The kiss seems to be forgotten by everybody but Castiel. When Mr Schuester calls, they get a little wary, but it's all good. John and Ianto have a little talk, and the issues between them get resolved. It benefits Cas in a weird way.

Songs in this chapter

All of me - John Legend - M/L: J. Legend, Toby Gad

The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel - M/L: P. Simon

It looked like the song had made most of the them forget what happened only minutes ago. Castiel sighed silently in relief. It wasn't that he was anywhere close to forget it himself, and he really didn't want to either, but he needed that little leeway to compose himself.

So maybe it wasn't a proper kiss. Their lips had barely touched, but for Cas, it was groundbreaking. If he could have done it again without all the onlookers, he could possibly have been more daring, but he didn't know if Dean even wanted that.

Pressure from the others had made him do it, but when it was over, Dean had moved away. Possibly because everybody else pushed in between them, but after the song, Cas noticed that Dean was sitting on one of the beds strumming his guitar as if nothing had happened.

Cas wanted to walk over and sit down next to him, but Jack and Gwen was there already, and it looked like the three of them were going to sing something.

Everything that had happened between them, indicated that Dean was interested, but now he looked so at ease that Cas suspected that the kiss didn't mean anything to him.

He felt a little lost and disturbed, but decided to try to not think about it too much. He threw another peek over at the treesome on the bed, and wished that he could have had the courage to walk over there. Dean's hand on his back should probably have given him the courage, but for some reason, it made it even more impossible. He still had time. If everything went according to John's plan, he had two more hours to man up, but he didn't think he would be able to do it.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"What would I do without your smart mouth

Drawing me in, and you kicking me out

You got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down

What's going on in that beautiful mind…."

Gwen started singing as Dean did his best to follow. "I don't know this song very well, but it's nice." He had to let Gwen sing acapella while he tried to find the chords.

"My head's underwater

But I'm breathing fine

You're crazy and I'm out of my mind

The chorus was easier. He realized that he'd actually heard the song before, and even if he'd never played it, he managed.

"'Cause all of me

Loves all of you

Love your curves and all your edges

All your perfect imperfections."

Give your all to me

I'll give my all to you…"

Ianto joined in with his guitar. He obviously knew this song, and even if he wasn't as good as Dean, he did this one quite a bit better.

"How many times do I have to tell you

Even when you're crying you're beautiful too

The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood

You're my downfall, you're my muse

My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues

I can't stop singing, it's ringing in my head for you."

Dean gave up. Jack and Gwen sat on each side of him, and the two of them made some theatrical moves as they sang together, so Dean settled for background humming.

"'Cause all of me

Loves all of you

Love your curves and all your edges

All your perfect imperfections

Give your all to me

I'll give my all to you..."

Cas was standing in the middle of the room where Dean had left him. He still had a few greeters surrounding him, and it could seem like he was trying to avoid looking over at the bed. He didn't really manage. Dean wondered if he should just walk over there, but he had no idea what to say to him.

He put his guitar down and got up from the bed. He could at least go and get a drink, and then maybe casually bump into Cas on the way.

"'Cause all of me

Loves all of you

Love your curves and all your edges

All your perfect imperfections…"

He discovered that someone had got a hold of some ice cubes, and after serving himself from the whiskey bottle, he grabbed a few. It was quite natural to pass Cas on the way back to the bed, and after dropping the ice cubes one by one into the drink, he slipped the last one under the collar of Castiel's shirt.

"Give your all to me

I'll give my all to you…"

Gwen, Jack and Ianto were still singing as Cas jerked forward to try to avoid the cold ice sliding down his back. "What? What are you doing?" He pulled at the hem of the shirt so the half melted cube fell down on the floor, before he turned to see who was the culprit.

"You're my end and my beginning

Even when I lose I'm winning…"

Dean kicked the ice cube away. "Sorry. Just a joke. Just wanted you to chill." He smiled, but he knew it probably looked looked fake. What he said was so lame, and he worried that Cas would be annoyed.

"Me? I'm cool. You need to chill. You're too hot." It took a split second for Castiel's face to turn red. "Uh, I mean…" Cas started stuttering. "I mean… I don't… It's it's it's okay. It was just… I'm fine."

