I am so sorry for updating so late. You can slap me if you want, I wouldn't mind xD
I was so stuck between homework and daily chores that I didn't even get time to write. Also, my computer has been messed up just like me xD But now, I can update almost every 4
th day since the CM here has extended our summer break by 2 weeks! 2 weeks! That really relieves me. I don't have to do my homework for a while, YAY! =D

You guys have thrilled me with the alerts and the favorites! Thanks a lot! It means a lot to me. *cyber hugs from me and kisses from shirtless Misha* ;)

And yes, Dean and Cas interaction is in this chapter. I hope you guys like it. =D

And nope…this is not beta'd. Feel free to point out the mistakes.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing. Not even Castiel! *weeps*


Here's wishing you the bluest sky
And hoping something better comes tomorrow
Hoping all the verses rhyme
And the very best of choruses to
Follow all the doubt and sadness
I know that better things are on the wayHere's hoping all the days ahead
Won't be as bitter as the ones behind you
Be an optimist instead
And somehow happiness will find you
Forget what happened yesterday
I know that better things are on the way

~Better Things by 'the Kinks'.


Dean sat on the relatively high piano chair, struggling with the song he had been offered to write by Jo. Lyrics have never been easy for him. Last time he was supposed to write an inspirational song based on dreams, and well, he ended up writing a song based on pigs and how every pig dreams of becoming a horse. So yeah, he pretty much sucked as a lyricist.

His brother seemed to have pity on him and so he hired a lyricist for Dean. This guy, Ash, as Sam has mentioned earlier, was very hip and very edgy. He even dressed like that for God's sake. Dean describes him as 'a mullet-wearing Lynyrd Skynyrd roadie'.

Right now, he sat across Dean, with his left hand on his left cheek with 'I am bored!' clearly written on his face. He wished Dean would just hurry up and go with the lyrics and finish the song without being so judgemental. 'It is just a song!' He thought.

Little did he knew, this song is not 'just a song' for Dean. It is very special for him since it is his only chance of retrieving what he has lost.

"I am sorry. I am just a bit blocked here." Dean says, closing his eyes and sighing deeply.

"If you don't like the lyrics dude, be straight with me at least." Ash said, completely irritated.

"No, no, no, no. The lyrics- uhh…they are very powerful." Dean quickly said, hoping not to piss off the mullet-wearing lyricist anymore. He needed this guy right now more than anything. More than apple pie!

"Okay. Maybe you want something more commercial? More 'Northern Remain-y'?" Ash replied, still irritated.

Suddenly, the door bell rang, for which Dean was very grateful since it saved him from the current conversation. He stood up, told Ash to hold that thinly veiled insult for a second, and walked up to the door.

Dean unlocked the door to reveal a lean, blue eyed, trench coated man whose raven black hair was slightly mussed up. He doesn't seem to recognize the person standing in front of him, for which he felt really regretful since how can he forget such a beautiful man.

'Beautiful? Really, Dean? What the hell is wrong with you? Not to mention, you're calling a guy beautiful!' Dean thought to himself.

The man tilted his head slightly and stood looking at Dean intently before being the first person between the two to speak up. "Hello. I am Castiel Novak. You must be Dean Winchester, if I am not mistaken?" He said.

"Yes, I am Dean Win-Winchester." 'Great! Stuttering already, Dean?' Dean mentally slapped himself and continued speaking, "I am sorry but, who are you?"

"Anna didn't call you?"

"I don't know. I haven't checked my messages yet." Dean replied.

"Oh. Well, Anna can't come to today fix your computer so she has sent me instead. She said you needed it quite urgently. Would you seem to mind if I come in?"

"Wha-what? Uhh…no! Not at all. Come on in." Dean said, opening the gate wider to allow the stranger some extra space to enter the apartment. "Why couldn't she come today?" Dean said as he closed the door.

"She has a job interview today. And tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow. So she sent me instead." Castiel said as he walked up to the piano and removed his trench coat and placed it over the black grand piano. Dean quickly gathered the trench coat in his hands and placed it on the couch besides Ash. There are four non-living things that Dean loves the most; they are his baby, i.e, the Impala, food, the amulet given to him by Sam, and his Steinway & Sons' limited edition 125th anniversary piano. He can't even bear to see the slightest of stain on that precious piano.

"Excuse me?" Ash said, to gain some attention.

