A/N: omg so i think this is a really good chapter! it's exciting too. part of it is rly awkward, at least i hope it is, that's what i was going for... jo is back by popular demand, she has a big part in this chapter, i realized when i was typing this up that she's kind of annoying when they're at lunch but she's not meant to be annoying or anything so i hope you don't see her like that! anyway this is a really long chapter! sorry for writing this novel of an author's note i hope you enjoy!

Dean hesitated, gathering his courage. "I really like you." As soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth, Dean's face flushed bright red and his heart sped up and his fingers tightened on the steering wheel to keep him anchored down so he wouldn't run away and never look back like he wanted to.

Dean looked anxiously into Cas's eyes, waiting for a reaction. The corners of Cas's mouth turned up a little, the closest thing to a smile Dean had ever seen on Cas's face. Castiel bit his lower lip and, without saying a word, walked into his house.

Dean watched Castiel walk into the house, and he sat in his car for a second; he didn't know what to think about what just happened. Fearing Cas might look out the window to see him still sitting there, Dean started the Impala and sped off. When he got home he grabbed some beer and food from the kitchen and rushed upstairs to his bedroom.

The next day, Dean was nervous about school. Really nervous. Before he could even walk in the door, Jo came up to him and with a sense of urgency in her voice said, "We need to talk." She took his arm and led him back to his car. Sitting in the Impala, Jo turned to Dean. "So, Castiel. He's cool, right?" Dean shrugged.
"Have you talked to him much?" Dean shrugged again. Jo rolled her eyes. "Come on, Dean. You know that I know. So tell me! Everything!"

Dean looked at Jo. "I…don't know what you mean."
"Fuck you! We're best friends, right? You don't think I deserve to know that you've been hanging out with Castiel nonstop the past two days? You don't think I deserve to know you told him you really like him?"

"How the fuck do you know all this?" Dean asked indignantly.

Jo smiled mysteriously. "I might have gotten a call from someone last night…"

"Oh my god, Jo. What did he tell you?" Dean asked. He was extremely anxious to hear what Castiel had said to Jo, but he didn't want Jo to know that. Jo flashed him that same mysterious smile, and Dean had to use all his self control to not yell at her.

"He told me that you two hung out all day yesterday, and when you took him to his house, you told him you really like him." Jo raised an eyebrow and studied Dean to see if her information was correct. Dean sighed and looked out the window. "Oh my god. It's true, isn't it? Oh my god. So you like him? You like-like him?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "'like-like'? what are we, middle schoolers?"

"You're avoiding the question," Jo said. Dean bit his lip and nodded just slightly so no one but Jo could have been able to tell that yes, Dean Winchester liked Castiel. Despite the fact that he didn't even know the boy's last name.

"Oh my god. I can't believe it. Dean has feelings." Dean rolled his eyes again and Jo laughed. "If you keep rolling your eyes they're just going to stay like that, stuck in your head!"

"Whatever. So, was that all he said?"

Jo shook her head. "Oh, no. He told he didn't know what to do, he hasn't said anything to you yet, and…"

"What? What else did he say?" If Jo didn't hurry and give him the full story, Dean would hit something.

"He said he likes you, too," Jo said, smiling up at Dean. "You guys are so cute."

Dean scoffed. "We are not cute."
"Yes, you are." Dean went to get out of the car when Jo stopped him. "You haven't even heard what I told him yet!"

Dean sighed. "Okay. What did you tell him?"

Jo took a deep breath, as if she was about to reveal the world's biggest secret. "I told him I was gonna get you guys together!"

"Okay, matchmaker. How exactly do you plan to do that?"
"Umm…I haven't quite worked that out yet…"

"Well then maybe you should keep it that way. I don't need anyone to meddle in my life." Dean got out of the car. He didn't want to be at school. He wanted to run far away.

"Don't just run away from this, dean," Jo said, as if she read Dean's mind. Dean took a deep breath and walked towards the school.

His first class was algebra, which Jo was in and Castiel, thankfully, was not. Not that Dean didn't want to see Cas. He did. Just not until he figured out what to do. Instead of concentrating on math, Dean and Jo passed notes during all of class.

