Destiel big bang 2
Researching the legend was all well and good but, yeah, Dean was never going to be a massive bookworm and it wasn't like he could research every hour of the day, he got lonely. Four days after they stopped talking Gabriel sang his presentation in history, complete with an elaborate dance routine, and by the end of it Dean was willing to be friend again.
For his part, Gabriel didn't seem to phased by losing and regaining Dean's friendship, carrying on much as he had before. Dean would have been kind of insulted but, well, Gabe was like that. He didn't know why he'd tried to prove a point by not being friend with a guy who did not, as a habit, let people close or let them hurt him.
The up-side of being friends with Gabriel again was he kind of knew everything. Or he had an answer for everything, at least, which was kind of the same thing. The evening they started talking again then hung out down by the sports field, and Dean asked Gabriel about some of the things he'd found out. Gabriel answered about all the trivial stuff but he had not more idea about graves than anyone else and gave Dean a really weird look when he asked so he dropped that line of questioning pretty quickly.
"Hey," Gabe asked as they passed a group of joggers. Campus was pretty quiet at this time of night but there were always a few people who would go out running every chance they got. Dean kind of wanted to trip them all. "You seen your brother yet?"
"Nah, kid's always too busy," Dean replied sullenly. And, yeah, he kind of was sulking. He'd tried but Sam just had to be the perfect student and do everything. He couldn't be a drop out like he and Gabriel were and come hang out by the sport field all evening. "Why do you want to know?"
"Nothing important, he was just asking me about you the other night and I was curious..."
"Hey, wait a second," Dean said, slowing. "You know Sammy?"
"Yeah, didn't I tell you?" Gabriel replied with a grin. "We're in the same house."
"It kind of sucks that you've seen him more recently then me," Dean mumbled, kicking futile at the ground. "He'd my brother."
"Yeah, I know. Like I said, he was talking to me about you the other day. Sounds like he misses you a lot but he's kind of busy. Don't know what to say to you, Dean-o. Give the kid some time to get used to this crazy place then maybe he'll be able to make more time for you."
"Hope so," Dean said with a sign. "Not used to being away from family for this long."
"Must be nice," Gabriel said, contemplative. "I've...well...I'm an only child and I've never really been close with my family. Singly mother and all that, she never really know what to do with me."
"Must be pretty loaded to send you here thought?" Dean asked, shrugging. "That'd be nice. Me and Sammy are only here on scholarships; our dad would never afford this."
"Oh, my mum can't," Gabriel said with a shrug. "My dad pays, but in return I'm not meant to know who he is or meet him or anything."
"Not meant to...so you do?"
"Dean, you should know by now that I know everything," Gabriel replied with a lazy wink. "Doesn't matter, anyway. I don't want to know him. Don't want him to pay for my stupid school or anything but when I say things like that in front of my mum she bursts in to tears and starts going on about my future, easier to just stick it out."
"Know what you mean," Dean said, setting of walking again. He hated the idea that Gabriel saw Sam more than him, but Gabriel was a good type, he'd look after Sam when Dean couldn't. At least he knew Sam had someone other than the average ass-hole student here to talk to him. "Come on; let's go throw some rocks at a wall or something. This school is driving me crazy, not even any girls to look at, think I'm going mad."
"Yeah, right back at you," Gabriel replied, though he seemed distracted. Dean let him of; guy probably hadn't enjoyed talking about his family. Not everyone could have a family as awesome as Dean's.
~*~*~*~
“Hey, Winchester!”
Sam’s focus snapped up from the book in his lap to the two boys approaching him. He’d decided to risk sitting outside for a while today, the weather was good enough after all. There was still so much to do, sometimes he felt like he was drowning in the work, but if he could come out here and read then at least it wasn’t so bad. Of course, the lack of the protective four walls of his study room meant he could be interrupted.
He knew these boys; they had some classes with him. Couldn’t remember their names right now and he knew that was bad but there was a lot to remember.
“Hey, guys,” he said, lifting a hand to wave at them. They weren’t smiling, so he guessed he wasn’t going to enjoy this. About the only thing he hated about the school was being the new kid. People didn’t make it easy to be new. To start with, there were so many stupid rules and traditions and somehow they expected him to knew them all right of the mark, which he clearly didn’t. Then there was the hazing. The kids who thought that he deserved what he got because he was new. And not only new but new and smart.
“’Cha doing, geek?” One of the boys asked, and Sam would have been tempted to ask if he got all his lines from cheesy teen movies but, well, he did want to try and walk out of this in one piece.
“I’m just reading,” he said, calmly. He risked a glance around, but they were on the walkway between the library and the music department, a bench Sam had picked out for this specifically because it was off the beaten track. “It for English.”
