SPN/J2 BB: Family of Choice 3/6
~*~
Part Three
~*~
Castiel lay on his side in Dean's bed, feeling almost empty. It wasn't a physical sensation, though for much of the previous night Dean had kept him filled as Castiel was thoroughly ridden of his virginity, but more of an emotional ache. He'd barely known what he was doing the previous night, and wondered if he was really old enough. Dean had seem quite experienced, knowing just what to do and where to touch to drive Castiel insane with want, and he had to wonder whether the older boy just saw him as a conquest. Especially considering that he was now alone in the bedroom, having been woken up by what sounded like the Winchesters leaving.
More than anything, Castiel wished he had an adult he could talk to about things like this. It had felt good at the time, but now...
“Hey Cas!” Sam shouted, and a few seconds later Castiel felt a small body land on the bed. “Wake up, wake up, Dean's gone to get the stuff to make banana pancakes! Means he's in a really good mood, I don't normally get pancakes unless it's a special day.”
“Really?” Castiel asked as he slowly sat up. Sam seemed incredibly excited, crawling up the bed to sit with him. “I was unsure if maybe he would prefer me to leave...”
“Nah, if he wanted you gone he wouldn't have invited you here to begin with,” Sam shrugged. “He likes you. Like, more than like. He wants to keep you safe and kiss you all the time and do all that other stuff too. I think he wants to marry you or something.” The boy took a break to breath, but continued before Castiel could formulate a response. “Can two boys get married? Would you be a mom and a dad, or would you both be dads? Oh, if you're sticking around, you can ride up front in the Impala with Dean, I don't mind, I usually hafta sit in the back when Dad's here anyway.”
“I see.” Castiel was still stuck on the 'he wants to marry you' part, but he got the general gist of what Sam was saying.
Cas would be welcome in this family.
“Oh hey,” Sam started again, and Castiel realised that he wasn't likely to get many chances to respond. “Can I see your wings again? They're really neat. Dean doesn't believe in angels, but I do. I pray every night, even if it's just in my head.”
Since he was still bare-chested, Castiel nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating as he called forth his wings again. It took a lot of focus, and hurt a little as his bones and skin morphed, but soon the black appendages were curled around either side of Sam.
“That's so cool,” Sam was looking up in awe. “How strong are they? Like, can you fly with 'em?”
“I am not very skilled yet,” Castiel admitted. “They are currently a little too small for stable flight. They will grow when I reach adulthood. As for strength...” He curled them in a little tighter, and managed to lift Sam up, cradled in his feathers. “My wings are much stronger than my arms.”
“Awesome.”
After a few seconds, Castiel lowered Sam back to the bed. It was an awkward angle, and truthfully he wasn't very strong yet - but it was enough to impress a twelve year old boy.
“They're really pretty,” Sam stroked the feathers, fingers outlining some of the grey feathers. “How come some are different?”
“Because I am starting to enter maturity,” Castiel smiled softly. “I do not believe that they will ever be as pale as most Eyrians, however they will fade to a dark grey most likely.”
“Neat,” Sam moved closer, almost sitting in Castiel's lap. “So, are you going to stay with us? You helped me with my homework last night, and you make Dean happy.”
“You are certain that Dean wishes for me to remain?” He couldn't help asking. Never having been in this position, Castiel wasn't sure how things were supposed to work.
“I'm certain,” Dean spoke from the doorway then. “Sammy, go have your shower, okay? I gotta talk to Cas. I'll make your pancakes when you get out.”
“Okay,” Sam grabbed some clothes and happily disappeared.
“Kid's a bit of a motor mouth at times,” Dean grinned, “but he's smart. Now, what's got you so worried?”
“I just thought...” Castiel shifted, trying to work out what he'd feared. “I was unsure if you would wish to see me again. After I... 'gave it up to you' last night.” The phrase felt awkward on Castiel's tongue, but he continued anyway. “I was under the impression that it was customary for adolescent boys to ignore their conquests after the lust is consummated.”
