Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Castiel gently opened his blinds, looking out onto their large backyard. It was still sunrise and he had a great view as the sky slowly turned more and more blue. He dressed himself in the outfit he had picked out the night before. The house outside was full of maids and butlers starting the day, sweeping, talking, arranging, whatever else they did.

His bathroom hadn’t been cleaned the day before so it was more messy than it usually was, but still very pristine.

“Castiel, it’s almost time to go!” a maid called, most likely Christine or Hayden.

“Yes, I’m almost ready!” he called back, shoving schoolwork into his backpack. He was so glad he didn’t have to take the same car as his sister anymore, now he could just take the bus in peace. Sure it risked his reputation, but he could care less.

The sound of whatever he left in his walkman played cleanly, the sound drowning everything around him out. He took the time to look out the window and look at the people walking around, getting off at the school and going to where he always sat when the bus was early, right in the cafeteria by the staircase. He turned his attention to watching the population of his school bustle around, scribble on papers they forgot to do the night before, talk about whatever the new hot topic was. Most of them would say all the fun stuff when they thought he wasn’t listening, it was really fun.

Until he caught sight of something new. Some new kid he’d heard mild talk about starting today. But Castiel was expecting a new copy of what it always was, not someone like him.

He was tall; dressed in biker jeans with a leather jacket over some shirt for a band Castiel probably didn’t know. He looked unimpressed, pretty green eyes darting around the room like he was looking for an emergency exit. His brows were furrowed into a tense place on his face as he continued to scan the room and eventually locked eyes with Castiel. His lip curled up just a little and he looked away, walking to whatever classroom he had.

Castiel could immediately tell he was going to be in trouble if he got anywhere close to him, and maybe this was the one time he knew the weird not talking stage might be for the best.

|||

Dean’s morning started with Sam hitting his shoulder to get him up. “School starts in 25 minutes, asshead. I know you’re a slacker but I’m not. Let’s go,” he complained.

He groaned and slapped Sam’s hand. “Just five more minutes, Sammy. I promise,” he pleaded and shoved his face into a pillow.

“I will crash that car myself, I swear to God.”

Dean grunted and sat up. “Let me put on pants and a shirt, get some cereal.”

Sam slammed Dean’s door shut and Dean rushed to pull on a semi-clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a big Danzig logo on the chest. He knew Sam would probably swing on him if he made him late, so he got in the car and rushed them to find a parking spot.

“You’re making me walk?” Sam jeered, having to yell over the loud classic rock radio station Dean almost always kept on.

“Yes. Now run, or else the tardy cops are going to get your ass,” Dean taunted. “Your teacher will understand, it’s your first day, I use that excuse all the time. And you have ten full minutes. Get going.”

Sam rolled his eyes and walked away from the Impala. Dean sat to regather his thoughts for a moment, checking his glovebox to make sure that his silver gun was in reach and available if he needed to break for it. He checked to be 100% sure that there was still a silver knife in his shoe and, as always, it was right where he kept it.

Immediately after stepping out of the car he felt like he always did on his first day. Like some shiny train wreck.

Upon entering the cafeteria it felt like everybody’s heads were locked on him, and among them he spotted just one pair of eyes looking, not like he was something shiny, but like he was something beautiful. Pretty, bright blue, heavily hooded and with thick dark eyebrows attached. On a further look Dean was able to notice it was a boy, sitting all alone with a messy messenger bag sitting on the chair next to him. Some part of Dean really wanted to go and speak to him, but the bell rang and gathered the pretty blue’s attention and he scurried away.

 

Dean sat in his first hour, thinking. Mostly about blue eyes. He’d never gotten that striking feeling of interest before, especially not over a boy. All his mind was flooded with was his ruffled hair, dark circles, rolled up button-down, slacks, all of him. It was a mix of curiosity and utter panic. He hadn’t been this distracted since maybe the first time he killed something.

He was on the watch for blue eyes all day, but somehow he was a master at avoiding him. He brought it up to the few people who invited him outside to smoke with them during lunch.

“Do any of you guys know that kid with real messy, dark hair? Looks kinda like a pushover?” he asked.