“You know, we were talking to Bradley, he says you never stop studying,” the smaller of the two boys said, poking Sam’s books. “We’re worried about you; guy goes mad if he does nothing but study. Wouldn’t want you going mad now, would we new kid.”
“I’m not going to go mad. Besides, there’s a lot to catch up on.” Sam replied defensively. Because it wasn’t enough that Dean was throwing the ‘working too hard’ card at him all the time, now random bullies were doing it too.
“Yeah, ‘cause you went to a regular school and now you’ve transferred here you think you’re something special, that right?” the smaller one sneered. Sam just rolled his eyes.
“Look,” he said, “I need to be going back to house...”
“Going to work more?” he was interrupted again. “’Cause we were just thinking we could hang out, have a bit of fun.”
“You’ve got to prove you’re not a complete nerd,” the taller one supplied helpfully, while looking like he was convinced there was no way Sam would prove this. “Everyone in this school’s got to find some way to cut lose, or you end up mad. Come hang out with us, prove that you’re not another head boy in the making.”
“What are you going to do?” Sam asked, scooping his book up. Head boy in the making didn’t sound too bad to him but he wasn’t about to tell these guys that, they’re probably get mad at him about it.
“We’re going down to the sport field,” the short one supplied. “We’ve got some cigarettes, going to have a bit of a smoke. I didn’t want to invite you but Wilson here says you need at least a chance to be cool before we write you of entirely. So, you coming for a smoke?”
“No,” Sam said, sure as anything. “Even if I did care about if you think I’m cool or not, I’m not damaging my lungs for you.”
“What, think you’re better than us?” the smaller one sneered. “I knew you were a complete square. Didn’t I tell you, Wilson? He’s probably going to go crying to his tutor or something now and get us both in trouble.”
“I’m not going to do that,” Sam scoffed. “I just don’t want to smoke. You guys can do whatever you want.”
“Well, if anyone finds out then we’ll know it was you,” Wilson said, apparently taking the initiative now his hand of friendship had been turned down. “And we know where you sleep.”
“That’s the best insult you can come up with?”
They all turned to see Gabriel walking up from the direction of the music department. Sam had never been so happy to see someone, not because he wouldn’t have been able to get out of the situation but because he couldn’t afford to have a fight on his record and he could feel the anger stirring in him. He got that from his dad and normally he was pretty good at controlling it but sometimes...
“What’s it to you?” the short one asked, and Gabriel laughed at him. Drawing level with them, he slung an arm around Sam’s shoulder.
“You ok Sammy?” he asked, ruffling Sam’s hair. Sam lent against him a little more, it was nice. Almost like the easy hugs Dean used to give him but not quite.
“Yeah, I was just telling these guys I don’t want to smoke with them.”
“I heard,” Gabriel said. “They’re idiots anyway. if they get caught it’ll be because they reek of smoke, not anything you did. Though I don’t think they’ll be bothering you anymore.”
The smaller one looked very much like he would like to go on bothering them but Wilson had stepped away, a worried look on his face. Someone who’d heard about Gabriel in advance then.
“No,” he said, backing of. “Didn’t know he was your friend. Just wanted to offer him a cigarette, we’ll get lost now.”
“See that you do,” Gabriel said with a grin, then without waiting wheeled Sam around and started walking him back towards house. It was strange; to walk along with the older boy half hugging him, but Sam liked it. It was too late for anyone else to really be out anyway so nobody was able to comment on the sight they made as they walked back to house.
“Thanks,” he said after a while. “I mean, you didn’t need to do that but thanks.”
“No problem, kid. I know you can take care for yourself but your brother would have handed my ass to me if he knew you’d been in trouble and I hadn’t helped. Think they’ll have chocolate cake for desert tonight?”
“Menu said cheesecake,” Sam supplied, leaning a little more in to Gabriel’s side. He liked it here, liked it a lot. “Though chef might have some left over from last night.”
“Yeah, I’ve got her wrapped round my little finger,” Gabriel grinned. “If there’s cake, I’ll get it.” With a final squeeze he stepped away, letting his arm drop and Sam wished he’d stayed there just a little longer.
~*~*~*~
It was typical that after trying to find time to see each other for so long, Sam and Dean would run in to each other entirely by chance. It was in the library and it was late. Most of the students were out doing sport so there weren’t many to look disapproving at the cry of joy Sam gave before running over to hug his older brother.
“Sammy,” Dean said, wrapping his arms tight around the kid. It seemed like forever since they’d seen each other and for a second everything was right in Dean’s world. He was here with his dinky kid brother and everything was going to be okay. “Where have you been?”
