Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

8 years ago

When Dean was four years old his mother died. It had been quite the nasty car accident and it had claimed many lives, none of which Dean remembered, of course, besides his mother. Since her death, Dean’s previously happy life had become this infected sore that just kept growing and never healed.

At eight years old he more often than not found himself at the homeless shelter, begging for food that scarcely was given to someone who still had a home. But the thing was that while Dean may have had four walls and a roof, it was hardly a home.

Home, for one, had food. And love.

Dean loved his little brother, Sam, very much, though, and couldn’t help but love his father even though the Alpha did very little to tend to his sons. Did, in fact, do less and less each year.

So Dean did what he could, nicked food from the school cafeteria, forewent eating altogether to feed little Sammy, begged at the shelters or simply begged outside the grocery store. It would get easier, he told himself, when he got older and could figure out how to get away with stealing from stores and gas stations. He was still too little to dare it just now.

This particular day Dean stood outside the grocery store, just outside the doors where the AC cooled the air somewhat every time the doors slid open. The sun was sweltering and Dean probably had sweat stains on his back. He felt grossed out by himself and even more so when the sharp scents of other people spiked in the heat.

Dean hadn’t presented yet, as most younglings presented first when puberty began, but he could already tell that he would be either an Alpha or an Omega because Betas usually didn’t have as keen sense of smell as the other two. And Dean smelled everything.

That would serve him well later on, he thought. He only hoped he got to grow up to be a strong Alpha, so he could be someone who could protect Sammy.

As he stood there, people-watching, a little boy about Sam’s age came out of the store and stopped beside Dean. He had sun kissed blonde hair and peered at Dean with curious interest. Dean shifted nervously. This kid had on proper clothes, smelled nice and clean, and was carrying the biggest bar of chocolate Dean had ever seen.

It’s gonna melt in the sun.

He knew he was being petulant but he was hungry and chocolate tasted delicious.

"Why’re you lookin’ at my candy?" the little boy asked suddenly and scared the crap out of Dean.

Somehow the kid had managed to slide right up to Dean without him noticing. The chocolate looked even bigger this up close. Dean could feel his mouth water.

"‘M sorry." He mumbled and unconsciously rubbed his belly. "Didn’t mean nothin’ by it. Just hungry, ‘s all."

The boy looked down at his candy, clutching it in both his hands just like Sammy did when he was carrying something big. Sam would be so happy for some chocolate.

Then suddenly the boy thrust the chocolate bar at Dean. "D’you wanna have it?"

Dean’s stomach grumbled loudly and he opened his mouth to answer just as an adult carrying a big grocery bag emerged from the store.

"Alfie." The man said, his tone both relieved and frustrated. The kid turned and looked up at the man and so did Dean. "I said to wait inside the doors."

The man was tall, lean. Looked strong but in a less obvious way than some other Alphas Dean had met. Because this was an Alpha, Dean knew that immediately. Not only because of his piercing eyes, his chiseled jaw, his entire demeanor when he approached the kids, but because of his scent.

The sharp musk of Alpha radiated from him, enveloping Dean as soon as the man stepped closer. It felt safe and somehow familiar. Made Dean want to curl up against the man. He felt his knees tremble and frowned down at them. That was weird; he didn’t usually react this strongly to Alphas. Maybe he would be an Omega after all? Or maybe a Beta with a good nose, there were those too.

"Daddy!" the little boy — Alfie — exclaimed happily and threw his arms around the man’s waist in a crushing hug. The man put his hand on the boy’s head but was looking at Dean. "This boy wants my candy."

Dean’s face immediately heated because that made it sound like he had been trying to steal it or something.

"You shouldn’t talk to strangers." The man chastised in a soft voice, his eyes still trained on Dean. Dean squirmed on the spot, preparing to leave.

"But he’s hungwy, daddy." Alfie protested. Dean opened his mouth to argue but his stomach piped up first with an even bigger growl than before. Dean was so embarrassed he just wanted to die.

"Hungry, Alfie. Speak properly." The man said calmly and put his grocery bag down on the ground to rummage around in it for a second. "And if you’re hungry, you should be eating this instead." He handed Dean a pre-made sandwich wrapped in plastic. It was the fancy kind you bought at the deli in the store.

Dean just stared with wide eyes and the man had to wriggle the sandwich before he accepted it.

"Thank you, sir." He mumbled and clutched the food to his chest, much like Alfie had clutched his candy.

"It’s okay, son." The man said, the corner of his lips quirking up into an extremely small smile.

Alfie grabbed the man’s hand when he straightened. It was obviously a sign of trust and love between what Dean assumed was father and son and he couldn’t help but feel jealous.

"Why’re you hungry anyway?" Alfie asked before Dean had had a chance to turn away. "Does your mommy make icky food you don’t wanna eat?"

"Alfie." The man said reproachfully and the boy turned his face up to his father.

Dean swallowed and looked down at his feet in their dirty, slightly too small, sneakers.

"I don’t have a mom."

When he sneaked a look up at the boy Alfie was regarding him almost weirdly seriously for a little kid. Almost like Sammy did sometimes.

"I don’t either." Alfie stated then but for some reason sounded less sad than Dean had done. "She died."

"Mine too." Dean whispered. The scent of protective Alpha suddenly filled Dean’s nostrils and his eyes snapped up to meet the man’s.

"You’re Dean Winchester, aren’t you?" he asked and though his face was unreadable, Dean felt safer than he had in a long while.

"Yessir."

The man nodded and then plucked Alfie’s chocolate bar from his lax grip before handing it to Dean.

Dean accepted it but just stared down at it. What was this? Was he supposed to give the sandwich back now?

Then suddenly the man’s big and warm hand was on Dean’s head, stroking his hair back from his forehead before coming down to cup Dean’s chin gently. He tilted Dean’s head back so that their eyes met again, Alpha protectiveness permeating the air.

"You take care now, Dean." He said and Dean could do nothing but gulp and nod slowly in answer.

Present day

When Castiel’s pup had been two years old his mother, and Castiel’s mate, had died. She had been diagnosed with terminal cancer not long after Alfie’s birth but had soldiered through for as long as she could muster.

Castiel was not proud to admit that he had cried when she finally let go. Alphas don’t cry, Castiel’s stern father would have said. Castiel was even less proud to admit that he had attacked the doctor when she had come to pry Hannah’s lifeless body from his iron grip. No one had blamed him, though.

Now, years later, the pain was still felt fresh on some days and he could admit to himself that he probably would react the same if it would happen again. Castiel had been in a dismal place for a long time after Hannah had left him.

The only thing that had brought him out of the broken shell of an Alpha that he had become had been the gentle, and not so gentle, reminder from his sister Anna and brother Gabriel that he still had a pup to look after.

Alfie had become his world and every day he could watch his pup grow had been a blessing since. He hated to think about what would have happened to that sweet child if Castiel had completely let go of reality. Hurting Alfie was his greatest fear.

But everything had turned out alright in the end. Castiel had worked hard and advanced within the firm he had been employed. Nowadays he was able to work mostly from home and even though tax accounting wasn’t very exciting and other Alphas scorned at his line of work he knew he had made the right choice. Because he had taken care of his family, however small.

And Alfie had blossomed into this wonderful child, making Castiel smile almost ridiculously at times. Just grazing his twelfth birthday the boy had presented as a Beta and Castiel was so proud. Alfie was kind and intelligent, did well in school and had many friends.

Alfie’s best friend in the whole wide world was Sam Winchester. They did everything together. Sammy was perhaps a little bit more adventurous than Alfie but not so much that it was dangerous and Castiel thought it was fine, dispelled some of Alfie’s shyness.

Sam had recently presented as an Alpha, explaining much of his assertiveness and Castiel hadn’t been able to contain his fond smile when little Sammy had puffed out his chest as he retold the presenting to Castiel.

Castiel could already tell that Sam would grow up to be a responsible Alpha. Much like Alfie he was intelligent and kind and, much too Castiel’s sadness, Sam had experienced loss in his life too. When Sam was just a baby his mother had died in a car crash and he had grown up with only his Omega big brother Dean and Alpha father John. They had no other relatives, at least not in town that Castiel knew about, and John Winchester had slowly but surely driven away what friends they had had.

When Castiel had entered freshman year in high school John had just been starting his Senior year but even though they never really met Castiel could still remember how John had doted upon Mary and how they had always been surrounded by a group of happy friends. They had seemed so carefree. But then tragedy struck and one by one John’s friends left him. Castiel had never been close to the man but he had watched from afar with saddened eyes. And then his own mate had been torn from him and he hadn’t had time to think about much else.

John hadn’t taken the loss of his mate very well and what he had turned into had been a good example of what not to do, however awful that sounded. Castiel knew of the Alpha’s behavior not because Sammy talked about it but because this was common knowledge in town. Their mates’ deaths had been too close, the similarities too many for people not to talk.

Mostly the talk was scorn directed at John for how much better Castiel had handled the situation but Castiel thought that was unfair; every situation was different. Some said it was because Castiel was a better Alpha and some said it was because Hannah hadn’t been Castiel’s True Mate. Castiel resented both arguments because what was to say what made a good Alpha? And he had always thought talk about True Mates belonged in fairy tales. He had loved Hannah and no one could tell him otherwise.

But mostly Castiel preferred to keep himself out of those kinds of discussions, no matter if he was getting praised or snorted at. It was ultimately always the children that suffered and Castiel would have none of that if he could help it. Him they could sneer at all they wanted but no one hurt Alfie and got away with it.

And no matter the circumstances Sammy had turned into an exceptional young man anyway, just like Alfie, and Castiel couldn’t help but feel proud for him too. With how much time Sammy spent in Castiel’s house he was bound to grow attached to the boy.

And while Castiel had rarely spoken more than the occasional hello to Dean, and even then only very briefly, he knew that Dean was a remarkable person as well. So resilient and with so much intensity in his vibrant eyes. Yes, Castiel wanted to get to know Dean more because Alfie really loved his best friend and Dean meant the world to Sam but even with how little he knew he was certain Dean was a good person. Perhaps one of the better youths Castiel had met.

Which was perhaps why he was stunned into stupidity one Friday noon when he parked outside the Taco Bell in town, thinking he would treat himself to some fast food after his meeting with his boss Naomi.

Because there, in the alley between Taco Bell and the building beside it, was Dean, on his knees, sucking off a grown man. And maybe Castiel’s brain was short-circuiting a little but his first thought had been that this was a weekday and why wasn’t Dean in school?

But all that changed when he saw the man grab harshly at Dean’s hair as he started fucking the Omega’s face. Castiel’s breath left him in a big whoosh and he barely registered his actions as his inner Alpha instincts forced their way to the surface.

Castiel was usually a pretty calm Alpha but this was way beyond his comprehension. All he could see was a man raping Dean — kind Dean who always looked tired when he came to pick Sammy up — and he was striding up to the pair mere seconds later.

"Dean!" he boomed, his voice like thunder as Alpha rage laced the word. His world was tinted red at the edges and he knew he was potentially dangerous right now but he didn’t care. Dean was a child.

Dean popped off the man and turned scared eyes up at Castiel. This close he could smell the cloying scent of sex and Beta arousal. Dean smelled like fear and it made Castiel growl threatening. But too late.

"Mr. Novak—" Dean started but was cut off when the Beta came all over his face.

"Shit." The man groaned but his orgasmic bliss was short-lived when Castiel promptly punched him in the face.

The Beta was obviously caught off guard and Alphas were generally stronger so it was no surprise that the man went tumbling to the ground. He yelped indignantly.

Castiel grabbed Dean’s arm and yanked him harshly to his feet. "You’re coming with me."

The man on the ground flailed and cursed but Castiel could smell on him that he wouldn’t be challenging an enraged Alpha so he just left, dragging Dean behind him all the way to the car. He needed to calm down, though.

"Get in the car."

"No."

Castiel turned his head and glared at Dean but Dean just glared right back. His scent wasn’t strong, had never really been, and Castiel had always believed that was because Dean was on heat suppressants like most Omegas were. Even so, Castiel could smell anger on him and that made him pause.

"No?" he asked but it wasn’t really a question.

"You fucking cost me twenty bucks, Mr. N." Dean gestured to the alley but the Beta was already gone. "I need that money."

Castiel felt gut-punched.

He leaned in, getting his face right up in Dean’s and the Omega only very barely managed not to shrink back.

"Get. In the. Car."

Castiel hated using his Alpha voice and he had never done it to a child before but the situation was just too much. Dean’s face was still covered in the Beta’s release and he smelled strongly of it, more so than his own scent now that his anger receded.

Wordlessly Dean opened the door and slid in. When Castiel had sat down in the driver’s seat he reached over to the glove compartment and pulled out some tissues, roughly handing them to Dean before he started the car.

The silence was stifling. Castiel was sure his anger poisoned the air and he did his best to reign it in, wanting Dean to only smell safety on him. It was difficult, though.

"You need to tell me what’s going on, Dean."

"Really?" Dean sneered and the sound was ugly, raw. Not a sound Dean usually made, as far as Castiel knew. "I need to?"

He glanced at the Omega. Dean was staring out the window, looking angry as all Hell but at least his face was mostly clean now.

"No." He agreed. "You don’t. But I would really appreciate it if you did. You’re a good kid, Dean, and I—"

"Oh don’t give me that crap." Dean interrupted snidely. "I’m a good kid, I shouldn’t be whoring myself, I should be in school, I should be a good fucking Omega and shut my trap. Well you know what, Alpha?" he turned bodily to Castiel and the Alpha glanced at him best he could while driving. "Life is fucking hard, don’t you fucking dare tell me nothing else."

Castiel pressed his lips together and took a deep breath to calm himself. It proved to be the wrong thing to do because his nostrils immediately filled with the scent of upset and angered Omega with an underlying scent of fear still lingering.

"Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Whoring yourself? Was this not a first time? An only time?"

Dean looked at him as if he was stupid but then his features softened and he looked down at his hands, still clutching the tissues.

"It started in school." He mumbled. Castiel clenched his jaws shut but remained calm. They were almost home now. "Lots of hormones and everyone wants sex but wooing is such a drag, you know?"

Castiel didn’t know. Had only ever really had eyes for one Omega and he had found great joy in trying to woo her, even after she became his. But he understood the meaning.

"How many?"

"Does it matter?" Dean slumped back against the car seat when Castiel parked outside his neat house. Regular suburban life suddenly surrounded them and it really didn’t fit in with the conversation. Dean seemed reluctant to leave the car and Castiel couldn’t blame him. He was just glad he had managed to calm down so that the Omega could feel safe enough to talk.

"Not that many, though." Dean mumbled after a while. The car’s engine still ticked slowly in the heat. "Not that… I mean, I could’ve had more but it was mostly Alphas that wanted it and they were just kids."

You are too, though. Would be stupid to say that.

"Is that why you started going to adults?"

Dean made a face, scrunching up his delicate features into something ugly. His scent was cloying, thick with self-deprecation.

"Adults pay more." He muttered, not meeting Castiel’s eyes.

Castiel’s stomach churned. "Let’s go inside, please."

"You not going to order me around, Alpha?" Dean spat and his tone was derisive but he was on his way out of the car before Castiel could answer.

He sighed heavily and pulled the key out of the ignition. Really shouldn’t have used his Alpha voice on the Omega.

Dean waited impatiently as Castiel unlocked the door and he stomped past the Alpha first chance he got. He obviously didn’t know where he was going, though, and ended up in the kitchen looking trapped. He stood by the counter when Castel entered the room, his knuckles brushing the cool surface.

Castiel got a weird feeling seeing Dean in the kitchen. He had invited him in on other occasions, while they were waiting for Sam and Alfie to finish up, but that had felt different. Dean looked good in Castiel’s kitchen today. Fit in.

"Please, Dean." He said in a low tone, making his way over to the fridge. Dean was watching him cautiously. "Give me a chance to understand."

"Dunno what fucking difference that would make." Dean muttered. Castiel wanted to berate him for his language but hardly saw the point in this moment.

When he offered Dean a soda the Omega accepted it but only pocketed it in his leather jacket. John had worn a jacket just like that when he was in high school, Castiel remembered. The older Alpha had looked very good in it but Dean wore it better.

"You said life is hard." Castiel leaned against the fridge and crossed his arms, more to put them somewhere so he wouldn’t start wringing his hands. A very un-Alpha-like trait, his father had told him.

Dean rolled his eyes and stubbornly refused to meet Castiel’s. "You know it is." He paused and seemed to get lost in his own world. Castiel just stood there, silent and vigilant. Dean’s smell was seriously muted due to his medication but he still smelled sweet to Castiel. Sweet and uncomfortable. "Dad is not the best of Alphas."

Castiel frowned and shifted on his feet. "Tell me."

It wasn’t an order and he certainly didn’t use his Alpha voice but Dean’s dams were obviously breaking. He was still staring into space.

"Ever since mom… He’s not handling that well. And he…well you can’t blame the guy, right?"

"Dean, is he hurting you?"

Dean frowned deeply and somehow managed to avert his eyes even more. He looked guarded and Castiel knew he had pressed too hard.

"No. He just…he’s just not all there, you know? And sometimes he leaves." Dean surprised Castiel by laughing suddenly. A short burst of bitterness that seeped into his scent, clouding the sweetness. "That’s a fucking understatement. He leaves all the time. For weeks. And he usually gives us money but…" he shrugged and finally met Castiel’s eyes. He looked so tired and beaten that Castiel couldn’t help how he unfolded his arms and almost reached for the Omega.

"He doesn’t give you enough."

It was bad enough that John Winchester left his two underage sons to fend for themselves but to also leave them without means to provide for at least food was atrocious. Castiel could practically feel his Alpha instincts clawing their way to the surface when Dean just shook his head sadly.

"It’s…you know, food and then there’s field trips with Sammy’s school. And bills, rent." Dean hunched in on himself and Castiel was nervous about scaring him off but he went to put a hand on Dean’s shoulder nonetheless. Thankfully, Dean leaned into the touch.

"You’ve been providing for Sam." By selling yourself.

Castiel couldn’t help how his voice came out in a low growl but Dean didn’t seem to mind. The Omega just turned more bodily to him. His scent was filled with sadness and laced with fear and Castiel wanted to rip John a new one. He was their Alpha, they needed him.

And the fact that this could have been Alfie’s fate if Castiel hadn’t gotten his shit together made him even angrier. He had to try and rein in his emotions, though. He loved Sammy, almost like a second son, and he knew Dean deserved love as well but he had to control himself so that his scent didn’t scare the Omega.

But Dean said nothing about that, though. Just shrugged dejectedly at Castiel’s words.

"Someone has to." He almost whispered.

"You need to talk to someone." Castiel ground out but that, of all things, was apparently the wrong thing to say.

Dean wrenched out of his lax grip and stared angrily at him. "I’ve already said enough to you." He spat and oh, he was so guarded once again. Castiel felt his anger drain away and give way to this unexplainable sadness. "No one can know about this, Mr. N." Dean warned in a low tone, his brow furrowed in his anger. "Me ‘n Sammy’s been talking about it but it can’t be done. Child Protective Services would come and they would take us away—"

"Dean."

"—and they would split us up." Dean concluded in a voice loud enough to shut Castiel up. "Don’t fucking rat us out. I’m doing all this so that me ‘n Sam can be together. I lost mom, I can’t lose him too."

"Dean." Castiel almost pleaded but he didn’t dare put a hand on the Omega again. Dean stepped back as if he had tried. "Please listen—"

"Listen to what? I’m not talking to some fucking authoritative figure who thinks they know best. They’ll put Sammy in a home and I’d never seen him again." His fear of this happening was thick in his scent and Castiel almost choked on an incoming breath. "I’m fine whoring as long as it means I get to keep Sammy, okay? Don’t ruin it."

Castiel wanted to cry. They were just pups.

"Please calm down." He murmured soothingly and to his well-hidden surprise Dean actually calmed down. Very minutely, but still. "Of course I won’t say anything to anyone without your consent but please, Dean, this selling sex thing needs to stop."

Dean snorted. "I’m sixteen, it’s legal for me to mate now and that means sex, Mr. Novak."

Castiel’s eyes softened. "Sex with your peers, Dean." Dean didn’t budge, didn’t even blink. "Have you even been using protection?"

Dean rolled his eyes and leaned his rump against the counter, his shoulder to Castiel as he crossed his arms. "I’m on heat suppressants, I don’t want a fucking pup."

Oh God, Castiel wanted to cry all over again.

"I’m talking about STDs, Dean." He said kindly and saw how the Omega tensed up. "That Beta came all over your face, how much of that went in your mouth? How many times have you…" he could barely say it. "Have you taken someone else’s seed into your body?"

"I…" Dean looked down, scuffing his foot against the floor. "I dunno."

"You need to be careful." He stepped up to the Omega again, closer but without touching this time. "I need you to stop."

"I need the money."

"I will give you money."

Dean’s head snapped up and for a moment he looked so young and vulnerable that Castiel almost thought it had worked. But then Dean’s features darkened and he turned to Castiel, puffing his chest out in hurt pride. He was at least a couple of inches shorter than Castiel and only an adolescent Omega at that but he still managed to look intimidating to Castiel’s saddened mind.

"I’m not a charity case."

"I know that Dean, good God, I know." Castiel put his hands on Dean’s shoulders, squeezing slightly when he felt the stiffness there but Dean didn’t back down. "And I didn’t mean it like that. You could work for me. I have a garden and I’m useless at keeping it. I pay an expensive gardener to do it for me but I would much rather pay you. I could cut the expense in half and it would still cover what you and Sammy need and I would practically be making money on it. It would be a win-win."

Dean’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I don’t know jack squat about gardens."

Castiel sighed exasperatedly. "Neither do I, why do you think I hired someone? And you know what? When John’s away you and Sammy could sleep here. Sam and Alfie could have an extended sleepover and I have a guestroom all set up in the basement, you could stay down there. Or Sammy could sleep in that room with you, whichever would be best for you."

Castiel warmed to the idea even as he talked about it, his pace quickening to the point where he didn’t realize that Dean’s tentative expression at the thought of gardening changed into anger once again.

