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On Monday, Castiel wakes up at 8, like usual. He receives two “good morning” texts, one from Charlie and one from Dean, like usual. He walks to school at 8:30, stopping to pet the neighbour’s cat, again like usual.
When he gets to school, he sees Dean leaning against his locker, waiting for him.
Which is unusual.
“Hey, Cas.” Dean greets with a soft smile. He pushes off the locker and saunters over, ducking his head to place a quick peck on Castiel’s cheek. In response, Cas flames bright red and quickly glances around. No one seems to have noticed them, but still Castiel can’t help the bit of anxiety that creeps up. Dean seems to sense his unease, guiding him to his locker and talking in hushed tones as Castiel pulls books from his backpack.
“Shit, I didn’t think that through. Maybe we should’ve talked about how we’re going to act in public?” He’s trying to remain calm and diplomatic for Cas’s sake, but inside he’s burning up with fear that Castiel will privately accept him, but publicly reject his attentions.
Castiel finishes transferring books from his backpack to his locker before he focuses Dean. “I don’t know how you feel about being open in regards to our relationship, but personally I would much rather not keep it a secret. We have nothing to hide, so we shouldn’t behave as though we do.” And with that, all of Dean’s fears are swept aside. Entirely disregarding the students milling about them, he takes Castiel’s face in his hands and gently presses their lips together. Behind him, he hears a loud gasp, then footsteps running up to them. He pulls away to find Charlie staring at them, breathless and bouncing on her toes.
“I knew it! I knew you two would get together! Castiel, how many times did I tell you it would work out? I should’ve made some kind of betting pool, I’d be rich right now!” She throws her hands up in the air and jumps in a circle. Dean is exhausted just watching her get worked up. Castiel smiles and shakes his head at her.
“Calm down, Charlie. This is…very new. To both of us. I’m glad we have your support, though.” He means to pat her on the shoulder, but she grips his wrist and pulls him into a bone-crushing hug. Whispering into his ear, she says, “I’m so happy for you, you sappy little dork. You got your happily ever after.” When they break apart, Castiel looks from her to Dean, and he feels warmth spreading through him from the fondness on Dean’s face.
To Charlie, he says, “This is only the beginning.”
{----}
Of course, the peace doesn’t last.
It’s after gym, and Dean is pulling off a sweat-soaked shirt when he feels a shove from behind and is slammed face first into a locker. Caught off guard and head ringing like a church bell, he takes a second to recover. When he turns around he sees Luc, the school’s resident bigot asshole, leering at him.
“Hey look, it’s Winchester the fairy. You gonna watch us guys undress, queer? Or have you been doing that all along?” Luc aims another shove against his chest, and Dean’s lower back smashes up painfully against a combination lock. A few guys look over at the noise, but most keep their heads down, too afraid to face the bully’s rage.
Curling his hands into fists, Dean prepares to defend himself from impending blows when suddenly Luc’s being pulled back roughly by the scruff of his neck.
“Oi, the hell you think you’re doing to Winchester?” Benny Lafitte growls, yanking Luc away from Dean and over to the opposite wall. Seconds later, he’s backed up by Gabriel and Ash. It sure as hell is an amusing sight, two scrawny short dudes and their fearless leader against Luc the nutcase. Dean would laugh if he weren’t still reeling from the sudden turn of events.
For a few tense seconds, Luc stares down the three of them. Then he lunges for Ash, and all hell breaks loose. Right away, Benny has him in a choke hold, and Gabriel starts kicking at his shins. Ash takes a step back, and then shoves all of his weight at Luc, forcing him to topple over along with Benny, still locked around his neck. The scuffling and muffled shouts draw attention, and within moments the students that had gathered around are hastily clearing a path for someone much bigger.
A thundering voice booms above the chaos as the gym teacher, Bobby rounds the corner from his office and demands, “WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU IDJITS DOING IN HERE?” He stops short when he sees Luc sprawled out on the floor, legs and arms held down by Benny and Ash, while Gabriel sits cross-legged on his chest with a lollypop hanging out of his mouth.
“Hiya, teach!” Gabriel calls, grinning. “Just taking care of our friend Luc, here. Seems he’s jealous of Dean-o and his hot new boy toy. We’re helping him cool down.” Gabriel winks. Dean stares, open-mouthed, and glances up at Bobby’s face to see his reaction.
