"Hey Sam?" Gabriel asked quietly as they made their way downstairs.
"Yeah, Gabe?"
"Do you really think this will work?" Gabriel paused at the bottom of the stairs to look up at Sam, distraught. Sam looked at the dejected hunch in his shoulders, pulling him into a hug, not even caring if they got caught. Gabriel had put on a brave face in front of Castiel in order to encourage him, but the whole thing was clearly taking its toll on him as well.
"Definitely." Sam smiled into Gabriel's hair, quickly kissing the top of his head before pulling back just far enough to make it look like a comforting hug between friends, should a teacher make a sudden appearance. "Don't worry about it so much Gabe, everything will work out just fine. I promise."
Gabriel beamed up at Sam in response, opening his mouth to say something when they heard footsteps above them. They sprang apart, looking up sheepishly to see that it was only Dean and Castiel, who were both still blushing. What they had been doing to cause a blush, Sam didn't want to know, and frankly, neither did Gabriel.
"We should probably go face the demons, they've actually been worried about you Cas," Sam suggested, nodding to where the TV room door stood slightly ajar. Castiel nodded, the blush creeping further across his face as he realized that people actually did care about him. Dean ruffled his hair affectionately with a small smirk, pushing him gently towards the door.
"About bloody time you lot showed up." Crowley greeted them, Balthazar and Nick falling silent as they entered the room.
"Well I'm sorry our lives don't revolve around you," Dean retorted, rolling his eyes as he pulled Castiel over to their usual spot.
"Your loss," was all Crowley said in response before Balthazar jumped in.
"So? Have you figured out how you plan on surviving this place?"
"Well, Plan A didn't exactly work, so we came up with a Plan B." Sam began.
"Maybe you should try plan D, for Dumbass." Crowley interjected, earning a glare from the Novaks and the infamous Bitchface of Epic Proportions from the Winchester brothers, a look which they only pulled when they really didn't like someone. Crowley grinned innocently, putting his hands up to show he was finished.
"Now, if Fergus is done, I'll explain." Sam continued, procuring a snarl from Crowley. When nothing else, specifically death threats followed, Sam launched into the plan. "Basically, I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing for a year. As far as they're concerned, I'm only here because my Uncle Bobby can't have legal custody of me. Gabriel will also continue lying through his teeth, making them think he really wants to be cured, whatever that might mean. Dean will jump on board, coming to the realization that he too, is sick, thanks to Gabriel giving him guidance, and Cas will just continue the way he is." The demons stared at him, mouths agape at how ludicrous the plan sounded.
"That's going to get him locked up for anger management issues." Nick replied after a minute.
"Not exactly. See, since Gabriel is already on the path to recovery, as they see it, and with me already cured, we can start working with Dean and Cas. Cas isn't as open to the whole thing, as they've now experienced. Dean has been putting up with it a little longer, and he already started trying to play along before Gabe and Cas got here. So he just needs to get a little bit more on board, and then he's home free. Then, once Cas sees the progress that Dean has made, and with his big brother's guidance, he'll start accepting it more too. What that actually means is that he's not on board with the whole lying part, but after all of his meetings, he'll tell us what he's expected to do in order to get on the road to recovery, and we will coach him to do exactly what we say." Sam finished out, earning slow nods from everyone else.
"So," Nick paused, trying to phrase his question properly. "Basically, you're trying to teach him to be more of a sinner, instead of less of a sinner, which the school thinks you're doing?" The other demons snickered at that, while Castiel's face fell further.
"Basically." Dean supplied, rather unhelpfully. Castiel's gaze dropped down to his hands, which he had clasped in his lap as he thought about what Nick had just said. Dean glanced over at Castiel, noticing how dejected he looked, and quickly realized his mistake. "No Cas, hey, it's not like that."
"You just said it was," Balthazar pointed out, earning a glare from Sam and Gabriel, who still stood by the now closed door. Castiel sank further into the couch, deeper into his sulk.
"Not helping man." Dean snapped, scooting closer to drop his arm around Castiel's shoulder. Cas flinched at his touch, trying to relax as Dean froze, unsure what to do. "Hey, Cas, look at me." Dean used his other hand to lift Castiel's chin so he was forced to make eye contact with the piercing green gaze. "We live in a world of bigots. A world where, in order to survive with our sanity intact, we have to lie. Lying isn't always a sin. It's not a sin if it keeps you safe and sane, right? And besides, it's really not even lying, it's more acting than anything. You just have to act like what they're saying is true and right. Act like they want you to, right?" Dean encouraged, which elicited a small smile and nod from Castiel, whose blue eyes stared more calmly back at Dean's.
"You're right. I'm over thinking this too much. Thanks, Dean." Castiel smiled up at Dean, then dropping his head to rest against Dean's chest. Dean smiled back, pulling Castiel tight against him.
"So what can we do?" Balthazar asked a few minutes later.
"What?" Gabriel answered.
"What can we do, you know, to help?"
"You want to help us?" Dean said quizzically, trying to understand what was being said.
"Well, obviously we want something in return." Crowley spoke up now.
"Ah, there it is." Crowley rolled his eyes at Dean.
"We want to help you in your little charade, but in return, you have to help us get out of here." Balthazar continued, acting as the voice of the group.
"And how are we supposed to do that? You guys have screwed yourselves over pretty good. I fail to see how we can do anything to help you, whether we want to or not." Sam interjected. There was a long pause.
"That's the problem. We don't know what else we, or you, can do to get us out of here faster. That's where you guys come in." Nick finally chimed in quietly. Another long stretch of silence followed as the group pondered everything. Just as Sam was about to speak up, the dinner chime rang.
"Dammit. Alright, we'll try and come up with something, and in the meantime you guys will help us coach Cas, and probably Dean?" Sam bargained as he reached towards the door, not yet opening it.
