I THINK WE'RE GONNA LIKE IT HERE. HAS EVERYONE SEEN IT? OMYGOODNESS THE FEELS... I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE ANY SPOILERS IN CASE ANYONE HASN'T SEEN IT YET, BUT LET ME TELL YOU IT IS AMAZING AND YOU NEED TO SEE IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SEASON NINE IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BEST YET, I CAN ALREADY TELL.

Anyway... I hope you like the chapter! There isn't any Destiel action (I'm saving that for after the exhibition...) but I think it sets the scene nicely for everything that's to come. We're reaching the end here – there'll be a few more chapters, but I want to wrap this up before NaNoWriMo and it started with Castiel's art, so it may as well end after his art exhibition! Please review this so that I know what you think, and feel free to comment on anything I need to improve/ anything that desperately needs to be included before the end. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. Season 9 is proving that I would never be amazing enough to create something as good as the actual TV series Supernatural...

Castiel had never felt so nervous.

Today was the final submission date for all of the art that would form the Academy's next exhibition. Having your work chosen for display was considered a huge honour – and it was incredibly important to all of the students. So far, Castiel had had at least one piece of work in every single exhibition, and he was really hopeful that this one would be no different. He had slaved away for night after night perfecting everything that he had done, and he was confident that his work was a very high standard. However, the standard of your work meant very little in the art world if it wasn't what the judge was looking for.

There was, of course, another reason why Castiel was so anxious about his work being selected. His subject in every single piece of work he had produced for this project was Dean. His Dean. The Dean who he wanted to like the art he produced and be proud of him more than anything. Dean had already said that he was coming to the exhibition no matter what – so what would happen if Dean didn't like what he had done? Castiel couldn't think of anything worse than disappointing Dean, and considering the ridiculously high opinion of him that Dean seemed to have, that was an extremely likely possibility. In his eyes, Dean's view was more important than any examiner – and it was the anticipation of that that was making Castiel's palms sweat and his throat dry.

Fortunately, his nervousness hardly made him stand out. All the students who were milling around the large art classroom seemed to be in a similar state of nervousness – Becky was pacing around in a corner muttering something unintelligible, Madison was leaning against a wall with her eyes closed looking even paler than normal, and even Michael had worry in his eyes behind his carefully schooled, expressionless persona. Castiel only ever saw his fellow classmates like this on selection or results days – previously, it had been one of the reasons why he didn't spend time with other people. They were all proof of the weaknesses of emotions. But now that Castiel had someone he desperately wanted to impress too, he felt that he understood those around him a lot more.

Suddenly, someone tapped Castiel's shoulder and he turned around, confused, to see Charlie standing there with a nervous half-smile on her face.

"Hey, Castiel – you don't normally seem this nervous."

"Neither do you." Nice as Charlie was, Castiel felt no need to discuss his current thoughts with her.

Charlie laughed slightly. "No, I suppose not... but then, this is kind of like waiting for the tributes' names before the Hunger Games, isn't it? Except, of course, being selected is good instead of bad."

Castiel frowned. "I do not understand that reference."

Charlie sighed, rolling her eyes. "You mean Dean hasn't made you read the Hunger Games yet? He refused to read it for ages, but when I did I know even he cried at some parts of it. The guy's a wimp when it comes to fictional characters dying."

Castiel frowned harder. "How do you know about...?"

A grin crossed Charlie's face. "It's not exactly hard to guess. Basically everyone here knows that you two are together – once word reached Becky it wasn't going to stay quiet. We're all happy for you. Even most of the homophobic douche-nozzles are quite nice about it. Wish they were that way about me."

Castiel's head tilted sideways. "I do not see how Dean's and my relationship would be of interest to other people."

"You, my friend, have a lot to learn about gossip." Charlie replied seriously.

