Archive of Our Own

It was a dry and cloudy Wednesday morning when Castiel woke up.

Groaning as he blindly reached out his hand to his bedside table looking for his glasses. He checked the clock; 8:02. Shit. He only had half an hour to get to school, so he quickly threw on a pair of dark jeans, a grey t-shirt, and a dark blue hoodie.

Without bothering to fix his bed head, he ran downstairs and brushed his teeth while simultaneously preparing his coffee.

Maybe his mom left the car today and he wouldn’t have to take the bus.

He hastily tucked his glasses away and put his contacts in before heading out the front door to check if the car was still there. As he closed the door and turned around, he immediately wanted to run back inside.

Great, he thought, just my luck. Not only was the car gone, but next door, Dean Winchester was walking out towards his car, black military-style jacket and all. His younger brother Sam was next to him.

This wouldn’t have been a problem if Castiel hadn’t been harboring a hopeless crush on Dean for the past 5 years, ever since him and his family had moved in next door. It was pathetic, really. He couldn’t help but sigh whenever Dean would smile in the hallways at school, his eyes crinkling and his perfect teeth glowing from behind his pink bow lips. Of course, this was always observed from a distance, even though they were next-door neighbors. But when Castiel had spoken to him a select few times, he saw the freckles adorning his nose, and the forest green hue in his round eyes, and how he would stand so casually attractive with his hands in his pockets as he gazed into his eyes with an intensity that was overwhelming. Yeah, he was hopeless.

Wanting to avoid an awkward confrontation, Castiel stayed put on his front door step, pulling out his phone in an attempt to look like he was just casually standing there.

“Hey Cas,” a smooth voice melted through his ears and trickled down his spine.

He slowly lifted his head to see Dean leaning against the post of his bottom step.

“Need a ride?”

Oh, another thing. Dean called him ‘Cas’. As if he could be any more infatuated with him; Dean not only looked like a god, he even had a nickname for him that was so endearing it made Castiel’s heart ache.

“Oh, um...it’s alright, I can just take the bus,” Cas mumbled, his knees almost buckling under him when he looked straight into Dean’s eyes.

“Seriously, the bus sucks, man. C’mon, I’ll give you a ride.” 

“Okay...thanks,” Cas gave him a small smile and he could’ve almost sworn Dean was fidgeting.

And seriously? How did he look so damn good? He had on jeans that hugged his thighs perfectly, and his blue shirt accentuated his toned muscles, while his sand brown hair was styled to come forward in subtle tufts, making him look like a fucking model. How was Castiel supposed to ride in the car with him without getting suspiciously hard or jumping Dean’s bones right then and there?

“Sammy, you’re in the back,” Dean crossed over to his goddamn beautiful black car.

“Fine,” Sam mumbled, his mousy brown hair dipping into his eyes.

Cas gingerly got into the passenger side of the car and made sure he had a good distance between him and his crush. Dean slid in with ease and turned the keys in the ignition, and the familiar purr of the engine grumbled beneath them. It was silent for a minute, and Cas just spent his time focusing on the trees passing by and most certainly NOT on the way Dean’s arms moved as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel, or the way his thighs were splayed on the seat.

“So...Cas, what’s new?” Dean glanced over at Cas from the corner of his eye.

“Nothing really. I mean school’s going well, I suppose.” Cas absently pulled at the hem of his sweatshirt.

“Mhmm. You still a genius? I hear you’re getting a student of the year award or something.”

Sam piped up from the back. “Wow that’s great Castiel! You must be getting higher than a 4.0 GPA! I wish I could get that, it would probably help me get into Stanford.”

“Oh, yeah...maybe; we’ll see.” Cas shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “And I’m sure you’ll be very well-off in the future, Sam. You’re very bright.” He looked back and Sam was beaming.

Dean cleared his throat. “I’m sure you’ll get it, Cas,” he said almost wistfully. “So, you going to the school dance next Friday?”

Why was he asking? Is this some sort of cruel joke he’s playing on him?

“Uh...I wasn’t planning on it. But my friend Charlie is sort of forcing me into it, and to her, ‘no’ means ‘you’re freaking going’, so I guess I’ll be there.”

Dean chuckled, and holy shit if that wasn’t the hottest thing ever.

“That’s good to hear. I’ll probably see you there.”

Sam coughed from the backseat and Dean turned around to give him a cold glare.

“Yeah, yeah you probably will.” Cas was really in trouble now. Having a crush on a guy was bad enough, but a straight guy? Nope, that’s just asking for disappointment. Dean was as straight as it gets. Flirting with every girl that he laid eyes on and god knows the stuff that went beyond the flirting, but Cas didn’t like to think about that.

They pulled into the parking lot, and when Cas got out he received a dozen dirty looks from jealous girls and even more confused ones from everyone else.

“Thanks for the ride, Dean,” he finally managed to look him in the eyes, and wow, he’s beautiful.

Dean gave him a warm smile. “It was no problem. Anytime Cas, I mean it.”

Dean gave him a nudge with his shoulder and walked into the school.

Okay, what just happened? Castiel was currently ready to jump into the nearest garbage can. He and Dean barely talked, but then out of the blue he just offers him a ride to school? And who gave him the right to smile at Cas like that? It would be easier if Cas could just never see him again and he could just repress his feelings for him for the rest of his life, or at least until they wear off. There was no way in hell he would ever confess his big gay crush on Dean Winchester to Dean himself.

“Castiel!” A familiar voice called out from behind him. “Am I tripping balls or did I just see you drive up with Dean Winchester?”

