"Dean, you're actually on time again. Cas, you're a good influence!" Chuck laughed to the two boys walking down the corridor as he closed his locker. Castiel smiled sheepishly and Dean laughed.

"Yeah, you're right about that one. We have any homework?" Dean said as they walked to math class. Chuck sighed and Castiel shook his head with a smile.

"Yeah, Dean. That circle theorems project, remember?" Chuck prompted exasperatedly and Dean winced as he remembered.

"Shit, yeah. I'll get an extension, s'fine." He said with a debonair smile that made Castiel audibly sigh. Dean didn't notice but Chuck caught it just in time and threw Castiel a look but thankfully said nothing, much to Castiel's gratitude.

"How come you didn't bring Sam in today, he sick?"

"Nah, he's catching a lift." Dean said, avoiding any further explanation or questions.

"Woah, woah, woah, guys!" Dean stopped throwing his arms out to stop both Cas and Chuck in their tracks. Both looked irritated as they followed Dean's gaze. Down the corridor Bella and Balthazar were walking together and actually chatting and laughing together.

"Pinch me, I'm dreaming." Dean said as he stared. Castiel slapped him across the face and Chuck spluttered with laughter as Dean shoved his friend with a smirk.

"How long has Balthazar been interested in courting Bella?" Castiel asked curiously. Dean looked confused as Chuck snorted.

"Courted?"

"You know what I mean." Castiel reasoned and Chuck laughed lightly.

"Yeah, because I'm a writer. What are you from 15th century England or something?"

"Alright ladies, break it up. Cas, I think I get what you mean. Anyway, Balth's been pining for Bella since fifth grade or something, seriously forever. Poor guy." Chuck nodded in agreement and then gasped and pointed down the hall. They all looked and gasped in horror as they saw Becky approaching the pair looking eager with a camera in hand.

"Becky, no!" Chuck hissed, more to himself than anything.

"Oh shit." Dean brought his palm to his face.

"I can't even watch this."

Becky jumped in front of them and began filming them, getting in close ups and not letting them past. Bella appeared to near growl at Becky and storm past, leaving a confused Becky and a furious looking Balthazar in the corridor.

"I think we need to intervene before Balthazar commits a felany." Castiel urged as they all hurried towards them and Chuck dragged a more than happy to be dragged Becky away. As Dean attempted to console Bathazar, Castiel glanced at the notice board and saw something that intrigued him. He decided to tell Dean about it in class. As they all went into class they saw Ash getting grilled by Mr Masters as Jo sat next to him looking incredibly uncomfortable and scared she'd be next.

"Oh, jeez.." Dean muttered under his breath as they went inside as he remembered his last encounter with Mr Masters and knew he was beyond enemy lines in this classroom.

"Ah, gentlemen, how wonderful that the three musketeers decided to join us." He snapped fiercely and even Dean had the sense not to make a snarky comment if he valued his life and they filed into the back.

"I'll be excited to see your projects gentlemen seeing as I specifically said no extensions would be granted for this particular piece of work. Feel free to get the out and I'll inspect them shortly." Dean's heart turned to ice as he realised how screwed he was. His desperation quickly turned to resignation as he sat and waited for death. Castiel ground his teeth with disdain towards Mr Masters. He'd completed the work, of course, but that didnt mean he was going to sit there whilst Dean was given hell. He quickly set to altering his work.

Mr Masters marched down the rows and Dean stared straight at him, half expecting flames to appear from his throat as he did, not noticing Castiel shifting his work onto Dean's side of the desk. He'd written Dean's name, in roughly Dean's hand writing on the top of the paper. Luckily the rest he'd thought to have typed up so there was no toher evidence that Castiel had done the work.

"So Mr Winchester, I take it you haven't done the work." Mr Masters, or Satan himself, said with a grim pleasure in his tone.

"Well-" Dean started but Castiel cut him off.

"It's me that hasn't done the work, sir. Dean's completed his, see." Castiel pointed to the work and Dean frowned at the paper in front of him and his eyes widened as he realised what had happened. No way was Cas taking the fall for this one.

