A couple hours later Dean awoke with a huge yawn, feeling exhausted but content. He lay on the bed with his hands behind his head, letting himself blink the sleep from his eyes. Looking down, he realized that he was 1) completely shirtless and 2) covered in a blanket that wasn't his. Wow, I passed out while changing my shirt? Well, at least he had the sense to cover me up for modesty's sake.
Dean was feeling like his usual self again; the happy-go-lucky attitude from earlier had faded away, so he got up (but was already missing the warmth of the bed) and grabbed a clean shirt. The mirror in the bathroom revealed that the swelling had gone down around his forehead, though the bandage hid the worst of the cut. His stomach rumbled loudly and he realized he was famished.
He wandered into the living room and found Cas sitting on the couch with a book in his lap, his head on his hand. It took a second to realize Cas's eyes were closed and his was breathing peacefully. Dean actually paused, and watched in an almost hypnotized state. Despite living with Castiel for a few weeks now, he'd never actually seen the other boy sleeping. It was disconcerting, to say the least.
"Aw, Robocop's tuckered himself out," Dean whispered to himself with a snicker. He started tiptoeing through the room, towards the door. There was no food in the apartment, so he was going to have to go and get some, but he didn't want to wake Castiel. He had almost made it to the door, only a foot away with his hand halfway to the doorknob even, when his stomach betrayed him with the loudest roar he'd ever heard.
Son of a bitch! He thought to himself as he winced, hoping Cas had slept through the racket. Looking over, he found Cas looking at him, eyes only half open.
"What are you doing?" Castiel asked, and Dean sighed.
"Trying to be quiet," Dean said in defeat.
"Well, you're terrible at it," the weapon said as he closed to book to stretch.
"Hey, just finish your nap, Sleepin' Beauty. Just gonna get some food, be back in a bit."
Cas shook his head adamantly. He stood while covering his mouth, a large yawn escaping him. His short, dark-brown hair, usually a little ruffled, was even more a wild mess. His buttoned shirt was also a bit wrinkled from the jousting earlier, and the blue tie he normally worn was missing. Cas always took it off before physical training.
"Need sustenance," Cas said, and without another word he followed his roommate to the school cafeteria, about half a mile away.
It was a little after the dinner rush so they found an empty booth quickly. Dean, with his cheeseburger and fries, shook his head sadly when Cas sat down with a salad, vegetarian lasagna, and several pieces of fruit. "More rabbit food? Man, you're never gonna get big muscles eating that stuff."
He held up his burger to make his point. "This is man's food."
"That's a heart attack on a bun. I've been eating this way all my life, and my muscles have grown to an acceptable size."
"Yeah, well….mine tastes better," Dean said.
"To each his own," Cas simply said.
After a few moments of silent eating, Dean suddenly grinned. "Well, if it isn't our favorite trio."
Castiel looked back to see Sam and his two partners across the room, looking for a place to sit.
"Hey, bookworm and company!" Dean called out cheerfully. Sam looked over, startled. Ruby rolled her eyes and leaned towards Meg, some comment making her chuckle.
Sam's hesitation caused Dean to wave his arm at them, thinking they hadn't seen him. When Sam continued to stand awkwardly, Dean called out "Hey, we don't bite I promise!"
Finally, though Ruby looked less than pleased, Sam started towards their booth.
Castiel turned back to Dean. "I thought you didn't like Ruby?"
Dean winked. "What can I say, I'm a sucker for brunettes with attitude."
As they walked up, Dean smacked Cas's shoulder. "Make room, you heathen!" he said with a grin. His grin faltered, however, when both girls sat next to Cas instead of next to him. Taking it in stride, he hid his pout by moving over. "Take a seat, Sammy," Dean said good-naturedly.
"Um thanks. And it's just Sam," he said, sitting next to Dean.
"Isn't that what I said?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.
Sam sighed. "Whatever," he mumbled under his breathe.
The table was quiet for a few moments, everyone hiding the awkward silence by eating. Eventually, Dean decided to break the ice, the only way he knew how. He finished his burger, and narrowed his eyes at the girls while putting on his most winning smile.