“Charlie, I really do appreciate the mutual respect in our friendship. It’s refreshing.”

His red-headed friend fiercely grabbed him by the shoulders.

“Oh come on, don’t be so cryptic. I just want to know when, why, and how you managed to finally hookup with your tragically sexy soul mate who you’ve been drooling over for years! I deserve to know as your best friend, your completely platonic companion, your other half, yo”-

“Okay drama queen, I’ll tell you. I was just standing on my front porch when he offered me a ride to school. That’s it. That’s literally the grand story. Satisfied?”

“Oh, that’s so good. This confirms my suspicions.”

“What?”

“He likes you, Cas! It’s so obvious.”

“Oh my god, are you kidding me. Charlie, if you haven’t noticed, he’s straight, and also completely out of my league. Did I mention he’s freaking straight?”

“Cassie,” she whined. “Trust me! I pick up on these things. I see him staring at you from across the room like a lovesick puppy, and he totally makes up excuses to walk by your locker whenever you’re there, like 5 times a day.”

“First of all, those are all lies. And second of all, you exaggerate. So spare me the pity pep-talk and let me preserve my dignity.”

Cas was frustrated, because the worst thing you can do is get your hopes up about a straight guy and a potential relationship.

“Ugh, you know what, fine. If you want to ignore the obvious signs of Dean Winchester’s undeniable love for you, go ahead. I won’t stop you.” She huffed.

“Thank you,” Castiel sighed, relieved. “What’s your first class?”

“Computer tech, yours?”

“English, unfortunately.”

“Oooh, that’s your class with Dean!”

Castiel shot her an evil glare and she put her hands up in defeat. “I’m not saying anything!”

Castiel parted ways with Charlie and headed towards his English class. He was only slightly dreading it. When he walked in, he saw that only a few people were already there, and he picked a desk near the back.

He began to fiddle with the frayed corner of his binder and spent time considering if today was just a figment of his imagination, or if Ashton Kutcher was about to jump out at anytime and say “you’ve been punk’d!” But Ashton Kutcher didn’t appear and instead there was a soft plunk of books being laid down on the desk beside him and the eerie feeling of someone watching him.

Cas looked up and almost fell out of his chair when he saw no one other than Dean relaxing into the seat across from him.

“Heya Cas,” Dean acknowledged him with a smirk on his face.

“Dean, h-hey!” Cas stammered out.

Okay Ashton, now would be a good time to come out and say your punch line.

“Your hair looks different. You do something to it?” Dean’s face flushed a little, and holy crap this was not fair.

“Oh, no, I didn’t really do anything to it...I just woke up and didn’t have time to fix it...so....” Cas trailed off and his hand went to brush down his hair without thinking before Dean’s hand wrapped around his wrist to stop him.

“Don’t,” he cleared his throat. “It...looks good.”

Jesus Christ is this actually happening?

“Thanks.” Cas blushed and he turned back to the front so he wouldn’t give himself away.

The teacher talked through the whole class and Cas couldn’t even pay attention to a single word because he was too busy mulling over the fact that Dean Winchester had said he looked good. Holy shit. This had to be some sick prank that Dean’s baseball team had set him up to do. There’s no other explanation. Unless Charlie had paid him to do it...

“Cas?” Dean’s voice snapped him out of his reverie.

“Huh?”

“I was just asking if you would be willing to help me study for the test on Friday, since you know this stuff way better than I do, like you’re some kind of genius.” He rubbed the back of his neck and ducked his head and it was all kinds of adorable.

It took all Cas had not to stand up and shout ‘YES!’ at the top of his lungs.

“Yes, I would be more than happy to do that Dean. When were you thinking?” He said as calmly as he could.

“Would after school be good? I can give you a ride home.”

“Sure, that sounds great.” He flashed a coy smile at him.

“Awesome! Thanks, Cas!” Dean actually looked like he was kind of looking forward to this.

Cas knew this was too good to be true, and it was most likely a prank of some sort, but he figured he might as well live this fantasy out until the very end because any time with Dean was worth it.

When he went out to the parking lot at the end of school, he found Dean leaning against the side of his black car, eyes closed, while humming some sort of classic rock ballad. Walking up, Cas awkwardly reached out and tapped him on the shoulder, causing a startled Dean to shoot up and then blush when he realized who it was.

“Sorry Cas, didn’t realize you were standing here,” he said sheepishly.

“It’s alright, sorry I interrupted your...song...” Cas chuckled.

“You’re just sorry you didn’t get to hear the chorus,” he teased.

“You got me.” Dean grinned at that, and Cas returned the gesture.

There was a moment of weird staring and sappy grins until Cas cleared the silence.

“Uhm...where’s Sam?”

“Oh, uh...he went to a friend’s house; he won’t be back until late.” Dean scuffed his feet.

“Cool.” More awkward silence.

“Alright, well...uh...we better get going then,” Dean ducked his head and fucking opened Castiel’s door for him. What. The. Hell.

Cas was sure he was having a brain hemorrhage as he slid into the car’s passenger side. The drive home was uneventful, but the air was filled with light laughter and teasing and the occasional profound staring moment before Dean had to return his eyes to the road. This was a weird day, that's for sure.

“What the hell is a euphemism? Why are there so many terms to know? I can’t keep up with this shit.” Dean growled and ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated.

“Don’t worry. Look, just think of it as “softening the blow.” It’s a word or phrase to make something sound not so harsh, like “she passed away” instead of saying she died, or saying you’re “between jobs” instead of saying you’re unemployed.” Cas tried to give him a reassuring smile.

