"Another party Lisa?!" Dean yelped, the couple had met up outside the biology room before going in to talk about, well anything really.
"Just with a group of friends, and I want you and Benny to be there."
"I don't know, what if I end up with hangover on Friday?"
"Then just don't come in."
Dean wondered about it for a second, maybe it was a good idea to go to the party on Thursday. It would give him the perfect opportunity to break up with her, but no. If he ended up with a hangover who knows what his dad would do to him.
"I don' know Lis, it sounds a bit stupid actually."
"Thanks Winchester." Oh now she was annoyed, she only used the last name when her feelings had been hurt. "I thought you'd be there for me."
She went to storm into the classroom dramatically, but Dean grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"If I go, will you quit bugging me about all these little parties?"
"Yey!" She squealed, pulling him in, into what seemed more like a Boa Constrictor crushing it's prey than a hug.
"Mr. Winchester, Ms. Braeden, if you would kindly grace us with your presence inside the classroom." Missouri's voice boomed through the doorway. Dean became flustered and red, allowing Lisa to head through first. Anyone in the classroom would've just heard all of that, including the part where he sounded like a strangled cat because of Lisa's 'hug'. He walked in allowing people to snigger, but he to laughed along. That was until he saw Castiel.
Cas had one thought when he looked at Dean, one thought to rule them all.
'What an idiot.'
All that they could hear was them talking outside the classroom, and you'd just have to think. Who would be so stupid as to stand outside one of the strictest teachers classrooms while talking about getting drunk and a party on Thursday. It made Cas chuckle. That Winchester needed some common sense. Clearly he was a little embarrassed whilst walking into the room as his cheeks where flushed when their eyes met. He watched as Dean shuffled over to the next to his and began to mutter to himself.
"Now class, if we have anymore trouble like we did on Friday, each and everyone of you who is involved in disturbing the class will be pulled into another detention. And if you don't believe my detentions are harsh, ask Mr. Winchester, Mr. Novak and Mr. Lafitte. They seemed to hate it."
Castiel and Dean couldn't help but giggle, under their breaths of course. They both gave each other a quick glance, as if agreeing that the teacher had already proven to be a complete nut case. They had one of the best hours of their lives while dancing around, singing and just being teenagers.
Two teenagers with an epic crush on one another.
But teenagers none the less.
They quickly stopped laughing as Missouri gave them a quick stare, it seemed that she had fantastic hearing for a teacher as none of the students had caught them out. Gladly though, she didn't bring it up as if she was trying to avoid being stuck with the two for another hour.
"Now today, you work from page 18, section B of your text books. You will work in pairs, so not in silence. Yet I expect the topic of your conversations to be about the work." She said, glancing back at Dean and Cas as if she knew they were just going to natter on throughout the lesson. "You all know the answers because we went through them last lesson. Anyone who gets stuck should ask a pairing next to them before consulting me. Have I made myself clear?"
The worried heads from around the classroom nodded simultaneously as Missouri sat at her chair.
"Any questions?" She asked, waiting for at least one idiot to ask her to repeat everything. Although, today they seemed to be on top of their game as they all began opening the text books and their work books.
"I'm bored." Dean grunted, moaning at Cas as the boy worked through the questions as if they were fuel.
"The lessons just started."
"And?"
"And we've only just been given something to do."
"So?"
"So do it."
Dean muttered as he pulled his workbook closer and began jotting down answers, peaking once or twice at Castiel's results to double check he got the answer right.
"You need only ask to seem them." Castiel said, glancing up from his book into staring at a rather confused Dean. "The answers..." Castiel clarified.
"I know man, it's just easier to check without asking every god damned time."
"Check? I thought you were copying."
"On any average day, you'd probably be right."
"What makes today so special?"
"I don't know, I just feel clever today for some reason."
Castiel scoffed, Dean Winchester... Clever? Those three words didn't even fit in the same sentence.
"Cas, I may not be an ultra nerd like you, but I have got to be the slightest bit intelligent to be in this room, don't I?"
"I suppose."
"Well then, don't laugh if I say I feel clever." Dean was now in a huff, he wasn't stupid. He actually was kind of clever, he just flunked out on a bunch of tests so he didn't look like a huge geek.
"I apologize Dean, I didn't mean to be rude."