He batted Castiel’s hands away before the Alpha had even finished. "I told you I don’t need your charity."

"It’s not—"

"Or pity!" Dean roared and started walking out of the kitchen. "Thanks for the offer but I can take care of my little brother just fine on my own."

Castiel’s whole body jerked at the sound of the front door slamming shut and he was ashamed to say that he did nothing to stop Dean from leaving. Didn’t run after him, didn’t drive around looking for him or go to his apartment to talk to him. Didn’t try to call him.

Did basically nothing an Alpha should have done. Because Dean’s hurt scent lingered in his nostril, so strong it overpowered his whole being. Dean was a proud Omega and Castiel’s offer had translated as him finding Dean unfit to care for his family. He had wanted to help the Omega but had only managed to hurt his most primal pride.

Castiel had to do something but could already say that he wouldn’t break his promise to Dean and blab about this. However faulty that decision was.

Chapter Text

Almost ten days later Dean was still angry. Who the hell did Mr. Novak think he was anyway? Coming here with his kind eyes and comforting scent, completely throwing Dean for a loop.

He didn’t even know why he had told Mr. Novak everything anyway. He had always had some kind of respectful trust for the man and, if he was completely honest, that trust had made him resent his own father a little. Because Mr. Novak had lost his mate too but he hadn’t turned into a drunk that rather spent time with his old hunter friends than raising his pups. The love and adoration that shone in Mr. Novak’s eyes when he looked at Alfie made Dean both sad and jealous.

And now he had gone and revealed his biggest and baddest secret to the man. And fucking Castiel Novak had of course gone and twisted everything around. Had wanted to help. Dean couldn’t help sneering at the mere thought.

He didn’t need help; he could provide for Sammy just fine. Sure, somewhere in the back of his mind he felt bad about how he had snarled at the Alpha. It had been disrespectful and he was certain Mr. Novak hadn’t meant to insult him but the fact was that he had and Dean had more pride than was probably healthy for an Omega.

So anyway, ten days later dad had been home and already left again, which wasn’t all that surprising considering that was how it usually went. Usually dad left for two to three weeks at a time and Dean anticipated that this time would be one of the longer ones and if he was right the rent would be due before dad came back. And in that case the money dad had left them wouldn’t be enough.

Which was why Dean found himself at one of the town’s shadier bars in the middle of a Wednesday. Bars like these didn’t ask too many questions and the clientele was usually easier to persuade. Not that Dean usually had any problem getting someone to pay him to suck them off.

But if dad was going to be gone as long as Dean suspected then he would need a lot more money than just twenty bucks. Even though he hated the disgusting smell of sex that usually lingered on him he knew he could and would endure it for Sammy’s sake. Maybe he could even luck out and find someone who was handsome, smelled good, and was great in bed? It had happened before.

Just had to stop thinking about Mr. Novak’s sad face was all. Because if he, who barely knew Dean, looked at him like that, what would Sam look like? Would probably be mad. Dean couldn’t afford thoughts like that or he wouldn’t be able to power through until next time dad came home.

More than once had he entertained the idea of getting an honest work, especially now since Mr. Novak had put that ridiculous notion in his head, but the fact was that Dean knew he was useless. He had no skill and he was too stupid to learn; he had heard that enough times from dad and in school to know it was true. But any old Omega could bend over, no need to learn anything there; his body was built to take cock.

Pickings seemed slim today, though. The bar was mostly filled with its regulars and those men wanted nothing to do with Dean, even though he knew they knew what he did there and never ratted him out.

But after only twenty minutes of sulking in a corner and exchanging evasive text messages with his friend Charlie Dean’s luck turned. A man walked into the bar with an air of owning it, smelling so strongly of Alpha musk that Dean could feel it all the way down to the corner where he was sitting.

The bartender scrunched up his nose even though he was a Beta and probably had worse sense of smell than Dean. The man just smiled a slimy smile, though, and ordered a beer. He looked like the perfect john, all full of himself and loaded, judging by his fat wallet.

Dean was making a beeline for the man before his beer had even been poured.

"Hi there." He mumbled in an intimate voice and the Alpha turned to him, clearly eyeing him up and down. Dean straightened. Out the corner of his eye he could see one of the regulars watching the Alpha with disgust. It somehow struck Dean as odd because he knew that man had watched Dean turn tricks here before and he had never once reacted to it.

He didn’t have time to think it over, though, because the Alpha suddenly leered at him.

"Well hello there, pup." He said in a drawl.

Dean bristled but tried not to show it. He knew his heat suppressants muted his smell pretty well but Alphas had strong noses and he didn’t want his patron to get the wrong idea.

"No need for that, I’m legal." He said with as pleasant a smile as he could muster. Man, the Alpha’s scent was strong. And sure, most Alphas’ were, but this was something else.

It had changed from confident to fucking owning and not even Mr. Novak’s anger had smelled as rotten as this.

Where had that thought come from? Weird…

Dean tried to not scrunch up his nose and instead returned the man’s leer.

"And what do you want me to do about that?" the Alpha asked, still in that drawl and it made Dean’s skin crawl.

"How about you pay me two hundred bucks and you can do whatever you want."

Two hundred was a little more than Dean usually charged because he knew he wasn’t as good as the whores you could get in the bigger cities but he really needed the money. Besides, the man looked like he could afford it.

The Alpha just quirked an eyebrow as he tipped back his beer, watching Dean intently as he drank deeply. Dean forced himself to remain calm.

"Whatever I want, you say?" the Alpha eventually drawled and nodded when Dean did. "Sure, why not?"

"Great." Dean pressed out a smile. "I’m just gonna go hit the head."

The man nodded again and put his half-finished beer down on the bar. "I drive a black mustang, I’ll be waiting outside."

"Sure."

Well inside the bathroom, Dean looked himself over in the toilet’s dusty mirror, trying to gather his courage. The condom burned a hole in his pocket because he couldn’t stop thinking about Mr. Novak’s concern. Problem was, Dean wasn’t so sure most johns would appreciate a condom. At least Alphas were very into marking their bedpartner with their sperm. It didn’t matter, though. Dean would try and ask nicely and if the Alpha refused then Dean would just go with it anyway, just once more.

He reached into his other pocket and produced a small tube. The cream was odorless and colorless so the Alpha wouldn’t notice it but if smeared right under Dean’s nose it would help neutralize all smells for Dean.

It was a cream used by cops when they entered homicide scenes and Dean had gotten some from an officer he had screwed in the back of a police car once. He used it in situations like these, when he wasn’t so sure he would be able to fuck the john if he had to smell him too much. He only hoped the Alpha wouldn’t be into licking Dean’s upper lip because the cream tasted a little off.

On his way outside the regular that had regarded the Alpha with disdain opened his mouth as if to speak. Dean met his eyes and even turned his head as he walked past the man but he didn’t say anything and Dean ended up just walking outside slightly confused.

Outside was a black mustang, just like the Alpha had said and Dean slid easily into the passenger seat but frowned when the Alpha immediately started driving away from the bar.

"Where’re we going?" he asked and squinted out at the world as it flew past. Sex in an alley, the back of a car, or even a public bathroom was one thing. He had never followed anyone anywhere else, though. Probably because he was lured into a false sense of security when he knew there were other people around.

The Alpha grinned. "You said I could do whatever I want, right?"

"Right."

"Well, I want to take you to a motel and treat you real nice, Omega. So how about it?" it was weird, how his words clashed so horribly with his tone. He flashed Dean the desired money as he stopped by a red light, though. "I’m Azazel."

Dean eyed the money and yes, that was what he came for after all so what did the location matter? He gingerly accepted the money and pocketed it.

"Michael."

"We’re going to get along just fine, Michael." Azazel winked.

Dean’s whole body hurt.

His head was pounding and his elbow throbbed with a dull kind of ache. He knew he had bloodstains on his jeans but he hoped it wasn’t very visible. With every bump the bus he was on drove over Dean winced at the pain that shot up his spine.

He was tired, broken and beaten. The bus driver had almost not wanted to let him on. Dean had seen the mistrust in the Beta’s eyes and he couldn’t blame the man, not with how he probably looked. His hair was sweaty and crusted with dried come and he probably smelled even worse.

A particularly big bump jolted Dean’s whole body and he whined pitifully. He was just glad that this particular bus didn’t seem to be too frequented. But fuck, he needed to know that Sammy had managed without him, he thought it was late enough that maybe school had started already. He hoped so.

Dean’s eyes prickled but he drew several shaky breaths to keep from crying. Couldn’t, not in public. But God, he felt so small. Small and dumb and scared. Something leaked out of his hole and he couldn’t honestly say that it was only semen. His whole face blossomed red at the thought.

Azazel had proved to be as limp as a dead fish but his two friends had provided well enough after the Alpha had forced Dean to take his toys and now Dean felt more open than he ever remembered feeling. Unbidden tears came at the next bump in the road. He should have said no.

Sunshine shone in through the bus’s windows and Dean couldn’t fathom how the world could look so serene when everything hurt so much. At least the window’s coolness lessened his headache a little.

The bus stop was almost three blocks away but Dean had walked the familiar path enough times to manage it on autopilot. What the hell he was doing here was another thing. All around him idyllic suburban houses stood silent vigil over their perfectly manicured lawns and Dean’s limping, disgusting, dirty figure didn’t fit in.

When he at long last found himself on the familiar porch he had started shaking all over. Whether it was exhaustion from the walk or fear of rejection he couldn’t say but no matter what he couldn’t stop it. His ass felt slick, but not with slick.

His hand shook as he lifted it to ring the fancy doorbell that made a pleasant ding-dong sound instead of the grating buzzing Dean was used to.

"Dean?!"

Mr. Novak’s scent ranged from surprised to scared to angered and back to calm so fast that Dean almost reeled from it.

"I…I’m sorry, Mr. N." He said in a pathetic tone and refused to look at the man. "I…you were right, I-I…"

"No, none of that." Mr. Novak immediately said as if he knew just how much Dean berated himself. "Tell me what happened. Are you hurt?"

His strong hand was grabbing gently at Dean and Dean stumbled inside, crashing right into the Alpha and Mr. Novak’s scent was so comforting and utterly home that Dean started crying, completely unable to keep it at bay anymore. This was how it should feel like coming home to dad, Dean thought. Dad was supposed to be the Alpha that Dean ran to for help but instead he found himself in the arms of an almost complete stranger and yet he had never felt safer.

The next thing he knew was how Mr. Novak swept him off his feet, quite literally. He clung to the Alpha as Mr. Novak carried him bridal style into the house, slamming the door with his foot.

"Let’s get you washed up, little Omega." Mr. Novak said in a comforting tone.

"I fucked u-up." Dean hiccupped and hid his face against the Alpha’s neck, inhaling his musky scent. "I sh-should’ve said no b-but…and I was gonna u-use the condom but they were so m-many. And I couldn’t, Mr. N they d-did…it hurts so much."

Mr. Novak was nodding as if he understood Dean’s rambling and maybe he did. He could probably smell Azazel and his Beta friends on Dean’s skin.

"You have done nothing wrong, Dean." Mr. Novak stated calmly just as they reached the upstairs bathroom.

Dean had never been there before but he didn’t reflect on it other than how big it was. Then suddenly Mr. Novak was putting him down and Dean’s legs were seriously shaky now.

"Alpha." He whined and couldn’t bring himself to hate needing Mr. Novak’s strength right now.

Mr. Novak nodded his head. "I just need to make a phone call, I will not impose on you while you shower."

And then he was pulling away and Dean’s heart lodged in his throat. He was suddenly scared everything had been a lie. Mr. Novak was only nice to him because he hadn’t wanted his neighbors to see an Omega with soiled underwear on his porch because why would he? Dean was disgusting and ugly and he broke everything he touched.

And yet he couldn’t let go of Mr. Novak’s arm.

"Alpha." He sobbed, his vision blurry with his tears but not blurry enough to see how Mr. Novak’s nostrils flared. God, Dean’s scent must be so rank right now.

But Mr. Novak said nothing about it. He just kneeled down to start removing Dean’s shoes.

"You are safe here, pup." Mr. Novak murmured in an intimate tone. "No one will hurt you, you’re safe."

Gradually Dean relaxed as Mr. Novak removed his clothes and he didn’t even object when the Alpha gently nudged him into the shower. Mr. Novak stepped in after him, still fully clothed and apparently uncaring about that fact when he turned on the water. He held the shower head away from Dean, testing the water first before putting it back and turning Dean into the spray.

The water was hot, probably hotter than what Dean usually liked, but it felt divine now. He mewled and bowed his head under the spray. When Mr. Novak reached over and started scrubbing Dean with a washcloth he turned into the touches, almost shivering at the tenderness despite the warmth.

"Precious little Omega." Mr. Novak rumbled in his low tone and Dean wanted to believe him. "No more tears, you’re safe here."

Mr. Novak continued to clean him, first scrubbing him down gently and inspecting Dean’s elbow only to discover that it was only lightly scraped and that all of the blood washed away with minimum coaxing. He washed Dean’s hair with a little shampoo and then turned the Omega around.

Dean braced his hands on the wall as Mr. Novak swept the washcloth across the swell of his ass.

"Does it hurt?"

Dean gasped at the gentleness in Mr. Novak’s voice. It was low, almost low enough that the cascading water swallowed it. He nodded jerkily and scrunched up his eyes when he felt Mr. Novak’s hand against his rump instead. The touch was tender and even though the skin on his ass cheeks felt raw it was okay when Mr. Novak used his smooth hands instead of the rough washcloth to wash him.

The Alpha made dissatisfied noises and Dean could only imagine what he looked like. When Mr. Novak put two fingers to his hole they slid in without resistance and that wasn’t right. Sure his hole was built to take cocks and knots but it wasn’t supposed to be this loose out of sex.

He whimpered, scared that he was hurt beyond repair. Mr. Novak just shushed him gently and cleaned out Dean’s hole with his fingers. Judging by the smell Dean could tell that it wasn’t only slick and semen there and he started crying again just as Mr. Novak pulled out.

God, why was the Alpha so nice to him? He wished he could go to bed and never wake up.

"None of that." Mr. Novak stated once again. He washed his fingers quickly before spinning Dean around and taking him in his strong arms.

Dean clung to him even fiercer than the Alpha’s wet clothes did and he cried openly against the man’s chest. He had been so proud last time he saw the Alpha but none of that remained in this moment. Now he was just scared and little and he missed his mother terribly.

Mr. Novak held him tight and rocked them slightly, humming random tunes under his breath. His scent was powerful in the warm air, so thick of comfort and trust that Dean could do nothing but breathe it in and try to calm down.

Eventually his wracking sobs changed into little gasps that tapered out into nothingness. He felt numb inside but still better somehow.

The Alpha knew, of course, because no one had read Dean quite like this. Not even Sammy. When Mr. Novak reached over to turn off the shower Dean stepped out of it on his own. Well outside he stared at his reflection for a moment. Besides the way his body was pink from the warm shower and how red his eyes were from crying he looked basically the same. Maybe he was the same? It had just been sex, right? Rough, awful sex but still just sex and maybe this didn’t change anything or maybe it changed everything, he just didn’t know.

Then Mr. Novak’s reflection was behind him, meeting Dean’s eyes through the mirror and he knew a lot had changed here but it was hard to pinpoint exactly what.

Suddenly there was a fluffy towel pressed against his back. He looked over his shoulder at the Alpha. Mr. Novak’s usually tousled hair was plastered to his head and Dean found himself wanting to run his fingers through it.

"Lift your arms." Mr. Novak commanded in a soft tone and Dean immediately did.

The Alpha dried him off with the same tenderness he had used to wash him and suddenly Dean felt dead tired. What with everything that had happened during the night he hadn’t slept for too long and now his body was beginning to relax. He leaned a little against Mr. Novak, prompting a surprise smile from the man.

"If you do that we’ll never finish." He mumbled, almost fondly, and Dean glanced at his wet clothes before taking the towel from him.

Mr. Novak nodded and let him finish by himself. The towel was so soft, so unlike the scratchy ones in Dean’s home. He buried his face in it for a moment and the Alpha took the opportunity to rub Dean’s hair relatively dry.

"I need to change and make that phone call."

Dean nodded. "Not the police." He said in a voice roughened by crying. Mr. Novak nodded.

"Not the police." He agreed even though Dean knew the Alpha didn’t want to.

If Dean wanted to he was sure he could find his way back to that goddamn motel, and maybe Mr. Novak would know it by its name, but Dean was just so tired. He felt it was his fault anyway, maybe they would have stopped if he had just asked them to? He shouldn’t have let it go on. And he should have known better than to follow someone who smelled like that in the first place. The regular at that bar had probably been trying to warn him, Dean now understood.

When Mr. Novak took another towel from a hook by the door and started to walk out the bathroom Dean hooked two fingers in his belt loop and tottered after him. Whatever Mr. Novak thought of Dean’s shameful behavior he held to himself, for which Dean would be ever grateful.

Mr. Novak led him to what Dean had to assume was his bedroom what with the powerful scent of the Alpha coming from the bed.

Mr. Novak was still wet and even dripping a little on his expensive looking carpet but he didn’t seem to care. He opened his closet and rifled around a little before he turned to Dean with a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.

"I’ll wash your clothes, please wear these in the meantime, Omega." He handed over the clothes when Dean nodded and as Dean started pulling them on, Mr. Novak started peeling his off. "Feel free to make yourself comfortable on the bed."

Dean had really meant to just sit on it but his ass hurt so much and fuck the bed was soft. He stretched out almost as soon as he sat down and he rolled to his stomach to spare his hole the unnecessary pressure. With his head nestled on Mr. Novak’s pillow and his arms under it, he watched the Alpha get naked, dry off, and pull on some new clothes, all right there in front of Dean. Should it be scary for him to see another Alpha naked after what he had just experienced? Maybe, but it really wasn’t. Or maybe it was just because this was Mr. Novak.

The man radiated safety and Dean knew he could let his guard down here. He had after all done it before, just ten days earlier, and now he knew it would be no problem to do it again. He could trust Mr. Novak. The Alpha hadn’t told anyone about dad and about Dean’s whoring and he wouldn’t hurt Dean.

His eyes drooped and when Mr. Novak put a warm blanket over him he mewled softly in his almost-sleep.

"I’m just outside, pup." Mr. Novak mumbled in his deep voice and stroked Dean’s hair once before slipping away.

Through the haze of Dean’s slumber he heard distorted words as Mr. Novak spoke on the phone outside the bedroom. He was standing in the doorway, the door open but his back to Dean to give the Omega some privacy. Dean didn’t understand exactly what he was talking about but from the sound of it he guessed that it was about the Alpha’s work.

Dean startled awake when the bed dipped, not having realized he had actually fallen asleep. Mr. Novak’s hand on his lower back calmed him down immediately.

"This is what’s going to happen, Dean." Mr. Novak started in a tone that made no way for arguments. Not his Alpha voice but his authoritative dad-voice, Dean could tell. "You and I are going to go to the hospital, get you checked out in regards to what happened and then get you every conceivable STD-test. If something happens to be wrong we’ll deal with that later. After the hospital we’re going to your apartment and we’ll get what you and Sammy need to stay here for a while. Do you know when John’s coming home?"

Dean swallowed hard and then shook his head. "Probably not for like two weeks." He mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "He usually calls before coming home so I can have dinner ready."

Mr. Novak pressed his lips together for a moment but his scent didn’t change.

"You and Sammy will stay with me and Alfie until John calls and when he does we’ll handle the situation then. For now I just need you two safe, okay?"

"Okay." Dean rasped.

"After we’ve gotten your things I want you to rest. I’ll make you something to eat and then you can sleep in here while I set up the guest bedroom and the extra bed for Sam in Alfie’s room. When the boys get home from school we’ll have dinner and we’ll hash out the basics of the situation." His eyes softened and the hand he had on Dean’s back grabbed lightly at the blanket. "Would this be agreeable with you, Omega?"

Dean blinked at the wetness in his eyes. "Yes." He answered in an even raspier voice.

"No more selling yourself, okay? You can work in my garden like I suggested. Let’s work together to keep you and Sammy safe."

Dean nodded and drew a shaky breath, burying his face in Mr. Novak’s pillow to pull as much of the Alpha’s scent into his nose as he could. Mr. Novak stroked his back and let him take his time to calm down.

Castiel signed Dean in under his own insurance, claiming Dean was a friend of the family. The hospital staff seemed to accept this even though they probably shouldn’t and took very efficient care of the Omega once Castiel had explained the situation to them. He had no doubt, though, that their situation looked strange to them.

An unattached Alpha coming in with an obviously unrelated sexually abused underage Omega would look strange to anyone. But Castiel supposed the hospital was used to judging people’s intentions by their scent and the only time Dean’s scent changed from docile to frightened was when Castiel was asked to leave Dean in the nurses’ care.

He didn’t say anything but just stared up at Castiel with his beautiful, green eyes wide with fear. Castiel took one look at him and simply shook his head at the request. The nurses relented and allowed him in the examination room but only if he had his back respectfully turned the whole time.

So Castiel sat down in a chair with his back to Dean and the nurses, doing his best to remain calm so that Dean could feel protected while the unfamiliar Betas poked and prodded at him. The nurses were very considerate, though, and kept talking to Dean, telling him what was going on. At one point Dean gave a painful little whimper and Castiel couldn’t help but respond with a growl, warning the threat off.

"Enough." He snapped over his shoulder and felt one of the nurses put a hand on his shoulder.

"Soon, Alpha." She soothed and he tried to regain his calm once again.

Thankfully the nurses found that Dean hadn’t suffered any exceptional damage, whether internal or external. They prescribed him painkillers, urged Castiel to take Dean to the police to file an official assault charge and then pressed a card to the hospital’s psychologist in the Alpha’s hand.

"Sometimes the trauma doesn’t show until much later and then it might be too late." The Beta told him in a low voice. Castiel turned to look at Dean where the Omega stood a few feet away, idly watching the fish in the aquarium of the waiting area.

