FIC: The Substitute - Part IV, NC17
Dean wakes up from a really good dream involving Cas and the backseat of the Impala to the loud blare of his phone ringing on the nightstand. He fumbles for it, barely able to remember how to answer it before the voicemail starts. "What?" he growls, brain still fogged over from sleep.
"Dean, thank god. I need your help."
Cas. It's Cas calling him at... 1:12 in the morning, needing his help. He's sitting up wide-awake instantly. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"It's Grr. I haven't seen him since this morning, and I've been looking all over the apartment for him for hours. I think he got out, and Mr. Franklin has told me three times that he hates cats. What if he got to Grr and hurt him?"
It takes Dean a minute to remember that Grr is Cas' kitten, given to him by his brother, Gabriel, when he got fired from the post office. He hasn't been allowed to go to Cas' house yet, so he hasn't seen the kitten, but Cas talks about him a lot, and he gets the occasional picture message. He hasn't had the heart to tell Cas he's allergic yet. "When would he have gotten out? Have you checked under all the furniture and everything?"
"I don't know. He was eating when I left. Maybe Gabriel came by while I was at work? I've looked under every piece of furniture he could possibly have crawled under, in all the closets, in drawers. I even checked the refrigerator. I don't know where he could be. What if he's stuck somewhere? He could be hurt. He's so little."
"Do you want me to come over and help you look? Sometimes that helps."
There's a pause. "It's late. I don't want you to be tired for work..."
Dean's up and looking for his jeans the next instant. "I need like four hours; I'll be fine. Text me your address. I'll be there as soon as I get dressed."
"Okay. Thank you, Dean."
"Don't worry about it. I'll be over in a few minutes." He hangs up so that he can get his shirt over his head and zip up his jeans. He should be nervous to be going over to his mate's house this late at night, but he's too distracted by the sound of distress in Cas' voice. His mate needs him. If Cas needed him to move a mountain, he'd figure it out. His phone buzzes with the address a second later, and he heads for the garage, grabbing his jacket and pulling out his keys as he passes the hall. Thankfully, Sam's a heavy sleeper, or he'd be up and asking why Dean's leaving so late. He definitely doesn't want to have to explain that he's on his way to search for a kitten.
Cas is at the door of the apartment complex when he pulls into the parking lot. He looks stressed out and sort of adorable in his pajamas, no shoes and hair a mess from being pulled in worry. Dean parks and jogs over to him. "Thank you for coming, Dean. I know it's silly to call this late at night over such a minor thing, but I don't know what I'll do if I don't find him. Gabriel trusted me enough to take care of him. What will I tell him if I lose him?"
Dean pulls him close and kisses his forehead. "It'll be okay. We'll find him, don't worry. He's a kitten. He probably crawled into an open vent or something and got stuck. Which apartment is yours?"
Castiel kisses his cheek and leads him into the building by his hand, taking him up two flights of stairs and to an apartment at the end of a long hallway. He points to the door of the neighbor who had said he didn't like cats on their way. "Want me to knock on the door and see if he has the little guy?" Dean offers, but Cas shakes his head.
"Too late. He already dislikes me because I'm a lupan."
Dean wrinkles his nose. "Humans," he mutters. Cas shoots him a reprimanding look. When he opens the door to his apartment, the first thing Dean notices is the windows. There are a ton of them. Half the front and side wall of the main room is taken up by windows. It's still dark out, but he guesses the view is gorgeous in the day time. Dean puts the thought aside, focusing on the problem at hand.
He starts combing the apartment for the lost kitten, calling the kitten's name and listening for any sign. It isn't until he reaches the laundry room that he hears it, a very faint mewing. He moves the washer out of the way without even thinking to ask Cas if it's okay. Cas hovers in the doorway, looking nervous. The mewing gets louder with the washer out of the way, and Cas makes a surprised sound. "Think I found him," Dean says. He thinks the sound is coming from behind the dryer and pulls it away from the wall enough to see that the dryer vent is loose. There's just enough space for a three-month-old kitten to squeeze in. He turns to look at his mate, who looks delighted and slightly awed at him. "Got any tuna or anything we can use to lure him out?"
"Yes, I'll go get it. I can't believe you found him. Do you think he'll be able to get out?"
"It looks big enough for him to be able to crawl around in. He probably just got turned around and couldn't find his way out again."
Cas disappears for a minute, only to come back with an open can of tuna. Dean holds the can up to the vent opening, whistling in hopes that the kitten will follow the sound and the smell of the food. A few minutes and a lot of mewing later, a dusty orange head pops out of the dryer vent, mewing and sniffing the air. He barely has his front paws out before Dean has a hold of him and is pulling him out. Cas is on him immediately, cooing over the kitten and thanking Dean with kisses and caresses.
