Challenge at end of chapter!

'Things could have gone worse,' Dean thought as he stood close beside Castiel, awaiting the final scores for all three celebrity couples competing.

Dean swallowed, his hand on the doorknob. The cameras weren't on him yet, thankfully. The network had only recently announced that this season of Dancing with the Stars would be featuring two same-sex couples for the first time. With the door shut the only ones who knew that he was one of the people in those couples were himself, his family, or the network contacts that he'd been talking to.

Coming out had been a lot better than he thought it would. His brother had shrugged and said that he'd already known. His words were exactly, "I shared a room with you for our entire childhoods, Dean. I know more about you than you do." Ellen had raised her brow at him as Bobby sipped from his beer and then said, making him spew his drink, "What you want to put your dick in isn't going to change how I think about you."

The public had been a little less inclined to accept the news, but when his teammates didn't make a big to-do about it, he couldn't bring himself to really care what people he didn't know were saying about him.

When the show runners had approached him about appearing on the show, he'd dismissed the idea immediately, while politely saying that he would think about it. He'd told Sam, thinking that they would laugh about it together and then forget it altogether, but, unexpectedly, the big girl actually thought about it.

Somehow Sam had talked him into it and he accepted the offer.

Dean's hand involuntarily tightened around the doorknob. He would meet his dance partner on the other side of the door. And be constantly watched by cameras to air on national television from that moment on.

He turned his hand and stepped in.

Dean and Sam might have had a marathon of every season of the show after he accepted. He knew every veteran dance partner by face and name. He instantly recognized Castiel Novak.

The dark haired man was easily more attractive in person. He stood in the middle of the studio, slight frown on his face and arms crossed in front of his chest.

Dean gulped.

He pasted a smile on his face and crossed over to the dancer and shook his hand. He did his best to ignore the camera crew. "I'm Dean Winchester. Nice to meet you."

Castiel nodded. "Castiel Novak," he said, his deep voice tinted with the accent of his birth country. It wasn't the thickest Russian accent that Dean had ever heard, but it was noticeable enough to make the dancer more exotically handsome. "Would you like to sit down?"

He nodded and Castiel led them to a pair of plain folding chairs in the corner. They sat down and the dancer stared at him for a moment before speaking.

"Do you have a goal in mind for your season on the show?"

Dean nodded. "I want to show people that just because a guy is gay it doesn't make him any less manly. I want to be myself."

Castiel's head bobbed. "Yes, that'll work." He leaned forward and rubbed his knee. "I've heard of you before and how much that people like that you don't pretend to be anything that you're not. Why not use that?"

"How?"

"For a start, the music that we will dance to. Instead of traditional or pop music, we can use classic rock."

Dean nodded, smile spreading across his face. "No one's done that before."

Castiel shrugged. "I can only speak for myself, but I don't think we've had quite as good an opportunity. There is another thing. We have a chance that traditional couples do not in this competition. Typically, the male partner leads the dance, but there are two of us. I suggest that we alternate, so that we're not labeled into roles."

Dean clapped, laughing. "I like it! That'll be awesome. Though, for the first dance, I'd prefer if you'd take the lead, since I'm new to this."

"I can do that," the dancer agreed. He stood and held his hand out to Dean. "Shall we begin?"

Dean took the man's soft hand in his and let him help him up. "What do you want me to do first?"

Sorry about the information dump. Just wanted to get something out there. The next chapter should cover the first night and introduce the other dancers and the judges. Sparks are going to fly and romances will be kindled in this.

Thanks for reading this far! The music is pretty important to this and will set the mood for each dance! I've picked out the first dance and song, but not for the others. So think of your favorite classic music and a ballroom dance to go with it. I'll listen to all suggestions! Ballroom dances can be found on the Dancing with the Stars summaries of each season for a start. Either leave a comment or contact me over on tumblr. I go by liznight and the title should read I'm Annoying my Roommate. (That's a story for another time!) See you guys in the next installment!