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You know what’s really not a good idea? Putting a corn dog eating contest right next to a roller coaster. What’s even worse is when the corn dogs are of questionable quality and the roller coaster is one of those spinning ones designed to make you puke.
That’s Castiel’s opinion, anyway. Maybe the scent of vomit is actually pleasant to some people? To be fair, it might be, because these people are morons.
Again, that’s Castiel’s opinion.
What’s even better is that he has to be at this county fair with his delightful cousin, Gabriel. Okay, so Castiel isn’t exactly the biggest fan of his cousin, but he doesn’t hate Gabriel. It’s just that they are basically opposites. While Gabriel loves to go to parties and generally socialize, Castiel would rather stay at home and read. That sounds really antisocial, but whatever. One good thing about Gabriel is that he’s pretty open-minded and has stopped trying to label Castiel as such.
Sidenote: Gabriel always has hard candies with him. He keeps a handful in his pockets at all times, like a little old lady. Only, he doesn’t share his candy. With anyone. Seriously, don’t cross him.
They’ve just passed a churro stand, so Gabriel buys three, offering to buy Castiel one only as an afterthought, but Castiel declines. Knowing that more than half of those churros are expelled from these morons’ stomachs within fifteen minutes is just not appetizing.
A few yards away, at the end of a long line of girls, Castiel sees a quick flip of bright red hair and recognizes the person it belongs to immediately.
Anna does a double take and smiles brightly at Castiel before saying something to one of the other girls she’s standing next to and running over to him. “Cas! I didn’t think you’d come!” She says, tone and smile as bright as her hair.
“Neither did I.” Castiel admits. “Gabriel is the one who dragged me here.” He motions to his cousin standing next to him.
Gabriel smiles back, with his mouth closed, thankfully.
“What’s the line for?” Cas asks, glancing behind Anna.
“Well, it’s kind of stupid, but there’s a kissing booth...” Anna trails off, slightly embarrassed.
Cas scrunches up his nose. “They still have those? Isn’t that a bit...unsanitary?”
“Oh, but, Cas, you have to see this guy!” She grabs his hand and drags him over the line of girls. He stands on his tippy-toes and peers through the line, then understands as his eyes drag over the guy behind the booth.
The first thing Castiel notices is his dark blonde-almost-brown hair, then his freckles, then his perfect jaw, then his lips. His lips are the best part, honestly. They look like they’re just made for kissing. A girl sits down in front of the guy, blocking Cas’ view for only a moment, then he smiles at her. Beneath those lips, it seems, is a set of perfect teeth, something of a dangerous smile that could make any sane person weak at the knees. He nods his head and leans across the table, then kisses her, quick and chaste..
“Dreamy, right?” Anna says, pulling Cas back into consciousness.
Cas looks back at Anna with an amused smirk. “Did you just say dreamy?”
“If the shoe fits...” She shrugs.
Now she’s speaking in cliches, Cas thinks. “Well, have fun, Anna.”
He starts to walk away, but Anna grabs his hand. “You’re not going to get a ticket?”
Cas laughs a little too loudly. He coughs and replies, “Do you really think that they’d let me buy a ticket to kiss another guy?”
“I don’t see why not.” Anna says, with little conviction.
Cas squeezes her hand. “Not everyone is as liberal as you.”
Anna sighs and squeezes Cas’ hand back.
“See you later,” he says, then walks back over to where Gabriel was. Actually, Gabriel is nowhere to be seen. “Seriously?” Cas mumbles under his breath, although Gabriel is always disappearing, so it doesn’t come as much of a shock.
He decides to wander around the fairgrounds, glancing at the vendors and trying not to glance at the people just getting off of the rides, who appear a sickly olive color as they stumble off and toward the nearest trash can, if they can help it.
Castiel doesn’t have much of an interest in thrill rides. He can guess where Gabriel is--either the cotton candy stand or that ride that shoots you up in the air, then drops you down really fast. Cas doesn’t really care to find him right now. Gabriel is a year older, he can take care of himself. Well, okay, he can take care of himself enough to know not break any of his limbs this time. Hopefully.