"Deal." The demons answered in unison. Everyone nodded, a deal in place, and Sam opened the door, the group filing into the dining hall and taking their seats, the brothers sitting next to the demons, an unspoken sign to the teachers that a pact had been made between the seven, and when one left, all the others would go with them.
Dinner passed in its seemingly usual fashion, where Principal Naomi would lead them through saying a prayer and grace, then silence as everyone ate, the group of boys shooting each other knowing looks across their plates, while the teachers pretended to ignore them. Finally, after half an hour of stifling silence, the dishes had been cleared and Principal Naomi cleared her throat to dismiss them.
"You may go. Gabriel, Castiel, I want you to stay for a moment, I need to speak with you." Everyone else scurried out of the room, Gabriel and Castiel shooting them glares as they were left on their own with the four teachers, who had made no move to get up and leave.
"Yes, Principal Naomi?" Gabriel asked, feigning sweetness.
"Tomorrow morning when classes begin, I want the both of you to go and see Professor Mills. Then, depending on how that session goes, Castiel, you will try an independent session again after lunch. Is that understood?"
"Yes," the Novak brothers mumbled, not looking forward to dealing with Mills again so soon. Naomi grimaced at their response before waving them off, indicating they were dismissed as well. Hurrying out of the room, they went straight to the TV room, where everyone else was waiting for them.
"What'd she want?" Sam inquired as they closed the door behind them.
"She wants us to do a session with Mills again tomorrow. I guess Cassie's outburst didn't sit well with her. Then, if that goes good she wants him to go by himself after lunch." Gabriel scowled.
"Well, at least she gave you guys a heads up. Now we have a few hours to make a plan together, right?" Nick said simply. Everyone nodded. "I don't suppose anyone came up with a plan to help us out either, huh?" Everyone shook their heads this time, silence settling over the room as everyone began to mull over the best route for the upcoming meeting.
Several hours passed before the silence was broken again. The majority of the group had given up, deciding by themselves that it was best to see how the meeting went and regroup at lunch, and were now watching Wipeout on the TV.
"I give up." Gabriel spoke eventually, with about twenty minutes left before lights out. Everyone turned to look at him, surprised it had taken him so long.
"I think we all have. There are so many different angles they could play, I think it's best if you two go in there, Gabe, you keep up the usual act and Cas… Just try to behave yourself and play along, alright?" Sam replied. The Novak brothers nodded, and the demons got up from their couch and stretched, getting ready to head up to bed before the main lights went out.
"We'll regroup tomorrow after your meeting is over." Nick said as they left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.
"Right," Castiel muttered to the closed door.
"Don't worry so much," Dean murmured warmly into Castiel's ear, kissing his temple softly.
"I'm trying not to. It's just-" He cut himself off, dropping his gaze into his lap once more.
"It's just what? Come on angel, you can talk to me." Dean lifted his chin up, forcing him to make eye contact.
"I know I'm going to screw up again. I always do. And even if I don't, and Gabe manages to get us both out of here, where are we going to go? We can't go home." His face fell at the realization, remembering the fight before they had been sent off, and how his parents had sworn to disown them if they didn't change. No way could they go back.
"You'll come with us." Sam stated. Gabriel and Castiel looked up at him, slightly surprised.
"But-"
"Sam's right. Did you honestly expect us to not take you with us?" Dean interrupted Cas' protest with a grin.
"Well no, but, where exactly are you two going to go?"
"Uncle Bobby's." The Winchester brothers said in unison, faces lighting up at the thought.
"He'd be alright with that?" Gabriel asked, suddenly concerned, and fearful of a repeat of their parents.
"Of course. Bobby tried to fight the court for custody of us when Dad died, but he's not blood or legally named guardian so he couldn't. Even though he knew about us, being gay and what not. He's pretty great that way." Sam was positively beaming now.
"But he would be ok with Cassie and I joining you guys?"
"Absolutely. He can be a grouch sometimes, but he loves us, and anyone we open up to. Friends of ours are friends of his." Dean grinned over at where Gabriel lay curled up against his moose of a brother, still looking sceptical.
"Look, I get that you're weary about the whole situation, but let's focus on getting out of here, then you can see for yourself. Deal?" Sam smiled down at his small boyfriend, rubbing his arm to comfort him.
"Sure thing, Samoose." Gabriel beamed back.
"Cas?" Dean asked quietly, as the youngest boy hadn't spoken.
"If you say so," he muttered, glancing up at the clock.
"Good. Now that that's settled, let's get upstairs before lights out. It's pitch black in here at night." Dean said, pulling Castiel off the couch with him.
"I know," Gabriel grumbled, climbing off of Sam to let the taller boy stand. Sam and Gabriel said their goodnights, quickly kissing one another before heading out of the room, Castiel moving to follow them when Dean grabbed his wrist, pulling him back.
"Cas," Dean started, getting lost in the wide blue orbs in front of him.
"Yeah?"
"I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you ever again. Now please stop worrying so much. You're giving me worry lines just looking at you." Dean grinned, trying to get a smile from the slightly shorter boy, and succeeding.
"Thanks, Dean." Castiel leaned in and quickly kissed Dean on the cheek, turning and fleeing from the room with a massive blush spread across his face and down his neck. Even as he scurried up the stairs, the sound of Dean's laugh following him up, he could feel the blush spreading down his chest and up into his hair.
Safely back in his room, he leaned against the door, trying to calm himself before getting ready for bed. On the opposite end of the house, Dean was doing pretty much the same thing. Leaning against his bedroom door, he was grinning like an idiot, then pushed off to begin his nightly routine. By the time both boys climbed into bed, they were still grinning, Castiel slightly blushing.