Castiel did not like his dorm at all.
You could always be transferred but you had to have a legitimate reason. Like the roommates were too loud. You didn't like that it was a party dorm.
His problem was one that could not be dealt with.
The building itself was great. It was big, but not too much so. And they would only hold parties on nights when no one needed to study. It was clean. It was friendly. Hell there was even a chores list that they kept in the halls so everyone knew who had to do what when. Everything was great.
Except for Castiel's roommate.
He was shorter than Castiel, with dark hair and mildly dark eyes. He insisted that Castiel call him "Crowley" as he hated his first name.
He always had a bit of scruff, and was not exactly the type you'd find in a college dorm under normal circumstances. But besides the smuggled scotch, his inappropriate sarcasm, and flaring temper Crowley was not a bad roommate. He was actually one of the better ones. What bothered Castiel was the man's choice of decoration.
On the one wall, the wall that Castiel would see when he woke every single morning was a poster of Dick Roman. He was one of the largest anti-gay activists that there had been in the last forty years. He may have died a number of years ago, but that man's influence was still strong. Posters and tshirts of him still flew off shelves. He was the man that had made it legal to fire or refuse to hire "the gays" as he would call them.
The poster would stare coldly down at Castiel every morning, that burning look of hatred making him sick.
But there was nothing that he could do. If he did, he could be kicked out of school… or worse. So he did his best not to look at the poster that took up most of Crowley's wall each morning.
He forced a smile and forced down the bile that would rise in his throat whenever Crowley would talk about Roman as though they were related.
The sooner Castiel was in class, the better…. He slumped down in his seat beside Lex, a coffee-cart coffee in his hand. Only a week in. He might have a new roommate by semester's end… that poster was starting to eat at him.
"You look like hell," Lex said as she passed Castiel half of her bagel as she had been doing every morning.
Castiel muttered his thanks for the bagel before sighing. "Didn't sleep well last night," he'd said, which was true. He had ended up going to sleep later than he should have due to a prolonged conversation with Dean via texting. he only went to bed because his phone died… but that poster was burning at him from the dim light left by the lamps outside, and it gave him nightmares like he hadn't had since freshman year of high school.
"Hopefully you'll get a better night's sleep tonight," she said with a smile. She and Castiel had been getting closer over the last week, studying together, except on wednesday when he would help Dean out with his classes. She was wanting to ask him out, but not sure how to phrase it.
"…yeah, hopefully.." Castiel said before he took a bite and chewed slowly. He hadn't made many other friends, really, other than Lex. She was the proper, perfect student. Amazing grades. Smart. Beautiful in the real kind of way.
The kind of girl who was very likely to turn Castiel in if she ever found out. And that made him weary. She was still his friend. And God he was not sure what he would do if it wasn't for her and Dean, but he kept things close to the vest, not wanting her to find out. But he also did not want to give her any wrong impressions…
—
Second Wednesday of school and Castiel got out of bed early, avoiding that poster at all costs as he pulled on his shirt and left the dorm room with just a small shoulder bag that had a couple books, his keys, and his phone in it.
As he was walking to the library to meet Dean, a leather-clad arm reached out of the shadows and pulled him into a narrow alleyway. Before Castiel could even catch his balance properly, he was brought tightly close, and he felt those familiar lips on his own.
And he melted into the kiss. His hands clutched at the leather of Dean's jacket as the kiss lingered, before he broke it with a shaky breath. "…what if someone sees…"
"..in a dark alley that is not even five foot wide at six in the morning?" Dean asked, his arms still tight around Castiel. "…just.. stop thinking for once," he said before crushing their lips together once more, now pushing Castiel against the opposite ally wall.
There was always a small risk of getting caught… but maybe Dean was right this time. Stop thinking… Dean seemed to have that power. To completely shut off Castiel's brain and make only thoughts of them able to form. Six a.m. No one would be out… not yet. They were fine… they were safe. And most importantly: they were together, and nothing would tear them apart.