“Working,” Sam said, pulling back and flopping down in to the chair next to Dean’s. “This place it awesome, there’s so much to do and learn. I love it.”
“Glad for you,” Dean said, though he felt his heart fall a little. Some stupid part of him had been hanging on to the fantasy of this ending here. That somehow Sammy would have been lying before and he’d come to Dean now with tears in his eyes, asking to go home. No luck, though. Not that he’d really wish Sam unhappy; he just wished they’d have been happy together.
“What about you, what are you working on?” Sam asked, grabbing one of the clippings, and Dean sighed. He could see where this conversation was going to already. “What’s this?”
“It’s research, Sam. I heard a story.”
“Seriously, Dean?” Sam asked, dropping the clipping. “You’re looking for case.”
“I’m not looking for it. It came to me. Gabe told me all about it. You know him, right?” Sam nodded, though he didn’t look any more impressed to know the story came from Gabe. Maybe they weren’t as close as Gabriel had hinted. “I can’t just let things like this go.”
“Dean, if you get us thrown out of this school I’ll be so mad.”
“I’m not getting us thrown out,” Dean said with a sigh. “It’s just some research. Doesn’t even have to go anywhere but, well, if there is a ghost then I want to be ready for it.”
“Why can’t you just let all of this go?” Sam asked, gesturing at the piles of research. “That’s not the life we’re living right now, why do you have to drag it up?”
“It’s what I do, Sam. I’m a hunter. I get that you’re happy here but this isn’t the place for me. I should be out there hunting things...”
“You’d fit in here if you tried,” Sam interrupted. “You don’t even try.”
“I do too try. I’ve been going to my lessons. Turning up for all their stupid organized sports and their music lessons and not sneaking out at prep time or after lights out like a good little robot but damn it all, Sammy, I’m going mad. There’s not space for me here, you’ve got to see that.”
“I don’t,” Sam insisted, and Dean kind of wanted to punch him. This was the kind a place where you either had to fit the mould or they’d hammer at your corners until you did. You had to be stubborn to stay yourself here. Stubborn like Gabriel, or like him. “It’s just a school.”
“You like it here, I get that and I ain’t gonna spoil it for you,” Dean replied, poking at a research pile. “It’s not too long and I’ll be gone anyway, but I’ve got to do this too, Sammy. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t.”
“Don’t you want to escape?” Sam asked, and dammit all but now he sounded sad. “From that stupid life. Never knowing what’s coming next. Never knowing if you’re going to be alive tomorrow?”
“I can’t.” Dean said simply. “I’m sorry, Sammy. I can’t.”
“Fine,” Sam snapped, grabbing his books again, and Dean’s heart just about broke to see his little brother walk away from his like that, but he let him. Sammy didn’t understand, couldn’t understand. This was all down to him in the end; he had to do what he could.
~*~*~*~
“I can’t believe he’d being like this,” Sam snapped. “I can’t believe we got an out for our stupid life. That we don’t have to live out of the back of a car or worry about dad’s drinking or anything and he wants to go back.” He stopped his pacing a while and looked down at Gabriel. He’d headed straight up to the older boy’s room when he got back from seeing Dean, needing to vent.
Gabriel was lying on his bed, a packet of sweets next to him and an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. The expression was the most reassuring thing; it meant he wasn’t being laughed at. He hadn’t exactly told Gabriel about their past before now, but the other boy was taking it in his stride. That was why he’d come here, he knew Gabe would listen and not judge.
“I just don’t understand,” he mumbled, crossing his arms.
“I do,” Gabe said, shifting a little so he was sat up. He patted the bed and after a second Sam moved to sit next to him. “This school...it’s like the kind of place you need to be ready to give 110% to all the time. It’s a life, not a school. You can do that because you love to learn and you want what this place will got you. The future and the connections. People like Dean, like me, we don’t want that. Dean doesn’t want to go to college. I don’t know what he does want to do but he’s got a plan and it doesn’t include a degree. How can you give your heart and all of your time to something you know you don’t want?”
“I just don’t see how he can not want this,” Sam said, gesturing around. “All our lives we’ve had nothing, now we have all of this.”
“That’s another problem, though,” Gabriel replied. “Dean, he seems like a pretty independent guy. Doesn’t take orders or doing things just because it’s what’s always been done well. And, let’s face it, that’s what this place is all about. Doing what we’re told to do because it’s what’s always been done. Not really Dean’s style.”
“No, I guess not,” Sam said with a sigh, flopping backwards on to the bed. Gabriel laughed then reached down and ruffled his hair.
