Strangers, we're nothing but strangers

"This town ain't yours and this town ain't mine,

We all come here with the light in our eyes,

Some will burn out,

Some will burn bright,

some learn to fly some will run for their lives,

In this town,

This town" - This town, Nashville

Winter

"The jury's out on this one folks as the rumour mill once again swirls around bad-boy rock front man Castiel N-"

The TV shut off abruptly and Dean groaned into his breakfast. He hadn't even heard the front door open. It was always the same thing with his manager though, there was never a warning text or even a polite knock before he was there, whether Dean was dressed or not. To be fair today he had track pants on at least, the frequency with which Crowley managed to see him essentially nude was impressive. The argument that he should clothe himself more often had been made, and dismissed. Clothes were for when there were people around and as far as Dean was concerned his demon of a manager didn't count.

"Crowley, to what do I owe this dubious pleasure? EP bomb? TMZ reveal I'm actually a robot from the future here to save John Connor? People no longer listen to music? The universe is about to implode?" Dean hid a smirk, biting the apple in his hand and slouching over the counter top while Crowley made his way around the kitchen, dropping a coffee cup at Dean's elbow before scurrying to stand across from him, and for a second Dean thought he might not sass him back, and where was the fun in that?

"Haha Deano, comic genius really, maybe you should have been a comic instead of a musician. I brought coffee and news so either shut up and drink the abomination in a cup you American's call coffee or just shut up, either way," he pointedly ignored the affronted gasp, holding up a hand in placation "silence."

Dean knew what battles to fight, and the fact that he'd actually gone and ordered the Apple Pie coffee from Dunkin was serious enough that the silence was pretty natural. Also screw Crowley, it was damn delicious and even better warm than cold so he sipped at it in all its cinnamon sugar glory while Crowley pulled out his laptop.

Sugar cravings had become the norm since Sam had last skyped him and pleaded for Dean to eat healthier, and when that boy used his puppy dog eyes there was no saying anything else, you were doing what he asked. Didn't seem to matter much that he was verging 6 and a half feet tall and two years away from being a fully qualified lawyer, Dean would never be a match for his pleading face. The health kick was slightly annoying, but if he was honest Dean had never felt better about his health in general. Limiting himself to one fast food item a month had done wonders for his lethargy, and his muse, probably because he was actually doing some proper sleeping instead of driving, touring, eating and watching TV. Who knew vegetables and exercise could have so many benefits?

"So. I've been emailing back and forth with an old friend of mine in the business, Lucifer Natas."

Dean's jaw dropped. "As in the Lucifer, like, Hellfire Records, Room full of Grammy's, Career making or breaking that Lucifer?"

"Yes, that Lucifer, although when I knew him we all called him Lucy because of this one time when- well maybe that's one I'll keep in the back pocket Anyway, back to the point, I may have mentioned you, sent him a few of your tracks, the unreleased stuff obviously, and he apparently liked what he heard because he has a problem he wants our assistance with." Crowley grinned briefly behind the screen of his laptop before turning it around so Dean could see the photo displayed on screen. "What do you know about this band?" He asked smugly while Dean pulled the machine closer and rolled his eyes.

"Crowley everyone knows who these guys are, what does that have to do with anything?" He complained, but Crowley simply tapped the side of his nose and said "Indulge me."

With a sigh, Dean put down his apple core and wiped his hands quickly on his bottoms before grabbing the laptop and giving into Crowley's inherent need for dramatic buildup.

"This is Black Wing, Four man literal band of brothers: Gabriel on drums and percussion, Raphael on bass and rhythm guitar, Balthazar on keyboard, synth, electronics basically and of course the infamous front man and lyricist Castiel. Currently have four record breaking albums and rumour has it there's a fifth on the way. Satisfied?" Crowley chuckled and shrugged at his growl.

