidnap you or anything creepy. I swear” Castiel rambled, looking anywhere but at Dean.

Dean really tried. He truly did. Sadly, he couldn’t help himself and burst out laughing at Castiel’s rambling. However, the hurt look on the brunette’s face quickly sobered him up. “I’m sorry Cas, I swear I am not laughing at you, you are just so cute I couldn’t help it” Dean giggled, not noticing the nickname slip out. Castiel however did, and felt his cheeks burn up. “I’m not cute” he grumbled. “Oh, you my friend, are adorable” Dean smiled, reaching out his hand to poke his friend’s nose. Before he made contact though, Castiel reached out, grabbed Dean’s arm, and pulled the man closer so Dean was standing right next to him on his bike. Their faces were inches apart and from this distance, Castiel could count the other’s freckles. A faint blush crept onto Dean’s cheeks, and he looked into Castiel’s eyes with a flustered face. “I offered you a ride Dean, are you gonna take it or not?” he almost whispered, taking note of Dean swallowing nervously. “S-Sure” Dean answered, feeling his skin burn from where Castiel’s hand was wrapped around his arm.

Castiel smiled at his response and let go of Dean’s arm before gesturing to the vacant spot behind him. Dean swung his leg over and sat down behind Castiel, feeling his heart drum violently in his chest. Hesitant to where he should put his hands, he placed them on the brunette’s shoulders. “Take my helmet” Castiel said, giving it to Dean. “What about you? You can’t drive without a helmet, what if you crash?” Dean said worried. “I won’t crash. Just put it on, I’ll get another helmet soon” Castiel reassured. After Dean had put on the helmet, he scooched a bit closer to Castiel but still didn’t dare to completely press against him. “You’ll have to grab onto me Dean. Safety first” Castiel lectured, grabbing Dean’s forearms, and pulling the cheerleader flush against his back. Before Dean could react at the closeness, Castiel took off. “Where to?” he yelled, both relishing in the feeling of Dean being so close and trusting him and freaking out over Dean being so close and trusting him. “Pie and Cake Bakery, next to the big Wal-Mart at Alvarado Drive” Dean shouted back, grinning from ear to ear. They flew through the wind and even though he was mostly just excited to ride a proper motorbike, Dean couldn’t help but clutch the fabric of Castiel’s leather jacket a bit tighter.

The city flew past them, and Dean could not remember the last time he smiled this big. Castiel must have sensed his excitement and drove even faster, earning a animated howl from the cheerleader. The boys arrived at their destination way too fast, and Dean noted that he was twenty minutes earlier than he would have been had he taken the bus. Castiel pulled into a parking spot, pulled the key out of the ignition, and turned to Dean with a small smile. Dean found himself holding himself back from reaching out and brushing his hands through Castiel’s disheveled hair, it was too hot to handle.

“Thank you for the ride, Cas!” Dean grinned, swinging himself off the bike and standing next to the guy. “If you’re free, I’d love to offer you a free piece of pie as a thanks? I work here you see, and my shift doesn’t start in another 25 minutes”. Castiel smiled warmly at the offer. “That would be lovely Dean. As long as you don’t feel obligated to give me something back. It was my pleasure helping out”. The duo walked into the bakery and Dean showed Castiel his favorite booth to sit in, it was right next to the biggest window in the place and was a bit more secluded than the other booths. “Take a seat and I’ll bring you something” Dean grinned, gesturing for Cas to sit.

“Well as I live and breathe! Dean Winchester in a freaking cheerleading uniform, must be my lucky day” a rough voice yelled from the cash register. Castiel were instantly on alert, ready to pounce whoever dared harass Dean. However, Dean just sighed as if this wasn’t the first time he had heard the voice. Without turning away from Castiel, Dean forced a smile and pointed behind him to a big guy with an apron. “That’s Benny, my best friend. We met here when I started working here two years ago. I swear he is harmless” he explained. Castiel felt more at ease at that but could not shake the feeling of jealousy. “I see.” He forced out. Dean winked playfully at him and turned to walk over to the guy.

“How come you never said you were into cheerleading?” Benny asked as Dean was next to him, giving him an appreciative onceover. “Those pants are really working out for you chief” he smirked. “I don’t know, it never came up. I mostly do it because I’m good and they offered scholarships for the best ones. Figured I’d give it a shot” he smiled, looking over the pieces of pie they were presenting in the glass shelves. “And here I thought you slept your way into college” Benny teased lightheartedly, earning him a smack from Dean. “I’m going to take a piece of apple pie to the guy over there. Please don’t yell out anything inappropriate, you’re gonna scare him off you oaf” Dean instructed with a teasing grin. Benny looked curiously over at where Castiel was sitting, who was already staring at Benny with deadly eyes. “He your boyfriend of something? Don’t think he likes me” Benny laughed, maintaining eye contact with Castiel as he put his arm over Dean’s shoulder who was busy paying for the piece of pie with his salary. Benny could see Castiel’s nostrils flare at his move and decided to rather glare out the window. “What? No, but he’s cool, and I want to get to know him. I got to ride on his bike to get here” Dean grinned, not bothered at all by Benny’s flirting. It was second nature to them. “Alright chief, I’ll leave you lovebirds alone”.

As Dean walked over and sat himself in the seat opposite of Castiel with the pie, he saw the brunette’s shoulders visibly relax as he returned. “I acknowledge I did not ask for any pie preferences, but trust me, this is the best pie we got!” Dean said animatedly, placing the plate in front of Castiel with an expectant grin. Although a bit salty at Dean’s best friend, he couldn’t help the smile at how adorable Dean was being. He felt honored to have Dean be so focused on him. And only on him. Castiel reached for the small fork and took a bite of the apple pie. He let out an appreciative hum at the flavor before telling Dean it tasted amazing. Said man lighted up as a Christmas tree hearing Castiel approved of it. “I don’t want to brag or anything, but I’m like the pie-whisperer” he bragged. “Is that why you wanted to work here then?” Castiel questioned, eager to get to know the beautiful man in front of him. “Nah, it was the only place that was hiring. I got lucky though, could have ended up at a smoothie bar or something and that would’ve only made me want to claw my eyes out”. Castiel giggled at that, “not a fan of healthy food, huh?”. Dean made a face at the thought, “not really, life’s too short to count calories and all that jazz. It’s not my fault they made all the junk food taste the best” he said, lifting his hands as if found guilty.

“What about you Cas, what does your diet consist of?” Dean asked, placing his elbows on the table, and leaning towards the guy. “Oh ... I haven’t really thought about it. I love meat loafs” he replied, “but I’m also conscious to eat my vegetables, a healthy diet makes working out a lot easier for me”. Dean nodded in understanding, although he could never relate, burgers and pizza were just too damn delicious. “So! What are you studying? I don’t really know much about you” Dean spoke, smiling. “I am majoring in fine arts and minoring in business” Castiel answered, taking another bite of the pie. “Oh that’s so cool! So you’re like one of the really creative types, huh?” the blonde grinned, looking genuinely interested in what Castiel was saying, which made him all fuzzy on the inside. “I-I guess?” he replied but sounded so unsure of himself it came out as a question. “What about you?” he quickly asked, hoping to regain some social skills. “Well, I got in on a cheerleading scholarship so that takes up a lot of time. I’m also taking a Bachelor of Science in automotive and technology and majoring in business. Maybe you could help me out in the business department one time?” he said. Castiel found himself opening his mouth in shock at the answer. How could he have the time and energy for all that? “That is really impressive Dean! Isn’t it hard though? You can’t have much free time” Castiel voiced his concerns.

“Oh it’s no stress, the faster I get my degree and the better it is, will all be worth it when I get my first proper paycheck” Dean grinned. “But how can you do a double major and work? I would collapse in an instant” Castiel pressed, in awe of the hardworking man in front of him. “I like to keep myself busy I guess” Dean replied cheekily, flustered at how Castiel was looking at him in amazement. “I also work at my uncle’s place, but that is only on the weekends. Bobby would like you”. Almost spitting out his food, Castiel gasped “you have TWO jobs?! What are you? Superman?”. Dean giggled softly at him. “Dude, superman is so lame. If I’m going to be compared to a superhero, I wanna be a hot one, like Tony Stark” he scoffed. Castiel happily noted that Dean allegedly also shared an interest in the same sex. “He’s not as hot as Thor though” he teased. With a dramatic gasp, Dean clutched his heart and leaned back in his seat, “you take that back you scoundrel”. The boys continued their teasing and Benny smiled at himself from where he stood, happy to hear Dean making new friends.

Too soon however, Dean had to excuse himself as his shift was starting and followed Castiel out back to his motorbike. “Thank you for the ride again” he spoke softly, looking at Castiel swinging his leg over the bike. “Thank you for the pie, it really was divine” Castiel answered, giving Dean a fond look. Before he could regret his decision Dean hurriedly kissed Cas on the cheek, waved goodbye and all but ran back inside the bakery. Gingerly, Castiel placed his hand on his cheek where Dean’s lips had made contact. The butterflies in his stomach were having a party and he realized that he was undoubtedly, absolutely smitten with the man.

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The next day Castiel was sitting in the cafeteria with his friend Hannah, a philosophy major, struggling to find inspiration for his next assignment in his contemporary art class. “I’m telling you Hannah; our professor is a legitimate nutcase! I’m willing to bet money on the fact that she gets high right before our classes starts or something. Today she looked over my ideas for the project and told me it was too ‘Castiel of me to do’, what does that mean?!” Castiel groaned out in frustration, shoving his sketchbook back into his bag. “Well, what is the assignment first of all?” Hannah asked, munching on a protein bar. “We’re supposed to take inspiration from a famous artist, I chose Andy Warhol because I’m a huge fan of his work and create something that would shock the crowds if the piece were released in the 1600s. It’s supposed to show how much art and society has progressed since then …” he answered. They were sitting in the middle of the cafeteria, so Hannah had to lean further in to hear what her friend was saying. “And your ideas so far are …?” she questioned, already aware of the answer as she knew her friend a bit too well. “Bees.” Castiel replied, with a happy face. Hannah wasn’t surprised at all. Her artistic friend always found a way to slip bees into his school projects The man had an obsession and it started out cute and quirky but at this point it was just pathetic. Before she could give him a piece of his mind however, a third person joined their table.

“Good day my fellow delinquents.” Balthazar grinned, seating himself across from Castiel and next to Hannah. “It really isn’t” Castiel sighed, still looking upset over having his bee-ideas rejected. “Oh, but it is for you Cassie” Balthazar smirked, taking a bite of his bagel. Castiel looked up intrigued. “Why?” Hannah asked. “I ran into your way-too-obvious-man crush yesterday and let me tell you, I absolutely understand your fascination lover boy” the brit grinned. This didn’t sound promising. “Please tell me you didn’t embarrass me” the art student complained, already having a bad feeling. “On the contrary dear boy! I even kissed the lad”. Castiel didn’t even think before picking up his empty milk cartoon and flinging it across the table at his friend. “What?! Aren’t you straight? Don’t you dare turn gay for Dean Winchester, he’s too good for you!” and I saw him first, Castiel thought the last part. “You must not forget that sexuality is fluid Cassie” Balthazar sang before continuing, “and yes, I’m still straight as an arrow, I just kissed his hand as all of us brits apparently do. I did tell him I’d introduce him to my bestest, most awesomest friend though”.

“Oh my god, you probably scared him off” Castiel whined, imagining Dean’s horrified expression at Balthazar’s intruding personality. Just as the words left his mouth, the cheerleading squad entered the cafeteria, still in uniform, most likely having just finished their practice. Among a group of girls, Castiel spotted the man that had taken up a lot of place in his thoughts. Dean was slightly covered in sweat, and he was just like the night before, wearing those damn red sweatpants that almost was the cause of his death the first time he saw Dean in them. God, how he wanted to feel the fabric. As well as the skin underneath. He forgot to chew the food he had in his mouth and swallowed, resulting in a massive coughing fit. He turned his attention back to his friends who were having a fit laughing at him. When the coughing stopped, he stole a glance over his shoulder and caught Dean looking at him from across the room. Dean offered him a friendly smile and a wave which Castiel returned shyly.

“Are you waving at Castiel Novak” Bella asked Dean, sounding surprised. Dean looked away from Castiel and turned to Bella who was sitting next to him. “Yeah! Do you know him?” he questioned. “No, and I hope you don’t either” Bella shuddered. “Oh, stop the bitching” Lisa lectured, seating herself on Bella’s other side, carrying three smoothies for them. Dean grabbed the chocolate one with a grateful smile. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked with a low tone. “Dean, seriously. Castiel and his goth friends are nothing but trouble. There are so many rumors about them and none of them are positive” she explained, taking a sip of her mango smoothie. “Oh, those are just rumors, Bella” Lisa sighed, looking apologetically at Dean. “What are the rumors?” he questioned out of curiosity, not that he would believe any of them. “For starters, their families all know each other and are allegedly apart of some cult. I’ve heard Castiel rebelled against them and that he got into tons of fights when he went to high school. I’ve also heard he stabbed a guy for no apparent reason. I’m telling you Dean; he is a complete psychopath” Bella listed. “When I’ve talked with him, he always seems so shy. He’s been really sweet to me” Dean argued, not for one minute believing anything Bella said. That did not sound like his Cas. Wait, his? “Then he probably wants something from you, I saw him speaking to Crowley in the hallway once and people who associates with that guy is nothing but drama. I also saw him checking out your ass as you walked in here” Bella grumbled. Dean felt the tips of his ears blush at the last part and couldn’t help but be secretly pleased. “I think you’re wrong, I’m going to talk to him” Dean stated, standing up and marching away, not paying any mind to Bella telling him to sit back down.

He could totally do that; he would just ask Cas. Rumors are rumors and Dean had his fair share of them concerning him and his business, to know that they tend to always be an exaggeration of the truth. He makes eye contact with a guy he remembers goes by the name Balthazar as he makes his way over. There is also a girl sitting at their table and when Balthazar nudges her, she also turns and looks at him. He tries to smile with confidence, but as he gets closer the confidence seems to fade away. Castiel is the last one to notice him and when he follows his friend’s gazes, his eyes widens when they land on Dean. “Hey” Dean smiled, standing next to their table. “Hello Dean” Castiel greeted, looking unsure. “Can I sit with you guys?” Dean questioned, looking at the trio. Everyone seems a bit shocked at his request, before Balthazar smirked and said, “Of course love, me and Hannah were just leaving though”. Hannah looked confused for a second before agreeing to what Balthazar said with a cheeky smile. “See you later Cassie” Balthazar teased, linking his arm with Hannah’s, and walking off.

“Your friends are funny” Dean giggled, sitting down next to Castiel who were glaring daggers at his friend’s retreating backs. The betrayal. “Yeah, they are hilarious” Castiel grumbled. “How’s your day been?” Dean asked, taking a sip of his smoothie. “Boring. But it’s a looking a lot brighter now” Castiel replied. Dean blushed and looked away with a tiny smile. “I hope you know I meant because now I’m with you. You make it brighter Dean. If that’s okay” Castiel rambled, too engrossed in making sure Dean wouldn’t misunderstand him. His explanation earned him a giggle from the man. “I got that, thank you Cas. You made my day brighter too” Dean grinned. Castiel smiled, satisfied with his social skills for once.

“I actually came over because I wanted to tell you something” Dean revealed, playing with his straw nervously. Castiel’s curiosity peaked at that and gestured for Dean to go on. “Well, you see … a girl on my cheerleading squad told me about the rumors regarding you and ... I just wanted to make sure you knew about people talking about you and it isn’t really good things they are saying. But don’t worry! I didn’t believe her for a second and I’m sure if we went to the school board, they could put an end to all of it” Dean said quickly, staring at Castiel to grasp his reaction. Said man did in fact know about the rumors and he truly did not care. Hearing Dean stand up for him however, barely knowing Castiel, made a warm feeling wash over him. “It’s okay Dean, I know what they are saying but thank you for feeling the need to tell me. As long as you don’t believe them, I am more than content” Castiel smiled. Dean let out a relieved sigh at Castiel’s response. He truly didn’t want to upset the man, but if he had rumors regarding himself, he’d like to know about it. “If you say so” Dean replied, “Bella is probably just full of shit, she has a thing for gossip. She even told me you were staring at my ass when we walked in” Dean laughed at the last part. Castiel however, immediately looked away from Dean’s eyes and his face got beet red. “T-That’s absurd, I would never” he coughed up, finding the cuffs on his leather jacket very interesting.

Dean slid closer to Castiel and cheekily replied with “What? You’re saying my ass isn’t worth checking out or something?”.

The art student turned and met Dean’s charming smirk, sporting a furiously blush himself. “Oh no, I didn’t mean it like that, I’m sure it is very pleasant to look at and you know, you are a cheerleader so I’m sure your rear is especially …” Castiel blabbered, willing himself to stop talking before he insulted the blonde. Dean burst out laughing but did not end Castiel’s suffering. “Especially what?” he questioned, wiggling his eyebrows. “Nice?” the art student tried with an unsure smile. “I’ll take that” Dean grinned, sliding back to where he originally sat.

“Thank you again, for not believing the rumors” Castiel said, rushing to change the subject. He honestly couldn’t care what other people thought of him, he had great friends and were very pleased with that. It would suck if Dean had decided to stay away from him before they had gotten the chance to get to know each other because of some stupid rumors. “Please don’t thank me for that, it’s decent human behavior. Anyone who appreciates a piece of apple pie as much as I do, must be an awesome person” Dean beamed, making Castiel laugh.

“So, how is college life treating you?” Castiel asked, getting lost in the little bubble he and Dean had created. Even though they were surrounded by people talking, laughing, and yelling, he discovered he had subconsciously tuned it all out in order to focus on the striking man in front of him. “It’s great! I’ve met so many cool people and so far, I’ve been able to keep up with my classes. We are cheering for the soccer team this Saturday; it’ll be my first time officially cheering with the squad. Do you want to go with me?” Dean grinned, accidently blurting out the last part, but not regretting it at all. “That is really good to hear Dean. I’d love to go with you, just be aware I’ve never been to a soccer game before so I might embarrass you” Castiel confessed shyly, over the moon at Dean asking him out. “That’s okay Cas! You could never embarrass me, you’re too cool for that to happen” Dean beamed, not noticing the flustered state his words left the man in. “Meet me by the bleachers at six o’clock, I’ll be the one with the especially nice ass” Dean winked, before standing up and jogging back to the cheerleading squad. Their lunch break was almost over and Dean was eager to get back to practice to perfect their routine for the upcoming weekend

Chapter Text

The day before the big game, Dean found himself running around the entire city trying to get his shit done. He woke up 5 AM, grabbed a half-eaten burger from the fridge that was left there by his father, and made it to the mechanic shop by 5:30. Bobby gave him a grateful smile and they spent the morning fixing up a big Range Rover for some snotty customer. Apparently, the customer paid extremely well and wanted the job done quickly and efficiently. Which is why Bobby called Dean the day before and asked for his assistance. By 10 AM, Dean was running through the school hallways from one seminar to another. A bunch of people tried to talk with him, they probably felt bad as he was the newest student or something, but he had to brush them off in order to write down some notes from the curriculum for the lecture the same afternoon. After studying for what felt like years, Dean basically skipped to the cheerleading practice, excited to spend his day doing something fun. Although they had to sweat a little more that practice, as the cheerleading squad was cheering for tomorrow’s game, Dean was cheerful the entire time. He got a lot closer to the boys on the squad as well, especially a guy named Aaron Bass. He was in his last year, taking a master’s degree in religious studies. Aaron had short brown hair that went well with his hazel eyes and was a bit shorter than Dean. After two rough hours with dancing, lifting the girls up and smiling until his cheeks started to hurt, Dean and Aaron decided to walk together to the bus stop.

“How are you enjoying college thus far, Dean?” Aaron asked, hitching his bag further up on his shoulder. “It’s really fun, I’ve never learnt so much before in such a short amount of time, it’s amazing!” Dean grinned, genuinely thrilled at the whole college experience. “Wow, you must be the first person I’ve met who actually enjoys school. I like the subjects I’m taking but all the sleepless nights studying has worn me down” Aaron chuckled. “Oh, you should meet my brother Sam then, that little sucker is the biggest nerd I’ve ever known” Dean stated. “Must be a Winchester thing then” Aaron teased, pushing Dean lightly with his shoulder. As the duo arrived at the destination, Dean saw Castiel in the distance, leaning against his bike talking to a girl he remembered were called Hannah. Their eyes met and Dean didn’t hesitate for one second before he raised his hand and waved at Castiel like an excited puppy. Castiel smiled warmly back and waved.

“You sure seem friendly with the Novak guy” Aaron observed, looking between them. He did not miss Castiel’s subtle glare at him before the guy turned back to his friend. “Yeah! We are friends” Dean explained with a smile, leaning against the bus stop. “Huh. Well, I’m glad. I rarely see anyone daring to go near him, so I am happy someone finally treats him like a normal person” Aaron smiled, although it did not reach his eyes. “Yeah, Bella told me about the rumors… I feel bad for him, he is such a sweet guy, and nobody takes the time to find out” Dean sighed, feeling nothing but adoration for the painter. Aaron turned to face Dean fully before he rubbed his hand through his hair as if he didn’t want to say what he was going to. “Dean. They aren’t all rumors. I saw him beating a guy to the ground just a couple of weeks ago. I’m not saying Castiel is crazy or something like that, but he clearly has a temper, so just be careful” he admitted. Dean didn’t know what to think at first. To be honest he could not for the love of God imagine Castiel doing something like that. He was so kind and considerate. “I’ll be careful” he said instead, not detecting any malice from Aaron. The guy seemed like an honest one.

