Chapter Nine
Castiel had dreaded having that conversation with Dean. He feared it would have been a lot worst and maybe some anger or shouting involved, but he was glad of the outcome. Both boys now felt quietly hopeful that this could lead to them becoming friends again, but Cas was slightly worried that when school came around again on Monday, that Dean would change his mind.
For now, he was open minded.
Cas run downstairs to fetch them both a drink, Gabriel following his brother around the kitchen asking what had happened and Cas simply ignoring his ramblings, brushing him off with a "Tell you later".
When he reached his room, drinks in hand, he heard Dean talking to someone on the phone and quietly pushed the door open and went inside.
Dean was pacing back and forth on the phone, smiling as Cas came into the room and then quickly turning his expression to anger as he continued his conversation with the mystery voice on the end of the phone.
Cas didn't want to pry, he set the drinks on the bedside table and took a seat back on the bed, starting to flick through a book that lay on his night stand.
"Look I told you, I'm not going anywhere near there, not now and not ever again. The guy is a jack ass and I have no interest in what he has to say or his god damn party Meg"
Castiel looked up at Dean when he heard the word party, he recognised the name Meg from around school.
"I don't even know how you got my number, but I am not interested in going the party, I'm not interested in speaking to Gordon or Michael AND I am not interested in you. Goodbye"
Dean hung up the phone call, launching his cell phone to the other side of the room with a frustrated huff and not caring that it probably broke with the impact.
Castiel raised an eyebrow at Dean's little outburst.
"Trouble?"
"Nah, just Meg bugging me about Gordon's party tonight. As if I'm gonna go anywhere near there after what has happened. They can all kiss my ass" Dean ranted and flopped down onto the bed sitting next to Cas again, who smirked to himself.
Dean noted the small smirk on Cas' face and couldn't help but smile.
"Anyways, I don't want to even think about those douche nozzles!"
"Me either"
Dean and Cas smiled at each other again and Dean got up from the bed, making his way over to Cas' window and looking over their street. He took in the sight of his own house, two doors down and of the Novak's front lawn.
The images before him held so many memories and for a moment he let himself get lost in them, before turning back around to face Castiel. Dean now leaning against the window ledge.
"Hey Cas, remember when we first met…"
Castiel watched Dean curiously, noticing that he clearly wanted to prompt some reminiscing about the good old days. A small smile spread across Cas' face in remembrance of that moment.
"Of course I do"
Dean laughed slightly and smiled looking at his feet shuffling against the floor, before continuing.
"I just remember my mom telling me that Zachariah's nephews were coming to live with him and I might be able to make new friends…the day you and Gabriel arrived was a Saturday, I remember me and Sam were throwing a ball around on our front lawn, when we seen the car pull up…"
Cas continued smiling, thinking how nice it was that Dean remembered the moment in such detail, right down to the day of the week in which Cas arrived.
"…Me and Sam stopped playing when you guys got out of the car. Gabriel with his floppy hair and cheeky grin…then there was you…I remember you telling me afterwards that your uncle Jimmy had dressed you, so you made a good impression for Uncle Zach. You were dressed in a tan trench coat, suit and tie…all of it was wayyy too big and baggy on you, not to mention grown up. I mean we were only 10 years old at the time and you were so bizarre, in your little suit" Dean laughed out loud at the memory, but the genuine fondness in his voice as he spoke, broke through to Castiel and made him smile even wider as he listened to Dean.
"…You had this dead pan expression on your face, your hair was scruffy and stuck up in all directions…nothing much has changed huh?"
"Shut up Dean" Cas responded with a laugh and let Dean continue.
"You were a strange kid, really, really weird…but I think that's what I was drawn to. I wasn't exactly normal myself."
Flashback ~ Ten years old, the first meeting.
Dean noticed the boys getting out of the car just a few feet away and decided to go and say hello. Dragging his 6 year old brother along with him.
Dean looked at a floppy brown haired boy, who smiled wickedly and skipped over to them both.
"Hey! My name is Gabriel, you two are so cute. Names?"
Dean looked momentarily stunned by the boys little outburst.
"Dude you don't look much older than me, who are you calling cute? I'm NOT cute" Dean huffed and crossed his arms across his chest in protest.
"Well ok then…Your little friend is cute, what is he, like 5 years old?"
"He is six actually and his name is Sam. My name is Dean. We live over there."
"Nice to meet you both!" Gabriel smiled and ruffled Sam's floppy hair, which resembled his own.
Sam pouted in annoyance, but when Gabriel pulled out a candy bar from his back pocket and presented it to the young Winchester, he was immediately taken in and smiling at the older boy.
Dean laughed at Sam's sudden mood change at the sight of candy. His attention was drawn to the smart looking kid just meters away, who had yet to approach them. Leaving his younger brother to bond with the older boy, Dean made his way cautiously to the other boy, who looked to be about his own age.
The boy looked at Dean, wide eyed and scared of the approach, backing up slightly when Dean bounced over.
As soon as Dean reached him, he noticed how blue this kid's eyes were and he simply stared at Dean, not saying a single word.
"Hey…I'm Dean. Who are you?"
"My name is Castiel"
Dean scrunched up his nose and tried to repeat the strange name.
"CA…STEE…EL?"
"Yes" Cas confirmed, his expression now relaxed as he looked curiously at Dean.
"That's a funny name…"
"Is it?...it is normal to me" Cas asked, his head tilting slightly to the side confused by Dean's reaction to his name.
"It is kinda weird, but I like it…It's a lot to remember though, can I just call you Cas?"
"Cas…nobody has ever given me a nickname before." He tested the name on his tongue, it sounded ok to him.
"Ok, you can call me…Cas."
Dean smiled and patted Cas on the shoulder, who just watched Dean's action with caution.
"Wanna come and play with me and Sam?"
"Play?" Cas asked, yet again looking confused.
Dean returning the confusion when he didn't grasp why Cas didn't know what "playing" was.
"You know…play? Like games or with a ball or something" Dean explained, scrunching up his face once more.
"I have never…played before. But it sounds interesting"
"What? You have never played before? Not even just outside with friends? Or a game with the family?...nothing?" Dean's face dropped into that of shock, how could this kid not have played games before.
Cas couldn't understand Dean's look of shock and simply replied.
"No...Never."
"Well come on then, I will teach you the ball game which me and Sammy were playing…you and Gabriel can join in." Dean smiled and waved his arm for Cas to come with him.
Castiel stepped forward and right into Dean's personal space, their noses almost touching. Dean eyed Cas suspiciously and raised his eyebrows.
"Dude? Anyone ever tell you that there is a thing called personal space?"
Cas looked confused and backed up slightly.
"Sorry"
"It's cool…"
Dean smiled and laughed.
"Dude, you are SO weird…"
He edged out one finger and poked Cas on the shoulder.
"…but I like you."
Present Day ~ 17 years old, re-connecting.
Both boys smiled as the memory played back in their heads, that day was the first of many good times spent together.
Dean laughed and made his way back over to the bed, taking his seat next to Cas.
"You were such an awesome little dude"
Castiel laughed at Dean's declaration, thinking to himself that he was probably more 'a nerdy little dude', but Dean's perception of him made him smile.
"You weren't so bad yourself…I guess"
Dean chuckled and gently nudged arms with Cas.
