Castiel really hates rallies. They're boring and his rear usually falls asleep about half way through the hour and a half long event. This Rally is even more disappointing for one reason alone; Dean is not sitting with them. Sam and Gabriel are being affectionate-as are Adam and Samandriel- and it really just reminds Cas of how alone he is. It doesn't help that soon Dean is going to be spending all of his time with someone other than Cas.
Cas supposes it was inevitable; Dean would find someone else-someone pretty, and smart, and everything he's ever wanted. Cas wonders if things might have been different had he been born blonde and voluptuous like the waitress Dean had hit on.
He hears someone to his right comment about how boring these things are and Cas can't help but silently agree. He wishes Dean had shown up instead of ditching them. His mind wanders off on its own, thinking about what Dean could be doing right now. His imagination supplies his with the image of Dean and some pretty brunette kissing somewhere secluded.
He's only jostled out of his thinking because Gabe nudges his shoulder. When he looks at his friend, the brunet just points to the floor. Cas looks, surprised to find Dean sitting on the stool Mrs. Waters had previously occupied. Dean starts playing the guitar in his lap and Cas is pleasantly surprised to find that the melody doesn't sound like something Dean would normally play.
Dean looks down and stares at his guitar as he plays, as if he's nervous.
"Can this be true? Tell me, can this be real? How can I put into words what I feel? My life was complete. I thought I was whole. Why do I feel like I'm losing control?"
He looks up and searches the crowd, trying to find someone..
"I never thought that love could feel like this. You changed my world with just one kiss. How can it be that right here with me is an angel? It's a miracle."
Cas' stomach drops, wondering if the person Dean is singing to is sitting next to him. The rest of the song turns static in his ears when Dean looks him in the eyes and smiles, still singing. Blood is rushing in his ears and his heart is pounding so fast and he tries so hard to stop himself from getting his hopes up, but he knows that that is impossible.
Cas figures Dean has stopped singing once he puts the guitar down and picks up the microphone. His heart calms down a bit and he hears Dean's wonderful voice floats out of the speakers.
"This is entirely embarrassing but I could think of no other way to do this. I wanted everyone to know." Dean fiddles with a large bag Castiel hadn't noticed and looks back at him.
"Mr. Novak. It would be my pleasure if you would agree to … accompany me to dinner tonight."
Cas' gasps, holding the air in his lungs and his brain screeches to a halt. His throat dries up and his palms become clammy. He tries desperately to think of someone else in this school with the last name Novak, but he comes up blank.
After a few seconds, every single person in the gym turns to look at him. Every. Single. Person. They're all staring at him, waiting for him to answer the man fidgeting on the gym floor. He feels a nudge from Gabriel, who's whispering at him to go down there.
Cas' brain starts back up and he stands. He thinks Gabriel must have known about this as he'd been adamant about them sitting next to the stair aisle. He walks down the steps and walks over to Dean-who looks more nervous than Castiel has ever seen him. He stops right in front of Dean and smiles-small and nervous, but real.
"Yes, I would love to accompany you to dinner, Dean."
Three things happen all at once. First; Dean smiles at Cas and it's the best thing Cas has ever seen because he looks like he's won everything he could ever want. Second; Everyone in the gym starts cheering ridiculously loud-and Cas thinks there are wolf whistles in there, too. Third; Sam shouting-louder than anyone else in the room- that he knew it.
Dean steps forward and kisses him on the corner of his lips, his smile making it a bit difficult. When Dean steps back, he grabs the bag and hands it over to Cas. Cas is a bit nervous as he opens it, and he doesn't know what he was expecting, but a giant stuffed cat was not it. The thing is this really dark shade of brown-almost black- with huge adorable blue eyes and it's dwarfed-a hard feat for sure-by its enormous midnight blue wings-also almost black in color. It's huge and heavy and Cas needs to use both arms to carry it properly. Cas wraps his arms around it and hugs it close, hiding his face and the huge smile that's there. He's pleasantly surprised to find it smells just like Dean.
"So, I'll pick you up around seven, yeah?" Cas can only nod, not trusting his voice to squeak or crack.
"You should get back to you seat." Dean steps forward and pulls him-and the giant cat-into an awkward hug. When he pulls away, Dean kisses his cheek and retreats back into the cafeteria.
Cas shuffles awkwardly back to his seat in the stands, where all of his friends are looking at his with the scariest grins on their faces. Cas sits in his seat, pulling his bag-which he'd forgotten entirely-close. He sits the cat in his lap and promptly ignores the rest of the world in favor of smelling the wonderful smell of Dean Winchester that the cat has retained.
When the rally ends, Gabe leaves right away claiming that he doesn't want to see Dean and Cas gush over each other. Everyone else follows Gabe's lead except for Sam, who shares second period with Cas. Sam suggests waiting, to see if they can find Dean and Cas is glad to have a supportive friend-he's absolutely sure everyone else is going to tease him relentlessly after this.
They get to biology after a bit of awkward shuffling- it's rather hard to carry a stuffed animal nearly as big as him-and right before they head inside, Cas hears Dean calling out to him. Cas turns around to see Dean making his way towards them. Sam makes some flimsy excuse and grabs Cas' stuff-cat included-and dashes inside.
"Hello, Dean." Cas greets, his small smile growing wider.
"Hey, Cas. Uh…there was something I wanted to do at the rally, but it probably would've gotten us both suspended and I can't have any more of that."
Again, he doesn't know what he was expecting, but Dean kissing him was definitely not it. Castiel, in all the ways he'd imagined kissing Dean, had not thought it would be like this. This kiss with Dean was short, sweet, and just for him.
Dean pulls away and smiles at him, "So. I'll see you at seven." And he turns and walks down the hall to his own class.
On cloud nine, Cas wanders into his classroom, glad that the teacher isn't there yet. He sits in his seat and when Sam calls his name, he doesn't really register what's happening.
"So. Cas." Cas looks at his friend, curious, but unable to stop himself from smiling.
"I'm sorry, but I have to do this." Sam plants a large hand on his shoulder, grinning like a lunatic.
"If you break my brother's heart, I'm going to hurt you. I'm serious. We have guns and we will find you." Sam nods at him a few times before adding, "Also, safe sex is important."
Reality crashes into him and he wants to crawl into a corner and die because he hadn't even thought about actually having sex with Dean. Not since it had become a feasible idea half an hour ago. His gut clenches and he hides his face in the cat Dean had gotten him. He slides down in his seat until his lower back is off the chair. The cat sits in his lap and he glares at Sam Winchester.
He wonders what he should name the cat.