The bus arrived shortly after and then Dean was off to work a seven-hour shift at the bakery. Benny didn’t work that day, so Dean would be stuck with an old man named Uriel and a teenager named Alex. The shift went okay, except for the rush when they got a crazy number of customers and Dean had to help out in the kitchen to make sure they had enough baked goods to be sold. At last, when sun had gone down and midnight were approaching, Dean was standing outside of his house, eating a sandwich he brought from the bakery. A benefit to working in a bakery was all the food they got to eat at the end of the day, baked goods that couldn’t be stored overnight and they had to throw away. Dean could of course go inside and eat his dinner in the kitchen and enjoy the warmth and comfort of home, but John didn’t appreciate it when Dean got food from somewhere else than the kitchen. He said it was offensive and that people would think John didn’t feed him enough. Which he didn’t. In fact, Dean was lucky if his dad bothered to cook something up for him, he only ever did it on his birthday and maybe a holiday or two.

When Dean entered the house, the stench of vodka and rum hit him right in the face. It was one of those nights. The cheerleader tried his best to walk quietly past the living room to get to the stairs, but not much seemed to be in Dean’s favor that day. “Dean?! Isss that you?” his dad slurred from where he was laying on the couch. He was wearing grey sweatpants. An iron maiden t-shirt and had an empty glass in his hand that was hanging from the edge of the couch. “Yes sir. I’m going to bed now” Dean reported, hoping John would be too drunk to maintain the conversation. “Why are you home so late? Got a girlfriend?” John asked, raising himself to a sitting position. “No sir. I was working, my shift ended twenty minutes ago” he explained. “Why the hell are you still working so much boy? You managed to ship Sam off and away from me, isn’t that enough?” John spat, working himself up. Sam was a touchy subject in the Winchester house, but although Dean could take a lot of shit from his father, he never wanted Sam to have too as well. “It’s for Sam’s college fund sir.”.

Apparently, that was not what John wanted to hear. He stood up quickly, stumbling his way over to the dining table where a bottle of vodka stood and poured himself a glass. “You saying I’m not capable of sending my own kid to college Dean?” he questioned with an icy stare. At any other day, Dean would apologize immediately but after the long day he had, the blonde simply didn’t find the strength. “You didn’t do shit for me to get into college. Sir.” Dean replied, standing up straighter. John had the decency to look ashamed for a moment at the comment. Only for a moment however. “You ungrateful brat!” he yelled, walking towards Dean and pushing him hard into the wall next to him. Dean flinched at the contact, but didn’t break the stare. “I’ve given you a roof over your head, clothes and food and what do I get for it? What a fucking waste” he grunted, looking at his son as if he were the dirt you scrape off of your shoe. “Sorry sir.” Dean whispered. “Sam is the only one in this family who has the potential to amount to anything and you took him away from me” John said, taking a big chug of his drink. They’ve had this argument numerous amount of times, and every time John got drunk, he forgot about the fact that they’ve talked about this before and starts the argument anew.

“Maybe if you weren’t such a sad excuse for a father, he could’ve lived here.” Dean grumbled, turning around to leave for the stairs. He almost made it too, but before he could even raise his foot to climb the first step, John grabbed his shoulder with a strong grip and turned him around. “Fuck you Dean!” he yelled as he slammed his fist into Dean’s cheekbone, making the man tumble backwards and fall ass first on the steps. Just like all the times John had punched or kicked Dean, the man immediately looked regretful, and all anger disappeared. Dean didn’t bother to hear the man excuse himself this time and apologize. Instead, he ran up to his room and locked the door. It wasn’t all John’s fault he reminded himself. His father was a product of his grandfather. John had it a lot worse growing up. He was just a kid. Dean, however, knew he never got a chance at being just a kid.

After his mother passed, his dad became a shell of the man he used to be. They would go fishing together and he would teach Dean how to properly throw a ball. Mary taught him a lot about cooking and gardening. Dean’s most cherished childhood memories were when he would help his mom out in the garden, and she would reward him with homemade pie and chocolate milk afterwards. They were the perfect family. Then one day when Dean and John came home from the park, Mary ran towards them with the biggest smile and a small white stick in her hand. “You’re gonna be a big brother sweetie” she whispered to Dean as she bent down to face him. If Dean was happy before, he was soaring through the sky when he heard that.

“Dean come on… I’m sorry, you know I didn’t mean to hurt you” John whimpered pathetically on the other side of his door, trying to get in. Dean only curled into a ball on his bed, put on his headphones and tried his best to fall asleep. Just like he had done so many times before.

Castiel was looking around the football field with one goal in mind; find Dean. This was his first ever time even being at a soccer game, or any event thrown by the school for that matter, and it was just because Dean had simply asked him to. Balthazar and Hannah just laughed in his face when he had asked them to go with him. Castiel stuck out like a sore thumb. Everyone was wearing red and white clothes and were cheering wildly at the players who were stretching on the field. The art student however, was wearing his black leather jacket with his black t shirt and his dark denim jeans. His spikey hair was a big contrast to all the tight ponytails and sweat sleeked hairstyles around him. Around the football field, there were six small stadiums, three on each side. The field was surrounded by a small fence and on each corner stood four bright beacons of light. Castiel was stood against the fence, scouting for Dean so he wouldn’t feel so awkward.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Crowley and his friends, Meg and Mark, approach him. “Didn’t think of you as a sports guy Castiel” Crowley mockingly said as he stopped next to the brunette. Castiel didn’t even bother acknowledging the brit, finding him both annoying and obnoxious. “Dare I say you’re not here for the football?” he continued. “Why are YOU here Crowley? Thought you spent your weekends stealing from the poor and giving to the rich” Castiel sighed, earning a vicious laugh from Meg. “Oh, you know, I’m trying to find new hobbies” Crowley smirked. At least Castiel didn’t look like a loner anymore, as Crowley also were wearing all black clothes. It matched his short black hair and thick eyebrows. Castiel suspected he wore black to seem sophisticated, but it only made him look like a guy working in a funeral agency. “And what do these new hobbies include?” he questioned, choosing to engage in the conversation whilst he waited for Dean. “Using school arrangements as an excuse to check out the cheerleaders” Mark grinned, dragging out a red and white cap from his bag and putting it on his head proudly. It matched almost perfectly with his white hair.

“Pigs” the art student scoffed, turning away from them, and once again facing the field. “Maybe” Crowley smirked, “Personally I’m here for Dean Winchester. When I first saw him, he looked like a misfit begging to be bothered, but me and Meg saw him and Lisa Braeden the other day in the cheerleader uniform and though I never like to admit it, I was wrong about that gorgeous man”. Castiel stood up straighter and gripped the fence hard with his hands. Oh, how it irked him to hear Crowley talk so barbarically about his new friend. He vowed to himself to never let Crowley anywhere near the Winchester boy. His thoughts were interrupted suddenly, by the referee blowing his whistle loudly, signaling that there were five minutes until the match started. Loud music started playing and the players went to stand on the sideline with the coach. ‘Shake it off’ by Taylor Swift were blasted through the speakers and all of the audience excitedly turned towards the entrance to the gym. A wave of red and white came running out of the gym and Castiel quickly recognized the cheerleading squad. They all jumped and sashayed to the middle of the field were the dancers quickly got in position for the routine.

Castiel finally managed to spot Dean amongst them, he was standing on the far right, smiling brightly and practically wooing the entire audience with his charm. The routine started and Castiel found himself taken aback by the speed and accuracy the squad were performing in. People were running and doing backflips and handstands and still managed to do everything to the beat. Dean had moved to the middle and was helping lifting two girls in the air, holding onto a girl’s ancle in each hand. “Lover boy has stamina, I like that” he heard Crowley brag next to him. “You are disgusting” Castiel deadpanned, giving him an unimpressed look. The routine ended soon after and then the match began. Before the art student could decide what he should do, he saw Dean jogging on the sidelines towards him with that big, blinding smile.

“See, he has noticed me as well” Crowley smirked, also taking notice of the cheerleader headed their way. If Meg and Mark noticed the way Castiel smiled mischievously at Crowley’s comment, they didn’t mention it. “Hey Cas!” Dean grinned when he approached them from the other side of the fence. “Hello Dean” he smiled in return, taking pleasure in the way Crowley’s eyes almost popped out of his skull. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend Castiel?” Crowley managed to say after getting over his initial shock. “No”.

Dean couldn’t help the giggle at Castiel’s bluntness. He waved sheepishly to the three students standing next to Cas and hurriedly introduced himself. “So, how do you know Clarence over here?” Meg questioned, sounding like the snake Castiel knew she was. “Clarence?” Dean asked confused, looking at Castiel for answers. “Ignore them, they are just annoying bullies” Castiel sighed, looking apologetically at the cheerleader who raised an eyebrow at the statement. “I bet you like a bad boy though” Crowley smirked, leaning over the fence closer to Dean. “Yeah, I guess I do” Dean smiled cheekily, never taking his eyes off Castiel who blushed at the implication. “I can assure you; I am not a poorly raised male Dean, I’d never be rude to you” the art student hurriedly explained, making Crowley and his friends roll their eyes at his cluelessness. The cheerleader however, laughed that beautiful laugh and Castiel would go to the end of the earth to hear it again. “Nah I know that. You’re too cute” Dean winked. “If you’ll wait till the game is over, we could go find somewhere to eat together maybe? I’m freaking starving” Dean asked, looking at Cas as if he hung the stars himself. Crowley realized he was fighting a losing battle and decided to try his luck with the Winchester another time. He and his friends walked over to one of the stadiums and sat down over there instead, scheming and planning Crowley’s next move.

“That would make me very happy Dean” Castiel smiled, feeling that warm feeling wash over him once again.

Chapter Text

Dean woke up the day of the game with a massive headache, a bruised cheekbone and absolutely no motivation to leave the safety of his bed. His room wasn’t big, only a few rock posters filled the walls, a desk that also functioned as a nightstand and his bed. His ‘closet’ was a few plastic shelves next to the door. It wasn’t much at all, but it was a room that had kept out all evil. His father had eventually given up at one point during the night, because when Dean begrudgingly went to open his door, John was nowhere to be seen. He picked up a bag, filled it with clothes and necessities and hurriedly left the house, successfully not running into his father on his way out. Maybe he should be used to the beatings and cruel words, but regardless of how many times it had happened, Dean always felt sick the day after and although he wouldn’t admit it, it had hurt him. Not physically but something inside of him cracked a bit more each time it happened. He wanted to hate him. To hate John. And he did. But he also loved him, and that’s what he hated the most. Dean felt pathetic for loving someone so horrible and hated himself for excusing John’s behavior each time. Maybe it was because Dean knew a John before everything went to shit. Dean knew the man could be good and was secretly hoping for his real father to come back.

It was 10:AM when Dean found himself standing outside a familiar door. “Dean, please tell me you have a good reason for waking me up at the dawn of tim- Oh my God! What happened?” Charlie gasped after looking at her friend and spotting an ugly blue bruise covering half of his face. She gently held his face in her hands and examined the damage. “Dean, did John do this? I thought he had gotten better” she murmured, ushering him inside. “No, he has. I got elbowed yesterday at cheerleading practice” he replied, trying his best at faking a smile. If Charlie saw right through him, she didn’t say anything. “Anyways, I was hoping I could crash here for the weekend? I’ll cook as usual” Dean grinned, stripping himself of his jacket. Charlie had her own place, she got it when she turned 18. It was a small studio apartment within walking distance to the University and her workplace, a comic bookstore. The duo had known each other for over a decade, as they met in a support group for kids who had lost their mothers.

Dean didn’t speak for weeks after Mary died, and Charlie noticed a boy like her age who looked really sad in the meeting and decided to cheer him up by throwing a biscuit on him. It didn’t really succeed in making Dean laugh, but an epic battle consisting of throwing food at each other did occur. At last, the grown-ups had to step in, and both got sent to a time-out in the corner. Dean and Charlie stood giggling in the corner, exchanging names, and praising each other on their magnificent throws. A friendship was born.

Dean recalled the memory fondly as he prepared lunch for them with whatever Charlie had in her kitchen. Pancakes with a side of bacon. Her apartment was one big loft with a small bathroom. She had a kitchen, living room and bedroom all in one. The couch in front of the television also functioned as a bed and it was perfect for their weekly binge-watching of shows and movies. “Are you really not going to tell me how you got that bruise?” Charlie asked, from where she had thrown herself back in her bed after letting Dean inside. “I did tell you, can you please just drop it” Dean snapped. Charlie took no offense; however, she knew how sensitive Dean got whenever John was brought up. “I can’t just sit by and watch Dean. You wouldn’t either if it was me. In fact, you were the one who almost bit my dad’s head off when he threw me out if I recall” she stated, determined. When Charlie came out to her dad as gay, he turned into someone Charlie had never met before. According to him, she was a sinner, and he would not pay for food and provide a roof over her head until she got rid of her ‘disease’. “Wish I did” Dean almost growled, remembering how much that had messed his best friend up. Luckily, she still had her savings and with her part-time job, managed to rent the small apartment she was currently living in. She hadn’t spoken to her dad since.

“Charlie, I promise, if it gets bad, I’ll call the cops myself” the cheerleader promised, bringing a plate of food to her in bed. “It already is bad” she murmured, sitting up against the sofa cushions. “Just trust me, okay? I’m not gonna be there forever”

“I trust you”.

After a small Star Wars marathon, ordering pizza, laughing until Dean thought he would wet himself and a good appliance of concealer, Dean felt like a new man. His bruise had worsened throughout the day and covered almost half his face. However, Charlie was luckily a great makeup artist as she regularly went to cosplay conventions. “I’m just doing this because you have a game today, the next time I see you with a bruise we are heading straight to the cops, got it?” Charlie had grumbled whilst applying the concealer. Dean found himself agreeing even though he knew there definitely would be a next time and that he for sure wouldn’t let Charlie know. The last thing he needed was John behind bars, it would just cause a lot of drama and Sam and Bobby would have to be informed about everything and he didn’t want that.

Dean was in the locker rooms, changing into his uniform a few hours later, almost glowing with excitement at his first time cheering in front of a crowd. The fact that Castiel would be part of the crowd had nothing to do with the glow of course. None of the other cheerleaders had noticed his flawless skin on the left side of his face, caused by multiple layers of makeup. Once changed, Aaron approached him and sat next to him on the bench in front of the lockers. “Are you ready?” he asked with a knowing smile, everyone on the squad had noticed Dean’s excitement and everyone was completely in awe at the enthusiastic man. “I’m so ready! It’s been so fun practicing with everyone and I’m glad the rest of the school are going to see all the effort we put in” Dean grinned. “I’m glad to hear that” Aaron smiled, “I know for a fact everyone here loves you, so we’d all like to keep you on the squad”. Dean wanted to cry hearing that, he had never felt so wanted in a team before. “That means a lot” he replied softly, grateful for Aaron not pointing out the chick flick moment.

Then the door to the locker room opened and the couch signaled for the squad to move out into the football field, the game was starting soon. This was it. Everyone got up and when they were walking through the corridor, Lisa started shouting and hyping everybody up. By the time they were running outside, everyone on the squad was cheering, yelling, and clapping. Taylor Swift’s song was blasting, and Dean barely had the time to scan the crowd looking for Castiel before their routine began. Dean danced as passionately as he could and made sure to make eye contact with people in the crowd and the players, winking and smiling to their audience. Bella told him it was important to flirt with the crowd, it made them seem a lot more confident which would make the crowd less nervous about watching them dance without messing up.

Once the routine was over and they were told to take a seat whilst the game officially started, Dean managed to slip away and ran towards Castiel who was standing next to the fence across the field. He had spotted him whilst the audience was applauding them. The art student was standing next to three other people Dean hadn’t seen before. Were they also Castiel’s friends? He made it over and during their conversation, Dean quickly noticed that Castiel was not a big fan of the people next to him, so Dean chose to pay them no mind. He vaguely remembered seeing the guy with the black hair somewhere before but couldn’t place his finger on it. After agreeing on meeting Castiel after the game, Dean jogged back to his team with flushed cheeks and a small smile. Although Cas dressed in dark clothes and seemed like a bit of a loner, Dean thought Castiel was the most adorable guy he had ever met. He was also kind and obviously smart, judging by the wide range of his vocabulary.

“Dean Winchester, the man, the myth, the legend” Bella praised mockingly when he returned to his squad, taking a seat beside Aaron who was seated next to Bella. “What?” he questioned, tilting his head slightly. “How in the world did you get Castiel Novak to attend a football game? Are you a witch?” Aaron teased, poking Dean in the ribs jokingly. Their team scored a goal, and everyone stood up quickly and cheered for them. They did a short cheer routine before sitting back down as the game continued. “What do you mean? I just asked him” Dean replied to their previous teasing. “We knew you were a charmer Dean, from the day we met you, but this is on another level” Bella giggled, earning a laugh from Aaron. “We’re just being stupid Dean, it just means that he obviously likes you” Aaron smiled, feeling bad for his new friend. The blonde found himself blushing at the comment. “Just remember what I told you” Aaron said, giving a meaningful look to him. Dean nodded with a shy smile.

The game went on and no one scored another goal, resulting in their school winning and the cheerleading squad performing their last routine with huge smiles after the judge blew his whistle, signaling that the game was officially over. Sweat trickled down his face, and Dean made sure to shower quickly in the changing room before almost running back out to meet up with Castiel. Ever since he emerged from the showers, people started looking at him with a weird look, some concerned, and others confused. Aaron didn’t notice before after Dean yelled a ‘goodbye everyone’ and bolted outside. As Aaron himself hadn’t gotten dressed yet, he couldn’t run after him and ask what happened, but decided to ask him the next time he saw him.

Dean hoisted his bag further up on his shoulder as he walked around outside, looking for his friend. He saw Castiel standing by the edge of the building, also looking around. “Hey Cas!” he yelled, running over. Castiel first smiled at the sound, but once he saw Dean, a horrified look took over his face. When Dean had made his way over, he got confused at the art student’s expression. Had he changed his mind about hanging out? He didn’t get the chance to ask however, before Castiel reached out and held Dean’s face gently in his hands. With an equally heartbroken and furious expression, Castiel gritted out “Who did this to you?” whilst examining Dean’s face. It all dawned on Dean at once. The bruise. He had completely forgotten about it when he showered, his mind solely on the warm feeling in his chest from a great night. “No one. I got hit by a door” Dean answered, the smile slipping from his face and being replaced by a neutral expression. Castiel sighed at the reply, not letting go of Dean’s face and instead taking a step closer, their faces inches apart. “Is someone bothering you? You can tell me Dean” he said softly, successfully hiding his complete rage at someone hurting his Dean. His Dean?

Dean wanted to tell him for a second. Wanted to bury his face in the crook of the brunette’s neck and finally tell someone everything he had to endure. However, he knew he couldn’t. It was too much. Instead, he placed his hands on top of Castiel’s, who was still cradling his face like he was the most precious thing in the world. “No one is bothering me Cas. I told you I got hit by a door, I’m okay.”. Castiel wanted to press further, so badly, but he did notice the slight frustration in Dean’s tone and was worried he would push him too far. “Okay Dean if you say so. I just want you to know that if someone was giving you a hard time or anything like that, please tell me. Even if you don’t think it’s important. I want to be someone you can talk to Dean.” Castiel said, brushing his thumb carefully over the bruise on Dean’s cheekbone. Said man couldn’t help but smile at the words, and quickly leaned in, giving Castiel a tight hug before he could see the tears gathering in Dean’s eyes.

They stood there for a while, just hugging. “Watch out Winchester, the guy you’re hugging is nothing but a freak!” a voice shouted from the distance, completely ruining the moment. The duo broke apart, and Dean looked for the person shouting with fury dripping from his eyes. He spotted the culprit; it was Mark who shouted. He was standing with Meg and Crowley a few meters away. Castiel didn’t pay them any mind, as if he was used to hearing it. That only enraged Dean more. “Fuck you!” Dean yelled, scowling at them. Castiel brought a hand back up to turn Dean’s face towards him again. “Don’t bother Dean, I don’t care” he smiled, gently.

“I guess the already lost his patience with you Winchester, judging by your face. Want to play doctor with me?” Crowley shouted, making some of the other students turn their faces towards the commotion. Castiel felt his blood boiling, but before he could act on his anger at the crude comment, Dean was already marching towards the group. “What the hell is your problem?!” he snapped, pointing a finger at them, and stalking towards them with determination. Crowley just smirked at him, raising his hands in surrender. Castiel was quick to follow Dean, his anger switching to concern for the cheerleader. “Oh, I’m just concerned for your wellbeing darling” Crowley purred, taking a moment to check Dean out once he was standing in front of them. “Unless you want matching bruises, you stay the hell away from us! All of you” Dean demanded, glaring at them, and leaving no room for argument. He turned around, grabbed Castiel’s hand and marched them both away from everyone else.

