Chapter Text
October 14th 1995
Lawrence, Kansas
Castiel
"It's going to be a great first day, you'll see, you'll make lots of friends; have fun, and our life in France will be a distant memory." Chuck says, his hands gripping the steering wheel, his gaze lost in the distance.
Castiel glances sideways at him, sure his father is mostly trying to convince himself rather than him. What a hypocrite. As if Cas is the one who has to forget his old life to move forward. It was his father who forced him to leave his high school where he excelled, his father who decided overnight that Cas was the one suffering too much from his mother's divorce and thought it would be a good idea for him to reconnect with his American roots.
His mother, a French woman for whom his father gave up everything, left when she realized what a complete loser Chuck is, an abusive and pathetic man who no longer deserved her love. Cas would almost be happy for her if she hadn't abandoned him in the process.
He now finds himself on the other side of the world, far from his friends, everything he's ever known, in an American high school that reeks of cliché. He watches the students walk toward the entrance: the jocks in their uniforms, the cheerleaders, the mondain, the punks, the bullies, the preys…
Cas already knows he looks like prey, a defenseless future Omega. He's tall, thin, although his efforts at the gym are starting to pay off, with a slightly sullen air, his complexion a little pale from the Parisian gloom, his hair dark brown, almost black, and nothing about him exudes overt masculinity.
Except that this is his outward appearance; Cas knows that in private, he's anything but a prey, and the idea that he could be makes him grin. He's not afraid of the day he will present, Alpha or Omega; he knows his worth and who he is, and no subgenre will contradict that.
“Castiel ? Did you hear what I said ?” Chuck asks, waving in front of him.
Cas turns his head toward his father. “Uh ? Sorry no.”
“I said that I’ll pick you up after school if you want me to.”
The idea makes him wince in his head. “No thank you, I would rather walk, familiarise myself with the neighborhood."
He tries to ignore the pouting of his father’s face, he’s not gonna encourage this type of behavior from him. To sulk, at his advanced age, as an Alpha? Pathetic in Castiel's eyes. He holds his father entirely responsible for causing his mother to flee and for taking his life away.
“See you tonight then, good luck son.” He wishes him with a small smile.
Nope, not gonna take pity on him, Cas gives him a small nod in return and gets out of the car before he can smell the sour scent of sadness coming from his father.
He walks past the brick wall marked "Lawrence High School" and blends into the crowd of students. Some give him intrigued looks; Cas is clearly a stranger here. Another reason to hate his father, making him experience this, the worst thing that can happen to a teenager : starting over in the middle of a high school semester where he will be the new product that everyone can afford to examine from every angle. Great.
He's greeted by banners featuring the local sports team's mascot, a lion in a red sweater winking at the crowd. Athletes walk past him, laughing loudly, and Cas can't help but roll his eyes—Americans are so... noisy. Cas is usually calmer, more reserved, especially when faced with an unfamiliar world. The year is going to drag.
He quickly finds his way to the administrative office and waits, tapping his foot lightly, for the secretary to deign to give him some time. Clearly a beta judging by her lack of smell, a small brunette who is objectively too hot to be a school secretary. Students must love her.
For the moment, she seems more interested in his story to her colleague about the incredible Alpha she met that weekend in a place called "Purgatory." Cas clears his throat to announce his presence before the secretary launches into the languid details of his tale.
She finally turns her head toward him and narrows her eyes. “Can I help you ?” She asks without hiding the irritation in her voice.
Non, j’attends ici pour le plaisir connasse.¹
Cas purses his lips, biting his tongue to not reply something mean. “Yes, I’m Castiel Novak, I’m a new student here and I was told to come by your office.” He explains with a perfect, polite voice instead.
“Oh yes ! I’m sorry, we were waiting for you, here,” she waves at him to come near her desk. “"This is your schedule, your locker’s number and code, here's a map of the school, and an information sheet about the activities we offer. I'm just going to need the papers we sent to your dad for him to sign." She rattles off, pulling out a stack of papers and sliding them toward Castiel.
Cas takes the papers from his bag and hands them to her, glancing at the impressive list of activities. The usual stuff: basketball, swim team, american football, theater, a bunch of uninteresting clubs, and... wow. Golf. They have a golf club, and Cas stifles a laugh. Really? Oh no, wait, they have a scholar bowl. That's way funnier.
“Something funny ?” The secretary glances at him through her glasses.
Maybe he didn’t really stifle the amused smile on his face after all. He clears his throat. “Nothing, I was rather impressed at the amount of… activities you have.”
Judging by the look on her face, she must not see how the activities they are proposing could cause his hilarity, and Cas bites his lip so as not to irritate her even more.
“So, you just moved from France.” She looks at the information sheet he handed to her.
He nods.
“Were you in an American High School or a French one ?” She asks with a sigh.
“A French one.” He replies flatly.
She sighs again. What is her problem ? “Is it an issue for you ?” He can’t help himself but ask with irritation.
The secretary raises her head from the papers and looks up at him with a disapproving pout. "We don't operate the same way as French schools; it's going to be an adjustment for you."
Cas wants to roll his eyes but holds back. "I know."
Some of Cas's friends in Paris went to an American high school. Besides, the United States isn't entirely unfamiliar to him; he's visited his half-brothers several times, who have lived here since childhood.
Another amazing thing about his father, his mother isn’t the only one he couldn’t keep. Luckily, he never mated any of them. Oh yes, because there were more than two. Practically one step brother or step sister par mother. A really champ. Everything he will not be.
