A/N: Charlie. Because of course. (Charlie is SMOOTH in this chapter, guys.)
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It was their last music rehearsal. Starting tomorrow, according to Metatron's schedule, they were going to officially start combining everything. The blocking was perfect, bar a few scenes, the choreography was coming along…and the singing and acting were as good as a rag-tag high school cast was going to get. Better than most, Cas thought. But he was prejudiced.
Castiel loved the music rehearsals. They took place in the choir room, and were led by the high school's new choir director Ms. Milton, who everybody just called Anna. She was sweet and talented, fresh out of college, and unlike Metatron, she didn't treat Castiel like her personal slave. He wasn't even required to attend her rehearsals at all, actually. He liked watching the progress, though.
(And of course, there was the added bonus of listening to Dean sing. His voice was like...the human embodiment of caramel. Just sort of...gritty? But also delicious and addicting and like sex in your mouth...it wasn't a perfect metaphor...)
"I thought I might find you here," someone behind him said.
He turned from his physics book to see Charlie, one of the show's techies, standing behind him. He put a finger to his lips.
"I know," Charlie whispered, hiking her backpack further up her shoulder and sitting next to Cas. They were sitting at a table behind the risers in the choir room, the cast running through "Beauty School Dropout," in front of them. Anna glanced up from the piano and Charlie gave her a bright smile and made what Castiel guessed was supposed to be a seductive look.
"Is something wrong with your neck?" Cas asked her in an amused whisper.
Charlie's smile fell. "No, asshole, it's my 'come hither' look."
"She's a teacher. And way older than you."
"Only a couple years. And it's February. We graduate in four months," she smiled.
"I think she's straight."
"So is spaghetti, until it gets wet," Charlie smirked.
Cas snorted, immediately clapping a hand over his mouth. Becky Rosen, an eccentric sophomore Metatron only cast as Sandy's understudy so she'd stop complaining about her role as a chorus member, turned to give Castiel a nasty look.
"That's your problem, Cas," Charlie continued quietly when Becky turned back toward the piano, "you see straight people everywhere. Hardly anyone's 100% straight if you look closely enough, especially in the arts. I can think of a few prime examples…" she winked.
"I don't know who you're implying, but he's definitely straight." Cas returned to his physics homework.
Charlie laughed quietly. "So why do you come to these rehearsals, anyways? You know they're like, your only days off. And don't tell me it's to check out the hot red-headed choir director. That's my excuse."
"I'm stage manager, and this is my last high school show. I want to see it through—and that involves witnessing every aspect of production."
"Sure. That, and you like stalking a certain green-eyed, baseball playing male lead, am I right?"
"No," Cas said, his blush betraying the lie.
"Will you please just fuck him already?" Charlie groaned, a little louder than necessary. Loud enough for several cast members within range to hear.
"Will you be quiet?" Cas hissed, sure his face couldn't get any redder.
"I'm going to get you both drunk," she mused, thankfully at a lower volume, "and then I'm going to lock you in a room with each other."
"That wouldn't do anything, Charlie," Cas sighed, rolling his eyes, "we're friends. That's it."
"You don't think so, and neither does he. Sam would help me…he agrees."
"You talked to Sam about this?!" Cas asked, eyes finding the younger Winchester among the stands. Which was a mistake, because Dean sat next to him looking like sex incarnate.
"Yeah, and like I said, he agrees with me. Everyone does, except for you. And while I haven't explicitly talked to him about it, I'm almost positive that 'everyone' includes Dean, and…and you're not paying any attention to me, are you?"
"Hmmm?" Cas asked, not taking his eyes off of Dean.
"You're ridiculous."
"He's so hot," Cas sighed, slamming his head down onto the table. "Quiet, Charlie," he quickly hushed, even though he was the one to make noise. "Ms. Milton will yet at us."
"She couldn't yell at a fly. Hey, since we're both sitting here, do you wanna do physics together?"
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At the end of rehearsal, Dean jumped off the risers and headed toward Cas and Charlie, closely followed by Lisa Braedon, the cast's Sandra Dee.
"Hey Cas, Charles," Dean teased, ruffling Charlie's hair. "Hey, listen—"
"Everybody's headed to my place to hang out. You guys wanna come?" Lisa asked with a genuine smile. Dean grinned down at her.
"Um," Cas said, frowning at them both, "I would, but I promised Charlie I'd help her with her physics."
Charlie turned to gape at Cas.
"You guys are such nerds," Dean snorted, reaching over to shut Castiel's book. "You're allowed to have fun, you know."
"Thank you, Dean, Lisa, but we'll have to pass," Cas said. He kicked Charlie under the table.
"Yeah. I really do need some serious help," Charlie shrugged. "What're you gonna do."
Dean narrowed his eyes at Cas, studying him. Cas tried to appear innocent as possible. Eventually Dean shrugged and turned to Lisa with a wicked grin. "Guess I'm all yours for the evening, Lis."
"Great," Lisa beamed, pulling Dean away by the sleeve.
