After mentioning where we each liked to eat we decided to get in line for some breaded chicken sandwiches. Castiel ordered a large of some waffle-style french fries and at his insistence that a sandwich wasn't enough for a meal I ordered a cup of coleslaw. We carried our trays over to an empty table and I opened my coleslaw happily. For the first half of the meal neither of us spoke, focusing more on our food than the need for conversation. Castiel finished his sandwich before I even got through half of mine and I felt him watching me as I continued to eat.

"Hey, Opal," he said, prompting me to look up at him as I chewed my most recent bite of sandwich. "Did Lysander tell you how he feels?"

Instinctively I gasped, inhaling my partially chewed bite, and began to cough. Castiel jumped up and started patting my back as I held a hand over my mouth, coughing while trying not to spew out my food everywhere. After a few moments, I got my breathing under control and swallowed with difficulty before reaching for my water cup. I sucked on the straw desperately, both to ease my stinging throat and to give me time to figure out how I was supposed to answer his question. After asking me for the thirteenth time if I was okay and having me nod in response he reluctantly sat back down and leaned his eyes in one of his hands.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked like that," he apologized sincerely. 

I shook my head, putting down my water cup and wiping the tears that had slipped out during my coughing fit.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to react like that," I said miserably, rubbing my throat and awkwardly looking to the side. "Did... did he..." I trailed off awkwardly, not sure what I was even trying to ask.

"I know the song he wrote was about you," Castiel stated. My eyes widened and I looked over at him as fear bubbled up through my insides. "I don't know what prompted him to write it, and he never told me who the angel was, but I just... Knew it was you," he said while looking at me with guarded eyes. 

I reached out for my water cup again, leaning back in my chair and looking away from him as I wondered what I should say.

"During the performance, you left halfway through our song. Then after we finished Lysander said he was going to look for you... I asked him when he came back what happened and he said if I wanted to know, I should ask you," he explained and I couldn't help but smile sadly.

Lysander is so courteous, I thought sadly and reluctantly I looked up at Castiel.

"He... didn't tell me his feelings per se," I said haltingly, lowering my water cup to my lap and twisting it between my hands nervously. "He misunderstood something and thought I needed to be protected, but I told him I do not need any protection."

Castiel regarded me with a blank expression and I chewed my inner lip, hoping that he would let it go at that vague explanation.

"So do you like him?" Castiel asked and I blinked in surprise over at him.

"Well, yes. I was really grateful when he said we could stay as friends," I answered hesitantly but Castiel frowned.

"Wait, you told him you just wanted to be friends?" he asked and I chuckled nervously.

"Actually he tried to ask me about something I couldn't tell him so I said I would understand if we couldn't be friends anymore. But he said he would pretend nothing had happened and we could stay as friends," I admitted in a low voice, not meeting Castiel's gaze.

"What was he asking about?" Castiel inquired and I flinched, clenching my hands around my nearly empty water cup.

"Uhh," I stuttered lamely, searching for something I could say. 

A scraping sound startled me into looking up and I blinked rapidly as I watched Castiel move his chair as close to me as he could and then stared into my eyes.

"Is this about your secret?" he asked bluntly. 

I remembered back when he found my list for the sleepover and he mentioned that he felt like I was hiding something 'real' as he called it. My mouth went dry and I swallowed painfully but slowly nodded.

"So, Lysander stumbled onto something to do with your secret and you wouldn't tell him, and since you wouldn't tell him you wouldn't go out with him. Is that it?" Castiel asked, moving his leg and bumping his knee lightly against my chair. 

I looked away from his piercing grey eyes and down at my water cup, remaining silent.

"What if your secret, whatever it is, wasn't a factor? Would you have wanted to go out with Lysander?" I heard him ask from my side and I blinked down at my water cup.

Would I have wanted to date Lysander if I wasn't a mistake? I wondered, imagining for a moment if I had been born as Auntie's daughter and met Lysander as a normal girl. 

