Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/3339482. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Underage Category: M/M, F/M Fandom: Supernatural Relationship: Castiel/Dean_Winchester, Jessica_Moore/Sam_Winchester Character: Sam_Winchester, Castiel, Dean_Winchester, Mary_Winchester, John Winchester, Gabriel_(Supernatural), Michael_(Supernatural), Lucifer, Uriel_(Supernatural), Jessica_Moore Additional Tags: dancer!cas, High_School_AU, Minor_Character_Death, John_is_nice_at_first, Homophobia, they're_neighbors, Ill_write_more_tags_as_I_go, Destiel_af_- Freeform, Minor_Bullying, Panic_Attacks, Anxiety, Anxiety_Attacks, Anna is_dead, but_only_to_add_to_the_plot, Cas_POV, Dean_POV, Slow_Build Castiel/Dean_Winchester, Hurt_and_comfort_in_later_chapters, Happy_Ending Stats: Published: 2015-02-12 Updated: 2015-05-14 Chapters: 3/? Words: 7257 ****** The Boy with the Blue Eyes and Unruly Hair ****** by Carver_Edlund Summary Dean is washing his Baby on a hot summer day when he spies someone...dancing? A boy with stunning blue eyes and wild sex hair! He's completely captivated. Waking up, eating, showering, and watching the boy dance becomes a mutual routine until summer fades into Fall! Dean wonders if the boy will continue to dance after school...but his thoughts are broken when the boy comes in late, awkwardly. He soon learns that this boy(who introduces himself as Castiel) isn't as perfect as he initially thought, but does that stop their romance from blossoming? Notes See the end of the work for notes ***** The Boy in the Low-Fitting Jeans ***** Chapter Summary Dean's POV the beginning *whimsical hands* Chapter Notes hey this is my first fanfiction, so thanks for reading! <3 Comment are much appreciated! Thank you! See the end of the chapter for more notes The first day Dean saw the boy with the blue eyes and unruly hair was a sunny afternoon at the beginning of summer break. Dean was fixing his baby(a 1967 Chevrolet Impala) in his father’s garage from a fender bender he had a couple hours prior, when he heard it. He was in the middle of wiping his hands on his grease cloth when he heard a familiar song..after a few lines, he recognized it as Dazed_and_Confused by Led Zeppelin.  You hurt and abuse tellin' all of your lies. Run around sweet baby, Lord how you hypnotize. Sweet little baby, I don't know where you've been. Gonna love you baby, here I come again. Dean looked around frantically searching for the source when something...no...someone caught his eye. He had found the owner to this music and he couldn’t help but to be surprised. There was a boy..who looked no older than Dean(who was 17) and he was...dancing. He was in a big house with a huge window facing the front lawn. Dean had no idea why this boy had just been dancing in front of such a big open window....maybe he was confident..if not a bit cocky. He soon realized he was staring at the boy when the music became more frantic and fast. This boy’s hips moved in time with the rhythm, having no trouble keeping up with the music. Dean’s mind drifted to a place where he saw this boy against him, moving those hips in rhythm for a reason other than dancing. Dean brushed off the thought with an awkward throat clearing. But no matter how hard Dean tried, he couldn’t pry his eyes off the boy with the blue eyes and unruly hair until the song came to a conclusion. The boy had made a dramatic finish with his heaving chest in the air, arms spread out, and his head snapped back with his beautiful eyes closed. Dean’s breath hitched a bit at the sight before he turned around and unsuccessfully tried to focus on the task at hand. The next day, sun beating down upon the hot, black asphalt. It was just as peaceful as yesterday, if not, more so. Dean wandered upstairs groggily and headed for the kitchen. He heard a beautiful hum that could only be described as his mother’s voice. “Mornin’, sleepyhead.” He could tell she would’ve ruffled his already messy hair if her hands weren’t preoccupied with cooking breakfast/lunch. “mmm...what are you making?” he half-groaned in response. He checked his phone for the time and it read, “11:47”. It was about the same time he saw that boy yesterday. He wondered if maybe he was out again today...if he could see those lean hips swaying in time with music. “Quesadillas...its a brunchy type food right?”, she chuckled at herself. God, Dean thought, she had the most motherly smile. It was so warm. Her blonde curls surrounded her white smile and he took a moment to appreciate his beautiful mother. Before Dean could respond to that almost-rhetorical question, he heard small feet patter their way down the hall to the open living room. “Hiya, Sammy!”, Dean was fully awake now and rustling his little brother’s hair. Sams voice came out in an ungodly groan. For a minute there, Dean forgot his brother wasn’t much of a morning person. Sam rubbed his small eyes, looked up at where their mother was cooking breakfast, and smiled. Dean swore, the only thing that could get Sam out of bed in the mornings was their mom and he rolled his eyes at the thought. As his brother and moms’ conversation faded out, Dean’s mind drifted again to the boy with the sex hair. He chuckled a bit thinking about why his hair was like that. Dean hadn’t been one to think about anyone(let alone a boy) this intensely before. He barely got sleep last night as his mind slipped into some...rather sexual fantasies. “-ean? honey?”, Mary looked at him like she’d been calling his name for a long time, a bit agitated, but worried at the same time. “yeah? sorry..”, Dean apologized, not really understanding what just happened. Did he just space out like a love-sick puppy? God, he had only seem him, what? Yesterday? Once. What was getting his panties bunched up? Seriously.. “Help me serve, please.” “..Yeah, okay.”, Dean shook his thoughts about the boy off and walked over to help his mother set the table.   ********** The next few weeks flew by as Dean sat by his bedroom window(which was conveniently facing the boy’s house), waiting. His anxiety was building until he couldn’t take it anymore. The boy hadn’t shown his face(or any other part of his body) since the afternoon he worked on Baby. He was starting to get frustrated. Dean got up and just as he was about to do something..he didn’t know what, but just something...he saw a movement. The slight ripple caused Dean to sit back on his window couch and watch intently. Sure enough, it was the boy..he was wearing no shirt and was in sweatpants that hung low on his hips. Dean couldn’t stop staring at his beautiful features (mostly his hips and chest), because DAMN, if that wasn’t hot, he didn’t know what was. Dean sighed, because despite what his mind was logically thinking, he wanted to believe everyone was okay with him being gay. He wanted people to not look at him differently. He refrained from coming out of the closet to his parents for fear of rejection. Sure, his parents were great, but his father served for the marines and was very strict. Honestly, Dean didn't know how he would respond, so he took the precaution of just not mentioning it at all. Something about this boy made Dean throw all caution to the wind as he got lost in the boy’s dancing. He couldn’t hear the music that was coming from the other boy’s living room, but he didn’t care. Just seeing the boys’ muscles move, flex, and bend was enough to make Dean’s heart go into over-drive. ********** Dean saw a lot more of the dark-haired boy after that. Almost everyday at the same time, he would be dancing gracefully in what he assumed to be the boy’s living room. Getting up, taking a shower, eating breakfast, and watching the boy dance had become something of a routine for Dean. It was pleasant, having something to look forward to on those bright, sunny days; it made Dean happy. ********** Soon, Autumn dipped it’s chilly toes into summer and the sky seemed greyer. School was starting soon and Dean didn’t want to ever get out of this schedule. He was going to be a junior this year and he dreaded it. It wasn’t that he hated school or learning in general, it was just the people. There were so many people, none of them knew he was gay, of course, but there had once been a kid who came out. The guy was ruthlessly bullied to the point where he eventually had to move out of state, after getting hospitalized. He didn’t need that kind of attention in his life, so he just stuck to the usual charming womanizer mask he wore so well. Of course he had sex with some of the girls that he had “dated”, but it was usually brief, lasting no more than 3 weeks. He did it mainly to convince himself he wasn’t what he thought he was, but after trying for so long he just gave up. Of course, he still flirted, but nothing serious. He just wished he could come out already...it was slowly grinding and burning at him, eating him alive. Dean sat down at his place at the window to wait for his secret obsession. He was a little early, so he grabbed a book and mindlessly read the words on the page. After a few minutes, Dean got bored and looked towards the window and did a double take. It was the boy. Who was that with him? It must’ve been his brother or something, because they looked oddly similar. The boy with Blue Eyes looked different from when he was dancing, almost..lonely and shy. He had never seen anyone else in the house, but he never really thought of it. Dean couldn’t help but to wonder where the rest of his family was. Why didn’t he look happy, like when he was dancing? He frowned at the thought. ********* Soon, school had snuck into his life once again and he found himself getting up early to reluctantly get ready for school. He fell out of his messy bed at the sound of his alarm clock and landed on a pile of summer homework he had not bothered to even start. He got up earlier than everyone else so that he could get some peaceful silence in before he had to wake up his brother. It was especially quiet this morning for some reason. Dean walked out to the kitchen, made himself a cup of coffee and a slice of pie his mother made. He took a bite of cherry pie(his favorite) and savored the clashing flavor of tart and sweetness on his tongue. God, his mom made the best pie. ********* Dean had stopped on the way to school to drop Sammy off at his junior high. “Hey, be careful. If any of those damned kids pick on you again, you call me, you hear?”, Dean was genuinely worried for Sam, because of some cruel kids that picked on him for getting his work in on time. Seriously, who would make fun of someone for actually wanting to learn? It pissed Dean off just thinking about it. “Yeah, yeah...bye.”, Sam’s dismissive comment made Dean’s stomach churn. “Alright, have a good first day..Bitch.”, Dean winked a brotherly wink at his brother. Sam cocked his head to the side and replied, “What did I do? why did you call me a bitch?” Dean sighed, “You’re supposed to say, ‘Jerk.’