“Mm, heavy eye bags, weird scrambling walk? Yeah, that’s Castiel… Novak? I think. From what I know, nobody has any idea what’s up with him. All I’ve heard is he was kicked from that real nice Catholic school around here. Don’t know what for or even if that’s true,” one of the guys, Rodger, said. He was sitting right next to Dean and picking at a bag of chips.

“Dude, he’s fucking loaded. The whole Novak family. Live in a whole mansion up on Beaver Hill.”

“Well duh, have you seen his clothes?” Rodger giggled. “Why do you ask?” he questioned Dean.

“Doesn’t he seem a little different to you guys? First thing when I walked in, he’s the first person I actually made eye contact with. I don’t know, maybe I’m just talking crazy.”

“No, I get it. The big blue eyes and the same plain expression. It’s a little freaky,” Jonathan told Dean.

|||

The next time Dean actually saw him he was approaching a bus when suddenly he looked like he had some intense pain. Castiel pressed his hands over his ears and turned to go through the woods. Weird.

Dean left Baby in the lot after grabbing his gun to see what happened to him. If he let some guy get killed because he was kind of odd he’d never let that go. When he found him he was yelling and grunting on his knees, the nice jacket now dirty and teared. He was still screaming when Dean brought the Impala back around with rope, only stopping when he was sitting in the back of the car with rough rope around his arms and legs.

“What the fuck?!” he questioned, seeming to come out of a daze. “Please, I don’t know what’s happening. Just let me go… please,” he begged, trying to look at the person who was in the driver's seat. The head was all he could see of him, maybe because it looked like there were two of them.

“Can’t do that, buddy. Got some idea what you are, bad day for you, you’re the type of thing I deal with. Got it?”

“What? What the fuck are you saying?” Castiel asked, squirming against the seat, feeling his whole body tightly held in place. He felt like he was on the verge of tears now, his eyes stinging.

The passenger side door opened. “What the hell is going on?” some kid asked, buckling his seat belt.

“Shut the damn door!” the driver insisted.

“Jeez. Why didn’t you gag him if you knew you were stopping?” he asked.

“Who the hell are you?” Castiel asked, only being able to see a slight side profile he didn’t recognize.

They both ignored him. “Where are you going to put it?” the younger one asked.

“Don’t know. The basement seems obvious but I might need you to check it for a loose wall or window.”

“Hell no, I have homework to do,” Sam told him.

“Fine. I’ll deal with it. We’ll get McDonalds for dinner,” the older one told him, sighing.

“Please…” Castiel muttered.

“Dean, are you sure you’ve got a monster?”

Dean? Like the new guy?

“Yes. I’m sure,” Dean said. He was more clearly able to see and yeah, that was definitely the leather coat he was wearing in school earlier. If you asked Castiel that made him crazy. Jeans, biker boots, and a leather jacket wasn’t exactly summer attire, but that wasn’t really a priority.

“I’m sorry,” Castiel murmured over and over, unsure of what he was sorry for or who he was apologizing to. He figured if any time, this was the time for a prayer. “Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of Peace. In You alone is found freedom…”

“Know anything that does that?” the little one teased, punching his brother's shoulder. “You’re so fucking stupid, you know that?”

“I know what I saw, Sammy. He ain’t human!” Dean insisted.

“... Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Micheal the Archangel, Every angel and saint; Please pray for peace…” Castiel continued to mutter. He could now feel the hot wet tears on his face.

“If you took some rich kid we’re going to have to buy a whole ‘nother house. Dad’s going to fucking kill you if I don’t. Why’d you take the one with good clothes, too? Couldn't it have been a little dirty one?” Sam teased.

“No, he’s something inhuman. I saw him grip his head and run yelling into the woods. I don’t know what does anything like that, but it sure isn’t anything human. Whatever it was it knocked him out long enough for me to tie him up. If he is human he’s being targeted, we’re saving him,” Dean countered.

 

“Fine, after I finish my work I’ll look into it some,” the kid sighed as the car came to a stop.

“You’re the best, man.”

Castiel whined as Dean opened the door and scanned the area for people before tugging him along through their front door. It was a shitty little house, hardly furnished with dusty old tables and scraped up chairs. There were few signs of anybody cleaning the thing and the dishes were piled up to the ceiling.