Before Dean got a chance to think of a comeback, John's phone rang. "Quiet. Everybody keep quiet." John grabbed the phone and looked at it as he waved with his other hand.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Will knew that this treat was an aversion. He knew that the kids in the choir wanted to get rid of the chaperones so that they could have a party. He was perfectly fine with that. He'd been a teenager himself, and after winning regionals, they deserved to celebrate it.

He had planned to to take Santana and Sam out for dinner anyway, so that the guys could have some alone time. That they had payed for the outing was a surprise, but it was a clever move.

The table wasn't quite ready when they arrived, so they had a drink in the bar before they got seated. Half way through the meal he decided to give the kids a scare, so he picked up his phone to call. It seemed like John Hart was the brain behind this, so he dialed his number.

John sounded a bit stressed as he answered. "Mr Hart. Are they leaving already?" It took a moment for Will to understand why the guy replied with those words, but then he realized that this was a more elaborate plan than he'd thought.

"No. They are not leaving yet. They are still on the main course." He didn't know if John would recognize his voice immediately, and he did try to not to sound like himself. "So why are you calling? I payed you to… Oh. Sorry. Thought it was somebody else. I'm so sorry."

Will could hear a guitar in the background, and then John's voice whispering: "Stop! It's Mr Schuester." The sound seized before John spoke with a normal voice. "We are just playing a few tunes, having pizza and soda and…"

It was kind of funny, but he knew he had to discourage them from drinking. "We will check on you, so you better be alert and sober when we get back."

There was a small pause before John replied. "Of course Sir, but a few of the others have gone to sleep already, and I'm sure they don't want you to wake them when you get back." He sighed audibly. "We are behaving fine. You will not get any complaints. I promise."

Santana and Sam stared at him over the plates, and was obviously curious about what was going on. "That's fine. We will be back in about two hours, but I bet you have a spy here somewhere who'll tell you when we leave."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

John put the phone down. Everybody was staring at him, and if anybody had dropped a pin, it would have been possible to hear it. "They know. They know that we are having a party." He drew his breath and tried to look gloomy. Practically all the eyes in front of him widened in fear before he decided to let them off the hook. "They are obviously fine with it as long as we don't get any complaints." He rolled his eyes. "And as long as we are all sober."

The crowd didn't react much. A few of them sighed in relief, but the rest of them were just standing in their spots staring at him. "When will they be back? Are they coming now?" Kevin was the only one who seemed able to talk at the moment.

"Two hours. We have two hours." John lifted his hand as a few of them started cheering. "But we have to make sure that we don't get any complaints." He lifted his drink. "We should make a toast to the coolest teachers in the world. Please do it without lifting the roof."

Those who had a drink, lifted it in silence. The rest of them just nodded and smiled.

When he realized who was calling, John thought that the whole plan would fall apart. Knowing that they could keep at it for another couple of hours as long as they didn't make too much noise was perfect.

Dean was strumming his guitar quietly. John recognized the song, and he kind of hoped that it would set the tune for the rest of the party. Talking and having fun could be done without too much ruckus.

"Hello darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again…"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto wasn't into Simon and Garfunkel. He decided to leave it to Dean. Show tunes were okay. Pop music was something he'd gotten into through Gwen, but his heart was more in the heavy metal genre. That would not be an option at a 'quiet' party, but it didn't really matter. Hanging with his friends was fine, and the background music didn't bother him.

"I'm sorry." Ianto was picking a beer out of the fridge when John came up to him. "I'm sorry for everything. It's all my fault, and I'm ready to make amends." They were alone in the little kitchenette. That didn't really mean much, because it was all one room, but nobody else was nearby.

Ianto opened the beer before he turned around. "What do you mean? Did you do anything wrong?" He knew that the sound in his voice didn't fit the words. He did try to be casual about it, but he could hear it himself. The ironic tone was apparent.

"I like you. I like you a lot, but I'm not… I'm not in love with you. I just… I. I was just drunk and stupid. I shouldn't have kissed you." John bowed his head and sighed. "It was just a stupid competition. Jack likes you. Like, like's you, and I didn't want him to take you away from me."

