Author's notes: If you want to see Eden's prom dress and Jason's suit for the prom in this chapter, look at my profile page where I have posted links to the pictures! :)
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May 2031 (Castiel is 41, Dean is 43, Eden is 17, Adrian is 14, the twins are 10, Noah is 5, Jason is 18, Ariel is 17, Carter is 17, Kyle is 19).
May came along and little Noah turned five years old. Mary, John, and Gabriel and his little family (Katie, Heidi, Mark, and Loki) dropped by in the weekend after to visit them and give Noah presents. Noah was happy with all the attention and the presents, and Heidi – who was two years old now – seemed to have made friends with him.
Eden was looking forward to her prom which would be on Friday the 23rd of May. Castiel had taken her out to the mall to buy her a dress for prom, and Noah and Lily had come along. They had enjoyed a nice day together, and Eden had found her dream dress – a purplish dress with a flower pattern, a ribbon around the waist, and it reached just above her knees. She was excited to go to the prom with Jason, although she was a little nervous about how her bullies would react to her having a male prom date (since Alex had been telling her that a guy had to be crazy to date her). She feared they were going to make crude comments and provoke a fight with Jason, but she had the feeling that Jason wouldn't let their comments bother him.
Dean still wasn't feeling very comfortable about letting his daughter go to the prom. He had difficulties accepting that she was almost an adult now and that she was nearly old enough to move away from home and start her own life somewhere. Castiel had an easier time accepting it even though he too felt a little overwhelmed that Eden had her prom soon.
On the big day, Eden had taken the day off and was running around the house in the evening, getting ready to leave. Jason was going to pick her up at her house and drive them to her school. He had gotten his driver's license three months ago and had been allowed to borrow Tom's car that night. He was supposed to pick her up at 6pm and it was 5:35 already.
"Papa, can you help me with my hair, please?" Eden asked as she entered the living room where everyone was gathered. The twins, Noah and Adrian were watching some show on TV and playing with Molly, and Dean and Castiel were standing in the area between the living room and the kitchen and chatting.
"Of course," Castiel said and came over to help her. He had gotten pretty good at helping Eden and Lily do their hair after Jo had taught him. He stood behind Eden and helped her make two slim braids on either side of her head which would then be dragged to the back of her head and connect there. The rest of her hair was hanging freely, but she would put some flower accessory on the left side to decorate it.
Dean couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Castiel help Eden do her hair and how concentrated he looked. Dean looked down at Eden's dress which she had already put on, and her wings and tail flared quietly while she waited for Castiel to finish. She was clearly excited, if not a bit nervous about tonight.
Noah came over when commercials rolled on the TV, and he looked up at Castiel and Eden curiously. "Eden is going out?"
"Of course, it's her prom, remember?" Adrian said as he too came over to watch. He stared at his sister, feeling quite amazed by how pretty she looked tonight. "You look nice," he said before he could stop himself.
Eden turned her eyes in his direction but couldn't really move her head while Cas was working on her hair. She chuckled at her brother's comment. "Thank you. I never thought I'd hear you say that to me."
Adrian rubbed the back of his neck, trying to look neutral. "Yeah, well, that's probably the last time you'll ever hear it…"
Eden just laughed softly, and Castiel couldn't help but chuckle at Adrian. He scowled briefly at Dean for having influenced Adrian to be as obsessed with being 'manly' as he was, but Dean just grinned at him.
"I think Eden looks pretty too!" Lily blurted when she and Isaac came over. Molly went with them and tried to grab her chew toy from Isaac's hands but he held on tight to tease the dog.
Isaac looked Eden up and down before asking, "Did she dress up for her date with Jason?"
Eden gasped and blushed. "It's not a date! It's prom, you silly, little moron!"
Isaac just stuck out his tongue at her, and Molly finally managed to snatch her chew toy from his hand while he was distracted.
"Hey, behave nicely, you two," Dean chuckled.
Castiel was finally finished and smiled as he stepped back. "There, I think it's done now."
Eden beamed. "Thank you, papa, I'll go check it out." She rushed into the entrance hall to look at herself in the big mirror.
Noah came over to Castiel and gently tugged at his shirt. "Papa… I'm hungry."
Castiel looked down at him and smiled. "I know. We will eat after Jason has picked up Eden, okay? Just another hour or so, sweetie." He chuckled when Noah pouted up at him, obviously not happy that he had to wait.
Eden came into the room again, smiling widely. "It looks great, thank you so much, papa."
Castiel smiled. "You are welcome. Are you all ready now?"
"I think so… just waiting for Jason now," Eden murmured and went over to the dining table where she had left her purse. She looked through it to make sure she had everything she needed.
