Chapter Text
Part 1
“I need to find a dress for prom. You’re coming with me.” Charlie plops down across from Castiel at their lunch table, wide eyed and radiating stress. Cas shoots her a disbelieving look.
“You haven’t gotten a dress yet?” he asks. Charlie groans and drops her forehead onto the table. A muffled, “Noooooooooo” reaches Castiel, who laughs and shakes his head.
“Charlie, prom is in a week.” Charlie snaps her head up and glares.
“I know, that’s why I’m freaking out!” She gestures wildly, nearly knocking Gabriel’s lunch tray from his hands as he moves to sit next to her.
“Whoa girl, watch what you’re doing! You almost knocked this horrifically disgusting prison food outta my hands.” Gabriel takes a seat and catches sight of Charlie’s frazzled appearance. “What’s the matter with you?” he asks, stuffing a rubbery chicken nugget in his mouth. Charlie rounds on him, hands clutching his shoulders.
“What’s the matter?” she repeats. “The matter is that prom is in a week and I don’t have a dress!” She gives Gabriel’s shoulders a good shake before dropping her head back into her hands. Gabriel looks on, unfazed.
“So? It can’t be too hard to find a dress.” He shrugs, returning to his lunch.
Castiel tilts his head and observes Charlie’s hysterics, bemused. “Charlie, I thought you didn’t care for prom? I wasn’t even sure you were going.” Charlie looks up at him, cheeks tinged pink.
“Yeah, well…I, um, kind of have a date. As of about ten minutes ago, anyway.” She glances away shyly, locking eyes with a tall, lovely red headed girl. Both girls smile at each other and blush. Neither Castiel nor Gabriel misses the exchange. It’s Gabriel who reacts first.
“Aww man, you’re going with Anna Milton? I’ve been waiting to make a move on her for ever, and you just swoop in and take her? Not cool.” Gabriel frowns, though he doesn’t seem to be too hurt as he winks at a doe-eyed freshman girl walking past their table. Castiel reaches across the table and pats Charlie’s hand.
“So you finally asked her out?” he asks. Charlie shakes her head.
“Actually, she’s the one who asked me to prom. Said she’s had a crush on me for a long time, but never thought I was interested. Sound familiar?” She nods pointedly at a spot over Cas’s shoulder. Turning, he spots Dean heading towards them. When Dean sees Castiel, his face breaks out in a warm smile that never fails to make Cas’s heart race. Dean slides in next to him, and Cas pulls him close enough that he can peck him on the cheek. They haven’t made it past shy kisses and lingering hugs yet, both too nervous to press further.
“Dean, we both need to go rent tuxes soon.” Castiel reminds Dean once he’s settled into his seat. Dean scrunches his face into a comical pout.
“But I don’t wanna.”
“You promised.”
“Yeah, but…” Castiel leans in close to Dean’s ear, hot breath pouring over it. In a fit of courage, he whispers, “Dean…I can just imagine how hot you’ll look in a tux. Might lead to a pretty exciting prom night.” Dean’s breath hitches, and he visibly composes himself before he turns to Cas with a cocky grin.
“Oh all right.”
Across the table, Charlie perks up. “There’s a little shop downtown that sells tuxes and dresses, why don’t we all go together after school?” Cas nods his consent, while Dean groans and stuffs food into his mouth. Chuckling, Castiel rubs a hand along Dean’s spine, causing him to shiver.
“Don’t worry,” he murmurs, “I’ll make it worth your while.”
Dean doesn’t complain once after that.
{----}
“Oh my god there’s too much pink.” Dean is frozen in the middle of the shop, surrounded by frilly dresses and annoyingly bright pastels. Charlie giggles at Dean’s obvious discomfort, and he shoots her a glare before turning to Cas.
“Can we just grab a suit and go? I don’t want to be in here any longer than I have to.” He glances around at all the girls in the shop chattering in their annoyingly high pitched voices, gushing over this dress or that hair clip. It set’s Castiel’s teeth on edge, and he’s thankful to see that Charlie looks mildly put out as well.
