Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/12056031.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Supernatural
  Relationship:
      Castiel/Dean_Winchester
  Character:
      Castiel, Dean_Winchester, Sam_Winchester, John_Winchester, Mary
      Winchester, Gabriel_(Supernatural), Charlie_Bradbury, Benny_Lafitte,
      Metatron, Hester_(Supernatural), Cain_(Supernatural), Balthazar_
      (Supernatural)
  Additional Tags:
      a/b/o_dynamics, Alpha!Dean, omega!cas, Bottom!Cas, Smut, Mpreg, Angst,
      accidental_underage_relationship, fallout_from_that, homeless!Cas, Cas
      gets_fired_and_kicked_out_of_his_house, sick!Cas, Heat/rut, Mating,
      Mating_Bites, Bees, teacher!Cas, Student!Dean, persistent!Dean, Knotting,
      slick, non_graphic_descriptions_of_labor_and_breastfeeding,
      Underage!Dean, Hurt/Comfort, top!dean, True_Mates, Scenting, small_age
      difference, Happy_Ending, Awkward_First_Time
  Series:
      Part 1 of What_Family_Means
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-09-11 Completed: 2017-10-20 Chapters: 12/12 Words: 43471
****** Not What I Signed Up For ******
by pherryt
Summary
     Cas finally has what he’s been working towards for years and though
     clubs aren’t really his scene he allows Gabe to take him out to
     celebrate. It was wonderful. Meeting his true mate, connecting the
     way they had and now he’s on cloud nine. If only Dean hadn’t needed
     to rush off to rescue a friend before they could properly exchange
     contact information.
     Still, Cas is floating high when he enlists his brothers help to find
     Dean. After all, he found his true mate once by sheer luck. How hard
     can it be to find him now that he’s looking?
     A week later, on his first day of teaching, Cas is horrified to
     discover Dean’s his student at the local high school and everything
     comes crashing down on him
     Now what?
     Even trying to do the right thing doesn’t do any good when all the
     dominoes in Cas life start tipping over.
     All because he met his True Mate a couple of years too soon.
Notes
     About the underage in this fic - Dean and Cas's initial encounter is
     when Dean's 16 and a half. There's a 5 year difference between them
     and Cas has no idea during that first encounter for reasons that will
     become apparant later in the story.
     This story is not me condoning an underage relationship...it's not a
     kink, or just random background.
     This fic revolves around (some of) the issues this brings up: how it
     can ruin lives as it follows Cas through his freak out. Even though I
     give it a happy ending, because, I have to (it's Dean and Cas), most
     of us already know that doesn't normally happen.
See the end of the work for more notes
***** At The Start *****
               [http://dragonpressgraphics.com/Not/babybee2.jpg]
He’d done it. He’d finally done it. He reached his brand-new classroom and
stepped inside. He had a week to prepare the classroom the way he’d want it.
Thankfully, as a high school classroom, there wasn’t much he hadto do, but when
he was done cleaning and reorganizing and bringing in all his stuff, he hoped,
if he had time, to be able to put up a few things for a personal touch.
And tonight, his family would be taking him out to celebrate.
First things first. He picked up the chalk and with strong, fluid lines, wrote
his name crisp and cleanly across the board. He stepped back, eyeing it
critically.
Castiel Novak.
Hmm…it was missing something. He returned to the chalkboard and altered it
slightly and then backed away once more to admire it proudly.
Mr._Castiel_Novak
There, much better. He turned to look at the rest of the classroom, brushing
chalk off his hands. Time to get to work.
Before he knew it, a knock sounded on the inside of his door and he looked up
to see his brother, Gabriel, leaning on it. Cas blinked and looked above the
door at the standard issue school clock. Huh, was it after 6 pm already?He’d
gotten so caught up in what he was doing, Cas never even noticed.
“Yo, Cassie, you ready?” Gabriel asked by way of greeting.
Cas looked around quickly and then gave a firm nod. He’d actually gotten a fair
amount done today. He’d likely be able to finish up tomorrow. “Just let me…ah,
right. I’m ready,” Cas grinned and Gabriel shook his head as he preceded Cas
out, letting the Omega shut and lock the door.
“You’re so happy, Cas. Look at you! You’re practically glowing!” Gabriel
chirped cheerily.
Cas rolled his eyes indulgently. “Why wouldn’t I be? It’s my dream come true.”
“There is that,” Gabriel agreed.
A harrowing 20 minutes later – Gabriel was a reckless driver by Cas’s standards
– found them joining the rest of their family for dinner. Metatron and Hester,
their parents. The twins, Michael and Luke – affectionately (or maybe not so
affectionately) called Lucifer by Gabriel. Several of the cousins as well –
Anna, Samandriel and Hannah. Sadly, Aunt Amara was there too – she was an Alpha
and creepy as hell. Cas was almost certain she’d tried to get in his pants more
than once.
Castiel tried not to shudder as she sat next to him. He sent a pleading look to
his brothers but they were all just as eager to avoid her as he was.
Thankfully, dinner went quickly, everyone too happy on his behalf. Metatron
bragged about how smart Castiel was to be able to accomplish what he had
despite his Omega status. While the comment rankled – he was so much more than
an Omega - it was actually high praise from his father, so he took what he
could get.
When dinner ended, his brother – his favorite brother, though oft times also
the most obnoxious - Gabriel snagged him and pulled him away from the family,
waving them off.
“Where are we going now,Gabriel?” Cas tilted his head, perplexed. Wasn’t this
his celebration?
“It’s time for the after party! Balthazar’s meeting us there. No worries,
Cassie, this will be awesome!” Gabriel grinned gleefully and pulled his brother
into his car, a beat-up Beetle in mismatched colors. Their dad hated it. Which
was why Gabe loved it.
Castiel secretly loved it too.
He watched as Gabe drove, trying to figure out just where they were going. He
didn’t expect to be dragged to a club. He turned wide eyes on Gabriel as soon
as they parked. “Gabe, I…I’ve never been to a club. I don’t feel
comfortable...”
“Don’t worry, little bro, I got you covered. In fact,” Gabe reached behind him
to the back seat and snapped up a little plastic bag, dumping something out and
then handing Cas a small, delicate package, “Scent blockers.”
“Why?” Cas took the familiar looking package reflexively, but didn’t understand
why Gabe was handing them to him. It wasn’t the dark ages, and most people
didn’t judge via secondary genders these days - often using scent as much as
sight and sound in telling the mood of another person. The fact that his family
and a few others still seemed to set stock in it was never all that pleasant,
but he was used to it. Thought it was, at times, jarring to leave the house and
be in the company of others that didn’t look down on him for being an Omega.  
And yet, here was Gabriel handing him the blockers that his parents insisted he
wear around them, not wanting to be reminded of his status. Blockers that Cas
didn’t wear as often when he wasn’t in their company, finding it freeing. Cas
sighed. Then again, he had just been telling Gabe he didn’t go to clubs because
he wasn’t comfortable. He might, to himself, even admit it didn’t feel quite
safe though he knew the likelihood of him being targeted for what he was very
low. His thoughts were whirling around contradictorily. If he used the
blockers, wouldn’t he be admitting that he bought into how their parents
thought? That he was scared what might happen when he stepped inside the club
where people were already drowning their inhibitions in alcohol?
“Because, the ones you were wearing at dinner are already starting to wear off,
and they’ll wear off even faster once you get inside. And also, because you
need to get laid, but you sure as hell should do it on your terms and not
because some knot head wants himself the only male omega in the county as a
notch on his bedpost.”
Cas grimaced at the words, Gabe’s crude imagery, but accepted the blockers. He
didn’t have to go through with anything. That was, of course, the point of
Gabriel making sure he had them. Unlike their parents, Gabe was giving Cas the
choice of blockers so that he would have the choice of what he wanted to do ;
while normally he was being handed blockers to hide himself for their own
comfort level. He didn’t even needto put them on if he didn’t want.
He looked nervously at the understated sign for the club, Purgatory, and took a
breath, quickly applying the blockers before stepping out of the car. As soon
as he did, Cas saw his brother waving frantically at someone a few cars down.
Balthazar, Cas’s best friend from college, one of the only friends he’d ever
made outside of family because he’d just been too busy (and Balthazar had been
very persistent in a strangely non-threatening way, never interested in Cas as
an Omega, but as an actual friend, an equal), waved back and walked over.
“Cassie, love, why do you look so nervous?” He pulled Cas into a hug as soon as
he reached the brothers.
“I’m not nervous,” Cas shot a glare at Gabriel, just daring his brother to
contradict him.
Balthazar laughed and clapped him on the back. “Loosen up, Cassie you deserve
it! You haven’t taken a break in forever…”
It didn’t take long for the three of them to slip inside. Cas found the press
of bodies, the heat and sound, strobing lights and dark corners and the
smellsoverwhelming. Gabriel found them a table in a somewhat darkened and
secluded corner – how, with all these people there, Castiel couldn’t fathom –
while Balthazar got them all drinks.
Cas tried to relax, to let the intent of the place, to let loose and be happy,
flow into him. Gabe and Balthy wanted him to get up and dance, but that
certainly wasn’t going to happen until he felt a little less self-conscious.
Maybe a lot less.
He drank what he was given, then drank some more. The more Cas had, the looser
he felt, until he finally got the courage to give in to Gabe and Balthazar’s
insistent “Just get up and dance, man. You don’t even have to doanything, just
have some fun.”
About the tenth time they said it – and who knew how many drinks in at this
point – Cas finally gave a shaky nod and they gave a cheer, dragging him up
from the booth and away from the table to the dance floor.
The two of them immediately set loose and Cas stared wide-eyed at the moving
bodies around them, how uninhibited they were. He shuffled a little and frowned
down at his feet, then back up to the people around him, studying them, trying
to figure out how they were moving. He’d been watching for over the last hour
and they all made it look so easy, easy enough to finally give it a try, but he
couldn’t get his feet to move. Gabe and Balthy were just laughing and flailing
around in a fashion he was almost certain wasn’t actuallydancing, but they were
at least having fun.
Which was the point, so why couldn’t he get himself to move?
“You need some help there?” a voice called, warm breath brushing his ear, the
other man having had to get close to be heard.
Castiel blinked and turned, falling into deep green pools. He blushed and
stammered, “Th-that obvious, huh?”
“I can help,” the freckled man in front of him grinned. He had a youthful face,
but he was tall, as tall as Cas and so incredibly handsome. Cas blinked at him.
“If you’re okay with…” green eyes trailed off, holding his hand out and Cas saw
some uncertainty flicker through those eyes.
As close as they were pressed due to the crowd, as close as they leaned toward
each other to speak, the other man was very careful not to touch him, other
than an accidental brush of their limbs as someone bumped into one or the
other. That decided it for him.
“Yes, yes, I think, yes, please,” Oh, what a horrible sentence, Cas thought.
One would never believe he’d be a teacher of words. But disjointed and
inelegant as they were, they seemed to do the trick, the green-eyed man now
laying hands gently on Cas, on his arms and his waist, helping him to move,
giving him a rhythm to follow.
“It’s easy, just follow my lead. When I first started dancing, I had a good
friend of mine describe it as ‘sex with your clothes on’,” Green Eyes flushed a
little, “It’s all about rhythm and just a little bit of…” He moved and Cas’s
eyes widened, breath catching. Green eyes leaned closer again, that warm breath
once again brushing against his ear, “Just let me know if it’s too much.
And…name’s Dean.”
He – Dean - pulled back again, his face pinking more, the freckles standing
out. One hand dropped from Cas’s waist and came up to rub at the back of his
neck nervously. It was…it was adorable.
               [http://dragonpressgraphics.com/Not/dancing2.jpg]
Castiel leaned in, “Call me Cas.” He was pleased to note Dean’s eyes light up
and the hand drop, his confidence returning once more. Cas was unsure how long
they danced together, but it seemed to fire him up, each brush of Dean’s leg on
his, each pass of a hand over his arm. Dean spun him about at one point, Cas
willingly allowing it. Dean then pulled Cas flush against the hard body behind
him and Cas groaned.
He’d never felt like this before. Was this what he’d been missing all holed up
on his studies for so long? Cas felt the heat of Dean’s body behind him and he
dropped his head back on the man’s shoulder, the scent of him was tantalizing
him. He longed to turn and sniff his neck – but managed to hold himself back,
just barely.
Cas felt his pants grow damp and he burned, hoping no one else could see it, or
smell it. Hoped Dean couldn’t feel it. Dean’s arms had wrapped around him,
chest and stomach, his face was nearly buried in Cas’s hair when Dean froze and
spun him back around, his eyes wild.
“Holy fuck, you smell amazing!” the green-eyed Alpha – holy hell, how’d Cas
miss that? - was staring at Castiel and Cas almost got lost in his eyes. But
then the Dean’s words registered and he felt a zinging shock rock through him.
“I’m wearing scent blockers,” Castiel whispered, though in truth he echoed the
other man’s sentiment. He was literally drowning in the scent of him – oil and
leather and something, something he could not place, something indefinable, but
wanted to get so much closer to.
The Alpha leaned closer and grinned, “So am I, gorgeous – you still smell
amazing. You look amazing too. Cas, I – I – “ the cocky vibe petered out, Dean
going nervous once more, looking at Cas with need and something else the Omega
couldn’t identify.
Dean pulled away from Cas, peeling off the Omega and causing him to whine. What
was going on? Why was Dean leaving him? Why would he reveal something so…so
life changing and then try to leave, try to -
“I need to taste you, feel you,” the Alpha groaned, leaning in again but very
carefully not touching, though Cas had already given him permission when they
had started dancing. Castiel could see his fingers twitch and then clench into
fists before being shoved into his pockets. “You’re driving me crazy! Fuck!”
Dean reined himself in, breathing hard, eyes wide, freckled nose flaring.
Castiel stood amazed.
He made up his mind and lunged forward for a kiss, no longer worried about his
own inexperience.
The first kiss sent shocks through his body, and by the groan from the Alpha,
he had felt the same.
The second kiss ramped up their scents enough that people around them started
giving them a wide berth and annoyed glances. Whatever blockers they’d been
wearing had been completely negated by this. Cas had heard it could happen but
never believed it. He grasped Dean’s shoulders hard, making sure he didn’t
stop.
The third kiss had Gabriel shoving them through the club, grumbling, “Lucky for
youguys, this place has private rooms for just such…occurrences as these, now
go.”
Gabriel found an empty room and shoved them inside, the little man having more
strength than Cas could ever account for. Then he paused and slipped something
into Cas’s pocket, patting it. “Be careful. Use that! And get me if you need
me.”
 
***** Unexpected Places *****
Chapter Summary
     Dean and Cas go off somewhere private for some fun times...but it
     doesn't end the way Cas expected it to.
Chapter Notes
     I'm sure you've all figured with the way the last chapter ended but
     this one has the smut.
     Also, I have decided to ramp up the posting schedule for this to 2
     times a week.
     So friday/Saturday round about midnight (basically on the cusp of the
     switchover since thats when i get out of work) and on Tuesdays - I'm
     gonna attempt to do those in the afternoon BEFORE i go to work.
     In the meantime, if you follow me on tumblr, you'll note i just went
     into panic mode about the big bangs i'm writing for. i'd been
     concentrating on the one i signed up for first and made the startling
     realization that the other one has less lead time to get the rough
     draft ready. SOOOOOOo.....I may not be making much art for this story
     *sniffles*. I'm sorry everyone :( I hope nobody's too disappointed.
     I'm still gonna try though. I just can't guarantee every chapter will
     have a picture or that it'll post at the same time.
Castiel blinked as the door shut behind him and Dean and he stood staring at
the closed door. Slowly, Cas reached out and locked it behind his brother,
hearing Dean’s breath hitch at the action. He turned to face the Alpha whose
green eyes were wide and lust filled. Dean licked his lips and leaned forward
slowly to touch his to Cas’s own.
It was gentle. Chaste. And nothing like Cas had expected of an Alpha. He smiled
and it grew wide at Dean’s answering blush. Taking Dean’s hands in his own, he
looked around till he spotted the bed and pulled him over to it, sitting down
and looking up at the gorgeous man before him. Dean ducked in for another kiss
and soon found himself sitting on Cas’s lap, their hips rolling into each other
with each kiss. Dean trailed his mouth across the lightly stubbled jaw, sucking
and nipping, his hands reaching hesitantly under the open shirt. Cas couldn’t
recall when the buttons had come undone, or who had done it but he didn’t care,
gasping as Dean started down his neck, pushing the shirt off.
With a moan, Cas reached out and yanked Dean’s tee shirt off and lunged forward
to get his lips on the Alphas skin. He slid his hands up to Dean’s sides,
around his back and back down, slipping into Dean’s jeans and grabbing hold,
pulling Dean closer. Dean cried out, his hands coming to rest on Cas’s
shoulders as he arched his back, his hips thrusting forward to slide his cock
against Cas’s. He cried out again, the sound trailing off into a moan. Cas
licked his neck, sucked as his fingers pulled Dean into a rolling rhythm,
feeling his slick between his legs.
God, he was ready. Been ready for this for so long. Cas just hadn’t known what
he was waiting for. Turned out, it was  Dean  the whole time. He gasped and
whimpered at the heat curling inside him and he struggled to stand. Dean,
dazed, took a second to scramble of Cas’s lap, a twinge of uncertainty at Cas’s
sudden movement that was relieved as soon as he saw Cas’s hands fly to his
belt.
Dean rushed to help, but only succeeded in tangling their fingers together.
Castiel huffed out a laugh, “Patience, Dean.” Castiel swayed into his space,
pulling the lobe of Dean’s ear into his mouth with his teeth and tugging
gently. The harsh whine from Dean made Cas’s cock throb as he hurriedly yanked
his clothing off, standing naked in front of someone else for the first time.
“You’ll be inside me soon enough.”
Cas was pleased to hear the whimper from the Alpha, see the sway of his body,
the shaking hands as they popped the button of his own jeans and pushing them
off, stumbling in his haste to step out of them.
The scent, which was pleasant before, was now intoxicating, as their lust
mingled together in a strange harmony, each breath in ramping up their
pleasure. After almost face planting on the Omega, the two of them laid
themselves out on the bed, bodies pressed tightly together, hands sliding down
to grope at asses again, yanking the other into a hot…slick…slide of
hard…throbbing cocks. Their mouths met again, tongues thrusting in time with
their hips.
Cas needed to be close, closer. He was so hot, so overwhelmed, lost in
pleasure, till the rocking changed and Dean slipped his cock between Cas’s
legs, using an arm to hitch one leg up and slid the head of his leaking member
across Cas’s hole…then without so much as a finger of prep, tried to thrust in.
Cas pushed at Dean, reached down to block him.
“Dean, stop, you can’t just…not like that…you need to...” Cas struggled to get
the words out, blushing deeply. Instead, he reached down, grabbing Dean’s hand
and pulling it towards him. Dean, in surprise, let him and Cas rolled to his
back, pulling Dean with him, guiding Dean’s hand down to his hole, his legs
having already fallen open and wide, inviting him in.
“I – I thought Omega’s didn’t need stretching?” Dean choked out, confusion now
mixing with the arousal Cas could still smell.  At least I havn’t killed the
moment,  Cas thought.
“Not quite true. We just provide our own, um, our own lubrication,” Dammit, Cas
shouldn’t be embarrassed by this. He was a grown man and it was completely
natural!
Dean’s eyes widened in realization, at  why  Cas pushed him away, “Oh god! I’m
so sorry! I didn’t hurt you, did I, Cas?”
“Not much, Dean, but please…” Cas still had a grip over Dean’s wrist and he
urged him to move with a small whine and another push.
Dean swallowed, “Okay, just, let me know if I – if I do something wrong again,
please?”
Cas looked up at Dean and stilled. “Dean, are you a - ?
Dean blushed furiously and looked away, eyes closing, giving a short, sharp
nod. He started to pull away, his scent souring as he apparently expected
rejection at this knowledge. Cas clutched at him, “No, don’t go, Dean, please?
Please stay, I…me too.” Cas finished softly.
Dean’s head whipped around in surprise, “Seriously? But, how? And how are you
so…?” he waved a hand over Cas’s whole person.
“I’ve been pretty lost in my schooling – a nerd my brother calls me and um…my
heats are a little easier to handle if I can manage some physical satisfaction.
It usually requires some…help.”
Dean puzzled over that for a second or two. Obviously trying to figure out how
Cas could have help and still be a virgin at the same time, but then
understanding dawned on him. “Oh! So you use, um…fake knots? And, and stuff? H-
how is that?”
“Before, it was enough,” Cas’s words were growled out, still turned on.
“Oh yeah?” Dean asked breathlessly. Cas nodded. “Could you, could you show me
how you stretch yourself?”
Cas grinned, “Of course.”
Dean watched as Cas flipped himself over to his hands and knees, giving Dean a
perfect view of the Omega’s ass and glistening hole. Cas was surprised to
realize there were mirrors, large mirrors scattered through the room, letting
him watch the Alpha despite his position. The Alpha was kneeling on the bed
behind Cas with an indrawn breath. Dean leaned over, avidly watching Cas
sliding his fingers through the slick, then bringing one up to circle his hole.
Dean’s breathing grew harder watching the Omega and when Cas breached himself
with a finger Dean echoed his groan. “Oh, fuck, that’s something…” Mesmerized,
Dean watched Cas sliding his finger in and out, thrusting and leaking more and
more slick, the scent of it tantalizing Dean’s nose, making his mouth water.
Dean raised shaking hands to slide across both ass cheeks, gently gripping them
to pull them apart, giving himself an even better view. Cas whimpered at the
touch, the broad and strong hands, so warm, sending tingles down to his
profusely leaking cock and Cas added another finger, speeding up the tempo. He
spread his fingers, trying not to touch that special place inside him. He was
more turned on than he’d ever felt before and Dean had barely touched him at
this point.
Cas felt like he’d blow before he even got Dean inside him and oh,  god,  he’d
never wanted anything – anyone – inside him so much before. He added a third
finger and watched Dean’s expression in the mirror, the man biting his bottom
lip hard, the fingers on Cas’s ass kneading the flesh.
“Oh god, oh fuck, Cas…! Can I…I want to…” Dean’s fingers twitched, slid lower
and stopped. Cas yanked his fingers out and bowed down, touching his head to
the bed, hands grasping each other on the sheets above his head. The position
arched his back, raising his ass high.
“Yes, Dean, please…” Cas whispered. He heard the indrawn breath, the low moan,
the tentative touch of a calloused finger to his hole. He pushed back,
encouraging Dean to press inside and he took the hint easily. Each thrust of
Deans finger was slow and taunting and Cas pushed, rocking back into it. “More,
you can…oh god yes,” Cas whispered as Dean obeyed him quickly. Dean’s thrusts
sped up and Cas keened when the Alpha found his prostate.
“Is that - ?” Dean’s voice held wonder and Cas nodded vigorously into the
sheets.
“Yes, yes, it is. Again, please!” Cas whimpered, the heat of his body notching
up higher, “And, m-move your fingers. To…stretch me, you need to…oh, oh, oh,
yes, like that.”
“Holy fuck, Cas,” Dean’s voice growled out, the awe and wonder still present.
Lips touched Cas’s ass, sliding up his back in a slow, meandering trail of
licks and sucks and small nips as Dean whimpered. “God, I got so hard just
watching you and this…this is…you’re so damn hot!”
Cas’s breath came in broken pants, shaky inhales and groaning exhales.
Reluctantly, he pulled away, leaning over to grope for his pants. “I have to,
you need to…” He came up with a single foil packet and ripped it open, handing
the condom to Dean and rolling onto his back. “I need you, Dean.”
“Yeah, yeah of course,” Dean agreed, fumbling with the condom before he finally
got it rolled on. As soon as he did, Cas leaned up and grabbed him by the back
of the neck with one hand, mouth covering his and pulling the Alpha down to the
bed, covering the Omega’s body. They rutted against each other, their lips
becoming uncoordinated, slipping away and diving in, hot, wet, messy kisses.
Deans hands slid back down to Cas’s ass and lifted, sliding his cock against
his hole. He thrust forward and back several times, the head of his cock
catching on Cas’s rim.
“Stop teasing, Dean…” Cas’s voice cracked on the words and Dean nodded
frantically, finally using a hand to guide himself in and oh, Cas was never
going to be satisfied by toys after this. Oh this was heaven. It had to be. The
hot, throbbing length buried in his ass, filling him up. He rocked down with a
cry and Dean’s head fell against Cas’s shoulder.
Bodies wet with combined sweat, Cas’s slick and pre-come, they moved and slid
together in frantic thrusts, their cries unrestrained, the scent of arousal
mingling and heightening. Cas locked his legs around Dean’s waist to draw him
in deeper and wailed as the changed angle nailed his prostate.
They were beyond words now, beyond thought, lost in pleasure and kisses,
touching and thrusting. The room faded to only Dean and Cas and how good they
felt. Cas felt Dean mouthing at his neck and the slick gushed out of him,
making the way easier, slipperier.  Dean growled and pushed himself away from
Cas’s neck bowing his head in restraint.
“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck,” Dean’s words came with every thrust,
every slap of his hips against Cas’s ass and Cas, for his part, was no less
coherent, gasping out breathy “oh’s” interspersed with keening wails until he
locked up, back arching, his cock spilling out just as Dean’s knot, growing
with every thrust finally caught inside Cas’s clenching walls and locked the
Alpha’s cock inside of the Omega.
Riding out their orgasms together, Cas twitched with every small rock into his
body. Dean unable to pull out any longer but just pressing in and in and oh,
holy, fuck, Cas was going to come again! He hadn’t known that was even
possible.
Dean collapsed on top of Cas breathing hard, body jerking as Cas’s second
orgasm pulled out another one from Dean.
They lay there for a long while before Dean jerked upright. “Oh god, I’m sorry,
I didn’t mean to crush you!” He started to pull off, but they were still locked
together and he settled back down. With Cas’s help, they maneuvered to their
sides, each of them sticky with come, sweat and slick and not minding in the
least.
They shared soft, sweet kisses and then Cas held his breath as Dean held his
eyes, slid a hand down Cas’s chest, swiping his fingers through the mix coating
their lower halves and then raising his fingers back up to his lips and licking
them clean with a groan.
“How are you real?” Dean whispered. “Am I dreaming?”
“If you are, than so am I,” Castiel whispered in return, sliding the backs of
his knuckles down Dean’s cheek. “You are so much more than I ever thought to
find. So…considerate of me, so gentle. Tell me about you?”
Dean blushed and ducked his head into Cas’s neck, “Nah, man. I ain’t all that
special. I’m the lucky one.”
“Please, let me be the judge of that, tell me about yourself?” Cas threaded his
fingers through the spiky hair crushed against his face and breathed in the
scent. So much sex, yes, but also contentedness and home. It was as
intoxicating as the other.
“What do you want me to tell you? M’names Dean. Finishing up school just now,
I’m following in my father’s footsteps. I love cars. Always been good at
tearing them apart and putting them back together, so that’s what I’m gonna
do.”
“That sounds impressive. I know nothing about cars,” Cas lamented.
“I’ll teach ya,” Dean grinned.
“Okay, what else?” Cas prodded.
“Uh, well, I have a younger brother who’s a genius and my mom makes the most
kick-ass pie on the planet. Pie is like the best stuff ever. Growing up, mom
had to make a separate birthday pie cause I wouldn’t eat the cake.” Dean
inhaled deeply of Cas, “And you smell like warm, apple pie and fresh bacon
and…and something else. Do you know how good you smell?” Dean groaned.
Castiel groaned, clenching down on Dean with his words. Surely Dean was too
good to be true? “Flatterer,” he said with a soft smile.
Dean grinned, “It’s the truth. You’re amazing, and patient too…”
“Hey, I thought we were talking about you?” Cas narrowed his eyes at Dean in
mock anger.
Dean laughed, “I thought we were pretty much done. Not much to tell about me.”
He shrugged with a deprecating smile.