“It’s okay to be angry at him, kid. I mean, just in general it’s okay but this school seems pretty important to you and he does kind of want you to leave...”
“It’s not just that,” Sam mumbled. “It’s....I can’t explain it really but it’s like he’s trying to drag me back in to the life we had before while he’d smiling and saying he’ll not mess it up for me here. I can’t go back to living like that, Gabriel.”
“I know,” he said. Sam looked up at him and he did look like he knew. Or like he cared at least. This would be a whole lot easier if he could just explain the ghost side of it but he didn’t fancy being branded as crazy right now.
“Thanks for listening, Gabriel. I know he’s your friend, I shouldn’t complain to you.”
“Hey, you’re my friend to,” Gabriel replied, swinging himself of the bed. “Besides, I have some marshmallows in here, they should cheer you up. Let’s sneak down to the kitchen and try roasting them on the gas hobs.”
“Sure,” Sam said, though he kind of wished he could just stay there in a funk in Gabriel’s bed. Or maybe just in Gabriel’s bed without the funk. Either way, he gave it up to traipse down to the kitchen after his friend. Though they ended up setting fire to the marshmallows it was totally worth it.
~*~*~*~
Castiel tried to focus on his work, but it was getting harder and harder to do so. He knew he should be back at house by now, special dispensation or no, but he’d not been focusing properly lately and he needed good chemistry marks or father would be disappointed.
He didn’t know what it was about Dean Winchester. It certainly wasn’t his winning personality, but something about his drew Castiel. At first it had been a harmless curiosity but it was getting out of hand. He was dreaming about him. About talking to him and not being rejected, mostly. Though some nights...some nights he dreamt of kissing him. Those were good nights. But he couldn’t even achieve the first so the second was right out.
What he had achieved was a falling GPA and complete distraction. He hadn’t been getting work done because he’d taken to going to places Dean might be instead. He knew it wasn’t healthy, but he wanted to see if he couldn’t touch. Dean was so easy with other people. Seemed to have the entire school eating out of his hand, even Gabriel who had turned against Castiel as soon as he saw him. Castiel had never been that good with people, boarding school had been meant to socialize him but it didn’t seem to have helped. He knew he was odd, knew it was his fault that Dean didn’t like him. He just wished he could have a second chance.
He’d even tried to help. He’d noticed Dean going to the library more often and, well, he’d been curious. It hadn’t been hard to find out what he was researching, that stupid ghost story. He looked up a few things. He’d wanted to hand the articles he’d found to Dean in person but even he realized that would be creepy, so he left them lying on his desk instead.
The down side of that, though, was that his chemistry work hadn’t been done. That meant he’d had to ask for last minutes access to the lab. Luckily his tutor, Mr Ward, was one of the science teachers. He’d opened up and was working just down the hall in his office. That should make it less creepy but somehow it didn’t.
Castiel was sensible, he knew ghosts weren’t real. This place was still the most creepy place. It was weird enough being alone in a lab in the evening, but the chemistry equipment seemed to make it worse, somehow. Not as bad as the biology lab would have been with its specimens in jars, but still somehow like a mad genius’ lab. He didn’t want to be here.
Three more equations to balance and he could go.
He knew he should be thankful for the help, for being let in this later, but it was still creepy. It was talking twice as long because he was too jumpy to focus which lead to him thinking about the ghost then the research then Dean and if only he could just be friends, that would be enough.
A door slammed and he jumped, arm jerking out on impulse and knocking the pen pot over. He bent to pick them up, grabbing at then and trying not to let his imagination run away with him. It would be the wind, or another student come back for something. Mr Ward slipping in to a different room for something.
And then suddenly it was cold, so cold. As thought someone had dumped a blanket of ice of his back. He spun and there was a face, inches from his and white and dead and...
He screamed, and it was gone. He jumped to his feet and ran then, pen pot forgotten. He knew imagination and he knew reality and that...someone was there. Another student? Only where had they gone. He ran for the corridor, Mr Ward would explain that. He’d make it all make sense somehow, he was a teacher. It was something bad he’d eaten at lunch and his own overactive imagination, it had to be.
He didn’t knock on the office door even thought the sign said to. Mr Ward wan hanging from the light fitting, and it didn’t take a science genius to know that the unhealthy parlor meant he was very, very dead.
Somewhere in the building, somebody began to laugh.
~*~*~*~
It was quiet in school the next day. The emergency assembly had set the sombre mood, and all science classes were cancelled on account of the tragic suicide. Everyone was avoiding Castiel too which Sam had thought was horrible. It wasn’t his fault he found the body. Sam had made a point of sitting with him in their one shared class that day, which made the others in the class look at him oddly.
