Chapter 2

Balthazar POV

"I swear to god, if he makes that noise one more time I'm going throw this desk at him." Balthazar gritted his teeth, trying hard to ignore Gabriel's deliberate attempts to irritate him. Or was it just Gabriel being his usual annoying self?

"He's not usually this bad. Maybe it's just more anoying because of what's happened."

Balthazar sighs and concentrates instead on the clock on the wall, willing it to go faster.

"I'm just not in the mood. If I was in the right mood, we'd both have a laugh here. I'm just not in the mood. Jesus Christ please shut up!"

Finally Balthazar snaps and turns to Gabriel to tell him to stop. Gabriel's grin of delight that he got to Balthazar did nothing to help Balthazar's mood. Gabriel's comeback did a bit though.

""So's your face". How old is he?" Not wanting to let Gabriel see his smirk, Balthazar returns his gaze to the clock.

"So what you here for?"

Balthazar inwardly groans. "No don't talk to me about why I'm here. I just want to get Cas home and get it over with. God he's going to be crushed." Balthazar's insides clench at the thought of what he was going to have to do.

"I killed someone. He was an annoying little tyke just like you."

"Tyke? What century you from?"

"No Gabriel not today. Don't push me." Balthazar muttered. "God I thought Lucifer was bad, Gabriel is just an annoying little shit sometimes!"

Balthazar was slightly taken aback by that thought.

"No that was harsh. Let's be honest, I don't think that about him at all. Although, little is not an exaggeration. How are his brothers so much taller than him? He really is the baby of the family. Ok I don't think that badly of Gabe, but this one and only time I wish Lucifer was here instead of him. At least Lucifer would just sit there and sulk. God why does he have to so cheery? I probably shouldn't have started talking about his brothers, I don't think this is his favourite topic, not what I've heard from Cas anyway."

"Not like your brother. Cas is a sweetie."

"Oh he's turning the conversation onto Cas. Well I guess that's my fault I started the conversation about brothers. God I really don't want to talk about Cas right now."

"Anyway what happened to you being quiet?

"I told you I can't be quiet."

"Try."

"Please shut up Gabriel. I know you don't know but shut up. God I swear that clock isn't working!"

"You know," Began Gabriel

Balthazar recognised the tone in Gabriel's voice, he had an idea of what was coming.

"You remind me of the babe."

Before he could stop himself, Balthazar joined in.

"What babe."

"What babe? Oh god. Alright I'll play along. He's actually making me feel a bit better."

Once again Balthazar felt a bubble of happiness that he couldn't really explain.

"No." He told himself sternly. "Today's not a day to be happy." He broke the moment by exclaiming;

"Jesus Christ!"

"Oh come on you played along there! Part of you wants to have a bit of fun while we're here."

Balthazar could not deny that he saw a flicker of disappointment cross Gabriel's face, but decided to ignore it.

"Look I just want to go home. Wait, what are you doing sit down!"

Balthazar shocked himself with that outburst. This really wasn't like him at all. He started to feel his face become hot with slight embarrassment.

"Must be the stress. Nice try though mate. He's always been good at making people laugh I will admit that."

He could now feel Gabriel's eyes burning into him.

"Look, normally I would be all up for screwing around with you. But not today."

"You want to screw around with me huh?"

"Was that him flirting? Jesus. I'm just not in the mood. I really wish I was."

"Why not today?"

Balthazar's eyes followed Gabriel to the teacher's desk.

"Oh great he's asking questions. He's not an idiot despite what people think, he knows something's up."

"Cas is waiting for me to take him home and I don't want him to wait too long. We need to get home."

"What for?"

"We just do. Look don't you want to get home."

"Not fussed really."

"Well I am. So get your ass back on your chair."

Gabriel raised his eyebrows and raised his hands in the air in mock defeat. He jumped off the teacher's desk to walk back to his chair. As he passed Balthazar however instead of putting his ass on his chair, he decided to stick it in Balthazar's face. Gabriel began to laugh as Balthazar pushed him away.

"Gabriel don't."

"Oh come on I'm just messing around!"

"I know! That's all you ever do! You never take anything seriously. You can obviously tell I'm not in the mood today but you go ahead and do it anyway. Do you ever just stop to think? Do you think about anyone but yourself?!"

Balthazar hadn't realised that he'd practically been shouting that last bit. He saw the shock in Gabriel's eyes and had to turn away.

"Ok what's wrong? Tell me."

This was the first time Balthazar had heard Gabriel sound serious. He looked back at him. His heart slightly sank as he saw all trace of joking around gone from Gabriel's face. The sight took him back a little. Balthazar opened his mouth to say something. An apology? To tell Gabriel everything? He wasn't sure, he'd just have to see what came out of his mouth.

Unfortunately Balthazar didn't get to find out what he was going to say as just as that moment their teacher walked in.