Chapter Text
Castiel sighed and twirled his pen between his fingers. The Thursday before Easter was always a half-day but today it seemed longer than ever. Their History teacher droned on about the historical importance of Easter contra the religious and Castiel had zoned out long ago.
In fact, he didn’t even know why the teacher bothered. Every year, Pontiac Township High School closed for four and a half days to let the kids celebrate with their families and every year the faculty expected the students to pay attention to the very last minute.
He supposed he couldn’t blame them for trying, especially since they did it before every break and not just Easter, but he couldn’t see the point either. He was just sad that History was the last of his lessons for the day because that teacher was an ass when it came to time. They would end the day on the last minutes and never earlier, Castiel know.
It didn’t help that this was his senior year either. All the students in his class were so close to graduation that they could feel it in their teeth and even Castiel, the diligent student he was, could feel it. Their bodies were practically buzzing to be let free, to get this pre-taste of freedom.
Come fall Castiel would hopefully be at the DeVry University in Chicago, just like both of his brothers before him, and high school would just be a speck of dust in his rearview mirror. Well, he hadn’t gotten an acceptance letter yet but he hadn’t gotten any kind of letter from any of his chosen Universities, no one had. It was still too early but Castiel just knew anyway. He wanted to go there and he would.
If only he could just escape this droning nightmare of a teacher.
"So what’re you doing for Easter?"
Castiel rolled his eyes at his friend’s whispered question. "What I always do."
Balthazar scrunched up his face. "Aw, come on. Can’t you ditch your family just this once? It’ll be your last Easter as a high school student, you should come to Meg’s party. It’s your last chance."
"Like Meg’s gonna stop having parties."
Balthazar snorted and looked away. Castiel could feel his friend’s resignation radiating off him like cold air. But he didn’t know why Balthazar was so upset about. Castiel almost never came to parties anyway and he certainly wasn’t going to on Easter.
His family wasn’t overly religious or zealous but compared to many others he supposed they were considered quite religious. They went to church on holidays and actually prayed before dinner and stuff, not that Castiel was very into the whole thing. It came from Mom’s side and Castiel went along just to indulge his family.
And Easter was an important holiday. Resurrection of Christ and all that. Balthazar knew that so Castiel didn’t know what had him sighing.
"I’ll see if I can get away a little tomorrow." He relented after a while and Balthazar flashed him a smile that made Castiel roll his eyes again. "Not for the party. And I’m not saying for sure."
"You’ll text me."
"I’ll text you."
Later, when Castiel was riding his bicycle home to Boulder Drive, he berated himself for promising to even try to get away. He would have to text Balthazar and tell him it was a no-go because he already knew it would be.
Both his older brothers were coming home over the holiday and Gabe was even bringing a friend. Castiel knew nothing about him except that Gabe had mentioned him quite a lot so Castiel suspected they were close friends. Especially for the guy to come stay with them for almost four days.
It was fine with Castiel either way, what was not fine was that Mom had promised Castiel’s room to the stranger. Castiel hated that. He didn’t like other people in his personal space, barely his siblings were let in.
But there was just no other room because Mom refused to let the guest share a room with someone else. So Castiel was bunkering with Anna while Mike and Gabe shared the guest room that had formerly been Gabe’s room before he left for collage.
Mike’s old room had long since been permanently turned into a study for Dad because Michael actually had his own apartment and everything back up in Chicago where he worked and that fact had been used against Castiel when he’d argued for someone taking that room.
They had a guest room but it was Gabe’s old room and he wanted it back for the stay, Mike couldn’t sleep in his because no one could these days and the guest shouldn’t have to share. There was nothing to argue about because everything was decided.
Castiel wasn’t even home and he already hated it.
He grumbled his way all through cleaning his room and the process of making sure nothing personal could be snooped out too easily. His skin was crawling with imagined prying eyes and he made only sullen grimaces in response to his little sister’s teasing.
"Come on, Cassie." Anna giggled at him while he changed the sheets. "You that unhappy to share a room with me? Some people always share rooms."
"I know." Castiel muttered and thought of how Gabe and the mystery guest shared a room at the dorms. "It’s not the sharing, I just wanna sleep in my own bed."
"You’re spoiled." Anna said in a sing-song voice and Castiel wanted to yank at her pony tail.
