Then and Now

Satan is being... nice?

"Uh..." Dean shook his hand, unsure of this 'Bel'. "Yeah, you too."

Lucifer had shuffled over, and was frowning as he looked at Dean. "Why... if it isn't Dean Winchester."

Dean swallows. If Castiel hated him, there was a good chance Lucifer did too. 

Lucifer smiles unexpectedly. "Man, how long's it been?"  He bumps knuckles with the very shocked Dean. "It's so cool that we're in the same school again."

"What are the odds..." Dean says slowly, waiting for Lucifer to mention Cas.

He doesn't however, instead Lucifer sits in the seat in front of Dean. "We should catch up, wanna sit with me at lunch?"

Dean wondered if Cas would be there, but doesn't voice his question. Instead he simply nods dumbly and listens to the teacher explain the group project over the chatter of the students.

~~~

"So, Winchester, where the hell have you been these last few years?" Lucifer asks as Dean shoves his homework in his locker. 

"Everywhere." Dean sighs, rubbing his eyes. "Its been... a busy few years." That was putting it lightly. He glanced at Lucifer. "Have you guys, uh, been here the entire time?"

Lucifer nods, "yep, pretty boring if I'm being honest, you guys got to see so much I bet."

"The grand canyon was probably my favorite," Dean smiles at the memory, following Lucifer down the corridor. "You should see it at night, the sky is just... incredible."

"Okay man, no need to say anything else, I'm officially jealous." 

"Jealous of what?" Belphegor jumps up between them, looping an around around both of their shoulders. "Jealous of Dean's good looks?"

Dean's eyes widen, wow okay then. "Uh... thanks?"

Lucifer just scoffs. "As if, I'm amazingly good looking, bitch."

"You keep saying that, and yet I just can't see it." 

Lucifer elbows Belphegor. 

"Dean sitting with us?" Belphegor was rubbing his side and glaring at Lucifer. 

"What's up bitches?" A familiar redhead ran up to them, grinning broadly. "Wait there's three of you today..." She stared at Dean. "Do I know you?"

"This is Dean Winchester, he's new here."

The girl laughed. "Holy shit, you have got to be kidding me. Dean? Its Charlie! Charlie Bradbury?" She hugged him tightly.

Dean shakes his head, hugging Charlie back. "Charlie? What's it been? 11... 12 years?" He couldn't believe this, it was such an unlikely thing to happen.

"Dude, I think so, where have you been?"

They start walking again. "Everywhere." Dean repeats what he had told Lucifer, it was the closest truth he could tell without telling them about the past few years of his life. "I thought you were in Kansas?"

"Wait, so you two know each other?" Lucifer interrupts. 

Charlie nods, punching Dean's arm slightly. "We were in the same foster home for a while back in '03, Chuck we were so tiny then."

"Chuck?"

"My dad's name, its a... long story." Lucifer waves it off. 

Charlie sighs, shaking her head. "Damn, 'ole Miss Lilith... I was so glad to get out of there, I wonder if she's still running that place, I hope not, poor bastards that have to live with her."

Dean stays silent. In his mind, he's replying the moment Sammy killed Lilith. He knew it was a moment that still haunted Sammy, no matter what the moose said. 

"Oh! Is Sammy here?" She asked, "he must be so much bigger now!"

Dean thought of his moose like brother and sighs. "He's taller than me now."

"Gabriel will be happy to see him, he's missed his friend." Lucifer frowned. "Which reminds me, why didn't you ever start in touch?"

Dean shrugs, how could they have? "Man, life is crazy in the foster system, we moved a lot and we didn't always have access to a phone or email."

Belphegor clears his throat. "If you guys are done with this weirdass, unlikely reunion, I would like to eat before lunch is over."

Lucifer rolls his eyes, exchanging a joking look with Dean and they push through the doors leading into the cafeteria. Dean scans the place for Sam but his little brother was nowhere in sight. He saw someone else however, a lonely boy with raven black hair sitting alone at the table Lucifer was heading towards.

What would he say? Dean searched for an appropriate greeting as they got closer to the table.

Then Cas glanced up. His bright blue eyes unreadable as he stared at Dean.

"Cassie! Look at what the cat dragged in!" Lucifer slid into the seat next to Cas. "Dean's going to our school, what are the odds, huh?"

"Low." Cas was staring at Dean. "Hello, Dean."

This was not how Dean had pictured their reunion. Cas was acting  as though they were strangers. As if their friendship had never existed.

"Okay well I love awkwardness as much as the next guy but... I'm gonna get food." Belphegor walked off.

"Hey my gays," a golden haired boy joined their awkward table. "Oh my chuck," he was staring at Dean, "is that Dean Winchester?"

Ah yes. Gabriel, the loud one. "Hey man." Dean was grateful for the chance to look away from Castiel. "Its been a while."

"And you only got uglier," Gabriel pulled a lunchbox covered in candy and rainbow stickers. "Are you guys in a new home?"

Lucifer smacks him on the head.
"Ow! What was that for!?"
"You can't ask stuff like that, dipshit."

Dean chuckled, nice to see they hadn't changed. Although Gabriel was so... short.
"Is Sammy here?" Gabriel turned back to Dean, hope in his eyes.
Dean nods, absently glancing around. "Dunno where, but he's here."
Gabriel's eyes light up, and he too starts scanning the cafeteria.

Castiel stood up, packing his things into his bag. "I need to go to the library." Then he was gone before anyone could say anything.

Lucifer watched his brother go, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Okay wow, I expected a bit more happiness than that over your return Deano, I don't know why he's got that stick up his ass."

Dean just sighs, watching Castiel leave the room. He just wanted to know what he had done wrong. 

"Don't sweat it Dean, he's probably just being Cas and taking a moment to process everything, he gets overwhelmed easily." Lucifer offered Dean an apologetic smile. It must be bad if Satan was being so nice. 

~~~~~~~~

Okay so this is just a filler, because apparently building up to ships and angst takes work.... dammit lol

I hope you are all having a good day/night!!