A Way To You (Destiel AU)

Chapter 2

It was a year later when Dean, 20 years old, finally saved up enough money to go to college. When the government realized that when Dean would be leaving, they gave in and now Mary had a monthly contribution, enough for Sam and her to live on.

He had found a college where he could go to school half of the time, and the other half, he worked to save up money for the next year. It was unusual, but it worked. He was smart enough to miss half of his classes and still get good grades.

He found a job at a store not far from college. After being denied at many stores because he "wasn't motivated enough" or he "didn't look like he could work in that place." Dean was getting sick of being denied everywhere. With his last hope, he filled in an application at the Stop 'N Shop, and finally he got accepted.

His first week was not that easy, but he learned quickly. Soon, he knew where everything was placed, how to operate the cash desk and a lot of other things. He also made two friends, something he did not do very easily.

***

He was just putting more coffee on the shelves when someone stood beside him.

"Hey you must be the new one. Welcome here, I'm Jo and this is Castiel," a girl said.

"Uh yea, hi," Dean replied. "Dean."

At first, it was a bit strange. He didn't have that much friends, and people never seemed to befriend him. But as soon as he got to know Castiel and Jo, he was glad he talked to them. They hung out together outside their work, and even while working, they still talked a lot.

Over the months, they had become really good friends. Dean's mother sometimes bought her groceries at the Stop 'N Shop, asking how Dean was. Now that he had gone to college and work, they didn't see much of each other.

When she brought Sam with her one day, Dean almost teared up over how much he missed his little brother. Sure, Sam could be a pain in the ass sometimes, but after all, he was still his brother.

Sam decided he liked Castiel and Jo and proudly told them he bought the necklace with the amulet for Dean when he was 11. When they told him how sweet it was of him, he seemed to glow with pride. Dean watched them and smiled. He had chosen good friends.

***

When Dean wasn't working, he was either at school or doing studying. He was smart, but keeping up with classes and a job really took its toll. One day, Jo came up to him at the store and told him "they were going out tonight, no denying." By then, Dean had known her long enough that if she wanted to do something, she wouldn't take no for an answer.

She, took Dean and Castiel to a bar where they ordered a beer. "Both of you need to relax a little," she told them.

"I'm relaxed," Castiel tried. Jo just laughed.

"You are holding that beer like it's your last hope to survive. Loosen up a bit!"

Dean smiled at her attempts. Castiel hadn't been that social, but still, he and Dean got along together very well. So well, Jo even teased them. "Are you guys canon yet?" she'd ask every once in a while. And they always replied with no, because what even was 'canon'?

While letting his thoughts drift away, he actually felt himself relaxing. The bar was a nice place, the beer was nice and he allowed himself to not think about the many homework assignments and studying he had yet to do.

Suddenly, a sound made him snap out of his thoughts. It was Castiel. And he was.... laughing?

Yes, Dean didn't hear or see it wrong. Jo had finally managed to make Cas laugh, and damn if that didn't just look like the sunshine had come through the clouds on a rainy day. His head was thrown back and he was shaking with laughter. Real laughter, not those little smiles he always gave when he thought something was funny.

And sure, Dean didn't mind the smiles, but this was something else. He didn't realize he was staring until Cas talked to him.

"Dean? Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?"

Dean shook his head abruptly. "No, I'm just... I zoned out for a minute, I'm sorry. But... what the hell made you laugh that hard?"

"I did it," Jo told him proudly. "I told him a joke I heard earlier."

"Okay, so how do you make holy water?" Cas asked, still laughing.

"I don't know, I suppose you have to say a spell and do some holy stuff with it?" Dean replied.

"Nope," Cas told him. "You just- You-" He needed to pause whatever he was going to say, because he was laughing again. "You just boil the hell out of it!" Again, he erupted in a fit of laughter.

This time, Dean laughed too. It was a funny joke, he had to admit.

At the end of the evening, they were about to say goodbye when Jo held them back. "Shouldn't I be getting something?"

"Thank you?" Dean tried.

"Exactly! And thank me for what?"

"Oh! I think I get it!" Castiel exclaimed, a bit tipsy from the beers he's had. "Thank you for the great night?"

"You're welcome," Jo told them with a smug grin. "I told you, you guys need to relax more."

***

They had gone out together much more after that. And, it was Dean and Jo's new mission to get Castiel laughing. They found out it was actually pretty simple. If the joke was lame enough, Castiel would laugh.

During their time together, both Jo and Dean had just started calling Castiel 'Cas' ("But why?"), simply because it was easier. Cas didn't really understand, but he just went with it.

Their friendship lasted for a long time, they went out, they had fun, and their lives were going well. Dean and Cas tried to stop Jo's teasing, but it only made her tease them more.

One night, Dean sat outside, something he always had liked to do. It was always so peaceful when the city was asleep. He sat on his roof quietly, letting his thoughts drift away.

He thought about how well his life was going right now, going to college and having a job. But even more: having friends. He made a few friends in college, under which a totally crazy girl named Charlie, but Jo and Cas would always be no.1 to him.

As he sat there, thinking, he realized something. Jo wouldn't tease him and Cas if she was sure nothing was there. But was there something? He thought more about it, and how he and Cas had gotten along the past few months. Sure, they were great friends, but had there been something else too?

As if on cue, he suddenly remembered the words of the psychic , now one and a half year ago. You will fall in love with a blue-eyed person named Cas, she had said. And Cas did have blue eyes. But... Dean didn't do love. Love was stupid and so were feelings and all the trouble that came with them.

So, that night Dean decided he could only do what Dean did the best: no matter how much it hurt, he would shut down his friendship with Cas.