Chapter 2: Apple Pie Life

Gordon couldn't believe it. How stupid could that little bitch be? Going outside in the middle of the night, all by himself. Just like his little sister.

Cas was gonna get what he deserved. Everyone would finally see him for what he was… a coward.

Anger bubbling up at the thought, Gordon picked up the pace and grabbed the boy by the shoulder, shoving him roughly to the ground and kicking him in the side. Again, then again.

Dean groaned, pain searing through his chest, and tried to pull himself up, to defend himself.

"Wait, you're not bird boy," the other boy said, and Dean realized it was Gordon. Then, with smugness in his tone, "Oh well, just as well I kick the shit out of you." And he was about to do just that when he suddenly hit the ground hard, groaning. "What the-"

"Stay the fuck away from him," Cas growled, punching Gordon hard across the face. He resisted the urge to just keep hitting him, pulling himself to his feet and shaking out his hand. "Touch him, or anyone else again and I'll blind you."

Gordon looked up at Castiel, seeing darkness in his eyes he hadn't seen since that night at the party. He spit out a mouthful of blood and scrambled to his feet, backing away. "Jesus… This isn't over, Castiel. I swear to God this isn't over." He ran back to the house, and Cas stared after him, making sure he was gone. Without turning around, Cas spoke. "Are you alright?"

"Cas," Dean spoke up. He sat up, grunting in pain. "Yeah, I… I'm okay, I think. What the hell-"

"You can go if you want," Cas said, still not looking at him. He closed his eyes and looked to the ground, heart sinking. Dean had seen the darkness, the brokenness in him, and there was no way he wouldn't run scared after that.

"No," Dean told him, bringing himself to his feet. "I'm not going anywhere."

Cas still didn't look at him, he couldn't. He shook out his hand again and headed towards the house, and Dean stared after him, trying to figure out what just happened. Why had Gordon tried to kill him? He must have thought he was Cas, but then why would he try to kill Cas? Wasn't knocking him out of a tree enough? What the hell had happened between those two? Why was Cas here in the first place?

Dean couldn't figure it out. One minute Cas is talking to him and he's kind and soft and you'd never imagine he even knew how to throw a punch. And the next, he's scaring Gordon shitless with one good right hook. It didn't make sense. One thing Dean knew for sure, though…

He wasn't leaving until he learned everything there was to know about Castiel.

…

Dean couldn't sleep that night. The pain in his ribs wasn't what bothered him (he was used to pain, and he could tell nothing was broken). But he couldn't shut his brain off.

For the first time in a long time, though, it wasn't Sam he was thinking about. He felt kinda guilty for that, but he couldn't help but let his interest in Cas grow. Sure the boy was attractive, there was no doubt about that, but it was more than that. Dean saw a sort of deep pain in him, but instead of letting that pain make him cruel, he was kind. He protected people who couldn't protect themselves. But he also saw darkness. Or the potential for darkness. It was the same darkness he saw in himself.

He thought in circles until the sun peeked in through the window. When Sonny came in the room to wake the boys for breakfast, he pretended he'd only just woken up. "How was your first night, Dean?"

Dean looked at Sonny for a moment, trying to decide how to answer that. "It was fine," he said vaguely. "I, uh… I was thinking…"

"Uh huh?"

"I… I might, maybe, think about staying. Just for a little while. No big deal or anything. Just until my dad comes back." Dean averted his eyes to hide the vulnerability he knew was there. Still, he could feel Sonny's warm smile and he couldn't help but smile a bit himself.

"Happy to have ya, Dean. You're welcome to stay just as long as you'd like."

Dean nodded, climbing out of bed and looking down at himself. He was in the same clothes as yesterday- the only clothes he had with him.

"Check the bottom drawer by your bed," Sonny told him, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorframe. "Hope they're a good fit for ya."

Dean frowned curiously and opened the drawer. His jaw dropped slightly at what he saw. Fresh clothes. Jeans, t-shirts, a couple button-ups, even a couple sweaters. "This… This is mine? Seriously?"

"Seriously," Sonny said with a smile. "If you're gonna stay you're gonna need something to wear."

"I…" Dean didn't know what to say. He couldn't seem to get the words out of his mouth.

"Don't even mention it, son." With that, Sonny clapped his hands. "Alright, rise and shine boys! It's Sunday so you know what that means! Get your chores done and then we're helping Ruth at the church."

