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With a few more clicks of his mouse, Dean was done with the form. He made sure the changes had been saved before closing out the document. He got up to find his old man, who was in the lobby talking to Pamela. John glanced up when he saw Dean walking over, “You’re off to Cas’s?”
“Gonna run home and shower first, then I’ll be on my way.”
“Good, you don’t wanna smell like sweat, grease, and motor oil around your man.” Pamela winked.
“I don’t want to sink up Baby.” Dean corrected, “That’s a long time on the road and I don’t want this smell to become permanent.” Pamela rolled her eyes, clearly not believing a word.“I’ll walk you out.” John told him and Dean said his goodbyes to Pamela before pushing through the glass door. Holding it opened until John had his palm against the glass.
“So, what are your plans this weekend?”
“Sam and Jess want to cook me dinner tonight.”
“Oh no!” Dean gasped, “Poor soul! What are they making?”
“Quinoa and vegetable stir-fry.” Dean made a gagging noise but John didn’t look amused. “Then we’re going to play a few rounds of Clue.”
Dean leaned against Baby and crossed his arms. “This is what you get for setting up a guest bedroom, you know that right?”
“I love having them over.” Dean raised a brow, “If I get to missing my red meat I’ll send them over your way.”
“You probably should, someone needs to feed them real food.” Dean chuckled as he patted himself down in search of his keys.
“Do you know if Cas has any plans for Christmas?” John asked so bluntly Dean felt like his eyeballs would pop out of his skull.“I… I don’t know.”
John hummed, “I guess I should ask if you were planning to spend it with him.”
The omega’s hand went to the back of his neck. “I umm… Well, I wanted to do something with him but I’m still going to spend Christmas with you guys.”
“See what Cas’s plans are and if he’s free, invite him, Jack, and Rowena over.”
Dean's mouth hung open while he kept waiting to see if his dad was messing with him. Only John didn’t make jokes, at least, he would never tease Dean like that. His old man was being serious. “Y-yeah, sure. I’ll see if they’re free.”
John smiled, “Good, be safe on the road and text me when you get there.”
“Sure,” Dean said, turning around and going to unlock his car before a thought occurred to him. He spun on his heels, “You gotta tell Sam to be nice to Cas.”
John looked taken back, “Has he not been?”
“As far as I've seen, but I don’t want Sam getting his panties in a wad if Cas can come over”
“I’ll talk with him, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
Dean hummed, though he wasn’t sure if his old man was right. He had seen his brother and boyfriend kind of interacting. Dean could tell Sam was trying, but he worried inviting Cas over for Christmas would push on his brother’s threshold. If Cas could make it hopefully Jack would soften up Sam. His brother had taken to the pup, especially after he learned Jack loved being read too. His brother had gone out and borrowed all kinds of pup books to read to Jack when it was nap time. So maybe his dad was right, it wouldn’t be so bad, but Dean couldn’t get rid of the nauseous feeling swirling in his stomach. It stayed with him as he showered and was still there when he grabbed the to-go bag he had packed the night before.
Dean couldn’t place the reason behind the feeling until he was halfway to Cas’s. It hit him that he was anxious Cas wouldn’t accept the offer. Which was cool if he didn’t, because it was the second week of December and Cas might have already made plans with Rowena. Yet the logic was drowning in Dean’s fear of rejection. Only it wasn’t really rejection! In the grand scheme of things, he and the alpha hadn’t been dating all that long. If this was a normal relationship, it probably would have been too soon to ask Cas to join him for Christmas. However, this wasn’t a normal relationship because the circumcision of how they got together wasn’t normal. Dean met his now boyfriend because Cas’s ex-husband kidnapped him. Of course, Crowley only sparked a friendship between the two of them. It took Alastair kidnapping Cas for Dean to pull his head out of his ass and admit his feelings. Well, he kind of admitted his feelings to Cas after the alpha kissed him by laying it on him like a pop-tart, but that’s not the point. The point was nothing about how they became friends or got romantically involved was normal but it worked.
Hell, Dean wasn’t sure if Cas knew he considered him his boyfriend. He was sure the alpha knew, they saw each other every weekend. Most of the time Dean was spending his weekend with Cas and Jack. Rowena had offered to watch Jack on Saturday nights so the two could go out. They did couply things, but they just haven’t talked about it. Which was cool because they didn’t need to. They had a good thing going on, so why make things awkward? Because you’re going to ask Cas to spend Christmas with your family and you have no clue where he stands with you. His mind whispered, but it wasn’t true. Cas was his person and he was Cas’s. That’s where they stood, but it didn’t change he was as nervous as a werewolf in a sliver jewelry store.
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By the time Dean pulled into Cas’s driveway, he was cool as a cucumber. He had two hours to get a hold of himself. Led Zepplin and good ol’ “not thinking” about it helped him not worry like he was some teen asking his crush to prom. Dean strolled up to the door, raising his fist to the door, but before he could land a knock, the door was swinging open.
“Dean!” Cas greeted with a huge smile and blue eyes filled with light. It amazed Dean that the alpha still looked at him like that. Cas has had weeks after Michael’s arrest to get sick of him but the alpha still greeted him like he was the best thing ever. Dean didn’t think he could ever get used to it.
Dorky alpha .
“Heya Cas.”
He managed to say before the guy pulled him closer for a gentle kiss. Which became another kiss and then another before a high-pitched squeal assaulted their ears. “Deeeeeean!”
Dean snorted as he pulled away from Cas. The alpha moved so Dean could step into the apartment. He was able to drop his to-go bag on the couch before he had a pup in front of him, wanting to be held. Dean scooped up the pup and walked further into the tiny house. “Heya Jack! How was your week?”
“S’good, made cookies with papa and then mawmaw took us to see Christmas lights. Then I got to see Santa!” Jack excitedly told him.
“You got to see Santa?” Jack nodded, “That is so awesome! What did you ask him for?”Jack hummed, his eyes darting up as he tried to recall. “Paw Patrol movie, Paw Patrol toys, a teddy bear, for Daddy to never come back, new crayons, and some toy cars.”
Jack’s casual throw in the part about his dad had Dean’s mouth dropping. He glanced over to Cas, who looked extremely uncomfortable. Well, the pup knew what he wanted and Dean couldn’t blame him for wanting to see his crazy dad again. ““I like it! I’m sure Santa is going to give you everything you want and more!” Dean looked over at Cas and winked, making the alpha smile.
“What are you feeling for dinner?” Cas asked.
“Pizza!” Jack happily answered.
