Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/6257392.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Underage, Rape/Non-Con
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Supernatural
  Relationship:
      Castiel/Dean_Winchester, Dean_Winchester/Lucifer, Sam_Winchester/Gabriel
  Character:
      Castiel, Dean_Winchester, Sam_Winchester, Gabriel, Alastair_
      (Supernatural), Crowley, John_Winchester
  Additional Tags:
      a/b/o_dynamics, Omegaverse, Destiel_Omegaverse, Post_Mpreg, Abuse, Omega
      auctioning, omega!dean, alpha!Castiel, Omega_Dean_Winchester, Alpha!Sam
      Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega_Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Mating_Cycles/In
      Heat, References_to_Knotting, John_Winchester's_A+_Parenting, Past_Rape/
      Non-con, Past_Abuse, Mpreg, Suicidal_Thoughts, (no_actual_suicidal
      actions_it's_all_good), Denial, denying_feelings, Miscarriage
  Stats:
      Published: 2016-09-30 Updated: 2018-03-25 Chapters: 11/? Words: 47392
****** Golden Days | A Destiel Omegaverse Story ******
by deaniewithalittleweanie
Summary
     Dean Winchester never had it easy. His dad never kept a job for
     longer than a month, so he was moved around all his life. The
     universe practically took a shit on him when he presented as an
     omega. Sold into an omega sex ring, he lost what little family he
     had, and hated life even more than he did before. It's not until
     years have passed and he's too broken to have a will to live that a
     kind soul finds him and brings him in. He's underfed, skittish, and
     scared of every little sound. Will he ever be the Dean that we all
     know and love again?
Notes
     Here we go. This is my first try at Alpha/Beta/Omegaverse, but I've
     read so many a/b/o fics that I could teach a class on it. I
     appreciate all feedback, so don't be afraid to leave a comment. I
     love criticism, it helps me become a better writer.
***** Prologue *****
Chapter Notes
     First off, I hope you read the tags. This story (this chapter
     especially) is very graphic. Please read the tags and know what
     you're getting yourself into. This is my first attempt at omegaverse,
     but I've read so much of it, I could teach a class. I hope you enjoy
     part one of the prologue!