"You found him! I can't believe it. Do you think he's all right? Should we take him to the veterinarian? What if he's injured?"
Dean has the little guy cupped in his palm resting against his chest. He can already feel an itching at his eyes and he can't stop twitching his nose, but he ignores both. "He looks okay, maybe a little dirty, but we can take him to the vet in the morning, if you want. Let's let him have something to eat and maybe give him a bath, for now. He's probably starving."
Cas agrees, and they take the kitten into the kitchen, where Cas sets him on the table with the can of tuna. He pulls out a chair for Dean, and then takes up residence on his lap once he's seated, kissing his cheek and stroking his hair like he can't stop touching him. "Thank you for coming to help me. I never would have thought to look behind the dryer. I wonder how he got in there."
"Probably wandered back there and saw the opening. The vent was loose. I can fix that for you in the morning if you want," Dean suggests, rubbing his hands up and down Cas' back.
"Thank you. I owe you a great debt now."
Dean waves him off. "Nope, it's not a big deal." He yawns, suddenly sleepy again now that he's warm with his omega in his arms and content. His body reminds him that it's nearly 2:30 in the morning, and he should be in bed. "I should probably get going for now. How about I swing by around 8:00, and we can take the little guy to the vet to get a check-up and then go have breakfast?"
Cas strokes a hand across Dean's forehead, smoothing one of his eyebrows with his thumb. "Or you could sleep here if you like. I'm not for anything too physical yet, if you don't mind, but you don't have to drive all the way back home, if you don't want to."
Dean raises an eyebrow at the suggestion. They've made out plenty in the back seat of the Impala in the two weeks they've been dating, but Dean hadn't thought Cas was comfortable enough for that kind of intimacy yet. "You sure? That's kind of a big step, isn't it?"
Cas continues to stroke soothing lines across his forehead and eyebrows. "It is, but I trust you."
"If you're sure... I don't have pajamas, though."
"I didn't think you slept in pajamas."
"I don't, just my boxer-briefs, but I didn't think you'd be comfortable with that..."
"It's fine. I've seen you without a shirt on, after all. What difference could bare legs make? It's late. I think Grr's had enough food for the night." He takes the tuna from Grr and puts it in the refrigerator. Dean picks up the kitten, knowing without having to ask that the little fur-ball sleeps with Cas. Cas leads him into a bedroom decorated in white and light woods, simple furniture with straight, soft lines. The décor is relaxing to Dean's senses.
He deposits the kitten on the bed and strips down to his underwear, only a little self-conscious. Cas strips out of his hoodie and goes to turn the light off. The moon is bright enough to light the room so that Dean can see Cas come back to the bed and crawl under the covers. Dean follows Cas' lead, almost moaning at the perfect firmness of the mattress. Cas curls into his side tentatively, as though Dean might push him away. Dean only pulls him close, kissing his forehead before burying his nose in Cas' neck and scenting him. He smells like heaven, warm and perfect and sweet besides. Really sweet. He feels Cas nose at his cheek and turns his face to receive a kiss as soft and sweet as his scent.
Dean would be content with only chaste kisses, but Cas licks along his bottom lip, deepening it with a quiet sound of pleasure that has Dean's hackles up in an instant. He returns the heat of Cas' tongue in his mouth, opening for him and easily taking over, rolling Cas onto his back and nestling between his spread legs. Cas moans quietly, arching his hips up to meet Dean's. So much for staying chaste. Dean grinds down against him, one hand traveling down his bare side to grab at his hip, guiding his thrusts and pulling him even closer. He can feel the hard line of Cas' shaft pressing against his own. His hand travels further around Cas' hip to massage his ass cheek, damp slick seeping onto his fingers through Cas' thin pajamas pants.
"Fuck, you're gorgeous. Can I make you come?" Dean asks, voice rough from arousal. Fingernails dig into the base of his neck, and Cas nods feverishly, pulling Dean back down for another kiss. Dean grins into his mouth, enjoying the dirty slide of his mouth against Dean's. Dean lets his hand slide around to the front of Cas' pants, pulling them down until his erection is freed, dipping down into the slick of his hole for a second to lube his fingers enough to stroke him with ease. Cas cries out Dean's name, his hips moving faster in time with Dean's hand. Dean pulls back from their kiss far enough to watch him, glorying in the look of ecstasy on Cas' face. He truly is a work of art, perfect in every way. Dean can barely hold back his own groans watching him.
Cas' face scrunches up, his breathing labored and harsh. His fingers dig painfully into Dean's shoulder. "Dean, oh God, Dean, I'm going to..." He cuts himself off with a cry of pleasure, dropping his head back into the pillow as hot come spurts from him and coats their bare stomachs. Dean surprises himself by coming almost immediately afterward, his own seed mixing with Castiel's. He'd been so transfixed by Cas that he hadn't even noticed Cas pulling his boxers down and stroking him in time.