By the time he got back to house he was ready to blow off some steam, but apparently the rest of the student body didn’t agree with him having a break. Dinner was conducted in silence under the watchful eyes of the house master and all their tutors and they were checked on twice as often in prep, the door opening unannounced to let a teacher put their head in, as though they were scared that now the seed of suicide was planted in the school, all the students might try it.
By the end of c/o when they were free for the evening he was almost dying. Luckily, on the way out of the dining hall Gabriel snagged his elbow and he could have lept for joy.
“Hey,” Gabe whispered, pulling them in to the senior common room. It was deserted which wasn’t unexpected, given the circumstances. “This place is a bit miserable today, don’t you think?”
“Someone did die, Gabriel,” Sam said, though he was smiling already in anticipation of whatever the other boy had thought up. Gabriel laughed and squeezed his arm.
“Yeah, but why let that get in our way? I have a...game...I’d like to play. I was wondering if you could help me though?”
“Will I get in trouble?” Sam asked, though he knew already that he’d go along with it. Running around the house playing a trick with Gabriel had to beat sitting around pretending to be in mourning for a teacher he’d never met. Being with Gabriel would beat almost anything.
“Nah, don’t you worry,” Gabriel replied. “I’ve got this; I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
“Okay then, what do you need me to do?” Sam asked, leaning forward.
“I thought we’d go for a classic tonight. Suits the mood, I think. I’m going to creep in to Lucifer’s shower while he’s washing and steal all his clothes, then I’m going to lock his bedroom door so he has to go down to Matron like that.”
“How on earth are you going to lock his door?”
“Oh, Sammy,” Gabriel said, throwing an arm around Sam’s shoulder. “Do you really think I don’t have a copy of the master key? The rest is easy; I just need you to act as lookout and to share the fun with me. A prank is much more fun if you have someone to share it with, right?”
“Definitely,” Sam agreed. He wasn’t sure he really had much of an opinion about the relative fun of pranks but he did know he wanted to spend time with Gabriel and that was as good an excuse as any.
The prank itself was pretty easy to pull off. Lucifer, along with a couple of other senior boys, had his bedroom on the top corridor and they shared a bathroom, so to stand lookout all Sam had to do was curl up on the steps with a book. This wasn’t unusual for him; he often came to the top of the house to get some quiet, so the few people who passed didn’t question him. Gabriel did his thing, told Sam nothing he didn’t need to know.
Sam had a pleasant conversation with Lucifer as he came up, a warning to Gabriel who was listening. It was getting late by then and the house was calming down. Sam was starting to worry that he’d have to be in bed before they saw this through.
Then, with ten minutes to go, Lucifer emerged back on to the stairs. He didn’t look at Sam, head held high, and he was completely naked. Sam had almost been hoping for him running down in fear but somehow his trying to maintain his composure while clutching a wash cloth to his groin was even funnier.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, and Lucifer did flush then but he didn’t say anything, just went ahead down the stairs. It was all Sam could do not to laugh.
Gabe snuck out a minute later, grabbed Sam’s hand and pulled him down the stairs quickly. Once they were both behind Gabe’s locked door it was like a pressure valve had been released and suddenly they were both laughing. Sam felt like he hadn’t laughed like this in years. It had been perfect, so perfect. The look on Lucifer’s face, it had been worth everything.
He leant against Gabriel, trying to catch his breath, but every time one of them calmed down they would remember and they’d laugh again. The bell for lights out went and Sam still couldn’t move, one arm thrown around Gabriel’s neck and the other clutching his side.
He finally drew himself back, took a few deep breaths and managed to calm his speeding heart. Gabe had calmed too, falling back on the bed with his eyes closed. Sam moved to lie next to him, giving him a fierce hug.
“Thank you,” he said, and Gabriel turned to him and smiled. Sam couldn’t tell you who moved first but suddenly their lips were touching. Soft and so close and Sam had never ever done this with another person before. He closed his eyes and pushed closer and Gabriel seemed to take it as a sign, taking control of the kiss and moving his lips, just gently, but it felt wonderful.
And then the lights out bell went again, a sure sign that Sam had been missed, and he pulled away, excused himself and ran back to his dorm.
He fell asleep with the thought of Gabriel in his head and his taste on his lips and everything seemed a thousand times more wonderful.
~*~*~*~
Sam didn’t know what he was expecting at breakfast the next morning but the cold shoulder wasn’t it. He’d gotten into something of a habit of eating with Gabriel, but Gabriel was already sat between two other boys when Sam came down and refused to meet his eye.