Once they were far enough away, standing at the parking lot next to Castiel’s motorcycle, Dean let go of Castiel and turned to face him. “You shouldn’t let them talk to you like that Cas, you deserve more than that” Dean said, looking so genuinely upset on Castiel’s behalf that all the art student wanted to do, was wrap Dean up in a blanket and keep him for himself, away from the world. “But you looked so hot standing up for me” Castiel winked, wrapping his arms around Dean’s waist, and tugging him towards him. “Caaaas” Dean whined, cheeks a warm shade of red, hesitantly placing his hands on Castiel’s shoulders, secretly noting how broad the man in front of him was. “I think you should just be with me all the time, so you can defend my honor whenever necessary” Castiel continued, completely enamored by the man he was lucky enough to have in his arms. “I do like the sound of that” Dean winked, his confidence slowly returning. “However, I’d prefer it if it never was necessary in the first place. I don’t get why people seem to enjoy saying all this nonsense about you. I hope you know you are a wonderful person” Dean said, looking directly into Castiel’s eyes. The brunette blushed at his words and felt a warm sensation spreading across his chest. “Thank you for saying that Dean. As long as you believe that I don’t need anyone else’s validation.”. “I have no reason to believe otherwise. Now, let’s get on that sexy bike of yours and grab something to eat. I’m starving” Dean grinned, playing with the hairs on Castiel’s neck playfully. “Let’s go, I’ll treat you to a piece of pie for that marvelous cheerleading performance” Castiel replied with the biggest smile.

“Cas, you are the man of my dreams”.

Chapter Text

A few days had passed since the football game, and Dean was back under John’s roof. It had been a hell of weekend, and for all the right reasons. Dean and Castiel had stayed out almost all night driving around the town, eating greasy food and pie and talked each other’s ears off. When he came back to Charlie’s, he was sporting the biggest smile and his heart wouldn’t calm down. Naturally, Charlie had noticed and forced Dean to spill the tea. Unlike the other students, Charlie seemed thrilled that Dean was spending time with Castiel. “I’m glad to hear you had a good time, most people shy away from Castiel like he has the plague or some shit. I’m sure he’s a great person” she told him, which Dean instantly agreed with because Castiel was an amazing person. He was so attentive to what he was telling him, and they had great chemistry. It almost felt like he had known Castiel for years, and judging by how comfortable they were around each other, it definitely looked like that for strangers.

Since Dean had returned home, John hadn’t said a word to him. They made eye contact when the cheerleader walked into the living room and once John saw the big mark covering his son’s face, he scoffed and walked out and drove away. If it was one thing Dean had picked up on over the last few years, was that his dad could not stand feeling guilty. It made him mad and dismissive and most of all, quiet. On the other side, Dean always woke up to a prepared breakfast in the kitchen the days following. John was nowhere to be seen of course, but Dean knew it was John’s way of apologizing.

Five days had passed since Dean and Castiel’s midnight adventures, and the cheerleader was sad to admit he had not seen Castiel since. He was a busy student, running from one lecture to another, but he usually saw Castiel in between or after classes. On Thursday however, when Dean was out grocery shopping, because John was too busy trying to reach the bottom of his whiskey bottle, he spotted the art student in the bread section in the store. He wasn’t alone though. Another man stood next to him, pointing at the different brands as if to determine which one to grab. The man was a bit taller than Castiel, but slimmer and older. He had the same hair colour, but his hair was styled, and he wore a grey suit. Castiel looked absolutely miserable, as if choosing which brand to grab was the most torturous activity invented.

“Heya Cas!” Dean grinned, walking towards them. They both turned at the voice and if possible, Castiel’s grim face worsened. The other man smiled when he saw Dean. “Hello” Castiel murmured, not making eye contact. What the hell? “Are you not going to introduce me to your friend?” the man asked, scanning Dean’s figure. Castiel noticed and scowled, “he’s not my friend. I’m sorry Dean, but we are busy”. The words stung as soon as Dean processed them. Taken aback by the harsh reply, Dean took a step back.

“Dean! My name is Michael” the man smiled as if the air wasn’t tense and awkward as fuck. Michael reached out a hand, and Dean managed to break out of his spiraling in order to take it and shake. “Are you close with my younger brother?” he questioned, gesturing to Castiel. Dean couldn’t help but feel relieved that he wasn’t shaking hands with Castiel’s secret lover or something. Before he could reply however, said man beat him to it. “No, we are not, I barely know him.” Castiel spoke with a cold expression, finally looking at Dean.

It pained him so incredibly much to hear it, that Dean felt like throwing up. It was rare that he bonded so quickly with someone and to have all that ripped away so suddenly and with so little remorse, made him sick with hurt. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you at campus” Dean said, determined to not let it show how much he wanted to burst into tears. “None of your business” Castiel gritted out, breaking eye contact once again. “Oh Cassie, don’t be rude” Michael spoke, “we had a little family time, but Cassie will return for his classes in no time! It’s lovely to hear someone show so much concern for my little brother here”. Michael smiled when he talked, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Dean had heard about his family, the rumors said they were a part of a cult or something like that. Michael seemed nice though. But he wouldn’t trust first impressions, John could also appear nice if he wanted to. “You didn’t tell me you were going home” Dean said, trying to regain eye contact with the brunette. It was silent for a while before Castiel replied with an annoyed tone “Why would I tell you anything? You are nothing to me”.

Michael seemed like he wanted to laugh at the exchange. Like it was amusing to him. Like it wasn’t hurting Dean more than his father’s blows. He would not cry. Not in front of them. Instead, he waited until Castiel met his eyes. They stared at each other intensely. When Dean felt like his throat was closing off, he nodded once, placed his basket filled with food on the ground and turned around and left the store. He walked and walked. Shoulders tense and eyes on the sidewalk in front of him. God, he felt so stupid. The conversations they had shared, the way they had looked at each other. Dean really held those moments so close to his heart. He had many friends sure, but it was almost always superficial friendships. Friends he spoke to when he was at school or work and nowhere else. Charlie and Benny were the only people that had stuck with him. And it felt like Cas was going to be one of those too. But he wasn’t. Because Dean was ‘nothing’ to him. It almost reminded him of John. Those cold eyes and dismissive tone. He couldn’t have any more Johns in his life, it would break him.

The cheerleader walked until he found the next grocery store and bought what he needed before heading home. His home that was built on cold eyes and dismissive tones.

When Castiel turned 18, he realized he was sick of pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Up until that point it had been tucked in shirts, early nights, and church every Sunday without exception. He had known for years that he didn’t fit into the mold his parents wanted him to be in and each day tore away at his spirit. Whenever someone threw a party or basically any social gathering, he was not allowed to go because his parents did not want anyone to corrupt him. It didn’t use to be so bad, but ever since Lucifer had left them behind, his parents had grown stricter and more cautious.

Castiel always admired his second oldest brother. Lucifer would always encourage his interest in art and even bought him his first paint brushes. Of course, they were quickly confiscated by his mother when she saw him painting something that didn’t involve their lord and savior. Castiel suspected Lucifer never felt truly accepted by their family and with valid reasons. The Novak’s adopted Lucifer when he was ten years old. Apparently, his biological parents were avid drug users and died in a car accident when they were driving under the influence of some heavy drugs. As good Christian folks, the Novak’s offered to take the boy in. His mum, Naomi, tried really hard to convince child services to let her change his name but they told her it would only bring more trauma to the boy as he had just lost his parents and didn’t need to also lose a part of his identity. Lucifer did not grow up in a religious household and struggled to keep up with Chuck and Naomi’s lifestyle. They tried their best to convert him and re-educate him, but he never saw the appeal with religion and thought the whole phenomenon was hypocritical. After realizing he would never be a good Christian boy, his parents completely froze him out and when he turned 18, they didn’t even get to throw him out to be on his own because when they were going to tell him, Lucifer had already left. Castiel was the only one in the family he left a note for. Last he heard, his brother had bought and opened a bar and was doing just fine on his own. He is eight years older than Castiel, and just turned 28.

It was when Lucifer left, Castiel realized they did in fact have a choice. Although he himself was only ten years old at the time, he started doing what he enjoyed doing in secret. One day he would be his true self as well.

Castiel had two other older brothers, Michael, and Gabriel. Michael turns 30 years old in a few months and Gabriel is 23, three years older than Castiel. They are completely different people. Whereas Michael, as the oldest, has always tried his best to please his parents and suck up to them, Gabriel is a complete menace. Sure, he does what Chuck and Naomi tells him to, and he never misses church, but he is a champion at getting away with things. Gabriel is the one in his family he is the closest to, even though he is a royal pain in the ass. Whenever Castiel was sad or didn’t understand his parents growing up, Gabriel would always make him laugh.

Michael on the other hand was a firm, strict older brother. He would make him feel even smaller and rarely paid him any attention. If it was not hard enough to struggle to receive any form of praise from his parents, it was even harder to get an acknowledgment from Michael. Today he is a successful lawyer and just bought his first house. After Castiel turned away from the church at the age of 18, Michael never failed to show his disappointment in his younger brother and almost took pleasure in watching him struggle. He’d make fun of Castiel’s new style and call him a ‘goth freak’ and ‘weirdo’, whilst smiling at him like he was his favorite person. Just like Lucifer, Castiel moved out quickly after becoming legal and moved into a small apartment with his friend Balthazar. The duo lived together for a year before moving into their own separate apartments. Unlike Lucifer however, Castiel still stayed in touch with his family. The art student struggled to cut ties with them, because despite everything, they were family. He met regularly with Gabriel and Anna, his younger sister.

It was because of Michael’s presence that he urged Dean to leave them alone at the grocery store. Castiel had just told his parents that he was gay and as his parents instantly lectured him about homosexuality being sinful and the devil’s work, Michael was almost glowing listening to them berate him. Whenever someone else was a failure in their parents’ eyes, he became more of a success. If Michael were to find out he had someone precious like Dean in his life, he would ruin it. Ironically, his oldest brother reminded him of a snake, waiting and lurking in the shadows preparing for an attack. It almost seemed like Castiel’s integrity and decision to be his own person got under Michael’s skin. When he saw his brother shamelessly checking Dean out, he almost lost his cool. To his knowledge, Michael was straight, but he knew he would take advantage of Dean if only to hurt Castiel. There was no way Castiel was letting Michael know about Dean.

The brunette’s resolve nearly broke however, when he saw the hurt reflecting in the cheerleaders’ eyes. Oh, the cruel things he had said to him. But Castiel was going to make it right! He’d explain the situation to Dean and tell him nothing he had said was true. It was for Dean’s sake! Michael is not a trustworthy nor nice person.

When Castiel returned home after his wonderful night with Dean after the football game, he couldn’t stop smiling. It was the most fun he had in years and yearned to see the cheerleader’s gorgeous smile again just a few minutes after they parted ways. It was the next morning however, he realized his happiness was short lived. The lovesick man woke up to a text from his father, Chuck, that read “Good morning son. Me and your mother drove past the gas station next to the cinema yesterday and spotted you enjoying yourself with a young gentleman. We were both happy to see you smiling. However, we do not approve of your choice of vehicle, and we want to know more about your friend. Please come home for a few days and we’ll talk. I have already ordered a bus ticket for you so you can leave that dreadful bike at your place. See you soon”. A pdf with the bus ticket was linked in the message. With a heavy feeling in his stomach, Castiel decided to do as his father told him to. Years and years of religious brainwashing still had its effects on him.

When Castiel got home, he laid all his cards out on the table and came out. One card he left for himself though, and that was Dean Winchester. He told them it was a random guy and although he was gay, he did not have any interests in getting into a relationship. Gabriel and Anna didn’t say anything when he announced it to his family, but both gave him a soft smile, signaling their support. Anna actually came into his bedroom afterwards and told him it was ‘super awesome that he liked boys’. It took a few days to settle everything and Castiel was planning on going home the next weekend. Chuck and Naomi were not shy in showing their disapproval, but to everyone’s surprise they did not disown him and said he was still welcome on visits. Maybe Lucifer’s departure had made them realize how painful it was losing a son.

Castiel and Michael was getting food for a small dinner party Chuck was throwing for some people from his bible group when Dean approached them. It almost killed him to act like such a scumbag to the cheerleader, but he kept chanting inside his head "I’m going to fix this I’m going to fix this I’m going to fix this". Acting cold and neutral usually came easy for Castiel, as he had to act like somebody else for almost all his life, but when Dean was on the receiving end, it felt completely wrong.

After Dean’s departure, Michael snickered to himself. “My my, I do believe you hurt the poor boy’s feelings, Cassie”. Castiel turned back to the bread, chose a random brand, and threw it in their basket a little too strongly. “I don’t care” he managed to grit out, walking towards the next item on their shopping list. “Maybe we should invite your friend to dinner. I’m sure mother and father would love to meet your little boy toy” Michael continued, catching up to his younger brother. Without thinking, Castiel quickly spun around and glared at his douche of an older brother. “Don’t talk about him like that!” he seethed. As soon as the words left his mouth, Castiel knew he fucked up. His cover was blown. “Oh, so he is of some importance to you, dear brother?” Michael smirked.

“I’m going to find the rest of the stuff on the list. Are you going to assist me or not?” Castiel mumbled, feeling like a defeated kid all over again. He was a jerk to Dean for nothing.

Twenty minutes later, he was back at his parents’ house, packing his bag. He had to get back home and reach out to Dean to clear the air. Castiel would not fall back under his parent’s spell and let them control his life. It was stupid to come home, it never payed of and he felt just as disappointed each time. Soon he would have to come to terms with the fact that Chuck, Naomi and Michael were incapable of changing and since they never brought anything positive into his life, he should leave them out of it. The art student could have spent his week hanging out with Dean, driving around with Hannah and Balthazar, and actually doing stuff that brought him joy. From this day on he would play by his own rules.

Chapter Text

Almost a full week passed before Dean saw Castiel again. Since the incident, Dean had actively avoided going any places he might suspect Castiel would be. Instead of eating with the other students at campus, Dean managed to convince Charlie to eat with him in the staircase leading down to one of the janitors’ offices. When he was walking through the corridors, he was almost jogging at the speed he was going in and if he was talking to one of his friends, he made sure to give them all his attention so he couldn’t scan their surroundings for the art student. Once Castiel had stepped into the bakery, and the cartoon smoke cloud that replaced Dean behind the register once he ran off, was ridiculous.

It wasn’t above Dean to admit to the fact that he had cried. Multiple times. If he started reliving the memories in his head, his eyes would almost immediately well up. As if that was not enough, he was also starting to feel the effects of being a full-time college student as well as working two jobs was having on his body. An hour a day was the time he got to himself, the rest were spent studying, working, sleeping, and eating. Therefore, he hadn’t had the time to call Sam the past week which also made him grumpier than usual.

None of the factors above helped him to lift his spirits, and it definitely did not look bright now either, as Dean saw Crowley approaching him in the library. Dean was sitting at a secluded table, working on one of his papers for class, when he spotted the dark-haired snake walking towards him with his usual smirk. Deciding to not give him the satisfaction of being acknowledged, Dean kept focusing on the content in the book he was reading. This did not seem to bother Crowley however, as he sat down right next to him with the attitude of a drug lord. “Hello there, you sure are a hard man to locate” Crowley spoke, pointing at Dean with his phone. “What, are you stalking me now or something?” Dean bit out, determined not to raise his eyes from the book. “No. Today I come in peace, handsome” the man grinned, leaning in a bit closer to get Dean’s attention. “Leave me alone, I don’t have time for your twisted games” the cheerleader sighed, using his left hand to brush his hair down. As he made contact with his forehead, he noted how warm his skin felt.

“Oh but I think you do; I have a business proposal for you and it truly is a win-win situation.” Crowley smiled as if Dean already had accepted whatever it was. “I don’t do business with bullies, now go to hell and leave me alone” he whined, finally lifting his eyes to look at the brit with a desperate look. Completely ignoring the rejection Crowley continued, “Word on the street is that you are quite the baker Winchester, and it just so happens that my family are in need of one for our yearly banquet for the clients and workers at mother’s company”.

“You are fucking stalking me, I knew it!” Dean accused, leaning his head tiredly on his elbow and turning his body towards Crowley as it turned out he would not leave until he had finished proposing his idea. “You may have heard of RoWenA inc? It is run by my mother” the dark-haired male asked, choosing to not comment on the stalking allegation. “Woah really? I’ve seen her on the news plenty of times!” the cheerleader exclaimed, genuinely impressed. “But isn’t she Scottish? How come you speak with different accents?” he found himself questioning before he could think better of it. For the first time since he had met the man, Crowley actually looked uneased. “That’s a story for another time darling. Anyways, you’d be baking for around 250 people, all the ingredients you’d need will be paid for and you would use the kitchen in the Rob Harley hotel to bake. That is where the banquet will be held. Now, is this something you’d be interested in?” Crowley said, swiftly brushing off his uncomfortable expression from earlier.

“Why me? This sounds like a huge event and you or your mother doesn’t even know me” Dean urged, sitting up properly in his chair. “Well, I am going to be honest here and not pretend it wouldn’t be in favor of my own enjoyment working at the banquet. You are delightful to rest one’s eyes on and it would be nice if there was someone else there my age. Mother truthfully asked me to be in charge of the desserts and I happened to walk past Pie and Cake bakery the other day and spotted you there. I’m sure if you are good enough for that place, you’ll do great at the banquet” the dark-haired man replied.

Dean thought it over, and although it would be a great opportunity and he for sure would meet a lot of interesting people, some who may even turn out to be great connections in the future, working for Crowley’s family did not seem right. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t being funny when I told you I did not work for bullies” Dean stated with determination. “We will pay you 5000 dollars” Crowley revealed, taking pleasure in Dean’s shocked expression. Well, that could change things. 5000 dollars were A LOT of money and it sure as hell would bring him a lot closer to his goal in Sam’s college fund. The temptation grew and when he knew he could contribute to Sam’ future, there is next to nothing Dean would not do.

“Fine. But I’ll need my friend and colleague Benny to help me, and he must be paid properly as well. During the period until the banquet, you’ll also have to promise to not be a dick to anyone and preferably keep it up even after the event” he agreed, crossing his arms. “You got yourself a deal sweetheart” Crowley smirked, reaching out his hand to shake on it.

Dean’s luck was bound to run out eventually, and he realized he had when he was waiting by the bus stop, ready to get to his shift at the bakery. It had just rained, and the air was fresh and the temperature low. He was standing there alone in his cheerleader uniform once again, not bothering to change until he arrived at the bakery. After his talk with Crowley, his mood actually improved. Especially at the aspect of earning such a huge amount of money in one night. They had talked for a bit after, and Dean learned the man also was taking a major in business. Of course, Crowley quickly offered to study together after he was informed that Dean had just started his business major, but Dean easily understood that the dark-haired male wanted to do more than just ‘study’.

Lost in thought, the cheerleader did not notice the motorcycle pulling up next to him until the person removed his helmet and revealed a nervous-looking art student. Castiel looked like shit. Unfortunately for Dean, he still somehow managed to look as gorgeous as ever. Their eyes met and Dean cursed himself for running into the man at the one place he couldn’t bolt from. “Hello Dean” Castiel said with apologetic eyes. Dean just scoffed in reply and moved a step backwards. Without meaning to, he immediately saw his dad in Castiel. They both blew up on him and always came crawling back, expecting everything to be the same. “Dean, we need to talk” Castiel stated, parking his bike, and getting off. He approached Dean carefully, as if walking towards an injured animal.

“I think I heard you loud and clear the last time we met, so I don’t think we do” Dean replied with a defeated look. He meant nothing to Castiel. Said man walked closer and stopped right in front of the double major student. “Please. You must know that it pained me so much to talk to you like that. I meant nothing of the horrible things I said to you.” The brunette pleaded, taking Dean’s hand in his. As if he’d been burned, Dean flinched at the contact and hurriedly retracted his hand. He did note the heartbroken look his action brought upon the art student though. “It pained you? How dare you say that to me?” Dean scoffed, not sure if he should believe anything the man told him.

“I am so incredibly sorry Dean. My brother, Michael, is a manipulating and sly man and I panicked when I saw you in the same place as him. I did not want him to know about you nor how special you are to me. He would ruin it. Ruin us” Castiel spoke, desperation clear in his voice. It was almost a too good of a reason for his behavior Dean thought. What kind of asshole brother did Cas have? Either way, it still did not seem right to him, and it still hurt like a bitch. “You are confusing the hell out of me Cas, which is it? You are so fond of me, yet you can’t be open to your own family about it? Or do you have so little faith in whatever it is we have going on here that you believe your brother could just snap his fingers and ruin it?” Dean rambled, feeling frustrated. Maybe Castiel hadn’t come out to his family yet? If so, Dean wouldn’t dream of pushing him, but at the same time he did not want to be someone’s secret.

“It’s not about me being in the closet Dean, I am out, and I do not intend to go back in. Michael is a shitty person; you don’t know the lengths he’d go to in order to make my life miserable. We don’t all have wonderful, lovingly brothers like you” Castiel explained, trying so hard to get Dean to see that what he did had no ill intent. It broke him to see the cheerleader so hurt by his actions and that Dean was raising his walls back up to not let Castiel inside. Dean was happy to hear that Castiel did not have to hide his true self for his family, but the dull eyes and monotone voice that clearly stated to him that Dean meant nothing to him was still etched into his memories.