“Jack, Dean is our company. He gets to pick.” Jack’s bottom lip pouted, but Cas only lifted a brow.
“I think pizza sounds great, cause I thought we could binge-watch some Christmas movies tonight.” Dean said, earning him a little happy dance from Jack.Cas placed an order for a pepperoni pizza that Dean and Jack would share because the pup had good taste. The alpha ordered a spinach, pineapple, olive, and pepper pizza because the guy was insane. Dean had tried to convince Cas that vegetables didn’t belong on pizza and that putting fruit on a pizza was just a sin. To which Cas said, “I thought you didn’t believe in Jesus” , completely missed the damn point. The alpha was a lost cause, just like Sammy, who also liked a salad on his pizza. They ate and watched the classics, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Story, and Jingle All the Way. They didn’t watch Gremlins because Cas said he had to get Jack ready for bed. Dean had a feeling the alpha had something against Jack watching it. Dean started the movie while Cas bathed Jack, but didn’t get very far into it when Jack requested he be part of story time.
Cas read the first story, about two gooses (Not geese, that would be silly), who were silly and considered outcasts by those around them. They fell in love and somehow adopted two kids and named them Ketchup and Mustard. Jack had Dean read him a Halloween story and he didn’t question why the pup wanted a Halloween story in December, he just read it. Dean read about a wiener dog who was picked on by other dogs and the teasing only got worse when his parents made him a hot dog costume. It was okay, they got what was coming to them when they got the crap scared out of them but a couple of cats. Dean wasn’t sure how it ended, Jack was asleep by the end of it. Cas tucked his son in and kissed him on top of his head before he and Dean sneaked out of the room.“Thanks for reading to him.” Cas whispered as he softly closed the door.
Dean swung his arm over Cas’s shoulder as they began their short trip down the hall. “It was my pleasure, especially when I got to hear you make cartoony voices. Who would have thought someone with such a gravelly voice had it in them?”
Cas chuckled and ducked his head, “I wasn’t planning on doing voices when I began reading bedtime stories to Jack, but toddlers can be very demanding.”
“I bet!” Dean flopped down on the couch.Cas took his seat next to him with much more grace. “What would you like to do now that the pup’s asleep?”“There’s a lot of things I want to do with you. It’s been a week Cas.” Dean smirked when the alpha’s face turned a shade of red. “But I gotta run something by you first.”
“Oh?”
Dean kept his famous smile on, but on the inside, the nerves started to return. It’s okay if he doesn’t want to come. Doesn’t mean he isn’t into you or something like that, so just spit it out. “What are you and Jack doin’ for Christmas?”
Cas’s eyebrows shot up, “Crap! I need to go Christmas shopping. I already got some things but he added a few more stuff to Santa’s list. I think I should still have time to get it and it shouldn’t be too hard to find-”
“Dude, you got like, two more weeks, so don’t worry. We can always drop Jack off at Rowena’s and do some shopping later tomorrow.” Cas relaxed at that thought, “Where will you spend Christmas?”
Cas blinked, “Umm… I guess I haven’t thought about it.” He looked around, “I don’t have a tree yet… Think we’ll be able to find a small one tomorrow?”
Dean licked his lips, “Well, if you wanted to you guys can come over and spend Christmas with us.” Cas’s eyes widened, “Only if you want, and of course, I meant Jack too, as well as Rowena.”
“T-that would be great, but have you spoken to your family about this? I don’t want to intrude.”
“Nah, it’s cool! It was my old man who suggested you come over.” Dean rubbed the back of his neck, “Not like I didn’t want to spend Christmas with ya, I was gonna ask you later and see if we couldn’t make plans, but dad’s already on the roll with planning.”
The stunned expression on Cas’s face only grew, “John wants me over?”
“He does and let me tell you, it’s a blast! Every year we buy sugar cookie dough from a package and a bottle of eggnog. We bake cookies, drink, and watch the greatest Christmas movie ever. Then in the morning, we exchange gifts before loading into the car to visit Bobby. It’ll be a blast.” Dean gave the most charming smile he could muster and it worked! The alpha was looking at him like he was the most adorable thing ever.
“Jack and I would be honored to join your family for Christmas. I’ll call Rowena tomorrow and see if she would like to join us.”“Cool!” Dean turned so he could fall onto the alpha’s lap, the smirk returning. “So it’s been a week.”The alpha chuckled,
“It has.”
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Cas looked over all the packages sitting on the couch. Making sure all the presents were accounted for. John-Check, Sam-Check. Jess-Check, Bobby, Ellen, Jo, and Ash’s-check. Shit, where is Pamela’s? Oh, it’s behind Dean’s gifts, Rowena’s is right there, and I think that was everyone. All of Jack’s presents were in Rowena’s trunk, that way they could sneak the presents under John’s tree while the pup was sleeping. Cas couldn’t wait to see the look on Jack’s face on Christmas morning. To be able to watch his face light up when he saw gifts Santa left under a real tree and not under a fake miniature tree in Cas’s temporary house. Though he had a feeling Rowena would have invited him to stay with her for Christmas if the Winchesters hadn’t offered first. After assuring Jack Santa would find him, no matter where he was, the pup had been ecstatic. He couldn’t wait to spend Christmas with Dean and his family. Another reason Cas would be forever grateful to the Winchesters, they had always treated Jack with love and kindness.
Cas was looking forward to this as well because he hadn’t expected to see Dean until after Christmas. Sure the omega would spend it with his family first before coming over to visit the weekend after. He had been prepared for it but now he was getting to spend Christmas with Dean, he would have realized how lonely he would have been. Sure, he would have had Jack and Rowena. Jack would have still had a good Christmas and would have made Cas’s. However, whenever the omega wasn’t around it felt like a piece of Cas was missing. In a way, it scared him because as much as he used to love Crowley, it never felt like this. Cas used to love the beta, but with Dean, the love he felt was on a whole other level. The omega had the power to crush Cas’s heart and he knew he would never be the same. Yet, for as scary as the thought was, everything in his gut told him Dean would never do that.Still, Cas would be lying if he said he wasn’t exactly nervous at all. Despite seeing Dean’s family a few times since Michael’s arrest, Cas still worried about messing things up with his boyfriend’s family. Which should have been hilarious when he thought about it. Their first meeting was… Memorable… During their first official meeting, he stuck his foot into his mouth. Then again, how much worse could it be than having been married to Dean’s kidnapper? If they were willing to forgive him for that then everything should be alright, right? Cas was still filled with jitters and it only grew when he heard the tell-tale sound of Dean’s car pulling into the driveway. Jack, who had been sitting at his little table, coloring, perked up his head. Cas took a couple of steps to the door and waited until he heard Dean’s boots walking up the concrete steps before opening the door.
