"Oh my god, you are so screwed," Charlie mused, picking at the peeling rubber on her Converse.

"Tell me something I don't know," Dean grumbled, taking the opportunity to down the rest of his beer.

Charlie gave him a pointed look, "You're in love with Castiel Novak."

He jolted in surprise, spitting beer everywhere before turning to face her in horror, "What? No, I'm not! I just... I'm not..."

"You just what, Dean? Have a dude crush," she asked, snorting in laughter. "That ship sailed a long time ago."

"Bullshit," he growled, wiping up the mess from his spit take, "Unlike you, I am so unbelievably not gay."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm not saying that you're a power bottom, dude— which, is totally fine if you are by the way— But you definitely have some not-straight feelings for our not-straight teacher."

Dean felt his cheeks grow heated, knowing that they were likely bright red, "Jesus, Charlie! I like him, but not like that. Besides, he's a teacher and I'm a student. Even if I did have the hots for him— which I don't— that shit would not fly."

"You're 18 in 3 months, Dean," Charlie shrugged, "And you are far from the first person to ever be hot for teacher."

Dean hugged his knees to his chest, thinking back to earlier that evening. He thought of the pictures now saved in his phone, and he let his chin rest on his arms, "How did this even freaking happen?"

"Even Dean Winchester, dude bro extraordinaire, is not immune to the woes of love," she sighed dreamily, earning her a punch on the arm.

She punched him back, then scooted closer to him, "Look, Dean. Maybe you should just talk to him."

Dean turned to face her with a grimace, "It's not that simple, Red. I can't just put all my confusing shit on him, that's not fair. Plus, he could lose his job over something like this."

Charlie groaned, then laid back across the floor to stare at ceiling, "Why does everything always have to be so complicated?"

Dean reclined back to stare upward as well, "I have no freaking clue. As if things aren't already hard enough with trying to plan for life after graduation."

Charlie murmured in agreement, listening to the chatter of the party downstairs. She and Dean had gone upstairs to get away from the noise and to talk. "Did I ever tell you about when I knew I was gay?"

Dean glanced at his best friend with a warm smile, "No, but it wasn't very long ago that we became friends, remember?"

"Mrs. Hartford, 2nd grade. She always gave me extra apple slices, and I was smitten" she grinned.

"Seriously? 2nd grade? I was expecting something… sexier," he smirked, dodging the pillow she attempted to hit him with.

"It's not like the pornos, Dean," she chastised before giggling, "Well, not at first, anyway."

"So there is something sexier," he laughed, grabbing his stomach as she landed a successful hit, "I'm kidding! I yield!"

"You're a dick," she laughed, shaking her head.

"You knew that when we became friends, remember," he chuckled, standing up to climb onto the couch.

"My point in telling you my story," she sighed, growing more serious, "Is that it isn't necessarily some big 'Aha' moment. Sexuality is much more complicated than most people think. You can feel a certain way about someone without feeling that way about everyone else, and you can like whoever you want. I wish things were simpler for you, Dean, but ignoring the problem won't make it go away."

Dean shut his eyes, letting his mind wander, "Thanks, Charlie. I appreciate it." Great. Just what I need. An identity crisis.

Castiel had gone to the game, and he would be lying if he said he hadn't had a good time. He was touched by the reactions of his students at seeing him there and had been willing to take as many selfies as they had wanted. Gabriel had been true to his word and had helped him to understand what was happening as the game progressed. He had found himself cheering along with the crowd, especially for Dean. Even to an outsider like he was, it was clear that Dean's performance was spectacular. Gabriel was raving about many different things that he did not understand, but it was obvious that Dean Winchester was a spectacular athlete.

Gabriel had noticed him snapping a picture of Dean with his phone, but had kept quiet about it at first. "So, baby bro, I see that you have become a fan."

Castiel jerked in alarm, quickly tucking his phone into his jacket, "I-I'm not sure what you mean."

Gabriel smirked, "Relax, Castiel. I'm talking about the game."

"Oh," he stated, relief washing over his features, "It's far more entertaining than I had thought it would be." He took a bite of the hot dog he had procured from the concession stand, "Perhaps… We could come to more games together?"

Gabriel stared at his brother in surprise, "I mean, sure. I go to every game, so I suppose you can come with me, as long as you promise not to cramp my style."

Castiel rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the field just as the play began, Dean taking the ball and sprinting for the end zone, dodging players as he ran. The crowd was on their feet, and Castiel was no exception as he cheered for his student. Dean leapt, one final attempt to dodge a tackle, and he landed just inside the end zone. Deafening cheers erupted around the stadium, and Dean got to his feet, being surrounded by his fellow players as they celebrated.

Castiel was beaming with pride, watching as Dean pulled his helmet off, jogging toward the side lines to be swarmed by the rest of his team. The players took the field once more to get the extra point, and the game was over two minutes later, 21-14.

When he arrived back at home, he had sent Dean an email with the pictures from the game. He was surprised to have had a great time, and he plugged his phone in to charge while he went to go take a shower. He thought of Dean, of how hard he had worked to get as far as he had in his life and was incredibly proud of the man he had become. He had only known Dean since last year when he transferred, but the changes had been obvious. He was unlike so many others in his position, willing to let their popularity go to their head. Dean was humble, kind, and defended those that others picked on. He was intelligent, a talented athlete, and ruggedly handsome. Castiel was undeniably attracted to him.

He let the water wash over him, resigning to let his secret stay his own. This would go no farther. He would not allow his own foolishness to jeopardize Dean's future or compromise his ability to do his job. Dean was not going to suffer because of this. Things would remain professional and he would get over his silly infatuation. He did not have a choice in the matter.

He exited the shower, staring at his reflection in the foggy mirror, as he dried off. Dean's safety was his top priority. Nothing was going to get in the way of that, not even him. He thought about the way that the student looked at him, and had a hunch that Dean's feelings were similar, which was dangerous for them both. They could not allow these feelings to progress any further, even it hurt them in the process.