Scattered groans of protest erupted from the other boys, but Dean couldn't help the way his lips twitched up in a small smile. He had a room, albeit a shared one. He had new clothes, he had a bed that was his, he had chores. It was so… normal. He never thought he could have anything close to normal. Maybe this was his chance at that apple pie life he'd always been too scared to even think of.

(Okay, so maybe he'd thought about it a lot. But his dad could never know that.)

Dean changed into some clean clothes, jeans and a black t-shirt with a light blue button-up over the top. He could see bruises forming on his side, but it didn't hurt too bad. He checked the top drawer and saw a fresh toothbrush; he snatched it up and all but bolted for the bathroom.

Downstairs, Sonny had breakfast ready for the boys, eggs and bacon and toast with jam. It was like a dream. "So Dean, Cas," Benny said, after Sonny walked out the front door and sat on the porch to eat his breakfast. "I heard you two up late last night. Something you wanna share with the class?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows at the two of them.

Dean scoffed. "Wouldn't you like to know, pervert?"

Benny's face paled and Dean smirked. "I-I, no, I just meant-"

"Oh shut up before you hurt yourself, idiot," Ash said. "No way they left the house after lights out, Sonny wouldn't have that shit. You're imagining things."

Benny huffed and glared at Ash. "I'm no idiot."

"Could've fooled me."

"Now now, ladies, no need to fight" Chuck said, holding back laughter. "You're both idiots."

Ash and Benny both erupted in indignant shouting at once, and Dean glanced at Cas with an amused look. His smile fell when Cas wouldn't look at him. He was staring at his food, eating in silence. Dean sighed. He knew why Cas was being distant but he wished he could tell him that he didn't have to be. Not with him. If anyone could understand that darkness…

"Dean, what do you think?" Ash asked, and Dean hadn't been paying attention to what he was supposed to have an opinion about.

"Uh… yeah Benny's right, you're definitely an idiot."

Benny and Chuck busted out laughing and Ash glared. "I hate you all, ya know that? I'm gonna get into MIT and then you won't be laughing."

They all went silent when Gordon entered the room, grabbing a plate of food and leaving without a word.

"Damn, did you see that shiner?" Ash whispered. "Looks like someone beat his ass."

"It's about damn time," Benny grumbled. Chuck made a noise of agreement, mouth full of food.

"Well whoever did it, I'd shake his hand," Dean spoke up, not looking up from his food. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cas glance at him. He took that as a win.

"Alright boys, everyone finished? Let's get movin'," Sonny said, coming back into the kitchen. "Everyone knows their assignments."

The boys nodded, all muttering "Yes, sir," and putting their dishes in the sink.

"Dean, can I speak to you? Cas, you too, son."

Dean looked at Sonny, a moment of fear washing over him. Did he know that he'd snuck out? Was he going to kick him out? Turn him over to the cops and then social services? He'd never see Sammy again…

"Relax, son, no one's in trouble," Sonny said, chuckling softly. "You two wouldn't happen to know what happened to Gordon's eye, would you?"

Dean looked at Cas, then back at Sonny, opening his mouth-

"It was me, sir," Cas said, and Dean coughed. "I, uh… I went out to get some fresh air. He followed me. I thought he was going to hurt me."

Sonny nodded, looking between the boys and not entirely believing him. He saw the way Dean winced when he stood up, saw the way he held his side. "Well, thank god he didn't," he told them. "Dean, how 'bout you clean up the dishes? Then we can talk about getting you signed up for school."

Dean's eyes widened. He hadn't been to school in over a year. Between looking out for Sammy and helping dad with hunts, he didn't see much point. And yet, when Sonny mentioned the idea, he couldn't think of anything that would make him happier. Apple pie life.

"Uh, yes sir. I'd like that."

Sonny smiled and nodded, leaving the room again and heading outside.

Dean looked at Cas, who wouldn't look back.

"Thanks," he said, and Cas nodded and left the house as well. Dean frowned. "Alright then."

…

Cas didn't understand Dean. Why was he still here? Why was he still trying to be close to Cas? Why did he care? After what he'd done, how could Dean even look at him?

Maybe Dean wasn't like the others. Maybe he didn't think he was a monster. Maybe…

No, that was crazy. No one ever looked at him the same way after they found out. No one except…

"Hey, Cassie."