Dean’s wide green eyes and fist halfway to the door were a beautiful sight. “How do you do that?”“Hello Dean.” He greeted before taking a step closer, wrapping his arm around the omega’s waist. Cas pulled him closer so he could press a soft kiss onto the other man’s lips.
Dean melted in Cas’s hold and the alpha loved feeling the omega letting go. He went to go deepen the kiss when a small, but powerful yelled “Stop bein’ gross!”
Dean chuckled against his lips before pulling away and clapping his hands together. “Okay! Let’s get everything loaded and we’ll hit the road!”
Dean helped pack the presents in the trunk of the Impala. Then Cas got Jack’s car seat set up in the back seat. Once the presents, their bags, and Jack strapped up in his seat, they were ready to go. Dean dug through his cassette tapes until Led Zepplin II.
“Okay Jack, are you ready to listen to the greatest album from the greatest band ever?”
“Yeah!” Jack answered as excitedly as Dean asked.
“Alright! Let’s do this!” The omega stoved the tape in, “It’s going to be so much fun! There’s going to be so much food and cookies and we’re going to watch the greatest Christmas movie ever!”
Warmth spread through Cas at seeing his two guys happy and their excitement was continuous. What little nerves were there started to melt away. “What’s the greatest Christmas movie ever?”
Dean threw his car into reverse. “Oh, you know, just a little movie called Die Hard.”
The smile fell from Cas’s face, “That doesn’t sound like a kid-friendly movie. It doesn’t even sound like a Christmas movie.”
“Totally a Christmas movie, it takes place on Christmas!”
“I highly doubt it’ll be suitable for Jack.”
“Oh come on, Cas! It’s totally suitable! It’s the movie dad raised me ‘n Sammy on! We watched it every year for Christmas.” Dean said, sounding almost offended that Cas was questioning him.
“But were you four when you started watching it?”
“Yup!” Dean replied, making sure to pop the p at the end. “Welcome to the family, Chuckles! The Winchesters have a lot of fun family traditions.”
“Well… I suppose if it's traditional who am I to knock it?” Cas replied, though he wasn’t completely sold he was going to let his son watch it.
The trip was nice, Dean was wonderful with the pup. He kept Jack entertained by singing off-key and it made Jack giggle. When the pup napped, Dean turned down the music, just loud enough so they could still hear it but it wouldn’t bother Jack. During that time, Dean sought out Cas’s hand when he didn’t need both of them on the wheel. He would rub his thumb over the alpha’s knuckles. Dean and Cas swapped their favorite Christmas stories. Well, Cas did as well as he could. He already told Dean how his mother viewed Christmas, but his father would always make sure to do something special for him and Gabriel. Cas kept those memories close to his heart and told Dean about eating cookies and listening to his father’s stories.
Lawrence was a four-hour trip from Oklahoma City. Cas always left early and he never made the trip in four hours. Something Dean teased him endlessly for, but the omega hadn’t been in a car with Jack yet. Four-year-olds had very tiny bladders and an even smaller threshold for being stuck in a car for long periods. Every half hour they stopped so Jack could use the bathroom and stretch out his legs. Or stopping at a park that Jack saw on the way. When it was time for food, Jack wasn’t happy with the idea of eating in the car so they ate inside of Burger King. Dean took it all in stride, not once complaining about how long it was taking to return to Lawrence. The omega was patient with Jack and Cas felt himself falling even more in love with him. By the time they made it to Dean’s apartment, it was pushing on Jack’s bedtime and both he and Dean didn’t want to do much. They had a very relaxing night together and it was wonderful to hold the omega in his arms again. Cas allowed himself to focus on this feeling instead of the anxiety that kept trying to rear its ugly head.
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“Papa.” A soft voice spoke before there was another shake. “Papa, wake up.”
Cas peeked an eye open, messy blonde hair obstructed most of his view, but he could still see huge blue eyes staring down at him. Jack was kneeling in front of Dean and watching Cas with intensity. Cas smacked his lips, “Jack? What’s going on?”
“When is Santa comin’?” Jack whispered with urgency in his voice.
“Not until tomorrow, baby.”
Jack audibly sighed, “Okay, just checkin’.”
Then his pup was crawling over Dean, startling the omega. The other man woke up with a choked snore and an unintelligible word that might have been a mixture of “what” and “huh”. Jack wiggled his way between the both of them. When he was pressed against Dean, and was wrapped in Cas’s arm was well, Jack settled down. All three drifted back to sleep, getting a few more hours of rest.
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Dean parked behind a black truck, next to John’s truck was Sam’s black Dodge Charger. A color the Winchesters loved, something Cas had picked up very early in his relationship with the omega. Dean killed the engine and turned in his seat. “Ready for the best Christmas ever, Jack?”
“Yeah!” The pup shouted.
Dean chuckled before, turning his attention to Cas. “I’ll get the gifts, you get the pup?”
Cas nodded but they barely had time to step out of the car before John’s front door opened. “Dean, Cas, how are you?” The older alpha asked as he imminently went to the trunk to help with the presents.
“I’m good, how are you Sir?” Cas unbuckled Jack, who was already wiggling in anticipation of seeing John. The older alpha always had a little treat for when Jack visited. When he found out the pup loved anything with nougat in it, John always made sure to have a small stash of them ready every other weekend.
“Call me John.”
“John!” Jack squeaked the second Cas pulled him from the seat.
“Oooh come here!” John said, seeming to forget all about the presents when he took Jack from Cas. “How are you? Did you get to tell Santa everything you wanted?”
Jack nodded, “He asked me if I was good and I said yes so he said he’d visit me Christmas mornin’. Do you have any more candy?”
“Jack, that’s impolite and besides, you haven’t had lunch yet.” Cas told him as he went to help Dean with the gifts.
“But you had breakfast, didn’t you?” John asked and Jack nodded, “That counts, let’s get you a piece of candy.”
Dean snickered as John walked away with a very happy pup. “You know it’s hopeless, right? Dad’s gonna get him all hyped up while he’s here.”
Cas smiled, “Yeah, I supposed it is.”
Cas followed Dean into the house and was placing the gifts under the tree when Sam rounded the corner. “Oh, hey Cas. Dean? Is there any more left?”
“Just a few more.” Dean answered as he stood up, leaving the presents half-hazard on the floor.
