Cas hesitated.

What more needs to be said than Cas hesitated.

Dean watched him carefully for a moment, half expectantly and half already knowing he wasn't going to get a reply.

"I know you can't say it back," Dean said quietly. "But I just thought you should know."

"Five years Dean," Cas said. "How can you be sure?"

"If feelings aren't real they fade over time. And if anything mine only got stronger. So yes I still love you."

"How do you know I'm the same person from back then?"

"Well," Dean said with a small smile. "You're awkward, you study psychology, you cautiously take notes on everything before you make a move. You're quite a lot like your summer self I'd say."

"But you can't know for sure," Cas said.

"And that is what spending time with each other is for," Dean said, raising an eyebrow. "Castiel Novak, if we can ignore everything that happened in the past for a moment, would you like to go on a date with me?" He smiled kind of sadly. "We never did actually go on a date..."

"You say ignore the past for a moment and then relate it to the past," Cas said. "Definitely seems like a thing you'd do." He paused for a moment. "Okay. Okay I'll go on a date with you but..." He didn't know how to put his struggle into words.

Dean smiled softly. "It's okay Cas, I get it. Therapists huh."

"Is this what you guys feel like when I do it to you?" Cas asked.

"Nah, you actually do it well. You don't mess with our minds, you just try to understand them."

"Stupid therapist," Cas muttered. "She was the only one we could afford at the time. Seeing as she was technically family."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "More family?"

Cas nodded. "I don't even know how we were related this time. Her name was Naomi, she comes from the assbutt side of the family."

Dean smiled. "You still use that insult."

"That's because it's the best insult," Cas said, returning the smile. They stayed like that for a moment, just smiling at each other.

"You still have to pay to fix the car though," Dean said.

"Come on," Cas said, in almost a whiny tone. "Luci and Mike only did that so I had a reason to come back."

Dean chuckled, going back to the computer to finish with the car stuff. "How are they by the way? Married yet?"

Cas scoffed. "They promised they'd invite you to the wedding. They're literally waiting for you guys."

"I guess that means they can get married now," Dean said, smiling. He finished on the computer then walked back over to Cas, looking at the wallet in his hand. "You...the photo..."

"I've always had that with me," Cas said, taking the wallet and smiling at the photo. "The rest are all safe in my dorm room."

"Oh you must go to the same college as Sam..." Dean trailed off. "Sam saw Gabriel."

"I know," Cas said. "I...talked to Sam."

Dean looked at Cas with surprise. "Why didn't he tell me?"

"I told him not to," Cas said. "He trusts my judgement...including what I said to do with Gabriel. Trust me when I say their situation is more complicated than ours."

"How exactly?" Dean asked. "I mean, your mind has literally been messed with."

"Gabe will distance himself the moment he finds out it's Sam," Cas said. "He doesn't know right now..."

"Yeah well it's not like Sam is recognizable," Dean said. "He's taller than me. And I'm tall dammit."

Cas chuckled. "I count as tall too, but you're taller than me."

"So we all got tall then."

"And then there's Gabriel," Cas said. "He hasn't gotten any taller at all. Same height as five years ago."

"Dude the height difference between him and Sam..."

"Will be adorable," Lucifer said.

"Woah what," Dean said, jumping slightly at the sudden appearance of Satan. "When did you..."

"He still does that," Michael said, walking up to them from the front door like a sane person. "Hey Dean."

"Where the hell have you been?" Luci asked. "Seriously. The demons looked everywhere for you."

"I've been here," Dean said. "Literally the last four years."

Cas went silent for a moment. "We've been here three."

"You're kidding," Dean said. "Three years and you were literally right here..."

"Can we get married now?" Luci asked Michael. Michael nodded and Luci did a fangirl shriek and hugged Michael.

"They haven't changed a bit," Dean said to Cas.

"I know, it's weird," Cas said. "They haven't even aged I swear."

"Dean what the hell?" Bobby walked into the room too. "You're still working ya idjit."

"Sorry Bobby," Dean said, before turning back to Cas. He pulled a pen from his pocket and took Cas's hand, writing down a number quickly. "This number works, I promise. So please text me?"

Cas nodded. "Of course Dean." Dean smiled at him before going off back to work.

"Are you guys back together yet?" Luci asked.

"Things don't work like that Luci," Cas said, rolling his eyes as he walked out of the building. "This is the real world, not just some book." Lucifer just smirked at that and Michael sighed.

~~

Gabriel was watching Cas suspiciously as he walked back into the dorm room, typing down a number written on his hand into his phone.

"Who's number?" Gabe asked.

"Dean's," Cas said simply.

"Seriously?" Gabe said angrily. "So you can talk to Dean, you can get his number, you can get back together with him even though you're the one who cares least, yet you won't tell me where Sam is?"

"It's for your own good," Cas said quietly.

"Stop saying that!" Gabe yelled. "I don't care okay? I just want to see Sammy..."

Cas sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. This wasn't quite working to plan, all he needed was for Gabe to like Sam enough not to care that he thought Sam deserved better...

When Cas didn't say anything Gabe made an exasperated sound and stormed out of the dorm room again.

~~

Sam was innocently walking down a path at the college.