Did that mean the kiss was a mistake? Sam had been thinking about it for so long, maybe he’d been the one to make that first move. Maybe Gabriel didn’t like him like that, didn’t even like boys like that, and now he was disgusted. Maybe he’d never speak to Sam again.
He finished his toast in despair and waited until c.o. had been called before moving. His plan had been to intercept Gabriel at the door but the other boy was quicker off the mark and Sam had to go all the way up the house to his room to find him.
Gabriel didn’t open the door to the first knock but he did to the fifth, looking slightly flustered and oh god, Sam had been right, this was all terrible and it had been his fault but he had to know. He couldn’t just be ignored, if Gabriel hated him now he needed to know because Gabriel was the only friend he’d made since coming here that was worth having.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted. “I...I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable last night or something but please don’t hate me.”
“Sam,” Gabriel said, brow creasing as he reached over to lay a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “What on earth are you talking about? You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the one who should be apologizing. Last night...I should have pulled away. You didn’t know what you were doing and even if you did, there are so many better guys then me you could have, Sam.”
“You’re an idiot,” Sam said. He was so relieved, so very relieved that he barely noticed himself moving until he was nose to nose again, and then they were kissing. Gabriel tried to pull away but Sam followed, and then he gave in and it was wonderful.
When Sam finally let the kiss end he lent back and smiled. Gabriel was smiling too, though he looked a little confused on top of that.
“I want you to be my boyfriend,” Sam said, in case he hadn’t been clear enough. “Because you’re awesome. Do you want to?”
“I’m too old for you, Sammy.”
“Only two years older,” Sam replied. “That’s almost nothing. And I don’t want any of the boys my age, I want you. Will you.”
“Oh...screw it!” And then he was being kissed again and it was wonderful.
~*~*~*~
Castiel wasn’t an idiot. He knew enough to know the police would never believe his story. He’d seen something. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he knew he’d seen something. He also knew that the thing he’d seen wasn’t human and that if he said anything about it they’d presume he was hysterical and call his parents and he’d have to endure another lecture about responsibility and not attention seeking.
He talked, but he just told them the basics. Said he heard a bang and when he went to investigate he found the teacher hanging from the ceiling. Everyone seemed satisfied by that, at least. They made some appropriate noises about patterns of depression and Castiel was given a day to gather himself before being sent back to class.
He contemplated sneaking out that day but the doctor had specified bed rest and matron seemed to take that very seriously. She came round every hour or so with a drink of a plate of cookies. Some of the other boys even tried to visit him but he drove them of quickly by being him. The teacher had been a good man and Castiel wouldn’t use the morbid popularity being able to describe his dead body hanging from a rope would give him for his own means. He had never needed popularity before and he certainly didn’t need it at this cost.
The one person he did want to talk to didn’t come, so in the end he had to track down Dean himself. It took him most of the day, especially since everyone seemed intent on stopping him and asking him if he was alright. Dean seemed to be avoiding his usual places too. He wasn’t in the library or down by the sports field. It was a stroke of genius that lead Castiel to look for him in the chemistry building.
Dean didn’t really jump in the traditional sense when Castiel pushed the door open and came in to the chemistry staff room. He ducked down behind the desk instead, almost practiced.
“I’m sorry,” Castiel said, shifting from foot to foot. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Dean looked up, frowning. He took a few seconds to climb to his feet properly and then came around the desk, grabbing Castiel’s arm and pulling him in to the room. Castiel’s heart fluttered a little at the touch, though he knew Dean wasn’t really interested in him but rather in finding out about the ghost.
“You need to be quiet,” Dean said. “We’re not even meant to be in here. This works, though. I was going to talk to you later. I need to know what happened here the night before last.”
“I’ve been trying to find you to tell you about it all day,” Castiel replied, flushing slightly. “I noticed you researching the ghost legend; I thought you might believe me. I think...I think I saw the ghost. Just before I found the body. I heard a bang, I told the police that but they thought he must have just kicked a chair or something. Anyway, it got really cold really quickly, like I was suddenly freezing. Then I looked around and there was this face, just for a second, then I think I screamed and it disappeared and when I went to find the teacher he was...” Castiel trailed of; sure he didn’t need to describe that for Dean. All the details were common knowledge by now anyway.
“It’s okay,” Dean said, patting his arm awkwardly. “That’s great. Can you show me where you saw it?”
“Of course,” Castiel said, stepping back out in to the corridor. It was easy to remember what seat he’d been in, and Dean examined the area thoroughly before standing back.
“I take it you didn’t tell the police anything about this,” he said, stepping back. Castiel nodded.
“They’d never have believed me, but you do?”