"Oh my god, Cas! Robin told me what happened, are you okay? Do you need me to destroy someone?"

Cas smiled, genuinely smiled, when he saw his friends walking towards Sonny's porch.

"Charlie, Balthazar," he said, grinning as they both grabbed him into a hug. "No, I'm fine, I promise. You know I can handle Gordon."

"Doesn't make me wanna kick his ass any less, though," Balthazar told him.

"Yeah, I know," Cas laughed. "That's why you're my best friend."

"Ahem," Charlie said, hands on her hips. "Standing right here, Cas. My dear beloved friend who I love so much."

Cas laughed and shook his head at her. "You know I love you, Charlie."

She smiled, satisfied. "I know. And you know I have to give you shit."

"So," Balthazar said, slinging his arm over Cas's shoulders and leading him off the porch. "I was thinking. Now that you're here and good old dad isn't around to get all high and mighty on me, I was thinking we should go out. Ya know, have some fun."

"I don't know," Cas said skeptically. "Last time we had fun, I threw up like 3 times and woke up wearing one of Charlie's bras."

Balthazar laughed. "See? Fun."

Cas rolled his eyes. "Fine. But I have to do my chores first. Then the other boys are going to help out at the church so we can meet up." Sonny never made Cas help them at the church, considering his… situation. It hadn't ended well the first time, and Sonny never pushed it after that.

"Perfect!" Charlie said brightly, clapping her hands together and jumping a little as they walked. "So, there's this new bowling alley. There's a bar and they couldn't spot a fake ID if it had their own name on it. Also, their mozzarella sticks are to die for."

Cas scrunched his face. "I said I would never drink again and I meant it. But I do like mozzarella sticks."

"You're such a party pooper," Charlie pouted. "But fine. As long as we can hang out. I miss you guys."

Balthazar nodded in agreement. "It's been too long. So, we'll see ya later, yeah Cassie?"

"Yeah, see you later," Cas said, smiling at Balthazar and giving him a hug before heading off to mow the lawn in the back yard.

Balthazar watched him go, folding his arms over his chest and smiling. He really did miss his best friend. He hadn't seen him almost all summer, and he hadn't seen him at all since that night…

He caught a glimpse of Gordon walking out of the house and he saw red. He started marching towards him but Charlie grabbed him.

"Bal," Charlie said with a cautionary tone. "Don't. It's over. Cas has accepted it, it's time for you to do the same. There's no sense in you getting in trouble too. That's exactly what Cas was trying to avoid."

"That motherfucker," Balthazar growled. "This is his fault. And Anna… that son of a bitch hurt Anna."

"I know," Charlie said, and her heart hurt at the reminder. "But there's nothing you can do."
"I can kick his face in."

"And what good would that do?"

Balthazar fought against her hold for a few seconds more before groaning in frustration and giving in. "You're right. I know you're right. It's just every time I see him…"

"Me too," Charlie told him. "Me too."

Nodding and turning to face her, Balthazar sighed. "Let's go before I do something stupid like rip his fucking arms off."

They left Sonny's, and Gordon watched them leave with a smirk. They couldn't do anything anymore than Cas could.

"So Dean," Sonny started as Dean finished washing the dishes. "School is starting in a week, so there's not a lot of time, but I know a few people who can make sure you get started on time. Tenth grade, right?"

Dean nodded, drying his hands and pulling at his sleeves nervously. "Yeah, I think so."

"You think so? What does that mean?" Sonny asked, concerned.

"Nothing," Dean said quickly. "Nothing at all. Tenth grade, sir."

Eyeing Dean curiously, Sonny sighed and nodded. "Alright then. Well we can go down to the school tomorrow and get it all sorted out. For today, You can help us clean the church after the sermon."

"Yes sir," Dean nodded.

Suddenly the reality of going back to school hit him. He'd be so behind. He didn't even know what he had missed. He'd missed almost all of his first year of high school. How could he even begin to explain that to Sonny?

This was his chance at a normal, apple pie life. He wasn't going to ruin it by opening a social services investigation into his past.

Once all the boys had finished their chores, Sonny loaded them up into his truck. Dean noticed that Gordon and Cas weren't with them. He couldn't help but wonder why that was. Sonny drove them to the church and it all seemed pretty normal to Dean, so why wasn't Cas there? Dean guessed he had some sort of thing against religion. He could understand that.

