Cas!" Jimmy called up to his twin as he sifted through the letters he had gathered from the doormat. "The mail is here!"
He heard Castiel padding down the stairs and the younger twin nervously shuffled in to the kitchen where Jimmy was starting to prepare breakfast.
"I-Is there one from Stanford?" Castiel asked, wringing his hands together nervously.
"Uh...yeah" Jimmy said as he sat down with a plate of toast and pushed the pristine envelope across the table. "Well...aren't you going to open it?" He asked after Castiel spent some time staring at the letter like it might bite his hand off.
"They said no" Castiel mumbled as he sat down opposite his twin. "I just know they did."'
"Cas" Jimmy sighed. "When will you gain some self-confidence? You're so intelligent that any school would be lucky to have you. And if they have said no then I'm going to go down there myself and tell those pompous windbags that they've made a huge mistake."
Castiel offered his brother a small smile of gratitude.
"Will you open it for me?"
"If that's what you want" Jimmy said. Castiel nodded vigorously. "Okay, let's go and sit on the couch."
"So that you can console me when it says I'm not in?"
"No, so that when it says yes I can put you in headlock and ruffle your hair and say I told you so."
Once they had sat down again Castiel turned to Jimmy and waited with baited breath as the older twin ripped the envelope open.
"You're in."
"What?" Castiel said in shock as he ripped the letter from Jimmy's hands. His eyes widened as he read the words for himself. "I'm in!" He beamed.
He was engulfed in Jimmy's arms as the older twin hugged him tightly.
"I'm so proud of you, Cassie."
"Thank you" Castiel said. "I can't believe it."
"Well you should. Remember; you're the smart one and I'm the hot one."
Castiel laughed and closed his eyes contentedly as he melted into his brother's loving embrace.
"Uh, you can let go now" Castiel said awkwardly after an infeasible amount of time had passed; if anything Jimmy just clung on tighter though. "Jimmy?"
"I can't believe my baby brother is leaving me."
"Oh, Jimmy" Castiel said as he patted his twin's back sympathetically. "I'm not your baby brother."
"Of course you are!" Jimmy argued. "Those forty minutes count for everything."
"If you say so" Castiel replied; he knew it would be easier if he just relented. "Now, please let me go. I have to go and tell Dean!"
Jimmy reluctantly unfurled his arms from around his brother.
"If you think I reacted too clingy then Dean is going to be ten times worse" he claimed.
"What makes you say that?" Castiel asked.
Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Cas, please. You guys have been best friends since pre-school and if you're not with me then you're with him. Plus the fact he pines for you like a dog over a bone, and don't deny that you don't feel the same."
"What?" Castiel asked in clear surprise. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"I don't know why you haven't gotten together" Jimmy continued.
"I don't want to risk ruining years of friendship" Castiel replied despite himself. "I'd mess it up somehow. I know it."
"Confidence, Cas."
"Well it's easy for you to say but it's harder to gain!"
Jimmy sighed.
"I know. I'm sorry. I just want you to be happy."
"Well, I am happy with the way things are. I promise."
"Okay" Jimmy conceded with a small smile. "C'mon, I'll walk you to Dean's. I'm meeting Amelia anyways."
Castiel rolled his eyes.
"Do you want me to hold your hand when crossing the street too?" He asked.
"Mmm...we'll see how you do."
Castiel waved Jimmy off as he waited on Dean's doorstep.
It was Dean's little brother, Sam, who answered.
"Hello, Sam."
"Hey, Castiel." He turned to shout up the stairs. "Jerk! Cas is here!"
"Well then let him come up, bitch!" Dean called back.
"Knock before you go in his room" Sam warned as he stepped aside.
"Yes, I know" Castiel replied with an amused smirk.
He bounded up the stairs and found that Dean's door was in fact open and he was lying on his bed, chewing a pen and looking pensively at one of the numerous books scattered around him.
"Cas! Thank god you're here. I haven't even started my history essay yet."
"I'll help you later" Castiel promised. "First I have some pretty big news."
"Oh?" Dean said as he carelessly pushed all of his books onto the floor so that Castiel could sit down. "What is it?" He asked; he looked like he didn't know if he should be anxious or excited.
"I got accepted in to Stanford" Castiel told him with a small smile.
He was taken by surprise when Dean tackle hugged him and they fell back onto the bed.
"I knew you would, smartass!"
"Thanks" Castiel laughed.
"I bet you'll be happy to hang around people as intelligent as you instead of dumb ole me."
"Dean, you're not stupid" Castiel said sincerely. "And I'll miss you. I'll miss you a lot" he said quietly.
He'd been so caught up in his pride for Castiel that Dean hadn't even stopped to think this would mean he was moving thousands of miles away.
"I'll miss you too" Dean said as he bumped their foreheads together. "You have to promise to Skype me every day!"
"I will" Castiel chuckled. "I assume I'll have to make Jimmy the same promise."
"Jeez, how'd he take it?"
"He's happy for me but...I think it'll take him some time to adjust. Hopefully he'll keep busy with his sales apprenticeship and seeing Amelia but...it'll be hard for me too without him. Without both of you."
Dean squeezed Castiel harder when he heard him trying to fight back sniffles.
"You're going to do great, Cas" he assured the smaller teen. "And we'll be right here waiting for you if you need us."
Castiel nodded against Dean's chest.
"What have you decided to do your essay on then?" he asked in hope of elevating the atmosphere again.
"Yeah...I kinda...sorta...haven't?"
Castiel rolled his eyes fondly.
"Let me take a look then."
It was almost dinner time when Castiel left.
Sam was sat on the couch watching a documentary when he heard Dean and Castiel saying their goodbyes at the door. There was something in his brother's tone which was concerning.
