Chapter 1: Frozen Peas
"Dean, I'm hungry."
The words echoed through Dean's mind as he walked through the little convenience store, taking long deep breaths and trying to act normal. He saw the shelf with cans of ravioli and smiled a little. Sammy loved the mini ravioli. Almost as much as he loved mac and cheese.
Dean looked around, trying to keep his breathing even. There weren't any cameras that he could see and there was just the one cashier. He could do this.
He grabbed two cans of mini ravioli and stuffed them into his jacket. After closing his eyes for a second to steel his nerves, he started walking as casually as he could towards the exit.
"Hey, can I help you, boy?"
Dean startled and glanced over at the cashier. He froze for a second then shook his head with a smile. "Uh, no thank you. I was just leaving."
The cashier gave him an odd look and Dean swallowed thickly but kept walking. He saw the cashier wave over the cop standing by the door and his stomach dropped. How had he not seen him there before?
"He didn't buy anything… yeah, he was just wandering around…"
Dean heard the cashier whispering to the cop and his heart pounded harder in his chest. Don't panic, Winchester. Just act natural.
"Hey there, son, why the hurry?"
Shit.
Dean turned to see a man in a deputy's uniform standing over him. He gulped nervously. "Uh, sorry sir. I was just, uh…" he trailed off, panic setting in, and turned and broke into a sprint out the door.
"Hey stop that kid!"
Dean glanced back over his shoulder to see the deputy running after him, but he kept running…
...right into the other deputy.
Dean lost his balance a bit, dropping the ravioli cans from his jacket, and the deputy shook his head. "Turn around, kid," he said, pulling out a pair of handcuffs. Dean panicked. He couldn't get caught. On instinct, he threw a punch at the deputy and tried to run again, but the other officer was there to catch him by the arm.
"Not so fast."
Dean cursed under his breath as his hands were cuffed behind his back and he was ushered into the back of the deputy's car.
As they drove away, Dean could only think of Sam, and how he had failed him.
…
"Mr. Winchester, hi. We caught your son shoplifting, thanks for coming-"
"What happened?" John asked, looking over at Dean, disappointment in his eyes. Dean swallowed hard, but he couldn't speak. He deserved that look. He'd been caught. That was one of the number one rules. Be smart, don't get caught.
"Now listen, Dean punched one of my officers. That's a big deal, it'll have to go on his record. But the store owner isn't pressing charges. Once I process him, he's free to go if you could just sign a few papers-"
"No."
"Sorry?"
"Dad-"
"No, he can sit for what he did. Give him some time to think. He's your problem now."
"Sir-"
The sheriff was interrupted by a door slamming shut, and John Winchester was gone. The man sighed. "Officers, take these cuffs off. I'll call Sonny." Grunting a bit in protest, the officer with the shiner on his eye, courtesy of Dean, unlocked the cuffs from Dean's wrists. Dean winced a little as they came off, rubbing his sore wrists.
Dean couldn't believe it. He had only stolen food for Sammy. He was trying to take care of his brother. It wasn't his fault dad didn't leave them enough food for a whole week. And he said he'd only be gone four days.
Shaking his head, trying not to think about that, he looked down and pretended he wasn't eavesdropping as the sheriff spoke on the phone again.
"Yeah, Mr. Ellison, I've got a situation here… Yeah, do you have the space? No, not that, he was just here… I can't believe it, he just left… Yeah, I'll let him know... His name's Dean. Thanks, Sonny. Bye, now."
Dean's face scrunched with a confused frown. Sonny? What the hell?
"Listen son, I know-"
"Don't call me son," Dean spat. "My dad's coming back. He's just pissed off, he'll be back." Dean wasn't even sure he believed it, especially with that sad look the sheriff was giving him. He hated pity.
"I'm sure he will, but you can't stay here in any case," said the sheriff. "For now, we've got a nice boys home 'round here where you can stay. A warm bed's better than a jail cell."
He had a point, Dean thought.
"Fine. I'll be gone by tomorrow anyways when my dad comes back."