"What can I say, I'm an entertainer Dean and my public demands drama, look at the BBC, us Brits are always up for it. But to answer your question before you throw that cup at me, yes I'm satisfied. Now on to the main event." Crowley said drolly. "Black wing have been a part of Hellfire since their first album went platinum, and you were right, their fifth album is due for release next summer. A reality that poses a small problem in that they're short about, oh I don't know, seven usable tracks? Which has Lucy a bit nervous to put it nicely, and he's called all sorts of people to try get that fixed with no luck. But then he heard your EP and came to my door." He affected nonchalance, picking at his fingernails while Dean fidgeted.

"Crowley is this going where I think it's going?" Dean said carefully, wishing now that he'd put on a shirt, maybe had a meeting in the actual office space he'd created in this apartment for moments like these that would change the course of his fucking career.

"He wants you to work with the band, get six stellar tracks on that record and then, here's the cake, Not only will the seventh feature you, he also strong armed our label into getting your album off the ground, and you'll be able to record it at the same time. They're all down in LA already so he's asked for you and the gang to make your way down at the end of the week to get started." Crowley smiled openly as Dean jumped up and rushed at him, crushing him into a tight hug. This was it, the break that would take him to the next level. Maybe he could actually see Sammy during the holidays next year rather than doing the festival circuit without a break. Christ, maybe he could see Bobby instead of just hearing his voice over the phone every once in a while, finally go home for a bit. This gig could change his whole damned life. The mist in his eyes was mercifully unmentioned by Crowley.

"When do we tell the guys?" Dean said, beaming his head off and mentally packing his bags already. Black Wing wouldn't know what hit 'em.

Castiel opened one eye blearily, thankful for the foresight of installing blackout curtains in the bedroom, as the knocking on his door got more belligerent. The clock insisted that it was past noon but he was pretty certain it was seven am in hell. The night out drinking with Gabe might have had a part to play in that delusion, Castiel groaned and forced himself out of bed, meandering to open the door for the only person he knew that wouldn't have just barged in.

"Charlie, tell Lucifer that having him breathing down my neck is not likely to get him results and if he would be so kind as to hop off my dick about this I'd be much obliged." Castiel said blankly, waiting for her to skirt inside before closing the door with a soft click.

Charlie was the best manager/assistant/friend he'd ever had, but she was a talker and a half, never quite managing to contain her enthusiasm within herself. The fact that she was still quiet as she fluttered about opening the curtains and grabbing them both water was foreboding at best.

"Charlie?" He raised a brow at her as she handed him his water and sat down.

"I just got an email from HQ... Lucifer has decided that some outside influences wouldn't go amiss in helping solve the creative block we've got going on. He's eh... sending us some reinforcements." Charlie trailed off, knowing that no matter who it was it wouldn't go down well. Castiel was a great musician but he was also proud, sometimes too proud, they had a deadline to meet and maybe the mystery guest would help them meet it, but Castiel would refuse help from anyone. That being said, she was a little miffed that they weren't bring told who the hell was coming, or been given any warning other than an email that said to be ready for an arrival within the next couple of hours. She could have done without that first thing on a Sunday.

The look Castiel gave her said it all, the glower and pursed lips on top of the folded arms did not reassure her that everything would go down fine.

"Before you say anything, I don't know who it is, I can't get rid of them and they're, I think, Already here at least the text Balthazar sent seems to suggest that...Oh! And I'm sorry." It would almost be funny if she wasn't so sure that Castiel was going to treat whoever arrived with complete contempt, generally being rude and uncooperative to try make them leave.

"Ugh. They? Here already? And the guys just decided to hang out with these people we don't want around? What am I saying of course they did, little asshats probably arranged it all themselves.. So what I'm hearing is that I've been sent a babysitter by the label, and I have absolutely no say in it. Yeah I'm not a big fan of this at all so I'd like to amend my earlier message for Lucifer and add that he is a giant bag of dicks and I hope someone scratches every single record he owns followed swiftly by his cars and then his face. I need a shower at the very least before we do this, meet you downstairs in twenty." Charlie took the dismissal for what it was and made her way out, patting Castiel's arm gently as she went. He didn't do well with being controlled, and right now space to be alone was the only balm for his frustration so she left as quickly as she had come, phone already in hand as she went.