“Big words are hard,” Dean complained right before tugging Castiel out of the bed by his arm. “Anyway, you're not a conquest. I don't do that shit. And I want you to stick around for as long as you possibly can. Maybe longer.”
With that, Dean lowered his head to kiss Castiel again, and the emptiness lifted a little.
~*~
After breakfast, when Sam was in the bedroom reading, Dean decided to take the opportunity to have a proper conversation with Cas. He figured there were a few things that they needed to get sorted out, and tugged the younger boy down onto the couch, almost onto his lap.
“So,” he started, running a hand across Castiel's back, “let's get the whole talking thing out of the way. You have wings, you're not really human.”
“No,” Cas shifted, seeming uncomfortable, and Dean leaned forward to kiss his temple. “Eyrians can interbreed with humans, though it is unsure as to whether the child will be human or not.”
“Okay. What about...” Dean paused, trying to find the right words for what he wanted to find out. “Your dad's a bastard. You're not. So Eyrians each have their own moral compasses? Like, you can be good or evil or neutral?”
“Yes,” Castiel nodded. “We are very much like humans, but we can call forth wings. I... I do not know very much about the differences, I am afraid. My father does not like to discuss things with me, and I do not have much of a chance to look at the books in his library.”
Dean nodded and pulled Cas close again. He just couldn't stand seeing Cas upset, and kissed him gently. They made out for a while, until Dean felt that Castiel was relaxed again.
“You're probably wondering why I didn't freak out more,” he started. Cas blinked for a moment, apparently dazed, then his face cleared a little.
“You have been quite... accommodating,” Cas nodded. Dean laughed, running his hand up and down Castiel's side.
“The truth is, my dad's a hunter. He raised me and Sammy to fight monsters.” He felt Cas tense up immediately, and quickly pressed kisses to his face. “Shh, it's okay. Not gonna hurt you. Dad's a bit... he's obsessed with the hunt, trying to find the monster that killed our mom. Me and Sam though, I'm trying to raise him better. We don't kill everything that's not a human, and he's not gonna stay in this life. I'll make sure he does something more.”
“You are very caring,” Castiel was pressing back now, clearly starting to come out of his shell again. “You do quite well raising your brother.”
Dean sighed in relief, pleased that Cas understood. He easily manoeuvred Castiel onto his back and covered him, slowly rubbing his leg against the smaller boy's groin.
“Ah! Dean, Sam is...”
“I know,” Dean smirked down, aligning them both better. “Best be quiet then.” He leant down and kissed Cas again as they rocked together, swallowing the delightful noises that he wanted to hear. Dean felt Castiel lift his legs and wrap them around his waist, not protesting in the slightest, and knew that he didn't want to leave Cas behind when they left.
~*~
About halfway through the next week, Dean sat down with Cas in the cafeteria. Cas looked up, eyes wide with both hope and fear.
“What... are you sure you want to sit here?” Castiel asked. Dean leaned back in his chair and shrugged.
“You okay with it? I'm not a fan of hiding.” They hadn't discussed what they were going to do at school, whether they would admit the thing between them, but Dean was sick of people picking on Cas. He figured that he could more easily protect Cas if everyone knew that they were... well, dating, he guessed.
“Yes,” Castiel's face softened, and Dean grinned. “If you are all right with your reputation as a lady's man being damaged, I am happy to be open about us.”
“Cool.” With that, Dean dug his packed lunch out of his bag and tipped it onto Castiel's lunch tray. “Time to compare edibility. Who's the better cook, me or the cafeteria?”
“You have already proven that,” Cas smiled, ducking his head a little.
Dean was about to respond, when he felt a presence behind him. He turned to see some of the guys from the football team, none looking happy. Internally he groaned, but externally just raised an eyebrow.
“Yes? Can I help you with something?” He asked in his most cocky voice. Out of the corner of his eye, Dean could see that Castiel was slowly edging around so that he could stand quickly if need be, and he approved of the move.
“Why are you sitting with that fag?” One of them asked. Dean looked back blankly for a moment, then stood up, holding himself like his father had taught him.