Dean opens his eyes only to shut them again. The smoke permeating the air makes
his eyes water and burn. He starts to cough, clutching his chest. He pushes his
blankets back and runs down the hall. He has to find his parents. They'll know
what to do. He hears his baby brother crying in his crib from behind his closed
bedroom door. He coughs and wheezes as he opens it. The smoke is just as bad in
here, if not worse. He lifts the baby from the crib, covering his face with the
blanket to try and keep the smoke off of him. He tries to scream out for his
parents, but he just croaks and wheezes. He runs down the hallway to his
parents’ bedroom. He throws the door open, shouting for his mom and dad. He
hears his mother’s coughs from somewhere in the house. He looks around
frantically, trying to find her. His baby brother starts to cough and Dean
realizes that he has to get him out of the smoke. He walks down the stairs, the
smoke getting thicker and hotter. He looks around in horror at their living
room and kitchen being engulfed in flames. He feels strong arms wrap around him
and pick him up. He recognizes the voice of his father as he carries him out of
the burning house.
Dean gasps for fresh air as he’s set down in the grass. His father looks at him
sternly and tells him to stay put. He nods and looks down at his brother again.
He brushes ashes off of his blanket and pulls it off of his head, exposing him
to the night air.
“Shhh. It's okay, Sammy.” He whispers to him, cradling him against his chest.
Dean looks back at the house, staring in fear as flames started licking up the
sides of the house. He hears the crackling of wood, when suddenly, the entire
roof caves in. He gasps in horror and steps back. “Where are mom and dad?” He
thinks to himself. Fire truck sirens start to blare, and Dean turns to see the
engine rolling up to the house. A firefighter runs towards him and picks him
up, carrying him to the ambulance that has arrived. Paramedics jump out of the
back doors and take Dean, setting him down on a stretcher. A female paramedic
tries to take Sammy out of Dean’s arms, but he holds him close.
“Hey buddy, we’re just going to make sure you're baby brother’s alright, okay?”
The paramedic says sweetly as she attempts to take Sam away again. Dean nods
slowly and hands him to her. He rubs his throat and coughs. Another male
paramedic walks up to Dean with a bottle of water and an oxygen mask. He
instructs Dean to leave the mask on and breathe deeply and to take it off only
to drink the water. Dean nods and lets him put the mask on and pull the strap
over his head. Dean looks around for his parents again, and he sees
firefighters helping his father across the yard. He pushes them away and runs
to Dean, making sure he’s alright. He looks over at Sammy, who has stopped
crying and is now sleeping in a paramedic’s arms.
“Thank god you boys are alright.” He croaks. A paramedic helps him sit on the
stretcher next to Dean. He gives him a larger oxygen mask and another bottle of
water. Dean taps his father’s arm a few times, looking up at him.
“Dad, where’s mom?” He asks, frowning. John swallows, not answering for a long
time. Dean gulps and stares at his feet. Tears well up in his eyes and he
sniffles. He expects his father to tell him to suck it up and stop crying.
Instead, he wraps an arm around Dean and holds him close. Dean grips his dad’s
jacket and cries into it. John cradles Sam in his other arm. He looks at both
of his boys with a heavy heart. How was he supposed to raise them without Mary
there to support him? He shuts his eyes and holds them close, vowing to take
care of them as best as he can for the rest of his life.
~~~
Ten Years Later
“Dean! Dean wake up!” Sam shakes his older brother’s shoulders. Dean is
writhing in the bed, sweating profusely and panting. He opens his eyes and
groans.
“What's wrong? Dean? Are you okay?” Sam asks frantically. He looks around the
small motel room, trying to find Dean’s cellphone. He spots it sitting on the
bedside table. Sam jumps up from the bed and grabs it. His heart pounds in his
chest as he dials his father’s number and paces the room anxiously, glancing at
his older brother with worry.
“Dean?” John answers blankly. His voice is echoed off the insides of the car
that he’s under. With a wrench in one hand and an grimy rag in the other, he
holds the phone between his shoulder and ear.
“Dad, I-uh...I think Dean is presenting.” Sam gulped and looked back at Dean,
who had just covered his head with a pillow.
“How would you know? Did he tell you?” John huffed, wiping the sweat from his
forehead with the dirty rag.
“No, but he’s all sweaty and rolling around on the bed.” Sam spoke quickly,
trying to avoid the awkward part of the conversation. John pauses for a long
moment.
 

Meanwhile, Dean is curled around a pillow, trembling and near tears. Sam is
sitting on the opposite bed, trying to ignore him. Dean told him to stay away
and not to touch him, so Sam stays in his bed, watching sadly. He’s too young
to fully understand what’s happening to Dean. Sam turned ten a few months ago.
Dean threw him a small birthday party in a different motel room, celebrating
the fact that Sam hit double digits. Sam looks up hopefully when the door
opens. John storms by him towards Dean, picking him up. Dean tries to squirm
away, but John holds him tightly.
“Dad? What are you doing?” Sam asks, starting to get up.
“Stay put, Sam. Don't move from that bed until I get back.” John snaps. Sam
nods and pulls up his knees, hugging them to his chest. The ten year old
cowers, biting his lip and looking at his older brother worriedly.
John lays Dean across the backseat of the impala and shuts the door, walking
around to the driver’s seat. He thanks whatever God there may be that he’s on
suppressants that render him unable to scent Dean’s heat. He stares straight
ahead at the road, white-knuckling the steering wheel. Is he really about to do
this? No, he has to. Dean will be safer there, won’t he? Sam will have a place
to call home, and John can finally have a steady job. This is worth the
sacrifice he has to make.
He pulls the impala back into the parking lot and spots Alastair, watching and
waiting for him. He swallows hard and pulls into his spot. He steps out of the
car, watching as Alastair walks up to the window of the car and peeks in at
Dean.
“He’ll have an alpha taking care of him in no time.” Alastair smirks up at
John. He clenches his jaw and opens the door.
“Come on out, Dean.” He says sharply. Dean slowly crawls out of the car,
trembling all over, tears running down his cheeks. John can't bear to look at
him. Alastair takes Dean’s wrist roughly and pulls him away from John. He
reaches in his pocket and pulls out a check, already filled out. He hands it
over to John, who takes it quickly, holding onto it like a precious treasure.
“Nice doing business with you, John. Take the rest of the day off. Take Sammy
out for ice cream or something cheesy like that.” Alastair smirks. Dean looks
up at his father with terror in his eyes. John glances down at him once sadly,
gulping with guilt. He turns and slides back into the car. Alastair starts to
pull Dean towards a grey van parked a few spot over. Dean struggles, trying to
pull away from him. Alastair doesn't pay attention to him.
“Let go!” Dean shouts, fighting back with what little strength he has. Alastair
glances back, making sure John has driven away. Seeing his absence, he clenches
his jaw and grabs Dean, pinning him to the side of the van. Dean yelps and
kicks his legs around. Alastair pulls a thick leather collar from his pocket.
It has a small black box on it with spikes that press against Dean’s neck as
Alastair fastens the collar. He attaches an equally thick leather leash to the
metal ring and yanks down, hard, forcing Dean to fall to his knees. He opens
the van and steps inside, pulling Dean with him roughly. Dean tries to resist,
but he hears a small click and a pulse of electricity bursts from his neck and
flows through his entire body, making him cry out and quickly follow.
“If you obey, I'll take care of you. If you don't, I'll make you hurt more than
you've ever hurt in your entire life.” Alastair snaps. Dean nods quickly,
kneeling next to him. Another man sits in the front seat. He turns around and
smiles.
“I think you've got your next bestseller.” He has a strong English accent and a
scruffy beard. His dark hair is carefully groomed on his head.
“It'll be a while before this one behaves like we want him to. He's stubborn.
Once he's obedient, he’ll be ready for the picking.” Alastair smiles at the man
in the front seat. The man nods and turns back, starting the van and driving
away. Dean squirms and whimpers, terrified and confused. He receives another
shock and he sobs, curling into a ball on the floor. Alastair shocks him over
and over, until Dean finally gets the message and stays quiet, trembling hard.
“Good. That took longer than it should have, but good. Stay quiet and still.
One movement or sound that's out of place will get you another.” He holds up
the small remote in his hand. Dean looks up and him and nods.
“Oka-AH!” Alastair shocks him again.
“Good omegas only speak when they're told to. Also, keep you gaze downcast.
Never look an alpha in the eyes unless they ask you to. I may be a beta, but
I'm still above you. If I ask you a question, the answer is either ‘yes sir’ or
‘no sir’. When you go with an alpha, the answer changes from ‘sir’ to ‘alpha’.”
Alastair explains, in the most cruel sounding voice Dean has ever heard. He
nods and squeaks out,
“Y-yes, sir.” Alastair smiles at him and sits back in his seat, not giving him
any praise for the time being. Dean tries his hardest to stay perfectly still,
but his entire body is on fire and his jeans are soaked. His thoughts start to
wander to dark places. Why did his father do this to him? Why would he just
give him away like that? He didn't even look at Dean as he was taken away.
Would he ever see his father and brother again? Where are these men taking him?
Silent tears roll down his cheeks as the van drives. Little does Dean know,
this is the first of many days of this torture. This is only the beginning for
him. So much worse is yet to come.
~~~
It's been three weeks since Dean was given away to Alastair. He's been locked
in a basement, and for the first week, he was forced to just wait through his
heat on the cold, cement floor. It was absolute agony for Dean. He was left
writhing and crying in desperation for something he didn’t really want. When it
finally ended, Alastair took Dean to his first auction. All his clothes were
taken away and he was given a pair of fitted, black boxers that showed off more
than he wanted. He stayed quiet, hoping that if he was good, he could leave. At
the auction, Alastair forced Dean onto the stage and announced to the audience
that he’d be on sale soon. Alphas started shouting offers to get him early, but
Alastair denied them all. He’s played this game before. He knows how to market
to these people. He grabs Dean’s collar and pulls him offstage. The auction
continues as normal, except Dean is on a leash that’s being held by a large
guard. His stomach growls loudly and he winces. He hasn’t anything more than a
few slices of bread since he was taken away. He looks up at the guard with
pleading eyes.
“P-please help me.” He whispers. The guard scowls and slaps him across the face
as hard as he can. Dean yelps and covers his face, with is already blooming
red. He turns away and waits patiently, steady tears rolling down his face.
Alastair returns and scowls at Dean before looking up at the guard.
“Was he misbehaving?” Alastair asks coldly, taking the leash and pulling it
hard. The guard just nods and walks away. Alastair sighs and pulls Dean back to
the van. While they're walking through the parking lot, Dean makes a run for
it. He kicks Alastair in the back of the knee, reaches up to unclip the leash
and he runs. He hears yelling behind him as his feet pound on the ground. He
doesn't even know where he's running to. As long as he's away from this awful
place, it's fine with Dean. He looks over his shoulder to see several guards
running after him, and they're catching up quickly. Dean looks ahead and puts
every ounce of energy he has into running. He runs towards the road and waves
his arms around, screaming for help. He runs into the road in front of a car,
flailing his arms and crying out. The car slows to a stop and a man steps out.
Dean stumbles back in horror. The man’s name is Crowley, and he’s Alastair's
boss.
“Hello, Dean. What are you be doing here?” He asks with a sly smile. The guards
run up to the side of the road and stop upon seeing Crowley. Dean takes a few
steps back, ready to run again. Crowley sighs and looks at the guards,
“Tell Alastair I'll be watching this one from now on.” He looks back at Dean
and calmly walks to his trunk. Dean gulps and takes a few more steps back away
from the car. The guards have walked away, going back to Alastair. Dean looks
behind himself to look for them. A sudden crack snaps him back to attention. He
looks back at Crowley, who is now holding a whip. Dean turns and runs again,
but another crack rings out, and a strip of skin on his back is struck crimson
red as the whip strikes it. He cries out in pain and falls to his knees. Dean
scrambles back to his feet and tries to run, but his back is struck again. He
sobs and falls back to the ground. Crowley’s hand wraps around his collar and
pulls him up and shoves him into the back seat of the car. Dean sobs loudly,
struggling to get out of the still open car door. Crowley kicks him in the
chest, sending him back into the car with a ‘thud’.
“Let me out!” Dean shouts as Crowley slams the door shut. He opens the driver’s
side door and slides into his seat. Dean grabs the door handle and yanks on it
several times. He pulls the lock up and tries again. The door doesn't budge. He
starts to hyperventilate, the feeling of being trapped becoming almost
unbearable. Crowley swerves the car, knocking Dean onto the floor between the
seats. The car slows to a stop and Dean scrambles back onto the seats. Crowley
rolls down his window and Alastair hands him a leash and the remote to Dean’s
collar. Dean clenches his jaw and scoots backwards until his back is pressed
against the opposite door. Alastair looks back at him and glares.
“You've got a world of hurt coming, you little bitch.” Alastair spits at him,
Dean swallows and backs up against the door more, his back pressing into the
door handle. Alastair walks away with a huff and Crowley rolls the window up.
He holds the remote up where Dean can see it and calmly speaks,
“Sit in the seat and buckle. This is your last warning.” Dean obeys, shifting
over into the seat and pulling the seatbelt across his chest and into the
buckle. Crowley sets the remote down in his cupholder and pulls off the side
off the road. Dean holds perfectly still, completely frozen in terror.
~~~
The crack of the whip rings out in the large room, along with Dean’s cries of
agony and Crowley’s words of abuse. A pole with cuffs on the sides stands in
the center of the room. Dean in on his knees, his hands cuffed against the
pole. Crowley stands a few few behind him, bringing the whip down repeatedly on
his back. Bright red stripes cover his back, and large blisters are rising up
on his skin. Today is a day Dean will never forget. Words spoken stay with him
forever and change who he is.
“You’re just a worthless bitch! That’s all you are, and that’s all you’ll ever
be. No one wants you for anything but a bitch for breeding!” Crowley shouts,
striping Dean’s back with more welts.
“Please! Stop!” Dean sobs, his back arching with every strike of the whip. His
head hangs with his chin touching his chest. Crowley growls and walks around to
the front of Dean.
“Look up. Now.” he growls. Dean looks up pleadingly, tears streaming down his
face. Crowley brings the whip up again and Dean curls his head into his chest
again to protect his face. Crowley grabs his hair and yanks his head back up.
“I said look up! Do you want this to go on longer?” He spits in Dean’s face.
Dean shakes his head and squeezes his eyes shut. One last crack of the whip
ends the torture for Dean. A bright red stripe on his cheek and nose flares up,
and the salty tears burn. Dean sobs and crumples up on the floor as Crowley
uncuffs him.
“Dirty little bitch. I hope you’ve learned your lesson. A friend of mine is
taking you home tomorrow, and he isn’t as merciful as me. I suggest you shape
up.” Crowley storms out of the room, locking the door behind him. Dean looks up
at the door and stands up, wincing at the sharp pain in his back. He tries to
open the door by pulling the handle and pushing it with his shoulder. The door
doesn’t budge and Dean hiccups. He walks to the far corner and sits in it,
tucking his knees to his chest and sobbing harder than he’s ever sobbed in his
entire life.
The next morning, Crowley’s friend comes to take Dean away. The alpha pays
Crowley twenty five thousand dollars for Dean. When they come to get him, Dean
is still crying in the corner. Crowley hooks the leash to his collar and yanks
him up to his feet. Dean stares at the floor and the alpha smiles.
“He’s never been used?” He asks, looking Dean over with dark eyes.
“Never. He’s been disciplined recently, but after that, I don’t think he’s ever
going to act up again.” Crowley smirks at Dean, examining the bright red
stripes on his back, and the single stripe on his face.
“He’s gorgeous. Give me the leash.” The alpha snaps. Crowley huffs and hands
him the leash. The alpha walks quickly out of the room, dragging Dean with him.
Dean is shoved into a medium sized dog crate. He feels too exposed, and he has
to curl up and duck in order to fit in the cage. The alpha picks up the cage
and places it in the trunk of his car. He slams it shut and Dean winces at the
noise. The trunk is dark and stuffy, and Dean starts to feel claustrophobic. He
wrenches his eyes shut and tries to block everything out.
~~~
It’s been four years since Dean was sold for the first time. As soon as that
alpha took him home, he tied him down and took advantage of him. Dean’s body
was frozen and tense throughout the whole thing, even when the alpha’s knot
tied them together. He felt used and violated. The alpha didn’t even hold him.
While he waited for his knot to go down, he propped his elbows on Dean’s aching
back and scrolled through his phone, completely ignoring the omega under him.
Dean never learned his name.
A week of the same thing over and over, the alpha sold Dean to Alastair. This
begins a four year cycle of alphas. Five more alphas buy him. Some kept him
longer than others, but they were all equally horrible. Some of the were
physically abusive, others were mentally abusive, but they were all sexually
abusive. Dean learned that if his alpha wanted sex, he was going to get it now.
The best thing to do was strip down immediately, lie on his stomach and wait.
Dean found hope when alpha number seven appeared. His name was Lucifer. He took
Dean in as a friend, and cared for him. He treated Dean like he was worth
something. Lucifer promised him that he’d take care of him for as long as he
needed. Dean was so desperate for love, that he practically forced himself to
love Lucifer. They were happy. Dean thought he found the perfect mate at last.
There was just one problem. If Dean didn’t follow every single one of Lucifer’s
rules, he would become an entirely different person. He’d lash out at Dean,
nearly whispering hurtful words as he lands blow after blow on the omega. Dean
tried his best to ignore these moments and bask in the good times, but they
still haunted his dreams.
The first time Dean noticed Lucifer’s violent side, he was doing the dishes. A
ceramic plate slipped through his soapy hands and shattered on the floor,
pieces scattering across the tiles. Dean picked up each individual piece by
hand while Lucifer watched him in the doorway of the kitchen with a tiny grin.
When Dean had disposed of the shattered pieces, he went back to the sink to
finish the dishes. He heard footsteps behind him, but he ignored them. It was
most likely just Lucifer grabbing some food. Instead, a calloused hand wrapped
around his throat and squeezed. He tried to gasp for air, but his airway was
cut off entirely. Lucifer leaned in and whispered into his ear,
“Now, we aren’t going to let something like that happen again, are we now?”
Dean did his best to shake his head, and Lucifer released his throat.
“Good. Finish up the dishes and we’ll watch a movie before bed.”
~~~
One morning, Dean got some news. He had been feeling ill for the past few
weeks, and he had a nagging suspicion he knew what was going on. He found what
he needed in Lucifer’s bathroom cabinet, and he got the best news of his life
so far. When he saw the little plus sign on the pregnancy test, he had the most
cliché reaction possible. His other hand flew up to his mouth and he had the
biggest grin on his face. He held the pregnancy test tightly and left the
apartment bathroom. He held it behind his back as he walked into the living
space.
Lucifer was relaxing on the couch, watching some sitcom Dean didn’t know the
name of. Dean tapped lightly on his shoulder and showed him the pregnancy test,
a huge smile on his face. Lucifer froze, staring at the test. He took it from
Dean’s hand and inspected it carefully. Dean watched him excitedly, rocking
back and forth on the balls of his feet. The only thing that stops him is when
Lucifer just nods and hands the little piece of plastic back to Dean. The alpha
just stared at the television as if nothing happened. Dean stared at him and
frowned. His heart sunk when he realized that Lucifer didn't really care. He
retreated to the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the creaky bed. He wasn’t
sure how much time passed before Lucifer walked in. He looked up at the alpha
hopefully. Lucifer pointed directly to the center of the bed, and Dean knew
exactly what to do.
He set the pregnancy test down on the bedside table and quickly stripped down
to nothing. He crawled onto the bed and got onto his hands and knees in the
center. He took a pillow to bury his face in. The bed creaked and dipped as
Lucifer got in behind him. Dean braced himself against the pillow and tried to
will himself to be slick and ready. There's no warning or prep before Lucifer
was using him to his own desire. Dean hissed in pain and hung on to the pillow
for dear life.
He was never good enough to be slick and ready for his alpha. It burned his
entire lower midsection and nearly brought him to tears. He knew it wouldn't
last very long. Lucifer didn't have as much stamina as any other alpha he’d
been with. He felt blunt nails raking down his back and little beads of blood
forming. Dean was so touch-starved that he mewls at the sensation. His body
pressed back towards Lucifer, but he’s quickly pushed down into the mattress. A
choked sob escaped him, and he was trapped there for the next twenty minutes
with Lucifer’s much less than average sized knot holding them together. The
alpha’s hand gripped the back of Dean’s neck tightly, pinning him in place.
Dean knew to stay still and quiet, unless he wanted a beating.
The most tragic part of all of it was that Dean would act out on purpose to get
beat. It was the only time other than the daily sex that he was touched. There
were no hugs, kisses, or even gentle caresses that mates would usually share.
There was a little flicker of hope within Dean now that he was pregnant. By
instinct, alphas were always very protective and clingy to protective omegas.
Pregnant omegas also became very clingy and touchy around their alphas.
Unfortunately for Dean, Lucifer had no interest in touching him. Everytime he
tried to snuggle up next to his alpha, he was pushed to the floor.
~~~
Dean carefully kept track of how far along he was. It was the only thing that
kept him going. Lucifer came home smelling of other omegas and betas most
nights. Dean was just his little toy to play with. He still fucked him nightly,
pushing him hard into the mattress, despite Dean’s protesting that they were
going to hurt the baby. Dean was at about eighteen weeks when something felt
wrong. Everything was still that day. Ever since he hit twelve weeks, he was
able to feel the baby move. Now it was completely motionless. He went into a
panic and tried to convince Lucifer to take him to the hospital. After almost
an hour of begging, Lucifer got fed up with his now whiny omega. He grabbed
Dean by the arm and threw him against the wall. The omega’s head hit the
windowsill, knocking him unconscious. Lucifer sighed and smiled at the new
peace and quiet.
When Dean woke up, he felt the blood. He looked down and found himself in a
small puddle of it. He started hyperventilating and tears pricked at his eyes.
He looked around for Lucifer, but he couldn't find him anywhere. He had done
excessive research on pregnancy, but he knew nothing about miscarriages. He was
just about to go to the computer to figure out what to do when the front door
opened. He saw Lucifer, who made a disgusted face at the sight of the pool of
blood.
“Clean that up, for Christ’s sake.” He huffed. Dean realized he was tracking
blood everywhere in the apartment and suddenly felt woozy. He was never really
affected by the sight of his own blood. He was used to seeing it, but this
amount had him stumbling until his eyes rolled back and he hit the floor. His
consciousness left him, and that was the last straw for Lucifer. It was only
one phone call before Alastair’s crew was there to pay Lucifer and drag away
the blood covered omega.
***** Raised from Perdition *****
Chapter Summary
     Here we go again. This chapter is much more lighthearted than the
     previous. Thank you for all the lovely comments! Please do comment,
     if you haven't already! I love the communication with my readers!
Dean woke up again, but found himself in a place he prayed he'd never see
again. He found himself back in the cells of Alastair’s holding facility. He
was still covered in his own blood, but it had dried and caked his lower body.
He heard loud noises from the cell right next to him and saw an omega girl. She
looked a little younger than Dean, and she was flinging herself against the
bars in a desperate attempt to escape. Dean couldn't watch. She slumped to the
floor and choked out a sob.
“Stop doing that. You're hurting yourself.” Dean murmured.
The girl looked at him and her eyes widened at the sight of the blood. “Is that
what's going to happen to me here?” She asked.
Dean looked at her and sighed. He couldn't answer. Either way, the results
would be the same.
The girl didn't stop crying. Dean tried to get her to stop, knowing what would
happen if she was too loud. His heart broke a little as she was dragged away by
a guard who got fed up with her sobbing. They were either going to beat her or
kill her, depending on how well she behaved.
Dean couldn't do anything but sit there with his arms wrapped around his
stomach. He lost his chance at having a family again. His sense of self-worth
hit rock bottom that night. He hated himself more than any alpha he'd ever been
with. He hated the sound of his own voice, and even the sound of his breathing.
He wanted to beg for death, for torture. He deserved it for how worthless he
was. He was nothing to no one, unworthy of love.
These thoughts didn't leave his head for the duration of the night. The next
morning, a beta guard took the omegas out one by one and sprayed them with the
hose. Dean spent the most time with the hose. It took longer than expected to
get all the dried blood off of him. Once they were all cleaned, they were each
given a pair of black boxer briefs that clung to their skin. The males and
females had the same briefs. Some of the omegas were so underfed that the
briefs would slide down as they walked. Each omega was given a shock collar
with a number on it. The guards had numbered remotes clipped to a belt. If an
omega misbehaved, it took a quick glance and the push of a button to silence
them.
The auction process wasn't pretty. The omegas were shoved out on stage one by
one and Alastair would auction them off. If they weren't sold, they went back
to the holding cell until the next auction. Until they were pulled on stage,
the omegas were all crowded into a tiny room. There wasn't enough space for any
of them to do anything but stand still. Dean found himself in the back corner
of the room. The girl he was next to earlier was standing near him. She looked
completely shell-shocked. The more Dean looked at her, the more she reminded
him of Sam. He reached through the crowd and pulled her to his side. She didn't
react in the slightest. He wrapped one arm around her and tucked her to his
chest with the other, just like he used to hold Sam. The girl slowly wrapped
her arms around Dean and held onto him tightly.
“What's your name?” He whispered. The girl sniffled before answering,
“Jay.”
Dean nodded as he played with her hair. She seemed to find the act soothing, so
Dean didn't stop. The room became more spacious as more omegas were taken out
to be auctioned off. When a guard pulled Dean away from Jay, she had to be
pried off of him. Dean tried to keep a brave face for her sake, but as soon as
the stage lights hit him, he was back in his submissive trance. The lights
didn't allow him any vision into the audience, so he had no idea how many
alphas were waiting out there. Voices became background noise. His mind quit
registering everything around him. If he allowed himself to go numb, he
wouldn't feel. He wouldn't have to feel the pain from losing his baby, the pain
of his own self-loathing, or the pain of knowing that he would never see his
little brother again. He blinked back tears and squeezed his eyes shut. He
blocked out everything and forced himself to become numb.
~~~
Growing up with eight siblings, an alcoholic father, and an absent mother isn't
easy. The Novaks looked like a picture perfect family on the outside, but
inside that giant house, things weren't as heavenly as they seemed. The oldest
twins hated one another with a passion. Eventually, one of them was kicked out
of the house. This left Michael, the adopted twins, Raphael and Uriel, more
biological twins, Hannah and Anna, then a single child, Castiel. Finally, there
were the youngest twins, Gabriel and Balthazar. There were only two omegas,
Gabriel and Balthazar. The rest of the family was made up of alphas, but all
the girls were betas.
A house full of angsty, teenage alphas was a recipe for disaster. No one was
able to get along, and it led the father of the nine children, Chuck, to become
an alcoholic. He was the CEO of an airline company, Novak Airlines. The reason
he kept having children was to find a suitable heir to the company. None of his
children wanted to take over the company, except for Michael, but Chuck had a
distaste for him, since he was so much like his twin brother in personality.
Castiel had only moved out of the massive house a few weeks prior, when he got
a full time job as a resident doctor at the nearby hospital. He bought a much
smaller house than the one his parents’ lived in. Two stories, four bedrooms,
three and a half bathrooms, and a pool in the backyard. He lived alone in the
house in hopes of having a family one day. He'd never met an omega or a beta
that he'd want to start a family with.
He was out at lunch with a co-worker when the suggestion of the omega auction
came up. Castiel was sickened by the thought of it, but he reluctantly agreed
to go and watch. He followed his co-worker all the way to the auction house. He
looked around and frowned. There were so many cars parked around the small
building. How could so many alphas want to attend this? He huffed and followed
his co-worker into the building. He was horrified by the sight. The omegas were
so skinny and scared-looking. He sighed and kept his head down. God forbid that
he see someone he knew in the crowd of alphas.
~~~
Dean stayed as still as possible on stage. He kept his head down until it was
yanked up by Alastair. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block out
everything. He heard a man shout a number, and everything went silent. He felt
his head get dropped and heard Alastair’s footsteps walking away. More
footsteps came through the crowd. Dean watched quietly as the alpha climbed
onto the stage and shoved cash into Alastair’s hand. Probably some knothead who
just thought Dean was pretty. The alpha was offered a leash, but he growled in
response and grabbed Dean’s wrist firmly. Dean was pulled down the steps and
straight out the back door. He stared at his own feet until the alpha stopped
and grabbed Dean’s face, making him look up.
The first thing Dean noticed were his eyes. They were strikingly blue and
filled with sadness and worry. Dean furrowed his brows in confusion as the
alpha took the collar off, which made Dean wince. The collar was so tight that
it left swollen lines and marks on his neck. The alpha’s long, slender fingers
barely grazed over the marks. Dean saw the frown on the alpha’s face and stayed
as still as possible. The alpha opened up his passenger side door and grabbed
Dean’s shoulders, sitting him down in the seat and buckling him in.
Dean was dumbstruck by the turn of events. First of all, how did the alpha
decide to bid on him so fast? Secondly, why did he look so upset? Lastly, why
was he letting him sit up front? Dean had no idea what was going on at this
point. He decided to stay quiet and do whatever he was told to do. He didn't
trust this at all. It was too much like Lucifer.
The alpha got into the driver’s seat and started the car. He looked over at
Dean.
“I am so sorry you ended up there. I've never seen anything so horrible. My
name is Castiel. I'm going to take you to the hospital I work at and make sure
you aren't injured.”
Now Dean was even more suspicious. The similarities between Castiel and Lucifer
were too big. Lucifer started out so caring. He took Dean under his care and
treated him like he mattered. As soon as he earned Dean’s trust, he stopped his
charade and treated Dean like he was nothing more than a sex toy. Dean looked
down at his lap and didn't respond. He wasn't going to be vulnerable. He wasn't
going to let this alpha trick him into loving him. Castiel would never love
him. No alpha goes looking for love at an omega auction. Alphas go to auctions
to find some toy for their own pleasure. They pick the prettiest ass and take
them home until they're ready for something new. Auctioned omegas were nothing
more than breeders and whores for sale.
Castiel noticed Dean’s discomfort almost immediately. “Are you cold? I can turn
on the seat warmer, if you'd like.”
Dean shook his head and stared at his own feet. He wasn't going to speak to
Castiel. That would be too much of a surrender.
Castiel looked back at the road and pulled into the hospital parking lot. He
parked in the employee parking lot and got out of the car. He opened the
passenger’s side door for Dean and waited for him to climb out.
Dean looked up at Castiel and slowly got out of the car. He watched as the
alpha took his jacket off and wrapped it around Dean’s shoulders.
Castiel led Dean into the building and walked straight to his office. He sat
Dean down in his office chair and gave him a small, comforting smile. “Stay
here. I'll be right back.”
Dean gave a tiny nod and refused to make eye contact.
Castiel left the room and walked the halls of the hospital. He asked the
receptionist if there was a room he could borrow for a while. She smiled and
nodded.
“Room 346 is open right now. Who's it for?”
“A homeless omega. I think he was recently pregnant, but I can't quite tell.
Thank you.” Castiel walked quickly back to his office and found Dean in the
same spot, still staring at the floor.
“You can follow me.”
Dean stood up and walked out of the small office. He followed Castiel to the
elevator and then to the room. He sat on the edge of the hospital bed and
shifted nervously. He never liked going to the doctor as a kid, but that was
when he was very young, when his mother was still alive.
Castiel sanitized his hands and put on a pair of gloves. He walked up to Dean
and gave him a comforting smile.
“Just let me know if anything hurts or if you're uncomfortable with anything
I'm doing. I just want to make sure you're healthy and uninjured.”
Dean looked up a little bit and nodded.
Castiel tipped his chin up and looked at his eyes, nose and mouth. His pupils
were two different sizes which was a common sign of a concussion. He pressed
two fingers to Dean’s neck and felt for his lymph nodes. They were normal, so
nothing was infected. He felt along his jaw for any signs of fractures. The jaw
was commonly fractured in abuse situations. He didn't feel anything, so that
was good. He felt along each of Dean’s arms, hands, and fingers and nodded.
Dean wasn't reacting, so he wasn't in pain.
“Everything looks pretty good so far. Could you lie back for me?”
Dean nodded and moved himself around until he was lying flat on his back. He
felt a little exposed like this. His stomach was soft, but he was still
malnourished and skinny all over.
Castiel frowned a little when he saw just how thin Dean was. He slowly reached
out to touch Dean’s stomach, but he yanked his hand back when Dean flinched
away violently and wrapped his arms around himself protectively. Castiel
sighed.
“Have you been pregnant recently?” He asked quietly.
Dean looked away and stayed silent. He wasn't going to give in to what this
alpha wanted.
Castiel frowned and sighed heavily. He walked to the cabinets and got out a
standard vial for collecting blood and a needle. He took Dean’s arm and tied an
elastic band on his upper arm. He wiped Dean’s forearm with a sterile alcohol
wipe and drew a vial of his blood.
Dean let Castiel take his blood without looking at him or even acknowledging
his presence. He twitched a bit at the insertion of the needle, but it wasn't
anything he couldn't handle.
Castiel poked his head out of the room. He called a nurse over and asked her to
run several tests on his blood to find out if he was pregnant, or if he had
just given birth. Certain protein levels in the blood could determine that. He
walked back over to Dean’s bed and sat down on a stool next to him. He needed
as much information as possible, and that wouldn't be easy if Dean wouldn't
speak.
“I know you must be scared, but I really do need you to speak to me. Could you
at least tell me your name?”
Dean sat up and fiddled with a loose thread on Castiel’s coat, which he was
still wearing. He heard Castiel, but he didn't react or respond, much to
Castiel’s disappointment.
“Could you write your name down?” Castiel picked up a notepad for writing
prescriptions and a pen, holding them out to Dean.
Dean looked at Castiel’s hands before slowly taking the pad and pen. He wrote,
‘Dean Winchester’ down and pushed the paper back into the alpha’s hands.
Castiel was extremely pleased that he could somewhat communicate with Dean now.
He looked at the pad and nodded.
“Dean? That's a very nice name. Do you have any family?”
Dean visibly flinched at the question. He did have family out there somewhere,
but he didn't want to see them. He missed Sam dearly, but he would never let
Sam see him like this. As for his father, he hated him. It was his fault that
he ended up here in the first place. He effectively ruined Dean’s entire being.
His once confident, snarky personality was buried deep within him, and now he
was a skinny little thing who jumped at the slightest of sounds.
Castiel frowned and reached out to place his hand on Dean’s shoulder
comfortingly.
Dean flinched away from his touch, his arm coming up in defense. He hated that
reflex. It always got him in trouble. He couldn't just sit there and take it
like he was supposed to. Every time he did it, he was hit even harder. He
lowered his arm and braced himself, squeezing his eyes shut.
Castiel was horrified by what he was seeing. He pulled his hand away and
sighed. Maybe touching wasn't the best idea. “Dean, I'm not going to hit you. I
would never. Please try to relax,” he said quietly.
Dean simply looked away and shifted nervously. His reaction made Castiel sigh
heavily and stand up from his stool. He looked out of the door of the hospital
room. One of the nurses, Anna, was also an omega. Castiel waved her down and
stepped out of the hospital room. He closed the door so that Dean wouldn't hear
his conversation.
“Anna, I think I need your help. Zachariah dragged me to watch one of those
omega auction things. I've never seen anything so horrible. I couldn't leave
without helping in some way. One of them looked like he may have been pregnant
recently, and he just looked so broken. I couldn't leave without getting him
out of there. I've got him in here, but he won't speak, and he's very skittish.
I think speaking to another omega may help him calm down a bit. Could you try
to get him to speak? I just need to be able to communicate with him.” Castiel
was near tears by the end of his explanation.
Anna listened and nodded.
“Of course. What's his name?”
“Dean. I'm going to warn you beforehand, his very malnourished and covered with
scars.”
Anna nodded and entered the room once Castiel had stepped aside. She smiled a
little at Dean and sat down in the stool while Castiel watched from the
doorway. Anna was clearly upset by the sight and instantly sympathetic.
“Hello, Dean. My name is Anna. Would you like something to eat? I can go get
something from the cafeteria. I saw pecan pie earlier.”
Dean looked at Anna skeptically. He did love pecan pie, but he didn't trust the
situation. Of course, his stomach was a tattle tale and it growled loudly.
Anna gave a comforting smile and nodded. “I'll take that as a yes. I'll go get
you a tray from the cafeteria.” She stood up and left the room to go get Dean’s
food.
Castiel went back to the stool and sat down. He watched Dean as he looked
around the room a little, starting to take in his surroundings. Castiel took
this as a sign that Dean was relaxing a little and smiled a bit.
Anna returned shortly with a tray full of food. There was a ham sandwich, a
little side of steamed corn, a glass of apple juice, and a slice of pecan pie.
She set the tray down on the bed for Dean, who stared at it longingly, but
didn't touch it. Even when Anna gestured for him to eat, he didn't budge.
Castiel tilted his head. “You can eat, Dean. I know you're hungry. You don't
have to finish everything, but I'd like to see you eat some of it.”
Dean looked at Castiel for a moment before looking back at the food. This
seemed like some sort of test. Dean wasn't going to let this alpha break him.
He simply shook his head and moved back on the bed, away from the food.
Anna frowned before picking up the plate of pecan pie and a fork. She held it
out.
“I saw you perk up at the mention of pie.” She smiled and moved it closer to
Dean, who backed up against the headboard and shook his head again. Anna sighed
and set it down.
“I'll send this home with you, so when you are hungry, you can eat it.” She
picked up the tray and left the room to get it packaged.
Castiel was happy to get Dean’s test results back. His heart broke a little
when he saw an elevation in proteins that are only in high doses during or
after a miscarriage. He also saw how severely malnourished Dean was. Luckily,
miscarriage can be completed by the body without complications, so there was no
need to intervene. He didn't appear to be past his first trimester. As for the
malnourishment, he just need to make Dean eat. He sighed and set the clipboard
down.
“Dean, I am so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine how painful this must have
been for you.”
Dean visibly tensed at the words. He instantly knew that Castiel knew about his
miscarriage. He started trembling as he tucked his knees to his chest and
turned away from Castiel, who walked around the bed to look at him.
“I'm going to take you back to my house. Hopefully you'll be able to relax a
little more there. I know hospitals aren't a very comforting place. I really
need you to eat the food Anna brought you. You're very malnourished and you
need the nutrients,” he explained, watching him with an expression of worry.
Dean was starting to think that this alpha was just as sick in the head as
Lucifer. He's playing the same game with Dean. He's trying to earn his trust
before throwing Dean aside like he's nothing more than garbage. He turned
around to face the other direction, away from Castiel. He growled and huffed,
refusing to speak or react. Maybe if he misbehaved enough, the alpha would sell
him or even better, maybe he'd snap and kill him. Death would be better than
the pain he was in.
Castiel was a little taken aback by the growl. He wasn't angry, just worried.
He sighed and walked to the door. He held it open and gestured for Dean to
follow. Much to his surprise, Dean didn't get up slowly and follow. He jumped
up and bolted down the halls. Castiel gasped and took off after him. The
hospital security joined Castiel in pursuit of Dean. Castiel had to admit that
Dean was really fast on his skinny little legs. He knew Dean would last long,
though. He was too weak.
Dean panted and bursted through another set of doors. Everyone got out of the
way of the omega except for another security guard, who managed to get an arm
around Dean’s waist and stop him dead in his tracks. Castiel caught up with
ease. He was a runner in his free time, so he had plenty of stamina and speed.
“Thank you, Steve,” Castiel gave the security guard a smile and attempted to
take Dean from him. This earned him a fist to the face from Dean. Castiel
stumbled back in shock and watched as Dean thrashed and growled, kicking and
trying to escape the guard’s grip. The guard quickly cuffed Dean’s wrists
behind his back and pinned him to the wall to keep him from hurting anyone
else.
Castiel shook his head and stepped forward.
“He's just scared, he didn't mean it!”
Dean sobbed and writhed, desperately fighting to get away. The guard let him go
and he slumped to the floor, leaning against the wall.
Castiel knelt down and took Dean’s face in his hands, searching for any sign of
injury. He didn't care that his cheek was throbbing from the punch he received.
He just pulled Dean into a hug and tucked his head under his chin.
Dean was limp as he cried against Castiel’s chest. He was physically and
emotionally spent. He couldn't do anything but cry. The guard had knelt down
behind him and unlocked the cuffs. Dean hardly reacted and just let his arms
hang.
Castiel slipped one of his arms under Dean’s knees and scooped him into his
arms. He stood up and looked at the security guards.
“I'm sorry about the commotion. He was too skittish to do anything not five
minutes ago. I'm going to help him get back on his feet. I pulled him out of an
omega auctioning circle,” he explained before turning to leave. He ignored the
stares from patients, doctors, and nurses as he carried Dean to the back exit
of the hospital.
Anna ran up to him and tapped his shoulder.
“There you are! I have his food. Is everything alright?”
Castiel took the bag and nodded with a small smile.
“Yes. I'm going to get him settled into the guest bedroom of my place.
Hopefully with time, he’ll be back on his feet, and he can support himself.”
Anna smiled and nodded. “Alright. Keep me updated. See you tomorrow.”
Castiel nodded and walked outside. The wind nipped at his nose as he made his
way to his car. He opened the passenger’s side door and set Dean down in the
seat. He buckled him in and set his food on the floor in front of him. Seeing
how unresponsive Dean had suddenly become was unsettling to say the least.
Castiel got into the driver’s seat and began the drive to his house.
He lived in a city in Wyoming called Jackson Hole. It was one of the most
popular skiing resorts in the U.S. During the summer, the weather was gorgeous
and perfect. As fall approached, everyone was preparing for the several feet of
snow that would cover the town for the next three months. During the winter,
the ski resorts would fill up with new tourists and seasonal visitors. Castiel
lived on the side of town where most of the year-round residents lived.
His house was a two story cabin style home with four bedrooms and three
bathrooms. He lived alone, but he did want a family one day.
Castiel pulled into the garage and parked his car. He looked over at Dean, who
hadn't moved since he’d been buckled in. Castiel sighed and tilted his head a
bit as he smiled at Dean. “Let's go inside and you can finish your dinner.”
Dean glanced up at him and stared for a moment before lowering his gaze.
Castiel got out of the car and opened the door for Dean. He was already sure
that the garage door was closed to keep Dean from bolting again. He watched
carefully as Dean got out of the car and stood behind him and slightly to the
left. It was a move that seemed very practiced, and it made Castiel slightly
uncomfortable.
“I'll show you around the house a little first. I have a bedroom you can have
to yourself.”
He led Dean inside the house and closed the door behind them. The house stuck
to the same cabin-style theme as the outside. The kitchen was the first room
you entered from the garage. There was a breakfast bar with three stools and a
large island with decorative pieces scattered around. Everything was perfectly
tidy and had its own place.
Dean was stuck in a trance. He didn't register anything except for Castiel,
whom he followed through the kitchen and into the large living space. This room
had dark, dense and fluffy carpet that looked like it felt wonderful under bare
feet. There was a large leather couch with neatly folded quilts draped over the
back.
Next came the dining space. There was a large, oak table with seating for ten
people. An elegant chandelier hung from the ceiling over the table. Each seat
was carved from a wood Dean couldn't recognize even if he tried. It was stained
to a deep brown that made everything look more cozy.
Castiel started up the staircase, which led to the upstairs bedrooms. He didn't
bother showing Dean the guest bedroom downstairs or the bathroom. They weren't
all that interesting. Instead, he led him to the second bedroom, which was
right next to the master. A queen sized bed with crimson red sheets and a dark
brown comforter sat between the two windows that looked out over the expanse of
forest in the backyard. There was a tall dresser on one side of the room and
two doors on the other. One door led to a walk-in closet, the other to a
bathroom that connected to the third bedroom. There was a shower/bath combo
piece on one side, and the toilet sat on the other. A double sink stood in the
middle of the back wall.
Dean blinked several times and started looking around. He suddenly became aware
of everything and absorbed where he was.
Castiel gestured to the room.
“This will be your room. The bathroom and closet are yours as well.” He gave
Dean a warm smile, hoping he'd seem calmer. The reaction he got was the last
thing he expected. Dean looked offended by what he was seeing. Of course,
Castiel didn't know the real reason Dean was upset. He was angry because to
him, this was some sort of sick game. Dean truly believed that this was just to
gain his trust before he could put him in the basement and treat him like
garbage, just like everyone else did.
Dean scowled and walked straight to the corner. He sat down and tucked his
knees to his chest before laying down completely. This was familiar, this is
where he felt he belonged.
Castiel was confused and appalled by the reaction he got. He walked over to the
bed and pulled back the comforter and sheets. He patted the pillow.
“This is your bed. If you're tired, you can sleep here.”
Dean growled and curled tighter into a ball. He closed his eyes and refused to
move.
Castiel walked over to him and knelt down. He slid one arm under Dean’s knees
and the other under his shoulders. He started to lift Dean, but promptly
dropped him when he got an elbow to the nose. He backed off and tilted his head
back as soon as he felt blood dripping. He sighed and walked to the bathroom.
Once over the sink, he let his head hang so that the blood could drain.
Dean pressed his face into the corner and squeezed his eyes shut. It couldn't
be long now before he was taken back to Alastair. Maybe it would take one or
two more acts against Castiel, but as long as he gets out of this teasing game,
he's perfectly alright.
Castiel sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't understand why Dean
was trying to hurt him, but his best guess was that he was scared. He looked in
the mirror and checked his nose and cheek from where he'd been punched earlier.
Nothing was broken, but he'd probably have a bruised nose in the morning. The
bleeding didn't take very long to stop, much to Castiel’s relief. He rinsed his
face and the sink before returning to the bedroom. He picked up a quilt that
was draped over the edge of the bed and one of the fluffy pillows. He knelt
down behind Dean and covered him in the quilt. He left the pillow right behind
his head, hoping he would take it.
Instead, Dean shoved the pillow away and kicked the blanket off. He felt a
sense of achievement when he heard Castiel’s aggravated sigh.
“Dean, I'm just trying to help you. Why aren't you letting me?” Castiel sounded
like some kind of wounded animal. The sound made Dean's chest pang with guilt.
He curled up tighter and hid his face.
Castiel leaned against the wall and sighed. Dean had to move eventually, and he
would wait until he did so. He closed his eyes and settled down for a long
wait.
Dean glanced at Castiel and huffed. He still had the alpha’s coat on. As much
as he wanted to throw it off as an act of defiance, the thing smelled too damn
good. The only way to describe the smell was the word, homely. It made him feel
warm and cozy inside, which he hated. He couldn't let himself want this alpha.
It hurt too much to get attached.
Several hours passed. Dean was still refusing to move, and Castiel was waiting
patiently beside him. Dean’s stomach was being a traitor and growling loudly at
him. Castiel looked at Dean and decided to try to get him up again.
“You're hungry. Let's go get your dinner so you can eat. It's not healthy to
skip meals.” He tried to be as encouraging as possible, but that only seemed to
make Dean even more upset.
Dean growled and turned over. He was done. This was too much for him to handle.
What the hell was wrong with alphas? Every single one was just as sick in the
head as Lucifer. Castiel was the same. Dean was convinced that Castiel just
wanted to see him break into a submissive little thing.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?! You show me all this good food and this
beautiful bedroom just to watch my face when you take it all away? We both know
damn well that I don't actually deserve any of this! You didn't go to that
auction to find a friend or a mate, you went to that auction for a bitch.
That's what every alpha who goes into that godforsaken place wants. I won't
give you the satisfaction of my disappointment when you show me where you
actually want me. So where is it? The basement? Tied up outside? I've seen it
all, so go ahead and show me, you stupid fucking knothead!” Dean shouted, tears
pricking at his eyes and spilling down his cheeks. He stared at Castiel’s
appalled face with a glare until what he said sunk in. He shrank away and
covered his head defensively, preparing himself for the inevitable beating he
was about to receive.
Instead of kicks to the ribs or being thrown, he felt warm arms wrap around his
body and pull him into a tight hug. His head was tucked under the alpha’s chin
in a protective gesture. Dean was overwhelmed with emotion from the affection,
what he'd said, and the calming scent of Castiel. He choked out a sob and cried
into Castiel’s chest, unable to anything more.
Castiel held Dean tight against his own body and slowly rocked back and forth.
His own tears fell down his cheeks in sympathy for the omega in his arms. He
never knew how bad it was for omegas in those places, and he was horrified when
he saw how bad it was for Dean. He couldn't do anything but hold him and do his
best to calm him down. He listened as Dean’s heaving sobs turned to soft
sniffles, and then even breathing. He had cried himself to sleep. Castiel
gently lifted him and laid him down on the bed. He pulled the blankets over
Dean’s sleeping form and tucked him in. He left the small lamp on the bedside
table on and slowly left the room. He left the door open as he entered his own
room. He made sure his own bedroom door was open before he began preparing for
bed.
Castiel found himself much too exhausted for any kind of dinner. He was a
little shell shocked from the day. He washed his face and sighed heavily. He
started to wonder if he had taken on more than he could handle. He took a deep
breath before retiring to his bed. He laid awake in thought. Helping Dean would
be a slow build-up of trust. For now, all he could do was fall asleep and hope
Dean slept well through the night.
***** Progress *****
Chapter Summary
     I've noticed some confusion about ages, so here's a list of
     characters and their ages. I'll make sure to be more clear as I go!
     Dean-20
     Castiel-26
     Lucifer-35
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Castiel was awoken by loud screams coming from Dean’s room. He practically left
out of his bed and ran into Dean’s room. Just as he ran in, Dean shot up in
bed, wide eyed and panting. His hand was clamped over the side of his neck and
shaking. Castiel slowly approached Dean and gave him a comforting smile. As he
reached out to place his hand on Dean’s shoulder, the omega flinched away from
his touch. Castiel blinked and pulled his hand back.
“Are you alright?”
Dean nodded and turned onto his side, facing away from Castiel. He pulled the
covers up to his neck and huffed out a breath.
Castiel frowned slightly and chewed on his lower lip. He debated trying to
comfort Dean, and decided that he should do something to be helpful. He reached
out and gently placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder.
Dean huffed out another large puff of air and smacked Castiel’s hand away. He
scooted away from the alpha and refused to look in his direction.
Castiel sighed and backed off. He rubbed his hand, which stung from the slap.
“Goodnight, Dean. I'm just across the hall if you need anything.” He sighed
when he saw that Dean wasn't going to respond in any way. He left the room,
leaving the door open. He looked out the window at the end of the wall and saw
that the sun was just starting to rise. He checked the alarm clock in his room.
5:47. It would go off in fifteen minutes to wake him up for work. He sighed and
turned it off before opening up his closet. He pulled on a pair of baby blue
scrubs with a white trim. He put on his work tennis shoes and walked to the
bathroom to finish getting ready.
Once he was prepared to leave, he walked down to the kitchen to grab some
breakfast. He made four slices of toast with strawberry jam and honey. The
first two pieces were for himself. He put the other two on a plate and carried
it to Dean’s room. He turned on the small lamp on the bedside table and set
that plate down on the table.
“I brought you some breakfast. I have to go to work. I'll be back around six
thirty tonight. You're welcome to anything in the fridge. Your dinner from last
night is on the kitchen table. I have Netflix on the living room television.
The remote should be on the coffee table. I'll see you tonight.” He gave Dean a
friendly smile, which quickly faded when he saw that Dean hid himself even
more. He sighed and left the room, leaving the door open for Dean.
Castiel was in a hurry to get to the hospital. He needed to distract himself
with idiots in the ER and his coworkers. He hoped to speak to one of the
psychiatrists at the hospital for advice on Dean. He was already convinced that
he had some kind of post traumatic stress disorder.
As he clocked in and got his coat on, he felt a little more confident in
himself. He was almost immediately handed a clipboard describing his first
patient. He scanned it as he walked on instinct through the halls to the room
listed on the papers.
~~~
Dean stayed in bed for god knows how long. All he knew is that the sun was in
his eyes and he had to get up. He looked at the toast and glanced around
nervously. It had to be some kind of trap, but if it was, maybe he'd be beaten
to death for it. In his state of mind, that sounded like a good option. He
picked up the first piece of toast and chewed down hungrily. He hadn't eaten in
days, and he felt himself wasting away. He finished the first in seconds and
practically stuffed the second into his mouth. He felt much better and felt
well enough to get out of bed. He took a minute to get a good look at the
bedroom. Everything was of good quality, and he couldn't find a single thing
out of place. He wandered out of his room to explore the rest of the house. He
went straight downstairs and started looking for a basement. He opened doors to
a bathroom, a closet, a guest bedroom, and yet another closet. He finally found
a basement door and gulped before slowly walking down the stairs. Basements had
a very negative connotation in his mind. Even though the walls of the stairs
were painted nicely, he still felt uneasy. It felt like this would be the last
time he saw these walls, and he'd be trapped down here for years, fed meager
scraps for food, and forced to endure torture and rape until he wasted away.
Dean shook those thoughts away for now and flicked on the light. He was
surprised to find a pleasant rec room with another TV and a treadmill. He found
another bedroom and a bathroom around the corner and furrowed his brows. He
opened every door, searching for some horrible room. His breathing became
labored as he found nothing that was alarming. It should have been relieving
that the house had nothing bad, but instead, he was panicking. This wasn't what
was supposed to happen. He found a closet with the water heater and crawled
into the corner, careful not to touch the hot metal. This was the closest to
what he knew. He curled into a ball and trembled, holding back tears.
~~~
Castiel finished his shift at six and stopped by the nurse’s station to talk to
Anna. She was filling out a report when she saw Castiel.
“How was last night? Get any sleep?” She asked.
“I slept well. I'm not sure about Dean. He woke up around five forty-five from
a nightmare.”
Anna sighed and nodded. “What happened to your nose?”
“He got upset and elbowed me. I think he thinks I'll leave him alone if he
keeps attacking me. I'm trying to be persistent on helping him. He's refused
every gesture so far, and when I saw him this morning, he still hadn't eaten.
I'm going to set up a meeting with a psychiatrist to see if I can get him some
mental help.”
Anna couldn't help but smile. “You're so good-natured, Castiel. You didn't have
to do anything, and here you are, feeding and housing an omega you've only just
met to get him back on his feet.”
Castiel blushed and rolled his eyes. “I’m just doing what I think is right.
I'll keep you updated. See you tomorrow.”
“See ya.” Anna waved goodbye before going back to her report.
Castiel hung up his coat in his office and put away his files in his filing
cabinet. He walked out the back door to his car and hummed quietly to himself.
The temperature had already dropped for the night, and it was completely dark
out. He started up his ar and turned on the seat warmer. He listened to quiet
classical music as he drove back to his house. As he pulled up and parked in
the garage, nothing seemed different to him. He closed the garage door and
entered the house. He opened the box of food to check if Dean had eaten it. He
found it untouched and sighed. He picked up the box and tossed it into the
garbage. It was probably pretty stale after sitting out all day and night. He
took his shoes off and walked upstairs to check on Dean. He opened the bedroom
door, and the first thing he noticed is that the toast was gone. That was
encouraging, although Dean was nowhere to be seen in the bedroom. Castiel
looked through the bathroom before looking in every room upstairs.
“Dean? Are you in here?” He looked around his room and found it just as he left
it. His heart started racing at the idea that Dean had run away. He ran back
downstairs and searched each room and under every piece of furniture, calling
out Dean’s name.
He was about to start searching outside when he noticed that the basement door
was open. He jogged down the stairs and started searching again. Down the
hallway, he saw the closet open and sat an outline of a person huddled in the
corner. Castiel turned on the light and knelt down.
“Dean, what are doing down here?” He asked. He saw Dean covered in sweat from
the heat of the water heater.
“Were you cold?”
Dean pressed himself further back, hoping that Castiel wouldn't be able to
reach him. He shook his head and slipped behind the water heater.
Castiel moved further back and held his hand out for Dean. “Please come out.
You're going to burn yourself.”
Dean stared at Castiel and slowly moved out from behind the water heater. He
refused the alpha’s hand, but he crawled out of the closet.
Castiel let out a sigh of relief and closed the closet door. He switched the
light off.
“Thank you. Let's go upstairs and make some dinner? Alright?”
Dean silently cursed his stomach for growling and giving him away. The toast
was good, and he was still starving. He nodded and stood up, ready to follow
Castiel.
Castiel gave a small smile at the improvement in Dean’s responses. There was no
violence or refusal, and there was even acceptance. That was a start. He let
Dean follow him up the stairs and to the kitchen. He pulled one of the stools
at the breakfast bar out for Dean to sit on before opening up the fridge.
Dean sat down on the stool and watched Castiel go to the fridge. This was his
way of testing the waters to try and find Castiel’s motive. It was already
clear that he wasn't like any other alpha Dean ever had. Whether he was better
or worse was still undecided by Dean. He didn't know who or what to believe.
This could all be some horrible game, but it could also be a one-in-a-million
chance to get out of that auction house for good.
Castiel looked around the fridge and then back at Dean.
“How do cheeseburgers sound?”
Dean felt his mouth water at the sound of a cheeseburger. He nodded to confirm
that he wanted one.
Castiel gave a small smile and got out frozen ground beef, a block of cheddar
cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion slices. He put a pan and a grill plate on
the stove and turned it on. He used a large knife to cut the block of beef into
two servings and put each on the stove. Once they had de-thawed, he took them
off with a spatula and used a rubber mold to form the shape of a patty. He put
the beef back on the stove to cook and hummed quietly to himself.
Dean watched with great interest. He'd never seen anyone make a burger from
scratch before, so it was fun to watch. The smell was divine, and he thought he
might start drooling.
Cas waited until the patties were done before slicing two pieces of cheese and
placing them on top to let the cheese melt onto the patty. Once it was done, he
turned the stove off and got out two plates. He opened up the pantry and got
out two burger buns. He built each burger with a cheese patty, a piece of
lettuce, a slice of tomato, and some onion. He put a plate in front of Dean
before making a glass of ice water and setting that in front of him too.
Dean went straight for the water. He picked up the glass and drank almost all
of it before pausing for breath. He was very dehydrated and the water felt
incredible on his tongue and throat. He moved to the burger next and picked it
up. He took a large bite and his eyes fell closed. He hadn't had anything this
good in years. He chewed and swallowed before taking another large bite.
Castiel found himself beaming with pride that he was able to get Dean to eat
and drink comfortably. He made a glass of water for himself before he started
to eat. Cheeseburgers were one of his favorite food items, but he didn't make
them very often, since they weren't very healthy. Even the way he made them was
still high in calories and fat, although, it looked like Dean needed that.
Castiel refilled Dean’s water and continued eating his own burger.
Dean finished his burger and licked his fingers clean. He let out a small sigh
of relief and picked up his plate. He gulped down the glass of water again
before standing up. Completely on instinct, he picked up Castiel’s plate and
put all the dishes in the sink. He turned the water on and started cleaning
them.
Castiel made a surprised face and reached over, turning the water off. “Just
leave those there. I'll get them later.”
Dean made a face right back at Castiel. “You're an alpha…” he murmured.
Castiel raised an eyebrow, at the fact that Dean was speaking and at the
comment. “And?”
“I...I thought only omegas did things like this, dishes and cooking…” Dean
looked down at the floor.
“I've always done my own cooking, cleaning, everything. Who told you that?”
Castiel asked.
Dean paused. “Everyone…”
Castiel frowned and sighed. “Well, they're wrong. I have eight siblings, and
only two of them are omegas, and they’re the babies of the family, so they
didn't do any housework whatsoever. The alphas did everything, including taking
care of the babies. Saying that omegas are the only ones who can do housework
is ridiculous in my eyes.”
Dean blinked and looked up at him. “You really think that? You're not lying?”
Castiel nodded. “Of course.” He pulled his wallet from his pocket and pulled a
family picture out of the pocket. He showed it to Dean and pointed to Gabriel
and Balthazar. “Those are my youngest brothers. They're omegas. The rest of the
boys are alphas, and the girls are betas.”
Dean looked over the picture and nodded. He looked at each member before coming
across a familiar face. His eyes went wide and he backed up slightly.
Castiel frowned. “What's wrong?”
“I...I know one of them. He looks like the oldest in that picture...I don't
know...He was my last alpha.” Dean’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Castiel looked at the picture again. “Lucifer?”
A shiver went up Dean’s spine just at the mention of the name. He backed up
even further and nodded. No wonder Lucifer and Castiel were so alike. They were
brothers.