He nodded to the nurse and pocketed the card carefully before signing the forms and getting his receipt. He would talk with Dean when they were in the comfort of Castiel’s house, not here. He couldn’t claim to know Dean very well even though it felt like it but he was fairly certain the Omega was one of the strongest people he had ever met. Dean should be the one to decide if he wanted to talk to someone else about this. Castiel would never presume to impose his control over the Omega.

Next they rode the elevator up the hospital for Dean’s STD-tests. Castiel had arranged for that even as he first signed Dean in and the nurses had seemed to think it should have been the natural progression even if Castiel wouldn’t have insisted on it.

Dean sat awfully docile through all the tests. He let the on-call doctor take his blood and swab his every orifice. As long as Castiel was allowed to sit with him Dean did nothing but stare at the floor while the doctor worked on him. The doctor was an Alpha too but was obviously wearing scent muters to make him smell less, for which Castiel was appreciative. The Alpha gave him a glance, though, and quietly indicated Dean’s almost catatonic state. Castiel just nodded because it worried him too.

Dean wasn’t like this, Castiel knew without a doubt. It might be a short burst of shock or it might be the trauma the nurse had been hinting at. Castiel had no way of knowing exactly what had happened to Dean since the Omega hadn’t told him outright and Castiel refused to ask so boldly. But he could assume and could feel the psychologist’s card burning in his pocket.

He needed to get Dean home for now, though. Needed to make the Omega feel safe and then he would suggest it. But he had had enough of the hospital for one day and he was sure Dean was even more tired than him. He needed to take care of the Omega.

"Is he on heat suppressants?" the doctor murmured and Castiel wanted to snap at him for not addressing Dean directly. Dean wasn’t a meek, passive Omega. He was strong and vibrant.

But one glance at the Omega told him that for now Dean would have to be allowed to be small and scared. He reached over and pulled Dean in with one arm, intending to hug him closer but not as close as Dean put himself.

As soon as Castiel’s hand made contact with him Dean practically rolled himself into the crook of Castiel’s neck, burying his face there. Fine tremors went through his body but they stopped almost immediately when Castiel started speaking.

"He is. I believe he takes them regularly."

The doctor nodded, seemingly satisfied. "I will refer him to our male Omega OB/GYN for a consultation, even if this turns out to be nothing." He looked at Dean with soft eyes. "He has little over twenty months until he has to start paying for the suppressants but it’s better to talk about future choices as soon as possible."

Castiel nodded. He knew full well what the doctor was talking about. For a while there he had thought Alfie might present as an Omega and Castiel had done his research in preparation for it. All Omegas and female Betas up until their eighteenth birthday had the right to free consultations with OB/GYNs. Betas also got free birth control pills and Omegas had access to free prescription heat suppressants. It was of course to minimize the risk of teen pregnancies but in cases like this it could certainly come in handy as well.

Alphas were also offered rut suppressants to suppress unwanted ruts but they were much more infrequent than heats nowadays so most Alphas had to pay for the medication and few ever even bothered. Castiel had been on suppressants ever since Hannah died, though. He didn’t particularly feel like enduring a rut without his mate and especially not when he had a pup to take care of, no matter how much help Gabriel and Anna were. It was a bit unusual for a fertile Alpha his age to choose to tamp down on his urges but Castiel would do anything for his child’s protection and having a father go blind from lust twice a year was not a good thing, not in Castiel’s book.

"Thank you." He said calmly, stroking Dean’s back when the Omega made a small sound. "We will talk about it."

The doctor nodded again and wrote down the last of his examination, allowing them to leave shortly after with the promise of the results arriving within a week. Castiel left his own home address for that and Dean didn’t say anything about it.

As they drove towards Dean and Sam’s apartment Dean started getting some of the color back on his cheeks, for which Castiel was immensely grateful. The Omega looked dead tired but much better. He even smiled a little when Castiel clicked on the radio and a rock song Castiel didn’t know blasted out from the speakers.

Dean’s eyes were bright again when they stopped outside his apartment building and Castiel breathed a silent sigh of relief at that. Dean wasn’t usually a tame little Omega, from Castiel’s experience, and that was one of the things that made Dean so unique. Castiel would hate for him to have lost himself on account of this incident.

Chapter Text

"We should go to the police." Castiel mentioned carefully as he watched Dean hastily fill two duffle bags with his and Sammy’s belongings. Dean had said he didn’t want to involve authorities and Castiel had promised him not to but if he got the Omega to change his mind it would be another thing.

Dean’s scent changed from neutral to guarded but his face remained passive as he walked around in what Castiel could only assume was his and Sam’s shared bedroom. Castiel had never been to the Winchester home, only outside as he dropped Sammy off or picked him up. Sam never wanted to play with Alfie in his own home, preferring to be at Castiel’s house and now the Alpha could see why.

To say that the apartment was run down would be kind. The wallpaper was flaking, there were clear signs of water damage on the ceiling, the air was pungent with mold and Castiel was actually appalled that he had never smelled it on the brothers before. Especially Sam who spent as much time in Castiel’s home as he did.

Sam’s side of the room was tidy while Dean’s was messy but the brothers’ room was by far the cleanest one. Castiel was saddened to see the state of the rest of their apartment and he didn’t even want to look in the bathroom. He wanted to call CPS but had promised Dean not to. He told himself it didn’t matter because the Winchester brothers were under his wings now; he would take care of them. It was a small comfort.

"I can smell you, Alpha." Dean mumbled and Castiel did his best to calm his emotions. The Omega looked over at him where he was standing in the doorway. His green eyes glittered and Castiel was relieved that Dean’s sass was already returning. "We’re not going to any kind of authority, you promised me."

Castiel nodded. "I did. But whoever did this to you needs to be brought to justice." No matter that Castiel wanted to rip their throat out, laws be damned.

Dean pressed his lips together before turning his back and doing a horrible job of folding a sweater. "Doesn’t matter. He took me to a motel, I don’t think he’s still there and I don’t think he was from around."

"Dean." Castiel took a step into the room and put a hand on the Omega’s shoulder. Instead of tensing like Castiel had feared, Dean relaxed under his palm. "What if he does this to someone else?"

It was too much to ask, he knew. Dean needed to rest, both his body and mind. Hell, even his very soul could be shaken by this, perhaps even irreparably damaged. But Castiel was an Alpha and he needed to protect, not only those close to him but everyone innocent. And Dean was an Omega, perhaps even more inclined to take care of others.

"It wasn’t rape." Dean whispered then and Castiel’s throat felt thick when he swallowed.

"Did you give verbal consent to everything that happened?"

Dean hunched in on himself. "It was implied."

"Dean, that’s not—I can’t even begin to—"

"Can we go tomorrow?" Dean interrupted, surprising Castiel once again with his strength, however small his voice sounded.

"We can." Castiel agreed and turned Dean into a light embrace. "You’re doing very well, Dean. So brave."

Dean nodded, his head bumping Castiel’s chin, and clung to the Alpha for a moment before turning back to his packing.

As soon as they got home Castiel made Dean a sandwich, which the Omega wolfed down, and then he put Dean to bed in his own bed, cocooning the Omega in his comforter. He sat with him until he had fallen asleep and only then did he allow himself to relax and go down to set up the guest bedroom and to make room in Alfie’s room for Sammy. He didn’t know if the little brother would want to sleep with Dean but thought that if they treated this right the little ones would only see it as a fun, prolonged sleepover.

Castiel made short work of unpacking and when he was done he felt a strange sense of peace seeing Dean and Sam’s toothbrushes beside his and Alfie’s. He shook his head at himself and went to check on Dean. The Omega was still sleeping, like he had been the last ten times Castiel had checked on him. Once again he shook his head.

Inherent Alpha protectiveness be damned, he should stop mothering over Dean or the Omega would quickly grow irritated with him. But it was more than that, he knew as he walked the few short steps over to his home office. He wanted to check on Dean to see that he was sleeping peacefully but also because every time he saw the Omega safe it calmed himself. Ridiculous.

So Castiel immersed himself in his work for a while, knowing he would have to start dinner soon so it would be done in time for when Alfie and Sam came home. But even thinking about it made him uneasy. Being in the kitchen would mean being a whole floor away from Dean and what if the Omega woke in distress? He supposed he could pick the boys up rather than let them take the bus and then they could bring pizza home. He usually didn’t like eating fast food on the weekdays but today was after all a little special.

Yes, he decided as he went to check on Dean under the guise of going to the bathroom, they would eat pizza today and talk about the sleepover arrangement. The Omega was still sleeping and his scent was content so Castiel just went back to his office without even glancing at the bathroom. He should really try to get some work done.

His boss Naomi had been pretty understanding when he had called her earlier. It was probably because Castiel had told her part of the truth, about a friend of the family being sexually abused. She had told him to take all the time he needed and Castiel had been rather surprised by that. It wasn’t like it had been Castiel himself that had been assaulted after all. But he wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Even so, he mostly worked from home and was sure he could manage pretty well even under the circumstances. So all he did was email some of his colleagues to ask them to take over some of his workload so he would get some free time on his hands. A quick phone call to Naomi again assured him that this was for the best. For the rest of the week Inias and Bartholomew would take some of Castiel’s share and that made Castiel satisfied. He couldn’t leave his work undone but he couldn’t not be there for Dean as well. Naomi had seemed pleased with him too and that made Castiel feel even better about his decision.

Dean was still sleeping when Castiel checked on him again. This time the Omega had rolled over and was hugging Castiel’s pillow to his face, a small puddle of drool forming on it. Castiel brushed some hair off Dean’s forehead and forced himself to go back to what little work he still had left for today.

When Dean woke up it took him a little while to remember why he should be upset. And the thing was, he wasn’t. Not even when he remembered everything.

His lower back and ass throbbed dully and his whole body felt sore but he also felt so content that he couldn’t help but smile. Mr. Novak sure had insisted that he had been sexually assaulted and the hospital hadn’t taken that lightly but Dean couldn’t muster up the energy to correct them. But the truth was that he had taken Azazel’s money to let him do what he wanted and he hadn’t begged them to stop, not once. He had charged the Alpha for it and Azazel had even paid him up front so everyone had really known all along what it had been about, hadn’t they? In the end, hadn’t him getting hurt really been Dean’s own fault? Maybe they would have stopped if he had said no?

He probably shouldn’t think like that, he knew. Mr. Novak would say the adults were at fault no matter what and he would probably be right. What Azazel and his Beta friends had done wasn’t normal and that was what Mr. Novak had reacted to. Sex was one thing but sex that hurt when not everyone involved wanted it to hurt was another thing.

Plus he supposed the Alpha’s reaction had had something to do with the pitiful state Dean had come to him in. He felt a little ashamed about that now. And about how he had acted at the hospital too. Sure, he was an Omega but that didn’t mean he should just become complacent as soon as a capable Alpha was around.

Still, waking up in Mr. Novak’s bed with broken memories of the Alpha checking in on him as he slept made him smile again. He rubbed his face against Mr. Novak’s pillow one last time before sitting up.

Just as he stood up on shaky legs the door to the bedroom opened and Mr. Novak stepped in. His lips pulled into a satisfied smile when he saw Dean up and about.

"Feeling okay?"

Considering everything Dean felt awesome. Maybe that should worry him but what was the point of worrying when he felt good? Mr. Novak’s scent was calming in its muskiness and he met the Alpha’s smile with one of his own.

"Better." He answered because that felt like the right thing to say. "Thank you, Mr. N."

Mr. Novak’s smile grew. "You don’t need to call me that, Dean. If you’re going to live here I think we should be on a first-name basis, don’t you?"

Dean grinned. "Yeah. Sure thing, Castiel." He winked. "Cas."

The Alpha nodded. "Very good." He stepped back and held the door open for Dean. "Now, I was just about to wake you because it’s time to pick up the boys. Do you want to come? I’ll be picking up pizzas on the way home for dinner so if you’re not coming I’ll need your order."

Taking care of Dean when he was hurt, protecting him and his little brother, and now bringing Dean food? Castiel Novak better watch himself, he thought fondly, or Dean might just get a little too attached to the handsome Alpha.

The notion made him smirk to himself, which made Cas tilt his head to the side in confusion.

"I think I want to take another shower, if that’s okay with you?"

Cas smiled again, small and satisfied as his brightly blue eyes tracked Dean’s every movement. "Of course, Dean." He followed Dean out into the hallway and down the stairs. "I’ve set up an extra bed in Alfie’s room down the hall here." He pointed to the part of the house that disappeared behind the stairs. Dean nodded. "If Sam decides he’d rather sleep with you then I’ll be happy to carry the bed downstairs. Come along and I’ll show you."

He opened a door that led to a stair directly underneath the one leading to the upper floor. It was obviously leading down into the basement but it wasn’t like any basement Dean had ever seen. It was clean and painted a calming yellowish white.

"Boiler room." Cas pointed at a closed door. "Sometimes it makes an awful sound but it’s nothing to be concerned about." He went over to open the door beside it. "Laundry room." Dean nodded when he looked inside and saw a washer, dryer, and a little sink with a table beside it. "But you don’t need to think about that, I mostly work from home so I’ll do housework." It was a little weird to Dean that an Alpha would be doing housework, especially because Dean had been raised to do it himself but also because that was not the norm. But times were changing, he supposed, and besides, who else would do it?

A maid. He thought idly as he followed Cas to the last room down in the crisp basement.

It was kind of odd that the Alpha would hire someone to take care of his garden but not his house, now that he thought about it. He glanced at Cas as the man opened the last door to reveal a small bedroom. Then again, many things about Cas were different and Dean really liked that about him. Cas let Dean be Dean and would continue to do so, Dean was sure even though he barely knew the Alpha.

"And this would be your room." Cas said proudly, allowing Dean in first. "For as long as you’ll like. And Sam’s too, of course."

Dean saw his duffle lying on an apparently freshly made bed. The walls in here were more beige than yellow and he liked it. It separated the room from the rest of the basement, made it seem more homely despite the walls clearly being concrete.

Besides the bed there was a dresser, a cabinet, a bedside table and a small desk with a chair. On the desk stood a lit desktop lamp and the furniture looked like it had been bought together, all the pieces matching each other and the wall. The cold concrete floor was covered in a lush light green carpet. Dean wriggled his toes in it and thought about how he couldn’t even remember having a bedroom this nice. And if Sammy wanted to sleep in Alfie’s room this room would be all Dean’s. A room all of his own.

"I love it." He whispered and smiled when he saw that the Alpha’s cheeks were tinted pink. He looked cute.

The thought made him blink and turn back to his duffle, quickly unpacking his clothes. Castiel Novak was twice his age and a widower with a child Sammy’s age. And Dean had just been sexually used to the point of him crying, the very night before. How weird and out of place hadn’t that fucking thought been?

"Well, I’ll leave you to it." Cas said, his voice fond so he had apparently not picked up Dean’s no doubt confused scent. Thank God for heat suppressants. "What do you want on your pizza?"

Dean turned around with a smile and forced himself to be normal. It had been a weird two days, that was all.

"Meat, anything meaty."

Cas huffed out a chuckle. "You got it."

Dean stood for a while in the—his room, just hugging his clothes to his chest and seeping everything in. This was like a dream. An Alpha, a real Alpha, would take care of him and Sammy and Dean could relax. It seemed too good to be true.

And it of course was because sooner or later dad would come back and that would mean that he and Sammy would have to go back to their dump of an apartment.

But for now Dean allowed himself to feel happy and hopeful. It felt foreign.

Man, Sammy was furious. Oh, he hid it pretty well from Alfie and Cas but once he got Dean alone he unleashed all of his newly acquired Alpha fury on his big brother. And the fact was that Dean couldn’t even blame him. He had been out over night before, either with johns or with friends, but he had always made sure to drop Sam at least a text and last night that hadn’t happened.

"What happened?" he hissed in Dean’s face once they had excused themselves and taken up refuge in the downstairs bathroom. This one was much smaller than the one upstairs and only had a toilet and a sink so there was no trouble for Sam to crowd in on Dean. "I was worried sick, haven’t you checked your phone?"

Dean carded a hand through his hair, feeling incredibly guilty. "Yeah, no."

"Dean." Sam sounded so reproachful that Dean’s heart hurt.

"Look, dad’s going to be away for a while now and the money…it’s just…" he sighed. "I was trying to hustle some guys and—"

"You know what?" Sam held up a hand to stop Dean. On account of them being blood relatives Sammy’s scent was pretty muted to Dean but he could still smell the anger and fear in it. "I don’t wanna play games anymore, Dean. I’m almost twelve, I’m an Alpha; it’s time we discuss things like grown-ups."

Dean just blinked at him. "Okay."

Sam’s face was set in a grimace of determination. "I know you’ve been having sex for money and I want it to stop."

Dean couldn’t — just couldn’t — comprehend what was happening. "What?"

Sam pressed his lips together for a moment. "Do you think I can’t smell it on you? I mean, you hide it pretty well but Jesus, Dean, I do have a sense of smell and I know your scent. And the way you always make the money last?" he shook his head sadly. "I’m not an idiot."

You’re a kid!

Fucking hell, Dean would never have anticipated that he would have a conversation like this with Sam. At least not until the kid was in high school and Dean had a real job to support them with.

He couldn’t say that, though. No, Sammy was looking much too authoritative for Dean to resist and a part of him didn’t even want to try to resist telling his brother about this. A part of him felt good to get it out in the open. Probably the same part that had made him tell Cas.

Wouldn’t tell Sam everything, though. There would be no use in the kid worrying more than necessary.

"You’re right." He smiled a little to himself when he saw how his honesty surprised Sam. "I am…I was selling myself. But, um…" he coughed and looked away, studying the toilet seat with great interest. "Some stuff happened, the guy I was with last night was…he was rough. Like, hit me and shit so I went to Cas for help because…" he shrugged, not certain how to put words to it. Cas made him feel safe, like a real Alpha should.

"Wait." Sam looked confused but at least not angry so that was good. "We’re gonna get back to you getting hurt but just…when did he become Cas?"

Dean grinned. They’d always called him Mr. N or Mr. Novak because his very presence demanded a kind of respect that one would be willing to give him, but Dean didn’t regret switching to the nickname and didn’t for one second think it diminished the respect he had for the man.

"Since he helped me." His grin grew smaller but not sad in the least. More fond, if nothing else. Sam was squinting at him. "Who else was I supposed to go to?"

Sam accepted that with such swiftness that Dean wanted to feel sad but could only feel strangely proud of Cas as an Alpha.

"What happened, then?"

Dean shrugged again. "The dude beat me. I told him he could do whatever he liked, just didn’t think it would be beating." Yeah, kind of a lie but it was better saying this than the truth. Didn’t ever want to discuss two grown Betas fucking him at the same time as the Alpha tried to jam his toy in there with them. Dean’s hole clenched uncomfortably at the mere memory of it.

Sam seemed to think beating was horrible enough, though.

"Dean." He breathed and started fussing, his little hands pawing at Dean’s torso and arms.

"It’s fine, Sammy." He mumbled but let his little Alpha brother fuss as he needed. "I asked Cas for help and he brought me to the hospital. No head injuries and no internal bleeding. Barely a bruise. I hurt my…tailbone, though, so they gave me some meds and now we’re here."

"We are." Sam agreed and calmed down after he didn’t find anything obviously wrong with his big brother. "Why are we here?" he looked up and met Dean’s eyes with new confusion. "Not that I don’t like it here and not that I don’t think you’re not invited but…" he frowned. "Mr. N said we’re having pizza and that he had something he wanted to discuss."

Damn the kid was observant.

Dean smiled again. "Okay, I’m gonna tell you but you’ve gotta act surprised when he breaks the news." His smile grew when Sammy scrunched up his whole face in confusion. "Me and Cas talked it over and we figured it’d be better for you and me to shack up here. At least until dad returns."

The meaning of his words sunk in slowly and Dean enjoyed watching the realization dawn on Sam’s young face. In the end he looked so tentatively happy that Dean couldn’t help his own heart fluttering a little.

"Really?"

"Really." Dean nodded, just for emphasis and laughed when Sammy launched forward to hug him. It hurt Dean’s lower back but he gritted his teeth against it. "The best part is that Cas offered me a job as his gardener so I don’t have to do, you know, that other stuff." At that Sam just hugged him harder and Dean felt so elated that his little brother was okay with this arrangement that he hardly felt the pain. "So you okay with sharing a room with Alfie? I’m down in the basement’s guestroom and Cas offered to carry down your bed there if—"

"Shut up." Sam mumbled against Dean’s chest, his words muffled but Dean thought they sounded a little wobbly anyway. His scent was touched by relief, though. "Like I wanna share a room with you anymore than necessary."

Dean chuckled. "So you’re really okay with this?"

"Am I okay with it?" Sam took a step back to look properly at Dean. "Am I okay with us living with my best friend and his awesome Alpha dad? And am I okay with you getting a normal job and not having to work the streets?" he shook his head with a fond smile. "You’re weird, Dean."

"Hey." Dean chuckled again. "You’re weird."

"And you suck at comebacks." Sammy grinned widely. "What do we do when dad comes back, though? We can’t live here forever, can we?"

Dean’s smile slipped off his face slowly. "Let’s just…I dunno, let’s just enjoy this for now and see what happens, okay?"

Sam regarded him for a moment and Dean held his gaze. "Okay."

He smiled at his little brother. "Good. Now, remember to act surprised. I think Cas wanna be the one to tell you."

"Gotcha." Sammy smirked and turned to open the door so they could join Cas and Alfie in the dining room because this house was big enough to have a room reserved only for eating.

Dean could feel his chest swell at the thought of keeping Sam safe, of providing a real life for the kid where he could be happy; where Dean could be happy.

And with this arrangement and with the job Cas was offering him he thought he could finally start going to school regularly again. His friends — what little remained — had been asking for him and he hated lying to them. And his grades were seriously suffering too. He had never really had high plans about college and stuff but he would like to graduate high school with a passing grade at least. Maybe now he could.

