#partyverse

fresh and his best man miami rick

47. Quick kiss

Read The High School Party AU No One Asked For on AO3

FALLOUT FROM ONE of Meg Master’s parties was only to be expected. Some of it was predictable, like several of the football players showing up for practice the next day with hangovers and Michael Gottesschwert having very little sympathy for the idiots who knew they had practice and still went overboard on the beer. Other things were less predictable, such as Gabriel Gullvaengur and Kali Rao coming in to school on Monday wearing matching gold rings, Kali looking smug and Gabriel looking at turns dazedly happy and terrified. And then there were the things that should have been predictable, and yet still managed to catch Castiel Einsam off guard in the halls of Shurley High.

“Hey, Einsam! Think fast!”

Castiel had his hand up before he’d even fully registered the projectile heading for him over the heads of his classmates. The football - a smaller, squishier version of the one he usually saw being hurled across the field on game days - grazed his palm and he closed his hand over it, stopping its forward progress before looking around for the one who threw it. Somehow, he wasn’t surprised to see Michael headed towards him, eyebrows up.

“Nice reflexes,” the quarterback told him as he got closer. “There a reason you didn’t try out for the team this year?”

Aside from complete lack of interest? Castiel shrugged and tossed the ball back before turning back to his locker. “I can run really fast, or I can catch and throw. The moment I try to do both, it goes very, very badly.”

“There are drills we could do to help you learn to compensate–” Michael offered, but Castiel was already shaking his head.

“Dean’s already run through those drills with me,” he admitted. “It’s why I’m not constantly tripping over my own feet. Thank you, really, but I’m just fine with not being reprogrammed into a jock this late in the game.”

“Besides - no offense meant, Mike - the last thing a brilliant mind like Castiel’s needs is a history of concussion damage.”

“No offense taken,” Michael said easily, raising his eyebrows as Dean stepped into Castiel’s line of sight. A moment later, Castiel felt a familiar set of wiry yet surprisingly strong arms wrap around him from behind. He smiled a little helplessly as he leaned back into Sam’s chest.

“Hello, Sam,” he said, reaching up with the hand not buried in his locker to touch the arms around him. Looking over at his boyfriend’s brother, he nodded in greeting. “Dean.”

“Cas,” Dean returned with a smirk. “You ready for first period?”

“Is anyone ever ready for first period?” Sam asked from just over Castiel’s head, the vibration of his chest against Castiel’s back making him shiver pleasantly.

“Ready or not, the bell’s gonna ring in, like, two minutes,” Meg pointed out as she joined them, scowling in her usual disgruntled manner at the necessity for being awake and functional at this time of the morning.

“Another dreary day in Purgatory?” Castiel said dryly. He shut his locker and twisted around, tilting his head up to press a quick kiss to the side of Sam’s mouth. “See you in second period?”

“Count on it,” Sam murmured back, practically beaming at him. Castiel smiled back, feeling lighter than he ever had on a Monday morning. The day ahead was already looking a lot brighter.