It was when Castiel thought he heard footsteps that he puled away from the kiss, his breathing slightly hitched. Dean would not let him pull away though. The steps faded, and Dean smirked, leaning down to kiss along Castiel's neck. "I could stay in this alley forever," he muttered as his forehead fell to Castiel's shoulder.
Castiel's arms were still around Dean. He could do the same.. but realistically, there was nothing they could do. They had to act normal… which was why Dean had become one of the biggest flirts on campus, but never seemed to go through with any of it. The girls called him a "Lady Killer" and all the guys would ask him what his secret was.
To which his reply would be to flash that charming smile, flick up the collar of his jacket as he cocked his head to the side, and hold out his arms, saying "Im the package, gents," and then walk away. Well, strut away would be closer to the truth.
Dean gently brought his lips to Castiel's once more, savoring the feel and the taste of them before he broke away, his eyes locking onto the beautiful blue that he had fallen so in love with.
Castiel broke the beautiful silence as his mind flitted back to reality, one of his hands gracing Dean's cheek. "…we should go to the library…" he said, though the words barely came out.
That broke something in Dean, and it broke Castiel's heart. He knew that their moments together had become so few since they started school, but there was nothing they could do about it… Dean slowly nodded though, clearing his throat. "…you go out first, I'll.. go out the other way," he said before turning and walking away.
Castiel watched his back before readjusting his shirt that had been ruffled by Dean before walking out, heading to the coffee cart and getting a coffee for himself and Dean. Once he had, he headed into the library, sitting at what had become their table.
A slightly upset looking Dean showed up a few minutes later, sitting down in silence. Castiel handed him his coffee, but made sure his fingers brushed against Dean's, a silent apology for the broken moment in the alley. When he earned that small smile, Castiel knew he was forgiven.
They both smiled a little more as Castiel looked at the text that Dean had brought, as well as his notes. It was a mythology class, which had been a minor interest of Castiel's, but never enough to pursue it further. The current assignment was an essay on a mythological monster. "Have you even chosen which one you want to do?" Castiel asked, one hand in his hair as he tried to keep annoyance from his voice.
Dean was leaning back in his chair, balancing a pencil on his forehead as his chair lifted on to only it's two back legs, Dean's legs kick up slightly under the table. "Yeah," he said, his attention on the pencil he was balancing. "I was thinking of doing that windango thing,"
"You mean the 'Wendigo'?" Castiel asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.
"Yeah, thats the one," Dean said with a small smirk. "Sound's pretty awesome,"
"They eat people."
"Yeah, I know," Dean replied.
"… they are nearly impossible to kill…"
"I know!" Dean's voice had gotten a little more excited. "Awesome, right!"
Castiel just shook his head before placing it in his hands. Sometimes he wondered what he had gotten himself into. But then all Dean would have to do was smile, and the world would melt away.
"Hey, Cas, what's your roommate like?" Dean asked after a moment, watching the pencil that he was now balancing on the bridge of his nose.
"Dean, we're supposed to be working…" Castiel said with a sigh.
"You haven't even mentioned him once!" Dean said. "C'mon, I'm curious. Mine's this dweeby kid. Barely sixteen, can you believe it? Makes me look even more like an idiot," he chuckled. "Nice kid, though. His name's Alfie,"
"Dean…" Castiel said slowly, not wanting to talk about Crowley. Anything but Crowley.
"Why you so tight-lipped? Normally can't get you to shut up. You've mentioned that Lex girl more than once,"
"…that's different.." he muttered before he sighed, running his hands through his hair. "His name is Crowley," he said.
"What's he like?" Dean asked, his eyes going from the pencil to Castiel for a moment.
"Inappropriately sarcastic. Smuggles in scotch. Bit of a flaring temper, but…. he's fine," Castiel made sure to choose his words carefully.
But Dean wasn't stupid. He'd known Castiel since he and Sam had transferred when Dean was a sophomore at their high school. "What aren't you telling me?" he asked, looking at Castiel with a steady gaze now over the pencil, the front legs of the chair teetering forward slightly.