"What, no, I-" He began as he attempted to stand but Castiel grabbed his hand under the desk and it stunned him to silence and freefall.

"I'll accept the consequences." Castiel said solemnly and yet somehow still some defiance was alight in his eyes, the same eyes Dean couldn't help but stare at. Hand still wrapped around Dean's it tightened slightly as Mr Masters unleashed the fury he would've preferred to be upon Dean onto Castiel. The whole class only watched, as if awaiting the inevitable punch that Dean would deliver sooner or later. His friends all looked sympathetic as Castiel and Dean both tried to control themselves.

After what felt like hours Mr Masters finally relented and Castiel exhaled as he chewed upon his new found reputation in math class. Dean looked at his friend, feeling more than a little ashamed of himself. Castiel gave him a 'don't-mention-it' smile and let go of his hand and Dean mourned the loss of contact.

Adam leaned back casually in his chair and stretched his arms out, passing a piece of paper to Dean in the process. Dean opened it and found it was a note with various insults and imaginative ideas of punishments towards Mr Masters which made him smirk and also a master plan to have a massive party tonight as it was way overdue anyway and everyone needed one. Dean nudged Cas and passed him the note. As expected Castiel frowned and looked a little nervous. Dean decided to write a fresh note out just to Cas seeing as even whispering in the dead silence of the classroom would warrant a death sentence for them both.

Come on, it'll be a laugh and take your mind off Michael and everything. How's he doing, by the way?

I don't know, I've never particularly liked parties. I'm not very good at them. He's getting better. My family went to see a specialist and we're hiring someone to look into the attack.

Seriously, you need to just get completely drunk and let shit go. No one's at home to see you hungover so it's win win. Please go, it'll be shit if you don't.

I'll go, but I doubt I'm staying sober.

You can try.

Castiel looked over to Dean who threw him a wink and he rolled his eyes. Dean pulled out his phone and texted Sammy telling him he wouldn't be back until or maybe not at all tonight he didn't know yet. Little did he know, Sam was more pleased with this news than he would've ordinarily been as he was spending the day with Gabe, but more about that later.

Dean hadn't brought up Cas maybe having a girlfriend since they'd had the argument but that didn't quell the burning curiosity. He sent one last note.

You could invite your girlfriend, we're probably going to have loads of random people there, Balthazar's place is huge and he knows shit tonnes of people so she won't be the only one there that no one knows.

Castiel read the note and scowled at Dean, screwed up the note and continued with his work which confused Dean but he supposed he should give Cas some time. He forced down the turn in his stomach at the thought of Cas with his girlfriend.

After school they agreed to make their own way to balthazar's party, which had turned to the talk of the school by the end of the day, news travelled fast.

Dean arrived home and only had a few short hours to make himself look freaking hot. Not for anyone in particular... Just because that's what you do before a party with friends.. Right? He and dropped his bag at the door and climbed the stairs.

"Sammy, you back yet?" Dean called, not expecting a reply and not worrying when he didn't. Sam most likely had a geek meeting or something, Nerds R Us, and he knew Sam could catch a lift with Gabe seeing as he still had his car. He was going to have to walk to Balth's come to think of it. Fortunately it wasn't far from his own house and would only be a ten minute walk.

He basically threw his entire closet out onto his bed and tried everything on about three times. For some reason he was really eager to impress, or maybe he just needed to shake off the day but there was some sort of building pressure for tonight and he was especially nervous about seeing Cas but had decided he was going to be nice to his girlfriend and find a girl of his own to distract him for the night.

He at last decided on his best pair of ripped jeans, a dark t shirt and his black leather jacket that just seemed to make girls throw their clothes at him for some reason. He even combed through his hair, for what he believed to be the first time in his life, using a comb he found in Sam's stupidly tidy room which he had the decency to mess up a little, just because he was that kind of nice guy.

