This story is dedicated to all those who have been involved in an abusive relationship. Just know that there are people willing to help you and I hope if any of my readers feel this story describes their relationship, they seek help.

Castiel and Dean meet, fall in love, and then everything turns sour. Join me in the tale to telling a story that could help you better understand people's minds in these situations. Hopefully you'll know how to handle them yourself if you need to.

Also, if anyone needs someone to talk, I am always here. I love you guys and I hope everyone is okay.

Chapter one word count: 1,830
Pairing: Dean/Castiel


If you put a frog in boiling water it will jump out. If you put a frog in water and slowly heat it up to the boiling point, it will stay there until it dies.

The sky was tinged with a dark, gray looking blue color. The hung thick and you could smell the rain in the air.

Castiel stood outside the coffee shop he worked out, staring at the sky. He liked rainy days. And he liked it even more when there was a storm. He was waiting for the thunder to roll in.

The coffee shop he worked at was a small, hole in the wall place. It only needed two workers on a normal day. "Heavenly Coffee" was the name and it was being put in the process of becoming a chain.

"Castiel, bro. What the hell are you doing?" Castiel cast a look on his co-worker, Gabriel. "Dude, stop being creepy and pensive and get your ass inside. You're going to get electrocuted out here." He stared at the sky.

"Why is that such a bad thing?" Castiel mused nonchalantly and Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"Alright enough there, we can John Coffey your ass later now get inside, we still have a few more hours." Castiel sent him a sideways look and sighed, pushing himself off the side of the building and dragging his feet back inside.

"Were you really concerned for my well-being?" Castiel asked with a pointed look and Gabriel smiled.

"I'm always concerned about you, Castiel. You're so fragile and I don't want someone to kidnap you." Castiel gave him a sour look and sat down at one of the tables. "You alright there, Governor?"

"Fine, I suppose." Was the muttered reply. Not a moment after, it started to rain. Small droplets at first, then it started pouring.

Castiel walked to the window and stared upwards, watching the rain fall down. Gabriel laughed at the people on the sidewalks who started running in an attempt to find shelter.

"You're an ass." Castiel said bluntly.

"Schadenfreude." Was the simple reply. Gabriel took a seat and continued giggling to himself.

With a loud clap of thunder and a flash of lightning across the dark sky, the door opened aggressively and Castiel and Gabriel's attention snapped to the door.

Standing in the door frame was a man, average height and hair darkened with water. He was drenched, head to toe and Gabriel, with no common courtesy, burst out laughing at the man's misfortune.

Castiel sent Gabriel a look but stood up and walked behind the counter.

"Was there something I could get for you?" He asked in a monotone. The stranger kept staring at Gabriel who was crying at this point. He finally rolled his eyes and approached the counter with a smile that could melt someone's heart.

"Yes you could. Can I please get a coffee. Black." He asked and turned around, leaning against the counter. Castiel pulled out his marker, not really caring there was no one else in the store, he maintained his appointed rules.

"Name?" He looked back at Castiel with kind of a smug grin.

"How about you just put your number on it instead?" Castiel could feel his ears and cheeks slowly burn and he looked down at the counter, not knowing how to respond do that.

"Um... I... uh..." He then stared at him awkwardly and the man chuckled, eyes glowing with mirth.

"Dean. My name is Dean." He stared at Castiel's name tag. "Ca-steal." He struggled with the name, eyes squinted. Castiel cleared his throat.

"Castiel. Like the angel of Thursday..." He corrected and Dean grinned at him again.

"Oh, an angel, huh? Is that what makes this coffee so heavenly?" He teased and the blush that finally went away was now brighter than before. Gabriel still sat in the corner giggling like a moron. Castiel, still being socially awkward just stared at Dean like a deer in headlights. He still didn't write Dean's name or his phone number on the cup.

Eventually Castiel inhaled and calmed himself down enough to shakily write 'Dean' on the cup and filled it with coffee. He handed it to Dean and he pulled out his wallet and cursed to himself as he pulled out a wad of sopping wet bills.

"Don't worry. It's on me." Castiel blurred out and Dean gave him another grin.

"Thank you, Cas." Castiel raised an eyebrow. Cas? Is he calling him Cas because he can't pronounce his name or is this a nickname? Castiel never had a nickname before... Actually, Gabriel gave him a few but they weren't very nice...

Dean grabbed the marker from Castiel and took a stray receipt paper and wrote his number down. He then pulled out one of the wet dollar bills and put both into the tip jar and winked at Castiel who stared wide-eyed the whole time.

"Text me, huh?" He grabbed his coffee and walked to the door. He then turned to Castiel. "I mean it." He pointed with a look of determination and gave a cute grin and walked out of the cafe, into the rain.