"Jason is gonna think you're really pretty!" Lily grinned. Isaac made a disgusted face next to her and Adrian snickered at that.
Eden blushed and gave her sister a shy smile. "We'll see."
Dean growled a bit, not liking to be reminded of the fact that boys would be attracted to his little girl now, but Castiel gently brushed his wing against his to relax him. The demon instantly calmed down again.
"I wonder what Jason will be wearing," Adrian pondered. "Can't really imagine him in a suit… he always wears jeans and t-shirts, I've never seen him wear anything formal before." He looked down at Molly who sat down next to him on the floor, and he gently scratched her behind the ears.
"I bet he will look pretty too," Lily grinned.
"Boys don't look 'pretty', that's a girl thing," Isaac said.
"Of course boys can look pretty, you dummy!" Lily retorted. She looked over at Eden and said, "Isn't it true that boys can look pretty too?"
Eden chuckled. "I think 'handsome' is the word that most guys prefer to be called, but it's the same, really."
Lily seemed satisfied with that answer and Isaac scowled at her.
Dean rolled his eyes at their conversation while Cas seemed mildly amused. Adrian just rolled his eyes as well and went back to the TV with Noah when the commercials ended.
A little before 6pm they heard someone pull up into their driveway, and soon after the doorbell was ringing.
Eden beamed. "That must be Jason!" She jumped out of the room and into the entrance hall where she eagerly opened the door for her date.
Jason was staring at the ground and shifting nervously, but he immediately looked up when Eden opened the door. His eyes went wide when he saw her, and he had to swallow to get rid of the dryness in his mouth. "Um, hi," he said dumbly, still staring at her in amazement.
"Hi," Eden beamed and curled her tail next to her leg in an excited gesture. "Wow, you look very nice," she commented when she saw Jason's suit. He was dressed in a traditional black suit with a bowtie, and a blue vest underneath. Eden couldn't help but notice how his shoulders still looked so broad in the suit. His brown hair was still a little messy but not too long, and Eden was glad that he hadn't slicked it up or anything – she liked his hair the way it was.
"Thanks, so do you," Jason replied and gave her a shy smile.
Suddenly Dean appeared in the doorway next to Eden, gently pushing her back. Jason's eyes widened a little when Dean's wings spread just slightly, and the demon was staring very intensely at him.
"Dad…" Eden started, but Dean ignored her. Instead, he kept his eyes on Jason and narrowed them a bit.
"Well, since I already know you I feel a lot more comfortable letting you take Eden to the prom than I would with some random guy," Dean spoke and looked Jason up and down. "But if you hurt her or let others hurt her I swear to god I will kick your ass," he growled.
"Dean!" Castiel exclaimed behind him and put a hand on his shoulder to pull him back, but Dean still stood his ground.
Jason just stared back at him with wide, surprised eyes. "Of course, Dean, who do you think I am? I would never hurt Eden or let her get hurt, you know that."
Dean's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "Good, glad we agree." He finally stepped back and let Eden go forward again.
Eden rolled her eyes, embarrassed by Dean's behavior. "Jeez, dad…"
"What? Just making sure he's gonna take care of you."
Adrian was snickering somewhere behind them, as were the twins. Noah stood next to Lily and watched the scene curiously while Molly stood next to Castiel, wagging her tail and glancing between them.
"Well, I'm gonna go now, so goodbye. I guess I'm probably back around midnight or something," Eden spoke and looked at her family as she prepared to leave.
Castiel smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Alright, have a nice evening and enjoy yourself."
Eden grinned and hugged him back. "Thanks, you too, papa." She hugged the twins goodbye, and Adrian let her hug him as well while they entwined tails.
"Just watch out for the bullies… I have the feelings they can be especially mean at the prom," Adrian murmured while they hugged.
They pulled away from their hug and Eden gave her brother a small smile. "Sure, I'll be careful, no worries. If Alex says anything to me I'm prepared to punch him in the face."
The others laughed, although Castiel didn't seem like he approved much of that idea.
"That's my girl," Dean grinned. He pulled her into a tight hug and joined tails with her. "Care take."
"Sure, daddy," Eden chuckled and pulled away. She looked down at little Noah who shyly came forward to say goodbye as well. He had been staring silently at all their tail-entwining while Eden said goodbye to the others. Eden grinned and kneeled down to hug him tightly. "See you tomorrow, Noah, take good care of Molly and Missie." Missie was Noah's favorite cat plushie which he had had since he was a baby.
Noah nodded against her. "Goodbye, Eden," he murmured into her shoulder and held on tight to her.
Eden smiled and rubbed his back. Her instinct was to entwine tails with him but her youngest brother didn't have one. It saddened her a bit that she wasn't able to share that familiar gesture with him and their papa. She slowly pulled away from the hug, aware that Jason and the others were watching them. "Be good for daddy and papa, okay?" She poked his nose gently, making him shriek and squirm away with a laugh.
