Sometimes you just knew you were having a bad day. Little moments clued you in — maybe you'd trip down the staircase, or your car would break down, or you'd lose your wallet. In Dean's case, the thing that told him he'd be having a bad day was Castiel Shurley. More specifically, it was Castiel Shurley sitting on his bed, giving him a grin that, in Dean's mind, translated to, "I will destroy you."

"Hi Dean," Castiel said, and Dean screamed internally.

And externally. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?!"

"Your mum let me in," Castiel replied cheerily. Mary Winchester appeared at that exact moment, probably drawn by the ruckus. Her brow was creased in confusion.

"Is everything alright here?" she asked.

"Hi Mrs. Winchester," Castiel said politely, as if he wasn't a creature from the depths of Hell. Dean shot him a dirty look.

Mary's turned her attention to Dean. "Dean, there you are!" she said, her eyes narrowing. "Honestly, when you promise someone you'll help them, you don't go and disappear at the last minute!"

Dean blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"You told Castiel you'd help him with his science project." Dean's stomach dropped. "And then what, you decided to disappear with no warning?!"

"I didn't — "

"Mrs. Winchester, it's fine, really," Castiel said, almost shyly — and, oh god, this guy was good. Dean would have found it kind of cool, if it was anyone but Shurley. "Dean doesn't have to explain. There's plenty of time now."

"No!" No, no way was he going anywhere with that lunatic. "Look, I definitely didn't agree to help him with anything!"

"You did," Castiel replied calmly. "Last night actually — remember that conversation we had by our windows?"

Dean spluttered.

Mary beamed. "I didn't know you boys were so close," she exclaimed, and Dean felt the urge to bang his head on the wall. Repeatedly.

She turned to Dean. "Honestly Dean, you do not treat your friends like this."

Okay, forget banging his head, it was Castiel who'd be getting acquainted with his wallpaper.

Mary turned and walked away, having seemingly decided that the situation was resolved; Castiel was fine, and Dean would be making up for his hurtful actions (what a joke) by stepping into the psychopath's lair, where he'd probably be locked in the basement, and handcuffed to the bed.

And no way in Hell was Dean going to let that happen.

"Mum!" he yelled, running after her. "Mum, wait, you don't understand, we aren't friends, he's weird — "

"I'm disappointed in you, Dean," Mary scolded. "Castiel is a lovely boy!"

She turned around briefly. Castiel, now standing in the doorway of Dean's bedroom, waved cheerily. Mary smiled at him; the smile faded the second she turned her sights back on her son.

"Now you go over to the Shurley's house, and help that boy, just like you promised!"

"I didn't promise him anything!" Dean protested.

"He can stay for lunch Mrs. Winchester!" Castiel called out.

Dean shot his mother the most hopeless stare he could muster. Mary was a sympathetic woman; surely she would see the pure desperation in her son's eyes.

"Mum, please!" he begged.

...

"I hate you Shurley. I hate you so much."

(Mary had not seen the pure desperation in her son's eyes. Instead she'd pushed him out the front door, and had told him not to come home until after lunch).

"You think that now, but that's how all romcoms start out," Castiel replied cheerily.

"You're insane!" Dean snapped. "I don't even like you, you psychotic son of a bitch!"

"Actually, the term you're looking for is 'son of a psychotic bitch. I love my mother, but she is extremely crazy."

Dean glared. "Look, since you brainwashed my mum, let's just get this over with so I can go home. Where's your project?"

"In my room," Castiel replied.

Dean thought, 'bed, handcuffs,' and then he thought, 'nope.'

"Oh no. No way. I am not going in there."

"What's going on?"

He jumped, and turned around. Gabriel stood in the doorway of what Dean thought led to the kitchen, looking between them, his eyebrows raised. Dean averted his gaze, because the only thing worse than Castiel was Castiel and Gabriel. They were both as bad as each other (although Castiel was worse; Castiel was always worse).

"Dean doesn't want to go in my room," Castiel told Gabriel.

Gabriel's eyebrows raised further. "Why not?" he asked. "You couldn't take your eyes off it last night."

Dean's cheeks flushed. "He left his curtains open!" he protested.