“Okay, first thing? Quit calling him a fag. It makes you look like a bunch of idiotic ass-holes. Second, I'm sitting with him because I'm dating him, and frankly I'm sick of you lot making his life difficult. Back off, we're both willing to fight you now.”
There was a split-second where the boys were frozen in shock, before the first punch was thrown. Dean easily blocked it and started fighting back, grinning as he did so. He kept glancing over at Castiel, who jumped into the fray alongside him, but the boy was handling himself well. The fact that the jocks had no idea how to really fight, especially not as a group, worked well for Dean and Castiel. There was a brief moment where the two were back to back, pressed against each other as they were surrounded, but it just served to fire them both up even more.
The fight lasted only a few minutes before teachers and older students broke it up. Without thinking, Dean turned and pulled Cas towards him, leaning down to kiss him. Castiel kissed back eagerly, high on adrenaline, while silence fell. They pulled apart after a moment, and Dean glared defiantly around at anyone who looked disapproving while his arm was still wrapped around Castiel's waist.
While he knew that there would be some fallout, Dean didn't really care. He was going to make Castiel's life better through whatever means he could, and the two things Dean was best at were fighting and flirting.
~*~
Dean glared down at the form in his hand. He was meant to go on an overnight trip to the next town for one of his classes, but that would mean leaving Sam on his own all night, which simply wasn't going to happen. What if Sam needed him? What if some sort of creature attacked?
“Hello Dean.”
He was pulled out of his musing by Castiel's low voice, and smiled in reflex as he turned.
“Hey Cas,” he responded, pulling his boyfriend in for a kiss. “Ready to head home?”
“Yes,” Cas nodded solemnly and easily fell into step beside him. After a while of walking in silence, something occurred to Dean and he smacked himself on the forehead. He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been.
“Dean?” Castiel enquired, head tilted and slight confusion on his face. “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah,” Dean grinned. “Just realised a solution for something. I need to go on an overnight trip next Thursday. Think you could stay with Sammy? Between the two of you, you should be able to protect yourselves if, y'know... something goes wrong.”
After a pause, Castiel nodded, and Dean sighed in relief.
“It would be an honour to be entrusted with Sam for the night.”
“You're awesome,” Dean kissed his temple as they arrived at the elementary school gates, where Sam was already waiting for them.
“Dean! Cas! Look!” Sam bounced on the balls of his feet, waving a piece of paper at them so fast that Dean couldn't tell what it was. “I got everything right on my math quiz!”
“Awesome!” Dean grabbed Sam in a hug, something he'd been doing a lot more of lately. “How did you manage that? You usually hate math.”
“Cas has been helping me with my homework. I understand it now!” Sam looked so excited about understanding something that he hadn't before, that Dean couldn't help but laugh.
“Well,” he chuckled, wrapping an arm around each of his boys as they started walking home, “you two make a pretty good team. Think you'll survive a night with just the two of you next week?”
“Are you going away?” Sam looked up, a slight tremor in his voice that Dean picked up on easily.
“Just for one night,” he quickly reassured his brother. “Stupid school requirement. But Cas'll stay with you, and when I get back we'll have a pizza party. That sound okay?”
“Okay,” Sam nodded, though he still sounded doubtful. “You'll be careful, won't you?”
“Of course. Not gonna leave you, baby boy. Promise.”
Sam nodded and snuggled in a little closer as they walked. Dean didn't mind, he knew exactly how Sam felt.
~*~
Castiel smiled as he stood in front of the microwave, waiting for the popcorn to pop. He'd already helped Sam with his homework, which wasn't difficult with such a smart child, so they were going to watch a movie together. Castiel knew that Sam was missing his brother, so was doing what he could to make the separation easier.
“Can we watch this one?” Sam asked, coming into the room. Castiel tilted his head to get a better look at the title, then nodded. “Thanks Cas!”
Shaking his head a little, Castiel turned back to the popcorn which was just starting to pop.
“It is not a hard choice,” he explained. “I doubt that Dean would leave anything here that he did not want you seeing.”