He knew they had it good, having been raised in a house where they never had had to share a bedroom, even though there was four of them. They even had three bathrooms, one upstairs and two downstairs and Castiel knew he had no right to be complaining.
Still, this was his room.
"You’re bugging me, get out."
Anna made a face at him and hopped off his chair. "Just because of that you’re making your own bed. Grumpy."
Castiel rolled his eyes at his sister as she walked out and his eyes hurt a little. He needed to stop doing that. He repressed the thought of the depressingly narrow and creaky tent bed he would be forced to sleep on for the next few days and instead went to close the door behind her.
He stood by the door for a moment, making sure Anna wasn’t coming back and then he walked swiftly over to his bed to take a knee beside it and slide out the box beneath it.
Keeping his porno in a box beneath his bed. So tiresomely common. But that was what it was and Castiel had no wish for the stranger to look under the bed and find it. He supposed the guy would be pretty cool and laid-back if he willingly was friends with Gabe and for Gabe to even invite him home said something about his character but Castiel didn’t take any chances.
Plus, no matter how accepting someone was about the whole gay-thing, it would be awkward to look a person in the eyes if he had seen Castiel’s stash of gay magazines, pictures of men in panties, purple dildo with matching Astroglide tubes, and condoms.
His whole family and all of his friends knew he was gay, it wasn’t that big of a deal. No one knew about this, though. But hey, everyone watched porn at some point, right?
Right.
He knew it was true but it didn’t stop him from hiding the box in his closet where he could actually lock the door. Just for the sake of it he booted up his computer and deleted all the browser history before he promptly shut his computer off again. It was of course password protected but Castiel didn’t want to take any chances with someone who was friends with Gabe. He only wished he knew better ways to protect his computer information.
Just for good measure he bent down and pulled out the plug before hiding it behind his desk. There, now that guy could try and start Castiel’s computer all he wanted.
He came down just in time to hear a rumbling from outside and a quick peek through the living room window showed a big, black car that sidled up to the curb just outside their house.
"It that them?" Mom asked and Castiel only very barely resisted to roll his eyes. You didn’t do that to Mom and besides, his eyes needed rest.
"I dunno."
"Dinner’s almost ready, help them with their luggage."
Castiel wanted to argue that he still didn’t know if that was even Gabe and his friend. Mike would be coming later in the evening in his own car because of work, that was the extent of Castiel’s knowledge of the whole thing.
Even so he didn’t argue. He walked over to the door as his mother fluttered back into the kitchen and opened it just in time to meet their guest.
And the sight that greeted Castiel on the other side of the door took his breath away, just like in every cheesy rom-com ever made.
On the other side of the door stood a man, slightly taller than Castiel, strong jaw, a day’s stubble covering it, full lips in an easy smile, and the most vibrantly green eyes Castiel had ever seen. His hand was poised as if to knock and when Castiel opened the door he startled a little.
"Oh, hi." He said and oh my God, that voice.
Now, Castiel had dated a little, lost his virginity to a guy on the football team, and had mooned after an actor or two but he had never been this attracted to someone this fast. And he had never been affected by someone’s voice.
The man held out his hand for Castiel to shake. "I’m Dean Winchester, Gabe invited me."
Castiel could spot movement in his peripheral vision and he supposed it was Gabe but he didn’t look or care. All he could see was the man’s — Dean’s — wide smile and glittering eyes. Was this what it felt like to be looking at a God? What was this Adonis of a man? A siren? An Incubus?
Castiel’s knees felt weak.
"What’s the hold-up, Winchester?"
Castiel snapped to attention when his brother joined them by the door, carrying his bag and Castiel only now realized Dean held a duffle bag in his left hand.
"Just making introductions, Shurley." Dean answered with a grin and Gabe huffed before pushing his way past Dean.
"Outta my way little bro, I gotta piss like a race horse."
Castiel frowned in distaste but opened the door wide enough to let them both in.
"Sorry about that." Dean chuckled low and Castiel couldn’t believe he was about to pop a boner just listening to the man. "It’s only like an hour drive so I skimped out on the pit stops."
He held up his hand again and Castiel shook it this time. And yes, that was a full-on boner just waiting to burst out of his jeans.
Dean’s hand was calloused and rough the way hands only got when you worked really much with them. His grip was strong, his hand large, and the whole shake was utterly manly.