"You know, I kept getting this weird feeling of déjà vu whenever I saw you girls, but I think I just figured it out. See, I saw these two comets streak across the night sky as I drove to the academy. I have a 1969 Chevelle, see. And now I get it; you two are the angels that fell from heaven that night, aren't you?" he asked sincerely. The delivery was so flawless it had taken the others a few seconds to work out what he said.
Castiel's eyes widened and he leaned forward, looking at Meg and Ruby. "You two are…angels?" he asked in confusion.
Meg looked at Ruby, eyes wide in shock. "Ruby! Why didn't you tell me we were angels?!"
Ruby returned her fork to her plate. "I'm sorry Meg…"she said, body shaking with laughter. "I thought you knew?...Hahaha!"
"So, Dean, how long have you been working on that little gem of yours?" Meg asked.
"Ever since I met you," Dean admitted with a playful wink.
Sam glared at Dean. "Did you call me over here just so you could hit on my partners?"
Dean smirked and shrugged. "It was an added benefit of your company," he said.
Everyone got a decent laugh from the exchange, though Cas still looked confused. Meg took pity on him and explained. "It's called a pick-up line, Castiel. Guys usually use them to win over a girl's affection, but it usually just makes them look like an ass," she said, looking Dean right in the eyes as she said so, though the crinkles around her eyes ruined any seriousness she tried to convey. "Besides, Dean," she said a little louder, "don't you think that line would be more appropriate for the 'Angel' you already have?"
"Ooooh," said Ruby and Sam together, watching the back and forth intensify with delight.
Dean blushed fiercely, but he tried to brush it off. "I can assure you, I don't swing that way," Dean affirmed.
Meg nodded. "Well, if you keep it up with lines like that, you won't be swinging any way."
"And big sister wins again!" Ruby said, sticking her tongue out at Dean.
"Alright, alright, save it," Sam said, though he was still grinning ear to ear.
Dean hated being the butt of any jokes, but he put on a brave face so they wouldn't think he couldn't take a little teasing.
"So," he said, eager to change the subject. "How's been going on in gym class?"
Sam looked at him curiously. "Yeah, that's right, you haven't been there since the first day of class, right?"
"Skipping physical training class at a school for hunting monsters? That sounds like a surefire way to get your dumbass killed," Ruby said.
"We haven't been skipping class. We got moved up to the big leagues," Dean said proudly. "Sid's been training us himself."
"Remedial classes starting the first day? It takes a special kind of idiot to pull that off," Meg said.
Castiel spoke up before Dean could respond. "Both Dean and I have previous hand-to-hand combat training. Sid decided to train us himself so we could go into the field faster."
"What sort of training do you have at 16?" Sam asked curiously.
"He's a warrior monk, and I'm a hunter," Dean said, popping a fry into his mouth.
All eyes looked at Cas. The weapon squirmed uncomfortably under their gaze. "I'm not a monk," he simply stated.
"So, how exactly does shooting Bambi give you combat training?" Ruby asked snidely.
"What? No, not that kind of hunter. A Hunter. Someone who kills monsters the good, old-fashioned way; with iron, salt, and silver."
Sam chocked on his sip of water. After a few coughs to clear his throat, he gave Dean a surprised look. "You mean…you're an actual monster hunter?"
"Yep. Raised in the life for the past twelve years," he said with a grin. He lifted up the left sleeve of his t-shirt, revealing a shiny patch of skin, a healed burn. "Acid from a Death Worm, two years ago. Nasty worms that live in deserts. They can kill by electrocution or spitting acid, luckily it only grazed me or I'd be missing the whole arm."
"Holy crap," Sam said. Even Meg and Ruby looked impressed. Castiel worked vaguely worried. "Does that hurt?" he asked with concern in his voice.
"Nah," Dean said with a shrug. "Like I said, I got lucky."
"This is pretty incredible," Sam said excitedly. "I mean, I've read about Hunters and stuff, but to actually meet one, this is too cool."
"Just calm down, Poindexter, or I might think you're coming onto me," Dean grinned.
"I promise, Dean, not everyone is throwing themselves at you," Meg said in a conspirator's whisper.
"Haha," he said, his grin disappearing.
Everyone finished their meals, the feeling around the table much more relaxed that when they started. "Well, we gotta get going," Sam said after a few moments. "Homework and stuff."
