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'And don't you just want to punch Lestrade sometimes? I mean, it's like, yeah, the guy's smarter than you, get the fuck over it.'
Castiel smiles as Dean gabbles.
'I'm pleased you've taken such a liking to it.'
'And reading it's your homework?' asks Dean for the fiftieth time, trying to comprehend how this is possible.
'Well, I've already read all of them, but I wasn't exactly going to turn down the opportunity to have another look through them,' grins Castiel.
They sit on the same table as before. Kayleigh, the new girl, seems positively thrilled when Dean asks her to cover for him, desperate for more responsibility. After he'd given Castiel his book back (to great relief), he'd grabbed a couple of cokes and parked up next to the dark haired boy, desperate to discuss the book. He'd read it all in one evening, an astonishing feat considering the weeks it had taken for him to crawl through 'Of Mice and Men' at school.
'And the whole Mormon story thing! Oh my god, I could seriously have kept reading it forever.'
Castiel's smiling, and Dean's suddenly worried he's gone a bit overboard.
'Am I talking too much?'
'No, don't worry,' replies Castiel, a thoughtful expression stealing across his face. 'I don't think you'll find a bigger enthusiast than me. I – I could always lend you the next one, if you want? Only if you do want, that is, you don't have to or anything - '
Dean interrupts him. 'Yeah, that'd be awesome! What's number two called?'
'The Sign of Four. Not my favourite, but still great reading.'
If he's honest with himself, Dean's amazed at his own enthusiasm. He's never been a big reader, usually preferring to wait until the film comes out. But these books… they're gold. So easy to read, he'd felt as though he really was in Baker Street the previous night, discussing murders and theories. Maybe it is purely the genius writing, but he has a feeling Castiel's love of the books must have rubbed off him, despite only having known him for a couple of days. The book had been so battered and mended and comfortable and loved, it was hard to see how anyone couldn't become addicted to the brilliance of it on first read. Maybe he should start giving other books a chance, instead of letting them sit there unread. He never treated novels with any respect in school, but starting now doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Yeah. Maybe he will.
He looks up, about to ask Castiel is he knows of any other good authors, but the kid is sat there with a vaguely pained expression on his face.
'Hey, what's up?' Dean asks, concerned.
'What? Oh, nothing,' replies Castiel. 'Just thinking about school, you know.'
Dean nods.
'What is it really like at your school? We only ever knew it as the posh school where I'm from, nobody knew what it was actually like.'
Castiel looks up. 'You want me to answer that honestly?'
Dean nods again, wondering why Castiel looks so uncomfortable.
'Well, if I am being honest, it's – it's fucking hell on earth.'
Dean says nothing.
'Did – erm – did you get that?' asks Castiel confusedly.
'Oh, yeah. I'm just not that surprised, is all.' Replies Dean. 'I think I know what a lot of them can be like.'
'Prejudiced little shits, you mean?' asks Castiel conversationally. 'Yeah, most of them are. Not all, mind, but most.'
Dean nods slowly. 'I know. You see, my little brother – Sam – his girlfriend died in… in a fire.'
He doesn't need to say anymore. Castiel gasps.
'Not – not the fire?'
Dean screws up his face, the memory of Sam's tortured screaming for Jessica ripping through him.
'Sam was only fifteen, and so was Jess. He would probably have died too if he hadn't left as early as he did. The under-eighteens club – well, it was really warm, and he felt really sick, so he started walking home, but Jess decided to stay. He couldn't have been more than 50 metres away when those – those fucking – those absolute - '
Dean stops to swallow, trying to keep his breathing even. Castiel already knows what had happened next of course – everyone in town knew, for Christ's sake – but Dean still keeps talking.
'And then those rich bastards thought it'd be a laugh to set the place on fire. Because they were drunk. And because of them, my little brother is still in counselling, because he saw his girlfriend run out of the building with her head on fire, and there was absolutely nothing he could do except scream.'
Castiel just covers Dean's hand with his own. 'Everyone lost someone because of that night. Nobody I knew personally died, but my one friend at school moved away from the trauma of losing his big sister.'
'And - none of the fucking bastards – even went to prison for it,' chokes Dean.
'They were minors. 'Unaccountable', they said. Expelled, of course, but there are plenty just like them still at school.'
Dean's grip on Castiel's hand tightens.
'Sometimes I wish I could rip them limb from limb. For what they did to Sam. For what they did to Jess. She was only two weeks past her fifteenth birthday, for fuck's sake.'
Castiel nods. 'I feel the same. For what they did to Jake. His sister got trampled in the rush to get out.'
'Do you know what really made me want to quit drugs? I can pinpoint the exact second. I was at the club, while they were still putting out the fire, and I was looking for Sam. I found him knelt next to her, holding her hand. Her body was barely scratched, but her face was all charred and crumbling away, and he was screaming at her to wake up. And I just thought – oh my God, I can't let there be even a vague chance of me dying, because I am never going to let Sam go through anything like that again. I had to carry him home, after he'd passed out from the shock and the yelling. I just couldn't put him through it again. He should never've had to endure it in the first place.'
Dean sucks in a deep breath. He can't believe what he's just said, he met this kid two days ago, and yet here his is spilling his guts like a girl. But something about Castiel invites Castiel, promises to listen, and God knows that's what Dean's needed for a while now. So he carries on holding the hand of a boy he barely knows in the middle of the greasy café he's supposed to be working in, and lets himself cry. An old guy with a hearing aid looks at him in a funny way, but he can go fuck himself as far as Dean's concerned.
'Do – do you still see Sam, at all?' asks Castiel hesitantly.
Dean wipes his eves and nods. 'It was my choice to leave. My parents pretty much hate me anyway, but they've never tried to stop Sammy visiting me, and thank God they haven't, or I don't know where I'd be.'
Castiel nods sympathetically.
'I wish I'd had a little brother.'
Dean lifts his head questioningly.
''I guess having a big sister meant there wasn't always time for 'boy stuff', you know, especially with two mums. I used to dream about it, though. I always pictured this tiny kid who'd follow me everywhere, and then when he got older he'd come to me for advice and stuff. Cheesy, I know, but I used to wish it was real so badly.'
Dean grins. Castiel's words have brought back memories of a much younger Sam, trailing around after him, crying when he couldn't follow him into school, yelling at his when he went into his room without his permission.
'Yeah, little brothers can be pretty awesome. But they can be a real pain in the ass too, sometimes.'
Kayleigh comes over to the table at that point.
'Um – Dean?'
He looks around. 'Yeah?'
'You said to tell you if Charlie came back – he's on his way in, so - '
'Thanks, Kayleigh,' smiles Dean. He turns back to Castiel. 'Sorry for abandoning you, but Charlie'll probably fire me if he comes in and I'm not working.'
'It's fine', replies Castiel. 'I'll be back tomorrow lunchtime anyway – I'll bring you the book then?'
'Sounds good,' grins Dean, getting to his feet at the same time as Castiel. 'Back to school?'
'Don't want to be late like yesterday,' answers Castiel. 'See you, Dean.' He nods briefly at Kayleigh, who blushes a bit, then walks out of the door. Dean watches his retreating back for a minute, then heads back behind the counter. As he begins to toss burgers, he grins. It's nice to have a friend again.
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