Dean practically shoved him down the stairs. “What are you doing to me?” Castiel cried as Dean secured him to a chair.

“You’ll be fine. Trust me?”

“Why the hell would I trust you?” Castiel asked, observing the painted pentacle under him.

Dean smiled. “You shouldn’t,” he told him.

He opened a small container with a cross on it and put some to Castiel’s lips. He didn’t know why, but it was some of the best water he had ever tasted in his whole life. He chased it even after it left his lips. From Castiel’s perspective it was just a sip of great water, little did he know Dean was witnessing him basically glow as it touched him.

“Where’s that from?” Castiel babbled, needing to know where that came from.

“A church. It’s Holy water.”

Chapter Text

“I’m sorry…” Castiel sputtered for the hundredth time in the past hour.

“My God, will you stop apologizing? All it’s doing is making it harder,” Dean explained, feeling a guilt bubble up in his chest. Was he really about to cut some poor guy? “Now tell me. What are you? It’s a simple question.”

“I’m Castiel Novak. What the fuck else would I be?” he blurted. “Look, in about two hours my mom’s going to realize I’m not home, she’s going to make this some big deal and I don’t want to be involved in whatever the weird Satanic thing you have going on here.”

Dean scoffed, “Nice pretend. Now that was weird, but I’m gonna need to see more than that. This will be a lot easier if you just tell me what you are. Jinn? Maybe some freaky werewolf?”

Castiel felt a cold piece of metal against his forearm. It seemed like Dean expected something to happen from that, but nothing did. So Dean put pressure on and sliced across Castiel’s wrist. The tied up boy yelled out, praying someone was out there to get him the hell out of there.

“Huh. Weird,” Dean muttered under his breath. “Sam! Can you find something for me?”

|||

It was silent in the basement other than Castiel’s light sobs. Dean was sitting with the holy water in his hand, seeming deep in thought.

“Can you just make them a little looser? They hurt like hell,” he complained, trying to make it sound less like he was on the verge of a panic attack.

“Fine. But You’re still not getting out of here,” Dean told him but slightly loosened the burning ropes. “Again, it’ll save you a lot of time and energy to just tell me what the hell you are.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, though. What would I be other than human?”

“I’m gonna have to save that for a better time.”

The silence fell again until Sam came down the basement stairs. “Hey, I got something.”

“Great. What?”

“Angel,” Sam said, looking over to Castiel, who had wide eyes and a mouth open in surprise.

Dean, however, started laughing. “Oh, you’re funny. What is it, really?”

“It’s an angel or we’re gonna have to use trashy magazine bullshit.”

“You’re serious?” Dean straightened up. Well, if anybody was, I guess it’d be him, he thought.

“Yes. There’s some really obscure writings about angels living as people. They hitch a ride with meteors and shoot their version of a kind of soul down to Earth.”

Dean glanced at Castiel briefly. “So that makes him an…”

Dean was interrupted by a loud screaming from across the room. Castiel’s hands were jerking to try and grab his ears again and blood slowly began to trickle out of them.

“Fuck,” Dean rushed over to him and put a hand on his ears, trying to wipe the blood up for him and cover them. It didn’t seem to help though, he kept yelling.

“You’re wrong,” he tried to say through the yelling. “They want their brother back.”

He stopped screaming only when he lost consciousness and his head fell forward.

“Bring him to the living room, let him rest on the couch. I’ll do some more reading,” Sam told him and scrambled up the stairs again.

Dean did as Sam asked, being more gentle than he had been as he struggled to carry Castiel’s limp body up the stairs. He looked sweaty so Dean took off his exterior layers and put the fan right next to him. Then, he waited.

Sam sat at their kitchen table hunched over books, searching for anything.

|||

Castiel woke up to the sound of a song thrumming through the living room. It was Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison. When he opened his eyes he saw Dean staring intensely at him.

He was no longer in that horrible chair, he was stretched out on the couch with his coat and vest removed.

“Hey,” Dean said, his face a lot softer than it had been.

“What the fuck is going on?” Castiel asked for what seemed like the twentieth time that day.