“I’m with you, Dean. This place is already driving me nuts. I just need something that’ll make Anna want to ravish me in the back of her car after prom, then we can leave.” Dean and Castiel both wrinkle their noses in disgust, making Charlie grin. “What, like you two aren’t aiming to drive the other crazy with need? I know you both. You may act all shy and modest around everyone else, but I can feel the UST when you just look at each other.” She winks and prances off in search of a sales lady.
Dean watches her go, confusion etched on his brow. “What’s UST?” he asks Castiel. Certain he’s blushing from head to toe, Cas refuses to answer.
“It’s…nothing. I’ll tell you later.” If Dean really does look as good in a tux as Castiel imagines he will, he won’t have to explain it. Dean opens his mouth to complain, but is interrupted when Charlie comes back, manager of the store in tow.
“Well look here, two handsome boys come to my little shop! Looking for a nice tux to impress your girls at prom? My name’s Missouri Moseley, by the way.” She holds out a hand, and Dean and Cas shake it politely. Shuffling closer to Castiel, Dean slides an arm around his waist.
“Actually ma’am, we’re going to prom together.” He squares his shoulders, daring her to make a back handed comment. He’s been more protective of Castiel lately, and Cas would be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying it a little.
Missouri raises her eyebrows, then smiles warmly at them. “Well good for you, boys. It’s nice to see young people not afraid to love who they want. Now come on over, we’ll get you both measured.” She leads them to a fitting room area, where she tells them to sit tight while she picks out tuxes for them. “I’m going to find the perfect ones for you boys, just you wait!” She bustles off with Charlie, who gives them a thumbs up before following.
Cas glances over at Dean, who looks moderately uncomfortable. “I’m sorry for making you go through all of this. Do you…regret asking me to prom?” Though he’s afraid of the answer, he would be more afraid of forcing Dean to do something he doesn’t want to. It certainly wouldn’t be the greatest way to start their newfound relationship.
Dean, who a moment ago had been nervously pulling at a loose string on his jacket, looks up sharply. “What? No, of course not! Why would you even think that?”
Cas shifts in his chair, suddenly timid. “Well…you don’t seem too happy to be here, and I haven’t exactly asked you if you still want this…”
“Cas.” Dean stands from his chair and kneels in front of Castiel. “Don’t for one second think that I don’t want this. I do, I promise.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
“I…I got into KU. Found out this morning. I’m staying in Lawrence after graduation.”
Cas smiles brightly. “That’s wonderful Dean!” When Dean doesn’t smile back, Castiel’s excitement falls away. “It is wonderful, isn’t it?”
Dean sighs deeply and takes hold of one of Cas’s hands, fiddling with his fingers and stroking over his palm. “I saw all of those Ivy League school brochures in your room. I know you’re probably going off to some big fancy college. Hell, you’re smart enough to go anywhere you want. I’m just….you’re going to leave, and I just got you, and prom is going to be our last big hurrah before everything changes.” Dean’s voice catches and he looks away quickly before Castiel can see the tears collecting in his eyes.
Oh. Oh.
“You think I’m leaving you.” Cas states.
Just barely, Dean nods. “Yeah.” He whispers in a choked voice.
“Dean, look at me.” Cas puts his fingers under Dean’s chin, tilting it up until they’re face to face. “I’ve been waiting for you for four years. There is no power in heaven or on Earth that could take me away from you now.” Dean makes a broken whimpering sound and buries his face in Cas’s neck.
“Promise?” he asks, voice muffled.
Castiel strokes a hand over his back. “Promise.”
Neither one says anything for a minute. They don’t need to. Eventually, Dean pulls back and breaks the silence.
“You know, I still can’t dance.”
Recognizing the diversion for what it is, Cas laughs lightly and threads his fingers through Dean’s. “Maybe I’ll have to give you another lesson.”