Castiel put the picture back in his wallet.
“I'm so sorry. My father disowned him years ago, since he kept beating his
younger siblings.” He paused and watched Dean as he continued backing into the
corner.
“Did he hurt you?” Castiel started moving forwards towards Dean, trying to
comfort him.
This only made Dean back up further until he was trapped in the corner. He gave
a small nod and pressed himself against the wall.
Castiel stopped when he realized that Dean was scared.
“Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not anything like him.”
Dean glared. “You're just like him. You've taken me in, shown me all of these
wonderful things, acted like you care, but it's all a lie. You're just going to
take it all away and laugh when you see the disappointment on my face. Well
guess what, buddy? You're not getting it. I don't believe your little charade
for a second. So go ahead and just do it, just do what you've been holding back
all this time. Beat me. Beat me until I'm nearly dead just for your own
satisfaction. Hell, why don't you just go ahead and kill me? It's not like I
even want to be alive anymore!” He stood up a little straighter and started
moving back towards Castiel. As soon as he finished, he closed his eyes and
braced himself.
Castiel stepped back in shock, his mouth hanging open when he saw Dean bracing
for a punch or any other strike. He was shocked by the sudden pull in his
stomach that told him to do anything to protect the omega in front of him. He
led never felt anything like it. His brain screamed for him to take Dean into
his arms and hold him tightly. He couldn't think for a few seconds and stood
there, just blinking and staring at Dean. Once he regained his control, he
gently cupped Dean’s face and kissed his forehead.
“I would never do that to you, Dean. I'm not like my brother. I just want you
to be happy.”
Dean opened his eyes at the kiss and looked up at him. He felt a similar pull
in his stomach, but this one told him to curl into Castiel’s arms and stay
there forever. He huffed and slapped Castiel’s hands away.
“Douchebag.” He muttered before turning and storming up the stairs. He slammed
the door to his bedroom and growled to himself.
Castiel couldn't do anything but watch him go. He sighed and put his elbows on
the counter. He put his face in his hands and let out a long breath. Why did he
feel so strongly for Dean? It hurt like hell to see him upset, and all he
wanted was to make him happy.
Dean was just as upset in his room. He wasn't supposed to like the alphas he
got stuck with. He was all-too-aware of his Stockholm Syndrome situation with
Lucifer, and he felt like it was happening all over again. He undressed himself
before climbing into the bed and curling into a ball. He put one of the pillows
over his head to block out all light and noise.
Castiel walked up the stairs and decided to at least check on Dean. He saw the
jacket he gave him the day before, and the underwear Dean was wearing when he
first saw him. He looked at the bed and saw a lump, which he assumed was Dean.
He picked up the clothes and left the room so that he could wash them. As he
walked, he picked up a smell that was absolutely intoxicating. He sniffed at
his jacket and found that Dean’s scent had rubbed off on it. Why was it so damn
good? He found himself leaning against the wall with the jacket to his face,
breathing heavily. He dropped the underwear on the floor and just stood there
with the jacket. His body went against his mind, and he realized that he had a
serious boner going. Well, no turning back now.
Castiel shuffled into his room and closed the door. He shucked off his scrubs
pants and his shirt, leaving him in his boxers. He laid down on his bed and
held the jacket to his nose. His free hand slowly travelled to his crotch. He
rarely touched himself these days. He was always told it was wrong as a kid, so
there was always a sense of fear in it. With the scent from the jacket, all of
that fear was gone. He pushed his boxers aside and wrapped his hand around his
already hard member. He made a soft noise of pleasure as he stroked himself. It
took less than five minutes before he was gasping and coming all over his
stomach. He even popped a knot, all over Dean’s scent rubbed off on a jacket.
God, what had Castiel gotten himself into?
Chapter End Notes
     Dean is starting to make progress, but now both of them are in a
     pretty weird dilemma. Dean doesn't want to love Castiel, and Castiel
     thinks he could never be loved back by Dean. Oh shit, things are
     getting serious. Also, I'm trying not to drag out Dean's recovery. I
     feel like it'll get old really fast. Don't forget to comment! I'm
     replying to every comment on this chapter, since I was so bad about
     it for the last chapter.
***** Reunion *****
Chapter Summary
     Hopefully this chapter will clear up certain details. I know you're
     all curious, but I'm withholding details for a reason. Everything is
     coming together, slowly but surely
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Castiel woke up to the sound of his alarm. He grumbled and turned over to turn
it off. What he didn't expect was to roll on top of a lump that was right next
to him. His eyes snapped open and the figure jumped back and off the bed.
Castiel looked over the edge of the bed and saw Dean on the floor, looking
startled and confused.

“Why did you move me?” Dean asked.

“I didn't move you. Have you ever sleepwalked?”

“I don't think so.” Dean mumbled, looking down at the floor. He tucked his legs
to his chest in shame. He must have wandered in here in the middle of the
night. The worst part was, he was stark naked.

Castiel got out of bed and opened his closet. He found some briefs that were
too small for him and a pair of pajama pants. He picked out a t-shirt and
brought the clothes to Dean. He set them down next to him before leaving to go
to the bathroom to give Dean privacy, and to get ready for the day. He brushed
his teeth and somewhat fixed his hair. It was stuck in a perpetual state of
messiness, so there really wasn't a point in trying. While he got ready, he
thought about Dean ending up in his bed. It must be a habit at this point. From
what he'd heard, Dean had been with more than one alpha, and it was likely that
he always stayed in the same bed with them. It made sense that Dean’s
subconscious self would want to sleep near the closest alpha.

Dean waited until Castiel was in the bathroom before dressing himself. The t-
shirt was a little baggy, but it fit just fine. The briefs were a little loose,
but they stayed on. The pajama pants were fine in leg length, but they dropped
to the ground as soon as Dean pulled them up. He sighed and picked them up
again. He pulled the drawstrings until the pants were snug against his hips and
tied a small bow. It looked a little ridiculous with the strings hanging
halfway down his thighs, but if he didn't, the pants would hit the ground
again.

Castiel emerged from the bathroom and walked back to his closet. He glanced at
the hamper and gulped at the sight of the jacket he jerked off to last night in
the hamper. He ignored it and dressed himself in fresh scrubs. He needed to do
laundry soon. He was running low on clean scrubs. Once he was dressed, he
flicked the light to the closet off and looked at Dean, who was standing
patiently next to the bed.
“You can follow me downstairs and we’ll get you some breakfast.”

Dean looked at Castiel and nodded. He followed him down the stairs and into the
kitchen. He sat in the seat that was pulled out for him and put his hands in
his lap.

Castiel opened the fridge and pulled out a large pitcher full of pancake
batter. He set it on the counter and put a large pan on the stove.

Dean watched and tilted his head slightly. He'd never seen anyone do that, but
it was clever.

“How old are you, Dean?” Castiel asked.

“Oh, I'm twenty.”

Castiel nodded.
“I'm twenty six.”

“Isn't that really young to be a doctor?” Dean asked.

“Yes, it is very young. I went to an online academy for high school, and I
graduated at fifteen. I finished undergrad by eighteen, and I finished led
school at twenty three. There are tons of opportunities to complete your
education in much shorter periods of time. I was a resident for a year and a
half, and then I was hired as the attending physician at the hospital I took
you to the other day. I really didn't expect it to happen so fast, but it just
did.” He shrugged.

Dean listened with wide eyes.
“You must be really smart.”

Castiel grinned slightly.
“That's very kind of you to say.” He brought a stack of pancakes to Dean’s
place and set it in front of him. He got his syrup out of the pantry and set it
in front of him.

Dean gave a grateful nod and picked up his silverware. He dove into the plate
of pancakes and hummed quietly as he ate.

Castiel ate his own food and watched Dean. He thought about how he could help
him adjust to being out of the auction circle.
“Do you have any siblings?”

Dean paused and nodded.
“Just one younger brother.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“Five years ago. The day I presented. That's when my dad sold me.”

Castiel furrowed his brows.
“Your father sold you?”

Dean nodded.
“He wanted me to be an alpha. When he found out I wasn't, he got rid of me. I'd
just be in the way.”

Castiel frowned and shook his head.
“That's terrible. Why on earth would you be ‘in the way?’”

Dean shrugged and looked away. He stuffed his mouth full of pancake.

Castiel took that as a sign to stop prying. He looked at the clock and sighed.
“I have to go to work. I'll be back around six thirty, same time as yesterday.
I have the day off tomorrow, so I'll be home all day. There’s plenty to eat in
the fridge, so get yourself some lunch this afternoon. I'll bring dinner home.”
He gave Dean a small smile as he pulled his shoes on.

Dean nodded and looked around a little.
“I...I could do the housework while you're gone.”

Castiel quickly shook his head.
“No. Remember what I told you yesterday? I don't believe in that gender roles
crap. You relax and take care of yourself. Watch some Netflix, take a shower,
take a run on the treadmill. Do whatever helps you relax.”

Dean blinked several times before nodding. It was still strange to hear that
from an alpha.
“I'll, uh, take a shower.” He turned and quickly walked up the stairs to escape
any awkwardness.

Castiel watched him go and let out a soft sigh. He picked up his bag and left
the house for the hospital. He was barely out of the driveway when his phone
rang.
“Hello?”

“Cas! It's Anna. I have a question that you probably don't know the answer to,
but hopefully you do. Does Dean have any siblings?”

Castiel blinked in surprise.
“Uh, yeah. He said he has one younger brother. Why do you ask?”

“In the middle of the night, this lanky alpha kid came running in covered in
blood. We don't have much backstory, but he's really shaken up, and we have a
name and age. His name is Sam Winchester and he's sixteen. We got him cleaned
up, but we’ve had to call security a few times. He freaks out anytime an alpha
comes near him and starts lashing out. See if you can bring Dean. It could be
hugely beneficial to both of them to see a family member.” Her voice was rushed
and excited at the same time.

Castiel immediately turned around and drove back to his house.
“Thank you for the call. I'll go get him. See you there”

“See you.”

Castiel hung up and parked in the driveway. He ran inside to catch Dean before
he got in the shower.

Dean heard Castiel’s running footsteps as he walked into the bathroom and
stepped out into the hall to see what was going on. He saw Castiel come running
up the stairs.

“Dean! Come on, there's something I have to show you.”

Dean furrowed his brows and backed up slightly before slowly emerging from the
room. He followed Castiel back down the stairs and out to the car. Castiel made
him put on a pair of shoes that were a little too big so that his feet wouldn't
get cold. Dean sat down in the passenger seat of the car and buckled himself
in.

Castiel started up the car again with an excited grin. He pulled out of the
driveway and started towards the hospital. The drive was silent except for the
quiet classical music on the radio. He parked in his spot and hopped out of the
car.

Dean followed Castiel into the hospital, glancing back and forth at the
somewhat familiar faces from his first visit here. He watched Castiel pick up a
clipboard and walk straight towards a room. Dean stayed right behind him as the
door opened and kept his gaze downcast, especially since loud growling started
as soon as Castiel entered.

“It's okay, I'm not going to touch you. I brought someone you might know.”
Castiel smiled and stepped aside so that Sam could see Dean.

Sam stopped growling as soon as he saw Dean. He recognized him, but it wasn't
easy to. He didn't look the same at all. The confident, swaggering older
brother was hidden by this timid outer shell.
“Dean?”

Dean looked up as soon as he heard the voice and his eyes widened to the size
of dinner plates. His little brother, the boy he practically raised, and the
one he thought he'd never see again, was right there in front of him. He didn't
hesitate in running forward and hugging him tightly.

Sam threw his arms around Dean and held on for dear life.
“I thought you were dead…”

Dean shook his head and gently rubbed Sam’s back, just like he did when he was
still with him.
“No, it's okay. I'm here. What happened? Are you hurt?” Dean looked him over.

Sam shrugged.
“I'm fine, I guess.”

Castiel smiled as he watched them, pleased to see how happy it made both of
them to see one another. He looked over his clipboard, and when he saw a note
written down, he immediately understood why Sam was growling at all the alphas.
He started walking closer, but stopped when Sam turned and growled.

Dean shook his head.
“It's okay. He's not going to hurt you.”

Castiel felt a swell of pride when he heard Dean say that. It felt like a huge
milestone in gaining Dean’s trust. He looked back to Sam with a small smile.

Dean looked at Sam again.
“Wait, how did you get here from Kansas on your own?”

“I jumped in the back of a moving truck. They found me when they parked at that
apartment complex across the street. I ran here, because I thought they would
chase me into a hospital.” Sam explained.

Castiel nodded.
“That was a smart move, especially with your injury.”

Dean frowned. “Injury?”

Sam looked down and backed away from Dean. He glanced nervously at Castiel
before staring at his hands.

Castiel walked out of the room and closed the door to let Sam talk.

“Sammy, what happened?”

“Well, ever since you ran away, Dad has been all messed up. He was weirdly
happy for a while, but then he started getting drunk a lot more often. He did a
lot of things. I presented the other day, and I just snapped. I shoved him away
and he just started hitting me. He pulled a knife and he got the side of my
chest pretty good.” Sam pulled up his hospital gown to show the now stitched-up
wound.

Dean pulled Sam into a hug, because he instantly understood what John had done
to Sam. John was never a good father to them after Mary died. He'd gone so far
to beat them and harass them verbally, but there was a line that he crossed
every once in awhile that still struck fear into Dean’s heart. An alpha who
loses their mate is a dangerous thing. Guilt and anger possesses them for the
rest of their lives. Often times, it manifests as some horrible tendency to
sexually attack those closest to them in an effort to remember what having a
mate was like. Dean did his best to make sure John just found his way to bed
instead of trying to rape Dean. It became clear that after Dean was gone, John
only had one target left, Sam.

Dean’s heart was heavy with guilt. The one person he hoped would never know the
horrors of having every last piece of childhood innocence ripped from their
body, had been experiencing it for the same amount of time as Dean.

Castiel looked over the charts on the clipboard. All the information the nurses
had was: “Presented recently (Alpha), laceration on the left side of the chest,
rape victim.”
He sighed. What was it with Winchesters and bad luck? He walked back into the
room and slowly approached the bed.
“I was just looking over this paperwork. We need a legal guardian to take you
home, Sam. I w-”

“I'll take him. He stays with me.” Dean interrupted Castiel.

Castiel sighed.
“I know how much you want to, but that's a long court case that neither one of
you want to go through.”

Dean frowned and huffed.
“He's not going back with our father.” He stood up and stood over Castiel.

“Alright, he won't. I promise. Is there anyone else?”

Sam looked at Castiel.
“We have Uncle Bobby. He's not actually our biological uncle, but he’s a legal
guardian. He lives in Sioux Falls.”

“South Dakota? That's pretty far away from here. Could we call him and see if
he can come get you?” Castiel asked.

Sam nodded and pulled a phone out of his pocket. There were thirteen missed
called from John. He ignored them and went to his contacts. He pulled up
Bobby’s number and handed the phone to Castiel.

Castiel nodded and gave a small smile.
“Thank you. You two can catch up for a little while. I'll tell him what's going
on.” He stepped outside and clicked on the number. There were only two rings
before a gruff voice answer.

“Sam?”

“Hello. This is Doctor Novak at St. John's Medical Center in Jackson Hole. Sam
arrived here last night after hitchhiking in the back of a moving van. He ran
away from his father after an altercation, which resulted in a laceration on
the side of Sam’s chest. I can't release him without a legal guardian, and his
older brother isn't in a state to watch over him.”

There was a long pause. Castiel heard a cough and a sigh on the other line.

“You have the wrong brother. His older brother died five years ago.” Bobby
huffed, running a hand over his face.

“No, I have the right Dean. They recognize each other and they're talking
together right now. I would tell you where Dean has been, but that's his story
to tell.”

“I'll be there by tonight. I got a place to stay nearby, so I'll stick around
for a while. What have the police done about John?”

“We’re working on that. Chances are, he’ll end up in prison for all that he's
done.” Castiel paused for a long moment. “The most I’ll say about Dean, is that
John sold him into an omega auction ring. He was rescued a few days ago.”

Bobby’s heart dropped to his stomach. He never knew that Dean was an omega, let
alone that John had the gall to sell Dean like property. He sighed and nodded.
“Thank you for tellin’ me. That boy is as stubborn as a mule, I never woulda
heard anything if you hadn't told me.”

“You're welcome, sir.”

“Alright. See ya tonight.” Bobby hung up the phone and got up to start packing
up for the trip.

Castiel turned the phone off and walked back to the hospital room. Sam and Dean
were sitting quietly, and it appeared that they hadn't spoken since Castiel
left the room.

Sam looked up at Castiel and suppressed a growl. He looked away in
embarrassment and sighed.

“Don't be embarrassed. Your hormones are going to be all over the place for a
few days. You'll adjust to them. Your uncle will be here by tonight.” He set
the phone on the bed.
“I have to go check on other patients. I'll have someone bring lunch and dinner
for both of you when the time comes.”

Sam nodded.
“Thank you.” He waited until Castiel left the room before looking up at Dean.
“How long have you two been mated?”

Dean blinked in surprise.
“What? We’re not mated.”

Sam furrowed his brows and gestured to the scars of previous marks on Dean’s
neck.
“Then what are those?”

Dean put his hand over his neck.
“Nothing. Just some old scars. I've had them forever.”

Sam frowned and stared at Dean. He was nothing like he was before. His voice
was softer and less rough. He had a nervous twitch in his hands and his eyes
darted around constantly.
“Does he hurt you?”

Dean quickly shook his head.
“No, no he wouldn't hurt a fly, I think. He's been helping me. I've only known
him for the past couple days, but he's been a saint. I've been kind of a dick
to him, though.” He shrugged, suddenly feeling guilty about all the crap he
made Castiel put up with.

Sam nodded and sighed. He knew Dean was lying about something, but he wasn't
sure what it was.
“Well, there's always a chance to make it better.”