By the time Cas loops back around the entire fair, Anna is in the front of the line. She sees him and smiles a little nervously, and though he probably shouldn’t, Cas lingers to watch the scene, mostly to see if Anna will go through with it. How many girls’ lips has that guy kissed today? Hundreds, probably. The longer Cas thinks about that, the more it disgusts him.
Anna sits on the stool at the booth and hands Dean her ticket. He puts it in a box, then half-smiles at her. His cheeks must hurt from so much smiling and kissing, Cas thinks. Anna kisses him just as the other girl did, lightly, a brush of the lips, which Castiel finds redundant since they are paying him and should be able to kiss him however they want.
It’s gross, though, Cas tries to convince himself. And demeaning. And, given the chance, he would not kiss that boy with the perfect jaw and, now that Cas is closer, really pretty greenish eyes.
Definitely not.
Did he just look at Cas? The kisser guy totally just looked at--no, it’s just Cas’ eyes playing tricks on him, probably. It looks like Anna thanks the kisser, then runs back over to her friends blushing. Anna is pretty adorable, Cas has to admit. Not just that, but she’s genuinely nice to him, and not in the way that some girls are just because they want Cas to be their new gay best friend. He always finds it secretly hilarious whenever girls want him to be that typical gay guy to go shopping with them and braid their hair and do whatever gay best friends are supposed to do, because Cas doesn’t know the first thing about any of that. Cas is, well, not a normal guy, but he’s nothing to shout about. He likes books, he likes classic movies, he likes his trench coat, and he just happens to be interested in males. The look on those girls’ faces once they figure that out is the best part, no matter how twisted that may seem.
It’s sunset, now, Cas notices. He looks up at the sky for a minute, admiring the orange and purple hues mixed into the clouds. He used to know why that occurs, but it’s escaping him right now. Something about light refraction, maybe.
He looks down at the kissing booth and sees that the kisser is gone. A few disappointed girls are still standing near the booth and start slowly filtering away.
Cas wanders a little closer and notices the “Closed” sign now hanging on the booth.
Something like regret pulses through Cas’ body. Or maybe he just has to pee.
He’s surprised to find that the bathroom is relatively clean. It’s part of an actual building, not porta-potties, so that’s a plus. There’s no doors on the stalls and the urinal cakes look like they’re weeks old, curiously, but otherwise not too unpleasant for a men’s room. A fluorescent light keeps flickering and casting odd shadows over Cas’ skin.
As Cas washes his hands, the door screeches open--the hinges probably haven’t been greased in ages--and a familiar face walks in. A familiar face with the prettiest eyes and the nicest lips, and up close he still has both of those features, but he looks much more tired.
The guy from the kissing booth nods politely at Cas, to acknowledge that he’s there, and turns on the sink next to Cas.
“Hey,” he says, looking back at Cas. Cas’ eyes grow wide. “I’ve seen you.”
“Have you?” Cas asks, keeping his voice steady.
“Yeah. You were staring at me, at the kissing booth.” The guy sounds amused, not accusatory, though that’s kind of how Cas perceives it.
“No, I wasn’t.” Cas shakes his head. He looks for a towel or something to dry his hands with, but no luck. He wipes his hands on the sides of his jeans.
The guy splashes some water over his own face, then says, “You kind of were.”
“You were kissing my friend, Anna.” Cas says. “I was just looking out for her.”
The kisser’s amused expression goes blank. “Dude, don’t tell me she’s your girlfriend, I do not want to deal with any more angry boyfriends today.”
Cas almost smiles. “No, just friends.”
“Good,” he says, relieved. “I’m Dean, by the way.” Dean puts some soap in his hands and scrubs it onto the outside of his mouth.
“Dean.” Cas nods. “I’m Castiel, but my friends call me Cas.”
Dean washes off the rest of the soap and discovers, just as Cas did, that there’s nothing to dry with. He wipes his hands on his jeans and tugs his tee shirt up a little to wipe off his face with it. Cas tries not to let his eyes flicker down towards Dean’s stomach, but his nature betrays him. Dean smirks at him. “Alright, then, Cas. Maybe I’ll catch up with you later.”