"Classes all start at 8 and finish at 3:15, except on Wednesday, it’s 1:40," she begins to explain, brushing aside his answer. "Four mandatory classes : Maths, English, History, and Science, plus the three classes you chose before arriving. Your first class is with Miss MacLeod, she teaches History, on the second floor" She wrinkles her nose, glancing at his schedule. "You took the easy way out with French," she says haughtily.
Cas clenches his teeth. "It was one of the only classes where there was still room." The secretary is starting to get on his nerves.
"Do you speak perfect French?" she asks.
Non, j'ai été dans un lycée français sans parler un mot ma belle.²
"Yes, I speak fluent French. My mother is French." He simply replies, suppressing his ironic and intrusive thoughts.
A glimmer of intelligence lights up in her eyes, something Cas hasn't thought her capable of. "Maybe you could sign up for the tutoring program then! We have lots of students who are struggling, including some in French, and you could help them. It always makes a good impression on your university application."
Cas suppresses a wince; he has no intention of staying in the United States after his senior year. He will be of legal age by the end of summer, and therefore free to make his own choices. It’s in more than nine months, no big deal, he can manage until then.
“Sure, why not.” He grins at the secretary who finally gives him a real smile since she first laid an eye on him.
“That’s great ! I will sign you in ! There is a small room for tutoring on the first floor. I will have one of our tutors to show you after school this afternoon if you have the time.”
He should have said no but that could be a good opportunity to actually meet someone outside of class. Not that he actually wants to make friends like his father said but mostly because, despite already hating everything about this place, he is still a social guy, he had a lot of friends back in France. “Yes, sure.” He shrugs and the secretary is way too happy about it.
“One more thing and I can let you go. School have a strict policy about scent blocker, everyone must wear them, even Alpha.” Well that explains why he didn’t smell anyone on the way here, which was a bit weird at first. There is no obligation to wear them in France.
”Did you presented yet ?” She asks cheerfully.
The fuck ?
“How is that any of your business ?” He blurts, offended to be asked such personal question.
She frowns, her happiness flying away. “It’s the law that your subgender must be known. You have to register it at city hall.”
That’s crazy, why should everyone know what his subgender is ?
“I’m not… out yet.” He replies through gritted teeth. “Why do Americans care so much ?”
She rolls her eyes, sighing. “It makes everything easier for your future; you wouldn't want to end up with Alpha work if you're an Omega. Besides, it’s better for Omega to be the one who works less. ” She explains, oblivious to the fact that this is absolutely insane. Cas lets out a laugh.
“What’s so funny ?” She raises an eyebrow.
Cas pouts a little. “Hadn't realized how backward Americans' ideas were. Feel like the fifties never left the table around here.”
“Watch your mouth young men.” She threatens, pointing a finger at him. “It would be a shame to be called out in the director's office on your first day.”
Cas raises both his hands to calm her, a smirk on his face.
“Sorry miss, speaking facts only, can’t blame me for that.”
He gathers his papers and leaves the office before she can answer anything. Omegas can't get certain jobs because they have to stay home to take care of the pups. And the Alphas have to be the strong, reliable ones who bring home the bread. Hell no.
One more reason for him to go back to France as soon as he can, now counting down the days until his freedom. Exactly 300 days. In 300 days, he'll be 18 and free. He can't freaking wait.
The first day finally ends, and it wasn't exactly a great one. Cas got lost twice in the vast high school, received several sidelong glances—some curious, some mocking—and had the unpleasant feeling of being exposed in every class where he had to present himself before pairs of inquisitive eyes.
All the teachers were more or less welcoming, except for his physics teacher, Mr. Walker, who looked at him like he was a common insect to be squashed. Probably because Cas had told him that he'd already taken the final physics exams at his French high school in his junior year and, therefore, had already covered the entire curriculum, which is more advanced in France than in the United States.
Maybe Cas is giving the “I know it all” vibes but he doesn’t care, he has no intention of hiding under the pretext that his advanced level might cause him problems. He isn't afraid in the slightest that bullies might target him because of his appearance or skill level; contrary to what the mocking glances he got might think, he knows how to defend himself.
Actually, he hadn’t even bothered to really look at all the news faces he saw during the day. They were all blurry to him, a sea of unknown faces.
He is now on his way to meet the person the secretary charged to show him around and some might think it would have been better to have this person with him this morning but whatever.
When he arrives in front of the desk office, a small redhead with a Star Wars t-shirt is waiting, glancing around nervously. She looks quirky and bubbly. It's not the first time he sees her today, he thinks she was in his history class this morning but since the teacher was also a redhead, he can be confusing them.
She notices him and she greets him with a big smile. “Hi ! R’ you Castiel ?” He nods. “Love your name, it’s sooo cool ! I’m Charlie, your tutoring colleague,” She makes small quotes with her fingers and Cas can’t help but to grin at her awkwardness. “Miss Barnes asks me to show you around but if I knew there was a new student arriving this morning, I’d have been there to throw you a big parade.” She laughs, gesturing to him to follow her.
“I’m fine with keeping it low.” He smirks, following her.
“Shy guy uh ? I get that.” She giggles.
Not so much, he grins at himself, but it’s a bit early to be his truthself. He is still on unknown ground and he doesn’t want any rumor to spread into the school. He knows how fast these things can go.
She shows him around, some rooms, he came across during the day, others are a total discovery. The library is actually impressive, as is the music room and the theater that can welcome a real professional play. This is too much, everything here looks like a shallow representation, a big display of too much for high school students.