"Don't hurt that brain of yours with all that responsibility," Dean said with a grin. Sam scoffed at him. "Yeah, uh, I'll keep that in mind."
"Hey," Dean said, causing them to turn towards him. "Same time, same place tomorrow?" Dean asked, hopefully. Ruby looked at Sam and shrugged. Sam nodded after a moment, "Sure."
Meg gave Dean a calculating look. "Are you going to have another pick-up line to try on us?"
Dean looked up, thinking. "It might not be as polished as that gem earlier, but I think I can whip up a little something."
"Then count me in," Meg said. She pointedly winked at Castiel, though. "See you tomorrow, Castiel," she said with a smile. Castiel gave her an unsure wave back. Dean didn't even bother to hide the glare he shot Cas's way.
"Dude, don't you dare start hittin' on my ladies!" Dean hissed angrily at Cas the second the others had left the room.
Castiel tiled his head while giving Dean an intense stare. "I never lifted a hand towards them," he said, eyes narrowed in confusion.
"Don't act coy. I saw them first!"
"They aren't commodities to be possessed, Dean. They're people."
Dean threw up his hands in frustration. "That's not what I—dammit, Cas, stop changing the subject!" he said, grabbing his empty plates and leaving the table, Castiel following behind, still confused.
"Now, what am I gonna do? I know she doesn't actually care what I say, she'll make fun of me, but maybe if I play along, she'll give me her number…." Dean muttered to himself as they left the cafeteria.
"Whose number are you after?"
"Well, Meg's preferably. That low drawl, ho boy," he said.
"Well, why don't you just ask her for it? Why use pick-up lines?"
Dean stopped walking down the sidewalk, and put his hand on Cas's shoulder to stop him. "Because, Cas, that's not how that works! If I just ask her outright, it'll be more likely she'll just say no and I'll never get another chance. If I play along, pretend her jabs don't bother me, she'll eventually get won over by my charming personality."
Castiel processed this for a moment. "Why not show her the inventions you make when you should be working on homework? Those are accurate indications of intelligence and technical prowess."
Dean actually blushed at Castiel's compliments, though he covered it with an awkward chuckle. "Cas, thanks for the awesome self-esteem boost, but I'm pretty sure my reverse-engineering an EMF reader from an old Walkman isn't exactly a real draw for the ladies."
Castiel simply shook his head at Dean, and actually started walking first. "There are just some things I'll never understand," he said simply as he walked away.
"Hey Sam, were you serious about hanging out with those dweebs again tomorrow?" Ruby asked loudly from her and Meg's room. The girls had finished getting ready for bed, wearing matching t-shirts and boy shorts for pajamas.
Sam poked his head into the doorway to their bedroom, a toothbrush hanging from his mouth. "That a problem?" he mumbled around the foam and bristles.
"Ruby's just jealous because Dean wasn't throwing himself at her during dinner," Meg teased.
"Shut up, that jock isn't my type," Ruby said with a slight shudder. "Does he only talk in mixed-up pick-up lines?"
Sam rolled his eyes and returned to the bathroom to spit.
"Ah, so you're into the socially awkward one," Meg said with a cheeky grin.
"Strike two. Neither one of those jerks is anywhere near my radar."
"Hey Sam," Meg called out, a mischievous look on her face. She winked at Ruby. "If you had to choose, would you go out with socially awkward Castiel or badass-wannabe Dean?"
There was a sputtering, choking noise from the bathroom, and the girls began madly cackling.
"Choose…? What the hell—why in the—that's gross, you two are ridiculous!" Sam poked his head back in, sans toothbrush, his face scrunched up in an angry bout. "What is it with you two and asking me awkward crap like that?"
"Good way to pass the time," Meg said evilly.
"Well, knock it off! I'm going to bed and am pretending this conversation never happened," Sam said, disappearing into the other bedroom and closing the door.
"Good night, Sammy!" both girls called out in tandem.
"It's Sam, dammit!" came the muffled reply.
"Time for bed, sis," Ruby said, tumbling onto the bottom bunk, black hair everywhere.
Meg turned out the light and climbed up into her bed. As she lay on her back, hands behind her head, eyes staring forward but not actually looking at anything, she smiled. I suppose the question is; which one's my type? Guess I'll just have to play it by ear.