Castiel chewed his lip a little. "He has a Dick Roman poster…" he said in a whisper that barely carried to Dean.
Having the poster implied so much more.
The front legs of Dean's chair hit the floor with a loud crack that echoed in the otherwise quiet library. His pencil clattered to the floor at the same time… and there was fire in Dean's eyes.
"He has a what?!" he hissed.
"Dean… don't make a big deal.. we're not alone," Castiel pleaded, his voice soft and rushed.
Dean looked ready to kill. "I'll kill him," he said through clenched teeth, clenching his fists as well.
"Dean, please calm down…" Castiel pleaded. "It's fine, I'm hardly ever in my dorm anyway…" he added, trying to calm Dean down without physical contact.
He still looked livid, but Dean slowly calmed, covering his mouth before running his hands through his hair. He bent down to pick up his pencil and stared at his notebook for a moment before clearing his throat. "Right so… essay…"
Castiel wanted nothing more than to take Dean into his arms and tell him not to worry. No one knew, and Crowley considered Castiel to be a fellow lover of Roman.
Dean pulled his text towards himself and flipped to the right chapter, reading in silence. One of his hands held the paper coffee cup, and the other fiddled with the corners of the book pages. They were itching to take Castiel's hand that was so close… to hold his fingers gently, and bring the hand up so he could kiss his knuckles.
Castiel watched Dean, looking up on occasion from his own notebook. he could still see embers of that fire in those beautiful green eyes. It startled him a little, but at the same time, he was very touched.
Dean was scrawling in his notebook occasionally, jotting notes and writing bits of the essay. He was still visibly upset by who his baby had been roomed with, and was plotting ways to get even. He couldn't burn down the entire dorm, but maybe some form of embarrassment.
It didn't matter in Dean's mind that Crowley had not done anything to Castiel directly. He had the poster. That was enough.
—
Their paper coffee cups empty, Dean and Castiel had fallen into silence long ago, not sure how much time had passed since Dean's chair had cracked on the floor. As they worked though, Dean always made sure that his knee would, on occasion, "accidentally" bump Castiel's, loving the small smile it earned, and the light it brought to those blue eyes. Eventually, as he stretched his arms, Dean glanced at his watch. "Whoa, Cas, look at the time," he said. It was close to ten o'clock. "What say we catch something to eat at that little diner right off campus?" he suggested.
Castiel looked up and blinked a little, "Yeah, sounds good," he said, hearing his stomach grumble in approval. They both laughed.
It didn't take long for them to pack up their things, and soon enough they were on their way to the small diner, Dean tucking his pencil behind his ear.
Outside of the diner, they ran into Lex, who was buttoning up a shirt over a sports bra. Her short hair was a little messier than normal. "Good morning, you two," she said with a bright smile, her eyes lingering on Castiel. "Morning study session?" she asked, noticing that they both had bags.
Castiel nodded. "Yeah," he said. "What about you?"
"Morning stretches, mild workout," she said. "I've got a class at twelve, so I thought a large breakfast would be good," she smiled. "Would you mind if I joined you?" she added, her eyes once more lingering on Castiel, but only for a moment. She really didn't know Dean, this only being the second time she had seen him. But Castiel she was really getting to know… and she liked him.
No, you can't, Dean thought. Was it so wrong of him to want to eat breakfast alone with his boyfriend? They had precious little time together as it was… But he brought up that charming smile. "Course, little dalin', the more the merrier, right Cas?" he added, clapping Castiel on the shoulder.
Castiel was thrown off a little by Dean's hand, but he smiled, wishing Dean's hand could have lingered, before he looked at Lex. "Yeah… more the merrier," he agreed with a nod, before the three of them walked into the small diner together.
There was a fair number of people inside, mostly students from the college. It was close, it was great, and it was pretty cheap for the students, since the owners would give them a discount as long as they showed their school IDs.