"Liar, you totally did."
"Okay, yes. A little."
"A lot."
"Okay, okay, I get it, I'm sorry!"
"So Cas?"
"Yes..."
"Do you wanna go some place after school, I have nothin to do and I figured we could hang out."
Castiel nearly dropped his pen, and his mouth. Did Dean Winchester ask him out on a date? Well, it was a matter of opinion. And to them, no.
"I... I don't know. I usually just hang around with Samandriel and Anna."
"Dude, I'm not going to nick you from your friends, just wanted to see if you wanted to hang out. One afternoon away from them, that's it."
"I..."
"Is that a yes?" Dean grew impatient with Castiel, the boy was forever thinking things over to much.
"Fine." Castiel said, giving into Dean.
"Great. I'll meet you after school."
"Don't you get a lift from Benny?"
"Dude... I leave my car here on weekends."
"You have a car?"
"Only my pride and joy. My baby."
"...?"
"Chevrolet Impala 1967, black, four-door drive, engine which purrs as we ride. My baby."
"Don't they only play cassette tapes?"
"Don't be rude about my car man, I love my car."
"Okay, okay. I'll meet you at the Chevy after school, happy?"
"Content." Dean smiled as he finished the second to last question.
"How are you two doing?" Missouri asked, walking up to them after overhearing the conversation about the car.
"Well." Castiel answered, handing her his book he had finished not long before Dean and was impressed by Dean's standards today.
"Well, good. Better yet, you both are now getting along I see."
"Yes miss." They chimed in unison as Dean handed her his own workbook.
"How are you both done so fast?" She asked, pondering to herself.
"We're not as stupid as we seem." Dean said, eyeing Cas as if to tell him off for before.
"Well, both of you have done tremendously well."
"Thanks. Now, can we just sit back and relax?" Dean replied, kicking his feet up onto the desk.
"No Mr. Winchester, you get extension work."
Dean groaned as the first syllable left her tongue. He knew it was a dream that didn't have a long enough life span. He thought that being clever had benefits, but no... Extra work.
When Dean got out of the school, he was tired and bored. He was waiting by his impala for Castiel to turn up, but so far the dude was a no show.
He saw Anna and Samandriel leaving the school and he ran to catch them.
"Hey Anna." He puffed, stopping behind them to catch his breath.
"Dean?" She gasped, looking worried like a deer in headlights.
"Relax." He laughed, slapping the two on the back. "I just want to know where Castiel is."
"Why?" She asked, still cautious of what he could do to her.
"We were gonna go do somethin."
"What..." Remembering the fun little story Castiel had told her about the detention, she stood up straight, folding her arms.
Dean stared at her for a minute, trying to figure out where the sudden wave of confidence had come from. But then relaxed himself and smile saying: "Just wanted to go get a burger or somethin' okay? As friends."
He had figured that Cas may've told his friends, it only seemed like Anna knew though. He wasn't going to start about it, in fairness he had told Benny. But still he wanted to find out where Cas was.
"Well, last time I saw him he was in the library." Samandriel butted in, "But I suppose he should be out by now."
Dean groaned. "Where is he?"
Castiel that familiar groan from across the car park, he had been with Sam tutoring him and had stayed in a little after the bell to talk a question through with him. So he wasn't surprised Dean was whining to Anna and Samandriel when he found them. He decided it would just be better to stand behind Dean as Anna and Samandriel quizzed him, they both knew he was there to, but they were enjoying watching Dean struggle under pressure.
"So what you're telling us is that you are JUST going out for coffee?"
"Yes okay?"
"And there is nothing else to it?"
"No."
"And you have no problem with the fact Castiel is standing right behind you?" Castiel joked as he watched Dean spin around as if he were having a heart attack.
"God damn it Cas, please don't do that."
"Cas is my nickname for him!" Anna protested, smiling and flicking her hair as she turned to walk away with Samandriel.
"Well too bad red, I've nicked it!" Dean yelled back at her, grinning at Castiel as he gestured for them to walk back to the impala.
"Sorry about the inconvenience, your brother and I were re-examining a past paper that he had half-marks on."
"Don't sweat it, I just figured I'd talk to red and hotdog guy."
"Hotdog?" Castiel tilted his head in a state of confusion.