"I need help with physics? Me?" Charlie asked when they were gone. "You're kidding, right? What was that about?"
"I'll explain later."
"You're right. You will. You know I don't like lying…so I at least deserve to know why I'm doing it. And since I now know you don't have any real plans, wanna hang?"
Cas wanted nothing more than to be alone, but that would mean jealous pining. "Sure, for a little while," he found himself saying.
"Awesome. Give me a second, though," she said, walking away.
Cas' mouth fell open when he saw her walk straight up to Anna. Anna looked as surprised as Cas felt.
"Hi," Charlie started shyly, flipping her hair, "I'm Charlie Bradbury."
"What can I do for you, Ms. Bradbury?" Anna asked, looking amused. Cas didn't miss the way her eyes dropped down to take in all of Charlie.
"I just wanted to tell you that you have a beautiful singing voice. I wish I could sing like you, Ms. Milton."
"Call me Anna," the teacher smiled. When she smiled, it became more obvious that the two women really only were a few years apart. "And you could start by joining choir."
"Oh, I couldn't," Charlie said, looking down at her feet. "I sound a little like the Nazgul when I sing, I'm afraid."
Anna's face lit up at the reference and she laughed. "I'm sure that's not true. Or possible."
"I don't suppose you give private lessons, Anna?" Charlie asked. She dropped all pretense of shyness, changing it into...something else. Something Cas didn't want to think too hard about.
Anna looked a little bit like a startled rabbit. "I don't usually, but, um…" she stammered. "If you're really passionate about learning to sing…"
Charlie beamed. "Great. Since you're being so generous by doing this, it's only fair if I buy you dinner or something first, right? How about Friday at eight? I'd love to hear what other beautiful sounds could come out of that mouth."
Anna tucked her hair behind her ear, eyes wide. "Um."
Charlie reached out to touch a strand that she missed, twining the red strand between her fingers. The younger woman turned her shyness back on, looking up at Anna from between her lashes. "You and I would be enough to start a fire."
Anna's jaw dropped. She coughed and took a step back, remembering her place. "You're a senior?" she asked coolly.
Charlie's confidence seemed to falter at the sudden change in tone. "Uh…yes?"
Anna nodded once, glancing over at Cas before looking back at Charlie. "Ask me again in a few months," she said with a slight smirk, starting to turn back toward the piano.
"So is that a guaranteed yes if I do?" Charlie asked, eyes wide.
"I can't legally confirm that, but off the record? Your chances are pretty good," Anna said, giving Charlie a sweet smile before turning back to her work.
Charlie gaped at the teacher's back, and Castiel gaped at Charlie. Eventually she squeaked out a quiet "till then, I guess?" and dragged the shocked Castiel out of the choir room with her.
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The next five minutes consisted of Charlie jumping up and down and squealing excitedly. They were at Castiel's locker, and occasionally a student or two would pass by, eyeing Charlie warily.
"See?" Charlie asked with a nervous laugh when she could finally speak, "It's all about confidence."
"No. That was magic. There is no other explanation for what I just witnessed," Cas said, shaking his head.
Charlie squeaked, jumping up and down hysterically again. "Oh my God! I was not expecting a yes! I mean, that wasn't technically a yes, but close enough! Score!"
"I can't believe it." Cas trailed after her in a daze.
"Thanks a lot," Charlie said dryly. Her enthusiasm was back seconds later, though. "See? You just have to do something like that with Dean!"
Castiel turned to gape at her. "What, use a line like 'we're enough to start a fire?' Where the hell did that even come from?"
"That was great, right? Anna's hot. I've been thinking about what I'd say to her if I had the chance since she was hired. But seriously. I could think of something clever for you to say to Dean. If I think of something for you, would you say it?"
"Absolutely not."
Charlie groaned. "Ugh. At least tell me what the whole physics homework thing was all about."
"I have to watch Dean and Lisa flirt enough during rehearsal, I don't need to see it in a private setting where I'll inevitably be the third wheel."
"You do realize they have to flirt, right? Their characters are kind of love interests, if you hadn't noticed."
Cas rolled his eyes, not acknowledging that with a response.
"Okay, first of all, you can't be a third wheel where you have plenty of other friends. Second, you wouldn't be the third wheel, Lisa would. I won't deny that that girl flirts with Dean all the time, but he doesn't really flirt back."
"So earlier, that wasn't flirting?" Cas asked skeptically.
"Ugh. If you think Dean flirting with Lisa is bad, you have no idea how annoying it is to the rest of us watching him flirt with you."
Deciding to ignore that last part, Cas scowled. "Why couldn't she be ugly? Or mean? If she was mean, at least I could justifiably hate her. But she's nice. And gorgeous. And a triple threat, too- she can sing, and act, and-"
"If you say Lisa Braedon can dance, then I'm taking you to the nurse's office right now. You may be suffering from some serious brain damage."
"I was going to replace the third threat with 'yoga,'" Cas smiled.
"Mmm, yoga girls are hot," Charlie agreed. "But don't distract me. Novak, I am going to make you see sense one of these days, you hear me?"