“It's not just that,” Sam scrambled up to sit on the counter. Without thinking, Castiel lifted him up, earning a smile. “I want you to enjoy it too.”
“I'm sure I will. I have not seen many movies, but I trust your judgement.”
They waited until the popcorn was finished, then Sam jumped down from the counter and fetched a bowl for it. As Castiel finished preparing the snacks Sam pulled two sodas from the fridge and went back to put on the tape.
Castiel joined him soon, and settled in for a relaxing two hours or so with Sam curled up by his side. Something about the whole situation felt right, as though this was how life was meant to be. The only thing missing was Dean, but they were okay without him for one night.
~*~
He was woken from a wonderful dream about Dean by a soft whimpering sound. For several moments Castiel didn't even realise what it was, until he opened his eyes and saw Sam shaking. He quickly climbed out of bed and moved over to the younger boy, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“Sam? What is wrong?”
Sam continued to shake and make pitiful noises without opening his eyes, and Castiel realised he must be having a nightmare. So he shook Sam's shoulder a little and called out a little louder.
“Sam! Wake up, it's just a dream. Open your eyes and look at me.” After a second, the boy did, and Castiel smiled down as comfortingly as he could. “Are you all right?”
“Cas,” Sam whispered, then threw himself into Castiel's arms. Castiel was taken by surprise, but he held on as Sam started crying. “It was horrible! All dark and scary and Dean wasn't there, I couldn't find him no matter how hard I looked, and I thought I could hear you but I couldn't find you either, and, and, and...” he trailed off into sobs, and Castiel was at a bit of a loss as to what to do. Having never been comforted after a nightmare, he didn't have a lot to base his actions on. So he tried to recall what people did in books, and started rocking back and forth.
“It's all right now,” he murmured. “I am here. Dean will return tomorrow, and you are safe here with me. I will not let you come to any harm.” He wasn't sure that he was all that good at this comforting thing, but slowly Sam's tears tapered off.
“Cas?” Sam asked in a quiet voice, and Castiel hummed in acknowledgement. “Could you... sleep here? In this bed?”
“Of course,” Castiel responded immediately, and the pair lay down again, this time with Sam cuddling right up to Castiel. “Is this what you want?”
“Yeah,” Sam nodded. “Um... d'you think you could... tell me a story? Something to help me get back to sleep?”
Castiel blinked, trying to think of a story he could tell a young boy. After a few seconds, he decided to just make something up.
“Once upon a time, there was a little girl with golden hair and wings. She was a curious child, always flying off and getting lost because she wanted to find new things...”
It didn't take long before Sam was breathing deeply, fast asleep again, and Castiel sighed in relief. He closed his eyes as well, waiting for sleep to claim him.
~*~
When Dean got home Friday afternoon, it was to see Sam and Cas sitting on the couch facing each other and playing cards. He grinned as they both looked up, both smiling at the same time.
“Dean!” Sam shouted, abandoning the cards and scrambling up to launch himself into Dean's arms. “You're back!”
“Of course I'm back,” Dean hugged his brother, laughing a little. “I said I would be. You two have fun by yourselves?”
“We were fine,” Sam spoke quickly - a little too quickly. Dean raised an eyebrow at Castiel, who shrugged.
“We managed all right,” Cas confirmed. “You were missed though.”
“Aw,” Dean released Sam and went to give his boyfriend a kiss. “You two are such saps.”
“Are you saying that you did not miss us?” Castiel asked. He seemed completely serious, though there was something in his eyes that suggested he was teasing Dean.
“Of course I did,” Dean admitted, pulling Cas up and hugging him, sneaking in a quick squeeze to Castiel's ass as he did so. “But I was by myself. You two had each other to cry to.”
“Stop being a jerk,” Sam cut in, pulling a face, and Dean knew that it had been worse than Sam was letting on. “You promised pizza.”
“That I did. Let's order.” Pizza was a good enough distraction. Later on, Dean would find out from Cas just how badly Sam had reacted to being left for the night, but for now he'd let Sam pretend everything was fine.
