Such an ordinary family

Being afraid of the Unknown

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Dean called Frank and asked him if he would accept to work on his day off, promising an extra day off in return the following week.
The latter accepted at once to work that day, although he refused the extra day in compensation. A beer would do. Dean smiled and apologize for the last minute warning.
Franck reminded him the many occasions he had notified Dean of his late arrival at the last minute too. After he divorced, he had had to deal with a hectic schedule to meet the lawyer and go to court. It had been so important for him to be able to be there for his kids, the apple of his eyes.
Dean had always supported him throughout the whole procedure and Franck would never forget that.

Castiel drove the kids to school before going to work and Dean was now alone, filled with anxiety.
He peeked at his watch... 9.30 AM... He heaved a profound sigh... He needed to clear his mind... He turned to Apache.
« Ready for a little winter walk ? » The dog jumped on his feet at once.
He sat on a bench and casually watched Apache playing with a German shepherd within the paddock. He pulled his hat down as it was freezing cold. Suddenly, he realized that the cold was within him and not due to the outside temperatures.
Cold linked to fear...
He knew Balty well enough to know he wouldn't beat around the bush ; that was actually the reason why he had called him in the first place.
He might as well say the things loud and clear even if their past conversations on gay sexuality had left some traces, as he had felt trapped between his love for Tessa and Castiel.
The main reason – or at least one of reasons - why he had called Balty was that the man was bi and as far as he could remember, Balty had first been straight before, and besides, he knew Castiel intimately.
Dean sensed he was blushing, as a kid caught in the act of watching a porn. That made him laugh.
He felt so lost and at the same time so sure of what he wanted...
Yet, he had to overcome that irrational fear, making him embrace the unknown... the body of another man close to his own.
The German shepherd master left with his dog and Apache seemed to have lost all interest for the walk. He notified Dean by barking out loud.
« I got it.. let's go » he stood up, shivering all over.
The die was cast.

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Castiel had left a message to apologize for having tactlessly cancelled their lunch the day before and to ask whether they were still OK to meet that day.
« Yes... your treat this time » she had added a smiley.
« This one and the next ones » Castiel replied.
« You're forgiven »
« See you later » He locked his phone and pulled out of the car.
He now felt so happy and it made him smile. His colleagues smiled back at him as he was walking within the walls of his company. Happiness seemed to be contagious.

He arrived early at their lunch place and sat down at their reserved table, close to the window, taking his hat and coat off, and ruffling through his hair.
« Hot chocolate ? » the young waiter proposed.
« Thanks, Inias » he nodded with a smile.
Two cold hands covered his eyes.
« Hi there » she said before walking on the other side of the table, her cheeks reddened by the harsh wind. « Have you been waiting for long ? » she took off her coat.
« No... » he replied casually, staring at his half-empty cup.
« Sorry, I had a last minute class meeting, I had to fight tooth and nail to prevent them from expelling one of my students » she finally sat down.
« Considering your happy face, I guess that you won»
« You're damn right, honey. This kid is living with a depressed mother and an alcoholic father, you could say he has mitigating circumstances »
« What did he do to risk suspension ?»
« Nothing that serious. He slapped one of his teachers » she waved at the waiter.
« Is that what you call nothing serious ?» he raised an eyebrow, feeling perplexed.
« If you knew M. Wyart, you wouldn't ask ; this guy is a total jerk, owing his post to his longevity in the school. He's got a disciplinary history as long as my arm»
Castiel smiled at that.
« So, what are you gonna take today ? » she asked, looking at him in the eyes.
« The soup of the day and a piece of pie »
« That's all? Are you on a diet? Do you wanna lose some bone ? » she asked, reading the menu.
« No, I'm not hungry, that's all » Castiel replied in an amused tone.
« Yeah, sure ! I'm sure you had another argument with Dean, right ? » she went on, looking up to him.
« It's a long story »
« I'm all ears » she said, sharing a brief smile with Inias. « I'll have a club sandwich and a coffee ... And on top of that, a Mikado pancake » she closed the menu.
« The soup of the day, a piece of pie ... and another hot chocolate » Castiel asked
« I'll be right back with all that » the waiter took the empty cup.
« So, tell me ? » Madison seemed eager to hear more, chin resting on her hands, leaning forward.
« So what ? » he folded his arms as if to put an end to the conversation
« Don't be such a jerk, tell me all the details... especially the kiss of reconciliation »
« How can you tell there was one ? »
« That stupid smile on your face since I arrived » she pointed a finger at him, without moving an inch.
Castiel couldn't help but laugh. Madison was indeed a fresh breath of air in his life, she was the neutral outsider who made him see things in a different way.
She knew all about him and Dean. He suddenly thought about Balty who didn't know anything about it yet, and this left a sense of guilt, as the man had been his companion for a long time. More than once, he had hesitated to call him, but he had promised Dean not to disclose their relation to their inner circle friends...
Madison was a different matter, although he intended to take measures for the rest of them in a short while. She has been a part of his life since their very first encounter.
Some sort of friendship at first sight, the one he hadn't known again since Tessa. He smiled.
« What's that smile about ? » she asked in a suspicious tone.
« I' was telling myself how lucky I was to have met you and that I should introduce you... »
« To whom ? Them ? » Madison snapped, with her eyes open wide and a bright expression on her face. « You mean, I get to meet your Dean, flesh and blood?»
« Him and the kids ...but don't feel obliged to accept »
« Obliged ?...Are you kidding ? I'm dying to meet him, you've been talking about him for ages » she rubbed her hands in happy anticipation.
« What about Saturday next week ?» Castiel proposed.
« I'll cancel everything else on my agenda »
« So you had plans ? » he said, leaning back so that Inias could serve him. « Thanks »
« I'm not sure. I gotta check it out but I'll cancel whatever is planned in any case »
« Jared is welcome to join... That would be a good occasion to meet him »
« He's gonna love this... I've been babbling about this uptight gay couple »
« Madi ? » Castiel sighed in desperation.
« Isn't that true ? You too should have moved on for a while now, you know, and engage in the physical chapter. What is Dean waiting for, perhaps for his balls to get ripe? »
« Madi » Castiel tried to get her to lower her tone with a smile.
« So what ?» she let Inias serve her too. « Thanks, honey » she said, looking at the waiter as he walked away
« If I wasn't married, I wouldn't say no to that » she added, staring at his butt.
« You should definitely meet Balty...You and him are so alike » Castiel started to eat.
« Why don't you invite him too ? I'm dying to meet the guy »
« He doesn't know for Dean and I » he said, looking down at his plate.
« Oh ! »Madison's expression turned serious. « You haven't told him yet ? Don't tell me you haven't. He should have been the first to know. He'll be angry at you for sure. I would be mad at you, that much is certain » she added with a sulky face.
« I know but Dean... » he seemed lost in his thoughts.
« What about Dean ? He's playing chicken, is that it ? »
« NO... The children already know » Castiel snapped back, as he wanted to defend Dean at all costs, even if he was aware Madison was right.
« And ? » she went on, with her sandwich half way between her plate and her mouth.
« They reacted astonishingly well »
« Astonishingly ? Honey, they've been watching Balty ogling you ass for eight years ; gay relationship has become quite commonplace for them »
« Yeah, but this time, we're talking about their own father... and me»
« Splendid ! Nowadays kids seem to be less stupid than yesterday's adults. Where there's life, there's hope. Now, it will perhaps seem weird at first. I don't know how I would have reacted if my father had started to polish his pal Jeffrey's tonsils, but anyway...» she took a big bite in her sandwich, facing an alarmed Castiel.
He had known her for ages, yet she often managed to astonish him more than once.
«...I would have accepted if his happiness was at stake. Even if I didn't have two gay friends explaining how it works» she went on.
« I guess it's helped »
« I'm not sure it will help seeing you two hungrily kissing each other, but in any case, they got prepared to the possibility» she said with a big laugh.
« Oh my God » Castiel heaved a big sigh, thinking about his next encounter with Dean and most of all, Balty. That would surely lead to very special moments to remember.
« So... I'm glad we stopped beating around the bush... » she said, biting in her sandwich « ...tell me what happened last night? » she couldn't help spluttering. « And I want all the details... » she added, indicating she wanted to hear about that kiss of reconciliation.