And he couldn’t even describe how good it felt to finally have a real Alpha as a role model for Sammy, especially now that Sam had presented as an Alpha himself. Yes, now they had a strong, kind Alpha who already had proven that he could provide for his family, if Dean hadn’t already known Sam would turn out to be an awesome Alpha himself he sure knew now. And it felt great.

Castiel watched with satisfaction as the boys wolfed down their pizzas. He had deliberated if he should buy one pizza each for the little ones or if they could share but now he was glad that he had let them decide. Especially Sam was practically inhaling his pizza and Castiel remembered how it had been as an adolescent Alpha.

Dean ate more slowly and towards the end of his pizza Castiel saw the Omega sneak his last piece onto his little brother’s plate. It made Castiel’s heart swell. Dean obviously cared very much for his brother and if the happy smile Sammy gave Dean was anything to go by the affection was returned.

"So, boys," he said when he was done with his own food. "I have something important to discuss with you."

Alfie was the only one still eating but he looked at his father attentively anyway, his cheek bulging with pizza. Dean clapped Sam on the shoulder and the brothers shared a smile. Castiel found he really liked this. Sammy had eaten dinner with him and Alfie on a number of occasions before but this was the first time Dean joined them and it felt great. Made the dining room feel complete.

He mentally shook his head. What a weird thought.

"Dean and I have been talking." He started and smiled at the Omega. Dean returned a shy smile. "And it’s come to my attention that Mr. Winchester sometimes has to leave town, which leaves Sam and Dean all alone." Alfie snuck a sad glance at his friend. Castiel had no doubt they had talked about this before and he was glad for it not being news to his son. "So we thought it would be nice if they could stay here for a while, just until Mr. Winchester gets back."

Alfie’s eyes rounded out and his scent changed to a surprised happiness so strong that Castiel for a moment could smell nothing else.

"Really?!" he exclaimed and turned to his friend. "That would be awesome."

Sam looked tentatively happy. Dean was watching his brother closely and neither of their scents revealed anything.

"But…" Sam blinked and looked Castiel straight in the eyes. "Would that be okay for you, Mr. N? Wouldn’t me and Dean be in the way?"

"Of course not, Sam." Castiel smiled at the boy when Sam seemed to relax. "We have a big enough house and as long as one of you don’t mind bunking with someone else it’s really no problem." He took his glass of water in hand but didn’t drink from it. "Come to think of it, if it does get too crowded I suppose we could turn the dining room into an extra bedroom and eat all our meals at the breakfast table in the kitchen."

"That won’t be necessary, Cas." Dean said, sounding much too impressed for Castiel’s taste. It wasn’t in his mind to try and astonish the boys; he just wanted them safe and sound.

"I wanna bunk with Sammy." Alfie injected before Castiel had a chance to say anything, though. He smiled at his son.

"Good thing I put the spare bed in your room then."

"Great!" Sam beamed. "I wanna share with Alfie too, Dean farts in his sleep."

"Shut up, no I don’t." Dean hissed and Castiel chuckled at the boys’ mirth. Dean was beet red in the face while Alfie and Sam laughed loudly at him. "I don’t." He told Castiel in a serious tone and the Alpha nodded solemnly.

"And I believe you. Now," he rose to start gathering the plates and pizza cartons. "Why don’t you go get settled, Sam? And then you guys can do your homework, it’s still a school night even if we’re having a bit of a sleepover."

Sam bounded out of the room with a happy yessir and Dean silently took the dishes from Castiel, giving the Alpha the opportunity to get his son alone.

"Alfie." He mumbled and walked the little Beta into the living room. The sound of Dean puttering about in the kitchen felt comfortable. "I just wanted to talk to you, see if you’re really okay with this."

Alfie looked at him with big eyes that reminded Castiel painfully of his mate. "Why wouldn’t I be? Sammy’s my best friend and I really like Dean too."

Castiel nodded. "That’s good but," he sighed and sat down on the couch. "You do realize that this is not a normal situation."

"Of course, dad." Alfie sat on the armrest. "I guess we shouldn’t talk about it in school and if this is supposed to go on for very long you’ll have to talk to other grown-ups and stuff?"

Castiel stroked his son’s back fondly. "My intelligent little Beta." He smiled when Alfie huffed at him. "You also realize why I need to check with you, I hope? I like Sam and Dean and they need our help but you’re my pup, no one is more important to me than you."

"You’re so sappy, dad." Alfie grumbled but he was smiling as well so Castiel allowed himself to be sappy. His son was happy with this arrangement and so was the Winchesters. That was all he cared about and he allowed himself to be satisfied with the situation, however tentative it was.

Chapter Text

Castiel couldn’t believe how smooth everything had gone. Sam and Dean fit in so well he almost felt as if they had been living there all along and not just a couple of hours. Of course, Sammy had spent an awful lot of time here already so maybe that was what made the transition easier.

But then there was Dean and Castiel couldn’t honestly say that it was difficult having the Omega around. Dean was just so easy to work with. He was completely godsmacked with how well Dean carried himself after such a terrifying night and emotionally pressing morning. It was like ever since Dean woke up from his nap in Castiel’s bed the Omega had been transformed into his usual self.

He did recognize how odd that was, though, and had made a note in his calendar to talk to Dean about the hospital psychologist on the day after tomorrow. He wanted to give the Omega some time to work it out for himself and to see if Dean wouldn’t come to the conclusion that he needed to talk about it himself. He was loathe to press the psychologist on Dean if the Omega didn’t want it but the nurse’s foreboding about dormant trauma was at the forefront of Castiel’s mind.

Dean was strong but everyone needed help sometimes, Lord knew Castiel could testify to that.

For now, though, he just thought to let the boys settle in. With his shared workload he didn’t really have a lot of work to do for now but there were always some numbers to crunch, some things that had been left for later, and he was happy to delve into it now. If nothing else it kept him from thinking about their situation.

Because what was he really doing? Taking in Sam and Dean was fine, for a night or two, but what he was proposing — and what the boys so readily accepted — was basically that they lived here. He needed to talk to Anna, his voice of reasoning when his own failed him. And he supposed he needed to talk to John to. He hadn’t spoken to the man since high school and even then they hadn’t even known each other. Had just been two Alphas who briefly went to the same school.

A knock on the door to his office startled him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?" he asked and started gathering his papers when he realized they were scattered all over his desk. His laptop had even gone into sleeping mode.

Dean peeked in and when Castiel waved him in he shuffled forward but stopped just inside the door. He was clutching a history textbook and Castiel was relieved. He had supposed Dean’s academics would have suffered due to his hard living so he was glad to see that the Omega was handling it. Maybe, if things had been bad before, Dean would take this opportunity to get back on track. It made Castiel proud of him.

"Um…" Dean looked down at his feet. One moment he was cheeky, one he was shy, Castiel didn’t seem to get a hang on the Omega’s emotions. Maybe it was a puberty thing. "Can I do my homework in here?"

Castiel blinked and then frowned in confusion. "If you want to…" he trailed off, uncertain why Dean would want to, though.

He had WIFI set up in the house so Dean should have access everywhere, maybe he didn’t have a computer? Or, if he was just talking about having somewhere to sit, there was a desk in his room and Castiel had seen Sam and Alfie take up residence at the dining room table. That table was certainly big enough for Dean too and Castiel’s own desk was full of his work sheets.

"It’s just…" Dean coughed and was still looking at the floor. "Sammy and Alfie are being loud and…" he shrugged and Castiel suddenly felt extremely stupid.

Dean was exhibiting every sign of being fine even after what had happened to him but Castiel had just minutes ago been sitting here thinking about possible side-effects. Of course Dean wouldn’t want to be alone right now but apparently the boys were being too rowdy for him to get any studying done. So who else to go to? Castiel had promised to take care of the Winchesters but found himself poorly prepared for it.

"Of course, Dean." He said warmly and stood up to indicate the small couch he had by the door. He loved that couch because it was the first one he and Hannah had bought together to their first little apartment so he didn’t have heart enough to throw it out, even though it was lumpy and old by now. "You can use the couch as you like, I’m sorry I can’t offer you space on my desk."

Dean smiled brightly at the offered couch, though, and bounded over to it only to flop down on his back. His shyness was as if blown away and suddenly the room smelled strongly of happy Omega. Castiel actually reeled a little from it, feeling his own chest contract pleasurably at the scent.

Dean’s green eyes focused on him when he sat down to wake up his laptop.

"Thank you, Cas." He mumbled, his thick textbook open before him. "For everything."

Castiel smiled at the Omega, his eyes soft with fondness. "Of course, Dean."

Four days later Sam and Dean had settled quite neatly into Castiel’s little life. Alfie accepted the other two boys like his own brothers and Castiel couldn’t help but think about them as his own sons. Which were probably his Alpha instincts speaking and was definitely dangerous thinking.

He and Dean had been down at the police station the day after Dean and Sam had moved in to make Dean’s assault charge official. The attending police officer had been very attentive and had taken it very seriously. Alpha on Omega violence was never looked kindly upon but Castiel supposed it had had something to do with how he hadn’t been able to contain his growl at some points.

The officer had even taken Dean to a separate room to interrogate him, which was probably for the best; Castiel didn’t even know if he wanted to hear what had happened to Dean or if the Omega was willing to share with him. The police had eventually let them go and had promised to do their best, although chances of catching Azazel were slim. Castiel was just glad they had made an official police report on this and had gone home feeling all his boys were now a little bit safer with the police at least on the look-out.

He and Dean spoke briefly about John over the days. Had the Omega heard from his father? Did he think he was coming back soon? What would they tell him? So far there had been no easy, obvious answers but Castiel felt hopeful anyway.

Dean had taken to tending the garden with almost surreal enthusiasm and Castiel was actually feeling a little guilty about not paying Dean as much as he had his last gardener, considering that it was looking like Dean would almost do a better job with no training whatsoever. But maybe that was just how Dean was. He was very caring in general so Castiel supposed it had to translate into something. And besides, what little money he quote, un-quote made on having Dean as his gardener anyhow went to feeding his new houseguests.

Dean had also been very good and had actually had a consultation with the hospital physiologist. Castiel picked him up after but Dean hadn’t had very much to say. Except for a shrug and a noncommittal grunt but Castiel knew better than to pry. He was just glad Dean was back in school and hanging out with his friends like a normal teen.

Yes, in just four days they had settled into quite the nice routine and Castiel was considering that phone call to Anna, or maybe Gabriel. He had to talk to someone about this situation he had forced himself into but he didn’t particularly want to shed light on it. Because it was unusual and morally dubious. So maybe Gabriel would be the one to go to…

At the evening of day four Sam came in from having fetched the mail. Usually Castiel did that because the mailman came around noon and he was usually the only one home at that time but today he had been at a lunch meeting and had forgotten the mail. Until Sam came into the kitchen where Castiel was making dinner, clutching the small pile of envelopes and fliers in his little hands.

Sammy looked scared for the first time since they had moved in and Castiel immediately put down the knife and cucumber he was slicing.

"What’s wrong, Sam?" he said and walked up to the boy.

"I…" Sam looked down at the mail and then put everything but the first envelope on the kitchen table. "I saw this, Alpha." Sam had never really called Castiel Alpha, at least not after he had presented himself. But he wasn’t an Alpha now, Castiel could see. He was a scared little pup and Castiel’s grown-up Alpha instincts screamed at him to comfort the boy.

He stepped up to Sam and could see his sensitive nose twitch. He no doubt smelled like protection and tried to reel his emotions in. At least to a level where he wouldn’t suffocate the boy. He held out his hand for the letter and Sam readily passed it over. One glance told him why Sammy was scared. It was a letter from the hospital addressed to Dean.

His test results.

Dean had told him that he had told Sam that he had been physically assaulted. He didn’t know how much the little Alpha knew about what his brother had been force to do but judging by this reaction Castiel thought he had a clue. But even so he saw no reason to scare Sam more.

"This is nothing to worry about, pup." He said gently and smiled at Sam who looked uncertain but most probably could smell the comfort on Castiel. "This is just a copy of the receipt. Nothing for you to think about. I put Dean on my insurance and it covers his examination." Sammy looked so relieved Castiel couldn’t help but smile. He hated lying to the boy but he really thought it should be Dean’s decision to talk about everything that had happened. "I’ll just go file this away, thank you for bringing in the mail."

"Okay." Sam beamed and walked out of the kitchen to no doubt join Alfie in the living room.

His scent had changed from scared to content so Castiel brushed off any lingering guilt about lying. The boys’ well-being was at the forefront of his mind and if he was honest he would have to admit that it felt nice to have Sam trust him this much. Sam didn’t need proof; didn’t need to read the letter. He simply trusted Castiel’s words. It practically made Castiel’s Alpha instincts purr.

He found Dean in the office, once again lounging on the couch and reading what looked like Chemistry this time. He even had a notebook open on his stomach and a pencil balanced precariously on it.

Castiel couldn’t help but smile at the Omega. Dean had assured him time and again that he loved the guestroom, which he already had taken to call his room, but somehow he always seemed to gravitate towards Castiel’s office when he wanted peace and quiet. It was a little odd but Castiel couldn’t for the life of him dislike it. After only four days the couch was already smelling like content Omega and it had been so long since Hannah’s Omega scent had washed off it that Castiel couldn't help but think it was about time some new Omega scent was rubbed in. Made him calm, if nothing else

"Dean." He closed the door behind himself and walked over. Dean sat up and made room for Castiel to sit down when he indicated that he wanted to. "This came for you."

He gave Dean the envelope and watched how Dean’s open face turned into a frown. His scent immediately changed into apprehension and Castiel almost wondered if Dean had stopped taking his heat suppressants with how easy his scent was to pick up nowadays.

"Is this what I think it is?" he mumbled and turned the envelope over before starting to rip it open.

Castiel nodded even though the Omega wasn’t looking at him. "Sam was the one to find it but I only told him it was the medical bill. If you decide he should hear the truth I want him to hear it from you first."

"Thanks."

Dean’s eyes scanned the letter quickly and the more he read the lighter his scent became. Castiel leaned back and smiled at how the scent betrayed Dean’s test results even before the Omega turned to him with a happy grin. He wondered if Dean was even aware of how strongly he smelled sometimes, like maybe he was relying too much on his suppressants. He should ask the Omega but found that he didn’t want to; didn’t want to lose the scent.

"So how did it go?" he asked, almost teasingly and was rewarded with Dean laughing elatedly.

"I’m clean." The Omega exclaimed and practically bounced on the couch. "I’m fucking clean, how goddamn lucky am I? I’m never having unprotected sex again."

Castiel’s smile grew into a grin. "I’m glad." He mumbled.

Dean surprised him by turning more bodily to him and pulling him into a crushing hug. "Thank you, Alpha." He mumbled, his voice muffled but still so happy.

He hugged hard and Castiel pulled him in even close, hugging him tightly back. He just felt so relieved that Dean was safe. The air filled with happy and content Omega and he couldn’t help but smile like a dork. Dean made a soft little sound and slipped over so that he was suddenly basically straddling Castiel’s right thigh.

A spark of something ignited inside Castiel. A small adrenaline kick because it felt like Dean might be sliding off the couch but also something else. Something about having a happy Omega in his lap. He was two seconds away from pulling Dean over to straddle him completely when Dean pulled out and Castiel was harshly cast out of his near-trance.

"Sorry." Dean mumbled sheepishly. "I think I," he cleared his throat. They were still so close, sharing breaths, eyes locking. "I slipped."

This is a child.

Castiel smiled kindly and helped Dean sit back before he rose to his feet. "I’m almost finished with dinner."

A child that’s been sexually assaulted this very week.

Dean nodded. "That’s great. I’ll be down soon to help you set the table."

A beautiful Omega with his whole future before him.

"There’s no need for that, I’ll go bug Alfie and Sam. You just go and put away that letter where Sam won’t find it until you’re comfortable enough to share it with him."

Still a child, though.

Dean smiled down at the letter. "Thanks."

Castiel nodded and walked out, all too keen to get away from Dean and his sweet scent. Because that had been an odd scene. Castiel had been completely taken by surprise and, even more surprising, Dean hadn’t been the one to completely move away. Castiel decided to think nothing of it and succeeded pretty well, for the time being.

Dean woke slowly on the Saturday the week after he and Sammy had moved into the Novak household. He smirked to himself as he stretched in bed, relishing the fact that he was free from school today. The last week had been hectic with an OB/GYN consultation and getting back into the routine of school as they settled in the Novak household. But good hectic for once.

His dick had perked up during the night and was bobbing lazily in his underwear. He put his hand down on it but did nothing for a while but rub small circles with his thumb.

He couldn’t fucking believe how things had worked out for them. If he knew showing vulnerability in front of Cas would get the Alpha’s attention and feel like this he would have done it years ago. His dick jumped and Dean smirked wider. Felt great to just rub and tease for a while.

He thought absentmindedly about what he was going to do this weekend. His homework for sure now that he was trying to get back on track with school. Sam had been so happy when Dean had told him that and he flushed just to think about Cas’ proud face.

Dean didn’t really know what it was but he liked it when Cas looked at him sometimes. Of course, the Alpha’s gaze was never unpleasant but sometimes it just felt different. Like when they had read Dean’s STD results. That had felt spectacular. And Dean had always liked taking care of others and really didn’t mind housework but the feeling when Cas smiled appreciatively at him was just…

He forced his mind to other things when he felt his balls draw up. It would anyhow be wrong to think of the Alpha like that. He was only trying to help them and no one would benefit from Dean sexualizing him. The truth was just that for all the bad sex Dean’s former occupation had brought it had also meant him regularly engaging in sex. And he was a hormonal Omega, fucking sue him if he liked cock. And some of that sex hadn’t even been bad either.

Anyway, one thing that sprung to mind for his weekend plans was Cas’ garden. So far Dean had mostly puttered about in it, trying to decide what he would need to do. He had even looked up gardening on his phone but in all honesty it probably wouldn’t be much more than mowing the lawn. Spring was fast approaching, though, and the last gardener had put leafs on the flowerbeds to protect the perennial flowers from the frost. He should probably get to removing that soon.

Just think how nice the garden would look after that. Cas would praise him, he was sure. Fuck, the Alpha was so goddamn nice. And he smelled nice too, not too overbearing like most Alphas.

He pulled down his underwear so that his dick and balls came free, letting the waistband press up against his perineum. The feeling made him arch his back but he refrained from doing much more than wrap a hand around himself. He suddenly felt too hot to still be under the comforter, no matter how cool the basement was. So he threw it off and wished he had thought to wait until he had gotten to the shower to do this.

"Fucking hell." He muttered and stared down at his dick. It was hard and already leaking. He needed to calm down if he didn’t want to scream when he really started this. He knew he was a bit oversensitive right now but damn.

He hadn’t really touched himself since that night with Azazel but not because he was scared of it like that hospital psychologist had suggested. Dean knew what had happened to him hadn’t been okay but unlike Cas he didn’t call it rape, not even now when he days later could reflect on it objectively.

It had been extremely rough sex unlike anything Dean had had before and it had scared him, that was all. It was also the first time he had engaged in a gangbang so he supposed that had contributed to his fear. And absolutely his first time getting penetrated by two cocks at the same time. He knew his hole was built to take it but shit, that stretch had been too much. So yeah, Azazel’s friends had hurt him but he hadn’t begged them to stop and he had taken their money. He almost felt bad about telling the cops about it because what had there really been to tell?

Well, except that prostitution was illegal so there was that and that was the only thing he had told them. Not rape, barely physical assault charges, but only that they had paid him and he played dumb in front of the cop like that had been his first time and he hadn’t know what was happening. She had accepted it with such a startling readiness that Dean wondered how often it happened. In the end he was just glad that Cas hadn’t been in the interrogation room with him because he didn’t want the Alpha to hear what he had to say. Or, incidentally, not said.

So he was at peace with everything that had happened and he had told the psychologist as much but she hadn’t wanted to listen to that. Well, he hadn’t said that he had been selling himself but he had said that he didn’t think it had been real rape and that he anyhow was working his way past it. Over the last week and a half he had been to see her once and talked to her over the phone one other time but then he had decided that he didn’t need her help. As long as he had his brother and they were safe Dean knew he would be fine.

Didn’t hurt that he now had a handsome Alpha protecting them, either. Also didn’t hurt that Cas had listened intently when Dean told him he wouldn’t need that psychologist’s advice and that he could manage on his own and the Alpha’s only response had been that he trusted Dean to make that decision for himself.

Fuck, Cas didn’t make him feel like a stupid Omega breeding hole or a little kid. He made Dean feel fucking empowered and where the hell had that thought come from?

Dean bit his lip and started stroking his dick for real. Small moans threatened to bubble up but he did his best to stave them off. His hole was getting slick and Dean could smell it, smell the sweetness, but he resisted touching himself beyond his dick and balls. Not that he didn’t want to but perhaps a little because of what had happened. Or maybe because he didn’t feel like doing it himself.

His whole body shuddered at the thought of strong, competent hands on him. Stroking him, prodding his hole, holding him as a big Alpha knot filled him.

"Alpha." He whined and bucked up, almost fucking his own hand.

Yes, Dean had been with quite a few men by now and he knew he definitely favored Alphas over Betas. He didn’t know if it was because of his Omega heritage or if it simply was because Alpha’s tended to be bigger and rougher. But still capable of so much tenderness. Fuck, an Alpha who was right in the head would be assertive but would never hurt his bedpartner.

And if Dean was completely honest he liked it rather rough, perhaps not as rough as those Betas had been but still. It probably hadn’t helped that Azazel had fucked him on hard toys before letting loose his friends on Dean. Because no matter what, a hard fuck toy was always harder and rougher on Dean’s sensitive body than an actual cock, no matter how hard that cock was. And then there had been that double penetration…

He took a couple of deep breaths when he realized his thoughts had turned somewhat darker. It had made his arousal simmer down a bit and that angered him. He snarled and turned to stand on all fours, presenting like he was in heat. Okay, so maybe he had been a little affected by what had happened — as perhaps evidenced by how he wouldn’t touch his spasming hole — but he would not let it ruin masturbation or sex for him. Masturbation was Dean’s favorite way to let off some steam and he would be damned before he let it be taken away from him.