Dean left with Sam to get the rest of the presents. Cas sat on the floor and organized the presents, trying to make them look presentable.
“You know those will be moved Santa visits?” Jess asked, startling Cas.
Cas twisted around so he could face the tall alpha who was leaning on the door frame. “Hello Jess.”
“Hey Cas, you excited?”
“I am.” It was an honest answer, just not the full truth. He hadn’t managed to offend anyone again yet and seemed to be on friendly terms with everyone. Then again, the few times he had visited, he was mostly with Dean. This would be the most time he would spend with omega’s family and he didn’t want to ruin the special occasion for anyone. Especially Dean, whose family and building memories with the ones he loved was very important to him. Cas hoped this Christmas could be memorable in a fond way and not an embarrassing one.
Dean and Sam returned shortly with the last bit of gifts and the omega smiled when he saw under the tree. “Hey, that looks nice!”
“Because he doesn’t just shove shit under the tree and call it a day.” Sam said, which earned him a glare from Dean. “Well it’s true, he’s always been like that, Cas. Could always tell which gifts were his because didn’t like to organize them.”
“I’m afraid you’d be able to tell which ones are from me. I’m not the best wrapper.” Cas admitted. Crowley used to wrap Jack’s gift so the pup wouldn’t be able to make the connection that Cas’s wrapping was the same as Santa’s. Even if the beta told him Jack was too young and would just be excited to see all the gifts. True as it might have been, Cas wanted to make it special so he’d have Crowley wrap them. This year he managed to sweet talk Rowena in wrapping the presents.
Sam snorted, “Have you seen Dean’s wrapping skills? You’re fine.”
Dean handed the last of the gifts to Cas while he made stink faces at his brother, “We’re not all some anal neat freak.”
“Don’t call your brother a freak.” John groaned as he and Jack walked back into the living room. Jack had a huge grin on his face, looking like he was trying not to laugh. Cas had a funny feeling John gave Jack more than just a piece of candy.
Dean pointed at Sam. “He made fun of me first!”
“You’re the older one, you should know when to stop.”
Dean gasped as Sam laughed, “Yeah, you’re the older one! Act like it!”
“Act like your face!” The omega retorted and all this was another thing Cas had to get used to. It was different when his older brothers picked on him. When Michael and Lucifer teased him, Cas was never in on the joke. The way the Winchesters tried to hide their smiles, well, it was fun witnessing the friendly banter.
Dean scooted over so he was sitting next to Cas on the floor. “So Jess, when are you and Sam going to celebrate with your folks?”
Sam instantly paled but Jess didn’t seem to notice. “They’re on a cruise right now, but they’ll be back before the new year. We’ll get together then.”
“Are you okay, Sam?” Cas asked and Sam’s brows furrowed,
“Yeah, why?”
“You looked a little flush.”
Jess patted Sam on the knee, “He’s just a little worried my parents are upset with him because I took off a semester. They understood why I did it, they love Sam and understood there was a family emergency. I just can’t get this guy to understand it.”
Dean snorted, “Cause his mind is stuck on a one-way track. He wrote in his diary when he was going to go to school, when he was gonna meet the one, when to propose, when to graduate, and when to buy the two-story house with the white-picked fence. Now it’s all off track and he can’t understand the only one bothered is him.”
“I don’t have a diary…” Sam mumbled.
Guilt slammed into Cas’s stomach and burned like acid. His and Dean’s situation was unique in every sense of of the word. Sometimes, he tried to take a page out of the omega’s book and tried not to think about the before. It still struck him how many lives were disrupted because of what Crowley had done. Maybe if he had just acted sooner then- His thoughts were interrupted when Dean bumped their shoulders together. The other man looked over at him and grinned, “Are you guys excited for cookies and Die Hard ?”
“We’re not watching that.” John said and Dean’s face fell.
“But we watch it every year!”
“We can watch it after Jack goes to bed, but I rented a movie I thought would be more suitable for his age.”
Dean’s mouth fell open and for a second he was speechless, “But we started watching that movie when we were Jack’s age!”
“He probably shouldn’t have let us.” Sam interjected.“What are you talking about? You love that movie!”
“Yeah, but-”
Dean threw his hands in the air. “It’s a Christmas classic!”
“We can still watch it later tonight, but while Jack’s awake I rented a movie called Elf. I read the reviews and it looked like something we could all enjoy. What do you think Jack?” John asked.
“ Elf! ” Jack answered excitedly.
“What’s the movie about?” Cas asked and John was just beginning to explain the plot when there were three sharp knocks on the door.“Hello, you must be Rowena.” He greeted, after answering the door. He took a step back and allowed the beta in.Though a kind man, John’s personality was stoic. So, seeing the alpha squirm under Rowena’s eyes as she trailed him up and down was new. The beta smiled sweetly at him, “And you must be John Winchester. Castiel did not tell me how handsome you were.”
John looked helplessly at Cas, who gave him an apologetic smile and a small shrug. “Well, umm… Make yourself at home.”
“Thank you dearie!” Rowena patted the alpha on the cheek before walking over to the couch where she took a seat next to Jack. Giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.Jess walked over and took a seat next to her. “Hey! I’m Jess! Sam’s girlfriend.” She said, sticking her hand out for Rowena.
The beta took it and gave her a shake, “Jess? Lovely to meet you!”
“Thanks! You too!’Rowena sniffed before her eyes grew, “You’re an alpha?”
Jess’s smile fell, “Um, yeah.”
“Oh no, there's nothing wrong with that. Sam just never corrected me when I assumed you were an omega.”
“Really?” Jess asked, looking over at Sam who looked worried.Rowena leaned in closer, “I love that you two are out and proud. I always thought it was so silly how everyone had such a problem with same-subgender relationships. I know most of the politicians who are against same-subgender marriage. Let me tell you, they used to party a lot back in the day and it wasn’t opposite-subgenders they were hooking up with.” She winked.
Jess grinned, “Really now?’
As Rowena and Jess gossiped, Sam and Dean started talking about other Christmas movies they were into as pups. That caught Jack’s attention and soon Dean was cueing up a movie called, Home Alone. It didn’t sound like a Christmas movie, but Sam assured Cas it was. He believed him, but he wasn’t expecting how violent the movie was going to be. Nails were going through feet, people getting burned, and stepping on broken glass but everyone in the room was laughing. Even Jack found it amusing, laughing along with the others. There was only one hiccup and that was earlier on in the movie. Kevin was watching a black-and-white movie where a man was shooting another man. Jack turned from the screen and calmly informed everyone in the room, “My daddy shot my papa.”