“Yeah, okay. That makes sense when you put it like that." He weakly smiled at Cas.

It had been nearing 2 hours of studying, and Cas had somewhat gotten used to the fact that he and Dean were talking, like having an actual normal conversation, and he wasn't stuttering as much. It was more comforting to know that Dean wasn't some unapproachable guy who only associated with the jocks and cheerleaders. No, Dean Winchester was kind of dorky (Cas noted this after listening to Dean argue about how Batman was the greatest superhero of all time), and he was easy-going with a great taste in music. Cas was finding it harder and harder to come up with reasons why he should stay away from Dean.

He realized that it was probably time for him to go home and his mom was probably worried sick, seeing as how Cas hardly ever went out and when he did, he let her know the details down to a T. Although he was enjoying himself a little too much with Dean beside him, shoulders occasionally brushing or knees bumping. 

"So, uh...I'd better get going. My mom is probably calling the police right now and sending out a search party." Cas saw a hint of disappointment in Dean's eyes and almost felt compelled to kiss him right there, but he didn't. "But you're good here? I didn't make you fall asleep at least." 

Dean ducked his head and grinned. Shit he needed to stop doing that or Cas was going to collapse from sensory overload. 

"Nah, you did pretty good. What you say makes sense...better than how the teachers do it." Green eyes bored into his and he resisted the instinct to shiver. "Thanks Cas, I really, really appreciate it. You're awesome." 

Dammit, Cas was blushing now and he ducked his head in an attempt to hide it.

Dean walked him to the door with his hands in his pockets and it was silent except for the movement of their feet along the wood-paneled floor. Cas didn't even know what was happening but his heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest. Their hands brushed against each other and a warmth spread throughout Cas' body. What is he doing to me? 

"So this was fun. Maybe we could do it again sometime," Dean offered. 

"Yeah. I'd like that," Cas gave him a timid smile. 

He stepped out the door.

"Me too," Dean's face flushed. 

They stared at each other for a moment that was a little longer than normal, but it didn't even feel uncomfortable to Cas.

"Alright, well...bye then." 

"See you around," and this time Dean winked. 

Cas quickly turned around and made his way to his house next door; he didn't want Dean to do anything else that would get him embarrassingly uncomfortable in his pants. 

When he made it into his own house, he quickly went up to his room. Cas wasn't even sure if he was actually living this or if he was just in a completely different dimension living a different life. Dean Winchester gave him a ride to school. Dean Winchester invited him to his house. Dean Winchester blushed, and even winked at him. 

Yup. Definitely not real. 

Castiel flung himself onto his bed before remembering that his curtains were open and his room was directly across from Dean's, meaning he could see in nearly all the time and vice versa. He left his room before he could look out the window, wanting to spare a little piece of his dignity.

"Castiel! Are you home?" His mother's voice rang out as he trumped down the stairs. 

"Yeah mom, I'm here."

"Where have you been? You're home later than usual." She dried her wet hands on a dish towel and stepped into the living room.

"Dealing drugs, operating an underground black market; you know, just the usual," Cas shrugged nonchalantly. 

"Ah yes, that would explain the good grades, winning over your teachers with cash I suppose."

"Of course, how else would I do it?" They broke into laughter, his mom smacking him lightly on his arm with no real anger behind it.

Cas loved his mom. He really did. She was strong and hard-working, and she had so much kindness in her heart. He was lucky, really, landing such an amazing mom while his absent father had left them before Cas could even walk. He didn't mind it only being him and his mom, in fact he preferred it. 

"So really, what were you up to? I know my Castiel, he doesn't just come home late with no explanation." 

"Alright, I was helping a friend study for a test that we have on Friday," he gave in.

His mom raised her eyebrows. "Charlie?"

"No," he starts to fidget with his fingers. 

"Oh. Then who?" She looked genuinely curious.

"He lives next door, you might have seen him around...Dean Winchester," he rushes the words.

"Hmm, yeah I've seen him. Seems like a nice boy. And very handsome," she adds the last part with a little inflection and her eyes hold a knowing glimmer as she looks at Cas.

He clears his throat. "Yeah, I guess."

"Well that's nice. Anyways I made your favorite dinner. Burgers." 

Castiel's mouth waters just a tiny bit before he heads to the kitchen to eat.

After dinner, he treks on back to his room, closing the door behind him. As he's about to pull out his homework on his bed, he sees across to the home beside him and into Dean's room; his light is on. Suddenly, Dean appears, a towel wrapped around his waist and another one hung around his neck. Oh. God. 

Castiel tried to swallow but his mouth had gone dry, and his eyes were unblinking as they roamed over Dean's broad shoulders, down his muscular arms, and raking across his toned abdomen, and holy shit, the V-shape of his hips led down behind his toweled waist, where the rest of him was left to Cas' imagination. 

In that moment, Castiel simultaneously hated and loved his life. 

He wasn't expecting the flood of  desire that rushed through him when Dean turned his back to the window, rifling through his drawers. His back was a canvas of toned flesh. His muscles moved gracefully as he plucked through his drawers, picking out articles of clothing that Castiel was willing to set on fire if it meant covering Dean's naked torso. The curve of Dean's ass was accentuated by the tightened towel, resting low on his hips. Wow, Cas thought, playing baseball really has done wonders for his physical shape. Imagine what his ass looks like in baseball pants. And Cas had to shut that part of his brain off because it was going to lead down the wrong road pretty fast. Dean was taking forever, and Cas wondered if this was legal. 

