So I've had the edits back from my beta for probably a week now, but real life had a way of continually catching up to me. However, here we go!

Morning comes far more quickly than Castiel expects it to, especially considering he spends all night tossing and turning, far too amped up with excitement and nerves to get any proper kind of sleep. Even as Cas, Dean, and Charlie all convene around the center island of the Winchesters' kitchen, joking and laughing as they make a general mess in the process of cooking and eating breakfast, he isn't able to quell his jitters. He finds himself wondering if dating is supposed to make you this nauseated. He's pretty sure he's never seen Dean or Charlie turn green before a date (barring, of course, that time Charlie ate those bad oysters at the country club Gilda's parents were members of).

By the time Dean pulls up in front of Castiel's house to drop him off, Cas feels set to vibrate out of his own skin. Somehow though, it all stops the moment Cas turns to Dean to say goodbye. There's something so serious in the other boy's expression as he tells Cas he hopes he has a good time, and it leaves Castiel grasping at straws, somehow feeling both comforted that his friend finally seems to be making an effort about all this, as well as scared at just what the depth of such an expression means. It all leaves the air in the car feeling charged.

Instead of commenting on any of that, Cas settles on, "Thank you, Dean," and wishing the same to him.

When Dean so seriously says, "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me, okay? I'll come and get you as fast as I can," it's like a helium balloon carries away all the stress and strain between them, because this? This is normal. This is Dean protecting Castiel from playground bullies and coming to the rescue every time Castiel's parents visit on one of their clandestine trips that only ever end in heartache. Finally, finally, Castiel can see that they are going to be okay.

He assures Dean he will, which seems to please him, before exiting the car. As he always has, Dean waits until Cas is inside before driving off. When Cas closes the door behind him, he's sporting a huge grin.

"You seem pleased," his grandmother comments from the doorway that leads into the kitchen.

Cas turns to fully face her, a levity in his heart that he hasn't felt in months. "I think everything is going to be okay," he tells her.

Grace smiles warmly at him, something like pride and relief in her eyes. "I'm so glad."

At eleven sharp, Balthazar pulls up in his flashy Audi convertible. Even Cas, who knows next to nothing about cars beyond what Dean has impressed upon him in passionate fits of pique, can tell the car is expensive and impressive. He also knows Dean would hate it, finding it too new and too perfect with not enough character. To Castiel, it doesn't really matter either way, so he doesn't even really know why he's thinking about it when he's always just seen cars as a way to get from point A to point B.

They drive to the nature center with the top down, and Cas immediately forgets any hangups Dean may have about the car at the freeing feeling of the wind whipping through his hair. This must be what flying feels like, he thinks, and he unashamedly says as much to Balthazar. Balthazar laughs, calling Cas adorable, and twines his hand into Cas's. Cas can't help the blush that spreads across his cheeks and the giddy way his heart speeds up.

It's a beautiful day to be at Lawrence's nature center, and as Cas passionately explains about all the different kinds of wildlife exhibits they encounter, Balthazar attentively soaks it all up. They hold hands as they walk about, and Castiel is amazed yet again at how easy it is to be himself around Balthazar.

The day passes in a blur of touching and smiling and talking, even as they extend the date to include dinner, and after that to include frozen yogurt. However, it does eventually have to come to an end, and when Balthazar drops Cas off at home, he even walks him to the door.

"Did you have a good time?" Balthazar asks softly. The soft glow of the porch light seems to cast a halo around his head.

Cas nods, not looking away from Balthazar's blue eyes. "I did."

Balthazar grins. "I'm glad." When he brushes his knuckles against Castiel's cheek before cupping Cas's jaw, a pleasant shiver runs down Cas's spine, erupting chillbumps all across his skin. "I would very much like to kiss you now, if that is okay," Balthazar murmurs, eyes half-lidded as they dart between Cas's eyes and his mouth.

Cas twines a hand around the back of Balthazar's neck, responding, "Then do it."

It's a soft kiss, pleasing in ways other kisses in Castiel's life have not been, probably in large part to do with the fact that they're both sober. It stays chaste, and far sooner than Cas cares for, Baalthazar is pulling away and bidding him a good night. Like a lovesick puppy, Cas stands on the porch and watches him pull away, already knowing it's going to be another sleepless night.