Rowena turned to stare at Cas, so the alpha kept his eyes on the screen on the TV.
He could her eyes burning holes into the side of his face, but he was not going to open that can of worms now. He was going to have to talk with Jack later about maybe keeping that tad of information to themselves. After the first two movies, Sam decided he wanted to teach Jack how to play checkers. He had to explain it a couple of times throughout the game, but Jack adored it. It kept him entertained for a bit and gave Cas a chance to have some adult time with Dean, Jess, John, and Rowena. They hung out in the kitchen so John could tell them stories of Sam and Dean were younger without worrying about Jack overhearing them. John told them of the time he caught Dean up past his bedtime. He was trying to hide behind the couch so he could take a peek at Santa. Then the time John caught Sam coercing Dean to climb up the ladder so he could look and tell Sam if he saw any footprints.
Dean shrugged, “I didn’t have the heart to tell the kid Santa wasn’t real.”
John shook his head. “So next year I had to get creative.”
“What did you do?” Jess asked.“I left some black buttons near the tree and let Sam find them. Little guy got so excited and concluded it must have fallen off Santa’s coat. Of course, it was easier when at least one of my pups believed in Santa. When they grew out of it I had to get creative here I hid the presents because I would catch them looking in all my usual hiding spots.”
“Oh crap… I have no clue where I’m going to start hiding the gifts when Jack no longer believes.” Hopefully when Jack stopped believing they would be living in a much bigger house.
“You can always hide them in my house, he’ll never ask them.” Rowena offered.
“Or you could always ask Dean to help you out. The boy always knew where to look so he should have the perfect hiding spots.” John said so casually it took a moment for Cas to feel the reality of the words.
Dean rolled his eyes, “He makes it sound like I’m some kind of expert, but the dude’s hiding place was under his bed or in the closet.”
“I had to start hiding them in the auto shop.” John laughed, “So, I know Dean told you all about our family traditions. Did the Novaks have any traditions?”
Cas’s hands tightened around the mug of coffee. “Umm… My mother would always take us to evening Mass on Christmas Eve, but she didn’t put up a tree or do the whole gift-giving thing. My father on hand, would always get me and Gabriel together. We would eat cookies and listen to the stories he would come up with.”
John hummed, “Glad your old man could do somethin’ for you.”
Cas gulped, “What about you Jess? Did your family have traditions?”
“My parents never miss the Christmas parade. Sun, rain, or snow, we would see the parade from start to finish. Afterwards, we’d go home, drink hot cocoa, and watch all the old cartoons. Frosty, Rudolph, and Charlie brown.” Jess answered with a fond smile on her face.
“That sounds wonderful.” Cas replied. He could picture taking Jack and Dean to the parade. In his mind, Dean was more excitable than Jack. They would have to go together next year.
“What’s wonderful?” Sam asked, walking towards the fridge. Jack followed behind him until he saw Cas and decided that he wanted to sit on his lap.
Cas hauled him up. “Did you have fun?”
Jack nodded, “I got close to winning twice!”John gave Sam a look and the younger alpha shrugged, “You never gave me a win and it was more rewarding when I finally beat you. So what was wonderful?”
“The parade my parents always went to.” Jess replied.
“Oh, yeah, it was alright.”
Dean barked a laugh, “He only says that because his first Christmas with them it was raining. The guy was cold and wet by the time they got back home. He dropped his hot chocolate all over the place cause he couldn’t feel his fingers.”
Sam’s cheeks pinkened a bit, “It was a long parade.”
Jess patted Sam on the shoulder, “He was so embarrassed, but he had nothing to worry about. My parents are crazy about him.” Cas tried not to smile, but it was nice knowing he wasn’t the only one who could make a fool out of himself.
“Can we bake cookies now?” Jack asked.“Jack, you’re my kind of person.” Dean said as he pushed himself off the counter. “Let’s get this party started.”
Dean had Cas and Jack helping him with the cookies. There wasn’t much to do, the cookie dough was already in little squares so all they had to do was place time on the baking sheets. However, Dean had told them the most important part of baking was taking one square of cookie dough and eating it while no one was looking. Dean made a show of plopping the cookie dough into his mouth when Sam wasn’t looking. Jack did the same and Cas knew his son would be a terrible liar because the pup giggled the whole time. It made Sam look over at them and the pup only laughed harder, bits of cookie dough flying out of his mouth. Dean and Jack stared Cas down as they tempted him to eat the cookie dough. It was something he had never done and to be honest it didn’t sound very appealing. Cas did it anyway and was pleasantly surprised by how much he enjoyed it.
John had bought hot chocolate for Jack because he didn’t see a pup liking eggnog. As much as Dean loved eggnog now, he couldn’t stand it when he was younger. Only getting into it when he was in his teens. Though, Dean didn’t end up drinking any eggnog. He had poured himself a cup, took one whiff, and ended up running to the bathroom. Worry shot through Cas when he heard the omega vomiting on the other side of the door. Of course, Dean brushed off his concerns, saying the eggnog was smelt funky this year. Sam insisted it didn’t and John said it was the same brand they bought last year. Dean argued with Sam about the smell before coming to the conclusion they must have changed the recipe. He ended up having hot chocolate with Jack, but Jess made sure to hook him up with some brandy. Cas opted for hot chocolate too because he didn’t want eggnog around Dean. Jess offered to hook him up with something extra too, but he declined while Jack was awake. Elf was cute and Jack enjoyed watching Will Ferrell acting silly. Though Dean was slightly disappointed Jack wasn’t going to experience Die Hard this year, he seemed to enjoy the movie as well. Even laughing a few times along with everyone else. After the movie, Cas was able to convince Jack to get ready to go to bed. Only the magic of Christmas could have a four-year-old willing to go to bed. When preparing to stay the night at John’s, sleeping arrangements were quickly made. Sam and Jess said they had no problem sleeping on the air mattress in the living room and giving the guest bed to Cas and Dean. That way Jack could go to sleep with them and go to bed at a reasonable time without the fear of waking him up. Cas had been prepared to camp out with Jack in the front room and he feared he was going to wake Jack up trying to place the presents under the tree. So the gesture touched him greatly.
Cas and Jack placed cookies and milk for Santa on the coffee table before retiring to the guest bedroom. Cas read Jack The Night Before Christmas and Snowmen’s Twelve Nights of Christmas before tucking his sleeping son to bed. When he returned, Dean had already cued up Die Hard and had been waiting for him before pressing play. Drinks were passed around as they settled down for this, “Christmas” movie. Cas didn’t care what the Winchesters said, this was not a Christmas movie. He didn’t hate it though, he couldn’t when saw how enthusiastic Dean was during the whole movie. Seeing the light in the omega’s eyes had Cas’s stomach fluttering and he loved hearing the Winchesters quote the movie along with the characters.