And his body was still feeling the arousal, he noticed as soon as he started stroking his dick again. He just needed to let his fantasies go and indulge himself enough to forget that fucking night. And this was the best way to do it, he knew. On his knees like this he could fantasize about waiting for his handsome Alpha mate to come and claim him.

Maybe his mate was at work and soon to come home? Or maybe he was just in the shower? Would fucking jump Dean as soon as he saw the Omega with his dripping wet ass in the air. Would grind his thick Alpha cock against Dean’s hole, coating it with Dean’s slick before pushing in.

Dean groaned at the image and sped up his hand. The other was braced to bear his weight but if it hadn’t been he would have really started touching his hole now. Relief flooded him at the want. Arousal tingled throughout his whole body, making him flush red. He should have fucking brought his fake knot. But masturbation hadn’t really been on the forefront of his mind when he had packed his bag. And besides, Cas had been there with him then. What would the Alpha had said if he had seen the big, plastic knot Dean kept under his bed?

He moaned deeply at the thought and immediately bit down on the pillow to muffle his sounds. He forced his mind back to the Alpha mate fantasy and away from Cas. Yes, his mate would come into the room, see how wet Dean was for him; how his dick drooled precome all over Dean’s own hand. Would just come in from, say, the garage, all sweaty and dropping whatever was in his hands. Would perhaps growl possessively and bat Dean’s hand away to replace it with his own.

Or maybe, the Alpha would be doing laundry in the room just across the basement and would hear Dean’s desperate moans. Would peek inside to see if something was wrong and maybe choke on his own spittle.

"Dean!" He would exclaim in that deep voice of his, stepping inside with wide blue eyes.

"Alpha." Dean would gasp, reaching back for him with pleading eyes. "Need you, please."

And the Alpha would just swallow dryly, his eyes roving all over Dean’s desperately shaking body. Taking in his hole, how it quivered now that the Alpha’s musky scent was so close. And Dean’s dick would be so achingly hard by then, his balls too tight to be comfortable.

"You’re so beautiful." The Alpha would say, licking his lips and starting to remove his own clothes. Dean’s desperate whine would make him chuckle in that way of his that had Dean’s blood boiling. "Is it that bad, little Omega?" He would ask huskily and Dean would nod jerkily.

And the Alpha would climb onto the bed, caressing Dean’s ass cheeks, spreading them and thumbing at his hole.

"Please." Dean would rasp.

The sound of the Alpha undoing his belt and slacks would make Dean gasp in anticipation. His dick would be so ready to burst.

"Don’t worry." The Alpha would mumble affectionately. "I’m going to take care of you. I’ll always be here for you, Dean."

And he would push in, slowly at first. And Dean would be so close to coming he would be crying with the need. And when the Alpha would pull out only to smack in hard enough to jostle Dean’s whole body, Dean would come hard.

"Cas!" Dean screamed into the pillow, the sound definitely muffled but still too loud. Nothing to be done about that, though. Not when he was coming buckets, fucking his own hand as the other fucked his hole on four fingers, his weight braced on his shoulder and chest.

His hole clenched around his fingers and he gasped desperately as his dick jumped in time with the clenches. Fuck it felt so good he was seeing black spots dancing before him at the end. As soon as he could draw a big enough breath he gently pulled out his fingers and rolled to the side. His other hand was still wrapped around his dick, still tugging a little and even though he was much too sensitive after his recent orgasm it still felt good, felt grounding. And God knew he fucking needed grounding.

Because what the actual fuck? Had he actually screamed Cas’ name as he came?

He groaned in frustration when he recalled his own fantasy. Life was never fucking easy, was it?

Chapter Text

Castiel mostly let the boys take the bus home from school. He had always been a little on the fence with letting Alfie ride the bus alone but he knew he was just being overprotective and he didn’t want to cross that fine line into overbearing. And besides, with Sammy riding it with Alfie Castiel felt much better.

Dean was in high school so his school was basically on the other side of town meaning he had to take a different bus. Castiel knew the Omega sometimes walked and sometimes rode with his friends and Castiel was fine with either one as long as Dean came home safe and sound. Once again, a hair’s breadth from overbearing…

This day Sammy and Alfie had soccer practice which happened to coincide with Dean’s school day ending. Usually practice ran longer but today it would let out earlier and Castiel thought he could make both. Because for some reason he wanted to pick Dean up from school. It wasn’t at all that he wanted to see how the Omega was faring or anything. Not at all, don’t be ridiculous.

Castiel had heard Dean on a number of occasions on his phone, talking to his friends and they seemed as happy as Dean that he was back in school. No one was happier than Castiel, though. If Dean was in school it meant that he was doing something good rather than walking the streets. And he didn’t know if Dean wanted to go on to college but if he did he sure needed to stay in school.

The only thing nagging at Castiel’s slightly overprotecting mind was the fact that Dean had admitted that all that sex-business had started in school. There was no telling if the Omega was doing it there again, either because he wanted to — God, Castiel hoped not — or because he felt forced to — which of course would be even worse.

He knew, logically, that Dean was at the age when most kids discovered sex and mating was legal from a pup’s sixteenth birthday so the Omega having sex was perhaps not what worried Castiel. Well, it worried him a little… But the main thing was that he didn’t want Dean feeling forced into having sex.

Dean had been adamant that he hadn’t been raped by that Alpha and his friends and he had even gone as far as saying he nearly wished they hadn’t gone to the police. All because he had accepted their money. Castiel didn’t know where the teen’s warped sense of self-worth was coming from but he would do anything for Dean not to feel like he deserved that kind of treatment.

So, okay, maybe a little overbearing but he was an Alpha, okay? Alphas protected their family and the Winchester boys sure were starting to feel like part of the family to him.

Therefore he could justify with perfect reasoning why he was sitting outside Dean’s high school in his beat up Lincoln Continental, waiting for school to let out. And besides, he wasn’t the only parent there. Was perhaps the only parent whose kid didn’t actually go to this school but still…

He drummed his fingers against the door where he rested his arm in the open window. It was almost unusually hot for the early spring day and he was glad he had forced extra water bottles on Alfie and Sam. Playing soccer in this heat could be rough on their little bodies.

There was a man in a shiny BMW just across from Castiel who had had his motor running for the better part of ten minutes, probably blasting his AC like a douche. Castiel was sorely tempted to tell him to shut the motor off but decided against it in case the confrontation made him miss Dean walking out of the school. Should have probably called the Omega and told him he was being picked up. What if Dean had made plans with his friends? Or what if he got mad at Castiel? Or embarrassed?

Castiel was interrupted in his thoughts when the school bell rang and students started trickling out a couple of minutes later. There were all kinds of children and Castiel watched with interest how they interacted with each other, wondering how Dean would be with his friends.

The Omega walked out almost five minutes later, all smiles and laughter as he talked to a small group of students around him. Seeing Dean so happy and relaxed made Castiel’s chest warm. His Alpha instincts reared up, preening at the thought that he had helped the Omega feel safe. Without him Dean might not have come back to school and he was obviously happy here. Castiel smiled to himself as he watched Dean roughhouse with a bigger boy.

A smaller, timid-looking Asian boy was smiling at them and a red-haired girl laughed loudly by the looks of it. The bigger boy let Dean go almost instantly, backing up with his hands up in surrender and a grin on his face and it was clear to Castiel that that boy had let Dean win. Dean probably knew too but he puffed out his chest in pride anyway and Castiel’s smile grew. Dean was just so vibrant that he couldn’t help but feel proud just looking at the boy.

Dean had yet to notice Castiel’s otherwise pretty noticeable car but he and his friends were walking over to the parking lot so he wasn’t concerned about the Omega missing him. What concerned him more was the way another group of boys were glaring at Dean.

One of them said something that made Dean snap his head around. His expression turned sour and he yelled something back. Castiel had excellent hearing but the kids were still pretty far off and there were a lot of other sounds around. He wished he could hear because the other kids answered, one of them wearing a smarmy grin and another a sneer.

Dean started walking over to them but was stopped by the boy that had roughhoused with him. The bigger boy whispered something in Dean’s ear and the Omega shook his head before following his friends, obviously ignoring the taunts still being thrown at him.

Castiel gritted his teeth as he realized there was a high probability that Dean was either bullied by those other kids or they had been some of the boys Dean had sold his services to. Or both. Castiel didn’t know why he thought like that; could just as easily be that this was about something else or about nothing at all. But somehow he didn’t think so.

He was interrupted in his musings when Dean spotted his car. He wasn’t even looking directly at the Omega but his whole body tingled with the knowledge that Dean was staring directly at him. And when he turned his eyes to the teen he found Dean jogging over to him with the biggest grin on his face. It actually made Castiel blush a little. Good thing it was a hot day or he would look like a fool sitting here all red in the face.

"Cas!" Dean exclaimed when he reached the car. "What’re you doing here?" his expression instantly turned serious. "Has something happened?"

Castiel smiled calmingly and it relaxed the Omega immediately, Castiel could scent. "Nothing’s wrong. The boys’ practice is cutting short today so I thought I could pick you up on the way over to them." He glanced at Dean’s friends who were hanging back, all looking on with varying degrees of curiosity. "If you want? Or did you have plans with your friends?"

Dean beamed at him. "No, we were just catching the bus."

"Do they need a ride too?"

Dean looked quickly over at his friends and then back. "Nah, they’ll be fine. I’ll be right back, okay?"

With that he sprinted back to his friends, talked to them for all of thirty seconds before jogging back as if he was afraid Castiel would leave without him. As if Castiel hadn’t been sitting out here in the heat for over twenty minutes already, waiting for him. Dean didn’t know that, though, and better to keep it like that lest Castiel sound like a fool.

"How was school?" Castiel asked casually as Dean buckled in and the Alpha started trying to maneuver his way out of the parking lot in the rush. Dean’s friends trailed off, the red-head and the Asian guy waving Dean goodbye while the bigger boy just looked at the car. Dean smelled slightly of Alpha and Castiel remembered how close that other boy had been to the Omega. He thought he had a pretty good idea why the boy was just staring at them.

"Fine." Dean said cheerily. "We had a pop-quiz in math and Kevin freaked out. He hates not being prepared."

Castiel glanced at the Omega, pleased that the car was filled with the scent of happy Omega.

"And you?"

Dean shrugged. "I’m fine with it. If life brings you lemons, right?" he grinned toothily, making Castiel chuckle.

"Is Kevin one of your friends?"

Well, yes, Castiel supposed but he was curious. Dean and Sam had been living with him for almost two weeks and this was basically the first he had heard about the Omega’s friends. Dean had mentioned them in passing before but not by name. Of course he knew all of Sam’s friends because they were also Alfie’s friends and it just made him feel safer, knowing who his kids hung out with. Not that Dean was his child but still.

Dean just nodded, obviously not offended by the casual question. "You saw him just now, the small kid?" Castiel nodded at Dean’s question. "Yeah, he’s so miffed ‘cuz he’s an Omega like me but I’m much bigger. I can even take Benny in wrestling and he’s an Alpha. And a senior."

Castiel severely doubted that was true but he smiled at Dean’s proud scent. If Benny was who Castiel thought he was he strongly suspected that the Alpha let the Omega win their wrestling. It was cute, he thought, and a way to build Dean’s confidence. Just like a real Alpha should do. Felt good to know Dean had friends like that. And he could only suspect why a Senior Alpha would be such close friends with a bunch of underclassmen, especially one Omega with sparkling green eyes that he let win wrestling matches. But he kept that to himself as well.

"What about red-haired girl I saw with you?"

"That’s Charlie." Dean said. "She’s a Beta and awesome. She knows everything about anything important and did you know she likes girls?"

Castiel didn’t know because how could he? But he indulged Dean by making a surprised sound. "So one less to compete for the boys’ favor, then?" he teased and watched with satisfaction how Dean blushed.

He liked a lot about Dean, his enthusiasm and selflessness for one. But what he liked the most was how Dean so easily could go from cheeky to shy. It had thrown him a bit at the beginning but he was realizing that it was just how Dean’s emotions worked. All over the place and on his sleeves. And it was fun teasing the Omega.

"I guess." Dean mumbled and looked out the window.

It wasn’t that usual for people to enter relationships that couldn’t result in biological pups, like Dean’s friend and another girl, and Castiel had never met someone like that but he supposed everything could work out. As long as everyone involved was happy he saw nothing wrong with it. Still, it was not something he had encountered before and he found himself fascinated with the company Dean chose to keep.

They spent a while in companionable silence, just watching the town roll past them as they wove their way through the afternoon traffic over to where Sammy and Alfie practiced soccer.

"What about those other boys?" Castiel suddenly asked and Dean turned a confused face to him. Castiel kept his eyes on the road. "There was a group of boys that said something that upset you."

Dean’s scent was guarded now as he closed his walls around himself. "That was Alastair and Dick, they’re…" he took a deep breath and Castiel saw in the corner of his eye how Dean looked down at his hands. "They used to pay me to suck them off behind the bleachers. They’re being assholes about it now that I don’t do it anymore. Calling me whore and saying I have cocksucker lips." He shrugged. "I usually don’t let it bother me but I don’t like it when they say it in front of Kevin. He’s a little sensitive so it upsets him. And…and my friends don’t know it’s true and I don’t want them to figure out it is."

Castiel was gripping his steering wheel very tightly. So he had been right and Dean was bullied because he had had to do something unseemly. He had a mind to go in and have a chat with the principle but it would be word against word and Castiel was suddenly so angry he could hardly breathe. Dean was not a whore, he had just been feeding his little brother. And Castiel didn’t need the imagery "cocksucker lips" brought him. Goddamn kids!

Suddenly Dean’s hand was on Castiel’s arm, his soothing scent wafting up in Castiel’s nostrils.

"Calm down, Alpha." The Omega mumbled. Castiel pulled into the nearest parking lot, probably ending up all crooked but he needed to calm down or he would crash the car. "It’s okay."

"It’s not okay." Castiel interjected with clenched teeth. The Omega just looked at him with soft eyes.

"Maybe not but it will be." Dean smiled and Castiel was left feeling awed at how grown up the Omega acted sometimes. "I have you and Alfie now; you’re taking care of me ‘n Sammy. And at school I have Benny to keep me in check. And he doesn’t know what it’s about but he helps keeping those guys at bay so it’s fine."

Castiel supposed Dean was right. But still.

"No one should talk to you like that."

The motor was still running, thrumming beneath them. The windows were up now but no matter how much fresh air circulated through the car, nothing could diminish Dean’s happy scent. It was so thick Castiel could almost touch it and he wanted to. Wanted to carve himself a piece of Dean’s happiness and keep it with him at all times to remind him that the Omega could feel like this; could have this.

"Thank you, Alpha." Dean mumbled in an intimate voice and Castiel felt a pull inside him. It had been so long since he had felt it that it was almost foreign to him. But it was still there, increasing every day he spent with Dean, scaring him and making him awed at the same time.

He reached over and stroked the marvelous Omega on his cheek. "Anything for you, Dean."

Overprotecting, overbearing, overly involved. They were just words, Castiel decided then but suspected he would regret it later. Dean smiled at him and continued to smell wonderfully happy and content, so much so that Sammy actually gagged a little when they finally picked up the boys.

It was late in the evening when Dean’s phone suddenly rang. That was not an unusual occurrence but for some reason the Omega tensed up at the ringtone. Castiel turned to look at him where they were standing shoulder to shoulder peeling potatoes for dinner.

Dean just stared out the window above the sink for a moment and Castiel couldn’t figure out what was wrong until the Omega wiped his hand on the kitchen towel before pulling out his phone. It was only then that Castiel actually registered that it wasn’t Dean’s usual ringtone and just the second before Dean swiped the screen to answer Castiel read the caller ID.

"Hello sir." Dean mumbled into the phone, his back rigid. No child should look like that talking to his own parent.

Castiel pressed his lips together and watched Dean talk to his father with a clipped tone. It sounded more like John was giving the Omega instructions and Dean seemed to be extremely familiar with the setup. Castiel’s stomach churned uncomfortably.

The Omega cleared his throat when the call had ended, just staring at his phone for a moment.

"He’ll be back in two hours." He mumbled finally and Castiel closed his eyes for a moment, willing his Alpha instincts to calm down. But Dean smelled so much like genuine sadness that he had a hard time focusing on anything else.

"It’s okay." He assured the Omega. "We’ll get your things and I’ll drive you."

Dean nodded but seemed to be in a daze. As soon as Castiel started moving Dean turned his infinitely green eyes up at the Alpha, eyes wide.

"I don’t have any food."

Castiel blinked. "What?"

"He’ll…" Dean looked down and licked his lips nervously. "He’ll be wanting dinner and, and the fridge….it’s almost empty and I need beer for him. Fuck, what the fuck do I do?"

Dean was talking so rapidly at the end it was difficult to understand him. So Castiel did the only thing he could think of to calm the Omega down; he pulled him into a tight hug, willing his own scent to be calming and protective.

"It’s okay, Omega." He said again, confidently and soothingly. Dean just buried his face against Castiel’s throat. "I have beer that you can take. You can take anything you need from my fridge, anything to make it look like you and Sammy’s been home all this time. And I have instant Mac ‘n Cheese in the pantry, you can prepare that, would you like that?"

Dean nodded, his hands clenched in Castiel’s shirt.

"I don’t want to leave."

The Alpha growled in a low tone, almost a purr. Anything to soothe the Omega and by the sound Dean returned he knew it was working.

"It’ll be fine, little one." He hushed gently. "It’s just for a short while and when he leaves again you just call me. Call me anytime you need me, I’ll always answer."

Dean nodded again and Castiel allowed himself to feel momentarily sated that the Omega’s scent had changed to a somewhat calmer one.

But as he dropped Sam and Dean off outside their horrible excuse for a home he knew nothing of this was okay. Not the way the boys were treated, not his own handling of the situation, and definitely not how much his heart hurt at the sad look on Dean’s face.

He needed to talk to someone; get someone to help them. But who? Who could he trust?

When he drove home that evening to his little Beta and big house he felt more inadequate as an Alpha than he had ever felt. He was doing this all wrong, he knew, but something was clouding his judgement when it came to the Winchesters. All he knew was that he needed to protect them and yet he was doing a terrible job of it.

Dad didn’t usually hit Dean, at least not very often. Well, at least not very hard. Or, you know, where it would be visible. But it was okay, as long as Sammy was safe Dean could take it and with Dean there the younger brother was safe so that was good.

It took barely two days for dad to beat Dean this time round. It wasn’t much though, just a blow to the stomach that left him winded but it was his fault, he had been in the way. And anyway, with what had happened with Azazel this didn’t seem all that horrible. Dad had never touched anyone of them like that and Dean was confident that he most likely never would so that was good.

Sammy was angry as all hell, of course, but Dean convinced him that it was okay because what the hell else would they do? Defy their Alpha father? Run and hide in Cas’ coattails? Cas didn’t really have any authority here and both Sammy and Dean knew that. CPS would get involved and no one wanted that, at least not Sam and Dean. And God help him but Dean actually loved his dad, even after what had become of their little family.

Because that was it; they were all the family they had had left for so long and he would defend them no matter what. Didn’t stop it from hurting when dad in his drunken state punched Dean and it certainly didn’t stop him from longing for the only musky Alpha scent that had ever calmed him, though.

Cas never called or texted even though he had both Sam’s and Dean’s number but the Alpha still found ways to assure himself of the boys’ safety, Dean knew. Sam told him that he and Alfie talked in school but he had agreed with his big brother not to say too much and certainly nothing about the abuse. It would serve no one good. Knowing Cas he would break his promise on pure instinct to protect Sam and Dean. Cas was just too filled of righteousness to understand. Sure, Dean wanted him to burst through the doors and carry him and Sammy off into the sunset but he had to be realistic. Someone had.

Which was why he hadn’t ever mentioned dad’s sporadic physical abuse. To be completely honest he was so used to it, and it was infrequent enough, that he had kind of forgotten about it in the light of everything that had happened in the last month.

Dean attributed that to the confusion of the abrupt changes and refused to think about it.

They coped well enough anyway, even though living in the apartment with dad was a pain now when they knew there was a wonderful house and a loving family waiting for them just a call away. Dean didn’t even dare go to Cas’ house to work in his garden for fear that dad might make some kind of connection. He felt extremely bad about it and knew he would have to talk to Cas about an alternative arrangement when they got back.

Dean still went to school, though, and did nothing of his old work for which he was proud. So even through the misery of missing Cas and Alfie, he could allow himself to feel happy and that felt really good.

So when dad two weeks and three beatings later announced that he was leaving again to go hunting gators down in Louisiana with his supposed friend Dean had never heard about, the Omega did nothing but smile and wish the man good luck on his hunt.

He waited a good two hours before calling Cas. He and Sam spent that time packing and keeping a lookout in case dad changed his mind. It would be the first time since all this started all those years ago but Dean took no chances.

"Dean?" Cas sounded slightly distressed. Dean felt his chest tighten at the tone but he smiled nonetheless.

"Could you come pick us up?"

"Did something happen?"

Fuck, Dean had to start guarding his heart around the Alpha. He had figured as much pretty early on but this time apart had only confirmed it. He clutched his duffle bag, newly packed with his clothes, homework, and flesh colored fake knot with complimentary lube.

"Everything’s fine, Alpha. Dad just left."

"Oh." The relief in Cas’ tone was palpable. "That’s alright then, I’ll be there in ten."

"‘Kay." Dean mumbled with a probably stupid smile on his lips. Just before they hung up he heard Alfie’s excited shriek in the background and he hoped the little Beta would come with them so Dean could get an excuse to sit up front with Cas.

"All set?" Sam asked suddenly and Dean hoped he had had time to school his face so he wouldn’t look like a love-stricken dork.

"Yeah."

"Great!"

Yeah, Dean really thought it was. He knew Cas wanted to find other alternatives, ways for Dean and Sam to live in peace at all times, maybe even live in the Novak residency at all times? Dean could only hope, but for now these little pockets of happiness were enough for him.