“Fine. Let’s say you did in fact speak to me like I was the dirt under your shoes in order to ‘protect’ me from your psycho brother. Why didn’t you run after me when I left? No, you know what? Why the hell do you get to decide who I should be ‘protected’ from in the first place? I would never say such horrible things to you Cas. Not in a million years. You fucked up and I can’t trust you anymore.” Dean stated. The more he spoke the quieter his voice got and by the end of his rant, all fury left his body and all that was left was the hurt. Judging by the look on the art student’s face, he was hurting as well. Once again, the pair just stared at each other. Truth be told, Castiel deeply underestimated the effect his words had had on Dean, and it became painfully clear how much he, to quote Dean, had ‘fucked up’. The sound of the bus pulling up caused Dean to break eye contact and he walked towards the vehicle. “I’ll earn your trust back Dean! That is a promise!” Castiel yelled after him, determined to fix what he had broken, and he’d count himself lucky to just get the privilege of being Dean’s friend again.

When Dean started his shift at the bakery, he told Benny all about the work opportunity Crowley offered earlier that day. “Hell, for 5000 dollars, I’d do about anything” Benny had grinned in response. “But do you think just the two of us will be enough? 250 people are a lot of mouths to feed” Benny continued, his excitement slowly fading. “We just have to plan everything really well. Crowley told me we could use the kitchen the day before the event, so we can start preparing and making sure it’s smooth sailing on the day of the banquet” the cheerleader explained. Of course, he had thought about asking the others at the bakery to join, but truth be told, he only had faith in Benny. Additionally, he knew that Benny also struggled a bit financially and he did not want to risk his salary being shared between more people. Crowley was already offering 10 000 dollars to share between them, Dean did not want to risk losing that. He did find it a bit creepy that the business student was so keen on getting Dean to do the job, but he could not afford to turn it down.

The rest of his shift started out smoothly. As long as he focused on his job and not the desperate look Castiel had given him earlier. Dean wasn’t stupid, he could tell his friend was truly sorry, but it wasn’t enough to forget. They were about to close the bakery when a last-minute costumer walked in with cocky steps. He looked at Benny when the bell chimed, and they both shared an annoyed look. They hated it when someone showed up minutes before closing time. Dean plastered on a fake smile and headed to the register, ready to take the man’s order. His smile dropped however, when he saw the familiar face. Michael.

“Hello Dean! How nice to see you again” he smiled. It was the same smile as last time he saw him. The one that did not quite reach his eyes. “Hello. How can I help you?” he forced out, trying his hardest to smile at the customer. “I’m in the mood for something sweet, what do you recommend?” Michael questioned, looking around the establishment and taking in his surroundings. “Well … The pie here is the best in the city, my favorite is the apple pie” the baker said, rubbing the back of his neck. Although he did not know Michael, the stuff Castiel had said about him rubbed Dean the wrong way.

“Marvelous! I’ll have two pieces of apple pie then, one for me and one for you” Michael said enthusiastically, lifting his wallet up to pay. What the hell? “I’m sorry but I am busy right now. We are also closing so you unfortunately can’t eat in here. Do you want one or two pieces of pie to go?” Dean answered, keeping his expression neutral. “Oh, I see! I will have one piece of pie to go then. We will have to get to know each other better another time” the older said, as if Dean had ever agreed to that. Michael paid and it wasn’t before after he had left that Dean relaxed his shoulders. “Who was that doofus?” Benny asked from behind him, having witnessed the whole thing. “Castiel’s older brother. Apparently, he is nothing but trouble.” Dean replied, turning around to face his friend. “I can believe that! He was looking at you the same way my cat looks at the mice he is chasing outside. I know you are very capable of taking care of yourself chief, but won’t you let me give you a ride home today? I wouldn’t be surprised if that creep was waiting for you in a dark alley” Benny pleaded. Although the last part was meant as a joke, it still brought Dean a wave of chills. He wordlessly agreed and the boys closed the bakery without any more fuss, and both made it home in one piece.

Chapter Text

Sam had just finished his school day when he finally heard from Dean. After almost two weeks of dead silence, his phone buzzed as he walked out of the school building with his friends Kevin and Eileen. Apparently, his older brother had been devastatingly busy the last few weeks and apologized for not calling sooner. Sam could hear in his brother’s voice that he felt bad for not checking in, but Sam knew it wasn’t Dean’s fault. To be honest, Sam understood a lot more about Dean’s situation than his brother gave him credit for. However, he could tell Dean was trying really hard to not let Sam know everything that was going on, and although it could be annoying, he knew he did it to make Sam’s life easier. For example, when he moved to live with Bobby. Dean kept teasing him and saying he was shipping him off because he needed more space at home for all the crazy parties he was gonna throw once he started college. He also said Sam was ‘too annoying to share a roof with’. Sam pretended to believe Dean, but he knew the truth. He knew it was because of John. It was so obvious Dean was shielding him, even when he lived with Dean and his father. Every time Sam was either studying or playing games growing up, Dean would sit with him when he wasn’t working. When their dad came home at the middle of the night or when he started yelling at them for no reason, Dean would always distract Sam with some stupid joke or ask him questions about school. It was the equivalent of a mother holding her hands over her kid’s ears when the father would swear. Additionally, when Sam started making friends, Dean would always encourage him to visit them a lot or sleep over. All in favor of keeping Sam safe out of the house.

Once Sam started realizing what was going on, the guilt almost destroyed him. Dean wasn’t working 24/7 because he was saving up to buy his dad’s impala. It was because he was trying to get Sam out and for him to live a normal life. Whenever he volunteered to join his dad on hunts, was not because he enjoyed John’s presence but because he didn’t want Sam to go. Dean never went jogging in the late hours of the night because there were fewer people out, he was actually going to the police station to get their father back home. Sam decided he would pay Dean back when he was finished with school and hopefully worked as a successful lawyer. Dean went on and on about how important school was, and how Sam easily outsmarted everyone there. The light in Dean’s eyes when Sam told him about a good grade he received or when he won an award obviously showed how proud he was of his brother.

According to what Dean had told him, John had even slowed down on the drinking lately and mostly left Dean alone. That made the guilt creep away a little. At least Dean was doing okay at home. After their conversation, Sam was also happy to hear his brother had made a lot of new friends at college, and that their cheerleading team was doing really well. Dean may be proud over Sam’s brain and knowledge, but Sam would forever admire Dean and look up to him for his hard working, headstrong and responsible personality.

After their call, Sam and his friends started to walk home. They were all members of the debate team and had stayed a bit longer to finish a meeting. Sam and Eileen were sixteen years old, and Kevin was fifteen. He had skipped a year in middle school, the kid was insanely smart. “How is Dean doing?” Eileen asked as they walked through the park. “I think he is doing fine, just a bit much going on at the moment” Sam replied honestly, smiling at his friend. He and Eileen met a year ago when he finally dared to join the debate team. They had quickly hit it off and she was a part of their friend group in no time. “Should we stop by the bakery? Maybe he’s working and we could cheer him up” Kevin suggested. “He is still at school unfortunately. When we ended the call, he was just about to start cheerleading practice” Sam explained, both proud at his brother for working hard but also sad he hadn’t seen him in weeks. “We will just have to visit him another time then” Eileen said through sign language with a gentle smile.

Sam was just about to reply, when a rock hit Eileen in the middle of the face. She crouched down and held her nose in her hands. It was bleeding. Sam and Kevin were shocked and looked around for the perpetrator. They spotted two people standing a few feet away with mocking glints in their eyes. As Kevin bent down to check on Eileen, Sam marched towards them and pushed the guy. It was a man with grey hair and a woman with black hair, they looked to be the same age as Dean. “What is wrong with you?” Sam yelled, getting angry. “What, did she not hear it coming? Oh wait.” The girl laughed. “Sam, let’s leave, they are just bullies” Sam heard Eileen speak from behind him. Because she was deaf, her way of speaking wasn’t as clear as many others, and this seemed to amuse the couple in front of Sam. “Awwe, are you her boyfriend? How nice of you to do such charity work” the guy smirked. Eileen didn’t look bothered by the comment, but Sam knew it was getting to her. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time someone had made fun of her, and Sam would not let her get used to it. Eileen was a wonderful girl, and he was very happy to have her in his life. Deaf or not. “Screw you!” he shouted as he swung his fist into the guy’s jaw. The man stumbled backwards and grunted in pain. “I wouldn’t piss of Mark if I were you” the woman giggled, amused at the whole scene. “Sam, let’s go!” Kevin yelled, making Sam turn around to face them.

Eileen was standing next to Kevin, still holding her nose. She was bleeding because some people found it funny to bully a deaf person. It made his blood boil. Before he could return to his friends however, a heavy weight pushed against his back, and he was tackled to the ground. “Sam!” Eileen shouted in fear. Punch after punch hit his face, and Sam could barely make out the fact that it was the guy, Mark, straddling him and beating him up. In the corner of his eye, he saw Eileen heading towards them. She was undoubtedly going to join in on the fight. Although she had trouble standing up for herself, she always rose to the occasion whenever someone was picking on her friends.

She never made it over though, because suddenly the weight was lifted off him and another guy had joined in. Mark was pushed of harshly and fell to the ground face first. A hand reached out for Sam, and he hurriedly grabbed it and was helped up back to his feet. The man standing in front of him smiled carefully at him. “Are you okay?” he asked in a deep voice. He nodded, although a bit dumbfounded. “Clarence! How nice of you to bless us with your presence!” the girl grinned, paying no mind to her friend getting up from the ground and wiping the dirt off his face. Clarence? Did they know him? “I suggest you both leave before I call the cops Meg.” The guy, Clarence apparently, said in a monotone voice. “Damn, ever since that Winchester boy left you, you’ve had a stick up your ass the size of a birch tree” Mark scoffed but left nonetheless with his friend.

Eileen and Kevin walked over, and both checked Sam for serious injuries. “Don’t tell me they stooped low enough to hit a girl as well” Clarence sighed, looking at Eileen with sympathy. “They threw a rock at her” Kevin murmured, seemingly satisfied with discovering Sam hadn’t broken anything. “Who are you exactly?” Eileen questioned, suspicious of the man. “My name is Castiel. The folks you just met, Mark and Meg, attend the same college as me. They are jerks there as well, but I’m displeased to discover they would bother children as well” Castiel replied wistfully. “We are not children! I am almost 16!” Kevin objected, making the college student chuckle.

“That guy mentioned the name ‘Winchester’, it wouldn’t be Dean he was talking about?” Sam asked, rolling his neck in an attempt to ease some of the pain. Castiel looked at Sam with a skeptical expression, not sure if he should answer or not. “What’s it to you?” Castiel questioned, crossing his arms in defense. He hadn’t managed to get Dean to listen to him properly since their last conversation at the bus stop several days ago. Sam took notice of the sudden defensive behavior, and his curiosity grew. “I’m his younger brother”.

Castiel instantly let his arms drop, and he reached out his hand properly. “Oh! You are Sam, I should’ve known. I have heard a lot about you” he smiled warmly, excited at meeting the kid Dean had talked nonstop about. The high school students giggled at the adorable behavior and Sam shook his hand with a grin. “Yeah, that’s me. I am sorry though, I haven’t heard about you before” he said, a bit embarrassed. Ouch. From what Castiel had gathered, Sam didn’t live with Dean anymore so it shouldn’t sting as much as it did. “That’s okay, I’m just a friend. Are you sure you’re okay though? I have my motorcycle parked here if any of you feel like you should get checked out” Castiel offered gently, already spotting a bruise starting to form on Sam’s left eye. “Woah, you got a motorcycle!? Does Dean know? That’s so cool!” Sam gushed excitedly his friends sharing his enthusiasm. “Yeah, I gave him a ride to work one time” Castiel sheepishly replied, feeling awkward at all the attention.

“That’s hot” Eileen said in awe, not noticing the jealous scoff Sam emitted. The art student chuckled and was pleased to see them smiling and that none of them were hurting anymore. “Thank you” he grunted shyly before continuing “If they, or anyone else bothers you again, please tell me. Or any other adult. Dean speaks very highly of you Sam, and it would make me happy knowing you and your friends remain unbothered and safe”.

“I like you Castiel, you’re cool!” Sam grinned. He was glad Dean had someone like him in his life, he seemed like a very sweet and funny person. “I’ll get your phone number from Dean” the younger man said. “I’m afraid me and Dean are not on speaking terms at the moment, so you might find that troublesome. Actually, it would be best to not mention to him that we ran into together today at all. I’ll give you my phone number right now” the brunette admitted. He did not want Dean to think Castiel had sought Sam out in order to get on his good side again. “Why are you not on speaking terms?” Kevin questioned. He had met Dean a few times and seemed like a very easy-going type. “I messed up quite a bit. I am trying to fix it though” he answered the black-haired kid with what he hoped was a soft smile, as he typed in his number into Sam’s phone. He bid them all goodbye and as he turned to leave, he heard Sam tell him that he and Dean would be okay. It gave him some comfort hearing his younger brother have faith in them and Castiel left the park with a smile on his face.

After his call with Sam, Dean felt a lot lighter. It made him glad hearing how much Sam was thriving at school and how much fun he had with his friends. Work, school, avoiding Cas and tolerating Crowley really took a lot out of a guy. Last night he and Benny had stayed up until after midnight planning their menus at the banquet. They were going to make cupcakes, macrons, and cake pops. After researching, the boys learned that the banquet were known for being high-class and the event of the year for the upper class. Therefore, cupcakes, macrons and cake pops were the safe choice and allowed them a lot of creative liberty.

With Sam’s positive words in his mind, Dean joined the cheerleading practice with a smile on his face. Aaron gave him a hug when he entered the hall, as he had noticed Dean’s glum expressions the last week. The rest of the practice went well, except for when Dean’s grip on Bella loosened slightly and they just barely manage to avoid her falling. Dean apologized profusely, but Bella just brushed him off and said it was okay. When they were done, Dean was sweating like a pig and his skin was warm like a furnace during a winter storm. “You good?” Aaron asked concerned, as they were getting ready for the showers. “Yeah, just a bit tired” Dean answered nonchalantly. He was, in fact, not good. When they showered, he turned the temperature down and basically washed himself in ice cold water. It still did not seem to cool him off though. He got dressed, ignored the black dots clouding his vision and stepped outside, heading towards the bus stop. Luckily, he didn’t have any shifts today and he managed to get home safely. Once in his room, he collapsed on the bed and fell asleep immediately, even though he didn’t remember closing his eyes.

The next day he woke up with a massive headache and a dry throat. He crawled out of bed, put on a black t shirt, a green flannel, and a pair of washed-out jeans. Dean almost fell back asleep as he was brushing his teeth, and due to his long time waking up properly, had to leave the house without breakfast. Not that it mattered, as they probably didn’t have any food left anyways. Dean was supposed to buy groceries yesterday.

It was a chilly autumn day and Dean dug his hands deep into his pockets as he walked towards campus. One of these days he would invest in a pair of gloves, or maybe a scarf. Even though it was cold outside, he couldn’t seem to stop sweating and when he finally entered the school, he was both freezing and sweating at the same time. The first lecture passed by in a blur. He picked a seat in the back, so no one would notice the sweat stains on his back. Afterwards he found a place outside to sit for a while, whilst he waited for his next lecture. His stomach was growling but he had no money on him, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to keep the food down anyway. Dean was seriously considering skipping his lecture to go home and try to get some more sleep before his shift later. Earning money was more important than his education, he had the words imprinted inside of his head.

When he saw Castiel walking towards him with a worried look, the decision to go home only seemed more appealing. The man sat beside him on the bench and tried to look Dean in the eyes. “I’m sorry to say this, but you look like shit” he admitted, taking in the circles under the cheerleaders’ eyes, his sweaty hair and slumped posture. Dean couldn’t help but laugh at the bluntness of the words and turned to face him. “I really do, don’t I?” he replied in a defeated tone. Dean didn’t have the energy to avoid Castiel right now. “Have you eaten anything? Or drunk enough water?” he interrogated, leaning a bit closer. “None of your business” Dean almost whispered, seeing the same black dots cloud his vision just like the day before.

Castiel wasn’t looking for Dean that particular day, as he was still a bit worried Sam would tell Dean about their encounter the day before. However, when he saw the dirty-blonde man sitting alone in the cold, looking like a walking corpse, his legs had started moving as if on autopilot. The gleam in his eyes were gone and his usual charismatic, confident attitude was nowhere to be seen. After being told Dean’s intake of food and water was none of his business, Castiel couldn’t help the small smile. Even when Dean was at his lowest, he was still a stubborn, stubborn man. His smile was short-lived nonetheless, as only a few seconds passed before Dean slumped over and almost hit the ground if Castiel had not caught him. “Dean? Dean?!” Castiel almost yelled, shaking the unconscious man in his arms. As it was freezing outside, no one was around to help and Castiel hurriedly grabbed his phone in his pocket to call the emergency room. He had just dialed the number, when he heard soft groaning from the man in his arms.

“I’m okay … What are you doing?” Dean muttered, not opening his eyes. Castiel pulled him closer, so he was basically holding Dean in his arms bridal style. “You have to go to the emergency room Dean. Fainting is never a good sign” he explained, shifting his eyes to his phone again so he could call and let them know they were coming. With a shaking hand, Dean reached up and managed to turn the art student’s phone off. “Can’t afford that Cas, please just take me home” he begged, still not having the energy to look at the man. Castiel felt conflicted. He wanted Dean to be properly checked out, but at the same time it was Dean’s decision to make.

“I don’t know where you live Dean. Please let me take you to a doctor, I’ll pay for everything. I just need you to be okay” Castiel pleaded desperately, brushing a hand through Dean’s soft hair. At the mention of his address, Dean felt panic rise within him. He couldn’t let Cas take him home, what if John was there? But there was no way he would manage to get home by himself, just the thought of standing up made him want to barf. “Could you ... Could I maybe, crash at your place? I promise a little nap will help and uhm … I live quite far away. Only if you are not doing anything though, I don’t want to impose” Dean stuttered, unconsciously snuggling into Castiel’s chest. The movement made Castiel’s grip tightened and the wave of protectiveness that rolled over him was something he had never felt before. He apparently got lost in thought because Dean must have interpreted his silence as a bad thing. “It is okay if you can’t, I can call and ask someone else, just let me get up” Dean said softly, finally opening his eyes so he could stand up. He didn’t make it far however, as Castiel held him even closer and almost growled at him for even thinking about getting up. “It’s no problem at all, my apartment is rather close” Castiel said, not for one second liking the thought of someone else seeing Dean in this vulnerable state.

He managed to help Dean up in a sitting position and then slowly lift him up with Dean’s arm slung over his back. Very slowly, the duo made it to the parking lot where Castiel called an Uber. He was not letting Dean ride on the back of his bike in his current state. They sat down at the edge of the sidewalk in order to let Dean be more comfortable.

“I don’t feel good, Cas” Dean softly spoke, his head resting on the other student’s shoulder. “It’s going to be okay Dean. It would probably feel better a lot faster if a doctor examined you” Castiel comforted, still trying to convince the cheerleader to get professional help. “No, it wouldn’t. Not unless it was absolutely necessary”.

“Well, what categorizes as ‘absolutely necessary’ in your mind Dean? You can barely walk” Castiel muttered, both amused and annoyed at the stubbornness the other man was displaying. “If I stop breathing” he replied. “Dean. That means you’re dead.” The art student pointed out in a not-amused tone. “Well then, the bill won’t be sent to me” Dean chuckled weakly. “You are the most stubborn person I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting” Castiel laughed, shaking his head fondly. For a moment, Dean forgot that he was mad at Castiel, and he just reveled in someone taking care of him for the first time since… When was the last time? When his mum was still around probably. He knew he shouldn’t get used to it, or even enjoy it as much as he did, but he couldn’t help it. Even if just for a day, Dean would allow himself the luxury of having someone there for him in such an intimate way.

The uber arrived and the boys got in. The ride was a trial for Dean, as he tried his hardest to not throw up for the entirety of the ride. Once they got there, the black dots doubled in number and at one point Dean fainted once again. He knew that, because when he woke up, he was in a bed he had never seen before, in a room he did not recognize. He was lying in a queen-sized bed with light blue sheets. The walls were white and bare. A light brown dresser was in the corner of the room, next to a desk in the same color with a small office chair. On almost every surface, there stood small paintings or drawings. Dean could hear someone moving around in the apartment and wanted to check it out. He figured he was at Castiel’s place, but he realized he didn’t know if the man lived alone or not. Before he could move out of bed though, a new wave of nausea hit him, and he curled into a ball under the duvet. His eyelids felt heavy once again and it didn’t take long before he fell asleep once again, completely forgetting about his shift at the bakery or all the other stuff he had to get done.

Dean didn’t know how much time passed until he woke up again. However, he was shocked to see the man standing in front of the bed looking down on him with a smile. It wasn’t Castiel. It was his big brother, Michael.

