Castiel was a man.
A young man.
As a young man, he believed that a young man should keep his emotions in control. He rarely showed his anger, although he showed his irritation quite often, and he never really exploded before. He couldn't recall a time when he felt sadness...at least, not recently. And loneliness? There was no such thing. He had Demon and Lysander...and Candy.
Candy. Now that was a source of entertainment.
Castiel clearly remembered the first day he met Candy. He even remembered what she was wearing. It wasn't love at first sight; not even close! But she stood out to him. She was a little shy but easily warmed up. All in all, she was pretty okay.
Supposedly she was an "ironing board" but Castiel knew better, especially when they spent that one summer at the beach. Especially then. He had to keep convincing himself that she was an ironing board to keep himself calm. As a young man, Castiel could care less if a girl showed her boobs to him. He could care less because to him, it was simply a cry for attention. But Candy? There was something about her that sent shivers down his spine every time he looked at her.
Then there were times when they ended up together coincidentally. The outing in the mountains (or the class trip from hell) wasn't his thing but seeing Candy in awe of nature...wasn't so bad. When she was Little Red Riding Hood, she was the cutest thing ever and Castiel had to fight back the urge to gobble her up (as the Big Bad Wolf...of course). And then there was the whole Deborah thing that was full of drama. By then, he suspected that Candy had some sort of crush on him. It was obvious, especially because of how hard she fought for him. He knew he had hurt her and made her cry with his words and decisions but when she forgave him and hugged him, Castiel began to think differently about her.
He liked spending time with her. The pet store...the picnic outing...even being in class with her was more than enough. Mr. Faraize even commented his approval of Castiel's improved attendance.
He was surprised when Candy invited him to dinner with her white haired friend and her boyfriend. He chuckled to himself as he observed her. Cheeks flushed a beautiful shade of red, fingers twirling nervously, and her teeth nibbling on her lips, Castiel knew she was nervous but damn, she looked good.
Of course he accepted.
He couldn't believe that he was actually nervous, though. The night of the dinner, Castiel actually spent hours looking for an outfit. For once, he wished he owned a larger variety in clothing. He tried on different pant and shirt combinations but finally decided on what he thought were the best pieces in his closet. He glanced at the clock and ran out the door. Of all days, he had to be late!
When he walked into the restaurant, his breath caught in his throat. Candy was beautiful and when she looked at him with a smile, he nearly dropped dead. Dinner turned out to be better than he expected and Candy's friend's boyfriend turned out to be a pretty cool guy. Of course, being the young man that he was, Castiel paid for himself and for Candy.
He wondered what to say when he walked Candy home. Should he be cool? Should he kiss her? His thoughts were immediately put on hold when they came home to Candy's livid parents. Candy's father scolded them harshly before ordering Candy to go inside the house.
"And you! Don't come near my daughter ever again!"
Castiel didn't care but somewhere in his heart, he was disappointed. He wanted Candy's father to like him...which was strange. He couldn't help but laugh as he walked home. A good girl like Candy snuck out? Now that was entertaining.
When she saw him at school, though, she was acting a little strangely. She walked in as he and Lysander were discussing their music business. When Lysander asked Candy for her opinion, Castiel simply shook his head. What could a non-musician know about writing lyrics and composing music? Her answer surprised him, though, and he quickly made a note not to underestimate her anymore. Still, something about her was off.
He ran into her after lunch and she asked if he wanted to walk to the gym with her; the principal had announced over the PA system for everyone to gather there for an important announcement. Castiel agreed but he wanted to know what was bothering her.
So he asked.
He knew, from her expression, that it was true.
She was in love with him.
Her expression turned sour and she turned to walk away, tears threatening to spill. He called her name and she demanded to be left alone.
But Castiel wasn't having that. He wasn't going to let her go. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace.
He kissed her.
To his relief, she returned the kiss.
He didn't know what was going to happen. At this point, anything could happen. She could reject him. He could suddenly change his mind. She could suddenly change her mind. They might have a Romeo-and-Juliet romance. Their feelings for each other might grow stronger.
Castiel made up his mind. He would take on whatever challenge came his way whether it be circumstance, people, or parents. All he knew was that with his love, Candy, by his side, he could conquer the world.