Dean shrugged again and looked away. He sat silently in thought for a while.
Castiel surely didn't deserve to deal with a damaged, stubborn omega with
serious self-esteem issues. Sam shouldn't have to see him like this, and Bobby
would be mortified to see Dean in this state. He couldn't let his appearance
hurt the people he loved. That's when he got an idea that sounded like a great
idea to him, but it was all around stupid.
“I'm gonna go get something to eat.” He stood up and gave Sam a pat on the
thigh before leaving the room. No one seemed to question him as he found his
way to the elevator, and then to the front of the building. He shivered when
the cold wind hit his face, but he took a deep breath and trekked on. This was
for the best.

~~~

Castiel had an incredibly busy work day. He was back and forth across the halls
checking on patients. Anna stopped him in the hall that night with an older man
by her side.

“This is Dr. Novak. He’ll bring you to Sam.” She gave Bobby a smile before
going in the opposite direction.

Castiel gave Bobby and friendly smile.
“He's at the end of this hall.” He led Bobby to Sam’s room and opened the door.

Sam was asleep for most of the day. He woke up at the sound of the door and sat
up.

Bobby walked straight up to Sam and hugged him tightly.
“I'm so sorry, boy.”

Sam hugged Bobby back and sighed.

Castiel looked around the room and noticed that Dean was missing.
“Sam, where did Dean go?

Sam looked over at Castiel and shrugged.
“He went to go get something to eat this morning. I assumed that he stayed with
you.”

Castiel sighed and cursed under his breath.
“I'm going to try and find him. His discharge papers are on that table. Just
sign for him and you can go home. There's also instructions for taking care of
his laceration.” He spoke quickly before turning and power walking to the
security office.
“I need the security footage for today. Someone’s gone missing.”

“A patient went missing?”

“No, former patient, but it's really important that I find him. I think he
snuck out around eight this morning.”

The security guard nodded and ran the footage back to eight. He ran through it
quickly to let Castiel look and stopped once he pointed to the screen. They
watched the cameras as Dean walked down the halls, through the lobby, and out
the front door.

“Damn it. He's going to freeze to death in just a t-shirt. Thank you so much.”
He ran out of the room and back to the nurse’s station. He found one of the
residents and put his clipboards in his hands.
“I'm having somewhat of an emergency and I have to go. I trust you to make sure
everyone gets taken care of. Good luck.” He clapped the terrified looking
resident on the back before bolting out of the back door of the hospital. He
got into his car and looked around. Dean could have gone anywhere, and he had
hours to wander. He started driving down the main road, looking left and right
for any sign of him.

After an hour of driving, he was starting to panic. Anything could have
happened to Dean in the last ten hours. He started checking some of the
outskirts of ranches and farms. He saw a figure in the woods next to the road
against the tree and immediately pulled over. He looked through the back of his
car and found a fluffy blanket that he used to warm up on cold days. He grabbed
it and started scrambling up the hill. As he got closer, he recognized the
curled up figure as Dean. He knelt down next to him and wrapped the blanket
around him and rubbed his arms vigorously. Dean was shivering hard. His lips
were blue and he had frozen tears on his cheeks. Castiel picked him up with
ease and put him in the passenger seat of his car. He cranked up the heat to
full blast and turned on the seat warmer.
“What were you thinking? It's twenty degrees out!” He brushed the ice out of
Dean’s hair before hugging him tightly.
“God, I'm so glad you're alright. I had no idea where you went.”

Dean couldn't do anything but accept the hug and choke out a sob.
“I-I’ve been a dick to you, and you d-don’t deserve it. S-Sammy doesn't deserve
to see m-me like this, and Bobby doesn't either. I-It would just be better if I
was gone!”

Castiel shook his head and kept rubbing Dean’s arms to warm him up.
“Shhh, don't say that. None of this is your fault. You have people who love
you, Dean. They want to know you're okay and see you get better. The
improvement I've seen in you over the past few days has been incredible. Your
family wants to see it too.”

Dean buried his face in Castiel’s neck. It felt warm and safe there, and he
couldn't deny that he smelled fucking incredible. He couldn't find a response
to Castiel’s words, because he had a hard time believing them. It was easier
hearing them from Castiel. If it were anyone else, he would have scoffed and
rolled his eyes. It felt real and genuine from Castiel.

Castiel slowly pulled away from Dean and buckled him in. He closed the car door
and walked around to the driver’s side. He got in and looked over at Dean.
“I think Bobby is pretty anxious to see you. He didn't believe me when I told
him you were here, but he was happy to hear that you were okay.”

Dean gave a small nod and wrapped the blanket further around himself. The seat
warmer felt amazing on his back. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the seat.

The drive back to the hospital took about thirty minutes. Castiel took Dean
back in through the front. Bobby and Sam were waiting in the lobby.

Bobby stood up as soon and he saw Dean and looked him over. The sorrow in his
eyes could be seen by anyone. He sighed and pulled Dean into a tight hug.

Dean hugged Bobby back, still shivering from how cold he had gotten.

“You have no idea how glad I am to see you, boy.” Bobby said quietly as he let
Dean go. He looked at Castiel.
“Is he going to be alright?”

Castiel nodded.
“Minor hypothermia at most. He just needs to get warmed up.”

Bobby nodded.
“I've got a buddy who owes me a favor. He's letting me stay up here for as long
as I need.”

Dean looked at Bobby and nodded.
“I’m going to stay with Cas.”

Castiel blinked in surprise and stared at Dean for a moment. He was sure that
Dean would want to go with his family, but apparently not.

Bobby gave an understanding nod.
“Whatever you need. Just give me a call when you need me.” He pulled a business
card out of his breast pocket and handed it to Dean.

Sam stood up and hugged Dean again.
“You scared me. I didn't know where you went.”

“ ‘M sorry, Sammy.” Dean answered, patting Sam on the back before pulling away.

The two groups parted ways in the parking lot of the hospital, each going to
separate cars. Dean got settled in the passenger seat of Castiel’s car,
wrapping himself in the fluffy blanket and sighing softly.

Castiel started his car up again and proceeded in the drive home. Snow came
pouring out of the sky in dancing white flurries of flakes and chunks of icy
precipitation. Castiel was well learned in the art of driving in ice and snow.
He made it back to his house with ease and parked in the garage.
“If you don't mind me asking, why did you decide to stay here?”

“You've already seen me at my worst. I don't want them to have to deal with me
like this. Also, I fucked myself up in the cold, and you seem like you know
what you're doing.” Dean spoke quietly, staring at his hands in his lap.

Castiel couldn't help but smile just a little. He was incredibly pleased to see
Dean speaking without sounding like he was scared out of his mind. He was still
quiet, but he wasn't scared of Castiel anymore.
“Let's get you inside. You need a warm bath. It’s the fastest way to warm you
up.”

Dean nodded and got out of the car. He followed Castiel into the house.

“Go on up to your bathroom. I'll be there in a minute.”

Dean nodded again and continued upstairs.

Castiel waited until Dean was out of sight before opening up one of his drawers
in the kitchen. He fumbled through it before he found what he was looking for.
Alpha suppressants. He couldn't have his instincts and emotions getting the
better of him any longer. After the night before, he felt like it was the only
option. He sighed and opened up the bottle. He swallowed one of the pills dry,
even though he knew dry-swallowing wasn't very good for him. He put the bottle
back into the drawer and walked upstairs. It would take a few days for the
suppressants to really start working, but it could take hours for the side
effects to start up. He had to do this for Dean, no matter the cost. Dean came
first.

Dean left the blanket on the bed and stood in the bathroom. He turned on the
bathwater and adjusted the handle until the water was warm enough. He plugged
the drain and waited for it to fill up.

Castiel walked in and gave a small smile. He felt the water to make sure it
wasn't too warm and nodded.

Dean took off his shirt and pants. He was very accustomed to stripping in front
of new people, so it didn't even faze him. He stepped into the warm water with
a slight wince. The temperature change was drastic on his toes. He slowly sank
down and let out a sigh of relief at how warm it was.

Castiel looked over Dean and swallowed thickly. Dean was perfect in his eyes.
Every part of him was beautiful and an absolute work of art. When he saw Dean’s
back, his heart ached at the sight of his scars. One wound looked very recent,
and very infected. He moved closer and gently touched the inflamed skin around
the mark.
“I need to clean this and get it bandaged. Don't get it wet yet.” He moved to
the cabinet under the sink and got out a first aid kit. He kept one in every
bathroom, which was probably excessive, but he wanted to have supplies nearby
at all times. You never know. He pulled out a square of gauze and moved to see
Dean’s back again. He placed a comforting hand on Dean’s back and wiped away
the pus from the wound. As he applied pressure, more came out and Dean
whimpered with pain.
“I'm sorry, if I don't get this out, it's going to get worse. Just relax and
take deep breaths.” He kept pushing gently until the wound was no longer
leaking, but bleeding slightly. He tossed the gauze into the garbage and got
out a sterile piece. He cleaned the area with antiseptic before applying an
antibiotic cream and dressing the wound. He put waterproof bandages over it so
that Dean could bathe normally.
“I'll check on it again tomorrow. What is that from?” He asked.

Dean looked back slightly.
“A whip.”

Castiel frowned and sighed.
“I can't believe there aren't laws against this. You have every right to be
happy and have a nice home. I do hope things get better for omegas. I knew
things were bad, but I had no idea things like this happened. I thought abusive
alphas were rare. I was so wrong.” Castiel leaned against the wall next to the
bathtub and looked over Dean, who turned around to look at him.

“It's not like things can just change overnight. No matter how long anyone
fights for equality, there's always going to be some asshole who ruins it.”

“It can get better, though. I've seen it. Things like the Omega Protection
Agency have opened up. Protests have started. It's pretty rural out here, so
you don't see much of it, but trust me, things are improving. Hopefully over
the next few years, laws will change for the better.”

Dean sighed and nodded. Castiel was right. Despite the fact that it seemed
bleak on his side, he knew things were getting better for omegas, slowly but
surely. Auctions were still legal, but mostly frowned upon. Abuse was
overlooked by pretty much everyone. It was still legal to deny service to an
alone omega.

Castiel knelt next to the tub.
“I'm going to wash your hair. It's caked in mud.”
He gently tipped Dean’s head back into the water and wet his hair. Dried blood
and dirt came loose and floated in the water. Castiel ran his fingers through
Dean’s hair until most of it was gone. He picked up the bottle of shampoo and
squirted some into his hands. He worked it into Dean’s hair and hummed quietly.

“Once we’re done with this, I have clippers in my room. I've cut my own hair
for years. How do you like your hair?”

Dean closed his eyes at the feeling of Castiel’s fingers working into his
scalp. He didn't even hear his question. He just hummed and relaxed into the
touch.

Castiel smiled and decided to just give Dean a trim so that he didn't look as
fluffy. He noticed how much Dean liked getting his hair washed and started
massaging his scalp.

Dean started to purr softly under Castiel’s touch. Omegas could purr when they
were especially happy or content. Alphas could as well, but not nearly as
often. They mostly purred to calm their omegas or their pups.

Castiel beamed at the sound and kept going. The peaceful look on Dean’s face
and the soft purring made Castiel’s heart swell with something that he'd only
felt around Dean. Castiel didn't know it yet, but that feeling was love. He was
drawn to Dean like a moth to a flame.

True mates are rare; rare enough that almost no one believes in them anymore.
Certain souls are just perfect for one another. Combined, they become stronger.
Castiel was one of the non-believers. He'd never heard of anyone finding their
true mate, so he didn't think they were real. Dean, predictably, was also a
non-believer. He used to think all alphas were evil, of course he wouldn't
believe in finding someone that made him better and stronger. The two had no
idea that they were meant to be together. Both were in complete denial of it.
Dean refused to let himself get attached, even though he was already hopelessly
stuck to Castiel, who reached the point of suppressing his instincts to block
out his feelings for the omega.

Castiel finished washing Dean’s hair and tipped his head back to rinse the soap
out. Dean’s hair went from a deep brown from dirt and blood to his natural
light, almost sandy brown. His hair was still shaggy and in his face, but that
was soon to be fixed. He pulled the plug for the drain and let the water out.
He pulled a towel off of the rack and wrapped it around Dean’s shoulders.
“I'll get some clean clothes for you. This weekend, we’ll go clothes shopping
and get some that fit you.” He stood up and walked into his own closet. He
grabbed an old t-shirt and a pair of boxers for Dean. He brought them back and
found Dean drying his hair. He set the clothes down on the counter and gave a
gentle smile.
“I’m going to just order a pizza for dinner. What toppings do you like?”

“Pepperoni?”

Castiel nodded.
“Of course.” He stepped out of the room to give Dean some privacy as he got
dressed. He pulled out his phone and ordered a large pizza, half pepperoni,
half hawaiian. It would take a little while to get there because of the falling
snow, but nothing he couldn't handle.

Dean came out of the bathroom. The t-shirt was a little baggy, but it fit just
fine.

Castiel smiled at Dean.
“The pizza will be here in about an hour. We can go watch a movie downstairs.
I'll light a fire in the fireplace to keep you warm.”

Dean nodded and followed Castiel down to the living room. He watched him turn
the gas on and light the fire. He was close enough to already feel its warmth.

Castiel sat down on the couch and turned on Netflix. He scrolled idly through
suggested movies to find something they would both enjoy.

Dean walked over to the couch and sat down next to Castiel. He could feel the
other’s body warmth from a distance. He closed his eyes and scooted right up
next to Castiel.

Castiel looked at Dean in surprise before slowly wrapping an arm around him and
holding him against his side.

Dean rested his head on Castiel’s chest as he watched him scroll through
different movies.

“Anything look good?”

Dean shrugged.
“I haven't really watched anything in years. You pick.”

Castiel nodded and looked around for something good. He decided one of his
favorite movies, The Imitation Game.
“This is one of my favorites. It's set in World War Two England.”

Dean nodded and watched the screen as the movie began to play. He purred
quietly, content to be surrounded in Castiel’s warmth.

Halfway through the movie, the doorbell rang. Castiel stood up and walked to
the door. He paid for the pizza and tipped the delivery boy before walking back
to the couch. He set the pizza box in his lap and opened it up.

Dean grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza and took a large bite. He was
completely invested in the movie at this point.

Castiel picked up a slice of Hawaiian pizza and began eating as well. He leaned
back against the couch and let out a happy sigh as the movie continued.

By the time the movie was over, the two had finished most of the pizza. Castiel
put the box in the fridge and led Dean back upstairs. He started to take him
into his room, but Dean stopped.

“Wait. Um, is it okay if I...sleep with you?”

Castiel gave him an understanding smile and nodded.
“Of course.” He turned to walk into this own room and into the bathroom. He did
his business, washed his hands, and brushed his teeth. He gave Dean one of his
extra toothbrushes to brush his teeth with. Once they had finished with that,
Castiel got out his clippers and a comb. He trimmed the sides and back into a
nice fade and left the top a little longer. He brushed the hair off of Dean’s
neck and chest with a smile.
“You look good.”

Dean looked into the mirror and nodded. He looked much more like his old self.
He always had a crew cut, but he liked this better.

Castiel shook out Dean’s shirt to get the rest of the hair off of him before
nodding to himself.

The pair walked to the bed and climbed in. The mattress was the same as the one
in Dean’s room, nice and plush, but not too soft that it would hurt your back.
Castiel got settled on his side of the bed, while Dean curled right up against
Castiel, snuggling into his chest and burying his face in the alpha’s neck. He
noticed that something was off with his scent, as if something was masking it.
He frowned slightly, but decided to ignore it. He could still be comforted by
Castiel’s scent that was left. He closed his eyes as he felt Castiel’s arm wrap
around him and hold him like a precious treasure. It felt like...home. He was
able to fall asleep with ease, surrounded by the alpha that he was slowly
falling in love with.
Chapter End Notes
     The Imitation Game is my personal favorite. Keira Knightley is one of
     my favorite actresses ever, and she's amazing in that movie. If you
     haven't seen it. Go watch it now! It's so worth it.
***** Connection *****
Chapter Notes
     I'm so sorry for the delay in posting this. I was super busy over the
     holidays, and the new semester hit me like a train. I finally got my
     shit together and wrote this. All mistakes are my own. I will be
     doing fine editing on grammar/spelling soon.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Dean woke up in the middle of the night, sweat dripping from his forehead. He
was hot all over and he felt completely empty. He panted and wriggled away from
Castiel and off of the bed. He scrambled into the bathroom and locked the door.
He curled into a ball on the cool tiles, which didn't provide much relief. He
had slick soaking his boxers and running down his thighs. He whimpered and
shook his head in disbelief as he started to cry. His heat was always a time of
fear and pain. He could still smell Castiel on his own shirt and it hurt like
hell. He wanted the alpha there to hold him and take care of him, but at the
same time, he knew what happened to good alphas when they smelled an omega in
heat. It was far too common for alphas to become aggressive as soon as they
caught the smell. Dean pressed himself against the back corner and clawed at
his own shirt, squirming and silently begging for relief.

Castiel shifted in his sleep and suddenly caught a whiff of the scent of Dean’s
slick on the sheets. His eyes snapped open and he looked at the empty spot in
the bed. He saw that the bathroom door was closed and gulped. What was he
supposed to do? Dean was probably miserable in there, but he couldn't just take
advantage of him in this vulnerable state. He got out of bed and rubbed his
face. He felt that primal pull in his chest to go take care of his-no, /the/
omega hiding in the bathroom. The want and need was dampened by the
suppressants he had taken the night before. He'd need something much stronger
if he wanted to keep from pouncing on Dean as soon as the door opened. He had
to get out now if he wanted Dean to be safe.

He jogged down the stairs and pulled out his suppressants again. They were
similar to birth control in that you could take a double dose and skip a day if
needed. Castiel took two pills and grabbed several bottles of water from the
fridge. He got out a grocery bag and filled it with supplies to help Dean.
Water, ice packs, energy bars, snacks, and Gatorade. The electrolytes and sugar
would balance out the loss of minerals that was caused by the profuse sweating.
He carried the bag back up the stairs and to his room. He went ahead and
assumed Dean locked the door and got a clothes hanger out of the closet. After
straightening the hook, he was able to poke it through the small hole in the
knob and push the lock out of position. He opened the door and started
breathing through his mouth. The scent hit him like a train and he had to
regain his composure. He knelt down to be closer to Dean’s height and sighed at
the sight of him curled into the corner.
“Hey, I'm not going to do anything. I've started taking suppressants. I brought
you some things to help. You need to drink lots of water, and this Gatorade. I
brought some snacks and energy bars too. Come on out of there. You can stay in
your room for the duration of your heat.”

Dean stared at Castiel with watery eyes, staring at him with desperation. He
squirmed and whimpered.
“Please…”

Castiel frowned and shook his head.
“I'm sorry, I can't. Your hormones are messing with you. Your body is going
through some major changes. I didn't think you'd go into heat so soon after a
miscarriage, but maybe sleeping in the same bed as me set something off.
Actually, this might explain why you wandered into my bed last night. ” He said
quietly as he picked up a washcloth from the counter and wet it in the sink. He
pressed the cool cloth against the side of Dean’s neck.

Dean instantly leaned into the touch and purred softly. The cool cloth felt
incredible on his overheated neck, and the proximity of Castiel helped him to
calm down a little. His mind was completely scattered, trapped in limbo. Part
of him was terrified of his heat and what Castiel might do to him, and the
other part desperately wanted Castiel to take care of him. The first part took
control and he backed away into the corner.

“Dean, it's okay. I'm on suppressants. I'm not going to do anything.” Castiel
didn't believe himself. He was seconds away from pouncing on Dean like a wild
animal, but seeing him so terrified held him back.

Dean slowly moved towards Castiel and crawled into his lap, burying his face in
the alpha’s chest and choking out a sob.

Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean and rubbed his back.
“Shhhh. It's okay. I've got you.” He took several deep breaths, doing his best
to avoid the painful tug in his chest. His mind was clouded over from the
intense smell of Dean’s heat and he felt like he might pass out if he didn't do
anything. His hands gently ran through Dean’s hair and massaged his back.

They stayed right there for hours, just rocking back and forth. Dean managed to
fall asleep after all that time. It wasn’t a peaceful sleep, but at least he
was resting. Castiel carried him back to the bed and set up a fan next to him
to keep him from getting too hot. The alpha walked down stairs and leaned
against the wall, breathing in the fresh air. He was light-headed and nauseous,
a common side-effect of the suppressants. He started considering every option
possible in his head. He could just wait everything out, but that would be
miserable for everyone involved. He could give Dean what he wants and knot him,
but it felt wrong to initiate a relationship like that. Dean was too vulnerable
like this. There were other options. He could go out and get a fake knot or
something to help Dean through his heat. A last ditch effort would be an
injection that would stop Dean’s heat and hold it off until the next cycle
came. They could cause damage to the reproductive system, which is why Castiel
considered it a last ditch effort.

The injections were mostly used for health reasons, and required a
prescription. Luckily, Castiel can write one for Dean if needed. He already
planned on finding a birth control for him, so that this wouldn't happen again.
Dean needed time to heal before he considered heats and pregnancy, especially
after a miscarriage. After a long period of thought, Castiel decided that the
injection was the best option. Dean needed time to recover mentally before he
had to go through his heat.

Castiel nodded to himself before walking back upstairs. He grabbed a protein
granola bar and a bottle of water and sat down on the bed. He gently sat Dean
up.
“Dean, I'm going to go get some medicine to make this stop. You need time to
recover before you have to go through this. I'm going to leave for a little
while. The pharmacy is just down the street, so I won't be long. Before I go, I
want you I eat some of this and drink this water.”

Dean gave a weak whimper when he was woken up, but he was awake enough to
understand Castiel. He looked up at him and gave a small nod to show that he
understood.

Castiel opened the bar and put it into Dean’s hand.
“It's chocolate and peanut butter flavored. Do you have any allergies?”

Dean shook his head and nibbled at the bar. He knew that Castiel would want him
to eat the whole bar, so he forced himself to take larger bites until he had
finished the entire thing. It was good, but he was too far gone in his heat to
appreciate it. He took the water bottle when it was offered to him and chugged
a little more than half of it.

Castiel gently ran his fingers through Dean’s hair and set the bottle down on
the bedside table.
“Try to keep yourself comfortable while I'm gone. You can do whatever you need
to to get through this. I'll be back soon.” He slowly got up out of bed,
pulling Dean’s clinging hands off of his shirt and setting them on the bed.
“It's okay, I'll be back in a few minutes.” He thought for a moment before
going through the hamper and grabbing a shirt he wore a few days ago. He handed
to Dean, who immediately pressed it to his face and inhaled Castiel’s scent.
The alpha gave a small smile before leaving the room. He grabbed his keys and
wallet off of the counter before running out to his car.

The drive to the nearby pharmacy wasn't pleasant. A snowstorm came in overnight
and it was still going. Luckily, Jackson Hole was fast at clearing the roads.
Castiel made it to the pharmacy and went straight back to the pharmacist. He
explained what was going on and asked for the injection. The pharmacist was
understanding and got one of them off of a back shelf. Castiel paid full price
for it and thanked the pharmacist before running back out to his car. He got
stuck behind a snowplow, which delayed him by about twenty minutes.

Once he made it home, he wasted no time in searching his drawers. He got out
sterile alcohol, a pair of nitrile gloves, a cotton ball, and a little bandaid.
He ran up the stairs and into the room without a second thought.

Nothing would have stopped the possessive growl that emanated from Castiel’s
throat. On the bed, Dean was on his stomach with his ass in the air, whining
and desperately fingering himself. Castiel nearly dropped everything in his
hands. Every instinct screamed ‘fuck mate breed mine my omega.’ He took a deep
breath and started walking over.

Dean had his head turned away until he heard the growl. He looked at Castiel
with eyes that screamed for him to do something. He whimpered and shifted on
his knees before dropping and curling up into a ball. He trembled in absolute
terror as he cried into Castiel’s shirt.

Castiel sat down on the bed and gently ran a hand through Dean’s hair.
“Shhhh, don't cry, love. I'm not going to do anything. I'm sorry I growled. It
just happened. I've got the medicine for you. I need you to sit up and lean
against the headboard for me. This should kick in in less than a minute.”

Dean leaned into Castiel’s touch and nodded before doing as he was told. He
leaned against the headboard and tried to hold still.

Castiel gave Dean a warm smile and pulled on the gloves. He poured some sterile
alcohol onto the cotton ball before cleaning a small area on Dean’s upper arm.
He opened the box and put the syringe together. He checked the dosage and drew
the proper amount into the syringe. He made sure to get rid of the air bubbles
before injecting Dean with the clear fluid. He pulled the syringe out and put
it back into the box to discard properly later. He put the bandaid on over the
small spot. He put everything aside and pulled Dean into a hug. He tucked the
omega’s head under his chin and held him there.

Dean curled against Castiel’s chest and closed his eyes. The injection sent a
cold wave through his body. Slowly, he cooled down and his desperation for a
knot went away. He felt incredibly drowsy and his eyelids became heavier and
heavier.
“ ‘M really tired…”

Castiel nodded. “It's a side effect. Just close your eyes and sleep. Get some
rest.”

Dean gave a tiny nod and curled up against Castiel’s chest. His eyes fell
closed and his entire body slumped. He was asleep in mere minutes.

Castiel hummed and gently laid Dean back on the bed. He tucked him in and
looked over the omega with a small smile. Dean really was the most beautiful
omega he'd ever met, inside and out. Castiel was seeing more and more of Dean’s
personality with every moment. There was definitely some sass, a lot of charm,
and Castiel was excitedly awaiting to see a full smile from Dean. He knew it
would be absolutely beautiful.

Castiel stood up and stepped out of the room. He closed the door and pulled out
his phone. He still had Bobby’s number saved, so he decided to give him a call.
It was only ten am, so it was still early in the day. The phone rang twice
before Bobby answered.

“Is this Dr. Novak?”

“Yes sir, and you can call me Castiel. I just wanted to let you know what
happened this morning. Dean woke up in the middle of the night in heat, and I
went out and got a medication that stops his heat. He's in no condition to go
through that right now. He's asleep at the moment, but he should be awake soon.
I'll drive to you, since I've been driving on these roads for years. They’ll be
cleared off by the time I leave. Is there any preferable time?”

“Whenever Dean’s ready, we’re ready. I'll text you the address. The roads
outside of the cabin have just been cleared, and I'm about to go shovel and
salt the driveway.”

“Alright. I'll text you before we leave.

“Sounds good. See ya then.”

Cas hung up and slipped his phone into his pocket. He walked down the stairs to
get some breakfast ready and turned on the morning news. He hummed as he
started making pancakes for him and Dean. A familiar name on the television
made him look at the television and listen to the reporter.

“A man by the name of John Winchester has just filed a police report after he
was attacked by his newly presented son. The only injuries Winchester has are a
couple bruises, but the apartment had large amounts of blood on the floors and
surfaces. There is currently an ongoing search for the teenager. Here is the
latest photo of him. If you see him, please contact the police. He is
supposedly armed and dangerous.”

Castiel’s eyes widened and he grabbed his phone again. He called Bobby
immediately and chewed his lip.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Singer, I just had the news on, and there's a police search going on, and
they're looking for Sam. I can see their father on the television, and he
doesn't look bad at all. A couple bruises, but that's it. He told the police
that Sam is armed and dangerous.”

Bobby huffed.
“That son of a bitch...Can you tell them what really happened so that John gets
arrested for what he did to these boys?”

Castiel nodded.
“With Sam’s consent, I can tell them everything. I'll get Dean dressed and
we’ll go to the hospital. I'll call the number they gave and tell them that I
treated him there and prove what really happened. If they want to see Sam’s
file, they can come see it for themselves. We can get this worked out.”

Bobby sighed and nodded.
“Thanks for all your help, kid. I'll meet you there.”

“You should stay where you are. I'll come to you. If people think Sam is a
criminal, we shouldn't take him out in public.” The phone beeped as Bobby hung
up. Castiel sighed and packed up the pancakes into a Tupperware container. He
jogged up the stairs and gently shook Dean.
“Dean, we need to go to the hospital. I need to go get Sam’s file. You can
sleep in the car if you want.”

Dean’s eyes blinked open and he looked up at Castiel. He gave a tired nod and
stood up out of bed.

Castiel gathered up a simple and comfortable outfit for Dean and handed it to
him.
“Get dressed quickly. I packed some food for us to eat in our way there.”

Dean nodded and pulled on the clothing he was given. He was woozy and
exhausted. All he wanted to do was lie back down and sleep, but he heard Sam’s
name at some point, so he knew it was important. Once he was dressed, he stood
up and rubbed his eyes.

Castiel gestured for Dean to follow him down the stairs. He walked into the
kitchen and grabbed their food.

Dean followed him to the kitchen and out to the car. He got into the passenger
seat and buckled himself in before closing his eyes to sleep.

Castiel glanced over at Dean and smiled softly. He looked so peaceful, and he
knew that right now, Dean was able to forget about everything that had happened
to him and just rest.

Castiel looked back at the road just in time to see an eighteen-wheeler
barreling down the road, skidding on the ice and coming straight for him. He
swerved to get out of the way, but it was too late. There was a loud crash of
metal and then everything went black.

The car was sent skidding down the road and off into a pile of powdered snow.
Only the hood was visible from the road. The eighteen-wheeler fell on its side
and finally stopped. The sight on the road was terrifying, and witnesses were
already calling 911. Inside the car, Castiel and Dean were both knocked
unconscious by the blow. With the swerve, Dean took most of the hit. His side
of the car was smashed in, pushing him to the center of the car and pinning his
legs in the twisted metal.

Castiel wasn't in much better shape. With the length of his torso and how close
he sat to the steering wheel, he had hit his head on the top of it. A steady
little stream of blood flowed from the impact point.

Dean was the first to come to. He didn't have as much head trauma as Castiel.
He blinked and looked at Castiel. He was so drowsy from the injection that he
let out a meager shout as a cry for help. He couldn't move his legs, and he was
in a state of shock from everything. From his perspective, Castiel looked dead.
He was limp with blood dripping down his face. All Dean could do was sob. He
thought the one good person he'd found, and even started to fall in love with,
was dead.

Of course, Castiel wasn't dead, but at that point, Dean didn't know that.
Chapter End Notes
     Sorry for that cliffhanger, but I've had that planned for a while!
     Don't worry, I'll have the next chapter out soon. :)
***** Soul *****
Chapter Summary
     This is the best shit I've ever written. There might be a few typos,
     but they will be fixed when I go back to edit.
     Here's a nice, happy chapter for all of you.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Castiel woke up in a familiar place, but in an unfamiliar position. He was
lying in a hospital bed with a bandage around his head. He blinked and saw that
the rest of his body was relatively unscathed. He thought back to when
everything went wrong. He was driving, and then the truck hit...It was in that
moment that he remembered Dean. His eyes went wide and he tried to move his
head. He realized that he had a cervical collar on and couldn't turn his head.
The heart rate monitor started beeping faster as Castiel tried to look for
Dean.

A nurse happened to be walking by when he noticed Castiel’s fast heart rate. He
walked in and ran over to calm him down.
“Dr. Novak, it's alright. You were in a car crash. Your airbags failed and
didn't go off. You have a pretty bad concussion, so we put the cervical collar
on to keep your head still in case you panicked.” He tried to say everything as
fast as possible so that Castiel could calm down, but it didn't seem to be
helping much.

Castiel coughed to clear his throat.
“Dean...Where’s Dean?”

The nurse raised an eyebrow.
“The omega that was in the car with you? He's alright. He's pretty bruised up,
but you actually cushioned him, so aside from a few scratches on his legs, he's
fine. His mate came and got him a while ago.”

Castiel instantly relaxed when he heard that Dean was alright, but he furrowed
his brows at the word, “mate”.
“Mate? He isn't mated. I just pulled him out of a omega auction ring. What was
the alpha’s name?”

“It started with an A...Allen, no, it was Alastair. The omega went with him
pretty willingly, so I don't think anything sinister was going on.”

Castiel tried to shake his head, but he couldn't move much with the cervical
collar. Even the tiny movement caused throbbing pain in his head.
“You must have seen all of the scars on him, they're mostly from Alastair. He
runs the whole thing. I have to go find him.” Castiel sat up, which made him
groan in pain.

The nurse gently laid Castiel back down, but took the cervical collar off,
since he knew Castiel would know to hold still.
“You need to rest. You know that. Is there anyone we can call for you?”

Castiel sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.
“Michael Novak. His number is written on the emergency contact list in my
office.” He stared up at the ceiling, his heart still pounding. The thought of
another alpha having his hands on Dean made his blood boil.

The nurse nodded and left the room to go find the number.

Castiel stayed as still as possible to avoid the headache, but he was so
anxious that he had to sit up. He slowly rose to a sitting position and looked
at his arm. He carefully removed the IV that was giving him fluids and started
looking for his clothes. He was only in his boxer-briefs and a hospital gown.
He saw his sweatshirt and jeans on the chair next to the bed and grabbed them.
He pulled the jeans on first and made an attempt to stand. He wobbled slightly,
but he was able to steady himself. He put on his sweatshirt and sat down again
to put his shoes on.

The nurse walked back in.
“We called Michael-wait, what are you doing? You're supposed to be lying down.
You haven't been discharged yet.”

“I discharge myself. I have to go find Dean.”

“You can't do that. You're a patient right now.”

“I'm also very well-acquainted with your boss. Go get my discharge papers
signed.” Castiel snapped, glaring at the nurse.

The nurse blinked and backed out of the room to go find the doctor that had
treated Castiel. He found Doctor Murphy and gulped.
“Uh, Dr. Murphy? Dr. Novak is demanding his discharge papers. He's getting a
little aggressive, all over the omega he arrived here with.”

Doctor Murphy raised an eyebrow.
“Was it the same omega he rescued?”

“I don't know. I wasn't here when that happened.”

“It probably was. Where did that omega go?”

“Oh, his alpha came and got him.”

“That omega was unmated. I get why he’s worried, then. Well, if he demands to
be released, we have to release him. It’s the law. Go make sure he doesn’t hurt
himself. I’ll get his papers.”

The nurse nodded in understanding and walked back to Castiel’s room. He found
him using his shattered phone to talk to Michael and tell him to pick him up as
fast as possible. Once the had hung up, the nurse spoke again.
“Doctor Murphy is getting your discharge papers. You should still sit down.
Once the painkillers we gave you wear off, you’ll be really sore.”

Castiel nodded and sighed. “I'm well aware.”

Doctor Murphy brought the discharge papers in and handed the clipboard to
Castiel. She didn't bother telling him anything, knowing that he would know
exactly what to do.

Castiel signed his name and gave a small smile to Doctor Murphy.
“Thank you. I'll be out of your hair now. I just have to make sure my friend is
safe. The man he went with is very dangerous.”

Doctor Murphy smiled back.
“I know you're worried, but he only left about ten minutes ago, so he won't be
far away. Also, I think he's a little more than just a friend. You reek of
possessive alpha.” She grinned and held out a hand for him.
“Come on, buddy. Let's get you down to the lobby.”

Castiel blinked at her comment, but he took her hand to steady himself as he
was led out to the lobby. He still felt wobbly and his head was throbbing, but
he could care less. He just wanted Dean. He sat down in one of the chairs in
the lobby to wait for Michael.
“How bad is my car?”

“Totaled. The entire passenger side was smashed in and the front crumbled in
the ditch. Your insurance will probably cover part of it. That truck driver was
on heroin. He went way too fast and lost traction, which is how he hit you.
You'll probably get financial compensation from the trucking company,” Doctor
Murphy explained.

Castiel nodded.
“Thank you for everything.”

“It's no problem. Also, I'm going to ask that you stay home for a week. With
your concussion, you need as much rest as possible. I’m covering your shifts.”

Castiel smiled.
“That's very kind of you. Thank you.”

“Any time. Take care of yourself and your omega.” She grinned and left the
room.

Castiel watched out the window for Michael’s car, tapping his foot anxiously.
It was only a few minutes later when Michael arrived. Castiel pulled himself to
his feet and walked out to his car without waiting for him to come inside.

“Jesus, Cassie, what happened?”

“A truck driver on heroin. Look, I have to find this omega. He won't be far
away, but he's in danger.”

Michael nodded. “You said that on the phone earlier. I'll help you find him and
then you're going home to rest.” He got back into the car and buckled himself
back in.

Castiel got into the passenger seat and buckled in.
“Turn left out of the hospital and just keep going. I think I know where he's
being taken.”

Michael nodded and did as he was told. He looked around at the other cars as he
drove.
“Do you know what kind of car he's in?”

Castiel shook his head.
“No idea. I was unconscious when he left. Just keep going.”

Michael sighed and nodded.
“You know, it would be nice to know what's going on. I haven't seen you in
months.”

Castiel sighed.
“I'm sorry. I'm just all freaked out. So a few days ago, the Chief of Medicine
at the hospital invited me to lunch. Of course I went, he's my boss. After we
went there, he took us to this auction house. They sold omegas. I had never
seen anything so horrible in my entire life. There was this one that looked the
worst out of all of them. I couldn't just leave him there. I paid for him and
took him to the hospital. He had been sold around since he was fifteen, and he
had just miscarried. His last alpha was Lucifer. He wouldn't say his name, but
when I showed him a picture of our family, he freaked out and pointed to
Lucifer, saying that he was the last alpha to have him. Lucifer sold Dean after
he miscarried. I've been doing everything I can for him. I found his younger
brother and a family member. I need to call them. They're probably wondering
where we are. I was at the hospital to get the file for the younger brother. He
ran away from home after he presented, and I just saw their father on the news
claiming that he was armed and dangerous. The poor kid came to the hospital
with a large laceration. I was going to give his file to the police, so that I
could prove his innocence and get his father thrown in jail. The truck hit
while I was on my way to the hospital. I don't know why Dean went with this
guy, but I know that he didn't want to. He's terrified of him.”

Michael shook his head.
“Jesus, you've been busy. I knew Luce was shitty, but I didn't know he had
gotten that bad.” He sighed. “You're doing good, Cassie. You remind me a lot of
Mom. She was the same way about things. She was always trying to help people,
until Dad threw her out.”

Castiel gave a small smile.
“Are you guys still looking for her?”

Michael nodded.
“We never stopped. She's out there somewhere.”

Castiel sighed and nodded. Michael had an obsession with finding their mother.
Once she was done having kids, she was thrown out of the house. They never knew
where she went.

Castiel saw a white van and narrowed his eyes.
“Follow that van. I saw it in the parking lot of the auction house. I think
that's him.”

Inside the van, Dean was curled up in the back. He had a tattered leather
collar cinched around his neck way too tight. It was hell, but it was familiar.
It was all Dean knew. He cried silently as he held the shirt that Alastair let
him hold onto for now. It's still smelled like Castiel. He held onto it like it
was his only lifeline in this world. The van made a sharp turn and Dean hit the
wall with a sob. The beta in the passenger seat reached back and smacked Dean
with a switch.

“Keep quiet!”

Dean pressed the shirt to his face and kept as quiet as possible. The only
sounds that came from him were his heavy breaths and tiny whimpers. The van
came to a stop and he heard murmuring from the front seat.

Suddenly, Alastair got out of the car and walked around to the back of the van.
Dean listened with a confused expression. What had them so freaked out? He
moved away from the doors when he heard loud growls and punches being thrown. A
body hit the door of the van before hitting the icy ground. The door was thrown
open and Dean hid his face in the shirt, terrified of whoever was rushing
towards him. Strong arms wrapped around him and tucked his head under a chin.
Dean recognized the scent and looked up to see Castiel. Dean stared in
disbelief as he was carried out of the van and to another car.
“Y-you're dead…”

Castiel furrowed his brows and looked at Dean.
“I'm not dead. I just hit my head.” He noticed the collar and quickly took it
off, throwing it to the ground.
“I am never going to let them take you away ever again. I want you to be my
omega, Dean, but only if you want me to be your alpha.”

Dean stared up at Castiel with tear filled eyes and nodded quickly. He grabbed
fistfuls of Castiel’s shirt and buried his face in his neck. Everything seemed
to come back together from shattered pieces. He never thought someone as
amazing as Castiel could ever want him. All his life, he thought only the
shittiest of alphas could want him. Now, he knew he wasn't just a piece of meat
to Castiel. He felt loved and protected in his arms, and he wished that Castiel
would never let go.

Castiel held Dean tighter and kissed the top of his head.
“Let's go home. I'll call around and make sure Sam is proved innocent.”

Michael watched the interaction from the rear view mirror. He smiled at them,
because now the car reeked of loving mates. They weren't mated...yet, but from
the looks of it, that wasn't very far off. He started the car and began the
drive to Castiel’s house to get those two lovebirds home.