"Okay," he promised and gave her a wide smile.
Eden grinned and got up again, and Noah stared up a Jason for a few seconds before going back over to Castiel and Lily, standing between them. Eden turned to look at Jason. "Ready?"
"Yeah," Jason replied and prepared to leave.
"Hey, Jason," Dean said, making Jason stop and turn around to face him once more. "Just remember not to touch Eden in any way that you wouldn't wanna touch your own mom. Got it?"
"Dad!" Eden exclaimed and blushed furiously. She scowled at Adrian who was snickering like mad behind Dean.
Jason made a face at Dean's words (mostly because of the reference to his mom) before saying, "Yeah, I got it." He tried to hide the slight blush on his face.
Castiel gave Dean a disapproving glare which the demon tried to ignore, and Eden finally stepped across the threshold to go out with Jason. "See you guys later, goodbye!"
"Goodbye, Eden!" the twins and Noah said in unison and waved at her from the door as she walked with Jason down to the car in the driveway. Adrian, Dean, Castiel and Noah waved goodbye as well, wishing her a good evening at the prom.
Eden smiled and waved back at them before getting into the car with Jason who carefully rolled out of the driveway and drove down the street.
Everyone went back inside after Eden and Jason left, and Dean sighed heavily before closing the door again.
"Dean, that last comment was unnecessary, you were only making Jason uncomfortable," Castiel told him after all the kids went back into the living room with Molly.
Dean turned around and looked at his mate. "I'm just making sure that Jason won't try anything. You know how boys that age are."
Castiel rolled his eyes. "Jason isn't just any boy – they've known each other their whole lives and they are best friends. Eden trusts him. And if they do develop something more than friendship someday you do not have the right to hold them back."
"I'm not saying that I do! I just…" Dean trailed off and exhaled heavily before continuing. "I'm just scared that Eden is almost an adult now, and accepting that my little girl is growing up is not very easy," he mumbled.
Castiel smiled and reached up his hand to cup Dean's cheek. "I know, I find it hard too, but we both have to let go at some point."
Dean groaned. He grabbed Castiel's hand on his cheek and brought it down to his mouth to place a gentle kiss on the angel's smaller hand. "How come you can always calm me down, Cas? I'm not always an easy alpha to calm down."
Castiel lips curled into a smug smirk. "As my brother Gabriel says: you just have weak spot for my ass. Isn't that what he says sometimes?"
Dean threw his head back and laughed. "Yeah, that's what he says." He grinned at Cas and reached both his hands behind the angel to grab his firm ass, squeezing it tightly. "And I know for a fact that your ass has a weak spot for me too," he smirked. He kept his voice down in case the kids were listening from the living room.
Castiel suppressed a blush and laughed while he tried to squirm away from Dean. His wings gave a small flap behind him as Dean refused to let go of him and his ass. "Dean, not here…" He glanced towards the door to the living room which was half closed, fearing that one of the kids could be watching them from there.
Dean hummed and leaned in to whisper in the angel's ear. "Later, then," he purred.
"Yes, later," Castiel chuckled, blushing, and finally squirmed out of Dean's hold so he could go and cook dinner for them. Dean gave his ass a light slap as he walked away, and Castiel shot him a glare over his shoulder, although it wasn't nearly as dark as he intended it to be. Dean just grinned in response and followed after him to help him with cooking.
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When Eden and Jason finally arrived at the prom the school was filled with people dressed in suits and prom dresses. Jason managed to find a good parking spot, and he looked a little nervous as they started walking into the school. He didn't know anyone at Eden's school, except Ariel and Carter whom he had only met once before.
"The school isn't as big as I thought it would be," Jason noted as they walked inside.
Eden shrugged. "Well, it's a mixed high school and most students here are hybrids. There are some full bloods here as well, but usually humans and the full blood angels and demons prefer to go to human or full-blood-only schools."
"I guess that makes sense…"
The school corridors were decorated as part of their prom theme. The prom theme was 'a night under the stars', so the walls were decorated with stars and moons, and the lights were dimmed to make it look like it was night.
When they reached the gym where the prom was taking place they took a few moments to look around and admire all the decorations for the theme. There were some pillars with huge stars on them, strings hanging from the ceiling with stars at the end, and there was a big wallpaper behind the stage with stars, the moon, and the Eiffel Tower at night, making it appear more romantic.
The gym was already filled with people, and most were seated at the tables already. There were several round tables placed around the room – some had room for six people and others for ten or more. Eden scanned the room for Ariel and Carter, hoping to spot them somewhere. She finally spotted them at one of the tables, and she quickly grabbed Jason's hand to lead him there.