Ianto had kind of figured that out for himself; it wasn't like he took Jack's advances seriously; the guy was all over pretty much everybody, but John's kiss shouldn't have anything to do with that. "Jack wasn't even in the picture back then. You crossed a line in our friendship, and I'm still trying to recover."

Garth came over to get a beer. He was starting to get a little too drunk, but Ianto didn't care. He let the guy stumble away before he again turned to John. "I have to admit that I was intrigued, but I worried. It was a friendship-killer." He remembered vividly how his body had reacted, but he wasn't going to reveal that.

"I know. And I'm sorry. I miss you dude." John practically heaved before he continued. "I have never had a friend like you. You didn't know where I came from, and you wanted to be friends with me… because we connected." He threw his hands out. "My 'old' friends liked me only because I was...am like rich."

Ianto could kind of understand why John felt so competitive about it all when Jack entered the scene. They had been friends, good friends, and that kiss would have meant nothing if they had talked about it back then, but then Jack happened.

It was his own fault. If he'd just had the courage to tell John how he felt about it sooner, they could have still been best friends when Jack came into the picture.

"But you hooked up with him. You… How? If he likes me, as you said, then why?" Ianto still felt that what happened between John and Jack was a betrayal. John knew that Jack was aiming for Ianto, but instead of being a friend and tell him about it, he'd just jumped into bed with the guy.

"That was… We didn't really do it. It was just..." The pain in John's face was absolutely genuine. "I'm a wannabe. I brag, but I do not really know. I just wanted to…. It had nothing to do with you." He sighed before he looked up. "Jack went with it even if he knew for sure that he really wanted you. He's not worth it Ianto."

Ianto knew perfectly well what John meant, and he technically agreed with him. There was just one small problem. Even if it would be a one night stand; even if he knew that Jack wasn't going to stay around and wait for him, Ianto knew wholeheartedly that he would give himself to Jack in a heartbeat. He knew that love was fleeting, and Jack was going to leave Lima in a few months, but if he could, he would.

"John. I should thank you. You woke me up, but I'm not into you that way." He shook his head. "What happened between you and Jack doesn't mean anything, right? Friends without benefits. Can you live with that?"

The arousal when John kissed his neck and cuddled up with him, could be easily explained. He realized that if it had been anybody else, the same thing could have happened. The fact that it was a boy had scared him, but it had also forced him to admit to himself that he wanted to be with someone of the same sex.

It wasn't like he didn't know before, but he had done his best to hide it from himself.

"I've missed you, and I hope we can put this behind us." John looked down and smiled shyly. "I wouldn't mind, but our friendship is worth more. I'll look out for you. I want you back." He chuckled a little. "I want you back as my best friend."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack saw John and Ianto standing by the counter chit-chatting amicably, and he did not like it. He knew he'd screwed up when he hooked up with John. It was nice, but none of them had been happy about the morning after.

It was such a stupid move, and whatever he did after that to get to Ianto, it was tainted by what happened that night. What was the point? In a few months time he'd leave Lima and McKinley behind, and he was not going to look back. Pursuing the guy to get into his pants was just selfish and absolutely… pointless.

Jack was surprised by his own thoughts. In the past, he would never had bothered to consider the consequences. If he could hook up with someone for his own pleasure, he was fine with that, but roping in Ianto was different.

He didn't like the feelings that emerged as he looked over at John and Ianto again. The guy was like sixteen, seventeen years old. He was not even close to ready for a committed relationship. Not that Jack was ready for that either, but it was kind of scary to realize that Ianto fit the profile perfectly.

It wouldn't be possible. It was just silly to even think about waiting for for him. Jack was bound for Broadway, and being held back by a teenager in Ohio was not an option. He'd meet other guys that would take his mind of it. In a couple of years time, Ianto would just be a fond memory.