Pulling on his shoes he grabbed a spare key and put it into his back pocket and then he left, slightly jittery but excited and feeling good.

Castiel groaned and sank against his bed in despair and Anna poked her head in. She looked brighter, but still eager to distract herself from Michael and the others who'd gone to visit their Uncle. Castiel hadn't expected her to be here but found he didn't mind as he'd missed his sister in the time she'd been gone.

"Everything alright, Castiel?" She asked gently as she walked in.

"I can't find anything to wear to this stupid party and I don't even want to go but I promised Dean I would and I just," He sighed in frustration and Anna nodded understanding.

"Come on, little brother, let's get you suited and booted, dressed to impress-"

"Anna, please stop." She chuckled but obliged and set to work.

She found him a pair of unworn black skinny jeans which Castiel frowned at but she just told him to shut up and put them on. She threw him a deep blue t shirt and a casual yet dashing grey jacket and some black boots he didn't even know he owned, no doubt he subtle attempt to style him before. It was different to his normal style but he went along with it, recognising his sisters infamous sense of natural taste and style and trusting her judgement.

She then found some hair jel and he shifted nervously at the sight.

"Castiel, I'm only putting a little in, just to give it a little," She gestured an explosion with a grin and he sighed and allowed her to work her magic.

It was surprisingly quick and she simply seemed to run her hands through his hair a little and shake his hair about a little, surely he could've done that? He caught sight of himself in the mirror and his eyes widened at his own appearance. He looked... good. His hair was toussled to perfection, to Anna's credit. The boots seemed to pull the outfit together and he felt shockingly confident and comfortable in his new fashionable attire.

"Now," Anna said.

"Give me a smile." Castiel did as she asked and she squeaked slightly.

"How could they resist?"

"They?" Castiel asked.

"Come on, Castiel. There's got to be someone who's taken your fancy if you're trying this much to impress. You don't have to tell me but trust me, this is a great look for you, you won't even have to try." She grinned and Castiel blushed in return and she only squealed more.

Castiel arrived at the party first and quickly established that Dean hadn't arrived. His new image was highly appraised by his friends and he was uncomfortably aware of the attention he was attracting from various girls. Balthazar's house was practically a mansion and was the very epitomy of luxury. The whole thing screamed upper class and it seemed he must bathe in and eat money his family had so much to spare. it only did credit to his character that he wasn't utterly spoilt rotten. Sure, he had his arrogant side, but no more than Dean.

Dean.

Where was he? Before he had time to do another circuit of the rooms to try and find him he was approached by jo and he began chatting with her as she jumped and squealed and faffed over his new look and very much approved.

Dean, of course, had to arrive fashionably late. It hadn't actually been planned, he'd just taken longer than anticipated to get ready. As he walked in about six girls swooned. His hair was readily ruffled from the breeze outside and his face was just a tiny bit flushed from the slight cold in the best way imaginable. He smiled and waved towards Ash who seemed to be chatting up some blonde. He walked into the main party area and his breath caught in his throat at what he saw.

Castiel stood chatting with Jo and he looked literally mouth-watering. Whoever'd dressed him needed to be put behind bars because surely that wasn't legal. That couldn't be. It seemed almost unfair that he looked so good. His jeans and jacket seemed to show his slim form in a fantastic light and the blue of his shirt accentuated the blue of his eyes. But his hair, oh, his hair. It looked the spitting image of how Dean had always imagined it would look after his hands had raked and pulled through it and wow. Just wow.

He must really want to impress this girl.

Castiel caught sight of him and genuinely grinned at his friend. It was like a physical blow to the gut. Shit, Dean thought to himself. I'm really in trouble now.

A/N: Party antics next chapter. ALSO - I might be starting a new fic. I had promised myself that I wouldn't have more than two fics on the go at one point but I've had inspiration and I'm pretty excited about it. Please review this chapter for what you'd like to see. I haven't forgotten about Sam and Gabe or about John, don't worry. Thank you for reviews and please continue to, it helps me out so, so much. Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading! Izzie.