Jason suppressed the blush that appeared on his cheeks when Eden grabbed his hand and led him through the crowds. Her hand was soft and small in his own, and he savored the feeling of it until they reached the table and Eden let go again.
Ariel's face lit up when she saw them. "Eden! And Jason! I was wondering where you were." She was wearing a long blue dress while her date, Carter and Kyle all wore suits.
"Sorry, it took a while to say goodbye because my dad was being embarrassing," Eden said. She and Jason sat down at the table – Eden sat between Jason and Ariel, Ariel had her date on her other side, and Jason sat next to Carter with Kyle sitting between Carter and Ariel's date. Ariel's date was named Thomas, and he was an alpha angel with black wings, brown hair, and brown eyes.
"I can totally imagine him glaring Jason down," Ariel snickered. "And I love your dress! And Jason is so handsome-looking tonight."
Eden grinned. "Thanks."
"Thanks…" Jason muttered at her, blushing a bit.
Thomas and Jason greeted each other after he and Eden sat down, and then Jason turned to greet Carter and Kyle as well. Jason felt a little awkward at being the only one at the table who didn't have wings. He had also noticed that there weren't many humans present at the prom – maximum five, he estimated.
"Hey Jason, good to see you again," Carter smiled at him.
"You too," Jason replied and smiled back. All his negative feelings towards Carter were gone now that he knew that Carter wasn't romantically interested in Eden. He stared between Carter and Kyle curiously and couldn't help but feel relieved to see for himself that Carter really was gay.
"Oh, you're that human guy that Carter told me that Eden has a thing for," Kyle blurted and stared at Jason.
Eden, who had just taken a sip from a soda that was on the table, choked on her drink and coughed like mad. Ariel laughed and hit her in the back above her wings to help her.
"Kyle!" Eden hissed at him. Her face was just as red as a tomato, and both Ariel and Carter cracked up. Even Thomas seemed to find the scene pretty amusing.
"Oh, sorry," Kyle murmured when he realized he probably shouldn't have said that out loud. Carter chuckled at him and put his hand on Kyle's leg below the table to reassure him. The smile that Kyle sent him in return was worth it.
Jason just stared back at Kyle, blinking, before he turned to look at Eden. Eden's face was flushed and she quickly looked away when he looked at her.
Jason felt a spark of something inside him – possibly hope or joy – but he didn't manage to think much about the feeling before the headmaster suddenly cleared his throat in the microphone on the small stage and started welcoming them.
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They spent most of the night sitting by the table, enjoying the delicious prom dinner and dessert, and talked about all sorts of stuff. Eden was glad that Jason seemed to get along well with her friends and their dates. It turned out that both Thomas and Kyle liked to play soccer as well, so the three guys spend a lot of time talking about that. Carter wasn't much into soccer but he enjoyed listening to Kyle talking so enthusiastically about it with Jason and Thomas.
Eden kept glancing around sometimes to make sure that Alex or any of the other bullies weren't anywhere near their table. She spotted Alex sitting three tables away from them, but he seemed too busy stuffing himself full with food to bother coming over to annoy her again. His date was a girl from the eleventh grade and she seemed to be just his type – all looks and no brains, Eden noted.
After dessert Kyle leaned back in his chair and looked over at Jason. "So, Jason, now that you've decided to join Eden for her prom, will she be joining you for yours or what?"
Jason chuckled. "Nah, I'm not going to mine. One prom is more than enough, and I've got some guy that wants to get into a fight with me at my school's prom anyway so I won't even bother going."
"Ah, that sucks. It is because you kicked his ass or what?"
"Yeah. He wasn't very happy about that."
Kyle laughed. "They never are. Some guys are poor losers."
Eden smiled absently as she listened to Jason and Kyle talking. She hadn't noticed that her wing had spread out a little until her feathers suddenly came into contact with Jason's clothed arm. She quickly pulled her wing back and averted Jason's eyes when he turned to give her a confused stare, but she did notice Ariel's snickering next to her.
When Kyle, Carter, Ariel and Thomas suddenly started discussing political stuff, Jason leaned closer to Eden and whispered, "Um, where are the restrooms?"
Eden chuckled. "I'll take you there, I gotta use it too."
They rose from the table, excusing themselves, and Eden glared at Ariel when she gave her a suggestive smirk. Eden led Jason around the many tables and out of the gym to find the bathrooms. She showed him the men's room before parting with him as she headed for the ladies' room herself.
They met in the corridor again when they were both done, and they smiled at each other as they started walking back towards the gym. The corridors were mostly empty because there was music playing in the gym now, but there were a few people running back and forth to the restrooms and outside.