Cas squeezes him one final time, a smile of pure bliss on his face, and leans up to press a soft kiss to Dean's lips. Dean pushes their foreheads together, grinning like an idiot. "You're amazing. I can't wait to mark you, make you mine," he rasps, somewhere between a hoarse whisper and a growl.
Castiel chuckles, burying fingers in Dean's short hair. "I'm already yours. I was yours from the moment you looked at me. The rest is just details."
Dean leans down and kisses him again, long and slow. When they pull away, he grabs a tissue from the nightstand and cleans them both up. He leaves the dirty tissue on the nightstand and pulls Cas close, snuggling in beside him and not even caring that they're cuddling like girls. Cas laces their fingers together on Dean's chest, burying his nose in Dean's neck for a moment before settling his cheek against Dean's heart. Dean wraps an arm around him and kisses his forehead. He feels a lump resting against his leg and looks down to see Grr squeezed between his and Cas' legs. If Dean wasn't sure he's going to wake up miserable, he'd think it was cute. The little guy helped him get into Cas' bed after all, and it was totally worth the runny nose and swollen eyes he'll have in the morning. It doesn't take him long to fall asleep surrounded by the scents of his mate.
The next morning, his prediction about the stuffy nose comes true, but thankfully he can still see out of both eyes. He opens them to find the kitten laying on his pillow with his fluffy little back practically in Dean's nose. Cas is still curled up in his side, his head resting on Dean's chest. When Dean looks down, he's met with sleepy blue eyes watching him. "'Mornin'," he manages, rubbing at his face with the hand not still asleep under Cas' shoulder.
"Good morning, Dean. Did you sleep well?"
"Like a rock, you?"
"I slept better than I have in months, thank you. Being next to you is soothing."
Dean strokes his hair back from his forehead, liking how messy it looks. "I know what you mean. Still wanna take the little dude to the vet?"
Castiel looks up at the kitten, who is awake now and watching them both with a twitching, eager tail. "He looks to be alright, but I would still like to have a professional opinion. I've read that cats hide their injuries as a form of self-defense, and that it is necessary to watch them closely when you suspect they are sick or injured for signs."
"Okay, we can take him over to the vet, then. What time is it? Do you know when they open?"
Castiel lifts up on a hand, giving Dean the relief he needs to flex his arm a little and start to get sensation in it again. He also likes the look of Cas hovering above him, naked from the waist up. His wiry muscles flex under the strain, and Dean has to resist the urge to pull him back down and ravish him. He settles for rubbing a line up and down Cas' arm. "It's 8:45. They should be open by now. Should we get dressed?"
"Unless you wanna go like this, probably." Dean indicates his lack of clothing with a wry smile that earns him an eye-roll from Cas and a playful shove to his chest. Castiel leans down to peck his lips, but slips away before Dean can get any further. It's probably for the best. Dean doesn't have a toothbrush here, after all. He climbs out of bed and pulls on his t-shirt and jeans, not even caring that this is his third day wearing them. Castiel strips off his pajamas pants and goes to the closet to dress. Dean's surprised when he puts on a pair of worn jeans and a t-shirt with Shakespeare on the front in caricature. Dean's certain he hasn't seen Cas out of dark skinny jeans, stiff dress shirts, and vests. It's as hot as the vests are. Dean has a flash of what Cas might look like in one of his t-shirts and nearly pops a knot.
Castiel picks up the kitten from where he's wandered over to the side of the bed and is attempting to chew off the corner of the sheet, and indicates that Dean should follow him as he leaves the bedroom. They silently agree to take Dean's car, and Cas directs Dean to the veterinary clinic. Dean takes over cat duty when they get into the building so Cas can talk to the front clerk. The kitten crawls onto Dean's shoulder and sits there, digging his needle-like claws into Dean's skin through his t-shirt. The secretaries all coo over him and tell Dean how adorable he is. Dean smiles, but he can't stop sneezing, and every time he does, the kitten's claws dig in more.
Eventually, they're escorted into a back room and the kitten is checked over by a friendly veterinarian and given a clean bill of health. Dean's grateful to get back in the car so that he can hand the cat back to Cas. Cas spends the entire car ride back to his apartment cuddling the kitten and talking to him. Dean parks in front of the building, but doesn't get out. Cas hesitates with his hand on the door handle. "Aren't you coming? I thought we were going to have breakfast."
"I'm gonna have to rain-check. I remembered while we were at the vet that I have an appointment with Victor Henriksen this morning to upgrade his hubcaps. If I'm late, I'll hear about it until I'm old and gray. Wanna stop by for lunch, though?"
Castiel nods. "That would be nice. Would you like me to bring you lunch, or shall we go out?"