After the movie, Cas checked to make sure Jack was still asleep before he, Rowena, and Dean carried Jack’s presents in. John and Sam carried the already blown mattress to the living room while Jess got the sheets, blanket, and pillows. Rowena shot her shot one last time with John, but the alpha didn’t show any interest. So, Rowena gave out hugs and told them she’d see them in the morning before leaving for the hotel. The rest of them quietly talked for half an hour longer before deciding it was time to retire. There was no doubt Jack would wake up early in the morning and they wanted to have the energy that matched that of an excited pup. When Cas and Dean crept into the bedroom, Jack had spread his limbs and was taking up as much of the bed as he could. Cas was able to scoot his son over to the right without waking him. With one arm draped over Jack and the other over Dean, Cas fell into a fast slumber.
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Cas awoke to Jack bouncing up and down on his knees. “Wake up! Wake up! Santa came last night! He found us!”
“Really? That’s great.” Cas yawned.“Com’on! Let’s go!” Jack demanded, shaking Cas’s shoulder with everything he had.“We’ll be right there.” Cas promised with his face still buried in the pillow.“Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaan!” Jack whined, now shaking the omega. “Wake up silly head!”
“Five’mer minutes…” Dean mumbled.
Jack only shook him more. “John said it was my job to get you up! So wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!”
Dean blinked and he peeked his eyes open by a fraction, “Dad’s up? W-what time is it?”Cas untangled himself from the omega and rolled over. His hand smacked the nightstand until he found his phone. His eyes squinted as the light from the screen hit his face. “Seven-fifteen…”
Dean groaned, burying his face deeper into the pillow and grumbling, “Jack, buddy? Why do you hate sleep?”
Jack crossed his arms, “I’ll tell John you wouldn’t listen to me.”
Cas sat up, “No, no, don’t do that. We’re up! We’re on our way.”
“Yay!” Jack squealed before jumping off the bed and running out of the room while yelling, “Come on!”
Cas laughed as Dean pushed himself up into a sitting position. “Welcome to life with a pup. The only morning I don’t have to fight him to get out of bed.”
Cas wasn’t expecting Dean to laugh along, but the omega wasn’t saying anything at all. Cas turned his attention to his love and understood why Dean wasn’t talking. The other man looked flushed and there was a distant look in his eye. Before Cas could ask him what was wrong, Dean was tossing the blanket off him, jumping out of bed, and rushing out of the room. Cas got out of bed in a hurry but the omega was nowhere in sight. The alpha knew where to go and he was proven right when he pressed his ear up against the bathroom door. His fear was confirmed when he could hear Dean vomiting.Cas knocked. “Dean?”“I-I’m okay, Cas!” Dean answered after a moment. His voice was strained, giving away that he was very much not okay.
“Is there anything I can do for you? Get you a glass of water? I can see if John has anything for nausea.”
“N-no, I’ll be f-” Was all Dean was able to get out before he was heaving into the toilet again.
Cas shifted nervously on his feet, feeling helpless when Sam walked around the corner. The alpha’s eyes landed on Cas before it moved towards the bathroom door. “Dean got sick again?”
“Yeah…” Cas answered.
He must have been wearing his emotions on his sleeve because Sam said, “Don’t worry about him. He probably had too much to drink last night. He does this every year, I’ll get a glass of water and a couple of Tylenol ready.”
Cas had watched Dean drink last night and there wasn’t any way he could be hungover. The omega put up a front for everyone, but Cas noticed the taste was making Dean queasy. He hoped his boyfriend wasn’t getting sick. If Dean was sick he would deny it until the bitter end. Pushing his comfort aside because he wanted everyone to have a great Christmas. Cas would let the omega push through what was hopefully just a cold, but once presents were unwrapped he was gonna make sure the omega got rest.Wanting to give Dean some space, Cas (reluctantly) walked away. He barely made it into the living room where John and Jess were already there when Jack started calling out to him. “Papa! Papa! Look! Santa left us so much!”
“Did he?” Cas asked, a wide grin on his face until he saw the tree and just how stuffed it was. Last night there were only the presents he and Rowena brought over. Now there were so many presents they didn’t all fit under the tree. They were overflowing past the branches, but it made sense, there were four other people besides him and Jack. It was still a sight to see, maybe because Naomi never cared for Christmas, so Cas never experienced what other families did for each other. Jack stared at all the different color-wrapped gifts longingly and Cas feared the pup assumed all of it was for him. “Remember Jack, Santa dropped off presents for everyone.”
Jack nodded before looking at the name tag on a package wrapped in shiny red paper. “When can we open the presents?”
“I’ll call Rowena and see if she’s up.”
Jack looked him him with the widest eyes, “Maybe it would be okay if I opened up one present?”
“I-”
“Awww, Cas, let him open one? How could you say no? It’s Christmas morning.” Jess said with a huge grin on her face.
John chuckled, “Yeah, Cas, it’s Christmas.”
“Okay, okay you can open one gift before mawmaw gets here, but let me get my camera first!” Cas said, spinning on his heels and almost running into Dean. “Whoa!”
“Hey there Flash!” Dean laughed and Cas was relieved to see the color had returned to the other man’s face. “You go get your phone. I’ll get us some coffee.”
Cas nodded before hurrying down the hall and back into the guest bedroom. When he returned,
Jack had already picked out a gift and was patiently waiting for him. John had moved over to his armchair so Jess, Sam, and Dean could all sit on the couch. Dean scooted over, shoving into Sam until the two younger alphas took the hint and moved further down the couch. Cas wiggled his way beside Dean and got his camera ready.
“Can I open it now?” Jack asked.
Cas double-checked to make sure his phone was on video. “You can open it!”Jack wasted no time, he ripped the pretty wrapping paper until the Paw Patrol Vicheal Launcher box was revealed. Jack gasped, “Yes! I hope Santa brought me some cars too!”
Santa did because so many toys don’t come in a complete set. Something Cas learned when shopping for Jack’s fourth birthday. Jack was pulling the truck out of its box when Sam got up and kneeled in front of the tree. “Let’s see what else Santa brought for you.”
“Actually, we’re waiting for Rowena before we open any more presents,” Cas informed Sam which resulted in the other alpha staring up at him with wide eyes and Jack pouting at him.“But it’s Christmas, one more present can’t hurt.” Sam replied, working that puppy-dog look Dean had warned Cas about.