“We’re trying to figure that out. I’m going to call my dad, and any other person who might know about whatever this is. Wait here. Sam! Keep him company?” Dean called.

“Okay!” the kid called back. “Hi. I’m Sam.”

“Yeah, I gathered. I’m Castiel,” he smiled as Sam sat next to him. “So, you’re the smart one?”

“You could say. I want to be. We’ve moved around so much I don’t even know if it’s possible, but I really want to be a lawyer. Help people some other way. But shhh, even Dean doesn’t know that.”

“Don’t worry. Even if I told him I don’t know if it’d get through that thick skull of his.”

Sam giggled. “He can be smart sometimes. You caught him in a bad moment.”

“So where’s your dad? Shouldn’t he be home with you guys?” Castiel asked, looking around the little house.

“It’s better than moving around and living in motels 24/7. He says it’s less dangerous for me this way and he trusts Dean enough to know that if I rely on him he won't be stupid. Well, excessively stupid.”

“And what exactly does he do? Run around and hunt?”

“Kind of, yeah.”

“And legally, Mr. Lawyer, how’s that looking?” Castiel asked.

“Not good. I reckon he’d be in jail for a very, very long time. Grave robbing, murder, assault, tax fraud, neglect, all sorts of shit.”

Castiel nodded. “And you’re getting McDonalds, is that what Dean said?”

“I guess. It’s what we have a lot. Cheap and easy,” Sam nodded.

“How about I get you guys some real food before you drop me off. I believe the chef has prepared steak. We almost never finish off meals, I’ll get you leftovers,” Castiel offered.

Sam’s eyes widened. “Really? God, I haven’t had good steak in years,” he told Castiel, mouth practically watering.

“Of course. It’s my pleasure. I hate being wasteful. And you guys seem like you could use it.”

“Use what?” Dean asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Sam shot up from the couch and said with ridiculous excitement, “Castiel’s going to get us freshly cooked steak.”

“Really?” Dean asked, also seeming stupidly excited about it.

“We have steak most Tuesdays,” Castiel smiled. “And plenty to spare.”

Dean smiled. “If I didn’t mean an apology earlier, I’m so sorry,” he said, basically jogging for his jacket and to find Castiel’s.

“Wait, before we get in the car,” Castiel said, standing right behind Dean, who turned around immediately to be met with a relatively weak fist. “Okay, continue.”

“Ow!” Dean complained.

“Hey, you owe me a few,” Castiel joked and sat down in the passenger seat.

Chapter Text

Dean was fully lying on top of Castiel in the backseat of the Impala, what Castiel had recently discovered he called his Baby. He was stunning, just like always. Cas instinctively wrapped arms around his neck and pulled him in closer. The moment he sat up and pulled away he was pulling the black Kinks shirt he was wearing, exposing his toned torso.

Castiel somehow managed to get out of his own shirt, cursing his button up, and get right back to it. There were heavy shadows, making his face look sharp and darker than it usually was. Dean was the first to make a move to pull off Castiel’s belt and pants, doing it smoothly and looking like a dream.

The windows were foggy and there was a light, smooth rock song in the background. Heaven, Bryan Adams. Stupid.

There was an overwhelming sense of need in his body, humming and begging to be satisfied.

It continued into his waking moments on a Sunday. Good God.

He immediately rushed to get his hair in order, realizing it was almost 10:30, when the Novaks all went to their church. He got into his nice clothing and went down to eat a very quick breakfast before getting into one of the cars.

“Castiel, we hear you gave out some leftovers Friday night. To who?”

“Oh, I’m working on a project with one of them and they’re not very fortunate. His little brother hadn’t eaten a home cooked meal in weeks. So I offered to give them some of our leftovers and they both seemed to really appreciate it.”

“Who was it? Would I know them?” his mother asked.

“His name’s Dean Winchester, he just came to the school that Friday and I was asked to help him with what was meant to be a solo project, but he seems competent enough,” Castiel smiled to his family.

“Pretty sure some of my friends were talking about him on Saturday. They said he’s a total burnout,” Miriam told their family in an attempt to prove Castiel a liar.

“Then they’re wrong.”