"C-Castiel." Castiel squeaked out and Dean raised an eyebrow.
"I’m sorry?" he said and leaned closer. This man was going to be the death of Castiel.
"My name’s Castiel. B-but you can call me Cas or whatever, everyone does."
"Everyone call you whatever?" Dean’s eyes twinkled at his own joke and they were still shaking hands.
"No…" Castiel whispered and oh my God, Dean’s whole face lit up like Fourth of July when he laughed. It was a deep rumbling sound that originated from the man’s core and Castiel had to get his inappropriate boner out of there.
"Nice to meet you, Cas. Thank you for having me."
"You’re welcome." Castiel rushed out before slamming the front door shut and all but running up the stairs.
It was rude, it was weird, but by God was it necessary.
He was headed to his room but remembered in the last moment that for the holidays it was even his room anymore. So he veered into the upstairs bedroom and even locked the door.
He stared at his own face as he tried to calm down enough to be presentable at dinner.
But it was impossible when he thought he could still smell the scent of Dean’s musky cologne and when memory of the man’s twinkling eyes swiveled through his mind.
He was screwed.
Dean Winchester was going to sleep in Castiel’s bed and Castiel was royally screwed. And not in a good way.
*****
"I’m glad you decided to join us, Dean." Gabriel’s mother, Naomi, said as they were finally eating dinner. Dean had been starving but had been too polite to say anything. Too bad he wasn’t too polite not to wolf down his dinner like a brute.
"Well, thank you for letting me join you, Mrs. Shurley." He said with his trademark charming smile and Naomi blushed even under her rouge.
"Call me, Naomi, please." She said and he nodded.
They were seated around the big dining table in the Shurley family’s dining room and Dean tried to be on his best behavior even though Gabe had told him not to. It wasn’t that Dean’s family was poor, far from it, but Gabe’s house just looked swanky enough to make Dean a little uncomfortable. To make him stay on his toes, at least.
The family was welcoming enough, though, and Dean had relaxed gradually since their arrival. Gabe’s parents, Naomi and Chuck, were kind even if they seemed extremely oddly matched. Naomi seemed outgoing while Chuck was quiet and seemed distracted. Not that Dean minded and he thought he remembered Gabe telling him his father was an author under a pseudonym so Dean supposed there was where the distractedness came from. Lord knew Dean had partied with enough liberal arts people to get that.
Gabe had siblings too and Dean had known that; had seen pictures of them from when they were small. There was Michael whom Dean already knew from Chicago and who had yet to join them. There was Anna, the youngest and the only girl. She had outstandingly red hair and perceptive eyes coupled with a happy smile. She seemed nice.
And there was Castiel.
And Cas was just… Well Dean had no words, that was how he was.
Dean had of course noticed the boy in Gabe’s pictures too but Cas had only been about five years old in those and he had only stared at the camera with a sort of detached interest and Dean’s eyes hadn’t lingered on anyone specific. He had heard stuff from Gabriel over the years, though. Tidbits of his family, just like Dean would share about his, but nothing had seemed extraordinary but then again, why would it?
Why would Gabe see it fit to tell Dean that his little brother had grown up to become the most gorgeous, fuckable twink in fucking town? It wasn’t really something that you’d share with a friend, Dean supposed.
Still, a little warning might have been appropriate. Fuck, when Cas opened the door for him Dean had almost goddamn jumped him.
His eyes had been so big and so blue. His lips had parted the slightest when their eyes met and it had felt like fucking coming home, alright? But he could do nothing about it, could he? No. Because Cas was Gabriel’s little brother, the runt of the brothers, and how old was he even?
Dean knew Cas was set to graduate high school this summer but did that mean he had already turned eighteen? Dean didn’t know and he certainly didn’t know when Cas’ birthday was. In any case he was Dean’s best friend’s little brother and fuck it all to hell, he was bound to be younger even than Sammy, wasn’t he?
Dean was just glad he was a master of the dating game because if he hadn’t had years of training he was sure he would have made a fool of himself. No, however, he thought he had handled the situation pretty well, even though their exchange had ended with Cas running upstairs. Dean had thought he would be hiding in his room for some reason but no, that had been the next shock.