Cas, speechless, nods politely and leaves the bathroom.
Was that flirting? Cas wonders to himself. Of course it wasn’t. That’s completely out of the question. This guy--Dean--has been kissing girls all day. There’s no way he could show an interest in Cas.
Cas is so lost in his thoughts that almost doesn’t notice passing by Gabriel making out with some girl against a lamp post. Almost being the key word. Cas quickens his pace and blends in with a crowd of people passing by just to avoid them.
He finds himself gazing up at the ferris wheel next. It’s dark now, and the ferris wheel is lit up brighter than any of the other attractions. He’s drawn to it like a moth to a flame.
It reminds Cas of his first time at the county fair; he was four and it was the last time his family was ever together as a whole. Cas’ father held him up on his shoulders as they walked through the fair, so Cas got the best view.
“What’s that?” Cas had asked, pointing at the huge, bright wheel in front of him.
“That’s the ferris wheel, darling,” his mother had told him. “You sit on it and spin around, and once you reach the top, you can see the whole fair. The people look like ants from that high up.”
Cas was not the most courageous of children, always doing what he was told and never overstepping his boundaries, so he shook his head and hung on a little tighter to his father.
His father reassured him by squeezing Cas’ little legs closer to his chest. “That’s alright, Castiel. We’ll come back next year, then maybe we’ll all ride it together.”
A pity that they never got that chance.
Without a second thought, Cas gets in line for the ferris wheel--which is relatively short, seeing as how a lot of people have left by now--and fishes a ticket from his pocket. He hands it to the miserable-looking young man operating the attraction and sits on the empty bench open for him.
The guy who took Cas’ ticket sighs and tells him, “Listen, kid, we’ve gotta have two people to a seat, so unless someone else shows up--”
“Is that seat open?” asks an unseen voice.
Cas searches for the source of the voice and finds Dean with a ticket in hand. The operator shrugs and takes Dean’s ticket.
“Hello, stranger,” Dean says cheerfully as he sits down next to Cas. The bench sways back and forth at his addition, making Cas feel uneasy.
“Hello, Dean,” Cas replies.
Dean pulls the safety bar down over their laps, then the wheel starts to turn. Cas’ nails dig into the wooden bench as it begins to rock more vigorously.
“Are you okay?” Dean asks, genuinely concerned.
“Mmhm,” Cas tries to mumble through his clenched jaw.
“This is your first time, isn’t it?” There’s that smirk again.
“Well...” Cas manages to say as the bench steadies, but cuts himself off when the wheel jerks to a halting stop to let more people on the ride.
“Calm down,” Dean says softly. Surprisingly enough, that does soothe some of Cas’ nerves. “Close your eyes,” Dean instructs, and Cas complies. “Imagine you’re in a room full of people you hate and they’re all getting pies thrown in their face.”
Cas laughs quietly. “Why?”
“It got your mind off the ferris wheel, didn’t it?”
Cas opens his eyes just to roll them back at Dean. Dean smiles, and Cas can’t help but smile back.
The ferris wheel begins to turn again, but now Cas doesn’t feel as apprehensive. As it spins, the ground becomes further away and the people become smaller. They’re so high up, Cas isn’t even scared. He feels like, if only he had wings, he could fly.
They reach the top and, of course, the wheel stops. Castiel is suddenly very aware of himself and very aware of Dean and very aware of the wall of tension building between them.
Dean clears his throat. “My mom used to say that, from this height, all the people looked like ants.”
Castiel smiles fondly. “So did mine.”
Cas, against his better judgement, looks down at the ground. It doesn’t scare him, though. It just looks like the ground, but further away.
He has an odd feeling that someone is watching him, and he knows that it’s Dean. He turns his head to look at Dean and smiles uncomfortably. “What? Do I have something on my face?”
Dean shakes his head, but keeps gazing. Cas raises his eyebrows, then sticks out his tongue at Dean. They both laugh so hard that they shake the bench.
Before either of them can even catch their breath, Dean asks, “How cheesy would it be if I kissed you right now, at the top of the ferris wheel?”