“Settle down. It’s just some boy, no reason to scuffle over it.”

|||

By the time Castiel got home he had seen the black Impala circling around and trailing behind their car. He told his family he was going to read in the garden.

Dean almost immediately called quietly from the woods. “Cas?”

“Why are you here?” he asked as Dean approached him.

 

“Shh. Which one of those is your window?” he asked, still staying mostly hidden.

“That one,” Castiel told him, pointing to his window, decorated with plants, on the top floor.

Dean nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, go.”

“Where?”

“To your room, I’ll find a way up.”

Castiel looked at him like he was crazy. Probably because he was crazy. “You’re going to climb? Up a third story window?”

 

“Yeah, trust me, I’ve done it before. And I assume your people wouldn’t be too happy with me around, so I think it’s my next best option.”

Castiel thought about it for a moment. “Or I could just walk with you?” Castiel suggested.

 

Dean paused. “Right. See this is why I’m around you so much. So smart,” he giggled and followed Castiel through their garden to the side door.

“Oh, Mr. Novak, who’s this?” one of their butlers asked.

“Marcus, this is Dean Winchester. He’s a friend. If he’s ever in here just kindly direct him to wherever I am. And spread the word, please,” Castiel requested.

“Of course, Castiel. Would you like me to take your jacket, Mr. Winchester?” he asked, holding out his arms.

“No, thanks though.”

Castiel led Dean through his family home.

“Knew you had money, not this kind of money,” Dean whispered.

Castiel snickered, opening his bedroom door. “Welcome in. Make yourself at home.”

“Don’t tell me that.”

“No, really, whatever mess you make will be completely fixed up by dinner. But don’t leave a tornado, I hate making Christine work extra time.”

Cas’s room was decorated thoroughly with new and expensive looking furniture. There was a closet to the side that looked like a walk in and all surfaces were spotless where they weren’t tastefully decorated with plants or little trinkets.

“This is awesome. Is that a full sound system?” Dean asked, approaching Castiel’s speaker setup under the TV.

“Yeah. Do you want to put something on?” he offered. He and Dean had been hanging out a little more over the week, but had yet to go back to one another’s house.

“You pick something. But, I did bring something,” Dean smiled, pulling a bag with the McDonalds logo on the front. “Not as nice as steak, but I feel bad taking your food.”

“Don’t be. It was going to end up in a garbage disposal anyways,” Castiel told him, basically the same thing he’d explained twenty times already.

“Yeah, still. I got a lot and if you don’t like it I can eat at least most of it.”

“Oh I know,” Castiel joked, patting a spot next to him on the bed, inviting Dean to sit next to him and get comfortable.

|||

They ended up having a specific cycle.

Castiel would walk Dean through the house on days his parents were out, which was most days, but on days his parents were home to grill him about Dean he disappeared to Dean’s house or they went out to town for something.

But this time, Dean was determined to use the Novak’s pool. A heat wave had been surging through the area, making everyone crowd into the public pools, but Castiel had his own. And most people were out of the house that day for some reason or another.

Castiel has bought them plenty of summer appropriate snacks and cold drinks to have when they weren’t swimming, as well as bringing down a portable speaker that took CDs and cassettes.

“You start with one of yours, I’m getting in,” Castiel insisted as they took up two chairs near the deep end.

The water was cold, even with the heat, and Castiel stepped in slowly after pulling off his shirt. He caught a strange look from Dean as he folded and placed it on his chair. “What?” he asked.

“What do you mean ‘what?’” Dean asked.

“What’s with the look?” he giggled.

“Nothing. Never seen you with so few clothes on, that’s all.” The cassette Dean brought started playing Def Leppard’s album, Hysteria.

Dean copied Castiel by removing his shirt and following him into the water, taking a moment before to turn his attention back to Castiel’s piercing blue eyes in the water.

Dean cringed at the cold and walked around to the deep end and got ready to plunge straight in.

Castiel held his arms up to prevent himself from getting water in his eyes. It didn’t work. He had been drenched by the splash of pool water Dean made.

The only person around to their knowledge was a gardener who was shaping one of the bushes that were close to the front of the building. There were hardly any clouds in the sky and the sun was bearing down on their shoulders.

They were unaware of Miriam Novak looking through the window of her third story bedroom to see the cause of the noise outside.