He waited until he was actually under the shower to get angry, thumping a fist against the dark tile and watching as water droplets raced down to his feet around it. If he was honest it was mostly self directed anger. He was the one who couldn't write a decent song, no matter who's bed he slithered into or how many nights he spent with someone just dying to be his, there was nothing there.

It was making him anxious, and clearly Lucifer too because he must have known that sending in a helper monkey would only make that anxiety worse. Castiel had handwritten every song on their four albums and now he could barely crank out a single decent track. Maybe it was because he'd said everything he needed to, the catharsis of memories and hurts from his parents finally over, leaving him in a creative rut. He didn't know but whatever it was that had him staring blankly at pages for hours on end needed to mend itself fast.

Looking into the mirror, Castiel couldn't remember a time when he had looked so exhausted, dark rings framing his blue eyes like two day old stage makeup that just wouldn't go away. He was tired all the time, constantly working or making an appearance at a party, causing a scandal every second day because of who he went home with, what he wore, where he showed his face. There was no off switch for the rock and roll lifestyle, and he enjoyed it, but it was busy and not private in any way so keeping this stranger's presence under wraps would be next to impossible. Unless, Castiel thought carefully, unless they didn't spend any time together outside the studio. If their meetings were kept to a minimum there would be no reason for people to speculate about why some talented songwriter was in studio with one of the biggest names in music. With that in mind Castiel pulled on his shirt and tie, grabbed his wallet and headed downstairs to meet Charlie, and the strangers.

LA was still vaguely warm even though they were well into winter at this stage, a fact Kevin pointed out repeatedly as their U-haul was unloaded into the apartment they'd rented together because "group bonding is important guys, it'll be like college!" (Dean was bemused by that one because seeing as he'd never gone, Chuck had done a few courses at the local community college and Jo had gotten her degree online, Technically Kev was the only college attendee there so they'd have to take his word for it that it was a positive thing) Not that he was complaining, he loved all of them like they were family and it was no hardship to live with them for a few months here because they did spend a few months a year trapped in a tour bus together festival hopping.

It was a fair assessment to say that as a group they were pretty jittery, but all were trying to convince the others that they couldn't care less as they unpacked, screaming along (their collective tell, Dean was pretty sure) to the AC\DC album Dean threw on (His tell, Jo insisted.). In no time at all they'd made their mark on the apartment, down to the last photograph they were finished and starving, which prompted a call to the nearest burger joint by the loser of a 'Finish that lyric" contest (Kevin). The table was nice enough but the coffee table in the living room was something else, a glass over plants-that- were-still-growing type thing that all of them instantly loved and that was where Crowley found them, sprawled around it on the floor surrounded by a mass of wrappers.

"I'd ask" Crowley sighed "but then you might open your mouths. Your meeting as it were will be in studio, a lovely place by all accounts. I myself have to run, bit of business to take care of. Chuck, I leave you in charge, try to make sure they play nice. Any problems, be a grown up and figure them out on your own. Ta ta!" Quicker than he'd arrived he was gone in a flash of teeth and glare from sunglasses. Apparently they'd be fending for themselves. Awesome.

"Uhm, guys? I think we should probably get on the road if we want to actually arrive on time." Chuck offered quickly in his usual nervous tenor. Chuck was a strangely accurate guy when it came to timing, never once had his suggestions for when to leave lead them astray, or into heavy traffic, once he'd even gotten them to leave a festival fifteen minutes earlier which had meant they'd lost no time when they'd arrived at the police checkpoint twenty miles north. With this in mind Dean quickly stuffed the trash into the can and scrambled out the door with the rest, bustling with nervous energy he almost forgot to close up behind him.

"Woah." Jo's barely uttered assessment of the building had Dean nodding fervently at her side. The 7 Circles recording studio was more like a luxury home that just happened to have music recording and production capabilities than any studio Dean had imagined.

"Bet you wish you'd thought of this when you were converting back home eh Winchester?" She laughed as he stuck out his tongue at her.