"Whatever you wanna do is fine with me."
"I'll bring Subway. Text me your order when you get to the shop."
"That sounds awesome. I'll see you at lunch." He leans over the bucket seat and kisses Cas, licking into his mouth despite neither of them having brushed their teeth yet. He doesn't really notice, though. It's easy to get distracted by Cas' scent and the pure, animal taste of him. He pulls away after a few seconds to sneeze. Castiel frowns, brushing a hand over his cheek.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine, probably just got a cold. You better get inside before you catch it."
Dean can see the gears working behind Castiel's eyes as he looks at him for a long moment, before capitulating with a peck to Dean's cheek. "Thank you again for coming over and finding Grr. I don't know how I can repay you."
"You already did, sweetheart. I'll see you in a couple of hours." Cas gets out of the car, taking the kitten with him. Dean starts unrolling his windows, hoping to air the car out enough to stop his constant sneezing. He's on the phone with his doctor as soon as Cas is through the front door. The new prescription for allergy pills is in his glove compartment before lunch.
Dean is standing at the microwave waiting for the delightful sound of popcorn to start when Sam comes into the kitchen with a weird look on his face. "Dude, there's a litter box in the laundry room."
"Yeah, hope you don't mind. Cas doesn't want to leave his kitten alone when he sleeps over, so I told him to bring it with."
Sam stares at him in disbelief. "You're allergic to cats. The last time you were in the same room with one, I thought you were gonna need an EpiPen."
Dean looks quickly towards the living room where Cas, Ben, and Charlie are waiting for him to start the movie. He can hear Charlie exclaiming over how adorable Grr is from two rooms away. "Shut up, Cas doesn't know that, idiot."
"And you didn't tell him why...?"
"The cat's really important to him. I don't want him to feel bad."
Sam continues to stare at him. "Wow, Dean. Wow."
"Shuddup. I got allergy pills. I'll be fine," Dean mutters, turning his back on Sam to retrieve the pipping hot bag of popcorn and shake it so all the butter won't stick to the sides. "Wanna watch the movie with us? It's New Hope. Cas's never seen it before."
"What? No way. How are there people on the planet who have never seen Star Wars before?"
"I know, right? I think we might have been mated specifically so that I can show him the wonders of scifi."
"Yeah, I'm sure the universe conspired to get you with Cas just so you can make him watch scifi movies."
Dean deposits to contents of the popcorn bag in a big plastic bowl and shoots Sam an unimpressed look. "You coming, or what?"
"Yeah. I was gonna do some more studying, but I gotta see his reaction." He follows Dean into the living room and stretches out in his chair, nodding to Charlie and Cas, who are too distracted playing with the kitten to notice him. When Dean plops down on the couch next to Cas, all three of them look up unison.
"Ready?" he asks, grabbing the remote from the coffee table and offering the bowl of popcorn to Cas. The kitten, of course, crawls right over both Charlie and Cas to get to Dean and bumps his head against Dean's hand until he starts scratching behind his ears. Sam shoots him an amused look from the chair. Dean gives him a dirty look over Cas' head and starts the movie.
Charlie throws a piece of popcorn at Sam. "Are you actually watching a movie with us? You haven't done that in like months."
Sam shrugs with a smirk. "It's a special occasion. I hear we have a Star Wars virgin." He winks at Cas, who clams up a little, looking uncomfortable.
Dean leans down to whisper in his ear, "He means you haven't seen Star Wars, not the other thing. I didn't tell him about that."
Cas looks up at Dean as if to test the truthfulness of this statement. He nods a moment later, turning to Sam. "It's true. I've never seen Star Wars. I hadn't even ever heard of it until a few months ago. My family did not own a television growing up. There is a considerable portion of pop culture that I have never consumed. Dean assures me that these movies are 'totally awesome', though, so I am going to try." Dean puts an arm around him to scrub a little hard at his hair, teasing him. Cas makes a face, but settles into his side without further comment. The opening notes of the theme song start up and silence all subsequent conversation.
Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewy have just escaped the Stormtroopers down the garbage shoot (Dean's favorite part), when he looks down to gauge Cas' reaction to find him fast asleep on Dean's shoulder. Dean looks incredulously up at Charlie and Sam, who are both engaged in the movie. "Guys, he's out," he says, soft enough not to wake Cas, but loud enough for Sam to hear him across the room.
"You didn't notice? He fell asleep before they left Tattoine," Charlie says, stuffing a handful of popcorn into her mouth. Dean doesn't know what to say. How can anyone sleep through Star Wars?
"Maybe he had a long day at work," Sam offers.
"Yeah, maybe," Dean mutters, unconvinced. He gently moves Cas' head to his lap and spends the rest of the movie stroking his hair.