They passed the stairs leading to the second floor, and they were both surprised to see two angel/human hybrids making out next to the stairs. The girl's leg was wrapped around the guy's waist as he pressed her into the wall while kissing her passionately, and he let out a loud groan of pleasure when she buried her hand in his wing, grasping his feathers. He responded by pressing her harder into the wall and touching her wings as well.
Eden blushed at the sight and quickly looked away. "Oookay, I think we better get moving…" she told Jason and hurried away.
"Yeah," Jason agreed, chuckling a bit, and followed. He glanced over his shoulder at the couple who were still busy devouring and groping each other in the middle of the school, and he could practically smell the arousal on both of them. He looked at Eden again and asked, "I thought that touching someone's wings isn't something you do in front of others?"
Eden was taken aback by that question. "Um, well, mostly not, but there are some people who are exhibitionists, you know… Besides, to touch someone else's wings in front of others is a way to show others that this person belongs to you. My dad does that sometimes with my papa, but never as explicit as those two did back there…" She glanced over her shoulder towards the kissing couple and quickly looked away again with a blush.
"Ah." Jason let the words sink in. "So it's kinda like touching your girlfriend's ass in front of another guy to make him back off. I get it."
Eden chuckled. "Yeah, exactly."
They reached the gym again and started making their way over to their table. There was music playing and a few couples were out on the free space on the floor, dancing, but most were seated at the tables and chatted with each other.
Eden went through the crowds of people and tables when Alex suddenly appeared in front of her. She yelped a bit when she almost collided with Alex. "Watch it!" she hissed at him. She glared when two of his best friends appeared behind him, crossing their arms at her. She felt Jason tense as he became alerted by the boys.
"Hey, Mixy Pops, trying to look pretty tonight? Not sure if you succeeded much, though… You still look like a freak," Alex smirked and looked over her body. His friends laughed.
Eden gritted her teeth, trying to control her anger. "Speak for yourself. I think you picked a suit that's one size too small – I can see that the buttons on your stomach are about to pop."
Alex snarled in anger and took a threatening step towards Eden, but Jason quickly put himself between them. Alex immediately backed off when Jason – who was quite taller than him – suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Back off," Jason growled and glared him down. Eden blinked at her friend in surprise, but she didn't move from her spot behind him.
Alex and his friends all looked taken aback that Jason had come between them and Eden, and Alex stared between Eden and Jason before settling his eyes on Eden again. "Your date is a human, huh? Doesn't surprise me. You'd need a date who doesn't have wings so that he can't tell that yours are ugly as hell," he spat at her.
His friends cracked up behind him, and Eden visibly flinched at his words. She pulled her wings closer against her back, feeling a slight sting of humiliation since Jason had been there to hear him say that.
Jason just kept staring at Alex and his friends until they were done with most of their laughing. "Actually, I think that Eden's wings are the most awesome wings in the world, and they are a thousand times prettier than your ugly-ass grey ones." He took a closer look at Alex's wings and frowned, "Are those brown feathers? Or did someone shit in them? I'm sorry, I can't really tell the difference – I don't know much about wings, as you so kindly pointed out earlier." His voice was nonchalant but with an edge of annoyance in it.
Alex's face went bright red with embarrassment when the people at the tables around them starting laughing out loud, and he didn't seem to know what to do with himself. It looked like he wanted to punch Jason for humiliating him, but when he took in Jason's size and more muscled appearance he seemed to change his mind. He fidgeted around for a few moments before running off to get away from the laughing crowds, and his two friends quickly followed after him.
Eden's jaw dropped when Jason managed to make Alex feel so embarrassed and intimidated that the angel boy ran off with a face as red as a tomato. She grinned like mad after Alex was gone and exclaimed, "That was awesome! I've never seen someone make him run off like that before. You were great!"
Jason chuckled and turned around to face her. "Nah, it wasn't a big deal", he shrugged. "I just couldn't tolerate him saying those things to you."
Eden gave him a small smile and curled her tail shyly next to her leg. "Thanks. I owe you…"
"Oh my god, that was awesome!" Ariel suddenly exclaimed somewhere behind them.
They both turned around to see Ariel, Thomas, Carter and Kyle standing there, watching them.
Eden blinked at them. "What are you doing over here?"
"We saw you talking to Alex and came over to help, but it seems Jason beat us to it," Carter explained and gave Jason an approving smile.
"Ha! I love to see bullies making a run for it! Awesome," Kyle grinned and bumped his fist into Jason's in a sign of approval.
Jason rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his cheeks redden at all the attention that was on him. "It was nothing…"
"Don't be so modest!" Ariel grinned at him. She leaned in and whispered to Eden, "I can see why you like him… I like modest guys who stand up for you when you need it."