"That's alright by me, son."
…
"Come on, Dean," Sonny said, and Dean followed reluctantly. Sonny's smile was so warm and kind. He couldn't look at it. "Let's get some frozen peas on those wrists and I'll show ya to your room."
"I-I get a room?" Dean stuttered out, stunned, without meaning to. Quickly collecting himself, he shrugged his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He only winced a little when the leather rubbed his raw wrists. "I mean, yeah, uh, sure. I guess I can stick around for one night."
Sonny smiled, amused, and glanced at him over his shoulder as he grabbed a bag of frozen peas. "You're sixteen, right?"
Dean nodded silently.
"Oh, yeah," Sonny said with a low chuckle. "I remember that age. Too cool for school, right?"
Dean shifted uncomfortably. He didn't particularly like being psychoanalyzed. "I dunno what you're talking about."
Sonny smiled knowingly. "'Course you don't." He handed Dean the bag of peas and clapped him lightly on the back. "You'll fit right in here, Dean."
Sonny led Dean upstairs, down the hall, and to the room at the end. There were six beds, 3 on each side of the room, with a rug in the middle. "The other boys are just finishing up their chores, but you can pick your bunk and settle in a bit." Sonny paused and glanced at Dean, his heart clenching at the look on Dean's face. He'd never had his own bed in his life by the looks of it. Clearing his throat, Sonny spoke again. "The first two on the right here are taken. Benny and Chuck. Ash has this first bunk on the left, and the far left corner is Castiel's bunk. You can take your pick of the other two."
Dean took it in for a moment longer before shaking himself out of his haze and tossing his jacket on the middle left bed. It's not like it mattered anyways. "Thanks," he muttered, and Sonny left the room to give him some space to adjust.
Dean looked around. The room wasn't exactly huge, but it was surprisingly roomy considering 6 boys lived there. It was actually kinda nice, Dean thought. He even had his own night stand. He'd only ever had a bed to share with Sammy in dirty hotel rooms, so this was practically paradise.
Dean shook his head. No. He wasn't staying. He couldn't just leave Sam, and his dad would come back. Of course he would.
His chest hurt at the thought of Sam. Where was he now? Did dad drop him off at Bobby's, or drag him along on a hunt? Did he even know what happened or why Dean wasn't there? Or how his dad has basically told him "You're on your own, rot in jail for all I care." How all he wanted was to get some food for Sam but he didn't have any money left. How he was abandoned for trying to be a good big brother.
He felt tears spill out of his eyes and he wiped them away roughly, squeezing his eyes shut tight. "Don't cry, Winchester. Crying means you're weak and you're not weak," he scolded himself just before the door flew open. He looked up as a lanky brown-haired boy ran into the room. The boy stopped in his tracks and looked at Dean.
"Oh," he said after a moment. "You must be the new kid." He went to his bed, on the right corner closest to the door, and grabbed an inhaler. "I'm Chuck," the boy said after taking a deep draw of his inhaler. "We're about to have lunch. Nice to meet you."
Dean didn't even have a chance to speak before Chuck was dashing out of the room again. Strange kid, he thought.
Dean wiped his hands down his face and shook out his shoulders before heading downstairs. He silently took a seat at the table with the other boys, not in the mood for more introductions. The others seemed to be fine with that- except for one boy. He was about Dean's age, with bright blue eyes, and he was staring right at Dean.
Dean's temper flared. "What's your problem?"
That got everyone's attention.
"Well howdy, newbie," said one of the boys. He looked about seventeen and he had an awful mullet.
"We haven't had any fresh faces around here in quite some time," said the boy next to Dean. He looked to be the same age as Mullet Man over there.
"Yeah, well don't get used to it, cuz I'm not staying," Dean snapped. "I'll be gone before you know it so take a good look."
Cocky. That'll get old really quickly, Castiel thought. He looked away from Dean without a word and crossed his arms, scolding himself for so blatantly staring at Dean.
"So, what're you in for? Oh, and I'm Benny by the way. And that dick head is Ash, you can ignore him."