Jo, what do I do? -Dean

Just don't make a fool of yourself. -Jo

I can't make any promises. -Dean

When's the next time you'll see him? -Jo

In English right before lunch. -Dean

Okay, so, walk up to him and ask him if he wants to talk to you at lunch, and then have a nice conversation about your feelings. -Jo

Don't confuse my life with a chick flick. -Dean

On his way to English, Dean thought he was going to throw up. It's not like he had never been in a relationship before or anything. But he had never been so up front about his feelings. He felt vulnerable, and that wasn't a feeling he was used to He was about to walk into the classroom when someone came up behind him and dragged him around the corner.

"Becky? What the hell?" Becky was short, blonde, and easily excitable. Dean did not really want to be talking to her.

"I heard about you and Castiel…" Upon hearing this, Dean vowed to interrogate Jo about sharing his personal life with the whole world. Becky continued, "…and I just wanted you to know that you guys are so cute together-"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"
"-and I totally ship you guys together."

"What the fuck, Becky. This is real life, you can't just tell people you ship them."

Becky laughed. "I know, Dean! But I don't care. I'm not going to let a perfect go unnoticed!"

"Whatever, Becky. I'm late for English." dean got out of Becky's grasp and walked back to his class.

"Mr. Winchester, thanks for joining us. What was going on that was so much more important than your education?"

"Uhh, I just had some stuff to do." Dean walked to his seat at the back of the room… next to Castiel. He took a deep breath. "Hey, Cas," he whispered. Dean tried not to hyperventilate.
"Hi, Dean." Castiel stared at Dean with his sharp blue eyes.

"Mr. Novak? Can you pay attention to class, rather than to Mr. Winchester?" Dean resisted the urge to throw the pen in his hand at the teacher. He hated her, but on the bright side, at least now he knew Cas's last name.

They couldn't talk for the rest of class, but as soon as the bell rang, Dean grabbed Cas's arm and led him to an empty, quiet place under a stairwell.

"What are we doing here?" Castiel asked, obviously confused.

Dean took a breath.. "Uh, do you want to talk?" Cas just looked at Dean, cocking his head to the side. "Uh, so, I, uh…I really like you, you know," Dean said, almost in a whisper.

Cas nodded. "Yes, I know. I…I like you too, Dean." Dean gulped. This wasn't exactly an ideal situation to be having this conversation.

"Um. That's great…" Dean knew his face was embarrassingly red, meanwhile Castiel was showing very little emotion and it was making Dean even more nervous. "So, um…do you, uh. Cas, do you want to go out…sometime?"

Cas smiled. Like, really, sincerely smiled. "Yes. Yes, I do want to go out sometime, Dean." Dean wanted to scream, he was so happy. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this happy. He grinned back at Cas and asked him if he wanted to go get lunch.

A few minutes later, Dean and Cas walked up to their friends' lunch table and sat down next to each other. Everyone at the table looked over at them knowingly. Jo could hardly contain herself. Dean's face heated up. "God damn it, Jo." Dean noticed Becky sitting next to Jo, and the two girls exchanged gleeful looks that irritated Dean to no end. Sam looked like he was about to laugh, and Dean had a strong urge to hit him. "I think you all deserve to know that I really hate all of you right now."

"I bet he doesn't hate Castiel," whispered Jo to Becky, but loud enough so that Dean could hear.

"I heard that!" Dean growled. "So, can you guys handle this? Or should Cas and I leave? I don't want the drama of our lives to be too much for you," Dean said, mainly to Becky and Jo, apparently Dean and Cas's biggest supporters.

"We'll behave!" Becky squeaked, and Jo nodded. Dean rolled his eyes, and laced his fingers with Cas's under the table.

The rest of lunch passed without much said by Dean or Castiel. They just listened to the conversations swirling around them. The bell rang and Dean walked Cas to his next class. "Do you want to hang out after school?" Dean mumbled nervously. Cas nodded, and Dean smiled. "Okay. I'll see you later." Cas smiled back at Dean.