“You left out the part where, apparently, you frequent clubs,” Cas said with a
chortle.
Dean pulled up a little to latch his eyes to Cas’s. “Actually, it’s my first
time here, in this club, any club, ever.”
“Same…” Cas breathed out.
“Your turn. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?” Dean encouraged, laying back
down next to Cas, arms encircling him.
“Well, I have 3 brothers, all older than me. And I just finished school
actually,” there was a slight twitch at the words, but Castiel felt Dean’s cock
pulse and release more come. “Nobody thought I could do it. Or at least, my
parents didn’t and this one guy who had it out for me in the administration.
But I did. And it’s such a relief. Other than that, I’m really rather boring.
Read a lot, love bees and going for runs.”
“I bet those runs are what gives you killer legs. You near about squeezed me to
death with them,” Dean chuckled.
“I’m so sorry,” Cas said in horror.
“Nah, don’t be. I liked it,” Dean looked at him shyly.
Then both of them looked down in surprise as Dean finally slipped out of Cas,
his soft cock pulling free, and come coming along with it, wet on Cas’s thighs.
They both jerked upright and looked down in horror.
“I…what happened? That wasn’t supposed to happen! Did I put it on wrong?”
Dean’s hand hovered uncertainly before looking around for something to clean
Cas up with. He leaned down for his shirt while Cas removed the condom and
looked it over.
“It broke…” Cas said. “Look, the end just…burst open.”
“They can do that? Oh, my god…I’m so sorry!”
“Don’t be Dean, it was my condom.” Castiel’s eyes narrowed, “That my brother
gave me. Trust my brother to give me a defective condom. He’ll be mortified.”
With a sigh, Cas turned and tossed the empty and torn condom into the trash,
finding a stash of towels on the bedside table. Snatching one up he handed one
to Dean and took another for himself. “Well, at least we can save a shirt.”
“Cas, is everything gonna be all right?” Dean’s worried eyes met his and Cas
melted at the concern in them. This man was unbelievable.
“We’re both virgins so we should be clean unless there’s something in your
family history…?” Dean shook his head at Cas’s words. “Okay, so that’s that and
I’m on birth control. So, we should be fine.”
Dean huffed out a heavy sigh of relief and slumped in towards Cas. “Oh, thank
fuck, I was scared there for a minute. I’m not ready to be a father, not just
yet.”
“Neither am I, to tell the truth,” Cas laid a hand on Dean’s head, then slid
down his neck and across his shoulders, gripping his shoulder, dropping a kiss
to the top of his head. Dean looked up and Cas smiled. “It’s okay, Dean, we’re
okay.” Cas leaned forward for another kiss. Even if nothing else happened
tonight, Cas thought he might forever be addicted to kisses from Dean.
Dean surged into the kiss, knocking Cas back to the bed. He pulled back a
little to let out a breathless, “Sorry,” before he rolled them till Cas was on
top and they went back to kissing. Cas couldn’t believe he was growing hard
again already and then Dean rocked upward and he felt Dean’s growing erection
too.
They started leisurely rocking against each other when Dean’s phone went off.
Dean jerked, nearly slamming his head into Cas’s and scrambled up, looking for
his pants.
“Dean, what is it?” Castiel watched the Alpha pale and scramble for his
clothes.
“I’m sorry – I gotta go. My friends in trouble…” Dean yanked his pants on,
forgoing his boxers and socks, shoving his feet into his boots. He thrust his
phone and the other articles of clothing into his pockets and grabbed his shirt
and was halfway out the door before Cas could do more than blink in confusion.
“Dean, Dean wait!” Cas yelled frantically. “Fuck, fuck fuck!” he growled,
leaping off the bed in search of his own clothes, taking Dean’s cue to
hurriedly dress. He burst out of the door, his shirt hanging open and he
scanned the crowd.
No sign of Dean.
“Fuck!”
“Cassie? What the hell? Are you all right?” Gabriel’s hands grabbed him by the
shoulders and pulled Cas to a stop, forcing him around to face him.
“Gabe, you gotta let me go! I found my True Mate!” Cas barreled into his
brother to get him to let go, and nearly knocked him to the floor.
“Whoa! How drunk  are  you?” Gabriel grabbed Cas by both arms and managed to
stand him upright. The Omega smiled at his brother, loopy and happy, but urgent
and frantic at the same time. Gabe sniffed the air again, and Cas wondered what
the hell he could be trying to catch, when the place was literally  crawling
with scent. He’d already lost Dean in the crowd – sight and smell. And somehow,
Cas knew he was long gone.
“I’m not drunk, Gabe. It was wonderful –  he  was wonderful,” Cas hummed,
tiredly leaning heavily on the shorter man. “And we could smell each other,
Gabriel. We were both wearing scent blockers but we could. I can’t – I need to
find him – help me find him. Gabe, please?”
“You found your True Mate – a one in a million chance – and he  left  you? I’ll
kill him!” Gabriel’s honey gold eyes narrowed dangerously and Castiel hurried
to reassure him.
“No! It wasn’t like that! I don’t think he wanted to leave. We were in the
middle of – “ Cas blushed and looked away, but he was smiling softly, a look
Gabriel didn’t think he’d ever seen on his brothers normally stoic face. “ -
our second time when his phone rang. He paled. Gabe, he looked scared as he ran
out of there. Was so fast, I never got his number. I need to find him. You have
to help me!”
“Okay, well, lucky for you, I got a pic. Tell me you at least got a name to go
with it?” Gabriel sighed but pulled out his phone.
“Dean.” Castiel beamed.
“Dean?” Gabriel asked incredulously.
“Yes.”
“That’s it?” Gabriel couldn’t believe his ears. Cas, of all people. Having a
one night stand and not getting the guy’s name? Okay, it wasn’t on purpose, and
apparently – for Cas – not a one night stand. But…
“Yes.”
“You don’t make things easy, do you, Cassie?”
“Sorry, Gabe. Will you still help me?” Castiel looked at him pleadingly, blue
eyes sad and imploring.
“Of course, baby brother,” Gabriel sighed again, knowing that he should have
expected that he would cave for Cas. He  always  caved for Cas.
He just had no idea how he was going to succeed.
Somehow, Gabriel managed to get a giddy Cas back to the house. Cas wasn’t
actually all that drunk anymore, though he didn’t bother telling his brother
that, because it didn’t really matter. As a matter of fact, he’d sobered up
pretty damn quickly when faced with Dean. It was just,  he  was so happy and
tired and  sated , so excited by what he’d discovered that night, by all that
he’d experienced, that even Balthazar had thought Cas still drunk.
He went to bed humming, after making Gabriel promise to text him the photo of
Dean. He’d nearly fallen asleep when the ping sounded and Cas scrambled for the
phone to open the message. He grinned at the sight of Dean. The picture had
captured one of the moments that Cas and Dean had stared into each other’s
eyes. They must have stood there a while for Gabriel to get such a clear shot
with his phone in such a dimly lit room.
Castiel fell asleep with a smile on his lips and his phone held loosely in his
hands.
The rest of the week was torture. In the morning, the daunting task of finding
out who Dean was and how to find him fully hit him. They had talked, true, but
Cas only knew that Dean was still in school and had a genius for a younger
brother. Dean loved cars and fixing them up, and he already had plans, a job
lined up after school. And pie. Dean had waxed quite poetically about pie.
It had been adorable.
But none of that helped Cas find him now.
Still, when the first day of school happened, not even missing mates could
dampen Cas’s excitement. Thoroughly nervous for the first class of the day, he
found his nerves abating with each new period. A couple of students stood out
in every class, and Cas could see an enjoyable year ahead of him.
The bell rang for the last class of the day, and he spent the three minutes of
the changing over cleaning up the board, leaving only his name.  Once again
wiping his hands on his dark slacks and running his hands through his dark
hair, Cas felt good.
And then the smell hit him.
Familiar, etched onto his memory so clearly, Cas froze in shock. This wasn’t
possible. Why would he scent Dean  here?  With dread, he slowly spun around to
find Dean standing equally shocked in the classroom doorway. Castiel swallowed
and wondered what the hell he was going to do now? Watching with wide eyes as
Dean slowly went and took a seat – in the front row of course – Cas thought
about how to handle this. He couldn’t just ignore the Alpha. Even if it was a
bad idea to ignore Alphas’ in general, it could affect Dean’s learning in the
class and prove to be detrimental to his grades. And Cas wasn’t going to let
his  mistake cost one of his students their future.
As Cas took roll call – learning that crucial information he’d not know the
other night, Dean’s last name. Now that it didn’t matter anymore, now that Cas
couldn’t pursue  anything  without being branded a pedophile - he worried at
the problem in the back of his head. Dean had passed as an adult at the club,
and after everything that had happened there, Cas just had to hope he was
mature enough for the inevitable conversation.
And that it wouldn’t blow up in his face.
The class both dragged and went too quickly. How such a thing was even
possible, Cas had no earthly idea. But the bell finally rang and the students
stood up en masse, heading for the door.
All but one. Dean made a show of slowly putting away his things so he could be
the last one to leave. It was the last period of the class and as soon as the
rest of the students were gone, Dean approached the desk with a wide grin.
But Cas wasn’t smiling,  couldn’t  smile as he watched Dean get closer. His
heart both skipped a beat at Dean’s gorgeous smile and sunk as he realized the
Alpha had no idea what Cas was about to say. This wasn’t going to go well.
“I don’t understand why you’re smiling. This isn’t good,” Castiel spoke the
words softly with a worried glance at the door.
Dean faltered, “Why not? I’d been afraid I’d never see you again, and here you
are! This is awesome!”
“Dean, lower your voice!” Cas whispered as he cast another look at the open
door and the – apparently – empty corridor beyond.
“I don’t understand – you…me…we… Cas …I didn’t realize it then, and I’m sorry,
but we’re True Mates! I want you, and…and you want me too, don’t you? As soon
as I’m legal, Cas, we can get hitched.”
“Dean, we don’t even know each other,” Castiel started, trying to gather the
right words. Teacher of a Creative Writing class and he couldn’t find the ones
he needed.
“But…don’t you want this? Me?”
“Not now. Not while you’re a minor still in school. While I’m your teacher - we
can’t!” Castiel’s head shot towards the door. Had he heard something in the
hall? Oh god, please let all this just be a bad dream.
“But if we tell them we’re True Mates, they’d have to let us.” Dean pleaded.
“I could still lose my job!”
“Is your job more important than your True Mate? Don’t – please don’t reject
me…” Dean whispered. It broke Cas’s heart to hear the shattered hope.
“Dean, I don’t think we should talk about this again, until you finish school.
It’s inappropriate.” Castiel’s voice was leaden. The joy of his first day had
been sucked clean away. To have found his True Mate and have it torn away from
him in the same minute was devastating.
What he had suffered 40 minutes ago, he was suffering again – would suffer
every day. Every time he saw Dean, Cas was certain he’d die a little more. And
he wasn’t alone – he could clearly see that Dean was suffering now. But Cas
could offer no comfort. It wasn’t his place.
Couldn’t be his place.
Not now. And if he broke Dean’s heart, not ever.
And Cas understood as he watched the devastated teen walk out the door, that
he’d done just that. He slumped in his chair, buried his face in his hands and
tried to hold back the tears.
Cas wasn’t sure how he made it home. He walked in a daze directly and
unerringly to his own room. On autopilot, he put his bag on his desk and pulled
off his tie. He toed off his shoes and walked to his bed. The tears he wouldn’t
allow to fall earlier could be held back no longer.
Without even a perfunctory knock, Gabriel blew in, “How was your first day at
school, Cassie? Whoa…that bad?”
Cas sobbed, “I found him. I found Dean.”
“What did that fuck do?” Gabriel growled, crossing the room quickly to pull his
younger brother into his arms.
“He’s 16, Gabe. Oh god…he’s…he’s six –  teen .” Cas clutched his brothers’
shirt. “I’m going to jail. I can’t be near him. He’s my True Mate and I
can’t...what am I going to do, Gabe?”
“Oh, Cassie…only you,” Gabriel whispered sadly, running a soothing hand through
Cas’s hair as the Omega sobbed.
“What am I going to do?”
 
***** It Shouldn’t Have Happened Like This *****
Chapter Summary
     Dean is forced to reveal more than he wants to, again and again.
Chapter Notes
     More angst here....and Dean's POV!
     Also, the plan was to put this up later today, around the afternoon
     before i went to work, but work needs me to cover someone so by the
     time i wake up, i'd have to leave. SO you get the chapter a few hours
     early (but at least on the planned day. by EST time at any rate!)
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Dean exited the classroom slowly, his heart felt like it was breaking into a
million pieces. He stood outside the doorway trying to regain his composure,
glad that the hall was empty. Glad it was after school. How could Cas push him
away like this? Didn’t being True Mates  mean  anything to the man?
Hadn’t…hadn’t what happened at the club meant anything? He’d thought…
His breath caught and his nose picked up the faintest smell. He hadn’t believed
his eyes when he walked into the classroom, and Castiel had been wearing scent
blockers – he’d probably been nervous for his first day of teaching. But Dean
had smelled him anyway. He’d been anxious, shocked and…well, Dean wasn’t really
sure. But now…Dean’s head turned back toward the classroom and he sniffed
again. What was it? He quietly poked his head into the classroom –
Only to see Cas wasn’t as unaffected as he’d pretended to be. He sat in his
chair, hands covering his face and shaking. Dean wanted to go in there, to
reassure him. Wanted to take Cas in his arms and soothe him. Wanted –
But he couldn’t. Cas had made it clear that he didn’t want Dean near him. Dean
gritted his teeth and turned back around determinedly. In moments, he was at
the Impala and opening the door. The familiar feel and smell of the car was
normally enough to brighten his day, but today…
Dean slid into the seat and stared out the windshield. His breathing was ragged
and hitched. Fuck, he had to calm down. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in,
breathe –
He slammed his fist on the steering wheel once, twice. Again and again. His
breath hitched again and he dropped his head on the abused steering wheel and
tried, again, to calm himself. His hands shook, but he needed to get back under
control. Needed to be cool and collected before -
The doors opened and three people slid into the car. Sam, skipped ahead a
grade, piled excitedly into the front seat, while Benny and Charlie slid into
the back together. “What’s up, bitches?” Charlie exclaimed. “What say we all go
out for first day back burgers?”
Dean groaned. He was really not in the mood but he couldn’t ruin his little
brothers first day of high school. “Yeah, okay, everyone buckled in?”
“Dean, are you okay?” Sam’s grin dropped, “Dean?”
Dean forced a smile, not a doubt in his mind everyone could  see  how fake it
was, never mind how clearly they’d smell the lie, “Don’t worry about me, Sam.
Today’s special, let’s go celebrate it.”
“Dean – “
“No, look, it’s okay. I’ll tell you guys later, but right now, it’s Sammy’s
moment.”
“If you’re sure, brotha,” Benny said uncertainly from the back seat. Sam eyed
Dean, but he nodded at Dean’s promise, even going so far as to not bite back
about Dean calling him Sammy like he usually would, which showed just how
concerned he was.
Charlie just placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Whatever’s going on
we’ve got your back, you know that, right Dean?”
Dean’s lips pinched together and he nodded, reaching forward to turn the key
into the ignition. “Okay, let’s go get burgers!”
With his friends help, and Sam’s, Dean made it through the rest of the day,
dropping Benny and Charlie off before heading home with Sam. Dean pulled into
the driveway and turned off the car.
Instead of getting out of the car, Sam looked at Dean. “You going to tell me
what’s going on? Before we go inside and mom and dad  smell  it on you?”
Dean took a shuddering breath. He’d spent the last couple of hours pointedly
avoiding thinking about it and now here he was. Feeling like he’d been punched
in the gut all over again. Sam wrinkled his nose at the rapidly souring scent.
“Look, Sam, I – I really don’t want to talk about it. Not yet, okay?”
“Dean, are you sure?” Sam looked up at him with puppy dog eyes, the concern
rolling off of him clearly in the close quarters, despite open windows.
Dean groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. “Fuck. Don’t tell mom or dad,
okay? You gotta promise me, Sammy.”
“I won’t. You can trust me,” Sam encouraged him.
“I might have…lied to mom and dad when I said I was hanging out at Benny’s
place last week. Benny, Charlie and I, we um…you really won’t tell, right?” Sam
shook his head vigorously. “Right, well, we uh, we went out. Snuck into a club
and I met this guy, right? And he was…he was perfect.” Dean’s eyes misted over,
though the tears did not fall. “He was hot, and fun, and thoughtful and um…best
sex ever, I swear to god.”
“Oh my god!” Sam blushed, “You had sex with a stranger?”
“Not a stranger. I think – no, I  know  he’s my True Mate. And I know I’m young
but, that kind of thing is rare and he was just…so special. I don’t want to
lose him, Sammy,” Dean wiped angrily at his face. The tears he refused to
acknowledge slowly dripping down his nose. “I wanna be able to…to…”
“What happened? Why are you crying?”
“”m  not  crying! And because he doesn’t want me! Charlie was in trouble and
texted me, and I had to leave him. At the club and all. And I thought I’d never
find him again. But then I did. I found him today and I was so overjoyed – but
he doesn’t want me,” Dean sniffed.
“He’s at the school? Is he new?” Sam asked, because of course he wouldn’t know
who was new or not. “Maybe, you know, I can help you win him over. What class
does he share with you?”
“No, Sam, he’s a teacher. I’m just some dumb kid compared to him. And he made
it very clear we can’t be anything, ever,” Dean huffed out angrily, though his
mind flashed back to the image of the Omega sitting in his chair, his face
buried in his hands. “At least, I thought so. I went back in after and he
seemed just as upset as me.”
“Oh!” Sam grinned at Dean. Dean stared at his little brother, stunned. He’d
bared his soul to Sam and the kid thought this was funny?
“Oh what?” Dean snapped out. Sam’s jaw dropped as his nose twitched.
“Dude, no! Just, I don’t think it’s as hopeless as you say,” Sam chirped
anxiously. “I bet he does care for you and didn’t want to push you away, but
Dean, he’s a teacher. He’s gotta be careful. He can get into a lot of trouble
for having a relationship with a student – especially a minor.”
“But what can we do? Sam, I – he’s –“ Dean floundered, the words refusing to
come. He knew Cas was special, not just biology special, but  special . The
little time they’d spent at the club had made that clear and he wanted so much
more time with him, to be able to find out more about the man. Did he like
classic rock? Burgers? How about Road trips?
“You gotta take it slow, Dean. You gotta be careful, make sure no one suspects
either of you of anything. Just do little things. Get to know him, show him you
haven’t forgotten him. Let him know you’ll wait till it’s safe. I’m betting
once it is, he’ll be amenable to the idea of getting to know you better.”
Dean stared at Sam and suddenly, something occurred to him. “Dude, you’re like
twelve! Why am I coming to you for relationship advice – and how are you even
giving it to me?”
Sam rolled his eyes. “I read, jerk. And,” It was Sam’s turn to blush, “I think
I met someone today. Her name is Eileen. She’s two years older but she’s in my
grade – but it’s not because she’s dumb!” Sam hurried to explain, “She’s just
had some trouble that held her back.”
“Wait, should I have dad give you the birds and the bees talk?” Dean grinned
halfheartedly, attempting to steer the conversation back away from him. He had
a lot to think about. Sam had some good advice. And now that he had the chance,
he was almost certain Cas had tried to say the same thing, but Dean had been so
stunned that he was being rejected by his own True Mate that it hadn’t even
registered in his brain what the Creative Writing teacher had been saying.
Sam was right, this wasn’t nearly as hopeless as Dean had thought. With a
lighter, more hopeful tinge to his scent, Dean might even make it past the
parents with minimal questioning. Which was good, because he needed to head
straight for his room and think about what he could do.
Turned out, not much. Not without risking everything. So he wrote little notes,
and signed them anonymously, leaving them in the teacher’s desk. Sometimes,
he’d have things to accompany the notes. A plate of cookies one day, a little
pewter bee another day. Tiny mementos that showed he’d been listening and
taking in what kinds of things Castiel liked.
In return, he’d write little ‘get to know me too’ facts into his notes. Little
things, like, “I like pie,” “My favorite songs are Led Zeppelin’s Ramble on and
Traveling Riverside Blues,” and that his favorite color was blue.
Well, it might not have been before, but sure as hell was now.
Every day in class was torture. Seeing, hearing,  smelling  Castiel up close.
Knowing he couldn’t toe over the line even the slightest bit. But he couldn’t
give up. And it was hurting him to see that Castiel seemed to be declining. He
looked tired and sick most of the time. But he’d brighten briefly at whatever
Dean’s newest offering was, even as he smelled conflicted. So, Dean kept
bringing them. Anything that he  could  do, he would.
He didn’t expect the day that Cas asked him to stop.
“What do you mean, stop?”
“You can’t keep bringing me gifts and leaving me notes, Dean. Someone will
catch you someday, and questions will be asked. We won’t be able to hide what
happened,” Castiel said reluctantly.
“You  like  those things I leave you, I can smell it! Students give their
teachers shit all the time. Why am I any more suspicious than them? And you
weren’t my teacher the one fucking time we had sex! There’s  nothing  to  hide
!”
“Dean, for god’s sake, you have to be quiet! And stop this. I’m already under a
great deal of scrutiny. I’m insanely young for a first-year teacher, and an
Omega to boot – “
“What does that have to do with anything?” Dean demanded.
“It means that I’m not always judged for my skill. It took me nearly a year
longer than most other students – all of whom were Alphas except a handful of
Beta’s - to qualify for this position because my judgement was in question.
Because they tried to wash me out of the program. Because they think I’m less
as a person simply because I’m an Omega.”
“Well, that’s stupid. You’re like, the smartest person I know,” Dean said.
Cas sighed, “While I appreciate the sentiment, I would appreciate even more if
you would leave me alone for the rest of the year. This can’t continue. The
looks, the notes, the gifts. All of it.”
Dean’s jaw clenched angrily. Sam had been wrong. Cas cared more about his job
than him. How were a few little things like that going to cause any problems?
They weren’t, that’s what! Cas was being unreasonable.
Castiel winced at the angry devastation that touched nearly all his senses. His
hand twitched like he wanted to reach out to Dean but remained down at his
side. “I’m sorry, Dean. I really am.”
“Yeah, whatever, Cas. I see how it is. I’m good enough to fuck but I’m not
important to you at all,” Dean’s voice was too loud and hitched despite his
anger and he knew he had to get out of there before he broke down. Blinded by
the anger and the tears, the roiling feeling in his stomach, he stomped out of
the classroom, nearly knocking over the janitor on his way out sending the mop
bucket rolling down the hallway, sloshing water everywhere it went. Dean didn’t
care, didn’t even slow as he ran through the slippery mess, the janitor staring
after him with wide eyes.
Dean was super glad that Sam had stayed home sick that day and that Charlie and
Benny had clubs to attend to after school, because he just got into his car and
drove. Dean didn’t return till late that night, sneaking into his room and
quietly shutting the door behind him, flinging himself to his bed face first
and burying his head under the pillows.
The door creaked open and he stiffened. He’d been numb for hours, but the tears
lurked beneath the surface, burning his eyes. That choking feeling rising up in
his throat. He bit his lip to hold it all back, but when a soft hand soothed
down his back and a weight settled on his bed, he couldn’t stop the sob that
broke free.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Mary’s gentle voice only made him sob harder as he
turned to bury his face in her hair. The sweet smell of apple pie and warm
sunshine that normally radiated from his mother, usually grounded him in his
more painful moments, not doing nearly as much as it used to. “Dean?”
Another noise at the door and John came in, kneeling down beside the bed,
looking at his son in concern, then back up to Mary. She shook her head with
the best  I don’t know  gesture she could make without moving her shoulders.
“Dean, do you want to talk?” John’s voice rumbled out as gently as he could,
but it still came out harsher than he intended. Dean shook his head and just
clung to his mother, though the sobs quieted down a little.
Dean finally pulled away from his mother and wiped at his face, feeling ashamed
for the breakdown. A small sound found him looking up at Sam’s face peeking
around the doorframe, afraid to come in, everyone around him smelling
concerned.
“Dean, are you all right? What happened?” Mary asked, voice calm but her scent
was anxious, worried. Dean shrugged. The sobs had died out but he still had a
lump in his throat and an ache in his chest and if he started to talk now, he
knew he’d be bawling like a fucking baby. Again.
Sam creeped in and stood beside their mother, peeking over her shoulder,
leaning a hand on John’s.
“Sam, maybe you should go back to bed,” John suggested. Sam shook his head
emphatically, wide eyes on Dean.
“Dean,” Sam whispered, “Is it…” eyes widening, he stopped with a quick look
between their parents. John looked at him sharply and his nose flared at the
guilt coming off of Sam and the fear now coming from Dean. John narrowed his
eyes.
“All right, that’s enough. I want to know what’s going on here, right now. Sam,
you know something. If Dean won’t talk, you will,” John growled.
Sam looked wild eyed between Dean and John and then straightening up and
lifting his chin defiantly, “No, I won’t. Winchesters always keep their word.
And I promised not to say.”
Johns face grew furious, and everyone but Mary flinched at the strong, angry
scent wafting off of him. Mary laid a gentle arm on his and looked at him with
a shake of her head. He deflated, running a hand over his face with a loud
sigh.
Mary looked at their youngest as John composed himself and she spoke, “That’s
commendable, Sam, to keep your word. Your integrity is something to be proud
of, but always be careful who you give your word to, and consider if it would
do more harm than good to keep it. I know it’s Dean, and of course you should
trust your brother. And you can trust us as well. We won’t force you to break
your word.”
After a few, long moments of silence, as John reined in his temper with Mary’s
help, he spoke again, his voice and scent calmer than before, but equally
concerned and earnest. “I just want to know what’s going on. Dean, it’s obvious
something’s happened. I’m your father and I want to help. Just talk to me. To
us. What could you possibly tell Sam that you’d be afraid to tell your
parents?”
Dean looked at his family resignedly. The worried faces and smells were too
much for him. And he broke down and told them about Cas. Not everything. Not
how they’d met. Just that they had, that they’d instantly been attracted to
each other, but that Cas wanted nothing to do with him.
That Castiel was a teacher.
He tried to keep the fact that they’d had sex from his parents, but somehow,
they’d sussed it out. And now John was more furious than Dean had ever seen
him. And not furious at him but furious at the teacher. John struggled to speak
around his anger and Dean hurried to fill in the silence, “Please, Dad, it’s
not Cas’s fault. It’s mine…don’t…don’t say anything to the school!”
“Dean, this isn’t right – he’s a goddamned teacher! You’re a minor!” John paced
the room, grabbing at his hair, knuckles white, breathing hard as he tried to
keep himself calm enough.
“I can’t…he’s not, we’re not together. He made it perfectly clear that he
couldn’t be with me. That it was a one time thing, okay? It’s not gonna happen
again. This is his first gig as a teacher, you can’t ruin this for him!” Dean
yelled back, panic lacing tone and scent at the thought of what his father
could do. Cas might not want him, but Dean still wanted the man to be happy.
And teaching made him happy.
“Why shouldn’t I?” John yelled back.
Sam whimpered against Mary as she glared back at her husband. “John, you’re
just upsetting them. Dean has said it’s over, so why don’t you trust your own
son and leave it alone?”
“Being over  now , doesn’t make what happened right!” John wheeled to face them
all again. Though still angry, he was bringing it back under control.
“Please, Dad, promise me you won’t get Cas fired?” Dean begged him.
John opened his mouth for a hot retort when Mary gave him yet another pointed
look. Once again, he deflated. In a sullen, resigned tone, he promised. “But if
anything changes, if this isn’t over, I  will  say something about it. You can
rest assured of that!” He stomped out of the room and down the stairs. Dean
heard the front door slam and he winced.