Glancing to the side I jumped when I saw Castiel place one of his forearms on the portion of the table in front of me and lean forward. I met his probing gaze and it was like I had been frozen in place as we stared at each other for several seconds.

"Well?" he asked and I swallowed past a lump that had formed in my throat.

"N-no. I don't think so," I whispered. 

To my surprise, relief filled Castiel's eyes and he breathed out a large sigh as he leaned back in his own chair.

"Is there anyone else you've ever thought of dating?" he asked with a teasing smile. 

I felt myself blush and I replaced my water cup on the table next to my half-eaten sandwich so I could fold my arms.

"No," I replied emphatically, meeting his teasing eyes with what I hoped looked like a stern expression. 

He raised a red eyebrow at me and I tried to brush away the thought that I liked seeing his eyebrows without his bangs covering them.

"Why not?" he asked and I frowned.

"I can't date anyone," I answered, thinking back to my father's text.

If he got that upset about me being happy while dancing, then he would never stand it if he heard I was dating someone. I don't deserve that kind of happiness.

"You can't or you won't?" Castiel asked with a hard look and I forced myself to keep eye contact with him.

"I can't... and I won't," I said starting out strong but I felt my resolve dwindle as I finished my sentence, my arms relaxed slightly on their own from their crossed position as if that was a physical sign of my uncertainty.

"Because of your secret?" he prodded. I hesitantly nodded, turning away from him and trying not to cry. "Why don't you tell me?" he asked. 

I blinked in shock, turning to look at his open expression.

"I can't," I choked out and he frowned, leaning towards me with a stubborn glint in his eyes.

"Why not?"

"Because..." I responded lamely, flashes of my father's livid expression from the past going through my mind's eye and I shivered.

"That's not a reason. Just tell me," he ordered stubbornly and I frowned at him.

"No," I refused, trying to banish the images of my father from my mind.

"Tell me," Castiel repeated and I felt something in me snap.

"Stop it, Castiel! I don't want to talk about it!" I said in the angriest tone I had ever heard come from my lips. Instantly I clapped a hand over my mouth as I watched surprise wash over Castiel's expression. "I'm sorry," I mumbled through my hand, miserable. 

To my shock though, Castiel laughed and grinned at me.

"Don't be. I'm the one who was prying and I'm not going to apologize for it, so you don't need to apologize for snapping at me," he said with a cheeky grin and I felt myself smile faintly. "Hurry up and finish your food, there are a few other places I want to go before we head back for Demon." 

I did as he said, grateful that he seemed to have given up for now.

Why is he being so insistent about knowing my secret? And why did he ask about me dating someone? He couldn't... Immediately I took a large bite of my sandwich, figuratively chomping down on that last sentence without allowing myself to finish my thought. He was just being stubborn and a good friend, I told myself sternly. This isn't a fairytale, Opal.

After I finished my lunch we wandered through the rest of the stores in the mall, ending up in the large bookstore which smelled like paper and coffee. I thought it was kind of cute that the bookstore had a coffee shop in the corner so people could relax and read their newly purchased books without leaving the mall.

To my surprise, Castiel told me to show him my favorite books so I took him to the young adult section where I showed him the books that I loved, including the one I had recited to him from memory when he was sick. Castiel listened to me go on about what I liked about each book without complaint but I soon felt guilty for taking his time and replaced the latest book I had been showing him reverently back on the shelf.

"You haven't bought anything for yourself yet, Castiel. We shouldn't be wasting time in here if you don't want to buy a book," I pointed out reluctantly and he smirked at me.

"I like hearing you talk about books. I don't love to read, but listening to you summarize them is interesting," he said, his eyes flashed teasingly but his tone seemed sincere.

"I'm glad I didn't bore you, but we should really get you something with your prize money."

Castiel smirked, pushing down my hat over my eyes and rubbing my head for a few seconds.

"Castiel!" I yelped, not able to keep from laughing as I batted his hand away and took off my hat, smoothing my bangs self-consciously before replacing it as Castiel smirked at me.