"Sammy long time no see," Lucifer said, appearing beside him. "Dean told us where to find you."

Sam just looked at him for a moment, before Michael appeared beside Luci too. He blinked at the two of them.

"Do you talk now or what?" Luci said. "Did you go silent again?"

"Oh shut up," Sam said. "Just...it's been a while."

"Yeah it has," Michael said. "You...you got taller than us all."

"Yeah, what the hell?" Luci said. "You're like a moose or something. Gabe's gonna have a new nickname for you."

Sam's expression visibly dimmed at that and Michael nudged Luci.

"Cas explained the situation with Gabriel to us," Michael said. "Are you...how are you dealing with that?"

"Not well," Sam said. "He doesn't know who I am but that doesn't mean I don't know it's him every time I talk to him."

Michael just gave him a sad look.

"I feel like you're all just making this overcomplicated," Luci said. "Like, just kiss and make up already. Or make out. Either way."

"Luce don't be insensitive," Michael said. Luci just pouted. "We should be going anyway."

"Yeah, we have fourth walls to break in Hunter's Angel," Luci said.

"Oh my god Lucifer Novak I swear to Bobby..." Michael said.

"Hah you did it too!" Luci said. "I win!" Michael shook his head, exasperated.

"See you later Sam," Michael said before dragging Lucifer off into another book. Sam was just watching them both with a confused expression.

~~

Gabriel was mad. He was mad at Cas, he was mad at Luci and Michael who probably agreed with Cas now. He was kind of mad at Sam for not magically appearing out of nowhere.

Right now he was just walking around the college. Walking usually helped but right now it really wasn't. Playing guitar sometimes helped too, so he decided to head to the section of the college where the music students could go at any time to practice.

He was walking into the arts building when he saw the mysterious awkward hot guy again. The guy glanced over as he walked in, froze for a second and then looked away. Gabe narrowed his eyes before walking off through the hallways.

He stopped at one not far from the front and leaned against the wall, waiting for the guy to walk past, seeing as it looked like he was heading to class. And just as he'd thought, the guy came walking past.

"Hey there kiddo," Gabe said. "Gonna tell me your name yet?"

"No," the guy said. Gabe...well Gabe was still in a pretty pissed mood.

"Oh for..." Gabe muttered. "What is it with people around here not telling me things? First Cas, then you, probably Mike and Luci next. They're simple questions dammit."

The guy just looked at him, looking a little surprised.

"And you," Gabe said, not able to stop now that he'd started. "You're just annoying, you know that? You show up, you act so damn weird around me yet won't tell me a thing about you, and it doesn't help that you're hot and I want to kiss you half the time but you're still a jerk..." Gabe trailed off, the guy now just looking at him with wide eyes.

"You...want to kiss me..." he said slowly.

"Yes. I do," Gabe said. "I mean have you seen yourself? Perfect body, amazing hair, eyes that remind me of summer..." Gabe missed the way the guy flinched at that. "You know what, screw it."

Because after all, Gabe always did have a habit of blocking things out with things he shouldn't do.

He grabbed onto the guys collar and pulled him down sharply, pressing their lips together. The tall guy didn't react, and Gabe pulled away to see him almost in shock.

"I uh..." Gabe said, realizing what he'd just done. "I shouldn't have..." Then before he could say anything else, the guy kissed him again, this time pushing Gabe back so his back was against the wall and put a hand on either side of Gabe's head so he was trapped in. Gabe responded, his arms moving up around the guys neck, his hands threading through his hair.

Neither could tell how long it was before they pulled apart for air, both breathing heavily.

"Uh..." the tall guy said, and Gabe found it annoying that he still didn't have a name for the guy. "I should go...we shouldn't have..."

"Why?" Gabe said, narrowing his eyes. "We're two college students, there's nothing particularly wrong with this. Unless there's some reason you're not telling me."

"No..." the guy said hesitantly. Let's switch to Sam's perspective here shall we?

Sam couldn't believe that had just happened. Gabe was obviously emotionally riled up, he shouldn't have let him do that... But Cas had said to wait until Gabe fell for him again, and if that wasn't proof of that exact thing...

He should tell Gabe. He really should tell Gabe. Now would really be the best time to tell Gabe.

"Look," Sam said. "I really do have to go...um...yeah I need to go." He pulled away from Gabe who was now just kind of slumped against the wall. He hesitated for a moment, before turning and walking away.

Back to Gabe's perspective we go. Gabe watched the guy go, glaring into his back. Because something was obviously up with this guy. Something that had to do with the guys name at least. So he'd find out who this person was.

Gabe walked out of the building, tailing the guy who was walking to one of the dorm room blocks. And he continued following him until he saw him walk into one of the rooms, 221.

So now he had a number. And that was something he could work with.

~~

...that was unexpected. Huh. Did not plan to have Sam and Gabe kiss before Gabe knew who Sam was. Yeah the title doubles with my plan and Cas's plan xD

I'm getting into the bad habit of staying up until 3am every night. Currently it's 2am. Like this is getting ridiculous. I can sleep in though, so I'm not losing sleep.

And I just realized I'm officially on school holidays :D:D Oh and I get my new glasses this week, finally...my old ones are starting to annoy me.

*Gives everyone pancakes*