“It’s okay sweetie, Dad is just going to clear his head. You have to admit this
was all a shock to us and I’m not very happy about it either, but what’s done
is done. Are you going to be all right?” Mary reached for Dean but this time he
pulled away.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m just a kid, right? I’ll get over it,” He mumbled
sullenly. “I’m tired, I think I’d like to sleep now.”
“Sure thing, sweetheart. Remember, I’m here for you, all right?” She dropped a
kiss on his head as she stood. He wrapped himself up in his blankets and didn’t
watch his mother or his brother leave.
If Dean had thought it was bad before, it was even worse now.  He dreaded his
last class period of the day, and debated dropping it – it was only an elective
after all – but it was his only chance to see Cas. To watch him without
suspicion.
They didn’t speak another non-class related word to the other, but Dean
couldn’t help wishing things had been different. That he’d found a way to
convince Cas not to push him away.
Couldn’t help but worry about Cas as the man seemed to come in looking even
worse every damn day. Was this affecting him as much as it was affecting Dean?
But why did he say the things he had? Why did he insist on absolutely zero
contact? Surely the risks weren’t as great as Cas had said?
But that was the status quo now and Dean just had to grin and bear it. In the
meantime, he’d take what he could get, and if he daydreamed about his non-
existent future with Cas, nobody else had to know.
Just a few days later, just a few days after he revealed everything - well,
nearly everything – to his parents, Cas didn’t show up. But with as sick and
tired as he’d been looking for weeks, Dean wasn’t overly concerned, figuring
that Cas was taking a well needed day (or more) of rest. He just wished he knew
a way to find the teacher outside of school, to check on him, find out if he
was all right. To help him.
Instead, he’d have to be patient and wait for Cas to return to school.
Only he didn’t. Never even had the chance.
The second day of Cas’s absence, another teacher came in in his place, canceled
the class, and proceeded to take down all of Cas’s personal things and box them
up. Itching to find out, Dean waited for the last of the class to file out
before he approached the teacher to ask.
“What happened to Mr. Novak, is he okay?”
“Mr. Novak has been fired for inappropriate behavior.”
Dean felt his heart rise into his throat at the implications. “Wh-what
inappropriate behavior?” Fuck, why did he have to stammer? It only made him
look guilty of something.
“The kind that gets teachers fired. Never should have hired an Omega to begin
with…” the teacher mumbled, obviously not expecting Dean to hear the second
part of the sentence, but Dean had always had fairly good hearing.
“Bullshit!”
“What?”
“I said, bullshit! Ca- Mr. Novak was a great teacher! Being an Omega has
nothing to do with your teaching ability.” Dean growled. He was too defensive,
they would suspect, he was going to get in trouble, this was what Cas had
warned him about…
Only, what the fuck did it matter anymore? Cas had already lost his job. How
could Dean make it any worse by sticking up for him?
“Sit down, Mr. Winchester,” the teacher said coldly.
“No! Why was Cas fired?”
“I don’t know, Mr. Winchester, why  was  he fired? I thought you would have
firsthand knowledge of it. Certainly, more than any other student in this room
would.” The teacher leered at Dean, “It just proves what I’ve always said,
Omega’s can’t handle responsibilities. If they’re so desperate they’d fuck a
teenager, then they obviously can’t control themselves and he had no business
being a teacher.”
The teacher didn’t even see the punch coming. Dean may have been a teen, but he
was tall and he was big and he packed a hell of a punch. He raised his fist for
another hit but someone grabbed him. He yelled and struggled, but the one
restraining hand became two, then four, then six as he was dragged away from
the teacher now sprawled on the floor with blood dripping from his nose.
Between his brother and his two best friends, Dean was steered outside and to
his car. Benny slammed him against the door, “Calm down, brotha! You just hit a
teacher! Will you finally  tell  us what’s going on?”
Dean’s anger drained and he slid down the side of the Impala, Benny letting go
in shock when Dean went limp. Tears rolled down his face for the second time in
less than a week. “It’s all my fault,” he sobbed, “All my fault.” Dean’s head
dropped to his knees and his hands came up over the back of his head to grip at
his hair painfully. “Oh, my god, he must hate me so fucking much. I’ve ruined
his life…” the words came out in broken whispers, choked with sobs.
An arm slid around his shoulder and pressed him into a hug. He went
unresisting, not even registering the arm, the pull, the warmth.
Sam asked quietly, his words somehow breaking through Dean’s sobs, “What
happened to Cas, Dean?”
Benny and Charlie exchanged confused glances. Benny spoke up, “The Creative
Writing teacher?”
“They fired him, ‘cause of me,” Dean whispered. “It’s what he warned me
about…and I didn’t listen. I…I gotta make sure he’s okay.” Dean’s head whipped
up and he looked at Charlie frantically, “Charlie, you could help me. I need to
check on him, you can find out where he lives, right?”
“Well…yeah, I could, but…Dean, why?” She said slowly.
“Charlie, please?” Sam begged on Dean’s behalf, “It’s important.”
“Okay, but, I wish to god someone would tell me what’s going on. Come back to
my place, I’ll get that for ya, but Dean? I don’t think you should be driving
right now.” Charlie held a hand out and he stared at it for a long moment
before he reached into his pocket and handed her his keys. Benny’s mouth
dropped at the action. Frankly, so did Charlie’s. She hadn’t expected the
situation to be serious enough to make giving up the keys to his Baby barely a
blip to him. She’d expected railing and ranting and “don’t scratch her” and
“Never gonna happen, smalls,” but the weight of the keys pressing down in her
hands were proof enough that she wasn’t dreaming. Benny helped Dean up and into
the backseat, Sam crawling in beside him. Benny exchanged another look with
Charlie and both got into the front, making the quick drive to her place, and –
coincidentally – her laptop.


Chapter End Notes
     Okay, so I know there was hopes for Protective Alpha!Dean /
     Jealous!Dean as his fellow students said things about their 'hot
     teacher' and I definitely didn't go that route buuuuuuut, I hope that
     what I did do (and with more future protective Dean stuff on its way)
     will satisfy that craving! let me know :D
     Next update is planned for friday night/saturday morning (basically,
     when I get outta work and get set up at my computer)
*****  Shit Hits the Fan *****
Chapter Summary
     Things aren't going very well for Cas...it's just one thing after
     another. What else can go wrong?
Chapter Notes
     Shift back to Cas's POV
     Also, some of you may get to a point in this and go "Wait a second.
     Nope, that is not possible!"
     Please read the end notes for an explanation on how yes, it is
     possible.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
It had been five months since Dean walked into his classroom and with each day
that passed, both Alpha and Omega died inside. Cas had thought the last word
had been said. But Dean didn’t leave it alone. It wasn’t so much that he was
trying to force the issue, but that he was just trying to convince Cas to even
talk to him about anything other than schoolwork.
Cas managed to hold on strong.
Dean would bring in gifts and notes, leaving them at his desk anonymously.
Always was the hint of, “Don’t forget about me. I’m right here. Ready whenever
you want to give us a chance,” the notes providing a way for Cas to learn about
Dean the same way that Dean and the rest of the students were slowly learning
about Cas. Nothing big, nothing important, but it was stuff that was out there.
And though Cas couldn’t outwardly acknowledge them, they were a bright point in
his days. He felt so miserable lately, so tired all the time, that the sight of
another get to know you note, or thoughtful gift that proved Dean was paying
attention, would buoy him through the class even as he lamented their
situation.
And if they made it back home safely in his briefcase every night to be added
to the slowly growing collection on his shelf, no one needed to know except for
him, the maid and Gabriel.
And out of the maid and Gabe, only Gabriel had any inkling what they were, what
the meant to Cas.
On one night, as he admired a particularly well-crafted bumblebee knick-knack,
Gabriel dared to speak about the little mementos growing in number. “Cassie,
this isn’t healthy. You need a clean break.”
“I don’t want to get rid of my True Mate. I just…I want him to finish school
before we start dating, really get to know each other,” Castiel hummed out,
replacing the little guy on the shelf and pressing his hand to his stomach.
“Ooooo….” He groaned.
“Cassie? Cas, are you all right?” Gabriel asked in concern.
“Yeah, I’m…I’m’ fine. Just a cold I think,” Castiel said with annoyance.
Gabriel sniffed the air but smelled no deception and so he let the matter be.
And that’s how things would have stayed, except that Cas thought about
Gabriel’s words, and about Dean’s gifts and realized his brother was right.
What Dean was doing was dangerous for both of them and gave the teen false
hope. While Cas didn’t want to crush his spirit, didn’t want to push him away
completely, they couldn’t risk Dean’s continued attention.
Of course, when Cas tried to explain it to Dean, it didn’t go very well. The
Alpha reeked of rejection and despair and as soon as Dean left his presence,
Castiel collapsed into his chair and covered his face.
It was the right thing to do – so why did he feel so horrible? Surely there was
no harm in being friendly? No…no, the risk was too high. Neither of them would
bear up under scrutiny. No one would care that Cas hadn’t known, or that he had
no intention of allowing anything more to happen.
This had to be done. Castiel knew that. Would just have to accept it and move
on, to live with the decision, no matter how sick it made him to think of his
Alpha out there, hurt and lost because of  him . It had to be done and now it
was.
It hadn’t been done soon enough.
The call to see Superintendent Crowley and Principle Abaddon was both a
surprise and not. He arrived in school four days after he’d forced himself to
tell Dean to stop – it had been devastating both to do and to watch – and
before he could even get off his aching feet (seriously, how were they aching
before he’d even started his day? The depressive funk he’d been in since the
start of school was really taking its toll on him) the intercom had crackled to
life and summoned him to the office.
With an obviously prepared – and just as obviously relished - speech about how
they were sorry to let a teacher as good as Castiel go, they couldn’t, in all
conscious, keep on a teacher who had slept with his students. The scandal would
do nothing good for their reputation. They were  sure  he’d understand. It had
nothing to do with him being an Omega, they would be  so sorry  to see him go.
Castiel didn’t even argue. What would be the point? It wasn’t like they were
wrong, now where they? He dragged himself back to his classroom, an escort
walking alongside with him, just enough time to grab his coat and his briefcase
but nothing else and he left.
Numbly, he made his way home, and up the stairs to his room. He sat on his bed
and stared at the wall. He’d lost Dean, he’d lost his dream, and he was stuck
here in a house he never wanted to stay in. When his parents found out…well, he
should probably pack a bag, just in case. Their opinion of Omega’s, and of
himself in particular, had never been high. When they saw the return on their
investment was Cas getting fired, they would be furious.
But it was so hard to make himself move. He felt sick. Truthfully, he’d felt
sick a lot recently. Sick over the situation with Dean. Hadn’t been sleeping,
hadn’t felt up to eating much. What cruel joke had it been to have him meet his
True Mate a few years too early?
He was losing everything…what did it matter anymore?
Cas was even too numb to cry. He’d cried a lot over the last 5 months. He would
be surprised if he had any tears left in him.
His stomach fluttered suddenly and he prepared himself for the nausea to follow
– and froze when he realized that it wasn’t nausea. He wasn’t feeling an urge
to grab the nearest trashcan…and it wasn’t gas as he’d so often thought
recently. Something inside of him was moving!
Oh god! Oh no! No, no, no, no….
Castiel had thought he was too numb to cry before. He’d been wrong. So very
wrong. He collapsed on his side on the bed, curling up around his stomach.
Placing a hand across the top of it. The tears fell silently as he felt the
movements against his stomach, his hand.
How was this poss…no, he wouldn’t ask that. How had it happened? They’d used a
condom – but then he remembered it had broken. Still, he’d been on suppressants
– been on them for years in fact.
Wait, would that hurt the baby?
Oh no. Oh god, how was he going to take care of a baby? He sniffled and covered
his mouth with his other hand as he tried to make no sounds. He didn’t think
anyone was home, but he didn’t want anyone investigating and find him like
this.
Another movement, something stronger – a kick perhaps? – and Cas was up on his
feet. When his parents got home, when they learned how he’d disgraced them,
wasted their money, they  would not  react well. He didn’t think they’d kick
out their own son.
But he wasn’t entirely sure they wouldn’t.
And he sure as hell wasn’t telling them about the baby to use as leverage.
He scrambled for a bag, a backpack, something big enough to stuff full, but
small enough to carry easily, keep better track of. The big backpack Gabriel
had given him sat at the bottom of his closet and he yanked it out. He picked
through his clothes to find things that would fit now – and hopefully fit
later. He grabbed a couple of special books, his laptop and photos, stuffing
the photos inside the books. He hovered near the shelf of knick-knacks he’d
gotten from Dean.
Dean was the reason he was in this situation, he thought angrily to himself and
he turned away from it.
Only to turn back and snatch up his favorite one, carefully wrap it in a
handkerchief and slide it into one of the small, inside pockets where it
wouldn’t be easily lost or easily fall out. But that one piece was all that he
would allow himself. His backpack didn’t have room for everything he could
possibly want to keep. He needed to fill it with emergency supplies.
He had his own bank account, thank god, so he’d have access to that till he
emptied it. What else could he possibly need that wouldn’t be missed? He racked
his brains, raiding the bathroom for toiletries, aspirin and blockers, then
double checking his clothing. Wishing he had a sleeping bag, he folded up his
warmest blanket – just in case – and forced it into the bag.
It wasn’t going to close.
He whimpered in dismay and forced himself to stop and step back, sit on the
edge of the bed and take deep breaths. He closed his eyes. In, out, in, out.
After repeating that a few times, he looked at the backpack again. Cas pulled
the blanket back out and folded it differently and grabbed a couple of ties,
turning it into a bundle. Now he had more room in the bag. Making sure he had
all his chargers he took another look around the room. He had his wallet and
phone in his pants, no need to worry about those.
That…that was it. That’s all he could make ready. He picked it all up and
brought it downstairs, sliding it into the bottom of the hall closet. He might
not  get kicked out. But if he did, Cas didn’t think his parents would allow
him the luxury of returning to his room to get his bag. This would have to do.
All he could do now was wait.
It was agony.
Using his phone, he browsed the internet for pregnancy advice. He needed to
know anyway, and he needed to keep himself occupied while he waited for the
other shoe to drop.
Losing himself in the pregnancy sites was easy. Too easy. Cas jumped when a
heavy hand landed on his shoulder a few hours later. He looked up to find
Metatron looking at him angrily, and Hester with disappointment, both shaking
their heads at him.
“Castiel, Castiel, Castiel…” his dad tsked. Though his face and voice was
neutral, his scent almost gagged Cas. Hester remained quiet. “I knew having an
Omega for a son was just asking for trouble. First chance you got, what did you
do? Fuck the first knot you saw. You didn’t even care if he was a kid, did you?
All you saw was a knot,” Metatron hissed. Cas shrunk away from him. Oh, this
was going worse than he’d thought. “If I knew how little self-control you would
have, I wouldn’t have bothered helping you through school, I’d have married you
off. Now you’re damaged goods. You’re no good to us. We don’t want you here. So
leave. Now.”
Without waiting for a response, his father stalked away, leaving Castiel alone
with his mother. He turned to Hester, the protest on his lips – dying as he
encountered cold, uncaring eyes. He swallowed and straightened up, trying
anyways, “Mother-“
“Don’t mother me. I’m not your mother anymore. You were already told. Get out.”
Slowly, Castiel rose from his seat, unplugged his phone and stashed it, charger
and all, into his pocket. He grabbed his coat from the stand and slipped it on
and grabbed his backpack out of the closet.
He picked up his keys from the dish by the door and his mother’s hand closed
over his. “No, it’s not your car. That car is in  my  name and you don’t get to
keep it. Have a nice life.” She squeezed till he dropped the keys and she
snatched them up.
He hadn’t counted on that.
That would make things a lot harder. Transportation was highly necessary. And
he could have slept in it if needed. How was he going to – Cas shook his head
and opened the door. He stepped outside and slammed it shut behind him.
He took a small amount of pleasure at the way the walls rattled. He was almost
certain something had fallen off the wall and hit the floor, making the glass
break. Cas started walking when his phone beeped. Pausing, he opened up the
message app, to find messages from his older brothers – Mike and Luke – to
don’t bother contacting them.
Cas slipped the phone back into his pocket and kept walking.
He couldn’t call Gabe or Balthazar for help either. Neither of them were in the
country right now. Gabriel was in India and Balthazar was touring Europe.
He was all alone.
Hours later found him hiding out in a library against a sudden snow squall as
he used the internet there to look for jobs or places to stay that wouldn’t use
up all his cash the first week. There was a job posting at a Gas N Sip not too
far from there. He looked out the window. Maybe it wasn’t so bad out? Cas would
have to leave when the library closed anyway. Better to get this done before it
got worse out. He could apply for the job and take a motel room for the night
and see how it played out in the morning.
Yes, that sounded like a plan.
It was much colder outside than he had thought it would be, and even layering
an extra hoody on top of his sweater under his usual trench coat wasn’t doing
any good. At least the interview seemed to go well and Nora had offered him a
place pending approval from her higher ups.
Walking with a lighter step, Cas found the nearest, cheapest motel and booked a
room for the night. He could do this. Many people in worse situations had
pulled themselves up by the bootstraps. Why shouldn’t he be able to do the
same?
Only, three weeks later, his situation hadn’t improved any. It had, in fact,
gotten worse. Cas had been too sick to do the job correctly and he’d gotten
fired after the first week. He’d not any luck finding a new one and motel rooms
were expensive. He was running out of money fast.
The last straw was when he’d collapsed during another interview, and the
interviewer had called him an ambulance. Where Cas had been poked and prodded
and kept overnight – and finally let go with an admonishment to take care of
himself and the baby better and a now completely empty bank account as they
charged him for the ambulance ride and the copay. No longer having insurance
meant paying upfront. Especially as soon as the hospital realized they couldn’t
bill him later with no address to send the bills too.
Now Castiel stood outside the hospital, clutching his bag and his blanket and
wondering what to do next. He had no job, and the money he had left in his
pocket wasn’t enough to give him a roof over his head. But, there were shelters
in town. He’d just…he’d have to go to one of those. There was no way he should
be out on the streets, not with…his hand crept down to cradle his stomach. He
still wasn’t showing and that had concerned the doctor at this stage of the
pregnancy.
It was overwhelming. It was terrifying. But he could do this.
He had to.
Slowly, exhausted, he headed for the closest shelter with determination. It was
already almost dark, and the cold was biting. Cas hadn’t expected to be turned
away at the door. The woman inside was apologetic, and truly sympathetic. But
the words, “I wish I could help you, but I can’t create rooms or beds out of
thin air. Why don’t you try this place,” followed him from one shelter to the
next. Till morning had come and he’d walked all night.
Cas’s feet ached worse than they ever had, his face was red and freezing, his
fingers and toes painfully so, and his stomach gnawed at him. He finally
stumbled to a stop, nearly collapsing where he stood, only a quickly thrown out
arm grabbing at a stone wall kept him from becoming a puddle on the ground.
Finding himself a bench, Cas limped over to it and slumped on it. He tried to
take stock of the situation. No money for a place to stay and all the shelters
were full. He was clean-ish (the last time he’d had a shower was the last time
he’d been able to afford a room somewhere for the night. That had been 2 nights
ago) and so were most of his clothes. Nobody seemed to be hiring, so he
couldn’t get  more  money. But if they were, this was the best time for it,
when he still looked somewhat presentable.
Ignoring the fact that he looked sick and tired and hadn’t shaved in a couple
of days. But clean was important. He had that at least. He had to keep trying.
But that left Cas the question, where would he sleep tonight?
He couldn’t just keep walking all night, from shelter to shelter. And it was
too cold to stay out on the streets. How did people do this? Though, he
supposed, when you’re given little choice in the matter, you do whatever you
need to.
So, really, that’s what Cas needed. He needed advice from the experts. The ones
who had had no choice, as he no longer did.
He slowly lifted his head and tried to remember where he was, which way he
should go to accomplish his new goal. But he was so tired. The brief respite at
the hospital hadn’t been very restful, as anxious as he was with the amount of
money he was bleeding just being there, all the tests they ran, all the
condescending advice they’d given.
Like he was doing this to his child on purpose. Like he’d been given a choice.
Well, screw them! He’d like to know what  they  would have done if they were
dropped in Castiel’s position, with no support network to call upon.
Cas blinked the thoughts slowly away, trying to remember what he was doing
again. Standing up. Right. He needed to stand up so he could find help. He
struggled to do so, but the world went black before he’d gone a full step away
from the bench.


Chapter End Notes
     Pregnancy. Yup. So, the older I get, the more I interact with other
     people and experience things on my own, the more I realize just HOW
     MUCH people don't know about certain things : like women's health
     issues or pregnancy.
     It is very possible to find out much later in pregnancy that you are,
     in fact, pregnant.
     In college, we did not believe this, so when a friend of ours found
     out over xmas they were 8 months pregnant, we all scoffed about that.
     how could she NOT KNOW? Not that we cared, one way or another. We
     still supported her. But we just didn't understand.
     What is everyone's first clue that you're pregnant? Missed periods.
     Great. what about women who don't get those? Yeah, that happens. If
     you're into sports, your periods are...off. sometimes nonexistent. if
     you have something like Polycistic then you might get 2 in a space of
     10 years if at all (i found that out as I was graduating college. i
     had never HEARD of that before). if you're on specific kinds of birth
     control (like Depo Prevera) it's normal not to get one at all - hope
     you don't miss your next shot!
     What's your second clue? Morning sickness? not everyone gets that. or
     they get it differently. I didn't get morning sickness - until i
     started taking doctor prescribed medications. and then it wasn't just
     in the morning. it was whenever i smelled food or thought about food.
     I was starving and couldn't eat at all.
     third clue - weight gain? I lost 20 pounds in the first four months.
     and i KNEW i was pregnant, so that SCARED me.
     fourth clue - the baby starts to move. that doesn't happen right away
     either. much later in fact. And at first, the little flutters are
     more like "wait, was that the baby moving, or was that just gas?" you
     don't really KNOW it's the baby until the baby's big enough (and i
     was lucky enough that mine didn't kick. she just liked to
     stretch...which was visually interesting to watch.
     so yeah, the fact that Cas didn't actually know until just then?
     Completely plausible. I promise.
***** Desperately Searching *****
Chapter Summary
     Dean doesn't know what happened to Cas, but he's determined to find
     out and help him if needed, if he can.
     If Cas will allow it...
Chapter Notes
     It's today! it's 3am EST so i'm counting it as Tuesday - and I even
     finished a picture for this chapter! I'm rather proud of it. Hope you
     like both the chapter and the picture :D
See the end of the chapter for more notes
 
Charlie had been as good as her word, and she’d found Cas’s address right off
the bat. With hardly an explanation or even a thanks, Dean snatched the paper
from her hand and ran out of the house, hopped into the car and drove away.
He arrived at the address and gulped. Dean stared down to make sure he’d gotten
it right, then back up again. It wasn’t a mansion by any means, but it was a
large enough place that made Dean think Castiel’s family was well off.
Well off enough that they – Cas – probably wouldn’t appreciate some kid barging
in to make sure Cas was all right after being fired from his job. Cas could
probably find another job easy, and in the meantime, he’d be safe and sound.
Dean had almost convinced himself to drive away, when something wafted into the
Impala. Faint but familiar – and utterly freaked out.
That decided him.
He left the Impala parked on the side of the road, praying nobody would hit his
Baby, and got out, jogging up to the front door. He rang the bell and shoved
his hands in his pockets, waiting. It didn’t take long for someone to answer
the door.
“Hi, I’m Dean Winchester – I’m one of C – Mr. Novak’s students and I wanted to
make sure he was okay after…after the bad news.”
“Castiel doesn’t live here anymore,” the man, shorter than Dean but with wildly
curly hair and a haughty tone, tried to shut the door.
Dean pushed his boot in quickly enough to prevent it, “I’m sorry, sir, but if
you could tell me where to find him – “
“You are wasting your time. I have no interest in the whereabouts of Castiel.
He is no longer our son, no longer welcome in our house,” the man hissed,
shoving harder at the door.
Stunned, Dean let him, the door slamming shut in his face. Dean stared at it
with wide eyes, frozen.
Oh god...Cas had…Cas had lost  everything . Because of him. What had he done?
Dean didn’t remember driving home. Didn’t remember walking past his parents or
Sam. But at some point, he’d done all that. At some point, he’d arrived in his
room and just dropped onto his bed. He tried to think.
Obviously, he needed to find Cas. It was even more urgent that Dean find him,
make sure he’s all right. No job, no home, no family. All because of him. Dean
had to find a way to make it right. And maybe – but no, Dean squashed that hope
before it could form. As much as he wanted – this wasn’t about him. It was
about Cas.
His door was shoved open and his father stormed in, house phone still gripped
in his hands. Fury and disappointment flowed off him, his eyes narrowed, teeth
gritted.
“Dean, what the hell? You’ve been suspended from school! I can’t believe you
punched a fucking teacher! What is going on with you?” John yelled. Dean looked
up at him. That’s right, he had. He almost giggled hysterically. This day was
just getting better and better. “This is not a laughing matter, Dean!”
“No, it’s not,  dad . But maybe  teachers  who are responsible for the molding
of teenage minds should maybe not be, I dunno, preaching Omega slander in
school?” Dean yelled back. He was sick and tired of the guilt he was feeling.
And he didn’t have time for an argument with his father. He needed to find Cas.
“What?” It was clear from John’s tone that he hadn’t expected that.
“Yeah, what would you have done if someone had been talking shit about mom,
just because she was an Omega?” Dean stood up to face his dad, nearly the same
height these days.
John’s eyes narrowed even further and he hissed, “Is that what this is about?
About that goddamn teacher you had sex with? Dean, you’re a minor and he isn’t!
You got into a fight at school because of that teacher?” He lifted the cordless
phone up and started punching buttons, “That’s it. I’m not going to sit by
while you ruin your life because some idiot – Omega or Alpha, I don’t fucking
care – can’t keep it in his pants around children.”
John growled out the words and Dean bristled, “I’m not a fucking child! And
it’s too late, Cas was already sacked! So save yourself the trouble,” Dean
snatched the phone out of his father’s hand and threw it out the door, “and
leave me the fuck alone.”
John opened his mouth again, father and son standing toe to toe with equally
angry glares and angry scents curling around them and through the room. Gagging
came from the door that sounded like Sam and then Mary stepped inside the room.
“Why don’t we all just, step aside here and give everyone a chance to calm
down, okay?” She broke the tension and John turned on his heel, stalking out of
the room, Sam quickly stepping aside for the Alpha. As soon as John
disappeared, Sam darted inside, ran to the window and flung it open. It was
cold, but it helped Dean calm down, and the harsh scents dissipate.
Mary looked at her son sadly, opened her mouth again and closed it. With a
shake of her head, she turned and followed her husband out of the room, leaving
the brothers alone. Despite the open window, Dean could smell the
disappointment and confusion that she’d tried to hide.
“Dean, what happened? Why’s dad so angry?”
“Ugh…I might have done something stupid. Again.” Dean finally sat back down on
the edge of his bed, running a hand over his face.
“What did you do?” Sam’s eyes widened, his scent curious but wary.
Dean snorted, then coughed. “I punched a teacher.”
“ You  punched a  teacher?”  Sam repeated skeptically, “I mean, I knew you did
something, to have Benny and Charlie dragging you out of the classroom, and I
know you’re not school’s greatest fan, but, you’d never punch a teacher!”
“Well, obviously, that’s not true, now is it, Sammy?” Dean said bitterly,
spreading his arms out wide. “Cause that’s exactly what I did! But you know
something? I don’t regret it for a second!”
“Can I ask you why?”
“Yeah, well, have you met Mr. Roman?” Dean asked.
Sam shuddered, “Uh, yeah. He’s really creepy.”
“He’s hella fuckin’ creepy. And apparently has a hate on Omegas. Said Cas
should never have been hired to begin with, and the fact that he’d…that
we’d…been involved…was proof of it.”
“What happened to Cas?” Sam breathed.