The movie is over, Ben is in bed, and Charlie and Sam have both scooted off to their respective destinations before Cas wakes up, blinking and yawning in an innocent way that Dean can't help but melt over. He sits up when he realizes Sports Center's on, and not the movie. "Oh no, did I fall asleep? I'm sorry. I was looking forward to enjoying the movie with you," he says, looking mournfully at Dean.
"'S okay. 'S not like this is the last time we're ever gonna watch it."
"Yes, but we were watching it tonight specifically so that I could see it. I should have been able to stay awake. I didn't realize how tired I was from work today."
"Don't worry about it. We'll try it again later. Ready to hit the hay?"
Cas' eyes darken and he nods. "Yes, I think I would like to make it up to you," he says in a voice that is pure sex. Dean has to grab the sofa arm to cope with the rush of blood to his dick at the sound of it. Shit, he loves how fast Cas can turn it on. Cas stands, pulling Dean with him, and they make their way up to the bedroom. Dean has learned in their month together that Cas likes to take Dean's clothes off for him. Standing in the middle of the bedroom, Dean waits patiently while Cas strips off his t-shirt, and then his jeans, kneeling down to pull them over his socks before pulling those off, too.
Dean expects him to come right back up so that Dean can get his clothes off, too, but he doesn't. His hands go to Dean's boxer-briefs and slowly stroke over his erection underneath. He leans in, placing light kitten kisses along the shaft through the thin cotton. Dean stands still in surprise. He's sucked Cas off a couple of times, but Cas has never shown interest in oral. He sucks on the head, his mouth rough through the fabric, and Dean can't hold back a groan of pleasure. He sees a flash of a smile on Cas' face as his fingers slide up the back of Dean's thighs and over his ass and around to his hips, where he slowly pulls down on the elastic until Dean's erection bobs out in front of him, almost hitting Cas in the chin. Cas nuzzles the shaft, licking and kissing his way up as he pulls the underwear down to Dean's ankles. Dean steps out of them without prompting.
Cas flicks his tongue against the rim of his circumcised head, tickling at it. Dean digs his fingers into Cas' thick hair in encouragement, combing through it before taking a good grip on his nape. Cas takes the hint and wraps his lips around Dean's head, suckling on it until the sounds coming from his mouth are wet and dirty. He pulls off to lick at his lips, eyes fixed on the bobbing shaft, before taking it back in again. He slides his mouth further down slowly, inch by delicious inch, until Dean worries that he's going to choke. He doesn't, though, just takes the base into his hand, stroking the place where Dean's knot would be if Cas' full pheromones were working on him.
After awhile, the pleasure becomes a little much and Dean starts to lose his balance. Cas nudges him backwards, following on his knees, until Dean reaches the bed and is forced to sit. He props himself up on his hands so he can watch Cas lean over him, eyes dark and pupil's blown with desire, scent so sticky sweet Dean's almost drowning in it, and takes him back into his perfect pink lips. Dean groans again, dropping his head back and squeezing his eyes shut. His toes curl where they rest next to Cas' calves, and Cas makes a pleased noise around Dean's dick, bobbing his head faster.
It doesn't take long after that, what with how long Dean's gone without proper sex, and he collapses onto his back when he comes, fingers digging into the sheets until they threaten to tear away in his hands. Cas swallows all he has to give him and sits up, mopping the remainders from his mouth and licking his fingers. He wears a smug smile that sets Dean's blood boiling all over again. God, he's fucking hot. Dean pulls him up onto the bed and kisses him, taking over his mouth like an invader looking for gold. Cas curls a hand around the back of his neck and lets him, moaning in pleasure with each stroke of Dean's tongue.
Dean rolls him onto his back and starts stripping his clothes off him, kissing each new piece of skin as he exposes it. He's planning on returning the favor, maybe even trying for a finger in Cas' ass, but when he reaches Cas' underwear, he finds it wet with spent come and Cas' erection flagging. He looks questioningly up at Cas, who shrugs. "I like giving you pleasure. Did you like it?" he asks, voice even rougher than usual from deep-throating.
Dean crawls back up his body and kisses him again, pouring all his desire into it. Cas makes a little mewling noise when he pulls away. "Best blow job ever," he assures Cas, pecking his lips a final time before standing to pull Cas' pants off. They crawl under the covers together, naked and warm. Dean strokes Cas' hair and kisses his forehead.
Sated and comfortable, Dean's almost ready to drift off when he hears a gasp from Cas. "We forgot Grr."
"Huh?"
"The kitten. He's still downstairs."
"Want me to go get him?"
"Could you?" Cas asks, running a hand over Dean's bare stomach.
