Strings Attached

Chapter 58

Castiel manages to make it to the band room the next day without seeing Crowley and his friends at all. As usual, Dean is already there, and he gives Castiel a big smile when the boy appears. He walks up and gives Castiel a brief hug as a welcome.

"Heya, Cas!"

"Hi, Dean."

"Are you coming to the game tonight?" Dean asks hopefully, as he has done every single day since he proposed the idea.

"I don't know yet," Castiel replies, just as he has done every single time Dean has asked.

"But it's tonight!" Dean reminds him. "You can't just not know the day of the game!"

Castiel shrugs. "I'll figure it out before the game starts."

"That's your way of saying you're not coming, isn't it?" Dean guesses.

"No, I mean I honestly haven't decided." He's leaning more towards not going, but he isn't sure yet. He still has to make the official decision.

"Then how about I make the decision and tell you to come?" Dean proposes.

"No," Castiel replies. "It's my choice, and I'll be the one to make it. Eventually."

"Can you make it soon?" Dean pleads. "I want you to come!"

"Well, I don't know what I want, so we'll see."

Dean groans. "You're too stubborn."

"Like I'm the only one," Castiel replies sarcastically.

"Okay, true," Dean agrees. "But I really want you to come!"

Castiel shrugs again. "I don't know. Seriously. I'm not sure I'm in the mood for that."

"Why not?" Dean asks curiously. "Did something happen?"

"Sorta," Castiel replies. "More like something didn't happen, though. My Dad's been gone since New Years, and he's texted us twice, and that was only when Gabriel texted him first. He won't answer our calls and Michael and Lucifer won't let us call him again until next weekend and I'm sorry, I'm ranting. I'll stop now."

"No, it's fine," Dean assures him. "He's been gone for a week? Seriously?"

Castiel nods. "Yeah. I just — I don't know. I'm just hoping he's okay."

"I'm sure he is," Dean replies.

"Everyone says that, but I know you don't mean it," Castiel replies. "We don't know if he's okay. He could be lying dead in a ditch somewhere for all we know. It would explain why he didn't pick up the phone."

"My dad used to disappear like that all the time," Dean tells him. "It doesn't necessarily mean anything."

"But my dad isn't like that," Castiel replies. "He doesn't just up and leave, especially without telling us. And he definitely doesn't lie about where he's going, either."

"I'm sure something came up that he had to do," Dean says. "He's fine. Stop worrying so much."

Castiel scoffs at the suggestion. "'Stop worrying'?" Castiel echoes. "Yeah, sure. It's only my father that just disappeared. Yeah, totally nothing to worry about." His voice drips in sarcasm, not light in his usual joking tone but bordering on hostility. He realizes this, though, and quickly adds in a kinder tone, "I'm sorry. I'm just really stressed out right now."

"It's okay," Dean assures him. "I get it. I'm sure I would be, too, if I was in your shoes."

Castiel nods. "Trust me, you would be."