He regretfully made the decision to turn away before Dean could catch him practically drooling at the sight of him. The page of his textbook had somehow been opened to the right page, and he forced himself to focus on the words rather than on the hot shirtless guy next door. 

Before he knew it, he had completed a whole page of math questions, and he decided to look over at Dean's window again. 

Dean was sitting on his bed and he glanced up just as Cas looked over. He grinned and then he reached over to his desk before pulling away a notebook and a pen. Confusion ran through Cas' head as he saw Dean scribbling away in his notebook, before Dean held it up in the air for Cas to see.

Any police out looking for u?

Cas grinned and laughed out loud at that, and began to write a reply in his notebook. He held it up towards Dean.

Yeah, someone should probably call and tell them it's off.

He could see Dean's face light up as he read it and he threw his head back and laughed. 

Well i'll give em a heads up then 

Thanks, someone's gotta do it right?

Totally :)

And with that, their written conversation was over, leaving Cas feeling elated, and unbeknownst to him, Dean was also grinning to himself as he laid his head down to sleep.

It wasn't until Friday when Cas talked to Dean again. They had English, and it was the day of the big test. Cas and Dean found themselves walking into the classroom at the same time, and Cas smiled nervously at him when he realized who it was.

"You ready for the test?" He asked Dean timidly.

"Yeah I think so. Especially since I had a great tutor," he said with a cocky grin. 

Cas felt his face flush and he ran his fingers through his hair as a nervous tick. Dean's eyes widened just a little, and it was barely noticeable, but confused Cas all the same. 

He let out a light laugh before responding, "That's good to hear. You'll do great."

Dean gave him a soft, close-mouthed smile and lightly shrugged, as if to say 'we'll see.' 

Cas sat down and Dean picked a spot across from him again, which gave Cas a few butterflies to say the least. 

There were no really difficult questions on the test, mostly they were asking about poetry terms and a few brushed on iambic pentameter. Within an hour the entire class had finished it. 

Cas began to pack up for his next class, carefully putting his pens in their case and closing his books softly. He was about to leave when Dean blocked his way.

"Well that test wasn't so bad!" Dean declared.

Cas chuckled. "Yeah, I was surprised." He looked down at his feet and Dean cleared his throat.

"Hey, you should come to our baseball game tonight," Dean suggested with a slight flush in his cheeks. "I don't know, might be fun."

Cas was kind of shocked. He had never been one to go to school sporting activities or games, but he never really had a reason to until now. And Dean was actually telling him to go, and he wasn't one to say no to such pleading eyes.

He looked up at Dean and shyly smiled. "Yeah? Maybe, I will. I'll try and drag Charlie with me." He had other friends, like Alfie, Chuck and Hannah and sometimes his cousin Gabriel, but Charlie was the one who would do anything and everything with Cas. 

The smile he received from Dean was bright and adorable, and so worth it. "Great! I'll look for you in the stands!" 

Okay, this whole week had kind of been a blur for Castiel. First the ride, and now this? If Cas didn't know any better, he would've thought this was progressive flirting, and Dean was the one instigating it. But reality is a constant reminder and its painfully obvious that Dean Winchester was in fact straight.

God, he looked so hot today, with his green button up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and the tight black t-shirt that he wore underneath that showed off his broad chest and attractive build. He always wore that necklace too, the one with the strange golden head with horns on either side. Either way, he looked masculine enough to make Cas want to live in his arms for the rest of his god-given life. Was that healthy? Probably not.

Charlie found Cas at his locker later on in the day and she nearly tackled him to the ground. 

"Okay, guess who's got a date tomorrow with Gilda!" She held his face in her hands.

"Hmm, I don't know...Alfie?" He teased. 

"No, silly, it's me! And she even kissed me before she went off to class...I'm walking on sunshine Cas," she began to dance in her endearing way and Cas couldn't help but laugh. 

"Congratulations, I'm so proud of you and you're a queen," he gave her a big hug. "Also, we're going to the baseball game tonight...don't make any plans." He said quickly. 

Charlie smirked at him. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain someone would it..."

"Depends, what if this certain someone actually personally asked me to come?" He bit his lip and Charlie squealed.

"No way, oh my god, no way. It's happening, okay, we need to set up a game plan."

Cas rolled his eyes, maybe this wasn't such a good idea to bring her. "Look, if it's gonna happen, I'm just going to let it happen. I'm not gonna force anything and I really want to spare myself the humiliation of putting myself out there and then getting rejected. So we'll just go, we'll sit and watch, and have a good time, alright?"

That resulted in Charlie pouting. "Fine, fine, I'm doing this because I love you." She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and Cas smiled.

After she pulled away, Cas looked up just in time to see Dean staring at them from across the hall with a smile quickly fading from his face. He looked pained, and his eyes were flashing a variety of different emotions that Cas couldn't pin down. Wait, wait, was Dean jealous? Holy mother of christ, he had to be, or someone just kicked his puppy, because the glare he was giving Charlie was close to lethal. Cas' heart fluttered in his chest just a little. Maybe there was a chance...

"Oh shit, he looks pissed," Charlie whispered into his ear. "Wait...do you think it was because...oh my god." 

Suddenly Cas realized they had to do something to prove they were just friends. He wished he could just call out 'oh you don't have to worry, she's as straight as a rainbow.' and then they'd laugh it off and Dean would kiss him. But this wasn't a perfect world. 

"Shit Charlie, go kiss a girl or something. Gilda! Where the hell is Gilda?" He blurted out. 