Where Castiel was seeing one of the most fun social interactions he had ever had, she was seeing her pure, good brother in a pool with a devil worshipping, dirty boy.

She had an eye on them as she did her homework, seeing Castiel laugh and lay on a bench with him, offering him food and spare towels. He even had the gall to lay his hands on Castiel as he pushed him further into the water and helped him reach his back with sunscreen. Castiel seemed to fall right into temptation. God, her stupid brother. Was he really that delusional?

He was too close, too revealed in small swim shorts. And this boy was way too comfortable with it. The looks she could make out were nothing he should have with another boy, especially not this one.

That afternoon, after Castiel had showered and sent Dean home with lunch for Sam, he was summoned to his mother’s office. He sat down carefully and quietly at the other side of her desk where coworkers usually sat.

“Hello, my darling.

|||

John parked his GMC outside the little house he had left his boys in, heading through the living room quietly to see Sam first. It was late, and the boy was deep asleep in his bed. It looked like someone had been buying him warmer blankets, John assumed Dean had some spare cash lying around. He sat on Sam’s bed, patted his head lightly, and placed a kiss on his forehead.

He slowly got up, careful not to disturb him and Mary’s youngest and made his way to the next door on the other side of the hallway. He had more of a feeling Dean would be awake at this hour, so he cracked open the door.

Only to see not one body, but two. Which wasn’t insane, he knew Dean was a little girl-crazy. But that was not a girl.

There was dark, short hair blocking Dean's face from John’s line of sight. “Oh,” John couldn’t help but gasp out, noticing the blue glowing from between the two.

The other guy in the room jolted in shock and turned like John was screaming. His big blue eyes were looking into a replica of Dean’s own.

“Dad!” Dean called from his bed.

Castiel ripped his body from Dean’s and rolled to the other side of the bed.

It was quiet. Only breathing and the guitars from Cherry Pie by Warrant.

John slowly turned and closed the door to allow them time to recollect themselves. Castiel was still pale as a sheet of paper as Dean pulled his shirt back over his stomach and tried to fix his hair.

“I’m so sorry,” Dean apologized, grabbing Castiel’s hand before going to talk to John.

“No, don’t be. It’s fine,” Castiel smiled.

“Just stay in here, I’m gonna…”

“Yeah. Good luck?” Castiel tried. Dean smiled, pecking him once more before leaving him in his room.

John was leaning against the kitchen counter, in the middle of opening a beer. “So…” he started but couldn’t seem to finish it for another few moments. “You’re a queer?”

“No. Well, I mean, kind of… yeah.”

John took a deep breath. “And that… blue?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but Sam’s been working on it. Earth angel from the sound of it. He’s harmless, I promise.”

“Okay. I’m headed to South Dakota on a case, let Sam know I was here?”

“Sure, will do,” Dean muttered as his dad shut and locked the door again.

He slowly crept back to his room, trying to not wake Sam up so late. “Hey, how’d it go?” Castiel asked as Dean sat back on his own bed, placing a comforting hand on Dean’s shoulder.

“Not much to tell. He asked if I was queer and about the blue thing.”

“Okay. I should probably head home soon,” Castiel told him, running a hand further along Dean’s chest.

Dean almost whined, “Please don’t.” He turned his head to look directly into Cas’s eyes, trying to imitate his brother's masterful puppy dog eyes.

“Fine, let me call my mom.”

It took about two minutes for Castiel to open Dean's door again with his mom on speaker phone. “Yes, I’m perfectly fine!”

“No, you’re absolutely not. I don’t want you hanging out with this dirty little boy anymore,” his mom insisted. “Come home right now. You know I’m not afraid to dial up Sheriff Jones to take you home.”

“No! I swear nothing’s going to happen. I’ve been talking to Dean for weeks,” Castiel insisted, sitting on Dean’s messy covers.

“Home. Now,” she insisted.

Castiel was quiet for a few moments. “I said no. And he’s going through something, I can’t just leave him here alone. That would make me an uncaring person. You go to church with me, or is that a different mother?”

He heard the sound of her hanging up immediately.

“God. Y'know I love her, but I hate her right now.”