“I don’t think we’d be doing much dancing.” Dean murmurs. They slowly lean into each other, faces barely an inch away, but just before their lips can brush, someone clears their throat. Pulling his face away from Dean’s quickly, Castiel looks up and sees Charlie smirking at the two of them, with Missouri looking similarly amused.
“I’m sorry, did we interrupt?” Charlie asks innocently, smug smile betraying her tone. Missouri bustles in behind her, two charcoal grey tuxedos slung over her shoulder.
“No makin’ out in my shop, you here? Save that for prom night.” Missouri winks at them and hangs up both tuxes. “All right boys, here you are. I know you’ll look great in these.” When neither Cas nor Dean makes a move to take the suits, she puts her hands on her hips and harrumphs. “C’mon now, they aren’t going to put themselves on, are they? Get in those dressin’ rooms! Hurry now!” When Missouri commands, you don’t hesitate. You obey. Dean and Castiel scramble to their feet, hurriedly grabbing the tuxes and disappearing into adjacent dressing rooms.
Charlie is left behind to laugh at them; that is, until Missouri turns to her and says, “Now how ‘bout we go find you somethin’ lovely to wear, hmm?”
Had Dean and Cas seen the look of pure panic on her face, they would have been extremely amused.
{----}
“So Cas…how do I look? Be honest.”
“…..holy shit.”
“Ugh, that bad?”
“God no! That good.”
“……..….”
“……..….”
“Damn baby, if you’re going to kiss me like that every time I wear a tux, I might have to do it more often.”
“I’m all for that idea. But for now….”
“……...…”
“………….”
“What is goin’ on here? I told you boys no frenching in my dressing rooms!”
{----}
Dean realizes the day before prom that he hasn’t told his parents he’s dating a guy. It’s not that he’s afraid; it’s just that he’s….afraid. His mother wouldn’t care, of course. The wonderful thing about Mary is that she has an enormous heart, finding good in everyone no matter what. No, his mother isn’t the problem. His father is.
John Winchester is and all American man with traditional values and a stubborn streak that stretches across the country. He taught Dean how to fix a car, shoot a gun, and charm a woman. There’s no way he’s going to hold up a rainbow flag and dance with joy at the knowledge that his son is going to prom with a guy, and to top it off Dean is already pretty damn sure he’s in love with Cas. Has been for a while.
Just as he’s psyching himself up, mentally preparing to face the wrath of his father, someone knocks on his bedroom door.
“What do you want, Sammy?” he asks, able to distinguish Sam’s light rap from Mary’s gentle tapping and John’s pounding fist. Sam opens the door and peeks inside, floppy hair falling in his face.
“Prom is tomorrow.”
Dean rolls his eyes. Like he needed the reminder. “No shit, Sherlock.”
“You haven’t told mom and dad you’re dating Castiel.”
Dean nearly falls off the bed. “What the….how the hell did you know??” he splutters, realizing moments later that he could have denied it. He’s been telling the truth more lately; maybe Cas is a good influence.
It’s Sam’s turn to roll his eyes. “Dean, please. You’ve been hanging out with him more, you smile all the time, and you talk about him nonstop. It’s really annoying, actually. Plus I saw you two making out last week.”
Dean knows his mouth is open comically wide, but he can’t seem to shut it. Swallowing hard, he asks the one thing he fears the most. “Does dad know?”
Sam shakes his head.
“Maybe we should keep it that way.”
“Dean.” Sam comes all the way into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. “I know you’re afraid to tell dad. He’s not exactly the most understanding person in the world. But you want to keep Cas around for a while, right?” Dean nods immediately. “Well then, you can’t keep him a secret. It’s not right to do that to him. You’re not ashamed of him, you’re not ashamed of yourself, so why act as if you are?”
Dean takes a good long look at his little brother, wondering when the hell he got so smart. “Sammy,” he starts, clapping the kid on the back, “How are you only 14?”
Sam grins smugly. “I got all the good genes.”
“Yeah, except for good looks.”
“Shut up, jerk”
“Bitch.”
