Saint Andrew's School for Boys was exactly what Castiel's parents had hoped it would be. It was a highly religious school, with limited spaces so each boy got their own bedroom. They had sent Castiel and his older brother, Gabriel, to Saint Andrew's in the hopes that it would "cure them". Castiel had been careless, and as a result, his parents had found out that he was gay. When the screaming match had started, Gabriel was the only one of his siblings to come to his aid, announcing that he, too, was gay. Their mother had nearly fainted at the revelation that not one, but two of her children were "sick". So they had been shipped off two days later by train to attend the very private, very Catholic school. They were greeted at the train station by the principal of the school, a woman who seemed to be in her fifties, with gray hair and a massive frown line. Castiel and Gabriel approached her silently, Gabriel having already received a blow to the back of the head by Castiel for a rude comment about the woman.
"Gabriel and Castiel Novak?" She snipped in a harsh voice.
"The one and only," Gabriel smirked in response.
"You are to answer in a simple yes or no manner, and you will address me as Principal Naomi, or Ma'am. Is that understood?" She snarled at him.
"Yes Ma'am," Castiel responded quietly, Gabriel quite a bit slower to learn.
"Sure thing, sir," he answered with a troublesome grin.
"I see this disease has already begun to take root in your sickly brain, as it is obviously affecting your ability to listen," she snapped, effectively wiping the look from Gabriel's face. His face contorted into that of a wild animal, and he began to lunge towards her, Castiel's fast reflexes the only thing stopping him. "You will do well to behave yourself, young man." She growled at him, grabbing his backpack and pushing him towards the door, other hand reaching to grab Castiel's. He ducked away from her, perfectly capable of finding the door on his own. He quickly fell in step next to Gabriel, reaching to pat his shorter brother on the shoulder. Gabriel ignored it, continuing to look affronted by what she had said. His golden eyes were downcast, lacking their usual spark, and his usually energetic bounce was nowhere to be seen.
"Don't worry Gabriel, you'll be eighteen soon, then they can't force you to stay here." Castiel tried to reassure him, his face falling slightly as he had another thought. "At least you don't have to stay here for two years." At that, Gabriel's head shot up, turning a slightly panicked look to his brother.
"No way, Cassie. Once I turn eighteen I'll become you're legal guardian and we can both get out of here. There's no way in hell I'll leave you alone in this unholy prison. If I was going to do that, I would have kept my mouth shut and never even come with you. No." Gabriel stated firmly.
"Thanks, Gabe," Castiel smiled, dropping an arm over his brother's shoulders and giving him a "Christian side hug" as his friends called it. "I'm really glad you came with me."
"Don't thank me yet, Cassie. Thank me when I get us the hell out of here."
As they exited the train station onto the sleet covered sidewalk, Principal Naomi marched out ahead of them, leading them down the pick-up zone a little ways to a white minivan with 'Saint Andrew's School for Boys' painted on the side with the logo, which appeared to be a choir singing to a cross. Castiel hoped they weren't forced to sing in a choir, as he was a terrible singer. Principal Naomi stomped around the van to climb into the driver's seat, and Castiel and Gabriel shrugged at each other, climbing into the back seat to sit beside each other. Gabriel had barely pulled the door closed behind him before she was tearing away from the curb with enough force to slam the brothers into their seats and make the tires squeal.
"Geez, at this rate we won't live to make a break for it," Gabriel muttered, loud enough that he received a scorching glare through the rear view mirror. He sank lower in his seat, clearly upset about the whole situation. The atmosphere in the van was so tense and downcast that Castiel couldn't even force himself to look up from his lap and take in his surroundings. After a suffocating, silent ride that seemed like a year, Castiel vaguely realized they had slowed to a crawl along a gravel road. Looking out the window, he noticed it wasn't actually a road, but a driveway.
They eventually rolled to a stop outside a white mansion like building. It was three stories tall, and five windows were visible on the top two floors, with four windows on the lower level, two on either side of the large double door that served as the main entrance. Hung above the wooden door was a grey sign that said 'Saint Andrew's School for Boys' in bold blue letters, and 'Home for Lost Souls' written in smaller white print and the logo on either end of the sign. The white walls were yellowed slightly with age, and some cracks were visible upon closer inspection. Naomi turned the van off, briskly stepping out and up the three cement steps to the front door. She turned back to the van, shooting them a look that said to hurry up. With a groan, Castiel opened up the door and climbed out, slinging his backpack on as he did so and stepped aside to let Gabriel out. They stood, side by side, staring up at the prison they were expected to call home. With a scowl, Gabriel took the lead, climbing the steps as Naomi turned to push the double doors open. They swung inward with a slight creak, one that Castiel suspected was more from the old wood than the hinges themselves.
The doors opened to reveal a large, dimly lit foyer, with a flagstone floor, large entryways leading off to both sides of the building, with a black marble staircase leading up to the upper floors. A glance up revealed that the upper floors were both open in the middle, providing a balcony that over looked the staircase, a second set of stairs directly above the first.. The stairs themselves split off at the top to form a walkway around the open ceiling.