"Well I don't know Joanna Beth, I quite like what I did with the place." The swift punch in the arm he received for using her full name was, and would always be, worth it. The reception desk was surprisingly vacant, but the tell tale clack of heels on hardwood made it clear that someone at least was coming. As it turned out, the clacks belonged to a beautiful young intern by the name of Ruby who was hoping to become a producer and was in night school to achieve that while working here to gain experience on the side. They managed to get to know her well enough that she felt comfortable, having lead their way through a series of convoluted corridors that eventually opened out into what she called "The green room", shoving them through the doorway with a chuckle and leaving them to fend for themselves. Dean didn't quite know what to think of that, and he didn't really have a chance to dwell on it.

Raphael, Gabriel. and Balthazar were sprawled across the various chairs together, laughing and messing about as they stumbled through the doorway. Silence almost fell awkwardly between the seven of them, but Gabriel jumped from his spot on a massive purple bean bag with a glint in his eye. He was on Jo in an instant, taking her hand and raising it to his lips with a muttered "Enchanté".

Jo for her part just stared at him in bafflement for a second before turning to face his brothers.

"Did he just seriously do that, is he for real? That is the strangest thing that has happened to me in a long time and a man once tried to pee on me in the middle of my Mom's bar."

There was a tick where that registered with everyone and then uproarious laughter, and suddenly they were making introductions and dropping into seats of their own while Dean regaled the group with the full eyewitness account of exactly what had gone down the night of the infamous pee attempt. Which of course lead to Balthazar telling them how Gabe (Gabriel is not a name for anyone under two hundred) had once started a small riot at one of their own concerts because he'd offered his underwear to the first person that could make it up onstage, and specified that they were the underwear he had on right that second. And then Chuck describing how they had almost been arrested on Kevin's birthday two years back for doing a strip tease for a bunch of nuns as a dare. By the evening tears were being wiped from eyes and a fast friendship seemed to have formed between them all.

"Listen guys, I don't know where Cassie is but I say we move this party to the diner a couple blocks from here, grab some food and come back here. I'm guessing he'll be up by then, he would be already if someone hadn't kept him out till six in the morning yesterday." Raphael said smiling, and with that they all pulled on various pieces of clothing that had been shed (notably Gabe lost a sock, just the one, somewhere along the line and Kevin was sure he'd been wearing a hoodie at some point) and grouped off to get some food. Dean excused himself momentarily to go to the bathroom and when he was finished they were all gone and he was alone in the sprawling depths of the studio.

He really got why they'd called it 7 circles because he'd definitely seen the Hendrix painting he passed again twice at least before . On a whim he made a sharp left and started walking down an incredibly long corridor, chuckling to himself when he got the text from Chuck letting him know that they had realised he wasn't with them and were on their way back from picking up a piece of pie with his steak as an apology for leaving him behind. The phone distracted him completely from noticing the two approaching figures until there were only a few metres between them.

"Wait a second... Dean? Dean Winchester?!" Dean would recognise that voice, and the red hair that came along with it anywhere. Unabashed he dropped to one knee and smiled charmingly up at her.

"Your majesty." He said seriously, eyes crinkling up with mirth as she curtseyed and returned a quick "My liege" before rushing towards him and almost knocking him over when he stood up with the force of her hug.

"I can't believe you're here! I mean, they said someone was coming but I had no idea, why didn't you tell me you were in the business, I would have liked to salute the person that finally recognised your talent." Charlie spoke a mile a minute while the other person, Castiel, waited silently a few feet back.

Dean explained everything that happened since they'd last seen each other (at a LARP event a few years back) in about five minutes, quick to mock his own failings and praise the people that had given him a chance, and Castiel hated him. A little. Not at all. He was something else, absolutely gorgeous with his green eyes and freckled skin and clearly a genuinely solid person as well, but Castiel didn't want him here, wanted him gone by the next month at least. He didn't need help from anyone, especially not some nobody rookie hick with a pretty face. Dean Winchester was not a friend, he was the enemy. The sooner he could show everyone else that, the better.

"Jesus we've been rude, sorry, Dean, meet Castiel Novak, my friend and occasional boss. Castiel this is Dean my sworn swordsman and old friend." Charlie said encouragingly and Dean, always polite in the face of people he'd be working with, held out a hand.