Dean gets out from under him, reluctant to leave the warmth of his arms, and pulls on his boxers. The kitten is sitting at the bottom of the stairs, mewling mournfully. Dean would feel bad for him if he hadn't had to leave his bed to get the little fuzzball. "Dude, you're old enough to figure out stairs. Come on." He pats his knees in encouragement, but the kitten just looks up at him and mews. He trots downstairs and scoops the kitten up, grateful for the allergy pills he's on. Cas is sitting up when he gets back into the room, and he welcomes Dean back into bed with a kiss and a pet to Grr, who promptly starts gnawing on him. "We gotta teach Little Dude how to climb stairs."
"Mmm, okay," Cas mumbles, curling up to Dean's side. Dean falls to sleep just as Grr cuddles up on his chest next to Cas' head.
Cas: I will have to take a raincheck on dinner tonight. Heat started.
Dean's heart clenches seeing the text. This is Cas' first heat since Dean met him, and he hates knowing that his mate will be spending the time at home in bed, fucking himself on a fake knot and calling out for Dean, rather than underneath Dean in their bed, writhing on Dean's real knot instead. He rubs at his face, frustrated.
Dean: k want me to bring you anything?
Cas: No, but thank you. I think if you were here, I would not be able to resist temptation, and I do not want my first time to be during my heat when I can barely think straight.
Dean: yeah i get it let me know if you need anything i can send charlie over if necessary call me when its over?
Cas: I will. Thank you for being so understanding. I will see you in a few days.
Dean: k see you later/b
Dean stares at the conversation on his phone. All he wants to do is hop in his car and drive over to Cas', but he can't. He has to respect Cas' wishes. He sighs and gets up to pour some whiskey. He's in for a long three days.
It only takes a few weeks of Cas staying at Dean's for Dean to realize that Grr gets sick pleasure out of waking him up at three in the morning by gnawing on his armpit. If Dean wasn't so gone for Cas, he probably would have drowned the little demon after the first offense. Thankfully for Grr, Dean would sooner cut his own arm off than do anything that might hurt Cas. Instead, he pushes the kitten over the side of the bed and falls back to sleep. No big deal, really, although it has been cutting into his sleep. He blames this for his reaction to the doorbell ringing at 6:35 in the morning one Tuesday.
"Motherfucker," he growls, burying his face in Cas' neck until another ring forces him grudgingly from the bed and stumbling over the kitten to find his underwear. And a shirt. He can hear the shower going down the hall, which means Sam's up, but Dean's definitely going to have to get the door. The ringing bell is replaced by a loud, insistent knocking, and Dean hurries downstairs before the noise wakes Cas up. "What?!" he snaps as he opens the door.
The mailman is standing there, glaring daggers at Dean. He practically has steam coming out of his ears. "Why is my baby brother's car parked in your driveway? Did you seduce him, you whore?! He's an innocent little omega. He's never even been kissed before, you shit. How dare you?!"
Dean is taken aback by the tirade. It isn't the first time someone's called him a whore, but what the hell? Little brother? "Dude, calm your shit. What are you talking about?"
The beta growls, pointing a vicious finger at Cas' Nova parked behind Dean's car in the driveway. "That is my little brother's car. Why is it parked in front of your house? Did you pick him up in a bar? Planning on fucking him and then throwing him away, like you do all the other omegas I've seen parading out of here?"
Dean holds up his hands in defense, still way too sleepy to really get what's going on. "First of all, who I sleep with is none of your business, asshole. Second of all, that car belongs to my mate. Which means whatever we're doing is none of your goddamn business."
"It most certainly is."
"Dean? Who's at the door?" comes Cas' sleepy voice from the top of the stairs. Dean looks up them to see his mate in rumpled pajamas pants, hair completely wild, rubbing at his eyes with Grr in his hand. He starts down the stairs slowly, holding onto the railing with his free hand as if he might fall otherwise.
"Cassie, what you are doing here? Do you know what kind of alpha he is? I thought you were saving yourself for your mating. If this is some kind of rebellion thing, you picked the wrong alpha to rebel with," the mailman rants at him, pushing Dean aside to get a better look at him.
Castiel freezes half-way down the stairs and stares. "Gabriel," is all he manages. Dean suddenly understands what's going on. This is one of Cas' brothers, the one Cas told Balthazar not to tell. Shit./i
"I think the secret's out, Cas," Dean says, pulling the door open wider so Gabriel can step in. He has a feeling this is going to be a conversation. "I'm gonna need coffee." He turns towards the kitchen, but pauses and turns a glare on Gabriel. "And I'm not a whore, Judge Judy."
Gabriel snorts, but his attention is on Cas, who is reluctantly walking down the remaining steps. "Gabriel, I didn't want to tell you because I feared you would tell Mother. I am not rebelling. Dean is my mate. I would appreciate it if you did not disparage him in front of me, especially since you do not know him."