Far too giddy to even bother pretending bed is an option, Cas sits down on the steps leading up the porch and pulls out his phone. He's sure Charlie is dying to know all the details, and he's honestly dying to tell her about them.

Anna and Cas are seated on the floor of Castiel's bedroom, backs against his bed, with books and notes in well-ordered chaos around them. It's honestly a travesty that there's this much work to already go over.

"You ever think we're insane?" Anna asks, not glancing up from her AP World History notes.

"Every day of our high school careers," Castiel answers, turning a page in his AP Biology book, "especially when we're spending our summers reading Beowulf while everyone else is outside enjoying themselves and playing kickball."

"No one plays kickball past the fifth grade, Cas."

"See? I'm such a studious shut in, I don't even know that."

Throwing her head back against the bed and covering her face with her notes, Anna groans so loudly in frustration that one might even consider it a shout. "I can't do this anymore," she whines, "I think I've stared at this so long that I've forgotten who built the pyramids!"

Unfazed, Castiel responds, "I believe that would be the Egyptians."

Lowering her papers just low enough to glare at Castiel over them, Anna grouses, "Sometimes I could really kill Dean for teaching you sarcasm. I think I miss the little boy who used to sit in the church pews and didn't know sass from ass."

Cas rolls his eyes, mouth turning up the barest bit at the corners. Finally turning his attention to Anna, he asks, "Do you want to take a break?"

She collapses dramatically against his side. "My knight in shining armor!"

He pats her back placatingly, pondering, "Didn't know sass from ass... Ironic considering that now I love both."

Anna laughs so hard she snorts. When she calms down enough to catch her breath at all, she shoves Cas playfully, scolding, "Oh shut up."

Cas smiles, and she smiles back, the tension from studying finally draining away.

Making a reach for her drink, Anna asks, "So how'd the date go?" Cas gets a dreamy expression on his face, and before he can even answer, she happily muses, "That good, huh?"

Castiel nods. "It's like he gets me. He didn't think anything I had to say was weird, or, at least, not in a displeasing way. I really, really like him, Anna."

Anna's smile is genuine. "I'm so happy for you. You deserve it, you know?"

Cas ducks his head bashfully. "Thank you."

Toying with the cap to her water bottle, she asks tentatively, "Do you think you guys will still be together for homecoming?"

Castiel glances at her out of the corner of his eye. "I hope so. Why?"

"Well, it's senior year, right? I was thinking we could all go together, maybe get a limo?"

Castiel furrows his brow. "Aren't limos typically saved for prom?"

Anna bites her lip nervously, eyes downcast. "I just thought it might be nice to do it when we were all together, you know? We're all in relationships now, and just... I thought it might be nice."

Placing his hand on top of hers, stilling her nervous fiddling with the bottle cap, Cas asks, "Did something happen with you and Dean?"

Anna shakes her head and plasters on a weak excuse for a smile. "No, not really. I just... I don't know... I think he's not that into me."

"Anna -"

Anna shakes her head again, more resolutely this time, and meet's Castiel's gaze. "I know he likes me, but I feel like he only thinks he wants to date me."

"Anna, Dean is - I don't understand why you think that."

The smile Anna gives him is odd, off in someway or another that Cas can't place but that gives him a feeling like an anvil has just been place on his chest. "I'm pretty sure he likes someone else, Cas."

The anvil drops down into his stomach.

She sighs the sigh of someone who knows there's nothing to be done about it, and so there's no use worrying about it. "Anyway, please don't tell him we talked about this, okay? I don't think he even realizes it yet, and I'm selfish enough to want to hold onto him while I can. Can you forgive me for that?"

Castiel swallows around the sudden lump in his throat and assures her, "I'm not even sure what there is to forgive, but of course I do. And I promise I won't talk to Dean about it."

She gives that off-putting smile once more, squeezing his hand gratefully. "Thank you, Cas."

I am completely unrepentant for the Balthazar/Cas fluff! It is adorable! And while I didn't mean to make them so adorable, I'm glad Cas is happy! (However, I do promise there will be some actually Destiel soon.)