Gabriel had already eaten three cookies before Castiel even sat down with coffee for them. He pursed his lips but said nothing about it. His brother had after all always had an affinity for sweets and he knew it only got worse when Gabe had had a "good lay", as he put it. Castiel did not want to talk about his brother’s love life right now.

Gabriel was licking his fingers obnoxiously and Castiel pushed some napkins over to him.

"Thank you, Alpha." He grinned, making Castiel roll his eyes. Castiel was the only Alpha child from the Novak family and especially Gabriel had always enjoyed teasing Castiel for his heritage, which certainly had drawn their conservative father’s attention away from Gabe’s rebellious acting.

"I need to talk to you."

No preamble, he needed someone else’s opinion on this. Logically he knew he should have gone to Anna. She was a Beta and tended to be more rational than emotional in her decision-making, but at this point he needed Gabe’s more open-minded view. Not to say that Anna wasn’t open-minded but she was also predictable and he already knew what she was going to say. And he had promised Dean not to involve authorities so he intended to do as such for as long as he could.

Gabriel blinked at him and hastily wiped his fingers. "So serious, bro."

Castiel sighed and looked down at his coffee. He was very glad that he had managed to get Gabriel to come over even though it was a weekday. He had needed to talk to his brother while the boys were in school but Gabe did own and run his own bakery so even with employees it was sometimes hard for the Omega to get time off.

"Alfie has a best friend, Sammy."

"Met him, completely enthralled. Go on."

Castiel rolled his eyes. Gabriel had always liked Sam very much and who wouldn’t? Castiel could already tell that the boy would grow into a remarkable Alpha.

"Sam has an older brother, Dean. Recently it came to my attention that their father have been leaving them alone for extended periods of time, more often than not without enough money to make bills and food." Castiel gripped his coffee cup and decided against revealing everything Dean had had to do. "Dean’s been taking care of Sam but it’s been hard and when I heard about it I…" he sighed again. "They’re living here now."

He looked up to see Gabriel studying him very intently. He knew his own scent was dulled to his family’s senses but he still did his best to maintain his emotions. Gabe smelled faintly of curiosity and thoughtfulness but his scent was dulled too so it was hard to tell.

"And that’s not…ideal?" Gabe half guessed, half stated at length.

Castiel looked away and tried very hard not to think about Dean’s pleased scent when they were let back into the house. That night Castiel had thought he had heard something from the basement, noises that were difficult to distinguish but that had made him warm inside. And not warm like content but rather…

He shook himself and forced his eyes back to his brother’s. "The boys like the arrangement very much but their father doesn’t know about it and it…I suppose it can’t go on like this, can it? Having them come over to my house every time they’re left alone, that’s just…it’s not right. Right?"

He hated how hopeful he sounded at the end there and realized in that exact moment that this was why he had chosen to tell Gabe first of all people. He wanted to tell someone and have that person tell him this was an excellent arrangement and out of all the people Castiel knew, Gabe was the one most likely to do so. What a stupid little Alpha he was being.

Gabriel was looking at him with almost pitying eyes and yes, that was more appropriate but certainly not what he had wanted. He actually shrunk in on himself, something he had barely done since he had presented.

"Sam and Dean’s father… Is that John Winchester?"

Castiel didn’t know what difference that made. Except everything, he supposed.

"Yes."

Gabriel nodded and nicked another cookie which he ate much too slowly. Castiel could almost see the gears turning in his head.

"Well, I suppose it’s not ideal at all." He mumbled after a while. When he met Castiel’s eyes the Omega’s were soft with sympathy and he realized he had lost control of his scent.

"I pay Dean to work in my garden so they can get manage on their own." Well, it wasn’t really true but he certainly couldn’t say the truth.

Gabe nodded. "Do you want him to work for me instead?"

"Would you give him a job?"

That hadn’t been Castiel’s intention but it actually sounded like a really good idea. If Dean got a real job then maybe they wouldn’t have to live with him and Alfie even when John was away. Dean would maybe get enough of a salary to support them and wasn’t that what Castiel really wanted? To help the Winchester boys get back on their feet? Not for them to live with him indefinitely. Right? That would just be ridiculous. Would just be…

Castiel’s stomach felt heavy.

"How old is he?"

Castiel took a deep breath, forcing his own emotions down. He had no right anyway; should put the boys first. "Sixteen, he’s very diligent."

"Alpha?"

"Omega."

Gabe made a sound Castiel couldn’t identify. "Is it him I’m smelling?"

Castiel blinked in confusion and sat up straighter. He scented the air and could immediately pick out Sam and Dean’s scent from Alfie’s duller one.

"I suppose so, yes. Sam’s just presented as an Alpha."

Gabriel laughed out loud. "And here I was, thinking you’d found yourself a pretty Omega and hadn’t even bothered to tell me and Anna about it. I was actually a bit miffed, little bro."

Castiel only blinked again. "What?"

"Well you’ve been…" he waved his hand at Castiel, making the Alpha look down at himself. "No, never mind." He chuckled and took yet another cookie. "I’ll be happy to give him a job. He could come in on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Wouldn’t want him to neglect school right? Can he drive?"

"I…I don’t know. I’ll ask."

Gabe nodded. "If he can, I’ll have him driving delivery. No special skill needed." He winked and for some reason that almost made Castiel blush. What the hell was going on? His brother was usually quirky but it felt like he was hinting at something that Castiel should get but he totally didn’t.

"But what do I do about them living here? And John?"

Gabe sobered up and swallowed his cookie in one mouthful. "Let Dean come and work for me, perhaps that will be enough. That John is a negligent asshole of an Alpha is no surprise, Cassie. But as long as he’s not abusive I don’t see why we need to involve anyone else, right? Is he away now?"

"Yes. I believe he’s due back in about two weeks."

Gabe nodded. "Let them live here until then and make a decision then, based on how well Dean does with me I could perhaps offer him work during the summer break. They could perhaps save some of that money. Really, Cassie." He stretched out and took one of Castiel’s hands in his. "You should perhaps talk to John about whether he’s okay with the boys living with you when he feels the need to go away but in any case I don’t think it’s bad that they live here." He looked around and seemed to indicate the house as a whole. "I actually think it’s pretty awesome."

Castiel swallowed and knew that if he had told his brother the whole truth then maybe the Omega’s reaction would have been different but as it was now he had gotten basically what he had wanted. Gabe had agreed that it was good that Sam and Dean lived here; he had suggested that they postponed making a real decision about the situation; he had even offered Dean a better job.

Castiel was incredibly grateful to his positive big brother and at the same time there was a nagging voice at the back of his head, telling him he was being a bad Alpha. Because, let’s be honest, he was starting to realize that maybe he wanted Sam and Dean here more for selfish reasons than strictly okay.

Chapter Text

Two days after his discussion with Gabriel, Castiel still didn’t know if he felt better about his decisions or not. He had yet to tell Dean about Gabe’s job offer and wasn’t certain why he was prolonging it. But he would bring it up soon, he vowed.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for him, his plans were interrupted that afternoon when Sam and Alfie came home in completely ecstasy over a supposed carnival coming to town.

"Now?" Castiel asked where he was sitting in the living room, enjoying a book.

"Yes!" Alfie exclaimed, the little Beta all but bouncing. Sam was grinning like a dork, his happy scent wafting up Castiel’s nostrils.

"Isn’t it out of season?"

April had just started after all; most carnivals came during the summer.

Alfie groaned and flung himself over the couch’s armrest. "Dad."

Castiel chuckled at his son’s antics but his mirth was short-lived when he noticed how resigned Sam was looking. Unexpected anger rose when he thought that John probably hadn’t taken his boys to any carnival, ever. Maybe Dean would have tried to make it for Sam’s sake but what would he have had to do to make that happen? He forced his anger down and rose to his feet to ruffle Sam’s hair.

"Well, I trust you. If you say there’s an off-season carnival here then I suppose the least we can do is check it out. No harm in just going to the field, is there?" he winked at Sam and the little Alpha looked like he would burst with excitement.

He looked like he was about to say something but then the door opened and Castiel’s nose was immediately filled with the scent of Omega. Dean’s scent was getting stronger and stronger by the day, Castiel thought. Maybe he should go get the Omega checked for unexpected pregnancies. The hospital hadn’t bothered because he was on heat suppressants that doubled as birth control but they could never be too sure, could they?

"Hey guys." Dean said, obviously surprised to see all of them gathered in the living room.

"Dean!" Sam all but screamed and he and Alfie jumped over to the startled Omega. "Guess what? There’s a carnival in town and we’re going and Mr. N’s taking us."

"Yeah!" Alfie piped up.

Castiel just smiled at the boys’ obvious excitement. Dean turned his infinitely green eyes to him and the Alpha could feel this dangerous, strange feeling grow inside him.

"So it’s true." He said and smiled to himself. "Charlie said she’d seen the trucks this morning but we didn’t believe her."

"Are you going with your friends?" Castiel asked and started gathering his book and coffee mug. Alfie and Sam ran down the hall to their room to put their things away. "Do you need money?"

Dean blushed for some reason and looked down, scuffing his foot on the floor. "They said they were going so I suppose…" he sighed to himself and Castiel couldn’t help frowning.

"Is something wrong?"

"No." Dean pulled himself up and smiled at Castiel but the Alpha thought it looked forced. He scented nothing wrong, though. "I have enough money."

"Are you sure?" he didn’t want Dean to miss out on something just because he was low on money. And Castiel supposed they would eat something at the carnival instead of having a proper dinner so the Omega needed to have enough for that as well. "You know what? I have a couple of bucks loose, you can have them and I’ll stop by the ATM with the boys."

"Cas, no." Dean shook his head, looking almost affronted. Castiel paused with his fingers already buried in his wallet, gripping his bills. "You pay me enough, I save."

Except Dean and Sam had just been home with John so Castiel supposed some money had gone there, even if John paid for them when he was home. It was hard to tell how much of his money went to booze, though.

And the thing was that Castiel kept a jar of change up on the fridge, for rainy days. It was more for fun and for him to know that Alfie knew where to get some quick dollars if he ever needed it. The jar had stood mostly untouched for a while so it only stood to reason that its contents would grow. Except that Castiel had noticed it growing quite a bit since he started paying Dean for keeping his garden and he had a hunch what that was about and he didn’t like it.

Dean’s earnings were supposed to go to Sam and Dean’s welfare. It wasn’t like he was trying to impress the Omega and his little brother or anything like that, if that was what Dean was thinking.

"I can’t have you go hungry." He stated firmly, well aware that his tone was just a hair’s breadth away from his Alpha voice. "Take this money and eat something with your friends."

Unlike the last time he had used his Alpha voice, Dean didn’t get angry. Instead he stubbornly kept his eyes on the floor and Castiel could see a new blush creeping up the Omega’s cheeks. But Dean accepted the twenty bucks he handed over and the boys anyhow joined them right then so he didn’t have a chance to ask if Dean was okay.

"Are we going now?" Alfie asked, clearly already dressed for an evening of eating corn dogs and riding safety hazards for carousels.

Castiel smiled indulgently. "Have you done your homework?"

"But dad…" Alfie pouted, eyes round and pleading. Castiel was horrible at saying no in circumstances like these. To his surprised relief Sammy took over.

"Come on." He said and grabbed his friend’s arm. "It’s not that much, an hour tops."

Castiel couldn’t help but chuckle at Alfie who looked like the little Alpha was dragging him to his execution.

"Sam does wonders for Alfie’s academics." He commented fondly and saw Dean preen at the praise, even if it was directed at his brother and not him. Dean was such a caring Omega. "How about you? Are you heading out now?"

Dean shrugged. "I think so. I don’t have that much homework that needs to be done right now, you know?"

"I trust you."

It was adorable, watching Dean puff out his chest with pride. "I’ll call Benny, see if he’s up to going with us."

Castiel nodded. "You spend a lot of time with him, don’t you?"

"Yeah, Benny’s really cool."

Castiel only nodded again and let Dean go to call his friend. It was a shame that the Omega wouldn’t be going to the carnival with the rest of the family, he thought. Then again, they weren’t a real family, were they?

The little plastic balls dinged as they hit the metal targets one by one. Castiel took his time between shots to make sure he wouldn’t miss but he didn’t feel nervous. He wasn’t a bragging Alpha but he knew that he was a decent shot and judging by the large collection of teddy bears Alfie and Sammy were carrying around he would say he was doing okay.

Two more shots and he had managed to snag at least second price. He should have gotten first price, he mused, but that was what you got when you didn’t focus enough. The boys didn’t seem to mind either way. They got a new teddy and were laughing heartily about it.

He smiled down at them, for the first time feeling completely okay with his decision to take the Winchesters in. He had known it would be the right decision but that didn’t hinder him from feeling like he was handling the situation wrong. Now, however, watching Sam chatter with Alfie made it worth the headache.

"Dean!" Alfie suddenly yelled. He waved so much that he actually dropped one of the teddies, making him yelp and dive for it so it wouldn’t lie on the dusty grass for too long.

Castiel was actually impressed with how well the carnies were taking care of the carnival grounds because that was usually not the case. Then again, this wasn’t the usual carnival so perhaps they were trying to make a good impression. They were succeeding, he thought. Their rides looked sturdier, their food was better cooked, and they were all in all cleaner.

He turned around at Alfie’s shout and saw that Dean and his little group of friends were approaching. The red-head, Charlie, was wearing a t-shirt with what Castiel supposed was an obvious pop culture reference that he probably wouldn’t get even if they explained it to him. Kevin was eating popcorn from a bag and Dean smiled widely when he saw them. Benny was walking with them as well but he only looked at Castiel and the boys with an unreadable expression.

"Wow you guys." Charlie exclaimed when they had joined them by the shooting range. She beamed down at the boys who gave her toothy grins back. "Did you win all this?"

Sam snorted. "As if. Mr.N won them for us, he’s a great shot."

Dean took one of the teddies from Sam and squeezed its stomach. "You did this for them?" he mumbled.

Castiel nodded, unsure why he felt light as air when Dean smiled down at the raggedy teddy bear.

"You know," Charlie said, suddenly sounding sly as a fox. "Dean’s a pretty good shot himself." She nudged Kevin whose eyes suddenly lit up.

"He is." The little Omega piped up. Dean looked like he wanted to run away.

"Shut up." He hissed.

"No but it’s true." Charlie insisted and even Sammy nodded. Castiel saw no reason whatsoever to disbelieve them so he nodded too. "You should try shooting, Dean."

"I will not." The Omega stated loudly and refused to meet Castiel’s eyes. "I’m getting cotton candy." With that he stomped off, Benny trailing after him.

The Alpha had been quiet during this whole exchange and even now his expression remained expressionless, his scent carefully subdued. Then again, it was possible his scent was just overshadowed by Dean’s heavy scent of embarrassed Omega. Castiel’s nose twitched.

Charlie and Kevin laughed at Dean’s behavior, almost as if they knew what it had been about and Castiel was sorely tempted to ask them because he sure as hell didn’t know what was going on. If Dean was a good shot he should be proud of that. Then again, showboating was not really Dean’s thing. He sometimes came off as cocky but Castiel had seen him extremely humble too.

"Well, I suppose we’d better try and catch up with mister don’t-try-so-hard-to-make-me-sound-cool." Charlie grinned. Kevin snorted but nodded.

The red-headed Beta walked off with a little wave and Kevin lingered to give Castiel a shy smile. When Castiel smiled back he got his nose full of surprised and startled Omega scent before Kevin took off jogging after Charlie.

"Dean keeps weird friends." He commented lightly. "I mean, nice, but weird."

He did not miss Alfie glancing at Sammy before the boys started laughing. "Yeah, dad." Alfie mumbled. "They’re weird."

Castiel certainly wanted to know what that was about but was interrupted when Sammy pointed at a merry-go-round.

"Can we ride that?"

"You can." Castiel conceded. "I’ll stand here and hold your teddies." There was no way in hell he was getting on one of those. He did not want to vomit his guts out, thank you very much.

It was close to an hour later before they ran into Dean and his friends again. The group was standing beside another game, loudly cheering on the people who were currently playing even though it didn’t look like Dean and his friends knew them.

Sammy and Alfie immediately ran up to the game, Castiel following slowly, still mindful of the greasy food they had eaten right after they had somehow managed to convince him to follow with them on the merry-go-round. Castiel ought to learn how to say no but damnit, Alfie was his pup and Sammy had these puppy eyes that were frankly adorable.

The game seemed to be built more on speed than accuracy, although if Castiel was being perfectly honest it seemed to rely quite a lot on aiming as well. The endgame was managing to throw as many hollowed out plastic eggs into a bird house as possible. The problem was that the hole in the birdhouse was rather small and the fact that the plastic eggs were hollow made them too light to throw accurately with. Not to mention the eggs’ oval shape making it even more difficult to throw in a straight line. It was definitely a game Castiel knew he would be bad at. He was good at shooting because that was predictable and without a time limit. This, on the other hand, oh boy…

"Dean, you’re up next!" Charlie yelled over the cheers erupting from the group currently playing.

"Yeah." Dean beamed but his smile froze when he noticed Castiel watching him.

"You’re playing?" Castiel asked, mildly impressed because this was a fast game.

"I-I dunno, maybe." Dean mumbled, suddenly looking adorably nervous for no reason whatsoever.

"Jesus Winchester, get a grip." Charlie groused. "I want a bird." She pointed at a giant, stuffed chicken and Castiel smiled at it.

"Yeah, come on Dean." Benny said, much lower than Charlie but clearly enough to catch Dean’s attention. The Omega almost seemed to lean against his Alpha friend and Castiel clenched his hands in his pockets. It was good that Dean had nice friends like this that would support him. Very good.

Dean nodded jerkily and stepped up to the desk when there was a free spot. He paid the dollar entry fee and when his timer started counting down their group fell silent. There were no cheers for Dean, no one barely breathed as they watched the counter tick up with every egg Dean nailed in the bird house. Castiel watched the Omega.

Dean was flushed from what Castiel assumed was exertion, his hands were moving so fast they were practically a blur, and his eyes were focused on the goal. He looked beautiful.

Once his forty seconds was up his friends and little brother all started cheering loudly. Charlie squealed when the carnie plucked down a big chicken for her and Castiel startled to realize he hadn’t been checking the score at all. It turned out Dean had won the bird with only point over the needed number and he was panting now and massaging his arm as Benny hugged him with one arm around his shoulders.

"Shit, look at you!" Charlie laughed and it was really impossible to tell if she meant Dean or her new bird.

"This is the first time he’s won first price." Kevin informed Castiel with a grin.

"Really?" Castiel asked, completely unable to hide his surprise. With how Dean had looked he had assumed Dean won every time a carnival brought this kind of game.

Dean looked almost sheepish.

"Yeah." He mumbled, still absentmindedly rubbing his arm.

Castiel smiled proudly at him. "Well done, Dean."

Dean’s cheeks heated but Castiel was sure it was because of the warm weather and the obvious exercise of throwing those eggs. What else could it be?

"Thank you, Alpha."

When Dean got home from the carnival it was well past eight o’clock and it was easy for him to excuse himself and go right past Cas and the boys. All three of them believed him when he said he had homework to do because why wouldn’t they? Dean did have homework, he just wasn’t going to do it.

Because shit, he so needed to masturbate and needed it fucking yesterday.

Seeing Cas looking both fatherly and manly there at the shooting range, scenting his proudness and having him praise Dean, it had been much too much. He knew his little crush on the Alpha was getting out of hand but there wasn’t really anything he could do about it right now besides do his best to pretend it wasn’t there and then fuck himself on his knot when he got some alone time.

He really needed to find a better solution, he mused as he carefully closed the door to his room, but that would have to come later. Because he needed to come now.

What was even more embarrassing than his lame ass puns was how he had started acting around Cas. He just couldn’t handle being close to the Alpha without reducing himself to some kind of giggling Omega stereotype and he hated it. He wanted Cas to think he was mature but hell if he was. And he didn’t know what to do about it either because he had never felt like this before, or acted like it, and he had been around a lot of Alphas. Had had sex with a lot of Alphas. Cas was just…well, he was just different was what he was.

Anyway, like a lot of things in Dean’s life that was a problem for later. His only problem right now was that he couldn’t get out of his clothes fast enough.

He shrugged off his jacket and shirt in one go. Fuck, he felt hot already. How had he even managed to hold out this long? He was surprised his friends hadn’t commented on his no doubt revealing scent. Shit, what if Cas had smelled it when Dean walked past him? Would the Alpha want to come investigate?

Dean moaned a little at the back of his throat at the thought. His new favorite jerk-off material was after all the Alpha walking in on him when Dean was stuffed full of his fake knot. Most fantasies featured Cas tsk-ing at him and removing the knot to replace it with his own. Dean suspected this time would be no exception.

When he was finally down to his boxer briefs he took some time to calm down. Leaning his head back where he stood in the middle of his room, he closed his eyes and ran his hands lightly over his chest and stomach, just lightly rubbing his own skin.

Goosebumps followed in his fingers’ wake and his nipples pebbled almost immediately. Dean loved playing with his nipples but that was more for when he wanted to tease himself. Now he just wanted to fuck; had been teased all evening.

Still, it felt good to just feel his own skin. He bit his lower lip and groaned a little. He was usually mindful to keep his sounds to a minimum. He was unsure how much could actually be heard all the way to the floor above him and he wasn’t particularly interested in finding out. Also, what would happen if someone came down to the basement? He actually wasn’t so sure that getting caught by Cas would be all that fun.

But fuck, just thinking about it had him groaning again. Time to move things the fuck along.

He stepped over to the bedside table where he kept most of his more important things, including his toy and lube. It had to be close at hand after all.

"Tissue." He mumbled and spun around to see that he had put the box on the dresser. He would probably need a towel anyway. This felt like it would be a messy masturbation.

Sometimes he got slicker than other times. He supposed it had to do with what he was thinking about or how long it had been. Or, like now, what had happened during the day. Anyway, he knew he would get real slick this time because he intended to fuck himself on his knot and yeah, that always got messy.

