Dean had never been so nervous in all of his life. Not only were they playing against their rivals, but Cas was coming to watch hi-them play. He had stayed up until 2 the night before talking to Charlie about everything that had happened. She was also coming to the game but insisted that she would be watching to see that he kept his promise rather than to check out the cheerleaders as usual.
At school, for the first time ever, Castiel was dressed down. He sported dark blue jeans and a white t-shirt with their school logo emblazoned across the front. Dean, among other students, had been staring at him all day, though not all for the same reasons.
When the bell rang to signal the end of class, Castiel approached him with a shy smile, "I am so out of my element here, but I did promise."
Dean returned his smile warmly, gesturing to his wardrobe choice, "Relax, dude. It looks good on you." He froze, internally cringing at the words he had chosen, "Uh, I mean, like, it suits you."
Castiel blushed, secretly enjoying the compliment, "Well, good luck tonight, Dean."
"Wait," he said quickly, holding up his hand, "How will I know that you actually showed up?"
Castiel feigned offense, his jaw dropping, "You really think I would try to pull a fast one on you? I'm hurt, Dean." Dean gave him a knowing look, and he burst into laughter. "Okay, you're right. Normally, I would try to get out of this at any cost, but I will be there tonight. As for proving it, I'm sure my presence at a school function for the first time in the five years since I've joined the district will garner some attention."
Dean nodded, satisfied with his answer, "Cool. Maybe I'll see you later?"
"I look forward to it," he answered genuinely.
"Jesus Christ, why are there so many people," Castiel grumbled, slipping his hands into his pockets to avoid accidentally touching anyone.
"Relax, baby bro! It's football! People love their football," Gabriel answered, decked out in school pride.
"Easy for you to say," he muttered grumpily, "You're a people person."
Gabe rolled his eyes, dragging his brother up the steep bleachers to find a seat, "Can't you feel that? The excitement? The energy? This is the school you teach for! Aren't you excited to be surrounded by people that love the school, too?"
"My people skills are rusty," he glowered, relieved that they were finally taking a seat. "I prefer a classroom with maybe 20 students, not a stadium full of people! Speaking of which, is it always this crowded?"
"Not usually, but we're playing Springfield tonight," Gabriel offered, eyes watching the marching band on the field.
"Right, yes," Castiel snapped, "Because a normal person knows what that means!"
"Chill, Cassie," Gabriel crooned, making his brother glare even more at him, "By the end of the night, you'll be a pro."
"Doubtful," he sighed, taking a sip from his coffee. He could see why this was exciting for some people, but he would much rather be at home, curled up with a good book.
"Mr. Novak?"
He looked around looking for the source before his eyes focused on the waving two rows down— Charlie Bradbury. He waved politely, smiling at her as she climbed up to come say hello.
He turned to his brother, clapping him on the back, "This is my student, Charlie Bradbury. Charlie, this is my brother Gabriel."
"It's nice to meet you," she grinned, shaking his hand. She turned back to Castiel, looking him over, "What are you doing here? I hardly recognized you without the trench coat."
Gabriel snorted beside him, and Castiel shoved him, causing him to dump some of his hot chocolate down the front of him. "Asstiel," he muttered, wiping at the mess.
Castiel had worn the same clothes from school that day but had added a hoodie and a ball cap that he had stolen from Gabriel, "I'm incognito. I can see it's not a very good disguise, though."
She shook her head, "Not at all, but that's okay! I think a lot of people will be really happy to see you here!" She shuffled awkwardly, lacking her usual confidence as she pulled out her phone, "Do you care if we take a selfie?"
He paused briefly, considering the question before nodding, "I suppose that will be okay."
"Great," she exclaimed, sitting down on his right and flipping the phone into selfie mode. He leaned into the camera and gave a genuine smile, happy to have made a memory with his student. The principal was always chastising him about not having any pictures in the yearbook at the end of the year.
"Hey," he began, unsure of how to ask, "Do you mind emailing that to me? I would like to send it to the principal to prove a point."