Charlie suddenly went stock still with a wide-eyed look on her face, and Cas didn't even notice that Dean was walking towards them until he turned around right into him. 

"Oh! Sorry, Dean, d-didn't see you there," he stammered. 

Dean gave him a weak smile, but there was still a worried expression on his face. "This must be Charlie, huh?" His voice was hollow.

Cas nodded but couldn't say anything, and Charlie quickly spoke up. "Yup, that's me! His gay best friend. Two gays who are the best of friends, that's us..." Cas shot her a warning glare and she trailed off.

A look of relief mixed in with surprise flashed across Dean's face and his shoulders visibly relaxed. "Oh, you're-" he looked at Cas with mild bewilderment. "Uh...nevermind. So you two are coming to the game tonight? I'd love for Ca-, um, you guys to come," he stuttered, causing Cas to smile and blush and he really needed to stop doing that. 

"Most definitely." Charlie grabbed Cas by the shoulders and smiled knowingly at Dean. 

When they left, Cas turned to Charlie. "Jesus, could you be anymore subtle?"

"What?" She said innocently. "Now he knows we're not a thing, and that you bat for the other team. I did you a favor." 

Cas closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. What did he have to lose now though? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. 

With his mom's permission, Castiel managed to borrow the car for the night and he picked up Charlie from her suburban neighborhood before they drove off to the game. 

Cas was nervous. That much was obvious. It didn't make sense though, because he wasn't exactly going to talk to Dean or hangout with him, since...you know, he's the team's best baseball player. But still, Cas was going to the game just for Dean, and that practically lit up a sign above his head that read "hello my name is Castiel and I'm in love with Dean Winchester." Woah love? He thought, slow down there cowboy, you've only just started talking to him. He nervously rapped his fingers against the steering wheel.

Charlie glanced over at him, but didn't say anything. Instead, she turned on the stereo, and slid in a CD copy of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. It seemed to soothe Cas' nerves, and they listened to it the rest of the way there. 

They found an empty parking spot a slight distance from the school and they began to walk as Charlie put her arm around Cas' shoulders. A few others were a bit late too, a diluted group walking in the same direction as them. 

"Watch him see you in the stands and blow you a kiss," Charlie offered excitedly, leaning her head on his shoulder. He let out a loud laugh in response.

"If this is like some sappy high school romance movie that they show on the Disney Channel, I'll puke." But Cas didn't let on that he secretly wished he could have a relationship with Dean that was like those cliche teen movies. He even denied it to himself, but he knew deep down. 

They shimmied along the bleachers, somewhere in the middle, as Charlie carried a large, and very wobbly bag of popcorn, Cas in tow. Cas shivered in anticipation, and the people around him chattered animatedly. Since it was already dark out, there were floodlights covering the area of the field, and the baseball diamond was lit up so you could see every little detail.

Cas was surprised at the turnout; there were easily 200 people here, maybe more. This must be a big game. 

No Dean yet. He leaned against Charlie while they waited, and they both shared the popcorn. To ease their boredom, they started throwing pieces of popcorn into each other's mouths. Charlie accidentally threw a piece too far causing it to land into a lady's hair, and Cas was laughing so hard that he was crying. The lady looked around, irritated, probably thinking it was a bug, but she didn't seem to notice, and Charlie snorted causing Cas to go into another fit of giggles. 

They were so consumed in their amusement, that they didn't notice the sudden murmur in the crowd, and they quickly came to when the crowd erupted into a large cheer. 

The teams must be coming out. 

Cas and Charlie peered over the people and onto the field where a group of guys were filing out. Their eyes searched for the sandy brown haired player, particularly with the handsome face, muscular build, broad shoulders... Cas shook his head, he was getting carried away. 

Charlie spotted him before Cas did, and he followed her pointed finger to see Dean standing among his teammates, grinning and slapping some of them on the back. He looked...well...he looked gorgeous as hell. And Cas didn't like to objectify, but Dean's ass in tight baseball pants was a blessing. He was wearing a baseball cap with the team's name written across the crown, and it looked super cute. 

Cas heard a few girls behind him whispering about the hottest players on the team.

"Jake Holdin, definitely."

"No, Tyler. Oh my god look at his arms, they're beautiful."

"What about Dean Winchester? He's the whole package, right there." They all hummed in agreement to that, and Cas smiled in amusement. 

The players began to arrange themselves and he saw Dean turn around, his eyes searching the stands. There was a moment when Cas thought he was looking for someone else, probably a girl, when his eyes locked on Cas, and a huge grin broke on his face. Dean then gave him a wink and a wave before he turned back around and lined up at side. 

Holy shit Cas was blushing furiously and his stomach was doing flips. 

"Okay, it's official: Dean definitely likes you. And don't even argue with me or I'll slap you." Cas just shook his head in disbelief. 

"I-," and Cas couldn't even get out words, which was a little bit pathetic but whatever. 

"That was basically blowing you a kiss. You might get your teen movie fantasy after all!" Charlie nudged his arm and he just gave her a sheepish grin in return.

The game was actually kind of fun and interesting, and Cas thought he would never associate those words with any sport-related thing, ever. But when your crush is on the team, you get a little into it. Dean got 2 home runs, and even Cas knew that was amazing. He stood up with Charlie the second time Dean ran past third base, cheering loudly. Dean occasionally looked in the stands at Cas a few times and his smile would widen the second he saw him, while Cas would smile right back. The atmosphere was engaging and persuasive, and Cas thought he could get used to it. Dean's team won, and Cas felt a smidgen of pride. 

