12Written for hs_bingo prompt 'prom night'.
Sam had never ate dinner at the Novak's before. In the twelve years since they had moved in he could recall dozens of times Castiel and Gabriel had been to their house. Even the Novaks had ate at the Winchester home, but this was the first time Sam sat at their kitchen table. It was an awkward first dinner, too. Castiel's parents were going out of town in the morning and would miss the actual prom night in two nights. Gabriel gave Sam bullet point reasons why Sam had to have dinner with their parents as Castiel's date. He had made it fundamental.
Sitting there though; Castiel's dad kept glaring at him, and his mom wouldn't even look up. Castiel looked mortified and Gabriel was shoving food into his mouth like there wasn't a block of ice forming around the table. Sam was starting to worry he was going to sweat through under his arms and wouldn't that have just topped off the evening.
"So, y'know, Dad, Sammy here is at the top of his computer class." Sam shot a look at Gabriel, pleading him to shut his mouth. "Oh, yeah," he continued when Mr. Novak gave him his attention. "He's been short listed for MIT, haven't you Sam?"
"I-uh, yeah. I have. But I'm not sure if computers is what I want to do." Sam panicked when he saw Mr. Novak's interest start to wane. "I'm more passionate about law, actually." He could hear Dean in his head calling him a brown-nose but Mrs. Novak perked up.
"Law?" Mrs. Novak leaned forward, a smile finally gracing her face. Sam smiled too, Castiel had his mother's smile.
"Yeah," Sam scratched at his neck. He jerked, but no one seemed to notice. Castiel had put his hand on Sam's thigh and squeezed reassuringly. "I'm thinking good-will work at first, but I haven't even decided on a school."
"Well, that's good for you, Sam." Mrs. Novak turned to her husband, "I didn't realize he was such a smart boy." Castiel's face fell into his hand and Gabriel snorted. Sam would have to thank him later, after he strangled him for putting him on the spot. Dinner did thaw out after that with Mr. Novak grilling him about computers and Castiel's hand on his thigh.
Walking back to his house after dinner Sam found himself dragging his feet. Castiel was next to him doing the same thing. They had even went down the drive and across the side walk instead of cutting over the neighbor's lawn. Castiel laced their fingers and when they made it to Sam's driveway he tugged on his hand. "Let's keep walking. We'll circle back around." Sam grinned and pulled Castiel closer.
They kept their pace slow and enjoyed the warm May night, the sun was starting to set and Sam looked at Castiel. What they had was still infant-new and sometimes Sam had the feeling that Castiel had something big on the tip of his tongue. The other teen would always clamp up though and never got around to saying it. He was okay with that though; he knew that Castiel always liked to have his thoughts in order before he started something. It was one of many admirable traits that Sam liked about him.
"I was expecting tonight to be much more disastrous than it was." Castiel spoke up as they rounded the first corner.
"Oh, thanks," Sam teased, bumping his shoulder. His bluntness another. Even if he meant to or not Castiel usually always told the truth.
Castiel frowned, "It was nothing towards you. I only meant that I expected someone to yell. I thought my dad would start it, Mother would try to pacify him, while Gabriel made everything worse." Castiel leaned into Sam's side and sighed, "But Gabriel keeps exceeding my expectations."
Sam slipped his hand free so he could wrap his arm around Castiel's shoulders; Castiel moved closer by putting his arm behind Sam's back. "He's not such a bad guy." The neighborhood park came into view and Sam started urging Castiel off the sidewalk. "So are you going to have dinner with us Prom night?"
Castiel tensed up and fidgeted, "I don't know. Gabriel's coming and we thought about going out before and having dinner some where." Sam wanted to ask him why since they had come out as a couple he avoided Dean. There didn't seem to be any bad feelings between them so Sam knew it didn't have anything to do with their relationship. He just didn't understand how the two best friends fell apart like they did. Sam couldn't ask Dean; it didn't seem right, like he would be fishing for information on Castiel.
"Can I crash that? Dean's bringing his date to dinner, which is a kinda big deal. He's all about this new girl Lisa." Castiel made a soft noise and when Sam looked at him he had a small, happy smile on his face.
"That is very good news," he said softly. The park backed up against a large wooded area that hadn't been torn down for developments yet and Sam was steering that way. There was a tree he liked to sit under where they could watch the rest of the sun set.
