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Following the black Mustang that Castiel's father had bought as a mid-life crisis car, Dean, Castiel, and Gabriel made their way through town.
"I'm surprised you came, Gabriel." Castiel turned around, hoping to keep the conversation on his brother and not his faux relationship.
"What are you talking about? I love Bess!"
"I know that, but I just didn't know if you would be able to. I thought that you had a play."
"I'm only missing one performance and the understudy has been dying for a chance to get on stage."
"That's good then, I suppose."
"Enough about me, Cassie! You need to tell me how this happened." Gabriel gestured between Dean and Castiel.
"We met at a coffee shop." Castiel blurted out, almost nervously. "I accidently spilled coffee on him and then he asked me out on a date." Gabriel looked over Castiel's face.
"Uh huh. Well, that implies that you knew before that happened that you were interested in guys, so how did THAT happen?"
"Oh." Castiel went red. He hadn't thought about that. Dean reached over and placed a hand on Castiel's knee. Castiel looked over at him, but Dean didn't turn his attention from the road. "I had been…thinking about it for years to be honest." Castiel earned an encouraging squeeze from Dean. "I just hadn't really acted on it, so when Dean proposed we go out on a date, I decided to actually do it and…here we are."
"I just thought with Hannah," Gabriel whispered, almost as if he didn't want Castiel hear it. They hadn't talked about her much since the engagement was broken off and Castiel had called Gabriel crying.
"I just wanted a change, I suppose. And this one worked out for me." Castiel smiled at Dean and then back to his brother.
"Well, this is for sure a change. Everybody is going to lose their shit." Gabriel leaned back, laughing. "Not that they'll say anything. Have you met the fiancé?" Castiel shook his head.
"No. I only know what he looks like from Facebook and that his name is Garth Fitzgerald IV. That's…" Dean nearly slammed on the breaks. Castiel braced himself against the dashboard.
"Sorry. I just…thought I saw something in the road." Castiel glanced at Dean suspiciously. "Oh, it looks like we're here." Dean's voice had lost that in control tone that it normally had and had a slight hint of hysterics to it. They followed the Mustang into a field beside a large, clearly fixed up barn. It had been painted. There were white Christmas lights and a banner hanging above the door. The banner read "CONGRATS BESS AND GARTH" in the wedding colors of navy blue and mint green.
"Wow, Pastor Jim and Joy really went all out, huh?"
"Of course. Bess is their only girl. Gabriel, why don't you head inside? I think I need to prep Dean for everybody inside." Dean didn't protest. In fact, Dean's face seemed to have lost some color as he stared at the banner.
"Do you mean Michael?" Gabriel waggled his eyebrows in a joking way. Castiel smiled to make it appears his brother was right.
"Yes, I mean Michael."
"Good luck with that. I'll be at the bar." Gabriel slid out of the car and walked to his parents. They looked in the car as Gabriel appeared to be explaining to them what was happening. Once they went inside, Castiel turned to Dean.
"What the hell was that? There was nothing in the road."
"What else do you know about the groom? Can you show me the pictures from Facebook?" Dean sounded the most nervous that Castiel had heard him. Castiel dug his phone out of his jeans' pocket and pulled up his Facebook app. He found Bess' page and showed him her profile picture, which was of the two of them. The remaining color in Dean's face drained.
"Shit. Shit, shit, fuck, shit."
"What?"
"I went to high school with him. Not for long, mind you. I was only there for my some of my junior year, but still. He and I were lab partners. I…I don't know what to do. I've never had this happen before." Castiel saw actual fear in Dean. Something that he hadn't expected to see the whole weekend.
"Does he know what you do?" It was Castiel's turn to appease Dean, so he was using a calm voice.
"No, I don't think so."
"Great. And do you think he'll remember you?" Dean shrugged. "Okay, well then we'll get in there and act like a couple, like nothing is different. If he remembers you then…well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there." Dean inhaled and exhaled deeply, and suddenly, the cocky Dean was back.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I just wasn't prepared for that." Dean smiled at Castiel. "Ready to go?" Castiel looked Dean over and then rested his eyes on Dean's.
"Are you?"
"Always. Let's do this." Dean quickly got out of the car before Castiel could say anything else, so Castiel followed his lead. Dean waited for him near the front of the car. "Thank you, really, but I'm okay. Let's go." Dean offered his hand and Castiel took it, still skeptical about Dean being okay. Dean intertwined their fingers and the two began walking in. Castiel knew that the heart flutter was because of what was about to happen.
Inside, the bar was decorated in the navy blue and mint and Christmas lights. It had clearly been swept out and scrubbed. There was a table up on a platform that had another banner on it that read "HEAD TABLE". There was a bar off to the left with a bartender and more tables spread out for people to sit down and chat at. There wasn't going to be food, but people were invited to stay until around 10. Castiel figured that his parents would want to stay for a long time.
"This is a nice place." Dean commented in Castiel's ear. Castiel nodded.
"They really must've been working on this for months. We should probably…"
"Hello, little brother." Castiel would know that voice in his sleep. He turned to see his older brother Michael. He had blue/green eyes and dark hair. He was just about Castiel's height.
"Michael. How are you?" Castiel gave Michael a small smile. He had tried to keep Castiel in town when he wanted to leave after Hannah left him and once Castiel left, it had hurt their relationship.
"Fine. How are you?" Michael's eyes traveled to Dean.