"He works at the hot dog place down town."
Castiel suddenly felt a little stupid. He knew this for cridesake, Samandriel was one of his best friends.
"Oh yes."
"So, are you a vegetarian or somethin', cause Sammy's all about the salad and I think it can burn in hell for all I care."
"No, I'm not a vegetarian, although I do refrain from eating the wings of a bird."
"Why?"
"I don't know, I just always felt a slight discomfort with eating them."
"Okay, no wings. So, do you fancy pizza or burgers?" Dean asked opening the driver-side car door and flinging himself in.
"It's really up to you Dean, I have no problem with either."
"Burgers it is then."
Castiel stood hesitantly, looking around for something that seemed real to hold onto. He thought this could possibly be a dream and he was going to wake up soon, but as fate would have it, he was wide awake.
"Dude, are you comin' or what?" Dean asked looking through the open passenger seat window.
"Isn't Sam supposed to be with us?"
"Nah, the kids out on a date with his g Jess."
"Oh." Castiel sighed, clambering into the passenger seat of the impala. "He did mention a Jessica."
"Yeh, them two are just so frickin' sweet, hope he keeps her."
"Well, good for him."
After the car ride of singing along to Bon Jovi, Dean finally pulled over to a joint on the side of the road called the 'roadhouse'. The building looked like a tattered place, motorbikes were stacked together out the front and the odd monster trunk could be seen lurking in the parking lot. The neon sign's light kept fading away, using enough of the electricity to sound a faint buzzing if you listen careful, however what really amused Dean was the sight of Castiel's face when he heard all the swearing and yelling coming from the inside.
"It's only four o'clock." Castiel said, which came out much rather like a question than a statement.
"Yep, but Ellen opens early to give some of the regulars a shelter in the day and night."
"Are you sure they serve food here, not just alcohol?"
"Well I should bloody well hope so considering I work here part-time."
Again Castiel threw Dean a tilted, rather confused, puppy dog face which made Dean chuckle away again. "Yes, I work in a bar but not at the bar. I'm one of the waiters, normal people do occasionally eat here Cas."
"I just assumed..."
"And I thought it was you nerds who came up with the phrase 'don't judge a book by it's cover.'."
"But what about all the swearing and yelling? surely families don't appreciate it."
"Nah, families don't come here. Who'd bring a kid to a pub, part from my ass of a father?"
"You're father brought you here?" Castiel asked, looking alarmed. Dean swore, every look that this boy gave him could leave him in stitches by the end of the day.
"Yeh. How do you think I know the owner so well? I'm a couple of years older than her daughter..."
At the mention of a daughter, Castiel's face dropped, not so much but just enough for Dean to pick it up.
"Who happens to be bad ass. You'll love her when you meet her Cas."
"I suppose I might."
"Well, can we at least carry on inside, I'm starvin'."
They both flung their legs out of the impala and clambered out as they walked into the wrecked wooden shack that Dean had called a pub.
Castiel realized soon after that he had judged too quickly, once inside they had had a pretty fun time. Jo was just as awesome as Dean had said she was, and she picked up right away that Castiel wasn't any ordinary geek Dean had brought out to try and get them to do his homework for them. Ellen, her mother, was also really sweet, although a little on the strict side when it came to Jo, but it was obvious that the two shared a good mother-daughter relationship. And the food? It was just like tasting heaven. Castiel hadn't initially expected it to be that good, in fact he thought it was going to give him food-poisoning, but once the tray was carried out to them, he realized how well the place actually looked after their customers.
Dean had waved at a few people and occasionally said hello to the odd biker, but mostly his attention was directed fully to Cas and what he had to say. Castiel enjoyed this the most, as not only were they building a better friendship, but they were now able to put the events of the detention behind them and start afresh.
At the end of dinner, Jo and Ellen had carried a plate of pie out without even asking what they wanted for pudding.
"Cas, it's as simple as this. Whenever you're with Dean, the only desert you are EVER going to get is pie." Jo grinned, handing the still trenchcoated boy a slice.
"I love me some pie." Dean agreed whilst licking his lips and scoffing himself silly with the rest. Castiel had sworn he saw Jo and Ellen do a simultaneous eye roll, showing that they knew him too well and weren't fazed by his sudden outburst. He seemed to be guzzling it down like a pig eating from a trough, not really caring what others thought.