"Well, I’ve been looking forward to this Easter, Naomi." Dean confessed just as he finished the last of his dinner. "But I have to say you’re being too kind, I’m sure it must be a bother for Cas to give up his room like this."
When Dean had been told where he was expected to sleep he had almost swallowed his tongue.
Naomi waved her hand. "It’s no problem at all." She stated even as Cas fidgeted by her side. He had hardly eaten all dinner, Dean noticed. "You’re our guest, I want you to be comfortable."
"You do realize that I share a dorm room with Gabriel?"
Naomi smiled while Chuck and Anna laughed at Gabe’s scandalized look. "I know." She said and patted her son’s arm to calm him down. "And I’d rather not expose you to any more of that if I don’t have to."
"If you don’t want Cassie’s room I’ll take it." Gabe muttered but Dean shook his head.
"Nah, I think your mom’s got a point, man. And besides, I’m looking forward to sleeping in a good bed so how about it, Cas? Do you mind me using your bed?"
Cas looked up for the first time during dinner and his eyes were still as round and fuck, it felt like looking into a black hole. Or maybe a magnet. Dean wanted to lean over the table and snog the boy right then and there.
"It-it’s fine." Cas mumbled out in a rush. Dean wanted to lick his blushing cheeks.
"Great." He said cheerily and wondered for the hundredth time how he would go about asking if Cas was interested in men without looking like a creep. Sure, the boy’s reactions were a big hint but that could just be nervousness.
And besides, it wasn’t like Dean was going to do anything. Jesus fucking Christ, this was going to be a long weekend…
"What about your parents?" Naomi suddenly asked and pulled Dean away from Cas’ spell. The teen looked down again and maybe that was for the best. Didn’t want to be caught staring longing at the boy after all.
"They’re spending the weekend in the Rockies. A friend of my dad has a cabin up there and when mom finally got time off from work they just wanted to get away a little." He smiled fondly at the memory of his mother’s happy face. "I told them to go, we don’t really celebrate Easter and my little brother’s all the way in Palo Alto, dorking around with his new girlfriend, so…" he shrugged and took a sip of the beer Chuck had offered him.
Gabe rolled his eyes. "So this idiot told me he was spending the Easter alone and I thought, ‘nuh-uh, if I’m spending it with Uncle Zach then you’re not gonna get to sit here and have an awesome weakened by yourself’."
Gabe’s sassy tone made Chuck laugh again and even Naomi smiled even though she was shaking her head.
"Yeah, that’s totally not what he said but I’m glad he invited me anyway."
Naomi nodded. "Me too. The holidays are important and no one should be alone. I just couldn’t resist when Gabe asked me and besides, to hear that you have such a long drive to get home, it just…" she took a breath and Dean saw so much of his own mother in her at that moment that he almost got homesick.
"Don’t go all mushy, mom." Gabe sighed and Dean chuckled as Naomi waved him off.
"Well, I appreciate it and you’re right. Eight hours to Lawrence or one hour here is one helluva difference."
"And you’re welcome here anytime, dear." Naomi stated with finality and Dean couldn’t help grinning even if he was very uncertain if her statement would be true if she knew what he couldn’t stop thinking about her youngest son.
Cas was so goddamn hot that Dean was happy he wasn’t sitting beside the boy or he was sure he would get burned. But oh how he would have liked it.
*****
Later, when Michael finally came home, they perched out on the back porch, drinking a little and watching the stars.
Mom and Dad were inside watching TV with Anna so for a moment there it had only been Gabe, Dean and Castiel and Castiel hadn’t known what to do with himself. He felt like he was intruding because Dean and Gabe were friends but it had been Dean that had clapped him on the shoulder and invited him to sit with them. Castiel had almost wanted Gabe to object.
When Michael came home he brought out a plate of reheated dinner and ate it together with the rest of the boys on the porch and it was nice, having both his brothers home. Too bad he couldn’t focus on it what with Dean looking so handsome when he laughed, and talked, and looked at the stars, and…
This was getting out of hand.
Just thinking about the fact that Dean was going to sleep in Castiel’s bed was almost enough to set Castiel’s heated body off again.
"So, you think you’re gonna survive a whole Easter with our family, Winchester?" Mike asked with a smirk and Dean grinned back, showing perfect rows of pearly whites.
He leaned against the table they were sitting around and of course his knee bumped Castiel’s. And oh, God, he just left it there.