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Part Three
~*~
Castiel lay on his side in Dean's bed, feeling almost empty. It wasn't a physical sensation, though for much of the previous night Dean had kept him filled as Castiel was thoroughly ridden of his virginity, but more of an emotional ache. He'd barely known what he was doing the previous night, and wondered if he was really old enough. Dean had seem quite experienced, knowing just what to do and where to touch to drive Castiel insane with want, and he had to wonder whether the older boy just saw him as a conquest. Especially considering that he was now alone in the bedroom, having been woken up by what sounded like the Winchesters leaving.
More than anything, Castiel wished he had an adult he could talk to about things like this. It had felt good at the time, but now...
“Hey Cas!” Sam shouted, and a few seconds later Castiel felt a small body land on the bed. “Wake up, wake up, Dean's gone to get the stuff to make banana pancakes! Means he's in a really good mood, I don't normally get pancakes unless it's a special day.”
“Really?” Castiel asked as he slowly sat up. Sam seemed incredibly excited, crawling up the bed to sit with him. “I was unsure if maybe he would prefer me to leave...”
“Nah, if he wanted you gone he wouldn't have invited you here to begin with,” Sam shrugged. “He likes you. Like, more than like. He wants to keep you safe and kiss you all the time and do all that other stuff too. I think he wants to marry you or something.” The boy took a break to breath, but continued before Castiel could formulate a response. “Can two boys get married? Would you be a mom and a dad, or would you both be dads? Oh, if you're sticking around, you can ride up front in the Impala with Dean, I don't mind, I usually hafta sit in the back when Dad's here anyway.”
“I see.” Castiel was still stuck on the 'he wants to marry you' part, but he got the general gist of what Sam was saying.
Cas would be welcome in this family.
“Oh hey,” Sam started again, and Castiel realised that he wasn't likely to get many chances to respond. “Can I see your wings again? They're really neat. Dean doesn't believe in angels, but I do. I pray every night, even if it's just in my head.”
Since he was still bare-chested, Castiel nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating as he called forth his wings again. It took a lot of focus, and hurt a little as his bones and skin morphed, but soon the black appendages were curled around either side of Sam.
“That's so cool,” Sam was looking up in awe. “How strong are they? Like, can you fly with 'em?”
“I am not very skilled yet,” Castiel admitted. “They are currently a little too small for stable flight. They will grow when I reach adulthood. As for strength...” He curled them in a little tighter, and managed to lift Sam up, cradled in his feathers. “My wings are much stronger than my arms.”
“Awesome.”
After a few seconds, Castiel lowered Sam back to the bed. It was an awkward angle, and truthfully he wasn't very strong yet - but it was enough to impress a twelve year old boy.
“They're really pretty,” Sam stroked the feathers, fingers outlining some of the grey feathers. “How come some are different?”
“Because I am starting to enter maturity,” Castiel smiled softly. “I do not believe that they will ever be as pale as most Eyrians, however they will fade to a dark grey most likely.”
“Neat,” Sam moved closer, almost sitting in Castiel's lap. “So, are you going to stay with us? You helped me with my homework last night, and you make Dean happy.”
“You are certain that Dean wishes for me to remain?” He couldn't help asking. Never having been in this position, Castiel wasn't sure how things were supposed to work.
“I'm certain,” Dean spoke from the doorway then. “Sammy, go have your shower, okay? I gotta talk to Cas. I'll make your pancakes when you get out.”
“Okay,” Sam grabbed some clothes and happily disappeared.
“Kid's a bit of a motor mouth at times,” Dean grinned, “but he's smart. Now, what's got you so worried?”
“I just thought...” Castiel shifted, trying to work out what he'd feared. “I was unsure if you would wish to see me again. After I... 'gave it up to you' last night.” The phrase felt awkward on Castiel's tongue, but he continued anyway. “I was under the impression that it was customary for adolescent boys to ignore their conquests after the lust is consummated.”