As the crowd stood up to leave, Charlie and Cas stayed seated. They both didn't want to get pushed and pulled in the large throng of people. 

"Hey so next Saturday there's a Harry Potter marathon on TV. You, me, a shitload of junk food, and lots of blankets, all nighter." Charlie stated.

"Okay, I'm down. As long as we get some cheeseburgers too." Cas countered.

"It's a plan, Stan." 

"What's a plan?" Charlie and Cas both shot their heads up to look at the voice who interrupted them.

Of course it was him. Dean stood there, tall and beautiful, his cap in his hands. There were smudges of dirt on his arms and a little bit on his cheek, which made him appear even more rugged and masculine. Damn. 

"Uh, a m-movie marathon next weekend. Nothing special," Cas sputtered. 

"Oh, sounds cool," he replied. 

Charlie looked back and forth between them with an entertained expression, and suddenly stood up. "I'm, uh...I'm gonna go to the car. I left something...there, um, yeah so I'll just be -uh, there." She scooted away and Cas wanted to put his head in his hands from her conspicuousness. Dean smirked.

"So I'm glad you came," Dean ducked his head and scuffed at the ground with the tip of his shoe. "I don't normally do that good, I don't know what it was tonight." He took a seat beside Cas and looked almost nervous. "Maybe you're a good luck charm," his lips curved upwards as his flecked green eyes met Cas'. 

"Yeah, maybe I'll have to come to some more games," Cas ventured, and a flicker of hope lit up Dean's face. "You know, as your good luck charm." Dean laughed at that, and his cheeks flushed just a little. "But something tells me you always do good at these things."

He shrugged. "Meh, I'm alright. Still wouldn't mind a good luck charm though." His eyes twinkled.

Okay, this was definitely flirting. Cas didn't know much about it, but he knew this was flirting, and it was giving him butterflies in his stomach. This was about as much as he could handle for tonight. 

Oh God he's leaning in. What the hell do I do, he's leaning in. He's actually coming towards me. Cas' head swarmed as Dean began to slowly lean closer, half-lidded eyes glancing between Cas' eyes and lips. Dean was so close that Cas could see the freckles sprinkled across his nose, and he resisted the urge to reach out and touch them. He glimpsed at Dean's plush pink lips and felt a strange desire to nip at his bottom lip. He could do this, he could kiss him, right?

Wrong. 

Cas suddenly stood up, brushing his hands down his front, causing Dean to straighten himself with a puzzled expression. 

"I should go check on Charlie. I mean she's waiting at the car, and uh, I-I need to go back. Yeah, so- congrats on the game Dean. Stellar job. Alright, bye!" He babbled as he backed away.

Dean gave him a confused half-wave as he stayed sitting on the stands staring at him, speechless. And Cas was off. 

Shit shit shit dammit, what the hell was that? You had a chance to kiss Dean Winchester you idiot! He mentally beat himself up as he practically ran back to the parking lot. Oh god, now Dean is going to think I'm a freak and he's never going to talk to me again. He didn't want to explain what happened to Charlie, so he gave her a vague description which resulted in her peering at him skeptically, but no pushing from her nonetheless. 

The second he dropped Charlie off and watched her go into her house, he slapped himself. Literally. What the hell was he thinking just running off like that? He really liked Dean, like really liked him. Hadn't he been longing of kissing Dean for years? Wasn't he the one who could only dream of Dean being interested in him? And when Dean actually shows some interest in him he just panics and runs away. Great. 

Maybe it's because he had dreamed of that moment for so long, and put so much pressure on it that he would rather have it not happen, than to mess it up. But if he had just taken the chance and let Dean kiss him while messing it up, it would've been more satisfying than jumping up and conjuring up some lame excuse about going back to his car without even getting to kiss him. 

He was sitting on his bed staring at some abstract shape on the wall and thinking about his current situation when the motion of a light being turned on in Dean's room woke him out of his daze. He quickly scrambled and shut his curtains, unable to face an awkward staring contest or a written conversation that Dean would instigate, most likely questioning why he was such a coward. Cas sighed and fell back on his bed. 

The next week was going to be long.

Cas spent the next week avoiding Dean as best as he could. He felt like an idiot of course, but there was no way he was going to have a "what the hell happened" talk with Dean. 

English was the only class they had together, and due to Dean's new taste for sitting beside Cas, he made sure to always slip in just after everyone settled in their seats, and he would choose whatever seat was left unoccupied.

He accidentally made eye contact with Dean a few times and Dean would open his mouth and his eyes were slightly pleading as if he wanted to say something to him, but he wouldn't with Cas purposely distancing himself from him. He felt terrible and guilty and he wanted to apologize to Dean, but if there was one thing Cas was good at, it was avoidance. 

Cas would always leave the class quickly so Dean couldn't catch him. It was getting to be quite tiring, and he was almost ready to give up the whole charade and just face whatever he had coming to him.

"Castiel!" A voice called out to him in the hall, and there was a sinking feeling in his stomach as he turned around slowly.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips when he saw Charlie, Chuck, and Gilda walking towards him.

"Let's go buy our dance tickets mister! Today's the last day," Charlie looped her arm around his.

"Look, I don't really want to even go, I'll just-"

"Shut up, you're coming. You need to step out of your comfort zone sometimes, ok?" Charlie stated.

"Yeah, and if I have to go, you definitely have to. There's no way I'm third wheeling with these two lovebirds over here." Chuck motioned to Charlie and Gilda. 