The small group wound up getting one of the booths, and in spite of how much he longed to sit beside Dean, it was best to take himself away any temptation, and so he sat across, his eyes meeting Dean's for a moment, and Dean gave the smallest of nods. He understood… but that didn't mean he had to like it when Lex slid into the seat beside Castiel.
The young waitress came over, handing them all menus with a small smile before asking what they would like to drink. Dean just ordered them all coffee, and the waitress walked away with a small smile before they opened the menus.
"Shame it's not Tuesday," Dean said as he looked at the special's board, showing the Tuesday Special to be something called "Pig 'n a Poke". It sounded pretty darn good.
After a few minutes, the waitress returned with their coffees, and held her notepad at the ready. "You ready to order?" she asked.
"Good morning…" Dean looked at the waitresses name tag, "… Jo," he said, flashing her a small smile. "Listen, Tuesday special well, tch… that looks fantastic. Think you can bend the rules for me?"
"Sorry, hot-rod, rules are rules," she responded with a small smirk. "Want the Tuesday special, gotta come in on a tuesday,"
"..tch… I'll keep that in mind, sweetheart," he said, before placing his order.
Castiel was able to keep a small smile on his face. But sometimes he wished that Dean was not so good at flirting with women…. and that he wouldn't do it in front of him, either. Of course he knew he had nothing to worry about, Dean was his but that didn't stop him from getting a sinking feeling sometimes. He placed his own order then, just something simple and small. He was never too hungry in the mornings.
When the waitress turned her attention to Lex, she ordered a breakfast that rivaled Dean's.
Dean looked at her in surprise as the waitress walked away. "Impressive," he said genuinely. "never seen a girl order quite a meal. Especially one your size,"
Lex just smirked as she sipped at her coffee. "I like food," she said. "Besides, morning workout, remember? Works up an appetite,"
Dean just chuckled and nodded as he took a sip of his coffee. "Touché," he said, before he glanced up at the mounted TV that was behind Lex and Castiel. Internally, he glared, but he managed to keep the remnants of the smirk alight on his face as the news story flashed on the screen.
"Once again, speculation about the Roman progeny has surfaced," the reporter said. Her hair was sleeked back, and she had on the all to fake million-dollar smile.
"Turn it up!" called a patron in the diner, and much to the dismay of their table, it was.
"While it is a highly known fact that Dick Roman had a family, he made sure to keep them from the public eye, unless they wished to be in it," the reporter continued. "The heir to Roman's fortune has never revealed themselves, and they as well as the location of Roman Estate remains a mystery. However many now speculate that his progeny may be of college age, and in the state of California, where much of Roman's platform speeches took place,"
"You hear that!?" whooped the patron that had asked the volume to be turned up. "Roman's heir is right here in our state! Hot damn, that lucky bastard is probably living it up!"
Both Castiel and Dean rolled their eyes, and Dean gripped at his mug tight enough to turn his knuckles white. People like that guy had been among those that could make his life literal hell.
"This is only speculation of course, but sources say that Roman had one child, and that the entire fortune and estate went to him," the reporter folded her hands before starting the next story, something about a brave fireman rescuing a dog from a mine.
"Naturally they assume the heir is a man," muttered their waitress as she brought the food out. "Just as likely that the Roman heir is a woman, am i right?" she asked, directing the last part to Lex.
"Right as rain," Lex said, offering a smile as she took a sip of her coffee.
Jo smiled and placed their meals in front of them. "Enjoy," she said with a small nod before she walked back behind the counter.
The diner seemed to be abuzz now about the new report though. Some were speculating what college they could be attending. What classes he was taking, what his girlfriend was like.
Some even started to name names. "You know, I think it might be that one Senior," a man said. "What was his name?" he paused. "Ah, right, Alastair! Man that kid's tough!"
"Nah, he's too much of a recluse to be the Roman heir," a woman said. "He hardly looks like a Roman either," A few people expressed their agreement.
"What about that one freshman? What's his name… ah! Crowley!"
Both Dean and Castiel's forks paused for a fraction hearing the name.
