Fame Crazy (Sequel to Strings Attached)

Chapter 198

Dean cups his hands around his mouth. "Charlie!"

The redhead doesn't hear him, too busy chatting with her girlfriend ahead of them in line.

Dean tries again. "Charlie Bradbury!"

By now, the majority of people near them are watching, annoyed. Castiel nudges Dean, silently telling him to stop.

Dean ignores him. "Charlie Raspberry!"

Castiel can't help but laugh at that. "That actually fits really well."

"I know, right?" Dean says with a grin. "I'm a fu—" He cuts himself off when he remembers they're standing behind a couple little kids, both of whom are watching them because they're making a racket. "Flipping. I'm a flipping genius."

Castiel shakes his head at him. "Wow, Dean. That was such a horrible save, it doesn't deserve to be called a save."

"Ya know what, Cas? I tried."

One of the kids in front of them, a little bit who can't be more than six years old, asks, "Are you Dean Winchester?"

That seems to get his parents' attention, and they both seem ready to apologize for their child's random question, but they see Dean's face, they both pause. Castiel eyes the little boy's hat. He's noticed a lot of Patriots hats over the last few days, but typically not on little kids, and they never seem to recognize their star quarterback.

"I am," Dean replies.

Castiel raises an eyebrow. He's rarely that nice when an adult recognizes him. People should send their kids after him more often.

"Woah!" the little boy grins. "You're the best football player ever!"

Dean chuckles. "I'm not, but I appreciate —"

"You are!" the little boy insists. "I've seen all your games! You're the best!"

"You've seen all our games?" Dean repeats. "You must be a football expert."

"Yeah!"

Dean bites back a laugh. "And what's your name?"

"Thomas!" He says it with so much excitement, it's comical.

"It's nice to meet you, Thomas." Dean boops his hat. "Nice hat."

"I got it last year when I saw a game in real life!" Thomas tells him. "And you were there and you won and it was awesome!"

"Did you get to go to Gillette Stadium?" Dean asks, using the tone of voice adults use when they ask little kids questions that they already know the answer to.

"Yeah!"

"Was it fun?" Dean asks.

"It was awesome!" Thomas says excitedly. "I wanna play football there one day!"

"I bet you'll be a great football player," Dean tells him. "You just gotta work hard."

"Guys, can we move a little bit?" Castiel interrupts hesitantly. "We're kinda blocking the line."

As thy shift over a bit to let people pass, the little girl next to Thomas, probably about his age, tugs on her mother's shirt and asks quietly, "Who's that?"

"Dean Winchester?" her mom asks. "He plays football for the Patriots. You see him on tv sometimes on Sundays."

"No, him." The little girl looks at Castiel pointedly. Castiel gives her a small smile, but she's obviously not talking to him, so he's not sure whether he's supposed to respond.