They are fifteen, and high school sucks. At least, it does for Dean Winchester. His father wants him to be a football star and his mother wants him to meet a good girl and Sammy wants him to take him to the library after school. Dean doesn't know what he wants, but he sure as hell knows he doesn't want jock friends and silly girls.
He gets a closer idea of what he wants when he bumps into a boy with blue eyes and taped up glasses in the hallway.
They are sixteen, and secretly meeting behind everyone's backs. It isn't a romantic thing; they just don't want the people in their lives ruining…what they had between them. Castiel, the blue-eyed boy Dean met in the hallway, doesn't want his siblings to tease him or ridicule him, and Dean doesn't want his father drilling him or Sammy smirking.
So, after school they find each other at the local library. There, they sit and chat quietly, pretending to be doing homework together when in reality it's so much more.
They are seventeen, and they are caught walking around in the city. One of the most popular girls in school, Bela, saw them holding hands as they took in the city life. Of course she called one of her best friends (or several) and soon enough the word was around the entire school.
Dean and Cas are fags.
Unfortunately, the two didn't know that they were caught, and went to school as if it was any other day. It wasn't until Dean was ignored and Cas yelled at in the hallway did they realize.
They skip the rest of the day, and huddle together on a dock that overlooked a beautiful lake. It's the beginning of the end.
They are eighteen, and finally getting out of school. Cas and Dean have maroon and yellow caps on and are hanging out with separate groups. Dean hanging with the laughing jocks, and Castiel hanging with a girl named Meg and her boyfriend Crowley. They are junkies and it was a shock that they graduated. Before seventeen, Castiel wouldn't have even dared looking at the two. But…he needed to numb the pain somehow, right?
Before the once boyfriends leave through separate doors, Dean happens to look over his shoulder. He finds Castiel looking at him with sad blue eyes. He no longer wore glasses, since Meg said he looked better without. Dean didn't like it. But, he didn't have a say. Not anymore.
They are nineteen, and live in totally different worlds. Dean's in training to go overseas and fight the good fight. He has a lovely girlfriend named Lisa, and he's happy.
Castiel is happy too. At least, for short periods of time. When everything is shining and beautiful and Meg is riding his cock and Abaddon's kissing him sloppily with the taste of beer on her lips, he's happy.
When he's up at eight in the morning, he is definitely not.
He's at a small coffee shop, waiting for an espresso and praying to God he'd wake up enough to deal with his brothers, when the bell attached to the front door chimes. And for whatever reason, he turns around.
And there is his high school sweetheart. Ex-high school sweetheart. He is in military garb, and his hair is combed and his green eyes are dull, but it's still him.
Cas had imagined several scenarios in which this occurred, and he had so much to say.
The only thing he could bring himself to say however is, "Fuck you."
They are twenty-seven, and they have grown up. Dean is weary, but happier then he has been in a long time. Him leaving the country was him standing up for himself and doing what he wanted to do. And now, he was back and his father and mother, while concerned, were leaving him alone. Which was good, since he was finally able to pursue his dream of becoming a mechanic at Singer's Garage.
The only things wrong with his life were the fact that Lisa had found another man, hook ups were no longer fun for him and he had nightmares almost every night. War was hell, and took its toll.
Dean could only pray it would get better for him.
God seemed to be on his side, because one minute he's working on a Chevy Convertible and the next minute he's looking into familiar blue eyes. No glasses, but that's fine because holy hell Castiel is standing in front of him.
Before Dean could ask what he is doing in his work place, Castiel is answering, "That's my car you're working on."
Dean is somewhat shocked for a minute, because last time he saw him he had black nails and was wearing pajamas in a coffee shop, but now that Dean had a chance to take him in…
"You look good." And really, Cas did. He's clean-shaven, and wearing a hideous suit and trench coat. He had a brief case in his hand and his hair was ruffled. That was the one thing that stayed the same it seemed.
"You as well." Cas nodded, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot.
"Thanks…"
It was awkward for a second, and only a second, before Dean thought 'screw it I came back from a war there's no day but today and all that shit—'
But before he could, Castiel interrupted, "You broke my heart."
Dean nodded sadly, leaning on the car behind him.
"We were very young. Too young to deal with it. But, from where I'm standing, we are grown men now. If we want this relationship, we can have it. So…would you like to go for coffee?"
Dean almost stumbles over himself to say yes.