A Gift to the Gutter (A Destiel Dancer AU)

Story

It drives Cas crazy. The eating and thinking and the breathing. All Cas wants to do is dance. Dance until he can't feel, dancing is pure and clean. Dancing is empty. Like his stomach.

You wake up and you move on, just keep dancing, and just keep spinning. Fall and get up, fall and get up, twist and turn like the beat in your veins, lose yourself Castiel and forget. Forget it all. You are in control here. It's your body and your mind. There is no older brother with a daddy complex, broken home or angry teachers. There is just you and this room. The polish on the floor scuffed by your shoes as you turn and you turn. You are weightless Castiel. You are mine.

One minute he's in fourth position, the next he is steadying himself on one lithe arm with palm; clammy, grasping the barre. Pale face reflected back at him blurring. The next moment he is on the floor, a tangle of limbs and his left cheek stinging, his eye socket aching. *He* is there, leaning over him. Green eyes wide with shock, bag forgotten by the door its contents spilled across the floor. A pen rolls and hits Castiel's foot and he remembers to breath.

"Are you okay, man?" *He* offers his hand to help Castiel to his feet.

Get away from here Castiel, he will find out. He will stop you. Castiel get up and leave. Don't say a word to him. He'll try and break us apart.

For the first time since he was fourteen Castiel ignores the voice. He accepts the hand offered, unfurling himself and standing up slowly. "I'm fine," he replies. His voice quiet as he examines the man before him. Short cropped blonde hair, green eyes framed by lashes that seemed almost feminine. He was slightly taller than Castiel, not as thin. Cas immediately relaxed. BMI of 22.4 the voice whispers. 6 points above yours, look at him isn't he disgusting.

The hand waved in front of his face distracts him, brings him back down to earth. "Are you sure you're okay?  You hit your head... maybe you have concussion." Blonde eyebrows furrow to meet in the middle in a way Cas finds completely adorable. Suddenly he feels a blush creep up his neck as he realises how warm this strangers hands are in his and the fact he's still grasping it tightly despite being on his feet now.

Cas looks away, glancing into the mirror and immediately regretting the decision. His cheek has swollen up; hiding the sharp angle of his cheek bone and making him want to weep. Instead he reaches down to his toes, stretching again. He tries to ignore his green eyed helper but with little success. After a few moments he begins to pick up his scattered belongings casting glances at Cas as he continues to warm up.

"I'm Dean by the way."

"I'm Castie-"

"I know who you are," Dean says quietly. "You danced Peter last September for the Novak Company but they made you leave the company when you collapsed in the middle of a performance." Dean continues, steadily collecting his things and replacing them in the bag. After he's done he sits down and begins to roll his ankles out with his back to the barre and the mirror and therefore Castiel.

Castiel stares agape at the toned back of this stranger, anger bubbling away beneath his skin burning away the yellow bubbles and the monsters. Burning them out of his memory. His own anger screaming louder than the voice. He wants to shout and yell and cuss at Dean. How dare he bring that up, but instead Cas remains mesmerized by the stretch of lycra over Dean's shoulders, the arch of his bicep and the ridges in his spine.

He wants to touch him, feel the bump of every bone. He wants to examine him and learn his secrets.

Dean turns,  eyes heavy lidded as he looks at Castiel. Castiel stares unable to look away or even blink. The moment seems to stretch out for hours but in reality it is less than a minute. Castiel coughs, the movement makes his chest ache and his bruised cheek throb. The pain reminds him of what he was doing before Dean appeared and Castiel turns his back on Dean this time, raising one leg onto the barre and reaching for his toes.