When he was in France, everyone was so eager to leave after school, just go home or chill out with your friend in a bar or a café. Here, it seems that if you're not a part of some club, whatever it is, it’s wrong. He hates it.
“And here, we have the tutoring room !’ Charlie opens the door to the smallest room he’s seen since the beginning of the tour.
A round table in the middle, four chairs, a chockboard on the wall and a small library with a few textbooks. There is not even one poster on the wall, something to brighten the room a little.
“That’s… cozy…” Cas winces.
“That’s lame, you can say it, man. I asked the administration to light up the room a little, but they don’t want to. They say it would be too distracting for “struggling” students," Charlie explains with air quotes, clearly disagreeing with the explanation.
Cas laughs sharply. "The room makes you want to shoot yourself, that's no better."
“You’re right.” She smiles.
“You should put some posters in here, make it yours, you seem to have good taste.” He points at his t-shirt.
“Oh, thanks Cas !” She genuinely looks happy and glances at him. “Did we just become besties ?” She giggles a little, punching his shoulder slightly.
Cas can’t help it, she is so full of pure joy that he kind of forgets how far away he is from his friends. “Well, maybe a little.” He whispers like a confidence, bending toward her ear.
“So cool !” She does a little jump before catching something in her bag, a schedule, and handing it to him. “So, this is your tutoring hours where you’ll have the room to yourself with the ones who need help in French and b.t.w, it’s so cool that you speak french ! French is so sexy !”
Cas raises his eyebrows, an amused smile on his lips. “Sexy ?”
Charlie clears her throat. “Well, u know, girls dig that, a lot, and trust me, it’s the equivalent of playing the guitar around here. If I knew how to do that, I’d already have a gir…” She stops herself, closing her mouth shut almost comically and Cas suppresses a laugh at her horrified expression.
“A girlfriend ?” He smirks, winking at her.
She bites her lower lips, visibly worried. Oh, to be secretly gay at seventeen ! Cas actually feels bad for her and puts her out of her misery. “Your secret is safe with me. Don’t worry, I get it.”
She raises her eyebrows in shock. “Are you… ?” She’s even scared to say the word. He really hopes that one day, she could be totally open about who she is.
The question raises many memories in Cas’s mind and he can’t help but grin. “Oh you know, I’m very open minded, very fluent in both… language.”
Charlie looks him up and down as if she were seeing him for the first time. He already knows what she's thinking. “You don’t… look like the type.” She observes after a while.
“Always be wary of appearances." He winks at her, careful to not say too much to a girl he barely knows. Even if he’s pretty sure she will not say a word about this to anyone.
She laughs. “You speak funny, you know that ?”
Cas raises an eyebrow. “I speak funny ?” His voice high-pitched a little.
“Yeah, like, very high English.” She puts her hand above her head to illustrate.
“I wasn’t aware of that.” He grins. “You’ll have to teach me some slang then.”
“I’d be happy too !” She claps her hands. “Come on, we still have the sports parts to see and after that, this place will have no secrets for you.”
Cas nods and watches her closing the door to the tutoring room. He will definitely help with the decoration, the room gives him the creeps. Charlie walks him through the swimming pool and the football field outside before entering the gymnase where the basketball court is.
“Why do you have so many sports here ? This feels so… too much.” He sighs, following her in the corridor that leads to the court.
Charlie shrugs. “Sports are important if you want to go to a good university, it helps to gain a scholarship if you're really good.”
Cas rolls his eyes. “You don’t have to pay to go to university in France, or at least, it’s not this expensive. You guys just kill yourself after school hours and for what ? Having the opportunity to kill yourself elsewhere.”
Charlie laughs a little. “I’m assuming you didn’t choose to come here, right ?”
“What gave it away ?” Cas asks with a smirk.
“Hmmm, nothing, just a wild guess.” She replies with innocence.
They were about to enter the basketball court when someone bumps harshly on Cas’s shoulder.
“Get out of the way asshole !” A guy in basketball gear shouts at him as he continues on his way across the court.
“T’excuse surtout pas, connard !³” Cas replies without even thinking.
The guy stops to take a good look at him, visibly pissed off and runs backward. “What did you say to me ?” He blurts, a few feet away from him. The man is tall, more than him but he’s not impressed, he dealt with worse. His face is round and his cheeks still retain some of the plumpness of childhood, but his upper body is already long and slender, with square shoulders. Above all, he has a face that perfectly matches his name. A dick’s face.
“Dick, leave him alone.” Charlie comes between the two of them.
“I’m not talking to you freak, I’m talking to him.” He points at Cas, almost touching his chest and Cas tilts his head, a little bit amused at the whole testosterone display.
“I said, Dick, “Mainly, don’t bother apologizing, you dick” but that was much meaner in French.” Cas explains slowly, detaching every word as if the guy is too slow to understand him. Mostly, he looks bored about the whole thing. Charlie gasps audibly, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The basketball player's expression turns to anger, and as he prepares to hit him, a deep, loud voice rises from behind them. “Dick ! Leave the kid alone !”
Kid ? Castiel is no kid and he is about to tell the guy behind him that he’s perfectly able to defend himself but his voice is stock in his throat when he takes a first glance at him. Jesus, what in the Greek god is this guy ? He’s tall, an inch taller than him, and his body is muscular in the best kind of way. The big masculine way. The one he loves to have in his bed at his mercy. He has a straight nose, slightly upturned at the tip, covered in freckles that stand out against his tanned skin, tousled chestnut brown hair and light green eyes. Eyes that look right through him.
“He called me a jerk !” Dick rages.