~~~

Castiel didn't even realize that they were home. He was too focused on
showering Dean in all of the affection he could give. It took a tap on the knee
from Michael to make him come back to reality. He opened the car door and
stepped out with Dean still in his arms. He carried him into the house and went
straight to the couch to sit down.

Michael followed them in and made sure they got settled.
“Call me if you need anything. I won't be far away.”

Castiel looked back at Michael.
“Thank you. I will.”

Michael nodded and gave a small wave before leaving the house.

Castiel turned his attention back to Dean and finally got a good look at his
legs. They were scratched up and bruised all over. There were several patches
of gauze that covered larger wounds. Castiel gently ran his fingers over the
gauze and sighed.

Dean kept his arms tightly wrapped around Castiel’s neck. He scented him
without a care in the world. He only stopped when a single finger hooked under
his chin and tilted his head up. Soft, loving lips met his in a tender kiss.
Dean’s entire body melted into the kiss.

Castiel held Dean tightly to his chest and kissed him slowly and softly. It
wasn't rushed or passionate. It was simply exploratory and loving. When Castiel
pulled back, he saw something beautiful. Dean had the most genuine, happy smile
that he'd ever seen. He stared in awe before leaning in to kiss him again with
more confidence.

Surprisingly, it was Dean who had the most confidence. He shifted until he was
nearly on top of Castiel and pressed his chest against the alpha’s. He grabbed
fistfuls of Castiel's shirt and held on for dear life.

Castiel was surprised at Dean’s sudden movements, but he embraced it wholly. He
held onto Dean’s hip with one hand and the back of his neck with the other.
This kiss was much more passionate and fast-paced. The two stayed attached for
who knows how long. The only thing to break them apart was the sound of
Castiel’s house phone ringing.

Dean pulled back before nuzzling into Castiel’s neck to let him answer the
phone.

Castiel chuckled softly and picked up the phone. It was Bobby, asking if they
were alright. Castiel explained everything and said that he was going to get
this Sam situation sorted out. Bobby said that he had already contacted the
police and told them everything. They were at the house asking Sam some
questions. By the looks of it, it seemed like John was about to get arrested
for false claims and attacking his son. Castiel smiled and nodded and told
Bobby that they were welcome to come over at any time. Once they hung up, Dean
looked up at Castiel.

“Is Sammy alright?”

“He's great. Bobby talked to the police, and by the looks of it, John will be
arrested for what he's done.”

Dean nodded with a small smile.
“Good.” He paused for a moment and hummed before sitting up to look at Castiel.
“Could we take what we were doing upstairs?”

Castiel raised an eyebrow.
“You sure?”

Dean nodded with a grin.
“If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't ask.”

Castiel was astounded by this sudden switch that had gone off in Dean’s brain
and brought out his true colors. Castiel knew that he had done something right.
He nodded and hooked his hands under Dean’s thighs. He picked him up and
carried him up the stairs to his bedroom. He very gently laid Dean down on the
bed and climbed on top of him. Their lips connected again in a passionate kiss.

Castiel had a brief thought about his concussion. He usually tells his patients
to rest and avoid physical activity. It was a bit hypocritical of him to be
doing this, but this seemed like a good reason to be that way.

Dean’s hands immediately went to work in exploring. He ran his hands over
Castiel’s back, tracing each defined muscle. Castiel was all lean muscle and
pale skin, a perfect runner’s body. Dean’s fingers made their way under
Castiel’s shirt and up his chest. He grabbed the shirt and tugged to get it off
of Castiel, who chuckled and pulled back to eat his shirt off. His hands
started to copy Dean’s. His fingers danced over the skin under Dean’s shirt,
exploring every last inch. He eventually removed Dean’s shirt as well to get
the best possible view. The omega was riddled with scars of all sorts, but
Castiel found every inch of him to be absolutely beautiful and perfect. He
leaned down and started pressing kisses all over Dean’s neck, shoulders, and
chest.

Dean let out a soft noise of content pleasure as he closed his eyes and
relished in the feeling of Castiel’s lips all over his skin. He was surrounded
in the alpha’s scent in his bed, and the leftover smell from his heat got him
hot and bothered much faster than usual.

Castiel could smell Dean’s arousal, which only jump started his own. He glanced
down to see Dean pushing down his own pants. Castiel reached down and helped
Dean get completely undressed. With more of Dean exposed, Castiel had more skin
to press loving kisses to. He hummed as he kissed all over Dean’s hips and
bruised thighs. He was extra tender on his legs to avoid hurting him. As he
kissed around Dean’s hips, he was rewarded with an impatient whine and a hand
pulling his hair. He looked up at Dean with a grin.
“I hear you. I'm just taking my time, love.” He ignored the tugging of his hair
and stayed away from the one area Dean so desperately wanted him to be.

“Caaaa-aaaasssss…” Dean squirmed and pulled on Castiel’s hair harder.

Castiel felt the extra tug and when he heard Dean’s moan, he growled and
shifted a bit. He crawled up Dean’s body to get to his drawer. Before he
reached for it, he turned to Dean.
“Do you have a latex allergy?”

Dean blinked back at Castiel before his head fell back and he burst out into a
fit of laughter.

Castiel stared, not just because Dean was laughing at him, but because Dean not
only smiled, but genuinely laughed.
“What did I do?”

“I’m sorry, but there is no better way to temporarily ruin the mood than you
asking about my allergies. No, I'm not allergic to latex. You should definitely
use a condom. I don't know what I have at this point.”

Castiel gave a soft smile and pulled a condom out of his drawer.
“We took your blood at the hospital. You're clean, but I'm not taking any
chances with you. You were in heat this morning, so there's a chance you could
still be fertile.”

Dean nodded and gave a small sigh of relief at the news that he was clean.
“Okay, enough talk, more touch.” He grabbed Castiel by the face and pulled him
into a rough kiss. Quickly, the control shifted from Dean to Castiel. The trust
balance shifted as Dean put his trust in Castiel, knowing that the alpha would
take good care of him.

Gentle fingers ran down Dean’s thigh and slowly approached a wet ass and hole.
The slightest touch made Dean gasp and squirm a little more.

“Relax. Take several deep breaths. Just relax and feel. I'm right here, and you
can always tell me no. I'll understand entirely if you don't want to do this
right now.”

Dean shook his head.
“I want to do this now. I'll try to relax.” He took a deep breath and closed
his eyes.

Castiel gently ran his fingers across Dean’s cheek and kissed him again.
“Look at me, love. Don't tune out. Just feel and watch.” He had assumed that
Dean taught himself to tune everything like this out and to just hang on for
the ride. He wanted to show him that this could be incredible and loving,
unlike anything Dean had known.

Dean blinked up at Castiel and nodded. He felt another hand gently trailing up
his thigh and his breath hitched slightly in anticipation. A slender finger ran
through the slick soaking his entrance and traced little circles around his
rim. Dean let out another whine and fought to hold still.

“You can move. Do whatever you'd like. Don't be afraid.”

Dean’s hips immediately pressed down against Castiel’s finger, begging for
more. Castiel gave Dean what he wanted and very gently, slipped his index
finger into Dean. It was evident that there was scar tissue around the area
from much rougher encounters. He listened to Dean’s moans of pleasure as if
they were fine music. He used this opportunity to run his finger over Dean’s
prostate and check for abnormalities. The loud cry that fell from Dean’s lips
was absolutely beautiful. Castiel looked at his face and saw an expression of
pure ecstasy. He used his other hand to gently massage Dean’s thigh and
encourage him to relax.

Several minutes passed before he even tried to put in another finger. It went
in easily, as did the next, and the next. Castiel was not going to take any
risks in hurting Dean. This was supposed to be pleasurable, not painful,
especially this first time.

“C-Cas...please...I-I can't wait any longer...I want you so bad…”

Castiel was a little shocked by Dean’s words. He never heard him ask for
anything, especially not begging. It didn't seem like him, but that made it ten
times hotter. He wasn't going to ask for more now, because this wasn't about
teasing and playing, this was about love and taking care of one another.

Castiel picked up the condom from the bed and ripped the foil packaging. He
held it between his teeth while he undressed himself from the waist down. He
grinned when he noticed Dean staring at him. He knew he was well-gifted in
size. He settled between Dean’s legs and leaned forward to press kisses to
Dean’s neck. He felt the omega’s legs wrap around his waist and he smiled. He
slowly pressed into Dean, gasping and holding onto him tighter.

Dean gasped and moaned, baring his neck for the alpha. He never had anything
this slow and sweet, and it was so good. He felt all of Castiel in the best way
possible. He held onto Castiel’s upper arms tightly and looked up into the two
oceans that made up the alpha’s eyes.

Castiel looked right back at Dean, and at that moment, he thought of something
his mother always said.

“If one day, you look into someone’s eyes and you can see your whole world, you
have found your soulmate.”

Castiel captured Dean’s lips in a sweet kiss as they moved together. Nothing
was rushed. Nothing was fast. Everything was slow, steady, and most of all,
loving. Every kiss, every touch, and every noise was a gesture of love for the
other. Neither one of them lasted for very long. Castiel’s knot caught on
Dean’s rim several times before it slid inside with each. Everything fit
together perfectly in those seconds of euphoria for the alpha and omega.
Castiel’s head lunged forward and his teeth latched onto the juncture between
Dean’s neck and collarbone, marking his claim on the omega. This set Dean off
into another mind-blowing orgasm that had him moaning wildly.

The two stayed connected, sharing little kisses and touches until Castiel could
pull free and throw away the condom. Castiel would have cleaned up, but he
didn't care about the mess on the sheets for now. He just took Dean into his
arms and held him like the most precious treasure in this world.

The two fell asleep in each other’s arms. The entire house reeked of loving
mates. Anyone who walked in would have known exactly what just happened in
there. For now, that didn't matter. What mattered was that two soulmates found
one another and consummated their love.
Chapter End Notes
     I know some people will be disappointed with the style of smut I
     used, because I left out all the nitty-gritty details. That was the
     point. I just wanted to show their love for one another. There will
     be more soon ;)
     Follow me on tumblr for updates:
     Deaniewithalittleweanie.tumblr.com
***** Family *****
Chapter Summary
     This is a short chapter. Sorry.
Chapter Notes
     Sorry for the long wait. Life has been messing with me. I think about
     this story every night and I want to write so much, but I didn't have
     the time.
     Something I'm surprised that I haven't mentioned is why I wrote this.
     This story is based off of events from my life. Sex trafficking is
     real and it still happens.
     Anyways, once this month ends, I'll be back on schedule writing. If
     you want updates, follow my tumblr:
     deaniewithalittleweanie.tumblr.com
See the end of the chapter for more notes
When Dean woke up, he was scared to open his eyes at first. All of these
wonderful things had to be a dream. The strong but gentle arms holding him
tightly told him that he was still exactly where he wanted to be, with Castiel.
He opened his eyes and looked up at the alpha’s face. He was sleeping
peacefully, lips parted slightly. Dean leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to the
parted lips. His hand came up and felt the bruising mark on his neck. He wanted
to get up and see it in the mirror, but as much as he hated to admit it,
Castiel’s arms around him felt amazing. It was all good...too good. Castiel is
too good for him. The more Dean looked at Castiel, the more he was flooded with
guilt. Castiel deserved so much better than...this.
Whenever Dean looked in a mirror, he wanted to punch the man looking back at
him. He hated what he saw in the mirror. He saw something broken, disgusting,
used and worn out. Who could ever even come near Dean without being revolted?
He started to panic a bit, feeling the urge to run, to run far away from
Castiel before this went any further. Dean wanted it so badly, but he knew that
he could never have anything this good.
Castiel was quickly woken up by the smell of Dean’s sudden distress and held
him a little closer. He ran gentle fingers through Dean’s hair as he tried to
comfort him.
“Dean? What's going on? Are you alright?”
Dean shook his head and started pushing Cas away.
“No, no I don't deserve this. This isn't right...I'm not supposed to be
here...I'm supposed to be in some moldy basement with a shit alpha that comes
down just to fuck and leaves. You don't deserve this. You need so much better
because you're too good…” Dean rambled on until Castiel grabbed his chin and
kissed him to shut him up.
“Stop. You deserve the world, Dean. I have seen the good in you. Don't ever say
you aren't good enough. And to say that I don't deserve you, it breaks my
heart, Dean. You've been through so much, and I ask of you, is that you learn
to love yourself. I know that may seem impossible right now, but I'm here to
help you the whole time. You never have to be alone or afraid ever again, Dean.
I'm not going anywhere unless you ask me to.”
Dean was completely in tears by the end. He shook his head and grabbed
Castiel’s arm tightly.
“P-Please...please don't leave me…”
Cas pulled Dean into a tight hug and tucked his head under his chin. “Shhhh.
Don't cry, love. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere.” He whispered, rubbing
Dean’s back and humming softly to soothe him.
They laid their for nearly as hour. Castiel showered Dean in affectionate
touches and words, trying to show him that he deserved all of the good Castiel
could give him. Dean’s tears ceased pretty quickly and he just took some time
to think. This wasn't an easy switch for him. He had to try and go from
thinking the worst of himself to seeing the good.
Castiel thought about why yesterday’s events took place and realized a plot
hole in their day.
“Dean, how did that guy from the auction know where you were?”
Dean paused and swallowed thickly.
“I...I called him. I thought you were dead, and I had to go somewhere that I
knew. I...It's hard to explain.”
“It's okay, I get it. You've known that reality for so long that you want to
return to it, because it's all that you know.”
Dean smiled a bit. Castiel nailed it right on the head.
“Yeah, that's it.” He curled up closer to Castiel and rested his head on the
alpha’s chest.
Since Castiel had a concussion from their car crash, they stayed in bed for a
while. Dean got to play around in the kitchen and whip up some lunch for them.
They ate in bed and found some movies on Netflix to watch. Some of the movies
went by without them noticing, because they were too busy making out. At some
point, a weird topic came up in conversation.
“I'm sorry if I was a little underwhelming last night. I've never done that
before, so I just went with my gut instinct.” Castiel explained.
Dean’s eyes widened and he smiled.
“You were a virgin?”
Castiel blushed and nodded.
“Holy shit, that's adorable.” Dean chuckled.
“Shut up. I never had occasion.” Castiel pouted.
“I'm not judging. I just think you're really cute when you get all blushy.”
Dean teased, kissing Castiel’s cheek.
Castiel rolled his eyes and captured Dean’s lips in a playfully rough kiss.
This afternoon of kissing and touching was a learning experience for both of
them. Dean learned that Castiel liked it when he fought back a little and got a
little more dominant. Castiel learned that Dean liked it when he had control.
Dean wanted to let go and let someone else worry about everything, but it took
him a while to settle down and give up control. Once he did, he was happier
than ever.
Dean got really playful and nipped Castiel’s lip, tugging on it and grinning.
Castiel growled softly, but he was still smiling. He gripped the omega's hips
and took over the kiss, asking for control with his movements. Dean fought
back, which made Castiel get a little firmer, and then Dean settled down and
melted against the alpha, letting out a long purr as he let Castiel control the
kiss.
They pulled apart when they heard loud knocking on the door. Castiel hopped out
of bed and quickly pulled on pants and a shirt before jogging out of the room
to answer the door. He rubbed his head as he walked up to the door. Jogging
hurt. He opened the door and saw Bobby and Sam with worried faces.
“Jesus, boy, we had no idea what happened to you. Sam saw on the news that
there was a massive wreck with no casualties, but he said that the car looked
like yours.”
“I'm so sorry, I should have called. Yes, that was us. I couldn't get out of
the way in time. We’re both pretty banged up, but nothing serious. Dean is
upstairs at the moment. Come in, please. Make yourselves at home.” He stepped
back and opened the door all the way to let them in. He looked back at the
stairs. “Dean! Bobby and Sam are here.” He called out.
Dean was in the middle of pulling on some clothing. He walked out of the room
and down the staircase in time to see Sam pulling his boots off.
“Hey, Sammy.”
Sam looked at Dean and smiled.
“Hey, I saw the crash on the news. Are you alright?” He eyes drifted to the new
mating mark on Dean’s neck and he knit his eyebrows together in confusion.
“I'm alright. Just a little scratched up.” Dean noticed Sam looking at the mark
and gave a sly smile.
Bobby was also staring at the mating mark. He huffed out a small laugh.
“I should have known. You could see the sexual tension between you two clear as
day.”
Both Castiel and Dean blushed heavily at that. Castiel was the first to change
the subject.
“Can I get something to drink for either of you?”
Bobby shook his head.
“I'm alright.” He walked further into the house and sat on the couch when
Castiel gestured for him to. Dean and Sam joined Bobby on the living room
couches while Castiel made hot cocoa for everyone, even though Bobby said he
didn't want anything.
Castiel sat next to Dean and smiled as he listened to them talk. He thought
about his own family and how big it was. Even though it was huge, no one was as
closely knit as Dean, Sam, and Bobby were. Still, Castiel was happy to watch
this family for a while, after all, they were his family now too.
 