“They fired him Sammy, because of me. And…it’s worse than that. Cause I wanted
to make sure he’s all right. And now, now I can’t find him and I have no idea
where to look!”
“Can’t Charlie – ?” Sam stopped himself, afraid someone was listening and he’d
out another of their friends’ secrets. Charlie being good at computers was no
secret. The fact she could hack just about anything, very much so.
“Already did. Cas got kicked out and I got the door slammed in my face. He’s
all alone out there, Sam and I gotta find him but I have no idea what to do!
And I can’t ask mom or dad! You saw how they were!”
Sam nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “I’ll help you look, Dean.”
“Thanks Sam,” Dean whispered. Sam lunged forward and wrapped him in a hug and
Dean returned it with a sniff. “You’re the best brother ever.”
Sam smiled, “I know.”
Despite Sam’s help, Dean couldn’t find any trace of Castiel. They’d looked up
shelters and soup kitchens and other schools he could try to apply to and
nothing. By the time Dean finally caved and asked Charlie for her magical
hacking fingers again – which she’d only provide if he actually told her what
happened this time, payment upfront - three weeks had passed and Dean was
certain it was too late.
But he couldn’t give up. He’d been lucky (if you wanted to call it that. Dean
did. His father did not agree) that he’d been suspended for two weeks because
he hit a teacher. And when the third week had come, he’d thought nothing of
blowing off classes to drive around town looking for Cas.
Two days after he’d finally gone to her, Charlie found something.
“I got a hit, but…I don’t know how good it’s going to be,” Charlie said in a
whisper at lunch time.
“What do you mean?” Dean paused, his forkful of whatever-this-was clattering
back to his lunch tray unseen. “Anything you can tell me…”
“Look,” Charlie craned her neck around to make sure no one was listening in,
“Okay, I hacked his bank records, but it doesn’t look good. He’s been staying
in the cheapest motel in town for a while and um, it looks like the last of his
money was drained out of the account yesterday. At the…at the hospital.”
Dean paled and he stopped breathing.
“Dean, breathe, oh god, breathe!” Charlie panicked, drawing attention to them.
Dean didn’t care. What had Cas been doing in the hospital?
Cold water splashed his face and Dean gasped in a breath, reeling back and
looking up to see Benny staring down at them both – when had Dean hit the
floor? – with an empty cup in his hands. Charlie slumped in relief, letting her
forehead hit his shoulder. Benny put down the cup and reached out both hands to
help them up.
“Will someone,  finally  tell me what’s goin’ on ‘round here?” Benny
complained, sitting down at the table, picking his bag up from the floor where
he’d dropped it and settling his lunch tray, picking up the few things that had
spilled from it when he’d reached the table.
Dean heaved a sigh and ran a shaking hand down his face. Which was still wet.
He cursed and grabbed Benny’s napkins and wiped it clean. Looking up at his
best friends he sighed again, “Yeah, okay, but not here. And, I could use your
help too. Wanna skip out early?”
Benny dropped his food back on the plate, “Finally. Didn’t have much of an
appetite anyways.”
Tossing their food in the garbage and getting passes to the library, the three
of them booked it as soon as they were out of sight of the hall monitors. Benny
got in the front with Dean, while Charlie sat in the back after Dean pressed a
crumpled paper from his wallet into her hand. She looked at it quizzically
before her mouth went round in a silent “Oh.”
Dean spilled the entire story on their drive to the hospital, Benny staying
thankfully quiet, his scent surprised, but supportive. Dean finished letting
them in on everything just before they arrived and he parked across from the
entrance, careful not to block emergency vehicles. Benny looked out in
confusion. “All right, brotha, this is where ya lost me. Why are we here, if we
know he ain’t?”
“Last known sighting of him. Now that we know he’s been staying in motels
before this, that explains why Dean couldn’t find him at any of the shelters
he’d been checking,” Charlie piped up.
“Right, so I figure, we find the closest ones to the hospital and work our way
out from there. Charlie, you got us a route?”
“Uh, yes, first one’s about 10 blocks from here. Up on the corner of Abbot and
Dermott,” Charlie read out from her phone. Dean nodded and put his Baby back in
drive and got her moving.
Dean had been hoping, but not expecting, to find Cas at the first shelter they
found. Sometimes the shelter volunteers remembered him, but most of the time
they did not. In a little over 2 hours, they’d checked every shelter they knew
of, and a couple more they’d been pointed to from previous shelters. That meant
they’d doubled back a few times.
With each miss, Dean was getting more frustrated and worried. Knuckles
whitening on the steering wheel, Benny trying to emit calmness as he kept an
eye out as they drove. He’d had Cas as a teacher as well, just not the same
period as Dean, so at least he knew who to look for.
“I still can’t believe yer luck, Dean. That the guy you met at the club is
also  your teacher,” Benny chuckled, “And that he’s yer True Mate. I mean, what
are the odds?”
“Well,” Charlie started but her scent spiked excitedly and she started pounding
on the back of Dean’s seat, “Dean! Dean, I see him!!! Pull over!”
Not losing any time, Dean jerked the wheel over and parked the Impala, yanking
the keys from the ignition none too gently and stumbling out of the car. He
looked around frantically, trying to spot what Charlie had. Benny and Charlie
tumbled out a little more gracefully and Charlie had barely pointed across the
road to a sidewalk bench before Dean darted across to it.
His heart was in his throat, his feet hitting the concrete hard as he ran. Dean
saw Cas stand shakily, something was wrong – duh, of course there was, he’d
been in the fucking hospital! – he took a step and…
Dean caught him before he could hit the ground. But Cas wasn’t a small person,
and as light as he was – should he be so light? - he took Dean down with him.

          [http://www.dragonpressgraphics.com/Not/faintingsmall.jpg]
“Cas? Cas!” Dean clutched at the Omega. Cas’s eyes had rolled back in his head
and he was out cold. Dean whined and tried to pull him closer.
But he was already as close as he could get. “Cas, Cas, please, please wake
up…” Charlie hit her knees beside them and grabbed an arm, checking his pulse.
Dean couldn’t tear his eyes away from Cas. He held his breath when he saw
Castiel’s eyes twitch, blinking open, focusing on the Alpha, on Dean.
“Dean?” he whispered, unbelievingly. He raised a shaking arm to touch Dean’s
face and Dean leaned into it, closing his eyes.
“Oh, thank god,” Dean whispered, “You’re gonna be all right Cas, I’m taking you
home, okay?”
“Home?” Cas asked in a dazed voice, “Dean, are you real?” Cas’s arm slid from
Deans face to grip his shoulder before it fell away, too weak to keep it up.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m real,” Dean choked out, “Benny, help me get him up.”
“Sure thing, brotha,” Benny agreed. Charlie helped too, keeping Dean balanced
as they got him back on his feet. Charlie slipped Cas’s backpack – and the
blanket tied to it – off his back, enabling Dean and Benny to help Cas walk
across the street and over to the car.
The ex-teacher grumbled disoriented, “I can walk,” he insisted in a low rumble.
“I’m sure ya can, Cas,” Dean humored him, knowing that even if it was true,
this was as much about the Alpha needing to make sure Cas was okay as it was
about him being able to touch the man in any way. The idea of pulling away,
losing Cas again, of this turning into a dream scared him so much that he just
couldn’t let go now that Dean had found him.
They reached the car and Dean didn’t even bother with the front seat. For the
second time that month, he tossed Charlie the keys, then with Benny’s help,
Dean got Cas into the backseat and followed after, pulling the Omega in close
and drawing in deep breaths.
Cas smelled off…but that was likely from Dean’s cold or from Cas being on the
streets, and it was distracting Dean from the scents he was trying to catch.
Breathing a sigh of relief that he’d found Cas in time – in time for what, he
didn’t know but Cas was obviously not doing well – he basked in the presence of
his (not his!) Omega.
Castiel’s breathing slowed, the Omega’s body turned into Dean, curled against
him, his hands reaching around and clutching at Dean’s shirt, his nose buried
in Dean’s neck. Whatever he scented there had made him relax and Dean was
positive that Cas had fallen asleep.
Feeling brave, Dean leaned down to drop a kiss on that messy head of Cas’s, and
then leaned on it, stroking the dark, uncut hairs. Dean didn’t know what was
going to happen next, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let Cas just walk out
again until Dean could make sure he’d be okay on his own. He had to fix this,
somehow.
Charlie pulled into the driveway and Dean looked up as the rumbling of the
engine ceased. She twisted to look at him from the driver’s seat. “So, I can
walk home from here, all good but…you want Benny and I to help you get him
inside? Face your parents?”
Dean gulped in a breath. “Yes, to the first, no to the second. Probably don’t
wanna be here for that. Thanks for, for everything guys,” Dean swallowed past a
lump in his throat. The first time he’d felt the slightest bit happy in over a
month it felt like.
“Shoulda come to us sooner, brotha,” Benny chided gently, “but no problem,
cher.” He pushed open the door and came around to help Dean with the Omega, who
stirred as he was moved. Cas blinked his eyes open again, leaning heavily on
Dean.
The front door burst open and Dean’s mother came running out, concern and
fright preceding her. “Dean, what happened? Are you all right? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, mom,” Dean protested.
“If you’re so fine, then why was Charlie driving your car? You don’t let
anyone  drive that car!” Mary rounded the muscle car in question and froze at
the sight of Dean supporting an older man. Her eyes widened as she put two and
two together. “Is that…?”
“Yeah, mom, and I know we gotta talk but, please just…help me?” Dean begged,
Benny coming up on Cas’s other side to help support, Charlie bringing up the
rear once again with Cas’s bag. Mary took another look at the man in the
center, how tired and unwell he looked, her nose flaring as she realized at
least part of the reason why and nodded.
“Of course, sweetie, I’ll get the door. And bring him to the guest room, for
now. He looks like he’s dead on his feet,” she said softly.
Dean relaxed at her words and said, “Thanks,” just as softly.
With Benny’s help, Cas was soon laid out on the bed, despite his protests,
stripped of his coat and the first couple of layers of clothing. Mary’s eyes
softening as she realized, essentially, why he was wearing so many layers. With
a hug, Charlie dropped Cas’s bag just inside the door of the guest room and
dragged Benny out the door, leaving Dean’s keys on the table.
Dean immediately sat down on the bed next to the Omega, and just stared. His
hand reached out before he pulled it back in. Cas struggled to sit up and talk,
his voice rasping, “I’m, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be an inconvenience,” he
rubbed his hand down his slacks and couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes.
“Let me get you some water,” Mary said with a wince at the sound of his voice.
She quickly left the room, patting Dean on his shoulder as she went.
“Cas, man, you’re not an inconvenience. Anything I can do to help…all of this
is my fault. I’m, I’m so sorry,” Dean's voice hitched and again he started to
reach out before he pulled back, clenching his hand into a fist to hold himself
back. Cas wasn’t  his,  as heartbreaking as that was, and Dean needed to
respect that. Respect Cas’s wishes.
The front door slammed and Dean jumped off the bed, whirling around to face the
door of the guest room, anxiousness and determination rolling off of him. His
father was home and he would not be happy with what he found. But Dean didn’t
care.
Together, Dean and Cas listened to the heavy footsteps pause before they turned
and headed straight for the guest room. And them. Dean grew tense with every
step and Cas grew even more tense as he watched Dean, listened to the steps and
remembered what his own family had done.
Cas scrambled to get to his own, swaying feet, determined to face this with
some dignity. Some sense of control over his own life.


Chapter End Notes
     I think it should be obvious from this chapter that John wasn't the
     one who snitched. But i'm not so sure it's obvious who DID.
     Remember in chapter 3 when Dean tripped over the janitor?
     Yeaaaaaaaaah....that's your culprit.
     John actually kept his word. AAAAAND things are going to start
     looking up from here on out. Also, i like to think of this John as
     the parent he COULD have been...
***** Breaking the News *****
Chapter Summary
     Some talks are had and things revealed, but how will everyone take
     the news?
Chapter Notes
     OMG! So, I gotta say guys - thank you so much! I'm glad everyone's
     enjoying this so much - i don't think I've had a story get quite this
     awesome a reception before! you all are amazing!
     This chapters got a floating POV - hope nobody minds. This will
     happen a few times, but for the most part, the chapters will be Dean
     or Cas.
It didn’t take Dean’s dad long to reach the guest room. The house was cozy,
 smaller than the Novak household. Cas’s stomach twisted as he watched the
Alpha stalk into the room with a glare.
“I got a call today, son, about how you’ve been missing classes lately. And now
I can see why,” John snarled. “Are you the damn teacher that slept with my
son?”
Castiel swallowed, and nodded, for it was the truth and it had already hurt
him. How much worse could it get? He remained silent though, face blank, his
scent resigned. John lurched forward, hand curling into a fist, lips curled
upward in disgust, his anger wafting before him clearly enough that a blind man
would have known it.
John raised his fist and Dean yelled, “Dad! No!”
Mary, just entering the room and taking in the scene, dropped the bottle of
water she’d brought in and grabbed her husband’s arm, using his surprise to
shock him into stopping. John turned to face his wife with a questioning,
disbelieving look on his face. She glared at him and nodded at Cas, sniffing
the air pointedly. John followed her gaze, taking in a whiff and flinching.
Reluctantly dropping his arm, John stared at the other man. He was younger than
John, but in his current condition, John couldn’t tell by how much. That the
man was older than his son was very clear. He looked the worse for wear,
clothes rumpled but at least clean, scruffy and exhausted looking. John didn’t
see the attraction, didn’t see what had drawn Dean to the man and to risk
everything.
“This is what my son slept with?” John snarled. “You ruined him, you know
that?”
Cas nodded, despair rolling off him, once again unable to look anyone there in
the eye.
“Dad, stop! Leave him alone!” Dean’s hands clenched as he moved between the
Omega and the other Alpha.
“No! You are a minor, Dean. He’s an adult. He took advantage of you!” John
roared, only his wife’s arm on his holding him back.
“It wasn’t like that!” Dean protested. How could he make his dad listen to him?
That it wasn’t about taking advantage? That it had all just been a shit storm
of bad timing?
Cas shrank in on himself, weak with hunger and nausea. Feeling this way, he
couldn’t handle the yelling and the strong, angry scents coming off the
Winchesters. Mary noticed his behavior, but the Alphas were too busy arguing to
notice the same.
“I want him out of this house. Now!” John jabbed angrily in Cas’s direction.
“Dad! No! It’s not his fault!”
“How in hell is it not  his  fault?” More anger, strongly scented and rank was
overpowering Cas and he whimpered, stomach roiling. He clutched at his belly
and tried to take breaths but it only resulted in pulling in more of the same
angry Alpha smells. Cas started shaking and Mary’s eyes grew wide.
“Because  I  snuck into a club, okay? I got a fake ID and got in. As far as he
knew, I was of age, ‘cause how else would I be in there, right? He didn’t ruin
my  life, I ruined his!” Dean yelled, breathing hard. “He lost his job, his
family and his place to live because of  me.  Because I snuck in to a club
while under age. We had sex once – just once! You all act like this was some
great fucking affair, but it wasn’t. Yes, I wanted  more  and  Cas said no .
Tried to convince me that we couldn’t for the same reasons you’re pissed off,
Dad. So no, he did  not  take advantage of a student. Because I wasn’t his
student. And he didn’t take advantage of a minor – because I was someplace
minors shouldn’t have been and I haven’t looked like I was underage since I
presented and you  know  that! And now look what’s happened to him because  I
was careless when I confronted Cas at school and someone overheard us. So no,
Dad, this is on me. I’ve gotta fix it.”
“You’ve only just turned 17, Dean. You’re still in high school, how the hell
are you going to fix this?” John demanded, though there was slightly less heat
behind the words.
It was too late for Cas though, he whimpered and slid to the floor, overwhelmed
by the strength of emotions and harsh scents trapped in the small space. Dean
whirled around, his heart once again in his throat when he watched Cas collapse
for the second time that day. He lunged forward to catch him, and did so,
barely, hauling him back up to the bed and laying him out. Dean put his ear to
Cas’s chest, Cas’s heart was beating fast.
Dean looked up again, eyes wild as they landed on his parents. “We have to help
him. There’s something wrong, I – I don’t know what’s wrong. But he was in the
hospital yesterday and – and this is the second time he’s fainted today. Shit,
should I have brought him to a hospital? What if he’s sick?” Dean started to
panic and Mary gently pulled him away from Cas. Dean fought her, “No! Mom, no,
I gotta stay here, with Cas, please!”
“No, sweetheart, the best thing for him right now is rest. He’s obviously not
been sleeping, or eating, if my guess is right.” She picked up the dropped
bottle and set it on the table beside Cas’s head. “Come on, we need to let this
room air out, clear the scents. He’s particularly susceptible right now, and
you and your father’s fighting is not doing him any favors.” She glared at the
Alphas, “Get out, I’ll join you in a minute. We’ll continue this talk out
there, not in here. He is a guest, let’s let him rest.”
Grumbling, John listened to his wife and stalked out of the room, Dean
hesitating to follow. Mary had moved to a window and cracked it open to let the
air out, but not to let in too much cold. Nevertheless, Dean pulled the afghan
from the bottom of the bed and draped it around Cas, tucking it in on the sides
securely before he sighed and left the room.
He found his dad pacing the living room, anger warring with a pensive look.
Mary closed the door behind them and ushered Dean out of the hallway and over
the threshold of the living room. He’d barely managed to cross half the room
before his father spoke. The words less heated, less angry but still simmering
below the surface.
“And just when were you going to tell us about the baby?” John demanded.
“Baby?” Dean froze, breath stuck in his throat.
“Breathe, sweetheart, you’ve got to breathe…” Mary steered him to the couch.
Dean gulped in a breath, then another as his knees hit the couch and he fell
against it.
“We’re having a baby?” Despite the utter shock of his father’s words, that this
was happening, Dean still felt the joy, the wonder of a baby. He’d always
thought he might want kids someday – he just hadn’t thought it’d be  so soon .
“You didn’t know? Sweetie, I could smell it as soon as I saw him. Your dad too,
once he stopped being a complete and total ass,” Mary said without looking at
her husband. John opened his mouth but wisely closed it again.
“My nose is all stuffed. I’ve had a head cold since yesterday mom. I can barely
smell anything. I knew he smelled off but I couldn’t figure out  why ,” Dean
said slowly. “I’m gonna be a dad…wow. Wait, why didn’t he tell me?”
John wiped a hand down his face and turned away. He stalked off into the other
room, the guest room he’d found Cas in. He wanted to be angry, but he was
finding it draining as Dean’s words finally registered that it may not have all
been the Omega’s fault. And if that was the case, John probably owed it to the
poor man to be a little more charitable.
He stepped through the door and looked down at the man carrying his grandchild.
John stood at the end of the bed and took his first, really good look at him.
Dropping the anger, and looking at him more objectively than before, he could
tell the man wasn’t doing well.
He was dirty, though not as dirty as he could have been, John supposed. The
man’s hair was a mess. Unshaven, sunken eyes, skin so very pale…and his cheeks
were hollow. And for someone who was over 6 months pregnant, way too thin. The
Omega shivered, though the room wasn’t all that cold and curled in on himself,
clutching at his stomach protectively.
The man, Castiel, Dean’s ex teacher, stirred suddenly and tried to sit up with
a groan that turned into a whimper. His arms shook as he pushed with
determination.
He wasn’t going to make it.
In a breath, John found himself at the Omega’s side and helping him to sit up.
He cringed inwardly when he saw the Omega flinch at his touch, his presence.
And he had no idea if it was because he, John - who’d yelled and threatened the
man - was here beside him, or if he’d been given cause to be wary. He regretted
the former and hoped to hell it hadn’t been the latter. At least he can make
amends for the first.
“It’s all right, Cas…Cas-ti-el was it?” John questioned. The Omega looked at
him warily but nodded. “I’m sorry for my behavior earlier. I’m sure you could
understand where I was coming from but I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge
without the full story. Look, son, whether you and Dean mate or not, I guess
you’re family now.”
Cas gaped at John in disbelief and then, to John's horror, the man crumpled,
bursting into tears. Just as Dean came in.
“Holy hell,” John said, stunned and frozen in place.
Dean cursed and rushed over to wrap Cas up in his arms, the two men of a size.
“Dad,” Dean hissed angrily, “What the fuck did you say to him?”
Cas hiccupped, wiping away tears and trying to speak, “No, no, Dean, I’m okay…”
“Like hell you are, you’re shaking!”
John laid an arm on Dean’s shoulder. “It’s the hormones. He’s an Omega. He may
be male but he’s still pregnant. That means he’ll likely be all over the place
for a little while. Trust me, I’ve been through it two times myself. Everyone
reacts differently, every pregnancy is different. But believe me when I tell
you, Mary was a bear to deal with both times!”
A smack on the back of his head and Cas sucked in a shocked breath, eyes wide.
“She hit him,” he whispered to Dean in horror.
John blinked at the utter shock on the Omega’s face at the idea of an Omega
hitting an Alpha and wondered what the hell his family had been like.
Remembering what Dean had said, John shook off the question. He didn’t have to
wonder. They’d kicked Cas out, likely without talking to him first and finding
out the details, actually finding out if he was in the wrong or not. As he had
almost been just as guilty of. Not one of his prouder moments.
Mary sidestepped her husband and gave Cas an encouraging smile. “Why don’t we
set you up in this room, get you something to eat and do proper introductions?
Hmmm? I’m Mary Winchester, Dean’s mom obviously, this oaf is my husband John
and once you get past his temper, he’s a wonderful man and a loving husband and
father. Dean here is our oldest, but we have another son, Sam who should be
coming home from school anytime now. Now how about you?”
“Um...Cas – Castiel Novak,” Cas blinked in surprise and stuttered a bit before
sitting up a little straighter, Dean rubbing at his back for support. It felt
good and he nearly groaned into it. His lower back had started to hurt a week
ago, just a low-level ache that didn’t hurt horribly but was just so  there ,
so  ever-present  that it was hard to ignore.
“Well then, I think what we’ll do is just order out tonight. I think that would
be easiest on everybody. John, why don’t you help me pick out a menu and give
Dean and Cas some time alone?” Mary asked. John looked like he wanted to
protest but he wisely held his tongue. He nodded at his son and his son’s –
John’s thoughts faltered. What  was  Castiel officially at this point? – well,
at Cas, departing the room with Mary nearly on his heels, herding him out
faster. “There’s water on the table Cas, and I’ll bring a snack in for you,
tide you over before dinner.” She smiled and left, closing the door behind her.
Castiel felt so confused in this whirlwind of a day and he turned his befuddled
eyes on Dean, tilting his head slightly. “Dean, I don’t – I don’t understand…?”
Dean smiled brightly at him, “We’re gonna take care of you, Cas, help you get
back on your feet.” Dean’s face fell then, “Look, I’m so sorry. I…I ruined your
life. I was so caught up in what we could be, what I  hoped  we could be
that…that I just wasn’t careful. And that’s really all you wanted. I ruined
everything for you. Look, we’re not going to force anything on you, okay,
but…you need help, and we can help. So please let us? I tell you, you scared
the hell outta me when you disappeared.”
“I’m sorry, Dean,” Castiel’s voice came out a little bit stronger in his wonder
that Dean’s family had turned around and was so accepting of him. If anyone had
a right to be angry about what had occurred, he’d been certain it was Dean’s
parents. And John had been, at first, that much was clear. The abrupt about
face was so strange that Cas still couldn’t quite conceive that it had
happened.
“No! Don’t be sorry, Cas. You have nothing to be sorry for!” Dean tried to
insist, the guilt rolling off of him strongly.
Hesitantly, Cas reached out for him, only then realizing that he didn’t have to
reach far. They’d been on the bed in an embrace, scenting each other and only
pulled away enough to talk, but were still so very much intertwined and Cas
flushed, looking at the door anxiously and back at Dean again, trying to shift
backwards and away.
Dean caught his hands briefly, trying to let him know it was okay, but then let
go of him, afraid he’d pushed where he shouldn’t. Instead, he stood and pushed
a hand through his hair and Cas felt the loss of Dean when he did so. He
dropped his own hands, instinctively curling them around his stomach, Dean's
eyes following the movement.
Dean returned to the bed, then, staring at Cas’s stomach. Cas couldn’t place
the scent, there was still too much anger soaking into the room, but he thought
it might be hope, and confusion. Anything else it could have been was
completely lost.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Cas? About the baby?” Dean’s hand hovered over the
Omega’s stomach but didn’t touch, respectful of his person as always. It had
not been what drew him initially, but it had been what made Cas go for Dean
when they’d met at the club. It had been the happiest night of his life.
If only everything hadn’t gone so wrong afterwards.
Cas drew in a sharp breath and hunched over his stomach, wrapping his arms
around himself protectively. “I didn’t know…I’d been so miserable about, about
us, about denying what we could be that it was making me sick, caused me so
many sleepless nights. I had no idea it could have been something more. I, only
realized later, when, when I lost everything.”
“But you could have come to me, Cas,” Dean pleaded.
“No, I couldn’t! Dean, it would be unfair to you to burden you with a child.
You’re, technically, still a child yourself. Doing so, would ruin  your  life
plans. At least one of us should be able to keep their dreams,” Castiel bit out
with resigned tones.
“About that,” John’s voice broke in, making Dean and Cas both jump. They hadn’t
even heard the door opening again. “If what my son says is truth -“ he held up
a hand quickly to forestall his son, “not doubting you, Dean, but we’ll need to
prove it - then you were fired under false pretenses. How fast did it all
happen?”
“I…don’t know what you mean? I’d been teaching there 5 months. I had no inkling
I was about to be fired,” Castiel ventured finally.
“Right. This kind of thing, scandal or not, there’s supposed to be an
investigation. At the very least, you get some kind of warning and a chance to
fight back, refute any claims. This came out of left field completely, so it
sounds. But don’t worry, I’ve got friends on the force and I know a lawyer who
can kick some serious ass.”
“It might not get you your family back, Cas, but we can be your family now, if
you’ll let us?” Dean, grinning from his father’s words, turned to look back at
Cas, hope shining in his eyes, permeating through the room and pushing the last
vestiges of Alpha anger away.
Castiel’s throat worked and his eyes stung. It was the same offer John had
made, coming from his True Mate. And if John’s offer had made him cry, Dean’s
made him bawl with happiness. “Yes,” he whispered before falling into Dean’s
gravity, burying his face in Dean’s neck.
Things were looking up for the first time in half a year. Maybe things weren’t
as bad as he’d feared. Maybe he didn’t have to lose Dean after all. He clutched
at Dean’s shirt and breathed in the scent of his True Mate’s happiness and
simply basked in it, pulling in breath after deep breath of it.
He realized, then, that this was what families should be. They might fight.
They might not agree, but they banded together to help each other when they
needed to.
Despite his own joy, Cas couldn’t help the tears flowing down his cheeks.  God.
Damn. Hormones . Castiel thought as he sobbed into Dean’s collarbone.
***** The Day After *****
Chapter Summary
     Cas meets with a lawyer and sees that the light at the end of his
     tunnel is getting just a little brighter.
Chapter Notes
     It's officially Tuesday! so even though it's early, i'm gonna post! :
     D Next update will be after work on friday , so, more like saturday
     wee hours of the morning (Thats EST)
     I officially declare that I have no knowledge of Lawyering. (i don't
     even think that's a real word)
     there is the reveal of how old Cas really is, and some discussion
     about age gaps and what it really means at different ages. everyone
     is appropriately horrified of course. I don't think that needs a
     trigger warning but...just figured, just in case. That should be
     good, right?
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Castiel couldn’t believe how fast he adjusted to living with the Winchesters.
He felt guilty for intruding on their space, for being a burden and at the same
time, there was just so much relief and peace in living here, the family a balm
that he’d much needed.
“First things first,” Mary insisted the next morning, after everyone had had a
good night’s sleep. Cas had slept better than he had in awhile, the smell of
Dean permeated through every part of the house and it helped him to relax in a
way that he just hadn’t been able to for so long. “Food and rest and staying
off your feet!” She pointed at his swollen feet with a glare and Cas couldn’t
help but draw them up on the bed and under him to hide his feet from view.
