#danglingthpider

Because how could it be that Dean's crush had turned around and was now walking in the exact opposite direction, while at the same time an unmistakably excited Lisa Braeden was all up in Dean's personal space, batting her eyelashes at him?

Only you, Winchester. Idiot of the year award, Dean bitterly thought to himself.

"Wow Dean, I thought you'd never make a move, I was afraid I'd have to do it myself." Lisa sounded nothing short of relieved, taking one of Dean's hands in her smaller one, smiling gently at him.

Dean discreetly tried to create some distance, but failed when his back met the unyielding metal of one of the lockers.

Truth be told, Lisa was great, she really was. Good looking, athletic, clever, and definitely not unkind.

The problem was, she didn't make Dean's heart flip whenever they talked. He didn't dream about her eyes the way he sometimes dreamed about certain blue ones. Remembering all of the smoldering stares between them, he had to at least try and find out if something was there between him and the shy boy with the eternal bed hair.

"Look, Lisa..." He started, wiggling his hand until she had no other choice but to free him. "You're neat. More than neat, I mean you're awesome. And you gotta trust me when I say that it's not you, it's me."

"Really, Dean?" She scoffed, defensively putting her hands on her hips. "First you're calling me gorgeous, and then you brush me off with that excuse, of all excuses?"

Dean wanted to slap himself when he realized how awfully cliché that must have sounded, but in his defense, it was the whole truth and nothing but the truth. More and more students were leaving the building, but Lisa didn't move an inch, narrowing her eyes at him, clearly suspicious after that horribly overused response. Even though it had been one huge misunderstanding, Dean somehow felt the need to explain himself.

"The thing is, I wasn't talking to you, and I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea." Dean began cautiously, holding up his hands. "And you're a great girl, but there's someone else and whenever we look at each other I just... It's like magic, you know? It's like everything around us stops, and I wanna- I have to find out if our thing is a thing, and even if it isn't a thing it isn't fair to date someone when you're already into someone else, so I..."

Dean paused, finding that Lisa's frown was becoming more of a grimace.

"Yeah... I'm rambling." Dean concluded dryly, awkwardly scratching the back of his head because he was royally fucking stuff up yet again. "And you really couldn't care less about my pathetic crush on someone who isn't you, obviously. Believe me, I'm so sorry."

Lisa didn't speak at first, but to Dean's bewilderment, the expression on her face gradually turned softer. After a long moment, she sighed, shaking her head.

"Castiel Novak." Was all she said.

"What?" Dean blurted out, taken off guard.

"I've seen the way you two look at each other, but I hoped that I was misreading it." She confessed, stepping away from Dean, disappointment lacing her tone. "His name, it's Castiel Novak, he lives in my neighborhood. And since it's never going to be you and me, I guess I can give you his address, if you want..."

                                                              ~

Castiel closed his laptop with a smack. There was no way he was going to get any homework done today, not when his brain was endlessly nagging him about what had happened earlier.

He'd gone home immediately after the incident, half running, half walking, grateful that he only lived a few blocks away.

Hiding in his room had been an appealing option at first, but being alone and bored gave Castiel too much time to think. Eventually he'd flopped face forward onto his bed, wallowing in his misery for a while. He wasn't sure how long he'd already been moping there, when a loud knock on his door startled him.

"Little bro? You've got a visitor, someone's at the door for you." Castiel's older brother Gabriel called in his typical sing song voice. "And might I add, he looks mighty fine."

Castiel groaned; that sounded like another one of Gabriel's annoying tricks, and he was so not in the mood.

Gabriel insisted. "Come on, don't keep him waiting, Cassie!"

With a long suffering sigh, Castiel got up. As much as he wanted to ignore his brother altogether, spending seventeen years in Gabriel's vicinity was enough to know that he wasn't above dragging Castiel out of his room if necessary.

Oddly, Gabriel was nowhere to be seen when Castiel shuffled down the stairs. He ran a hand through his hair, only to freeze in his tracks as soon as he tiptoed around the corner, shocked when a familiar face was offering him a timid smile from the open front door. Dean Winchester. As if this day could possibly turn into even more of a nightmare. Where had he even gotten this address? Castiel's money was on Charlie.

Voice stuck in his throat, Castiel numbly stared at Dean from a safe distance, aware that he had to look like a total mess with his red eyes and impossible hair, wearing pajama pants and that ancient shirt with too many holes in it. He hadn't exactly been prepared for a visit from his dream guy.

What Castiel had been even more unprepared for, was Dean's smile, tentative but sincere.

"Hey there, gorgeous." Dean greeted, winking at him.

"Wha- Me?" Castiel asked weakly, thoroughly stunned, taking several steps towards Dean, his feet moving without Castiel wanting them to.

Dean snorted, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah... Do you see anyone else here? This time it's kinda just the two of us."

Feeling calmer because of Dean's lighthearted attitude, Castiel loosened up and played along. Dean clearly understood what had happened earlier that day, but he wasn't making fun of him. Did that mean he came here to apologize for giving Castiel false hope? As painful as it was to be rejected, at least it helped that Dean appeared to be a nice person with good intentions.

"Yes... Just us." Castiel agreed after clearing his throat. "And no harm done, Dean. I jumped to the wrong conclusion, you're not to blame."

They were standing too close, only the door frame separating them.

And Dean laughed, out loud, without any warning reaching for Castiel and brushing his knuckles against Castiel's cheek, cool fingers touching Castiel's burning skin, giving him goose bumps.

"Oh yeah, you sure did jump to the wrong conclusion. When I said gorgeous, I meant you, Castiel Novak. Not Lisa, but you."

Breathing became a true challenge for Castiel at that revelation, and Dean saying his name so fondly rendered him speechless. Instead of talking, he welcomed Dean's touch by leaning into it, letting Dean know without words that it was something he wanted. That Dean was something he wanted.

"God, they're even more freaking blue from up close." Dean whispered in awe when he dropped his hand.

"You're not so bad yourself." Castiel answered without thinking, lost in forest green eyes and a maze of freckles.

As could be expected, Castiel didn't need time to make a decision when Dean asked him out, abruptly exclaiming his "Yes!"