Blue Eyed Stranger [COMPLETE]

Chapter 20: Inadequate

Castiel doesn't go back to Dean's place that night, and instead finds his own way home. The chatter died down after his and Dean's conversation about family abruptly ended and never really picked up again afterwards. Dean didn't speak about his brother at all nor did Cas bring it up.

Riding the bus back was painful, practically in silence. Cas knew that something was off about Dean and the way he never mentioned the fact that he had a little brother, but he didn't know he was going to hit a sore spot like this and jeopardise their evening.

He looked at Dean as he was staring out of the window, watching the familiar roads flew buy. "I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Dean stirred, and didn't look back at him. "I'm not upset." He huffs.

"Whether I upset you or not... that's not the point." Castiel struggles, seeing his hesitation to speak. "I just wanted to say sorry, I shouldn't have pressed you or brought something personal like that up."

"You're right," Dean grumbled. "You shouldn't."

-

"It was so weird." Castiel pouts, stroking Mittens as he wanders over his lap. "He didn't even want to look at me afterwards." He turns to Alfie, who's sat on the opposite sofa.

He shrugs. "I don't know, Cas. You do sound kinda nosey."

"Well," Cas rolls his eyes. "I'm not nosey, I just want to know more about Dean. I honestly know nothing about him it seems."

"You didn't tell him about Gabe." Alfie retorts fairly.

"He knew I had a brother, I told him about my work, about Mittens. He knows who I live with."

"Well you said he didn't live with this brother anymore." Alfie tilts his head at him. "You knew what he worked as when you met him."

"Eh," Castiel mumbles. "It's different."

"Is it?"

Shuffling, Cas readjusts Mittens who has now laid on his lap. "Yeah." He says. "I wanted to tell him about that stuff. The only reason I didn't go into description about Gabe is because I didn't think he would want to hear about him and my weird family." Castiel sucks on his gums, not wanting to think about his own problematic relations.

"Well, maybe Dean doesn't want to tell you about his brother and his weird family?" Alife says giving Castiel that empathic look which he can't argue with.

-

The next day, Cas ensures that he arrives at the bus stop early so that he catches Dean. He's in a light blue crinkled shirt and black trousers, hoping he doesn't look too scruffy. When he sees him walking this way, he struggles to not leap at him.

"Hi Dean." He says, trying to avoid sounding sheepish.

He approaches, dressed in a royal blue suit with a red black patterned tie. "Hey." Dean answers, looking partially awkward himself.

Kicking at the ground, Cas finds it hard to look at him. "I'm still... sorry about last night. If I... made you uncomfortable."

"It's fine, really." Dean replies, similarly not looking at him in the eye.

"I just-"

Dean interrupts him. "You just wanted to get to know me better, I know." He says, almost like Cas is a child.

Cas chuckles quietly. "Yeah, I guess. I don't want you to speak about that stuff if you don't want to, I want you to be... happy and like... being with... me."

"I am, I do." Nodding, Dean starts to smile. "I just find that stuff hard to speak about, that's all."

"It's okay. I just find your life a lot more interesting than mine." Cas smiles back at him hesitantly.