A/N: #morehiatusesthansherlock. My philosophy class really paid off for this chapter lol.

Chapter Five

Every morning, Cas sits with his book and his introverted body language and tries to get through homeroom without bumping shoulders with Meg, who happens to sit beside him. Masters, Novak. They're sat alphabetically. It's annoying.

He can't help but frequently overhear her phone conversation, or sneak a quick glance at her explicit text messages, and he knows that she stole his first kiss as a means to humiliate him, but as horrible as that experience was, it was two years ago, and he finds it hard to hate her.

However, he's not interested in her in that way, because he's not interested in girls that way. Mostly he just concentrates on Meg so that Balthazar doesn't notice him.

No one knows his last name, except the teachers, but he sits where he wants and generally does what he wants because of his English accent and charming smile. In homeroom, Balthazar listens to The Smiths and doodles on a piece of paper. Cas has never got up the courage to look at what he's drawing.

Until today.

Recently he's been feeling a little better about himself, and he knows it's all down to Dean's encouragement and accepting nature. When he talks to Dean, Dean doesn't react like he's being harassed. He doesn't look freaked out or amused, or anything else Cas is afraid of. Dean smiles.

And so Cas turns to the blonde boy he's sat next to for a year and says, "What are you drawing?"

Balthazar turns his head lazily and pulls out an earphone. His blue eyes make contact with Cas's. "Garden of Eden."

"How come?"

"It's complicated. See, I come from a highly religious family – hence the horrific name – and I'm currently working on a small project where I take scenes from the Bible and draw them with a twist. Just to piss them off, you know? So they stop threatening to send me to one of those 'gay-fixing camps'." He makes air quotes with his fingers and smirks.

"Can I see it?" Cas asks, curiosity piqued.

"Certainly." He drops the notebook on Cas's desk. Cas looks down and sees a mess of sketched images.

Balthazar leans across and starts pointing things out. "See, Adam and Eve are Adam and Steve, having premarital sex and using a condom. Right there is the snake – uh, that speaks for itself. The tree is weed, Adam named all the animals after Kardashians, etcetera etcetera, you get the idea."

Cas grins and looks up at Balthazar. "I wish I'd asked sooner. How do they react?"

"Oh, general screaming. I still go to church every Sunday, though, so they can't murder me in my sleep."

"Why do you go?"

Balthazar leans back in his chair. "I believe in God. Just not like, the rules. I mostly ignore the sermons and think about my own stuff." He frowns and sits up. "For my next exhibition, I'm thinking something to do with Abraham and Isaac. You know that story?"

"God wanted Abraham to sacrifice Isaac but it was a test?"

"Yep. Any ideas?"

Cas chews his bottom lip. "You're Isaac, your parents are Abraham, they kill you through the process of boring you to death?"

Balthazar laughs. He does it differently to Dean; where Dean throws his head back, Balthazar hunches forwards. "Nice, I like that." He holds out his hand. "Balthazar, in case you didn't know."

Cas shakes it. "Castiel."

"Ah! Another victim!"

"At least my family doesn't want to ship me off to 'gay camp'."

"I dunno, it might be fun. I'll be surrounded by naughty Christian boys. What could go wrong?" he winks, and Cas blushes.

He can't think of anything else to say, so he pretends to check his phone for the next minute and a half until the bell rings. Balthazar is the first to stand, saying, "Later, Castiel," before walking out of the room.

Cas uses his bag to hide his low fist pump.

Cas meets up with Dean at lunch and they sit down together at the table, alone. Cas watches Dean's fingers as he puts some chips inside his sandwich and takes a bite. "What?" Dean asks, mouth full, when he sees Cas watching him.

"Nothing," Cas says quickly, and looks away. He sees Balthazar, sitting at another table. They lock eyes, and Balthazar winks. Cas blushes again and looks down at his food.

Dean glances over his shoulder, frowning. "What? What is it?"

"Nothing," Cas says again.

"Cas."

Cas sighs. "Don't look now. The blonde guy, on your seven o'clock."

Dean nods. He waits a few moments before turning around, looking towards the food counter, and glancing towards Balthazar in the process.

