Chapter 2
The next day, Sam entered the dorm room after his usual early morning jog around the block. He noticed Cas sitting on his bed, looking pensive. "Cas, you okay?" he asked, trying not to imagine Cas on his bed wearing nothing at all.
Cas looked up from where he was trying to stare a hole into the carpet. "Sam, I am well. I was just... thinking."
"About?"
"Everything. You, me, Dean, my father's plan."
Sam ran a hand through his hair, wincing slightly at the wet feeling left on his palms. He needed to have a shower, preferably with Cas joining him to wash his back but he didn't want to scare the ex-angel. "Oh, well, you know. I can't speak for your father but Dean and I are glad to have you with us."
"You are?"
"Sure, man."
"That is good to hear. Since I fell, you two are my only friends." Cas paused. "You've been very patient with me while I learn how to be human."
"Dean and I have had a lifetime to learn. You've only been human, what, a few months now."
"Yes." Cas looked upset. "I may not know all the particulars about being human but I never realised that being human was so hard..."
Sam wanted to sit next to Cas and comfort him by giving him a hug but he thought that Cas would be repulsed by his smell. He settled for putting a hand on Cas' shoulder. "Being human is hard. Even for us who were born human." He tried for levity. "Dean would call us a bunch of girls."
"No chick flick moments." Cas agreed. "Sam, how do you tell someone you like them?"
"You usually just tell them. Unless you just can't get the words out. Why do you have someone in mind?"
"I do not know yet. These feelings are confusing."
That's the peril of being human, I'm afraid."
"But Sam, I've never been human before. It's frightening."
'Right, Sam, this is when you tell him of your feelings,' Sam thought, gearing himself up to spill the news. "Being human isn't all bad," were the words out of his mouth instead. 'Come on, Sam. Just a few words. That's all you have to speak.'
"But I was an angel. And now I'm human. Dealing with feelings and emotions and just the bodily functions is... Unsettling."
"Dude, TMI."
"What?"
"Too much information."
"I see. I have a lot to learn. Human customs are strange. The showering alone..."
"Yeah, Cas. Speaking of showers, I need to have one before classes."
"I won't keep you any longer."
Sam gave Cas one last pat on his shoulder and headed towards the bathroom. As he undressed, his mind played out a fantasy of Cas walking in on him and offering to wash his back. "Never gonna happen," he muttered. "Not unless you tell him how you feel."
*~*~*~*~*~*
After a long shower where Sam was debating whether or not to tell Cas on how he feels, Sam had finally plucked up the courage to tell Cas how he feels. Although if Cas rejected him, he didn't know what he would do. That was the horrible thought running through his head as he dressed in the bathroom.
He opened the door to be met with a horrible sight. Cas and Bardulf were pressed up close to each other and they looked as if they were kissing. "Uh, excuse me," he muttered, looking horrified and feeling like his heart had be torn in two.
Cas broke away from Bardulf to look at Sam with a stunned look on his face. "Sam... I..."
"Save it!" Sam snapped, feeling hurt and wanting to punch Bardlf in the face for stealing his Cas away from him.
"But..." Bardulf tried, stumbling over his words. "It's not... I mean..."
"No. I'm going. I don't want to hear your excuses." Sam turned and walked out again, ignoring Cas' yell for Sam to come back.
Sam found himself outside Dean's dorm and knocked on the door. He smiled at Dean when he answered, hoping his heartbreak didn't show on his face.
Dean wasn't fooled for a second. "Sammy, what happened?" Dean asked, ushering Sam in and shutting the door behind them.
Sam noticed they weren't alone as Barty was sitting on his bed restringing a guitar on his lap. "Uh, Dean..."
"Relax. Barty is a good guy. He won't say anything. Just say what's wrong."
Sam sighed, torn between asking Barty to leave so he and Dean could have a private chat and just blurting it out. "I caught Cas with someone. I was going to tell Cas that I had feelings for him..."
"Feelings as in 'you're my best friend' or feelings like 'I want to bone you'?"
"Uh, the second."
"Cas? Really?"
"Cas is a good guy. He's helped us a lot."
"True. So you want to bone Cas but Cas is with someone else, right?"
"Yeah, that sums it up."
"Male? Female? I'm trying to see if you even have a chance with Cas. So I need to know whether his partner was male or female."
"Male. What do I do?" Sam asked Dean, mindful of Barty sitting on the other bed, now tuning his guitar. He lowered his voice. "Once we change back..."
"Hey, from what I see, both Cas and his boyfriend are legal anyway. They are legal right?" Dean shrugged.
"Dunno. Well, he's in our year so maybe."
"Maybe he'd like an older boyfriend." He smiled as a devious plot formed itself in his mind. "Well, what you do, Sammy, is date someone else to make him jealous."
"I can't."
"You can. Just make sure they are legal. No sleeping with them required." Dean looked over to Barty strumming a tune on his guitar that Sam recognised as the opening bars of 'Back in Black'. "What about him? He's legal. Or very nearly. His birthday's in April. April eighteenth to be exact."