"Well..." Gabriel broke the silence, looking at Castiel stare at the door even moments after Dean took his leave. "If you weren't gay, I think you are now."

"Shut up, Gabriel..." Castiel grunted and took out the paper and stared at it.

"Looks like someone has a date~!" Gabriel teased and Castiel ignored him just staring at the paper.

He'd never been on a date before. No one really showed him any interest. This was weird for him. Especially with someone as handsome as Dean. There's only one thing Castiel could come up with.

"This is some form of a prank." He announced to himself. Gabriel rose from his seat and walked over to Castiel and smacked him upside the head.

"Are you serious? He was eying you like candy. And you know what I look like when I eye candy. So it was pretty impressive."

"There's no way this is a real phone number." Castiel responded as he continued to stare at it.

Even though he said it a bunch of times, it still made him happy that someone gave him their number. He felt... funny for the first time he knew what it was like to like someone.

&$#!)

A couple of days later, Castiel and Gabriel were cleaning up the store front. Castiel was wiping down the tables that were outside and Gabriel was cleaning windows.

Castiel hadn't responded to the number, thinking it was a fake. He believed no one could want to date someone as awkward as him and ignored Gabriel when he said otherwise. But Gabriel knew it was because Castiel was too afraid to get his heart broken or even be embarrassed.

So when Dean showed up a second time, Castiel was more than surprised.

"Dean?" He stared at Dean unblinkingly and looked extremely scary and awkward but Dean just laughed.

"You never called." He noted as he approached Castiel.

"I believe the terms were to text you." Castiel said quietly and continued to stare at Dean.

"You didn't do that either." Dean countered and Castiel looked at the ground awkwardly.

"I... believed that you had given me a fake number." Castiel replied simply and Dean looked offended.

"Why would I do that?" He asked and Gabriel gave them both an amused look and walked inside the building to give them more privacy.

"Because. No one would want to associate with me." Castiel said simply with no undertone. Just like he was stating a fact.

"I would. Now this time..." He walked closer to Castiel and handed him his phone. "You give me your number."

"How can you be so sure I won't give you a fake number?" Castiel asked curiously.

"Because." Dean smiled cheekily.

Castiel stared blankly at Dean's lame response and slowly took hold of the phone, waiting for Dean to snatch it back and carry it like it was a joke and laugh at him for falling for it. He stared at Dean for a few seconds while holding the phone before finally deciding to put his number in it. He then glanced up and noticed Dean already did him the favor of filling out his name. "Cas"

"Here." Castiel handed Dean the phone back. Dean smiled wide enough for it to rub off on Castiel.

"Oh look, you have dimples. How cute." Dean commented and Castiel looked away, embarrassed. "I'll text youlater." Dean then sauntered off and Castiel gave him a longing look before staring down at the rag he was holding and smiling to himself.

He walked inside a few moments later and kept checking his phone.

"Sheesh, he gave you his number a few days ago but now that he has yours you keep checking?" Gabriel teased. Castiel just stared at him blankly.

"I dislike you." Castiel murmured and Gabriel just smiled widely back at him.

"That's okay. I know deep down you love me."

A little while before closing was when Castiel got his first message from Dean. Without smiling, his face lit up and he cradled his phone as he stared in awe at the message that proved Dean was actually taking the time out of his day in order to talk to him. Dean actually wanted to talk to him. It wasn't a joke.

Castiel stared at the message for several minutes in amazement and when Gabriel asked what Dean said that was so liberating and he glanced at the screen. All that was written was "hey" and for the first time, Gabriel stared at Castiel like Castiel usually stared at him.

"Really?" You're going bonkers over a 'hey'? Are you kidding? You really are a virgin..." He scoffed and Castiel slowly turned his head to Gabriel and gave him a scathing look. Gabriel smiled innocently and pet his messy, bed-head looking black hair.

"I do not know what to say." Castiel finally said and Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"How about you say hello back?" The response was said sarcastically but Castiel nodded and typed back a simple hello. He placed the phone down on the counter and stared at it.

"A watched pot never boils." Gabriel teased and started to drain the coffee pots.

Gabriel watched in mild amusement as Castiel literally jumped when he heard his phone go off and grabbed it greedily and stared at the phone screen.

"Just ask him on a date. He clearly likes you." Gabriel said in a sing-song voice. Castiel chose to ignore him.

The text read "when do I get to see you again?" Castiel pondered the thought. He didn't know how to respond. He never really talked to someone with romantic intent. "I suppose whenever you feel the need to seek my presence" he responded after a while.

It felt nice to talk. He thought for a while and decided it could be good for him.


Be gentle. It's my first story.