Moving On (Destiel)

3: How to ask someone for their name in a subtle way

After parting from Charlie, Cas made his way to the room he thought was the one English literature was taught in. He didn't come far, though.

Suddenly he felt hands on his back, pushing him around the corner. He turned around to see what was going on, but already got the first punch, hitting his nose and making him stumble and fall on the floor. 

His bag fell on the ground as well when he tried to keep a little dignity to not landing on the dirty floor with his face. He didn't have to turn around to know whom the hands belonged to.

"Saw you yesterday, kitten", Alistair's sneering voice sounded behind him, followed by a booming laughter that certainly was Zach's. "We know we're a day late but didn't want you to go in the weekend without having a greeting from your old mates after holidays."

"Now stand", Zach demanded, "until we're done."

Cas stood – he was reluctant to do whatever they wanted him to, but who would he be, kneeling on the ground while some douchebags beat him up for their joy. No, if they wanted to see him down, they would have to beat him unconscious. 

Although he knew better, he couldn't help but respond in a caustic voice. "Kitten? What did that come from now?"

"Your stupidass name is Castiel", Alistair felt like explaining. "Short version: Cas, as some call you, as if they were your friends. Which is... an illusion. Having friends would mean to have people that like you."

Cas greeted his teeth but decided against picking on this. Wouldn't help him much to rebel if there was no chance of winning.

"And Cas can be formed to cat. But you're not as strong as a cat, not even a little one. So that makes you a kitten", Zach added, clearly enjoying this long way of thoughts, as he probably hadn't had that many.

"In my opinion, kittens are seen as cute, adorable beings. Does that mean you're gay, then?", Cas deadpanned. For himself, he didn't see gayness as any kind of insult, but knowing the bullies were not just convinced by the opposite, but homophobes themselves, there weren't much worse things he could have thrown at their heads.

Zach wheezed, speechless. Alistair let out a deep growl. "Neither of us is one of those faggots", he spat, "Neither of us is like you in any way."

Cas was surprised that that didn't even hurt. He probably was just used to be called like that, but he couldn't care less of what those two told him. 

If he continued to despise them and being convinced every word coming out of their mouths was trash, he wasn't in the position to take their homophobic phrases to his heart.

Proud of his new-found confidence which he knew could just vanish any moment, disintegrating as suddenly as it manifested itself, Castiel drove the stake even further, aware that it just took him with it, but enjoying to, for once, standing up against his tormenters. 

"Really? I may be a faggot in your eyes, but at least I'm not a dumb piece of shit. And since you're nothing like me, well, I guess you get what I mean."

It took them a few seconds to proceed – as he called out, they were dumb as shit – but then Alistair snorted. "You're gonna regret saying this, asshole."

I can't regret this more than my life, Cas thought to himself.

Although knowing what was about to come, he still couldn't bring himself to not feel at least a bit of happiness for once giving the bullies a comeback. And hey, he was even praised for it.

If you call a good old beating a price, then it was definitely worth it.

First Zach just punched him in the face, but Cas turned away fast enough that it only grazed his cheek, leaving a burning pain.