Three
Throughout the day, Dean can see more and more people staring at him and can hear more and more people whispering about him. He meets Cas between all classes and walks him to his next one with their fingers curled around each other. They sit practically on top of one another at lunch, and when the bell rings at the end of their lunch period, he even allows Castiel to give him a quick peck on the cheek. So Dean really shouldn't be so surprised when Michael finds him during his free period, but alas, there he is staring like an idiot.
"Close your mouth, Dean, you don't want to catch any flies," Michael snarks as he approaches where Dean is sitting on the picnic tables behind the school.
"Michael. What do you want?" Dean manages to hiss out while simultaneously stifling the urge to punch the jerk right in the gut.
"I know that you and Castiel are the ones who ruined my tires. I'm not an idiot, Dean."
"I have no clue what you're talking about, Michael," Dean forces out, clearly lying through his teeth. But Dean finds that he really could not care less if Michael knows that he's the one who put a blade through three of his tires.
"Relax, Dean. I'm not here to yell at you about the car. I just want to talk to you about Castiel. Is it true that the two of you are actually dating?"
"Well, we've been walking around school holding hands all day, so does that answer your question? Guess he just realized that there were better things out there for him than you," Dean says.
"Please," Michael scoffs out with a laugh. "I guarantee that I could have him back in a heartbeat, Winchester. After all, he does love me."
"Loved. He loved you. But not anymore."
"Whatever," Michael retorts. "That's not the point. The point is that I know there's never been anything between the two of you. He was quick to assure me of that when I moved here last semester. So what exactly changed? Did you suddenly decide that you were head over heels for our Castiel?"
"That," Dean grits out, "is absolutely none of your fucking business. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go find my boyfriend who clearly no longer gives a shit about you. And when I find him, I'm gonna give him a nice, long kiss and grab his ass, just 'cause I know it'll piss you off."
Dean, of course, does neither of these things when he finally finds Cas, but he does give a nice, hard punch to the nearest locker.
"Seriously Cas, how did we never realize how big of a dick he is? You should have seen the smug look on his face. The entire time he was talking I felt like he was just taunting me. And I'm pretty sure he thinks that you'll come running back to him the seconds he asks. And I also think that he might suspect we're not actually together," Dean finishes his rant as he and Cas pull up outside Castiel's house.
"Dean, just calm down," Castiel says. "I don't want to go back to Michael, and it's only been a day. He'll believe it soon enough, and he'll feel like an idiot when I don't give him the time of day. Also, when I spread a rumor that the reason we broke up is because he has herpes that he got from someone else."
"Cas," Dean asks, "is that really the best idea?"
"Probably not, but I'm probably gonna do it anyway."
And he did. Three days later, on Thursday at school Dean hears at least four different people whispering about Michael and his increasingly terrifying STD, all by lunch. By the time Dean walked into the cafeteria, herpes had transformed from gonorrhea to chlamydia to full-blown syphilis. Dean shakes his head at high schoolers' idiocy as he sits down at his group's table.
"Hey," he says to Jo and Charlie. "Where's Cas?"
"He's at a yearbook meeting. But shouldn't you know that seeing as you're his 'boyfriend?'" Jo answers.
"Shut it, Jo. You know I'm just helping him out over this Michael thing."
"Right," retorts Charlie. "That's why you've been making increasingly gooier gooey eyes at him every single time you've seen him this week. And why you've started holding his hand even when we're not at school and Michael's not around."
"Geez Charlie, we're just trying to make it believable. Just drop it."
"Make what believable," Benny asks as he joins the group. "Your fake but totally not fake relationship with Cas?"
"That'd be the thing," Jo chirps happily.
"Guys, seriously, I'm just doing him a favor, he's my best friend, he feels shitty, he just wants a little payback. Leave it," Dean snaps.
"Dean," Charlie says softly, "it's okay if you like him. You know, it was bound to happen eventually anyway. I can't believe it took this long honestly."
Dean sighs exasperatedly and rolls his eyes as Jo chimes in, "It's not that big of a deal, Dean. It's just a little crush. It's not shocking that you're kind of getting attached after all the handholding and hugging and stuff. It's kind of normal actually."
"Please guys, can we just drop this?"
"Drop what?" Cas asks as he plops down next to Dean and steals a fry from his plate.
"Nothing, Cas," Dean quickly replies, "we were just talking about plans for the weekend."
"Oh!" Cas nearly shouts, a gleam in his eye. "Well I hear that Michael will be at the show on Saturday night at The Roadhouse to hear that new band play, so I think we should go there. Show off a little, make him a little jealous, and little mad. What do you think?"