"I think I'm going to save it for when I go to the waterpark, after all. There wasn't anything that I really wanted to buy," he said with a shrug and I blinked.

"What? But you asked me to come with you so you could pick something out today," I reminded him in disbelief and he gave me a lopsided grin, folding his arms in a self-satisfied way.

"Well, I changed my mind," he announced loftily. I felt my mouth drop open in disbelief before I sighed and shook my head.

"Oh well, I had fun. Thanks for bringing me along," I said suddenly feeling tired and he shrugged.

"Do you want to grab a cup of coffee?" he asked, gesturing toward the corner coffee shop. I wrinkled my nose automatically before gasping and shaking my head, smiling awkwardly.

"Ah, no thank you," I said quickly, hoping that he hadn't seen my knee-jerk reaction. I obviously had not been that lucky because Castiel regarded me with a shocked expression.

"Do you not like coffee?" he asked, completely bewildered, and I continued to smile awkwardly.

"I don't actually," I admitted and he blinked in astonishment.

"Why not?" he asked, looking utterly shell-shocked. 

I sighed, allowing myself to wrinkle my nose again as I gave the corner shop a dubious look.

"It's too bitter. I've tried adding cream and caramel to it, but I just don't like the flavor," I admitted and Castiel barked out a laugh, making me feel childish.

"Well, I like coffee. Come on, I'll get you a hot chocolate or something," he said with an amused grin and I followed him reluctantly.

"Do you think they'll have hot chocolate?" I asked. I heard him let out an amused grunt but he didn't bother answering me since we were already at the shop.

To my delight, they did sell hot chocolate. While Castiel ordered his black coffee, eliciting a shudder of horror from me, I asked for a specialty white hot chocolate with mint. Our drinks came quickly and I once again thanked Castiel as he paid for me. He waved, as if to brush aside my thanks, and then led me outside as we sipped our drinks towards his parked car. The snow had stopped while we were in the mall but grey clouds still hung ominously above the entire city, seeming to promise more in the near future.

Castiel seemed to be in a good mood as we drove away from the Mall and towards his home. Seeing his unguarded smirks with the occasional genuine smile made me happier than I had any right to be. At one point as I was sipping my deliciously sweet hot chocolate I let my mind wander back to my conversation with both Nathaniel and Rosa. 

I had told Rosa I found Castiel frustrating, which was completely true, but when I said that Castiel made me feel safe that was true as well. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Castiel drive expertly with one hand leaning casually on top of the wheel. I wondered how a single person could create such conflicting feelings in me.

Soon we had driven past both Auntie's apartment and the high school as we drove towards Castiel's home to pick up Demon. I drank my last sip of hot chocolate and felt anticipation go through me as I thought about the precious dog. Even if he couldn't understand human speech exactly, I knew that Demon loved me even though I was a mistake. I felt excited to spend time with the silly puppy, especially after the horrible reminder of how fragile my life here in Sweet Amoris was.

Castiel, who had been complaining about one of his classes to me, stopped mid-sentence as we got to the end of the cul de sac where his gigantic home was. I glanced at the driveway and was surprised to see an obviously expensive silver car parked in front of the entrance staircase. Castiel's mouth clenched into a thin line and his eyes narrowed as he drove onto the circular driveway and parked directly behind the car instead of pulling into the garage.

"Castiel, who...?" I began asking but he opened his car door and got out without hardly glancing at me.

Surprised, I opened my own door and followed him as he walked calmly towards the entrance of his home. Just as I was about to ask him something the front door opened and was then closed by a beautiful woman. Castiel stopped walking so suddenly that I nearly bumped into him. I followed his gaze to the woman who was rummaging in her purse and hadn't noticed our presence.

The woman had medium-length chestnut brown hair that was thick and layered heavily. She was wearing a maroon business suit with her slim hands encased in what looked like black leather gloves. With a triumphant expression the woman, who looked like she was taller than me by a few inches, produced her keys and pointed them towards the silver car. However, she must have caught a glimpse of us from the corner of her eye because she abruptly stopped and turned in our direction, with surprise written across her face.