Settled down Sam had Castiel sitting between his legs and Sam's arms wrapped around Castiel's waist. Castiel leaned against his chest and let his head rest on Sam's shoulder. Sam sighed and let his smile press against Castiel's neck. He wasn't completely sure when his feelings for Castiel had started, he knew that he admitted to having them, to himself at least, at the end of their Sophomore year. Dean had been boast about how he was going to be a Senior next year and that they, Sam and Castiel, better be ready to listen to him. Sam had laughed, while Gabriel had patted Dean's back calling him his protege; he had given a similar speech the year before when he was officially a Senior. Castiel though had pointed out that Dean was going to have to actually pass English 11 next year if he wanted any chance of graduating. Then he had smirked, telling Dean it wouldn't be too bad graduating with him and his ilittle brother/i. Castiel always had something to say to Dean's smartass comments; it came with the Best Friend territory.
That had been it for Sam though. After struggling most of the year with his fast growing attraction for the male population it seemed to slip into place when he looked at Castiel and just saw... Him. Castiel coming out actually hadn't made it easier. Now what had been an unrequited attraction was something possible. Except Castiel seemed to turn down the few guys who asked him out; not that Sam blamed him. Balthazar and Uriel were not two he would have said yes too, either. Gabriel, having figured out Sam's attraction about two weeks after he had, kept telling him to go for it. Then in the month leading up to him working up the nerve to do it Gabriel had started to press even harder. Sam wouldn't use it as a word to describe Gabriel, but he had almost seemed desperate.
"What are you thinking about?" Castiel turned so he could see Sam's profile.
Sam opened his mouth to say the cheesy (and true) answer: You. Instead, "What's happen between you and Dean?" came out of his mouth.
"Oh," Castiel sat forward but Sam didn't remove his arms. "What makes you think something has happen?"
Sam laughed, "C'mon, Cas. You two have been connected at the hip for twelve years. And then suddenly, nothing. You two hardly exchange hellos now." Castiel sighed and his chin rested on his chest for a moment.
He moved slowly until he was facing Sam, he didn't quite make eye contact with him. "We are working through some things."
"Like what? Cause Dean said he was cool with this," Sam motioned between them.
"Dean and I-" Castiel stopped and licked his lips. "I am afraid of what your reaction is going to be."
Sam's brow crinkled and he took Castiel's hands, "Don't worry. Whatever it is, it's between you two and it wont effect what we have. Promise."
Castiel laughed, quietly and sad. "I do not think you can keep that promise." He looked Sam in the eyes, "Dean and I were seeing each other, kind of. Not really. It was complicated."
"What?" Sam pulled his hands free of Castiel's. "When, how long?"
Castiel looked pained but Sam didn't care. He didn't understand how either of them could keep this from him. "Three months, it ended when..." Sam stood up and Castiel reached out to him but he ignored his hand. "It wasn-"
Sam backed away. "No, I don't want to hear it. Why would you do that? Why would you think that was alright?"
"Just listen to me a-" Castiel was getting his feet and Sam was afraid that he would hit him. "Give me one second, Sam!" Castiel shouted at his retreating back. "Sam!" Castiel started to run and Sam took off too, his longer strides taking him out of the park and the first fenced yard he came to he jumped. "Please!" Sam stumbled at the pain his voice but still didn't stop. He had to apologize to Dean; he had done his brother a great wrong.
Their mom had tried to get him to come inside and wait for Dean but he was afraid of how their conversation would turn. She gave him an odd look but left him alone with a glass of milk; he chuckled, she knew what to do to keep him calm. The Impala roared on their street two minutes before Dean's eleven o'clock curfew. He pulled into the driveway and set a moment with a dopey grin on his face; Sam smiled, he was really feeling this new girl. Sam didn't give him a chance to climb out of the car, he slide into the passenger seat.
"Um, hey, Sam," Dean gave him an odd look.
"I'm sorry, Dean," The words slipped out before Sam could stop them. "I wish you had told me. I would never have done that to you if I had known."
Dean paled a little bit, "Man, are you talking about... Cas told you?"
"I asked him what happen between you two. Dean, I am so sorry."
"About what?" Dean looked confused now. "The thing between me and Cas was..."
"You're honestly not angry that he broke up with you to start dating me?" Sam's own confusion started when Dean started laughing, "What?"
Dean waved his hand a moment, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to, it just. Did it ever, in the three months we were together seem like we were dating? Did we hold hands going down the hall, share popcorn at the movies? Hell, Sammy, I couldn't even sit at the same table during lunch with him because I was terrified that everyone would be able to tell." Dean sobered quickly, "I was a selfish bastard. After Balthazar asked Castiel out I freaked thinking that was the kinda guy trying to get with my best friend? I didn't- I didn't want him getting hurt."