"I'm fine, thank you. This is my boyfriend, Dean. Dean, this is my older brother Michael." Michael didn't offer his hand, he simply nodded. Dean nodded back.
"Nice to meet you. Castiel, care to grab a drink with me?" Castiel glanced at Dean and then back at Michael.
"Sure, Dean, did you want something?"
"I'll just take a beer. Thanks, babe." Dean smiled and squeezed Castiel's hand before letting it go. That seemed to be his go to comforting gesture. Michael lead the way to the bar area where he order a neat scotch as Castiel ordered two beers.
"So, why did you really bring that man here?"
"He's my boyfriend." Michael laughed with no humor.
"If it's simply to make Hannah jealous, there's no point." Castiel stiffened. That wasn't the point…was it?
"I brought Dean because we have been dating for three months and I thought it would be time for him to meet my family. Apparently, I made the wrong choice." Castiel replied coolly.
"The rest of the family may have fallen for this, Castiel, but I don't believe it for a minute." Castiel shrugged as the bartender appeared with the beers for him.
"Believe what you want, but…" Castiel turned and saw Gabriel and Dean talking, laughing. That couldn't be good. "Excuse me, I have to go." Castiel stuck a five-dollar bill in the tip jar, grabbed the beers, and quickly walked away, feeling his brother's eyes on him the entire time.
"…so he starts running around the living room with nothing on but…"
"Okay! This story sounds like it needs to be stopped." Castiel handed Dean his beer when he had straightened up from laughing. Castiel took a large drink from his bottle.
"Oh come on, Cassie. This is the fun part of being a big brother. Getting to embarrass you!" Castiel sighed.
"We still need to say hi to Bess and Garth. Excuse us." Castiel grabbed Dean's hand and pulled him towards a group of women that he assumed Bess was in the middle of. Half way there, they stopped, and Castiel glared at Dean.
"What did I say about being alone with my brothers?"
"Oh I'm sorry, was I just supposed to walk away from him? That would've been rude. You need to relax the grip a little bit. I know how to play the part and you need to trust me. Now, let's meet the bride to be." Castiel continued to glare at him, but they walked toward the group of women that had mostly broken up. There was a blonde sitting in the middle, gossiping with an older woman.
"Excuse me, ladies?" Castiel spoke up. The blonde looked up and her eyes lit up.
"Castiel!" She squealed and jumped up. She came around the table and wrapped him in a tight hug. "Oh, Castiel. I can't believe you came! You look amazing." She pulled away and took his free hand. "I am so so happy that you made it." Bess gasped, as if remembering something. "Where's your plus one!?" Castiel's smile changed, at least to him it seemed more forced. Castiel gestured towards Dean.
"This is my boyfriend, Dean." The word had somehow become easier with each sip of beer. "Dean, this is my friend, Bess." Bess looked between Dean and Castiel so quickly it almost looked like she was having a spasm.
"Your what?! Castiel, this is your…?"
"Boyfriend, Dean." Dean smiled that smile again and Castiel had to admit, the more that he saw it the more he actually liked it.
"Wow, I…you…wow. Hi, welcome! Oh! You need to meet my soon to be husband! GARTH!" Bess shouted, loud enough for the barn to become quiet. A tall, skinny man with some stubble and short brown hair came walking from a group of men off to the side.
"Hi, sweetheart." Garth placed a kiss to the top of Bess' head.
"Garth, this is my friend, Castiel Novak and his boyfriend, Dean…I'm sorry, Dean, honey, what's your last name?" Dean's eyes were on Garth, almost daring him to repeat their past. Garth apparently didn't notice.
"It's not Dean Winchester, is it?" Garth hadn't even glanced at Castiel. Dean's hand tightened around his beer.
"Yeah, it is. Garth Fitzgerald, right?" Dean stuck his free hand out. They shook hands.
"You two know each other?" Bess seemed just as surprised as Castiel pretended to be.
"We went to high school together. Well, like what? A semester junior year?" Dean nodded, and then stepped back closer to Castiel. Garth shook his head and then smiled at Castiel. "Hey, man, I'm sorry. Just didn't expect to see him here. I'm Garth, you're Castiel, right?" The two shook hands.
"Yes, nice to finally meet you."
"Same to you. Bess has been so excited since we got your RSVP. She really wanted to meet this plus one of yours. So, Dean, why don't you come catch up with me? There are some people that you might remember from high school."
"Oh." Dean looked at Castiel. "I just don't know if I can leave Castiel..."
"Nonsense! Castiel and I need to catch up, too. Now you two go. Have fun. We'll meet back up with you soon." Dean widened his eyes at Castiel in a silent plea, but Castiel just smiled. Maybe he was being a little vindictive. Maybe he was trying to remind Dean to follow the rules and not be alone with his brothers.
"Yeah, you guys have fun. We'll see each other later." Dean's eyes were full of pure rage for a moment before they went back to normal.
"Sounds good, baby." Dean leaned in, gave Castiel a kiss on the cheek and then whispered in his ear. "You really don't want to play this game with me, but it's on." Dean pulled away and then walked off with Garth.
"Castiel, he's freaking gorgeous! I need to know EVERYTHING! Now!" Bess pulled Castiel towards the table and forced him into a seat. Just as Bess opened her mouth to ask him a question, she closed her mouth at something over Castiel's shoulder. Castiel turned around and was met with a pair of blue eyes and long, wavy, brown hair.
"Castiel."
"Hannah."