Dean was already sitting in his usual spot when Cas walked into the classroom. It was the second last row on the right. Dean sat at the left table, purposely leaving the right table for Cas so he could look out of the window during class if he felt the need to.

Sometimes Castiel felt a bit claustrophobic in the small classroom from their school and staring out of the big window with a light breeze on his face, really helped. On the other side of the window were grass fields with the occasional tree. Beyond those was the football field. From where Cas was sitting, he could see the bleachers standing tall and proud from behind the trees.

Only this time, Castiel didn't look out of the window because he felt claustrophobic, not even because he was bored, but because the tension and awkwardness between him and Dean were too much to handle. He couldn't look Dean in the eye, not when he could still taste Dean's lips on his own.

This, exactly this, was the reason Cas didn't want to get into a fake relationship in the first place. The possibility of ruining their friendship was too big. Though, if their friendship really was as strong as Castiel thought, wouldn't it be able to survive a kiss?

Castiel slowly turned around and eyed Dean. At the same time, Dean averted his eyes from the loud chatting of his teammates to Castiel and smiled. In that moment Cas knew that everything between them was okay.

It was funny how they could communicate by just looking at each other. It wasn't something that they were able to do from the very beginning. It grew, slowly, with time spent together. They learned more about each other, started to figure out what the person was thinking or feeling just by looking at them.

Their friendship had started way back. First year rolled around and everybody was looking for a friend. As most students did in their first weeks of a new school, whole classes huddled together like a wolf pack, making sure that they were not alone. Later on, students would stick with the people who they liked best and became friends with them.

The same thing happened with Cas and Dean.

They were in the same homeroom and started talking about an insignificant thing neither of them remembered. Weeks went by and they stuck together, finding a weird sense of comfort in each other.

They just fitted really well.

After those weeks, Dean tried out for the football team, despite being very young, while Cas tried out for the cheerleading squad, despite being a boy.

They were both accepted and got to spend even more time with each other as the jocks and cheerleaders practiced on the same field and spend the football matches together.

Dean easily made friends on the team, as it was more like a family than just a team. However, he never even thought about cutting Cas off as a friend.

Cas is awkward, no doubt about that, but he found his spot in the football team and now they treated him as their own personal mascot. The team adored him.

And then came Lisa.

Now, you often hear stories about friendships falling apart because one friend got a girlfriend and they only want to spend time with them and in those few moments you have them for yourself, they can only talk about their partner?

Yeah, that never happened.

First of all, Lisa wasn't Dean's girlfriend. More, rudely said, like his fuck buddy.

Second, of all, Dean was too loyal. He never picked Lisa above the team and certainly not above Cas. Their friendship remained exactly the way it was and Cas was relieved that he didn't lose Dean then.

And he wasn't going to lose Dean now.

"You know, spoons are like tiny bowls with a stick attached to it," Kevin said thoughtfully, earning a smack from Benny who was absolutely done with the everlasting existential crisis of Kevin Tran.

With that, Castiel was back from his trip down memory lane and participated in the conversation.

"Are you alright?" Dean whispered. Dean's breath, too close to his neck, left shivers down Castiel's spine. Castiel tried to ignore it and focus on Dean who was growing more and more concerned by the second.

"I'm okay, Dean," Castiel whispered back. "Really."

"If this is about the kiss." Dean hesitated. "We don't have to do it again if you don't want to. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

Castiel was at a loss for words. On first sight, Dean didn't look like the considered and thoughtful person he actually is. Many people mistook him for a douchebag jock, the ones you saw in movies and tv-shows, ready to rip every girl's heart apart.

Dean was no saint, he had sex with Lisa without any promise of a relationship. Knowing Dean, he had made sure that Lisa understood that they weren't in a relationship, that a relationship would never happen. Which made him less of a douchebag in Castiel's opinion.

"I mean, we can just say we aren't really into PDA," Dean rambled on, only stopped by Castiel's finger on his lips.

"You can kiss me again, Dean. I don't mind."

"G-good," Dean stammered, a faint blush rising on his cheeks. "I'll, ehm, keep that in mind."

"Really smooth," Gabriel laughed his eyes twinkling with their usual mischief, even if he had nothing planned his eyes shone like he had. This made everybody around him kind of nervous all the time.

Last year, for instance, he used this to his advance. It was April Fool's Day and that meant pranks, it was unavoidable. Gabe hadn't planned a prank for this year, no, it was much worse.

He made everybody sit on the verge of a nervous breakdown because it was nearing the end of the school day and nothing had happened to anybody. Of course, friends pranked friends, but if you were pranked by Gabe, you knew. That was his prank, making everybody nervous wrecks for a prank that he never planned.

It was genius really.

Castiel guessed this was one of the reasons he liked being around Gabe. Castiel himself could be a bit too serious at times and Gabe helped him come out of that shell.

Sometimes it felt like Gabe was his older brother. Annoying at times but always looking out for him. Gabe is also a lot easier on him with his pranks, nothing too harmful or embarrassing. Even though Cas can easily take it, he is happy he isn't an all-time victim to Gabe's pranks like everybody else.

When Dean wasn't looking, Gabe winked at him.

He knew.

Cas should have known that Gabe would figure it out.

For now, Cas promptly ignored him and watched Mrs. Mills write information about an upcoming test on the whiteboard.

He shouldn't panic. Gabe wasn't going to tell Dean, he was a prankster and not a jerk. However, that doesn't mean that Gabe couldn't accidentally slip up and make Dean suspect something.

At the end of the class, after Castiel put his books and notebook in his bag, Gabriel brushed passed him. "Meet me in the library."

Castiel managed to get rid of Dean and made his way to the library.

"You're such a nerd," Dean had said and Castiel laughed uncomfortably, anxiety rising from the talk he was about to have with someone he considered one of his best friends.

"Save me a spot?" Castiel had replied and pressed his lips to Dean's cheek, lingering just enough to watch Lisa storm off and Dean faintly blush.

Gabriel was already waiting for him in the history section, where nobody would spend their time during lunch, not even the "nerds".

"Before you say anything, I don't care," Gabriel said, holding one finger up to shush Castiel who was indeed about to say something.

"You don't?"

"No, of course not, stupid," Gabriel laughed, hopping off the table with an admirable casualty. "You two have danced around each other since forever."

"Dean doesn't feel that way about me," Castiel said with a lump forming in his throat. "He never will."

"I'm don't know if he likes you, he is closed off and hard to decipher, even for me," Gabriel sighed. "But, I don't know about that last part."

"Look, Gabe-"

"Just, trust me, okay?"

Castiel nodded and was enveloped in Gabe's arms who lifted him off the floor and shook him around to Castiel's dismay.

"Put. Me. Down."

"Fine, grumpy," Gabriel said, finally putting Castiel down. "Oh and don't worry, I won't tell."