Chapter Text
Deep breath.You can do this, just go and ask. You can do...nope I can't.
“Sammy, I can't do this!” Dean says and turns around ready to run away as far as possible.
But sadly his brother Sam has become a supernatural being, a moose-puppy-hybrid with a library trapped in his head and the ability to make bitch faces nobody can make. And this supernatural being keeps him form leaving the hallway, leaving school, leaving the state, leaving the continent, hell right now Dean would love to be able to go to space.
“No way you're gonna chicken out now!” Sam spins him around and pushes him forwards “All you gotta do is, walk over there, smile nice, open your mouth and remember to say those ten little words.”
Castiel, would you like to go to prom with me?
Sam makes it all sound so simple, so easy to do. Just a simple question, nothing more, nothing he hasn't done before.
Dean suddenly remembers all the important questions he has asked Cas.
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It had been in their last year of Middle School. Dean had noticed Cas for a while but never really tried to get to know him. But they both were friends with Charlie and one day Castiel joined them for lunch. Their little group was talking about how excited they were to see the last Harry Potter moive.
Charlie was insisting that Harry and Hermione belonged together and not Ron and Hermione, what led to an heated argument between her and Cas and also to the first time Dean really heard Castiel's voice.
Even thought they just were in the middle of puberty Cas' voice was already deep and rough, but Dean liked it somehow. Also Cas got extra credits for not shipping Harry and Hermione.
And so it happened that Dean found himself asking Cas a question for the first time:
“Do you wanna come with us to see the movie this weekend, Cas?”
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The second time Dean had asked Cas a question was right after the Harry Potter moive.
It had been a simple “Hey, what's your phone number?”
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“Wanna hang out after school?” had been the third important question. Dean asked on the Monday after Castiel had given Dean his phone number.
Of course Cas answered with a yes and after school Dean took him home.
Dean introduced him to Sam (those two booknerds bonded immediately) and to his parents, who both seemed to like Cas, even though they would not have expected Dean to have a friend like Cas.
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Cas is shy, silent, and polite. Dean is reckless, loud and a bit cocky. But they get along perfectly. Dean is obsessed with Sci-Fi and Cas loves astronomy. Cas is really interested in literature and Dean has a thing for Vonnegut. Dean is stronger than Cas, but Cas is able to use self defence and he is good. Cas can remember a lot of facts and Dean is good at making strategies, what is the reason why they always team up when it comes to boardgames. All in all they see the best in each other and Dean kinda feels whole when he is around Cas.
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They discovered all that in the summer holidays between Middle and High School, after Dean had asked important question number four, “Watcha doing over the holidays?”
Before the holidays their friendship had slowly started to build. After the holidays they were been best friends, knowing the other almost better than themselves.
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Questions five and six had been asked on Ash's birthday party during their first year of High School.
Somehow Dean found himself drunk, sitting in a round, opposites of Cas and a spinning bottle between them.
Dean had spun it and was now waiting for it to stop. But somehow he was not able to focus on the bottle because Cas was getting all his attention.
Dean had noticed the beauty of Cas' blue piercing eyes before of course, but tonight he couldn't keep his eyes of Cas'.
It actually had started two weeks before the party when the english exchange student Balthazar had shown up and Cas immediately had felt drawn towards the new guy.
And somehow that had bothered Dean. He didn't like the new guy with this pretentious english accent, his shirts with a way to deep v-necks, his stupid jokes that made Cas totally lose it and his shining blond hair that made Dean's hair look like he had fallen in mud.
And after Dean had accepted that it really bothered him, he had also come to terms that he might be in love with his best friend.
His best friend with whom he was playing truth or dare right now.
And as if some superior power was making fun of Dean the bottle ended up pointing towards Cas.
Question number five, “Truth or Dare?”
What if he chooses dare? Could I just say I dare him to kiss me?, Dean thought.
But to his disappointment Castiel chose truth.
Dean had no idea what he should ask, so he just blurted out, “Do you have a crush on anyone in this room?”
Why on god's good earth was he asking that? There were tons of question and you just had to ask if he had a crush? Very subtle Winchester, very subtle, Dean wanted to bang his head against a wall, especially when he saw how Cas blushed when he said, “Yes, I do.”
He did? Who? And why is he staring at me again? Shit what if he crushes on Balthazar and is now mad because I embarrassed him? Dean had a lot of thoughts like this and suddenly felt shitty. But that was nothing compared to how shitty he would feel a few minutes later. A few minutes later when the bottle stopped again in front of Cas and Balthazar had spun it. A few minutes later when Cas chose dare. A few minutes later when Balthazar was seriously bold enough to dare Cas to make out with him. A few minutes later Cas' lips were basically glued on Balthazar's lips.
Dean just felt like his guts were ripped out.
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Dean shakes remembering those two questions. No way he is gonna ask Cas. He struggles, tries to fight Sam, tries everything to get away. But his sesquatch of brother makes it impossible for Dean to flee.
“Just a simple question, Dean,” Sam says, “There are more difficult questions to ask.”
And Sam is right. Dean remembers how hard it had been to ask important question number seven.
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Cas' and Balthazar's lips were now pressed against each other on a constant basis and Dean tried to be happy for Cas. But he couldn't. Sure Cas was still his best friend and they still spent a lot of time together, but Cas also now spent a lot of time with Balthazar and a lot of that time was basically just making out. And seeing them like that, it hurt. It hurt a lot.