“So ? You hit him and called him an asshole for no reason.” The boy snipes, coming closer to them.
The Greek God is also wearing a tight black basketball short with a white t-shirt and the image of Cas, using it to tie his hands, briefly comes to his mind. He shakes his head. Where did that come from ? The guy doesn’t seem like the type to be manhandled, even though Cas would love to hear him beg to his mast… “You’re okay buddy ?” The divine apparition is looking at him with concern and Cas realizes that Dick left to throw some balls on the court.
He clears his throat. “Uh, yeah, I‘m fine, didn’t need to be saved. ”
“ Yeah, ‘m sure you can take care of yourself.” He scans him from head to toes. Cas knows there is a little bit of irony behind it and the urge to punish his sassy mouth tickles him. Jesus, he needs to calm down. ”Are you here to join the team ? ‘Cause we kinda of running at full capacity right now.” Apollo continues.
Charlie finally emerges from her blank stare at the floor. “No ! I was just showing Castiel around, it’s his first day here.”
His green eyes lighten a little. “Oh yeah ! I heard there was a new guy walking around with weird clothes.” He instantly realizes his slip. “Not that I think that your clothes are funny ! They… I mean… you dress like… whatever you… want.” His last word is barely a breath and Cas bites his lips to not smile because watching the guy struggle to fix his blunder is very funny.
Cas is absolutely conscious that his oversized navy blue wool sweater, with a white shirt underneath, tucked into his black suit trousers isn't the usual attire for high schoolers here. Good thing he didn’t wear his blue tie or maybe someone would have made a loud comment about it.
“What’s wrong with the way I dress ?” Cas asks with all the seriousness he can muster to make him panic again.
His eyes widen with pure distress and Charlie holds a laugh back, he can tell but he keeps a straight face, just to mess with him a little.
“Nothing dude, you know… not… not judging here… you’re… you’re perfect.” He stutters and what’s a greater joy than to see a straight guy blushed from giving a compliment to another guy. Something inside him is deeply satisfied with how his cheeks turned red at the word “perfect” and he thinks about how his ass would look good red from his… Nope, not going there.
“I’m messing with you, don’t worry.” Cas puts him out of his misery, trying to keep control over his voice.
His perfect mouth, with perfect plush pink lips form an inaudible “o” and Cas tries very hard not to think what he could put in this hole.
Charlie clears her throat. “We should head out before practice begins.”
It takes him a tremendous effort to tear his eyes away from the guy’s lips to look at Charlie. Standing between them, she looks so small and fragile, it’s almost funny. “Lead the way, I’ll follow.” He points toward the exit with his head and Charlie smiles shyly at the guy before walking away.
Apollo is still red, his mouth half open from a lost sentence that didn’t get out.
“See you around, savior.” Cas nods his head before following the redhead.
He doesn’t turn around to see if the Greek God watches him leave, he just knows he did.
"Are all the athletes jerks at this school?" Cas asks Charlie once they've left the building.
The redhead makes a dubious face. "No, some of them are nice, you saw it, at least one of them stood up for you."
Cas lets out a sarcastic laugh. "One out of two athletes, the stat isn't that great."
Charlie shrugs. "I don't hang out with them much, I go to football and basketball games sometimes but I'm more into the role-playing club, if you know what I mean."
Cas raises an eyebrow. "You play Dungeons & Dragons?"
She stops walking in the middle of the school parking lot. "You know it?" she asks enthusiastically.
"I don't live in a cave, I've played a few rounds with some friends," he reveals, gently pushing her aside to let a car pass.
"This is so cool! You could join the club! There’s not many of us yet, but we wouldn't say no to another player ! Oh, it's going to be so much fun, we can throw a special Halloween campaign and..."
"Charlie, breathe." Cas stops her before she faints from excitement.
"Does that mean you're in?" She giggles, bouncing with joy.
Cas sighs, rolling his eyes. He really hadn't planned on spending his afternoons at school playing games, but Charlie's enthusiasm is so contagious that he doesn't have the heart to say no. "Once in a while, why n..."
"Oh, great ! Oh, you'll see, the others are going to be so thrilled !" She claps her hands.
"Okay, enough. I've already drawn enough attention to myself for the first day." Cas gestures for her to calm down.
“Right, sorry men.” But her voice is still full of excitement. She looks around the parking lot. “Do you need a ride home ?” She asks.
The idea is tempting because he is actually exhausted but the thought of coming home this early to his father doesn’t sit right with him.
“No, thank you, I’m just gonna walk around. Is there any good place to hang out in this town ?”
Charlie makes an adorable little pout, thinking about it. “Well, there is a small coffeeshop down the street called Heaven’s Delights, most of the students here go there.” So it’s a place he has to avoid at all cost. “Otherwise, you have to go into town if you want something more… grown up.” She winks at him and Cas isn't sure what Charlie seems to be implying.
“Right. So, thank you for the tour, I guess I will see you around.”
“Bye Cas !”
He greets her and starts walking, wondering what surprise the following day will hold for him. For a first day, it was not that bad, it could have been worse, a bit of uncontrolled sassyness, becoming a tutor for the helpless one, a star wars fan as a new friend, one almost fighting with a douche and… the most beautiful guy he has ever seen.
He sighs, readjusting his bag over his shoulder, thinking about those broad shoulders and muscular arms. It’s the first time his sexual thoughts escaped him like that, especially with someone he doesn’t even know, a guy his age. God, the last time he had sex with a classmate, things didn’t go well. The guy had to explain to his mom why she found him tied to his bed with handcuffs, naked and with another boy on top of him. Embarassing time. He promised himself, no zob in job. Which means, no sex with people around his public life.