Before Castiel had time to fully process that comment, the classroom door opened and Miss Moore walked in smiling, followed by two of the other art teachers, Mr Roche and Miss Talbot. Castiel's nerves returned with force and he felt himself tensing up, his heart rate increasing. Beside him, he heard Charlie suck in a breath.

"Alright, everyone, thank you all for coming in on a non-school day to submit your work! I know you've all been looking forward to this, the exhibitions are one of the highlights of the Academy year. All of you submitted work of a very high standard and it was extremely hard to choose which pieces of work to include in the main display that will be visible to the general public."

Castiel had never disliked Jess's habit of turning everything into a speech more.

"I am pleased to say that the majority of people in this class have had at least one of their pieces included in the display. A few of you have multiple pieces included, and one of you..."

Was it Castiel's imagination, or did Jess's eyes flick to him there?

"... has had a piece nominated for the central piece on display. As one of the senior classes it is only fitting that you work should be of the highest standard, but it is still an enormous achievement at just 17 or 18 to have your artwork form the major piece in an open exhibition."

It had definitely been wishful thinking. Castiel would never have a piece displayed as the major attraction in a public exhibition – he was good at what he did, but he wasn't that good. He lacked that true emotional passion that the best artists possessed.

At that point, Miss Talbot took over. Castiel had never really had much to do with her, but her poise and attitude sparked something in him that instantly made him a bit wary.

"Now, by this point I'm sure you know what happens next – one of us will call you in to discuss any pieces that we have selected and how you want them displayed. Once that's done, you can go home and relax for a few days until the exhibition opens, after which you will be expected back in the Academy to begin work on your next module. Any art-related problems that you have during that time you can contact us about, but otherwise we'd appreciate being left alone to organise everything."

Castiel wasn't entirely sure, but he had a feeling that Miss Talbot was subtly hinting that she would like nothing better than for everyone to simply go away after this. How polite.

"First, I'd like to talk to Michael."

Michael's eyes widened slightly, presumably in surprise at being chosen first, before he stepped forward and followed Miss Talbot out of the classroom. Castiel noted how his hands were shaking slightly in the sleeves of his suit.

"And I would request the pleasure of a conversation with Becky." Mr Roche had one of the most confused accents Castiel had ever heard, slightly English and slightly French with a hint of something else entirely, and despite being in a school he used it like a weapon of seduction. Castiel frowned slightly as Becky traipsed nervously after him, almost tripping over a table leg on her way out of the room.

"Castiel? I'd like to talk to you, if you don't mind."

Of course, as Castiel was dating her boyfriend's brother, Jess would insist on remaining assigned to him. It didn't seem terribly professional of her, but Castiel had to admit that she was nicer than the other two teachers.

Offering a small nod, Castiel walked slowly over to where Jess was standing before following her out of the room. They didn't go far – just into one of the larger offices at the end of the corridor – and as soon as they were there, Jess pushed the door shut and flicked a bolt across to lock it.

"I have to say, Castiel, the work you submitted has got to be some of the best you have ever done."

The sincerity in Jess's voice made Castiel smile.

"Thank you."

"Your work has always been very technically correct and very imaginative, but it somehow lacked emotional depth. Your portraits of Dean show how much you care about him – the emotions you feel are very obvious, and that makes every one of them really stand out."

Castiel's smile widened. "Dean is... a remarkable man."

Jess smiled back. "That he certainly is. Now, we could really have chosen any of your pieces for display – in fact, I don't think that displaying all of it would have been overkill in the slightest. However, after a process of narrowing it down we chose five of your pieces to be included which we feel really capture your creative expression.

Castiel was stunned. Five pieces? He had been hoping for one, perhaps two... getting as many as five chosen was very rare.

A niggling feeling had started in his chest though, and he had to vocalise it.

"You are certain that each piece is to a high enough standard? This isn't simply because I am dating the brother of your boyfriend, and the images are of him?"

Jess looked affronted. "Castiel, as much as I support your relationship with Dean, I would never allow it to influence my choices professionally. You need to have more faith in your own talent."

