"Hey, Sam!" Gabriel greets the boy with a hug when they finally reach the Winchester house.

"Hey." A fully showered Sam kisses the top of Gabriel's head quickly.

"You live in a junk yard?" Garth observes.

Sam nods, stepping back to let them all in. "Yeah. It's my uncle's. Dean and I help out when we can, but it's mostly his thing."

"Cool," Garth says, and he really seems to believe it.

Castiel waits for everyone else to move before he wheels inside. He can hear the faint sound of a guitar being played nearby. He hadn't really thought about Dean when he agreed to come. As long as Dean doesn't really acknowledge them and just continues playing his guitar, Castiel doesn't care. He can't complain about good music. He just wishes he could figure out what song this is, because it's going to bother him forever if he can't.

"That's Dean," Sam tells him as if Castiel didn't know that. "Playing guitar, per usual."

"Dean plays guitar?" Garth repeats, impressed.

"Dean does everything," Sam replies.

"Castiel plays guitar, too," Gabriel adds. "It gets real annoying, real quick. You'll probably wish Dean didn't pretty soon."

"You play guitar, too?" Garth repeats.

"I used to," Castiel says. "I don't know if I still can, especially with my cast."

"Yeah, that's problematic," Garth agrees.

"Come on, let's go bug Dean!" Gabriel says excitedly.

"No," Sam replies.

"Why not? We always bug Dean! It's a tradition!"

"He's definitely not in mood to put up with that today," Sam tells him.

"I don't care. Let's bug Dean."

Sam sighs as Gabriel walks away. "You're gonna regret that," he mutters under his breath as he walks after the boy, Garth and Castiel behind him.

"The test isn't even 'til Thursday!" Dean whines, still playing the guitar.

"You can't wait until Wednesday night to study," Bobby says. "That's called cramming, and it never works. Trust me."

"I'll study when I get home! Come on, I never get to see Jo anymore!"

"Christmas is in six weeks," Bobby reminds him, which serves as a wake up call for Castiel. He didn't realize it was that close. "You'll see her then."

"And this rate, you're gonna make me start studying for finals by then," Dean mutters, and though Castiel can't see him, he knows the boy is pouting.

"Just start studying."

"Why? I'm gonna play football for the rest of my life. I don't need to know this stuff to go pro."

"No, you need to know it to pass the class so you can stay on the team," Bobby replies. "Now get to work."

Dean groans. "No one else is going to start studying this early!"

"Dean, just study for your damn test!"

Gabriel takes this moment to jump in the room. "What test are we studying for?"

"Biology," Dean tells him, though he clearly isn't happy about it.

"Seriously, you're just taking that now? Castiel took that as a freaking freshman."

"I don't care what classes Cas took when," Dean snaps.

"Well, he's here right now," Gabriel tells him. "He could help you with schooly stuff."

"I don't need help," Dean replies.

"Well..." Bobby says.

"Shut it, Bobby," Dean snaps. "I don't need help."

"Fine, fine," Bobby says. "Whatever you say. Just don't fail your test."

"Whatever."

Bobby sighs at the boy before saying, "Hey, Gabriel."

"Hiya, Bobby!" Gabriel replies. Castiel can't help but notice the lack of formality Gabriel uses to address the man. "Have you met Castiel yet? Cuz he's here."

"I've heard about him," Bobby says.  "I've never actually met him."

"Hold on."

Gabriel walks out and finds Castiel, wheeling him towards the room he was just in. Castiel hits his hands away and wheels himself instead, with Garth behind him. They had stopped following earlier, not sure they wanted to go.

"Alright, I'm back," Gabriel announces as if they can't all see him. "That's Castiel and that's Garth."

"Hi, boys. Nice to meet ya. I'm Bobby."

"Hi," Castiel and Garth say in unison.

"Sorry if this is a sensitive subject, but what happened to you, Castiel?" Bobby asks. "Weren't you just here a few weeks ago? On your feet?"

Castiel nods. "Yeah. It's a long story."

A loud knocking on the door interrupts their conversation. Sam rushes off to answer it, and returns a few moment later with Charlie by his side.

"Hi guys!" Charlie says, looking around at the rest of the group. "Ooh, Dean's here! I didn't think Dean was gonna be here."

"I live here," he reminds her. "Remember? Sam's way hotter older brother?"

"Hey!" Sam whines.

"He's clearly blind," Gabriel whispers loudly.

"Clearly," Sam agrees. "Because I am way hotter."

"I've gotta side with Sam," Charlie says. "Sorry, Dean. Friendship duty, ya know?"

"You're irrelevant," Dean says, but not in a mean way. "You don't like guys, anyway."

"Touché," Charlie replies.

"But Castiel does," Gabriel says. "Let's settle this, once and for all."

Everyone looks at Castiel expectantly, making him feel nervous, though he hides it well. Bobby tries to hold back his laughter at the whole situation, which must be really funny if you aren't involved in it.

"I choose to think I'm the hot one here," Castiel says, not wanting to pick Sam because he knows he would be lying, but not wanting to pick Dean because he's closer to Sam.

"You're not an option," Charlie says.

"Then I'll write my name in," Castiel replies.

"You're cheating!"

Castiel laughs. "Yeah, I do that."

"Well, don't!"

"But I want to."

"You just don't want to admit you've got the hots for Dean," Gabriel says, earning amused looks from everyone but Castiel and Dean. He can't read Dean's expression.

"Say what now?" Castiel asks.

"You have a crush!" Gabriel teases.

Castiel rolls his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Whatever." He doesn't want to go into detail about why he definitely does not have a crush on Dean in front of Bobby.

