Summary:
Dean Winchester is the best male pointe dancer in the US and one of the best in the world. His goal is to dance in Paris, at the Paris Opera Ballet School to be able to participate in the Paris Opera Ballet. It is the most prestigious ballet in the world and Dean will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Getting into the ballet school will be easy but getting a role in the ballet is a bit more complicated. His instructor is none other than Castiel Novak and his whole fate lies in his hands. Mr. Novak is hard to please, a strict teacher and does not in any way like Dean. Dean must work his way to the top through fifteen other dancers competing for his role. However, the odds may be stacked against him, Dean is willing to do whatever is needed to impress Castiel. Against his best efforts, Cas finds himself falling for the dancer. But what happens if Dean was merely playing Castiel for the part?
Prologue
Warnings for Prologue: homophobic slurs, minor character death
Dean was five years old when he had seen his first ballet. Mary Winchester, his mother, had been excited to take him while John stayed home with Sam. Dean remembered watching in awe as the ballerinas danced across the stage. He became even more interested when the only male dancer came out on stage. Mary was rather glad to see her boy take such interest in the ballet. On their way home that night, Dean had a multitude of questions for her. Mary had been patient and answered each one to the best of her abilities. There were millions of things Dean wanted to know though that she couldn't answer due to her lack of knowledge.
"Why was there only one boy dancer, Mommy?"
The question caught her a bit off guard, but she launched into an answer anyways. "Just because ballet isn't popular among boys."
"Why wasn't he on his toes like the pretty ladies were?"
"Because the boy dancers don't dance like that."
"Well, I want to. I want to dance just like them," he declared with great determination.
Mary smiled in the mirror at her son. "Then you dance like them, Dean. You do whatever you want."
Less than a month later, Mary enrolled Dean into dance lessons. John was not happy with that choice. Dean, however, enjoyed it more than anything. Even at home, he would dance. He even tried to dance while reading a book for school. It did not end well.
About four years later, Mary grew very ill. The doctors said she wouldn't live long. The entire family was devastated and when the medical bills hit, John more than once wondered how they were going to make it. Dean had offered to quit his dance lessons, but Mary insisted that he continue in it. She had seen him while he trained; he was free and relaxed. She knew that soon enough he would need the escape.
"Don't ever forget your dreams, Dean. I know one day you'll be the best there is," she had told him a few days before she passed away.
Dean had held tight to her hand, trying not to cry and nodded. "I promise you I won't."
The day Mary Winchester died, both of her boys and her husband were by her side. When the plug was pulled, Sam had clung to John whilst Dean… Dean was quick to run out of the room and out of the hospital in general. His uncle picked him up a few blocks away, taking him home. Dean didn't speak, and Bobby did not try to make him do so. The boy was silent in the days that followed, only asking John for a ride to the studio each morning about eight and then a ride home around five. He spent from opening to close there until the day of the funeral.
Sooner than anyone wanted, the three Winchesters watched as Mary's casket was lowered into the ground. Sam was so confused about why they had to put Mommy in the ground. John cried for the loss of his wife and his boys' mother. Dean, well, let's just say that Dean was emotionless. He stood there for several minutes after everyone had left, just staring, until John came back to pick him up and carry the boy to the car. Dean still refused to speak.
The next few months were rough. John continued paying for Dean's classes, but that was about it. He could barely pay all the bills and when he got laid off from work things got much worse. Dean found himself attending less and less of his lessons because he had to care for Sam. Between being unable to pay for all the bills and still not having recovered completely from Mary's death, John ended up becoming nothing more than a useless drunk and when Christmas time came, Bobby ended up taking both of the boys out of caution and worry.
Moving in with Bobby caused their situation to improve drastically. No longer did they have to worry about coming home to John in a drunken rage or wondering where their next meal might come from. Bobby was a savior in that way. Dean was able to dance more, and Sam tried it out as well only to discover that he preferred swimming. Bobby was supportive, and everything seemed to be going right for once.
He was about sixteen when he tried en pointe ballet for the first time. It was no easy feat and Dean struggled through the whole practice. Once the instructor had dismissed the class, the first thing Dean did was sit down on a bench, take off his pointe shoes, and soak his feet. He was the only male in the class and suddenly he understood why. Dancing en pointe was hard, but he didn't dare give up. He had not come all this way for nothing.
When he performed in his first recital on pointe, several months later, he made a few discoveries. First off, he learned that performing under pressure took a whole new meaning when you were the male lead and on pointe. Secondly, the side male character was fairly attractive, and he was thankful that his costume did a fairly good job at hiding his attraction while he was dancing.
Practices continued, feelings grew, and one day when Bobby couldn't pick him up and his car was broken, John Winchester walked in on his son kissing Liam Jones. The next thing Dean knew was being yanked back by the collar of his jacket, leaving behind a confused Liam. He was practically thrown into the back of the car, flinching as his back hit the seats.