Jo and Ellen laughed from behind the counter, just watching Castiel and Dean made them crack up. Dean was scoffing down his pie, not giving a damn about what anyone thought, and Castiel seemed to be enjoying himself. The two boys together were like two peas in a pod but neither of them seemed to notice the chemistry. Jo thought for the moment about intervening, but Ellen tapped her shoulder and said: "Hon, if they don't get to it by themselves, there's no way it'll work. Let them do it in their own time."
"Oh they're doin' it in their own time." Jo smirked, walking back to the table with the check in hand, ready to watch some more of the action, but was fairly disappointed. Dean scowled at the girl, paid the bill and walked Castiel out, throwing once last glance to Ellen who winked at him. It was like a way of non-verbally saying: "Go get him tiger."
"Your friends seem nice."
Dean chuckled after hearing this, he knew Castiel felt uncomfortable that whole time sitting there with the two Harvelle's stuck to his shoulder like the metaphorical angel and demon. The poor boy must've been frightened stiff by their... loud personalities.
"Yeh, they ain't that bad once you get to know 'em"
"I noticed. They seemed to tend to us all afternoon. They just seemed to always be there, they were so attentive."
"Yep. They're a momma and kid to be proud of."
Dean smiled, he knew as much as Cas that the only reason they were around was because either one had feelings for the other, and weren't telling the other. Of course Dean just thought that it was because it was obvious he liked Cas.
"So do you mind dropping me back at mine, or shall I walk?" Cas asked like he was in a rush, Dean grew a little nervous, he didn't want it to end this quickly, but with every flying minute he was just standing there like an idiot when the dude had literally just asking a question.
"I - I'll drop you off, it'll be easier." He said throwing his leg into the driver seat of the impala whilst swinging the rest of his body round and diving into the seat like he had been doing it his whole life.
"Okay." Castiel said, trying to shuffle into the passengers seat with sheer awkwardness, he had no idea how Dean got to sit down so gracefully, it was like having a war with the door, and then the height of the car, and then your jacket and then the seatbelt. "My house is 62 Hael Avenue, just up from the last bus stop in this section of town."
"No way, that's a couple of streets away from mine."
"Well I should hope it's close considering we take the same bus route."
"Why Castiel, is that a sarcastic tone in your voice?"
"Well, yes..."
"Are you feeling alright? Do you have a fever?" Dean grinned as he pressed the back of his hand up to Castiel's forehead.
Castiel, as much as he resented having to, pushed Dean's hand away with a scowl tattooed onto his brow. He glared at Dean for a moment and then couldn't help but smirk, it was the eyes. Dean's eyes. The one's that mimicked a water droplet on a blade of grass in April. The one's that mimicked leaves on a evergreen all year round that keep their colour whether warm or cold. the one's that mimicked a lime ripening on it's tree every second. And the, you know what? They were a very green pair of eyes!
He faced forward to avoid the embarrassment of staring for too long and pointed to the road. "Turn left to get out."
"I know that, you rude sod." Dean said putting the gear stick into reverse to pull out of there convenient spot near the exit. The pulled out and drove into the open road.
Dean pulled up outside Castiel's house, he really didn't want to let Cas leave but he knew what it would look like if he tried something, so unwillingly he allowed the boy to slide out of his seat. He turned off the impala's purring engine as he slipped out himself to walk the other boy to the door.
To his surprise though, Castiel walked around to the back of the house and pulled out a set of keys to the bottom window instead. "My rooms on the bottom floor." Castiel explained without looking up. "I do not need my brothers quizzing me on were I've been, they'll think I'm with Anna."
"Hey, I'm not that bad am I?"
"They don't know you..."
"Fine fine, I get it, annoying families."
Castiel unlocked his bedroom window and clambered in as gracefully as he could without face planting the ground.
"Well, thanks for taking me this afternoon, your friends are really nice."
"You are one of my friends Cas." Dean said, a little offended that Castiel seemed to be chucking him out.
"Thank you." Castiel said, sticking his head out of the window and giving Dean a smile. "We'll continue this another time?"
"Yeh Cas, see you later. I get it I'm goin." And with that, Dean strode back to his impala and began his drive into a busy week ahead.