The Muse

Castiel Novak let out an annoyed huff as he walked towards the living room. He was already running late for class. He looked around the room he had lost his keys and it was only his second day back in Lawrence Kansas. He mumbled curse words under his breath as he balanced his bag with his art materials in it. "Shit!" He shouted. He heard a cough from the door and he looked up at his father.

"Loss something, Castiel?" His dad Chuck asked as he sipped from his mug that read 'world's greatest dad'

Castiel couldn't help but think that this was some cruel prank that Gabriel his middle brother had played on his father but for some reason, Chuck didn't seem to notice or care Castiel wasn't sure which. "I ugh can't find my car keys." He admitted. He tossed around papers and looked all over the table that was in the living room. "How do you find anything in this house?" He shouted at his father who returned his shouts with a shrug. His father Chuck Novak was a messy person. Books and papers were scattered all over the home and tossed about as if it was nothing. Chuck referred to it as his process and Castiel could not understand how his dad could work in such a messy home.

His father looked around the room and walked over to a bowl and picked up a set of keys. "I'll find yours… not sure how they got lost but you can take my car. Okay, Cas."

Castiel crossed the room and took the keys from his father. He nearly prayed every day that this man would learn something that resembled responsibility but given that he was nearing forty he didn't see that happening anytime soon. "Is there gas in the car?" He asked as he slung his bag over his shoulder again.

He gave a shrug. "Uh maybe. It's been a while since I've been out so…" he looked up at the clock. "Man you better go you are going to be late."

He looked at the clock and saw it was nearing ten. He had to go. "Okay, I'll be right back after class."

"I'll be fine Cas. Geez, you worry more than Michael."

"And you don't worry enough." He stated as he headed out the door. Most people would regard his conversations with his father as well disrespectful but Castiel supposed that came from his father's laid back attitude. Why respect someone who didn't respect themselves? He unlocked the door to the old Lincoln and tossed his stuff in the trunk. He started up the car and it let out a loud squeak. He frowned as he backed the car down the driveway and headed towards town.

He sighed again. He had promised his Aunt Amara he would look after Chuck and mend fences. Castiel didn't hate his father he never did but he was never close to the man. It had been years since he had been in Lawrence. His father moved here after his divorce from his mother. Castiel had stayed with his mother along with his brothers until… well until things started to go wrong. He gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles whitened. He bit his lip and suddenly the car made a loud squeaking noise, he almost jumped out of his skin then lights came up on his dash. Panicking he eased to the side of the road. He knew nothing about cars. He saw the battery light and the overheating light come on. He felt panic crawl up his back he knew there was something wrong with the car. "Damnit!" He yelled and smacked the dash which hurt his hand.

He cut the car off and reached for his phone he would have to call his dad for help or find a tow truck. He needed to tell the professor he wasn't going to make it to class either. He patted his pocket no phone, he checked the other and his jacket pocket. Oh no he left his phone at home. He let out a groan and shook his head. Why him? Why now? He was convinced this town hated him every time he was here nothing good happened. He got out of the car ready to cry. He couldn't walk to class it was too far, he couldn't walk home either. Or could he?

He heard the sound of another car ease up behind his car and he looked to see a black car sitting there. It appeared to be a late model car possibly an Impala he wasn't really sure.

A tall thin, well-built man got out of the driver's side. Castiel stared at him. He was struck by his beauty. His face was almost perfect. Castiel felt his mouth almost drop. It was like he was looking at a model or an actor, or a, rt work itself. Like living breathing artwork.

"Car trouble?" The man asked. His voice was deep and gruff. Sexy even if Castiel had to put a word to it. He walked over to him and gave a friendly smile. "I saw you pull over and.., no offense you look a little lost."

Castiel blinked then nodded. "Yes uh… my car made a weird noise and the battery light came on so I pulled over and then it started overheating." The man walked toward the front of the car. "Do you know anything about cars?" He asked

"Yeah, I work on cars at my uncle's shop. Can you pop the hood?"

"Oh uh yeah." He leaned into the driver's side and found the pull for the hood.

The man raised the hood and looked in. "Geez man,"

"Is, is it bad?" He asked and he rushed over to the front of his car.

"Well no but… a lot of your fluids is low." He pointed at the battery. "And that battery has seen better days." He looked at him in a tone that read he was offended for the car.

"It's not mine."

He raised an eyebrow.