"Hey, Ruth," Sonny said, hopping out of the truck and greeting the woman. "Where do you want us?"

Ruth smiled and led the boys inside, showing them where the cleaning supplies were and then joining Sonny in the foyer. "What do you make of Dean?" she asked.

"I think he's a good kid," Sonny said honestly. "Troubled and guarded as a military base, but a good kid. I think he's got one hell of a past but I don't wanna scare him away. I think this is the first time he's ever had a real home."

Ruth nodded sadly. "Poor boy. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you, Sonny. I know how hard you try for these boys."

"No way am I letting any of them slip through the cracks. If I would'a had someone there to help me, I wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble back in the day. All they need is someone to believe in them."

...

Back at Sonny's house, Cas put on one of his good shirts, slipped on some jeans, and combed his hair so it wasn't sticking out quite so much. Balthazar said it looked better when it was a little messy, but Cas thought he looked homeless. Although, he supposed he technically was…

No. Tonight was about having fun with his friends. He wasn't going to think about that.

He heard a knock on the door and bounded down the steps excitedly, only to be met with Gordon at the bottom. He frowned and stepped back. "Get out of the way, Gordon. Don't you know when to quit?"

"You took me by surprise last night, Castiel," Gordon said calmly, and somehow that tone was scarier than when he was yelling. "That won't happen again. I swore I'd kill you for what you did. And you know I'm a man of my word. Just like I promised your sister I'd give her a night she'd never forget."

Cas stepped forward and shoved his chest. "Don't you speak of her!" he growled. "Don't you ever say her name!"

"Hey!" Balthazar came through the door and grabbed Gordon, shoving him away from Cas. "Get the fuck away from him, you son of a bitch!"

"Bal-"

"I could kill you for what you did to Anna," Balthazar growled, getting in Gordon's face.

Gordon smirked, keeping calm. "Do it, then. If you're so much better than me."

"Oh fuck off-"

"Balthazar," Charlie cut in, grabbing his arm. "That's enough. Let's just go."

"Charlie's right," Cas said quietly. "Let's go. He's not worth it."

"Yeah, you should go," Gordon said, smiling smugly. "Listen to your friends, Bal-"

Balthazar swung his fist, right into Gordon's jaw. Gordon stumbled back a bit, then looked back at him, holding his hand up to his bleeding lip. And the son of a bitch had the nerve to laugh.

"Touching," he said. "Cassie, looks like you've got two heroes coming to your rescue. How pathetic."

"Let's go," Charlie told them, grabbing both of them by the arm. "I need a drink."

The three of them didn't say a word on the way to the bowling alley. Even then, Charlie only spoke to tell the cashier they wanted one round of bowling for the three of them. And to order three beers.

They sat at the bowling lane, no one moving to start the game right away. For a few minutes no one spoke, until Cas broke the silence.

"The only reason I'm okay with staying at Sonny's… the only reason I can handle seeing Gordon's face every day… is because I know you guys are safe. You, Anna… you three are the only reason any of this is bearable. I can't let any of you get in trouble for my mistakes." He paused, looking at Balthazar. "What if Gordon went to the cops? The only reason he didn't is because they'd figure out what he did, but he still could… You shouldn't push him. It's not worth the risk. It could all come back to you. And back to Anna."

Balthazar had been sitting slouched over, hands clasped and elbows resting on his legs as he practically vibrated with rage. He looked at Cas and tried to calm his breathing. "What he did to you, Cas… What he did to Anna… I think about it every day. You're right, I know that, but I can't… I can't help but lose it when I see him."

"Let me handle him," Cas said. "Please. I can watch him, make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else. Please, promise me you'll let me handle it."

Balthazar clicked his tongue and laughed cynically, looking up at the ceiling and then down at the floor. "Fine. I promise…" He paused, looking up at Cas. "For Anna."

Cas nodded. "For Anna," he agreed.

Charlie stood up, bouncing over to the podium that controlled the scoreboard. "Great! Now that that's all cleared up, let's bowl!"

The boys laughed, watching her with amusement. "And more importantly, let's drink," Balthazar said, lifting his beer bottle up and taking a swig.