Her face softened, “No, I’m not yelling at you, Cas. I’m just trying to help.
I’ve got experience, remember? And you’ve had a real rough time recently. You
need to recover so we can get this all back on track for you. Also, I’ve set up
an appointment with my doctor.”
Castiel blinked in surprise. “No, Mary, I don’t – I haven’t any money left,” he
protested.
“You are a part of this family now, Cas. You need to take care of yourself, for
you and for your baby and for all of us,” she tried to soothe, “Now, Dean said
you were in the hospital the day before he found you. Tell me about it.” Mary
sat close to him, having dragged a chair up close to the bed where he sat. Cas
could see Dean hovering by the open door. Actually, Cas could smell Dean
lingering there even before Cas looked up. An anxious, worried thread weaving
into the room.
“Dean, you can come in,” Cas said, wanting to give the Alpha some sort of
reassurance but unsure what to do, how to proceed. Dean was still a minor…
But it was his baby, too.
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Dean protested from the door, but
everyone could smell the hope on him. Mary looked at them in frustration. The
behavior of the two was drastically different than it had been the day before.
Where yesterday they’d been clinging together for comfort, reassurance, today
they were diffident, unsure. And sure, she knew where some of that was coming
from, understood it, even, but it was too late for that now and they’d just
have to get over it. For the sake of each other and their baby.
“Sweetie, you might as well. We’re all in this together now and it’s always
better for the people around a pregnant person to know what’s going on, in case
there’s something, if Cas has any sort of difficulties, he could wind up
needing our help. Though of course we’ll hope there’s nothing wrong, but if
something does happen, being informed will make you less likely to panic and
will help Cas the most in the end.” Mary sighed. “And trust me, a panicking
Alpha is not all that much help to a distressed pregnant Omega. I should know.”
“Dad?” Dean asked with a little amusement, slowly pushing away the worry as he
inched into the room.
“Your father,” Mary chuckled with a shake of her head, “was not a cool cucumber
when I was pregnant with you, Dean, and he drove me insane. I swear to god.”
“I was, I was only at the hospital because I passed out, like you saw
yesterday,” Cas answered her question, Mary and Dean turning to look at him
with more worry. “It was just exhaustion. I hadn’t been sleeping well, and I
guess, I was a little dehydrated, perhaps. And they were worried that I wasn’t
taking any prenatal vitamins. They thought I might not be…eating enough either,
because I’m not really,” Cas took in a deep breath, looking down at himself, a
hand coming up to cradle his still small belly, “not showing all that much
yet.”
“And that’s all they said?”
“Well, they did run some tests. An ultrasound to check if the baby was all
right, and they drew some blood and,” Cas turned red, he didn’t want to say it
out loud, “ other things  but I don’t know how I’m going to get the results. I
wasn’t able to put down an address.”
Dean was looking perplexed about the ‘other things’ but Mary moved on, knowing
full well what those likely were and patting Cas on his arm, “Well, you can put
ours down now. In fact, we should call the hospital – together since you’ll
have to approve it – and tell them where to mail it right now.”
“Okay,” Castiel said quietly. He managed to keep it off his face, but
emotionally he felt like a rollercoaster. Everything was happening so fast and
they were all being so nice and understanding and, and, not full of the blame
they should have.
Mary already had the phone out, dialing the hospital – there was only the one
in Lawrence* - and before Castiel knew it, he was on the phone assuring whoever
was on the other end that he was authorizing Mary Winchester to be his contact
if he could not be reached.
She smiled apologetically when they hung up the phone. “Ideally, it should be
Dean, but since he’s still underage and there’s been no mating…” she shrugged.
“Is that allowed?” Dean asked. “The mating thing, I mean?”
“It is allowed under…certain circumstances,” Mary said slowly, “Emergencies or
parental approval. Allowances can be made if the two are True Mates, since it’s
so rare as long as everyone involved is consenting. All of which I think this
qualifies for but…you two need to work this out. Don’t rush it, either.
Just…take your time, get to know each other better. Whether you mate or not,
now or later or never, it’s not a deal breaker.”
Dean looked over at Cas with hope and a small, uncertain smile. Cas returned
the look, but then looked down and away and gulped. He’d have to think on this.
Get to know Dean the way he’d wanted to when he’d realized what they were to
each other. But…
But maybe? He would have blushed if he’d realized how the hope that was
blooming in his chest was filling the room.
Mary broke the tension by speaking again, though her words brought a different
kind of tension into the room. “So, we can’t get in to see Pamela – she’s my
doctor, and yours too if you like her – till tomorrow. But John says he was
able to talk to our friend Cain – he’s a lawyer – and he and Sheriff Mills will
be coming by together a little later, if you think you can handle it? If you’re
not ready, we can tell them to come back another time, but, I have a feeling
you’d like to just get this over with.”
Cas gave an uncertain nod to Mary’s words and she patted his leg reassuringly.
“Now, wherever you feel the most comfortable, Castiel, feel free to have the
meeting there. Just let me know, and I’ll be sure to give you and Dean some
privacy,” Mary rose to her feet, Dean and Cas following her movements.
“Just Cas, Mary, please,” Cas asked automatically as he thought about her
words.
“Of course,” she smiled at him.
Dean blurted, “Me? I thought that I – that you wouldn’t want – “
“Baby, you are at the heart of it all. You will be needed for so many reasons,”
Mary said gently.
“I’ll…” Cas took a deep breath, took a look at the anxious teen and turned to
face Mary again, “You’re right. Let’s just get this over with.”
Mary nodded approvingly. “I’ll get something together for you to eat. Dean can
show you to the bathroom if you’d like a shower?”
“A shower sounds heavenly,” Cas breathed out, slipping his feet off the bed and
to the floor. He stood up, still a little unsteady but better than he had been.
Dean hovered but restrained himself as Cas reached for his bag and sorted
through it for fresh clothes.
In no time at all, a freshly showered Cas was sitting at the table in the
kitchen, eating a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and thick slices of
ham and roasted potatoes. He was amazed at the bounty before him and that Mary
could pull it together in such a short time – had he lingered in the amazingly
hot spray of the shower that long? He hadn’t even smelled the ham cooking –
when Dean leaned over to him and whispered conspiratorially,
“Yeah, uh, mom’s a great cook, but the ham and potatoes are some leftovers from
the other night. Don’t worry, you didn’t put her out. But you should get used
to it, eating like this. Mom’s gonna love you just for the fact that she gets
to  feed  you. It’s like, one of her favorite things. Someday, you gotta try
her apple pie.” Dean smiled, a look of bliss on his face at the thought of pie
and Cas relaxed and chuckled at his words, digging in almost as eagerly as he
had the dinner from the night before.
Feeling clean, well fed and  safe  for the first time in a month was doing
wonders for Cas. The future still was so uncertain and yet here, right now, it
didn’t seem to worry him as much as it had been. There was hope now, in this
warm and cozy home. It felt so different than the one he’d grown up in. He’d
always thought there was something missing in his life, in his house. Something
that only Gabriel and a handful of cousins had been able to fill over the
years. Cas had thought it, well, normal. He’d not had much time for friends
growing up. He’d known from an early age he’d have to fight harder for what he
wanted, to get his parents to believe he was worth the investment. So he’d
never really noted the differences in the way other people lived, other
families behaved.
Not till he’d reached college and expanded his studies. The things he had read
had caused a longing in him. A longing that was dying away just sitting in the
quaint and cheery kitchen with wonderful smells and a smiling, caring mother
and his concerned and doting Alpha.
Cas nearly froze, eyes widening at his thoughts. His Alpha. Dean. He was
underage, but only for another year. Could this truly happen? He’d seen bigger
age gaps between mates before – no one seemed to care past a certain point. He
was pretty sure he had an uncle who’d mated a woman 13 years his junior. There
wasn’t even that many years between Cas and Dean.
Points in his favor, Mary didn’t seem to mind him, might even like Cas. John
had, grudgingly perhaps, accepted him, welcomed him to the family and no longer
placed blame squarely on Cas’s shoulders. Sam had been excited to meet him for
the brief moment he’d had the chance to, and Dean…
Well, Cas already knew what Dean wanted. That it echoed his own feelings
perfectly.
But he still felt so guilty…
Cas swallowed food past the sudden lump in his throat. Tried to school his face
and his haywire scent to give none of his thoughts away. It must have worked,
because neither Dean nor Mary changed their behavior and Cas slowly relaxed.
Cas was feeling a lot more human hours later when the people John had told them
to expect came by. Cain was nothing like Cas  or  Dean had expected when he
arrived. An older gentleman, dressed in plain clothes that still seemed sleek
and suave. How he pulled it off, neither were sure. He exuded confidence
easily, but not with that arrogant, slimy overtone one would expect of lawyers.
The two of them had elected to meet the lawyer and the Sheriff in the living
room. The bedroom had seemed too  intimate  for Cas and Dean had thought the
couch would be better for his recovery than the hard backed chairs of the
kitchen.
So when Cain came in, quickly followed by Jody Mills, they met Dean and Cas on
their  grounds. Jody quickly came around to give Dean a hug, and Cas a
handshake. The ‘nice to meet you’ she said was for pleasantry sake only. Cas
could see she was withholding judgement for now.
While Cain headed for a seat, Jody just leaned against the wall. “If you can
convince  me , boys, you stand  a good chance here, but I won’t be easy to
convince. And no, Dean, I won’t go easy on ya just cause I know ya…”
“Now, from what I understand, what we have is cause for a wrongful termination
suit,” Cain said as he settled down in the recliner on the other side of the
coffee table, directly across from Dean and Cas.
“I don’t understand. What happened, what they accused me of, they’re not
exactly wrong,” Cas squinted at the lawyer. “How can we sue them?”
“They didn’t go through the proper channels, Mr. Novak. At the most, they
should have suspended you pending an official investigation. Firing you
outright makes it look like they’re either hiding something or looking for a
reason to get rid of you.” Cain leaned forward, “Look, I’m a lawyer, it’s not
my place to judge. But from what John tells me, there may have been some
mitigating circumstances behind what the school thinks happened. But I think it
best for the both of you to simply tell me what happened, in your own words.
Mr. Novak, let’s start with you. How did you and Dean meet?”
“At a club, Purgatory. I was there with my brother Gabriel and my best friend
to celebrate my first job as a teacher which I was due to start in a few days.”
Jody raised an eyebrow at the name of the club and looked over at Dean
disapprovingly. He fidgeted uncomfortably, but he and Cas had talked it over
and for Cas to get any kind of help, Dean would have to come clean about the
lawbreaking he more or less did. Cas hadn’t seen the point. No one could excuse
what had happened and he didn’t see how their meeting could have any bearing
but…maybe they were seeing an out that he didn’t.
“And what was it that attracted you to Dean, specifically?”
“Well, I was, I’d been drinking a little and I was trying to dance – “
“And failing, at that,” Dean chuckled, “Cas looked so awkward, lost and alone
on the dance floor that I had to come to his rescue.”
“Dean. One at a time please,” Cain chided gently.
“Well, Dean’s correct, he offered his help and he was handsome and he was
so…respectful of my boundaries. It’s a change from the norm. Everywhere I go,
strangers, family, they all expect me to adhere by their rules, expect…” Cas
struggled with putting into words things he’d never tried before. He once again
thought it ironic that his chosen profession was to teach words, to teach
writing. “He gave me choice. The choice on if he should get closer, if I would
dance with him, if I would allow him to touch me and it was…so different,
so…liberating. Then as we danced, we could, we could smell each other.”
“And why is that significant?”
“We were both wearing scent blockers.”
“That’s interesting,” Cain paused, exchanging looks with Jody who was looking
surprised herself. “Mr. Novak, could you tell me why you wore scent blockers?
Most people these days don’t bother.”
“Because I’m an Omega. Going into the club to begin with is…it’s outside of my
norm. My brother thought it would be a good idea to allow any and all
interactions to be under my own merit, and not from what people thought they
could get from me if they realized... I admit, it made me a little more
comfortable to go inside. Clubs aren’t really my thing and I’d never even dated
anyone before, much less entertained the sorts of ideas my brother seemed to
expect of me that night. I put on the blockers he provided, with no intention
to, to, to find anyone as he encouraged me to,” Cas blushed, “The fact that I
did anyway was unexpected to say the least.”
“So, to sum up your side of it all – you entered a 21 plus club where you met
Dean. Did you suspect at any time that he was less than truthful about his
age?”
“Honestly, no. We never asked each other’s ages, and I had assumed –
erroneously as it turns out – that anyone who was inside the club would
be…safe, in that regard.”
“And this was before your first day at the school?” Cas nodded slowly at the
lawyers’ question, seeing where this was going finally, eyes widening. “Was it
then you discovered that Dean was a student?”
“Yes. I was shocked, and horrified to put it mildly. I’d been hoping to find
him and then I do, only to find out that…” Cas looked down with a grimace.
“Now Dean, sweetie, I think we need to ask what you were doing in the club that
night,” Jody asked sternly.
Dean fidgeted once more, “I wanna tell you, Jody, honest. It’d be a hell of a
lot easier to tell my part, but I just don’t want to get anyone in trouble,”
Dean bit his lip. “You gotta promise me that they won’t get in trouble.”
Jody looked worried, “Dean, I’m the Sheriff, if someone’s breaking the law…”
“Yeah, well, I broke a law, right? To get into that club? Are you gonna arrest
me? If you aren’t, then you can’t arrest them. We didn’t  hurt  anyone.” Dean
flinched and his voice lowered, “I mean, we didn’t mean to.” He looked over at
Cas. “I’m so sorry.”
Cas opened his mouth to say that it was okay, and stalled at the look Dean gave
him. The look that said,  Don’t you dare just brush this off . He closed it
again, wondering when he’d gotten so good at reading the Alpha and blinked,
staring at Dean before giving him a small nod. Acknowledgement, but not
brushing off.
“I promise,” Cain said simply, startling the two on the couch out of their
silent conversation. Jody lurched from her spot against the wall at his words
and gave him a disbelieving look.
“Cain Omund!” she hissed, her scent was rankled and angry, “You can’t make
promises like that! You are not the police body.”
Cain leveled an unamused  ‘oh really’  look at her, “We cut criminals deals all
the time to get them to cooperate with us. I don’t see the issue in giving a
teenager who has committed nothing more than a minor transgression this little
bit of reassurance.”
Jody considered his words with a narrow gaze before finally giving him a brief
nod. “I don’t have any trouble with this, what I draw issue with is that you
did so without consulting me. We are here, together today, as a team.”
Cain waved at her, “My apologies. Can we get moving? Dean?”
“You guys promise? Can I get it in writing?”
Jody grinned at him, “Smart boy.”
Cain reached into his bag and pulled out a legal pad. He wrote briefly with
flourishing letters, signing the bottom then handing it to Jody for her to sign
as well. Both took photos of the note with their phones, Dean doing the same
before carefully folding it up and pocketing it.
He took a deep breath and spoke, the nervousness in his scent permeating the
room. “Okay, so, I went with a couple of friends because Charlie really wanted
to go. I mean, we just wanted to see what it was like. Purgatory has a
reputation for being very accepting of just about everything, and we thought…”
Cas listened, fascinated as Dean detailed this part. It had never occurred to
him to ask  why  Dean had been there in the first place. “See, Charlie’s a
lesbian and Benny, he’s straight, but I’ve always kinda been on the fence,
y’know? And I’m not exactly out at school so…we just, we just thought we could
check it out, see what it felt like to be…be accepted just for being who we
were, and Benny came as support.”
“And how did you get in?”
“Uh, we had…fake ID’s,” Dean flinched and didn’t look at Jody. “I really can’t
tell you, okay? ‘Cause I don’t know.”
“And you already said what drew you to Mr. Novak,” Cain tried to get them back
on track.
“Right,” Dean nodded, “Right so, and he was attractive and I thought, yeah, I’m
definitely into guys, not just girls. And he was sweet, and, and so outta place
there. Looked like he belonged just as much as I did, so it didn’t occur to me
he was actually older. I mean, after all,  I  was there, right? So then, as Cas
said, we scented each other – though I didn’t remember what that meant till
later, ‘cause I was on blockers too…”
“Now, why were  you  on blockers, Dean? You’re an Alpha, and it’s not often
done these days. Alpha’s especially don’t bother with them,” Cain tapped his
pen against the legal pad.
“Well, y’know, we had fake ID’s,” Dean shrugged, “ All  of us were wearing
blockers because we were afraid someone would figure out we were lying if they
could smell us.”
“All right, boys, so we’ve established  why  you were both at the club that
night, that neither of you knew the others age, or that Mr. Novak was a
teacher,” Jody shook her head, “Did you hook up?”
Cas and Dean exchanged a look before turning back to the pair before them and
nodding apprehensively in unison. The mixture of both their anxious scents
nearly overwhelming.
“I’m sorry to ask this question of you both – but did either of you have sexual
relations prior to your contact with each other?” Jody truly looked embarrassed
and both Dean and Castiel turned bright red.
“Some kissing, a little groping and, y’know.  The internet .” Dean nearly
choked on his words. He’d known Jody since he was a kid and he couldn’t believe
he had to talk about these things.
“Mr. Novak, did it occur to you that Dean was a little inexperienced when the
two of you got into it? Didn’t you think it strange that an Alpha, supposedly
of age, would still be a virgin?”
“No more so than I,” Castiel noted. “I’m nearly 22 years old –“ Everyone in the
room jolted at the knowledge. Cain was calculating, Jody was surprised and Dean
was hopeful. “- and the only experience I have is a few toys during my heats.
Why should I think it strange?”
Cain gave the statement an impressed nod, “Good point. I am surprised, however,
to hear how young you are for a teacher. I was certain you’d be several years
older. How is this possible?”
Cas shrugged. “Growing up, I, uh, applied myself to my studies and was able to
graduate high school early. A basic teacher’s cert only takes four years and a
bachelor’s degree – usually. I had a few obstacles thrown in my way, so it took
me five years instead.”
“Cas,” Dean breathed, “You’re practically my age!”
“No, Dean, I’m still a teacher and you’re still a student. And a five-year
difference has a much bigger impact at this age range. Could you imagine an 18-
year-old in a relationship with a 13-year-old? How about a 16-year-old and an
11-year-old?” Cas pointed out. Dean shuddered and his lips curled down in
disgust, a sour smell hitting the room and shared by all at the mere thought.
Cas was pleased to see that Dean saw the sense of it. Just thinking about it
made Cas’s stomach churn queasily.
“Back to the issue, boys,” Jody gave them all a stern eyed glare, but Cas could
now sense the softness and affection she held underneath. Then her scent took
an apologetic turn and she gave a weird little shrug, speaking in a gentle
voice.   “I’m sorry, but I really do have to ask this. Cas, you’re an Omega.
Did Dean…force you in anyway?”
“What?!” Cas gasped, horrified. “No! How could – no! Dean would never – we
already told you what happened!”
Dean leaned away as the Omega’s anger permeated the room, assaulting his nose.
Only visibly relaxing when Cas forced himself to calm down, the anger draining.
The older man palmed at his face as he tried to compose himself. Cas realized,
with a sick twist to his stomach, that the sheriff  had  to ask because Omega
assault, something he’d thought they – as a society – had moved past (he
wouldn’t fool himself into naively believing some sick individuals wouldn’t
still when given the opportunity, just as there were still murders despite
supposedly being civilized) was still enough of an issue to make such a
question standard operating procedure.
Cas’s stomach twisted harder, making breakfast hard to hold down. Concerned,
Dean reached forward, hovered and dropped his hand. Deans hands twisted
anxiously together in his lap.
There was a brief silence as everyone tried to regain their composure after
such an explosive question. All except for Cain, that was, who seemed
particularly unperturbed. Not even his scent changed. Possibly on blockers,
despite his earlier words that most people didn’t use them. As a lawyer, it
made sense.
But that was neither here nor there.
Dean broke the silence finally, “Would it make it easier for Cas, if, if –“ he
swallowed, hands still twisting together, “if I  admitted  that I had?”
Cas gaped at Dean, eyes wide and trying to get words out of his mouth. His
scent was blank with how stunned he was at the suggestion. “Dean, No!” Cas
finally unfroze and got his mouth working again, the scent curling around him
was more horrified this time than angry, but it still made the others flinch.
“Why not, Cas? There’d be no question about you getting your job back if that
happened.” Dean protested.
“Dean, I don’t think you fully understand how severely that would ruin your
life.”
“Like I already did yours? It’s the same damn thing!”
“Dean, sweetie, it’s commendable how you want to protect your Omega – “
“Not my Omega, Jody,” Dean muttered, despondently, sullenly.
“-but Cas is right. Such an admission would ruin you. You’re just a kid.”
“We don’t need to resort to such drastic measures at any rate,” Cain spoke up
again, evenly. “It might not happen fast, but we’ll get Cas reinstated and
absolved. You both just need to be patient. Answer me this one thing -  after
you met at the club, did you at any point thereafter – notably, after Cas
discovered that Dean was underage and Dean discovered that Mr. Novak was a
teacher – have sex again?” Cain pushed, looking at each of them in turn. This
time both of them shook their heads no. Cain raised an eyebrow, impressed – at
what, Cas wasn’t certain. Their self-control maybe? – and smiled slowly, almost
predatorily, “Well then, that school hasn’t got a damn leg to stand on.”
Castiel blinked. That wasn’t what he expected to hear. Neither the lawyer’s
verdict or his choice of wording. “What?”
But the Sheriff was already nodding in agreement and Dean was smelling all
sorts of relieved and excited. Cain’s small smile grew wider, a little less
predatory and more gleeful, “Indeed. Their accusation was that you were
knowingly conducting an affair with a student. That failing that, you were
having sexual relations with a minor. One encounter before you knew the truth
is hardly criminal. Especially in the case of someone like Dean here, who
presents as older than he is. The fact that you did  not  continue, as soon as
you knew, and despite over 5 months of contact shows strength of character and
moral high ground.”
“In other words, boys, we got ‘em right where we want ‘em. We should be able to
get Cas’s job back for him if we raise a big enough stink. The fact that you’re
True Mates will just be more fuel for the fire, should we need it.” Jody was
still grinning, “And no drastic or ill thought heroic measures needed either,
boys.” Jody gave Dean a stern look that had him sink a little into the couch.
Castiel was still stunned. “But I…I…?”
Dean’s hands came up to wrap around Cas’s, grounding him. Cas looked up at
Dean, mouth still gaping. Dean grinned softly at him, “You’re gonna be all
right, Cas, see? You and the baby. We take care of  all  our family here, and
you’re family as long as you want us.”
Chapter End Notes
     * I have no idea how many hospitals Lawrence, Kansas has. i could
     probably google it. but for the sake of this story, I just decided to
     go with one (the town i live in has 2 actual hospitals and a clinic
     so big and fancy that it's practically a hospital itself. the clinic
     is attached by name TO a hospital over 1 1/2 hours away and is nicer
     than some smaller hospitals I've been in. it still surprises me that
     this is necessary. where i grew up, you had to travel several towns
     over to find a hospital and where i grew up was considered more
     suburban than where i live now).
     Anyway, hope nobody minds if that happens to be wrong.
     PS - we are more than halfway to the end :D
***** Days Go By *****
Chapter Summary
     Cas starts to adjust to life with the Winchesters and he and Dean
     discuss baby names
After the visit from the officials – the lawyer that Dean had never met before
and the Sheriff who’d been like an aunt to him as he grew up - things seemed to
calm down, settle into a routine. Despite his wishes to remain home with Cas,
Dean returned to school, Benny and Charlie eagerly waiting for a full-blown
update on the situation, rather than the meager scraps Dean had been texting
them.
Honestly, if it had been him on the other side of all this, he would never have
been quite so patient, so Dean knew that really, he couldn’t blame them.
It just about killed Dean to leave Cas behind everyday but he took comfort in
the fact that Cas would  be  there when Dean came home. That the omega was safe
and finally getting the care that he needed.
Because once he was well rested enough, with Mary’s help, Cas was finally
putting on some weight and the baby bump was finally properly showing. Which of
course necessitated an outing to the clothing stores that Mary was all too
proud to drag them all too. Cas seemed more embarrassed, or more reticent, Dean
wasn’t sure exactly, for some reason but Dean couldn’t figure out why, though
his mother seemed to.
Dean thought everything looked good on Cas anyway and Cas blushed and
stammered, a pleased scent reaching Dean’s nose when Dean said as much. Mary
beamed approvingly at Dean, and Dean was still left in the dark as to what had
been the problem to begin with.
The doctor visits went well. Despite Cas’s predicament, the baby had not been
hurt in any way and both Cas and the Winchester household breathed a sigh of
relief. The only concern Pamela had was how underweight Cas was for how far
along he’d gotten. And with admonishments that she needed to see significant
weight gain in the next two weeks, Mary set to fattening Cas right up.
Which led to moments that had Dean feeling like Cas was already part of the
family. A typical evening just a few weeks into the new arrangements had Cas
holding his stomach after a dinner where Mary had served him over generous
portions for the third time in a row and then got sad looking when he tried to
refuse it.
“No, Mary, please, I feel like I’m about to burst.”
“Hmm…well, you look much healthier than you did a few weeks ago,” John mumbled
around a mouthful of food.
“John Winchester! Eat with your mouth closed!” Mary chided, “What kind of an
example is that to be setting?”
“I think it’s a little late to be worrying about that,” he snorted, the amused
scent curling about the room, leaving everyone else in a good mood as well.
Family nights now included Cas and it made Dean giddier than it probably should
have made him. But he didn’t care. Because here, now, he was spending time with
Cas. Quality time, with no judgements from the people around him. Dean was
getting to know Cas and Cas was getting to know him.
First time they broke out the video games and Sam tried to hand Cas a
controller, Dean found himself with a new mission.
“What do you mean you’ve never played video games before?”
“My parents never approved of them. A frivolous waste of time. But I must
admit, I was always curious,” Cas leaned forward as John and Mary settled into
their usual places.
“That’s okay, Cas, we can show you,” Sam bounced excitedly.
“Maybe I’ll just…watch first, if I could?” Cas asked hesitantly, making no move
for the controller Dean was holding out for him.
“Sure Cas, you just let us know when you’re ready to give it a shot.” Dean
smiled at Cas and turned back to his brother.
Dean was very happy with how well Cas was fitting in, integrating with his
family. Mary had taken to him nearly straight off, and John – once he’d calmed
and heard Dean out, was starting to respect the teacher as well.
Sam, of course, had liked the man before they’d even met.
Slipping in Mario Kart, Dean soon lost himself in playing the game,
occasionally losing as he took the time to explain to Cas how the game worked.
After a few races, Dean turned to the Omega with a grin, “You ready to try
yet?”
“Hmm…I think so. I don’t want to kick anyone out of the game, though,” Cas said
with a worried glance over at Sam.
“Oh don’t worry about that!” Sam laughed, passing over a third controller. “We
can play up to 4 people easy.”
For never having played video games before, Cas sure was a quick learner. No
matter what they played Cas would watch first and then practically school Sam,
Dean or both – much to their parents’ amusement.
Eventually Dean’s parents called for an end to the games and picked out a
movie, enlisting Sam to pop it in. Sam then stretched out on the floor while
Dean joined Cas on the couch. Mary and John were wrapped up together on the
loveseat, the throw blanket on the back of it pulled down to cover them both.
Dean caught a minute shiver from Cas and dragged the other throw blanket down
and offered it to the Omega. Cas took it thankfully, tucking it around himself
and then, hesitantly, he looked over at Dean and held up a corner. Dean took
the silent invitation to scoot in under the blanket and relish in their
closeness.