"So you asked him out, but why did Cas say yes? I don't- It's weird, he wanted..."
"You're going to have to ask Castiel why he said yes."
Sam winced, thinking about how he had left Castiel alone in the park. Sitting outside waiting for Dean earlier he couldn't help but also keep an eye for Castiel. When it was almost ten o'clock and the other teen still hadn't come home Sam thought about leaving his post. Then Gabriel's car swerved on the street and Castiel climb out of the passenger seat. Gabriel had glared at him and for a moment he thought the older teen was going to come over and start a fight on the Winchester front lawn. Castiel dragged him inside though and nothing came of it.
"Sammy, you did let Castiel explain all of this right? I know it's weird but what happen between us was... We're best friends and that's all either of us ever really wanted." Dean put his hand on Sam's shoulder.
"I left him alone in the park, Dean. He tried to tell me and I wouldn't listen." Sam felt sick.
"Good thing Castiel has such a big heart. He'll forgive you for being a moron." Sam wasn't convinced and Dean squeezed his shoulder, "Don't worry. I think everything will be fine." Sam sighed, his gut was telling him something different.
Castiel was suppose to meet him Friday morning and they were going to walk to school since Dean was officially no longer a student and that meant he wasn't taking them to school any more. Sam wasn't expecting him to be waiting. Gabriel was the second to last person he though he would see on his porch. "I'm driving you to school. Get your ass in my car."
"Why?"
"I'm going to kill you." Sam gulped and he wasn't sure why this hadn't come to mind. After the look Gabriel had given him the night before he should have been expecting it. Gabriel's Mustang was already in the driveway with an inch between it and Dean's Impala.
Gabriel waited until Sam was in the passenger seat and the car was already rolling out of the driveway before talking. "So, I told you if you hurt my little brother I would kill you."
"You don't know the half of it..." Sam trailed off. He knew Castiel and Gabriel weren't the super-close brothers that Dean and Sam were half the time. Castiel still probably told Castiel about their fight. "Or you do, don't you."
"Look, Yeti, I knew about my little brother and Princess long before anything else." Gabriel shot him a glare. "Dean was a total prick to Castiel."
"That doesn't make it okay! And you encouraged you, you asshole!" Why did everyone think it was okay? It wasn't, nothing about the situation was okay. Gabriel was a prick for telling Sam to go for it all those times; he iknew/i about Dean and Cas.
Gabriel glared, daring Sam to interrupt him, "He was an absolute prick. You saw what it was like at dinner the other night. That's how every dinner has been since Castiel came out of the closet. Totally fucking miserable. Our parents are pissed, completely convinced this is some rebellious phase he's going through. Mom would actually ask him, "Any respectable boys asked you out yet?" Like it was a challenge and every time Cas had to say no he lost."
Sam opened his mouth but Gabriel held up his hand. "Wanna know what Mom and Dad said to Castiel this morning? "When can that nice young man come around again?" Forget the fact that you are a Winchester and my parents hate you two on principle of being bad influences," Sam snorted at that. Gabriel was the bad influence on them as children. "iNice young man/i. So I might act like a total jerk all the time, but I love my little brother and I wasn't going to watch him suffer while I knew happiness was right here," He gestured to Sam.
Sam buried his head in his hands. He was still hurting; they could have told him. One of them could have mentioned it. It didn't have to be a secret. Gabriel looked like he had more that he wanted to say but kept it to himself and let Sam out a mile away from school. Sam figured he was lucky he got a ride that far.
He made it through an awkward dinner between his parents, Dean and his brother's date, Lisa. She asked about Castiel and why they weren't having dinner together. His mom had looked concerned but when Dean immediately changed the subject she didn't say anything. Sam pushed his food around on his plate and listened halfheartedly as they grilled Lisa for information. Later Sam was helping his mom clean up before leaving with Dean when she finally said something.
"What happen to Castiel?" She looked at him over the table as she wiped it down and he cleared away the dishes.
"We- I... There were some disagreements," Sam finished lamely. His mom nodded and Sam hurried into the kitchen to halt any further questions.
She followed him in, though, and opened the cabinet above the sink. "I got this for you to give to Castiel." She handed him a flower container. There was a blue-violet carnation inside with a sprig of baby's-breath.
"Oh...I don't think-"
"Castiel is a very sweet young man. You two have been," she smiled, "adorable."
"Geez, Mom," Sam rubbed his neck.