"Oh. Hello." Castiel said turning towards Ash, then turning back to Dean, to which Ash rolled his eyes. "So, where is your information processing system?" Castiel asked.

"Huh? Information-what?" Dean asked, confused.

"Information processing system. Your computer. Where is it?" Castiel asked, making a face which reminded Dean of Sam's bitch face #13.

"Oh. It's on the table, right there." Dean replied, pointing to the table while getting back to what he was doing before this azure eyed person knocked on his door.

Castiel walked towards the table and grabbed the sleek black laptop placed on it. He glanced at Dean, who was currently seated on the piano stool, struggling with whatever he was doing. Dean was taller than Castiel; 6'4'' maybe? Castiel isn't like one of those guys who practically start drooling over someone they've just met a second ago. But there was something about Dean that somehow, someway or the other made him do that. Maybe it was that light brown hair or that tanned skin or that taut muscled body or maybe it was those pair of light green eyes that were as luscious as a grass on a summer's day. Whatever it was, it sure made Castiel's heart skip a beat. And yes, Castiel was gay. He was completely and utterly gay, and he doesn't regret it even for a second. Actually, he would serve as a perfect poster boy for 'Gay Pride'.

Realizing he had been staring at Dean for quit e a long time, he quickly broke away his stare and started working on the laptop.

Dean, on the other hand, surprisingly didn't catch Castiel staring at him. He was way too messed up in those abominable lyrics. If he could, he would write those lyrics on hundred pages and then burn those papers one by one which will earn him that sheer pleasure. They were that bad. But who was he to judge? He himself was quite an atrocious lyricist. But hey, he didn't go boasting around saying 'I am the best lyricist in the world! My lyrics' main content is my perverted thoughts which I used to fantasize about when I was a teen.' And since he has no choice left but to go along with these dreadful lyrics or become 'the once famous celebrity and now nothing but the creepy guy who lives all alone in his apartment'; he chose the first option.

He started playing the tune on his piano while singing the lyrics as Ash walked up to him and stood beside the piano.

"Give it up, I am a bad hot witch
I look real good but I am a nasty bitch
I can scream and claw and curdle your blood
But you'll die on your way back into love."

Dean ended the song with a look of complete disgust on his face, which not-so-luckily, was spotted by Ash. Ash glared back at him intensely and said, "No. Start on the minor third. Try that."

"Right. So:
Give it up. I am bad hot witch.
I look real good but I am a nasty bitch—"
Dean sang, or more like said since he didn't even try to sing that.

"No! You're missing the whole point. From the first line 'Give it up, I am a bad hot witch' is okay. But then it should be—"

"But with some magic, I just might switch." Ash and Dean, perplexed by what just happened turned around to see Castiel humming while working on the computer.

Dean, surprised, but impressed by those lyrics, asked Castiel, "Sorry Cas, but what did you just say?"

Realizing that he had been singing to himself and has without permit continued those (painful and monstrous he would say) lyrics, he moved his gaze slowly from the computer and towards Dean, to see both of the men, staring at him intently.

"Uhhh…I don't remember?" He replied, unsure, with a look of the deer caught in the headlights.

"I think it was- 'but with some magic, I just might switch'. That is actually quite intriguing." Dean said, amazed by what his computer guy (well, not particularly computer guy. He was rather a substitute computer guy) was capable of.

"Enough!" Ash said, barging in the conversation. "That is not my lyric!" He almost shouted.

Dean flinched slightly by the sudden presentation of anger and said, "I know. But it is a lovely phrase."

"Look, if you can't handle anything but moon and June…why don't we just let the computer guy finish the lyrics?" Ash said, first facing Dean, and then Castiel.

'Huh! Computer guy?' Cas thought to himself before smirking slightly.

"Computer guy. 'Give it up, I am bad hot witch. But with some magic, I just might switch.' Finish it." Ash said.

"I am just here to simply do my job and that is to fix this computer." Castiel said simply, before turning his attention back to the laptop.

"And you are doing a fine job, if I must say so." Dean replied, charmingly.

"This is it!" Ash surrendered, raising his hands. "This is a waste of time!"

Castiel suddenly turned around to face the two men and started saying "Let's fly my broom to the stars above, and we'll charm our way back into love."

Dean looked at Castiel with wide eyes and was very much impressed by this guy's potentiality. He turned his gaze slowly from Castiel to Ash, who stood near the white oak door.