Chapter Text

After basically carrying Dean up to his apartment, Castiel had managed to gently lay him down on his bed. He removed his shoes and jacket and tucked him into bed, as softly as he possibly could. Worried sick about the other male’s fever, Castiel hesitated on removing his belt as well but decided to leave it be. The last thing the art student wanted was to overstep his boundaries. One moment Dean was burning up, and then his skin felt like a popsicle. The brunette left Dean alone for a moment, to get a glass of water that he placed on the bedside table. The idea of calling a doctor kept pushing in his head, but Dean had seemed extremely adamant on not receiving medical attention, and although Castiel wanted to punch the wall in frustration, he would respect Dean’s wishes. For now, at least.
He sat on the edge of the bed for a while, making sure Dean was sleeping soundly. It’s been a while since he’d been able to look at him like this. He could count the freckles adorning his cheeks and nose and tried his best to memorize every part of his face. Again, Castiel had no clue what was socially acceptable regarding staring at your crush whilst they were sleeping, so he willed himself to look away and found himself a book to read. After some time, he placed his hand on Dean’s forehead and was happy to notice his skin felt warm again. Not scorching hot, but a comfortable warmth. Satisfied with the progress, Castiel got up and went to the kitchen in order to prepare some food for Dean when he woke up. The art student was pretty sure Dean hadn’t eaten that day at all. Before he started, he checked his phone that he had blatantly ignored for the last few hours.

Castiel had two unread messages from Balthazar, asking him where he was, and five unread messages from none other than Michael. They hadn’t spoken since Castiel left after the incident at the grocery store. Without even looking at them, Castiel blocked Michael’s number and started making the food. His kitchen was pretty small, and it usually didn’t matter because he rarely cooked, and now he realized why. After burning two eggs, and accidently dropping one on the floor, he gave up the idea of making an omelet. It was embarrassing to admit, but he didn’t really have anything to make a meal out of, just an endless supply of instant noodles and microwave meals. There was a diner a few blocks away, and he could probably get something there to bring home. It didn’t feel right leaving Dean alone, but he had to offer him something to eat once he woke up. With quiet steps he entered his bedroom and checked Dean’s temperature again. It was the same as before. Ignoring the nagging voice inside his head that insisted he shouldn’t leave a sick person alone, Castiel put on his shoes and almost jogged down the stairs and towards the diner.

Once there, he ordered two burgers, fries, and salads, remembering Dean’s love for the greasy cuisine. Whilst he waited for the food, it suddenly hit him how hard he was falling for the man. He wouldn’t say he was in love, not yet, but the pure adoration he felt for the baker was something he had not experienced before. With each friendly wave, and snickering conversation they had shared, Dean had settled himself quite nicely in his heart. Seeing him so ill gave him an ache he hadn’t known he was capable of feeling. Even when his parents were sick, he never cared too much. That may be because Castiel never was particularly fond of his mother or father, but it still counted for something. Dean had brought a joy to his life he did not know he was missing.

The lady behind the counter raised her hand to the art student, signaling his food was prepared. With a flustered mind, Castiel grabbed the food with a polite smile and left the establishment. It had not been more than twenty minutes since he left his apartment, so Castiel did not rush on his way back, being sure Dean was probably still sleeping. It gave him some more time to figure out his feelings. It started as a physical attraction, the day he saw Dean walking around campus looking around. Then he felt sympathy for the lost look on his face. It didn’t match his handsome exterior, and if Castiel hadn’t seen it, he was sure he would have categorized Dean as a douchebag-jock. One of the mean kids in the drama movies. He felt sympathy for the other, looking as lost as he himself sometimes felt. When they started interacting, Castiel was surprised at how sweet the man was as well. Not at all like the high school bullies from the movies. Dean was probably the prettiest person on their entire school, but he never acted like it. Like no one had even mentioned it to him before. Or maybe because Dean did not care about those things. Fascination tugged at Castiel’s heartstrings, and he found himself seeking the man out. He had to be flawed somehow, the charming and sweet behavior had to be an act. But Dean never disappointed. He was funny, sweet, caring and so, so passionate about the people he held close. For someone who grew up with cold, distant parents and was basically raised in the church, he found himself impossibly intrigued by the cheerleader who took two majors, had two jobs, and still had enough energy to treat everyone with such care and respect.

Castiel was smiling when he was right outside of his apartment, excited to give Dean the food and hopeful it would help his fatigue. When he pushed his keys inside the lock however, he was mortified to find the door unlocked. He swore he had locked the doors after running out, and hurriedly placed the bag of food on the kitchen counter and ran towards the bedroom. Dean was still there. Awake now. Dean was sitting up against the headboard and looking at Castiel like a deer caught in headlights. There was another person in the room as well. Sitting on the edge of the bed in a suit Castiel had seen too many times. The person had a hand on Dean’s thigh over the duvet and turned to look who had entered the bedroom. Castiel made eye contact with Michael and things started to connect. Michael had tried to contact him. He had refused him. Michael had locked himself into his apartment whilst he was out and instead of finding him, he had wormed himself into his bedroom and found Dean there. Sleeping.

Michael was smirking at him, but before the older brother had a chance to say something, rage took over Castiel and he marched forward, grabbed his brother by the back of his dress jacket and pulled him to his feet and out into the living room. “Woah there, no need to get violent Cassie” Michael chuckled, once freed from his brother relentless grasp. “Get the fuck out of my apartment before I call the cops” Castiel seethed. Behind him, he heard soft footsteps approaching. “You are scaring your boyfriend little brother” Michael hummed, not at all affected by the threat. Castiel turned around and saw Dean leaning against the doorframe with the duvet wrapped around him. He looked confused and uncomfortable. Not scared, however. “Get. Out.” He spoke, looking back at his brother. Said male put his hands up in mock surrender. “Fine fine, just pick up the phone the next time I call. Geez, you had me worried there for a moment, Cassie” Michael replied, giving one final glance at where Dean stood before he left the apartment.

Without a second of contemplating, Castiel whirled around and immediately pulled Dean in for a hug. He hated the thought of Michael pestering Dean and seeing him so close to the cheerleader in such a vulnerable state, touching him, made him furious. Before he could regret hugging the man close without asking, Dean slipped his arms around Castiel’s waist and hugged him back. “I am so sorry; I didn’t know he still had a key to my place” Castiel murmured into Dean’s neck. “It’s okay Cas. He wasn’t here long before you showed up” Dean answered softly. The boys pulled apart, but Castiel couldn’t gather the strength to let Dean go. “How are you feeling? I brought us dinner” he said, making eye contact with Dean. At the mention of food, Dean’s face lit up immediately. “Much better, thank you for letting me crash here. I hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience” Dean smiled, stepping back and out of Castiel’s arms. “I’m glad. It was my pleasure helping. Even though it would have been more preferable to go see a doctor” Castiel replied with a hint of a teasing tone. “Yeah, yeah” Dean muttered, rolling his eyes fondly. “Now, where is the food?”.

The duo ate in comfortable silence, watching a random movie on Castiel’s laptop. They sat on the couch with the computer on the small table in front of them. After they had finished their meals, Castiel had to speak. He paused the film and turned to look at Dean who still had ketchup around his mouth. It was a serious topic he was going to ask about, but the dumbfounded look on Dean’s face combined with the ketchup made him giggle. “What?” Dean asked, smiling. “You ... you have ketchup on your face” Castiel laughed, holding himself back from reaching out and getting rid of it. A blush crept upon Dean’s face as he turned away and grabbed his napkin from the table. After getting rid of the insulting sauce, he turned back to the art student. “You really paused the movie to embarrass me?” he asked, with a dramatic hand to his heart. They laughed and Castiel felt some of the pressure ease from the banter. “I just wanted to apologize again. For the things I said at the grocery store” he said, with a serious expression. Dean’s face also went from smiling to frowning. A few beats of silence passed before Dean moved closer, his knees touching Cas’s. “It hurt, Cas. A lot. But I think I let it hurt me more than what it should have and that is not your fault. Also, I understand more now about why you did it. Michael really is a piece of shit and I appreciate you looking out for me, even though it was a messed-up way of doing it. I just can’t handle shit like that you know? I’ve missed you a lot lately, and I want us to go back to how it was before.” Dean said with determination. “I want that as well. I’ll never ever hurt you again Dean. I promise” Castiel said, staring straight into Dean’s eyes. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep Cas” Dean chuckled, although Castiel could tell he wasn’t joking.

“I’m not. You are important to me Dean, and I have, or tried to, break contact with the ones in my family that are nothing but trouble. Michael must give up sooner or later on this scheme he has going on. I’ll keep proving myself to you Dean. You’ll see.” Castiel said, noting the red coloring the man’s face at his words. “Okay” the cheerleader replied softy, before hitting play on the movie again. Dean never moved back though and was sitting pressed against Castiel for the remainder of the film, making both of them equally flustered and content.

When the movie ended, Dean felt a lot better, both physically and mentally. He was still feeling tired, but the nausea and headache had gone away. He had insisted on doing the dishes, as Castiel had bought the food, but after Castiel’s insistent nagging about taking things slowly, they compromised. Dean washed and Castiel dried the dishes. Whilst they were cleaning, Castiel had another question nagging him. He had to ask. “Dean?”

“Yeah?” he answered, turning off the kitchen sink in order to scrub one of the dinner plates. “What exactly happened with Michael before I came home?”. The hand on Dean’s thigh and his wary expression had haunted him since it happened. “Oh. Nothing, he was just talking and got a bit close I suppose” Dean replied with a neutral tone, not turning his attention away from the dirty plate. “Nothing like… intimate happened, if that’s what you’re implying”. Castiel should feel relieved, but something didn’t seem right. “Oh, I wasn’t accusing you of anything Dean! I was just worried he made you uncomfortable or hurt you” he assured, taking a step closer. The plate in his hands was clean now, but Dean still didn’t look away from it. “Nope, he just caught me off guard, that’s all” he said. Castiel wanted to push, to ask. Dean was a terrible liar. However, he also seemed uncomfortable reliving the situation and he didn’t want to push him on something he clearly wasn’t fine with talking about. “Okay, good. I just want you to know you can talk to me. About Michael, or about anything” the art student said instead. Finally, Dean looked up and Castiel was met with a grateful smile. “Thanks Cas. The same goes for you. Can’t been easy growing up with a dickhead brother like that” he teased.

They fell into easy banter after that, talking about everything they had wanted to say to each other the past couple of days and it made both feel a thousand pounds lighter. When evening rolled around, Castiel was begrudgingly waiting for Dean to announce he had to go home. They watched more movies, talked, and lounged on the couch for hours. The announcement never came. It was nine pm when Dean had worked up the courage to ask. “Cas, could I stay the night?”.

Chapter Text

“Yes, of course Dean. I’ll change the bed sheets for you” Castiel replied, trying to net let his nerves show. It did seem odd that Dean did not want to go home after the day he had gone through, but it didn’t seem right to ask about it quite yet. His poor heart, however, was going to suffer knowing Dean would be sleeping in the same apartment as him but still not as close as he would prefer. “What? No, I’m not gonna hog the bed from you man. I’ll just sleep on the couch” Dean said urgently, waving his hands. The art student stood up from the couch and placed his hands on his hips as he stated matter-of-factly to the other “Dean Winchester, you are exhausted, I am definitely not going to let you sleep on a couch when there is a perfectly fine bed a few meters away”. Dean couldn’t help the fond chuckle that left him, Cas really was adorable. He stood up as well and faced the brunette head-on.

“Well, you’re not sleeping on the couch either” he decided. Tilting his head to the side, a look of confusion took over Castiel’s face, “You want me to sleep on the floor? That seems hardly necessary when I do in fact, own a couch”.

“Cas” Dean deadpanned, amused over his friend’s gullible behavior but also completely over it. The confused expression never left said male’s face however, so Dean figured he’d have to spell it out for him. “We could always share your bed. As long as you’re comfortable with it? If not, I’ll take the couch”. Understanding dawned on Castiel’s face and a blush quickly followed. “Sure, we can do that. As long as you’re comfortable with it as well” he answered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Of course I am, feeling lucky I get to share a bed with someone as handsome as you” Dean winked, his charms not giving up even though he was ill. “Dean…” Castiel groaned in embarrassment, ignoring his friend’s antics in order to retrieve a pair of sweats and a t shirt for him. “You can sleep in these if you want” he offered. Dean happily accepted and went into the bathroom to change.

Twenty minutes later they were both laying in Castiel’s bed. Both on their backs, staring at the ceiling. Dean had laid down first and had to admit to himself the disappointment he felt when Castiel laid down as well and placed himself farthest away from Dean. Even though Sam would wet himself with the information, Dean was a big cuddler and a part of him was dying to be embraced by Castiel’s thick, strong arms and held close. “A-Are you comfortable?” Castiel questioned in the dark, sounding as nervous as Dean felt. “Yup! Are you?” Dean replied, trying to sound as put-together as he wished he was. Castiel nodded, before realizing Dean couldn’t see him. “Yes. Thank you. Good night, Dean” he said. The awkward silence that followed only lasted for a few minutes before Castiel heard Dean’s soft snores. Feeling secure that Dean was asleep, Castiel too drifted off and dreamt of a cheeky smile and dusty freckles.

Dean never dreamed when he slept, but that night Michael had managed to slip inside his head. He dreamt of the conversation they had before Castiel came home.

Michael stood before him, watching him with a smile Dean could only describe as sinister. He hurriedly sat up in the bed and double checked that he was still wearing clothes. It didn’t slip his mind how this must look to Michael. A brother coming to visit his younger brother and finding another man in his bed, hair ruffled and shoes next to the bed. “I didn’t mean to disturb your slumber Dean” Michael grinned, stepping closer. Subconsciously, Dean gripped the duvet further up his chest and tried his best to smile politely back, “That’s okay. I’m sorry I didn’t hear you knocking. I didn’t know Castiel left” he replied. Thinking of it, where the hell was Castiel? Did he just leave him alone in his apartment? Maybe he had classes to attend? Dean basically dragged him away from campus, so it would make sense.

“Pity really, to leave you alone like this” Michael purred, sitting down next to Dean on the bed. He snaked his hand on top of Dean’s thigh, but the cheerleader was quick to shake him off. “Don’t touch me” he snapped. Although the hand disappeared, the evil smile on Michael’s face did not. “Oh Dean, I admire your loyalty to my brother. But I wouldn’t be too quick in rejecting me like that” the older smirked. “Castiel obviously isn’t home, so you should leave. And me and Cas aren’t a thing so don’t mistake my disgust for your entire being for loyalty to him, when in fact, it is plain common sense to stay away from creeps like you” Dean spat and was about to get up from the bed before Michael’s reply hit him. “I see you get your passionate personality from John”.

Dean stopped dead in his tracks and leaned back towards the headboard of the bed with wide eyes. “W-what?” he asked, looking Michael dead in the eyes. “Oh nothing. I just find it funny the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. Dean felt his blood run cold. Michael had to be joking right? “When you have such an established place in my line of work Dean, it isn’t hard to pull a few strings to get the right information. Some of my friends at the police station told me all about the infamous John Winchester. But you know better than anyone how that man can let his temper get the best of him right? That’s why you worked so hard to get poor Sammy out of the house” the older said smugly. Dean could only stare in disbelief. He was beginning to believe Castiel even more when he said Michael was a force to be reckoned with. “Go to hell” Dean almost shouted, feeling vulnerable in a way he never had before.

“I’m guessing Cassie doesn’t know about your … situation?” Michael questioned, his hand inching closer to rest on Dean’s thigh again. This time however, Dean did not dare to shake him off. “Don’t tell him” Dean pleaded instead, a sense of dread filling his chest. He couldn’t let anyone know. Judging by how protective Cas had gotten when he saw Dean sick, pushing about taking him to the doctor, Dean knew Castiel would force him to report his father and he did not want that. He didn’t want to be alone.

“I would never” Michael fake-gasped placing his other hand on his heart in a dramatic gesture. “You see, little Cassie has quite the temper himself, so I don’t think it would end good for anyone should my dear little brother find out. They say people seek out a partner like their dad. I suppose you are no exception Dean.” He winked at the last part. “Castiel is nothing like my father. Now, what the fuck do you want?” Dean spat, absolutely disgusted at someone comparing Castiel to his father. Realization dawned on him then, he himself had compared them after the whole grocery store incident. That was wrong of him. Hearing the words from someone else made him aware that is was an outrageous comparison.

“I just want the two of us to be friends Dean. Castiel rarely makes new friends and I find you so, so fascinating” Michael smiled, tightening his grip on Dean’s thigh. “Don’t you think we could be friends Dean?”. The cheerleader was not born yesterday. He knew there was an ultimatum going on, if Dean rejected him once more Michael would for sure tell Castiel about his father. With a heavy feeling in his stomach Dean nodded slowly and hated himself for it. It was at that moment Castiel came through the door and Dean did not miss the way his eyes went from Dean’s face to the hand on his thigh. The last thing he needed was Cas thinking he and Michael were a thing. But then the situation changed. In real life, Cas had dragged his brother away from Dean but in this dream… Castiel looked at Dean one last time before he sighed and left them. He left Dean alone with Michael. Panic started to bubble, and when he glanced over to Michael, the man was moving closer. “Looks like my brother doesn’t care about you at all”

Dean’s eyes burst open, and he was breathing rapidly before realizing it was a dream. Or a nightmare. Castiel hadn’t left him, he had stood up for him. He glanced over at the other male and found him sleeping like a rock, still in the same position. The time on his phone showed it was way past midnight. As quiet as he could, Dean slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom. His t shirt was soaked with sweat, and his hair was no better. It would make to much noise to take a shower, and even though Dean found his current state to be embarrassing to be seen it, it wasn’t worth the risk of waking Castiel. Instead, he pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it into what Dean assumed, and hoped, was a laundry basket. Then he proceeded to wash his face and hair under the sink and take a wet piece of toilet paper and wash away the sweat under his arms as well. Stinking up the bed you are sharing with your crush was not on his to do list. Dean contemplated finding a new t shirt but decided he would have to explain himself in the morning. Therefore, he decided to just sleep in his sweatpants and tell Cas he simply found it too warm to sleep in a shirt.

After finding himself presentable enough to go back to bed, Dean tiptoed his way back and slid underneath the covers. The light from the moon peaked through the curtains, and he risked looking over to where the art student was laying. The man was simply stunning. His dark brown hair was disheveled, and Dean had to control himself from reaching out in order to brush his hand through it. His gaze travelled down his face, appreciating his strong jawline the trace of hair adorning his chin. He looked at his lips as well. Maybe one day Dean would build up the courage to act on his flirting and kiss the man. Sleep took over, and Dean fell asleep lying on his side facing the art student.

He did not wake up like that however. The sunlight peaked inside, and Dean groaned softly at the intrusion. He was facing away from Castiel, but he did not feel that far away from him. He felt him pretty damn close, if the warm weight plastered against his back was anything to go by. Apparently, the man had wormed his way towards Dean in his sleep and subconsciously made Dean the little spoon. One arm was thrown over his waist, gripping tight and the other was pressed between Dean’s back and Castiel’s chest. Dean decided he liked it. A lot. What threw him off though, was the sensation of something stiff pressing into his ass. Oh God. Cas was lying pressed up against him with a hard one. What should he do? Wake him? Dean gingerly tried to get up from the bed, but the movement had Castiel growling in disapproval and tightened his grip around Dean, pulling him impossibly closer. As much as he appreciated the closeness, Dean felt like a perv for being the only one aware of the situation. “Cas?” he tried softly, figuring the only option he had was to wake the other man, seeing as the art student got particularly possessive in his sleep.

“Castiel?” he tried again when he got no response. Damn, the man really slept like a rock. No wonder he hadn’t woken up from Dean shuffling around during the night. The sound of his voice however, did seem to trigger something for Castiel, as his hips started moving slowly. “Cas!” Dean squeaked, warmth spreading in his lower region from his friend blatantly grinding into his ass. “Dean..” Castiel groaned in his ear, his low morning voice doing nothing to ease Dean’s own arousal. A particular hard buck of Castiel’s hips almost made Dean whine out loud and he decided enough was enough. Forcefully, he turned around in Castiel’s grip, grabbed a pillow and smacked the man right in the face. “Castiel Novak!” Dean yelled. Castiel recoiled from the hit and finally he woke up. He glanced at the arm thrown over Dean, and then down to the obvious tent in his pants. Before he could panic though, which the cheerleader immediately saw signs of, he reached out and placed his hand on Castiel’s cheek, making the man look at him.

Dean tried to smile as reassuringly as he could. He truly was not upset in any way, and even found it flattering that he seemed to have such effects on the man. Castiel met his eyes and seemed to relax slightly. Then Dean burst out laughing at the situation. “I am so sorry Dean, I’m so ashamed of myself” Castiel groaned, covering his face with his hands. “It’s fine Cas” Dean laughed, inching closer and gently removing Castiel’s hands from his face. “No it’s not, I violated you!” he pressed, searching Dean’s face for any signs of discomfort. Fondness grew in the blonde’s heart at how much the other cared about his wellbeing. “Cas, I’m a guy too remember? I know all about morning wood and I know one can’t control it. Attempting to wake you up however, I deserve a fucking medal for that” Dean teased. Castiel rolled his eyes fondly and was happy to see Dean seeming at ease with the situation. Even though it was easily one of the most embarrassing moments of his life.