...just--nevermind.” He shook his head away as to let the conversation go, “Bye, Sammy.” “Bye.”, And with one last wave, he left Dean in his father’s impala spacing out before he finally shook his thoughts away and drove off to his own doom. High school. He pulled up to his school’s parking lot and turned the engine off. Sighing, he grabbed his backpack over the back of the seat and opened the door to his car. His first class was homeroom with Mrs. Thompson and he groaned at the thought of being in her class. She was a total douchebag with a stick up her ass. It frustrated the hell out of him whenever she would suddenly have a fit about someone being on their phone in class and give them all an hour lecture on “why learning is more important than technology”. As he made his way to the corner seat in the back of the classroom, he noticed the mini cliques that were already forming. At the front were the “nerds”, just a bit past them to the right were the cheerleaders all whispering to each other in a circle as he walked by. Then to the left were the jocks, with their disgusting feet resting on the desks in front of them occasionally blowing a spitball at the poor nerds in the front. Dean rolled his eyes and took his place with the “bad kids”. He didn’t particularly think he was a bad-ass, but his leather jacket and classic car pulled him into this predisposition. He figured why not go along with it? He could feel the dread in the room as the much anticipated bell rang throughout the school. People ran back to their streets before the teacher made her way into the classroom with a clacking of her heels and atmosphere unreasonably confident. Dean was already bored and he looked down at his desk to doodle something on his notebook. “Good morning, students. Now, please stand for the pledge of allegiance.”, Her voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He didn’t bother getting up. It wasn’t how he prefered to spend his time; chanting something at a flag like a mindless drone. The sound of a door being opened interrupted the ritualistic chant. When Dean looked up from his seat and gave his attention to the front, his eyes went wide with shock. It was him. The boy he’d fallen for over the hot days of summer. The boy he’d stay up late at night thinking about. All of the memories came back to him. The first day he saw him, with the sun burning his greasy skin and the bang of the occasional hammer on the fender. Now, when he saw the boy for the first time up close, he couldn’t believe his eyes. The blue eyed boy made an apologetic look at the class and hurriedly made his way to the only open seat(which was next to Dean). He was wearing a white dress shirt and dark jeans that complimented his figure. His hair was just as messy as it had been over the summer and Dean wondered if his hair was as soft as it looked. For the first time, he could smell the beautiful teenager. The intoxicating scent filled his nostrils and made Dean writhe in his seat a bit. Dean couldn’t stop staring and when the boy looked at him uncomfortably, he noticed how perverted he looked, practically drooling over him. When the boy spoke, he realized he wasn’t dreaming, “Erm..hi..”. The boy shifted uncomfortably in his seat before Dean shook his head back to reality. “Hi!” Dean said a little bit too happily. He cleared his throat and tried again with a casual approach, “Hi, I’m Dean Winchester.”. The boy seemed to be thinking of how he would respond and finally said in a deep, husky voice, “My name is Castiel Novak.”. Blood rushed to his face and he turned away so he avoid embarrassing himself. “So, you new here?”, It was all Dean’s voice could say at that moment without cracking. Castiel. God, that sounded fucking angelic and he couldn’t help but practice mouthing it a few times. “Yeah...hey, are you okay? You seen uncomfortable.” “Yeah..I’m fine...just nervous about this year is all. Haven’t been in school in two months.” Dean Scratched his head and gave a dorky grin. Of course he hadn’t been to school in two months...no one has! It was summer break! He mentally face-palmed at his words. Castiel(god he loved that name) chuckled a bit and pulled out his own supplies. That was a noise Dean wanted to hear for the rest of his life. "Yeah, I'm pretty nervous myself...I just moved here from Iowa...", he gave a half smile over to Dean and for a second, blue eyes met green. Dean eventually cleared his throat and looked away. Man, this guy was going to be the death of him... Chapter End Notes Thank you for reading! <3 PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT. ***** Panic attacks and Medicine ***** Chapter Summary Cas' POV. Cas has family problems and major anxiety disorders! Dean kinda helps, also..bully Uriel..I know.. Chapter Notes sorry it took me a few days to write this :/ school...ugh Nevertheless, here's the next chapter :) This time, it's from Castiel's POV! I've decided to variate POVs each chapter just to keep it interesting and so we can get into both of their minds and create a bit of angst that way ;) edited A/N: hey! I just edited this chapter and improved it by 100% I think haha. PLEASE COMMENT BELOW! <3 See the end of the chapter for more notes Castiel had seen him before. The boy who watched him with unmasked wonder as he gyrated around his living room.   