"No, I didn't steal it. It's my dad's car. I couldn't find my keys and he loaned me this one."

He nodded and looked back to the car. "You're belts broken."

"Can you fix it?" He asked

"Yeah of course but we need a new belt." He closed the hood.

"Oh…" He hung his head and sighed. "I got class…" He looked at his watch. "Which I already missed the first half." He rubbed his face with his hands. "Ugh!" He cried out in frustration.

The other man gave a smirk. That was the best way that Castiel could describe it. "Well, I can solve your immediate problem."

He raised an eyebrow at the other man. "Huh?"

"I can run us up to the auto parts store, we get your car a belt then we get it back on the road."

He smiled finally something was going right today. "Really? Oh, thank you… ugh."

"Dean," He held out his hand. "My name is Dean Winchester."

He looked at the hand then took it. "Castiel Novak…" he looked into the other man's face and found himself tilting his head in thought. "Name sounds familiar…" he said out loud. He bit his lip in thought then suddenly realized. "Oh, how much is this going to cost?"

He let go of his hand and gave him a small smile. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" He felt uneasy what if this guy was some creeper.

"Yeah we get the belt I'll put it on for free and you promise to get your dad to take this thing to a shop." He patted the roof of the car. "It's a nice car it just needs some TLC."

"So why are you helping me?" He asked as the two of them made it to Dean's car.

He chuckled and to Castiel, it sounded like bells. "Mom always taught me to help those in need." He started up the car and the radio came on playing oldies rock. "She is a very generous woman. She does a lot for the local church, food bank, and shit so she always taught us to help those in need."

Castiel nodded. "Lucky for me then." He still wondered why this man seemed familiar.

"So this is going to sound weird." He looked over at him and Castiel noticed how green his eyes were. So beautiful. Castiel mentally slapped himself he shouldn't be fawning over some guy he just met. "You… I think I met you before."

He tilted his head. "Oh?"

"I thought so… so you don't remember me?"

He looked at him and frowned. "Dean Winchester does sound familiar. But I have moved around a lot I met a lot of people." It was true Castiel felt like he spent most of his life in a suitcase. He rarely settled down. He was bounced from his mom to his grandmother, back to his mom, then to his dad, then to aunt Amara. He never made friends what was the point. He would leave as soon as he made one so he stopped altogether. Couldn't get hurt if you stopped trying to get close.

"I saved you before. From those bullies."

That's when it clicked in his head. He was about fourteen. He was so socially awkward and didn't fit in. The kids at the school picked up on it and started teasing him. Making every day a living hell for him and one day one bully decided that they would try to end him. Public humiliation and… yeah, he remembered the thin teenager (he certainly filled out now) charged in and demanded them to stop. That boy it was Dean wasn't it? He never got the boy's name. He just remembered the boy got in the fight in his place and shortly thereafter Castiel was sent to Amara's. "I remember that… I…"

"Sorry man. I didn't get to introduce myself then." He rubbed the back of his head and smiled weakly. "I just hated that guy and you looked so…"

He hung his head. He was a pathetic mess in high school. A target for bullies. It never ended. He crossed his arms. "I know I'm some sad case."

He shook his head. "No, I mean. Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up the past. So what are you doing back here?"

"My dad… I'm going to the art school here."

"You're an artist?"

He nodded. "And what about you, what do you do?"

He gave a shrug. "Going to college, haven't decided my major yet so yeah. I have been working on cars for money to make my way through college."

"I see." He realized the car turned to a parking lot of a car part place. The two men left the car and got the belt. They headed back to Castiel's car in mostly silence other than the music from the radio.

Dean pulled up behind Castiel's car. He got out and got in the trunk. He pulled out a thing of tools and headed to the other man's car.

Castiel popped the hood and watched the man go to work on his father's clunker of a car. Dean was a beautiful creature and he enjoyed watching him work. His muscles flexing under his shirt, sleeves rolled up showing off just the right amount of arm muscle, when he leaned into the car the collar of his shirt would give just a peek at his chest. He was awestruck. He knew since the latter half of high school that he found himself more attracted to men than women. Not that he ever acted on any of these feelings. People tend not to want to date the socially awkward weirdo, who sits in class and doodles and does fan art for his favorite anime. He bit his lip as he checked out Dean some more. Dean was he was just freaking hot. His mind wondered what would it be like to kiss those lips, run his fingers through that sandy brown hair. He shook his head to clear those thoughts as he felt his dick responding to his thoughts. The last thing he needed was to pitch a tent in front of this guy. He barely knew him.