"Ariel," Eden muttered and felt her face burn.
They went back over to their table and sat down again. Eden couldn't stop smiling at Jason every now and then, who mostly didn't notice it because he was busy talking with Carter and Kyle. Ariel had noticed it, however, and she kept giving Eden a knowing smirk whenever she caught her smiling at Jason like that.
A few of Eden's other classmates came by their table, and they all frowned at Jason because they had never seen Eden hang out with him before and they wondered who he was. When Eden explained to them that they were childhood friends their faces lit up in understanding, and Eden scowled at them when they had the same knowing smirks on their faces as Ariel did.
A comedian came on the small stage a bit later and performed for about forty-five minutes, making the whole gym laugh. His show was combined with magic tricks since he was also a magician, so it made the whole performance a lot more interesting.
After the comedian was gone Thomas had excused himself to the bathroom, and Ariel got a little worried when he didn't return. She went out to look for him, rejecting Eden's offer to follow her. When she came back twenty minutes later Eden immediately noticed that something was off.
"What's wrong?" Eden frowned when Ariel dropped back down onto her chair when she returned and let out a heavy sigh.
"I spotted him with some other girl…" Ariel muttered. Eden's eyes widened in shock.
"Maybe they're friends…?" Carter said carefully and glanced over at Ariel in worry.
Ariel sighed heavily again. "Don't think so, he was touching her ass…" she mumbled. "But we went here as friends anyway, so why am I even upset," she said bitterly and leaned back in her chair.
Kyle cringed in sympathy. "Damn… that was pretty mean of him. Did you talk to him?"
"No, but he saw that I saw him, and I kinda don't think he'll be coming back here again tonight…"
Eden put a hand on Ariel's arm to comfort her, and Ariel gave her a small, grateful smile in return. They brushed wings in a friendly gesture, and Jason silently watched.
They chatted some more, trying to talk about more cheerful topics to make Ariel in a better mood again. She quickly seemed to shake off the matter with Thomas although Eden could feel that it still bothered her deep inside.
It was a little past 11pm when Jason excused himself from the table to go use the restroom again, and Ariel got up as well. Eden stayed behind with Carter and Kyle, deeply engaged in a conversation with them.
Jason and Ariel made their way through the tables and people in the gym, headed outside for the bathrooms, and once they entered the corridor Ariel suddenly spoke, "So Jason… How much do you like Eden?"
Jason blinked, taken completely aback by the question, and turned his head to stare at her while they walked. "I… What do you mean?"
Ariel smirked at him. "I've seen the way you look at her, and it's not a 'you're-my-best-friend-in-the-whole-world' kind of look."
Jason avoided her eye and tried not to blush in front of her. When they reached the bathrooms they both stopped outside on the corridor, facing each other.
"I, uh, care about her a lot," Jason admitted.
Ariel smiled. "For how long?"
Jason shrugged. "I don't know. Since we were kids, probably. I didn't think that she ever reciprocated my feelings, and I'm still not sure…"
"Well, if you want her to be yours I think you should make your move soon. I've seen her glancing at some guy from class, and I've seen the guy staring back at her as well. If you don't hurry up maybe she'll end up being taken soon."
Jason's eyes widened at her words. "I don't know if I can do that. I can end up ruining our friendship if she doesn't feel the same—"
"Trust me, you won't ruin your friendship with her," Ariel interrupted him and gave him a reassuring smile. Jason went silent, pondering about her words, and Ariel chuckled and moved over to the door to the ladies' room. She glanced over her shoulder at him, saying, "You should do it tonight. Prom night is the ideal time for confessions, and if you're not fast enough the other guy may beat you to it."
She disappeared into the ladies' room with those words, leaving Jason standing in the corridor looking conflicted.
Ariel knew there wasn't another guy that Eden had an eye for, but she had to push Jason to finally make a move, since she was pretty sure that Eden wouldn't be the one doing it.
When they returned to the table together a few minutes later, Jason quietly sat down next to Eden again. He glanced at his friend whose face lit up when he returned, and he couldn't stop thinking about what Ariel had told him earlier. Jason found himself skimming through the many people in the room, trying to spot someone staring at Eden but he couldn't see anyone. Eden herself wasn't looking at anyone else except for Ariel, Carter and Kyle, making Jason wonder if that other guy had left already.
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By 11:40pm Eden was feeling ready to go home.
It had been a good night and Eden had enjoyed the time with her friends, and it seemed that Jason had a great time too. He had been talking a lot with Kyle and Carter which Eden couldn't help but feel relieved about; she had been a little worried that they may not get along well.
Eden leaned closer to Jason while Ariel, Carter and Kyle were busy talking, and whispered to him, "I'm kind of ready to go home soon. What about you?"