"Bedrooms are on the top two floors, and your classroom is on the left here. The dining hall is on the right. Follow me to your bedrooms." Naomi snapped. She stormed up the stairs, the brothers following behind her at a slower pace. When she reached the top of the first set of stairs, she walked down the corridor to the foot of the second staircase, stopping to glare at the boys in warning to hurry up. Gabriel seemed to drag his feet more under her withering look, earning a prod from Castiel. When they finally reached her, she took off up the second set of steps, disappearing off to the left of the stairs. After a quick look around them, the brothers noticed a narrow hallway stretched off both sides, presumably leading to more bedrooms. They trailed after the miserable woman down to the end of the second hallway, where she stopped in front of two doors across from each other. A third, narrower door was set into the wall between them. She pointed to the door on the right of the hallway, indicating it was Gabriel's room. Castiel's was across the hall, on the left.
"Unpack your bags. You will find four sets of school uniform, the shirts, pants and jackets are hung in the closet, ties and belt are in the dresser, and your shoes are at the end of your bed. You will wear your uniform every day, and your regular clothes are only for Friday and Saturday nights after dinner. A semi weekly inspection will be done after classes. There are personal washrooms in each bedroom. You are not to enter into another's bedroom, under any circumstances. When you are finished unpacking, change into a uniform and return downstairs to the classroom. You will meet your classmates and join them for the remainder of class before dinner. Get to it." With a click she turned and disappeared back down the hallway.
"I think I might kill someone," Gabriel said with a grimace.
"Don't worry, I'll help you." Castiel glared after her, determined to resist the urge to yell obscenities after her.
"Come on," Gabriel clapped him on the shoulder. "We better do what she says before she has another cow." This got a slight twitch of Castiel's lips as he attempted a smile, but it was more of a scowl than a smile. Castiel turned and opened the door to his new room, stopping as he saw what lay behind the door.
It was a fair size room, but it was far from fancy. It had a single sized bed pushed up against the wall halfway across the room, and the far side of the room made up a small bathroom. A little corner shower stood on the far left side of the room, with an enclosed toilet next to it, a single basin sink next to it. A wooden shelf rested above the sink, with a small mirror poised above that. Stepping further into the room, Castiel noticed a closet set into the wall across from the bed, and a four drawer dresser in the corner by the door on the same side as the bed. A window was set into the wall between the bed and dresser, and in the opposite corner was a wooden desk with a basic chair. There was no personality to the room at all, and Castiel doubted he would be allowed to give it any, and with two inspections a week, he knew he couldn't even sneak it in.
With a resigned sigh, Castiel pushed the door closed as he headed towards the bed, dropping his backpack onto it. He had only been allowed to bring two changes of clothes, a change of pajamas, and his personal hygiene products. He took his time strolling around the room, putting items away one at a time. Eventually he ran out of things to put away, so he grabbed a change of clothes out of the closet. He dropped the uniform on the bed, giving it a glare as he shucked his jeans and T-shirt. The white uniform shirt was slightly scratchy against his chest, but he ignored it as he pulled the dark blue slacks on, and was surprised to find them comfortable and almost soft. Without the belt they barely stayed on his hips, so he quickly tightened it. The white shirt was probably supposed to be tucked in, but he really didn't care, leaving it untucked as he slid into the equally blue jacket. He took a quick look at the tie, opting to throw it in his pocket rather than fight with it. He grabbed the shoes, an ugly black pair, and slid them on quickly, heading to the door just as he heard Gabriel's door close again.
"Hey Ca-" Gabriel was mid shout when Castiel's bedroom door flew open.
"I hate this," was all Castiel said in response as he stormed past Gabriel, slamming the door behind him.
"Don't you look like shit," Gabriel chuckled. "You know it's supposed to be tucked in right?"
"Yep. And?"
"Nothing. Hey, where's your tie? You're going to get yelled at."
"Yep. And?" Gabriel sighed. Castiel had these moods where if he didn't want to do something, he wasn't going to do it. So if he didn't want to wear the proper uniform, no amount of coaxing would make him. They descended the stairs in silence, Gabriel hoping Castiel would quit being so stubborn and fix his uniform, but gave up on that hope when they reached the main floor. He shot his little brother one last worried look before striding ahead of him in the direction Naomi had indicated the classroom was in. He went through the entryway and down a long corridor with a couple doors leading off it. Castiel glanced in the door on the right of the hallway, discovering a small half bathroom, with just a toilet and sink, while Gabriel peeked into the room a few feet down from it on the left. It was a small den area, with three couches pushed together, two in a V shape, with the third flush against one wall. Across from the third couch was a small desk with a computer on it. To the right of the door was a large television on a wooden stand, with a DVD player tucked onto a shelf under it. They continued down the hall to where it opened up into the classroom.
