Okay, this chapter is kinda' short. I originally had a really long angsty chapter I was typing, but I think I'm saving that for later because it legit hurt me to type, so I did what any logical person would do and erased it all. But that's also a heads up that there is A LOT of angst in the near future, so prepare yourselves! (and I'm so sorry and I love every single one of you)

Dean and Cas stood huddled together in the bathroom for what seemed like hours.

Dean didn't know what he was going to do. He had never really been one to care what people thought of him. But none the less, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of foreboding of what was to come.

Castiel seemed to be taking it worse than Dean was at the moment. Dean couldn't really blame him. Castiel had a family to answer to, he had his friends that he had known for who knows how long to deal with. Dean's biggest concern was Sam.

Dean had a feeling that Sam already knew somewhat of his brothers confusing-at-times sexuality.

Yelling- glass shattering- Sammy crying.

Dean jolted and wrenched away from Cas.

"D-Dean?" Cas breathed, eyes pooling with evident hurt and concern. Dean couldn't look at him. Instead, he turned around to face the wall, squeezing the bridge of his nose in concentration. He hoped that Cas wouldn't try to talk to him at the moment. He needed to think.

Thankfully, Cas didn't try to pursue him. Instead, he stayed rooted to his spot, fidgeting uneasily as he stared at Dean's back. Yeah, Cas was terrified of what waits for them outside the bathroom door. But he knew he could get through it if Dean was willing to stick it out by his side.

But it was the big 'If' that was unnerving.

Finally, Dean dropped his hand from his face and turned around. He took a few steps towards Castiel and exhaled deeply. Castiel felt the urge to reach out and touch him, but thought better of it. So instead, he waited patiently, searching Dean's face for any signs of what he feared would be finality.

This is tough, Cas. Dean signed suddenly. Castiel swallowed and nodded his head in agreement, seeming to be lost for words at the moment.

But I'm not a coward, and I don't want this to end because some football jock decides to run his mouth to the whole school- which we both know is exactly what's going to happen.

Dean stopped moving his hands to make sure Castiel was keeping up. When Cas nodded, he continued.

So, I say before he spreads it across the whole school, we beat him to the punch.

Castiel stared at Dean in utter consternation.

"Dean," Castiel said after a moment of silence, "How are we going to 'beat them to the punch'? By announcing it over the loudspeaker? By handing out flyers?" Castiel felt like his heart was about to combust as Dean gave him an unanticipated smile.

Trust me. he signed.

Cas searched the green eyed boys face carefully before nodding slowly.

"Okay, I trust you." he said in barely a whisper, because despite everything-he did.

Dean's smile widened at that and as if on queue, the bell rang. Castiel gulped and suddenly felt light headed. Dean noticing his distress stepped forward and gave him a reassuring peck on the head.

We got this. he signed, and then held out his hand for Castiel to take. Castiel intertwined his fingers with Dean's and suddenly, he felt like things were going to be okay.

Dean squeezed his hand gently, before pushing the bathroom door open, and leading Castiel into the now crowded hallway.

There was a hushed gasp throughout the mass of students as people gaped at the two boys hands clasped tightly together-as if they were terrified of losing each other if they let go.

Castiel glanced back up to Dean unsurely, only to see that Dean was smiling, almost smugly, at his schoolmates.

Castiel had to admit, for someone who seemed to be having a mental breakdown just moments before, Dean knew how to keep up his cocky façade with an almost uncanny ease.

The two boys started making their way through the gaggle of shocked people when they came face to face with none other than Sam.

The younger Winchester wasn't paying attention at first. He seemed to be absorbed in a conversation with a pretty blonde headed girl by the name of Jessica. But seeming to notice the sudden commotion, his eyes flashed up, and fell directly on his brother and Cas.

Sam's jaw dropped and he looked from his brother to Cas and then to their hands. Cas felt his face heat over and he looked down to his shoes. Dean gave his hand another reassuring squeeze as they continued flaunting down the hall.

"Wait, Dean!" Dean stalled and turned his head to see Sam running up behind them, pushing his way through the random on-lookers until he was at his brothers side almost out of breath.

"Dean," He said again, his wide puppy dog eyes staring up at his big brother inquisitively. Cas felt something tug at his heart at the sight. This is the first time he had ever seen the two brothers interact in person.

Dean's arrogant smile had been replaced with something similar to a grimace. His brow was scrunched together tightly and his eyes were almost begging his little brother to understand.