"That's true. I don't think I'll be able to keep my hands off her," Gilda said with a gleam in her eye. 

Cas couldn't help but smile at that. "Fine, I'll come." 

Charlie let out a squeal and then tugged them all along to the ticket table. They bought their tickets and then spent the rest of the lunch hour outside, sitting under the large oak tree by the edge of the field. It was light, and Castiel felt more relaxed than he had in days. 

Cas went home and cleaned up, had dinner, and changed into a tuxedo for the dance. It was convenient that he kept the same tux from when he had to be one of the groomsmen at his older brother Michael's wedding. 

He stood in front of the mirror and examined himself. His hair was kind of messy and his bow tie was a bit crooked, but overall he didn't look half bad. At least he looked presentable enough.

Just then his phone whistled and a text from Charlie popped up on his screen saying 'we're here bitch, let's get this party started.' He shook his head and lightly smiled as he put his phone in his pocket and headed downstairs. After enduring his mother's coos and aw's he opened the front door and rushed into Charlie's SUV. The rest of their crew was in there, wearing fancy clothes, and they erupted in cheers when Cas stepped in, commenting on how "handsome" he looked. His face just flushed pink and he brushed off their compliments, because really, he wasn't that amazing-looking. He knew they were just being polite. 

When they arrived at the school, they emptied the car one by one, and excitedly walked through the entrance, adorned with colorful balloons. Cas was already starting to regret this. The music was pulsing inside, and there was a heavy bass beat as they made their way towards the gymnasium. 

They all gave their tickets to the ladies sitting at the table outside the gym doors, and Cas practically held his breath as they pushed through the doors. 

He was met with a burst of warm air, and there were already sweaty bodies moving on the dance floor. Oh god, why did he sign up for this. The music was okay; there was a DJ playing the top 40 hits, which was alright, Castiel thought. Not the greatest, but sure. 

Charlie and Gilda were already racing to the dancing area, laughing as they went. So Cas and Chuck stood there awkwardly, side by side. 

"We knew this would happen, huh?" Chuck mumbled. 

"Yeah, but they look like they're having fun," Cas smiled fondly as he watched Charlie dancing to her heart's content with her beautiful girlfriend. 

"Indeed," he conceded.

It had been about a minute of standing in silence as they watched their friends dance, when a small blonde girl, Becky was her name, came up to them, staring at Chuck with love-struck eyes. Cas raised his eyebrows as she came very close to his friend, inhaling a deep breath before speaking up.

"Hey Chuck, would you want to dance with me?" She rushed out. 

Chuck's eyes widened and he touched his hand to his chest as if saying "me?! are you sure?" "Uh- if, yeah that would be...sure yeah." He stammered. "Castiel, you'll be okay?" 

Cas gave him a pat on the shoulder and softly smiled. "I'll be fine. Go have fun." And with that reassurance, Becky grabbed hold of his sleeve and tugged Chuck into the swarm of dancing bodies. 

With no one by his side, and feeling somewhat awkward, Cas began to move through the throng of people towards the beverage table on the side. Please let this punch be spiked, he thought to himself as he dipped a spoonful of juice into a paper cup. There weren't many people by the table, and he looked around to see if there was anyone he knew. 

Raising the cup to his lips, he took a sip before nearly choking on it as a hand came to slap roughly on his back. 

"Cassie! How's my little cuz doing?" The familiar mop of dirty blonde hair appeared in front of him. His cousin, Gabriel, flashed a teasing smile. 

"Oh you know, enjoying myself so much. Can't you tell?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. 

"You just need to loosen up a little! Go grab a hot dude and grind on him." Gabe motioned his hands enthusiastically. 

Cas wrinkled his nose. "I think I'll pass on that, thank you very much."

"Aw man, look, I gotta get back to the girlfriend, she's waiting for me out there," he gestured to the mob of people. "But cheer up will ya? Just let go and have some fun!" Gabe grabbed his shoulders purposefully, as if that would get his point across more.

Cas just nodded agreeably to get Gabe off the subject. "Alright," he assured him. Gabe was off again, and this time, Cas was completely alone. 

There was a moment where he stood there, just observing the motion of the people, moving to the rhythm of the music, and he felt almost peaceful. Until he heard a familiar voice beside him. 

"Hey," the low voice soothed yet prickled his skin at the same time. He turned and was met with a pair of strikingly beautiful green eyes. 

"Hi," his voice was tight. He turned to face him, and his breath left his body when he saw how attractive Dean looked. His hair was tousled and damn, did he look good in a suit.

"How are you?" The question was genuine, and Dean's face was so thoughtful and gentle, he wanted to kiss him deeply. Ha! You already had your chance and you blew it, idiot. 

"Oh, me...I-I'm good," Cas stuttered. "How about you?"

Dean chuckled, and the sound filled Cas' bones with air. "I'm fine. Just a little bit confused though..." he trailed off as he gazed at Cas with an expectant expression. 

Shit. "Look- Dean, I just...I don't know how to say this."

"I freaked you out, I'm sorry." The look on his face was hurt, and Cas' heart clenched. 

"Yes- but no! Wait- I mean...god, I'm an idiot, okay? You didn't freak me out. I sort of freaked myself out, if that makes sense." He gulped. 

Dean's eyebrows knitted together and he waited a moment before replying. "Just...don't shut me out, okay? Even if you don't like me in that way, I'd hate for us to be weird, I mean, I still want to be your friend, Cas." Wait, a second, "like me in that way"? Is he suggesting...no way, Cas' thoughts were a blur. 