“Big words are hard,” Dean complained right before tugging Castiel out of the bed by his arm. “Anyway, you're not a conquest. I don't do that shit. And I want you to stick around for as long as you possibly can. Maybe longer.”
With that, Dean lowered his head to kiss Castiel again, and the emptiness lifted a little.
~*~
After breakfast, when Sam was in the bedroom reading, Dean decided to take the opportunity to have a proper conversation with Cas. He figured there were a few things that they needed to get sorted out, and tugged the younger boy down onto the couch, almost onto his lap.
“So,” he started, running a hand across Castiel's back, “let's get the whole talking thing out of the way. You have wings, you're not really human.”
“No,” Cas shifted, seeming uncomfortable, and Dean leaned forward to kiss his temple. “Eyrians can interbreed with humans, though it is unsure as to whether the child will be human or not.”
“Okay. What about...” Dean paused, trying to find the right words for what he wanted to find out. “Your dad's a bastard. You're not. So Eyrians each have their own moral compasses? Like, you can be good or evil or neutral?”
“Yes,” Castiel nodded. “We are very much like humans, but we can call forth wings. I... I do not know very much about the differences, I am afraid. My father does not like to discuss things with me, and I do not have much of a chance to look at the books in his library.”
Dean nodded and pulled Cas close again. He just couldn't stand seeing Cas upset, and kissed him gently. They made out for a while, until Dean felt that Castiel was relaxed again.
“You're probably wondering why I didn't freak out more,” he started. Cas blinked for a moment, apparently dazed, then his face cleared a little.
“You have been quite... accommodating,” Cas nodded. Dean laughed, running his hand up and down Castiel's side.
“The truth is, my dad's a hunter. He raised me and Sammy to fight monsters.” He felt Cas tense up immediately, and quickly pressed kisses to his face. “Shh, it's okay. Not gonna hurt you. Dad's a bit... he's obsessed with the hunt, trying to find the monster that killed our mom. Me and Sam though, I'm trying to raise him better. We don't kill everything that's not a human, and he's not gonna stay in this life. I'll make sure he does something more.”
“You are very caring,” Castiel was pressing back now, clearly starting to come out of his shell again. “You do quite well raising your brother.”
Dean sighed in relief, pleased that Cas understood. He easily manoeuvred Castiel onto his back and covered him, slowly rubbing his leg against the smaller boy's groin.
“Ah! Dean, Sam is...”
“I know,” Dean smirked down, aligning them both better. “Best be quiet then.” He leant down and kissed Cas again as they rocked together, swallowing the delightful noises that he wanted to hear. Dean felt Castiel lift his legs and wrap them around his waist, not protesting in the slightest, and knew that he didn't want to leave Cas behind when they left.
~*~
About halfway through the next week, Dean sat down with Cas in the cafeteria. Cas looked up, eyes wide with both hope and fear.
“What... are you sure you want to sit here?” Castiel asked. Dean leaned back in his chair and shrugged.
“You okay with it? I'm not a fan of hiding.” They hadn't discussed what they were going to do at school, whether they would admit the thing between them, but Dean was sick of people picking on Cas. He figured that he could more easily protect Cas if everyone knew that they were... well, dating, he guessed.
“Yes,” Castiel's face softened, and Dean grinned. “If you are all right with your reputation as a lady's man being damaged, I am happy to be open about us.”
“Cool.” With that, Dean dug his packed lunch out of his bag and tipped it onto Castiel's lunch tray. “Time to compare edibility. Who's the better cook, me or the cafeteria?”
“You have already proven that,” Cas smiled, ducking his head a little.
Dean was about to respond, when he felt a presence behind him. He turned to see some of the guys from the football team, none looking happy. Internally he groaned, but externally just raised an eyebrow.
“Yes? Can I help you with something?” He asked in his most cocky voice. Out of the corner of his eye, Dean could see that Castiel was slowly edging around so that he could stand quickly if need be, and he approved of the move.
“Why are you sitting with that fag?” One of them asked. Dean looked back blankly for a moment, then stood up, holding himself like his father had taught him.