With both of them looking at him like that, Cas felt himself crumbling. He bit his lip while he thought about it. Rowena would be bringing Jack a few more gifts, so she wouldn’t be missing out on Jack’s Christmas if his son opened one more. “Okay.”
“Yes!” Sam and Jack cheered, the tall alpha already looking through the presents.
“One more but then we’re going to wait for mawmaw.” Cas reminded them, already typing out a text to Rowena.
“Dean!” Sam said as he handed a rectangular package wrapped in happy snowmen to Jack. Cas’s brows furrowed because this wasn’t one of the gifts Rowena wrapped for him.
Jack ripped into it and when he pulled the paper away there was a plain brown cardboard box. Now Cas knew this wasn’t one of the gifts he bought. Sam helped Jack remove the tape and Jack gasped when he looked in the box. “What did you get Jack?” His son held out a couple of books, one with Marshall and one with Skye on it.“It’s puzzle books!” Sam excitedly told him, “There are crossword puzzles, connect the dots, and mazes.”
“Course the nerd would get a pup homework for Christmas.” Dean whispered in Cas’s ear.
Cas knew Sam was fond of Jack, but he hadn’t expected him to get his son anything for Christmas. Cas swallowed a lump that started to form and he smiled brightly at Jack. “Isn’t that awesome?”
“Yeah,” Jack agreed, though he wasn’t paying much attention to Cas. Too busy flipping through the pages. Sam got up and found a pencil for Jack and it kept his son occupied until there was knocking on the door. John was the one who answered and before he could get out a “Hello”, presents were being shoved into his arms.“Oh John! Thank you! You’re such a gentleman!” Rowena’s airy voice carried through the living room and Jack was on his feet.
“Mawmaw! Mawmaw! Come look at my new toy!” Jack hollered as he lifted the truck for her to see.
“Oh isn’t that just neat?” Rowena replied as she and John tried to walk around the pup with their arms full of gifts. “Are you ready to see what else Santa has brought?”
Jack didn’t need to be asked twice, he ran back to his spot on the floor and waited for Cas to give him the green light to open another present. Cas told him to wait until everyone was settled in their seats. John offered Rowena his armchair and he took a chair out of the kitchen for himself. Sam sat on the floor because every year he was the gift retriever. Sam would look at the nametags and find a present for each person. John let Jack open his gift first, and then they would go around in the circle as each person opened their presents. Later Cas would learn it was usually more chaotic than it was this year. It was usually a Winchester free-for-all, but John wanted to be more organized this year. Dean suspected it was because his dad didn’t want Cas and his family to think they were savages. Cas suspected John wanted to slow down and appreciate this time together. After all, they have all been through so much in just a few months.
Jack had a magical Christmas, he loved all the gifts Cas bought and there was so much more. Cas knew Dean was planning on buying gifts for Jack. The omega would send him pictures and ask if he thought that was something Jack would like. He was not expecting the rest of Dean’s family to buy something for Jack. The stuffed Paw Patrol dolls turned out to be from Jess. Dean had gotten Jack a few Paw Patrol figures, that Cas knew about. What the alpha didn’t know the omega was planning on buying was a ping-ball paddle, a sticky hand, and a clapping hand toy that made lots of noise. There were five other gifts for Jack that weren’t from Cas or Rowena. John had gotten Jack a racetrack with race cars, different kinds of books, playdough, a lego set, and a Paw Patrol tent. As thrilled as Jack was with all his toys, his son loved the racket toy Dean got him the most. Jack would shake it, trying to make get it as loud as he could. Dean played with Jack’s sticky hand, making it a game to see how many times he could smack Sam in the back of the head without getting caught.
Cas was touched by how much Dean’s family spoiled Jack. Especially since he believed he wouldn’t be able to provide much for his son this year. The Winchesters' generosity didn’t stop with Jack. Though they didn’t know Rowena as well, she received gifts from them as well. Once Sam placed a gift on Cas’s lap and the alpha had been in awe to see the gift was from the younger alpha. He was hit with another wave of emotions when he pulled out a plushie bee from the box. Though they were on talking terms, Cas hadn’t expected anything from Sam. Let alone something he would greatly love. When he thanked Sam, the alpha gave him an awkward smile, and a quick “you’re welcome.” Despite Sam's offish response, Cas saw it for what it was, an olive branch. A gift Cas never imagined himself receiving.
When Sam handed Dean a gift that was from Cas, the alpha was nervous. It was easy shopping for Jack, the pup was happy with anything given to him as long as it wasn’t clothes. Dean should be easy to shop for, but the alpha still worried the omega wouldn’t be impressed. His fear was proven all for nothing when the other man opened the first gift. Dean laughed when he saw the three pairs of socks, one with pizza, one with burgers, and one with pie. The “Pie Life” apron, the bracelets, and the soft Led-Zepplin hoodie got Cas a lot of quick kisses on the cheek. Sam and Jack teased them by making gagging noises. There was one last gift Cas had for Dean and it was the one he was most worried about. He couldn’t give it to the omega, not in front of anyone just in case it wasn’t received well. So the alpha held onto it for now, determined to give it to Dean before the day was over.
Dean hopped off the couch, got a stack of presents, and dumped them on Cas’s lap. Cas was thrilled the omega thought of him and the thought alone was gift enough. However, the alpha wouldn’t admit he was confused when he unwrapped a Walkman and a pair of headphones. He didn’t own any cassette tapes and he wouldn’t even know where to begin to look for them. Still, he smiled and thanked Dean and the omega gave him that smile. The one he always had when he was up to something. Cas didn’t have long to wonder what his boyfriend was up to when Dean told him to open the next one. The gifts ranged from his favorite candy to some Fratellis band shirts to some cookbooks. His favorite was the one Dean made him wait to open last.
Cas carefully unwrapped the paper and gently tugged at the tape on the box. Looking down, he saw a mug and was excited to see what it looked like. He already knew he was going to love it because there was a little bee on the handle of the mug. There was some pretty lettering on it that read Let it with a couple of bees flying by. Cas stared at it for a moment or two before it clicked, “Oh, like the song.”
Dean’s smile lit up the room, “Yeah! Exactly!”
Cas held the mug close to his chest, “I love it! Thank you Dean!” The room was filled with Dean’s wonderful scent, apples, cinnamon, and cedar wood. And… Vanilla… Sweet vanilla, but it was faint Cas questioned if he was even smelling it. Maybe it was one of the scents from the candles Rowena got for Christmas.