Sam took in the teenager, making note of the dark hair, black outfit and rock-star attitude. Sam guessed that was what you'd act like if you happened to be the younger brother of a famous rock-star like he was. "What? Dean... No. He's more your type."
"Hey! Don't bring me into the conversation," Barty interjected. "And I'm everyone's type." He sighed. "Have they actually come out and said they were dating?"
"No. I don't want to talk to either of them at the moment. Cas because I might spill out my feelings for him and him because I might punch him in his face and break his glasses."
"So who's the guy who stole Cas' heart?" Barty asked, curious now.
"Bardulf."
There was a loud twang as the teenager's finger slipped on the guitar string. " Sorry. Finger slipped. What has he done now?" he asked in a long suffering tone of voice. "I mean, apart from stealing your Cas."
"Isn't that enough?" Sam asked, getting a shrug in reply. "I want to punch him in the face and break those glasses of his."
"You know, J is a black belt," Barty stated, referring to his brother.
"That's nice, but we're discussing Bardulf, not your brother," Sam said with an eyeroll.
Barty bowed his head and muttered something that Sam couldn't quite hear and Sam wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was that he had muttered.
Dean smirked. "Hey, it's a win-win situation for you too, Barty."
Barty looked up at Dean and frowned in confusion. "Huh?"
"I've seen you staring at Bardulf. You might attract his attention too."
"No. I have no interest in him. We dislike each other."
"Fine line between love and hate. Your names are almost the same. It's like you two were made for each other."
"Are you trying to set me up with my... my arch nemesis?" He let out a deep breath. "Okay, I'll do it but... no setting me up with Bardulf. I don't want to date him."
"Barty," Sam began, "you don't have to pretend to be my boyfriend if you don't want."
"Hey, at least you`re cute."
Sam flushed. "Thanks, I think."
"Take it as a compliment. I mean it." Barty stood up and walked over to Sam. He stood at only a few inches shorter than Sam. Sam guessed he was about Dean's height. "You are tall. Are you still growing? I hope not."
Sam ducked his head in embarrassment. "I don't think so."
Barty smiled. "The question of everybody's lips will be whether you're a top or bottom."
Dean covered his ears. "I don't need to hear this."
Sam shook his head. "You suggested it."
"Doesn't mean I have to hear all the gory details. Just don't hurt him."
"Cas is not a delicate flower. But I won't hurt him. That is if this plan of yours works."
"It will."
"Oh yeah? Got a crystal ball handy, have you?"
"It's a classic for a reason. It'll work."
"If it doesn't cause chaos in the meantime," Barty interjected.
Chapter 3
Cas looked up from where he was trying to stare a hole into the carpet. "Sam, I am well. I was just... thinking."
"About?"
"Everything. You, me, Dean, my father's plan."
Sam ran a hand through his hair, wincing slightly at the wet feeling left on his palms. He needed to have a shower, preferably with Cas joining him to wash his back but he didn't want to scare the ex-angel. "Oh, well, you know. I can't speak for your father but Dean and I are glad to have you with us."
"You are?"
"Sure, man."
"That is good to hear. Since I fell, you two are my only friends." Cas paused. "You've been very patient with me while I learn how to be human."
"Dean and I have had a lifetime to learn. You've only been human, what, a few months now."
"Yes." Cas looked upset. "I may not know all the particulars about being human but I never realised that being human was so hard..."
Sam wanted to sit next to Cas and comfort him by giving him a hug but he thought that Cas would be repulsed by his smell. He settled for putting a hand on Cas' shoulder. "Being human is hard. Even for us who were born human." He tried for levity. "Dean would call us a bunch of girls."
"No chick flick moments." Cas agreed. "Sam, how do you tell someone you like them?"
"You usually just tell them. Unless you just can't get the words out. Why do you have someone in mind?"
"I do not know yet. These feelings are confusing."
That's the peril of being human, I'm afraid."
"But Sam, I've never been human before. It's frightening."
'Right, Sam, this is when you tell him of your feelings,' Sam thought, gearing himself up to spill the news. "Being human isn't all bad," were the words out of his mouth instead. 'Come on, Sam. Just a few words. That's all you have to speak.'
"But I was an angel. And now I'm human. Dealing with feelings and emotions and just the bodily functions is... Unsettling."
"Dude, TMI."
"What?"
"Too much information."
"I see. I have a lot to learn. Human customs are strange. The showering alone..."
"Yeah, Cas. Speaking of showers, I need to have one before classes."
"I won't keep you any longer."
Sam gave Cas one last pat on his shoulder and headed towards the bathroom. As he undressed, his mind played out a fantasy of Cas walking in on him and offering to wash his back. "Never gonna happen," he muttered. "Not unless you tell him how you feel."
*~*~*~*~*~*
After a long shower where Sam was debating whether or not to tell Cas on how he feels, Sam had finally plucked up the courage to tell Cas how he feels. Although if Cas rejected him, he didn't know what he would do. That was the horrible thought running through his head as he dressed in the bathroom.