“I suppose that is true. I believe in some ways, this whole thing is your fault” Castiel stated, trying to remain serious at Dean’s baffled expression. “How is it my fault I wake up to you clinging to me like a koala with a hard one?”. “How am I supposed not to, when you decide to remove your shirt as well as fitting right into my arms as if you were made to be there” Castiel accused half-heartedly. He rarely attempted to flirt with people, as he usually was pretty bad at it. But judging by the blush that spread over Dean’s face at his words, he deemed this attempt as a success. “Jeez Cas, do you say that to all the people you share a bed with?” he muttered, avoiding eye contact. Dean was not a shy person but seeing Cas stare at him with such dark eyes and talking to him like that with that low, gravelly voice made him want to go and hide. On the other side, his member perked up, very interested in what was transpiring.

A look flashed in Castiel’s eyes at Dean’s words, and he once again threw his arm across the other’s waist and pulled him in closer. “I can assure you Dean, you are the only one I have had in my bed, and I the only one I intend to keep in my bed” he almost whispered. Dean gulped, and the tension in the room grew, soon thick enough to be sliced through with a knife. Castiel glanced down to Dean’s lips and then back into his eyes. Dean followed the movement and did the same. They moved closer and closer, and Dean’s hand found a place on the back of Castiel’s neck, gently playing with the hairs there. “Say stop and I’ll stop” Castiel whispered. “Never” Dean breathed back.

Just as they were about to kiss however, a loud ring filled the heavy silence. Both boys shied away from the other at the sudden interruption, and Castiel grumbled something to himself like an old man, as he stood up from the bed and went to check his phone annoyed. Dean let out the breath he was holding in and couldn’t help but laugh at Castiel’s grumpy face and feel bad for whoever was on the receiving end. His dick had yet to calm down though, so in order to avoid another awkward situation, Dean leapt out of bed and into the bedroom, claiming the shower. He shredded his clothes and stood underneath the cold water, letting it calm down his nerves. He avoided thinking about Castiel’s breath on his lips or the look of lust in his eyes as he showered, not being confident enough to rub one out without making a sound. They had almost kissed! That must mean Cas liked him back, right? Dean smiled at the thought.

Once he deemed his member at ease, he stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel to dry himself, then wrap it around his waist. His clothes from yesterday were still in the bedroom. He entered the room and found Castiel sitting on the edge of the bed, still on the phone. His annoyed expression quickly shifted to a look of hunger as his eyes greedily raked up and down Dean’s body. Castiel must have remembered Dean could see him, and met his eyes and smiled softly, as if to apologize for checking him out so obviously. Dean just chuckled in response, grabbed his clothes, and returned to the bathroom to get dressed.

Castiel was silently cursing his younger sister, as he listened to her go on and on about how rude it was of him to forget they were going shopping together that morning. He did feel bad, but a literal emergency came up. Dean was sick. After all the commotion with Michael as well yesterday, had made him totally forget the fact that he was meeting Anna today. It did not excuse her interrupting him and Dean though. He had the man in his arms, in his bed, looking at him with a fondness he was only begging to be true. One thing was for sure, Castiel would not be treating Anna to anything once they met. He was a weak man for his sister though, so he knew that was a lie he just told himself to feel better. He was jealous of Dean getting to take a shower, as he had to will himself to calm his erection down in order for it to go away.

Talking with his sister definitely helped, but then Dean had the audacity to walk back in completely naked, only a towel covering him. Castiel hurriedly agreed to meet Anna later that day and hung up the phone. Dean was using the bathroom, so he couldn’t get rid of his boner in there. Maybe he could force himself into a pair of jeans, it would be painful but at least the front of his pants wouldn’t be as tented as they were now. Before he could decide however, Dean returned to the bedroom, this time fully dressed. Castiel quickly crossed his legs and leaned forward, hoping to spare the man of uncomfortableness. “Sorry about that, it was my sister” Castiel explained, trying not to wince at the painful position. “No problem man! I didn’t know you had a sister. How many are there?” Dean smiled, eager to learn more about the artist.

“Well, Michael is the oldest, then there is Lucifer and Gabriel, my other older brothers, and lastly my little sister Anna” he responded. “Your family Christian?” Dean asked gently, amused at the names of the Novak kids. “Very much so” Castiel informed, his expression tight. Dean figured now was not the time to talk about it. Not when Cas so very obviously was trying to hide his erection from him. Dean was a good man though and pretended he didn’t notice.

“I see. Thanks for letting me sleep over, saved me a lot of trouble” Dean said with a appreciate smile before continuing, “I must get to work though so I’ll be leaving now. I’m glad we can talk again”. Castiel ignored the voice in his head screaming for him to coddle Dean until he was sure the man wasn’t feeling ill anymore, but he would trust Dean’s decision. “You can stay over anytime; I appreciate the company” Castiel smiled. The boys finally exchanged phone numbers and parted ways, both wearing the biggest smiles.    

Chapter Text

The weeks passed and Dean and Castiel talked together almost every day. They would text, send each other funny videos, and hang out after school. Dean visited Castiel every chance he got. It wasn’t too often sadly, as Dean still worked two jobs and tried to balance it with his college classes. However, whenever he got to come over to Castiel’s place, Dean could finally feel himself relax and really enjoy himself. They played videogames, watched movies and Dean had even taken it upon himself to teach Castiel how to cook a decent meal. None of them had initiated anything though. Not since Dean slept over after Michael’s little visit.

Dean was dying to know what it would feel like to kiss Castiel however, but every time their flirting seemed to go somewhere, he got too shy and backed off. He and the art student were at a good place, and he was still so afraid Castiel would grow tired of him or leave him. He was content with just being friends with the brunette. At least for the time being.

Additionally, Crowley’s banquette was coming up in a few days, and Dean had yet to inform Castiel of what he was doing. It felt almost illegal, secretly meeting up with Crowley in between lectures to plan and figure out the details about the party. Since Dean had agreed to cater, Crowley had surprisingly been behaving like a decent human being. The cheerleader had not witnessed him bothering anyone since their chat, just like they had agreed. Meg and Mark however, was still throwing rude remarks his way, but he never saw them hanging out with Crowley anymore.

Of course, faith would not wait around for Dean to tell Castiel about the business opportunity himself. It was just his luck. Dean had been walking towards his next seminar, when he saw Castiel walking towards him, a pencil tucked behind his ear, indicating he just finished one of his art classes. Their eyes met, and just as Dean was about to raise his arm to wave, a hand grabbed his elbow and yanked him into a small janitor closet and shut the door. It was a small room, and Dean felt himself almost completely pressed against none other than Crowley. “We need to talk Dean. My mother has changed her mind regarding the sweets you’re making” the dark-haired male spoke, as if he hadn’t just basically kidnapped Dean. A knock on the door interrupted their sudden job meeting however, and Castiel’s voice on the other side of the door calling Dean’s name.

Crowley rolled his eyes and simply locked the door in an annoyed manor. “What the hell?” Dean hissed. “We need to work this out now, tell your boyfriend to fuck off” Crowley sighed, backing further into the room. “He’s not my- Never mind” Dean replied in frustration, turning around, and unlocking the door before opening it. Castiel was still standing there, both worried and confused. He’d barely gotten a look at Dean in the hallway before someone dragged him off. “Hey Cas” Dean smiled. Castiel’s eyes softened when he noticed Dean was fine, but when he saw the brit standing behind the cheerleader with a bored expression, Dean could basically hear the wheels turning in the art student’s head. “I’m sorry to interrupt… I just wanted to see if you were okay” Castiel murmured, thinking of possible reasons for Dean to willingly stay in what was basically a broom closet with none other than Crowley. Dean waved his hands wildly in front of Castiel, as if repulsed by what Castiel was insinuating. “No no no, there is nothing to interrupt!” Dean stated and ignored the offended scoff Crowley let out behind him. “Can we talk later? I’ll explain everything. Maybe you can stop by the bakery tonight? It’s a very nice place to study” Dean suggested, nodding his head to Castiel’s tucked away pencil. “S-sure” Castiel answered, relieved he did not have to worry about Dean falling for someone as toxic as the brit.

“Well cheerio then! We have business to attend to!” Crowley suddenly spoke up, walking towards them and leaning over Dean to shut the door, not without shooting Castiel a wink though. “You’re disgusting” Castiel heard Dean mutter before the door was once again closed. What the heck?

“Mother has changed her mind regarding serving cupcakes at the banquette. She says it’s too boring. You’ll have to bake something else” Crowley explained, still standing very close to Dean. “What? She’s known about our plans for weeks, what suddenly changed her mind?” Dean groaned, taking a step back in the confined room, his back now against the door. “That’s how she is. Crazy woman” Crowley muttered, as if her behavior did not surprise him at all. “I’m sure you and your friend are perfectly capable of coming up with something else. Something a bit more … extraordinary.” The brit purred, leaning a bit closer to the cheerleader, their faces inches apart. Dean felt his heartbeat pick up, and the room started to feel too small. Crowley hadn’t flirted with him in weeks, much to Dean’s contentment. “Do I make you nervous, darling?” Crowley almost whispered, noting how tense Dean had become. “No, you make me feel claustrophobic” Dean scoffed, pushing Crowley back. “We’ll replace the cupcakes with something else” Dean said before leaving the room without looking back.

Dean was into Castiel. No one else. He thought he was being obvious with it, so it was both annoying and uncomfortable having Crowley so close to him. Lately, a lot more of the guys at their school had started flirting with him. Charlie told him people had been flirting with him since his first day, but apparently Dean hadn’t picked up on it. He thought they were being friendly, because the idea of someone being interested in him just did not make sense. The past week Dean had actually started to notice it though. Maybe because the flirty encounters had been pushing the limit between flirting and sexual harassment. A guy in particular, named Belph, had multiple times made his intentions of getting Dean in his bed clear.

Belph was in one of his automotive classes. He had light blonde hair, grey eyes and his physique was a lot bigger than Dean’s. At first Dean thought they could be great friends, they both loved cars and rock music, but as the classes progressed, Belph started flirting more and more. Dean thought it was a joke at first, but once he noted Belph wasn’t laughing with him, he understood. All through the classes, Dean would get comments like “I should be a interior designer Dean, because I think your pants would look great on my bedroom floor” or “So, what time do I get to take you out?”. He would always politely decline and each time it seemed like that made the “chase” a lot more fun for Belph.

Dean had one last automotive class that day, before he could leave for the bakery and meet Cas. Today they were going to study the engine of old cars from the 1950’s. It wasn’t a big class, they consisted of around 15 students, ten guys and five girls. Usually, Dean gravitated towards the girls in the class, mostly because he was one of the few guys there who didn’t treat them like crap. Dean pitied them, some of the other students loved to remind the females that they did not belong in such a ‘manly’ class. The women always fought back though and told the jerks to check who had the best grades in their class. The top three were all girls.

Their instructor, Mr. Sige, decided to pair everyone up for their session today. And of course, God was having a field day pairing Dean with none other than Belph. “Mr. Sige must have a good eye, recognizing a power couple when he sees one” Belph boosted, once he and Dean had found their station. “You’re just hilarious dude” Dean deadpanned. “What size do you prefer?” Belph winked suggestively, holding up different grey jumpsuits. As they were going to work with actual cars today, they needed uniforms. “Give me a large” Dean requested, ignoring the implications.

Once suited up, the pair got to work. It was going surprisingly fine, being paired up to work with the bigger blonde. Lucky for Dean, the other was just as serious as he was about nailing each of his college classes, so they managed to do what they were supposed to do both smoothly and quickly. Once class was over, Dean hurried over to the sinks in the back of the work room to wash off the oil covering his hands and forearms. Soon he would be in the bakery, he would find a replacement for the cupcakes with Benny and tell Castiel everything.

A looming presence from behind him, interrupted Dean from his planning. Belph was standing right behind him, his chest pressed to his back and a hand wormed its way around Dean’s waist. “You doing anything after school?” Belph murmured, from somewhere above his ear. Dean’s hands was soaped up so he couldn’t use them to push Belph’s hand away. “I’m meeting someone, back off” Dean complained, sick of the perverse flirting. Dean expected Belph to retreat, as he always did when Dean told him to stop. This time was a bit different. Dean felt the hand on his waist, drop down and Belph grabbed his ass and squeezed. Hard.

“I’m getting sick of you playing hard to get, Dean”. Belph told him seriously whilst his hand had moved down. The cheerleader tried to move to the side in an attempt to escape the rough grip on his behind, but Belph was pressing into him hard, trapping him between the giant man and the sink. “I have a boyfriend, back the fuck off” Dean fumed, elbowing the other man harshly. Belph reeled back in pain and Dean took the opportunity to quickly wash the soap off his hands and hurriedly left the facility. What a creep! 

The dirty blonde did not know what possessed him to tell Belph he had a boyfriend, but maybe he could keep using the excuse until the man finally took the hint. It wasn’t fair though. He should be able to be a single man and reject potential partners just because he wasn’t feeling it.

It was with a sour expression he entered the bakery after getting off the bus. His hands were still a bit oily because someone had interrupted him whilst washing up. “Hey chief-“ Benny started, once Dean entered, but he didn’t get to finish his sentence as a fuming Dean stalked past him and into one of the bathrooms in the back. The elder hurried after his friend and found him furiously scrubbing away at his arms by the sink.

“I’m sensing you’re in a mood right now” Benny stated, leaning against the doorframe. The other didn’t bother to reply, he just wanted to get the oil off him. “You wanna tell me what happened? I’ll treat you to a piece of apple pie” Benny tried to bribe him. Dean lifted his head and looked at Benny through the mirror. “Make it two and we have a deal”.

As there wasn’t a lot of customers in the bakery, it was no problem for Dean and Benny to sit behind the cash register, eating pie and relaxing. Dean told Benny everything. He explained who Belph was and how the situation had escalated. He told him about what Crowley had told him and that they needed to revise their plans for the banquette. Once in a while, a person would come up to the counter and buy something and Benny dutifully helped them whilst Dean finished his pie.

“What a tool!” Benny huffed, once a lady was walking away from them with two strawberry cupcakes in a box. “You should report him to the principal or something. Isn’t there security at your college?” Benny continued, sitting down next to Dean on their stools. “No, I don’t want to make it a thing” Dean told his friend. “It is a thing! The man is fucking assaulting you!” Benny almost yelled, earning a glare from the cheerleader. “Be quiet!” he hissed. “What’s your plan then? Getting your imaginary boyfriend to knock him up?” Benny questioned, picking up a small apple piece from Dean’s pie and flinging it in his face.

The apple hit Dean square on the nose and the man looked mortified, “Do not waste my food like that!”. He carried on “Even if I had a boyfriend, I would still fight my own battles, what is wrong with you?” Dean hissed. It was at that moment Castiel walked through the doors, looking around before his eyes landed on Dean. The art student headed towards them with a small smile. Benny looked at Castiel. Then at Dean. His face lit up as an idea occurred to him, and Dean already knew once Benny had an idea, he would go through with it.

“Castiel!” Benny greeted enthusiastically once the man reached the counter. “Hello” Castiel replied, giving Benny a confused look before his eyes settled back on the cheerleader. “Hello Dean. Are you alright?” he asked, referencing their last encounter by the janitor closet. Dean couldn’t help but smile at the brunette, nodding gently. “No, he is not alright!” Benny interrupted their soft, little moment. “What? Why not?” Castiel interrogated, first looking at Benny and then Dean again. “Benny, shut up, it doesn’t matter” Dean groaned, looking down at his now empty plate with a sad look.

“Did someone eat your pie?” Castiel guessed, trying to find the source of Dean’s miserableness so he could kill it. “Yeah, he devoured it himself” Benny scoffed, making Dean pout. “I’ll buy you another one? Would that cheer you up?” Castiel hurriedly suggested, not being able to stand watching Dean Winchester pout. “Stop simping for one second” Benny laughed, gesturing for Castiel to look at him. “Dean needs a fake boyfriend so a guy in his class will stop harassing him” Benny explained, much to Dean’s mortification.

“Benny!” Dean cried, embarrassed. He looked at the art student who had a calculating look on his face. “Who is harassing you?” Castiel questioned, looking straight into Dean’s eyes.

“No one is harassing me!”

“Dean, he grabbed your ass!”

“HE WHAT?!”

Castiel couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Dean winced at Castiel’s loud voice and Benny was silently approving of Castiel as Dean’s future boyfriend. He was glad someone else cared so much for his friend. “It’s just a guy in my automobile class, he’ll back off eventually” Dean said, trying to defuse the tension. “Did he hurt you? Please tell me his name Dean” Castiel pleaded. “I’m totally fine, it’s just annoying” Dean reassured, although it did nothing to ease Castiel’s worries. It’s not like the art student hadn’t noticed the stares Dean got at school or whenever they hung out. People was flirting with the cheerleader all the time, but Dean always seemed too distracted to notice. He hadn’t thought anyone would go so far as to harass the poor man though. “I’ll be your fake boyfriend!” Castiel stated.

“What? You don’t have to do that Cas” Dean replied softly, secretly hoping he would get to call the man his real boyfriend one day. “I want to. If he bothers you, please tell me about it” Castiel begged. “I think that’s a great idea” Benny grinned. Dean wasn’t sure his heart could handle faking something like that with his god damn crush, but Castiel was looking at him so desperately, so eager to help. “If I can’t bother to deal with him myself, which I am perfectly capable of thank you very much, I’ll find you and we can fake-boyfriend him off, okay?” Dean compromised, just to get Cas to lower his shoulders. “Deal!”.

Dean ushered Castiel over to one of the booths in the bakery and treated him to their daily specialty, powdered doughnuts. He told the art student he had his break in one hour and that he would join him then. Castiel agreed with a satisfied nod, his mouth full of the delicious treat. The brunette used the hour to read the texts he had to catch up on before his next art history class.

Benny took the news regarding the cupcakes surprisingly well, which eased Dean’s anxiety on the matter. “No problem! I’m sick of decorating cupcakes anyways” the older had grinned. Dean suspected Benny tried his best to seem nonchalant to not make Dean’s Day harder. He could also feel his friend’s protectiveness throughout his shift. Each time a customer got a bit too friendly, Benny would stay extra close to him, or keep an eye on the interaction. The hour passed by in no time, and when Dean sat down in front of Castiel, he was very pleased to see the other one had managed to get Benny to sneak him another piece of pie.

Castiel felt himself smiling at Dean’s excitement once he spotted the pie. Maybe he should find it repulsing how the other man practically swallowed the sweet treat, his mouth surrounded by the delicious cream and crumbs from the crust. Other people might even scold the cheerleader for bad table manners, but Castiel could not care less about proper etiquette. He found the sight unfathomably adorable. It was almost childish; the way Dean experienced such pure happiness at the simple gesture of serving him a single piece of pie. “Thanks for the pie! I’ll treat you next time” Dean said, although a bit muffled as he was still chewing his apple pie.

“Now, it’s not any of my business, but I would love to know why you choose to spend your time inside a broom closet with none other than Crowley” Castiel teased, shutting his notebook, and putting it in his bag. Dean’s nervous shifting on his seat did not go unnoticed by the art student. “It’s more… obligation than for my own personal gain” Dean said, choosing his words carefully. Castiel leaned forward in interest. “His mom’s company is throwing this huge banquette type of thing, and he asked me if I’d be interested in baking the desserts for the evening. I said no at first, because Crowley’s spirit animal is probably a huge, slippery snake, but the payment was too good to turn down” Dean explained, hands on his lap. “I see” Castiel replied, taking in the information.

“I know it’s probably a catastrophe waiting to happen, but I’m in desperate need for the money and I don’t expect you, or anyone, to understand but I seriously wouldn’t do it if it weren’t for the payment.” Dean rambled, embarrassed. He was scared Castiel would judge him for abandoning his morals in order to earn a few more bucks, but he didn’t have the luxury to turn it down. Dean was about to get up and leave with his plate, not standing the silence between them. Crowley was a bully, of course Castiel wouldn’t support anyone helping the brit out.

“You’re acting as if I’m supposed to be mad at you?” Castiel questioned, interrupting Dean’s inner monologue. “Aren’t you?”. Castiel’s eyes softened, and he leaned forward, pushed the plate to the side and took Dean’s right hand in his own. “Now, why would I be? You are a baker, and you are providing a customer with your service. That’s perfectly normal Dean” the brunette spoke. “But it’s not just any customer. It’s Crowley” Dean murmured, still not believing the fact that Cas was indeed, not angry. “It is a paying customer Dean. Of course, I’m not a fan of him being anywhere near you, he’s an abomination, but I understand that people with jobs do in fact need to earn a living. I’m glad you told me” Castiel smiled. The cheerleader wanted to burst into tears at the words and he felt a heavy weight being lifted of his shoulders. “That being said” Castiel continued, a glint in his eyes. “If he does anything, and I mean anything Dean, to cause you pain or frustration, you better tell me”.

“What? You’re gonna come defend my honor, Cas?” Dean laughed, feeling warm at the sentiment. “No, you are more than capable of defending your own honor Dean. I would very much like to crush his face regardless” Castiel grinned, a teasing tone present. “Lucky me, got my own knight in shining armour” Dean chuckled. The day started out weird, turned uncomfortable but ended with a bunch of butterflies and two men laughing together until the sun set.