"Castiel?" she said with surprise before a radiant smile split across her face and she walked swiftly over to us. "I didn't know you were home!" the woman called happily, stopping a few steps from Castiel and glancing over at me. 

Her grey eyes glinted and her face turned into a teasing smirk. She looked so similar to Castiel in that instant that I was momentarily stunned.  

"Well now, who is this! You didn't tell me you found a new girlfriend, Castiel," the woman said with a teasing grin. 

I blushed, bringing my hands up and opening my mouth to deny her assumption but Castiel scoffed roughly.

"And you didn't tell me you were coming home," he retorted, his voice holding a hard edge to it as he glared at the woman I assumed was his mother. 

Her eyes moved off of me to meet her son's identically colored ones and she sighed, folding her arms loosely and arching one of her eyebrows up at him.

"I just needed to grab some paperwork for my next project. When you weren't home I figured you were busy," she replied in a flat tone of voice, but then her eyes captured my gaze as a teasing smile spread across her lips. "And who can blame you! Really, Castiel, your last girlfriend was so shallow, but this cutie looks much more mature! I'm so glad your taste has improved."

My mouth dropped open a fraction in disbelief but before I could deny that we were dating Castiel let out a low grunt that almost sounded like a growl. He then took a small step forward, putting himself in between me and his mother.

"You could have at least texted me. I haven't seen you in almost a year," he said with an accusing tone. 

I blinked in shock, looking past Castiel's shoulder at his mother who had once again turned her attention to Castiel.

"Like I said, I didn't want to bother you. What teenager wants their parents butting into their lives," she said, nodding her head as if this was common knowledge. 

I remembered Castiel saying something very similar to this and was surprised at how tense and upset he seemed to be. However, I was equally shocked that she and Castiel hadn't seen each other in person for nearly a year. I couldn't even fathom Auntie leaving me alone for so long.

"Are you two on a date? You're not planning anything naughty are you?" she asked, once again with her eyes glinting with mirth. I felt my cheeks flush at her suggestive tone but saw that Castiel's hands were clenched into fists.

"It's none of your business, Mom," he snarled quietly. Even though I couldn't see his face, I thought I could hear both anger and hurt creeping into his voice. His mother didn't seem to notice though because she laughed delightedly and rubbed her hands together.

"You are completely right, son. Just make sure you use protection," she said with an exaggerated wink. 

I took a step forward, determined to clear up this misunderstanding; but before I could form a single syllable she was already talking again. 

"You should take her out to somewhere nice! Here, take this," she said, pulling out a wallet from her purse and procuring what looked like two $50 bills. Castiel glared at the outstretched money but did not move his clenched fists from his side.

"I don't need it. You probably already left money with the note you left for me, right?" he asked through gritted teeth. 

I looked up at him in surprise, seeing that his face remained impassive but his grey eyes looked like they were made out of molten steel, swirling with pent-up anger.

"Don't be silly, I would have left you more if I knew you had such a pretty girlfriend to impress," she said while flashing me a grin. After a few seconds went by without Castiel moving to take the money she shrugged and turned to me, stretching her hand out towards me. "Well, if my son is too proud to take it then you can have it!" she said expectantly.

I raised my hands to refuse but Castiel snarled, whipping his hand out and snatching the bills from his mother's hand. She smiled knowingly, placing her now empty hand on her hip in a picture of satisfaction. My gaze dashed between Castiel and his mother but was drawn to Castiel's arm. His hand was once again balled into a fist so tightly that it shook slightly and he was crumpling the money he had just been given. 

"This isn't even what we were talking about... " Castiel growled, his anger coming out much stronger now.

An overwhelming desire to help him in some way came over me. I stepped closer to him, grabbing his forearm gently in both of my gloved hands. My sudden touch must have surprised him because he stopped speaking and glanced down at me with a hooded expression. Swallowing past a lump in my throat I looked over at his mother, who was watching us with amusement, and I couldn't help but wonder why she couldn't tell how upset her son was.