“Yeah, I believe you,” he admitted with a shrug. “Look, don’t worry about this anymore. I’ll take care of it.”
“I want to help,” Castiel said, and for a second he was shocked at his own boldness. He didn’t seek adventure, that wasn’t the kind of person he was. But he wanted to be with Dean, to spend time with him. He’d not been able to stop thinking about him; he couldn’t pass this chance up.
“It’s too dangerous,” Dean said, dismissive, but Castiel was ready to fight for this.
“I can help you research, at least. Please, Dean. I’m involved in this, let me help.”
For a moment he thought Dean would say no anyway, but then the other man’s features softened and he sighed.
“Okay,” he said, placing a hand on Castiel’s back. “You can help me, but if it gets dangerous you need to let me handle it. Alright?”
“Anything you say, Dean,” Castiel said, grinning. And he shouldn’t be so happy to be doing research but he would be doing it with Dean and that was amazing.
~*~*~*~
Dean didn’t have a clue how he’d ended up letting the weird kid hang out with him. Well, yeah, he knew the kid had asked all pretty and had shown an interest and that was more than Sam had done anyway and Dean was kind of awful at research so it wasn’t like he couldn’t use the help. He’d even been a little ashamed that he’d had to sneak a look at the guy’s book to get his name again but, honestly, who called their kid Castiel? That got shortened pretty darn quickly.
The worst part was Castiel was kind of awesome at this. Well, not as awesome as Sammy, obviously, but he had a way of thinking about things and he was obviously used to using the school library. They’d even managed to locate a reference to the grave which was kind of amazing, though it was pretty vague.
The other thing he hadn’t expected was that he’d enjoy the company. He’d thought he’d had enough with Gabriel but it was like Cas (yeah, Castiel was too hard to say, it didn’t mean anything) was giving him something else that had been missing with Gabe. He listened so earnestly and acted like anything Dean had to say must automatically be something worth hearing and that was pretty odd at first but, well, it was kind of nice too once you got used to it.
Long and the short of it, maybe he’d judged Cas too much at the start. Maybe he should have waited before declaring Cas weird and saying he’d have nothing else to do with him. Maybe Cas wasn’t so bad when you gave him a chance.
Not that Dean was going to hang out with him when this was done. The kid was still weird: still looked at him in that weird way and it just...it made him feel...it was weird. He definitely didn’t like it AT ALL and that’s all there was to it.
~*~*~*~
“Hey, Sam, I got us an out for tonight.”
Sam stopped, looking up to see his boyfriend (HIS BOYFRIEND) leaning over the railing a little further up. Two of the much coveted pink slips that meant they’d be allowed to leave campus and go in to town for the evening, until the heady hour of ten, were dangling from his fingers.
“You didn’t steal them, did you?” he asked, backing up the stairs. Gabriel huffed and carried on down to meet him, throwing an arm around his shoulder as they drew level.
“I’ll have you know I did NOT steal them. Somebody owed me a favor and they had influence so tonight I have an out for me and an out for you, would you like to go to a movie with me?”
“You’re asking me to a movie?” Sam asked, fishing the slip of paper out of Gabriel’s hand. The older boy sacrificed it readily enough, and sure enough there was a slip for each of them. Fully authorized and signed by the house master.
“Yeah, isn’t that the kind of thing normal people do on a date?” Gabriel asked, grinning and it was only when he said it that Sam realized just what this was. It was his boyfriend asking him on a date. He’d never been on a date before; something Dean had teased him about plenty. Never had a boyfriend or a girlfriend or anything, so no chance. He’d not thought that Gabriel would be the kind for going out on big romantic dates, making big gestures.
“Hey,” Gabriel said, offended, as though he could read Sam’s mind. “I’ll have you know that I’m perfectly capable of treating a guy right. I want to treat you right, Sam. Want to give you everything you deserve and if you’re stupid enough to want me for a boyfriend that just means I’m going to have to be the best boyfriend ever for you.”
“You won’t need to try to do that,” Sam said with a shy smile. “Though dinner and a movie does sound good. It needs to be an action movie though.”
“Oh Sam,” Gabriel said, squeezing him close. “You have too much to learn! An action movie is never going to set the mood. Couples go to see romantic movies so they feel a little frisky themselves, it’s conductive to making out on the back row and other good honest first date activities.”
Sam did flush at that, because somehow it hadn’t occurred to him that Gabriel was going to want to make out with him on their date. Some of it must have shown on his face because Gabriel backed off a little, his arm relaxing.
“Hey, look, forget I said that. I know this is all new to you; we don’t need to rush in to making out in the back of the cinema. There’ll be plenty of time for the later; the important thing right now is that you’re comfortable.”