Chapter End Notes
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***** Sickness *****
Chapter Summary
     I'M NOT DEAD! I know, it's been five months, but life happened and I
     had to take a break. This was going to be broken into two chapters,
     but I combined them because I love you guys. I read all of your
     comments and it's great to see that you guys are enjoying this story!
     I've started becoming more active on tumblr, so if you're interested
     in my work, go follow me over there at
     deaniewithalittleweanie.tumblr.com
When you live with someone for a while, you get into a rhythm. You learn every
single one of that person’s quirks. You get to learn how they tick. Some people
are unable to find that rhythm when they live together. They just aren't
compatible. Some people, on the other hand, do it so easily that they look like
they've practiced for years.
Dean and Castiel are the latter. Within just two weeks of being mated, they
moved around each other with practiced ease. Everything moved like clockwork.
Every morning, Castiel woke up at 5:30am for work. Dean would end up awake as
well, because he didn't like to sleep alone. He would go downstairs and make
breakfast while Castiel got ready. At 5:45, Castiel would come downstairs and
eat the breakfast Dean made. He would be out the door by 6:00. Dean would clean
up the kitchen and go find something in the house to do. There were plants in
the house that needed to be tended to, and the driveway had to be shoveled and
salted so that Castiel would be able to make it back into the garage if it
snowed during the day. Dean found entertainment through the internet for most
of the day. He got very antsy, but it wasn't like he had anything better to do.
He ate a small lunch around noon and started prepping dinner around seven.
Castiel got home at eight and always smelled like hospital soap. He was always
tired, but not tired enough to keep his hands off of his omega. He would stand
behind Dean with his arms wrapped around his waist as he cooked. Dean would get
all pouty, but Castiel knew that he secretly loved it.
Dinners were always romantic, if you call eating on the couch in scrubs and
pajamas with a single Hallmark candle lit romantic. After they finished eating,
they always got extra touchy. Spending the day apart made them want each other
even more. They always spent lots of time kissing and touching, and at least
three nights a week, they would have sex. They always went straight to sleep
after sex. If they didn't have sex that night, Castiel would read a book while
Dean browsed the internet in bed next to him.
The routine was set in stone after just two weeks, which is why Castiel was
concerned when Dean didn't want to get out of bed one morning. The alarm went
off and he slipped out of bed. Dean didn't budge. Castiel tilted his head.
“Are you coming?”
Dean made a soft noise. His voice was hoarse when he spoke.
“No, I want to sleep in. ‘M tired.”
Castiel nodded a bit. “Alright. I'll see you tonight, then.” He continued with
his morning routine and left the house at his usual time. He only had a granola
bar and a bottle of water for breakfast instead of Dean’s home cooking.
He worked all day like nothing was wrong, but the thought of Dean just laying
there in bed made him a little antsy. He drove home a little faster than he
should have and parked his car in the garage. He convinced himself that he
would see Dean cooking dinner as soon as he walked in. He took a deep breath to
calm himself and got out of the car. He opened the garage door and sighed when
he didn't see Dean in the kitchen. He looked up the stairs and saw that the
bedroom door was ajar, just how he had left it in the morning. He set his
things down and quickly jogged up the stairs. His worry really set in when he
could smell his omega’s distress. Upon entering the room, he saw Dean sitting
on the bed, wrapped in the sheet, blanket, and comforter. His cheeks were
flushed and his forehead had drops of sweat covering it. The heat had been
cranked up in the house. Castiel knew immediately that Dean was running a
fever, just by looking at him.
“Dean, baby, why didn't you call me or answer your phone? I would have returned
here sooner.” He walked over to the bed and felt Dean’s forehead, which
confirmed his suspicions.
Dean made a small noise of protest when Castiel started doting over him, but he
didn't resist.
“I’m fine. Just cold.”
“You're not just cold. Are you coughing? Sneezing? Congested? Achy?”
“All of the above.”
Castiel thought for a moment before sighing.
“I think you have the flu. I treated a patient with the flu, and I could have
brought it here on my scrubs. I have my flu shot, but I know you don't. I'm
sorry, love. Luckily, I can get you some Tamiflu. It'll shorten the lifespan of
the virus.”
Dean looked up at Castiel and listened. He didn't like the idea of taking
medicine, but it sounded better than this. He was miserable. He nodded slightly
and laid down again.
Castiel walked to the bathroom and got some ibuprofen and a cold, damp
washcloth. He gently laid the washcloth across Dean’s forehead to help his face
cool down and sat the omega back up. There was a bottle of water on the
nightstand from the previous night, so he asked Dean to swallow the pills with
it.
Dean looked at the ibuprofen reluctantly before taking it. He knew it would
bring his fever down, but he still didn't like taking medicine.
Castiel sat down next to Dean, taking his coat off so that he could bear the
heat.
“The flu has been bad this year.” He gently rubbed Dean’s back.
“I've already have one strain of it. There are two, A and B. A strain seems to
be worse. I had B. The patient I saw the other day tested positive for A.
That's probably what you have. I'll bring you with me to work tomorrow and get
you tested. You can stay in my office and rest.”
Dean nodded and rested his head on Castiel's shoulder. His body was covered in
a dull ache that made sure that he couldn't get comfortable. His nose was so
stopped up that he was mouth-breathing. His sinuses throbbed and his throat
burned. He just wanted to lie down and sleep forever.
Castiel slowly got out of the bed. “Come downstairs with me. You'll feel better
with some fresh air. It's stuffy in here. I'll make you some dinner.”
Dean gave a small nod and ditched most of his blankets, keeping one around his
shoulders to keep warm. He followed Castiel down the stairs and sat down on one
of the breakfast bar stools. The fresh air on the lower floor was nicer than
the bedroom he had stuffed up.
Castiel opened the cabinets and found a can of chicken noodle soup. He poured
it into a pot and put it on the stove. While he waited for it to heat up, he
got a Gatorade out of the fridge and opened it, setting it in front of Dean for
him to drink.
Dean took a small sip of the Gatorade and pulled his blanket tighter around
himself. He watched Castiel heat up the soup on the stove and sighed softly. As
much as he hated being sick, he was happy that he was sick with Castiel. He
knew the alpha would take care of him. As often as he had his moments of doubt,
he knew deep down that Castiel would always be good to him. He picked up the
spoon that Castiel gave to him and started eating the hot soup in from of him.
His tense and aching body relaxed under soft touches from his alpha.
After Dean finished his dinner, and Castiel had eaten as well, Dean was tucked
into bed with a cool cloth on his forehead. Castiel slipped into bed and
wrapped himself around the omega. He poked his nose against Dean’s neck and
silently enjoyed his favorite scent in the world, Dean at peace. The scent
knocked him out like a light. Since Dean was sick and tired, he was out just as
fast.
The next morning, Castiel put Dean in a t-shirt, sweatpants, and one of his old
college sweatshirts. He had him eat some oatmeal with blueberries and drink a
glass of milk. Once he had them both ready, he led Dean out to the car.
Dean was sweating and shivering. He was waiting until Castiel could measure his
fever before taking some. He kept his blanket wrapped around his body as he
followed Castiel into the hospital. He looked around and only saw one guy, who
seemed to be in some kind of skiing accident.
Castiel clocked in and led Dean to one of the rooms, gesturing for him to sit
down on the bed. He got out a thermometer and swiped it over Dean’s forehead.
“101.2.” He spoke softly. He opened up a drawer and got out two swabs. He
ripped one open and stood in front of Dean.
“Say ‘ahhh’.”
Dean did as he was told and earned swabs straight down his throat. He gagged
and coughed.
Cas broke the stick off of the swabs and put them in a plastic sealed cup.
“Sorry. I know it sucks. That was a strep test. The flu test isn't as bad.”
He took ripped the paper off the top of another swab and tipped Dean’s head
back. He swabbed the inside of Dean’s nose. He had to go pretty far back, so it
was incredibly uncomfortable for Dean.
Dean made an uncomfortable noise and pouted.
“You lied. That was worse.” He made a face, rubbing his nose.
“I'm sorry. It's over now.” He put the flu test swabs in another cup and picked
up a sharpie. He wrote Dean’s name, the date, and what the tests were.
“Come on, I'll get you set up in my office.” He stood up and led Dean back to
his office, dropping the cups off at the nurse’s station, hoping Anna would
take them to get run. He opened the door to his office and walked to his chair,
pulling it out for Dean.
“You can go on my computer all you want. The chair lies flat, so you can nap on
it.” He opened the drawer and got out some ibuprofen. He put two tablets on the
desk and got a bottle of water from the mini fridge, setting it next to the
pills.
“There's more water in the mini fridge if you want it. I'll bring you lunch. Do
you need anything else?”
Dean felt like shit. He didn't like the hospital, his body hurt, he was
congested, his throat hurt, and he just wanted to sleep.
“You.” He said, a pathetically sad look on his face.
Castiel’s heart broke a little and he pulled Dean into a hug.
“I know, baby. I'll be here.” He looked at his desk and grabbed a pager,
putting it in Dean’s hand.
“Just page me when you need me. I'll be here.”
Dean looked at the pager and nodded. He walked over to the desk chair and sat
down.
“I guess I'll be here.”
Castiel smiled softly and slowly left the room, shutting the door behind
himself. He put his coat on and washed his hands before getting to work.
Dean had no idea what to do while he waited for Castiel. He went on the
computer and scrolling through YouTube, looking for anything worth watching. He
sat in thought for a while before he had an idea. He started looking for auto
mechanics in the area and drummed his fingers against the desk. He saw one that
was only a few miles from Castiel’s house who was looking for an apprentice.
Dean perked up when he saw that and looked at the requirements. The man was
looking for someone under 25 who had a passion for cars. Dean thought for a
moment, unsure if he should apply for the apprenticeship without telling
Castiel first. He decided to screw it and do it anyways. He knew Castiel would
be encouraging. He sent an email to the mechanic, explaining who he was and
that he wanted the job. He decided not to mention that he didn't have his
driver’s license. He knew how to drive, but he learned when he was fourteen and
stole his dad’s car that one time. He wasn't old enough to get his license by
the time he was with Alastair. He made a mental note to ask Cas to teach him
how to drive properly.
A few minutes later, someone knocked on the door and poked their head in. It
was Anna with medicine for Dean. She smiled softly at him and walked up slowly.

“Hi, Dean. You do have the flu, so I've brought you some medicine.” She set a
little cup with a pill in it on the table and another small plastic cup with
water.
Dean gave a smile and took the pill.
“Thank you.”
Anna smiled wider when she heard Dean speak. “You look so much better than the
last time I saw you. How are you doing?”
“I'm good, besides having the flu.”
Anna giggled.
“I'm so happy to hear that. You get some rest today. Castiel told me to tell
you that he will join you for lunch.”
Dean nodded, wrapping his blanket a little tighter around himself.
Anna left the office and immediately went to find Castiel. She found him at the
nurse’s station, writing something down.
“Doctor Novak!” She walked up to him. “I just gave Dean his first dose of
Tamiflu. He looks so good, besides being sick, of course.”
Castiel smiled softly and nodded.
“He's been doing great. I'm trying to find something for him to do. He just
sits at home all day. I’m planning on finding him a job sometime this week.”
“That sounds great. I'm going to go check on the patient in room 307.”
Castiel waved goodbye to Anna and got back to work. He got lunch at 12:30 and
brought a tray of food to Dean. He walked into the office and saw Dean on the
computer. He smiled and shut the door behind himself, sitting in the chair on
the opposite side of the desk. He pushed Dean’s tray towards him.
“I brought you a sandwich.”
Dean gave a small smile in thanks. He took a bite of the turkey sandwich and
glanced at the computer before looking back at Castiel.
“While you were working, I was online, and I applied for an apprenticeship at
an auto repair shop.” He stumbled over his words a bit, nervously waiting for
Castiel’s reaction.
“Dean, that's awesome! I remember you telling me that you wanted to work with
cars one day.”
Dean relaxed when he saw how happy Castiel was for him.
“There's just one problem, I don't actually know how to drive.”
“I'll teach you. If you're feeling better by the weekend, I'll give you a
driving lesson. We’ll have to go to the DMV and get you a permit. You'll need
to have it for 90 days, and then you can get your license. Since you're an
adult, you don't have to wait as long.”
“Good, because Sam was teasing me about getting his permit before me the other
day. I'll show him by getting my license before him.”
Castiel laughed softly and started eating his lunch. The happy silence was
broken by the sound of a code blue alarm. Castiel jumped up and ran out of the
office to the room, where he found nurses already performing CPR.
Dean blinked and got up, poking his head out of the door, looking for Castiel.
He wanted to follow him, but he was sick and he didn't want to infect anyone
else. He stayed put in the office, waiting nervously for Castiel to return.
The patient Castiel was with had come in for a heart attack and was waiting to
be transferred to a bigger hospital for an emergency bypass surgery. The
helicopter was just about to pick him up. By some miracle, Castiel and his team
were able to get the man’s heart started again. They got him into the
helicopter and everyone said a little prayer for the man.
Castiel sighed and returned to the emergency room. He went to check on a
patient that had fallen off a ski lift and torn her Achilles' tendon. He
returned to his office.
“We had to airlift a man to a bigger hospital for bypass surgery. This is a
pretty tiny hospital, and we can't get a heart surgeon in here fast enough to
help. Hopefully, he’ll be alright. We almost lost him just now.”
Dean listened and nodded.
“That's scary.” He had a thought and decided to ask. “Have you ever had a
patient die?”
“Only one. It was a car accident. I was an intern at the time. The car slid off
the side of the mountain and rolled down. The guy survived initially, but the
bleeding in his brain killed him. There wasn't much we could do. We tried to
drain the blood, but he was gone before we got anything done. That was a bad
day. I had to shower to get his blood off of me. I was soaked in it. Luckily, I
work on a small hospital and we mostly get skiing accidents. I've had a few
close calls, but anytime we get anything that serious, we have to airlift them
to a bigger hospital.”
Dean listened closely to the story and nodded along.
“That sounds awful. How bad are the skiing accidents?”
“We've had some bad ones. We have a woman now who fell out of the lift and she
has a small tear in her Achilles' tendon.”
“Is that the big thing on the back of your heel?”
“Yup. She's on morphine and I've sent her home with hydrocodone. It's one of
the most painful tendons to injure because it's the thickest and strongest one.
Luckily, the woman just has a tear and she didn't fully rupture it.”
Dean nodded and watched Castiel eat the rest of his lunch. He laid the chair
back and curled up on it, ready for a nap.
Castiel walked over and kissed Dean’s forehead.
“Get some good rest. I'll come get you when my shift is over.” He left the room
and gently closed the door to avoid making lots of noise. His lunch break had
just ended and he had a new patient.
This guy seemed to be really angry that his doctor was an alpha, for some
reason. He growled non-stop and refused to let Castiel touch him or examine
him. The battle got physical and Castiel got pummeled before security got the
man off of him. Castiel was very much in shape and not a small man, but this
guy was nearly seven feet tall and built like a bear. Castiel didn't stand a
chance. Luckily, he came out of the fight with only a few bruises and a
backache. The guy came in for a cut he got while snowboarding. He had fallen on
a rock and sliced his arm open. Anna stitched the wound closed and wrapped it.
The man was promptly arrested for assault.
Several more problem patients came in and Castiel was dead tired. One was a
particularly pervy alpha who kept trying to get in Anna’s pants. He was out
within half an hour. He was in for a stomach ache, and he was just constipated,
so he didn't need too much from the hospital.
On his way out, he wandered the hospital a bit, looking for an omega that was
willing, because he was a sleazy douchebag. As he moved towards some of the
offices, he caught a scent: distressed omega. Dean was still in Castiel’s
office and felt horrible. He had been throwing up and his head hurt worse than
ever before.
The man followed Dean’s scent all the way to Castiel’s office door. He knocked
a couple times to see if there was anyone in there, or if the scent was just
lingering there.
Dean looked up at the door and sat up a bit, thinking it was Castiel at the
door.
“Cas?” He asked in a weak voice.
The man opened the door and walked inside, getting a look at Dean. His eyebrows
went up and he closed the door behind himself.
“Look who it is. I've seen you at auctions before.”
Dean’s eyes went to the size of dinner plates and he scrambled out of the
chair. He made a run for the door, but he was blocked. He stared up at the man
with a look of horror and crawled quickly to the desk, yanking the drawers open
and looking for some kind of weapon. He only found files and stacks of paper.
While he was searching, he was paging Castiel over and over, hoping that he
would make it in time. The closest he got to a weapon was a pair of scissors
and a stapler. He opened the scissors and held the pointed end at the alpha,
who just laughed and moved closer.
One thing that the hospital had was a great security system. There was a guard
watching security cameras day and night. A guard had watched the alpha leave
the ER and wander to the offices. He knew Dean was in there from seeing Castiel
lead him there earlier. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the alpha close the
door behind himself. He immediately got out of his chair and ran through the ER
to the offices.
Castiel blinked and watched the guard run by, furrowing his brows. He suddenly
felt his pager going off over and over and his eyes widened. He ran behind the
guard, his heart rate picking up quickly.
The guard knocked hard on Castiel’s office door and tried the doorknob. When it
didn't work, he pulled out his master key and opened the door. He gasped and
darted into the office, ripping the alpha off of Dean, who was kicking and
screaming. Luckily, the alpha hadn't even gotten any clothing off of Dean, he
had just managed to pin him after suffering a few slashes with the scissors and
lots of kicks. Dean had put up a fight that he would have given up in seconds
before he met Castiel.
Castiel heard Dean’s scream and picked up a sprint. He saw the guard pull the
alpha out and his heart dropped to his stomach. Fury boiled up in his body, but
his worry for Dean was greater. He ran into the office and dropped to his knees
by his omega. Dean was still letting out cries of distress and kicking his legs
out. His eyes were wide and full of pure terror. He was still moving as if
someone was still on him. Castiel was able to recognize this as some kind of
vivid flashback and knew he had to get Dean out of it. He tried to wrap his
arms around the omega, but he got pushed away and received a shout of protest.
He stared at Dean in a state of panic, having no idea what to do to help him.
Finally, his senses kicked in and he firmly grabbed Dean’s head. He tucked it
against his neck and held onto him. He forced himself to be calm so that Dean’s
nose would be filled with his calming scent.
Dean cried out and kept trying to pry himself away. Through his
hyperventilating, he finally smelled Castiel. The calming scent gradually made
him go quiet and relax. He was still shaking from the endeavor, but he wasn't
scared anymore. He knew Castiel was there to protect him. He could believe that
now.
Half of the hospital staff was standing in the door and watching in awe as
Castiel got Dean to settle down. Once they knew the situation was handled, they
dispersed to give the couple their privacy.
Castiel pulled back a bit once he knew Dean was calm. His anger started to boil
over and he turned around, staring down the man. If looks could kill, this guy
would be dead 1000 times over. Castiel shot daggers at the alpha and stood up.
Dean stared up at Castiel and blinked. He always saw Castiel as a cuddly alpha
that wouldn't hurt a fly. Watching him get all defensive got him thinking. If
Castiel was this defensive, that had to show how attached to Dean he was. Dean
had never seen an alpha this protective of him. If his cheeks weren't already
flushed from being sick, a blush on his face would have been obvious.
Castiel let out a low growl and took a step forward. The other man cowered
away, even with the security guard hanging onto him. Castiel scoffed and looked
to the guard with a much softer expression to see what he had to say.
“I'm handing him over to the police.”
Castiel gave a nod of thanks and turned back to Dean. He knelt back down.
“Are you alright?”
Dean nodded.
“I’m fine, just a little shaken up, I guess.” He shrugged and paused for a
moment in thought. “You're very protective.”
Castiel smiled softly.
“Of course I am. You're my mate. I would never let anyone like that touch you.”
Dean’s chest went all fuzzy and warm when he heard Castiel speak. He felt like
a teenager with a crush on the high school football captain.
~~~
Castiel’s shift ended an hour later, and he was happy to get Dean back home. He
gave him hot chicken noodle soup for dinner and made sure he got enough to eat
and drink. He gave him his nightly dose of Tamiflu and led him upstairs to bed.
Once Dean was tucked in, he got out his laptop to check his emails. He found
one that Bobby forwarded to him from the Lawrence Police Department and
furrowed his brows. He read it and blinked.
“Dean, the police in Lawrence have your father’s car. They were going to send
it to the junkyard, but John said that he wanted it to go to you. Bobby is
going to get it and bring it here. He said that if you don't want it, he’ll
take it.”
Dean sat up a bit.
“I want it. That car is a masterpiece. It's a ‘67 Chevy Impala. I've dreamed
about driving that thing since I was five. The closest I've gotten is when I
stole it when I was fourteen. I drove it ten feet through a motel parking lot
before my old man caught me.”
Castiel chuckled a bit at Dean’s enthusiasm and story.
“I'll tell Bobby that you want it. That's an old car. It'll probably need
maintenance.”
“She does. Once I start the apprenticeship, I'll be able to do it myself.”
“She?”
“The car. My dad always called her ‘Baby’, and so did I.”
Castiel laughed. “That seems silly, but I'll accept it.”
Dean laid back down and curled up a bit. He watched Castiel work on his laptop
for a long while before he spoke up.
“Are you coming to bed?”
Castiel looked up and smiled softly. He closed his laptop and stood up, walking
to the bed and climbing into bed next to Dean.
“As long as you promise not to get me sick. I have work tomorrow.”
Dean chuckled and nodded, curling up against Castiel and keeping his head on
the alpha’s chest so that he wouldn't be breathing in Castiel’s face. With the
scent of Castiel surrounding him, his body easily slipped away into a peaceful
sleep.
Castiel was awake for a little while longer than Dean, but he was able to fall
asleep with similar ease.
~~~
Dean was in bed for two days, feeling tired and achy. The medicine helped make
it more bearable, and he was well by Friday. Castiel had work, so he spent the
day at home. He got an email back from the auto mechanic, and he was excited to
learn that he got the apprenticeship. He would start on Monday, and he was
going to the DMV to get his adult permit on Tuesday.
Now, he was sitting in the living room, binge-watching Rick and Morty. He and
Castiel were watching it together, and they we're almost done with the second
season. Dean was re-watching the first season out of boredom. What he didn't
expect was to hear someone knocking on the door. He stared at the front door
for a minute before standing up and walking to it. He tried to peek out and saw
two teenage boys that looked about Sam’s age. He opened the door and looked
down at them. Both of them had light brown to dark blonde hair and a similar
build. One had longer hair than the other, and he spoke first.
“Is Castiel home?” He asked.
Dean shook his head. “No, he's at work. Who are you?”
“I'm Gabriel and that's Balthazar. We’re Castiel’s brothers. Who are you?”
“I'm Dean. I'm Castiel’s...friend.” Why the hell did he just say that? Too late
now.
“Oh. He gets home at five tonight, right?”
Dean nodded. “Yeah, he does. Umm, I guess you can come in.” He opened the door
fully and let the brothers in.
Balthazar made a slight face at the sudden strong scent of mates. He instantly
knew that Dean was lying about being Castiel’s “friend”. He didn't prod any
further, deciding to let Dean and Castiel tell him themselves.
Gabriel was thinking the same thing, and he chose to stay quiet as well. He
plopped himself down on the couch and sat awkwardly beside his brother. He
looked at the TV and saw Rick and Morty on.
“You watch Rick and Morty? Nice.”
Dean nodded and sat down in one of the cozy chairs. He unpaused the TV and let
the episode continue. Everyone watched happily, chuckling whenever Rick dropped
a one-liner.
At five o’clock, Castiel walked in, looking for Gabriel and Balthazar. He had
seen their cars in the driveway and knew they were here. He was greeted by a
slightly terrified look from Dean and two big smiles from his brothers, who
immediately got up to hug him.
Gabriel threw his arms around Castiel with a smile.
“Cassie! It's been too long!”
Castiel smiled and hugged his brothers back.
“I know, I missed you guys.” He looked over at Dean. “I see you've met Dean.”
Dean got up and walked around the kitchen to stand behind Castiel. He would
never admit that he was hiding, but truthfully, he was.
Gabriel and Balthazar nodded. Balthazar spoke first.
“Yeah, is he a good friend of yours? How come we’ve never seen him before?”
Castiel furrowed his brows.
“He's only lived here for a month, and he’s my mate.”
Dean’s face went pale and he resisted the urge to curl into Castiel’s back and
disappear. Why did he do this to himself?
Balthazar was completely unfazed. He knew what was going on. He just needed
confirmation.
“How long have you been mated?”
“Almost three weeks now.” He reached back and took Dean’s hand, squeezing it
softly. He looked back at him with a smile and urged him forwards.
Dean slowly and timidly moved forward. He was completely thrown off by having
strangers in the house that he learned to be himself in.
Gabriel watched Dean come forward with that timid stance and his eyes widened.
He had seen him before. Months ago, Lucifer had stolen some of Gabriel’s
clothes for some omega in his house. Gabriel went to get them and saw an omega
frantically washing dishes in the same timid stance Dean stood in. He
remembered how skinny he was and how bruised and scared he was. He ended up
leaving his clothes there, because he decided that the omega needed them more
than he did. Now, he was staring at Dean and realizing that Dean was that omega
he saw. He didn't mean to blurt his thoughts out, but it happened. He pointed
at Dean with a confused expression.
“Weren’t you Lucifer’s omega?” He regretted it as soon as he said it.
Dean’s face went ghostly pale for only second before he tore off down the
basement stairs at a speed Castiel had never seen him run at. He slid across
the hardwood floors as he scrambled to his ‘safe spot’. He closed himself into
the closet that held the water heater and crawled behind it where no one could
reach him. He accidentally touched a pipe and hissed when it burned him. He
curled into the corner and tucked his head to his knees, his breathing quickly
turning to hyperventilating. Everything was spinning and he could see or hear.
Everything became fear and distress. He wasn't even aware of the small,
terrified sounds that escaped his lips.
Castiel gasped when Dean broke free and stood in shock as he ran. He knew
exactly where Dean was going, and he got ready to go coax him out. Before that,
he had to ask.
“You saw him there?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Lucifer broke into the family house a while back and stole some of my clothes.
I went to his apartment to get them back, and I realized that he stole them for
Dean. I didn't know his name then. I just saw him in the kitchen from the front
door. I didn't recognize him today until I saw him standing like he was scared.
Is that how you met him? You found him with Lucifer?”
Castiel shook his head.
“Not exactly, but we can talk later. You guys just stay up here. He has a
hiding spot down there that he goes to when he has panic attacks. I can get him
out.” He walked quietly down the basement stairs and looked down the hall. He
opened the closet door and sat down in front of the water heater. He saw Dean
curled up behind it in the corner and his heart broke. He hadn't seen Dean down
here since the first week he was here. He tried to reach back to touch Dean,
but he couldn't reach. He never tried to crawl back there with him. He tried
once during the first week and Dean freaked out. Castiel held his hand out for
Dean with a soft smile.
“Dean, love, it's just me. Come on out.”
Dean went silent when he heard Castiel and shook his head, curling further back
into the corner. His thoughts ate at him and broke him down. All the memories
of Lucifer came flooding back all at once and his mind couldn't take it. He
simultaneously wanted Castiel to hold him and wanted to get far far away from
the alpha. Time didn't exist anymore to him. He just stayed in his own mind,
letting his thoughts completely devour him.
Castiel stayed at the door, leaning back against the frame and begging Dean to
come out. He knew Dean couldn't hear him like this, but he couldn't get to him
without him freaking out and hurting himself. Nearly an hour passed before he
heard footsteps. Gabriel came down the stairs with one of Castiel’s dirty
shirts in his hand.
“What are you doing? I told you stay upstairs.”
Gabriel didn't meet Castiel’s eyes.
“I just...I know something that works for things like this. Can I try?”
Castiel looked wary and shook his head.
“You can't try to pull him out. The pipes are hot, and if you touch him, he’ll
panic.”
“I'm not going to touch him. Please?”
Castiel stared for a moment before slowly moving out of the way.
Gabriel knelt down by the door and shuffled around the heater the opposite way
Dean went. He balled up Castiel’s shirt and stuck it out right in front of
Dean’s face.
Dean was blocking everything out, but there was one thing he couldn't ignore,
the sudden strong scent of Castiel. His eyes opened and he looked at the shirt
that was being held in front of him. He didn't care whose hand was holding it.
He took the shirt and pressed it to his face. It wasn't nearly as good as
having Castiel there, so he whined a bit and looked to the person in the closet
with him.
Gabriel gave Dean a comforting smile and held his hand out.
“He's out here waiting for you.”
Dean blinked and slowly took Gabriel’s hand. Something about the omega presence
sucked him right out of his trance. He followed Gabriel out of the closet and
saw Castiel sitting there. He immediately abandoned Gabriel for Castiel,
throwing his arms around the alpha and burying his face in the crook of his
neck.
Castiel was in shock that Dean came out just like that with Gabriel’s help. He
wrapped his arms around the omega and held him tightly. He had been worried
sick, and having him back in his arms made his scent scream with relief. He
looked over at Gabriel.
“How did you know what to do?”
“I've been volunteering at the Omega Protection Agency. There are a lot of
omegas like Dean. Sometimes they just need a scent that they like and the
presence of another omega. When they smell an alpha around, even if it's a
mate, parent, or friend, it triggers an emotional response in a time of panic.
They’ll usually stay away until they can be coaxed back. Using now as an
example, having an omega present him with your scent convinced him to come out
because he didn't sense a threat from an alpha. He just had the scent up close
and an omega asking him to come out. It's weird how it all works but it just
does. That's not to say that he's scared of you, I'm sure he's just scared of
alphas in general. With time, he’ll learn.”
Castiel blinked in surprise before nodding.
“Wow. That's really cool. Thank you.”
Gabriel gave a small nod and looked back at the closet.
“Why the water heater?”
“I don't really know. He's run down here twice before. I can't get him out
whenever it happens.” He rubbed Dean’s back, seeing that the omega was still
out of it.
Gabriel nodded.
“Balthazar and I agreed that whenever Dean’s ready, we’ll start over and
pretend that nothing happened.” He stood up and walked back up the stairs.
Castiel stayed with Dean and comforted him until Dean seemed to come back.
“Hey. Do you want to go meet my younger brothers?”
Dean looked up at Castiel with his brows furrowed slightly.
“I saw them earlier…”
“We’re starting over. Starting now, none of that happened.”
Dean recognized the gesture and felt a swell of appreciation for it. He nodded
and got himself up. He cleared his throat and dusted himself off.
Castiel stood up with him and gave him a moment to compose himself. Once they
were ready, Castiel led the way up the stairs. At the top, they saw Gabriel
answering the door and introducing himself to Sam.
Dean raised his eyebrows and watched them, a grin slowly coming to his face.
Dean got a chance to re-introduce himself to Gabriel and Balthazar while
Castiel ordered pizza for dinner. Everyone sat down in the living room and
exchanged small talk. Dean and Castiel sat on the couch so close together that
the were smashed into one side. Sam was on the other side, facing Gabriel, who
was sitting in a chair across from him. Balthazar was in the recliner, leaning
back with his hands behind his head.
Dean watched as Sam and Gabriel were talking one on one and grinned a bit. They
were teasing each other not-so-subtly. Dean turned to Castiel to whisper in his
ear.
“Sam likes him.”
Castiel raised a brow and looked over at Gabriel and Sam. After watching for a
moment, he nodded and smiled.
“I think Gabriel likes Sam, too.” He turned to Balthazar and started asking him
about life at home. Michael was basically their dad now. With their mother
being a missing person, their father ditching them, and Lucifer being a twat,
Michael was the only one left to take care of the house and the kids.
As Dean looked between the two conversations, he found his mind at peace again.
His family was here to protect him, and he was there to protect them. These
were his favorite moments, the ones where everything made sense.
 