"Yeah! he certainly does seem the type!" people started agreeing, congratulating themselves on 'figuring out' who the heir was. When someone else pointed out that "Crowley" was the kid's last name and not his first, they concluded that the only logical explanation was that he had changed his name so he could attend school normally and avoid the limelight.
Dean had several choice words he wanted to say… and when he received a kick from Castiel, he knew they had been thinking the same thing. What if they were right? What if Crowley was Roman's heir? It would certainly explain the man's obsession… He was silently making plans to make Crowley suffer, even without any evidence that he actually was Roman's heir.
Castiel ate his meal in silence, poking a little at it before finishing off his coffee. Well. it had been a nice morning. Though, he could not help but wonder if Crowley was Roman's heir. He could always try talking to his roommate, maybe he would be more than happy to answer?
Once their plates were empty, Jo brought out to bill. Before she could ask who would pay, however, Lex took it off her hands. "You don't have to do that…" said Dean, who had been reaching for his wallet.
"It's the least I can do," Lex said, pulling out enough cash for the bill and tip. "I did sort of invite myself to join you, so my treat," she added with a small smile.
"Well then, thank you very much, little darlin'," Dean said, flashing that small, charming smile.
Castiel nodded in agreement as Jo took away the bill. "Yeah, thanks, Lex. We'll have to repay the favor somehow,"
"No need to, really it's no problem," Lex said with a small smile, checking her watch for the time before looking back at them. "I should get going. Need to head home and grab a few things for class," she added before leaving the table. "See you in class tomorrow, Castiel. It was nice seeing you again, Dean," she added, waving to them both before she left the diner.
Dean watched her, before he looked to Castiel. "Nice girl," he said. He paused, taking a sip of his coffee. "Have you told her?" he added, lowering his voice.
"No, I'm not suicidal," Castiel said, his brow furrowing slightly. "I don't think I will… you saw how she reacted when the news report was on, and how she agreed with our waitress," he added, finishing the last of his coffee. "Lex is a great friend, and she's a great study partner, but so were a lot of people I used to know,"
"Yeah… been there," Dean said with a frown as he stood. "Alright, c'mon… Study session part two?" he added as he stood from the booth. "Though I will need to stop at my dorm to switch out my books," he added.
"I'll need to stop, too," Castiel said. "Don't say anything to Crowley if he's there," he added warningly, before the two of them headed out of the diner.
Castiel's was the closer of the two dorm rooms, so naturally they stopped there. Dean looked around approvingly, nodding his head. "Shame you have a possible Dick-spawn as a roommate," he said as they came to Castiel's door.
He just sighed and shook his head as he unlocked it. As Castiel had feared, Crowley was lounging on his bed on his computer, holding a glass of scotch, which he hid before he noticed who was coming in. "Hello boys," he said with a smile. He paused, the glass close to his lips. "Who's your friend, Castiel?"
The door closed behind Dean as Castiel went to his bookshelf. "Crowley, this is Dean. Dean, Crowley," he said as he switched out his textbooks. "Sorry we can't stay, we've got some studying to do,"
"Of course, of course well. You two have fun. Not too much now. Wouldn't want to have to report you, now would I?"
Even after Castiel had closed the door, they could still hear Crowley laughing. "I don't like that guy." Dean said with conviction, moments after they were out of earshot.
Castiel managed a small laugh. "Yeah, I did tell you, didn't I?" he said as they walked together then to Dean's dorm. It was nice. A little larger than Castiel's, but it was also one of the older ones on campus.
Dean led the way to his room and opened the door, stopping dead in his tracks when his eyes fell on his roommate. "…what the hell are you wearing."
His roommate, Alfie, looked up. There was a look of terror on his face. "Oh, God… Please don't laugh at me…" he said as his arms dropped. he was wearing a striped shirt and a hat, the name "Weenie Hut" embroidered on. "..my parents said I had to get a job, and this was the only place close by that was hiring part time that would work with my schedule…"
Oh he tried not to laugh. Dean pursed his lips… but couldn't help it. A laugh escaped, causing his eyes to crinkle a little. Soon it became a full-body laugh. "..Im sory Alfie but… You look ridiculous!"