"I know enough. Do you know how many people I've seen doing the walk of shame out of this house? Too many."
"No, neither do I care to know. I am here now, and that is all I care about. Dean is my mate, and I am his. If you have a problem with that, that is a burden you will have to live with."
Dean listens for Gabriel's response, but he fills the pot up with water and is pouring it in the coffee maker before he hears it. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"What about Zachariah? Mom's gonna lose it."
"Mother will have to find a way to come to terms with this as well. I would appreciate it if you did not tell her, though."
"You're hiding your mating from her? Yeah, that doesn't sound shady. Are you sure you're sure?"
"Yes, Gabriel, I am sure. I would just prefer to keep this from her until we have officially mated, which I am not ready to do yet. She will be less likely to be able to protest the union if there is already a claim mark on my neck."
There's another pause in the conversation, and Dean drifts closer to the doorway while he waits for the coffee to brew so he can get a better look at them. Cas is standing a foot from Gabriel and Gabriel is petting Grr while contemplating Cas. "You haven't mated yet?"
"No. Dean has been kind enough to wait until I am ready."
Gabriel flicks his eyes to Dean in the doorway. He still looks a little disgusted with Dean. "Wouldn't have expected that," he grumbles. Dean throws his most sarcastic smirk at him and waves.
He hears the coffee pot ding and turns to get a cup. Just then, he hears Sam clumping down the stairs, only to stop before he's made it all the way down. "What's going on?"
"Why hello there," Gabriel says in a deep voice that makes Dean uncomfortable.
"Hi...? Are you our mail man?" Sam asks.
"Yes, I am. You must be Sam."
"Stop flirting with my future brother-in-law. He's already mated to a very lovely omega woman." The chiding in Cas' voice makes Dean chuckle. He brings his cup and one for Cas into the hall.
"'Mornin', Sammy. Coffee's ready."
"Thank god," he mutters, giving Cas and his brother a wide berth on his way to the kitchen. "Why is the mailman here?" he mutters over Dean's shoulder.
"He's Cas' brother. Saw Cas' car and wanted to yell at me for seducing his innocent little brother with my evil demon wiles," Dean answers, sending a mocking look Gabriel's way. Gabriel doesn't look phased by it.
"Okay, it sounds like you aren't out to ruin my brother's reputation. I should probably get back to my route. I might have left your mail on the driveway. Not sorry. See you later, little bro, little dude." He gives Grr one final pat on the head, earning himself a nip from Grr, and sends one more glare Dean's way before leaving. Dean shuts the door behind him a little harder than he probably needed to and looks at Cas.
"So, that was Gabriel."
Cas' face crumples, and he hurries closer. "I'm so sorry, Dean. I don't know what possessed him to do that. He's normally easy going and funny. I've only seen him get that overprotective a few times in my life. I'll talk to him."
"It's cool, Cas. He's just being a big brother, I get it. I'd probably lose my shit if I found Sammy at someone's house I didn't think was worthy, too."
"You did. Remember Ruby? I thought you were gonna hit her," Sam reminds him, coming through with two coffees, a bran muffin balanced on each. Dean hadn't even known Jess had slept over, but he recognizes her cup in Sam's left hand.
"That bitch tried to get you hooked on cocaine!" Dean snaps, old anger flaring up at the mere thought of her.
"She offered it once."
"Once is fucking enough. I would have clocked that bitch if she showed up at the house one more time."
"Get over it, dude. I told you, you should do yoga, get rid of all that residual anger."
Dean's about ready to clock Sam for that, but Sam dodges the grab for his head and lopes back upstairs, chuckling. "Someone's getting Nair in their shampoo again," Dean calls up the stairs.
"Fuck you," Sam sing-songs back down.
Dean sighs and turns his attention back to Cas, who is looking a mixture of confused and tired. Dean leans in to kiss him good morning, deciding to pretend the last twenty minutes didn't happen. "Breakfast?"
Cas smiles, the confusion wiped away. "Breakfast." As Dean turns back into the kitchen he hears over his shoulder. "We could do yoga together. It might be a nice bonding experience."
"Nope."
When Dean gets home, he finds Cas in the kitchen, burning garlic bread. "Hey, watcha doin' there?" he asks, pulling the garlic bread out of the oven before it sets on fire or something. Dean understands what the problem is immediately. He didn't wrap it in tinfoil first.
Cas stares from the bread to Dean and looks completely defeated. "I was trying to cook dinner. Obviously, I can't even do that right."
Dean's eyebrows raise in alarm. "Huh? What are you talking about? You're awesome. What's going on?"
"I wanted to make you dinner. I was hoping to have it done by the time you came home. The spaghetti turned out alright, but this..." He indicates the blackened bread with a pained face.
"Okay, uh, thanks? What made you want to make dinner?"