It was...strange, at first, but as the days went on and the waking sun routinely peaked it’s curious head over the windowsill he couldn’t help but be comforted by those blazing green eyes. It was a strange feeling..igniting something..new in Castiel's chest.   Without realizing it, it became a kind of secret non-verbal routine for the both of them. Castiel had to admit, the boy was handsome. Even from where Castiel danced, he could see the array of freckles across his chiseled features and the way his hair stood up a bit in the front.   Castiel silently and subtly studied this boy. The way his jaw clenched when Castiel bent forward and how he would always be waiting and reading by his window before eventually looking up and spying Castiel as he began his dance.   Castiel always had a knack for studying strangers. It was somewhat of a hobby, since he was always too terrified to actually walk up and talk to one. He couldn’t really put his finger on it, but for some reason, this stranger was particularly different from the rest. Whenever he glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, the pit of his stomach would burn and he could feel his heart beating fast, but it was different from what he was used to.   The days flew by without alteration and before he had the time to react, autumn drove summer into a seemingly everlasting slumber.   He sighed.   Castiel was the only one in their family who dreaded going to school. His brother, Michael, loved his studies and worked hard everyday so he could attend medical school in the fall. Michaels twin, Lucifer, didn’t necessarily dread school..he just didn’t give a shit about anything really. His eldest brother, Gabriel, was off in college doing God knows what.   Finally, there was his sister, Anna..she was beautiful, funny, smart, and above all, she was Castiel’s anchor. When their mother died, she would tuck Castiel in and read him stories when he was in a somber mood. When the meltdowns started controlling Cas’ life, Anna had been there to hold him and tell him everything was okay. She was the one who would hold his hand when they went in public and buy things for him when he was too scared to do it himself. She was the only one who could help him calm down.   Then, one bitter winter night, she was ripped away from him by a drunk driver and a patch of ice. After the funeral, the attacks came back in a wave of grief and fear. They came more frequently and sometimes would last for hours when he couldn’t bring himself down from them. Not a day went by that Castiel didn’t have panic attack and they gradually started to escalate into meltdowns.   Eventually, his father brought him to a therapist who recommended he find an outlet, something to help him cope. It was frustrating at first, because he didn’t really know what he liked to do. After much consideration and contemplation, he took up dancing. He found it incredibly relaxing and it helped keep him in shape so that was an advantage. As the meltdowns deteriorated back into panic attacks and the panic attacks faded until they were few and far between, he finally stopped thinking about his sister and let dancing consume his mind and body. At one point, his therapist recommended moving to another city so he could be away from triggering items.   He was anxious about moving and his first day at the new house almost made all of the coping mechanisms worth nothing, until he decided to dance in their crisp, clean, and empty living room when the rest of his family was getting groceries. He felt the world shift under his dancing body as he danced to the song his mother sang to him as a small child. Castiel rarely ever danced in front of an audience(except for at dance recitals) but all of the emotion blocked any hesitation while he twirled in front of the huge window.   It was almost a week later when he danced in front of the window again and that was when he spotted the boy. At first, he hesitated dancing in front of him so openly, but something made him turn on the music and dance, regardless. He realized, when he saw the boy gaping at him, that maybe he liked this. Maybe he liked performing in front of this boy. Maybe he grew fond of dancing like this, even if he felt a little exposed. Maybe he liked the attention.   Over the weeks, he could feel himself grow more and more eager to see the boy each day. A few times, he even caught himself watching the clock and waiting, counting the seconds, minutes, hours until it was time. However, he did not once acknowledge the boy nor go over to meet him, because despite seeing him everyday, he didn’t think he could just walk up and introduce himself randomly. He was awkward enough as it was.   With that in mind, he walked through the door after his morning breathing exercises and did a double-take. The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind that maybe the tall green-eyed boy would attend the same school as himself. Regardless, he felt his heart beat and his stomach form knots.   He quickly turned away from the stares and muttered a quick “sorry” as he realized they were in the middle of reciting the pledge of allegiance. He fumbled to the only available seat, which was next to the boy near the back, gracelessly. The boy he was sitting next to watched him as he took his books out and put them on the desk in front of him. When Castiel looked up, he couldn't believe his eyes. It was the guy he'd seen watching him dance..   