Chapter Text
Dean trudged into the cafeteria, grabbing a soda and a few slices of pizza while doing his best to ignore the bright lights and noise. Lunchtime should be quiet time.
Heading to his usual table he was glad to see Sam and Gabriel already there and to a lesser (bigger) extent Balthazar. He wasn't overly impressed with the guy, he was British (which had most fawning over his accent) and talked funny.
Worst of all he was always hanging around Gabriel's little brother Cas. Sammy had been the first to befriend Cas when the Novak's first arrived because his brother was a complete soft center chocolate. He was nice to everyone.
Since then Dean felt a little protective of him because he was shy and Dean was apparently extra in his big brother role. According to Sam, who pointed out that Cas had his own brother to look after him.
That may be true, but when that big brother was Gabriel, Dean thought extra was a good thing.
Slamming his tray down, he greets the other three before asking, "Hey, anyone up for the cinema tonight?" immediately Sam and Gabe shake their heads.
"Oh no, sorry kind Sir, but the theatre is out of bounds tonight?" announces Balthazar in what Dean is hoping is accentuated English.
"Why?" he asks slightly glaring at Balthazar, while Gabriel and Sam have become seemingly interested in the table.
"Castiel has finally accepted my proposal of a date, it's happening tonight." he must be joking, surely Cas wouldn't, with Balthazar! Since neither Sam or Gabriel had cracked up in laughter or screamed prank at him was proof it was true, leaving Dean feeling weird.
"Hey, we can do something." offered Sam.
"Nah, I should probably do my history paper," concluded Dean quickly stuffing some pizza in his mouth in part to ignore Sam's look of shock and for something to do. Because he sure wasn't feeling hungry anymore, the pizza which was pretty good for high school pizza tasted like ash.
The sound of the cafeteria came back louder than before, leaving Dean dreading his afternoon classes.
Maybe he could cut, no doubt he could convince Lisa to tag along, only he and Lisa weren't really a thing anymore. He didn't know when it had happened, they used to be so hot and heavy. Now he just felt bored toward the whole thing, and no other girl was currently on his radar.
Yeah, because you're always thinking about Castiel.
Wait, was he?
He hadn't thought so, but Cas was Sam's friend. So he wanted to be nice to the guy and not intimidating. You had to invest in Cas, he needed coaxing out of his shell, and of course with Gabriel and Sam being so wrapped up in each other it had led to them hanging out on occasion.
Times where he had learned that Cas liked bees (of all things), that he wanted a cat and they shared a love of burgers. He was a little taller than Dean, with black hair and striking blue eyes. Dean has always liked blue eyes.
Dean jumps from his seat like he's been prodded, "Dean?" questions Sam looking at him. Without a word Dean hurries from the cafeteria, with the sole focus of getting to Baby, as thoughts race through his mind.
Does he like Cas? Like, like Cas?
He'd never thought about this before, even when Sam came out, it didn't force him down a path of analysis. Sure he's always loved Han Solo, but even Sammy loves him.
Oh, Sam's gay, but Dean didn't suddenly dislike women. Pulling his cell from his pocket Dean does an image search.
Yep, still the same. Trying again he types: I think I like boys and girls. Oh, that's a lot of hits, setting down Dean reads up on bisexuality.
* * *
"What's got you so glum?" Dean looks up at his Dad as he clears the table while Mary gets dessert ready. Delicious homemade apple pie. "Come on, Dean you walked out of school leaving Sam without a ride."
"Gabriel drove me." Dean has felt odd ever since his discovery, is he meant to wear this new knowledge about himself like a badge. He has no idea, just like what to do about his feelings for Cas.
Yeah, who drives worse than Dean."
"Hey!" he wasn't a bad driver, at least when he had passengers.
"He's lovesick," announces Mary placing the hot pie dish on the table.
Dammit, he supposes a few hours under wraps was something, trust Mary Winchester to see right through him.
"So, that's never stopped him before. Don't you normally just wink at them or something Dean," teases Sam. "Oh shit, did you get rejected? The great Dean Winchester."
"Shut it Sammy!" he muttered sending a glare Sam's way, only Sam looked to be figuring something out obviously cut from the same cloth as their Mom.
"Oh my God, it's not that you got rejected. It's that you actually like this girl, you want more than a quick fumble in the janitor's closet." put like that he sounded like a jerk, but he was always respectful. Sam was right though, he definitely wanted more than that with Cas.
"Okay, that's quite enough of that language," warns Mary as she places the pie on the table.
After a few moments of silence in which lies a couple aborted attempts, Dean finally broaches the issue, "How do you tell someone you like them?" he asks directing the question at both of his parents.
"You really do have it bad, Son. It's nice to see." John is smiling at him, which is what? A form of help? Dean certainly hopes not he needs actual advice not blessings and encouraging smiles.
Ignoring it for the moment he continues, "Yeah, it's different this time, the person is really special, he's..."
"He?" oh fuck, that was meant to stay under wraps, curse his stupid brain. The new information has Sam perked up like nothing before.
"I, uh..." Dean looks at his parents before adding, "I'm sorry," his eyes finding interest in his as yet untouched pie. The sight of it highlights how horrible this lovesick thing really is, it's already got him spilling his guts and keeping him from his pie.
Sam who would have been all over this turn of events stays silent knowing how big this is for him.
"Dean, why are you sorry? We accepted Sam, why would you be any different ?" asks his Mom, her eyes filled with hurt.
"I don't know, I only figured out how I was feeling today and..." Dean can't help how his eyes flicker to John making it obvious whose reaction he was really worried about.
Because wasn't he supposed to be a carbon copy of his Dad: he was walking around his leather jacket and driving his car.
"Dean, I don't care about any of that stuff okay. I just want you and your brother happy." John gets his word across with a strong shoulder grip.
Nodding Dean looks over at Sam, who is basically jumping out of his skin in unexpressed excitement since Dean came out? "It's Cas, right?"
Sighing, Dean nods, "Yes, okay it's Cas." his parents have no reaction to this, making him wonder if they knew before he did.
"Dean this is awesome!"
"You can't tell him, Sammy promise me?" lifting his hand for a pinkie swear that Sam accepts. "Not even Gabriel." Sam looks forlorn at that but still agrees.
"My advice Dean, surprise him, use what you know about him to woo." offers Mary smiling.
"Yep, take it from me, I won a date with your Mom because I brought her a maple bacon cupcake," informs John gladly accepting a kiss from Mary.
Dean nods taking the advice to think about, he feels better, lighter and finally ready for some pie.
* * *
After cleaning up with Sam, Dean heads up to his room and straight for his stash of money that Sam doesn't know about. Uncle Bobby was nice enough to give him a job fixing cars, he enjoys it but perhaps not enough to be a long-term thing.
Happily, he finds eighty-five dollars, which will hopefully be enough to achieve what he's thinking. The story of his parents sweet get together gave him an idea, that he can woo Cas with bee-themed gifts.