"It's like Romeo and Juliet!" Charlie squeals. "Two people from totally different social standings finding lo-"

"Please tell me this is a joke," Castiel mutters.

"Okay, yeah, it's a joke," Charlie admits. "Gabriel and I conspired and stuff."

"Is this Team Destiel?" Garth asks.

"Yep," Charlie and Gabriel confirm.
"I'm in."

"What's Destiel?" Castiel and Dean both ask.

"A twenty dollar bet between me and Gabriel," Sam replies.

"I will do literally whatever I can to make sure Sam loses," Dean says.

"I second that so Gabriel splits the money with me," Castiel adds.

"Great!" Gabriel says, clapping his hands excitedly. "You guys have to start dating."

"What?" Castiel says, not hearing at all what he had expected. "You — What? This is a joke, right? Please tell me this is a joke."

"Nope," Sam replies. "I win if you two become friends, Gabriel wins if you start dating."

"So you guys were betting on us?" Dean summarizes.

"Yep," Sam replies.

"Hell, Castiel was there when we made the bet," Gabriel adds.

"I was?"

Gabriel chuckles. "Oh, my poor, naïve little Castiel. Anyway, you guys gotta start dating now."

Dean looks at Castiel, his expression unreadable. It's clear he isn't going to respond, which irks the younger boy. Why does Castiel have to be the one to answer? He doesn't want to sound like a jerk, but there's no way he's going out with Dean Winchester, of all people. He decides to go with the comical answer.

"Oh, hey, would you look at that? I'm no longer gay. Woah, funny how that works."

This earns laughs from everyone, which makes Castiel grin proudly. He never used to make people laugh. This is nice.

"Gabriel, pay up," Sam says when people calm down.

"Ah ah ah," Gabriel replies. "Nope. It was relationship versus friendship. This is neither. Neither of us win yet. We need a time frame."

"There's, what, five, six weeks 'til New Years, give or take?" Sam estimates. "How 'bout 'til then?"

"Deal," Gabriel replies.

"I want in on the bet," Garth says. "If they don't like each other, I win."

"And if it's 'complicated,' I win," Charlie adds.

"Seriously, guys?" Dean says, annoyed.

"I hate you all," Castiel announces.

"Well, I could get up to sixty bucks, so hate me all you want as long as you and Dean get together," Gabriel replies.

"Not gonna happen," Castiel replies, not a trace of doubt in his mind.

"We'll see," Gabriel says.

"Anyway, Dean, enough arguing about studying," Sam says. "You're hanging out with us today."

Out of everyone here, there are only two people that object to that.

"Why?" Castiel asks.

"Wait, you want him..." Garth says, clearly not thrilled about this.

"Because we said so and yes," Gabriel replies.

"Dean, you game?" Sam asks.

Dean stops playing the guitar, something he did so effortlessly that Castiel had forgotten he was doing it at all. "Sure. Anything to get me out of studying."

"Yay!" Charlie says excitedly.

"Yay," Castiel says, purposely not sounding happy about this arrangement.

"Lighten up, Castiel," Gabriel instructs wth a grin. "You're gonna make me rich!" Seeing the dirty look he gets, he adds, "I'll split the money, thirty-thirty."

"No!"

"Fine. When you two start dating, I get all the money and you get the boyfriend," Gabriel proposes.

"No!"

"Then what do you want?" Gabriel asks.

"I want you to call off this stupid bet because I'm not going to go out with Dean," Castiel replies confidently.

"Cas, I'm offended," Dean says, clutching his heart as if shot. His smirk shows that he doesn't truly mean it.

"Yeah, yeah," Castiel replies, waving a hand dismissively at him. "You'll get over it."

"As fun as it is to watch you guys argue, I'm gonna go," Bobby announces. As he walks out of the room, he adds, "And I side with Gabriel."

Gabriel gives them a triumphant smirk. "See? Bobby agrees with me."

"Bobby doesn't know school Dean, though," Castiel replies. He looks to Dean for confirmation. "Right?"

"No," Dean admits.

"Come on, he's not that bad," Sam insists.

"Right, right," Castiel says sarcastically. "Because telling Crowley and friends not to beat me up yet because it's more fun out of the wheelchair, that's perfectly fine. Yeah, you're right. Totally."

"You didn't say that," Sam says, though it's clear he doesn't have complete trust in this.

"It was a favor," Dean replies. "They'll leave you alone until you get out of that. It may only be a little while, but it's better than nothing."

"What? Why?" Castiel asks suspiciously.

"Because, contrary to popular belief, I am not a complete dick."

"I never said you were," Castiel replies.

"Yes, you did," Dean says. "A hot dick, but a dick nonetheless. Always have been, always will be, right?"

"You heard that?"

Dean nods. "I was going to go apologize, but I got distracted and decided to eavesdrop instead."

"You're not supposed to eavesdrop on people's private conversations," Castiel scolds him.

"It was the middle of the school. Not exactly private," Dean replies. "But it's fine. I've given you every reason to hate me, but if I haven't said it before, I'm sorry."

Castiel cocks his head in confusion. "You're sorry?"

Dean nods. "I am. For everything I've done to you."

"Is this another trick?" Castiel asks cautiously.

"Nope. No tricks. Just me telling the truth."

"Okay, then..." What's Castiel supposed to say? He can't forgive Dean, and he sure as hell can't say it's okay. Finally, he settles on, "I guess apology accepted?"

"Great!" Dean says with a grin. "Friends again?"

Castiel hesitates briefly before saying, "I don't forgive you enough for that."

Dean's smile falters, but he quickly covers it up by saying, "Well, we'll get there." And it's clear by his voice he truly hopes they will.