And held it.

Until eventually. He let it fall limply back to his side with an awkward grin and a blush creeping up his neck. Castiel almost felt bad, but the goal was more important than some random's feelings.

"Ookaaaaaaaay... well uh," Dean's hand rubbed at the back of his neck nervously and that was a little bit satisfying, even if it earned him an elbow in the ribs from Charlie. "I guess you're probably still tired and stuff but um I look forward to working with you on this, your brothers seem really great and all your other stuff has been amazing so I'm pretty optimistic. You know I have-"

Castiel raised a hand and cut him off just like that, blue eyes piercing Dean's like he was looking right through him and seeing something he didn't like. "Listen Dean, I'm not going to lie to you. I don't want you here. At all. I have never heard of you, don't trust you, don't know you and to be frank, don't want to. Let's be clear: you're here because Lucifer sent you and that is it. I don't want your input in any shape or form, and I most certainly do not need your help. So if I have to endure your presence it'll be on my terms. I like to start working at 5am sharp, here in studio. That's where you'll be and when. Outside of you sitting in the corner playing with your toys while I work I don't foresee us spending any time together at all, and I will never meet you anywhere but in this building. I don't need you Winchester, so bring a puzzle or something to do with you tomorrow morning. 5 am, clear?"

Charlie was frozen still with her jaw halfway to Mexico by the time he was finished and Dean, well Dean had stiffened three words in and shuttered off before he'd eve made it to the details of the job. He was taking a brutal route, Castiel as well aware of that. But that was how it had to be, he just wanted to be left alone and if he had to take this guy down to do it then fuck the cost. Maybe in a different world, they could have been friends, or even something a bit more than that. In the real world however, Castiel as at war and he was not taking any prisoners.

The laughter had stopped when the footsteps had and the oppressive silence made it clear that their conversation had not been private. Just wonderful, Castiel thought bitterly.

"I hear you Cas, loud and clear. I'll uh, I'll see you in the morning. If you would excuse me." Dean's fists were clenched to the point that Castiel had been so sure he was about to break something and probably spew abuse right back, of course that was before he'd opened his mouth and been polite as anything. Which made Castiel look like the asshole who just rags on complete strangers with no provocation oh wait that's exactly what he was. Funny how things like that worked out.

Dean turned on his heel and went back down the way he'd come, leaving Castiel with four very familiar disappointed faces and three new and furious ones. Instead of staying for what would no doubt have been a really irritating lecture, He pushed his way through the group and out of the building, eager to go home and remind himself that this was the right thing, even if the blank look on Dean's face while he went on his tirade would fucking haunt him. Standing out waiting for a cab on the sidewalk, Castiel focused on that thought. In the long run, he was doing what was best for everybody.

Watching his youngest brother's trench coat swish and disappear around the corner and out of sight was almost a relief after hearing how he'd treated Dean. Sure he had always been a dry humoured, dead pan sarcastic mother fucker but he'd never been cruel, if anything he was the sweet one among them, always there to help. Evidently this would be an experience for them all. Gabe pulled a beer from his bag and took a swig of it, eager to overcome the silence that still lay over them as they stood together in the hallway.

"Well" he quipped, taking another swig "that could have gone better. Cassie usually takes his time before sweet talking them like that but this time apparently not. Who wants to bet on those two ending up playing homoerotic twister at some point? Any takers, those 5 am sessions sound steamy. No? Just me?" Laughter from all sides as he waggled his brows suggestively broke the tension somewhat, at least enough for them to start moving again, start speaking again as Charlie introduced herself and various apologies for Castiel's outburst were given. All Gabriel could say for sure was that the next few weeks were going to be a journey for all of them because Cassie was stubborn but looking at Dean, smiling and cracking jokes as they settled down to eat as if nothing had gone down, he wasn't so sure that stubbornness would be able to hold up.

"What happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force?" He muttered softly to himself.

"Huh?"

Gabe grinned slyly as he sat next to Jo. "Oh nothing, nothing at all."