Dean Winchester had never been one for unrequited, schoolboy crushes. When he liked a girl, he marched straight up to her and asked her on a date. The movies, a heated makeout session, and the couple would typically be over by the end of the week. Most girls still said yes to him, shocked that Dean Winchester actually likes me oh my God and hoping they'd be an exception to his pattern. They never were.
But that all changed the day he was late for science class. His dad had found out he'd been skipping some classes, so Dean tried to attend them all to get John off his back. As the bell rang, Dean's eyes widened. His dad was going to kill him if he missed another class. So he broke into an all-out sprint, hoping to make it before Mr. Singer took attendance.
He probably could have made it, too, if he hadn't run straight into another student.
"I'm so sorry!" Dean gasped, helping gather both of their books, which had scattered across the hall.
"It's okay," the boy replied. "I'm sorry, here, let me help."
"Thanks!" Dean nervously handed the boy his stack of books. He had never felt so nervous around someone before. "I'm Dean, by the way."
"Castiel." After a pause, he added, "Well, I should get to class…"
"Of course!" Dean said. "I'll see you around, Cas."
Castiel grinned at his new nickname before waving goodbye and walking in the opposite direction. Dean continued on, his mind occupied by the enigmatic Castiel.
Over the next few weeks, Cas and Dean became friends. Dean invited Cas to sit with him and his best friend Charlie at lunch. Dean almost felt bad at the fear in the other boy's eyes when he met the boisterous extrovert, but they all laughed it off.
After school let out, they exchanged numbers and kept meeting up at coffee shops and restaurants around Lawrence, usually without Charlie. One time, while at a cafe, their waitress gave them a smile and told them, "You two make a cute couple, you know."
"I - what - we're - no, we're not a couple," Dean stammered, while Castiel just looked down and blushed bright red.
"Oh, my mistake," she said, and left.
Dean gnawed on his lip, pondering the words of the waitress. He wasn't gay. He had dated many girls in the past.
But, with Cas…things felt different, but the same, too. He felt nervous around him, but he also, actually, maybe…
"Charlie, help." Dean said, sitting cross-legged on his bed, long after the coffee shop incident.
"What's wrong?" Charlie asked immediately.
"It's about Cas. I think…" Dean died off with a sigh. After a brief moment, he heard a gasp of realization from Charlie.
"You like him!"
"…Maybe…"
"Oh my God!" Charlie shrieked, so loud that Dean had to pull the phone away from his ear for a minute. "I ship you two so much!"
"Okay, slow down there, cowboy. I…this is all so new to me. Like, I'm straight. I was straight. Until, like, two hours ago. You were the only person I could think of coming to."
"Because I'm gay?"
"Because my father would kick me out, and Sammy would be no help and would probably just tease me for having a crush. Although you being gay helps."
Charlie snickered. "It has its perks. Like, that girl, Anna, who goes to our school? Damn! I'm totally gonna ask her out next year."
Dean laughed and shook his head. "Good for you. Back to the problem at hand?"
"Oh! Right." After a pause, she continued. "I guess, don't stress about it? Like, everything's all crazy and confusing, and only some people fit in a box and you don't have to be one of them? You can like both genders, it's called bisexual, Dean."
"I guess…"
"I'm just saying, don't stop yourself from liking him just because he's a guy. Besides, I totally think Cas is into you too."
"No, he's not."
"Yes, he is!" she reassured Dean. "Anyways, I gotta go. Peace out, bitch."
"Bye, Charlie." Dean ended the call and dropped his phone onto his bed. Maybe Charlie was right.
That was how, on the fourth of July, Dean found himself with Charlie, Cas, Anna, Sam, and Cas' brother Gabriel at the lake, carrying a handful of firecrackers and sparklers. Gabriel came with candy and they sat around the Winchesters' Impala chatting. Dean and Castiel leaned against the hood, Charlie and Anna sat on the back, and Gabe and Sam perched on the roof.
"Sammy, catch!" Dean called out, throwing a candy into the air. Sam lunged for it, mouth open, but missed and it fell into the dirt. Cas nearly fell off the car, laughing, and Dean grinned.
"Guys, I think it's dark enough!" Charlie said enthusiastically. "Let's go light 'em up!"
Everyone cheered, and Charlie pulled out the fireworks. She ran to the edge of the lake, and the group followed, carrying their own sparklers. Dean passed around a lighter, and everyone lit them up. Charlie pulled the string for the first party popper and sprinted backwards, screaming. It lit up in a small burst, and they cheered. Charlie started to light more, handing them out to the others. Dean glanced backwards as he went to light up his sparkler, and noticed Castiel sitting by himself on the hood of the Impala.
Dean made his way over, sitting next to him. "Hey, what's up?"
Cas shrugged. "They're being very loud." Dean laughed.
"They are, aren't they?" Dean pulled out his lighter again and lit both their sparklers. "Cheers," he joked, knocking his sparkler against Cas'. They sat next to each other, knees almost touching, watching the others run around cheering.
That's when Dean kissed him.
The rest of the world melted away, Charlie's whoops and the flashes of fireworks fading until it wasn't even there. It was just Cas and Dean, forever and ever.
Dean pulled back as he fully realizes what he'd done. Cas sat there, eyes wide.
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry -" Dean started, but Cas stopped him with another kiss.
And there was fireworks.
A/N: Thank you to anyone who favourited, followed, or reviewed my last story, I wasn't expecting so many! Anyways, here; have some Destiel.