Castiel nodded. "My apologies."

"There was one piece, however, which stood out even amongst those five. It sparked quite a discussion during the judging process between us teachers and what could have inspired it. It's very unlike any work you have produced previously."

Castiel did his customary confused head tilt. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Oh no, of course not! This painting is stunning, absolutely stunning, and the way it has done obviously took a huge amount of effort and talent. I suppose it just... makes me uncomfortable, in a way, as I know the people involved in it."

"It makes you uncomfortable seeing paintings of people you know?" Now Castiel was really confused.

Jess shook her head. "Oh no, you misunderstand me. I think this would work better if I showed you what I was talking about."

Stepping around the paint-splattered desk in the middle of the room, Jess walked over to one corner where a group of sheet-covered paintings or pictures stood. Rummaging around, she finally extracted a large, wooden-backed canvas and set it in front of Castiel.

"This is the piece I am talking about."

Finally, she turned the piece around, and Castiel's eyes widened.

Of course that was the piece that she had a problem with.

It was the painting that he had done when him and Dean were arguing, the one that depicted a fierce, angry, angelic Dean with wings made of shadows towering over a broken and defeated Castiel. The painting that gave out emotions of anger and sorrow and betrayal whether you knew the reason it had been completed or not. Jess could probably even see that the crouched figure represented Castiel himself, and had drawn her own conclusions from that.

"It is not what you think." Castiel murmured, reaching out one hand to trace over the figure of Dean. "I was... conflicted, and I needed a way to express my feelings. They are irrelevant now. I considered not even handing this piece in, it isn't something that was intended for display."

"You had an argument." Jess's voice was soft.

Castiel shrugged. "We had a minor misunderstanding. It is all resolved now."

"You're sure?"

Castiel looked up at Jess with hard eyes. "Certain."

Jess smiled. "I'm very glad. In any case, this painting is truly remarkable – the detail and emotion in it is like nothing I've ever seen before. Everyone else who was judging agreed on me. That's why we wanted to ask your permission to make this the centrepiece."

The world paused.

"What?" Castiel was completely disbelieving.

"Castiel, this image is everything that a piece of artwork should be. It's a pure expression of emotion, a way of getting down the thoughts that are in your head and capturing them for others to see. The problem with many people here, you included, is that they get so focused on the technical side that they forget art is about expression, feeling – the piece is hollow without passion injected into it. This piece is more passionate than I have seen anyone produce in my entire life, and it deserves as much attention as it can get. I know that it may be personal to you, but trust me when I say that including this could be the ticket that gets you a professional art career after school."

It was tempting – very tempting – but Castiel was worried about how Dean would react to it.

"Dean..."

"Dean would be proud and honoured that you pictured him as an angel, although he will vehemently deny that he is any such thing. I can also imagine him choosing to demonstrate how you are nothing like the inferior wreck you painted yourself as in this image. Dean is the sort of person who always puts someone else before himself, and I imagine that this will give him an insight into your mind and how you view him and yourself, which he desperately needs."

Castiel's voice quietened. "Will he still like me, when he sees that I have painted this?"

Jess looked up at Castiel as though he was blind. "Castiel, that boy loves you from the bottom of his heart. I have never seen him care that much for anyone except his brother. He's smitten by you, and nothing will change that."

A warm feeling settled in Castiel's stomach at the thought. He wasn't sure that he believed it – he wouldn't until the words fell from Dean's lips themselves – but even the possibility made him happy.

"You may use the painting as your centrepiece. I would be very honoured for you to choose my work."

Jess grinned at Castiel.

"I'm proud of you. You've come on amazingly this year – you've realised that just working hard isn't everything. That's an important life lesson for anyone, especially an artist. You can't study creative expression."

Castiel found himself smiling back. "No... I suppose you cannot."

The next chapter will be the exhibition – how do you think Dean will react? Please do review!