"You fucking fag!" John screamed at Dean once they had gotten to the house. "I should've known that damn ballet would turn you gay! I should have never let Mary take you that night!"
Being called a fag hurt. Having his passion being blamed hurt even more. But blaming Mary Winchester was where Dean drew the line. "Don't talk about her that way! She did nothing wrong!" he shouted.
"I'll talk about her any way I please, boy! Don't tell me what to do in my own house!"
"Don't talk about my mom that way then!"
The last thing Dean was aware of was the pain of John's fist connecting with his face before light itself became a foreign concept.
When Dean awoke, Sam was holding an ice pack to his forehead. He could feel the tension release from his brother when their eyes met.
"Dean! Thank God! Bobby found you passed out in Dad's house. What happened?" he hugged Dean tightly.
Groaning in slight pain, he hugged his brother back. "Hey, Sammy. Careful here. I'm okay. Dad and I just got into a fight."
"About what?"
"Umm… Well Sam, uh, I guess I should tell you… I- I like boys and he kind of caught me kissing a boy at the studio," he whispered, looking down at his hands.
He feared Sam's reaction more than anyone else's. If his father hated him for this, that was okay. But Sam… Sam mattered. If Sam didn't approve, then maybe he really was what his dad had called him.
"He beat you up for being gay?" Sam exclaimed. "I'm so sorry, Dean."
"Don't be, Sammy. I should've seen it coming. But… Are you okay with it?" he asked quietly.
"Of course, I am! Dean, you are my brother and I love you and nothing can ever change that."
"Thank you, Sam. Thank you…"
Liam and Dean dated a bit, but not much happened otherwise between them. Over several years, many big changes happened. Dean became one of the top dancers in the US, traveling countrywide for recitals now. He even ended up applying for the best ballet school in the world; the Paris Opera Ballet. Waiting for the response had been torture and he remembered the day it had come clearly.
Dean had been training day in and day out as he waited on his acceptance letter. He had surprisingly been home the day the letter had come.
"Dean! Mail's here," Sam called to his older brother.
Dean's door opened, and he rushed out to meet the mail lady, who smiled at him politely. "Yes Dean, I have your letter. I hope it holds good news," she laughed and placed the letter, along with a magazine and a bill in his hand.
"Thank you!" he exclaimed, waved and rushed back in. "Sammy! It's here, it's here, it's here!"
His brother laughed, not having seen Dean this happy since he'd gotten the role he had fought so hard for a year ago. "So, I see," he said and took the other pieces of mail. "Going to see what it says or is that just a mystery?"
Dean sneered slightly at Sam as he sat down on the couch. A lip slid in between his teeth, as he stared at the envelope. "What if..." he was quickly cut off by Sam.
"Give that here," Sam ripped the letter from Dean's hands and opened it.
"Dean Winchester, thank you for your application to the Paris Opera Ballet School. We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted for a sixteen-week trial period. Please note we may cancel your trial period at any point during the sixteen weeks. However, if you make it to the end, you will receive an invite to join the official company. We ask you arrive here in Paris at least three days before the first of April to allow you time to explore the city and to settle in, as you will not have much opportunity once your sixteen weeks start. We can't wait to work with you. -Castiel Novak, Head Master, and Instructor."
Dean gaped at Sam. "I- I... I was accepted! I got in Sam, I got in!" he exclaimed, hugging the other man tightly.
"You were! Great job! You're going to do great! I know you will! Though you better write. I'm gonna miss you," he laughed.
The thrill of the fact that Dean was finally going to get the chance to dance at the school of his dreams made him want to walk on the ceiling. "I'll miss you too, but Paris Sam! Paris! I'm going to Paris!"
It wasn't more than two weeks later when Dean was carrying two bags up the stairs of the school. He settled in quickly before changing and making his way to meet the instructor for the first time. He had just finished warming up he walked in and every dancer scrambled to the bar. Unruly black hair and the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen, Dean was instantly enchanted. Then he heard his voice.
"First position. Second, third, fourth, and rest in fifth," the instructor called out the basic steps quicker than Dean had ever heard any instructor do, making almost every student rush through them. "Congratulations on making it this far. You are now part of the best ballet school in the world. This makes you sixteen of the best dancers in the world. As you know, men dancing en pointe is a difficult career to get in. I, Castiel Novak, shall be your headmaster and instructor. Only one of you will be picked to dance in the Paris Opera Ballet. There will be an elimination each week. You will undergo training each day. You are to have limited contact with the outside world during training periods. Whilst the judges for each elimination round are to announce which of you shall be out, in the end, I have final say. So again! First position! Second, third, fourth, and rest in fifth!"
And at that moment, Dean instantly knew that he was doomed.
Hi everyone! Here's my latest story! I hope y'all enjoyed! I promise there is more to come soon! This is also on Ao3. Dedicated to my friend Riversong1992 on there, Deangirl1992 on here. Also, it is beta read by MelancholySepaph on there. Thank you for reading and please review!
Best Regards,
SPN221B