Cas grimaced and picked up a bottle, looking at it as if it had offended him in some way. "Alright, but just one."

Balthazar whistled. "Hell yeah, Cassie. Hell yeah."

…

When Sonny pulled up in front of the house, the four boys hopped out and headed inside. "Dinner in fifteen minutes!" Sonny called out.

Dean headed straight for the bedroom. He hoped Cas would be there, and was both confused and disappointed when he didn't see him. About five minutes later, after Chuck had joined him in the room, Dean heard a noise outside the window. "What the hell?" he muttered, standing up and going to check it out.

He looked out the window and saw Cas struggling to climb up to the ledge. "Cas? What the hell are you doing?"

Cas smiled, face flushed. "Don't tell Sonny. Help me up?"

Dean looked at him like he was crazy. No, not crazy. Was Cas drunk? Dean laughed in disbelief and reached out to grab Cas's hand. "Alright, let's get you inside."

"Dean," Cas said, groaning softly as he fell into the window and onto the floor. Chuck looked at them oddly but didn't say anything.

"Yeah, Cas?" Dean said, chuckling in amusement and helping Cas to his feet.

"Thank you," Cas mumbled. "Dean, I want to say sorry. I've been a jerk."

Dean shook his head. "Don't sweat it. You don't even know me. No need to be sorry."

"But you're so nice to me," Cas argued, grabbing his arm, and Dean watched his hand as his mouth fell open just a bit. "You're so nice and you helped me and I was a jerk."

Dean looked up at him again, not sure what to say. He shook his head and helped Cas stumble over to his bed. "Come on, you're drunk. Let's get you in some clean and… not puke-covered clothes. What do ya say?"

Cas frowned. "Do I smell like puke? Oh, shit, I'm sorry, that's gross."

Dean huffed out a laugh. "Hey, it's alright, just get changed. I'll get you some water."

Dean headed downstairs to grab a glass of water, then hurried back upstairs. When he came back, Cas was lying on his bed in nothing but a pair of sweatpants. Dean's face flushed and he set the water on the nightstand. "Uh, here ya go," he said gruffly. "That should help."

Dean looked over at Chuck who was just reading a book. Dean hoped he wouldn't say anything.

"Mm, thank you, Dean," Cas said. "Hey, Dean?"

Smiling, Dean answered, "Yeah, Cas?"

"I'm glad you didn't leave."

Dean swallowed, frozen again for a moment. Why did he find it so hard to make words when Cas was around? He was usually all smooth and cool and collected. But Cas was different somehow.

"Yeah, uh… me too. Thanks for saving my ass."

Cas laughed. "You said ass," he muttered, bursting into more giggles.

Dean rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but smile. "Jesus, you're drunk. Drink some water and get some sleep."

"Yes sir!" Cas saluted sloppily, giggling again. He suddenly stopped, looking over at Dean seriously with his eyes wide. "Dean. Why are you so nice to me?"

Dean hesitated. He didn't really know, if he was being honest with himself. Sure, he saw a bit of himself in Cas and he didn't like when people kicked others around just because they could. But it felt like more than that. And Dean thought it might have something to do with how he felt every time he saw Cas smile or anytime Cas touched him, but he couldn't exactly say that.

"I dunno," he told Cas, shrugging. "I guess I just like you more than the rest of these idiots," he added with a smirk, nodding his head towards Chuck.

Cas smiled, a bit disappointed. "Okay," he said softly. "Goodnight, Dean."

"'Night, Cas."

Dean watched Cas for a moment after he closed his eyes, then stood and headed downstairs for dinner. He knew it was stupid to get attached, but… he couldn't seem to help it. Cas had some sort of effect on him and he'd never experienced anything like it before. Sure, he was attractive and nice and funny and smart, but Dean didn't get it. His first instinct had always been to close off, build up walls, lie, stay safe. But with Cas he struggled to do that. He wanted to tell him all sorts of stuff about his life and why he was really here, but he knew he couldn't. He could never tell anyone.

Then again, his dad wasn't around anymore. He left. So what did it matter if Dean told someone? What did it matter what his dad thought of it? It didn't matter, Dean decided. And what the hell, if he was gonna have an apple pie life, that involved caring about people right? Getting attached, making friends, finding someone who would understand and wouldn't leave him when they found out the truth. He wanted it. He wanted it more than he could even admit to himself.

