It happened fairly quickly, quicker than I expected. I was on the bus, we were being shouted instructions at and I was in a daze. Everything was damn crazy; I was heading to the Army camp and I think I had a boyfriend.
"Private Winchester!" I snapped my head up to look at him. "Were you listening to a goddamn word I just said?"
"Yeah." He widened his eyes as if to go mental and I realised. I straightened up and looked forward. "Sir, yes Sir!"
"That's better, Winchester! Since you were listening you can repeat what I just said, can't you?"
"Sir, yes Sir! All recruits to de-bus as soon as the driver hits the brake pedal and line up or so help us God you will file us back in here and send us back to whatever town in the shit end of nowhere we came from."
There was quiet over the bus and the Sergeant looked like he wanted to pat me on the back then knee me in the crotch. "Winchester, taking in what I said and listening are two very different things. Where was your head at?"
I stuttered, not because I didn't know the answer but because all it did was fill my head with it. The boy with the cupid's bow and pen in his back pocket. I smiled to myself.
"Thinking about your boyfriend?" The soldier next to me spat.
"WHAT IS YOUR NAME SOLDIER!?" The Sergeant stood right up to the boy next to me.
He straightened up and inhaled. "Gordon Walker, Sir."
"Private Walker, perhaps you can speak up next time!" He looked to me and then back to Gordon. "What did you say when I spoke to Private Winchester?"
"Nothing, Sir." He tightened his jaw.
The Sergeant leaned down and whispered. "Don't make me ask twice."
"I suggested that Private Winchester was too busy thinking about his boyfriend when you were speaking, Sir."
The Sergeant straightened up. "Did you?" He looked to me and I waited for it to start. "Well, Private Winchester is going to have to learn that when I speak I should be the only thing with a dick he is thinking about."
"Sir, yes Sir!" I shouted in reply to the look I got.
"As for you Private Walker, I suggest you concentrate on your own dick and keep it in line."
"Sir." Walker muttered.
"What was that, Private Walker?"
"Sir, yes Sir!" He yelled.
"Better." The Sergeant turned and walked back to the head of the bus.
Walker looked at me. "Fag." The Sergeant turned around and his head shot forward.
So, like I said, it started pretty quickly. But I wasn't worried, Walker was nothing but a coward - either he had been brought up in the ass-end of neck country or he had some deep buried homosexuality in there himself. Either way I was in my own world again. Years of being on the road with my dad and in and out of the odd school when he was on a job I couldn't join him on had taught me many things: one was how to listen when you were completely uninterested. I heard everything the Sergeant said, I heard everything everyone said. Including the two guys at the back who were shit scared of everything, including me and Walker. And the bus crashing. And the driver. I would have laughed, if I was allowed. Which I wasn't.
When we got off the bus, well... When we ran like Hell off of the bus and lined up Walker filed next to me. I was beginning to think this guy wanted to be bunk mates, if you get my meaning.
"Winchester, march your ass up here!"
"Sir, yes Sir!" I shouted and took the steps forward before stomping my foot, turning and stomping again. Then I marched as fast as I could before I stopped beside him and stomped. Feet together, hands at my side, eyes in the distance.
He turned to me, lowering his voice. "What is your training?"
"None, Sir." I answered, not looking at him. He waited. "My father was a marine, Sir."
"And he let you enlist in the Army?"
"He's dead, Sir."
"Semper Fi, son." I nodded ever so slightly and he allowed it. Hoorah! "I want you to be my second; we're down on men or we will be, you have the training and these idiots have nothing. What do you say?"
"Sir, yes Sir!"
He nodded. "Listen up you chumps!" He started walking along the line and I turned to face his back, at attention, as his second in command. "Private Winchester has military training of sorts so he will be my first mate." I internally smirked at the inside joke. "When I am not here then he is the proverbial boot up your asses, if he says do something then God help you if you don't. Do you hear me?!"
SIR YES SIR.
I wasn't to answer that one and I didn't. "Fall back!" He shouted and I fell back into line with the rest but in my new post. "And that is just a taste of why Winchester is my second in command, for any of you that," he stopped at Walker, right in his face, "may have wondered." He stepped back. "We are going to quick march to the bunks, you are going to find your bed and you are going to dump your things. You are then going to line back up outside where I stop you and I am going to time you. You have thirty seconds to get in, find the right bed, dump your shit and get back outside. If you do not then we are going to trot our asses back here and do it again. And we will do it again," he stopped back where we had spoken, " and again until it happens exactly like I want it. The longer it takes the less time you all have to eat. Do I make myself clear?"