 
 
***** Christmas *****
Hello everyone! I'd like to talk about something really important before this
chapter starts, and that's the reason why I wrote this. I got several comments
recently that hit me hard. I removed the ones with abusive language so that
readers wouldn't see them, and I left the one that was respectful, because it
wouldn't be fair of me to delete criticism. This criticism was about the nature
of my story. This person interpreted the last few chapters as a PTSD victim
only being able to heal with some magical knight in shining armor, and things
of that nature. This hit me hard because that really wasn't what I was going
for at all, and I started to worry if I had conveyed my message correctly. I
replied to this comment to explain myself, and if you're reading this, I want
to apologize again for making you feel that way. That was never my intention
and I'm truly sorry.
The reason I wrote this story is to cope with my own PTSD. Four years ago, I
ended up in an abusive relationship. I was sexually, physically, and verbally
abused every day for a year. I was raped, beaten, drugged, and trapped. When I
finally got away, my abuser what put in jail, but that wasn't when my suffering
ended. To this day, I have night terrors, I sleepwalk, I get flashbacks, and I
have massive trust issues and social anxiety. All of this stemmed from that one
year. I was diagnosed with PTSD three years ago and I've been treated by a
wonderful psychiatrist. I've gotten my life back and I'm in a much better place
now. I wrote this story to give some insight on PTSD. I put a lot of myself
into Dean. Whenever I go deep into his thoughts, I’m always referring to how I
felt and how I dealt with everything.
As for Castiel, this is a love story. They have to come together somehow. For
me, I needed someone to help me heal. I couldn't possibly do it alone. I've
taken that and embodied it into Castiel. Dean does not represent PTSD as a
whole. He represents me and my own experiences with the disorder. If you have
PTSD and feel that Dean doesn't represent you properly, that's because he
doesn't. No two PTSD patients are alike. Everyone reacts differently to trauma
and heals in different ways. I hope this helps everyone to understand where I’m
coming from and why I wrote this story the way I did. Thank you for reading.
This story has done so much for me in terms of healing. My battle will never
magically end, but with time I know I'll get better. Enjoy this short chapter
in time for the holidays!
~~~
Dean started his apprenticeship a few weeks after he applied. Castiel had to
drive him there, since Dean didn't have his license yet. He was practicing and
getting better every day. The mechanic Dean worked with was named Benny. He was
a friendly beta with a rougher edge. Dean liked spending time with him. They
got along and Benny was a great teacher. He mostly had Dean watching and doing
little jobs around the shop. One day when Castiel dropped him off, Benny told
him that he would have the next day off.
“I'm free tomorrow. I can still come.” Dean argued. He didn't like the idea of
taking any days off.
“I'm not gonna be here. Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. I'm sure you and your mate
want to go do something.” Benny replied, picking up a wrench.
“Come with me, lemme show you how to fix this engine.”
Dean blinked at the mention of Christmas. He hasn't even thought about
Christmas. Castiel hadn't decorated or anything. Thinking back, it was around
the end of September when Castiel found him. The timing made sense, he just
forgot. He shrugged it off and followed Benny over to the car.
Castiel had a plan for tonight. He told Dean that morning that he was working
until eight, but he actually got off at six today. Once he got off work, he
went straight home and started setting everything up. A little after eight, he
drove to the auto shop to pick Dean up.
Dean got into Castiel’s car, wiping some of the grease off of his face.
“How was work?”
“Good. What about you?”
“Great. Did you know that tomorrow is Christmas Eve?” He asked, buckling
himself in.
Castiel nodded.
“I did, actually. I was thinking that we could just stay home, maybe invite Sam
and Bobby over. New Years will a little different. My family has a party every
year and I do plan to take you with me, so that you can meet everyone. It's
just my siblings and a few cousins. It'll be fun.” He glanced over at Dean and
saw that he looked concerned. “The one person you're worried about won't be
there. He's not welcome in any of our houses.”
Dean nodded with a small sigh of relief. He had a thought and tilted his head a
bit.
“Is he not welcome because of what happened with me?”
Castiel shook his head.
“That's part of it, but he was removed from our house years ago. He even went
to jail for a few months.”
“What happened? If you don't mind me asking…”
“A lot.” He paused for a moment, staring out the windshield. He really hadn't
told anyone about this. “It started when I was about ten years old, before I
presented. He was sixteen and had just presented as an alpha. He started
preying on his younger siblings. Gabriel and Balthazar were only two, so he
didn't bother them. My mom hadn't adopted Raphael and Uriel yet, so I was the
only one there. My entire family thought I would present as an omega, so he
treated me as if I was one that he had control over. It lasted until I
presented as an alpha. He stopped after that. What happened to me wasn't nearly
as bad as what happened to Gabriel. The day he presented...Lucifer just pounced
on him. I found him before anything serious happened, but it was still
traumatizing for Gabe. That's what put him in jail. I finally came forward
about what he did to me as a child and testified against him in court. He only
got two months and community service.”
Dean’s face fell into a look of sympathy and understanding. He knew first hand
what Lucifer was like and how nasty he could be.
“I'm sorry that happened to you guys. I know what he's like and how bad he can
be.”
Castiel nodded and gave Dean a small smile. “That was a long time ago. We’re
all in a better place now.” He parked his car in the garage and got out. “Wait
for me.”
Dean got out of the car and waited by the garage door while Castiel walked
around to the door.
“I have a confession. I didn't actually work late. I came home at my normal
Friday time and set up a surprise for you.” Castiel opened the door and led
Dean inside. With the few hours he had, he put up a Christmas tree and had
classy Christmas decorations placed all over the house. The dining room was the
most elegantly decorated, and had two plates covered in tin foil on it.
Dean stepped inside and blinked as he looked around. He hadn't been in a
decorated house like this in years, not since Mary died. He looked at Castiel
and saw him holding out a little box for him.
“Merry Christmas, Dean.”
Dean felt his eyes welling up with happy tears as he took the small wrapped
box. He untied the bow and carefully tore the wrapping paper off. He found a
little jewelry box and wiped his eyes before opening it. Inside was a beautiful
silver ring encrusted with emeralds. The silver appeared to swirl together like
ribbons around the little green gems.
In all of the alphas Dean had been with, none had given him a mating ring. A
mating ring had as much significance as a wedding ring. Betas were usually the
ones to get married, while alphas and omegas mated and wore mating rings.
Castiel stepped closer and took the ring out of the box before holding his hand
out for Dean’s hand. He had tears of his own forming, one slipping down his
cheek as he slipped the ring onto Dean’s finger. He pulled a second ring box
out of his pocket and handed it to Dean.
“You can put mine on me.”
Dean smiled and nodded, opening the box and looking at Castiel’s ring. It was
the same swirling silver design that his had, but with sapphires instead of
emeralds. He felt bad that he couldn't buy the ring for Castiel, but that
feeling was easily overwhelmed by the sheer joy he was experiencing. He slipped
the ring onto Castiel’s finger before pulling him into a tight hug.
“I love you.” Dean blurted out.
Castiel’s heart jumped to his head when he heard Dean. He hugged him back
tightly with a beaming smile.
“I love you too. More than you'll ever know.” He kissed Dean’s temple and
stepped back from the hug to take his hand. He led him to the dining room and
pulled a chair out for him.
Dean followed Castiel and sat down in his chair with a smile.
“Such a gentleman.” He teased.
Castiel rolled his eyes and sat down in his own seat. He pulled the foil off of
their plates and revealed a turkey dinner with corn on the cob, mashed
potatoes, and a little bowl of spinach salad.
Dean’s eyes widened.
“This looks amazing. Did you make this today?”
Castiel nodded.
“There's more turkey in the fridge that you can heat up if you're still hungry
after this plate.”
Dean dug into his mashed potatoes and let out a near-pornographic moan.
“This is so good.”
Castiel smiled and chuckled at Dean’s enthusiasm as he started eating.
Their plates were cleared in just a few minutes, and they were both stuffed.
Castiel stood up and grabbed Dean’s hand, pulling him out into the hall.
“Where are you taking me?” Dean looked up and saw some strategically placed
mistletoe.
“Oh you cheesy fucker.” He grinned and grabbed Castiel’s shirt, pulling him in
for a kiss.
Castiel kissed Dean back with a smug grin, placing his hands on the omega’s
hips.
Dean pressed his body against Castiel’s and started pushing him back towards
the stairs.
Castiel pulled back from the kiss and grinned.
“Are trying to get me to bed?”
Dean nodded and pushed Castiel a bit.
“Hell yeah I am. Now hurry up.” He pushed Castiel along up the stairs and to
the bedroom. Once they were there, the dominance quickly switched to Castiel
when he turned and pushed Dean up against the wall and kissed him again.
Hands scrambled, grabbed, pulled and gripped as the two kissed passionately.
They fell back onto the bed and started tugging at each other’s clothes. Dean
grabbed Castiel’s shirt and yanked it off over his head before his hands flew
to the alpha’s chest to feel everything. Castiel pulled Dean’s shirt off and
grabbed his hips possessively as he kissed his neck. Dean grinned and wrapped a
leg around Castiel. Using his body weight, he flipped them over so that Castiel
was lying on his back and he was straddling the alpha’s thighs. Castiel seemed
shocked and tried to sit up a bit. Dean’s hand on his chest stopped him.
“No. You gave me this beautiful ring and an amazing dinner. Let me do something
for you.” Dean grinned and shuffled down to pull Castiel’s pants off. He saw
the appreciation and arousal in his alpha’s eyes that spurred him on. He threw
Castiel’s pants to the wall and stripped himself of his own. He already had
slick dampening his thighs and steadily leaking from his hole. He stood up on
his knees and pushed two fingers into his slick entrance. He whined a bit as he
quickly stretched himself for Castiel. He was so slick that he didn't need more
than a minute of stretching. He positioned himself and was about to sink down
onto Castiel’s cock when the alpha grabbed his thigh to stop him.
“Dean, wait, I don't have a condom-”
Dean cut Castiel off with a whine.
“Can't we just forget it tonight? I'm not in heat and I'm on that birth control
you prescribed for me.”
“There's still a slim chance.” Castiel reached for the bedside drawer, but then
gasped when Dean sank down on him without warning and started grinding his
hips.
“Dean...Dean, baby, please...I don't want to chance it.”
Dean huffed and stopped his hips.
“Do you just really not want pups?”
“No, of course I do one day, but not now. Is that what you're trying to do
right now?”
Dean looked away and chewed his lip. He wasn’t actively thinking about it, but
in the back of his mind, he knew what he was trying to do.
“Dean, love, you're so young. You're young to even be mated.”
“I'm not /that/ young. I turn twenty one in less than a month.”
“That's still very young to be thinking about pups. One day, we can fill this
house with our pups, but in a few years, okay?” Castiel rubbed Dean’s thigh and
sighed. “Besides, I'm on alpha suppressants. I probably can't even get you
pregnant now.”
Dean was about to nod, but then he heard Castiel mention alpha suppressants.
“You're still on those? It's been months. Why?”
Castiel sighed.
“It's become a part of my morning routine, and I'm honestly afraid of what
could happen if I stopped taking them.”
Dean frowned.
“I want all of you. Not just the part of you I get when you're on those. And to
counter your point on pups, I lost my youth when I entered that auction house.
Now, I'm going to ride you like there's no tomorrow, and you're not taking
those suppressants anymore.”
Castiel blinked a bit at Dean’s assertiveness and felt his heart ache when Dean
brought up the auction house. He sighed. “Don't say that. You have so much to
life to live. Try to focus on that, okay?”
Dean whined a bit. “I hear you but I really can't have a meaningful
conversation when I'm in your lap like this...How are you even so collected?”
Castiel thought for a moment. “Honestly it's probably the suppressants.”
Dean frowned. “I'm flushing them down the toilet tomorrow morning.” He ditched
the conversation and lifted himself up and lowered himself back down with a
soft moan, his back arching.
Castiel was easily able to shift his focus back to what they were doing before
their conversation started, gripping the omega’s hips tightly and guiding him
up and down.
Dean picked up a rhythm quickly and bounced desperately in Castiel’s lap. Each
bounce punched a noise out of his throat. It felt just as good as when Castiel
wore a condom, but like this, he could feel every inch and detail of his cock.
Castiel was in the same boat. He could feel all of Dean’s slick walls clenching
tightly around him as his hips canted up to meet the omega’s.
Dean felt Castiel’s knot swelling and drove his hips down harder against it. As
soon as it caught his rim slightly, he was gone in an orgasm that made him
throw his head back and moan as he rode it out. His back was arched perfectly
and his hands gripped Castiel’s thighs.
Castiel felt Dean coming and growled, grabbing the omega’s hips and fucking him
fast and hard as he chased his own release. His knot finally caught and stayed,
he groaned as he came into Dean.
Dean felt Castiel’s release and moaned loudly, clenching around his knot and
milking it for all he was worth. He finally collapsed and fell forward onto his
alpha’s chest.
Castiel wrapped his arms tightly around Dean and tried to catch his breath as
he rubbed the omega’s back. He found himself still thinking about Dean wanting
pups. It seemed odd. Dean had a miscarriage only four months ago, and probably
had a horrible experience with pregnancy. Even so, it almost made sense right
now. Castiel had been giving everything to Dean, and Dean just wanted to give
him something back.
Dean looked up at Castiel and saw him deep in thought. He hummed and kissed his
cheek.
“Whatcha thinkin’ about?”
“You.” Castiel answered. “You have an interesting mind in there. I'm always
trying to figure it out.”
Dean smiled a bit and rested his head on his alpha’s chest. His eyelids started
getting heavy and he started drifting off to sleep.
Castiel felt Dean falling asleep and gently turned them onto their sides. Once
his knot went down he slipped out of Dean and closed his eyes to sleep.
***** Surprise *****
Over the course of three years, Dean blossomed into a whole new person. He was
sarcastic, flirty with his mate, confident, and happy. It didn't happen out of
the blue. He had gone to therapy and tried a medication for anxiety for a
while. He had his panic attacks under control now, and it was very rare that he
had one. The only behavior that stuck was sleepwalking. He would get out of bed
in the middle of the night about once a week and wander the halls, muttering to
himself. Castiel would end up hearing him and getting up to lead him back to
bed. Things had changed a lot after a few years. Only a few days after Castiel
stopped taking alpha suppressants, he went into a rut. He locked himself in the
bathroom for hours while Dean begged him to open the door.
“Cas, it's okay. Please come out. You're scaring me.” Dean was kneeling at the
door with a blanket still wrapped around his shoulders. Castiel had already
called in sick from work, so that was out of the way.
“Cas, it's just your rut. There's no reason to be afraid of it.”
“Yes, there is.” Castiel snapped back.
Dean frowned. He didn't understand why he was the one scared of his rut. Did
something happen?
“What is it then?” No answer.
“Cas, nothing is going to happen. We’ll just get to spend a few days having
sex. It'll be fun. There's nothing to worry about.”
“No, it won't be fun.” Castiel had his face buried in his hands and had put
himself in the bathtub.
“If I open the door I'll hurt you just like he did.”
Dean blinked in confusion before everything clicked into place. Castiel grew up
with Lucifer, who was a sexual monster. Castiel’s only impression of alphas
came from him. He only saw what a monster with no control would do, so when he
presented as an alpha, he must have thought he would be the same way. Castiel
was scared of himself. Dean shook his head.
“No you won't. Cas, how long have you been on suppressants?” There was a long
pause.
“Since I presented.”
“So you've...you've never had a rut before, and when you started taking them
for me, you just started stronger ones?”
“...No, and yes.”
Dean frowned and got up. He walked to the closet and got a wire coat hanger. He
straightened the wire and poked it into the hole of the doorknob. He pushed the
lock out of place and walked in.
Castiel shook his head, backing up against the back of the tub. “Dean, no!
Don't come in!”
Dean walked over to the tub and sat in front of it. “Do you feel compelled to
hurt me?”
Castiel’s eyes were wide with fear and his pupils dilated as he caught Dean’s
scent. He thought about what he was feeling, and all he could think of was how
much he wanted to knot Dean and take care of him. He shook his head.
“No…”
Dean smiled.
“See? You're not going to hurt me. I know you never would. You couldn't hurt a
fly even if you tried. Now come to bed with me and let yourself go.” He held
his hand out for Castiel, who slowly reached out and took it.
Castiel was still wary of the whole situation, but as soon as they got into the
bedroom, he buried his face into Dean’s neck and took in a deep breath. His
body shuddered and he let out a low growl, nipping Dean’s neck. He pushed him
down onto the bed and yanked Dean’s shirt and pants off. His hands glided over
his omega’s skin, grabbing at his hips possessively.
“Fuck, Dean...you smell so good.” He hovered over Dean with a powerful stance,
his scent radiating off of him in strong waves. Dean knew he was in for some of
the best sex of his life. Castiel pounded him into the mattress, snarling and
refreshing the mating mark multiple times. Dean came three times throughout it,
completely drained at the end.
~~~
A little more than two years into their relationship, they started trying for a
baby. With how young Dean was, they expected it to be easy. After four months
of negative tests and discouragement, Castiel took Dean to a gynecologist to
see if they could figure out what was going on. She gave Dean some hormone
enhancers and said that it’s not easy for some couples. They did nothing but
made Dean smell more intense. Dean was heartbroken. He tried everything he read
online and Castiel complied, watching as Dean tried every miracle food and
position to try and get pregnant. After almost twelve months of trying, Dean
asked if they could take a break. He couldn’t take it anymore. Every month, he
did all of this prep work for his heat only to be sorely disappointed.
Dean was sitting on the couch, home alone while Castiel worked a night shift.
He had taken a break from all of his research, and he was avoiding the internet
all together. He had on some nature documentary while he ate a microwave
lasagna. He didn’t feel like cooking. Just as he got settled, he heard a
panicked knock on the door. He grumbled and got up, opening it only to see Sam
standing there with Gabriel hiding behind him.
“Is Cas home?” Sam asked quickly, clearly out of breath.
Dean raised a brow.
“No...What’s going on?”
“We need help. We screwed up bad.” Sam walked into the house, wrapping an arm
around Gabriel.
Dean frowned and led them over to the couch to sit down.
“I’ll call Cas-”
“No!” Gabriel shook his head. “Please, don’t call him.”
Dean looked at the two teenagers and slowly put down his phone.
“Okay, I won’t. What happened?”
Sam and Gabriel exchanged a look and nodded, signalling Sam to speak.
“It was a few months ago. We were...studying...and then Gabe went into heat. We
ended up..you know...and then that was it. We thought everything was fine, but
Gabe took a test today and it’s positive.”
Gabriel nodded. “I was puking every morning and I’m so tired. I was dizzy all
the time and I’m getting fat.”
Dean realized what had happened and his eyes went wide. It was like a punch in
the face. He wanted what they had so badly and he tried for a year. They make
one little mistake and there it is. Dean got himself back together and
swallowed.
“We can get this figured out. It’ll be alright. I’ll call Cas and he can get
this fixed.”
“Cas can’t know.” Gabriel shook his head. “He’s incredibly protective. You’ve
seen it. He’ll be furious.”
Dean sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I know it feels that way but he’ll be more worried than anything.”
“Dean, please. We came to you because we thought you wouldn’t do this to us.”
Sam gave Dean his puppy eyes.
Dean looked at them and sighed again.
“Fine, but I expect you to tell him within the month or I’m telling him that
you’ve been hiding it, got it?”
Sam and Gabriel nodded quickly.
“Got it.” They spoke in unison.
“You understand that not telling him means you’re not getting medical
attention?”
Gabriel nodded.
“I know, I know, I just...need some time to think through this. I just found
out a few minutes ago.” He sighed. “I promise, we’ll tell him. We just need an
adult to know so we can get help if we need it.”
“You guys are almost adults yourselves. In a few months you’ll both be living
in California and going to college. You’ll be on your own.”
Sam looked down and then at Dean.
“If this is happening, then I’m not going. I’m staying to take care of Gabriel
and the pup.”
Dean’s eyes widened.
“Absolutely not. You’ve worked your ass off to go to Stanford and Cas and I
have had to work our asses off to pay for the portion you don’t have covered by
a scholarship. You can’t give that up. What happened to law school?”
Sam huffed.
“You’re not the boss of me. I’m doing what’s best for my mate. You can’t say
anything because you didn’t even go to college.”
Dean was getting worked up now. He was upset on multiple fronts.
“You’re eighteen and you knocked up your mate. I really don’t think you have
the high ground here. You need to think with your brain instead of your dick
and realize that what you’re doing isn’t helping your mate, it’s dooming him.”
Sam growled, standing up and squaring up his shoulders. He towered over Dean
with a lanky body.
“I’m not a stupid kid, so why do you still see me like that? Why do you only
see everything the way it was before dad gave you up?” he snapped.
That was it for Dean. He threw one hard punch to Sam’s chest and knocked him
onto the floor before storming off to his room and locking the door.
Sam had the wind knocked out of him and he coughed. He was immediately filled
with regret for what he said and he sighed, rubbing his chest where he got
punched.
“You deserved that.” Gabriel had his arms crossed over his chest. “He’s right,
you know. He put it harshly but we should still be going to school.”
“That doesn’t matter now. I need to be around to take care of you.” Sam wrapped
his arms protectively around Gabriel and sighed.
Meanwhile, Dean was throwing things around the room. Nothing breakable, just
the many bottles of vitamins, supplements, and hormone enhancers that he had
acquired. He finally stopped and sat down on the bed, burying his face in his
hands and breathing heavily. He felt broken.
Castiel got to come home early after another attending doctor came in. He got
home and saw Sam and Gabriel on the couch.
“When did you get here?” He asked.
Sam looked at Castiel.
“Oh-uh, not long ago. Just hanging out.”
Castiel immediately sensed the bullshit, but he didn’t ask. He saw Gabriel
asleep on Sam.
“You should probably get him home. He doesn’t do well without enough sleep.”
Sam nodded.
“Yup.” he picked Gabriel up and walked quickly out of the house.

Castiel put his bag down and walked upstairs.
“Dean? You up here?” He called out. He found Dean in their bedroom, watching
Doctor Sexy. “Oh no, what happened?” Nowadays, Dean only watched Doctor Sexy
when something was bothering him.
Dean sighed.
“Sam and I got into an argument. I may have punched him in the chest.”
Castiel sat down beside Dean and muted the TV.
“What was it about?”
Dean’s face contorted a bit. He could usually pull off a perfect lie, but it
was impossible in front of Castiel.
“N-Nothing. Just brother stuff.”
Castiel raised an eyebrow.
“I smell bullshit. Sam was acting all weird downstairs. What’s going on?”
Dean couldn’t do it. He couldn’t lie to Castiel.
“You didn’t hear this from me, Okay? So Sam might have accidentally knocked
Gabe up.”
Castiel’s eyes went wide and he growled. He wasn’t almost as protective of
Gabriel as he was of Dean.
“He did what?”
Dean turned to Castiel and rubbed his back.
“Easy, Tiger. He didn’t hurt him. They made me promise not to tell you, which
was stupid on their part because for some godforsaken reason I can’t lie to
you.”
Castiel’s lips curled into a grin.
“That’s because you love me.” He kissed Dean’s cheek. “Thank you for telling
me. I’ll just pretend that I could smell it on Gabriel and I won’t tell them
that you told me. Do you know how far along he is?”
Dean shook his head.
“No idea. They said it had been a few months but he doesn’t look pregnant.”
Castiel nodded.
“We can talk to them tomorrow. It’ll be alright.” He paused. “I know this must
be really hard on you, but I promise we’ll get through this. We can always go
back to the doctor. There are so many fertility treatments and-“
“I don’t want any damn treatments. I just want to be functional enough to do it
on my own.” Dean snapped.
Castiel blinked and stared for a moment.
“I’m sorry I brought it up. Let’s just go to sleep, okay?”
Dean rubbed his face and nodded.
“I’m sorry I snapped at you.” He rested his head on Castiel’s shoulder. “I’m
just sick of being broken.” He closed his eyes and sighed.
Castiel shook his head.
“You’re not broken. You never were and you never will be. You will always be
perfect in my eyes. You’re still perfect even if we go for fertility
treatments. It doesn’t mean you’re broken. Some omegas just need a little help,
that’s all.”
Dean laid down with Castiel and curled up around his side, one arm moving over
the alpha’s chest. He was always bad at responding to things like that. He hid
his face in Castiel’s chest.
“I’ll think about it.”
Castiel nodded and smiled softly.
“Okay. Get some sleep. I love you.”
Dean couldn’t help but smile.
“I love you too.”
~~~
Castiel led Sam and Gabriel into the hospital and to the obstetrician. She was
a bubbly woman named Rose. The patients loved her and so did the hospital
staff. Castiel had gotten Gabriel an appointment to get a sonogram.
“I have to go to work now. Come downstairs and find me once the appointment is
over, okay?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Okay. I’ll be down soon.” He walked over to the counter and checked himself
in. He was given a clipboard with multiple sheets of paper. He filled out the
information on it, answering some personal and a little uncomfortable
questions. A few of them made Gabriel laugh. “Hey Sammy, you ever have trouble
getting a boner?”
Sam nudged Gabriel with his elbow and gave a bitch face.
“You know I don’t have any problem with that.”
Gabriel filled out the rest of the form and gave it to the receptionist. He
didn’t have to wait much longer before an incredibly bubbly nurse came out and
called his name. He only pouted slightly when Sam helped him up and led him
back with the nurse. They weighed him and measured him before taking him back
to an examination room. Gabriel sat down awkwardly on the table as he was
handed a hospital gown to change into.
“Can I keep my underwear on?”
The nurse smiled and nodded.
“Of course. Just take off your shirt and jeans.” She left the room for him to
change.
Sam sat in the chair beside the table and looked around. The fluorescent
lighting shone upon diagrams of the reproductive systems and charts with common
ailments. He watched as Gabriel undressed and looked him over. Gabriel had
missed three heats and was approaching the one when the fourth should hit. He
had a little bump that stuck out over his jeans that were sitting low on his
hips. This was all...a lot. They weren’t even properly mated. They were only
dating and knotted a couple times. It had been really hard on Sam. Every time
any alpha looked Gabriel, he would start growling and act insanely over
protective. With puberty and all, he couldn’t really help it.
Gabriel chewed his lip anxiously as he waited for the doctor. It was only a few
minutes later when she finally walked in. She was a sweet woman who looked like
she was in her mid-thirties with long brown hair and round glasses.
“Good morning. How are you both doing?”
Gabriel could help but smile back at her.
“We’re good.”
Rose plopped down in her chair and looked at the form Gabriel had filled out.
“Alright, well everything looks good here. All we need to do is an ultrasound
to see what’s going on in there. You wrote that you’ve had a positive test and
missed three heats?”
Gabriel nodded.
“I’ve gained a pound or two as well. At least I look like it.”
Rose nodded.
“Okay, I’m just gonna have you pull your shirt up to your ribs and your pants
down just a bit.” She adjusted Gabriel’s clothing once he was done and smiled.
“Alright, now this may be a little cold, but it should warm up quickly.”
Gabriel jumped a bit at the cool gel, but quickly relaxed. He tried to get a
look at the screen, but he couldn’t see it from the bed.
Sam could see the screen from his chair and watched. He couldn’t see anything
but black and white blobs. He finally saw an empty black space and a little
white blob at the bottom of it. The image zoomed in and he saw the form of a
tiny baby. The moment hit him right in the gut. That was his child. His baby
was right there on that screen. He was going to be a dad.
Gabriel saw the look on Sam’s face and really strained to look now. He settled
back when Rose turned the screen for him to see. His lips parted and he stared.
Everything became real all at once.
Rose smiled softly at them.
“Looks like youre at thirteen weeks now. Everything looks good so far. I’m
going to look around a little more and print some pictures for you to take
home. I’m also faxing them to Dr. Novak, per his request.”
Gabriel laughed softly at that.
“Of course he requested that. He’s so nosy.”
Rose smiled.
“He sounded so worried. I’m sure he just wants to be sure you’re alright. I
don’t know why he wanted them, though. He’s a physician, not a radiologist. He
won’t be able to tell what everything is like I can.”
Gabriel and Sam laughed at that. Sam spoke this time.
“He’s such a worrywort. Oh well. More copies of the pictures.”
Rose looked around for a little while longer before she hit a button and
printed several pictures. She put them in a Manila envelope for them and handed
them to Gabriel.
“I want to see you back in seven weeks. Usually I’d do eight, but I want to see
you at twenty weeks, because that’s when we’re able to test for almost
everything.”
Gabriel nodded. They discussed a few more things like his diet and what he
wasn’t allowed to do for the next twenty seven weeks. They scheduled a new
appointment before walking downstairs to find Castiel. They found him walking
down the hall, his scrubs covered in blood.
“Jesus Christ, Cas!”
Castiel saw them and smiled a bit.
“Unfortunate ice skating accident. He’s fine now. I stitched him up. How did
the appointment go? Did she fax me the ultrasound images?”
Gabriel chuckled softly.
“Yes, she did. Appointment was great. Except that I have to watch my diet and
stop eating so much sugar.”
Castiel nodded with a smile.
“Good. I’m going to go change now.”
~~~
Hello! Quick note before I end this chapter. The overwhelming support I had on
the last chapter melted my heart. I’m so thankful to have an audience as
compassionate as all of you. I hope you liked this installment! 
 