"Sounds good, Cas," Dean says with a heavy sigh as he stands up and grabs his tray.
Cas looks at the rest of his friends confusedly. "Well, what's wrong with him?"
Benny just stares at his plate while Charlie rolls her eyes and Jo lets out a soft "idiots."
By Friday afternoon at school, Dean is worried that Charlie, Jo, and Benny are right. By Friday night when Dean and Cas are curled up on Dean's couch watching Star Wars, Dean is convinced they are. Every time Castiel's leg bumps Dean's or they catch each other's eye, Dean's heart starts trying to tear its way out of his chest. Every time Cas says something in that deep, rumbly voice of his, Dean's forehead breaks out into a sweat. And every time Cas stretches and that small strip of skin above his hipbone peeks out beneath his t-shirt, Dean thinks that he might actually be having a stroke.
So when the doorbell rings and Jo and Charlie stroll into the living room, calling Sam to come down from his room and join them as well, Dean can't be more relieved.
"So I was thinking that we should all hang out tomorrow night at The Roadhouse," Jo says as she plops onto the floor in front of the couch. "Since I'll already be there working until 9:00 anyway and Charlie was gonna come hang out after my shift."
Jo's mom Ellen Harvelle owns and runs The Roadhouse, a local bar and diner, and serves the best cheeseburgers and pie in town. She also serves the coldest sarcasm and most stinging backhand Dean's ever felt. Despite her tough love, she's one of the best people Dean knows and has acted as both a mother and friend to both Dean and Sammy for most of their lives.
"What's happening at The Roadhouse?" Sam asks as he lumbers into the living room and flops onto the sofa by Cas.
"A concert. New local band's playing. I hear they're not too bad either. Wanna come?" Charlie asks.
"Sure!"
"Wow, funny how this date turned into a five person thing in only a matter of seconds," Dean grumbles out.
Jo lifts her eyebrow and says, "Six, actually. Benny's coming too. Besides, I didn't really think it would matter seeing as it's a fake date anyway."
"Of course it's fine," Cas intervenes. "Just don't complain if we're doing stuff to make Michael jealous or uncomfortable."
"As long as you don't make us uncomfortable, we're fine," Charlie mumbles under her breath.
Dean resumes playing Star Wars and quickly quiets down the group, and if he lets his hand rest against Cas's for the rest of the movie, no one calls him out on it.
By Saturday evening, Dean is Officially Freaking Out. He's put on at least four different outfits before he remembers that he sees Cas literally every day and he's seen him in literally every piece of clothing he owns. He finally puts on pair of dark jeans, a black t-shirt, an open dark red button down, and his boots. He feels utterly ridiculous for taking so long to dress; and it's not like Sam's taunting is helping.
"Seriously, Dean, you look fine, I promise your date will go well."
"It's not a date," Dean snaps. "Well, not a real one."
"But you want it to be don't you?" Sam asks, because he's a little brother so of course he's going to be annoying.
"No, Sammy, now just drop it."
"Yeah, sure you don't. And don't call me Sammy!" Sam calls as he exits Dean's room.
Dean leaves five minutes later to pick up Cas, leaving Sam to get a ride to The Roadhouse with Charlie. When Cas walks out of his house ad to the car, Dean curses the universe a little, because of course Castiel looks amazing. He's wearing dark, straight-legged jeans and a dark blue button down that Dean is certain will match his eyes perfectly. Dean shifts around his seat uncomfortably as Cas gets in the car. It's going to be a long night.
Dean and Castiel put on the perfect act the entire night. They relax and have some sodas with their friends, dance along with the crowd to the concert, and laugh and have a great time hanging out. When Michael walks in The Roadhouse with his new boyfriend or lover or whatever he is, Dean nonchalantly drapes an arm around Cas, who is sitting next to them in their booth. When Michael glances their way, Dean kisses Cas on the cheek. When Michael has the audacity to come over and say hello, Castiel grabs Dean's hand on the table and interlaces their fingers. And when Michael starts dancing with Mr. Community College in plain sight of Castiel, Dean grabs Cas and drags him to the dance floor, pulling him close into his arms and swaying with him.
Dean puts on the perfect performance all night, brushing Cas's hair out of his face, staring lovingly as Cas talks, and holding his hand like he might actually die if he lets go. Cas even compliments Dean on his acting at the end of the night. There's only one problem: Dean definitely isn't acting anymore. Dammit.