"Hey, I'm not-"
"And you already met Chuck here." Chuck waved enthusiastically. "And Mr. Personality over there is Castiel."
Castiel didn't even look up at the sound of his name. Dean glanced at him curiously. This place was wack job central.
Dean looked back at Benny. "Well, I can see we're all fantastic at first impressions." He paused, trying to think of how to answer Benny's question. "And well, I punched a cop. So that'll do it."
Cas tried to keep an eye roll at bay.
"Yeah, that would," Benny laughed.
Benny stopped laughing and sat up a little straighter as a middle aged woman walked into the room carrying a tray of sandwiches and fruit.
"You boys been working hard?" she said with a smile just as warm as Sonny's.
"Thank you, Ruth," Castiel spoke up, barely audible to the rest of the room. He smiled thankfully at the women and Dean couldn't help but notice he had a nice smile.
"Hello? Earth to Dean?" Ash said, waving a hand in front of Dean's face and grabbing a sandwich before Ruth could even set the tray on the table. "Trust me, he's not that interesting," he said, and Dean's eyes snapped away from Cas quickly. "He seems all mysterious and deep but you get past that pretty quick."
Somehow, Dean doubted that was true.
As the boys ate, Dean couldn't help but sneak glances at Castiel. He half-heartedly participated in conversation with Benny and Ash, but he was honestly more concerned with learning everything there was to learn about the quiet blue-eyed boy.
Cas finished eating before the other boys who were too busy talking to actually eat (except for Ash who was under the implication he could do both simultaneously). He stood stiffly and took his plate to the sink, wiping it clean and setting it to the side. Cas had noticed the new kid Dean staring at him throughout lunch. It was nothing he wasn't used to. The other boys stared at him the same way. Intrigued, but not necessarily in a good way. There was almost always a hint of fear.
He never used to get those stares. But that was before.
He rubbed his hands down his shirt to smooth some of the wrinkles and walked past the other boys wordlessly. He did allow himself a moment to get a better look at Dean.
Green eyes, freckles, light brown hair that almost looked blonde in the sunlight, all wrapped up in flannel and blue jeans. And unfairly handsome. That was what Dean looked like.
Cas shook his head and left the kitchen, hurrying out the front door before he got carried away.
As he stepped out onto the porch, he bumped into a girl with dark hair and a guitar case slung over her shoulder. Castiel apologized and looked up at the familiar face, smiling a bit.
"Oh! Hey, Castiel," the girl said, blushing.
"Hello, Robin," Cas said with a nod and a polite smile.
Robin's blush darkened when Cas said her name. Castiel's heart sank in sympathy. He hated that every time she looked at him with those hopeful eyes he had to shoot her down. It wasn't exactly his fault, he just wasn't interested. "Uh, no thank you, Robin. We got a new kid today, though. He might want to," Cas offered with as little pity as he could manage.
"Oh really?" Robin asked with a smile, trying to hide her disappointment. "Sounds awesome. I'll, uh… I'll see you around then, Cas."
Cas nodded and waved to her as he hopped off the porch and headed off to the field behind the house.
Robin sighed sullenly, watching him go. She only took a moment to feel sorry for herself, though, quickly schooling her features and stepping through the front door. "Knock knock!" she announced cheerfully.
Dean looked up when the door opened, for a split second hoping it was Castiel. But he wasn't disappointed by what he saw at all. His eyes widened when a very beautiful girl with a guitar entered walked through the door.
Ash scoffed. "That's Robin," he told Dean quietly. "She's totally head-over-heels for Chatty Cassy but no one knows why. Don't even bother, bro."
Dean slapped on his trademark cocky grin, straightening his collar and standing up. "Watch and learn, boys."
He sauntered into the living room with his best charming smile. "Hey," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "You know, I've always wanted to learn how to play guitar. Think you could teach me a few things?"
"That's what I'm here for," Robin said, unfazed by the blatant flirtation. She heard that shit all the time, but never from one person in particular.