Alfie sighed, rolling his eyes as he held out his arms, looking at the ground. They way he held himself said too clearly: get it out of your system.
Eventually Dean calmed, coughing a little as he stood up, leaning on a shelf slightly. "… that's.." he cleared his throat, "...nice hat," he managed.
Castiel rolled his eyes now and smacked Dean before taking a couple steps forward. "We haven't met.. I'm a friend of Deans from high school, my name is Castiel," he said, taking the younger boys hand.
"Nice to meet you, Castiel. I'm, heh, well," he pointed at his shirt. "I'm Alfie,"
He nodded as he let go of Alfie's hand. "Grab your books, Dean. You have another two papers to start, as well as some other homework,"
"Yeah yeah, I got it mom," Dean muttered sarcastically as he went to switch out his text books, tucking them in his bag. he then turned to look at his roommate. "Hey, you know, I was just teasing. Good on you for getting a job. Good luck, Alfie," he said, clapping him on the shoulder before walking out with Castiel. "I'd get a job too if it wasn't for…"
"yeah… I know. So would I," Castiel said. He sighed a little, running a hand through his hair as the two of them headed back to the library.
—
Castiel could not more anxious for the weekend to arrive. Crowley was dropping several hints about getting him to come along with his "Romanites" club, one that he was on his way to becoming president of, he would say proudly. Saturday cam far too slowly… and one again Crowley insisted Castiel join him.
He was more than glad he actually had an excuse that may very well get Crowley off his back permanently. "Can't, I told you that," Castiel said to his disappointed looking roommate as he pulled on his shoes. "My friend, Lex, invited me to the gym, watch her gymnastics routine, give my opinion," he said, which was the truth. She'd told him that she always liked to have an outsider's opinion before finalizing her routines, and since there was going to be an actual meet soon, she wanted it to be perfect.
Crowley not only accepted this answer, but he smirked. "Ah. Your friend's routine, of course," he said, giving Castiel a wink "I'm certain that's all there is to it," he chuckled a little as he pulled on his jacket. "Well then, have fun watching your friend stretching and flexing about on those large blue mats,"
The tone of his voice suggested a few things that made Castiel a little uncomfortable, but he put on a smile. "I certainly will," he said before adjusting his bag and walking out of the door, heading for the one gymnasium that Lex had said to meet him. He had made sure to let Dean know where he was going to be for the first part of the day. Even just reading the text, Castiel knew that Dean was upset, but there was nothing he could do. Lex was his friend, and both he and Dean had appearances to keep up.
By the time he reached the gym, Lex was stretching on one of the mats. She was wearing what looked like yoga pants, as well as a sports bra. He thought he saw what looked like the edges of a tattoo poking out of the sports bra on her back, but said nothing as he went over to the bleachers, waving to her when she noticed him enter. "Good morning, Lex," he said to her.
She came over to him. "Morning, Castiel," she said, giving him a brief hug before he sat down. "I was worried you got lost," she added after a second, her eyes taking on a mischievous light for a moment.
Castiel laughed. "No, actually, I made sure that I knew where this place was before coming over," he said. "Got held up by my roommate, he's been trying to get me to join one of his clubs," he just shrugged a little. "Told him I already had plans for today,"
"Glad you didn't bail on me. Or get lost," she said to him, before taking a sip of her coffee she had sitting on the bench. "Ok so, be critical. And honestly tell me what you think," she added before going back out onto the mat. After a few moments, she started her routine, utilizing the few pieces of equipment that were out.
He would never say he was an expert on gymnastics. Or an anything all that physical, really. Sure, his family would watch the olympics, and yeah it was always impressive, but Castiel still was ot sure if he was the best to be a judge. then again, he had a feeling that giving his opinion was not the real reason Lex had wanted him to come. He had a feeling she wanted some time alone with him other than the small amounts of time they would spend in between classes in the library going over notes. He was getting a little nervous about it. More than once he thought she was dropping hints, trying to get him to ask her out… How was he supposed to react to that,
When she finished, Lex came over. Her breathing was a little hitched, but that was not really uncommon. "So.. what did you think?" she asked him, her eyes finding his.