“Okay, first thing? Quit calling him a fag. It makes you look like a bunch of idiotic ass-holes. Second, I'm sitting with him because I'm dating him, and frankly I'm sick of you lot making his life difficult. Back off, we're both willing to fight you now.”
There was a split-second where the boys were frozen in shock, before the first punch was thrown. Dean easily blocked it and started fighting back, grinning as he did so. He kept glancing over at Castiel, who jumped into the fray alongside him, but the boy was handling himself well. The fact that the jocks had no idea how to really fight, especially not as a group, worked well for Dean and Castiel. There was a brief moment where the two were back to back, pressed against each other as they were surrounded, but it just served to fire them both up even more.
The fight lasted only a few minutes before teachers and older students broke it up. Without thinking, Dean turned and pulled Cas towards him, leaning down to kiss him. Castiel kissed back eagerly, high on adrenaline, while silence fell. They pulled apart after a moment, and Dean glared defiantly around at anyone who looked disapproving while his arm was still wrapped around Castiel's waist.
While he knew that there would be some fallout, Dean didn't really care. He was going to make Castiel's life better through whatever means he could, and the two things Dean was best at were fighting and flirting.
~*~
Dean glared down at the form in his hand. He was meant to go on an overnight trip to the next town for one of his classes, but that would mean leaving Sam on his own all night, which simply wasn't going to happen. What if Sam needed him? What if some sort of creature attacked?
“Hello Dean.”
He was pulled out of his musing by Castiel's low voice, and smiled in reflex as he turned.
“Hey Cas,” he responded, pulling his boyfriend in for a kiss. “Ready to head home?”
“Yes,” Cas nodded solemnly and easily fell into step beside him. After a while of walking in silence, something occurred to Dean and he smacked himself on the forehead. He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been.
“Dean?” Castiel enquired, head tilted and slight confusion on his face. “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah,” Dean grinned. “Just realised a solution for something. I need to go on an overnight trip next Thursday. Think you could stay with Sammy? Between the two of you, you should be able to protect yourselves if, y'know... something goes wrong.”
After a pause, Castiel nodded, and Dean sighed in relief.
“It would be an honour to be entrusted with Sam for the night.”
“You're awesome,” Dean kissed his temple as they arrived at the elementary school gates, where Sam was already waiting for them.
“Dean! Cas! Look!” Sam bounced on the balls of his feet, waving a piece of paper at them so fast that Dean couldn't tell what it was. “I got everything right on my math quiz!”
“Awesome!” Dean grabbed Sam in a hug, something he'd been doing a lot more of lately. “How did you manage that? You usually hate math.”
“Cas has been helping me with my homework. I understand it now!” Sam looked so excited about understanding something that he hadn't before, that Dean couldn't help but laugh.
“Well,” he chuckled, wrapping an arm around each of his boys as they started walking home, “you two make a pretty good team. Think you'll survive a night with just the two of you next week?”
“Are you going away?” Sam looked up, a slight tremor in his voice that Dean picked up on easily.
“Just for one night,” he quickly reassured his brother. “Stupid school requirement. But Cas'll stay with you, and when I get back we'll have a pizza party. That sound okay?”
“Okay,” Sam nodded, though he still sounded doubtful. “You'll be careful, won't you?”
“Of course. Not gonna leave you, baby boy. Promise.”
Sam nodded and snuggled in a little closer as they walked. Dean didn't mind, he knew exactly how Sam felt.
~*~
Castiel smiled as he stood in front of the microwave, waiting for the popcorn to pop. He'd already helped Sam with his homework, which wasn't difficult with such a smart child, so they were going to watch a movie together. Castiel knew that Sam was missing his brother, so was doing what he could to make the separation easier.
“Can we watch this one?” Sam asked, coming into the room. Castiel tilted his head to get a better look at the title, then nodded. “Thanks Cas!”
Shaking his head a little, Castiel turned back to the popcorn which was just starting to pop.
“It is not a hard choice,” he explained. “I doubt that Dean would leave anything here that he did not want you seeing.”