She sighed and turned to the boy with a polite smile. "You must be the new kid Cas mentioned. I'm Robin," she told him, shrugging the guitar off her shoulders and sitting on the couch.
"Uh, yeah. Yeah, that's me," Dean said, taken aback slightly when she didn't react to his flirting. "My name's Dean."
Sonny chose that moment to enter the living room, smiling when he saw Robin. "Hey there, Robin. Uh boys, have any of you seen Gordon?"
Dean frowned. The other boys shrugged and said they hadn't seen him, and Sonny sighed and walked out the front door.
Sitting down next to Robin on the couch, Dean asked, "Who's Gordon? I thought it was just the four boys."
"Gordon is… well, it's a long story," Robin said, frowning. "He's a jerk. Cas always tried to protect people when Gordon picked on them, so Gordon decided to target him instead. And Anna…" Robin trailed off, stopping herself. It wasn't her place.
Dean felt an odd sense of protectiveness at the idea of someone bullying Castiel. He couldn't quite place it. But he knew what it was like to be different, to be treated like a freak. He wouldn't wish that on anyone. "Sounds to me like someone needs to teach Gordon a little common decency," he told Robin fiercely, and she scoffed, pausing her strumming to look at him.
"What? And that's gonna be you? Look, you're right. Gordon needs to learn a lesson. But Castiel knocked him around pretty hard and he still didn't learn it. You'd think with what Castiel did…" she stopped herself again, shaking her head. "Well, you'd think he'd learn to leave well enough alone."
Outside, Castiel had wandered into the small patch of forest that sat behind the property. He looked up into one of the trees and smiled when he saw a small nest with three baby birds and their mother. He began climbing the tree, settling in with his back against the trunk a few branches below the nest. He watched them with a small smile, leaning back against the tree and enjoying the time alone.
"Hey, bird boy," called a voice from below, and Cas stiffened. He looked down with disgust when he saw Gordon standing at the base of the tree. The older boy smirked and taunted, "Got your wings yet?"
Cas rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the birds. "Go away, Gordon," he muttered.
"What was that now? Couldn't hear ya." Gordon's eyes darkened and he hopped up onto the bottom branch, beginning to sway and put his entire weight into shaking the trunk. He smirked up at Cas as he struggled to keep his grip on the tree. He continued shaking the tree and taunting Cas. "Don't feel like talking, huh? Fine by me."
Castiel gritted his teeth, trying to cool his temper. He wanted to hop down there and shove Gordon's face into the tree. It wouldn't be hard. He wasn't big, but he was stronger than Gordon for sure. But after what happened last time… Well, the thought was enough to cool Cas down pretty quick. He would just ride it out and Gordon would get bored eventually.
It wasn't until he noticed the bird's nest teetering on its branch that he finally moved. The mother bird had flown away the second Gordon began shaking the tree, but the nestlings were still there, and they couldn't fly.
Cautiously, Castiel stood, steadying himself with a firm grip on the branches above him. He began to pull himself up, gasping and catching his grip when his foot slipped. Gordon began to shake the tree with even more fervor and the nest slipped. Castiel cursed and dove to catch it, falling to the ground with a thud. He groaned as the nestlings chirped in alarm, startled but safe and sound. Cas, on the other hand, was less than okay.
Gordon smiled smugly and hopped down from the tree, landing inches from Castiel's head. Cas glared up at him. "Nice catch, bird boy," Gordon sneered, then turned and shifed his expression into one of panic. "Hey!" he shouted. "Someone help! Cas is hurt!"
Dean was about to tell Robin that he didn't care what Gordon did, he could take him. He'd seen worse. So much worse. Gordon didn't scare him.
He was cut off when he heard yelling outside and he instinctively jumped up. He followed when Sonny and the other boys ran outside to see what was wrong.
Sonny ran through the open field, stopping to kneel next to Cas. "Hey, buddy, you all right? What happened?" The man didn't believe Gordon's concern for a second, nor did anyone else. They all knew him better than that. But Sonny was more focused on making sure Cas was okay than punishing Gordon.
