CHAPTER THREE

After meeting with the head of Admissions, Mrs. Harvelle, Sam and Dean headed to a local diner for a very late breakfast or possibly an early lunch. The pair sat at a window booth, Dean checking out the hot waitress that was making her way over to them, while Sam sat silently staring out of the window. It hadn't occurred to him at first just what having his brother around would mean to his life, he'd just wanted his big brother back in his life.

Despite Dean's issues with his kid brothers 'experimenting' with his sexuality during his younger years, the two brothers were closer than any could be. With their Dad away often and for long periods of time with the army reserves, Dean had practically raised Sam… with the help of some family friends like Pastor Jim, and when Sam had left to go to college it had been hard adjusting to life without his big jerk watching his back. Of course he'd had Gabe but that wasn't the same thing at all.

So when given the chance to have Dean around, Sam had jumped at it without thinking of the complication, number one being his love life. – He would have to tell Dean. There really wasn't any other choice cause he sure as hell wasn't going to slip back into the closet or begin sneaking around, again.

The problem now was finding both the right words and the right time. He was pretty sure announcing 'Dean, I'm gay.' In the middle of a diner wasn't going to win his brother unconditional support, so he'd have to get him alone, maybe get him drunk, hooked up and happy and then slip it casually into conversation. Well that seemed like a plan.

Dean ordered the special with a side order of sausage, which considering where Sam's head was right now, was amusing in that childish adolescent way.

"What you smirking at?" Dean asked after turning back from admiring the waitresses' rear.

"Nothing." Sam bit the inside of his lip and forced his mind back to the realm of maturity.

Dean sent him a disbelieving look, before shaking it off. "So, do I get my own room or have I got to share with you again."

Lord forbid Sam would have to share. The idea of…. Well the idea was just too disconcerting for words. "Most of the house shares, a few of us have our own rooms…."

"You?" Dean smirked.

"Yeah, it's a privilege of being deputy house master…"

"House master?"

"The guys that runs the house, meets with the dean when necessary, makes sure everything's ship-shape."

"Who the house master?"

"Gabe." Sam said proudly.

Dean burst into laughter. "What? – Really?"

"What?" Sam frowned angrily. "Gabe's a good guy, he may not look like much, but he's smart, fun to have a round and when push comes to shove he'll lay himself on the line for his friends."

Dean's brows lifted at his brothers heated words, then he laughed. "Got another crush have we Samantha?"

Sam fought the urge to blush and deny the accusation. He knew it would sound more like a confession, especially to Dean. "Jealous?" he retorted instead.

"Anyway…" he carried on, forcing them back to the main subject. "You'll get your own room."

"Why, cause I have friends in high places?" Dean joked winking at his kid bother.

"No, cause the only way we were able to hook that new exchange student was to promise him his own room. Luckily we've just got enough room for you both to have your own rooms; Chucks already decided to crash in with Andy, they know each other from class or something. So you don't have to worry, you'll be nice and safe away from any annoying freshman." Sam jibed.

"Aren't I a freshman?" Dena smirked with a raised sarcastic brow.

"Yeah, but you've different."

"Yeah, good looking, winning personality, an eye for a set of perfect legs? – And the best car in the state, if not the world."

"And your modesty… let's not forget that."

Dean sent him a death glare and turned as the waitress brought his late breakfast.

"So, don't all these guys mind sharing, I mean it can't be fun or…. Convenient? – Hell I shared with you for almost fifteen years, that was so not convenient." Dean laughed, while taking bites of his bacon.

"They mind a little…" Sam laughed. "But it's kind of a good thing. A lot of freshman drop out, we lost two last month and one the month before that, that's why we needed to recruit. – Freshman year can be difficult for a lot of guys, first time away from home, the stress of course work…."

"You seem to have handled it fine." Dean grumbled and Sam had the distinct impression that he was still unset about his leaving.

"Yeah I did. I had Gabe to help me though. – But a lot of guys don't make friends right away, so being forced to share helps you make friend because there's little choice."

"So you're not scared it's going to be rough on me?"

"Dean…" Sam sighed dramatically. "You live for rough."

Dean sent him a wink. "Only with the right partner." He chuckled, glancing in the waitresses' direction as he bit on his sausage.

Sam turned to glance out of the window once more, sipping his coffee and shaking his head at his brothers' one tracked mind.