"You make it sound like you’re going to try and sacrifice me to your pagan god or something."
Dean’s knee was warm, even through two layers of denim.
Mike laughed along with Gabe. Castiel forced a smile to not look stupid but he had hardly heard what was being said. Did Dean know what his knee was pressed against? Maybe he didn’t care. Cas wished he had listened when Gabe told him about his friends, maybe there had been information to be had about Dean in all that gibber-jabber.
"Almost." Mike conceded and drained the last of his beer. "Gabe has told you about our uncle, right?"
"Zachariah?" Dean pursed his lips. Castiel swallowed much too loudly. "Yeah, I hear he’s a real piece of work."
Gabe nodded. "And every goddamn year at every goddamn holiday Mom makes us go to him and have dinner. And it’s always awful."
"It’s not that bad." Mike tried but Gabe snorted.
"He made your girlfriend cry."
"Damn." Dean chuckled and the sound was like melted chocolate and Castiel was an idiot. "He made Hester cry? Is that why she broke up with you?"
It was Mike’s turn to snort but he didn’t have time to say anything before Castiel’s mouth overpowered his brain.
"You know Hester?"
It felt like his heart stopped when Dean turned to look at him. His beautifully green eyes shone in the dim light from the porch light and his knee pressed a little firmer against Castiel’s when he shifted in his seat.
"I only met her once, at the New Year’s party I met Mike at for the first time." Was the smile Dean gave him more intimate? Surely Castiel was projecting. "I really liked her, though." He turned back to Mike and Castiel was left confused. "It’s too bad you broke up, man."
Mike shrugged. "It was my fault. I worked too much, I need to learn to prioritize."
Had Dean said he liked Hester as some kind of hint? Did he actually like girls? Sure, Castiel hadn’t really gotten an indication that Dean in fact liked men but there was something between them, right? Castiel sat back in his chair and Dean didn’t even flinch when their knees brushed together again. Maybe Castiel was just stupid.
"Well, it’s too bad for you, bro, but it’s better for us." Gabe grinned and downed the last of his beer while Mike glared sullenly at him. "Come on, just think of the living arrangements for this weekend if Hester had been here too. Mom would’ve made her sleep in Anna’s room and Dean in Cas’ and I dunno, the three of us in my old room? That’s just cramped."
Mike shook his head. "The logic on you…" he turned to Dean and rolled his eyes. "How you put up with him I’ll never know."
Dean grinned too and it was beautiful. Castiel’s stomach clenched uncomfortably. "He gets me weed and besides, it could be worse."
"Or better." Gabe chirped to which Dean snorted and drank more of his beer. His knee was still pressed against Castiel’s and it felt like he was rubbing a little but surely that was all in Castiel’s imagination.
"Better how?"
Gabe shook his head and looked at Mike and Castiel. "Did you guys know that Dean was invited to join a frat house?"
"Really?" Mike asked and didn’t sound as surprised as he looked. "Which one?"
"Pi—"
"Doesn’t matter." Dean interrupted. "I didn’t join, right?"
"Why didn’t you?"
Ah, once again Castiel’s mouth had raced ahead of his brain. He swallowed hard when Dean turned soft eyes on him. This time, same as last, Dean turned more bodily toward Castiel and their knees pressed together more firmly.
"They were douches, Cas." He said lowly, as if it was only meant for Castiel but of course the other two heard as well.
"Well of course they were douche bags, Deano." Gabe smirked. "They’re frat boys."
"Hey." Mike broke in, clearly offended. "I was in a frat house."
"Point in case." Gabe grinned but Dean wasn’t smiling.
"They made fun of you." He snapped and Castiel really shouldn’t shiver pleasantly at the sound of Dean’s rough voice but he couldn’t help it. He pressed his legs together beneath the table, even if it meant losing the warmth of Dean’s knee against his.
"Me?" Gabe asked, confused and Dean gritted his teeth. It made his cheeks bulge out a little and Castiel couldn’t help but stare.
"Yeah, you." Dean muttered. His strong fingers were sliding absentmindedly up and down the neck of the beer bottle and oooh boy… "They told me that they knew I was living with you and that they thought I should move out as soon as possible so your company wouldn’t drag down my reputation." Dean sighed when Gabe just blinked. "I told them to fuck off and left."