"Sure! Not a problem," she tapped away quickly on the screen, and he felt his pocket vibrate. "Thanks, Mr. Novak! I hope you enjoy the game!" She turned to Gabriel, "It was good to meet you, too! You're much more exciting than the other Mr. Novak."
Gabriel smirked, "If only you knew, sister. Good to meet you."
She returned to her friends, and Gabriel leaned over to nudge his brother, "I think she wants me."
Castiel laughed, shaking his head, "First of all, that is inappropriate on so many levels, and second, I sincerely doubt it."
Gabriel bristled, looking at Castiel in disbelief, "And how would you know?"
"Because Charlie is a lesbian," he stated deadpan.
Gabriel considered this for a moment before shrugging, "Whatever. Why are all of your students so hot?"
"You've only met two," Castiel argued, looking to his brother in shock.
"But am I wrong," Gabriel asked, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.
Castiel went red, tensing beside him before whispering harshly, "You can't talk about my students like that, what if someone hears you?"
Gabriel opened his mouth to answer just as the football team entered the field, and he was quickly drowned out by the cheers from the stands and the fight song blasting through the air.
Dean was reeling at the win they had just secured, finally showered and able to gather his belongings. They had defeated the other team 21–14 and had celebrated in the locker room. He had scored the final touchdown, and he had never played harder in his life. Coach had pulled him into a hug as he stepped into the locker room, giving him a rare "Proud of you, boy."
Now that the others were mostly gone, he was able to check his phone, seeing that he had multiple notifications. He had one text from Sam, two from his dad, 12 from Charlie, and an email... from Cas.
His heart flipped in his chest, and he forced himself to save it for last.
S: That was awesome! At Kevin's. Have fun tonight. ;)
Nerd.
J: Hey, Dean. I know you didn't want me to see me, but I saw you play tonight.
J: I'm really proud of you, son. Your mother would be, too. Call me.
He felt pinpricks of pressure at the backs of his eyes, but he was able to control himself for now.
C: DEAN
C: HE IS HERE
C: HOLY SHIT
C: HE IS WEARING A HAT
C: YOU'VE GOTTA SEE THIS
C: Downloading...
C: HE BROUGHT HIS BROTHER
C: THE HOT ONE
C: YOU ARE SO WELCOME FOR THAT PICTURE
C: HE IS CHEERING FOR YOU OMG
C: I SAW HIM TAKING PICTURES
C: SEE YOU AT BENNY'S
He shook his head, making a note to talk to her about texting him in all capitals. He waited for the image to load, closing his locker and retrieving his keys from his bag. When he glanced back at his phone, he froze. Holy shit. Castiel looked completely different in casual wear, and Dean couldn't stop staring. The dark color of the hoodie brought out his eyes, and the hat cast shadows on his face that made him look mysterious. Castiel was a good-looking guy already, but in this image? Holy fucking shit.
Tearing his eyes away from the picture and his sudden anxiety, he clicked into his email.
From: Castiel Novak castfromthepast83
To: Dean Winchester allidoiswinchester
Date: October 9th, 2020, 10:03 PM
Subject: Here's your proof
Hello, Dean.
Congratulations on securing the win! You played very well, both from my limited perception and from Gabriel's fanatic one. I'm impressed, not that I doubted you in the first place.
If my observation is not enough to convince you that I was in attendance, here are some photos to prove it to you. Charlie managed to secure the first of many student selfies tonight.
See you Monday,
Cas
Dean downloaded the three attachments, clicking into them one by one. First, was the selfie of him and Charlie. Second, was a silly picture with Gabriel, and third was a picture of Dean about to throw the ball, zoomed in to show his name and number on the back of his jersey. Dean felt suddenly overwhelmed, forcing himself to take a seat as he reread the email. Not only had he included the pictures, he had also signed it as 'Cas'.
His head swam with the high of the evening so far, feeling strangely emotional. Without thinking too much about it, he saved the pictures to his phone, and quickly pulled his hoodie on to leave. He was so screwed.