Secrets and Camera Flashes

Chapter 31

Dean: I have watched the entirety of Wayward Sisters in nine days

Castiel bursts out laughing when he gets that notification, which just happens to be while he's chatting with Charlie over the phone, because nothing in his life has good timing.

"Are you laughing at my gay struggles?" Charlie demands.

"Oh, no, sorry," Castiel says quickly. "I got a text."

Charlie scoffs. "I am ranting about a mysterious potentially-lesbian secret admirer who refuses to meet me face-to-face, and you have the audacity to laugh at a text?"

"It's a text from Dean?" Castiel says uncertainly. She can't get mad at him for talking to Dean, can she?

"I take it back," Charlie says. "This is more important than my thing."

"No, I think your secret admirer is much more important," Castiel says. "You said she-slash-possibly-he gave you a gay Leia?" By which, of course, he means someone painted a Princess Leia action figure's cloak like a rainbow pride flag and left it in her cubicle, adding to her growing collection of abandoned and gifted collectibles in her cubicle.

"Ah, ah, ah, you can't change the subject yet," Charlie says. "I just changed the subject. It can't change again this soon."

Castiel groans and falls back against his couch. He probably shouldn't have mentioned that it was Dean texting him. She's going to blow this way out of proportion.

"I thought you said you guys weren't talking," Charlie says accusingly.

"We aren't," Castiel says. "I mean, not much."

"Well, come on," Charlie says. "Spill! I need the details!"

Castiel sighs. "He texted me just over a week ago looking for something to watch, so I told him to watch Wayward Sisters."

"Ooh, he asked you for movie advice?" Charlie says suggestively.

"Well, Jo wasn't answering," Castiel says with a shrug. "But he basically said that Wayward Sisters was stupid because it's on the CW and all CW shows are stupid."

"You know, he's not entirely wrong," Charlie says. "I mean, I live for the chemistry between Kathryn and Yadira, and I could watch those girl kick monsters' asses all day long, but it is kinda a stupid show."

"You just ship Dreamhunter because it's gay," Castiel says, rolling his eyes. If he has to listen to her insist that it's going to be canon one more time, he's going to jump off a cliff.

"And because of the chemistry!" Charlie says. "But we've had this conversation a million times already. I just wanna know what Dean said that was so funny."

"Well, he hasn't texted me since I told him to watch Wayward Sisters —"

"No shit," Charlie says. "The dude's been promo-ing like crazy. He wouldn't have time."

"Yeah, but he apparently did have time to watch the entirety of Wayward Sisters."

Charlie laughs. "Didn't he just say no?"

"Yes, he did," Castiel says. "And yet here we are."

"Quick, text him back," Charlie says. "Ask if he ships Dreamhunter!"

"I'm not asking Dean if he ships a bunch of teenage lesbians —"

"Do it!"

Castiel groans, but he does as he's told. He switches over to his conversation with Dean.

Castiel: I told you it was good.

Dean: I take back every bad word I said about the CW

Castiel: My friend is forcing me to ask if you ship Kathryn and Yadira.

Dean: Oh god don't tell me you're telling the whole world that I'm watching this show

Castiel: Just the person I'm on the phone with.

"Well?" Charlie prompts. "What did he say?"

"That he's embarrassed to be watching the show," Castiel says. "But don't worry. I asked him, and those three little text bubbles are bubbling away."

Dean: Oof you didn't have to answer me if you were busy talking to someone else (but yes 100% they are very much in love)

Castiel stares at his phone uncomprehendingly. He ships it? He legitimately ships it? He ships a gay ship?

"Come on," Charlie groans. "It's a yes or no question. How long does it take to write an answer?"

"Um..."

"What?"

Oh, fuck it.

"He said no," Castiel lies. "That just because Yadira andKathryn are closer to each other than Kat and Clark doesn't mean they're in love."

"Ah, damn," Charlie mutters. "I really thought I had a chance with this one."

"Unfortunately not."

Now he just has to hope Dean doesn't admit anywhere that he does ship it. It's pretty obvious that if Charlie knew he was pro-fictional-lesbian-relationships, she'd come to the same conclusion that Castiel is reaching — maybe Dean's actually pretty pro-gay. That in and of itself is fantastic. Open-minded people are awesome, and Castiel's never really had any particular reason to think that he was homophobic, so this is about all the confirmation he and Charlie would need that he's not.

Unfortunately, pro-gay and gay are two very different things. Charlie would take this news to mean that Castiel should come out and take his shot. Castiel takes this news to mean that he doesn't have to be as on edge around him. There's a big difference there.

Bur, overall, he's pretty happy with how this turned out. He has two people to talk about new episodes of Wayward Sisters with. What could be better?