And Then I Found You

Chapter 4

"Dean?" Sam said, when his brother burst into his room the next day, looking flustered. He was pacing frantically and ringing his hands together. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He sat up in his bed and set the book he'd been reading on the table next to him. Dean had been anxious lately but this seemed like a different kind of anxious.

"Oh, God," Dean said, running his fingers through his hair and then down his face. "What am I doing?"

"What are you doing?" Sam said, his curiosity peeked. "You're kinda freaking me out, man. What's going on?"

Dean stopped pacing and looked at his brother. He bit his lip. "I . . . I met someone, Sammy," he said, and he couldn't help the smile that played at the corners of his mouth.

"What?" Sam said, standing up, his eyes wide. The gears in his head were turning a thousand miles a minute. "But, how? There were only woman at the Ball last night, and . . ."

"He wasn't at the Ball," Dean said, smiling even more now as he remembered the way he'd caught Castiel off guard, and how pleasantly surprised he'd been at the sound of his voice, and how dazzlingly beautiful his eyes were, and how it had felt so right to hold him as they danced.

"Huh?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, he was, but not inside. I needed a break from everything, and when I went outside, he was there, and we danced, and . . ." Dean trailed off, smiling even more now and blushing.

Sam smiled too. "Wow," he said. "You are hooked."

Dean blushed even more. "Shut up."

"So what's the problem?"

Dean cringed. "I asked to see him again."

"Okay."

"So, I shouldn't be seeing him again, Sam. It's pointless."

"Why?"

Dean glared at him. "You know perfectly well why."

"You like him, don't you?"

"Yes," Dean said softly.

"And he likes you?"

Dean nodded. "I mean, I think so."

Sam smirked at him. "So?"

"So, what?" Dean asked.

"So, what are you still doing here?"

Dean bit his lip and grinned. And even though everything in him was telling him that this was a terrible idea, that he was setting himself up for disappointment, that it would never work, that he and Castiel could never be, that he needed to be focusing on finding a wife, not sneaking out to be with a boy, he found himself heading for the door.

"What do you want me to tell Dad when he asks where you are?" Sam asked.

Dean looked back at his brother. "Anything but the truth," he said.

************

12 hours earlier

Castiel stared up at the ceiling, his hands behind his back, fingers laced together. He was still smiling.

David. The boy's name was David. Castiel was smitten and he knew it. He'd never felt like this in his life. The boy had come out of nowhere, and danced with him, and flirted with him, and the way he'd smiled and looked Castiel in the eyes had made him go weak in the knees.

Bear jumped up on the bed next to Castiel just then and stuck his nose in his face, sniffing.

"You smell someone else one me, buddy?" Castiel asked with a smile, petting the dog affectionately. David had smelled of peppermint and allspice and Castiel was sure he did now too, having been so close to him the entire evening. It was a wonderful feeling, to have someone else's scent on him. To smell of something other than soap and soot, and sweat.

"I met someone," he told the dog, and Bear wagged his tail. "I'm seeing him again tomorrow. At the lake. Don't tell Naomi, okay? I'm fairly certain she wouldn't approve. He said he works at the palace but I doubt that means he's wealthy. At least not as wealthy as Bartholomew." He cringed at the name.

If Naomi found out that he was in a relationship, or whatever it was he and David had going on right now, with a servant, she'd probably try to marry him off to Bartholomew even faster. It was all about the money. And marrying a family friend would undoubtedly ensure their future welfare, regardless of what if meant for Castiel's happiness. He couldn't let her find out about David.

And Castiel fell asleep that night, remembering what it felt like to have David's arms around him, his hand in his, and he slept more peacefully than he had in years.