Calling it a classroom was generous. It was actually more like an office than a classroom. Two long boardroom type tables spanned the length of the room parallel to each other, with about twelve chairs around each table. What Gabriel recognized as a SMARTBoard, an electronic white board, covered the majority of the far wall, with bay windows on either side of it, and along one side of the room. There were five other boys sitting in various spots around the room, heads down and concentrating on their work. There were two boys with light blond hair, even lighter than Gabriel's, one with dirty blonde hair and piercing green eyes which seemed to burn a hole through Gabriel as he glared at him, and one with black hair and a short beard. The one that caught Gabriel's attention had shaggy brown hair and bright, hazel eyes. He glanced up at the brothers as they entered, giving them a small smile before returning his eyes to his work.
"Mr Novak! Fix your uniform immediately!" A man barked from the far corner of the room, where he sat at his desk over seeing the working boys. Gabriel glanced down at himself before he realized that Castiel was the one being yelled at. Castiel rolled his eyes as all the students looked up to watch him. He pulled his jacket open, reaching around to start tucking his shirt in from the back, part of his stomach being exposed in the process. Gabriel didn't miss when the green eyed guy seemed riveted to his brother's motions, unable to tear his gaze away.
'Well, I know what he's in for.' Gabriel thought with a smirk. The brown haired guy who caught Gabriel's eye was sitting directly across from him, and used that in order to kick the green eyed one, getting his attention. They shot each other annoyed looks, before the green eyed man's expression shifted into an amused one, sending a wink across the table, and receiving what could only be described as a bitch face from the latter.
"Where's your tie?" The teacher barked again.
"I don't know how to put on a tie." Castiel said simply.
"That's not what I asked, Novak." Castiel pulled his tie out of his pocket, dropping it onto the table the two guys sat at. Green eyes' lips twitched as he suppressed a smirk, earning him another swift kick from the guy across the table. The other three watched the exchange in silence, not bothering to pretend to do their work anymore.
"Does that answer your question?" Castiel sniped, earning another glare from the teacher.
"Why can't your brother help you then?" The teacher demanded, turning his glare on Gabriel.
"Uh, hello, have you seen mine? I tied it in a simple knot, and I'm pretty sure that's not how it's done." Gabriel added, tugging his tie into view. The teacher sighed, throwing his hands up in surrender.
"Someone help those two." He snapped. Green eyes stood up, almost too quickly and made his way to Castiel, while the shaggy haired one across from him shook his head, rolling his eyes. When the three at the other table didn't bother to move, shaggy hair got up and strode over to Gabriel. He was easily a foot taller than Gabriel, a fact that should have made him feel intimidated, but only piqued his interest more. He could just hear Castiel and green eyes whispering to each other. He saw them out of the corner of his eyes, smiling at each other and more than likely flirting.
'Great, get tossed in a religious prison for being gay, and my brother manages to hit on the only other gay guy in here.' Gabriel thought with an eye roll, returning his attention to the giant of a man in front of him.
"Hey moose, the name's Gabriel. Although my friends sometimes call me Loki, depending on my mood," Gabriel introduced himself in a whisper, winking at the tall man in front of him, whose hands were drifting over his shoulder a lot for someone who was supposed to be tying his tie.
"Sam," he said with an eye roll. He finished with the tie, smoothing his hands down the front of Gabriel's jacket before turning away. Gabriel stood rooted to the spot, trying to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. Ok, so maybe Cassie hadn't found the -only- other gay guy. He continued to stare after Sam, who slid back into his seat, shooting Gabriel a wink.
"Winchester, what's the hold up?" The teacher snapped again, the green eyed man jerking back suddenly.
"Sorry sir, just finished up. Do you know how hard it is to tie a brand new tie? They never want to crease the right way. Gotta break 'em in, you know?" He grinned at the teacher.
"Dean, just shut up and sit down," Sam hissed. Dean rolled his eyes, returning to his seat across from Sam.
"Now," the teacher said, standing up and crossing the room. "Which of you is which?" He asked, looking between them.
"I'm Castiel," they both said, Gabriel turning to look at Castiel with mock horror. "Gabriel, why would you lie to him? He seems like such a nice man who doesn't deserve your tricks." Gabriel said, succeeding in holding his face together, that is, until Sam snickered. Gabriel's face cracked as he began to laugh. Man, if he found that funny he was way more stressed out about the whole thing than Castiel had originally thought.
"Fine, if that's how you want to be, -Castiel-," the teacher retorted, putting emphasis on the name as he glared between the brothers. "Then you can play clone tonight while you clean the kitchen for your detention. Now sit down!" He yelled. Castiel scowled at Gabriel, moving to take a seat next to Dean. Gabriel followed, all sense of humor completely gone, and sat beside Sam, on his other side so he wasn't directly across from his little brother's death glare. If looks could kill, that's for sure.
"Thanks a lot, Gabe," Castiel snarled quietly as the teacher dropped a textbook in front of them both.
"I wouldn't worry too much about it Cas, chances are Sammy and I will do something stupid before then and have to help you guys. Besides, it's never actually that messy in there." Castiel smiled at him, squeezing his leg under the table as thanks for the reassurance, a gesture that was not lost on Gabriel.
"I guess dear old Mommy and Daddy didn't really know what they were doing when they sent us here, huh Cassie?" Gabriel winked at his brother, who only glared back in return. Yeah, he was going to die in his sleep tonight.