She ran her fingers through his hair, still smiling, "I don't think your father knew, but I did. About Dean and Castiel. You boys don't hide things well, not from me." Sam's face burned with embarrassment; his imother/i knew about it. "Maybe I should have said something when things began, but I didn't know how you felt about Castiel at the time and I thought they needed to figure things out for themselves. If I had..." she kissed his cheek. "Go to the dance, Sam. Have fun and apologize first."
"But-"
"Apologize first. The way you've been moping around here the past two days you're guilty enough to say you're sorry." Sam nodded but didn't get to say anything else, Dean was yelling for him to hurry up.
Dean parked the Impala in the lot and all three of them got out. Not two seconds later Gabriel's Mustang roared into view. Sam faltered to a stop and watched the red machine park a few rows away from theirs. Dean gave him an encouraging smile and looped his arm around Lisa before walking towards the building.
"Go get'em, Sammy!" Dean called cheerfully. It was easy for him to say.
Sam made his way slowly to where they were parked. Gabriel was already out of the car leaning against the driver's side. Castiel was still sitting inside. "He doesn't want to come out," Gabriel walked away, but not far.
He approached the passenger side slowly and opened the door. Castiel was sitting, stiff back and staring straight ahead. "Hey," he said, looking at the ground.
"Hello," Castiel's eyes flicked to him but didn't linger.
Sam squatted down to bring himself eye-level with Castiel. "Castiel, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you in the park the other night. I should have listened to what you had to say."
"But you didn't," was the response.
"I know. I was mad, but I shouldn't have reacted like that."
"But you did." Sam didn't think Castiel was going to make it easy on him but he wondered just how hard it would be.
"Here," he shoved the flower into Castiel's lap. Castiel looked at it before picking it up. "My mom picked out," he said, when Castiel looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He pushed at Sam and made him stand up, then he was standing up too, handing the flower back to Sam. Sam's face fell but then Castiel was producing his own flower.
"I got you one, as well." It was the traditional red but the was all Sam noticed. It had registered, barely, that Gabriel had looked nice in his perfectly tailored black suit. Castiel was stunning in his. "What?" Castiel squirmed uncomfortably under Sam's gaze.
Sam removed the flower and slipped it into the buttonhole of Castiel's suit. "You look amazing. All this for Junior Prom?"
Castiel pulled at his collar before putting Sam's boutonnière into place. "We had these lying around." Sam believed it, it seemed the Novak's always had some formal party to attend; Gabriel and Castiel were expected to attend some of them.
Sam brushed his hand over Castiel's cheek. "I really am sorry. I shouldn't have treated you like that."
"No, you should not have. I shouldn't have kept it from you, neither of us should have. It was underhanded." Sam pulled him into a hug.
"Aw, you've survived your first couple's quarrel!" Gabriel clapped his hands together. "Now come on, I've got my dance to get on."
Castiel rolled his eyes, "Go ahead, Gabriel. We're not walking in with you."
Gabriel made a noise of disbelief, "Am I not good enough for you?"
"iWe/i are going to prom together, not the three of us," Castiel glared and Gabriel put up his hands in mock surrender. He turned and started making his way to the social hall.
When it was just the two of them Castiel leaned against Sam. "Will you allow me to explain now?" Sam nodded against his head. "I said yes to Dean because he was safe. He's been my best friend since we moved here and maybe I was a little scared. Coming out wasn't what I thought it was going to be. Dean said he'd come out, that we wouldn't have to hide but that never happen and it never happen. I started to realize...I didn't even like Dean, like that. And Dean was never going to like me anymore than he already did. As his friend, brother." Castiel looked up at him. "When you asked me out I knew it was wrong. I knew I should say no, but I couldn't. You were nice, and open. And I realized that even though we had never been the best of friends I always enjoyed your company." Sam took the opportunity of silence to kiss Castiel.
"I took a chance," Castiel said, once they pulled apart. "I would take it again and again." Sam smiled and they were kissing again. Sam pushed him against Gabriel's car and deepen it with a swipe of his tongue over Castiel's lips. His hands were just starting to roam over Castiel's finely suited body when a wolf-whistle broke them apart. Across the parking lot a few of their friends were arriving.
"Get a room you two!" Jo shouted to them, she had Ash on her arm.
"No! Get yer asses in here so I'm not alone," Ash yelled.
They shared a smile and another kiss before jogging over to their friends. Sam slipped his arm around Castiel's waist and pulled him against his side. They joked and laughed with the couple until they made it closer to the door then they dropped back so they could enter through the decorated archway just the two of them. The dancing was already well under way and Sam didn't wait; he pulled Castiel out on the floor and wrapped his arms around him and started moving to the music./lj-cut