He looked at the two guys again and decided to let it go. His heart struggled to accept it, but he couldn't do it to that boy. Ianto would probably get over it, but he didn't want to damage him. He sighed as he turned away. A tear was forming in the corner of his eye, and he knew that he was breaking his own heart. It was sad, but breaking Ianto's heart would be way worse.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gwen and Unique knew that they had to keep it together. They were sharing with Santana Lopez, and at the moment they weren't too thrilled about that. For Unique it wasn't a such a huge problem; she wasn't a big drinker, but Gwen make it quite clear that she was kind of pissed about the arrangement.

When Charlie offered to take her place - the girl was the only one in there who hadn't touched a drop of alcohol - Gwen practically dived over to the fridge and grabbed a beer. "It's a lame party, but the Welsh are coming."

It took a little more than two hours before Jo was totally out. The girl had a reputation for being a cheap date, but this was ridiculous. Jane and Madison decided to force her out of there. They both wanted to call it a night anyway, and they promised to take care of her.

Garth passed out a while ago, and it became a standing joke for the rest of the semester, how he'd not even been able to last as long as Jo.

Sam Winchester would have wanted to walk Jo to her room and stay with her, but the state she was in wouldn't make it very appropriate. Anyway, he had other fish to fry. Kevin wasn't a big drinker, and Sam was watching out for his buddy. He himself had an amazing high tolerance for alcohol, and with both Garth and Kevin pissed drunk, he knew it could be a difficult night. While Jane and Madison took Jo out of there, Sam and Kevin had to carry Garth to their room, but when he turned to go back, Kevin decided to stay put.

The whole party would be over soon anyway, so when Kevin suggested that Sam should call it a night as well, He was tempted. The only thing that made him walk back was his curiosity. Dean had kissed Cas, and Sam was not ready to let that slide. That everybody else seemed to have forgotten wasn't an issue. Sam felt that he needed to know what his brother was going to do next.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Is it okay if we switch?" Ianto looked at him puppy-eyed as he twisted his hands. Castiel wasn't quite sure about what he meant. He was hanging with Gwen and Charlie at the little table by the window, and wondered if Ianto wanted to sit with his cousin. "Like seats? You want to sit here?"

A burst of laughter came from the guy. "No. Hell no. Sorry girls. No, I meant if we could switch rooms. You can just stay here, and I'll bunk with John and Mason."

Castiel wasn't sure he wanted that. "Please. What does it matter? You get to stay here with Dean, and if you want to, we can tell everybody that we forced you." John looked at him with pleading eyes.

Gwen scoffed. "We're right here." She nodded towards Charlie. "I can tell the truth if I want to." She turned to Cas. "But I think you should. Who cares." She lifted her glass and managed to focus her eyes on his his for a moment. "I'm drunk, but I know that you like Dean, and you should definitely share a room with him." Her head bobbed a little before she took a sip.

"My bag is in the other room. This party is over in a minute… or five, so…" Cas had accepted that he wouldn't share a room with Dean, and after the kiss he wasn't even sure if he dared. Wanting it was one thing, getting it was totally different.

"I'll get it for you." Ianto gave him a big smile. "Your bag I mean. I consider it settled then, right?"

Castiel shrugged before he drew his breath heavily. "Whatever. As long as Mr Hart gets what he wants, the rest of us just have to comply."

John made a choking sound. "Me? You're blaming me? Okay, but that's just rude." With a smirk, he bent down and looked Castiel straight in the eyes. "I'm not gonna hold it against you choirboy. I know you're just making sure that everybody knows that you fought against this decision." He whispered as he patted Castiel's cheek gently. "You didn't want to sleep in this room, but we forced you. Everybody listen." He looked at Gwen and Charlie before he lowered his voice even more. "Cas was overpowered by the mean and conning John Hart, and will be sleeping in this room because he didn't want a fight."

Castile felt a little sick to his stomach. He didn't mean to be rude, but John hit the nail on its head, so it was quite embarrassing also. Before he got a chance to say anything, John cocked his head and smiled. "Sorry. Didn't mean to intimidate you. If you don't want to switch it's okay. I…" He sounded genuinely sorry.

They stared at each other for a moment as Ianto came up to them. Cas hadn't even noticed that he'd moved away. "This is your bag, right?" His backpack was dangling from Ianto's hand. He sighed and nodded. "Sure is."