Thoughts of fate and destiny crossed his mind as their eyes met.   “Erm..hi?”, Castiel noticed the boy was staring at him shamelessly and he shifted a bit.   “Hi!...Hi, I’m Dean Winchester.”, The boy introduced himself.   Castiel felt a bit relieved when he could finally put a name to that handsome face. His heart was beating a million miles a minute and his breathing became faster. Damn it. Why was he panicking now? He struggled to keep his breathing in check and almost forgot to introduce himself. He cleared his throat.   “My name is Castiel.”, He tried hard not to sound nervous. The gravel of his voice startled himself a bit when it came out.   The boy seemed as nervous as Cas felt as he bit his lip and looked away. Without looking at him, Dean asked, “So, you new here?”   Castiel knew that face all too well.   “Yeah..hey, are you okay? You seem uncomfortable.”, He tried to sound understanding.   “Yeah, it’s fine..I’m just nervous about this year is all..haven’t been to school in two months.”, Castiel knew that was bullshit, but he just replied with, “I’m pretty nervous myself...just moved here from Iowa.”   The boy’s shoulders seemed to relax a little bit as he continued the conversation, “Awesome, have you ever been here before?”   “No, this is my first time visiting this state.”, Castiel shook his head. Maybe it was the medicine or maybe it was the way Dean looked at him that made all of his fears temporarily leave his thoughts.   “Ah..well, let me show you around sometime when we’re not-”   “You, two! Stop talking and pay attention!”, Mrs. Whatever-her-name-was yelled. Both of their spines went straight as they both looked at the board until she finally looked away. Castiel made a small nod at Dean in response to his offer.   *********   The rest of the day seemed to go in a daze until Castiel heard the bell ring for lunch.   The Cafeteria was not an option, because all of the people made him want to tear his own skin off. So, he made his way to the library to eat his sandwich, catching himself looking around for Dean. As he walked down the hall, he heard some shouting.   He wrongfully assumed it was Dean and turned around, quickly regretting it. His small, muscular form was shoved into the nearest locker out of view of the lunch monitors by a stronger, broader frame. He knew, judging from his size, that this guy was an upperclassman and probably played on the football team.   “Hey, Fag.”, the older boy spat, mockingly. Castiel could feel fear and anxiety rush to his heart and froze in place. Never had Castiel been physically hurt by anyone at least on the very first day. It honestly caught him off guard and terrified him to think this could easily happen everyday. Before he knew it, he felt a splitting pain in his stomach. He crumpled to the floor, holding his stomach as the boy loomed over him. “Answer me, you little fucker.”. He angrily raised his leg as Castiel cringed in wait for the kick that never came.   Instead, he heard, “Wow, Uriel. How original. Picking on the new guy. I almost feel sorry for how stupid you are.”   He listened as the older boy spat back at the voice, “Mind your own business, Winchester”.   Castiel opened his eyes slowly to find Dean and the giant, Uriel in each other’s faces. Uriel’s face had a new bruise, he was assuming Dean had given him not 30 seconds prior. He could see as Dean glared, a look Castiel hadn’t seen before and it scared him.   “Just leave the poor guy alone, will you? Plus, look around..”, Dean gestured to the crowd accumulating around them.   Uriel looked around and quickly decided it wasn’t worth the effort, so he just grunted, pushed through the crowd, and walked away.   Dean looked down at Castiel with a softer look and reached down to offer him help. Castiel took it and got up from his place on the ground, greatfully.   “Th-thank you, Dean.”, he stuttered, still terror stricken.   “Are you okay?”, He finally asked, obviously concerned.   Castiel didn’t realize how bad he was shaking, until a steady hand rested on his shoulder.   “Yeah, I’m...I’m fine..I just..”, Shit. Castiel thought, I can’t have one now. The oh, so familiar chest-tightening and rapid heart beat let him know he was having a panic attack. Now, of all times. He had to get away...he didn’t want Dean to see him like this. He didn’t want Dean to know how lame he actually was.   “Hey hey hey Are you okay, man? Shit..”, Dean was trying to come up with a solution fast.   “Yeah, yeah, I’m..fine...it’s just my..anxiety..”, Castiel was embarrassed to have to tell Dean.   “Okay, what do I do?”, Dean had calmed down a bit at the explanation.   “Nothing..I just have to breathe. Maybe if we go outside that will help...”, Castiel manages to get out before he remembers to start the breathing exercises he was taught by his doctor. They seem to help a little as he starts walking toward the door, Dean following suit.   Dean seemed genuinely concerned for Castiel, but didn’t say anything else as they walked shoulder to shoulder.   “Don’t worry about it..I have it under control.”, Castiel knew this feeling well enough to gain enough control in the right circumstances, but Dean being close enough so he could feel his breath on his shoulders brought up a new sensation as a blush crept up his cheeks.   “Alright, well, let’s sit here so you can breathe.” He pointed at the bleachers next to the football field.   “Okay...”, he had more control over his breathing as he sat down, but he couldn’t help but cringe at the humiliation of having a panic attack in front of Dean .   Dean walked up and sat next to him at a comfortable distance. Castiel started to unwrap his sandwich and sighed silently. Great, now he thinks you’re some kind of freak. Cas thought bitterly remembering some of his similar previous experiences.   “So..does that happen often?”, Dean approached the question with hesitation in his voice, opening his own backpack in search for his lunch, sneaking a glance at Cas.   “What part? The bully or the panic attack?”, Castiel took a bite of his sandwich a bit too casually. He wasn’t used to being able to talk to anyone besides Anna, so he didn’t understand why he was calmer around Dean.   “Both, I guess.”   “Not really. I guess I was just scared and that’s what triggered the panic attack.”, Castiel lied, feeling guilty for dragging Dean into his mess.   “That guy is a douchebag and will kick around anyone whenever he feels like it.”, Dean practically growled. “Hey, if he starts to bother you again, tell me okay?”   Castiel could feel his face flush at the comment and opened his mouth to speak, but when nothing came out, he clamped his jaw and just nodded instead. They sat together in a comfortable silence for a little bit before Dean broke it.   “So..do you still want a tour of the city?”   Castiel thought for a moment about being alone in a car with Dean and cleared his throat when he felt his chest tighten.   “Y-yeah..that would be very much appreciated.”, Castiel felt his lips curl into an unfamiliar smile as he responded. Dean responded with a nod and excitement in his expression.   “And..uh...Dean?”   “Yeah?” Green eyes met blue and as his heart fluttered, he let his mouth move without thinking, “Thank you.” Chapter End Notes Next Chapter will be Dean's POV. Thanks for reading ;) next chapter should be out soon! Edited A/N: AND PLEASE COMMENT. It's much appreciated <3 ***** A Lonely Surprise ***** Chapter Summary Dean takes Cas around town and surprises him at the end. Chapter Notes I apologize IMMENSELY for the lateness on this chapter! Please forgive me! I've been busy with school work, but now that that's over, I should update this more often! I have big plans for this fanfiction, so don't lose interest quite yet ;) See the end of the chapter for more notes They made plans to meet that Saturday after Sam’s soccer game at about 1 o’clock in the afternoon. After the game, Sam had said he wanted to hang out with his friends a bit longer and that they would drop him off at home in a few hours, so Dean just smiled and gave permission. The ride home had been a silent one and Dean looked ahead of him to the road, admiring the gorgeous sun kissed leaves against the dull grey sky. Thoughts of Castiel teased it’s way to the front of Dean’s brain and suddenly before he knew it, they consumed all of him. The way Castiel smiled, beautiful and full of life when he was dancing but broken and lonely when he was at school. His heart raced, thinking about how the boy had danced over the summer, so fluent and sure of himself. It was hard to imagine that same boy coming through the doors of their school, flustered and awkward. A frown played across his face when he thought of the asshole Uriel who pushed Cas against the lockers. He hadn’t really known Cas for more than a day, but he felt as though he needed to be protected. Like he was frail and fragile, despite knowing otherwise. He knew Castiel was stronger than he let on, but Dean didn’t think Cas was aware of that, himself. To say he was nervous about showing Cas around town was a gross understatement, as he was practically crawling out of his skin. The crush he developed on this boy had been one he never had before; one that was purely emotional. Most of the relationships Dean had were physical and not really meaningful; not that he didn’t like frisky women, but it was getting tiring. Acting was not one of Dean’s strong suits so pretending to be into the women(although he should say girls or young women) didn’t come naturally.   His beautiful, sleek, black 1967 Chevrolet impala’s roars came to a reluctant halt and he opened the door to step out, tripping over some hosing on his way to the door. “Dad?”, Dean asked into the house, still not quite in the door, hoping for a response. “Yeah, Son?”, John peaked his head around the corner, his face smiling when his eyes caught sight of Dean. His dad’s smile always cheered him up and made him feel welcome. “I’m home”, Dean smiled, curious. “Where’s Sammy?” “Spending the day with some of his teammates. He’ll be home in a couple hours.” “Okay, I’m just drying off some of the dishes for your mother. She’s not feeling well today.”, John finally rounded the corner, wiping his hands on a towel. “She okay?”, Dean started to walk up the stairs. “Yeah. Just a fever. She’ll be up and at ‘em by tomorrow.”, John turned back to the dishes, turning a little bit too quickly as if he were hiding something. “Okay..”, It didn’t seem like he should push for what was bugging his dad so he shrugged it off. He started to walk up the stairs once more before