***** Awkward *****
Chapter Summary
     Hey look at me I’m on a roll! This is one of my favorite chapters so
     far. Expect fluffiness, lots of awkward moments, and a very special
     day for both couples :)
Castiel had Gabriel move in with him and Dean so that he could keep a careful
eye on him. Sam came over everyday once they were done with school. He got all
overprotective and growly whenever Castiel came near Gabriel. He hated other
alphas being around him and his hormones were screwing him over. A few months
passed and it was time for Sam and Gabriel to go off to college. They both got
into Stanford and were leaving soon. Castiel and Dean decided to say goodbye to
the skiing town of Jackson Hole and they followed Sam and Gabe to Palo Alto,
California. They were keeping Castiel’s old house as a vacation home and living
for most of the year in Palo Alto. Dean got a job as a mechanic, and Castiel
got a job at the hospital near the school. He worked in the ER, which was by
far his favorite place to work. The move was incredibly difficult, since
Gabriel was seven months pregnant.
“God, I can’t believe I have to sit in the car all friggin’ day. Why can’t we
just fly?” Gabriel whined.
Castiel packed the last of the boxes into the impala.
“Because Dean doesn’t like it. You get to have a roadtrip with Sam. Sounds like
fun.” he smiled.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes.
“No, it’s not. I have to pee every hour. My back hurts and I get really
carsick.”
Castiel shrugged.
“Not my fault. You’ll be alright. I put your lumbar pillow in your seat and if
you stick to water instead of soda, you won’t have to pee as often.”
Sam nodded.
“You should be drinking more water. I read this article about dehydration
during pregnancy and it can be really bad.”
Gabriel looked up at Sam with a smile.
“When have you not found some article?” he got into the passenger seat of
Castiel’s car, which Sam was driving.
Dean was still inside. He was hiding in the bathroom and vomiting. He knew he
shouldn’t have eaten that sketchy burger last night and now it was biting him
in the ass. He threw up one last time before he finally slumped against the
wall. Everything sucked in this moment. He got himself up and trudged to the
kitchen. He stuffed some plastic bags in his pocket and took one last look at
the house he had known for the past three years. This was where he recovered.
This was where he found himself again. He walked out the door and to the car.
Castiel noticed the sickly color in Dean’s face and stepped in front of him.
“What’s wrong, love? Do you not feel well?”
Dean shook his head.
“Just emptied my guts into the toilet. You were right. That was a sketchy
burger.”
Castiel gently cupped Dean’s cheek.
“I’m sorry you don’t feel good. Come sit down. I’ll drive first.” He guided
Dean to the passenger set and got him settled in. He wrapped a blanket around
him and kissed his forehead.
Dean smiled softly up at Castiel and wrapped the blanket further around
himself. It felt good to be loved.
The drive took 14 hours. It was 9pm by that time. Castiel put Sam and Gabe’s
boxes in their shared apartment before doing the ten minute drive to his and
Dean’s new house. It was a modern style home on top of a hill. There was a pool
in the backyard and a gorgeous flower garden in the front. They walked upstairs
and immediately crashed on the bed, curled up together.
Early the next morning, Dean woke up and started throwing up again. Thank god
they had the plumbing hooked up or this would have been a mess. Castiel found
Dean in the bathroom and sat down beside him.
“Again? I thought you were feeling better.”
Dean sighed.
“So did I.” He stood up and wiped his mouth. “This place is even more beautiful
than the pictures.”
Cas smiled and nodded.
“I’m glad we bought this one. It’s a nice big family house.”
Dean smiled and nodded, looking away for a moment.
“I did some research in the car, and I...I want to register to be a foster
parent. We could foster children and find them homes. There are so many out
there…”
Castiel smiled.
“You really want to? I was thinking about something similar. Since we’re not
trying for pups anymore, we could consider adoption. Maybe we’d find someone to
adopt as we foster.”
Dean nodded.
“Yeah, that sounds good. Can we fill out an application today?”
Castiel nodded.
“Come on, let’s go fill it out.” He led Dean downstairs and dug his laptop out
of one of the boxes. He sat down with Dean and found a fostering organization
for their area of California. The application was massive and they had to sign
up for online classes and agree to a home visit.
“They really do their homework. This is a lot.” Dean hummed as he typed in his
information.
Castiel nodded as he watched.
“I don’t blame them. They wouldn’t want shitty people trying to foster kids. I
guess we’ll find out next week if we get accepted. Then a week of home visits,
then hopefully we’ll be certified. Now, we have a lot of unpacking to do. After
that, do you want to take a walk around town? It’s a beautiful day out.”
Dean nodded.
“That sounds great. I saw a cute coffee shop we could stop by.”
Castiel smiled and nodded.
“That sounds lovely.”
~~~
Gabriel got back to his and Sam’s apartment after four hours of classes. They
had a cute three bedroom apartment with an adorable nursery. They had a jungle
theme with pastel green walls and lots of stuffed animals everywhere. Gabriel
looked around the nursery with a small smile. Not much longer now and their
little boy would be here. Planning around everything had been a hassle, but now
that they were all settled in, there was a solid plan going on. Gabriel’s
professors were extremely understanding and decided to start recording their
lectures and uploading them for all students to watch with a login for the
website. It meant that Gabriel could stay at the apartment and take care of his
son while he was still in school. He’d have to go in for tests and exams, but
luckily he had Castiel and Dean nearby to watch him during that time.
Gabriel sat down on his bed and turned the tv on. His back was aching and he
just in general felt like shit. He nearly fell asleep before Sam got back and
walked in. Gabriel could tell immediately that Sam was horny. He smiled a bit.
“Really? We had sex like three weeks ago and it was so awkward.”
Sam sat down on the bed.
“I’m not thinking about sex. If you don’t want to then we won’t.”
Gabriel raised an eyebrow.
“Yes you are. You’re horny. I can smell it on you.”
Sam sighed a bit.
“I can’t exactly help it. I’ve been stuck with my hand for three weeks and
every bone in my body wants to mate and claim you.” His eyes darkened a bit
with lust. He held back with an astounding amount of willpower.
Gabriel’s pupils widened and he swallowed a bit. Great, now he was horny. Damn
hormones.
“Well...if we’re having a pup, maybe you should. I read that unclaimed omegas
have more trouble during labor.”
Sam looked at Gabriel.
“In That case we need to do this now. I don’t want you to have any trouble that
we could have prevented. But...how do we do this? We have a few obstacles
here.” He chuckled and moved up next to Gabriel, kissing his cheek.
Gabriel turned onto his side, facing away from Sam.
“Like this?”
Sam grinned and leaned down, kissing along Gabriel’s neck.
“Yeah, that works.” He ran his fingers down Gabriel’s sides and turned him onto
his back for now. He pulled his shirt off and moved between Gabriel’s legs. He
pushed Gabriel’s shirt off and kissed his stomach several times. He purred and
smiled. It was still so surreal that he had a pup in there. He pulled Gabriel’s
maternity pants off before gently turning him back onto his side. He rubbed his
soon-to-be mate’s back with one hand as he undressed himself with the other.
Gabriel smiled up at Sam.
“You’re an affectionate puppy.”
Sam chuckled and laid on his own side behind Gabriel, kissed his neck.
“I just love you so much.”
“God, now you’re cheesy too? I’m gonna have a heart attack from all of this
sweetness.”
Sam laughed and held his omega against his chest. He reached down and held one
of Gabriel’s legs up slightly to keep him spread open as he rubbed himself
against the omega’s back. He nipped at Gabriel’s neck as he slowly eased his
way in. He growled lowly, using slow, languid thrusts to push himself in.
Gabriel exposed his neck to Sam, holding his leg up as best as he could so that
Sam wouldn’t have to take all the weight. He moaned softly and tried to arch
back into Sam’s touch, but he couldn’t really move with his stomach weighing
him down. His back started aching again, so he held still. He still didn’t know
why it was coming in waves like that, but he ignored it, thinking it was just
from leaning over a desk.
“R-remember, you /can’t/ knot me. Doctor’s orders.”
Sam nodded against Gabriel’s neck.
“Yeah, yeah I got it.” He mumbled. He was slow and gentle with Gabriel. The
last thing he wanted was to hurt him. His teeth grazed the omega’s neck as he
moved a little faster to get himself going. He slowly lost control and went
faster than he usually would. He was able to keep from hurting Gabriel, but
when he came, he clamped his teeth down on his omega’s neck and marked him. He
lost all sense of reality and his hips snapped forward, pushing his knot in. He
growled as he felt Gabriel coming on his knot and grinned as he kissed and
licked the mark to soothe it. He still had not realized what he just did, not
until Gabriel looked back at him with a pout.
“What did I literally just say?”
Sam looked down between them.
“Oh, shit...I’m sorry. I lost control and I just-“
Gabriel shushed him.
“It’s okay. You were gentle so maybe it’s okay...great. Now I have to lay here
for half an hour.” This far along, it hurt for him to lay in one position for
that long.
“I’m so sorry.”
Sam nuzzled his now mate’s neck and tried to comfort him.
Gabriel smiled to himself and reached up to feel the mark.
“It’s official. We’re mates.”
Sam nodded with a large smile.
“My omega.” He purred, kissing his neck and humming against it.
Gabriel’s smile twisted into a frown as his back ached again. It hurt enough
that his entire body clenched up.
Sam gasped softly.
“Gabe, if you clench on me like that my knot is never going to go down. You
just made it swell all the way back up.”
Gabriel huffed.
“I can’t exactly help it. My back is killing me.”
Sam frowned and propped himself up on one elbow.
“It wasn’t hurting a few minutes ago. When did it start?”
“This morning. During chemistry. It’s off and on but getting worse.”
Sam’s eyes widened a bit.
“Like...like contractions?”
Gabriel shook his head.
“Nope. Not possible.”
Sam made a bitch face.
“Are you having contractions and in denial of it?”
“Definitely not.”
Sam sighed.
“I’m calling Cas.”
“No! We’re still tied! Just wait half an hour and then we’ll call him. I’ll be
fine.” Gabriel reeked of worry, but he hid it well.
Sam gently rubbed his mate’s arm and kissed his shoulder.
“Okay, half an hour and then I’m calling Cas.” He spent the next fifteen
minutes comforting Gabriel and rubbing his back to help with the aching. He
felt his knot going down more and more, but then Gabriel had another
contraction. He gasped and tried to hold back, but his knot swelled all the way
back up.
Gabriel started to get even more worried.
“Goddamnit we’re stuck!” He huffed.
Sam grabbed his phone.
“That’s it, I’m calling Cas. I don’t care if he sees me naked. You need to get
help.”
“Yeah well I can’t exactly give birth with your dick stuck in my ass!”
Sam called Castiel, waiting anxiously for an answer.
Castiel and Dean were sitting together at the computer. They were about to take
in their first foster child. Her name was Claire and she was sixteen. Her
parents died when she was ten and she ran away from a care facility a few
months ago. She was found at an omega auction, just like Dean. They hoped that
a home would help her rehabilitate. In other news, Dean’s vomiting episodes
we’re getting better with the help of probiotics. They had been going on for
almost two months now.
Castiel saw his phone ringing. He picked it up and answered.
“Hello, Sam. Everything alright?”
Sam let out a sigh of relief when Castiel answered.
“We have a bit of a situation. Gabe is in labor and we’re...stuck.”
Castiel stood up immediately and put Sam on speaker so that Dean could hear
them.
“Stuck where? How far apart are the contractions? Is he alright?”
“He’s alright, i think the contractions are about ten minutes apart? Im not
sure on that. We’re not stuck anywhere, but we are physically stuck.”
Dean furrowed his brows.
“That doesn’t make any sense. How are you stuck?”
Gabriel huffed.
“Sam got too excited and knotted me. Now we’re stuck.”
Castiel and Dean exchanged a mildly horrified look. Castiel spoke first.
“Didn’t your obstetrician tell you not to knot him?”
Sam sighed.
“Yes, she did. It was an accident.”
Dean spoke next.
“Why don’t you just wait for your knot to go down?”
Sam paused before answering.
“Because every time Gabriel has a contraction it goes right back up.”
Dean made a face.
“Gross.”
Castiel led Dean out to the car.
“Just stay calm. I’m on my way to get you guys out of there.” He hung up and
started up his car before he started the drive.
Dean looked at Castiel.
“Funny how the day we could potentially meet the girl we’re fostering, they’re
having their first pup.”
Castiel smiled and nodded.
“I’m anxious to meet her. I really hope we can give her a good home for as long
as she needs it…You smell really sweet today. Are you happy?”
Dean nodded.
“Yeah, I’m excited, both for us and for Sammy. I think he’s going to be a great
dad.” He got out of the car once they arrived and followed Cas up to the
apartment. They had a spare key to their apartment that they used to let
themselves in.
Sam had covered their lower halves up with a blanket to avoid flashing Castiel
and Dean.
Dean made a face as he walked in.
“You guys reek of mates. Congrats but it stinks.”
Castiel walked over to the bed and did is best to stay professional.
“Gabe, how are you doing?”
Gabriel groaned.
“Not great.”
Castiel looked over them and thought over the situation.
“Okay, I can tell you what they’re going to do to you at the hospital, but I
need you to stay calm instead of overthinking it. Sam, can you walk? I can help
you carry Gabe.”
Sam nodded and hooked his arms under Gabriel’s arms. With Castiel holding
Gabriel’s legs, they were able to carry him safely.
Dean made sure a blanket stayed over Gabriel’s waist and picked up a bathrobe.
He put it over Sam’s shoulders so that he came down and covered his bare ass.
The group snuck out of the apartment and put the stuck couple in the backseat
of the car.
Castiel was freaking out slightly, but he hid it well. He sped only slightly to
the hospital. He and Sam worked together to carry Gabriel, who was having
another contraction and groaning in pain. He led them to the emergency room and
they were sent off to labor and delivery. Sam laid on his side on the bed and
tried to comfort his mate, who was writhing in pain.
When Castiel left the room, Dean followed him.
“How are the doctors going to fix this?”
Castiel chewed his lip.
“Well, there’s a couple ways, but with how fast Gabe is progressing, they’re
probably going to numb Sam’s knot and get him out.”
“Wait, so he has to get a shot…in the dick?”
Castiel nodded and shuddered.
“I’ve had to do it to a patient before. It’s extremely painful for the alpha
but it’s the fastest way to get him out without risking hurting Gabriel.”
Dean nodded.
“I see why you didn’t tell them now.” He watched as a doctor walked into the
room and sighed.
“Poor Sammy.”
The doctor smiled at Sam and Gabriel, holding a little tray with the injection
on it. She sat down beside them.
“Alright, my name is Doctor Miller. Today I’ll be helping you guys get unstuck
here. The safest and fastest way to do this is to make your knot numb, and then
you’ll go down almost immediately and we’ll be done!” She chirped.
Sam’s eyes widened. He looked at the tray and saw a needle. He shook his head.
“Oh god, no no no no, I can’t get a shot there.”
Gabriel looked back at Sam.
“Deal with it. This is your fault and I’m going to be in so much more pain than
you. Suck it up, buttercup.”
Sam gulped and stared at the needle as it got closer and closer to his knot.
The doctor make him look away by putting one hand between his line of sight and
where she was about to inject the numbing medication. The needle wasn’t huge,
but Sam was freaking the hell out. He took several fast breaths as the needle
went in before crying out in pain. He freaked himself out so bad that he passed
out right then and there. His knot went down and Gabriel was finally free. Sam
was moved to the side a bit so that Gabriel could lie on his back.
Dean heard Sam and looked at Castiel with a grin.
“It almost sounds like Sam is the one giving birth.”
Castiel chuckled and nodded.
“I’m glad I’m not in there watching. I’d probably faint.”
Sam woke up and looked over at Gabriel, who had his eyes squeezed shut and was
panting as he had another brutal contraction. Sam put on the hospital gown that
was laying folded up on his stomach before sitting beside his mate and holding
his hand.
“You’re doing so good. Just think about getting to finally meet our little
boy.”
Gabriel managed a small smile before another contraction overlapped with the
last one.
“Goddammit!” He shouted.
Dean fell asleep on Castiel as they waited. He was woken up by the strangest
sensation in his stomach. It was like a little flutter in his lower abdomen. He
opened his eyes and put his hand on it.
Castiel looked over at Dean and assumed he was about to vomit again. He sat up
quickly.
“You okay? You need to go to the bathroom?”
Dean shook his head.
“I’m not going to puke. Not this time. My stomach just felt weird. Like
something moved.”
Castiel furrowed his brows, then all the sudden, he felt like the biggest idiot
in the history of idiots. He leaned in and scented Dean before he gasped and
beamed. It all made sense. Dean didn’t have a sensitive stomach, he had morning
sickness. He wasn’t eating poorly, he was getting little baby bump. He wasn’t
just excited, he smelled pregnant.
“Dean, I think you’re pregnant.”
Dean’s eyes widened.
“That’s not possible. Doc said I’m infertile.”
“Not really. You’re not sterile and neither am I. It’s completely possible.” He
put his hand on Dean’s stomach.
“It makes perfect sense. You’ve just been having morning sickness. You don’t
smell so sweet because you’re excited, you smell pregnant. I’m an idiot. I was
so convinced it would never happen that I ignored all the signs.”
“But, Cas, I’ve been taking all of those hormones this whole time. Could that
be bad?”
Castiel’s expression twitched. That was bad. Really bad. Proper hormones were
extremely important in fetal development. With all of those medications and
supplements, who knew what could have happened by now.
“Yes, but we don’t know that. We have a bit of a crazy day today so tomorrow
we’ll get you looked at.”
Dean gulped and nodded. This went from exciting to terrifying very fast. He had
to put that aside for a moment when Sam came into the room with a huge smile.
“C’mon!”
Castiel stood up, holding Dean’s hand tightly. They followed Sam back to a
room. Gabriel was sitting on the bed with a blue bundle in his arms. He looked
absolutely exhausted, but he was smiling as he looked up at them.
“Come meet Joshua.” He held the baby a little lower so that Castiel and Dean
could see him.
Dean walked up to the bed with a wide smile. He saw a squishy little face with
a patch of dark baby hair on his head.
“He looks big.”
Gabriel nodded.
“He is big. Ten pounds ten ounces.”
Dean made a face.
“Ouch.”
“Yeah, ouch is an understatement.” Gabriel laughed softly.
“He’s worth it.”
Castiel looked at Joshua and then at Gabriel.
“Everything go smoothly?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Yeah, it went good. We just got him back and they said he’s perfect.”
Dean’s phone started ringing, so he stepped out of the room it answer. It was
the foster care facility, asking when they would be arriving to get Claire. He
told them that they would be there as soon as possible and hung up. He walked
back in and looked at Castiel.
“Claire’s waiting on us.”
Castiel looked back at Dean.
“Oh!” He turned back at Gabriel.
“They’ll take good care of you here. I’ll be back to pick you three up and take
you home.” He stood up and followed Dean out of the hospital.
~~~
Claire sat in the chair with her arms crossed. She had a backpack with her only
possessions and a couple things the facility gave her. She expected another
foster family that would give her back after only a few weeks, just like the
others. It was usually some old couple with no kids and five foster children
that were half her age. She didn’t expect a young mated couple to walk in and
smile at her like she belonged to them. She scoffed and looked away, refusing
to look them in the eye.
Castiel approached Claire like he did with Dean when he first found him. He was
gentle and kept his distance.
“Hello. I’m Castiel and this is my mate, Dean. I’m sure you’re ready to get out
of here.”
Claire looked up at Castiel.
“I don’t need you here. Drop the act.” She snapped.
Dean tried to speak next, but he was cut off.
“Let’s just get this over with. Tell them I’m horrible and leave me alone.”
Dean shook his head.
“You’re not horrible and we certainly don’t think that. We just want to give
you someone nice to stay and help you.”
Claire was still scowling, but she huffed and stood up with her bag, willing to
follow them.
Castiel unlocked the car.
“Sorry we’re late. My little brother had a baby today and we were over at the
hospital.”
Claire hopped in the passenger seat and put a pair of headphones in, letting
Dean get in the back.
Castiel watched Claire and was reminded of what Dean was like at first. He
began the drive back to the house. He knew this wouldn’t be easy, but he hoped
they could give her a comfortable place to stay and grow up. He drove up the
hill to their house and parked.
Claire sat up and pulled her headphones out.
“/This/ is your place?” Her jaw dropped a bit. She expected a dinky little
family home.
Dean smiled and nodded. “It’s nice. We just moved here a few months ago.” He
got out of the car and opened the door for Claire.
“Cas is going to go back to the hospital to stay with our little brothers. I’ll
show you around.”
Claire felt a lot more comfortable around an omega and with fewer people
around. She held her bag against her chest as she followed Dean into the large
house. She was led to a bedroom with a queen sized bed. It had grey and white
sheets and potted plants on the table. There was even a ten gallon fish tank
with lush plants and a brightly colored betta fish. She set her bag on the bed
and looked at Dean.
“This is mine?”
Dean nodded and opened a door, showing her the full bathroom.
“All yours. We’re at the end of the hall if you need anything. You hungry? I
can make something for dinner.”
Claire thought for a moment before nodding.
“Yeah, I could eat.”
Dean led her downstairs and into the kitchen.
“Burgers, pasta, tacos, I can make anything.”
Claire shrugged.
“Tacos sound good.” She bit her lip.
“So, what’s your story?”
Dean started getting food out of the fridge and raised a brow.
“What do you mean?”
“Every foster family has some story. Most of them are old couples that couldn’t
have kids. So why did you decide to foster?”
“Well, you’re partially right. We couldn’t have our own. We tried for years.”
“But, you’re pregnant now, aren’t you? I can smell it.”
Dean nodded a bit.
“We only found out today, and we still really wanted to bring you in.”
“Why? There’s probably an entire book on the times I’ve fucked up.”
“That’s exactly why. You deserve another chance. Also, I was a lot like you
when I was your age.” He paused for a moment.
“When I was fifteen, I presented as an omega. My dad only wanted alpha sons,
and money was tight. We lived in our car and dirty motels. Since money was so
tight, he sold me. For five years I got traded around by alphas until one day,
an alpha brought Castiel to an auction. He rescued me and took me in without
question. After a few weeks with him, I fell in love and so did he. We became
mates. We’ve been mated for almost four years now.”
Claire stared in mild shock that someone as big and confident looking as Dean
was in a place like the omega auctions.
“Wow.” That was all she could say. She watched as a plate of chicken tacos was
placed in front of her and she started eating.
Dean sat down across from her and started eating as well. He felt that
fluttering sensation again and put a hand on his stomach.
Claire watched him.
“Do you know how far along you are?”
Dean shook his head.
“Not yet. I’m finding out tomorrow.”
Claire nodded.
“So, your brother had a baby today?”
Dean nodded.
“Yeah, I’ve got a younger brother named Sam. He’s an alpha. Cas’s younger
brother, Gabriel, is an omega. They had their first today.”
“How old are they?”
“Eighteen. They just started their freshman year at Stanford.”
“Wow. They’re young. Are they mated?”
Dean nodded.
“Only just recently. They’re happy. We got them an apartment where they can
raise the baby. It’s a boy named Joshua. We’ll probably go meet him tomorrow if
you want to come with us after school.”
Claire shook her head.
“I don’t go to school.”
“You’re enrolled at Palo Alto High School. I’m driving you there on my way to
work tomorrow.”
“Guess they didn’t tell you that I haven’t attended for a single day this
year.”
“Then tomorrow will be your first. Look, I’m not trying to be strict. I lost my
opportunity to go to high school. I’d give anything to go back now. You don’t
have to go, and I really can’t make you, but you’re missing out on so much in
your life. You should have the opportunity to learn and make friends.”
“I don’t make friends. Everyone there hates me.” Claire crossed her arms.
“That’s not true. I know that’s not true. The school year has only been going
on for a month. There has to be new people. I can promise there’s someone there
that’s just like you who’s looking for a friend.”
Claire sighed.
“Fine. I’ll go.”
Dean smiled softly.
“Thank you. Oh, we also wanted to see if there was an after school activity we
could sign up for. A sport, art classes, music, dance, anything like that.”
“I used to play guitar. My dad used to teach me when I was little.”
“Guitar? I’ve been learning guitar over the past few years. It’s fun. Do you
like acoustic or electric?”
“I like both. Do you have one?”
Dean smiled and stood up. He led Claire to the dual office space. Half of the
room had bookshelves and desks for Castiel to work at, the other half had
several guitars on racks on the wall. There was a shelf full of music books and
a stand for sheet music.
Claire’s jaw dropped and she walked in quickly, looking up at the guitars. She
ran her fingers over the wood with a small smile.
Dean took the acoustic guitar Claire was looking at down off the wall and
handed it to her. He took down another one and pulled Castiel’s desk chair out
so that Claire could sit in his chair. He started finger picking a simple
melody with a smile.
Claire sat down in the chair and started playing a few wonky chords.
“God, I haven’t played in years.”
Dean rolled over next to her and showed her a G chord.
“Second finger goes here.” He strummed the chord and smiled as Claire copied
his movements.
~~~
Castiel parked in the garage and walked into the house. He was nervous to see
how Dean and Claire were doing. When he walked in, he heard Dean talking and a
few guitar strums. He walked back to the office and smiled at the sight. He saw
Dean showing Claire how to play the chords for Stairway to Heaven.
Dean saw Castiel and smiled.
“Let’s show him what we’ve got so far, yeah?”
Claire nodded and strummed the chords Dean showed her while Dean fingerpicked
the intro to the song.
Castiel gave a small round of applause when they finished the intro.
“That was great. I didn’t know you played guitar, Claire.”
Claire shrugged. “I used to.”
Dean handed her a chord chart book and a lesson book.
“The guitar’s yours. We’ll get you some lessons so you can practice more.
You’re a fast learner so I’m sure it won’t take many before you’re playing even
better than me.” He chuckled.
Claire’s eyes widened.
“Really?” She looked at the books and then at Castiel and Dean.
“Thank you.”
Dean smiled and nodded.
“You’re welcome.” He looked at Castiel.
“I made tacos. Yours are on the counter.”
“Sounds good. Gabe and Sam are settled in the apartment.”
Dean nodded.
“I’m going for a swim.”
Claire looked at Dean.
“You have a pool?”
Dean nodded.
“Mmhm. You’re welcome to come out and swim if you’d like.” He hung his guitar
back up on the wall and walked up to his bedroom to get his swimsuit on.
Castiel walked to the kitchen and started eating his own dinner. A few minutes
after he saw Dean go out back, he saw Claire come downstairs in a bathing suit
and go out back. He smiled and went upstairs to change into his swim trunks. He
found Dean swimming laps and Claire sunbathing by the pool. He got in and
wrapped his arms around Dean, pulling him up.
Dean laughed and hugged Castiel’s arms.
“What?”
“I love you.” Castiel whispered and kissed his cheek. His hand went to Dean’s
stomach and he kissed his cheek.
“I got you an appointment at the obstetrician for tomorrow afternoon. You
should be able to make it during your lunch break.”
Dean nodded and glanced back at Claire, who was getting into the pool now. He
threw a playful splash at her and earned one right back in his face. It hit
Castiel as well, making him splash both of them back. This began a great
splashing war between the three of them until they were all soaked and
laughing.
Claire hadn’t been around this much happiness since her parents were still
alive. That night, she took a nice, hot shower and slept in the most
comfortable bed she’d ever been on.
Dean laid awake almost all night, rubbing his stomach anxiously. Thoughts raced
through his head of what could possibly be wrong or right. He finally fell
asleep with Castiel’s comforting arms holding him against his chest.
 
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