Chapter 1 – Rings Meet:
[XRings of ConvictionX]
"The cost of fruit has gone up again." Dean hears his father's voice as he makes his way down the skinny hall, wearing a pair of worn out blue jeans and a black T-shirt. "It's now $3.00 a piece."
"What is the government thinking, that we can live off of the salary they choose for us?" Dean hears his mother's voice next.
Dean enters the kitchen where his mother and father are residing. "Sammy's sick, doesn't feel well enough to go to school."
His mother sighs. "That has gone up too." She says to John. "It used to be you only had to pay a $1.00 fine for being absent from school, it's now gone up to $2.50."
"Shit." John curses. "And we need groceries this week." He turns to his eldest son. "Dean you're going to have to make Sam go to school, we can't afford the fine."
Dean nods reluctantly and turns to leave when Mary's sweet voice stops him. "Well, wait, was your brother throwing up?" Dean shakes his head. "Okay then… your father's right. I'll fix Sam some soup so send him over."
Dean leaves the two adults alone in the small, blue walled, worn down kitchen. He enters his and his younger brother's shared bedroom. The walls are painted a light brown color with cracks in some places. The rug is a dingy, stained, dark brown rug that covers the whole floor.
Dean approaches Sam's fetal positioned body. "Sammy?" He talks gently. "Dad and Mom say you have to go to school." He hears a groan under the green comforter. "I'm sorry Sammy but the fine is just too much right now." He tugs on the comforter. "Come on Sam, up and at 'em. Mom's making you some soup."
Sam finally manages to sit up. "Okay Dean." He whines. Sam gets out of bed and instead of going straight to the kitchen he goes to the bathroom and starts the shower up.
Dean walks back into the kitchen where his father is still reading the paper. "Mom, can I go to the library after school?"
"With your brother being sick? Dean your father is going to work overtime today to get some extra money and I was thinking of doing the same." Mary tells him.
"But it's for school." If it was up to Dean he wouldn't even do the stupid book report and fail the course but the fine for failing a course has gone from $0.25 to $2.00 and they can't afford that.
He hears his mother sigh. "Okay, if your brother is feeling well enough bring him with you but if not I'll come home at my regular time."
"Thanks Mom." Dean kisses her cheek. "Come on Sammy, we're going to be late, the fine for that is $3.00 remember!" Dean calls down the hall and he hears the shower shut off. Not too soon after Sam comes walking into the kitchen and Marry gives him his soup.
They walk to school, Dean telling Sam his plan for after school and Sam says he would go with him and to call Mom and let her know that she can work overtime if she wants.
The school day goes by slow, his classes mostly consisting of bank management, ring lesson, survival lesson, proper English, government rules, more ring lesson, more government rules, lunch, gym to keep fit for walking from place to place, billing, math, housing, rings, government, more survival, and last, kind of punishment if rules are not followed for double the amount of time the other classes are for. By the end of the school day it is 7:00pm, thirteen hours at school and curfew for children under the age of thirteen is at 8:00pm, teens from thirteen to nineteen is 9:00pm, while for adults it's 10:00pm. So basically, you have hardly any time for yourself.
Even with Sam being sick, the both of them run to the library and manage to arrive at the huge brick building at 7:15. Dean and Sam immediately separate, agreeing to meet at the main entrance at 7:30, that way Dean can walk Sam home before his 8:00 curfew. Sometimes Dean whishes he didn't have to bring Sam along that way he could stay out until 9:00.
Dean goes into the section that he requires, rings 101. There is a man with hair that looks black, but if you look closely you can actually see that it's dark brown, standing in the alley, reading a book. Dean scans the many books but can't find the one he needs until he reaches the man. "Excuse me sir, I need the book you are standing in front of."
The man turns and looks at Dean. "Oh, I'm sorry." His voice is so deep that it causes Dean to shiver.
"No It's okay." Dean grabs his book but doesn't leave. He studies the guy in front of him, admiring his looks. The guy is slightly shorter than him but obviously older. He has these gorgeous blue eyes that you can never forget and this head full of messy hair. Dean swallows.