He opened the door to be met with a horrible sight. Cas and Bardulf were pressed up close to each other and they looked as if they were kissing. "Uh, excuse me," he muttered, looking horrified and feeling like his heart had be torn in two.
Cas broke away from Bardulf to look at Sam with a stunned look on his face. "Sam... I..."
"Save it!" Sam snapped, feeling hurt and wanting to punch Bardlf in the face for stealing his Cas away from him.
"But..." Bardulf tried, stumbling over his words. "It's not... I mean..."
"No. I'm going. I don't want to hear your excuses." Sam turned and walked out again, ignoring Cas' yell for Sam to come back.
Sam found himself outside Dean's dorm and knocked on the door. He smiled at Dean when he answered, hoping his heartbreak didn't show on his face.
Dean wasn't fooled for a second. "Sammy, what happened?" Dean asked, ushering Sam in and shutting the door behind them.
Sam noticed they weren't alone as Barty was sitting on his bed restringing a guitar on his lap. "Uh, Dean..."
"Relax. Barty is a good guy. He won't say anything. Just say what's wrong."
Sam sighed, torn between asking Barty to leave so he and Dean could have a private chat and just blurting it out. "I caught Cas with someone. I was going to tell Cas that I had feelings for him..."
"Feelings as in 'you're my best friend' or feelings like 'I want to bone you'?"
"Uh, the second."
"Cas? Really?"
"Cas is a good guy. He's helped us a lot."
"True. So you want to bone Cas but Cas is with someone else, right?"
"Yeah, that sums it up."
"Male? Female? I'm trying to see if you even have a chance with Cas. So I need to know whether his partner was male or female."
"Male. What do I do?" Sam asked Dean, mindful of Barty sitting on the other bed, now tuning his guitar. He lowered his voice. "Once we change back..."
"Hey, from what I see, both Cas and his boyfriend are legal anyway. They are legal right?" Dean shrugged.
"Dunno. Well, he's in our year so maybe."
"Maybe he'd like an older boyfriend." He smiled as a devious plot formed itself in his mind. "Well, what you do, Sammy, is date someone else to make him jealous."
"I can't."
"You can. Just make sure they are legal. No sleeping with them required." Dean looked over to Barty strumming a tune on his guitar that Sam recognised as the opening bars of 'Back in Black'. "What about him? He's legal. Or very nearly. His birthday's in April. April eighteenth to be exact."
Sam took in the teenager, making note of the dark hair, black outfit and rock-star attitude. Sam guessed that was what you'd act like if you happened to be the younger brother of a famous rock-star like he was. "What? Dean... No. He's more your type."
"Hey! Don't bring me into the conversation," Barty interjected. "And I'm everyone's type." He sighed. "Have they actually come out and said they were dating?"
"No. I don't want to talk to either of them at the moment. Cas because I might spill out my feelings for him and him because I might punch him in his face and break his glasses."
"So who's the guy who stole Cas' heart?" Barty asked, curious now.
"Bardulf."
There was a loud twang as the teenager's finger slipped on the guitar string. " Sorry. Finger slipped. What has he done now?" he asked in a long suffering tone of voice. "I mean, apart from stealing your Cas."
"Isn't that enough?" Sam asked, getting a shrug in reply. "I want to punch him in the face and break those glasses of his."
"You know, J is a black belt," Barty stated, referring to his brother.
"That's nice, but we're discussing Bardulf, not your brother," Sam said with an eyeroll.
Barty bowed his head and muttered something that Sam couldn't quite hear and Sam wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was that he had muttered.
Dean smirked. "Hey, it's a win-win situation for you too, Barty."
Barty looked up at Dean and frowned in confusion. "Huh?"
"I've seen you staring at Bardulf. You might attract his attention too."
"No. I have no interest in him. We dislike each other."
"Fine line between love and hate. Your names are almost the same. It's like you two were made for each other."
"Are you trying to set me up with my... my arch nemesis?" He let out a deep breath. "Okay, I'll do it but... no setting me up with Bardulf. I don't want to date him."
"Barty," Sam began, "you don't have to pretend to be my boyfriend if you don't want."
"Hey, at least you`re cute."
Sam flushed. "Thanks, I think."
"Take it as a compliment. I mean it." Barty stood up and walked over to Sam. He stood at only a few inches shorter than Sam. Sam guessed he was about Dean's height. "You are tall. Are you still growing? I hope not."
Sam ducked his head in embarrassment. "I don't think so."
Barty smiled. "The question of everybody's lips will be whether you're a top or bottom."
Dean covered his ears. "I don't need to hear this."
Sam shook his head. "You suggested it."
"Doesn't mean I have to hear all the gory details. Just don't hurt him."
"Cas is not a delicate flower. But I won't hurt him. That is if this plan of yours works."
"It will."
"Oh yeah? Got a crystal ball handy, have you?"
"It's a classic for a reason. It'll work."
"If it doesn't cause chaos in the meantime," Barty interjected.
Chapter 3