"Alright," Jason spoke and gave her a smile.
Eden began preparing to leave, making sure she had her purse with her. "We're gonna head home now. It was a really nice evening, I enjoyed it," she smiled at the others as she rose from her chair.
"Okay," Carter smiled at them. "It was a nice evening indeed. Hope you get home well."
"Drive safely," Kyle told Jason and nodded goodbye at them both.
"Sure," Jason chuckled and got up from his chair to join Eden.
"What, you're leaving already?" Ariel exclaimed and looked between them. "But tonight is prom night! Perfect time for confessions." She smirked at them, and her gaze lingered on Jason who suddenly tensed up.
Eden frowned at Ariel, her cheeks a slight pink. "What are you talking about? Have you gone mad?"
Ariel laughed. "No, but I'm just saying it to make that tonight isn't wasted." She winked at Jason who suddenly looked very nervous and uncomfortable.
Eden's brows furrowed in confusion over Ariel's words.
"Not sure what she's talking about either…" Carter said with a confused frown on his face.
"Maybe all the soda made her drunk," Kyle offered, making Carter laugh. Kyle smirked when he got his date to laugh, and Carter flinched a little when Kyle put a hand on his knee below the table. Carter blushed and was happy that the others couldn't see, and he scowled a little at Kyle when he smirked at his reaction.
"Well, we're going now," Eden said and gave Ariel and odd look when her friend grinned at them. "And I hope you're normal again next time I see you."
"And I hope that Jason was the faster guy next time I see you," Ariel replied, still grinning.
Eden was really confused by now, and Jason shifted uncomfortably next to her.
"Jeez, what's gotten into to you…" Eden murmured. "Well, goodbye everyone," she told them.
"Bye Eden and Jason!" Carter told them, and Kyle and Ariel said goodbye as well as Eden and Jason started walking out of the gym.
Eden and Jason walked in silence down the school corridors, heading for the parking lot where Jason had parked his dad's car earlier. Eden couldn't help but notice that the silence was a little awkward, and every time she glanced at Jason she saw a weird, concentrated look on his face that made her feel a little worried.
When they got outside Eden shivered a little when a cold breeze hit her bare arms and legs, and she wrapped her wings around herself to keep warm. She regretted that she hadn't brought a jacket with her.
They walked over to the car but Jason stopped before they reached it. Eden stopped as well, frowning at Jason as they stood in the middle of the parking lot, still far away from the car.
"Here," Jason said and started taking off his blazer. "It'll keep you warm." He took it off and stepped forward to sling it over Eden's wings and shoulders.
"You didn't have to…" Eden started, but smiled when Jason put the blazer around her anyway. She sighed when she immediately felt warmer, and tucked the blazer closer around herself. "Thank you," she smiled.
"You're welcome," Jason told her, giving her a small smile.
They stood there in silence for a few moments, neither of them making a move to go towards the car and drive home.
After a few moments of silence, Eden looked up at Jason from under her lashes and asked him shyly, "Say, did you mean what you said earlier when we ran into Alex? You know… That you find my wings awesome?" She blushed at the question that left her mouth, suddenly feeling very silly for asking.
Jason smiled at her. "Of course I meant it. I've always liked your wings; they're pretty."
"They are not too masculine or ugly?" Eden asked and spread them slightly under Jason's blazer which was still wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her warm.
"No, I really like them. I never thought they were ugly," Jason said with honesty, making Eden's face light up.
Jason knew he had to tell Eden how he felt about her soon, otherwise it would only cause him more pain if she ended up being with the other guy without ever having told her. He reached out his hand, gently moving a few hairs away from her face and tucked them behind her ear.
Eden blinked at him, surprised by the gentle and intimate gesture.
Jason let his hand linger by the side of her face for a few moments before slowly pulling it back. He inhaled deeply before saying, "I, uh, I kind of have a confession to make. I hope it won't affect our friendship but I really need to get it out, otherwise I'll go crazy."
Eden tensed, alerted by his words. She stared up at her friend with a concerned frown, afraid he was going to say something really hurtful to her. "Okay… I'm listening."
"I, uh…" Jason shifted on his feet and put his hands in his pockets in a nervous gesture. He stared down at his feet while speaking. "You've always been my best friend and I always felt that I could count on you. But then at some point I realized that my feelings for you had started to change, and that I, uh…" He looked at her, finding courage when she stared back at him with her blue eyes, waiting for him to continue. "I like you, okay?" he blurted, feeling his cheeks flush as he finally said it, and pulled his hands out of his pockets again. "I've liked you for a very long time and it drives me crazy not telling you."
Eden took a step back, staring at her friend in complete surprise. She blinked her eyes a few times before saying, "You… like me…? As in romantically like me?"