stopping and hesitating to speak, “hey..uh.. dad?” John stopped what he was doing to face Dean with his entire body. He raised a questioning eyebrow. “There’s this kid who’s new to the school and he doesn’t really know the place all too well. I promised to take him to town today. Ya know, show him around and stuff.”, Dean looked down and twiddled his thumbs. He wasn’t sure if his father would allow him to go, but he figured he’d give it a shot anyway. John thought about it for a minute, leaving Dean standing awkwardly on the landing to the stairs. “Yeah, sure. Just get your homework and chores done before you leave.” Dean was a little surprised at the answer, but smiled at himself before replying, “Yes, Sir.” and turned to go down the hall to his room. As he tidied up his room, he couldn’t help but glance over at the window in hopes of seeing Castiel, but he had no such luck. He couldn’t shake the nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was a strange feeling, but one he had to push to the depths of his soul, because he was meeting his summer crush, the one he drooled over without restraint who was probably straight. He didn’t want to drive him away, especially since Castiel seemed so...breakable. Dean cringed, remembering how he almost embarrassed himself in front of Castiel when they first met. He remembered what he said and how boring he made himself look. When Castiel opened the door to the classroom, Dean’s heart leapt out of his chest and his tongue suddenly swelled up. He just couldn’t think of anything significant to say to Castiel because he was in so much shock. When Dean thought back to the hot days of summer, he remembered seeing Castiel dancing and thinking about how wild and passionate he looked. How nothing in the world seemed to slow him down; how he always knew when to stop spinning and where to put his hands. The untamed look in Castiel’s eyes brought Dean’s heart to a sputter and to see those same eyes filled with something Dean recognized as sadness, made his heart drop. In order to revive that passion, Dean had come up with a plan. A plan that would surely make Castiel smile; if he loved dancing as much as he let on. ********************************** Castiel sat on his bed, looking at the ceiling and trying his damned best to calm down. So many things ran through his head at once. Where are we going? Does Dean like me? Can I maybe cancel? Oh god, is this a date? The clock struck 12:45 and that’s when Castiel really started to panic. It sent Castiel’s heart into overdrive and suddenly he had to gain control of his breathing again. His stomach clenched as a wave of nausea washed over him. What if Dean hates me? What if I wear the wrong thing? Will he abandon me? What If I say something stupid and he decides he doesn’t like me? Frustration seeped through his veins. He hated going through this and he hated having to calm himself down. Hair would start falling out if he didn’t stop stressing about everything. On days like this, Castiel would listen to Radiohead until his nerves calmed down a bit, but it seemed like nothing would help. Even with the music playing loud in his headphones, he had the urge to punch a hole through the wall. God Dammit In the midst of his little crisis, he didn’t hear the door open and someone walk through until a rough hand slammed on his shoulder. “What’s crackin’, Cassie?” Castiel jumped and almost fell out of his chair, his headphones clattering to the floor. Once he regained his composure, he swung his chair to face his bed, which his brother was oh-so-casually sprawled out on. “I’m going to have a fucking heart attack if you don’t stop scaring me like that, damn it.” Gabriel tsked, “Cassie, my dear ignorant brother, you know how our father feels about that kind of language.” Castiel straightened his back and apologized promptly. “But seriously, why the f- I mean, why are you here?” “Oh, I just wanted to see how our little spaz was doing.” The insult didn’t really register in Castiel’s brain, so he tilted his head to the side, quizzically. “Well, I’m actually leaving now. Someone offered to show me around town.”, Castiel got up from his chair and grabbed his trenchcoat, walking towards the door. “You? Meeting with a stranger to take a ride around town? That doesn’t sound like you, Cassie. Tell me, what are you REALLY up to...?”, Gabriel sat up, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Castiel sighed and walked out of his bedroom door, yelling back to his older brother, “He’s not a stranger, he’s a friend! Now, Bye.” The front door slammed behind Castiel before Gabriel could respond and he sat down on the front steps, waiting for the sleek black vehicle he knew was Dean’s. He couldn’t help the questions that formed in his head and the more the seconds ticked by, the more the assumptions grew into accusations. “Maybe he won’t like me” turned into “He won’t like me, maybe I should just go inside.” By the time Dean showed up, Castiel was bracing for the inevitable declaration of hatred. Instead, he heard cheer and excitement echo through the air as Dean made his way up the steep steps. “Cas! You ready? I picked up some drinks on the way here. Oh, Did you know you live only like one street from me?” Castiel relaxed a bit at the casual conversation, “Oh, yeah. I recognized your car after the first day.” He lied. “I figured it was yours.” He