"Wait...what? Like you-" he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, trying to come up with the courage to say what he was thinking. Oh, what the hell, what else has he got to lose. "Dean, I have had the hugest freaking crush on you for the longest time. I just...I panicked, okay? But I really wanted to kiss you after the game...just so you know." There. He got it all out. His heart was racing like crazy, but a sense of relief washed over him.

Dean's face was full of pure astonishment and surprise. "You- me, y-you, wait...me? Like- you like me?" Cas could see as the pieces started to fit together in his head, and slowly Dean's lips began to curve upwards, until he was full out grinning. Cas found it adorable when he was flustered, even more so when he was giddy.  

"Yeah," Cas breathed out. He looked up into Dean's dreamy eyes. 

Dean took a step into Cas' personal space, gazing down at him with a look of affection and desire. He raised his hand to cup Cas' cheek. "So...I guess we both have mutual feelings then." He laughed when Castiel's eyes grew wide with disbelief. "If I try to kiss you right now, can you not run away this time?" Cas nodded vigorously in reply. 

Dean's head leaned down as his eyes were half-lidded, and he let his mouth hover half an inch from Castiel's, teasing him, or possibly just soaking in the feeling of being this close, maybe both. Cas could hardly form a coherent thought. Dean looked from Castiel's eyes to his lips, his tongue darting out to lick his own lips as he stared. Cas' eyes fluttered shut, and he could only feel Dean's faint breath against his mouth.

Suddenly, Dean pressed his lips to Castiel's. They were soft and pliant. Dean's lips moved against his own, cautiously at first. The contact became more heated as Cas curled his arms around Dean's neck, sliding a hand into his soft hair. Dean moved his hands from Castiel's jaw, down to his waist, wrapping his arms tightly around him and pulling them flush together. Cas felt Dean's tongue slide along his bottom lip, and he opened his mouth to let him in. The second their tongues touched, Dean moaned into his mouth. 

The kiss was mind blowing. It was better than Cas had ever imagined. He pushed against Dean's tongue with his own, feeling and reveling in the sensation of Dean's enthusiastic response. The world was disappearing around them. Castiel moaned in response when Dean nipped at his bottom lip, taking it lightly between his teeth. He shivered and gripped his hair tighter. They continued to press and pull on each others lips, uttering soft noises of affection with gentle touches. Cas could so get used to this. 

When they finally pulled apart, Dean gave him one, two...no three more close-mouthed kisses, and Cas grinned against his lips. They stood there, with their foreheads pressed together, smiling. 

"Damn Cas," Dean huffed out. "You were holding out on me." 

That made Cas laugh, and he couldn't think of anything else to say, so he just replied with a "sorry." 

They stayed like that for a while before Castiel's curiosity got the best of him. 

"So why did you give me a ride that day? We hardly talked before then," Cas inquired. 

Dean's eyes widened and he waited a moment before he spoke. "Well, I had kind of liked you for a long time too, but this is all new for me, you know? Being bisexual...it's a little bit weird adjusting to it, to say the least." He bit his lip and looked down. "I was actually trying to work up the courage to ask you to the dance. Sammy was the one who kept telling me to "just do it", but I kept chickening out. And then I was finally going to ask you after my game, but then you just left." He glanced up at Cas with vulnerable eyes. "I wanted to talk to you at school, maybe explain myself a little, but you were avoiding me. Although I don't really blame you." Cas felt a pang of guilt.

"Hey," he murmured, touching Dean's face. "I'm really sorry. I like you a lot, if that makes up for anything."

Dean gazed fondly into Castiel's eyes and the corners of his lips twitched upwards. "Yeah, it does. Plus, you look really freaking hot right now," he playfully smirked, causing Cas to slightly blush and look down. "God, it kills me when you do that. Do you know how hard it was last week to not make out with you every time you would go all cute and flustered like that?"

Cas raised his eyebrows. "Yeah? Well same for you, walking into your room with nothing but a towel on. That's just playing dirty," he poked Dean's chest. 

Dean threw his head back and let out a deep laugh. "So it worked!" Cas tilted his head in confusion.

"What?"

"I wanted to get your attention. I thought it didn't work when I looked over and you were hunched over your work or something." Dean looked a little sheepish.

Cas' eyes narrowed. "It worked plenty well, thank you very much." Dean was laughing again, and Cas was fighting a smile. 

It was still new for them, but Cas leaned over and kissed the corner of Dean's mouth without much thought. He almost felt embarrassed, but then Dean's eyes lit up and he grinned as he inclined his head to give Cas another slow, passionate kiss. 

The music changed from an upbeat pop song to a slow and lingering melody. Dean pulled back unhurriedly, grabbing Castiel's hand and bringing it up to his lips to give it a gentle kiss. "Dance with me," he whispered into his ear. 

Swallowing deeply, Cas gazed into his eyes and nodded lightly. Dean then tugged him to the dance floor, never once letting go of his hand. They joined the swaying couples, and Dean entwined his fingers with Castiel's, while simultaneously wrapping his other arm around his waist, bringing their bodies together.

Cas was nervous, and maybe Dean sensed that because he kissed the side of his head before pressing their cheeks together, and swayed them gently in time with the music. He melted into Dean, relishing the feeling of his warm body pressed comfortably against his. It was perfect.

Dean shifted his head so that they were looking into each other's eyes again, before moving in and catching Cas' lips in a slow, sensual kiss. And while Castiel's skin tingled and his heart raced, it was the best he had felt in a long time.