Jason groaned. "Yes, I'm in love with you; I have been for a long time, as long as I can remember. I know that you probably don't feel the same, but I just wanted to—" His words were cut off when Eden put two fingers on his lips to silence him. Jason blinked and stared back at her in bewilderment.
Eden looked at him with firm eyes, facing down a bit so that Jason wouldn't be able to see the pink flush on her cheeks. "Don't say stupid things," she warned, and Jason felt his heart drop at her words. "I'm in love with you too, you silly dummy…" She blushed at the words and averted Jason's eyes, finally taking her fingers away from his lips.
It took a few seconds for the words to sink into Jason's mind, and when they did he blinked at her, dumbfounded. "What?"
Eden averted his eyes, feeling her cheeks burn. "I… I've liked you for a long time too, I just wasn't ready to admit those feelings to myself until about two years ago… But I was just always too shy to tell you."
"But… what about the other guy?"
Eden frowned at him. "What other guy?"
"The guy that Ariel said you liked. The one she had seen you staring at."
Eden's face lit up in realization and she groaned loudly. "Ariel!" she growled and threw her head back. "That stupid girl! She planned this!"
Jason stared at her. "What?"
Eden looked at him, her cheeks reddening, and groaned again. "Ariel probably told you that to make you confess to me. There is no other guy – I've never really liked anyone… besides you." She looked down to hide her burning face from Jason's view.
Jason suddenly laughed. "I got tricked by a girl…"
Eden couldn't help but chuckle at his words. She suddenly realized something and looked up at Jason with furrowed brows. "But… what about Katherine? If you say you've liked me for so long then why were you with her?"
Jason looked back at her with a sad smile. "I didn't think that you'd ever feel the same, and I was convinced that you had feelings for Carter so I decided to move on with my life. I met Katherine and I liked her, but I never really felt the same for her that I feel about you. That was why I broke up with her… she could sense it, too."
"Oh…" Eden said. "But I never felt anything for Carter besides friendship… I knew pretty early what his preferences were."
"But you never told me, not until after I broke up with Katherine. I was quite relieved to hear it, actually…" he confessed. Eden chuckled.
They briefly looked over at a couple of guys from the prom who were making noise over by the entrance to the school. They seemed to have smuggled alcohol into the parking lot because they sounded quite drunk.
Eden snorted at them before turning her attention back to Jason. She smiled shyly at him, curling her tail next to her leg absently, and she held her breath when Jason moved his hand up to her face again. She leaned into his touch when he placed his hand on her cheek, cupping it, and they smiled at each other.
"So… you have no one else that you like and neither do I…" Jason started, trying not to blush at his own words. He leaned his head down, resting his forehead against Eden's and looking her into the eyes. "Will you be my girlfriend, then?" he whispered shyly.
Eden's smile was wide, and she moved her tail over to brush it again Jason's leg while she gently moved her face upwards, letting their noses touch. "Yes."
Jason grinned. With his hand still on her cheek he slowly moved in, brushing their lips together. He felt Eden relax, and they both closed their eyes as they lips met in their first kiss. They moaned together, and Jason moved his lips against Eden's who mimicked his movements. Her lips were soft, tasting like strawberry, and Jason hummed in approval.
It was Eden's first kiss ever, but Jason had kissed before. She felt a spark of jealousy and possessiveness that Jason had belonged to someone else before her, and she grasped his shirt with her right hand and pressed a little harder against his lips and as if to make him hers. Jason responded with an eager moan, but they both pulled back before it got too intense and to breathe again.
They rested their heads together, panting a little, and Eden moved closer to Jason to lean into his warm body while her tail curled around his leg.
"Maybe we should head home?" Jason suggested and gave her a small smile.
Eden hummed and gently rubbed her nose against his. "Yeah. My dad's going to kill you, though."
Jason laughed. "I know."
Eden chuckled, and they slowly pulled away from each other. She reached out her hand, shyly grabbing a hold of Jason's larger one and smiled when she felt him squeeze her hand. They entwined fingers and headed over to the car together, preparing to drive over to Eden's house.
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Author's notes: As I mentioned in the top of the page, you can see pictures of Eden's prom dress and Jason's suit on my profile page. And chapter 45 will start right after this one ended, so you'll see everyone's reactions to Eden and Jason's new relationship :)
I'm actually planning to write Eden and Jason's first time. I have never written hetero sex before so that should be interesting… XD; I think I might also write Noah's first time later in the story, but I haven't decided yet if I'll write the others' (probably not).
No worries, there will be a lot more Dean/Cas (romance and smut) in the upcoming chapters, but I just like to explore the kids' lives as well.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it, please review :)