He rubbed his hard-on with one hand as he fished out a scraggly towel from the dresser. This wasn’t one of Cas’ fancy towels but one that Dean had brought from their apartment for this particular reason. Wouldn’t want to get too much slick all over Cas’ things because there was only so much a good washer could wash out. An Alpha’s nose was after all very good and even though Dean suspected Cas knew the Omega did things like this, he’d rather not give the man evidence.

By the time he had gotten the towel laid out and was stretched out on top of it with his knot and the tube of lube close at hand he was already fully hard and aching all over. His hole was clenching and Dean had to take a breather just to calm down. Again.

"Fuck me." He muttered and grabbed his dick.

It strained in his hand and he started pumping slowly almost immediately, clumsily trying to open the lube with his other. He didn’t need it for his hole, of course, but he liked it well enough on his dick. Sometimes, when he felt like being dirty or the need was too pressing, he used his own slick on his dick but this time he had time damnit.

The lube was cold, like always, but the sensation made him arch his back and moan. Fuck, it felt good to just smear it out. And it got everywhere. On his pelvis, his thighs, his stomach. And of course all over his dick and balls. Dean loved to play with his balls.

Fuck, he could feel himself leaking enough to smear the towel and it felt so good. He hadn’t really gotten this excited this fast in a while and he relished the feeling. And was very glad he had thought to put out the towel. Also, was even gladder that there was a sink in the laundry room that he could use so he didn’t have to parade his shame all through the house. But that happy thought would come after he had, because right now he could only focus on how his whole body ached and ached so good.

He was practically fucking his own fist by the time he was done spreading the lube everywhere and his hole was clenching around nothing.

With a hiss he planted his feet on the bed and spread his legs to make room for his hand as he it let travel down his tight balls and over his slick perineum down to his hole. Fuck, there was slick everywhere. Thick and sweet and God, Dean just had to plunge two fingers right in there.

"Oh shit."

He moaned with his teeth clenched shut as he immediately started pumping his fingers in and out of his hole. It went smoothly, his body built for this, and it felt fucking awesome until it didn’t. Until it clearly wasn’t enough anymore and he had to add another finger.

He didn’t really need all this prep but he loved it. It was a little teasing but mostly he loved it because he loved touching himself; loved indulging in self-love. Loved it even more when he had a partner that wanted to do it for him.

His dick was flopping against his hip, abandoned as Dean’s other hand reached out for the knot. He breathed hard through his teeth as he pawed the knot, mapping out the familiar feel of it. He wished it was the kind of sex toy with an inflatable knot because he really loved the feeling of the knot swelling inside him.

Loved thinking about how the imagined Alpha couldn’t contain himself; couldn’t just have sex and ignore the urge to knot but how he had to let everything go and just knot Dean. How everything felt so good that the Alpha lost control and locked them together, keeping Dean right where he wanted him as he bred him good.

But his fake knot was good enough. He could use the tip of it for the times when he just wanted something bigger than his fingers to stretch him and he could push it all the way inside when he needed to feel the thick knot in there. And God, he really loved that trapped feeling he got when the Alphas tied off.

Some Alphas were kind and would cuddle him as they waited for the knot to deflate. Dean liked that the best, otherwise it was just kind of awkward.

Now when he eased the tip of the sex toy inside himself he imagined the Alpha was desperate for his body, sex-crazed and aroused to the point of his scent being cloying. Tonight he didn’t want tender, he wanted the beast.

So he roughly forced the knot in and moaned deeply at the feeling. His hole adjusted fast enough and soon he was lying there panting, his legs spread like the whore he had been and desperately wishing Cas would be the only one to join him. Fuck he wanted Cas’ knot. Bet Cas would taste so good too, if his scent was anything to go by, which Dean knew it was.

He pumped the knot at a steady pace at first, his other hand fisting the sheets and still refusing to touch his dick. It jumped and spit out precome every time he dragged the toy over his prostate and the feeling made him see stars.

He groaned when he upped the pace a little. With clenched teeth he put his other hand on his dick but didn’t stroke it. Just let his cock push in and out of his fist as he pumped his hips against the knot. Fuck it felt wonderful. Felt like he was on fire. Arousal swam thickly in his body, no doubt translating into his scent but he did nothing to try and rein it in. He fucking needed to let go.

The only thing he tried to keep control over were his sounds but even that was going a little so-so. As images of Cas swam before his eyes he started unconsciously to let go of his noises as well as his inhibitions.

"Fucking breed me." He mumbled and blinked sweat out of his eyes. "Want you, Cas. Fuck. Want you to—ah! God—want you to fucking claim me."

He started pumping both hands now, so close to the end. He could feel his balls pull up taut, his back arching like a bow, and slick pouring out of his hole.

"God yes, fucking fuck me."

He wanted Cas’ tender kisses and whispered promises, wanted the Alpha’s rough touches and hard knot. Wanted it all and wanted it now, damnit.

His whole body jolted when he once again forced the tip of the knot over his prostate and Dean knew he wanted the whole knot inside him tonight. It always felt fucking awesome when he was going at it but he knew that afterwards it wasn’t all that fun. Knots were after all not supposed to go out again, but deflate and Dean’s third-rate sex toy never changed shape. But fuck if he didn’t need it.

So with a needy whine he forced the knot all the way in, sighing contently at the feeling of being so full. And with a few well-aimed, short thrusts at his prostate he came hard all over his stomach and chest.

"S-shit …" he groaned and closed his eyes hard, seeing Cas’ smiling face before his inner eye.

God he was so fucking fucked and it wasn’t even funny.

The morning after the carnival Dean stood by his locker in school, stomach growling because he had skipped breakfast. It was stupid, of course, but he hadn’t been able to look properly at Cas with his masturbation still so fresh in his mind.

The evening before had been really fun and just what Dean had needed; something to take his mind off of things. But reliving it now wasn’t all that fun… Because of course they’d had to run into Cas and the little ones. Fuck, just watching the Alpha at the shooting range, looking like the goddamn definition of manliness with that rifle…

And shit, Dean had behaved like such a dork… He didn’t know what he was more ashamed of, his own behavior or the simmering arousal that never quite seemed to go away in Cas’ presence. And then his stupid friends had had to go blab about him being a good shot too and he had just wanted to throttle them.

Sure, he was pretty good and he had won that chicken for Charlie but damn, Cas didn’t need to know that. Dean knew he was being immature but for some reason he didn’t want to brag in front of Cas. And then the Alpha had found them just as Dean was about to play the egg game and oh boy…

Dean had never thrown anything so fast in his life, caught in a desperate spiral of not wanting to challenge the Alpha’s prowess and at the same time wanting to impress him. Couldn’t and wouldn’t let Cas down.

And then the Alpha had praised him. Dean could maybe admit that some of his dizziness today was from lingering emotions about that more than his lack of sleep. Goddamn masturbation keeping him up all night. Because yeah, as if he had been able to sleep and not masturbate all night long. As if only one go had been enough. Had fucking had to sneak up and take a shower in the middle of the night.

So yeah, he was completely lost in his own head now, admitting to himself that he may be getting in a little too deep. Therefore it came as a surprise to exactly no one except Dean when Benny startled him enough to make him drop his books.

"Skittish this morning, cher?" the Alpha asked kindly and bent down to retrieve Dean’s books while the Omega clutched his chest and tried to get his breathing under control.

"I’m fine." He huffed. Benny chuckled at him and put the books back in Dean’s locker. Now they were all in disarray and Dean took some time to sort them out.

The Alpha just stood there beside him, looking at him cleaning his locker and for some reason Dean didn’t think it was creepy or anything. Besides, Benny did the whole staring thing a lot so Dean supposed he was used to it by now.

"So, Dean." Benny eventually mumbled, uncharacteristically low for him, and Dean turned back to him. "I was wondering if you’d want to go see a movie tomorrow. We could maybe eat first?"

Dean thought the proposition over and thought that it would probably be good for him to get out of the house. A little away-time from Cas might be good and he didn’t want the Alpha to think Dean was spending all of his free time in the house because he was afraid of going outside. What had happened with Azazel had after all been weeks ago and Dean was well past it by now.

"Sure." He said and smiled at the Alpha. Benny’s scent was closely guarded for some reason but Dean didn’t think twice about it. "Have you already talked to Charlie and Kevin?"

The beginning of a happy smile faltered on Benny’s face and for a moment there he smelled disappointed before he schooled his features once again.

"No, I was more thinking just you and me."

"What? Like a date?" Dean teased and closed his locker. When he turned to Benny he could see the Alpha’s serious face. "Oh, shit. You meant like a date-date?"

Benny nodded but averted his eyes, his scent thick with resignation. "But it’s okay. I know it’s weird because we’re friends."

"No, Benny, wait." Dean stopped him from leaving by putting a hand on his arm.

The look that the Alpha gave him was painfully hopeful and Dean thought that maybe he should just let go of his friend’s arm. But the truth was that this could be exactly what Dean needed, couldn’t it?

He needed to stop thinking about Cas in a relationship kind of way and dating Benny would certainly do that. And sure, Benny couldn’t really replace Cas in the sense that Cas was already adult but that was also the problem. Cas was an adult with a pup Sam’s age and Dean should stop sexualizing the Alpha’s protectiveness, it was downright creepy what he was doing.

And the fact that Dean sometimes thought Cas might feel something too just made it worse. Because whatever Cas was feeling was surely just lust and Dean shouldn’t drag down such a good Alpha. Plus, Dean was starting to get scared that it might not be just Cas’ knot he was after. Simply put, he didn’t think he would be able to have casual sex with the Alpha, if Cas was even interested in that.

So better to just find himself some other Alpha to take care of his needs, right? And it certainly didn’t hurt that he used to have a crush on Benny either. When they’d first met and became friends Dean had had sexual fantasies about Benny too so maybe, with time, the fantasies about Cas would fade like the ones about Benny had. And maybe he could rekindle the Benny fantasies, make them real? He hadn’t ever thought that Benny would want to go out with him, not when Benny was older and on the football team, Omegas and Betas of all kinds throwing themselves at him.

To be fair, Dean had always kind of wondered why Benny kept hanging out with them and maybe this was why. Dating Benny suddenly seemed like the best idea ever. He was a sexually attractive, nice Alpha Dean’s age and he was standing here looking all adorably nervous about asking Dean out. As if Dean’s opinion of him mattered to him.

"I would love to go out on a date with you, Alpha." Dean smiled and Benny, well fuck, Benny he just lit up like the fourth of July.

"Great!"

Dean nodded and felt a flutter in his stomach at the sight of the happy Alpha. He had put that smile on Benny, just by agreeing to spend time with him. Benny’s happy scent was nice, perhaps not as musky as Cas’ but with time Dean just knew he would grow to love Benny’s scent just as much, if not more.

"Great." He parroted and they started walking down the hall to their separate classes. And Dean tried not to think about what telling Cas about his date plans would feel like.

Chapter Text

Castiel was dead tired when he came home the afternoon on the day after the carnival. He had been down at the office on one of Naomi’s favored monthly meetings and he was unsure if he was tired because the meeting had dragged on or if it was because he always wanted to be home when the boys came home.

Usually he only had meetings in the morning or during lunch, as many of the other accountants also worked from home and had families coming home in the afternoon. But Naomi was the boss, after all, and if she wanted an afternoon meeting then that was what she got.

She had been pleased with Castiel’s work and the team in general, though, so Castiel supposed he should thank God for small mercies. He had been a little worried that having two extra people living with him might interfere with his work but Sam and Dean were nothing if not adaptable.

They were obviously used to taking care of themselves and they were very mindful of Castiel’s work. Dean still usually did his homework on the couch in Castiel’s office but the Omega never bothered him and the little ones knew to always knock and wait when his door was closed.

And even though Castiel was very used to doing all the housework and had told Dean so on a number of occasions the Omega always found time to help out. Even Sammy did, which in turn had inspired Alfie to do so too. If anything, Castiel would say his chores at home had lessened since he had invited the Winchesters into his home.

How Dean had time between school, homework, and the garden Castiel had no idea and he felt a little bad about it. He should really talk to Dean about Gabe’s offer, even Gabriel had asked him about it. And Castiel knew the job would be good for Dean. Would be a chance for him to get out of the house as Castiel was sure the Omega was itching to do.

As he shrugged off his trench coat he scented the air, finding it filled with the delicious scents of food and happy Omega. His heart ached with how much he had missed it.

"Boys?" he called and started making his way over to the kitchen.

Dean stepped out of it just as he approached. The Omega was wearing Castiel’s apron and somehow managed to look right at home in it.

"Hey, Alpha." He smiled and wiped his hands on the apron. Castiel’s stomach did that flip that was wrong in circumstances like these. "I made tuna casserole."

Castiel blinked in happy surprise. So far cooking had been the only thing that Castiel had been the only one to do. Mostly because he liked to eat dinner pretty early and Dean barely had time to get home from school before they ate.

"Really?" he asked and smiled with his whole face. "That sounds delicious."

Dean blushed prettily. Somehow he was getting coyer just as his scent grew stronger with each day. Castiel didn’t know what it was about — and should probably ask Gabe if that was an Omega thing — because Dean had assured him that he was still on his suppressants and that no, he wasn’t pregnant. In any case Castiel liked it.

"It’s nothing much." Dean muttered to the floor before looking up again. "Sammy called a while back and said their soccer coach wanted to take the team out for pizzas. I told him it was okay so it’s just," he shrugged. "Just you and me, y’know."

Castiel frowned a little and pulled his phone from the pocket of his slacks. There were no missed messages or calls from Alfie so his only logical solution was that the boys had thought it would be enough to ask Dean. He supposed it could be that Sam was used to asking Dean for things like this and that Alfie hadn’t called his father because Dean was more likely to say yes, even if Castiel never once had denied his pup pizza time with his team. But somehow it felt more like both boys had valued Dean’s decision just as much as Castiel’s and he knew that a lesser Alpha would be angered and would feel as if his authority was being questioned. And looking at Dean he could easily surmise that this was what Dean was fearing.

But Castiel didn’t feel like that at all. Instead the situation made him feel warm and fuzzy inside and something desired but dangerous erupted inside him. His pup trusted Dean. It felt right.

"That’s great, Dean." He said, probably a little too enthusiastically and he didn’t even know what he was praising. He saw Dean’s nose twitch and immediately reined his emotions in.

"Yeah, I mean, they sounded really excited and stuff. And I know you don’t like us eating too much junk food but I thought this would be okay."

Castiel waved it off. "It’s fine, their coach does things like that from time to time. It’s great for the team. And now I’ll have your casserole all to myself." He winked at that last part and watched Dean’s ears turn red before the Omega stammered out a thank you.

He smiled to himself and followed more slowly as Dean all but fled into the kitchen. But well inside he stopped himself because what was he actually doing? Flirting? It felt like flirting. Dean was just a teenager and Castiel needed to remember that.

No matter that Dean looked right at home in Castiel’s kitchen, that the Omega had made dinner for him and would get adorably flustered sometimes. Castiel was supposed to be the Winchesters’ caretaker, not a pervert. Yes, Dean was an attractive Omega, both physically and spiritually, but Castiel was the adult here and needed to control himself.

It was difficult, though, when Dean smelled so enticing.

"I can set the table." He said and walked over to the cabinets over the sink while Dean kneeled in front of the oven to check on the casserole.

"I, um…" Dean sighed and stood up to turn off the oven and open it. A little steam rose and Dean backed up a step. "I already did it." He mumbled, eyes averted. It was like he was embarrassed that he had done this for Castiel—no, for them, not the Alpha specifically. Dean was not nesting even though it kind of felt like it. Castiel was an idiot.

"Let me." He said when Dean started pulling on the oven mitts. He was being ridiculous and he knew it but he didn’t care. The oven was hot, the casserole was hot. The Omega could burn his hands.

Dean didn’t say anything, though. Just handed the mitts over and stepped back to pull off the apron as Castiel bent down and pulled out the food. It smelled even better out of the oven and he could feel his stomach growling.

"There’s a trivet on the table." Dean stated and turned to the fridge to pull out a small salad and some soda. "Do you want a beer?"

"Please." Castiel answered as he walked past Dean out into the dining room. But as he set the casserole down he thought better of it. "Wait." Dean stopped in the doorway, his arms full. Castiel went over to help him. "I’ll have to pick the boys up, soda is fine."

Dean carried the rest of the stuff over to the table and shrugged. "I could drive, if you’d let me."

Well, that answered Gabe’s question, Castiel supposed.

"Do you know how to handle a stick?"

Dean smirked to himself, some of his usual cockiness peeking through and Castiel heard the sexual innuendo too late. But the Omega apparently decided to take the graceful route and avoided it altogether. Castiel was surprised to find himself mildly disappointed that Dean hadn’t risen to the bait, however unintentional it had been.

"I can but I don’t have a license." He shrugged again. "I can still drive, though. I kinda had to learn when dad started passing out at bars. If you come with me we could say we were practicing." He grinned and Castiel smiled too. He decided not to bring up John and his drinking habits.

"In that case I’d love a beer."

"Rough day?"

Castiel smiled again as they sat down and Dean started plating the food for Castiel without him even asking. He had never done so before but the Alpha wasn’t complaining.

"Just boring. How was yours?"

They talked for a while about their respective days and it felt so good, so painfully domestic, that Castiel almost wanted to weep with relief. He loved his son very much but he knew he had been missing something like this. And whether it was the memory of his mate holding him back or him just being unable to find anyone worthy as a replacement he didn’t know but the truth was that he had barely dated since Hannah’s death. Just casual hookups that didn’t even last over the night and the last one had been years ago. He supposed it had something to do with his self-imposed hermit state but whatever was to blame the fact still stood, he had missed this more than he had thought.

The fact that it was Dean, an underage Omega with problems of his own, that made Castiel feel content was the only thing that dampened his spirits. But Dean was smelling absolutely delicious, so sweet and happy, that Castiel barely could manage to think about everything negative.

When Dean started talking about what he was thinking about doing in Castiel’s garden the Alpha thought that would be a great opportunity to tell the Omega about Gabriel’s job offer but somehow he didn’t manage. Somehow the words stuck on his tongue and he thought he had never been more selfish than in that moment. Because the truth was that he was looking forward to seeing Dean puttering about in the garden, like something Castiel’s mate might have done.

They sat well after the food was finished. Dean had at some point gone into the kitchen and brought Castiel a new beer, even though he hadn’t asked for it. It just seemed like Dean liked to service him and Castiel really shouldn’t think such thoughts. It wasn’t like Dean was kneeling beside him, before him, wasn’t like he sat between Castiel’s knees and—what the hell was wrong with him?!

"So, Cas." Dean mumbled, suddenly a little shy again and Castiel had to scent himself when the Omega looked down just to check that his indecent thoughts hadn’t translated into his scent. He was fine for now, he thought, but Jesus Christ.

"Anything wrong?"

Dean shook his head. "No, I was just… Um, tomorrow you don’t have to cook food for me, okay?"

"Okay." He answered, a little slowly. He didn’t know what this was about and Dean’s nervous scent was making him on edge. "Are you going out?"

"Yeah. It’s just, um…" he tapped his fingers against his half-full glass of soda. Then suddenly he took a swig from it, almost as if it was alcohol and he was preparing himself. Castiel arched an eyebrow but said nothing about it, just waited. "Benny asked me out." Dean stated when he had put his glass down. He was looking Castiel right in the eyes, almost challenging him to defy his statement. "And I said yes."

It felt…this situation felt weird. Castiel’s body felt weird.

Someone just listening might have thought that Dean was so serious in telling the Alpha this because of what had happened to him and because Castiel basically was like a father figure for him now. But Castiel felt like there was something else here. Something that Dean’s lingering gazes and strong scent was telling him but that he was too slow to pick up on.

Also, his body felt like it was made out of lead and that wasn’t really an appropriate feeling, he thought. He should feel happy but he kind of…kind of didn’t? It was a strange feeling.

It didn’t help that Dean smelled strongly of apprehension.

"That’s," he swallowed and hated himself for the interruption. Now his words would sound insincere. "I’m happy for you."

Dean blinked. "Really?"

Castiel didn’t know why that was so hard to believe. Except maybe he did and Dean shouldn’t know about that.

He nodded firmly. "Of course. I’ve only met Benny once but he didn’t give me a bad impression." More like no impression. Castiel felt mean. "And you always speak highly of him, I’m sure he will make a great boyfriend."

"Well," Dean averted his eyes and put his hands in his lap. "I dunno about that. It’s just a first date."

Actually, now that Castiel thought about it, he should have seen this coming. Dean talked happily about his Alpha friend and when he had seen the small gang at the carnival Benny had followed Dean around, not Kevin or anyone else. A sour part of him wondered if Dean had put together this wonderful dinner just to soften him up to the idea of him and Benny dating. He didn’t want it to be so — wanted Dean to have done it because he wanted to spend time with Castiel — but was already resigning himself to the idea. Even so, it was obvious that Dean wanted his approval and he would be damned if he would let the Omega down.

"I’m sure you’ll have a great time. You already know you like each other as friends so that’s a plus." He smiled a little when Dean glanced up at him. "Just please tell me you’ll be careful."

The Omega looked confused for a moment and then averted his eyes again. "You mean because of Azazel."

"I mean because of everything."

Dean had after all had to sell himself for money. Castiel didn’t really know what the Omega had thought about that — if he was lucky Dean had just seen it as any other job or had maybe found at least some enjoyment in it — but he was hoping very much that it wouldn’t put a dent in Dean’s future love-life. Or, as it seemed, imminent love-life.

He really wished he had urged the Omega to talk to that hospital psychologist some more but Dean had been adamant that he didn’t need her; that it hadn’t been that bad; that he was already over it. And Castiel had believed him; still believed him. But now, when dating and sex was on the map again, now he felt horribly insufficient to have these kind of conversations with Dean. He wished he had a close Omega friend other than Gabe that Dean could talk to. Castiel wouldn’t drag Gabriel into this to save his own life.