Besides, Cas is pretty sure that this Apollo is straight, no way he’s into dudes. He’s a jock in the basketball team with a face good enough to earn him a modeling career, or acting. Even in his wildest dream, he will not have him. Which is for the best, he reminds himself.
But even though everything in the guy screams big masculinity, Cas is ready to bet that the first impression he had was wrong, the guy is maybe the type to be manhandled. Maybe he is an Omega and the idea is… delicious. The way Cas toyed with him so easily, making him lose his words, god, it twists his guts with pure want. His dick throbs with interest in his boxer. He rolls his eyes, he obviously needs to get laid, that’s what it is.
Maybe he could sneak out tonight, maybe to this Purgatory place the secretary mentioned, see if he can find an Omega to fuck. An Omega with green eyes would be a plus.
Cas stifles a yawn as he heads to his second class of the day. It had been a short night, but it was worth it; he feels more... liberated. However, the harsh return to reality bores him to tears. He was happy to finish early, but he has his first tutoring session tonight, and he is already starting to regret accepting it. Not that he minds helping with French—he knows how difficult the language is to learn—but he just isn't in a teaching mood today. Not with his hangover and two hours of sleep.
When it’s finally lunch time, he heads towards the furthest table to have lunch in peace, but a shrill voice calls out to him. "Cas! Cas, come have lunch with us!" He turns to see Charlie waving frantically at him, completely in the opposite direction. She was so nice to him yesterday; it would be rude to ignore her now. He gives her a half-smile and heads over to the table occupied by two other guys.
"Hello everyone." He sets his tray of food down next to Charlie, who shifts her chair slightly. "You weren't lying, Charlie, her eyes are blue!" blurts out the smaller of the two. "Garth!" She groans, telling him to be quiet. The interaction makes him smile. "That's okay, I get that a lot. Nice to meet you," he says in his most polite voice. The other gives him a small wave, her mouth full of her sandwich. "This is Kevin," Charlie introduces him, "and this is Garth.” She points to the rude one. “They're in the Dungeons & Dragons club.”
Sans déconner ? ⁴
He smiles at his ironic thought but the others take that as another greeting. “Nice to meet you too, heard you almost fought with Dick Roman yesterday !”
“Who ?” Cas blurts, frowning.
“The guy who bumped into you and called you an asshole.” Charlie reminds him laughing at his short memory and Cas winces. To be honest, with the night he had, he totally forgot about that. Well, this part at least but definitely not his encounter with the guy who’s face screams lust and sins. He briefly wonders what his smell is like. Nope, still not the right state of mind. Besides, he doesn’t even know if the guy presented yet.
Usually, it’s around eighteen that teenagers start to present and it’s always a stressful period. For his sake, Cas hopes that it will not happen while he is in the US because he doesn’t want to register his subgenre in this country.
Maybe if he asks around about him and… no, not a good idea. “Cas ? R’ you with us ?” Charlie snaps her fingers in front of him.
Cas clears his throat. “Yes, sorry, I didn’t sleep much last night.”
“Yeah, we can tell, you look like shit men.” Garth says, casually biting in his sandwich.
“Garth ! Not cool !” Charlie blurts.
“No, he’s right, I do, look like shit, I saw myself in the bathroom mirror earlier.” Cas smiles because he really likes how blunt and oblivious the guy is.
He is aware of the dark circles under his eyes and his tangled hair, but he had overestimated the length of his evening and his sleep time. Lesson learned.
The rest of the meal is a barrage of questions addressed to Cas: his life in France, why he moved, who his father is, his brothers and sisters; he feels as if he has been laid bare under the inquisitive gaze of three nerds. It doesn't bother him; he appreciates the trio.
“So, are you an Alpha or an Omega ?” Garth asks and the two others gasp.
“Garth, rude dude!” Charlie pocs at him.
The boy doesn’t seem to be bothered at all by his bluntness.
“I don’t know yet, but I’m not in a hurry.” Cas replies with a grin.
Charlie snaps her head toward him. “Really ? Jeez I can’t wait !”
Cas shrugs. “I don’t need a subgender to know who I am and what I’m worth.”
Kevin puffs. “Yeah, you’ll be an Alpha.”
Cas tilts his head. “What makes you so sure ?”
Garth drinks from his water bottle with a soft smile. “You have that kind of confidence about you, despite looking like a shy dorky guy, I’m ready to bet that there is something else behind the calm.”
Well, fuck him, this guy just read him like an open book. Is he that easy to read ?
“Or maybe I’m just that, a shy dorky guy.” Cas replies with a wry smile.
Garth takes a moment to examine him. "Hmm, I guess we'll have to wait and see if I'm right then." He winks at him, and Cas decides he likes the young man.
After lunch, he and Charlie have a math class together, and the last hour of literature drags on incredibly slowly. He's already read and studied the assigned book and got a dirty look from the teacher when he mentioned it. What's their problem, anyway? Don't they like the idea of a student being ahead of the others? That they might be useless to him? What's it going to be like tomorrow for his first French class when he tells the teacher he's only half French? He sighs with relief when the bell finally rings. Just one more tutoring session and then he can wander around the city center looking for new places to meet people.