“It's not just that,” Sam scrambled up to sit on the counter. Without thinking, Castiel lifted him up, earning a smile. “I want you to enjoy it too.”
“I'm sure I will. I have not seen many movies, but I trust your judgement.”
They waited until the popcorn was finished, then Sam jumped down from the counter and fetched a bowl for it. As Castiel finished preparing the snacks Sam pulled two sodas from the fridge and went back to put on the tape.
Castiel joined him soon, and settled in for a relaxing two hours or so with Sam curled up by his side. Something about the whole situation felt right, as though this was how life was meant to be. The only thing missing was Dean, but they were okay without him for one night.
~*~
He was woken from a wonderful dream about Dean by a soft whimpering sound. For several moments Castiel didn't even realise what it was, until he opened his eyes and saw Sam shaking. He quickly climbed out of bed and moved over to the younger boy, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“Sam? What is wrong?”
Sam continued to shake and make pitiful noises without opening his eyes, and Castiel realised he must be having a nightmare. So he shook Sam's shoulder a little and called out a little louder.
“Sam! Wake up, it's just a dream. Open your eyes and look at me.” After a second, the boy did, and Castiel smiled down as comfortingly as he could. “Are you all right?”
“Cas,” Sam whispered, then threw himself into Castiel's arms. Castiel was taken by surprise, but he held on as Sam started crying. “It was horrible! All dark and scary and Dean wasn't there, I couldn't find him no matter how hard I looked, and I thought I could hear you but I couldn't find you either, and, and, and...” he trailed off into sobs, and Castiel was at a bit of a loss as to what to do. Having never been comforted after a nightmare, he didn't have a lot to base his actions on. So he tried to recall what people did in books, and started rocking back and forth.
“It's all right now,” he murmured. “I am here. Dean will return tomorrow, and you are safe here with me. I will not let you come to any harm.” He wasn't sure that he was all that good at this comforting thing, but slowly Sam's tears tapered off.
“Cas?” Sam asked in a quiet voice, and Castiel hummed in acknowledgement. “Could you... sleep here? In this bed?”
“Of course,” Castiel responded immediately, and the pair lay down again, this time with Sam cuddling right up to Castiel. “Is this what you want?”
“Yeah,” Sam nodded. “Um... d'you think you could... tell me a story? Something to help me get back to sleep?”
Castiel blinked, trying to think of a story he could tell a young boy. After a few seconds, he decided to just make something up.
“Once upon a time, there was a little girl with golden hair and wings. She was a curious child, always flying off and getting lost because she wanted to find new things...”
It didn't take long before Sam was breathing deeply, fast asleep again, and Castiel sighed in relief. He closed his eyes as well, waiting for sleep to claim him.
~*~
When Dean got home Friday afternoon, it was to see Sam and Cas sitting on the couch facing each other and playing cards. He grinned as they both looked up, both smiling at the same time.
“Dean!” Sam shouted, abandoning the cards and scrambling up to launch himself into Dean's arms. “You're back!”
“Of course I'm back,” Dean hugged his brother, laughing a little. “I said I would be. You two have fun by yourselves?”
“We were fine,” Sam spoke quickly - a little too quickly. Dean raised an eyebrow at Castiel, who shrugged.
“We managed all right,” Cas confirmed. “You were missed though.”
“Aw,” Dean released Sam and went to give his boyfriend a kiss. “You two are such saps.”
“Are you saying that you did not miss us?” Castiel asked. He seemed completely serious, though there was something in his eyes that suggested he was teasing Dean.
“Of course I did,” Dean admitted, pulling Cas up and hugging him, sneaking in a quick squeeze to Castiel's ass as he did so. “But I was by myself. You two had each other to cry to.”
“Stop being a jerk,” Sam cut in, pulling a face, and Dean knew that it had been worse than Sam was letting on. “You promised pizza.”
“That I did. Let's order.” Pizza was a good enough distraction. Later on, Dean would find out from Cas just how badly Sam had reacted to being left for the night, but for now he'd let Sam pretend everything was fine.
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