Castiel groaned and began to sit up, and Sonny helped him. "The nest slipped," he said, smiling weakly. "I caught it."
Sonny chuckled. "What am I gonna do with you, boy?"
Dean followed the others outside, heart sinking when he saw Castiel on the ground. As he came closer to make sure the boy was okay, he noticed Gordon standing off to the side with a smug look on his face. Temper flaring, he marched out onto the grass and shoved the taller boy's chest.
"So you like picking on people, huh?" he growled. "Maybe you should try picking on me, see how that works out for ya. Come on, do it," he shoved Gordon again. "Do it! Unless you're scared," he challenged, eyeing Gordon fiercely.
Gordon laughed. "Fine, tough guy."
Sonny stepped in the middle of them before Gordon could throw a fist. "Hey, knock it off, both of you. Gordon, get in the house, now! Dean, help me get Cas inside."
Dean nodded, taking a breath to calm down but still glaring at Gordon.
Castiel tried to stand, looking at Dean with confusion. Why was he trying to protect him? He could take care of himself, anyways. But still, why would Dean even want to stick up for him?
Cradling the bird's nest, Cas muttered, "I'm fine, I can take care of myself."
Gordon laughed again. "Are you sure, bird boy? Your boyfriend here seems more than willing to swoop in. Looks like someone else stepped up as hero, Cassy."
Castiel glared at Gordon and lifted himself up a bit. He still couldn't stand.. Sonny ushered Gordon inside, and Dean walked over to Cas, watching him in concern. "Hey, you okay, man?" he asked. "Looks like you hit your head pretty hard…"
Castiel's ego softened a bit at the boy's concern. "I'm fine," he insisted, but he winced as he sat up straighter, exposing the lie. "I have to get back up the tree. The birds…"
Dean reached out to help Castiel to his feet, not believing him for a second. "No way. You're not climbing up there again after that fall. You need to rest up, Cas."
"I don't need rest, I need to get this nest back in the tree."
Dean shook his head, eyeing Cas. "How 'bout you let me put the nest back, and then we'll grab you some ice. Lots of ice."
Cas smiled a bit. "Are you sure? It's the sixth branch up."
Dean scoffed, grinning. "Honestly I'm offended you'd even ask." Grabbing the nest carefully, he pulled himself up into the tree and started climbing higher and higher until he found what looked like the perfect place for the nest. Tucking it into the little nook, he smiled and climbed back down. "Done and done," he said. "Oh, and I'm Dean, by the way. I wanted to introduce myself personally, instead of as 'new kid.'" He smiled even wider and shook Castiel's hand. "Mind if I call you Cas?"
Meanwhile, Robin continued to watch from the porch as the boys started heading back inside. She couldn't help but admire the way Dean stood up for Castiel like that. And how he was being so kind to the boy. Honestly, it was extremely attractive. And Dean wasn't exactly hard on the eyes either, so that helped.
Despite Castiel's protests that he didn't need help (which were discredited when he almost fell over before grabbing onto Dean's shoulders), Dean wrapped an arm around the boy's waist and helped him inside. After Dean got Cas inside in one piece, he went to the kitchen and grabbed a few bags of frozen peas. He figured Sonny wouldn't mind. Then he helped Cas upstairs to the bathroom and found a first aid kit as Cas held the bags to his head and side.
"Sit," he told Cas, and Cas listened, trying not to think too much about how Dean's arm felt wrapped around his waist. Or how he looked when he smiled. Or his hair. Or the way his eyes lit up when he looked at him.
He hated himself every time his heart pounded just a little too fast.
Trying to distract himself from Dean's face, he turned his attention to the amulet around Dean's neck. "Nice amulet," he said quietly as Dean cleaned up the blood coming from his forehead.
Dean paused, instinctively reaching for the necklace Sam gave him. "Oh," he said, clearing his throat. Another reminder that he couldn't protect Sam, no matter how hard he tried. "Yeah… it was a gift." He frowned slightly, shaking his head to clear the thoughts of Sam.
"Cas, are you alright?"
Both of the boys jumped as Robin popped into the room, her blue eyes wide with concern.