"Can I help you with anything else?" the man asks, jolting Dean out of his daydream.
"Um sorry." He'll never admit it but he blushes at being the sudden focal point. That's when Dean notices the ring. "You have a gold ring."
The man glances down at Dean's own left hand. "And yours is white."
"Well that sucks, I wanted to give you my name and maybe hangout later." Dean says then realizes how much that sounds like a pickup line. "Er… not to sound like I wanted to go on a date with you or anything but you looked kind of cool so I thought-"
"Castiel." The man interrupts Dean's rambling.
"What?" Dean asks confused.
The man repeats himself. "Castiel." He gives Dean a warm smile. "My name is Castiel Novak."
Dean at first doesn't know what to say but he soon regains his composure. "Um, Dean Winchester."
"How old are you?" Castiel asks.
"Sixteen." Dean answers.
"Oh." Castiel starts and looks slightly disappointed. "I'm thirty."
"Fourteen years apart." Dean observes sadly.
"Yep." Castiel says simply.
"The government married you already; of course, I guess that's not surprising." Dean points out.
Castiel flushes slightly. "Yeah they did."
"I heard that the government sometimes pairs you up with someone that you don't love." Dean says nervously.
"Do your parents love each other?" Castiel asks.
Dean stares at him, caught off guard with that question. "Well yeah but…" He trails off.
"So it is possible to fall in love with that person eventually." Castiel comments.
"I suppose." Dean agrees. "Not always though."
"Not always." Castiel agrees a little sad then returns to examining his book.
Dean inches closer. "Do you love your wife?"
Castiel chuckles. "That's a little personal to tell a kid I just met."
"I'm not a kid." Dean protests. "I'm taller than you."
He chuckles again. "I'm still older."
"But short." Dean teases. They both laugh as quietly as possible, considering where they are. "Anyways, sorry you're right. I didn't mean to pry."
"It's okay." Castiel says with a warm smile. Dean blushes.
"Dean." He turns around to see Sam coming up to them. "Its 7:45, we have to go." Sam eyes Castiel.
"Oh shit." Dean turns back to Castiel. "Maybe I'll see you later?"
"I'm here every day." Castiel says in his deep, sexy voice.
"Okay." Dean smiles widely and shyly. "See you Cas."
Castiel raises his eyebrow at the shortened version of his name but doesn't say anything about it. "Bye Dean." His name rolling off Castiel's lips sound so… perfect.
Once both of them are walking down the street, Sam says out of the blue, "Dean that man was wearing a gold ring, what are you thinking talking to him?"
"Oh hush, Sammy. It's not like the government is going to find out about a measly peasant hanging out with another measly little peasant with a different ring color." Dean defends.
"You never know Dean. Just be careful please. How old is he anyways?" Sam pleads then asks.
"Thirty." Dean answers.
Sam's jaw drops and there is an accusing look on his face, other than known as bitch face number one. That's right, the number one bitch face of them all. "That's fourteen years Dean, not to mention he has a gold ring!"
"Yeah I know." Dean snaps back.
"Don't do something stupid Dean. I suggest you stay away from him because I can see when you are lusting after someone and that is definitely your lusting eyes." Sam states. "I don't want you getting yourself thrown in jail for life, or worse hanged."
"I wasn't going to do anything Sam, I'm not that stupid." He doesn't look his brother in the eyes but can see a sympathetic look on his face from the corner of his eyes.
"He's too old anyways Dean." Sam points out.
Dean sighs and the rest of the way home is spent in silence except for Sam's occasional cough and sniffle.
Once back at home Sam goes straight to bed. Dean, not feeling up to doing anything, also goes to bed too, thinking of dark brown hair and unbelievably beautiful blue eyes, and can only see that when he closes his eyes.
A/N: From here on the chapters will be pretty long. I hope you like it so far. Please review if you can and thank you for reading. :)