Cas nearly chokes on his breath.
Dean’s smile fades as he comes to a realization--a false one. “Oh, shit, you’re not into me, are you? I completely misread everything, didn’t I?”
Cas scoots a little closer to Dean and stutters out, “No, no, I am! I like you, I mean. I was just caught off guard. I didn’t think you actually, uh, played for my team.”
Dean takes a deep breath and his smile returns. “I don’t really play for either team, if we’re going down that route. I know what I like, and I like you, Cas. Now, back to my question--”
Cas puts one hand behind Dean’s neck and pulls him closer before catching his lips in a kiss. Dean wraps one arm around Cas’ waist indulgently and, after noticing the odd positioning that the bench is allowing them, uses the other arm to pull Cas’ legs into his lap. His hands may linger at Cas’ thighs for a little longer than necessary...
The ferris wheel surges back into life, nearly giving Cas a heart attack. His heart is already beating a hundred miles a minute. Dean is still holding onto him, though, which is the only assurance he feels right now.
The ground grows closer and Castiel begins to regard it bitterly. He scoots off of Dean’s lap and settles with holding his hand and letting Dean lean against his shoulder.
The safety bar releases and they hop off the bench. Cas is secretly pleased when Dean doesn’t let go of his hand.
“So,” Cas coughs, “What do you want to do now?”
“Well...” Dean takes Cas’ other hand, too, and starts to lead him away into a more private, shadowed area. “I was hoping we could make out a little more. Free of charge.”
Cas smirks into Dean’s mouth and presses closer to him, keeping their fingers locked together.
“Hey,” Cas says between kisses, “You could have any one of those girls you were kissing today. Why me?”
Dean kisses Cas’ nose once, then replies, “The same reason you’re doubting yourself is the exact reason why I like you. I could have had any of those girls, you’re right, but where’s the chase in that? I saw you and I knew you were different.”
“So, I’m a chase?” Cas asks coyly, kissing Dean’s nose back.
“Baby, I’d chase you forever,” Dean growls, then kisses Cas deep and rich, like good coffee.
An all-too-familiar wolf whistle sounds from behind them. “Get it, Cassy!”
“Dammit,” Cas curses under his breath. Gabriel emerges from whatever hole he’s been hiding in with a pretty, dark-skinned girl hanging on his arm--the same one he was making out with earlier. Cas wonders how drunk she has to be to be messing around with Gabriel.
“Who’s the new boy toy, Cas?” Gabriel asks, slurring his words slightly.
Cas sighs and rests his head hopelessly on Dean’s shoulder. “Dean, this is my obnoxious cousin, Gabriel. Gabriel, this is Dean.”
“Hey,” Dean says awkwardly to Gabriel’s direction.
Gabriel points at Dean and hiccups. “Hey yourself, pretty boy. Now, now, um, now, don’t mess with my little cousin. Personally, I have no fighting skills whatsoever, and you look like a pretty fit dude, but I know some tough guys, okay? I’ve got connections. I’ve got favors to cash in.” He squints at Dean, which is probably supposed to be intimidating, but only comes off looking like he needs a pair of glasses.
Cas and Dean both have to hold back their laughter as they nod along with Gabriel’s rambling.
“Gabe, I want to go home,” whines the girl on Gabriel’s arm.
“Yeah, Kali, sure thing,” Gabriel tells her.
Cas turns his attention back to Dean. “Listen, I have to drive these lovebirds home--if Kali can stay conscious until we get to the car--but I wish I could stay.”
“I understand.” Dean says. “Oh, wait, can I get your number? I promise I’ll call.”
Without pretense, Cas takes a pen from Gabriel’s front pocket, where he knows Gabriel always has one, and uses it to write down his phone number on Dean’s arm. “You better.”
Dean pulls in Cas tightly. “You think I could forget about you?”
Cas answers him with a quick kiss, then wriggles out of his embrace and walks off with his cousin and drunk Kali.
“That’s all I get?” Dean says with his arms held out wide and a smile on his face.
Cas glances at Dean over his shoulder, hiding a smirk. “Always leave ‘em wanting more.”