"Uh, yes, I believe so," Cas said.
"That was so sweet how you saved those birds," she said, blushing. "Don't let Gordon get to you."
"I don't," Cas said gruffly.
Robin turned to look at Dean, then, and her blushed deepened. "It was sweet what you did, too…" she smiled shyly. "Standing up to Gordon like that."
Dean shrugged, smiling just a bit, and Cas couldn't help but watch him. Perhaps there was more to Dean than Cas had initially thought.
"It was nothing," Dean said, snapping Cas out of his thoughts. Cas shook his head, kicking himself mentally. Stop staring. It isn't right. "I just don't like guys who pick on people just 'cuz they can. I don't care how much your life sucks, you can't treat people like that."
Fishing the anti-bacterial spray and some gauze out of the first aid kid, Dean knelt down in front of where Cas was sitting on the edge of the tub. "This might sting," he told him, spraying the cuts across Castiel's head, collarbone, and arms. Cas swallowed hard but showed no sign of pain. It was nothing he wasn't used to.
Robin gently touched his knee, watching the boy carefully. "Castiel, you could always take him in a fight. You did before."
Cas looked up at her and shook his head. "No. I… that's not a good idea." After what had happened before… Well, Cas couldn't let that happen again. His father would… Cas closed his eyes. No. His dad had disowned him. What he thought shouldn't matter. Besides, Castiel didn't want to hurt anyone. Not again. Not even Gordon.
At the thought of his father, Castiel lost track of what was happening around him. He vaguely registered Dean and Robin talking softly to each other, but it didn't matter. He couldn't help but think of every lesson his dad had drilled into his mind… He was wrong. He was disgusting. He was a disgrace. And the way Dean's hands felt against his skin only made matters worse. It was distracting.
His father didn't understand. It wasn't that he liked girls or that he liked boys. He had dated a few girls in the past, April and Meg. But it wasn't their gender he was drawn to, it was their kindness and what he saw in their soul. According to his dad, it was far more important what was between a person's legs.
Personally, Cas thought it was more "Christian" to love someone for more than just sex, but that's not what his father had taught him. Man and woman. Anything else was a sin.
Castiel's stomach churned. He believed in his heart that what he felt was real and that it wasn't wrong, but he couldn't help but think of his father's words every time he noticed Dean's eyes and the way he smiled… and the way he had so gently put those birds back in the tree…
No. Cas didn't want to think about it. The thought made his skin crawl… or maybe it made him buzz. Either way, he decided right then that he would have to stay as far away from Dean Winchester as possible.
Breaking Cas out of his thoughts, Sonny came to stand in the doorway, asking how he was feeling. Gordon slipped in beside him and sneered at Cas.
"Got your boyfriend playing nurse, faggot? You kinky son of a-"
"Gordon," Sonny stopped him, and Cas glared at the boy.
"That's odd," Cas growled, "considering your idea of kinky involves drunk 14 year old girls."
"That's enough," Sonny said, louder, grabbing Gordon by the arm and leading him back to his room.
Dean frowned at Cas's words. "What-"
"It doesn't matter," Cas muttered, looking down at the floor.
His frown deepening in concern, Dean began cleaning one of the deeper cuts on Cas's cheek. He tried to meet the boy's eyes. "I take it you have quite the history. What'd he do to make you hate him so much? You know, besides being a generally shitty person."
Looking up from the floor, Cas eyed Dean curiously. He wasn't fazed by Gordon's harsh words or their implications. He was only worried about Cas. He really couldn't figure Dean out.
Robin stood and cleared her throat. "Well, I hope you feel better, Cas. My dad will be waiting for me at the diner. I'll tell Anna you said hi."
Cas looked up at her and smiled. "Thank you, Robin."
She blushed and smiled back at him, then coughed and turned to Dean. "Keep him out of trouble."
Dean winked. "'Course I will."
"I am very capable of handling myself," Cas said defensively, though he was secretly glad to have the light-hearted atmosphere return.