Chapter Text

The banquette was tomorrow, and Dean felt inexplicably nervous. He woke up before the sun had risen to drive to the venue and get settled in the kitchen. Benny met him there half an hour later, accidently oversleeping. The bakers had their own station at the huge kitchen, where they could prepare everything. The floor was marble white, same as the walls and the kitchen itself was so shiny, Dean could eat his dinner off the countertops. It looked too good, and the cheerleader couldn’t help but feel out of place. Through the chic, black double doors you entered the ballroom. Dean instantly thought of the ballroom in the Disney movie Beauty and the beast. It looked just the same! Huge windows, art decorating the floor, the ceiling, and the walls in such a dream-like manner. There was a stage upfront with different instruments laying around, ready to be played by the band. Crowley’s mother sure knew how to host a party!

After he and Benny had prepared all the batter for the baked goods and stored it safely, they left the facility. Instead of baking cupcakes, they would make crepes filled with a mango butter cream. The duo finished all their preparations around 12 PM, and then Benny had to hurry to make his shift at the bakery. The man was a workaholic. Dean was walking towards his car at the hotel parking lot when a black limousine pulled up next to him. The window in the backseat rolled down smoothly and Dean made eye contact with a gorgeous woman in her 60’s with flaming auburn hair. “You’re the Winchester boy, right?” the lady asked in a thick Scottish accent. “Depends on who’s asking” Dean replied, although the woman did seem familiar in some way.

“I am Rowena MacLeod; I understand you have been hired by my son for tomorrow’s festivities?” the redhead said with a smirk. As soon as Dean heard the name, he could slap himself for not recognizing the lady, she was almost always featured in local magazines, billboards and there was even a bench in the park with her face on it. She was quite the businesswoman. “Oh, yes! I’m sorry. It’s a pleasure to meet you” Dean stuttered, bowing his head quickly. The woman could probably buy his whole house and it wouldn’t even make a dent in her bank account. “What a polite young man you are! I can see why Crowley begged me to let him hire you” she grinned, reminding him of the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. The blonde didn’t know how to respond to that so he just smiled sheepishly whilst rubbing the back of his neck. He wouldn’t have had time to answer either however, as Rowena gestured for him to join her in the car straight afterwards. “Come on in dear, I don’t bite” she giggled. The cheerleader didn’t make it a habit to enter stranger’s car, but he understood why Rowena was such a successful figure in her field and that’s because it’s really hard to say no to her.

He got in the car on the other side and was again taken aback by his surroundings. The limo was bigger than his bedroom, and so much prettier. Rowena seemed proud of herself as she observed Dean’s amazed gaze at the car. “Here, have a drink” she smiled, handing him a glass of champagne. “Oh, I’m sorry but no thanks! I gotta drive home afterwards” he declined, not feeling comfortable with drinking and driving. “Nonsense! We’ll give you a ride! And I’ll send a car to pick you and your friend up tomorrow, so you can drive your own car back home after the event” she gleamed, basically pushing the glass into his hand. Before Dean could process her words, the limo started driving. “Thanks, I guess” he mumbled, but placed the glass in a cupholder in the small table between them. Dean didn’t drink much, only on special occasions. It didn’t go unnoticed by the redhead, but she chose to let it pass this time. Very few people were able to refuse her.

“Not to be rude or anything, but … Why am I here?” Dean questioned, hoping Rowena wouldn’t take it the wrong way. “Oh Darling, do you think I just hire people I’ve never met before?” she laughed after taking a small sip of her own glass. “I-I’m not hired? Crowley said- “ Dean began but was interrupted, “Bless your heart Dean, I didn’t mean it like that! Of course you are hired, but I would still like to meet the person who’ll be serving my guests tomorrow! Especially when it’s a friend of my son” Rowena smiled. Dean let out a breath of relief. He contemplated telling her that he and Crowley were the farthest thing from being friends, but it could wait until after he and Benny got paid. “I know my son is … Unique. And he has never been good at making friends, good ones at least” she continued, this time her expression turned more somber. “I would love it if you would keep on being his friend, after the banquette as well.” She requested.

“I don’t know ma’am, we don’t exactly see eye to eye on many things” Dean said, trying to formulate a nice way of saying I hate your son. “What if you got something for the trouble? A weekly check for instance? I’m very generous with my fortune Dean” Rowena said, looking around the limo as if to stress her point. Crowley’s mother was offering him money to be his friend? That was just sad. He looked away, and noticed they were pulling up on his street. How did they know where he lived? Better to not ask, he thought. “I’m more than happy to provide you and your business with baking services, but nothing else. It’s a nice offer but the friendship wouldn’t be real, and don’t you want your son to have a real, genuine friend?” Dean answered to the best of his ability. “I want my son to have the world” the redhead said instantly, as if offended Dean would suggest otherwise. “I’ll let you think some more about the offer Mr. Winchester. I think you’ll have great use for the extra money” she assured and looked outside at his house. His crestfallen, barely painted house. John didn’t bother to maintain the outsides of their home; he barely maintained the insides. Dean just smiled in reply and got out of the car.

As Rowena drove away, he couldn’t help but feel a small smudge of sympathy for Crowley. He of all people knew how it felt to have an absent parent, and he couldn’t imagine Rowena spent many days with her son considering how famous she was in her job. But who knows, maybe his dad stayed home with him.

The cheerleader considered himself blessed as John decided to not drink that night, and left Dean alone. That meant a solid four hours of sleep, which to him was a luxury. He would need all the energy he could muster for the following day. However, he still found time to text Cas about Crowley’s eccentric mother. The nonstop texting had started again, after they reconciled and it was close to writing in a diary, the way they told each other everything and had long forgotten the phrase ‘TMI’.

Chapter Text

His art project was coming along nicely. After endless discussions with his teacher, she finally relented and let him continue painting and creating bees. Castiel was smiling as he painted the final strokes of the flowers, which marked his half-way point in the whole process. He couldn’t really explain it, but the fascination with bees had been there since he was a young child. Maybe it was their serene nature, or the way they kept him entertained when he and his family stood outside the church talking to other relatives after a service had finished. His siblings thought bees were annoying. Or scary. Michael used to smack them if they got too close, and Anna used to scream her lungs out in fear. It was in these times Castiel started to develop a sympathy for the small creatures. They were just looking for flowers. For life. Just because they had the biology to hurt someone, didn’t mean they were going to. Castiel certainly never went around and smacked another person, just because that person had the potential to hurt him if they wanted to.

The bees in front of him weren’t the only cause for his good mood, however. He and Dean had been texting a lot more recently, and it made him feel like a giddy teenager to sit and wait for each reply. Their conversations varied, from getting to know each other, to subtle flirting and to arguing what kind of music genre was the superior one. Rock or Punk. After their agreement to fake a relationship together to scare of Dean’s apparent stalker, they hadn’t met up. That was because Dean had an important job coming up, serving the entirety of Rowena MacLeod’s staff and Castiel’s current art project.

To be honest Castiel still didn’t know how to feel about being Dean’s fake boyfriend. Of course, he had jumped at the chance of being helpful in any way he could, and it’s not like he was a huge fan of anyone else filling that role, but he couldn’t help but doubt the authenticity of their made-up story. Would people really believe Dean Winchester, the most wonderful human to walk this earth, had fallen for Castiel Novak, the biggest outsider on their school? People either feared him or sneered at him. On his part, he wouldn’t need to fake anything regarding feeling affectionate towards the cheerleader. He could selfishly act the way he has wanted to for a while now and play it off as staying true to his role as Dean’s boyfriend. He knew he was way out of Dean’s league, so just being able to be his friend was more than enough. With a grateful smile, Castiel kept working on his project.

Contrary to Castiel’s relaxing day at home, painting and sipping herbal tea, Dean’s day was chaotic as hell. He had been running around the kitchen all morning, whipping cream, decorating, and wiping the edges of each plate served with desserts to make everything look as perfect as possible. Himself and Benny were a sweaty mess, and the clock was only 11:00 AM. The duo had volunteered themselves to be servers as well, when the party started to earn a little extra, so they really had to prepare everything in advance so they wouldn’t be needed in the kitchen. Luckily, Crowley hadn’t shown up yet so Dean tried to revel in the moment of peace whilst it lasted.

The day started out great. Dean woke up around 5:00 AM and immediately picked up his notebook and continued a paper he was writing for one of his classes. It was challenging to balance out his work commitments as well as school assignments, so he had cut one hour from his sleep schedule to get everything done. Once he was satisfied, he went downstairs quietly to find something for breakfast. The surprise on his face however, when he came down to a set table filled with various breakfast items was unmatched. There were scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, jam, a mug of juice and another one with lemonade. John was at the stove making pancakes. It smelled delicious. It smelled like a home. Like his mother.

“D-Dad?” Dean stammered, in total awe at the sight in front of him. With a spatula in hand, his father turned around and offered a cheeky smile. “Thought I’d make breakfast for a change. What do you think?” he asked, almost looking embarrassed at all the food prepared. “It looks great!” Dean grinned, and for the first time in years, the smile was genuine. John never cooked for him, and if he did it was just to apologize for a violent episode, so this was really unexpected. “Do you need any help?” Dean offered, walking over to the stove. “No, no sit down and eat. I’m soon finished with this” his dad replied, gesturing to the kitchen table. Afraid it was too good to be true, Dean was quick to make the best of it and eagerly sat down and filled his plate to the brim with food. Even though the eggs were runny, to the point Dean suspected them to still be a bit raw, Dean gushed in everything. John may not be the best chef, but the fact that he had gone through so much effort making something for his own son deeply touched him.

Shortly after, John placed a plate filled with pancakes down on the table and sat down opposite Dean and started eating as well. “How is it?” he asked after a while, not looking up from his own plate. “It’s really good dad, thank you for making all of this” Dean answered sincerely, mouth full of bacon and toast. It looked like John wanted to scold his son for his bad manners, but he couldn’t help the fond gaze he instead sent Dean’s way.

“I’ve noticed you have lost some weight recently. Just wanted to make sure you actually eat a proper meal, you’re always running around between work and school” John grumbled, and to Dean’s big surprise, he actually sounded worried. “Oh, I’m fine! It’s just been a lot these last couple of weeks but I’m getting the hang of it” the younger smiled. The pair finished their meals in silence after that. Not uncomfortable silence, but Dean still wouldn’t risk saying anything that could spoil their meal. After the cheerleader had propped himself so full of food, he was positive he wouldn’t fit into his cheerleading uniform, he thanked profusely for the meal, offered to do the dishes and was out the door to head to the banquet. He had hoped before things would get better, and it always left him disappointed. However, maybe this time it would be different.

Skip to a few hours later, Dean and Benny was done prepping everything that needed their attention in the kitchen and was sent upstairs to a suite in the hotel to shower and get changed into their waiter uniforms. Rowena personally set them up in a room and ordered them to shower, once she saw how sweaty and gross, they were after running around for five hours straight. “The sexier you look, the more I’ll pay” she smirked at them before pushing the elevator button for them and sending them on their way. “She’s one crazy lady” Benny muttered to Dean once they were alone in the elevator. “Yeah, but at least they pay is good” Dean joked, nudging his friend with his elbow.

When the banquette started, the bakers had neatly placed out countless of finished plates in the kitchen, ready to be served. There was a team ready to prep even more plates once the other ones was sent out. Meanwhile Benny and Dean, dressed in black dress pants, a white shirt tucked neatly into it and a simple black bowtie, was serving the guests champagne and starters. Luckily Rowena hadn’t counted on just the two of them regarding serving, so there were around six other waiters dressed identically to them as well. The banquette room quickly filled with people. It was a horseshoe-layout regarding the tables and chairs, leaving a huge open space in the middle where people could dance and socialize. In the front there was a huge scene with a classy jazz band playing phenomenally. Everything was going well.

Until Dean placed a plate of the starter’s menu, shellfish, in front of none other than Michael. The cheerleader didn’t even notice it was him, until he had placed the plate and had turned to the guest to smile politely at him. The elder was already watching Dean with an amused look. “Well, hello there” Michael smiled, although it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Oh great, Dean thought, the last person he wanted to see. Castiel’s brother was wearing a grey suit that looked tailored specifically for the man, with a black tie and hair slightly slicked back. “I’m working. If you’ll excuse me” Dean muttered, trying his best to sound polite. The baker quickly scurried off to the kitchen to get more plates. And also, to regroup. The last time he had seen Michael, the son of a bitch had threatened to blackmail him, and although he might have been joking, Dean wasn’t keen on taking any chances. Once in the kitchen, he hurriedly poured himself a glass of water, just to ground himself. Why would he be here of all places?!

“You okay, chief?” Benny questioned, standing by the door as he too just returned to the kitchen. Dean turned around with a smile, despite wanting to leave right away, and picked up a plate. “Of course! My shirt is just too tight is all, it’s getting hot” he laughed, using one hand to drag the collar of his shirt away from his neck. Benny didn’t seem to notice the uneasiness behind Dean’s eyes and shrugged before continuing his duties. Dean continued serving the guests as well, but he was fully aware of Michael watching his every move like a predator. The money is good, the money is great is what he kept chanting to himself inside his head. The money will help Sam. Sam deserves help. I can’t let him down. The chanting continued and continued, and suddenly the starters were all served, and the waiters could take a ten-minute break.

Dean decided to get some fresh air, and took his phone to step outside of the hotel. Once the fresh air hit his face, he immediately felt better. He was just about to call Cas to ask how his art project was coming along, when he heard Crowley’s voice down the street. “… never listen to me!” the brit was close to yelling. Dean followed the noise and just behind a corner, he spotted Crowley and his mother arguing. He hadn’t seen Crowley all night, but he suppose he hasn’t been looking for him either.

“Fergus, we are done having this discussion. You are not qualified to work for me, all you do is mess around and get in trouble. I need someone who takes this seriously” Rowena stated, with an edge to her tone. The woman was clearly angry. “I worked really hard on this mother” her son replied, the fight from earlier gone from his voice. “Try telling someone who cares” she snarked, turning around graciously and walking back inside. As she passed Dean, the woman at least had the decency to look embarrassed, but she didn’t say anything. Crowley followed his mother with his eyes, and also noticed Dean standing there sheepishly listening. “H-Hey” Dean muttered, feeling awkward. “Don’t you have a job to do? I doubt mother is paying you to eavesdrop” Crowley spat, all of his usual charisma gone. “I’m on my break” the baker answered. Crowley wasn’t a good person. He was a bully. So why did Dean feel sorry for him? At least Crowley has a mother. Everything inside of him told him to go back inside as well, and not get in the middle of whatever he had walked into.

“Are you okay?” he questioned instead, walking closer. It was something about the devastated, and tired look Crowley had, that forced Dean to try to at least comfort the man. He didn’t owe him anything, but maybe he saw himself in the brit. The disappointment of never meeting your parent’s standards. “I’m bloody fabulous!” Crowley stressed, waving his hands out. “It must be hard. To be her son, I mean. She seems like a busy woman” Dean spoke, stopping right in front of Crowley. There was still a respectable distance between them, mind you. Crowley didn’t say anything, but he looked up from the ground and for the first time, he really looked at the baker. He looked surprised at Dean’s words, as well as grateful. “You have no idea”. If you were to ask the baker later, he couldn’t tell you what propelled him in that moment, but he marched over to the other man and gave him a tight hug. At first Crowley didn’t react. He just stood there in shock. Of course he was aware of Dean’s, and most other people’s, disgust of him. Actually, when Crowley thought about it, no one had hugged him since he was a kid. It was this realization that urged his eyes to suddenly tear up. The brit didn’t cry though. He never cried.

“What are you doing?” he asked, hesitantly hugging Dean back. The cheerleader didn’t reply, he just held on. He held on like he wished someone had held onto him.

“Is this your way of saying you’re tired of that goth prince you’ve been attached to, and want a piece of a real man instead?” Crowley smirked, after the hug had lasted a while. Dean hurriedly backed away from the man with a disgusted face and regretted his decision immediately. “In your dreams asshole” he sighed and stepped back to get back inside. Although Crowley was a dick, Dean took notice of his frown from earlier was replaced by a small smile, and even though he shouldn’t, the baker was happy he had cheered the black-haired male up.

His pause was over shortly, and Dean dutifully returned to his duties. Since the appetizers had been served, his task was to just fill up people’s empty glasses for now. Crowley joined the banquette hall as well, sitting down a few seats away from none other than Michael. It didn’t look like the two were acquainted, judging by how they completely dismissed each other when their eyes met.

It wasn’t until Dean was beckoned over to the elder Novak brother, that shit started to go wrong. Dean was filling up the glass of the older woman sitting on the end of the horseshoe format when he looked up to see Michael waving him over. Begrudgingly he walked over with his champagne flask and tried to look everywhere else once he was in front of the man. “Hello again” he greeted, stroking his hand over Dean’s upper arm. “Can I help you?” Dean bit out with a fake smile, finally looking at the man. “Well, yes you can! Would you mind picking up my fork? I seem to have lost it under the table. My back is not what it used to, so I can’t look for it myself” Michael requested with a innocent smile and wicked eyes. He knew what he was doing. He knew Dean couldn’t refuse him his help when other guests were sitting so close by. So, he simply nodded and bent at the waist to lift the pearly-white tablecloth up to have a look. Michael didn’t waste any time, and the hand that had been on his forearm, slid to his back and then directly onto his ass where he kept it.

Dean could feel it. He could feel it all. But the threat Michael had made kept ringing in his head. If Castiel found out about John, he would force Dean to tell the cops. He would do it to protect Dean. The baker wasn’t ready to give up on John yet, and he sure as hell wasn’t ready to disappoint Castiel with how weak he was, and cowardly he acted when it came to his dad. So he kept his head down and reached for the fork he saw neatly placed right under the table. Once the cutlery was retrieved, he stood back up and handed it to Michael, who still had his hand on his butt, stroking it up and down. “Here it is” Dean muttered, placing it on the table, ignoring Michael’s close-to feral smile. However, the cheerleader stopped dead in his tracks when he felt the hand suddenly move and grip the left side of his butt. Dean swiftly turned around and was ready to throw hands, when instead he was face to face with Crowley. The brit stood on the other side of Michael’s chair looking like his usual cheeky self.

“Excuse me sir, we do ask that our guests doesn’t go around harassing our work staff. Would you please let me escort you outside?” Crowley spoke, whilst graciously grabbing Michael’s hand and ripping it off of Dean. Michael looked surprised to be caught. As if this was the first time someone had called him out on it.

“Harassing? I don’t know what you’re talking about” Michael spluttered, standing up defensively.

“Mr. Winchester, was the hand on your body welcome in any way?” Crowley asked, turning his focus to Dean. Michael too turned to look at the blonde, and the way his eyes dared Dean to snitch was almost intimidating. Almost.

“It most certainly was not” Dean stated, not looking in Michael’s direction at all. If he had, he would have seen the affronted look on the businessman. “I ask you to leave the premises immediately. If you refuse, I will be forced to call the authorities” Crowley said, sounding like he was quoting some script.

“How dare you accuse me of something so vile?!” Michael yelled at the brit, making more people turn and look at what was going on. Before things could esculate however, Rowena herself had made her way over and was looking pointedly at her son, as if he was to blame for the scene playing out.

“Gentlemen. What on earth is going on?” she questioned them with an annoyed tone. “This neanderthal is accusing me of sexual harassment, which is outrageous!” Michael bellowed, pointing his finger at Crowley who seemed far too relaxed. Dean hadn’t moved at all, too surprised at being helped out by none other than Crowley himself. Although Rowena looked like she was ready to lecture Crowley, at Michael words her focus completely shifted to the elder Novak brother. “Sexual harassment is something we take very seriously in my company, mr Novak” Rowena carefully said, and looked over Michael’s shoulder where she finally noticed Dean standing. The baker could see the redhead putting two and two together, and with a swish of her arm, she had pushed Michael aside to stand in front of Dean.

“Did he touch you, Dean? It’s alright to tell me, you haven’t done anything wrong sweetie” she questioned, looking at the student the way one would look at a wounded animal. Wordlessly, he nodded hesitantly. It was one thing to tell Crowley, but to tell the person who was signing his paycheck was a whole other thing. It all happened very quickly after that, one second Dean was looking into Rowena’s reassuring eyes, the next the woman was softly guiding him back to the kitchen whilst two security guards were escorting a very insulted Michael out of the hall. Crowley had followed the guards, on strict orders from his mother to make sure the snake was out of the building.

“I’m sorry that happened to you Dean, thank you for telling me the truth” Rowena gently said, once the pair was back inside the kitchen. “Oh, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it, I’m sorry for causing such a scene though. Please let me finish my work, I promise it won’t happen again” Dean replied, desperate to not let this get in the way of his much-needed paycheck.

At his words Rowena looked at him with firm eyes and her tone was determined as she said “Dean Winchester. You are not at fault for what just happened, whatsoever. Don’t you dare apologize when you haven’t done anything wrong. If it was up to me, I’d pay you right now and send you home. As it happens, I’m getting the impression that you are not the kind of boy who would accept a paycheck without the work, so I won’t force you to do that. Would you like your paycheck now, or after your shift is over? I’ll tell the security to keep and extra eye on you, so this won’t happen again.”