SUPERNATURAL - FREE WILL HOUSE

Dean had been so caught up flirting with the angel behind the counter that he had forgotten to chew, which was how he'd ended up with a piece of sausage caught in his throat threatening to choke the life out of him. He was coughing, clawing at his throat, trying to gasp for air, blood rushing though his ears deafening him. Sam was talking to him with a worried panicked look on his face, but Dean was too busy fighting for his life to care.

Why wasn't someone helping him? Time seemed to stop around him. People were just staring at him like he was some kind of freak. Not caring in the slightest that he was dying here. This was hell. He tried to tell Sammy to help but the kid just sat there paralyzed.

Then suddenly there was a strong hand on his shoulder pulling him up, pulling him to his feet. Dean went with it, trusting the hands without seeing who it belonged to. Without caring who it belonged to.

The hand vanished and Dean panicked at its loss, then he felt arms slipping around his chest and he knew in the back of his mind what was happening. He felt a solid warm body against his back and it calmed him, filling him with heat. He felt his ribs compress under the faceless strangers determined grip. Dean was forced back against the body that he could clearly identify as male.

The stranger tugged again and Dean choked hard, wheezed and gagged as he felt the blockage move. He concentrated on the sausage in his throat and not the warmth against his back or the dizzyingly enticing form resting against his rear.

Another tug and the food flew from his throat. Dean gasped for breath. Harsh, raw and deep gasps.

"Dean? – Dean? Are you alright?"

Sam was standing in front of him with wide shocked eyes, which still glowed with panic.

"I'm fine…. No thanks to you." He croaked.

"I – I…"

Dean smiled, placing his hand on his brothers' shoulder to show he wasn't really blaming him.

Then he turned to face his savior. "Hey, thanks ma…" he froze on seeing wide blue eyes staring at him, swallowing hard, his throat felling red raw. "….thanks man." Dean quickly recovered himself. "… I owe you one?"

"One what?" The blue eyed stranger said, his head tilted, a look of confusion gleaming in those eyes.

"Huh?" Dean frowned himself. Was this guy slow or something? "You know… I own you…." He tried to speak slowly. "For saving my life."

"Of course I saved your life. I was hardly going to just stand there and watch you choke to death, which would be wrong and might even be considered murder."

Dean rolled his eyes while Sam chucked quietly beside him.

"Whatever dude. – Thanks anyway. – I'll have to buy you a drink sometime."

"What's your name?" Sam asked, his hand out-stretched, frowning at his brothers lack of manners.

The stranger looked at Sam's hand as if it was some kind of freak of nature waiting to rip his throat out, but finally he took it. "Castiel."

"What?" Dean choked on a laugh.

"Castiel…. Is there something amusing?"

"No." Sam said, elbowing his brother who was still fighting a laugh. "It's just…. Well… different."

Castiel narrowed his eyes at Dean. "How so?"

"Well…" Dean sighed rolling his eyes again. "I've never heard of it before."

"And that makes it amusing?" Castiel asked taking a step closer to Dean.

Dean fidgeted as the guys stepped just a little too close. He wanted to step back but that macho bravado of his kept him motionless.

"Yeah."

"Huh. – So what is your name?"

"Dean."

Castiel frowned. "That is not amusing."

"No."

"That is rather common."

Dean frowned. Was that supposed to be an insult or was he over-reacting? Sam obviously thought it was a retaliation cause he was sniggering. Dean met those bright blue eyes and found himself falling into them. Which was crap, guys like him didn't fall into gorgeous eyes, and certainly not when they belonged to another guy.

"We're leaving." He announced breaking the contact first. "I won't forget the beer." Dean called over his shoulder as he walked quickly to the door, stopping only long enough to pay the check at the counter.

"Sorry about him." Sam smiled with embarrassment. "I'm Sam by the way." But Castiel wasn't paying any attention to him; he was too busy watching Dean walk away.

Sam didn't need gay-dar to know what that look was. He sighed sadly. "Castiel…" he said gently. How was he meant to tell the guy Dean was off limits? Hell this guy might not even be out of the closet. Deciding not to rock the boat, it wasn't like they were going to see him again… and if they did, then he'd do something. "It was nice to meet you. Thanks for saving his ass."

Castiel turned at that. "I do not need thanks. – It was a natural thing to do."

"Uh."

"Sammy!" Dean yelled from the door.

"Got to go…. Thanks anyway." He smiled before rushing out of the diner after his brother.