Robin rolled her eyes and gave him a knowing, affectionate smile. "Obviously. See ya, feel better." Cas nodded and Robin left.
Once she was gone and it was just Cas and Dean, neither of them spoke for a few moments. Dean's hand was frozen by Cas's forehead where he had been patching him up. The touch was one they both tried to ignore.
"Gordon is part of the reason I'm in here," Cas finally choked out, softly and hesitant.
"What do you mean by that?" Dean asked, leaning in close so he could see the wound better. Cas's heart skipped a beat and he inched back just a bit.
"Why don't you ask someone else? Everyone here knows the story," he whispered, only a little bitter.
"Because I'm asking you," Dean stated with a shrug. Pausing, he added, "I wanna get your side of the story, not some bullshit rumors."
Grabbing the band-aids from the first aid kit, Dean finished patching Cas up, but he didn't move away just yet.
Cas just shrugged. "Gordon's an ass, and I was stupid. That's really all there is to it."
He was stupid for letting Anna go out on her own. Stupid for losing his temper so impulsively. Stupid for thinking his dad cared. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Dean chuckled, and Cas felt his breath catch at the sound. "You know, I can see why most people get the dark, mysterious vibe from you. You're so… vague. I mean, it can't be that bad. I'd bet you a hundred bucks I've done worse."
Cas blushed when Dean called him 'dark and mysterious.' Was that really what people thought of him? Was that really what Dean thought of him? He decided not to dwell on the thought.
Dean noticed Cas seemed distracted. Or at least that he didn't feel like talking. Dean understood that.
"Hey, I'm sorry for prying," he back-tracked, clearing his throat and moving away from Cas just a little. "It's your story to tell, and you don't have to."
"It's alright," Cas assured him, missing the closeness for a moment and then immediately dismissing that thought. "It's not that I mind you knowing, I just don't like talking about it. Like I said, everyone here knows the story. You can ask them. I'm sure you won't hear it too differently."
Cas was a terrible liar, he knew that. And he didn't want to be the one to tell Dean that he had gotten drunk and done some stupid shit with Gordon, even if it wasn't true. But that was the story everyone but a select few believed. It was better that way. If anyone found out what really happened… well, he didn't know what would happen. But he had to keep Anna safe, even if that meant getting disowned by his family and being stuck in this place. As long as it wasn't Anna going through it.
Dean nodded, not quite believing Cas but deciding not to push it too much. "Well, whatever it was, I wouldn't think less of you for it. Anything that ends with Gordon getting his face kicked in is alright in my book." Smiling, he finished putting one last band-aid on Cas's forehead. "There. Good as new." Then, smirking a little, he said, "You know, you look pretty badass for someone who just fell out of a tree. Might get some nice battle scars."
Cas eyed him curiously. "I'm covered in band-aids. I'm not badass."
Dean laughed, genuine and bright, and Cas felt his cheeks flush. "Well it'll make you even more dark and mysterious, either way."
Cas laughed too, then winced when he felt a sharp pain in his ribs. He made a pained noise and groaned, "I think I'm going to be dark and mysterious in my bed, if you don't mind." Cas protested but ultimately gave in when Dean rushed to help him stand and walk down the hall. "Uh, thanks," he said. "For everything. And don't worry about Gordon. He's got me as a target and won't let me go, which is good. It means he spends less time hurting anyone else. I can handle him."
"Yeah, I'm sure you can," Dean said with only a hint of sarcasm. "But it never hurts to have someone that's got your back." Dean led him to a door and reached for the knob but Cas stopped him.
"Wrong room," he said quickly, grabbing Dean's hand on instinct. "That's Gordon's room. Don't go in there. Ever."
Dean nodded, swallowing thickly as he felt warmth spread from where Cas touched him. "Good to know." They continued walking to their room, and Dean helped Cas to his bed before sitting down on his own. "Get some rest," he told Cas. "You've earned it, hero."
Cas smiled at him, though he was both thrilled and panicked when he realized that Dean's bed was right next to his. It was obvious he had formed some kind of attraction to Dean, and it needed to be quelled. But… Cas swallowed.