And when a weight fell on Dean’s shoulder halfway into the movie, he turned
carefully to find Cas had fallen asleep on him. Dean felt his heart swell
almost painfully, missing the look his parents exchanged as Dean looked down at
Cas adoringly. Dean brought an arm up around Cas’s shoulder to tuck him in
further and couldn’t help but card his fingers through the messy locks. Cas
kept saying he needed a haircut, but secretly, Dean hoped he wouldn’t cut it –
or at least not too short. This was the perfect length.
So that was Dean’s day for the next couple of months, as the lawyer fought on
Cas’s behalf. He’d wake up, share a breakfast with Cas if the man had woken.
He’d go to school and diligently apply himself to his classwork, though he
hated the new Creative Writing teacher. Then as soon as the last bell rang,
Dean would rush on home with Sam in tow, sometimes Benny and Charlie too.
Dean and Cas could then be found in the kitchen, heads bent together as Dean
did his homework. Cas refused to do it for him, but would nudge Dean once in
awhile in the right direction or help him with something that he was struggling
with till he understood it well enough to apply it to his homework. Sam sat
with them, and sometimes Benny and Charlie too, and Cas didn’t hesitate to
tutor the others while Mary provided snacks for all.
When Dean’s friends went home, Sam would head off to his own friends and Cas
and Dean would spend the rest of the time before dinner just talking in the
room that was slowly becoming Cas’s. About anything. Everything. Cas’s life and
the stuff he’d missed out on, the things Dean planned to do after school, the
latest doctor visit.
What each of them hoped for the future.
Cas’s hopes were simple. He wanted his job back, to clear his name. He wanted a
healthy baby and then, then he’d hesitate and look at Dean and look away again,
changing the subject. And Dean would let him. Would talk in turn about  his
hopes and dreams. How he wasn’t planning to go to college – where Cas had
originally thought Dean was going when he said he was almost finished with
school – not directly at any rate.
“See, Dad and I, we worked out a plan a long time ago. I’m more of a hands-on
kind of learner. You might have noticed that?” Dean asked, getting a nod in
return. “Yeah, so, I already know a lot, been helping dad out since I was
walking, practically. So, work for Dad, learn as much as I can from him and the
other shop workers directly, take these special kinds of tests – the um,
whaddya call ‘ems? You show you have the knowledge and you get credit towards a
degree without having to take a class. Gotta pay for it obviously, else how
would the colleges make any money, right? And what dad can’t teach me, I’ll
take online courses for. Really, we got it all planned out. And…this, all of
this, it doesn’t change anything, Cas. I can still do all that  and  be a dad,
and your mate, if you choose it. Just…get to know me, give it some thought.
Please?”
“Of course, Dean. I admit, I’m very relieved to know that I haven’t destroyed
your future plans and dreams,” Cas said quietly.
“Cas, this ain’t on just you. It was both of us that got together, and it was
an accident that you got pregnant. I mean, 1 in a million chance the condom
breaks…and then for your birth control to fail. I mean…we couldn’t have
predicted that, any of it. I just wish it hadn’t hurt you so much,” Dean stared
at him earnestly and Cas did his best to reassure him.
Sometimes, they talked of inconsequential things, the little things that didn’t
necessarily mean anything in and of themselves, but meant you were learning who
the other person was. Things like how Dean hated wearing socks and how Cas
hated olives (and that he blamed his brother for that. Dean also took note of
how happy talking about his brother would initially make the teacher, but then
inevitably his face would fall and his scent would sadden and Dean vowed to
make his family pay for the way they had treated Cas. He just had to figure out
how, first).
When John came home, dinner would happen, a family meal that fed into Dean’s
current contentment, followed by Family nights in the living room. Video games
or tv, sometimes board games or card games. The participants always varied
though Cas would at least observe if he didn’t play. The night invariably
ending with Cas falling asleep on the couch. He fell asleep a lot, and at first
Dean was worried but he was assured by pretty much everyone (including Sam,
who’d looked it up on the internet, the nerd) that it was perfectly normal at
the stage Cas was in.
“Besides,” John whispered one night, “Let him catch up on that sleep ahead of
time because a baby is gonna keep us  all  awake, but especially him. He’s
going to tire out quickly. He’ll need help but refuse it because he thinks he
should. Mary was the same way and I’m positive Cas will be even worse. So let
him sleep while he can.”
And little by little, Dean and Cas got brave enough to relax around each other,
to not second guess themselves if they leaned in for a touch. Cas was adamant
that nothing further would happen till Dean was properly of age, and Dean’s
parents – frustratingly, but understandingly – both agreed  and  approved of
Cas’s plan.
The day that Dean dared to touch Cas’s stomach, to feel the fluttering of new
life inside him, Dean choked up several times. They sat like that on the couch
for who knew how long, Cas curled against Dean with Dean’s head resting on top
of Cas’s, his hand stretched out over the now quite visible baby bump Cas was
sporting.
Dean still couldn’t believe this was real. That Cas was here, that he was going
to be a dad. Some people might think having a kid while still in high school
would be a life ruiner but, somehow, Dean knew it wouldn’t. That he would never
regret this.
He couldn’t say that there wouldn’t be hard times, or that he and Cas wouldn’t
argue and fight – damn, but Cas was pretty stubborn sometimes – but he was
pretty sure that any way Cas let Dean into his life would only be good. It was
in this moment, right here, that Dean realized he loved the Omega. And the
feeling was so much more, so much more powerful and  real  than what he’d
thought back when he’d met the man. Back when it had only been biology telling
them they were the real deal.
Despite the trouble between then and now, Dean realized this was better. This
was honest and true. He honestly loved and adored Cas. The sparks of promise
from the night at the club had bloomed fully and the feeling was overwhelming.
He swallowed against a lump in his throat, his lips working against each other
as he struggled to keep his breathing even. He didn’t want to disturb Cas or
this perfect moment.
And then Cas reached for the Alpha, covering Dean’s hand with his own as they
rested on his belly. He threaded his fingers between Dean’s and squeezed.
Dean’s breath hitched and he buried his face in Cas’s hair, sniffling, eyes
wet.
“Are you all right, Dean?”
“Yeah, I’m just…will you stay, Cas? With me? You and the baby? It would make me
so happy…as long as you were happy too.” Dean whispered, the words all but
muffled from where he spoke into Cas’s hair.
Cas didn’t answer him. Not out loud, but the fingers around Dean’s squeezed
again, and didn’t stop. That’s when the scent hit Dean, despite burrowing into
Cas’s hair – or maybe because of it – but the Omega was happy too, and hopeful.
And Dean squeezed back.
They sat like that for a short time before Cas  did  speak, “I was thinking
about baby names. Actually, been thinking about names for a while.”
“Yeah? Got any good ones?” Dean’s heart skipped a beat, maybe two before trying
to lodge itself in his throat. He cleared it in his attempt to talk like a
normal person and not the overly excited one he felt like he was.
“I believe so, but I wanted to know if you had any suggestions of your own?”
Cas asked. The simple question made Dean beam. Surprised but happy that Cas was
including him like this. Dean and Cas weren’t mates and – although he had his
hopes – might never  be  mates. But the fact that Cas wanted him involved with
their baby…it was a good sign, Dean thought.
“Do…did you find out what the baby is?” Dean asked hesitantly. He knew a lot of
people didn’t bother finding out and he honestly couldn’t decide if he wanted
to know or wait for the surprise.
“I um, I didn't. I had the nurse write it down and give it to Mary because I
couldn’t decide which I would prefer. I’m not sure I wish to get my hopes up
for one or the other, in case they were wrong. And yet, I can’t deny…”
“That you have a rampant case of curiosity just eating at ya?” Dean chuckled at
Cas’s emphatic nod against his shoulder, despite that it almost knocked Dean in
the chin. “Yeah, I think I know what you mean. So that means you’ve been
thinking of names for boy  or  a girl, just to be prepared, right? What have
you got so far?”
“Well, what I have is a notebook filled with names, but I think I’m leaning
towards Anna Elizabeth and Joshua – though I can’t find something I like to go
with Joshua.”
“Anna Elizabeth – that has a nice sound to it Cas,” Dean rolled the names over
his tongue a few times and Cas smiled.
“Thank you, Dean,” he rumbled out. “Do you have any ideas for the other?”
“Hmmm…” Dean liked Joshua, but he could see what Cas meant. It was hard to find
something that sounded just right to go with it. He ran through the names of
his family first, then nixed that idea before he got too far. He didn’t want
the poor kid confused if he should be named after somebody close. Looking
further afield, he thought of some of his favorite bands. Joshua John almost
worked but that had his dad’s name so no. Joshua Robert, Robert Joshua, nope.
Also, the short of Robert was too close to his Uncle Bobby. Scratch that
idea…he was silent a long while before he spoke again, “What do you think about
Joshua James?”
“Please don’t tell me we would call him JJ?” Castiel’s voice was even but his
scent was amused.
“Why? You got something against JJ?” Dean grinned, teasing right back.
“Not particularly, but I caught a show on tv that Sam assures me is popular
right now and I don’t want people thinking we named our child after a tv
character,” Cas explained.
“How do you feel about musicians?” Dean worried at his bottom lip, waiting the
answer.
“Those are okay,” Castiel agreed and Dean relaxed, causing Cas to chuckle.
There was silence for some moments. Long enough that Dean was certain Cas had
fallen asleep again.
“I do want to stay, Dean, if you really want this with me. I just…I feel like
I’m taking advantage of you,” Cas whispered, his fingers twisting painfully in
Dean’s.
“No, no, Cas, you’re not,” Dean’s heart ached at the smell underlying Cas’s
normal scent. It was uncertain and afraid and not anything Dean was really used
to smelling off of him. “Fuck, I wish I knew some way to convince you of this.”
Castiel sighed, pulling away, “I think…I think that’s something only time will
solve.”
An idea sparked and Dean berated himself for not thinking of it sooner. He
lifted a hand to Cas’s face and gently pushed the hair out of his eyes, looking
into the deep blue sadness that stared back at him. “Cas, I know we have to
wait…at least another year, but god, I love you. If you don’t believe me,
please, just…” Dean encouraged Castiel to lean forward and put his nose to
Dean’s neck, “Just take a whiff and tell me what you smell.”
He practically held his breath as Cas’s nose brushed Dean’s throat, sliding
down to the juncture where a mating bite would eventually go, and inhaled
deeply. The touch made Dean shiver with feeling and longing. The fingers still
entwined with Dean’s twitched and spasmed, Cas gasping at the strength of
whatever he found there – but Dean was certain, absolutely certain, that Cas
would agree that what Dean felt  was  the real thing, not merely the illusion
of love.
“How is this real?” Castiel whispered, “How did we manage this?” The Omega
pulled back to stare at Dean with those soulful eyes, and Dean nearly whimpered
at the separation. He held it back. Because this wasn’t about him. At least,
not just him.
“I dunno, babe, but I don’t wanna question it. I just want to be with you and
our child and just, I wanna build a life together with you, Cas,” Dean reached
out again. “I wish I were older. I wish…there’s so many things I wish. I know
how I feel about you, but I can’t help fearing that I’m  too  young. That my
inexperience and, and…my love of, of childish things just make you want to run
far away from me.”
“What childish things?” Cas tilted his head.
Dean shrugged, “Y’know. Like, video games and, and geeking out about comics and
movies and stuff.”
“Dean, I don’t think those are childish at all. And I’m grateful that you’re
sharing your love of these things with me. I missed out on so much when I grew
up that…I sometimes feel like I never learned about the real me. Truly, I’m
envious of you in so many ways.”
“Seriously?” Dean’s astonishment was obviously quite clear, because Cas
wrinkled up his nose slightly, even as his eyes crinkled and he gave Dean a
gummy little grin.
“Yes, Dean,” Castiel assured.
“You’re perfect,” Dean breathed.
Castiel laughed again and the lightness of the laugh made Dean’s heart lift
more at the joyous sound, “Hardly that, but thank you.”
“No problem, Cas,” Dean answered as the two of them settled back against the
couch, the tv still playing in the background.
Neither of them noticed when the other fell asleep, curled together and
content.
***** Look Who's Come to Dinner *****
Chapter Summary
     No sooner than Cas and Dean start to feel comfortable but life throws
     them another twist - but at least it's a good one. It's about time...
Chapter Notes
     It's officially Tuesday by EST so here's the next chapter. This is
     gonna be a busy week for me, I have a convention this weekend BUT
     it's local and the hours for the Artists Alley are relatively short
     so You might get chapter 10 a little early :D
     Got a picture for this chapter - could have gone to the end of the
     last chapter but i'm glad i waited.
     Picture is Ink, then colored in Photoshop - BUT - the ink is not the
     way i traditionally ink. I think i was inspired by Inktober (which
     I'm also participating in) i usually use pens with carefully precise
     lines of different sizes, switching out when i want a thicker or
     thinner line one. This time, i used a BRUSH pen, which is less
     precise and gives you different lines depending on how you press
     down. I'm not very good with a brush, usually, especially for
     linework but I really like how this came out.
     Also, I think this may actually be the first time i've tried to draw
     anyone pregnant...
     Picture took me the entirety of the Disney Tarzan movie to design in
     pencil, ink, erase the pencil, re-ink, scan and color. Not bad :D
John came home late that evening, almost late for dinner. He stepped into his
house and bent down to take off his work boots. He paused and sniffed the air.
What was that smell? He laughed silently at himself. That was sometimes a
dangerous question, but in his own house, he was damned if he wasn’t going to
know all of what was going on. Following his nose, he found himself pulled to
the living room where he found his son and his not so new houseguest both
asleep on the couch together.
With a sigh, he sat down on the other couch, the small loveseat reserved most
often for him and Mary. He’d wanted to hate Cas so much, and his anger had
pretty much all drained away that first night they’d met. And now, now he was
finding that Cas meant alot to him.
It was damn obvious that Cas meant alot to Dean.
Could Dean and Cas be right about being True Mates? The more and more the two
interacted, the more John got to witness, the more he doubted his adamant
refusal that it was at all likely the two of them would just  happen  to meet
and just  happen  to be True Mates.
He knew that Cas and Dean had done  nothing  inappropriate since Cas had come
to live under their roof – there wouldn’t be any hiding it if they had – yet
they just grew closer all the time. This wasn’t simply a case of lust.
It was love.
John ran a hand down his face and nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand
touched his hair, the fingers scratching at his scalp. He quickly melted into
Mary’s side, sliding an arm up and around her waist as she stood beside him,
staring at the tableau in front of them as well.
“If couples these days were even half as in love with each other as those two
are,” she said in that quiet way she had, “I think there’d be less broken
matings.”
John shivered at the idea. A broken mating went against the core of every Alpha
and Omega out there. Given time, the bonds dug so deep that it  hurt  to break
a mating. The longer the mating, the deeper the bond, the harsher the pain. It
was why so many older couples rarely survived the death of their mate. It was
just too painful.
That so many were willing to break such a bond anyway…it’s what scared John the
most, afraid for his son. Castiel was so much older than Dean (“Not  so  much
older,” Mary had reminded him more than once since Castiel came to live there)
and Dean was so  young  (“So were we, John, and we’re still here,” Mary had
continued, always able to read his mind somehow) that surely they would
discover in a few years’ time that this had all been a mistake?
Reading his mind again, Mary leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of his
head, “All it takes is one look, one inhale, and you can see this is not a
mistake. It’s just bad timing,” she insisted. “We should give them the okay.
You know if we do, it makes it legal for them to mate, without censure, and it
will make things easier for them when the baby is born. Be honest. Who would
Cas rather have in the delivery room when he gives birth? One of us or Dean?”
Dean and Cas stirred, shifting closer on the couch, Dean’s hand slipped down to
cover Cas’s stomach, and the Omegas hand covered Dean’s. The touch was
innocent, yet so intimate that John felt like he was intruding.
            [http://www.dragonpressgraphics.com/Not/mpregsmall.jpg]
He opened his mouth to speak, still unsure yet of what his answer would be,
when the doorbell rang. Dean jumped, eyes snapping open, surprised to see his
parents staring at them and blushing. He made to get up, starting to carefully
slide his hand out from under Cas’s, when John waved him back.
“I’ve got it, Dean.” Dean nodded and closed his eyes again, falling back asleep
with that resilience of youth that John wished he still had.
He stood, and in sock clad feet, headed for the front door, wondering who it
could possibly be. Maybe it was Cain? But no, the man would have simply called
John. With a frown, he opened the door and had to look down at the short man on
the other side.
“Hello?” John grumbled out.
“Hello – is this the Winchester residence?” The short blond was radiating
anxiousness so deeply it was nearly nauseating. Johns eyes narrowed.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Look, name’s Gabriel and I’m looking for my brother and this is the only lead
I got. You gotta help me.” Gabriel begged.
“You’re a damn Novak,” John growled, “Why the hell would I want to help you
find Cas after what your family did?”
“Is he here? Oh please, god, tell me he’s here? I was in India for the last two
months and I had no idea what had happened till I got back. You don’t know what
it was like, to come home and find that not only is your baby brother  missing
but your parents are disavowing ever even having a son named Castiel and they
won’t  tell  me what happened!” Gabriel’s scent was now a mix of desperate and
hopeful and John found himself deflating in the face of it.
“Fuck,” John said eloquently as he rubbed his face again. “All right, fine, you
can come in, but if you  start  anything, you’ll find yourself out on your ass
so fast, you won’t remember I even let you  in. ”
Gabriel nodded frantically, “Of course, mister. No trouble. I just want to make
sure he’s okay.”
John snorted and backed away from the door, holding it open for Gabriel. “He’s
just through there but quiet. He’s sleeping. He needs his rest right now, so
don’t wake him up,” John admonished. “We plan to wake your brother for dinner,
so you can join us if you like. As long as you behave.”
Gabriel shot him a confused look and John felt a surge of satisfaction at the
shock the man was about to receive. This should show Gabriel’s true colors and
his real depth of feelings for his brother. John ushered Gabriel in before him,
angling himself so he could see Gabriel’s reaction and not just scent it.
He wasn’t disappointed. Gabriel stopped short nearly as soon as he crossed the
threshold to the livingroom and his eyes landed on his brother and John’s son,
cuddled together on the couch, their hands clasped over Castiel’s now  very
obvious stomach.
Gabriel took a step forward, stumbled and reached out for something, anything
to grab onto and John was unlucky enough to be that something. “Oh god, is
he…is he all right? How’d this happen?”
“How do people normally get pregnant?” John shot back unsympathetically. Though
he had to concede that so far, Gabriel’s colors were promising.
“Do you think this is a laughing matter?” Gabriel’s eyes narrowed at the Alpha
and John bristled. “Wait…is this…was the pregnancy why mom and dad kicked
Cassie out?”
“No, it was your brothers disgraceful discharge from the school that did that.
Far as I figure, from what your brothers told us, is that they didn’t even know
about the pregnancy.” Mary joined them.
“I don’t…I don’t understand what’s going on?” Gabriel’s voice was so small, so
lost, and his scent so confused and worried that John sighed and motioned him
out of the room again. Gabriel stiffened, eyes widening and he shook his head
vehemently. “No! I’m not leaving till someone tells me – “
“Relax, Novak. I’m not kicking you out of the house just yet. Please, follow my
wife into the kitchen so we can talk without waking them.” John nearly rolled
his eyes, but…if his eyes and nose wasn’t deceiving him, Gabriel was one of the
good guys. That he was obviously worried for his brother, honestly cared for
him, all of it was a good sign.
Mere moments later found John, Mary and Gabriel in the kitchen, Mary settling
him down in a seat with tea while John stirred the turkey noodle soup she’d
been making. God, it smelled good. And it was nearly overpowering all the other
scents in the room which was a goddamn bonus. Amused, John watched as Gabriel
absentmindedly dumped teaspoon after teaspoon of sugar into his tea,
occasionally stirring it while Mary talked, explained what had happened and
what they were all doing about it.
Mary had just about finished when Dean shuffled in with a yawn. Gabriel’s head
shot around to face him, staring hard and Dean halted and stared back warily.
“What the fuck is wrong with  you?  Is there, like, drool on my face or
whatever?”
Gabriel shook his head and Dean shrugged. He pilfered two bottles of water from
the fridge and rummaged in the cabinet for crackers.
“Those better not be for you, Dean. Dinner’s almost ready and I won’t have you
spoiling your appetite,” Mary called from the table.
“Jeez, mom, no they’re not for me. They’re for Cas. He’s feeling a little
peckish and a little queasy at the same time. Like, seriously, how’s that even
work?”
Mary frowned “Not very well, actually. We might want to talk to Pamela about
the prenatal vitamins he’s on. Though, if they’re the cause, then I’m surprised
it took that long to get a reaction like that from him. It’s usually an either
or kind of thing.”
Dean froze, his scent spiking high enough for John to catch over the
mouthwatering smell of homemade soup, “You mean that’s  not  normal?” Dean’s
voice rose in pitch even as his scent did. “Mom, is he gonna be okay? And…and…”
Dean trailed off, eyes wide and panicking.
Mary surged up from her seat and hugged her son. “He has an appointment
tomorrow, okay? Unless something weird happens tonight, he should make it till
tomorrow and we’ll just talk to Pam, okay? Don’t freak him out. That’s one of
the worst things you can do right now.”
He swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, okay, I’ll try.” With his goodies in tow, Dean
made his escape and the scent he left behind faded.
John lowered the temperature on the pot of soup and joined Mary and Gabriel at
the table. He sat down and crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the
other man. John wasn’t sure, but he thought Gabriel might be a Beta. The man
wasn’t reacting as strongly to the scents that he kept encountering as other
people would.
“So…” John dangled the word in front of Gabriel, waiting for his response.
“So….? So, what now? Do you think that lawsuit will work?” Gabriel asked.
“Being a teacher has been Cas’s dream for a long time. I’d hate to think he’d
lost it forever because…because of me.”
“Because of you?” Mary and John exchanged looks, “How on earth is any of this
on you?”
“How? Because Cas wouldn’t have been there if I hadn’t brought him. He wouldn’t
have even contemplated hooking up with anyone if I hadn’t encouraged him. I
provided him with a condom that – surprise! – was apparently defective. How is
it  not  my fault?”
“Because I didn’t  have  to agree to go in with you. And all the encouragement
in the world would never have made me hook up with someone I didn’t really
want, and you couldn’t have known the condom was defective. I made my own
choices. As did you, as did Dean.” Castiel spoke quietly from the door, Dean
hovering behind him. “If this is no more my fault, or his, then it is even less
yours.”
“Cas,” Gabriel spun around in his chair at the first sound of the gravelly
voice. He whispered his brother’s name, tears pricking at his eyes before
lunging up and enveloping Castiel in a hug. “Cassie, god, I’ve been so worried.
Why didn’t you call me?”
“I…wasn’t sure I’d be welcome after the mess I had made,” Cas returned the hug.
“I know it wasn’t truly anybody’s fault, but when mom and dad kicked me out…I
couldn’t think. Then the twins renounced me as well and…and you were in India.
For all I knew, you felt the same was as Michael and Lucifer.”
“Never! Please, Cassie, don’t ever compare me with those stuck up bags of dicks
ever again,” Gabriel said in affront, the sniffle at the end ruining the
vehemence of his words, though not the sincerity of them.
“Gabe? Gabe, I’m all right…” Cas patted at his brother's back as the shorter
man cried.
“I know, I know…I’m just…” Gabe sobbed, “I’m just so relieved. I was so
scared.” The tears and sobbing finally died off and Gabriel wiped his nose off
on Cas’s sleeve with a small, wet grin.
Cas rolled his eyes, “Gabe, really?”
“What?” Gabriel’s smile widened into a smirk.
“There are tissues right next to you,” Cas said with a sigh, “There are times
when I wonder if you’re actually the elder brother…”
“You love me anyway, Cassie,” Gabriel finally let go in time to see a gawky kid
with floppy hair enter the room. The kid froze and stared at Gabriel with wide
eyes.
“Who are you?” he demanded, the surprise in his voice and the curiosity in his
scent lessening the harshness of the question.
“Sam, this is my brother, Gabriel. Gabe, this is Dean’s brother Sam,” Castiel
introduced, taking a seat at the table next to Dean who had taken the time Cas
and Gabe spent in their reunion to help set for dinner – with an extra setting
for Gabe, Cas was over the moon to see. “Gabriel, are you staying for dinner?”
“Ah, yes, definitely,” Gabriel eyed John and Mary Winchester with an inquiring
brow and they both nodded. With a sigh of relief and a gleeful smile, Gabe
immediately placed himself on Castiel’s other side, sandwiching Cas between him
and Dean.
Between them all, dinner was soon served, though Gabriel was concerned that Cas
was barely eating. He could see that Dean was as well, and close to panicking
at that. He opened his mouth to speak, but never got the chance.
“So, what are you going to do now, Gabriel?” Mary asked first.
“About…what?” taken by surprise, Gabriel found himself unable to switch gears –
which was an odd and unusual state of affairs.
“Now that you know the truth of what happened, what will you do about your
family?” John clarified.
“Oh…pfft,” Gabriel waved his hand around, “I already told them to stick it.”
Castiel’s spoon dropped into his soup with a splash and a clatter as he gaped
at his brother. Dean barely paused except to mumble a very strong “Good” around
his own spoon.
“What? Why?” Castiel uttered in shock.
“Why?  Why ? How could you ask me that? Cassie, I know you. You wouldn’t hurt a
freakin’ fly. There was no way you’d done anything that was deserving of their
treatment of you. Hell, you’ve been the only one worth it in that entire
family. If they kicked you out, they might as well have kicked me out too. So,
I kicked myself out. No way was I staying under  their  roof after  that! ”
Gabriel looked so fierce in that moment, that it was like he was an avenging
angel.
“But…Gabe…your schooling? And where are you living?” Castiel’s eyes were still
wide and even the Winchesters paused at his questions to stare at Gabriel.
“I’m mostly finished with all that. That’s what the trip to India was for,
remember? I was getting a glimpse of what it was like to work for some of the
culinary greats. I think I can scrape enough money up to finish out the last
credits. I’ve already got offers too, to some of the greatest restaurants
around. It’ll be a good startup for me. I just have to decide which one,”
Gabriel grinned.
“You’re a chef? That’s awesome!” Dean exclaimed and his family laughed fondly.
“Always thinking with your stomach,” Sam giggled.
“Wait, Gabe, you haven’t answered the other question,” Cas pushed anxiously.
Gabriel shifted his eyes away from his brother and stared intently at his soup,
toying with the spoon, “Don’t worry about it, bro.”
“You’re my brother, of course I’m going to worry about you,” Cas wasn’t even
pretending to eat now, and Dean paused at the anxiousness rolling off of him.
Dropping his own spoon, Dean turned in his seat to angle himself better to rub
at Cas’s back. Gabriel looked up and smiled at Dean approvingly but refused to
answer Cas.
“This soup is really good, Mrs. Winchester – “ Gabriel changed the subject.
“Well, I’m not a chef or anything, but thank you. And please, call us Mary and
John. You’re family now,” she smiled at him and he smiled back.
John cleared his throat and, after a glance at the still anxious Cas, spoke to
Gabriel, “I think you should answer your brother. It’s not good for him to
worry, and the fact that you won’t answer him…” John didn’t need to finish that
statement. It was all too clear to everyone around him what he meant.
With a sigh, Gabriel lowered his spoon again. “I…um…packed up everything I
cared about, a few things of Cas’s too since it was obvious he left in a rush,
and it’s all in the car right now. I haven’t actually found a place to live
yet. But the weather’s been pretty mild lately and I always keep blankets in
the car so I’ve been good.”
“Gabriel…” Cas whispered, his heart aching at the words, despite that having
essentially been his own plans, originally, before their parents had taken his
car away from him.
“I didn’t want to say anything, ‘cause I figured it would worry you worse…”
Gabriel finally looked up at his brother, his face dead serious, “and I was
right, wasn’t I?”
John watched the brothers interact, the depth of their brotherly bond as deep
and as caring as the one between Sam and Dean. His worries about Gabriel being
unfounded caused a wave of relief, but the look of worry in Castiel’s eyes was
cause for concern. He had to admit, sleeping in your car was not the best
choice out there.
