Strings Attached

Chapter 42

They continue on like this for a while. For four weeks, they remain a close group of friends, and Dean continues to hang out with them if there's no chance anyone will see him with them. This happens more frequently once football ends; hanging out with both the Winchesters becomes normal for them soon. Castiel doesn't mind. He's almost starting to consider Dean a friend.

"Merry Christmas!" Charlie says with a big smile, pulling out a bunch of thin, wrapped objects from her backpack at lunch the day before Christmas break. She hands one to everyone, and they all open them at once.

It's a calendar. Castiel flips through it slowly, taking the time to look at each page. They're full of various pictures of them over the last two or so months, some that Castiel didn't even realize were taken. Everyone's birthday is labeled, a picture of just them taking up the box for the day. Castiel looks up at her in surprise.

"You made this?"

Charlie nods excitedly. "Yeah! I figured it could be fun! Oh, and Gabriel helped, too, cuz I needed a picture of you and you don't have social media. You should get on that."

"I'll pass on the social front," Castiel replies. "This is amazing, Charlie. Seriously. I need to start doing things with my life now so I can use this. Now my gift just seems lame, but... Merry Christmas!" Castiel hands everyone a candy cane shaped tube full of skittles. "From me and Gabriel."

"It was mostly an excuse so I could buy myself one," Gabriel adds, taking a festive tube of skittles from his own backpack. "Taste the rainbow!"

"I feel awkward because I didn't get gifts," Garth says.

"It's fine," Charlie assures him. "I'm sure Kevin didn't either. He never does." She sticks her tongue out at him playfully.

"I didn't, either," Sam says. "Didn't have the money."

"You gift us enough with your presence," Gabriel replies with a grin.

"You're such a flirt," Sam says.

"But you love it." Gabriel stands on his toes to give Sam a kiss on the lips.

"Don't start squealing," Garth whispers to Charlie.

"Avert your eyes!" Kevin jokes.

"But my OTP!" Charlie whines.

"I thought Destiel was your OTP," Kevin reminds her.

"I have a lot of OTPs," Charlie replies.

"But —"

"Deal with it."

Sabriel stops kissing finally, and Sam wraps the shorter boy in his arms in an undeniably adorable way. This time, Charlie does squeal.

"You guys are adorable!" she gushes.

"I know," Gabriel replies with a grin.

"'Specially Gabriel," Sam adds, forever being an awesome boyfriend.

"Awww." Gabriel kisses him again, causing Charlie to squeal until Kevin elbows her in the ribs.

"Charlie, leave the happy couple alone," Kevin scolds her.

"But they're so cute!"

The sound of laughter, cold and accusing, gets everyone's attention, Sabriel included. Immediately, Sam drops his arms, no longer holding Gabriel to him. No one really notices this, though, because everyone's attention is on the new arrivals. Crowley, Azazel, Alastair, and Dean.

"Oh, this is just priceless!" Crowley laughs, clapping his hands slowly a couple times. "No wonder Sammy took the last train out. Too love struck to realize what you're missing, huh?"

"Three faggots together," Alastair adds. "At least."

"Four," Charlie says proudly. "I don't just taste the rainbow. I am the rainbow." To emphasize this, she pops a skittle in her mouth.

"Pity," Crowley replies. "Would've liked to see what you could do, if ya catch my drift."

Charlie cough-says, "Perv."

"Faggot," Crowley replies in the same manner. In his normal tone, he adds, "Not that that matters right now. I'm more hung up on the fact that Sam Winchester of all people has a boyfriend."

Sam doesn't reply. Castiel follows his gaze to Dean, who's looking at the floor awkwardly, clearly torn between his friends and his brother.

Alastair elbows Dean. "You're being shockingly quiet," he observes.

Dean shrugs, putting on his cool facade immediately. "Well, can't say I'm surprised at this, nor that I really care. I don't see why this is more important than food."

"You're joking," Crowley says. "This — Did you already know?"

Dean shakes his head. "Nope. Now can we go get lunch now? I'm starved."

Alastair and Azazel look to Crowley, who is clearly the head of the gang right along with Dean. Crowley nods once, a small movement that's barely perceptible.

"Sure," Crowley agrees. He turns back to Sam. "I'm glad we don't have football for the rest of the year. I wouldn't want to play with a fag." With that, Crowley walks away, followed quickly by Azazel and Alastair.

"Sorry," Dean mouths before following them, walking past the two in back to walk next to Crowley as co leader.

Sam sighs and leans against the wall behind him, his eyes on the ceiling. He looks so defeated. Gabriel walks up to him, standing directly in front of the boy. He stands on his toes, craning his neck up and just barely reaching Sam's lips. Sam tilts his head up slightly, and Gabriel can no longer reach. He frowns, then stands next to Sam and leans against the wall as well.

"What?" Gabriel asks.

"Nothing," Sam replies in a way that makes it clear that it's not nothing.

"Are you made at me?"

"No, just..."

"Disappointed?" Gabriel says it in a joking way, but it's obvious that seeing Sam upset isn't a joke to him.

"I just don't get why they care," Sam finishes finally. "I mean, they definitely aren't the most religious people in the world. What's it to them?"

"Why do you care?" Gabriel counters. "You aren't friends. Why should you care what they think?"

"Because I don't want to be the next Castiel. I don't think I could handle it as well."

"You can't handle it much worse," Castiel tells him.

"You're handling it great," Charlie protests. "You're still in one piece. Mostly, anyway. Still alive, too, so there's that."

Castiel looks at the floor awkwardly at the last part, unconsciously hiding his arms farther in his jacket sleeve.

"What?" Charlie asks, noticing his mood change. "Was that the wrong thing to say? Cuz it should be a good thing. I mean, you are still alive."

"Barely," Castiel admits softly.

"What?" Charlie says in confusion. "What are you...? No. No, you didn't..."

"You didn't try to...?" Kevin says slowly as he figures it out.

Castiel doesn't answer aloud; instead, he rolls up his sleeve slightly so they can see for themselves. The cuts themselves are long gone, but there are still scars littering his arms. There's a collective gasp, quiet but audible, and Castiel pulls his sleeve down again.

"You can't handle it much worse than I did," Castiel repeats.

No one's sure how to respond to that, so it gets quiet. After all, what do you say in this type of situation? But Castiel doesn't mind the quiet. It's better than the pitying responses he's sure are going through their head.

"Let's talk about something happy," Gabriel suggests after a while. "Like rainbows. Rainbows are happy."

"I'm a rainbow!" Charlie says proudly.

"You're not a rainbow," Kevin replies.

"I am on the inside, and that's what counts!"