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Dean watched in fascination as Cas drew a line of stars up one of his arms, making constellations on his skin. The black ink slowly transforming the boy's body was far more interesting than whatever equation the teacher was droning on about. Fuck he hated school. The only reason he turned up at all was the threat of expulsion, and the knowledge of what his father would do to him if he was kicked out of another school. Well, that wasn't strictly true, there was also Cas, Cas who had drawn pictures for him when he'd turned up with yet another split lip, more hidden bruises. Cas who'd held him tight when his father disappeared, again, leaving him all alone. Cas who was the only person besides Dean who Sammy ever hugged. Yes, Cas was worth enduring this hell hole for.
The bell rang and Dean grabbed his bag, half out of the door before a voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Mr Winchester, a moment please."
He groaned as the teacher called him back into the classroom, Cas shooting him a sympathetic look as he packed his things away.
"Meet up later?" He murmured, briefly laying a hand on his arm, subtly comforting.
"Yeah, out back." Dean said unnecessarily, their break time hangout spot was rarely subject to change.
The rest of the class left the room and the door closed with a deafening finality.
"Take a seat."
The teacher sat down behind her desk and gestured at the seat opposite. Dean forced himself to sit, wanting nothing more than to run, a familiar sense of doom settling over him.
"Sit up straight Winchester, you'll do your back in."
Dean glared at the teacher and slouched lower. She pursed her lips.
"I will put this simply," Dean bristled at the tone, hearing the patronisation, the implication that he was somehow lesser, "you are failing this class. You are also failing English, and history, and, if you do not vastly improve your grade point average by the end of the month, you will be expelled."
Dean's heart plummeted in his chest. No no no, not again.
"Uh..." Dean spoke intelligently, his brain faltering, too panicked to summon a response.
"I know your home life is... challenging, and as such we have made special dispensations for your situation, but you are testing our patience Mr Winchester. This is your final warning. That will be all."
Dean nodded mutely and practically ran out of the classroom, tripping over his feet in his haste to leave.
He threw the outside door open and collapsed against the back wall of the school building, in his favourite alcove, out of view of the main windows. His hands were shaking slightly but he rolled a spliff with practiced ease.
He took a long drag, leaning his head against the wall as he slowly exhaled. He smiled when he felt a familiar figure settle against the wall beside him, side pressed to his, warming him. He held out the spliff, Cas' fingers brushing against his own for slightly too long as he took it. Dean turned his head to watch as Cas breathed in the smoke, the way his lips curled around the joint, the expertise with which he exhaled. Cas caught him staring and shot him a grin. Dean looked away.
"What's wrong?" Cas asked, taking another drag then passing the joint back.
Dean focussed on smoking, any excuse to stay silent for a few moments longer.
"Dean?"
Cas' forehead crinkled with concern, he moved infinitesimally closer, soothing in his proximity.
Dean sighed.
"I'm getting expelled."
"What?" Cas turned to fully face him. Anger seething in his eyes.
Dean slowly breathed out, watching tendrils of smoke dance and disperse. He looked up at the overcast sky, wondered if that was what the clouds looked like up close, not that he ever intended to get high enough to find out, not in that sense at least.
"If I don't get my grades up I’m gone." He let out a mirthless laugh. "I'm screwed Cas, I'm so screwed."
“You can study. I’ll tutor you.”
Cas shrugged like it was nothing.
“Like I have time for that.”
Dean had a job to work, bills to pay, god knew his dad wasn’t earning anything. Sammy had to be clothed and fed. The house and the car needed to be kept in one piece. By the time all of that was done he barely had the energy to toe off his shoes before collapsing into bed.
“We’ll find a way.”
Cas put a hand on his shoulder, gripping tight, grounding him. Dean leaned into the touch.
“Oh look, the stoner faggots are at it again.”
Dean’s attention was instantly pulled to the intruder, hatred making his skin crawl when he saw who it was. Cas didn’t withdraw his hand, defiantly refusing to break contact.
“What do you want Uriel?” Dean growled.
“I want to stop having to look at your filthy kind. Too bad daddy couldn’t beat the sin out of you.”
Dean lunged towards him, determined to punch the smug look off the self righteous bastard’s face, but Cas held him back.
“Scared your boyfriend will get hurt Castiel? Or are you more worried about him getting expelled?” He laughed as Cas bristled. “It’s a good thing Mommy Winchester didn’t live to see what a disappointment her son turned out to be.”
There was a flash of movement as Cas flew at Uriel. Dean watched in amazement as Cas let loose on him with a ferocity that Dean hadn’t even known he was capable of. Uriel seemed even more surprised, he certainly didn’t looked smug anymore. Cas drove him into the ground, the other boy getting in a few good punches himself but clearly incapable of defending himself from the vengeful fury with which Castiel was attacking.
“Cas!”
Dean broke himself out of the daze he’d been caught in and tried to pull Cas away, to no avail, the other boy was a hell of a lot stronger than he looked.
“Cas, come on, he’s not worth it.”
Cas laid in one more punch for good measure, before releasing him and getting to his feet.
“Leave. Now.” Cas commanded between clenched teeth. Uriel scrambled to comply, sending a terrified look over his shoulder as he raced inside.
Cas turned to face Dean, taking in his shocked expression.
“Jesus Cas, you’re vicious.” Dean said, still wide eyed.
“The bastard had it coming.” Cas wiped his hands on his clothing.
Dean stared for a moment longer, before breaking into hysterical giggles. Cas’ lips twitched at the corners, not seeming sure whether he should also be laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
Dean was almost crying with laughter. Cas looked on, bemused, but smiling.
“Just- you. You’re a freaking lunatic.”
Cas looked affronted.
“I only did what you wanted to do mere moments before.”
Dean wiped his eyes, still shaking with occasional laughs.
“And you did it so wonderfully. God I love you.”
Dean froze the moment the words were out of his mouth. He braced himself for a punch, for the violent streak he had just witnessed to be turned on him. Prepared himself for rejection.
“Err, I mean...” He tried to summon the ability to laugh it off, to act like it was just an offhand comment, like there was no deeper meaning. He found himself incapable. He couldn’t lie, not about this.
Cas crossed back to their position against the wall, smiling as he took the spliff from his hand and relit it. He snaked an arm around Dean’s waist and pulled them flush together. Dean’s breath caught in his throat.
“I know what you mean.” Cas spoke softly.
His eyes searched his for a moment, silently asking for permission, he must have seen what he was looking for, because he leaned in. Dean’s mind worked a mile a minute as that short distance was closed, thoughts screaming that it was wrong, that he was a friend, his best friend. That he wasn’t gay anyway and his dad would disapprove and it was just so-
Their lips touched and Dean’s thoughts faded away. Panic wiped away by how incredibly right it felt, warm and comforting and so long overdue, it felt like home. Dean melted into the kiss, pulling him closer, demanding more. Cas tasted of smoke and spearmint and something like ozone, and he couldn’t get enough of it. Time seemed to screech to a standstill as their lips moved together, mouths opening and tongues just barely touching, intimate in a way it had never been with anyone else.
They slowly separated, unwillingly, Dean whining for him to come back. Cas grinned and took a drag from the spliff, breathing out smoke in a satisfied sort of way. Dean stared at the lips that had so recently been on his, just looking in a way he had never allowed himself to do before.
"I've been wanting to do that for years."
"Then why did you stop?" He grumbled.
"I've got to get to class, and you've got to study. Who knows, if you do your homework I might actually kiss you again."
Cas stubbed out the joint and sauntered away, ignoring Dean's cries of outrage as he went.