Castiel was more than glad people could not read minds. Her eyes on his made him nervous, but he kept on a smile. "Pretty impressive," he said with a nod. "I can see why you have a scholarship. Though I don't think I'm the most qualified to give an opinion on stuff like this… I'm not the type to watch too many sports,"
Lex chuckled a little. "Don't have to know or watch sports to appreciate them, or be able to give an opinion," she said, stretching a little. "So you think that it's good enough for the meet?" she added, taking a seat beside him.
He considered for a few moments. "I would replace a few of the more simple moves with thinks that are difficult, more unique," he said with a shrug. "In the olympics and I assume other competitions, it's routines with more difficult routines that get more points, as long as they're done fluidly,"
"For a guy who says he doesn't know anything, you sure know a lot," she said to him. "Thanks, Cas." she added before standing, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm gonna run and take a quick shower. Wait for me here?"
Castiel blinked in surprise when he felt her kiss his cheek. Oh gods… Oh no… He had been right… how could he get out of this? How could he without ruining this friendship… "Yeah, of course.." he said when he'd found his voice. He watched her walk off and buried his face in his hands once he was alone. Dammit.
He was in deeper than he wanted to be, now… There was not much he could do to get out of this, but maybe he would just have to distance himself a little more? Make it obvious that he was not interested in her like that? Though he had thought he had already done so…. As his thoughts fell over each other in his head, he heard Lex return. He stood, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
She came out, wearing a tank-top with a cargo jacket over top, as well as jeans and flat-soled shoes. "So i was thinking we could stop for a drink at that little café right off campus. They have the best coffee and pastries," Lex looked up at Castiel with a smile that was reflected in her eyes.
"Yeah… sounds good," Castiel said after a moment, walking out with Lex. She was glad to have time with him, he could tell.. that fact alone made him smile a little. She was still his friend… he did not want to ruin that. As they walked, they talked about papers they were working on for classes they had together, comparing topics and notes. Lex eventually brought up someone who was in her archeology classes.
"He's from the UK," she said as they walked down the street. "His name's Balthazar. Pretty interesting guy. Sharp wit, which is great. Helps the lectures go by pretty fast. Never get bored as long as he's there," she added with a small laugh. A part of her acknowledged that Balthazar was very attractive as well, but at the moment, she wasn't noticing fully… she was still trying (and failing) to get Castiel to notice her.
While walking, they passed Crowley and a few of his friends. Crowley smirked, making no point to hide the fact that he was checking Lex out. As did the guys with him. The girls eyed up Castiel with small smiles. Lex just shook her head, putting her hand on Castiel's arm. "Just ignore them," she said when she heard whistles come from the group. Not soon enough they were inside the café.
The two of them ordered drinks and pastries before taking a seat at one of the smaller booths, setting the little metal number on the table. There were a few people in this morning, mostly students from the college. "Castiel, I mentioned my first meet will be soon, and I was hoping that you would come," she said, looking at him from across the small table. She was smiling, and there was a hopeful light in her eyes.
…How could Castiel say no to a look like that? She was his friend… and he looked so hopeful. "Just give me the time and date, and I'll be there, Lex," he said to her after a moment, a small, genuine smile on his face.
Her smile grew when he said yes "Thank you so much, Castiel!" she said, putting her hands on his for a moment. "It means so much that you'll come," she added.
Castiel swallowed a little and nodded. "Of course, Lex… I wouldn't miss it," he said to her. He was in deep.. far too deep.. Dean would know what to do right now…. He would have to ask him as soon as he was alone again. His heart skipped, but from nerves. Lex was getting too close… A few moments later he found his voice once more. "Have you invited Balthazar to come along?" he asked as their coffees and pastries were brought over.
