Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters

"Okay, breathe, just breathe. Don't be nervous, you can do this. You just have to appear cool, calm and collected – Oh, Stop fiddling with your pencil case!"

Castiel was a wreck. He had been mentally preparing himself for this moment all day long, and with each passing minute his nerves became more fried, slowly turning him into a complete basket case. Today was the day he would tell Dean how he felt, or at least that's what he had been planning when he woke up this morning. For weeks he'd been pining over the boy, staring at him in the hallways and talking to him whenever he got the chance. They'd become good friends over the last month or so, and in that time Cas felt he'd really gotten to know Dean and found himself falling faster than you could say, "TIMBER!" For a while now, he'd been debating whether or not he should confess; to be honest, he felt like shouting it from the proverbial rooftop, but was terrified of possible rejection and the awkwardness between them that would follow. Just thinking about it turned his legs to jelly, and he felt himself sliding down the locker he'd been leaning against until he was seated on the floor, clutching his belongings to his chest. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head backwards and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Are you okay?"

Startled, his eyes snapped open as his books fell off his lap with a clatter. Dean chuckled as he knelt down to Castiel's level, picking up the books and other objects. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Cas flushed red as he stuttered a response, "You didn't, I mean, you did, it's just that I wasn't expecting you…" "… To be at my locker?" Dean said, gesturing to the off-white metal door and smirking. Cas could feel his cheeks turning crimson as he scrunched up his face in indignation. "You know what I mean." Again, Dean chuckled, taking a seat next to the now tomato coloured boy. They both remained silent for a moment, watching as Cas knocked his boots together while the hallway emptied of students eager to head home for the weekend.

"You never answered my question." Dean said, his tone soft and concerned. "Yeah, I know." Castiel ducked his head for a moment, trying to build up his courage. Biting his lip, he looked up, blue meeting green. Dean's smile was easy, his face open and inviting. "You obviously wanted to talk to me about something, so spill." Cas took a deep breath and decided with finality that it was now or never. "Dean, I… I want to tell you something, and it's kind of hard for me to say." Dean turned his body towards Cas with wide eyes, scotching closer. "Hey, it's okay. Whatever you have to say, just say it. Talk to me."

Castiel felt himself smiling, taken aback by Dean's compassionate tone which was quite uncharacteristic of the class clown and resident rebel. He remembered them meeting for the first time, and how he was immediately intrigued by the other's bad boy demeanor, sensing something deeper inside that no one else seemed to notice. It was all in the eyes, the dark green that made you feel as though you were wandering through a lush forest, discovering something new at every twist and turn. Dean was so much more than what everyone painted him out to be; more than the son of the local mechanic, more than the Brainiac's older brother, and way more than just some kid who had problems with authority.

Castiel angled his body towards Dean, mirroring the other boy's position, and grabbing hold of one of his hands. It was Dean's turn to look surprised, his gaze immediately locking on to their intertwined fingers as Cas began to lazily draw circles around Dean's knuckles. After a minute or two, Dean's form relaxed as he followed Cas' finger with his eyes. "Dean," Cas said, drawing the boy's attention back to his face. "My feelings for you are more than friendly, much more; in fact, I'm fairly certain that I am falling for you." Castiel looked up from their hands to gauge Dean's reaction, but his gaze never wavered and his face betrayed nothing. Once again they sat in silence, the sounds of classroom doors closing and teachers chatting the only noise they could hear. Cas' finger stopped moving as he dropped Dean's hands, misinterpreting his lack of response as rejection.

"Well, that's all I wanted to say, so I guess I'll see you around…" Castiel's sentence trailed off as he stood up, grabbing his things and turning on his heel. Dean stood up suddenly, grabbing the other boy's arm. "Wait!" Cas could feel his cheeks heating up and refused to turn to face him. "Don't go, I - I think I'm falling for you too."

Cas' heart stopped as he whirled around, a look of pure shock on his face. "You – what?" Dean's eyes dropped to the ground, as he suddenly found the tiles very interesting. "Well, I mean – I like you, a lot, and it's always really awesome hanging out with you, and you're, you know, hot." Cas beamed, despite the last comment making him blush. Dean rubbed the back of his own neck roughly, not meeting Cas' eyes. "It's really easy to talk to you and the way you talk about me sometimes… no one else thinks that way, you know? It's like, I can be myself around you; one hundred percent me, and I don't have to worry about all that other stuff going on around us because, you make me feel different. IN A GOOD WAY! Aw shit, I'm not making any sense."

Dean covered his eyes with his hand, dragging it downwards with a sigh. When he looked up, he was startled to find that Castiel had moved towards him, very much within Dean's personal bubble. "It makes me very happy to hear you say that." Once again, Cas held Dean's hand in his own, lacing their fingers together. He looked up through his lashes, bringing their faces closer together until their noses were almost touching. Dean gently cradled Cas' cheek as he brought their lips together, while the other's hands found themselves at the back of Dean's neck, gently scraping his nails against the base of his hairline and deepening the kiss. Dean's hand found themselves on Cas' hips, bringing their bodies flush against one another. Eventually, they broke apart for air, resting against each other's foreheads.

"So, does this mean you'll go to prom with me?" Dean joked, breaking the intense silence. Cas chuckled deep in his throat as he moved in for round two, "Dean, shut up."