“Thanks,” Sam mumbled, leaning against Gabriel for a second. “I...let’s go see a movie and see how things go. I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to or anything silly like that. It’s just that I never have before.”
“Well,” Gabriel said, pulling him close. “I wouldn’t worry about that, because I have been told that I am an excellent teacher.”
~*~*~*~
“Do we have to do this?” Gabriel asked for the fifth time since they got here and Sam honestly wanted to smack him.
“Yes,” he said simply. There was no point going in to it again, Gabriel knew the reasons. Sam wouldn’t lie to Dean. and at the moment he wasn’t sure he could talk to Dean without mentioning Gabriel. In fact, he was sure he couldn’t. It was all going to come out anyway so they needed to tell Dean now. He’d have thought Gabriel would understand, being good friends with Dean and all, but the other boy seemed to think it was an awful idea.
“He’s going to punch me.”
“He won’t punch you.”
“He’s going to ban me from ever seeing you again.”
“He really doesn’t have that kind of power,” Sam replied with a sigh. He knew really that some of Gabriel’s objections were based in reality. Dean would probably be pissed, but Dean got pissed about a lot of things. If he lived his life trying to make Dean happy then he wasn’t going to have very much of a life.
“He thinks he has that kind of power, that’s what’s important.”
“No, Gabe, it isn’t,” Sam said with a sigh. “I’m not dumping you because of something Dean says. He might be a little...pissy. He’ll get over it thought. I’m not going to never have a boyfriend and at least he likes you, right?”
“Liking and wanting me to date his baby brother are two very different things,” Gabriel grumbled, but he reached over and took Sam’s hand in his. “I guess you’re worth it though.”
Sam blushed, then dropped Gabriel’s hand. It was still new and weird to be touching like that. He liked it but sometimes it was still overwhelming. Besides, it probably wouldn’t help their case if Dean turned up and found them kissing or something.
As if on cue, Dean rounded the corner. He looked...angry. Maybe not angry, but annoyed. Definitely not a good sign.
“Hey, Dean-o,” Gabriel shouted, raising a hand in greeting. Dean glowered a little, walking towards them quickly.
“This had better be important,” Dean snapped. “I’ve got work to be doing.”
“You doing work?” Gabriel joked, grinning. “There must be a pretty scary deadline coming up for you to be this committed to something.”
“Yeah, well, it’s important,” Dean snapped, and Sam had a sinking suspicion he meant the ghost thing. He’d been kind of hoping that Dean would drop it since, well, he was meant to be dropping it. This wasn’t meant to be their lives any more. He should have known better, though. With the accident in the library there was no way Dean was going to just ignore it, even though it was probably nothing.
“We’ve got something we want to tell you,” Sam started, and Dean’s face let up for a second. Maybe they could swing this, maybe he would see it for the good news it was.
“See, thing is,” Gabriel picked the sentence up, and when Sam looked up Gabriel was looking at him fondly. He couldn’t help but smile back. “The thing is that me and Sammy, we’re kind of dating now.”
There was silence for a few seconds after that while Dean processed. He looked between the two of them. Sam stepped in a little and Gabriel smiled, raising a hand to rest it gently on Sam’s shoulder.
Dean tried to punch Gabriel.
It was so sudden that he nearly succeeded but apparently Gabriel had some experience in dodging punches as he pulled to the side at the last second, avoiding Dean’s fist.
“What on Earth do you think you’re doing?” Sam snapped, stepping quickly between them. Gabriel didn’t seem the kind to back down from a fight and he really didn’t need his brother and his boyfriend having a brawl in the middle of the school.
“What am I doing? What are you doing, Sam? What’s he done to you?”
“He hasn’t done anything to me,” Sam snapped. “I asked him out.”
“Yeah right,” Dean snapped back. “He’s got to have tricked you in some way, that’s what he does. He’s not the kind of guy you want in your life, Sam. Trust me, I know his type. I am his type. You can do better.”
“You’re not my dad, Dean.”
“Might as well be,” Dean snapped. “Someone’s got to look out for you. This is ridiculous. I’m not going to let this happen. You need to dump him right now.”
Sam headed of the ‘told you so’ by stepping on Gabriel’s foot. He was pretty sure any remark the other boy made would only make the situation right now worse.
“You don’t have that power, Dean. I’ll date whoever I like and it’s nothing to do with you.”
“I’ll tell dad.”
“How are you going to do that when he won’t even pick up the phone to you?” Sam asked. He almost regretted it with the way Dean’s face fell but, honestly, it he was going to be an ass then he deserved what he got. “Come on, Gabriel. Let’s get out of here.”
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5