"Umm," I started, licking my lips nervously as I wondered if I should let go of Castiel's arm. "My name is Opal Sato. Castiel and I were just going to take Demon to the dog park. Would you like to join us?" I asked politely, feeling Castiel's arm underneath my gloved hands stiffen even more. I watched Castiel's mother though and was surprised when a small flash of guilt crossed her expression before she smiled at me.

"Thank you for inviting me, Opal, but I just came home to pick up some documents. My plane leaves in less than two hours so I need to get back to the airport," she explained with a smile, glancing over at her car as if she was feeling anxious to leave. "But next time I get some time off we'll have to go shopping together! I'd love to get to know you," she said with a smile which I returned, hoping that it looked like a smile and not a wince.

"Actually, I'm not..." I began to say when Castiel reached out the arm I was holding across my body and gently but firmly pushed me back a half a step while he took another step forward towards his mother.

"Are you going to see Dad now?" he asked, the anger that had been in his voice before only barely noticeable now. 

I watched in surprise as his mother's teasing smile turned wistful and a little embarrassed as she looked a little off to the side.

"Yah. My next project starts in a couple of days in Italy, so I'm going to go recharge my batteries in my time off," she said with a happy smile. I felt Castiel's stiff arm slacken and drop a little from where it had been blocking me.

"Well, say hi to him for me," Castiel said, all of the anger now completely gone and seeming to be replaced with a strange emptiness that I found incredibly disturbing. His emotionless face gave no indication as to what he was thinking. His mother smiled though and closed the distance between them, patting his cheek fondly before stretching up and kissing him swiftly on the cheek.

"You're such a good boy, Castiel. We'll have to go on a family vacation when you graduate," she said with a carefree smile but Castiel didn't even blink, just stood there motionless as he watched his mother turn away and walk to his car. "You two have fun now!" she said with a wave, right before sliding into the driver's seat, closing the door firmly, and driving away. 

I watched the fancy car drive away down the street without a single backward glance from Castiel's mother. The arm that I was still holding was becoming more and more lax by the second.

"Castiel..." I said softly as I self-consciously released his arm. Without meeting my eye he shrugged and walked towards his front door.

I let a long breath escape and I watched it fog up in the air for a brief second before following Castiel. He opened the door without looking back to see if I was following but he held the door open as he stepped across the threshold. I stepped in quietly and Castiel removed his extended arm from the door, allowing it to close behind us.

"Castiel... are you..."

Before I could ask anything though a loud bark sounded and the sound of claws scrabbling along the wood floors caught my attention. Within seconds Demon rounded the corner of the hallway and ran straight to me. He barked happily, circling me several times and sniffing me as if to make sure that it was really me. My usual delight at seeing my sweet boy was tempered a little though since Castiel still was facing away from me and hadn't turned to look at me.

"Demon's probably hungry. Could you go fill his bowl up?"

I looked over at Castiel in surprise. His voice was low and controlled as if he was trying to keep his emotions from showing at all. With one hand rubbing Demon's ear lovingly I hesitantly reached out my other hand and laid it on his arm. Castiel didn't move away from my touch, but he also didn't acknowledge that he felt it.

"I don't mind, but...."

"Thanks," Castiel interrupted me, taking a step away and kicking off his shoes. "Once he's done eating we can go to the dog park."

I watched him walk down the entrance hall and turn towards the dining room. My hand slowly dropped from where I had been touching Castiel's arm and I brought it up to my chest as a strange pain filled my heart. Demon barked up at me, seemingly more subdued now. I glanced down at him and smiled. Kneeling on the ground I gave him a hug around his thick neck and I giggled when he pressed his cold nose into my neck.

"Let's go feed you, buddy. I think Castiel needs some time to be alone," I whispered. 

Demon barked once in what sounded like agreement and then we walked down the hallway towards his room so I could feed him.