She took a sip of her coffee. "I was thinking about it," she said after a moment. "Why, you think I should?" she added.
He chuckled a little as he took another sip. "Well, you did mention that you were friends," he said to her. "Besides, I am sure that he would like to be there for you,"
Lex considered for a moment before she nodded. "I think you have a point," she said to him. "Alright, I'll make sure I ask him then," she said with a small smile. It wasn't that she didn't want Balthazar there, it just seemed to make the invitation she offered Castiel seem less special… Oh Gods that sounds so juvenile.
A few moments later, the café door opened, and Crowley strode in. Castiel's brow had furrowed… wasn't he walking in the opposite direction? Much to Castiel's dismay, Crowley came over to their table. "Hello," he said, offering a polite tone.
Lex looked up at him, not seeming all that amused at all. "Hi." she said. "Can I help you in any way or are you just here to bother Castiel and I?"
"How rude," Crowley said. "Here I am trying to be polite, and you cut me down," he didn't really seem bothered though. "Well. I thought I would simply extend and invitation to you and my dear roommate to a little get-together we're having tonight. Little Romanite party, if you catch my meaning,"
Castiel wasn't been able to respond. "Damn, sorry Crowley. Would if I could but I already have plans," Lex said to him. "You really should give people more notice than just a few hours," she added before looking back to her coffee.
"And what about you dear Castiel?" Crowley asked, his attention shifting from the blonde to his roommate. "Do you have plans tonight?"
Castiel swallowed the bite he had in his mouth before responding. "Helping a friend with one of his papers. Or rather, hitting him with a textbook so he actually writes it," he added, earning a laugh from Lex. he couldn't help but to smile at that.
Crowley frowned, looking as though he had been denied something that was already his. "Fine then. Another time, perhaps," he said before nodding to them both and walking off, without so much as ordering something.
"..he seems like a true delight," Lex said. "Arrogant bastard,"
"A lot of people on campus seem to think that he's Roman's heir," Castiel said as he looked back to Lex.
"…he does seem the type, doesn't he?" she said, before shrugging. "Ah well speculation won't do anyone any good unless the heir decides to reveal themselves,"
"Yeah, you have a point," Castiel said as he finished off his pastry. He poked the crumbs a little with his finger as Lex's words tumbled in his mind. He does seem the type, doesn't he? Internally, he shuddered a little. Only mild distaste was in her voice… Just saying the name made Castiel feel ill… But Lex's only problem with him seemed to be that he had interrupted their coffee. He made a note though to himself not to mention this to Dean… While Castiel loved Dean, he knew also that he had quite the temper, especially when it involved people Dean cared about. Not only him, but his foster father, and especially his little brother, Sam.
"Castiel, you alright?" Lex asked him as she looked at him over her coffee. "You seem deep in thought,"
Castiel looked up at her from his plate. "Sorry.. distracted, I guess," he said, bringing a small smile to his face before taking another sip of his coffee. "So… how do you plan to spend what remains of your Saturday?" he asked her after a moment.
"Few things to do around the house, refine a paper," she said to him with a small shrug. "Small stuff, but a lot of them so I should start so I can have at least some time to relax before tonight," she paused to take another sip of her coffee. "I should actually head home now. Thanks for this, and for watching my routine,"
"Don't mention it," Castiel said as he stood with her. "This was a nice way to start the weekend," he added with a small smile. "I should go and make sure Crowley hasn't done anything to my side of our room," he added.
"You don't think he would, do you?" Lex asked, looking up at him.
"Honestly? I would not put it past him at all," he said, shaking his head a little. "See you in class Monday, Lex," Castiel said. They hugged briefly, and Castiel made his way outside. His mind buzzed and swam at the same time… it was an interesting sensation, to say the least. He was more than certain now he could not let Lex find out about himself and Dean. She hadn't so far, and she did not even suspect anything, that was more than obvious due to the number of hints that she was dropping for him to ask her out. He was just waiting for the day that she finally decided to ask him herself.
He was not sure how he would react when that happened.