"There," Dean said he shut the hood and wiped his hands on a towel he had with him. "You're all good now."

"Thanks again, Dean." His heart did a little flip when Dean smiled at him.

"No problem." He gathered his tools. "Just remember to get that thing down to the shop. It's on the corner of third street. Tell Bobby I sent you." He put his tools in his trunk.

"Okay ugh…" He watched Dean head to the driver's side of his car. Oh no, he was going to leave. "Oh ugh wait!" he called and he looked up at him. Eyebrow cocked waiting for him to speak. "Lunch…" He shook his head. "I was thinking maybe you would like to get lunch sometime… so I can repay you for ugh… this… and you know that time in high school."

He nodded and smiled. "Sure uh Castiel…" He laughed. "Can I call you Cas? Castiel is an odd name and ugh…"

"Sure you can."

"Alright, what's your phone number?"

Castiel tells him his number. "I left my phone at home. I was in a hurry this morning."

"Okay, I'll just text you my name so you know it's me. I'll talk to you later." He got in the car and left. He gave him a small wave as he drove by.

Castiel got in his car and headed back home. He wasn't about to take his dad's car to the shop. Chuck could do that himself. He pulled into the driveway and gathered his art stuff and headed into the house.

The house was still a mess and Chuck was sitting on the couch. Still in his robe with his computer on his lap. "Hey, Castiel." He held up his hand. "I found your keys my next novel was on top of it."

Castiel took his keys.

"And I found your phone." He handed him his phone.

"Your car broke down I didn't make it to class."

"Oh, shit really? What did you do?"

"Someone stopped to help me." He unlocked his phone and sent a message to his teacher explaining what happened. "His name was Dean Winchester." He realized he said his name with an emotion he had never heard come from his mouth before.

Chuck raised his eyebrow. "Oh the Winchester kid, they are a nice family." He sat down the laptop. "I see their mom from time to time, talked to their dad too… in ugh…" he blushed. "Never mind. But I never saw the kids."

He bit his lip he figured that his dad most likely met Mr. Winchester at an AA meeting. He wasn't going to judge him at least he was getting help now. Of course, it was almost too late now. "Dean was the one that saved me from that bully."

He frowned and nodded. "Before you went to Amara?" He asked.

He nodded. Castiel may not have caught the name of his guardian angel that day but he wouldn't forget the week that his father gave up on him. He looked at Chuck his heart heavy with bitter feelings.

Chuck focused on his laptop. "I just didn't know what to do…" He whispered to himself

Castiel rolled his eyes and headed to his room. Yeah, he remembered that. The school tried to get Chuck to come and get him and Chuck was too busy drowning himself in booze in a fleeting attempt to write another best seller. His own father didn't come to get him it was Michael who came and got him out of school. The family broke out into a fight again a normal thing for Castiel. First, it was mom fighting with everyone now his father. He had crappy parents for sure. And he remembered his father after him and Michael getting into it. His eldest brother was talking about taking him away and his Aunt had stepped in. He smiled bitterly. His dear Aunt Amara was a lovely woman, she was a child psychologist and Chuck felt she could deal with him better. Next thing Castiel knew he was out of his father's house and living with his aunt. He tightened his hands as he walked into his bedroom. He sat on his bed and opened his phone he texted Dean to tell him he made it home. The professor had emailed him the assignment he had missed.

Painting prompt: Beauty. What is Beautiful to you?

He stood up and pulled out his sketch pad and started to draw. His mind drifted to Dean his handsome face, green eyes, lovely voice, pouty lips, and lean muscular body. He kept thinking of Dean as he drew. He spent about thirty minutes on the drawing and immediately could tell he had done something magical. He jumped up and set up the canvas. He started painting. Green, light brown and more green. Bright skies, a figure in the distance and lovely green so much green, a splash of gold. He stood back and looked at the simple drawing of a man surrounded by green and blue sky. He bit his lip. Oh man, he had drawn Dean, well not exactly Dean but he knew that this painting represented Dean. He shook his head had he found his muse? He had struggled to find a muse for his artwork. He was a good artist but his teachers had said he needed a subject matter to focus on. Perhaps Dean was his focus his muse. He smiled to himself he had found his muse at last.