And it hurt asking question number seven. But Dean had to ask, he had to know, “Are...are you...” he really had problems asking, “Are you in love?” his voice was raspy and he had looked down while asking.
Dean was afraid of the answer, he was terrified.
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Even more terrified than now. Dean thinks he could cope better with Cas' answer right now than with the one he had gotten on question number seven. Asking Cas now and then being rejected would also not hurt as much as the answer Cas had given him.
Dean can still see the glistening of happiness in Cas' eyes when he had simply said “Yes, I am.”
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When Dean asked question number eight Cas' eyes were glistening too, but it were tears that caused that effect, not happiness.
“I'm gonna kill that bastard!” Dean yelled in fury, “I'm gonna kill him!”
“Dean, please,” Castiel managed to say his voice still shaking under tears, “Please don't?”
“He broke up with you, because you told him you were not ready to have sex! If you think I'm just gonna sit here and ignore that asshole till oblivion, then you are wrong!” Dean had accepted that Balthazar was together with Cas and had given his best not to beat the guy up, but now, now Dean would hurt him as much as the dick had hurt Cas.
“Dean, please,” Cas almost begged him.
He was sitting on his bed tears rolling down his checks and Dean realized that beating up Balthazar could wait. Cas needed him right now. So he said down next to Cas and hugged him. Cas pressed his head against Dean's chest and Dean felt how Cas' tears seeped into his shirt, but he didn't care. All he cared about right now was Cas.
“Do you want me to stay?” question number eight.
Cas just nodded and snuggled himself against Dean.
“Good that I wasn't in love with him,” are the last words Cas had said before he fell asleep cuddled against Dean.
Dean frowned. But hadn't Cas said he was in love? But before Dean had been able to think more about it he drifted off too.
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Question eight is Dean''s favourite question, even though the reason it had been asked was Cas' pain, but Dean likes remembering the results of question eight.
He is only a few steps away from Cas and he begins to damn the results of question nine.
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He had asked question nine a week ago. It was a normal Monday morning and Cas had been waiting at Dean's locker so they both could go together to their literature class. When Dean saw Cas he just had to smile. His day was always better when it featured Cas.
He simply asked, “How ya doing Cas?”
And Cas simply answered “I am fine. Thanks Dean.” and smiled.
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It is funny how unimportant question nine seems. But for Dean it is the most important. Because the question had made Cas smile. And this smile is the reason why Dean is now standing in front of Cas, his legs shaking, his breath caught, his lips not able to from those ten little words. Sam gives him a last little push and leaves.
But Cas doesn't seem to mind that Dean behaves so oddly. He just smiles his endearing smile and says, “Hello Dean.”
And it somehow calms Dean. He doesn't have the urgent desire to flee and hide in space. All he wants to is ask Cas.
But before he can manage to open his mouth Cas just asks, “Do you wanna keep staring at me or are you actually still planning on asking me out for prom?”
Dean's jaw drops.
“Wha...wha...what?” he stutters.
Since when was Cas the cocky one and Dean the one having problems getting out the words?
“How...how did you know?” is all Dean manages to say.
Cas just gives him a smug smile, “Dean Winchester, you have been my best friend for ages and I know you basically better than you know yourself.”
Dean still can't quite believe what is going on, all he can do is stare at Cas.
“You still haven't asked by the way,” Cas is staring at him looking really amused by how baffled Dean is.
“What?” it's like someone put a wall in Dean's brain so that he can't say a single proper sentence.
But Cas doesn't seem to mind.
“You still haven't asked me if I would like to go out with you and be your date for prom,” Cas explains, “But take your time. I've been waiting quite a few years now for this question. I can wait a few minutes longer,” he adds and with that he has lost Dean completely.
“What do you mean, you've been waiting for years? Last year you were still snogging Balthazar?” thanks god Dean finally manages to speak like a normal human being.
But he is confused and a bit angry remembering Balthazar.
“I was together with Balthazar because I was afraid you weren't interested. I mean I had thought you had sent me some signals, but I was wondering what if I had read them wrong. I was too much of a chicken to ask you, so I tried to convince myself I were crushing on Balthazar, even though all this time I wanted you. And well I'm done playing chicken now.” Cas says blushing.
And suddenly so much makes sense. When Dean had asked Cas about his crush and Cas had just stared at him turning red like a tomato, it was because he had been crushing on Dean. And when he had said he was in love, but later had claimed he hadn't been in love with Balthazar, it was because he had been in love with Dean...or actually is...hopefully.
“Do..you...do you still feel the same?” Dean asks his mood switching from unbelievable happy to anxious.
But instead of an answer Cas is suddenly kissing him. Dean is so surprised he tenses up for a second but then melts into the kiss. Cas' lips are soft and seem to fit perfectly against Dean's. It's a soft, tender kiss, for Dean it feels like the best kiss ever. His entire body is filled with a warm tingling sensation and even when his and Cas' lips part, the sensation stays.
And Cas is right. It's time to stop playing chicken. Dean swallows hard but finally manages to ask important question number ten, “Cas, would you like to go to prom with me?”
And Sam was right, just ten little words, one small question, nothing to be afraid of.
“I would love to, Dean,” Cas says and before Dean can let out a relieved breath Cas is kissing him again.