No, no, no, no, no.
Gritting his teeth to keep from groaning in pain, Cas gingerly hooked a thumb into the back of the neckline on his dirty t-shirt. He brought it over his head and tossed it into his laundry basket before replacing it with an old, loose-fitting black t-shirt.
He didn't miss the way Dean stared at him for just a fraction of a second when he took his shirt off. He couldn't help but feel… something when he saw the look on Dean's face.
He laid down on his back, crossing his arms behind his head despite the soreness in his muscles. He stared at the ceiling as he spoke. "So, what stupid thing really got you stuck in here, Dean Winchester? I get the feeling it was more than punching a cop."
Dean had busied himself with his pocket knife and the wooden bed posts, carving protective symbols into each one. He startled when Cas spoke, trying to pretend he wasn't just distracting himself from the very distracting image of Cas with no shirt.
"I… I stole some food for me and my brother," he said, clearing his throat when his voice came out barely more than a whisper.
Cas looked over at him, baffled. "Then it is stupid. That you were put in here, I mean. That's no crime."
His attention was drawn to what Dean was carving and he eyed the boy suspiciously.
Whoa, Novak, he thought. Way to have a thing for the devil worship boy. Dad would be so proud.
Dean smiled a little. "I agree." Anything that was helping his brother couldn't be bad, not in his eyes. Noticing the look on Cas's face, Dean's eyes widened. "Oh, no this isn't… It's just… It's protection," he tried to say, heart pounding. How could he explain this away? "It's a… family thing. I guess. I swear I don't worship the devil or anything like that. The exact opposite, actually."
Cas blinked, slightly relieved. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, immediately regretting the quick movement, and carefully swung his legs over so he was facing Dean. He leaned in closer to get a better look at the carvings. "Huh," he said. "These are… really intense anti-demonic Latin symbols. Where did you learn these?"
"My dad," he answered, heart clenching at the reminder. "He's… paranoid," he lied. "I guess I'm a little paranoid, too."
Cas wasn't sure what to make of that, but before he could say anything, the other three boys walked into the room. Benny nodded at Cas.
"You doin' alright there, chief?"
Cas nodded, his expression becoming more guarded when the other boys entered. Chuck flopped down on his bed, taking a draw of his inhaler. Benny and Ash grabbed some plastic straws and started shooting spit wads at each other from across the room.
Dean was disappointed when Cas closed off in the presence of the other boys, but he understood. Even as he mourned Cas's open expression, he felt himself rebuilding his own walls.
As the two of them fell quiet again, Dean couldn't help but wonder about Cas's past with Gordon. Was it really that bad? Maybe he would ask one of the other boys after all. For now, though, he decided to try for some sleep. But between Benny arguing with Chuck over his fantasy romance supernatural novel ("Why would vampires kill for sport? That's a waste of perfectly good food!"), and Cas humming softly to himself, and thoughts of Sam…
Well, he wasn't gonna be getting any sleep tonight.
Snatching his jacket off the floor, Dean pulled out a small picture of him and his brother, curling up on his side and starting at the faded photograph. He frowned. What was he thinking, trying to make friends here? Obviously he couldn't stay. He had to get back to his brother. He had to keep him safe, like always. It didn't matter that his dad didn't want him around anymore. All that mattered was that Sam was okay.
He had made his decision. He waited for the others to fall asleep and for the sun to set, then grabbed his jacket and started for the door.
Cas's eyes snapped open when he heard the door open, looking over just in time to watch Dean slip out. He wanted to stop him… but no. This was a good thing. Cas's feelings for Dean would only lead to more problems, so Cas let him go, as much as it hurt.
He tensed, however, when he heard another door open further down the hall, and Cas knew exactly where it was coming from. Cas cursed and slipped out of bed, heading down the stairs as quickly and quietly as he could.
Dean hadn't thought it would be this easy to sneak out, but he wasn't complaining. He slipped out the front door, hopping off the porch without looking back.
He didn't hear the footsteps behind him until it was too late.