Strings Attached

Chapter 38

"Well, he's here right now," Gabriel tells him. "He could help you with schooly stuff."

"I don't need help," Dean replies.

"Well..." Bobby says.

"Shut it, Bobby," Dean snaps. "I don't need help."

"Fine, fine," Bobby says. "Whatever you say. Just don't fail your test."

"Whatever."

Bobby sighs at the boy before saying, "Hey, Gabriel."

"Hiya, Bobby!" Gabriel replies. Castiel can't help but notice the lack of formality Gabriel uses to address the man. "Have you met Castiel yet? Cuz he's here."

"I've heard about him," Bobby says.  "I've never actually met him."

"Hold on."

Gabriel walks out and finds Castiel, wheeling him towards the room he was just in. Castiel hits his hands away and wheels himself instead, with Garth behind him. They had stopped following earlier, not sure they wanted to go.

"Alright, I'm back," Gabriel announces as if they can't all see him. "That's Castiel and that's Garth."

"Hi, boys. Nice to meet ya. I'm Bobby."

"Hi," Castiel and Garth say in unison.

"Sorry if this is a sensitive subject, but what happened to you, Castiel?" Bobby asks. "Weren't you just here a few weeks ago? On your feet?"

Castiel nods. "Yeah. It's a long story."

A loud knocking on the door interrupts their conversation. Sam rushes off to answer it, and returns a few moment later with Charlie by his side.

"Hi guys!" Charlie says, looking around at the rest of the group. "Ooh, Dean's here! I didn't think Dean was gonna be here."

"I live here," he reminds her. "Remember? Sam's way hotter older brother?"

"Hey!" Sam whines.

"He's clearly blind," Gabriel whispers loudly.

"Clearly," Sam agrees. "Because I am way hotter."

"I've gotta side with Sam," Charlie says. "Sorry, Dean. Friendship duty, ya know?"

"You're irrelevant," Dean says, but not in a mean way. "You don't like guys, anyway."

"Touché," Charlie replies.

"But Castiel does," Gabriel says. "Let's settle this, once and for all."

Everyone looks at Castiel expectantly, making him feel nervous, though he hides it well. Bobby tries to hold back his laughter at the whole situation, which must be really funny if you aren't involved in it.

"I choose to think I'm the hot one here," Castiel says, not wanting to pick Sam because he knows he would be lying, but not wanting to pick Dean because he's closer to Sam.

"You're not an option," Charlie says.

"Then I'll write my name in," Castiel replies.

"You're cheating!"

Castiel laughs. "Yeah, I do that."

"Well, don't!"

"But I want to."

"You just don't want to admit you've got the hots for Dean," Gabriel says, earning amused looks from everyone but Castiel and Dean. He can't read Dean's expression.

"Say what now?" Castiel asks.

"You have a crush!" Gabriel teases.

Castiel rolls his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Whatever." He doesn't want to go into detail about why he definitely does not have a crush on Dean in front of Bobby.