"What's next? 'Feelings, Nothing more than feelings'?" Ash sighed deeply before making his way out of the apartment, slamming the door so hard that for a moment Dean thought that his savings were going to get wasted on the broken door.

Ash was completely filled with distaste. How can a trench coat wearing computer guy match up to his level? HIS level? 'My lyrics were better.' Well, that was what Ash thought.

Meanwhile in the apartment, Castiel was completely blown out of the water and started ranting to Dean, "I am so sorry, Mr. Winchester. I shouldn't have gotten involved. I don't have a filtering system. I am—"

Castiel was cut off Dean, who started speaking, "Hey, hey, Cas. It's fine. It's absolutely fine. That guy was a douche bag, anyway. His lyrics were disgusting. And well, he had to get back to his job at Hallmark anyway. Listen, have you ever done any writing?"

"Well, everybody's done some writing at some point, you know? That was a very silly question. But to point out, not everybody; the rate of illiteracy is going up in this country." Castiel replied very seriously. "I am just a software engineer at IBM. Although, writing is, what you may call it, a hobby."

"Did you ever hear of the band 'Northern Remains'?" Dean asked, following Castiel who was walking up to the couch to retrieve his trench coat.

"Yes. Yes, absolutely. I mean, who hasn't? I wasn't a big fan of them, though." Castiel turned around, facing Dean, and continued to speak while trying to wear his beloved trench coat, "My brother, whereas, loves them. Ironically enough, his partner turned out to be a great 'Northern Remains' fan too. They wore these ridiculous outfits and-" Castiel suddenly caught the sight of a 'Northern Remains' poster where one of the guys actually looked like Dean. Coming to his senses, Castiel coughed nervously and asked, "Please express in words that you are not one of them?"

Dean chuckled at the adorable puppy face that Castiel has made.
'Wait, what? Adorable? Seriously, Dean? You are turning fucking gay, dude!"
"Huh…well, I AM gay. Or bi."
Snapping back into reality, Dean replied, "Well, if that's what makes you happy. But I AM one of 'them'. And well, the outfits were very much in fashion then."
"My apologies."
"Ahhh…no worries. But I would love to talk to you about maybe writing some lyrics."
"But I don't write lyrics."
"Well, we could kick some ideas around."
"I don't think so. I appreciate the offer though. I have to go and visit my brother and 'babysit' his children." Castiel replied, walking to the door and hurrying out of the apartment. He peeked back in and said, "By the way, your computer is fixed. It was just a little problem in the RAM."

Dean, however, did not want to give up since giving up isn't in his blood, so he followed Castiel down the corridor.

"Okay, listen." Castiel turned around to see Dean standing behind him. "Do you know who Jo Beth is?" Dean asked.
"Absolutely. She is some blonde hippie-like pop star whose music videos contain some rather disturbing elements. It is still way beyond my thinking how my niece and nephew like her." Castiel tilted his head and twitched those cerulean eyes slightly.

Dean chuckled again at Castiel's reply. He found Castiel simply amusing. Maybe Castiel doesn't seem to realize it, but he has always been a pleasant company. "Okay, well. So I am writing a song for her, so if you change your mind and the idea of working with me is of any interest at all, please just call, okay?" Castiel nodded his head queasily and started pressing the elevator button multiple times. "Or if you just fancy a good laugh, I am performing at the Hilton tonight."

"Well, thank you. I will think about it although I can't assure you that I will accept this offer since I have a job and—" Castiel replied politely, before stepping into the elevator.

"Okay. Yes. Here's my card." Dean handed his card to Castiel, who took it courteously.

"Goodbye Dean. Thank you, again." Castiel said with a faint smile.
"Bye Cas." Dean replied with a full, beamed-up smile.

Dean hopes, really hopes that Castiel accepts his offer. Because if he does, both of their lives are going to change entirely.


Ash as a lyricist? I know you guys must be thinking of that. Ash should've been some computer guy who works along with Cas but I couldn't think of any other SPN guy other than Ash who was edgy and hip. So I just went along with it. And since this is an AU fic, I hope this is acceptable.

Was it good? Bad? Very bad? Please review! =D
Reviews make me happy in the same way burgers make Cas happy. =D

And I fudging love you Extra-fried-noodles! You are awesome! *cyber hugs* =D

Thanks again.
Evangline
xoxo