Bobby’s face stays gruff and serious for half a second longer, before he rolls his eyes and stoops to heave Luc off the floor. He mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like, “Irritating little bastard…” before hauling the bully off to the principal’s office.
Ash and Benny high five each other, and Gabriel rocks back and forth on his heels, grinning.
“So Winchester, this new guy of yours, he’s a real looker.” Gabriel leans in closer. “He got any sisters?”
{----}
Gabriel, Benny, and Ash join Dean, Cas, and Charlie at their lunch table. Dean and Castiel sit next to each other, subtly scooting closer until they’re pressed thigh to thigh. Charlie makes a choking noise around her sandwich, complaining that they’re making “googly eyes” at each other. Gabriel snorts, Benny and Ash roll their eyes, and all six of them smile and laugh, completely content with the little group they’ve formed.
No one gives them any trouble, word having gotten around about the “locker room incident.” Besides, Dean and Cas getting together becomes old news once Meg Masters hoists herself up onto a table and loudly announces that she caught an English teacher and a janitor hooking up behind the school.
Just a typical Monday at Lawrence High.
{----}
At the end of the school day, Dean waits outside the art classroom for Castiel. When the students empty out, but he still doesn’t see Cas, he walks inside to find him.
The art room contains a multitude of smells, from drying paint to pencil lead, and Dean breathes it in. He spots Castiel near the back, brow furrowed as he stares at an easel in front of him. There’s a stripe of paint across his left cheek. Dean smiles as he walks up to his boyfriend, who notices him a second before Dean is pressing kisses to his cheek. “Well hello there.” He states fondly when Dean slides up behind him and wraps strong arms around his waist.
Dean rests his chin on Cas’s shoulder and studies the painting in front of them. “That’s really neat.” He says, impressed. There’s a painted figure in the middle of the canvas, body half turned away, arms raised up as if holding someone. Stark white wings fold out from the figure’s back and stretch out across the canvas, while tiny dots that look like stars frame a halo around the painted figure’s head. Dean can feel Castiel smiling.
“Thanks. It’s umm…it’s you. Dancing.” Dean blinks in surprise, narrowing his eyes to examine the painting closer. The figure does have his same shoulder structure and bow legs. Castiel took obvious care, getting every detail perfect. The only thing he’s not sure on is-
“The wings.” Dean says, chuckling. “You’re the angel, not me.”
Castiel watches Dean from the corner of his vision. “No Dean, you just haven’t noticed your wings yet. But you will.” He says quietly, placing a gentle kiss on Dean’s forehead. “You will.”
Dean helps Castiel clean up, revelling in the swirl of emotions overtaking him. Hand in hand, they exit the art room.
As Dean walks out of the building with Cas, he spots Lisa. “I’ll be right back, baby.” He says, leaning in to place a chaste kiss on the man’s lips. Grinning at the blush that immediately blooms on Castiel’s cheeks, he jogs over to where Lisa stands surrounded by her friends. Sure she’s pretty, but as Dean looks at her, he realizes she’s missing something. That sense of more that seems to radiate from Castiel is absent. Maybe he’s the only one who notices, but it’s what makes Cas special, and what draws Dean to him. That feeling that beyond the surface lies something waiting to be discovered, and now Dean’s been given the chance to find out what it is. Without any reservations, he trots up to Lisa and addresses her politely.
“Hey Lisa, can I talk to you for a second?” He cants his head to the side, beckoning her away from the group. She follows, and they stop a few feet away, just out of earshot of her friends who are looking on curiously.
Dean takes in a deep breath. “Look, I’m really sorry, but I can’t go to prom with you. Something happened this weekend, and there’s kind of …someone else. Someone who’s been waiting for me for a long time.” His gaze momentarily darts over to where he left Castiel.
Lisa catches the movement and looks over at Cas, who stands watching them, although trying to appear as though he isn’t. She smiles back up at Dean, no trace of sadness or disappointment to be seen. “So he’s the one, huh?”
Dean doesn’t ask what she means, because he knows. Just like he knows immediately what the answer is.
“Yeah, he’s the one.”