"What," Dean says as he turns back around, "he make fun of you?" His voice is vaguely pissed.

Cas shakes his head. "It's really nothing. Forget it."

Dean's eyes widen as he notices the deep shade of pink Cas's face has turned. "You like him?"

"He's interesting."

"He's hot, man. You spoken to him?"

Cas nods. "This morning. I sit next to him in homeroom."

Dean grins, slapping him on the shoulder. "Well, look at you! I feel kinda proud, man, I'm tearing up."

"Shut up."

"What's his name?"

"Balthazar. Forget about it."

"Hey." Dean points at him. "Remember my promise? I'm getting you laid."

"I'd rather hoped you were joking."

"I never joke about a promise." He looks at Cas, unnervingly determined. "This is happening. Stay here."

He gets up with his tray and leaves.

Cas stares after him. Is he going to do something? Is he getting someone? He didn't even go near Balthazar, just walked in his line of sight, put his tray on the side, and straight-up left.

Cas eats his sandwich and looks down. It's strange to go back to sitting alone after finally having company. He considers texting Dean to ask where he is but he figures he'll probably be back soon.

His concentration is broken as someone places a tray in Dean's place. Cas looks up, expecting the man himself, but it's Balthazar, and he's smiling and sitting down.

"Need some company?"

Last period is AP Physics, and Dean isn't in that class, so Cas spends the whole lesson wondering where Dean went and why. He could still text him, but he's in class, and wouldn't dare. He's not exactly the rebellious type, though he fears Dean will turn him.

When he gets out, he pulls out his phone to see that Dean has texted him, offering to give him a ride home. He replies quickly, heading to the parking lot in a fast walk.

Dean is already there when he arrives, leaning against the driver's door again. He watches Cas as he walks up. Cas only trips like once this time.

"Hey, where did you go at lunch?" Cas asks as soon as Dean is within earshot.

Dean smirks. "I went for a walk. Did it work?"

"Did what work?"

"Did Balthawhatsit come talk to you?"

Cas looks at him blankly. "Yeah, but… oh." He shakes his head a little and laughs. "You dick."

Dean grins. "See? Knew he wouldn't want to see you all alone. You're welcome." He winks and slides into the driver's seat.

Cas walks to the other side of the car and gets in. "Are we picking up Sam again?"

"Nope, he's got himself a playdate."

"Another girl already?"

"No, not like that. He's going round his friend's house. Nothing going on there, believe me."

Cas nods and they pull out onto the road.

"So…" Dean says, glancing in Cas's direction.

"So?"

"Lunch, how did it go? You guys getting married yet?"

Cas laughs flatly. "Hardly." Pause. "He gave me his number, though."

Dean slaps Cas on the shoulder. Cas resists the urge to tell him to watch the road. "Good job, man! That's awesome! You gonna call him or anything?"

"I, uh, have to call him?"

"Yeah, that's usually the protocol. You don't have to, though. You can ask him out at school sometime."

"I have to ask him out?!" His voice is panicked and his eyes are wide, and Dean laughs.

"Chill out! I thought you liked this guy?"

"Yes, but, like, what if he rejects me? What if he's only talking to me on a dare or as a joke or an experiment or –"

"Dude, that's dumb. No one would do that." He thinks for a few seconds. "Has… has that happened to you before?"

Cas hesitates. "Once," he says finally. "Few years ago."

"Damn. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." He looks down at his hands, playing with his fingers. "My fault."

Suddenly he sees a hand on top of his own, feels warmth and skin and he turns around in surprise to see Dean looking at him with those big, stupidly green eyes.

"No, it wasn't," Dean says quietly. "It sucks and I'm sorry, but you gotta know it wasn't your fault. Trust me: you're gonna kill it with this guy."

"Thanks," Cas says, and smiles. Dean smiles back and gets out of the car. Cas looks up to see that they've arrived at his house.

Dean walks Cas to his door and Cas says, "Wanna come in?" and this time, Dean says, "Yeah, why not, I got some time."

As Cas puts the key in the lock, knowing full well that no one will be home until after six, he really wishes he could "kill it" with Dean, instead.