He heads into the small, dreary room Charlie showed him the day before, and honestly, it couldn't be more depressing. This surprises him, since the rest of the school is quite colorful and full of life, but clearly, the slackers aren't allowed a little joy in their study hall. He goes to the library to see if he can find a French textbook because he still hasn't had any classes, so he has no idea what they teach here about his second language. He finds an old, battered textbook and looks through it a bit while waiting for his student. Lots of basic stuff, a few stereotypical illustrations of French people with berets and baguettes, but nothing very elaborate. They keep things simple.
A knock at the door pulls him from his reading, and in the doorway stands a petite brunette with brown eyes, wearing a black leather jacket, a purple tank top, and black jeans. She doesn't shout like the popular girl at school, the cheerleader, but rather, "You touch me, I'll punch you in the face." An aura that Cas greatly appreciates.
“Are you my teacher ?” She asks with a grin, totally aware of how Cas is checking her out.
Cas clears his throat because god, the way she talks like every word is an insult is kind of hot. “Je ne suis pas prof mais je veux bien te donner des cours de langue si tu veux.⁵” He replies with a flirty tone, knowing perfectly that she’ll not understand a word.
Her eyes widen and she whistles in admiration. “So you really can speak french uh ? Everyone talked about how weird the new guy is but nobody said you were hot.” She declares, entering the room and closing the door.
Cas huffs. “So really everybody has something to say about me even though they don’t know me.”
The girl sits down in front of him, throwing her bag on the floor, her gaze fixed on him. “They say you almost had a fight with Dick Roman yesterday. Nothing stays hidden in this place.”
“So I see.” Cas grits his teeth. He will have to be very careful about his extra activities outside of school.
“I would love to see you beat the shit out of him tho. Could be fun… and sexy to watch.” She grins and Cas really has to concentrate on his mantra “no zob in job” because right now, he could pin her against her wall just to ease the building tension between them.
”Not my style.” He sighs, looking away from her to break the tension. What is it with the teen in this school ? Well maybe something is wrong with him, or maybe because despite the blast he had last night, his skin still itches to get some green eyes basketball player in his bed.
Don’t get him wrong, the girl in front of him is hot in some nasty kind of way, the kind to move some furniture around. Maybe Garth is right, maybe he will be an Alpha after all because right now, he feels the urge to chase a prey. Not that Apollo looks like a prey, he clearly has the appearance of a future Alpha, if he’s not already.
“Too bad.” The girl finally replies, taking her things out of her bag. “I’m Meg by the way.”
“Castiel.” He smiles softly.
“Weird guy, weird name.” She laughs and with that, they get to it.
After an hour, Cas is actually proud that he manages to truly help her. Her pronunciation is not that bad but the structure and the vocabulary still need a little bit of work. Overall, Meg is a bit more eased with the assignment they have to do for tomorrow which will allow Cas to not be lost for his first lesson.
“Well, Clarence, that was fun, thanks a lot.” She smirks, rising from her seat.
“Clarence ?” Cas tilts his head.
“Not a movie fan ?”
Cas gathers his things in his bag before joining her at the door. "Not really, I'm more of a book guy." He admits.
"We'll have to remedy that then." She whispers, leaning towards him flirtatiously and her sudden proximity is not ignored by his dick who gives him an interested twitch.
Cas knows perfectly well what she's trying to do, tempting, really, but he can't afford it, not with the rumors already circulating about him. He wants peace and quiet. He steps back slightly, placing a hand on the doorknob and opening it. "I'm flattered, but I'll have to decline."
Meg recoils, her chin held high. "For now." She winks at him. "See you next week, Clarence.” She starts to walk away but stops in her tracks, turning her face toward him. ”Oh, and by the way, what did you say to me earlier when I arrived?"
Cas narrows his eyes with a smirk. “Maybe one day, you will find out.”
The smile she gives back to him indicates that he already said too much and she leaves him alone with his newfound arousal. Shit.
“I’m taking your car.” Cas shouts from the hall, ready to head out.
“You’re going out again ? It’s a school night, Castiel.” Chuck frowns, joining him before he leaves.
“I used to go out all the time in Paris, you didn’t seem to mind.” He spits back.
Chuck crosses his arms on his chest. “Don’t talk to me like that Castiel, I’m your father.”
“It’s not because you now decided to act like one that you are. I’m going out, don’t wait for me.” He opens the door and shuts it loudly.
His relationship with his father has always been nonexistent; he was never present in his life, and now, now, he wants to play the father of the year? What next? Is he going to lecture him about protection ?
There was a time when Cas admired his father, this somewhat distant figure whose attention he so desperately craved by being the most loyal, obedient son, a model student, diligent, never a bad word. He held his head high when he came home from work yelling, and shrank into himself when he argued with his mother. And then one day, he realized that all his admiration had been in vain. He still struggles to think about it; there are images he'll never be able to erase from his mind, but that day, he lost all the respect he had for his father. That day, Castiel changed.
He shudders just thinking about it as he drives toward the city center. He needs to clear his head, settle down in a bar and drink, maybe even find some fun while he's at it. He was lucky last night; he immediately caught the eye of a desperate Alpha. Maybe a woman tonight ? Something different to make him forget the basketball player who won't leave his thoughts.
His stomach rumbles with desire at the memory of Apollo's perfect features. He was truly ridiculously handsome. Cas has caught himself looking for him several times during the day and felt pathetic each time he realized it. He never lost control over his sexual appetite; he's always been in control of himself, contradicting the idea that teenagers can't control themselves. But now, damn it... the teenager's expression of utter panic, so completely at odds with his calm and self-assured demeanor when he came to his defense, makes him hope for a multitude of things he can’t ever do to him. No zob in job, Cas, not with a student from your high school.