Especially if there was another option. He looked at Mary and she turned to
look at him. With the barest of glances, she nodded. Their bond was such that
they didn’t always need words.
“Gabriel, why don’t we make up the couch for you tonight, and then discuss
further arrangements tomorrow, after we’ve all had a good night’s sleep?” John
offered.
The relief that spread through Castiel at John's words was immense – relief and
gratefulness – flooding the small kitchen with his scent. He sagged in his
chair against Dean, murmuring, “Thank you,” quietly to John.
John gave a short little nod to acknowledge it, but kept his eyes on a now
gaping Gabriel. He closed and opened his mouth a few times and John was
suddenly certain that Gabriel was not one to be at a loss for words too often.
“I…thank you, but you don’t have to – “
“We said you’re family, and we meant it. And family don’t let each other suffer
through hard times if they can help. We can help, so we will.” John spoke in a
tone that brooked no argument.
Almost as soon as he closed his mouth on the last word, John was surprised by
the screech of a chair and a body that fell into his, arms wrapped around him
tight and a wetness that fell on his shoulder. Hesitantly, he patted Castiel’s’
back and cast a bemused look at his wife.
“Thank you, thank both of you. I don’t know how I could ever repay either of
you for the kindness you’ve already shown me, that you are showing my
brother…I…” Castiel’s voice was low and broken and thick with feeling. This
close, Johns’ nose nearly clogged with it. He patted Cas on the back a little
awkwardly before the Omega backed away and pulled Mary into a similar hug. She
was much less reserved in her return of affection, smoothing down the
perpetually wild hair that made John shake his head in disbelief – or wonder if
he and his son had been doing things they’d promised they weren’t doing.
As soon as dinner was over, Castiel followed Gabriel out to his car, Dean and
the rest of the Winchesters staying behind to give the brothers their space.
Gabe reached into the front seat and pulled out a nearly identical, though much
more travel worn, backpack to the one Cas had lived out of for a month and
locked up.
He tossed it over one shoulder and looked at Cas with a strange smile, “This
wasn’t the way I wanted things to work out for you, bro. When I took you out to
celebrate, when you asked me to help you find your True Mate…So much bad has
happened and yet…just…just  look at you .” Gabriel shook his head, stunned, “I
mean, I don’t understand it. I don’t know if it’s baby glow or what, but you
look…you look happy, Cassie…”
“I am. Very happy, Gabe. And you’re right, it defies all logic. I lost my job,
my home and,” he paused and smiled at Gabriel again, tears once more
threatening to fall, “ most  of my family. I lived nearly on the streets for a
month and my True Mate is unreachable and I’m pregnant and yet…” Castiel
sighed, “and yet…”
“And yet, here you are. You have a new home and a wonderful, supporting family,
you have your True Mate close by and it’s just a matter of time for that.  You
have a win for you in the works to get your job back, and with all that, you
get to bring new life to the world. Something precious and ready to be loved…”
Gabriel spoke softly, softer than Cas could remember his brother ever being.
Their astonished, happy smells mingled together lightly before being washed
away by the breeze and together to went back inside the house.
The Winchesters were nothing if not hospitable, and Castiel found Gabriel being
welcome with even warmer sentiments than he initially had – but then again, he
didn’t blame John for that. It still surprised Castiel that John had  ever
warmed up to him.
Dean and Cas made room for Gabriel on the couch, squeezing Cas into the middle
without actually squeezing of course, and Gabriel rather loudly and
enthusiastically joined in with playing the video games. Eventually, John and
Mary broke out another movie and Cas fell asleep on Dean as he’d been doing so
often lately. Dean had to chuckle lightly, trying not to disturb Cas, when he
spotted Gabriel’s worried look.
“It’s okay man, the sleeping thing is perfectly normal,” Dean assured him.
“But…are you  really  certain of that?” Gabe’s eyes flicked up briefly from his
brother, to Dean and back again.
“Stop worryin’, Gabe,” Castiel slurred slightly from his spot against Dean, not
even bothering to fight to get his eyes open.
“Hey, ba- uh, Cas, let’s get you to bed,” Dean encouraged, edging carefully to
get himself in a good enough position to get up and bring Cas with him.
This time Cas frowned and  did  open his eyes. He raised his head groggily to
look up at Dean. “But,” he looked around, spotted the still playing movie and
tilted his head, “But family night isn’t…over…yet…” he yawned in the middle of
his words and his eyes started slipping closed again.
“Yeah, I know sleepy head, but I think I’ll head to bed too, if that makes you
feel any better. And, it’s also past bedtimes for mini-mooses too.”
Dean looked at his brother with a shit eating grin and Sam glowered back. John
chuckled as Mary admonished them to behave, and to “For god’s– and Castiel’s –
sake, stay quiet!”


***** Moving In *****
Chapter Summary
     Gabe gets settled in and Cas settles in more...
Chapter Notes
     We're closing in on the end! I'm on my way out to a con so i decided
     to post early in case i got too tired tonight and forgot.
     which is possible cause i'm already up hours earlier than normal for
     me after staying up after 2am so i could watch the season premier on
     the website. i am dead.
     have fluff
See the end of the chapter for more notes
The next morning was a lazy one. Everyone woke sluggishly after staying up so
late. Breakfast was made around 11 am, Gabriel helping Mary while everyone else
nursed coffees and teas. Cas sighed longingly, leaning over to sniff deeply at
Dean’s coffee. Mary smiled at the adorably grumpy look on his face. Gabriel
watched in mock horror and shock when Cas sipped at his tea instead – decaf, of
course.
As they ate, John making the bacon after Mary and Gabe started taking egg
orders – though Gabe threatened to just scramble it all - Sam begged to visit
his friend Kevin. With a quick look at each other, silent communication that
nobody else in the room seemed to catch, Mary shrugged, then nodded and John
told Sam yes.
Shouting exuberantly, Sam leapt up from the table leaving his breakfast half
eaten, shoving the plate over at Cas and darted away the kitchen. Gabriel
blinked in astonishment and Dean just chuckled. Cas didn’t even pause as he
scraped Sam’s food onto his plate.
After breakfast, John drove Sam over to Kevin’s, returning to find Gabriel
pleading to go with Cas to the doctors. Mary acted reluctant, but John could
practically  smell  the approval on her…and something sly as well.
Gabriel got really insistent about going as soon as he discovered it was
ultrasound day. “I wanna see the little bean!” Gabriel beamed excitedly. After
a brief, considering look, Mary relinquished her normal place beside Dean and
Cas. Gabriel gleefully went along, Dean driving since there was no room in
Gabriel’s car, though it was clear he wanted to offer, to  do  something for
his brother after  not  being there when it counted.
Not that Cas - or anyone else – blamed him. How was Gabriel to have known
something had happened?
Sending them off with admonishments about what to ask when they saw Pamela,
Mary returned to the kitchen, catching John is mid sip of his second cup of
coffee. He paused, then continued, swallowing before setting down his mug and
looking to his wife pointedly.
She sat down beside him and he sighed. “Do we actually need to talk about
this?”
“John…I would never presume to know your mind – “ she said, glaring when he
snorted, “ Especially not for something as important or as life changing as
this.”
“Now that’s a lie,” he said with good humor and a smirk and she laughed. “But I
suppose you’re right. So, there’s several topics here, and they all connect
with each other, I think.” She nodded at his words. “I already know you think
we should give Castiel and Dean our sanction. You also think we should offer
his brother a more permanent place to stay, yes?”
She nodded again, letting him talk it out. She knew he’d get where she wanted
him eventually.
“You want to give up our living room to a guest for an indefinite length of
time?” John asked incredulously.
“No, we won’t need to give up anything,” Mary answered slowly, watching John
take another fortifying sip of his coffee. He probably wished he had something
in it to  really  fortify it. But he knew better than that.
John groaned and rubbed his forehead. “You want to give Gabriel the room his
brother is using and just put Castiel in Dean’s room?” If anything, John’s
incredulousness had increased tenfold.
“That sounds about right. It’ll be a lot less cramped that way,” Mary said.
John wanted to pretend but he saw the sense of it. He sighed deeply and nodded.
“Fine, I’ll give it my official sanction too. That doesn’t mean Cas will take
us up on it. He’s pretty stubborn and he’s been pretty adamant not to touch
Dean that way again till he’s of age.”
“That may be so, but they can at least share a room, share a bed. It’ll be
better for Castiel to be able to be with his mate that way. I know that it was
a great comfort for me,” Mary said softly. “As crazy as I drove you and you
drove me, nothing calmed me, nothing comforted me better than simply being in
your arms, being surrounded by your scent. We can give them that, at least. If
they wait for the rest, that’s fine too.”
“This goes against everything I know…” John pointed out.
“I know. Now,” she smirked, “Who gets to give them the good news?”
“We decided together, we should tell them together,” John said, reaching his
hand out for hers, twining their fingers together.
She leaned closer to him with another smirk, dropping a peck on his cheek.
“Smart man…”
When Dean, Cas and Gabriel returned from the Ultrasound later that afternoon,
everyone settled into the living room. Gabriel went for his bag and Cas finally
broke away from where he was staring at the ultrasound picture held tenderly in
his hands to look up at his brother.
“Where are you going?” His voice raised only slightly, but his scent drooped
with worry and sadness.
“Well, I’m gonna…go find someplace to stay, Cassie, so you don’t worry about
me, okay bro?” Gabriel said. He lifted his bag over one shoulder and then stood
there, reluctant to actually leave now that he had his brother again.
His fingers twitched and Dean looked between the brothers, biting his lip. It
wasn’t his place to offer, but he thought for sure his parents would have. A
sound in the doorway made him look over to see his parents there, casually
blocking Gabriel’s way.
“So, Gabriel, why don’t you put your bag down for a moment while we all have a
talk?” John said by way of preamble.
“Uh…talk about…what, exactly?” Gabriel looked uncertainly at the Winchesters,
then to his brother and back. “Thought we kinda talked over everything last
night?”
“About Cas, yes. But it’s time to discuss you,” Mary said gently. “So drop the
bag and sit down.”
Gabriel blinked in stunned surprise at the shift in her tone. Still warm and
yet so full of steel, full of  you better do what I say right now, young man!
than he’d expected out of the gentle seeming Omega. His ass dropped into a
nearby seat before he’d even realized he’d done it.
“Uh…what?” he said dumbly.
Assured now that Gabriel wasn’t about to bolt, John and Mary moved further into
the room and settled into their usual place on the loveseat. “We’ve been
discussing it – and Mary and I have come to an agreement – and an offer.” John
then sat back and gave the floor to Mary.
“Dean, Cas, whether you wish to make your relationship official now or wait
until Dean’s 18, you now have the choice to do so. But in either case, we think
that moving Cas up to Dean’s room, if he’s okay with it, would be beneficial
for both of you. And if you do that…” Mary trailed off.
Cas caught on very quickly. “If Dean and I share a room, then it frees up the
one I was using and…” he looked at Gabriel and back to Mary with a raised brow.
“And you’re…offering it to my brother?” Cas asked incredulously. Dean broke out
into a huge, beaming smile.
Laughing, Dean ducked a little into Cas, catching his eyes, his scent hopeful.
“That’s awesome! Isn’t that awesome? Gabe can stay, and you and I…we can be a
little bit closer. And when the baby’s born, won’t it be better to be all
together?”
“Dean, I still won’t…”
“I know, Cas, that’s okay. This – what’s between us – it’s more than sex,
right? I mean, sure, that uh, that was pretty fuckin’ awesome but…we mean more
to each other than just that, don’t we? I can wait…” Dean whispered, his face a
little red from the fact that he was discussing something so personal with his
parents in the room. But this was important. This was about their future.
“Of course, Dean,” Cas whispered, reaching a hand to touch the Alpha’s freckled
cheek reverently. The burst of happiness that spread through the air was
overwhelming, coming from multiple sources.
Mary stood again, clapping her hand together. “Well, why don’t we get Cas’s
stuff transferred up to Dean’ room – “
Dean stopped her, his head whipping around to face his mother. “Wait, mom, is
that a good idea? I mean, stairs? Maybe I should move downstairs with Cas?
Also, I mean, it makes more sense anyway, since it’s a bigger room? Don’t you
think?”
Mary paused but nodded. “You’re right, Dean. Not that Cas isn’t capable of
stairs, but it  would  be the more comfortable room.”
John leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Also, it’ll be further away from
crying babies in the middle of the night. I’m too old to be woken up like
that.”
Mary glared mockingly at him, and swatted his arm. “That baby needs something,
we’ll all be hearing it, no matter what corner of the house we’re in, so don’t
even give me that, John Winchester.” She hissed at him. “ ‘Sides, we all know
you’ll be wrapped around that baby’s finger as soon as they’re born.” Raising
her voice again, she addressed Gabriel. “So now that Dean and Cas are settled –
well, will be settled – how do you feel about staying here?”
If John had been surprised by the sudden and unprecedented hug from Castiel the
night before, Mary was just as surprised, but less nonplussed, when she
suddenly had her arms filled with a sniffly Gabriel.
“Are you guys angels? Like,  real  angels? I mean, our family’s named after
them, but I think…I think you might actually be angels.” Gabriel sniffed into
Mary’s shirt before pulling away, and wiping his hands across his eyes.
Mary handed him a tissue from the side table and Gabriel used it to noisily
blow his nose. John winced but stood. “C’mon, Dean. We got the weekend ahead of
us. If we’re going to move you downstairs, we got some work to do.”
Cas stood up as Dean did and John opened his mouth to tell him to sit back down
but shut it again after he caught the glare Mary was sending his way. “He’s
pregnant, not an invalid. Let him do  something , or it’ll make him miserable
and leave him feeling useless!” she hissed at her mate. John sighed and rubbed
a hand down his face. But he nodded, acquiescing to Mary’s wisdom.
Together, Dean, Cas and John, all trooped upstairs, while Mary grabbed
Gabriel’s arm and dragged him into the kitchen. “Them boys are going to need a
treat after that. What do you say about making some chocolate chip cookies?”
“Nice and gooey?” Gabriel asked.
“Very gooey,” Mary assured.
“I’m in.” Gabriel grinned, rolling up his sleeves. Following Mary’s lead – it
was  her  kitchen after all – they got to work.
It was hours later, with the smell of chocolate wafting encouragingly through
the house, before the others rejoined them in the kitchen. All of them looked
hot and tired and sweaty – including Cas and Mary shot a look of disapproval at
John.
He held up his hands defensively and shook his head. “I swear to god, we didn’t
let him do any heavy lifting at all.”
“Cas, how you feeling, sweetheart?” Mary asked in concern as the Omega eased
slowly into the seat.
“Heavy,” he said.
Gabriel snorted. “Well, as big as you look, I  bet  you feel heavy! That little
guy’s not gonna be so little, is he?”
Cas rolled his eyes and winced, pain flitting across it. Dean sat next to him,
rubbing his shoulders and down his spine and into his lower back. Cas whined
and leaned forward a little awkwardly, dropping his head onto his crossed arms
where they rested on the table.
“What did Pamela say?” Mary sat, after pulling the plates of cookies out of the
microwave and setting them down on the table. She noticed quite seriously how
Dean didn’t even mention the scent of apple pie that was obviously baking in
the oven.
“She said, not long now and that I should switch to Flintstones and that I
might need to be prepared to expect back labor,” Cas murmured into his arm.
Mary winced at that. “Ouch. I had back labor with Sam, that wasn’t very fun.”
“Wait, not long now?” Gabriel sat down, brows furrowed, biting his lip and
counting on his fingers. “You and Dean met just before school started, so
that’s when you got pregnant. So…” he ticked up a finger for every month.
“September, October, November, December, January – then you were fired, you
spent a month on the streets so that’s 6 months. I was gone for two and I
couldn’t find you right away and I left just before everything happened so
it’s…Cas, you’re only seven and a half months along! What did she mean by not
long now?” Gabriel’s scent turned panicky.
“She means that babies have a habit of not adhering to schedules and that, as a
male Omega, I’m more likely to give birth earlier than normal. It’s also why
I’m more likely to experience back labor than female Omega’s. I’m actually only
the second male Omega she’s seen who was actually pregnant, because male
Omega’s are rare, as you well know.” Cas said slowly, his eyes closed in bliss
as Dean continued to massage his back.
“Yeah, I knew that, I just…didn’t know the rest. How come we didn’t learn about
that stuff in health class?” Gabriel asked, offended. The buzzer went off and
he stood, grabbing oven mitts to pull the pie out of the oven. He went to set
it on the counter and Mary shook her head, waving it over to the table instead.
Gabriel brought it to the unoccupied end of the table so no one would
accidentally touch it while it cooled and then returned to his seat, still
waiting for an answer. “Cause seriously, I don’t remember anything other than
that male Omega’s existed and, well, I already knew  that .”
“Gabriel, can you honestly say you were paying attention in school?” Cas
mumbled.
Gabe’s hand shot to his chest and he managed to look offended, though it was
lost on Cas, whose eyes were still closed. “You wound me, Cassie! Why would I
not pay attention to something as important as – “ Dean snorted and laughed at
the look of fake innocence on Gabriel’s face. “Okay, fine, you’re right. I
don’t remember much from health class, I’ll admit it. Here…have a cookie. It’ll
make you feel better?” Gabriel said hopefully.
Mary watched Cas sit up laboriously, Dean helping him with worried eye. Gabriel
handed him a cookie, then thought better of it and handed him the plate. Mary
smiled warmly at Gabriel. She knew the two of them would get along just fine.
Dean pulled Cas into his side, having him lay his head on Dean’s shoulder as he
munched on the cookie, his eyes closing once more in bliss and moaning around
the soft, chewy goodness. Dean’s eye widened and he swallowed, then he reached
for a cookie and hastily shoved it into his mouth. Gabriel snorted and John
face-palmed while Mary glared at both of them. But they all were thinking it.
The next year before Dean’s 18 th  birthday was going to kill the True
Mates…then again, maybe having a baby to distract them would make it easier on
them? Who knew.
Conversation turned then to lighter things and Mary asked her mate and her son
how the moving had gone.
“It’ just about done. There was some debate about Dean’s bed –“ John started
but Dean perked up an interrupted him
“Memory foam, Dad! It’s better for your back and Cas should totally be using
it!”
“- but aside from that, we decided to leave most of his furniture upstairs and
only move the more transient objects.” Everyone stared at John blankly. “You
know, clothes, knickknacks and posters and all that crap he’s gathered over the
years. And Cas here helped us organize it all.”
“Yeah, never realized how much shit I had. But we got the important stuff
moved. We wanna leave room for the cradle and the other baby stuff we’re gonna
need.”
Mary’s eyes lit up. “Ohhhh…we need to have a baby shower!”
Cas’s eyes blinked open. “Oh, no Mary, you’ve all done so much already…I don’t
think –“
“Nonsense, Cas.  You’re family, remember?” Mary said firmly. “You both are,
okay?”
Mary took in their faces; Cas’s so stoic, betrayed only by his eyes, his scent,
and Gabriel’s shuttered in a completely different way while looking more open
than his brother. But his scent and eyes matched Cas’s. It was like looking at
an open wound that was finally starting to heal.
Mary vowed that if she ever had a chance to meet their parents, she’d give them
a piece of her mind.


Chapter End Notes
     jdragon - here are your cookies :D
***** There’s No Respecting Schedules *****
Chapter Summary
     It's getting closer and closer to Cas's due date and the Winchesters
     arrange for his baby shower.
Chapter Notes
     non explicit birth and breastfeeding happen in this chapter but YES!
     for those of you doing the math a few chapters ago, it's just about
     that time. :D
     After this , only one more chapter to go! Can you believe we're just
     about ready to wrap up???
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Gabriel settled in easier than Cas had hoped.
And Cas and Dean settled together quicker than he’d expected.
Mary had been right. There was nothing quite like going to sleep in the arms of
your (almost) mate. Cas felt safe and secure, warm and loved. Turned out,
falling into bed with Dean at night meant he fell asleep less often during
family nights. Pamela had laughed when he mentioned it at the next appointment.
“You needed your mate, lover boy. Since you weren’t getting him, you couldn’t
relax. It was making your pregnancy harder. When did you fall asleep? When you
were sitting beside him, spending time with him, cuddling him, scenting him,”
she said with a grin. “I know I told you all this before, and I understand why
you’ve been denying yourself what you wanted, but your body knew what you
needed. So, it took care of it. You should find that you have a little more
energy now, at least.”
As Cas got closer to his delivery date, Mary and Gabriel put their heads
together and worked out the details of a baby shower, and who they would
invite. It would be small. With the court case – and Cas’s name still being
dragged through the mud – it would have to be. Cain was making headway, but the
school was pulling out the stops, pointing out how Cas was now living in the
home of the very student he’d been accused of sleeping with.
Cain then pointed out how the school itself had driven Cas into the arms of
that student by firing without a proper investigation and destroying his life,
leaving him nowhere else to go, going so far as to list a fairly hefty amount
in damages to be paid out by the school that Cas had never even asked for.
He just wanted his job back.
He just wanted to be able to be with his True Mate without censure.
He wanted people to believe him when he insisted that there was nothing –
currently – going on between him and Dean. That there would never have been an
encounter if he’d realized how young Dean was. That they were, for all intents
and purposes, promised to each other but waiting till Dean  was  of age.
It hurt that many didn’t believe him simply because he was an Omega, because he
must have enticed Dean somehow. Must still be doing so if he was living with
the boy.
At least the Winchesters and their close friends and Gabriel knew better. The
people who mattered the most to Cas knew better.
He no longer cared what his parents or his other brothers thought. They
obviously didn’t care enough about him to see past the ‘ruin’ of their good
name. So instead, he threw himself into preparing for the baby with the
newfound energy he had. His back still hurt – a lot – but Dean helped with that
immensely. Cas would swear the Alpha had magic fingers.
Only a few weeks after moving Dean’s stuff to be with Cas, John and Mary had
gone up into the attic and returned with a few things. Cas now stood in the
room, figuring out the best layout for the furniture and directing everyone
else around. When they finished, he took a damp cloth and cleaned the dust off
the small cradle, the home-made crib, and the changing table. The three pieces
of furniture were among the few, real big things he’d been worried about
getting his hands on, or putting the Winchesters out to get his hands on and he
was glad he no longer had to worry about them.
After that, the last big thing they’d  need  would be a car seat. They could
live without a highchair or special play seats or a playpen. It might not be
easy, but people had done it for eons. Castiel was sure they’d be able to
improvise easily.
Dean came up behind him as Cas wiped the last of the top rail of the crib. It
was still naked, but they had time to dress it. Arms wrapped around Cas, coming
to rest gently over his belly. Dean murmured into his ear, “I’m told that’s the
same crib both Sam and I used and that Grandpa Samuel made it for mom when she
was pregnant with me.”
Cas hummed, leaning back into Dean’s reassuring presence, dropping the cloth on
the top of the dresser and clasping his hands over Dean’s. it was moments like
these, these simple bits of domestic bliss, that Cas wished he could capture
and bottle up.
“I’m also told that I had a penchant for chewing the top rail mighty fiercely
and that Grandpa had to replace it twice. Just warning you,” Dean said, the
unseen grin on his face evident in his tone, his scent. “Our kids got the same
genes so…”
“Why am I not surprised, Dean?” Cas asked without turning around.
Dean chuckled. “Uh, ‘cause you know me?” Dean pulled away. “C’mon, mom wants us
out in the living room. You all done in here?”
Cas gave the new additions a final look and then nodded. “Yes, I think so.”
“Good,” Dean grinned with barely restrained excitement and Cas wondered if
today was the day of his ‘secret’ baby shower. Playing along, he followed Dean
out of their –  their –  bedroom and down the short hall to the living room. As
Cas had suspected, there were several occupants, and a table full of presents,
now residing there. They must have used the cover of all the noise and Cas’s
distraction with the setup of the baby furniture to arrive and set up for the
party.
All four Winchesters were there, of course, it being their home. Gabriel too,
decked out in the most ridiculous outfit Cas had ever seen. Balthazar was there
and Cas swallowed a lump at seeing his best friend for the first time in over
three months. The man had been traveling in Europe, starting at the same time
Gabe had gone to India, though his traveling had been for less practical
reasons than Gabe – easy to do when you came from money and your parents
weren’t as stringent as Cas and Gabriel’s were – and only just returned.
When he’d shown up, and shown immediate support of Cas, Mary had invited him to
the party straight off and Balthazar, of course, could not refuse.
Cain and Jody were also there, Dean’s Uncle Bobby too, and a woman he hadn’t
yet met, Ellen and her daughter Jo. Charlie and Benny were there as well, of
course. Then a few more people Cas didn’t yet recognize. He tried to file away
their names for the future as he was introduced. Missouri, Donna, Victor, Rufus
and Mildred rounded out the party.
Dean led Cas to the seat of honor – decked out in yellow and black instead of
the traditional baby shower colors and Cas’s heart melted as he realized they’d
decorated using a bumblebee theme for him. He sniffed as he sat down, feeling
extremely emotional all of a sudden. Dean sat beside him and soon, the party
was well underway.
There wasn’t a lot of presents – unless you realized that it was a fairly small
gathering and that each guest had apparently still brought a minimum of two
things or more or – in some cases – a  lot  more. Despite an aching back that
Dean provided a heating pad for, Cas avidly and excitedly opened each gift,
finding that the bumblebee theme held true throughout nearly all of them. A car
seat and highchair. Blankets and pillows. Bibs and onesies, hats and sleepers.
A mobile and plushies, binkies and bottles, teethers and rattles. And anything
that didn’t come with a bee on it had very obviously been painstakingly added
if it was possible to do so.
Except for the veritable wall of diapers in varying sizes on one side of the
living room, out of the way but obvious. They came in all brands and colors,
but no bees. Nevertheless, Cas nodded very gratefully for the plethora of
diapers. From what he’d read, babies went through them a lot, fast. Dean was
gaping at the wall of diapers disbelievingly.
“Surely we won’t use  all  of that?” he whispered in a panic. Cas looked at the
diapers and took Dean’s hand in his.
“I assure you, Dean, everybody poops and apparently, babies do most of all. And
even if we don’t use them all, I’d rather too many then have to make a midnight
run because we ran out. We can always donate the unused ones to those who need
them. Like a shelter or…one of those homes for unwed Omegas.”
Castiel winced as the throbbing pain in his back grew worse, allowing Dean to
help him to stand when it was time for cake. He was given a very generous slice
and it tasted heavenly. He knew Gabriel had made it just from the proud,
beaming look on his face and though Cas was suddenly not all that hungry, he
forced down as much of it as he could to make his brother happy.
“Cas, you okay?” Dean asked quietly as Cas shifted again, trying to get
comfortable.
Sighing, Cas nodded, “Yes, I’m just…my back still hurts and nothing feels
right. I don’t think I got quite enough sleep last night. But I assure you, I’m
having a wonderful time.”
“Are you sure? Didn’t Pamela say something about back labor? Didn’t she say it
can mask the early stages of labor?” Dean tried to keep the panic out of his
voice and his scent. “And didn’t she say you could have the baby early?”
Nodding, Cas’s eyes widened, the panic catching him, spreading. The noise of
the baby shower drained away as the scent permeated the room, their guests
turning to face them. Neither Dean nor Cas noticed, with as focused on each
other as they were.
“Fuck, how do we tell?” Dean gulped. “Cas, what do you want me to do?”
“I-I’m not sure, I –“ Cas froze as the baby gave a particularly hard kick. He
brought his hand down to his stomach, but the movement had stopped. With
another sigh, he shifted and froze again. His thighs were wet. He looked down
and then back up with wide eyes. “Maybe we should call Pamela?”
Turned out, Mary was right about something else.
Panicking Alphas made things worse.