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After the gifts were all opened, Dean and Sam decided to get some trash bags. Jess and Cas helped them tidy up the room. John and Rowena couldn’t help, Jack wouldn’t let them because they had to play with him. Once discarded paper was tossed and the cardboard broke down they were ready to make the drive up to Bobby’s. John would ride with Sam and Jess. Cas, Jack, and Rowena would ride with him. Sammy had already left and Rowena was getting Jack strapped into the car seat. Dean was still in the house, helping Cas make sure Jack had everything before they left. They were the only ones in the house so Dean figured now was as good as any to give the alpha his last gift.
“Hey buddy?” Cas looked up from the bag he was stuffing with Jack’s toys. Dean licked his lips. “I umm, I got you something else.”
The other man’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”
Dean tried to calm his beating heart, as he reached into the pocket of his leather coat. His fingers brushed up against the small unwrapped gift. He had debated not to give this to Cas. When he had made it he thought it was an awesome idea because he heard how much his mom loved it when dad did this. Then the weeks leading up to Christmas he started second-guessing himself. He was second-guessing himself right now, but Cas was staring at him with those doey blue eyes and Dean couldn’t take it back now. So, he pulled it from his pocket and held it out for Cas. The alpha stared at it, for a second, before slowly taking it.The smile that spread across the other man’s face had Dean’s stomach fluttering with those stupid butterflies. “Dean’s top thirteen Zepp traxx.”
The back of the omega’s neck felt like a furnace and rubbing it didn’t help one bit. “I know that, umm… Led Zeppelin is more of my thing but… Those are my favorite songs and they’re… They… Yeah, I wanted you to have them.” The heat spread to his cheeks as he made a bumbling idiot out of himself.
Cas though, didn’t look at him like he was some new kind of stupid. He was looking at him with that look. Like the omega was the most precious thing to him. Cas took one step forward and Dean was embraced into a tight hug. “Thank you Dean.” Cas whispered in his ear. Three small little words filled with so much sincerity, they felt heavy.
Dean patted Cas’s shoulder. “Don’t be such a dork. “ He teased and the alpha pulled away.
Cas huffed a laugh at him before the joy seemed to melt and a nervous scent burned Dean’s nose. “I um… It’s not much, but I got you something else too.”
Dean grinned, “Look at you being sneaky too. What is it? Did you get me somethin’ dirty?”
The joke landed hard on its face because Cas seemed even more on edge, but before he could take it back the alpha was walking over to the couch. Dean watched Cas pick up his coat and pull out a folded piece of paper. Dean watched the alpha lick his lips before daring to make eye contact again.
“I… Here.” Dean unfolded them to reveal Cas’s neat handwriting. “I know we don’t talk about it, but… I thought maybe writing it would be okay.”
Dean walked over to the couch and took a seat, but his eyes never left the note in his hands. He could see the words, but he hadn’t read them. Didn’t start reading until his ass meet the couch cushion.
I know that you don’t like to talk about how we first met. So, I hope this letter doesn’t cross any boundaries and if it does, I’ll understand if you don’t want to continue reading. I think often, how we first met. I remember the gut-wrenching feeling that ran through me when I saw you tied up to that bed. I try to focus on the here and now, but sometimes, no matter how hard I try, I find myself loathing the past. How awful I handled things back then and leaving you down there will always be one of my biggest regrets. You have defended me from myself more times than I can count and I understand your reasoning. Had I stuck up to Crowley sooner things might have taken a darker turn. I wouldn’t be here, you would probably be with Alastair, and you’re probably right. Still, it can’t change the way I feel about myself. In that moment, I had chosen myself over you and that regret will stick with me for the rest of my life. Sometimes I have found myself imagining us meeting under different circumstances. How much better of an alpha I could have been to you. Then I realized had it not happened the way it did, I might never have met you. If somehow we had met would we even be friends? I would have still been married, unaware my husband was a monster. You probably wouldn’t want anything to do with me because I would still be a clueless fool who probably would have stuck his foot into his mouth. Maybe it would have been better that way, but God help me. I’m selfish because I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it. Getting to know you has been my greatest gift. You’re the bravest, kindest man I have ever met. The love you have in your heart, for your family, friends, and even those you don’t know, awes me. Your love shines brighter than the sun and when I’m around you I’m always filled with warmth. You’re ability to find joy, even in the darkest times, inspires me. You changed me, made me a better man, a better alpha and I can never thank you enough for that.
To call you my dearest friend, and my omega is the biggest honor. I don’t know what the future holds, but I promise you, with everything in my power, I will do right by you.
I love you Dean
Dean’s eyes were wet and he had rubbed them with the sleeve of his coat. “Damn it Cas…”
“D-did I go too far?” Cas’s voice was filled with worry and the alpha was reeking with fear. “I’m sorry if I wrote anything that made you uncomfortable or-”
“Shut up,” Dean said, carefully folding the note and putting it in his pocket. He stood up and walked over to the silly alpha who won his stupid heart. The guy was bouncing on the balls of his feet and looking like he was about to be reprimanded. “Okay, Cas, buddy, we’re gonna have to set a new rule. Next Christmas, don’t be a sap and almost make me cry.”
“I’m s-” Cas started but Dean grabbed the guy's sweater and pulled him closer. Crashing their lips together before the alpha could apologize for something Dean didn’t want him to.
Cas melted into the kiss and when Dean his tongue across the alpha’s lips. Cas granted him access and allowed the kiss to deepen. A strong hand grabbed onto Dean’s bicep and the omega’s free hand draped around Cas’s waist. He wanted to pull the alpha back and lead them to the couch, but Rowena and Jack were waiting for him. So he eventually broke the kiss, but he wrapped his other arm around Cas’s shoulder and pulled him into a hug.
“I love you too.” Dean longed to say, more than anything he wanted to say it back. He squeezed the alpha and Cas’s hold tightened as well. Dean hoped, somehow, it meant Cas knew how he felt. Three honks killed the moment, but Cas laughed along with him.
“We better get going… If we don’t, Rowena will come to get us and she’ll make some crude innuendos.”
Dean shook his head, “We wouldn’t want that. You ready for Christmas at Bobby’s?” Dean offered his hand.
Cas took it, their fingers interwending together. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“It’s going to be a blast! Bobby has the best traditions. He has this set of deer antlers ‘n’ one person gets to be the deer while the others throw rings at them.”
Cas blinked, “Is that a common Christmas tradition?”
Dean grinned, hoping Cas couldn’t see right through him. “Totally.”