{----}
“Mom, Dad, I’m dating a guy.”
“Hey, umm…me and Cas are going to prom together.”
“I kissed a boy, and I liked it.”
“Mom….”
“What is it Dean?” Whipping around quickly, Dean prays to every God known to man that his mother did not just hear anything he said. She doesn’t appear startled or horrified, so Dean takes that as a good sign.
“Umm…I kind of have something to tell you and dad.” He fidgets nervously, and his mother, god bless her, can tell something’s up. She nods slowly and walks towards the door leading into the garage.
“Why don’t you go wait in the living room, and I’ll get your father, okay?” Dean’s heart is in his throat, and he paces back and forth in the living room, too wound up to sit down. Sam must be freaking psychic, because he chooses to walk in at the exact moment their parents do. Dean narrows his eyes and tries not to let his voice shake too much.
“Sammy, do you need to be here for this?” he growls. The little shit plops down into an armchair and makes himself comfortable, grinning in that smug, irritating way that only he can pull off.
“Sure I do! This is a family meeting. I’m family!” Dean continues to glare at him, muttering under his breath.
John sits down heavily on the couch, wiping grease off his fingers with an already thoroughly stained cloth. “Your mother said you had something to tell us?” he asks, oblivious to the panic swirling in his son’s gut.
“Uhh, yeah…” Dean rubs at the back of his neck, unable to find words. John sighs deeply, gazing at his son with detached interest.
“I need to get back in the shop, Dean. Either spit it out or tell us later.”
Well. His dad wasn’t going to make it any easier for him. Figures. The only thing that stopped him from running right then and there was the gentle, encouraging look his mother sent his way. Taking a deep breath, Dean came out with it.
“You know Castiel? Well, umm… we’re dating. And I’m taking him to prom.”
Silence. Complete and utter silence. Then-
“That’s awesome Dean! Cas is really cool, I think you two make a good couple.” Sam is beaming with happiness, squirming around in his seat. The kid is one damn fine actor. And thank goodness he is, because his excited outburst has shaken Mary from her frozen state.
“Oh honey, that’s wonderful! You and Castiel have been friends for so long. I’ve always said it’s best to be friends first, and to date later.” Before Dean can react, he’s being swept into a warm hug. His mother smells like vanilla and cinnamon, and the familiarity of it calms him instantly. He almost forgets about his father.
Almost.
“My son is dating a boy.” John’s low, deep growl hits Dean like a punch in the stomach, and he tenses up. Mary slowly pulls away from him and faces her husband, jaw set.
“John Winchester, if you have anything to say that does not include ‘congratulations’ or ‘I’m happy for you’, I’d suggest you close that mouth of yours.” Dean’s mother’s voice is cold, colder than he’s ever heard it before. John’s eyes widen briefly, and he seems like he’s about to say something. One more look at Mary convinces him not to go through with it. Without a word, he stands from the couch and walks back into the garage, not even glancing at Dean once.
Mary claps her hands together and smiles at her two sons. “That went well! Now who wants pie?”
Only one thing could lessen the hurt that Dean feels, and that is his mother’s pie.
{----}
Later that night, just as Dean is getting ready to sleep, he hears a light tap at the door. Thinking it’s his mother, he gets up and opens it.
It’s not his mother.
“Hey Dean.” John says, looking down at his hands that are clasped together in front of him. Dean swallows heavily and takes a step back. His father hadn’t said anything to anyone all evening, carrying a dark cloud with him around the house.
That dark cloud was gone, replaced by a solemn air and…regret? His eyes look worn down, and Dean hesitantly opens the door wider.
“Hey dad.”
“Dean….I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did. Date who you want. Cas is a good kid, I….I’m sure you two are happy together.” John looks his son in the eye, and the barest of smiles touches his face.
Dean is so shocked, he can’t say anything but the truth. “We are, dad.”
His dad nods shortly. “Good. Don’t fuck it up.”
That’s John Winchester encouragement for you.