"No you didn’t." Gabe teased and Dean rolled his eyes.
"No I didn’t. But I did tell them that I wouldn’t want the reputation their company would bring me and that I’d rather have you than their crummy offer. And then I left."
"Aw, you never told me how you defended my honor." Gabe said with a fond smile and Dean shifted in his seat. Oh God, was he embarrassed? Was he blushing? Castiel’s eyes nearly budged out of their sockets.
"What was there to tell? That a bunch of assholes thought they were better than you?"
"Thank you, Dean." Mike said and Dean grimaced at the praise but who could blame him? It sounded ridiculous. Still, Castiel wanted nothing more than to kiss the man that had stood up for his brother so he supposed he couldn’t blame Mike too much.
"Wait, is that why Gordon’s been so cross with you?"
Dean laughed suddenly and the sound. Jesus Christ, Castiel needed to get out of there soon.
"Nah, that stuff with the fraternity was like four years ago. Gordon’s like that because of you know…" he trailed off with a waggle of his eyebrows and Castiel’s cheeks heated when he realized. Gabe and Mike chuckled at Dean and no one seemed to be looking at Castiel, which was extremely fortunate. He was glad he was sitting down.
"Really, Winchester? Even Gordon?" Gabe said with a sneer and Mike laughed harder, obviously knowing which man they were talking about.
"Hell no." Dean grinned. "That’s why he’s grumpy."
"Well, can you blame me for thinking it? You’ve almost worked yourself through the whole campus."
"Maybe I just haven’t found the right one yet?" Dean said and winked at Castiel. Castiel died a little there, just for a second.
"R-really?" he squeaked out because he was a doofus who couldn’t deal with stuff like a normal man.
"I remember when Dean hooked up with Lisa just after New Year’s." Gabe said to Mike and neither of Castiel’s brothers seemed to notice how Dean was looking at Castiel right now. His fingers were trailing up and down the beer bottle again but it didn’t look like it was absentmindedly anymore. Castiel was sweating. "Gordon looked like he had swallowed a lemon and I thought he wanted Lisa but apparently not."
"The more you know." Mike grinned and Gabe nodded wisely.
"So is Lisa your girlfriend?" Castiel asked because apparently his brain had left on vacation.
"No." Dean answered softly, much too softly for this company, surely? "I guess we’re just four bachelors here, huh?" he tipped his head back and took a swig of his beer, his eyes never leaving Castiel’s. "Unless you’ve got yourself a pretty little girlfriend, Cas?"
Castiel mouth opened to answer but Gabe of course beat him to it but laughing outright.
"Cassie with a girl?" he grinned at Castiel’s feeble glare. "He’s been gay since he first understood what kisses were for."
"Thank you, Gabe." Castiel bit out, only a little bitter at having been outed liked that. Well, it wasn’t like he was shy about it and a part of him was actually relived because Gabe’s laughter and Mike’s kind smile took the edge off the revelation.
"Really?" Dean said with a raised eyebrow. "Got a pretty little boyfriend, then?"
"Um, no." Castiel mumbled but Gabe only laughed again.
"Balthazar?" he suggested and this time Castiel wanted to throttle his brother. Why wouldn’t he just shut up?
"Balthazar’s not my boyfriend." Castiel stated loudly. "He’s my best friend."
"Who’s in love with you?" Mike asked unhelpfully and Castiel’s ears heated because that wasn’t true.
"He’s like that with everyone." He muttered and wished Dean’s knee would bump his again but the man kept his distance as he looked on as the brothers bickered. His expression was unreadable and Castiel didn’t like it.
"Eh, no, he’s really not, Cassie." Gabe said condescendingly. "It’s okay, you can tell us. Friends with benefits?"
"He’s not my boyfriend." Castiel exclaimed and rose so fast the table wobbled. Goddamn his brothers for being so nosy. "He’s not." He said again, this time only to Dean for some reason, as if he thought Dean would take extra interest in knowing that.
Dean just looked at him, though, and Castiel wanted to sink through the ground. He sighed and started walking inside, fed up with everything.
"Aw, c’mon Cassie." Gabe called out but Castiel didn’t turn around. "I’ll let you have my beer."
"I don’t like beer." Castiel gritted out but he doubted it was loud enough for anyone to hear.