"And what, there was nothing on TV?"

"NO! Look, I was trying to tell him to close the curtains!"

Gabriel smirked. "Sure you were."

"I was!" Dean snapped, hoping he didn't sound as frantic as he felt. Castiel stood the side watching them, his head moving back and forth, as if observing a tennis match. "I wasn't looking, why the hell would I be looking?!"

Gabriel shrugged. "Look, I don't blame you. If it were your brother, I'd have popcorn out and everything."

And with that lovely declaration, he turned around, and left the room.

Dean's eyes widened. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" he spluttered.

Castiel blinked. "I think it means he wants to see Sam naked."

"Wha — no! No fucking way! Gabriel is staying far away from Sam!"

(Even though Sam totally deserved his own Shurley-stalker, for all the times he'd laughed at Dean's plight).

Castiel cocked his head to the side, and his lips curved. "You're extremely hot when you get protective, do you know that?"

"…Let's just go."

...

"Ahh! Here it is!"

Castiel stood next to…whatever the hell he was standing next to, and Dean stood in the doorway, staring warily into the room. Yes, it was just a bedroom, but it was Shurley's bedroom, and for all he knew there was some kind of trap waiting for him the second he stepped into the room. Maybe one of those nets that left you dangling midair; Dean wouldn't put it past the little psychopath.

"Are you going to come in?" Castiel called out. "I want to show you my masterpiece."

Dean sighed, and stepped into the room. He paused, waited for a moment (and totally did not feel stupid doing so), and then continued inside.

He stared at the object Castiel was now holding. It was small and rectangular, with what looked like two huge buttons on the top. Dean stared at it in confusion for a few moments, because he'd been expecting to see the diorama they were supposed to be working on for biology class.

"What is that?" he asked. "I thought we were supposed to be making — " He paused, his mind going back to the previous biology class, and Castiel's mad ramblings. "Oh god, is that the 'dimension travel' machine you were talking about?"

Castiel smiled. "Yes."

Oh god. "Jesus, you really are insane, do you know that?"

"I'm Castiel," Castiel replied cheerily, and placed the box-thing…machine…on the floor. "Come over here, and let's try it out."

"Fuck no!" Dean spat, turning around. "I'm out of here."

"Dean," Castiel sighed, "this is a machine that let's us travel to other dimensions. This is a scientific breakthrough! How are you not excited?!"

"Because that thing does not work!" Dean growled. "It is a box, with two buttons glued on the top, and you're crazy if you think it'll actually do anything!"

"It works," Castiel insisted. "Trust me — I've seen things, Dean, and by 'things', I mean British Balthazar."

Dean stared. "…Okay," he said at last, "you know what, I'm leaving. Who cares what mum says; I am not dealing with this."

"Dean! Dimension travel!"

Dean rolled his eyes and took a step towards the doorway, intending to get the hell out of here and never look back — and he'd make sure to board his windows up the second he got back — when Castiel grabbed his arm.

"Let go of me!" Dean protested, trying to shake him off.

"Just try it!" Castiel pleaded. "It'll work, I promise!"

"No! Let go!" Dean snapped. "This is insane, you are insane, and I am insane for ever stepping into your room! Seriously, it's pretty much the equivalent of walking into a serial killer's lair."

Castiel did not let go, and Dean was seriously tempted to punch him in the face — just one punch, seriously, what could it hurt? Other than Shurley that was, but that was a goal, so he really didn't care too much — when Castiel's foot hit one of the buttons on the box. Dean saw a sudden flash of light, and then there was nothing.

...

When the light faded, and he found himself (and, unfortunately, Castiel) on the side of a road, the first thing Dean thought was, 'oh my god, I died, and Heaven seriously sucks, and I'm stuck with this guy for the rest of eternity.'

The second thing he thought was, 'oh my god, that stupid machine actually worked.'

The third thing he thought was, 'Shurley, I will kill you. Slowly.' Because the one thing he knew for sure was, this was all Castiel's fault.

...

AN:

Some of the canon SPN characters will probably be here in the next chapter :D Thank you to everyone who has commented on this, and taken the time to read this story. I really appreciate it, and I hope you continue to enjoy it!