I joined in that time. SIR YES SIR.
"Welcome to Hell, boys." He turned and walked a few steps in front so I followed a couple of steps behind, to his right and stopped, a step away from him. But some others took this as a sign to move and he turned. I turned with him and he ran to them. "GET YOUR SORRY ASSES BACK IN LINE, YOU MOVE WHEN I TELL YOU TO! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"
I was quiet. SIR YES SIR.
"Private Winchester was following training as a second in command, I move, he moves and you all wait for my order!"
I was quiet again. SIR YES SIR.
"Winchester, lead these idiots!" Which shit me up because I had no idea where the barracks were.
I moved, turned to the right. Stopped. "Company... Quick march!" I shouted and started off.
"MOVE IT! MOVE IT! MOVE IT!" The Sergeant shouted to the stragglers and then, to my thanks, caught up and led.
We had to redo it three times.
.
Hey Cas, first week here was Hell so sorry I haven't written until now. I've been made the impromptu second in command since I seem to be the only guy here that knows what the Sergeant is talking about when he shouts. I was the only one that knew how to respond when asked a question and everyone copied me - idiots. Already getting grief from the DADT mob but they clearly have issues themselves. It's fun 'cause these idiots have to listen to me when the Sarge isn't here. Biggest problem is Walker, he's in the bed next to me, stupid names - he's the biggest phobe going. The camp's alright and the training is nothing I can't handle, a little burn is good for the soul. Only a few weeks left before we find out if we're being shipped out or not, so I'll let you know. How's things in Lawrence? I hope you're not getting too much grief from Ellen, tell her that I tried to phone last week but I ended up breaking up a fight and the Sarge wasn't there so I took the boys out for a run, in the pouring rain, that was fun too. So they're now in the med bay with man flu, pussys. Is it too weird to say that I miss you? It feels weird, but not too, at the same time. Oh well, I'll just swallow my pride and say it anyway. I do. I know that the Army is the best thing for me right now but when I'm over this bit of my life then you've got trouble coming for you. I hope that's what you want. I'm going to shut up now, while I still have some dignity left. - Dean.
.
I suppose it was okay after that, working in the diner, it was a little crazy. Everything was. He got on the bus and I was supposed to go home but I didn't. Ellen dragged me into the diner to talk.
"What the hell happened, Cas?" She sat me down at the bunker and poured me coffee. "I sent you over to talk him out of the Army not talk your way into his pants."
I laughed. "I'm sorry, I went over, I spoke to him about it and we just decided to go for a walk. You seriously didn't know he was gay?"
Jo slammed a drawer closed and we looked to her. "No, we didn't." I smiled apologetically and she lost all rage. "What was it like?" She leaned next to her mom looking at me. "Kissing him."
I smiled. "Nice." I admitted and picked up my coffee.
"So what's the deal now?" Ellen whipped a dish cloth over her shoulder and wiped the worktop.
"He's going to write." I nodded, swirling the coffee around my mouth, they just looked at me waiting for more. "And he asked me to wait."
"He did what?!" Jo let her arms fall properly to the bar and we looked around the diner as people looked up. She put her hand up. "Sorry folks." She looked back to me. "He asked you to wait?"
"Yeah, and I said I would."
I smiled and they smiled back.
.
Hello Dean, don't worry about it. I thought that might be the case. How is it that you know more than the rest? Is it because of your dad, because he was a marine? You are getting trouble because they saw us kiss? I am so sorry Dean, I knew I should have walked away. You shouldn't have to suffer because of who you are, who you like. Watch him, Dean, he sounds like trouble. And you don't want to get yourself into trouble because of him, because people like that usually end up looking like the victim. I will tell Ellen about the call. You ran them in the rain enough that they got the cold? Hard ass. I hope you don't treat all of the men in your life like that. That's very weird, Dean, please don't ever say that again, you are awfully clingy for a hard ass. Of course you can say that, I suppose I could say I miss you too but I'm not as needy as you. I guess I do miss sharing pie with someone, how do you eat it all? I tried a piece yesterday and I couldn't finish it. Geez Dean, we just met and already you're planning my life. I don't think we should talk again. Yes, I want that. There isn't a day goes by when I don't think about it. About you. But it's only been a couple of weeks so I'll probably forget you soon. From Castiel. PS. You know I'm kidding, right?