He sighs as he parks near a bar he'd spotted after class. Back to the chase.
The bar he spotted, Bullwinkles Bar, is small but crowded; he can easily hide in a slightly dark corner without anyone questioning the fact that he is a bit too young to be there. His fake ID didn't do much more than make him look twenty-one. It’s a truly ridiculous law when he thinks he can drink in a bar from the age of eighteen in France, something he already did even before he was old enough.
Besides, it’s more of a dance bar full of students from the city's university, perfect for picking up someone. He weaves through the crowd to find a seat at the bar and orders a vodka and coke. The bar is filled with scents that send shivers down his spine—alphas, omegas, everything mingling in the confined space. The sterile, smelly world of high school almost makes him forget the pleasure of smelling others. It's never bothered him; he's occasionally encountered alphas and omegas whose scent he disliked, but most of the time, it's a positive experience.
He knows his sense of smell isn't very developed because it hasn't presented yet, and if he turns out to be a beta, the development will stop there. But if he becomes an Alpha or an Omega, everything will be amplified, and a part of him truly desires it. Just being able to sense the subtleties of someone's smell, it must be amazing.
Speaking of scent, an Omega has just sat down next to him. The smell is barely perceptible, but Cas has learned to recognize it with practice. He's also built like an Omega: slim, not very muscular, no more than twenty-five years old, with shoulder-length brown hair and a rather prominent nose. He's not particularly handsome, but he exudes a rather charming vibe that instantly arouses Cas. He has the perfect profile to receive his cock in his mouth, and Cas smiles at the thought, capturing the man's attention.
“Something funny mate ?” The Omega asks with a strong Scottish accent.
Brown eyes meet his blue gaze and he can immediately see the starstruck in his expression. Yeah, he got him.
“Nothing, I was thinking that I might get lucky tonight.” Cas answers playfully, not leaving his eyes.
The guy gasps, trying to keep a cool head. “Is that so ?” He rasps.
Cas nods, finishing his glass slowly, and the Omegas grins. “I’m Gavin.” He introduces himself, extending his hand.
He shakes his hand with a small pressure to show him a little bit of strength. “Castiel.”
Gavin’s eyes widen a little bit. That’s right Omega, I’m what you're looking for tonight, Cas swallow the thought. He has to take it easy, not scare the guy away.
“It’s not a usual name.” He tilts his head slightly towards him, and Cas makes an effort not to do the same.
“So I’ve been told.” Cas replies, playing with his glass.
“Do you go to the university ?” He asks almost innocently but Cas knows what he is really asking for. Is he going to be in trouble if he sleeps with him ?
“I’m just passing through town.” He whispers, slightly sliding closer to him.
“Let me buy you a drink then.” Gavin smirks.
Two drinks and a lot of teasing later, Cas has him pinned against the bathroom’s wall, biting his neck and rutting against his groin. The Omega is already hard and a little bit tipsy, so is Cas but he doesn’t give a fuck right now, he needs relieve and his sweet smell of sea water and whiskey is endearing.
“Fuck, you feel so good.” Gavin whispers in his ear.
Cas can only groan before turning the Omega against the wall and pinning his hands above his head. “Want me Omega ?” Cas moans, grinding against his ass.
“Ye… Yes.” He stutters, bending his ass more.
Having a submissive Omega under him isn't as pleasurable as having an Alpha, but Gavin's voice, dripping with desire, is still satisfying. He knows the effect he has on both genders. He still looks a bit like an Omega but has the energy of an Alpha, and fuck, it's good to play on that duality.
He releases his wrists and goes for his pants, unbuckling the belt before pulling them down to his ankles. In one swift motion, Gavin is naked from the waist down, and Cas does the same to himself. His already hard cock rubs against Omega's ass, which is already dripping with slick.
Cas bends over to reach his ear “Are you going to beg Gavin ?” He whispers, his voice dark.
“Fuck me already.” Gavin whimpers but he doesn't know who he's dealing with. Cas is the one in control here and he’s more than happy to teach this Omega a lesson.
“Big mouth for a small Omega.” He grabs his cock and twists it, eliciting a cry of pleasure from Gavin.
His own dick is throbbing against his ass, so hard it’s deliciously painful but he knows he’s gonna get what he wants really soon because Gavin is already panting. “Come on, need you Alpha.”
Cas stifles a moan of pleasure at being called that. Flattering, but it's not the first time he's been mistaken for an Alpha. “How do you ask Omega ?” He rasps, thrusting his cock between his cheeks slowly to torture him.
Gavin hits his fist against the wall when Cas touches his hole with the tip of his cock. “Fuck ! Ple..please, fuck me, please.” He cries out.
And with one push, Cas is inside him, with any preparation, but Gavin welcomes him easily and this fact gives him another boost. This Omega has been fucked a lot recently and Cas hopes that he will be able to top whoever went first.
He grabs Gavin's hips roughly and digs his nails in, eliciting a cry from him. He fucks him mercilessly, not caring about the noise they're making or if anyone else can hear them on the other side of the thin bathroom door.
He lets his mind wander, imagining it's the basketball player panting beneath him, his perfect ass under his hands. He imagines being the first to fuck him, spreading his hole wide and touching his prostate to send him to the peak. The thought almost makes him come.
He pictures his green eyes wide with pleasure, pupils dilated, crying out his name with his deep, gravelly voice as he climaxes, and Cas can't hold back any longer; he grabs the Omega's cock to make him come and retrieves himself to ejaculate on his ass. The two groans loudly from it and Cas collapses on his back, still holding his hips.