So maybe he would tell Cas. Or Robin. Or Sonny. Or someone. Maybe he would do whatever the hell he wanted because it wasn't like anyone cared enough to stop him.

…

Exactly one week later, it was time for the first day of school. Dean's enthusiasm for letting people in had dimmed somewhat, considering Cas had barely said a word to him since the night he got drunk. But he was still excited for this fresh start. Apple pie.

Cas was excited for school to start, too. He hadn't seen his friends hardly at all in almost four months, and school meant he would see them every day. That was enough to send him to school with a beaming smile on his face.

"Hey Dean, hey Cas," Robin greeted them at the door where she was handing out fliers for the homecoming game. She was class president this year. Smiling brightly, she told them, "You should definitely come see the game! It's gonna be a good one this year."

"Thanks, Robin," Dean said with a flirtatious smile. "If you'll be there, I'm in."

Cas felt his stomach ache at Dean's words, though he refused to acknowledge why that was. "Yeah, thank you, Robin. Charlie loves these games."

"Oh, remember how crazy she went last year?" Robin laughed. "She painted her whole face bright blue. You and Balthazar ended up in the school newspaper just for sitting next to her."

Cas smiled. "That feels like forever ago." Robin nodded, smiling softly at him. "I'll see you later, Robin. Thanks for the flier."

"See ya around." Dean winked at her, grinning as he left. She blushed a deep red.

Dean and Cas meant to part ways for class, before realizing they were walking the same way. They both laughed awkwardly.

"Cassie!"

Thankfully for Cas, Charlie and Balthazar saved him from the awkwardness, grabbing him by each of his arms and walking him the rest of the way to class.

"Who's that?" Charlie asked, nudging him knowingly.

Cas blushed. "No one. His name is Dean, he's the new kid at Sonny's. He's… nice."

"He's cute," Charlie corrected. "I mean, not my type, but I'm not blind."

"He's not that cute," Balthazar mumbled.

Cas blushed. "I mean I guess…"

Charlie laughed and patted his arm. "Just teasing, Cassie."

They reached their classroom and sat down in a corner all together. This teacher never made assigned seats. Cas noticed Dean walk in and head directly for the back corner. He felt kinda bad for ditching him but he reminded himself that distance was for the best. He couldn't get attached. Even if Charlie was right about him being cute…

"Cassie? Hello, earth to Cas?"

"Huh?"

Charlie and Balthazar laughed. "You alright there?" Balthazar asked.

Cas cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm okay. What did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to make a study group," Charlie said. "It'll be an excuse to hang out and as an added bonus I won't fail trigonometry."

Cas laughed. "Yeah, sure."

Charlie looked at him grimly. "I'm completely serious."

Balthazar rolled his eyes. "Cas has been doing trig for like three years. He won't let you fail."

"Exactly," Cas agreed.

Dean watched Cas and his friends from the back of the room, trying to quell the jealousy he felt. He couldn't deny that it hurt that Cas still wouldn't talk to him. And seeing him so happy and open with his friends made Dean long to have that with Cas.

His disappointment was momentarily forgotten when he saw Robin walk in. He hoped she would sit close to him so he could focus on her instead of worrying so much about why Cas wasn't talking to him.

He saw her looking at Cas and his friends and smile at them, but luckily for Dean the seats closest to them had already been taken. She took a seat a few rows behind them, and that just so happened to mean she was sitting right in front of Dean. She was obviously still trying to be close to Cas, but Dean could work with that.

Apple pie life, here I come, he thought, offering his best charming smile and "dropping his pencil" on the floor next to Robin. It was a cheap move but effective.

"Hey, Robin," he said, catching her attention. She turned to look at him, and despite her obvious feelings for Cas, Dean could tell she wasn't completely immune to his charms. "I, uh, dropped my pencil. Mind grabbing it for me?"

She eyed him, not believing the awful pick up line for a second. "Sure," she said, deciding to indulge him anyways. She leaned down the grab his pencil, smiling when he leaned in close to grab it from her.

"Thanks," he said, just a few inches from her face, and she blushed.

"Anytime," she said softly. She turned back to the front as the teacher entered the room, but Dean counted that as a win.

Flirting, cheesy pick up lines, high school crushes… Dean was killing this whole normal thing.