She patiently waited until Inias finished cleaning up their table and sighed.
« Holy Christ, this guy is really gifted making things difficult» raising the eyes. « Whatever, he'll end up getting laid, one way or another, so what's that hesitation about ? »
« He's not ready »
« Nonsense. Don't tell me he's doesn't feel like taking the dive, I won't believe you » she smiled when she saw the pancake put in front of her.
« Inias, sweet angel, would you please answer this simple question... »
Castiel's face went pale.
« If a handsome guy like this one kissed you and left you breathless, how much time would you wait to drag him in your bed » she asked casually, her chin resting in her palm, the other hand holding the fork planted in the pancake.
Inias blushed and looked down.
« If ... if a woman... » he insisted on the last word.
« No, I'm talking about the guy there, look at him » Castiel's expression went from pale to bloodless.
« Just imagine you're turning gay, or that you're facing a really gorgeous chick... » she corrected as she watched the waiter losing his grip.
Inias blushed and stared at Castiel.
« If... If... If I were attracted to a man... such as him... I wouldn't wait another minute » he said quickly before literally running away from them.
« Are you out of your mind ? » Castiel almost shouted, as his face turned back to a normal skin color.
« I just wanted to prove that it's not purely physical... Your Dean is afraid to commit himself, it's as simple as that »
« He's straight, Madi »
« Not anymore, not entirely, since he's set his heart on you, right ? Sorry, Honey, but he was the one who kissed you in the first place... and the second, for that matter» she said, before swallowing a piece of her dessert.
They finished the meal without another word.
« So... What time do we need to show up next Saturday? » Madison finally asked.
« Around noon. I'll call you to confirm. I still need to speak with Dean about it» he replied in a casual tone.
« Are you mad at me ? » she asked, a bit worried.
« No, I'm not... If I wasn't interested in your opinion, I wouldn't have talked about it » he said, pushing away his empty plate. « It's just that it's... » he took a deep breath in « ...complicated »
« That's what they call Love, Honey. And it's only the beginning » she sipped her coffee.
« I really gotta go now, and so do you » she stood up.
« See you on Monday ? »
« Yeah, until Monday » he returned her smile.
She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.
« Do you know that they sell a little miracle blue pill ? Oops, there it goes down his drink and... ...» she couldn't help but offer him a wry smile.
« Madi » Castiel nodded, feeling embarrassed.
« I'm only telling you this to help you out... To prevent you from suffering from wrist tendonitis » she laughed out loud.
« Madi » Castiel was now furious as he looked at her leaving.
« See ya on Monday » she waved before going out.
He waved at the waiter to get the bill.
« My apologies, Inias »
« Don't worry » the young man said, taking the money Castiel gave him. « However, she's right, you know... » He blushed.
« As always. Keep the change » Castiel said as the waiter was rumbling in his fanny pack.
« Thanks » he was all smiles.