“God, that was good, you’re really good.” Gavin pants.
Cas feels a bit guilty because he totally forgot that it was not the Apollo underneath him but Gavin. “Glad you liked it.” He responds, a bit breathless. It’s not his best performance but it was more about release than enjoying his kinks. He has to find someone regular to do so. And from what he saw in Gavin, he breaks way too easily.
He straightens up and grabs some toilet paper to clean himself up a bit, then offers some to Gavin, who turns to face him with an inquisitive look. “So, for how long are you in town ?” He asks, voice a little bit full of hope.
Cas pulls up his pants and gives him a knowing look. "Like I said, just passing through."
The next morning in school, Cas is still tired from his night but not as much as the day before.
“You look like crap.” Charlie greets him when he arrives for his first class.
“Thanks red.” Cas grumbles, sitting down next to her.
“Do you sleep at all ?” She smiles at his bad mood.
He drops his head onto the table and gives her a vague wave.
“I take that as a no. You should try meditation, I heard it helps with insomnia.” She rattles on.
“Charlie, please, shoosh.” He pleads through gritted teeth.
She giggles a little but stops abruptly when an arrogant voice rises, that Cas recognizes despite his eyes being closed against the table. “Too tired of being fucked all night scumbag ?”
Castiel doesn’t even give him the trouble to look at him and replies. “Maybe I was up all night imagining you with my cock between your lips, darling.”
Some of the students, already sitting, whistle loudly at the comeback and Cas choses this moment to raise his head to see Dick Roman, completely speechless. Cas meets his gaze, daring him to add anything else. He wasn't going to let himself be bullied by some idiot, not already, especially since he'd barely arrived.
Dick opens his mouth to respond but the teacher enters the classroom, urging everyone to sit down, depriving him of the opportunity to regain his dignity.
Cas holds his gaze until he moves and he can’t help but grin that he finally got the chance to have a better comeback than Monday. Too bad Green eyes is not here to see it. Maybe one day, he will learn his name but it’s easier for Cas to think about him if he’s still a stranger, like an untouchable fantasy.
“You really didn’t seem like the type to be this sassy Cas.” Charlie whispers to him when the class starts. “I’m impressed.”
Cas smiles because he’s perfectly aware of what type of vibe he gives. “Well, I don't like being bothered by jerks for no reason.”
Charlie puffs. “Do you think you can teach me ?”
“What ? To be a badass ? I don’t think you need me for that Charlie.” He confesses, truly meaning it. The redhead has everything in her to kick some ass, she just doesn’t know it yet.
He sees her blush from the corner of his eyes and he turns his attention back to the English lesson.
His last period before lunch break is French, so in his mind, it’s already break time. He waves at Charlie before heading for his new classroom when he’s called that by a voice that makes him turn around.
“Hello Clarence.” Meg greets him with a smirk on her face.
He almost forgot about her but now that she is in front of him, he clearly recalled his slip up from yesterday. And why. The girl is objectively hot. Maybe he could ask her out after all, for a pizza or something, she doesn’t seem like the type of girl to break easily.
“Salut Meg, tu vas bien ?⁶” He asks in French to see if she still remembers the few sentences they practiced yesterday.
“Oui, très bien et toi ?⁷” She replies with a terrible accent that makes him grin.
“I’m fine, thanks. Ready for your oral ?” He switches back, putting her out of her misery.
She winces. “Not really since there will be an actual French dude to judge my performance.”
He laughs. “Don’t worry, I’m gonna sit at the back and not listen to a word.”
“Mister Spangler is gonna be so happy to have you in his class.” She says with irony and Cas rolls his eyes. The teachers from this school really need to get a grip. For now, the only teacher that hasn’t been rude to him is Miss MacLeod. It’s not his fault nor his choice to be the new kid from another country.
He shrugs as an answer, entering the classroom, and goes straight for the teacher to get it over with.
The man looks up from his desk and despite what he was expecting, he smiles wildly at him.
“Oh you must be Castiel ! Oh I’m so happy to welcome you into my class ! Bienvenue !” He cheers and Cas frowns for a moment. Why is he so happy ?
“Merci.” He grumbles.
“Je vais enfin pouvoir parler français avec quelqu’un qui me comprend, enseigner le français ici c’est vouloir apprendre à une mule à galoper.” He laughs, making him very uncomfortable.
Ok, so he’s not a jerk toward him but he’s been an asshole to his students. Learning another language is very hard so to be so condescending when he is responsible for teaching them, Cas does not find that correct. Besides, his French is not that good.
“Ils sont là pour apprendre, c’est difficile comme langue, nous ne sommes personne pour juger.” Cas answers with a perfect passive-aggressive voice. Polite with the form, tone slightly harsh like an insult.
The smile of Mister Spangler vanishes and he clears his throat. “Yeah, right, well, this is your manual, not that you need it. You can go sit down.” His voice is so dejected that he has to hold back a satisfied smile from forming because he’s already navigating in dark water here.
He takes the book the teacher is handing him and targets an empty chair at the back of the class. Some of his classmates watched his conversation with the teacher and he hopes that’s not gonna give a new story to tell behind his back because he’s tired of being called weird every time he meets someone new.
Meg winks at him when he walks past her and he rolls his eyes, sitting far away from everyone. The bell rings and a few last students rush inside the classroom, taking the last seat available, the last one being beside Cas, no one takes it which is fine by him. Fine, until his eyes catch the last guy to come into the room.
Fuck. It’s the Greek God.