It was Mary who got Cas ready, who helped him to the car, and who drove him to
the hospital, Gabriel in the front seat. John was told – in no uncertain terms
– to stay home and take care of clearing out the guests, and Dean was sent to
fetch Cas’s previously prepared bag before finally being allowed to sit in the
back seat and curl up with his not-yet-mate. He tried not to panic, really he
did. But smelling how much pain Cas was in, knowing this baby was nearly a
month early…well, Dean was barely holding it together.
But he did. For Cas.
Gabriel stayed in the waiting room, phone at the ready, while Mary and Dean
stayed with Cas. It took longer than any of them would have liked, considering
the baby had decided to come so early, but eventually, little Joshua James made
his way into the world at 6 pounds, 2 ounces and almost 1 and a half feet long
with a loud, powerful cry.
Cas smiled loopily at the baby boy when Joshua was finally set into his arms
while Dean laughed giddily. He held him close to his chest, Joshua already
nosing about for sustenance. It took a few false attempts before he was
suckling away contentedly. Dean watched, eyes wide, at the sight before him.
Soon, Joshua was finished, falling asleep and his mouth going slack. And before
Cas knew it, he was surrounded by Winchesters and Gabriel all congratulating
him and Dean, pictures being snapped often enough that he lost track of how
many he’d posed for before his eyes started to droop.
It was about that time that a nurse wandered in and started shooing everyone
else out, leaving only him and Dean, much to his relief. Cas was tired,
overwhelmed and despite the hospital scent sterilizer, there were too many to
deal with. She plucked the baby out of Cas’s arms and while he was reluctant to
let him go, Cas allowed it. Tired as he was, he was deathly afraid he’d drop
Joshua on his head if he fell asleep while holding him.
“C’mon, little guy, let’s go see daddy…” she said, turning to Dean.
Dean paled and gulped. Through slowly closing eyes, Cas struggling to keep them
open to witness this moment, he watched as Dean at first shook his head before
the nurse gently tucked the baby into the Alpha’s arms, showing him how to
support Joshua properly.
Cas smiled at the sight and wished that he had a picture of  this  moment, of
Dean holding Joshua for the first time. Of the Alpha melting when he looked
down into the face of his son, as Dean slowly relaxed into the hold. Of Dean
reaching a gentle finger to run along Joshua’s cheek, awe on his face. He
looked up at Cas, still awed.
“Holy shit, Cas…did we…we really made this, didn’t we? It just…seems so
impossible,” Dean’s voice shook a little. “He’s so little and…just…look at his
hands…” Dean looked back down at their son. Joshua’s eyes were closed and he
was already dressed in a bumblebee onesie with matching sleeper. Little striped
cap on his head, his fingers currently waving free as he stirred and leaned
toward the Alpha. Dean gently took the baby’s hand and when the fingers opened
and curled again – accidentally, Cas was sure, the baby was still too new, less
than a few hours old, but oh what a sight it was – around Dean’s index finger,
the Alpha had tears in his eyes.
Cas reached for him, fumbling through the rail of his bed to get a hand on
Dean, causing the young Alpha to look back up at him and away from Joshua. Cas
smiled at him and, though it was tired, the happiness was clear. The scent of
the room was still too full of the lingering excitement of their families, the
sterilizer working overtime to cover it (and starting to succeed now that it
was just the three of them and the nurse) making it hard for their own scents
to make much of a dent. A scent suppressor was standard practice in hospitals,
which, now that everyone else was gone, Cas actually disappointed about that.
Still, Cas was so out of it from the drugs that he just smiled stupidly at the
Alpha and their baby.
“Aaaaand…there we go,” the nurse said – what was her name? Had she said? Cas
blinked confusedly, dragging his eyes away from Dean and Joshua to look at her
– holding something between her fingers. Two somethings actually, and one of
those new style polaroid’s dangled from her neck. She gave the two things –
pictures, they must have been photographs – a final wave in the air before
handing them to Cas. He took them with the hand not dodging tubes and bars,
placed them on his stomach and stared.
She’d managed to take a photo of Dean holding their son for the first time and
it made Cas’s throat fill with a lump of emotion. With trembling fingers, he
slid the top photo aside to find one of the three of them – and the emotions on
their face was unmistakable. Dean might be younger than Cas had wanted, there
was still concern there about that, but the love and wonder and giddiness,
despite tired eyes, was clear for all to see.
The lump in his throat grew bigger and tears formed in his eyes. “Thank you,”
he choked out. She smiled at him, patted his shoulder and then moved the photos
to the side table to keep them safe. She checked his vitals and nodded
approvingly. “Now then, let’s let you get some sleep. Think you deserve it.
Baby will be waking you up soon enough to feed again.”
He nodded as she walked out, and slowly fell asleep, the last thing he saw was
Dean still cradling their son, looking up at Cas and sending him a huge,
blinding smile.
The nurse hadn’t been wrong. Joshua woke Cas less than three hours later with a
hungry cry and a panicking Dean. A nurse came in then, helping Cas’s fumbling
fingers to undo his gown and position Joshua comfortably. The baby’s cries
silenced almost instantly as he found something else to occupy his mouth. Dean
sat close and they both stared down in amazement. Cas wondered if this feeling
of awe and disbelief would ever go away.
Cas couldn’t go home right away because he’d needed a C-section, but Dean
didn’t leave his side once. Wonder of wonders, his parents didn’t argue with
him about it either. Cas tried, though.
“Dean, you have to go. You’re missing school,” Cas admonished him while Joshua
fed again, tucked up into Cas’s chest as close as possible. He reached down and
gently ran a finger over the baby’s forehead.
“Two days of missed classes ain’t gonna hurt me, Cas. ‘sides, Charlie’s
promised to pick up my homework. I can work on it here, okay? I just…these are
the first few days we get to spend with our son. Once those days are gone,
we’ll never get them back again. I want to be here and…I just…” Dean fumbled
the words.
Cas looked up, an understanding light in his eyes. “You just want to bond with
him. Of course, Dean. I shouldn’t have suggested otherwise. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay, Cas. I get why you did but…” Dean leaned in close, their heads
and shoulders touching as he looked down at Joshua. The baby’s eyes were closed
and his little hands were balled up into fists pressed close against Cas’s
chest, fingers flexing with each little suck of his mouth. “I couldn’t miss
this…” he whispered.
Turned out, once they got the baby home, that both Mary  and  John had been
right. Sleepless nights followed and baby cries were heard throughout the
house, not simply confined to their room.
And their room…Cas gasped when they arrived home, baby Joshua asleep in his car
seat, Dean carrying him in (Cas had been told in no uncertain terms  not  to
lift anything heavier than his baby for at least two or three weeks), finding
that someone, Mary most likely, had fixed up the room. The cradle had its new
bee printed sheets and a blanket folded over the rail. The baby supplies had
been carefully put away and sorted, even the crib – which wouldn’t be needed
for some time – was all made up.
Would he ever get used to this family? Cas wondered. How giving and kind they
all were? How different they were from his own cold parents?
“Do you regret it?” Dean asked softly after they’d settled Joshua into his
cradle. The two of them were now resting together on the bed, eyes glued to the
cradle as it gently rocked.
“Regret what?” Cas asked.
“Meeting me…” Dean’s voice was small, not entirely from trying to be quiet for
their son’s sake. His scent was so uncertain and a little scared that Cas had
to tear his eyes away from Joshua to look at Dean.
“No, I don’t regret that. Never. I only regret  when  we met, not that we did.
I don’t think you realize how much you and your family have changed me – and I
don’t mean what’s happened  because  we met. I’m not talking about losing my
job and my home, of having a child. I’m talking about  me.  I’m sure I’ve
learned more of who I am in these past few months that I had in the entire
decade prior.”
Cas’s voice cracked as he spoke and Dean finally looked away from Joshua to the
Omega, leaning into him, concern in his eyes, his scent turning less uncertain
and scared, and more concerned. “Cas…”
Cas gently put a finger over Dean’s mouth. “No, please, let me finish.” He took
his finger away and Dean nodded. Cas took a deep breath before continuing. “I
never got to just be myself, to be a kid. My parents were cold and strict. What
little affection they gave never came with the ease that your family shows
affection. I didn’t know it could be like that. Instead, with my parents, such
shows of affection always came with a price and I could never do anything
right. Even before I presented as an Omega – which was a great disappointment
to them, but somehow neither were they surprised – they restricted so many
things, such activities that normal children get. And afterwards, I had to work
so much harder than my brothers to be able to convince them to allow me to
follow my dreams, that it wouldn’t be a waste of their time.
If I didn’t have Gabriel, I’m not sure I would have persevered – I think I
might have cracked from the pressures. Going to college gave me a sense of
freedom I never had before but…but I still felt trapped by the thought that my
parents could withdraw their support any moment, should they ever have decided
my behavior was unfitting for a Novak.”
Dean pulled Cas against him, urging the Omega to scent him more deeply as a
reassurance. Cas turned his nose into Dean’s neck thankfully and drew strength
from him, from the depth of feeling Cas still couldn’t believe Dean held for
him – True Mate or no.
“But here, I’ve learned to…to have fun, to lighten up as Gabriel – and later
Balthazar – had tried so often to get me to do. But I’d been too afraid. You
let me be me…your  family  lets me be me – because of your support, I’ve
discovered who  me  even is.”
“So no, I don’t regret meeting you, only the timing of it. If we’d met even a
year and a half later, no one would have even blinked an eye. The younger you
are, the bigger the differences in the gaps, despite it working out
mathematically the same. That’s the part that hurts me,” Castiel finished with
a whisper.
“Yeah, but Cas, like, that number is completely arbitrary. Who gets to decide
when I’m old enough to be responsible for myself or my actions? It shouldn’t be
some government who’s never even met me. It should be my parents, if anything.
This number, it’s…I looked it up, okay,” Dean said, Castiel looking at him in
surprise. Dean chuckled. “I know, I know. Me willingly doing research…but
seriously. The “age of consent”-“ Cas had to restrain a chuckle to see his
habit of air quotes had rubbed off on Dean. “-it changes from century to
century, culture to culture. What’s not old enough here and now, was once way
more than okay. Which one is right? Personally, I think it should be taken on a
case by case basis after a certain age. I mean, I’ve met plenty of people my
dad’s age who don’t act like they’re adults at all, while I know teens my own
age that could pass for adults if you gauged them solely on their interactions
and not their ages or their looks. Why should we get penalized?”
“I can understand your frustration, Dean but arbitrary or not, it still makes
me uncomfortable. I won’t –“
“No, it’s okay. I’m not trying to push you or make you feel guilty. I can wait.
I’ll be 18 in nine months and then we can see how you feel about things. Sound
good?”
Cas nodded but before he could say anything more, Joshua chose that moment to
wake. Cas and Dean both froze, nearly holding their breath as they peered over
to see what the baby would do.
At first, the baby snuffled a bit, then blinked his eyes, his little hands
ensconced in the sleepers built in mittens waved slightly, his fidgeting having
broken him out of the blanket he’d been wrapped in.
“Crap…I just can’t get the hang of that baby swaddly-burrito thing,” Dean said
quietly.
Cas snorted softly as the baby’s coos changed to something a little louder and
Dean’s face grew wary. Within in seconds, Joshua let out a tentative cry and
Dean snatched him up in an instant, with no hesitation. Cas allowed a smile.
Dean had confided in him his fears that he wouldn’t be a good parent – not that
he didn’t love children, just that he was so afraid he’d drop him, or get
frustrated with him.
Watching him fuss over Joshua, Cas was certain the worry Dean held was
unfounded. Of course, only time would truly tell, but was Cas watched, Dean had
Joshua calmed in no time. His fingers had been slightly clumsy but he’d managed
to undress, change and redress their son again with no problems.
Cas might be unsure of how the future would unfold, but he was certain of two
things. Dean’s love for him and Joshua and Cas’s love for Dean.
All else, time would set right.


Chapter End Notes
     The last chapter should post sometime late friday night or saturday
     morning. My family should be converging on my house friday night and
     we have my kids birthday party at an arcade on saturday, but there
     should be enough of a window in there to get it posted. Thanks for
     sticking around :D
***** Epilogue *****
Chapter Summary
     There's just a few more things for Cas and Dean and they've been a
     long time coming, but they were well worth the wait.
Chapter Notes
     I've been having a really crazy, stressfully busy kind of week and
     then today was just the Icing on the cake for craptastic.
     So i'm putting this up early so i can feel like i accomplished
     something.
     Thank you all SO MUCH for reading along with this story. I have been
     completely amazed at the response it has gotten and your comments
     have all brightened up several bad days! They were very welcome!
     Oh, and uh, this chapter is DEFINITELY NSFW...
See the end of the chapter for more notes
It had been a long year, filled with many ups and downs. Caring for a child had
most definitely been a learning curve for both Cas and Dean, but at least they
had familial support when needed.
There had been that frightening day when Joshua had spiked a fever so high, had
become so listless, that both Dean and Cas had nearly panicked. A call to the
doctor had had the on-call nurse insisting that Joshua’s fever could not have
possibly hit 104 degrees and that they were using the thermometer wrong. Or the
wrong thermometer completely (Why would they sell ear thermometers if they
didn’t work? Besides, even without the number given by the device, Joshua’s
head felt way too hot to the touch).
Deciding not to risk it, they’d driven Joshua to the Emergency room. His
temperature had gone down by the time they checked in, clocking in at 102 while
they did paperwork – this was an emergency! Why couldn’t the doctor see them
first and they could do the paperwork  later? –  and disappearing completely by
the time the Doctor came around to see them.
Shrugging, saying that sometimes that happened with babies, the doctor did
nothing except to suggest that next time, they set up a lukewarm bath and set
Joshua in it, and give him a cold washcloth to suck on. As he got older, that
could graduate to ice pops and the like. With frustration, that’s what Cas did
the next time it happened. Joshua revived almost as soon as he hit the
bathwater, the washcloth getting jammed into his mouth.
Crawling was another worry, but the house was easy to baby proof. Then they
discovered he was also a climber and that was something that nearly gave Cas a
heart attack as he rushed to make sure Joshua didn’t fall and gently pry his
fingers off the shelf he’d been attempting to climb.
Gabriel finished up his schooling and accepted one of the offers he’d gotten –
picking the one closest to Lawrence as possible. He moved out less than a week
later to Kansas City, Castiel thankful that he was only a 45-minute drive away
and not any further than that.
Dean’s 18 th  birthday had swung around but Cas had adamantly told him “Not
yet.” Castiel continued to endure his heats elsewhere so as not to torture Dean
(and Dean, in return, respected Cas’s wishes by doing the same during his
ruts).
Joshua turned one the day Cain brought the good news that Cas had won his case
and would be able to start teaching again the next year. It was a great cause
for celebration and the family went all out. Cas was nearly in tears by the end
of the combined party – he’d insisted they not make a big deal out of it, and
to focus only on Joshua, but apparently, Winchesters never do things by halves.
They had three cakes –  three! ( There was one for Cas, one for Joshua, and one
for Joshua to smash to pieces for photos) – and two entire tables worth of
gifts, though Cas was pleased to note that Joshua, at least, had the lion’s
share of it, as he should.
There were many pictures taken, laughs had and a good time was enjoyed by all.
Then, an agonizing two months later, Dean graduated from High School.
There was another grand party extravaganza, though Dean had requested none, his
mother insisted, saying, “This is a once in a lifetime deal, sweetheart, and
we’re sure as hell going to celebrate your accomplishment.”
And then, a mere few days after that, the moment Dean and Cas been waiting and
planning for the past month was upon them. Leaving Joshua in the capable hands
of his grandparents, Dean and Cas hopped into the Impala and drove away to the
somewhat fancy hotel room they’d booked for a week. They’d made sure to ask for
one of the special heat rooms, with the special services included and quickly,
nervously, unpacked the car and brought everything inside.
Cas had been using similar rooms for his heats ever since Joshua was born, and
Dean had as well for his ruts, but this would be the first time either of them
had shared one with the other. Dean and Cas, despite not yet mating, had
finally synced up.
In a few hours, Cas’s heat would start, and not long after that, Dean’s rut
would kick in. Neither knew what to expect, but they knew what they had
planned. Before they left, they would be tied to each other permanently, their
bonding made official and claiming their status, at long last, as mates.
Dean brought in the last 24 pack of bottled water and looked over to where Cas
was sitting on the floor, already shirtless and sweating, as he fit as many as
he could into the fridge. It had been nearly two years since the one and only
time they had had sex, but Dean could still remember it as clear as if it had
been yesterday.
Remembering the feel of Cas, the taste of him, the cries he’d made – Dean held
back a groan as he hardened in his pants. Cas turned slowly and, abandoning the
water, made his way to where Dean stood. His eyes were fever bright, pupils
blown and heat radiated off him.
His smell was intoxicating and this time Dean couldn’t hold back the groan.
They stood their for a long moment and then the next, they were pressed tightly
against each other, their lips greedily moving over each other, their hips
moving together, rubbing, the friction so delicious that Dean whimpered.
He didn’t remember moving, couldn’t remember how they got to the bed, both of
them stark naked, but Dean didn’t argue, couldn’t complain. This was right
where he wanted to be, with Cas, showing him how much he cared for him. Ready
to claim him and be claimed and announce to the world that they were together.
The thought filled him with such happiness and pride he nearly burst right then
and there.
“Not yet, Dean, not yet…I need you…” Cas whispered breathlessly. Dean nodded
against his throat, then turned to place his lips over the hollow there and
sucked. Cas whimpered and Dean drowned in the sound and feel and scent of Cas –
all Cas, surrounding him in every way imaginable.
Every way except one…
Remembering last time, Dean pulled back a little, sliding down the length of
Cas’s body, licking and kissing, caressing and teasing the whole way down. His
eyes widened at the sight of Cas’s hard cock and licked his lips. He wanted –
so bad – but at the same time, he could feel his rut starting to kick in, just
as they’d known it would.
With a quick series of licks, Dean popped his mouth down just over the head of
Cas’s cock. Cas cried out and jerked upwards, the sensation of Dean – warm and
wet around him – nearly too much for him to take. Dean smirked but gave him
mercy, popping off and continuing his trek past Cas’s hard length and to
something even more inviting for Dean.
The Omega’s glistening hole, the pucker, his cheeks and his thighs already
soaking wet with slick – slick from heat, slick from desire and the  scent!  Oh
God , that scent! It was going to drive Dean insane.
His hands moved without actual thought, grasping Cas’s legs and pushing them up
and out, Cas quickly reaching down to grab the backs of his thighs and hold
them up, exposing himself completely to Dean’s gaze. Dean gulped, his fingers
sliding down torturously slow till they reached Cas’s ass. With firm fingers,
Dean pulled the globes of Cas’s ass apart, showing the fluttering hole. Cas
shook under his gaze and he pleaded, “Dean, please…please!”
Dean lunged forward, licking up slick, the scent of it bursting over his taste
buds. His eyes fluttered closed with a moan, his tongue swirling closer and
closer to Cas’s hole until it slipped inside, tasting the slick from its
source. He plunged his tongue in and out and around the edges of his entrance.
Cas was already rocking back on his tongue when Dean slowly, finally, added a
finger. The pressure that bore down on him was amazing, and Dean imagined that
tight pressure, that wet hole wrapped around his dick and his eyes rolled back
in his head at the thought.
One finger became two, and eventually three. Cas was chanting Dean’s name,
calling out please, again and again. “I’m ready, Dean, we’re ready,
please…please, for the love of all that is holy, make me yours.”
“Only if you make me yours in return,” Dean whispered. With a finale thrust of
his tongue, Dean slid up again so that their lips could meet. Cas tasted
himself on Dean and shuddered at the feelings that invoked. He was burning up
and he needed – oh so goddamn badly! Needed a knot, that piece of Dean he’d
been tantalized with long ago and had to deny himself.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Cas panted between kisses, writhing and pushing down on the
fingers still in his ass. Suddenly they were gone and he whined. His whine cut
short as something else, something hard and blunt and  big  pressed against his
hole, slowly pressing in. Was Dean always this big? Cas wondered.
Then Dean was in and Cas ceased to care, rocking down Dean’s hard length and
wrapping his legs around the Alpha’s waist, his hands scrabbling for a hold on
Dean. One hand gripped at the small of Dean’s back, trying to pull him against
Cas harder, deeper, the other tangled in the short locks of brownish hair.
Dean tried to go slow, tried to make it last, but the wet, tight heat of Cas’s
ass proved too much. He fell against the Omega and thrust, then thrust again.
He gasped, and tears filled his eyes at the overwhelming feeling, the sense of
rightness and love coursing through him. Desperately, Dean’s lips moved over
Cas’s, parting and diving back in, then parting briefly again with every
panting, euphoric breath.
Through a haze, Dean could hear Cas crying out with every thrust, every glide
of Dean’s cock in Cas’s ass, every thrust against that special spot, that
little nub that sent even more pleasure than Dean or cas had ever thought
possible zinging through the Omega.
The thrusts grew frantic – the heat and the rut laying claim to them now – and
Dean knew it was now or never, before they were lost in the desperate longing
and week long fucking. His knot caught on Cas’s rim and Cas made a sound Dean
had never heard before. He trailed his lips across Cas’s jaw, down to his neck,
feeling Cas do the same.
They licked, preparing for the right moment, the moment they needed for a bite,
for a mark. Dean’s hips pistoned into Cas, his cock driving deep and then Cas’s
hand moved. Sliding further down Dean’s lower back, down and down across the
swell of his ass, Cas’s hand kneaded and groped.
When the tip of a single finger breached  Dean’s  hole, his knot caught and
locked with a yell. His hips thrust forward and tried to thrust back into that
finger – oh hell, how had he never thought to try that with himself? – and he
whimpered at the very shallow thrust it gained him.
Cas once more took mercy on Dean and speared him with that single finger and
Dean locked up, coming and biting down, the taste of blood pooling in his mouth
– not as unpleasant as he’d feared, instead causing lightning to travel down
his spine. He thought nothing could feel better than this moment – until Cas
bit down and he came again and again, his hips trying their damndest to keep
thrusting, but inhibited by the locking of his knot.
With a final lick to Cas’s throat, Dean found his mouth again, his hips
stuttering as orgasm after orgasm washed through him, through them both, Dean
getting coated in slick and sticky white spend. Every gasp and moan meant Cas
clenched around Dean’s cock, and each clench had Dean spilling more and more.
Panting hard, Dean finally stopped thrusting and rolled to his side, pulling
Cas along with him. Their legs tangled as they stared at each other reverently.
Nothing outwardly had changed other than the others bite mark now appearing on
their necks, but they knew that  everything  had changed now.
Now they were mates.
They’d become friends first, then fathers together, and now, finally and
officially, mates.
It had been worth the wait, Dean acknowledged at last. He’d once made his
argument to Cas about the age of consent, but it had been worth the wait, to
meet Cas as an equal. Not as a student, or a kid, but as a man, free and clear
of the myriad stigmas of his age.
From this moment forward, they’d take their lives together. They’d already
learned each other’s ways, their habits, their likes and dislikes and hopes and
dreams.
Now they would put it to use.
===============================================================================
 
Bonus Scene:
Cas sat at the kitchen table, several white envelopes in his mother’s neat
handwriting spread before him. He was frowning down at them when Dean found him
there, Joshua in his arms. The little boy’s delight at seeing Papa distracted
Cas into looking up at his precious little boy. Joshua – the blonde hair he’d
been born with darkening to a rich brown only a few weeks after his birth –
eagerly reached out his arms and Dean chuckled.
“Hey, little one,” Cas crooned at the freckled, green eyed boy, now a little
over a year old and  very  active, taking him into his own arms and cuddling
him close.
“Whatchya got there, babe?” Dean nodded at the envelopes. “Mail came?”
“No, I found these in the garbage.” Cas resolutely didn’t look at them again as
he bounced his giggling little boy on his knee.
“What?” Dean smelled just as startled as he sounded and Cas relaxed to know for
certain that Dean had had nothing to do with it. He hadn’t really believed it
anyway, but…people had surprised him before. Dean sat down beside Cas and
pulled one of the innocent looking envelopes closer to him. He blinked and
swore when he saw the name on it and shoved it away. “What the fuck are  they
writing you for?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t found the courage to look yet.” Cas looked at his
mate. “Would you…?”
“Of course,” Dean said, leaning in to kiss Cas. With Joshua in Cas’s lap, Dean
had to keep it short and chaste, but it still sent a happy warmth through his
body. Dean picked up the earliest letter and unceremoniously ripped it open. He
scanned its contents briefly before snarling, the paper crinkling in his hands.
“Oh  fuck  no! Cas, these are all going right back in the trash. Whoever did
that the first time had the right idea.”
“Tell me what it said, Dean,” Cas insisted.
“Now that you’ve been proven ‘innocent’ of wrongdoing, they want you to come
back home. With Joshua. And they don’t even ask very nicely. They just
sorta…demand it. And your mate isn’t even mentioned. Or your brother.”
“In other words, they just want their grandchild under their thumb the way I
was,” Cas stated flatly. He didn’t even bother asking how his parents knew
about Joshua. It had become public knowledge with his court case against the
school. “Never going to happen.”
Dean shook his head and scooted closer to Cas and their son, folding them into
a hug. “No, not after the way they treated you and your brother – but
especially you. They don’t deserve any of you.”
Cas hummed happily at Dean’s heartfelt declaration and leaned his head against
his Alpha’s, smiling at Joshua as he giggled and wiggled to get down on the
floor. Gently lowering him to his feet, the two of them watched him explore.
“Y’know, I bet it was Mom,” Dean said finally.
“Hmm?” Cas was so lost in the comforting warmth of Dean’s arms and the joy of
watching their son play with the magnets on the fridge that the words confused
him for a second.
“Who threw the letters out. I’m pretty sure if your parents ever have the gall
to actually come  here  instead of writing letters, it won’t fare too well for
them. Not even counting me, ‘cause you know I got your back, Cas, but if Mom
doesn’t get ‘em, pretty sure Dad will,” Dean said softly.
Cas looked up at Dean, so filled with love he was sure he would burst at any
second. “I still don’t know how I got so lucky to get you and your family,
Dean. You’re amazing, all of you.”
Dean blushed and ducked his head into Cas’s neck. He mumbled something Cas
couldn’t hear but the embarrassedly pleased scent tickled his nose and he
smiled, turning back to watch as Joshua plopped down on his diapered butt with
a giggle, sliding another giant, letter magnet across the fridge.
This was his life now and he couldn’t be happier, despite the rough start to
it.
Everything had worked out.
And his parents would never be able to take that away from him.


Chapter End Notes
     So i know some of you were really hoping for a face to face
     confrontation between Mary and the Novaks - I'm sorry you didn't get
     that, but I hope you enjoyed the story anyway!
     What's next on my agenda?
         * The Saileen Big Bang (written and ready)
         * The DCBB (Written and Ready - Posting Date is Nov 8th! Lammas
           Night - a fantasy Destiel AU - keep your eye out for it!)
         * The DWBB (Dean Winchester Big Bang - in process - posts in
           spring)
         * PineFest (In process - posts in spring)
         * SPN ABO Bingo (In process - I think I have 4 squares left? Due
           Date December 1st!)
     those are my active signed up for projects. I also have a couple of
     short story series that are still in process that i'll add to as i go
     ( Strength of a Bond, The McCoy Files, and Tales from a Candy Store)
     and of course, Tumblr prompts which have not all migrated here as of
     yet (not sure they all will :( I didn't like the way they got
     organized and i'm still not sure what i want to do about it because
     the only way to fix it the way i want is to delete and move things
     around and i'm pretty sure that will annoy people :( )
     Again! Thanks for reading! stop by on Tumblr and drop me a line
     anytime :D
End Notes
     Thanks go to DrDean for beta'ing my story :D
     Come visit me on tumblr
     This entire fic is already written - the plan is to update once a
     week while i concentrate on my DWBB and my Pinefest and my SPN ABO
     Bingo Card (my DCBB is already done)
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