could see Dean’s body shift as if he were expecting a different answer, but nodded his head towards his car, anyway. Castiel stood up shakily and made his way down the path. It had been a while since he actually left the house on a day other than thursday(which was the day he went to his therapist). As he walked around the car, he marveled at it’s beauty. “Like her? She’s technically my dad’s but he said he’d give her to me when I turn 18. But I’m the one who maintains her and replaces parts when she needs them.” He beamed with pride and opened the drivers door with a smile on his face. Castiel just shook his head and got in, admiring the noir interior. What he liked more than the physicality and colours of the car, was the scent. It smelled like Dean and Dean smelled like the ground after it rained. He smelled like the musky pine trees that covered the woods and a hint, just a hint, of smoky campfire. Cas didn’t intend to take in the smell and revel in it, but things just happened that way. Anyone who had the honor of riding in this beauty would be enchanted by every aspect, he was sure of it. It made Cas’ bones quake with excitement and this time, it wasn’t the crippling jitteriness it usually was; this time, it was pure thrill and true contentment. ******************************* The ride to town was filled with guitar riffs and solos and the occasional drumming of the steering wheel. Dean noticed Castiel’s fidgeting, but decided not to mention it. He lowered the music and spoke without looking away from the road, “So..tell me about yourself? Are you liking it here? Got any siblings?” Cas turned his head, eyes like daggers, staring at the side of Dean’s face, seeming to ponder the question. “Uh..yeah..I like it here a lot. It’s really hot, though..I have fou--three siblings. Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer. They’re all pretty involved in school. Michael wants to be a doctor...he’s saving and applying for medical school as we speak.” Dean couldn’t help but notice the tinge of sadness coming from his voice, like he was remembering something. “Cool. My little brother, Sammy is planning on going to law school. Studies real hard for it, too.” Again, Dean beamed with pride, puffing out his chest slightly. Castiel nodded in acknowledgment before turning his head to focus on the road once again. There was something he wasn’t telling Dean, but neither brought it up. *********************************** “How did you get tickets for this place?” Castiel looked over at Dean with a ridiculous smile on his face. They sat in the middle of The Kauffman Center For Performing Arts. The walls were stained a beautiful tan with red accents. Rows and rows of chairs lined the auditorium, facing a grand stage. Dean hadn’t said anything the whole day about what they were doing, but regardless, Castiel had wonderful time. If he didn’t know any better, this would’ve totally been classified as a date, but since Dean was most likely straight as an arrow, he didn’t mention it. “Oh, I had some money saved up so I figured why not show you around the correct way?” Dean winked. Was that a flirtation? Okay, maybe Dean was a bent arrow, if that wink was anything to go by. Wait, no. Why would he wink? Castiel didn’t really know how to respond, so he just decided to face the stage again. As they waited for the show to start, Cas reminisced about the day. First, Dean showed him the different food joints he enjoyed, such as Biggs. Then, they went round to the different parks and just swung for a while. It was a beautiful day, even with the crispy leaves crunching under their feet as they walked and the clouds spreading through the blue sky. He didn’t know why, but talking with Dean had been easy. They talked about all kinds of things, such as where Cas grew up and what type of car Dean loved the most. Mentions of family came up and although Cas talked about each of his family members with fondness, he neglected to mention Anna. From what he told Cas, Dean’s family was the epitome of perfect; from the caring, but strict dad to their beautiful, lenient mother. Cas couldn’t help but notice the spark in Dean’s eye when he talked about his mother or how his made broad hand gestures to describe her beauty. He smiled to himself thinking about how nice it would be to have a mother. It wasn’t long before Dean jumped off the swing and practically shoved Cas into the car, demanding to keep their next location a secret. Although it worried him a bit, Cas still rode along, just to see what his surprise was. On their way to what he would later find out was the Performing Arts Center, Cas wondered about why Dean was acting as if they knew each other for years. Was this how he treated every stranger? Even with what happened over the summer, he thought it was just a bit odd how fast Dean had jumped at the opportunity to see him after school. Maybe Dean was lonelier than Cas had originally thought. A gentle touch on his arm tore Cas away from his thoughts and he smiled at who tapped him. “Hey, Cas. It’s starting.” Dean pointed to the stage as the lights went dim and the crowd went silent, waiting for the curtains to open. Chapter End Notes please comment and kudo this! I appreciate it a bunch and it helps me to have the drive to keep writing! End Notes Dont forget to review and comment Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!