“After my shift please”

Hours passed, guests drank and ate, the band finished their last song and suddenly the banquette was officially over. No further incidents took place, except for Benny crying out for a break from all “the snobs with their noses so far up, he could count their nose hairs”. Dean looked at his watch and was amazed at himself and Benny for basically running around nonstop for the last nine hours with the longest break barely lasting ten minutes. His friend had been too busy running around with different trays, to have noticed Michael and his commotion from earlier, in which Dean was grateful. He knew Benny probably would’ve let it slip to Castiel, and the last thing Dean wanted was for his friend/fake boyfriend/crush to have a conversation about him with Michael. God, when did everything get so messy?

“We did it chief!” Benny grinned at him after they had finished gathering their stuff and headed downstairs to go home. Rowena had kindly offered them a room for the night, free of charge, but both men had work early next morning and the hotel was on the far other side of town. The fancy side. “Thank God!” Dean groaned with a smile. It seemed like all the guests loved their desserts, and if that wasn’t a relief. “I think we should ditch the bakery and start our own business. We’ll call it ‘Pies and Pecs’!” Benny gleamed, flexing his muscles as they strode through the lobby.

“You make me seem like a old grandma, why am I the pie and you’re the muscles?” Dean giggled, lifting his bag higher up on his shoulder. “Why? Wanna switch?” Benny smirked, although he already knew the answer. “No…” Dean mumbled, smacking Benny’s arm when he stuck out his tongue.

Once outside, the boys separated as Benny was taking the bus and Dean was opting on walking. He told Benny he had a ride, but the truth was he was adamant about saving money from now on. The faster he grew a small fortune, the easier it would be to send Sam off to college when the time came. The air was cold and crisp, but Dean took a deep breath and could feel all the worries about the banquette wash away. Now it was over.

He felt relieved and content for about fifty seconds, before he turned the corner and was face to face with Michael. Once again. The man looked like hell. His shirt was pulled out from his pants, the tie just hang around his neck and he stank of crap tequila. “I-I’ve been waiting for youUu” the man slurred, stalking towards Dean until he had the cheerleader up against the wall. “Get the fuck away from me!” Dean yelled, pushing at the older whilst simultaneously trying not to throw up from the sheer smell of the man.
“H-How dare you embarrass me like that… in front of all those people?! My boss was there!” Michael screamed, absolutely livid. He smashed the beer bottle he had in his hands in the wall next to Dean’s face making the younger flinch terribly. It was just like being fifteen again.

“Please stop” Dean begged, feeling his walls come up and the dissociation grow. The elder simply scoffed at him and put both of his hands on his shoulders and forced Dean into a kneeling position. “You are going to do exactly as I say, or I’ll tell Cassie fucking everything I know about your dead-beat father!” he commanded, taking a hold of Dean’s hair and pulling harshly. Dean tried to move, but the man had him in a death grip. “I’ll fucking destroy you if you don’t get your hands off of me” Dean threatened, glaring up at the drunk Novak.

“I am no rapist Dean. People beg to have me fuck them” Michael slurred, puffing his chest out in pride. “I just need a picture” he smiled, as he took his phone out and released Dean before taking a photo of the baker on his knees. “When I get you into my bed, it’ll be by your own request sweetheart” Michael stated, stroking Dean down his cheek before walking away.

It took everything Dean had to not freak out in the middle of the street. He could feel his chest tighten and air became difficult to inhale. He was safe. Michael had left. His dad was home. No one was around to hurt him. He chanted the words to himself and raised his arms above his head in order to breathe better. 1..2...3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10 he counted. He was safe.

The day had started out great. He had gotten a lot of work done and was basically finished. He went to bed that day, excited about the next one and for a long period if his life, that was not the case. However, his world came crashing down around him when he received a text.

A photo.

Of Dean. On his knees.

The caption read “Seems like your friend has a thing for our bloodline, he gives the best head”.

Sent from Michael.

Castiel wanted to throw up.

Chapter Text

Once Dean got home from the banquette, he immediately jumped into the shower to wash away the entire day. He’d made a lot of money. It would help Sam get the life he deserved. That’s what he kept thinking about. Dean did certainly not think about the beer bottle that smashed near his head, or Michael’s filthy touches. Or what the scumbag would do with the photo he took. One couldn’t blame Dean for falling asleep instantly that night, too scared to stay awake with his own thoughts.

However, one could blame Dean for not hearing his alarm go off and waking up fifteen minutes before his first class began. Like a lightning bolt, Dean flew out of bed and hurriedly threw on a AC\DC t-shirt and a pair of dark jeans before running towards the bus stop. His stomach was growling on the entire ride, and if Dean weren’t so busy making sure he had everything he needed for school in his bag, he’d be embarrassed. Luckily, the professor also ran late that day so no one really noticed when he entered the lecture hall twenty minutes late. Dean diligently took notes during the whole class, and was glad to have something to focus on.

After the class, he had a free period and decided to catch up on another subject in the courtyard outside. He was leaning against a tree near the cafeteria when quick footsteps drew his attention away from his book. A very distressed Castiel was walking towards him, and the sheer seriousness emitting from the painter made Dean very open to the option of running away. “You jerk!” was the first words Castiel decided to great him with, stopping right in front of him and crossing his arms angrily whilst looking down on the cheerleader. “Good morning to you too, sunshine” Dean tried, raising his hands in mock surrender.

Castiel sat down in front of him and looked at him with an analyzing gaze. “I’ve been calling you ever since last night, Dean. Has something happened to your phone?” he interrogated, ignoring Dean’s attempt at lightning the mood. “Sorry Cas, I feel asleep pretty fast last night and overslept today so I forgot to check. I also forgot to bring it with me to school” Dean apologized sheepishly. “What’s up?” the cheerleader asked, popping the p.

Some of the tension disappeared from the painter’s shoulders, yet he looked distraught by whatever it was that was bothering him. Wordlessly he pulled out his own phone and presented Dean with a chatroom between Castiel and Michael. Dean felt his heart stop once he saw the photo and caption Michael had sent his friend and he wanted to vomit. “It’s not what it looks like” Dean almost whispered, meeting Castiel’s gaze hesitantly. How the hell would he explain this? Castiel’s expression turned from serious to understanding and he was quick to delete the photo whilst Dean was watching. “I’m not accusing you of anything, Dean. It seems like my brother wants to give me a certain impression of you two, but I can’t help but notice the discomfort on your face each time he has been around.”

“I don’t have a thing for your brother, Cas. And I certainly did not suck him off last night, or any night for that matter!” Dean stressed, still feeling like he should defend himself. The slightly older male nodded, although this wasn’t news to him. “Has he threatened you? Hurt you? There is something you’re not telling me Dean, and I can’t help you if I don’t know what it is” Castiel urged, leaning a bit forward and removing the book from Dean’s grasp in order to get his devoted attention. The cheerleader did not meet his gaze, and seemed to be contemplating what his next words would be.

“I want to tell you, Cas. The thing is, he has something on me. A secret. And if I tell you, he is going to expose my secret to you and I’m not ready for you to know just yet. It has nothing to do with you, or how much I trust you. I’m … I’m just not ready” Dean explained, grabbing one of Castiel’s hands to empathize his point. He rarely put his trust in other people, but somehow the painter had grown to be someone Dean did have a lot of faith in. Castiel seemed conflicted at the information. He wanted to strangle is brother for causing the baker so much stress, but he also wanted to respect Dean’s wishes about his secret. “Oh Dean” he sighed, moving to sit next to the blonde instead, letting his head rest on his shoulder. “Has he touched you?” he tried again, needing to know what lengths his brother would go to.

“No” Yes. “He’s just messing with me to irritate you I guess, it’s nothing I can’t handle” I can still feel his eyes burning a whole throughout my body.

“Promise me you’ll tell me if he goes too far. Whatever your secret is Dean, it won’t affect our friendship, I promise” Castiel urged, not quite believing what Dean was telling him about his brother’s ministrations. “Thanks, Cas” Dean smiled, letting his head really rest on the other’s shoulder.

“How’s your art project going?” the cheerleader asked, eager to change the topic. Castiel picked up on this, and happily went on for several minutes about his progress. He talked about the struggles he had at first, and his whole battle against the teacher to let him keep making bees. He told the blonde about how he was around halfway done with the entire project and that Dean had to join him after he’d turned the project in so they could celebrate. “That sounds like a good plan. You’re really talented, you know” Dean grinned, nudged the other slightly with his elbow. The painter blushed and was grateful Dean couldn’t see it from their position. The pair sat like that for around thirty minutes before both had to get to their next class. “I’m not working today, what do you think about meeting up after school and you can give me another ride on that bike of yours?” Dean smiled, as Castiel was about to leave in order to get to his art class. “I’ll meet you by the parking lot!” Castiel replied with a grin as he walked away, excited to finish all of lectures. They both luckily were done for the day around the same time.

Dean was basically bouncing on his heels as he stood by the parking lot, trying to see where Cas had parked his glorious motorcycle. The latter would be done with his seminar in around fifteen minutes, so Dean decided he’d just hang around the other’s bike till he was finished. Dean spotted the black motorcycle after a short while and walked over. Any doubt about who the bike belonged to, disappeared once he spotted the little keychain hanging onto one of the handles. A small bee with a sun hat was attached. Dean smiled to himself. Cas was such a dork.

“Hey Dean!” a voice called, and Dean groaned inwardly at seeing Belph stroll towards him with that nasty smirk of his. “Hello” he greeted back, tone flat. Belph pointed at Castiel’s motorcycle and with an appreciative glance asked if it was Dean’s. “No, it’s actually my boyfriend’s” Dean replied with a proud smile, hoping this would finally make Belph back the fuck off. “Boyfriend? You weren’t joking before, huh?” the taller teased, although he now looked a tad annoyed. “No. He’ll be here any minute now. He’s just great!” Dean bragged, puffing his chest out a little. He might have to fake a relationship with Cas, but he did not have to fake talking the man up.

Belph stepped closer to inspect the bike, which also made him step closer to the cheerleader. “What a lucky guy” he started, “but I’m not sure I believe you. Twice now you’ve talked about him, yet I have never seen you get all couple-y with anyone” he mused, as if in deep thought. As a freaking God send, Dean suddenly felt an arm being thrown over his shoulder and he turned to see none other than Cas himself. Dean first smiled at his fake-boyfriend who seemed to have heard Belph’s last comment and then the cheerleader smirked back at his classmate. “Belph. This is Castiel, my very real boyfriend” he introduced. Castiel smiled politely towards the taller and Dean reveled in the way Belph’s eyes almost popped out of his sockets. “Castiel Novak? That’s your boyfriend?” he questioned suspiciously. Dean felt offended by the other’s tone and ignored him in favour of looking at Cas once again. “Babe, this is the guy who fucking groped me during class” he whined, not giving Belph another chance at talking shit about his alleged boyfriend.

Castiel registered the words, and although he already suspected it based on what he had overheard from their conversation, felt a sudden protective wave wash over him at Dean’s attempt to punish Belph for the tone he had when he asked the cheerleader if he really chose Castiel as his boyfriend. Belph paled at the confession however, and with nervous eyes his gaze traveled from Dean to the painter. “I-I didn’t know he was seeing someone. It was just a joke” he tried, as if actually fearing for his life. Castiel let his arm fall down from Dean’s shoulder and instead wound it around his waist so he could pull the cheerleader close to his own body. “You touch him again, and I’ll fucking castrate you, you sick scum” Castiel spat, glaring at the taller. Belph just sputtered something incoherently in response and scampered off.

“Well, fuck me” Dean grinned, turning his whole body towards the painter. He placed both of his arms around the brunette’s neck and smiled charmingly up on his fake boyfriend. “I’m sorry, was that a bit much?” Castiel questioned, suddenly insecure. He was going to release the other’s waist once Belph had gone but the way Dean had moved closer encouraged the painter to hold him close with both of his arms slung around the cheerleader’s middle. “No, that was hot as hell, Cas” Dean laughed, “If you really were my boyfriend, I’d bend over your bike right now and let you take whatever you’d want”. Castiel suddenly coughed at the confession and felt his face heat up uncontrollably. The image of Dean bent over his own motorcycle was too much to even picture, his dick was twitching at the mere suggestion.

Dean, however, couldn’t help but giggle at the other’s shyness. It was mesmerizing to Dean, how Castiel could go from being a scary, possessive boyfriend to this blabbering mess in the span of five seconds. “Let’s go, before I lose all ability to drive safely” Castiel groaned, feeling awkward for looking like such a loser in front of Dean. If Dean really was Castiel’s boyfriend, he was almost scared of how the possessive and protective instincts in him would take control.

The pair got on the motorcycle, both helmets on and then they took off. Dean did not hesitate to wound his arms around the painter and leaned into his back as much as he could. Meanwhile Castiel was grateful for the helmet covering up his red cheeks and huge smile. The pair just drove around town for a while, Castiel picking the highways and country roads so he could drive as fast as the law permitted, which earned him more than one excited howl from the gorgeous man holding onto him. Dean felt like he was flying, and he decided right there and then that sitting on the back of Cas’ motorcycle was his favorite place in the world.

After a while Castiel pulled into the parking lot for a burger place and asked if Dean was hungry. “Dumb question, food is one of life’s greatest pleasures” Dean grinned, which earned him a small laugh from the painter. “Let me provide then” Castiel snickered, placing their helmets under the seat, and removing his key from the ignition. It was a small establishment and looked like a diner from the 50’s by the looks of it. Once inside, there were maybe around seven or eight customers in the restaurant. “Been here before?” Dean asked, looking around and admiring the homely atmosphere. “Me and Balthazar used to swing by here after school when we got our license” Castiel answered, a fond smile from the memories.

Dean was about to go up to the register to order, but Castiel gently grabbed his shoulders and guided him towards an empty booth. “Let me order, I gotta prove myself a worthy boyfriend do I not?” Castiel grinned, taking pleasure in the way Dean’s ears got a bit redder. The cheerleader was quick to recover however, and sat down with a smirk and replied “Whatever you say babe. If you screw this up, there’ll be no sex for a week” cheekily. The painter couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him, not surprised Dean would take something as ordering food so seriously. Castiel walked away to order feeling very confident. Firstly, he would prove to Dean how well he’d gotten to know the man over the few months and secondly, he could pay for his meal without any protests this way. Dean hadn’t mentioned being low on funds, but it wasn’t a secret that Dean was switching between maybe four or five different t-shirts each week and every one of them looked to be more than a couple years old. Of course, working two jobs as well as being a full-time student also let Cas know the other had to work to get by. He ordered quickly and returned to his fake boyfriend, choosing to sit opposite the man.

“You know the way to a guy’s heart is through his stomach, right?” the cheerleader interrogated, trying to look past Castiel to somehow see through the walls and into the kitchen. “I am aware, Dean” the painter answered, smiling. “I have a question I have to ask” the painter continued, earning Dean’s full attention. “Shoot” the blonde grinned, leaning back in his seat. “When I saw you and Belph talking, I kind of figured he was the douchebag from your class judging by your stance and the little bit of conversation I heard. So, I think my mind just went on autopilot as I approached you and put my arm over your shoulders and later around your waist. But I think it would be helpful if we could discuss boundaries. I don’t want to overstep and do something you’ll be uncomfortable with” Castiel explained, having thought much about this. God, Dean was so in love it almost hurt.

“I don’t think you could make me feel uncomfortable even if you tried Cas” Dean responded with a fond gaze. This of course, made the painter smile and a warmth spread across his chest. “Is there something you’d be uncomfortable with?” Dean shot back, not wanting to weird Cas out or anything. “Not anything physical I think, as we’ll only be faking our relationship in public so it’s not like we’d have to sleep together for people to believe us” Castiel started, and if Dean felt a little disappointed, he didn’t show it. “But I think I’d feel uncomfortable if I saw you flirting with anyone else, as that would make me look like quite the tool. Obviously if you are interested in someone, I am not going to stop you from pursuing them, but I think we should fake a breakup first if that is the case” he finished thoughtfully. It was not his intention to try to control Dean from acting on his desires, yet he couldn’t stand the thought to hold him close one second and see him make out with another person the next.

Dean nodded in understanding from his words. “That’s fair. Same goes for you then, you better not let anyone else ride on your motorcycle except me” he threatened with a little grin. “Wouldn’t dream of it” Cas replied. A waiter coming over with their drinks interrupted their conversation. A tall glass of apple juice was placed in front of Castiel and another one filled with root beer in front of Dean. In the middle, the waiter placed an even bigger glass with what looked like to be a chocolate milkshake topped with cream and rasped chocolate. Two straws sticking out of the cream, one on each side. “You sure know how to spoil a girl” Dean chuckled, impressed and slightly taken aback by how well Castiel knew him. The cheerleader leaned forward to take a sip of the milkshake and audibly groaned at the sweet taste. “This is awesome!” he grinned, taking another sip. The painter chuckled, the sight of Dean reminding him of the pure image of a child lighting up the room from the simple taste of chocolate. “You’re not gonna try it?” Dean questioned in between sips. “Maybe I would, if you weren’t hogging the entire glass” Castiel teased lightheartedly. Dean sported a sheepish smile before he let go of the glass and slid it over to the other.

A doorbell rang as new customers entered, and Dean almost cursed out loud when he saw who it was. Then an idea popped up in his head. Good thing they’d just discussed boundaries. In one swift movement, Dean stood up and sat next to Castiel instead. He subtly nudged his head towards the entrance so that Cas would notice who just walked in and was staring straight at them. Belph and some of his buddies had just entered the burger shop. Castiel looked panicked at first but once he saw the confident smile on the cheerleader’s face, he knew the other one was plotting something. “Let’s give them a show, babe?” Dean urged with a wink, looking so damn good all Castiel could do was nod dumbly.

At first, Dean took a hold of Cas’ hand and guided the painter’s finger towards the whipped cream on top of the milkshake. Confused, Castiel just let the other do whatever he wanted. However, the brunette almost got a whiplash when the baker proceeded to move his cream-covered finger straight into his own mouth, sucking on it seductively. “My God, Dean” he groaned, completely enthralled by Dean staring straight at him with dark hooded eyes. In the background he could hear Dean’s classmate muttering an annoyed “what the fuck” and by the looks of Dean’s satisfied smirk, he’d hear it too. The cheerleader released the other’s finger and leaned in closer. “Your turn” he challenged.

“You’re really okay with anything?” Castiel implored, needing to make sure. “Bring it” Dean urged, really okay with anything Cas wanted to do to him. The painter’s left eyebrow rose at the challenge and once again he reached out for the cream with his finger and moved it towards the cheerleader’s mouth. Dean thought he was just going to do the same thing he’d done, so he was confused when the finger suddenly moved and landed on the corner of his lips instead. “You’re making such a mess, sweetheart” Castiel scolded, enjoying Dean’s questioning gaze. “I’ll help you clean it up” Cas promised, before moving his hand behind Dean’s neck and dragging his face towards his own and successfully crashing their lips together.

A surprised noise escaped the cheerleader, but it was quickly turning into a soft whimper. Cas kissed him like a starved man, making Dean weak in the knees. Castiel’s other hand moved to grip onto his knee, pulling his body further in. There were sucking, biting and everything in between, and once Castiel slowly moved his hand further up his knee, Dean couldn’t help the small moan that escaped his lips. Cas wasted no time and instantly let his tongue enter the baker’s mouth, exploring the new territory. Castiel felt himself growing addicted from kissing the other, knowing that no one could ever compare to Dean Winchester. He felt like he was in the middle of a dream, a very wet dream, and to finally feel his own lips against the other’s made both his heart flutter uncontrollably and his member starting to wake. In the background, one could hear the door to the restaurant being thrown open and shut violently, and Cas sneaked a peek to see that Belph was no longer in the establishment. Dean hadn’t noticed however, too busy with keeping up with Castiel’s passionate kissing. The noises Dean produces, did nothing to sate Castiel’s hunger and the image of Dean bent over his motorcycle reappeared in his mind. He was about to get rock hard from the combination, but an awkward cough interrupted their make out session. Both men pulled apart and noticed the waiter standing by their table with their food and an expression that signaled he really hated his job right about now. Castiel at least had the decency to look a bit embarrassed, but Dean just smiled like he’d won the Olympics and sat back down in his own seat across the painter. The waiter placed down their orders with a tired sigh and retreated towards the kitchen.

In front of Castiel stood a plate with a normal cheeseburger, a side of fries and a side salad. Dean’s plate was covered in fries as well, and a large bacon cheeseburger with extra bacon as well as an extra plate with pancakes drowned in syrup. “Cas, you better marry me right the fuck now” Dean wolf whistled, looking hungrily down at his plate before he started to devour the burger, making noises Castiel now was far too familiar with. “Eat up Cas! Before it gets cold” Dean scolded, noticing the other just staring at him with a glint in his eyes. “I’m afraid my appetite has changed for something else” the painter smugly replied, although he did pick up his burger and started to consume it. The words made Dean shiver, and he wasn’t blind to the look of promise in the other’s eyes. Goddamn Cas was so fucking hot.