His prayers must of somehow been answered, because Sam lifted his arm up to pat his brother on the back and broke into a genuine smile,

"I'm happy for you." He said simply, sending a nod of approval Cas's way before turning around and making his way back to Jessica.

Dean turned to Cas, eyes wide with shock before pulling his hand out of Cas's and throwing his arm around his shoulders, pulling him in closer. That gesture seemed to cause even more of an uproar, but suddenly, Cas didn't care.

He leaned in closer to Dean and wrapped his arm around his waist confidently. But of course his confidence didn't last long, as Pam, Jo, Ash, and Chuck all made there way out of the lunch room. Seriously? they pick now to travel as a pack? Cas thought to himself incredulously.

Jo was the first to see. Her jaw slacked and she cocked her head to the side as if she wasn't sure if what she was seeing was real. Then Chuck, who had followed Jo's gaze and had dropped his notebook in shock. Chuck smacked Ash in the arm, not taking his eyes away from Dean and Cas. Ash looked up to where Chuck was pointing and almost ran into a locker.

Then, last but not least, Pam. She was looking down at her phone when she noticed her friends had stopped walking. She turned and opened her mouth to ask what was up when she stopped mid-sentence, eyes following her friends dis-believing gazes and landing directly on Dean and Castiel.

Castiel abruptly stopped walking.

"Dean." He whispered panic evident in his voice. Dean pulled him in closer and started dragging him towards the seemingly disoriented group. "What are you doing." Castiel hissed, attempting to turn around. But Dean just gripped him tighter and continued on, as if he were on a mission.

They stopped in front of the group, Castiel not able to meet his friends eyes. It was quiet until Pam (to both Dean and Cas's dismay) broke the silence.

"Um, what the fuck?" She asked stepping to where she was right in front of the two boys. "What's going on?" She aimed the question towards Castiel, knowing Dean wouldn't be able to speak for himself.

Castiel finally glanced up to Pam's scrutinizing gaze and swallowed hard. Dean squeezed Cas's shoulder in encouragement.

"Uh…I'm gay." He deadpanned. Pam just rolled her eyes,

"No fucking shit! I am aware of that now!" Her voice was rising almost hysterically and Castiel cast his eyes down uncomfortably.

Then, he felt someone lightly touch his arm and he looked up to see Jo staring at him intently.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She whispered, he could detect a hint of hurt in her voice and he instantly felt guilty.

Out of all of his friends, Jo and him have always been the closest. He knows he should have told her.

"Did you think I was going to judge you or something? Did you think I wasn't going to be your friend anymore?" She questioned, her voice soft, but at the same time almost scolding.

Dean took his arm from around Castiel and gave him a light shove towards Jo. Cas figured that was his way of telling him to nut up.

"I'm sorry, Jo." He said sincerely after a long pause. "It wasn't that I didn't trust you guys or anything…I just…I don't know, I wasn't comfortable enough with myself to let anyone know yet." Cas looked at Jo's face that was now looked a little less hurt, and more along the lines of sympathetic. Castiel wasn't sure which was worse.

"Cas, we're your best friends…Just because you like it up the butt doesn't mean we're just going to shun you." Ash interjected, trying to sound sentimental but just making Castiel blush more furiously than he already was.

"Gee, Ash, thanks for that." He said sarcastically.

"Okay," Pam said suddenly, "If you weren't sure about yourself enough to come out before, what the fuck made you come out now?" She asked, not bothering to hide the hostility that came with every word she spoke.

Castiel didn't really know how to answer that. He turned back to Dean, who was waiting quietly, hands in his pockets, watching the chick-flick moment that Cas and his friends were having with amusement.

"I-don't know." Castiel admitted, still staring at Dean.

Because it was true, he didn't know. What was it about Dean that got to him? He had hardly known the guy a week. What was it about Dean that made Castiel feel like things weren't that bad after all-Like things were actually okay?

Because most of the time-things aren't okay.

It's not okay that Castiel's father decided to up and leave his family without explanation. It's not okay that Dean doesn't have a voice. It's not okay that Anna's deaf. It's not okay that Sam and Dean's mother is dead. It's not okay that Castiel has become so uninterested in life that he could care less if he lived or died. It's not okay that Dean is still trying to please the father that broke him.

A majority of the time, things are not okay.

But maybe that's because people forget to look at the bigger picture.