When he heard the door click after Castiel left Sam looked over the back of the sofa and saw Dean resting his forehead solemnly against the wall.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Cas got accepted into Stanford" Dean mumbled. He walked over and rolled over the top of the sofa, plonking down next to his brother.
"Oh, good for him" Sam said. "You don't seem too happy about it though."
"I am! Of course I am; Stanford has always been his first choice. It's just..."
"You want to see him naked."
"God! Sammy" Dean grimaced as he shoved his brother's shoulder. "It's deeper than that, okay?"
"Well why don't you just tell him? If you let Cas leave without letting him know how you really feel then you're going to regret it."
"But what if Cas doesn't feel the same? He'll freak out and leave with this awkwardness between us; I don't want to lose him for good. Plus, if he does feel the same I don't want him to stay just because of me."
"Cas is smart. I'm sure he can make his own decisions about that" Sam reasoned. "And he does feel the same. As uncle Bobby would say, the two of you are just being idjits about it."
"You think?" Dean asked.
"I know."
"Jeez. What happened to my life that I had to start taking relationship advice from a fourteen year old?"
"Hey, Jess and I have been together for almost a year now-"
"Alright, Romeo" Dean teased. He looked back at the TV and frowned. "You're such a nerd. Why can't you watch cartoons like a normal kid?"
"Like the smutty kind you watch?"
"Dude, it's anime! And-"
"Dean?"
"Yeah?"
"You're stalling" Sam claimed. "Go and talk to Cas. It'll be fine."
"Yeah" Dean sighed. "You're right. I can't wait to tell him any longer. Thanks, Sammy." He ruffled his brother's hair before rolling over the back of the sofa again.
"Hey! Jerk."
"Bitch."
Dean stood on Castiel's doorstep pacing for a good ten minutes. No matter his many different ways he planned what he wanted to say it never sounded right, or like it was enough.
"It's just Cas" Dean reminded himself. "You're about to announce your undying love to him, but it's still just Cas."
He took one last deep breath before rapping his knuckles shakily on the door.
"Oh, hey Dean" Castiel answered the door.
"Cas! Listen there's something really important I have to tell you."
"Whoa, wait a sec-"
"No, I can't stand it anymore. Please, this is the biggest chick-flick moment of my life and just need you to listen-"
"But, I'm not-"
"Cas" Dean said as he gripped the smaller teen's shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes. Castiel looked extremely alarmed. "I know that we've been best friends since we were kids but I've come to realise over the past few years that what I feel for you is more than friendship, and I couldn't just let you leave without telling you that I...I love you Castiel. I really love you."
"Um...okay" Castiel said uncertainly as he removed himself from Dean's grip.
Dean felt his heart shatter into a million pieces.
"That's really sweet and all but...you maybe want to tell that to Cas now, jackass?"
Dean frowned at first with confusion, but as the realisation sunk in his eyes slowly widened.
"You're Jimmy."
"Yeah, great work, Columbo."
"Oh" Dean said looking down at the floor and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
"I did try to tell you."
"Could we um...maybe forget this ever happened?"
"No" Jimmy said as he folded his arms and leaned on the doorway. "You tell me you're in love with my little brother and expect me to not make sure you're legit first?"
"Jimmy, of course I'm legit."
"Really? Because I would have hoped that if you're as in love with Cas as you say you are you'd at least be able to know if you were talking to him or not."
"I was just caught up in the moment with my emotions and everything" Dean argued. "Of course I can usually tell. Jimmy I...I need to tell Cas how I feel and I hope...I hope that he feels the same."
Jimmy sighed. He of course knew Castiel did feel the same, and as protective as the older twin was he would be damned if he stood in the way of Castiel's happiness.
"If you ever hurt him I will sting you to a flagpole by your testicles. I'd make sure God was cool with it."
"Um...okay" Dean replied unsurely.
Jimmy stepped aside.
"He's out back."
Dean gave the older twin an appreciative nod before heading into the kitchen and out the patio doors.
Castiel was laid back on the grass under a tree in the corner of the garden watching the bees going about their daily business.
"Mind if I join you?" Dean asked as he sat down.
"Dean" Castiel said with clear surprise as he rolled onto his side. "What are you doing here?"
"I have something important to say."
"What is it?"
Dean thought he was going to choke again, but when he looked down into those beautiful crystalline eyes he knew that no matter what everything would be okay in the end.
"I love you, Castiel" Dean said softly as he reached out to run a gentle hand through the smaller teen's soft hair.
He wasn't expecting Castiel to surge forward and press their lips together.
Dean rolled onto his back and pulled Castiel so that he was almost on top of him. Their legs became entwined as they slowly yet lustfully crusaded against each other's lips.
"I guess I can take that as a you love me too?" Dean asked once they pulled apart to take a breath.
"Of course" Castiel beamed. "For years."
"It sucks that it just took us this long to act on it" Dean said. "I mean, now you're leaving-"
"I don't want to go."
"What?" Dean asked in shock. "Cas, no! You have to go. It's what you've always wanted-"
"No, what I've always wanted is you" Castiel claimed. "I can't leave you, or Jimmy, I'd be miserable!"
"Cas, you'll make new friends."
"I don't want to! Call me a coward or whatever but I'm not ready to move away. I'm happy to know I was able to get into Stanford but I know I'd be happier over all if I stayed here. I already got into the local college too. And I...I want to be in a relationship with you, and we both know long distance rarely lasts."
"Well...if it is what you really want" Dean said. "And you're not a coward. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be home."
"I'm sure that I want to stay because I know for certain that I'm happy here" Castiel explained.
"Okay" Dean said with a somewhat relieved smile. "Can we make out again now?"
"As much as we want" Castiel promised.