As the brother's share Gabe's candy under the bleachers, Gabe pops a lolly in his mouth and addresses the obvious:"Are you going to tell me what makes you think so hard right now or do you want me to figure it out on my own?"

Castiel's eyes widen at the comment and before he can say anything Gabe adds:"Yes, I can see you thinking. Your forehead is all-", he makes a squished together motion, "Y'know wrinkly and stuff."

Castiel smiles at that:"My brother! So talented with words."

"Shuddup, assbutt." Gabriel grins and boxes Cas's shoulder lightly, before getting serious again. "It has to do with that bruise, hasn't it?"

And again, as with Dean, Cas touches his nose at the mention of the bruise.

"Kinda." he admits.

"Tell meee!" Gabe whines.

Castiel reluctantly tells his brother about what Alistair did yesterday, after school.

"I know that's shit. I just don't understand what makes it different this time, I mean it wasn't the first time he hurt you..." Gabriel adds insecure.

"Because..." Castiel starts, "That's not all of it. The thing happened afterward." His voice grew softer and more silent towards the end of the sentence. Castiel looks away from his brother's curios glance and starts fidgeting with a loose thread on his shirt. The same thread Dean played with the day before, as he remembers that, he let's it fall as if it caught on fire.

"Tell me?" Gabriel whispers, moving in close to his brother.

"You're going to hate me." Castiel answers barely audible, his eyes welling up with tears once again.

"Never." states Gabe and puts his arm reassuringly around his brother.

Castiel takes a deep and shaky breath before speaking again:"Dean and I left in the Impala, he brought me to his house..." he stops and looks at his brother, searching his face.

"Go on." Gabe says, joined by a head motion.

"We kissed." Castiel presses forth. Now he can't bring himself to face his brother. He doesn't have to, he senses the way his brother's arm around his shoulder gets tense. The heavy breath Gabe takes isn't ignorable.

"Oh."

That's it. The only thing the younger Novak says is 'oh'. Castiel still doesn't dare to look into the other's eyes, but he has to. He takes up all his courage, takes a deep breath and begins talking again:"I'm sorry, Gabriel. I shouldn't -"

Gabe interrupts him:"Did you want to kiss him?". His eyes darting away.

"Yes."

Gabe swallows audibly before asking the next question:"Did he want to kiss you?"

"Yes, Gabe I-"

"Do you still want to kiss him?" Gabriel's face changes from friendly and open to hard and cold. Castiel hates seeing his brother like this. Being the reason for it just makes it a lot worse.

"Yes." Cas whispers.

Gabe's hand is still around Cas' shoulders, he squeezes Cas and then moves to stand up.

He looks at Castiel who's still sitting on the ground.

"I told you it's alright." He puts a smile onto his lips, and if you weren't Castiel you wouldn't notice that it's as fake as Pamela Anderson's boobs.

"And I know you're lying." He says standing up as well. "I won't kiss him again. I promise."

Gabriel presses his lips together tightly, instead of responding he just nods, turns around and leaves Castiel alone at the bleachers.

Castiel groans silently as he follows soon after Gabe, back into the school building.

His next class is spend sulking, he has to constantly ask someone what he is supposed to do. He just can't concentrate anymore. After half an hour Castiel gives up, and pulls out his phone. Putting it so that the teacher won't see him.

Hello, Dean. We need to talk.

Hi, Cas. Hope it's nothing bad :/ When and where?

Do you have time after school? At the bleachers

Will b there :)

Castiel puts back his phone and tries to think of things to say to Dean to explain the situation without humiliating Gabriel. He sighs and lets his head fall onto his desk.

It doesn't take long for Dean to arrive. Castiel is seated on the bleachers, looking over the sports field where the cheerleader are practicing. He doesn't look up when Dean sits down next to him, their legs touching.

"This looks a hell of a lot like you're breaking up with me..." Dean states, but he doesn't sound bitter, just a bit disappointment.

"We aren't really in a relationship, are we, Dean?"

"No, I guess not." Now Dean sounds sad and that just makes Cas feel that much worse. He wanted to do this cold-hearted, a clean cut. It's only now that he realizes he can't do that. He looks at Dean, looks him in those green eyes, and feels tears welling up.

"I'm sorry." He whispers.

Dean nods, his face has softened:"Can you tell me why?"

"Not yet."

Dean sighs and looks away.

"It's not that I don't like you." Cas adds, "Believe me, I like you a lot." His face turns red at this and a small smile crosses Dean's lips.

"I like you a lot too, Cas." Dean's face now copies Cas', turning both boys into tomatoes rather than humans.

Castiel smiles at the confession, before casting downwards and explaing:"It's bad timing."

The things that Dean says next make Castiel speechless.

"You're right. I mean, with my final year I have to study so much, it's ridiculous."

Somehow those words hit Castiel really hard, and he hides his face from Dean.

Dean's fingers touch his chin and coax Cas into looking into his eyes. He smile at Cas, it's a sad smile. "From now on..." he starts, closes his eyes and presses his lips softly against the other boy, and continues, "we are friends. If you want to, I mean-"

"I'd love to be your friend, Dean." Cas interrupts and smiles at him. "Maybe one day the timing is better."

"I hope so." Dean answers.

They both get up and walk away next to each other. Dean goes towards the Impala where Sam is already waiting for him, and Castiel goes towards the road he is so familiar with.