"You're always cooking for me. You shouldn't have to. You work much harder than I do, and you're..." He looks hesitant, like the next word is one he doesn't think Dean is going to like to hear. Dean thinks it might be 'alpha', and ignores the tight anger in his gut at Cas' mom.
"Dude, I like to cook. It's like one of the only things I'm good at. I didn't think you liked it."
"I'm not particularly skilled at it, but I should be doing the cooking."
"And why is that?"
"You know why," Cas answers in a small voice, looking down.
Dean nods, his suspicion confirmed. "Look, you can cook if you want to on occasion, but I'm not gonna stop altogether just because I'm an alpha and I have an omega living with me now."
"We aren't living together," Cas says with annoyance.
"Practically. That's not the point. I don't want to stop cooking just because you're around. Didn't we have this conversation when we first met? I don't want an obedient little omega house husband. I want you." He flashes Cas a winning smile. "Besides, you hate cooking. Why would you even want to?"
"Because it's my place!" Cas insists with more volume than Dean's heard him use so far in their relationship. His face has gotten blotchy and red with anger, and Dean thinks it's only a matter of time before he stomps his foot. Dean probably shouldn't find his mate's anger adorable, but he does.
He steps closer to Cas and wraps his arms around him, pulling him in until they're chest-to-chest. He looks down into Castiel's gorgeous eyes made brighter by his anger. "Your place is wherever you want your place to be. I know your family's strict about this shit, but have I ever struck you as a traditional alpha?" When Cas shakes his head, Dean lifts one hand from around him to smooth knuckles along Cas' hot cheek. "I want you to do whatever you want to do, whether it's what an omega 'should do' or not. I don't care about all that shit, and I don't want you to care about it either. Be the person you want to be. Cook because you want to cook, not because you're an omega and that's what you're supposed to do. Same goes for cleaning and whatever other weird rules you've got drilled into your head, okay?"
Cas nods again, sagging into him and tucking his head under Dean's chin. "I'll try. As you've said, a great deal has been 'drilled into my head'."
Dean kisses his forehead and rests his cheek in Cas' hair. "Good. Thank you. I just want you to be happy." They stand there for a long moment just holding onto each other and taking in the other's scent. After a while, Dean rubs his hands into the small of Cas' back and smiles crookedly. "You're an awful cook, anyway, dude. We'd starve if you did all the cooking."
Cas abruptly smacks him in the stomach and pulls away with a scowl. Dean ignores the swat and pulls Cas in with hands cupping his jaw for a slow, deep exploration of his mouth. Cas moans and melts into him, returning the kiss with gusto. When they pull away, Dean pushes the hair out of Cas' face and kisses his forehead again. "What made you think you needed to do those things in the first place? It can't just be your mom."
Cas rests his temple on Dean's shoulder and fiddles with the sleeve of Dean's shirt. "I'm not fulfilling my duty as your omega in letting you knot me and giving you pups. I thought I could at least fulfill my duties in other ways."
Dean pulls his face up to Dean's again. "That's bullshit, and you know it. It's not your duty to do anything, especially not 'give me pups'. For fuck's sake, you're not a broodmare. We'll get there when you're ready. I'm perfectly happy with the way we are now. Aren't you?"
"Yes, of course, but I feel like I'm doing you a disservice by holding back. I should want to let you knot me. You're my mate, after all."
"Yep, I'm your mate, which is why I can wait. I know we'll be having crazy amounts of sex and making pups for the rest of our lives. Waiting a few months isn't a big deal, when you really think about it. You'd never even kissed anyone before me. You have to build up to this kind of stuff."
"I shouldn't have to. I'm an omega. This is what I was made for."
"No, you were made to be a person who happens to be an omega. You aren't a robot."
"Sometimes I feel like I should be."
"Well, fuck that. I'm not sleeping with a robot, mate or not."
Cas smiles weakly at that, his hand tugging at Dean's shirt. "Not even if I gave expert blow jobs?"
Dean smirks. "You kind of already do." Cas smiles and kisses him, soft and sweet. "We good now?" Dean asks when they pull away.
Cas nods. "Yes, we are 'good'. Thank you."
"Awesome. Can I throw away the bread now? It smells awful. Wrap it in foil next time, dude." Cas laughs at the face he makes and hits him in the stomach again.
"I hate you so much," he says with a teasing smile.
Dean leans in for another kiss, smirking. "You love me," he says, teasing back.
Cas' expression grows serious as he looks up at Dean. "I do," he says quietly.
Dean's breath catches, and he squeezes Cas' side. "Yeah? Me, too." They kiss again, and this time it isn't sweet or soft.
They're interrupted twenty minutes later, Cas perched on the kitchen counter with Dean between his legs, by Ben's offended shout. "Oh come on, in the kitchen? We eat in here!"
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