"It’s gonna be fine, Alpha." Dean actually smiled a little and Castiel let himself return it.

"I’m sure it is. I just want you to know that you don’t have to do anything sexual just because an Alpha wants you to. And if you and Benny really decide to enter a proper relationship you should maybe consider telling him what happened. I feel positive that he wouldn’t blame you and it could help him understand your situation."

He couldn’t know that, of course. But Dean had said that Benny usually defended him from those other Alphas in school so that was a good indication of his personality, Castiel thought.

"I know, Cas." Dean said and got up to start clearing the table. "And you know what? Maybe it’d be good for me? Getting back on the horse, so to speak." He winked at the last part and though Castiel loved when Dean was confident like that he hated his own response.

Just the thought of Dean "getting back on the horse" had Castiel sitting at the table and nursing his beer long after the Omega had left to do his homework. And if he was being completely honest he was also nursing a kind of wounded pride. But this was for the best. With Dean dating another Alpha Castiel could get his frankly ridiculous thoughts out of his head. And Dean deserved to be happy without old, perverted Alphas breathing down his neck.

Too bad Dean’s confident scent lingered in his nostrils, making his whole body feel too warm and making it impossible for him to leave the table for far too long.

Benny took Dean to some French frou-frou restaurant and insisted on paying for dinner. Dean felt ridiculous.

But it was nice too, he supposed. He and Benny had after all been friends for over two years so the conversation wasn’t stilted in the least. They just talked like they usually did and Dean reflected upon whether that was bad or not. Should probably have felt more special, he decided as they left the restaurant, but at least it was pleasant. And Benny seemed happy too, if his scent was any indication.

Benny drove a big Volvo, a family car that Dean knew belonged to the Alpha’s dad. But it was comfortable and, as previously stated, big. Which was good because Dean was getting antsy with that familiar need.

"Hey Benny." He said just as Benny was pulling out of the parking lot. "What do you say about ditching the movies?"

Benny hummed thoughtfully. "I thought you wanted to go?"

Dean had been the one to pick out the movie but right now he didn’t think he would be able to sit through it. He had after all decided to go out with Benny for more reasons than simply liking the guy. For mainly one reason, actually. He could still smell Cas’ slightly disappointed scent from when Dean told him about his date plans. Sure, the Alpha had schooled his scent very fast but not fast enough.

Dean needed the distraction and they both needed the break. Nothing good could come of either of them thinking along those lines after all.

Well, Dean was sure it would be fucking awesome but that wasn’t the point.

"I do, but…" he cleared his throat. Should he play coy? Should he be forward? How did Benny like his Omegas? He realized he was treating Benny like some sleazy john and the Alpha so wasn’t one. Benny was a good guy and seemed to genuinely like Dean and with time Dean knew he would like Benny back just as much. Had to.

"But?" Benny prompted. They were closing in on the parking lot to the movies.

"Can we go somewhere private?"

Benny hummed again and his scent turned carefully guarded. He drove past the parking lot without another word. The silence that up until now had been pretty pleasant suddenly felt stifling and Dean realized it was his fault. He had put bad thoughts in Benny’s head and he needed to remedy it but didn’t know how.

Benny drove them up to the make-out point but parked far enough away that it almost seemed like they weren’t there for that purpose. Which probably was what the Alpha was thinking. God, Dean was thickheaded.

"Look, Benny." He said when his friend had turned off the ignition. They were the only car in the small lot and it was even a little light outside still. Most other couples were probably at the movies like proper couples. Dean was the sleazy one.

"Dean, if this isn’t working for you it’s okay." Benny stated, his Cajun drawl somehow even thicker and Dean could smell his insecurity even though he was sure the Alpha was doing his best to mask it.

Dean couldn’t stand it.

The Volvo’s stick and handbrake was between the seats but Dean leaned as close as he could anyway. He put one hand on Benny’s arm and the other on the Alpha’s thigh. The muscle in his leg twitched under Dean’s hand.

"Listen." He breathed and saw Benny hold his breath. "I really like that you want us to go on proper dates and stuff. Hell, you even took me to a nice restaurant that none of us can pronounce the name of. You’re serious, I get it and I appreciate it. But Benny," he leaned in even more, his lips grazing the Alpha’s slightly scruffy cheek. "I already know you, we’re already friends. We know we like hanging out. What do you say we skip that part?"

"Dean." Benny mumbled, his voice strangely strangled. Dean smiled. "What are you saying, exactly?"

By the scent he was emitting Dean knew Benny already had a pretty good idea of what Dean was saying. Fuck, Alpha arousal was really the best and if Benny needed Dean to spell it out for him then so be it.

"Such a sweet Alpha." He purred and watched, enthralled, how Benny shivered. He wanted to stare openly at the Alpha’s crotch but thought it would be rude. "Asking me what I want, letting me set the pace." He kissed Benny’s cheek, just a peck. Benny turned his head a little. "I want you, Alpha. Want you to touch me. Do you smell that?" he squirmed in his seat. His body was reacting to what they were doing and to Benny’s scent. He could already feel himself getting slick. "That’s all for you."

A low growl erupted from Benny and he turned his head more, smashing their mouths together and Dean moaned into it, willingly submitting to the Alpha’s dominance. Benny brought up one hand to cup Dean’s cheek when they opened their mouths, wet tongues sliding slowly together. Dean pressed his legs together.

"Alpha." He all but mewled and Benny looked possibly overwhelmed. "Backseat?"

"Dean, are we…?"

Dean smiled at him, sweetly but with a hint of wickedness because Dean really needed to get fucked. Perhaps not tonight, though.

"Are you going to call me a slut if I tell you I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea?"

"Of course not." Benny seemed affronted at the mere notion and that was all the answer Dean needed.

He put a hand on the Alpha’s crotch, squeezing the hardness. Benny’s eyes fluttered and Dean’s mouth watered. Fuck, Benny was hung, like most Alphas, and Dean couldn’t wait to get that inside of him. Wanted to feel it pressed up against him as they rutted together, wanted to suck his friend of.

Perhaps Dean was a little bit of a slut after all and you know what? It felt good admitting it. Felt liberating.

"Just want you to touch me." He said again, more seductively this time. "Let’s get in the back, make out a little."

Benny nodded jerkily and they both exited the car only to slide right back inside again. They should maybe have relocated to a more secluded spot or perhaps somewhere inside but Dean couldn’t think about where that would be. Benny lived at home with his parents and three siblings and Dean wouldn’t ever bring the Alpha to Cas’ house for this purpose. Could perhaps take Benny to dad’s apartment but he was frankly too embarrassed about the state of it and too horny to care too much about their exposed state.

Was honestly a little aroused by it. He supposed all that whoring had fucked with his head but there was no use musing about that. Not when he had a hot Alpha panting beside him.

He took the extra time to pull off his shoes and shimmied out of his jeans before unceremoniously climbing on and straddling Benny’s lap. The Alpha’s hands trembled as he put them on Dean’s hips but Dean suspected it was more from restrained arousal than nervousness at this point.

"Don’t think badly of me, Alpha." He mumbled and put his hands on Benny’s cheeks, thumbing his scruff. "I’m just very physical."

"I’m not opposing anything that’s happening here, cher." Benny rumbled out in his drawl. Dean arched his back a little, pressing their crotches together. "Just trying to keep up. Wanna do good by you."

"Fuck, Benny." Dean moaned, completely overwhelmed by the tenderness.

Just like Cas.

And here he was trying to forget about the older Alpha, fucking hell. Dean was just not very used to people treating him tenderly, especially not during sex. But even when he was selling himself he had sometimes been able to enjoy the sex and, thinking back, he now knew that those times had all been with tender partners. So Dean liked to get plowed hard while being praised, fucking sue him.

"You smell so good, Omega." Benny growled out and met Dean’s little thrusts, turning them into something filthier and just right.

They rolled together, Benny’s hands slowly gravitating towards Dean’s quivering hole. He was soaking through his underwear now. Fuck, he wanted Benny’s fingers inside him. Well, he wanted a hell of a lot more but this would do, this would do just fine.

"Ah, Benny." Dean pushed out, pressing down against the Alpha’s searching fingers and then they were kissing again.

Dean was sure there was something he had been about to tell his friend there but he just up and forgot about it when Benny pressed his tongue inside the Omega’s mouth again. They were both getting hot and panting, fogging up the car’s windows in no time at all. Dean loved this. Sure it should remind him of the seedier things he had done but the truth was that he loved how lewd it made him feel.

And Benny felt fucking amazing. The Alpha was hard, pushing up against Dean so that their dicks rubbed together in delicious drags. Their aroused scents mingled into a pleasant sweetness and Dean could feel Benny scenting the air deeply.

"Please, Alpha." He groaned when Benny pressed more intently at Dean’s hole. "Love your thick fingers on me."

"Fucking hell, Dean." Benny huffed out, sounding completely wrecked already. "Knew you would look good all flushed but didn’t know it would feel like this."

"Yeah?" Dean mumbled against the Alpha’s neck, kissing the skin there. "You been thinking about this? You like it?"

Well, he had fairly substantial evidence pressed right up against him but it was still nice to hear it. To hear the Alpha’s responding growl, to feel it vibrate through his whole body.

Benny moved his hands to grip Dean’s hips tightly, holding him in place as the Alpha bucked up against him. The motion was just fucking right and Dean put his hands on Benny’s shoulders to brace his weight on them. He arched his back, bared his throat, and whined submissively.

And fucking hell, Benny’s scent just skyrocketed. His movements got faster, jerkier, and he all but ripped down Dean’s underwear, shoving them down to get at Dean’s skin.

"Pretty Omega." He growled. Dean shivered. "Going to take care of you, lick you clean."

"Please." Dean gasped. His dick came free when Benny pushed his underwear down and it slapped obscenely against the Alpha’s stomach. "C-condom?" He managed and Benny’s movements got more coordinated again.

"I have." He huffed between breaths. "My pocket. Wallet."

Dean nodded and reached down. Had to wriggle his hand between them because Benny refused to let him go and Dean’s balls felt ready to explode. He loved desperate, needy Alphas. Kind of wanted Benny to just throw him down on the seat and fuck him, though, but he didn’t think Benny would feel good after that. He had a hunch his friend was the kind of Alpha that was always tender, no matter how much Dean begged for it. And that was fine too. Would be even better if he could just get to those fucking condoms.

His dick was already smearing precome on Benny’s nice button-up and Dean gritted his teeth against the pleasure to keep more from escaping.

He made a triumphant noise when he found the leather-bound wallet and when he sat up straighter Benny made an effort to calm down.

"You’re so beautiful, Omega." He mumbled with heavily lidded eyes. Dean blushed all over and was glad that the parking lot was badly lit. "Can’t believe we’re doing this."

He made it sound like he had wanted it for forever and Dean deliberately let that slide right over his head. He wanted Benny for sure — the Alpha was hot and there was that old crush thing rearing its head — and he still thought that he could grow to love him but he couldn’t deal with any kind of love confession right now. Things with Cas were still too fresh and whatever was happening between him and Benny was still too new.

So instead he just winked when he fished out the condoms.

"It’s about to get a hell of a lot better, sweetheart." Benny’s breath hitched and Dean could feel his dick twitching. He tossed the wallet to the side and popped the button on Benny’s fancy slacks. Fuck, the Alpha had really dressed up, Dean realized much too late. Nothing to do about that now, though.

"D-Dean? I didn’t think we’d…"

Dean shushed him gently and pecked him on his lips just as his hand closed around the Alpha’s thick cock.

"I know." He cooed. "We’re not doing that. Our first time shouldn’t be rushed, hm?"

Benny’s breathing was stuttering and Dean suddenly had a sobering thought. He sat back a little and regarded the Alpha beneath him. Flushed and panting, his dick straining against Dean’s hand. And, okay, so Benny was a nice guy and wanted Dean to feel that he had control over the situation, didn’t feel pressured. But the fact was that Dean had total control over the situation. Total.

"Benny, sweetie?" he brushed some stray locks from the Alpha’s forehead and Benny blinked at him, his eyes clouded by lust. "I’m not…not, um…" this was awkward. "I’m not your first, am I?"

Benny huffed and then huffed again, a grin spreading across his face.

"My first Omega? Yes." He smiled wider when Dean couldn’t help but smile in relief at the Alpha’s amusement. "My first altogether? No. Am I that bad?"

"No." Dean rushed to say and just to cover his faux pas he rolled his erection against the Alpha’s, eliciting a groan from both of them. "I’m just not used to Alphas letting Omegas take this much charge."

Benny’s hands on him clenched around his hips. "You been with a lot of Alphas? They treat you bad?"

Alphas, Betas…

Dean almost wanted to say yes. Benny was so painfully nice to him, so caring. And he smelled very nice too — maybe not mind-numbingly nice but nice enough — so Dean really wanted to be good for him.

But he couldn’t really say everything. Didn’t want to, no matter what Cas had said about it.

He leaned in and kissed Benny thoroughly. "I’m not a virgin." He answered in lieu of actually answering and Benny groaned against his lips. "Now c’mon. One condom for you and one for me so there’s less mess, huh?"

Benny nodded feverishly and they made short work of rolling the rubber on each other. Fuck, it felt awesome when Benny put his big hand around them both and started pumping but that wasn’t what Dean needed.

"My hole, Alpha." He whined and Benny clenched them in his fist before reaching around with his other hand and yes, this was fucking perfect.

Benny took the lead here, his hands working Dean over both front and back and when his finger finally penetrated the Omega, Dean flung his head back and moaned deeply.

"Gorgeous." Benny pressed out.

Dean was fucking himself on the Alpha’s finger now, barely even conscious of the pleasure coming from his front. All he could think about was how Benny was inside him and how good his knot would feel in there when they eventually got to that point.

Yes, this was exactly what Dean needed. Someone else to take the edge off, to erase the thoughts of Cas.

Bet Cas would know exactly what to do to an Omega, though.

He had after all had an Omega mate before. No matter that she had been female, Dean was completely sure Cas knew just how to take care of an Omega in heat, no matter what primary gender. Fuck, the Alpha would do him so good. Dean hadn’t had a heat since he started high school and went on his suppressants and to be honest he kind of missed it.

"Fuck." He groaned when he realized he had been thinking about Cas while Benny finger-fucked him. What the hell was wrong with him?

"I’m getting close, Omega." Benny growled and Dean shivered.

Fuck yeah, he could feel himself drawing closer as well. It wasn’t the crushing need to come that he had hoped for but Benny was after all only using his fingers. And it didn’t matter, Dean was about to come between them, pressed against the Alpha’s growing knot, and he knew it would be good enough.

"Wanna see you come." He moaned and kissed Benny sloppily. "Wanna see you ruin that little condom with all your Alpha come."

"S-shit, Dean." Benny moaned, sounding young and vulnerable and a second later Dean could feel him coming hard. His cock pulsed and filled the condom well enough but his knot hadn’t popped and Dean was for some reason incredibly disappointed by that.

It was probably for the best, though, since they were in the car and popping knots usually made Alphas come much more. Besides, he supposed it would be kind of uncomfortable popping when he didn’t have a place to put it, so to speak.

Still, Dean would have liked to see it.

"Wanna see you masturbate sometime, Alpha." He pressed out through clenched teeth as he fucked himself back on Benny’s fingers. "Wanna see you squeeze that fat knot of yours, all for me."

"Such a filthy mouth on you." Benny reflected almost reverently and kissed Dean hard. The angle shifted and his fingers finally hit Dean’s prostate. He moaned wantonly into the kiss.

A part of him wanted to blame his self-induced prostitution for the way he ran his mouth but the truth was that he just liked doing it and had been doing it even before all that other business started. Some johns got off on it and some told him to shut it, but given the option he would rather talk.

He was getting beyond words now, however. His slick was leaking over Benny’s hand to the point where it was just ridiculous to save them from getting splashed by their come. Benny didn’t seem to mind, though. He was visibly scenting the air and seemed to enjoy it. The thought that his scent was pleasing the Alpha made Dean heady.

His dick was aching by now, his balls so heavy with the needed release. His hole was even worse, quivering and practically trying to keep Benny inside every time he pulled his fingers out. Dean wished he would use more than two but he didn’t have any time to say so because he was suddenly so there.

His back arched to the point of pain as he grinded down on the Alpha, a low whine escaping him as his dick erupted between them.

"F-fu…ck…"

He slumped forward, limp and sated, pressing his face against the Alpha’s neck. Benny hummed in satisfaction and put his clean hand on the back of Dean’s head, scratching his blunt nails against the Omega’s scalp.

"So I suppose this was a pretty okay date? As first dates go." He said after a while and Dean could hear the lingering insecurity in the Alpha’s voice, even as he sat with his lap full of satiated Omega and his fingers still in Dean’s ass.

He leaned out and kissed Benny lazily. "It was perfect. Just what I needed."

And at the same time really not.

It wasn’t until after Benny had dropped Dean off and Dean had done the walk of shame past the living room completely convinced everyone could smell everything that he reflected on the fact that he hadn’t wanted to bite Benny, not even a little. And the thought that the Alpha might have wanted to bite him hadn’t occurred to him either. It was weird because shouldn’t they want to? What if Benny had wanted to but hadn’t dared because Dean hadn’t indicated that he wanted it or even encouraged it?

Much later, when Dean had showered thoroughly and was lying in his bed, staring at the pitch black ceiling he wondered if he wasn’t being mean after all. Benny seemed to really like him — a fact that still left Dean a little baffled because for one, how had he not noticed it before? — and Dean was basically using him as stress relief. Oh sure, he had told himself that he could start liking Benny back and he still believed he could, they were after all already great friends. But he couldn’t do it if he kept imagining Cas, could he?

So he made a decision that night to stop masturbating to thoughts of Cas and to commit himself completely to Benny. He could be the Omega Benny deserved if he just tried hard enough and by God, he would try.

Chapter Text

"So Gabriel told me about your problem."

Castiel glared at his Omega brother. Anna just sipped her coffee, completely unaffected by the withering stare.

"I hate you." He eventually stated, voice flat.

Gabe flashed him a grin. "And I love you too, baby bro."

Castiel moved the cookies out of Gabriel’s reach and took ridiculous satisfaction in his brother’s pout.

But this was just great, exactly what he hadn’t planned. Exactly what he didn’t want; someone else involved in this. And everything was going so great too. Dean had even started dating and even though that for some reason left Castiel feeling hollow, it was actually really good.

When Dean had first told Castiel about his date a few days ago it had made the Alpha a little apprehensive, sure. But he had made a quick phone call to that hospital psychologist Dean had claimed to not need and she had assured him that as long as Dean seemed happy this was actually a great step towards recovery. Castiel was still apprehensive but supposed it was okay.

What wasn’t okay was Dean coming home late in the evening and stinking of sex. He had wanted to jump up from the couch and demand to know what the Omega had been doing but had managed to reel himself in. And when Dean had walked close enough for him to get a deeper whiff of him he could distinctly smell Benny on the Omega as well. So, okay, maybe they had skipped ahead a few dates and were already having sex, they were of mating age after all.

Didn’t mean it had to sit right with Castiel and it very much didn’t either.

But Dean had seemed happier these last couple of days since he started seeing Benny and that was after all the most important thing here. Dean needed to be happy and Castiel would sacrifice anything for that, even himself.

He wondered idly when Dean had gotten this important to him.

"Cassie." Anna said calmly, her subdued Beta scent full of kindness. He turned to her after unsuccessfully trying to set Gabe on fire with the power of his mind. "We’re both here to help you and I have to say I’m a little disappointed you didn’t come to me first."

Gabe nearly choked on his cookie. "And I’m supposed to not be offended now?"

"I didn’t say offended."

Castiel sighed as his siblings quarreled. He was the youngest but sometimes it really didn’t feel like it. Perhaps it was his Alpha traits or perhaps his whole family was just weird.

"Look, not that I don’t appreciate the help but we’re handling it."

Anna looked like she wanted to say something but Gabriel cut in.

"Are you though?" the Omega asked, suddenly all serious. Serious enough to shut Castiel up. "I offered Dean a job almost two weeks ago but I haven’t heard from him. Is he a slack-off or are you keeping it from him?"

Both options were horrible.

"It hasn’t come up. But," he held up a hand when Gabriel looked like he wanted to say something. "But I have deduced that he can drive, even if he doesn’t have a license yet."

"That’s fine." Gabe said but Anna cut him off.

"What do you mean ‘deduced’? If you wanted him to work with Gabe then you would have just asked him outright, wouldn’t you? Or don’t you want him with Gabe?"

Gabriel suddenly glared at Castiel and the Alpha wanted a tail to tuck between his legs.

"Yeah, what’s up with that, bro?"

Castiel folded his hands and was immensely glad the boys were in school this time too, same as last. He knew Alfie loved his uncle and aunt but he would hate for his little son to smell his father’s self-deprecation. He knew Anna and Gabe could smell it right now, especially Gabe’s sensitive Omega nose was bound to pick it up.

He pressed his thumbs together and refused to meet their eyes.

"I might be in the wrong here."

Gabe snorted as if that was obvious but Castiel saw Anna put a hand on their brother’s arm to quiet him.

"Tell us, Cassie."

He drew a deep breath. "At first I just wanted to help them. Their situation is too painfully close to what Alfie’s could have been and besides, I hate to see children suffer, no matter who."

Anna nodded. "You’re a good Alpha."

She was mostly trying to please his instincts — and it was working — but Castiel knew there was truth in her praise as well.

He bobbed his head in a half-hearted agreement.

"What do you mean ‘at first’?" Gabe asked but there was nothing teasing or malicious in his voice. His scent betrayed even less.

Castiel drew himself up but was still staring at his own hands. "I’m starting to think I’m being selfish. I want to keep Sam and Dean here because I like spending time with them."

"They’re starting to feel like sons." Anna hazarded. Castiel made a face because that was kind of true but not the whole truth.

"I want Sam here because I want him to have a good influence as a growing Alpha and I’m prideful enough to believe I can be that influence. And Alfie really likes Sam, it makes me happy to have Alfie happy."

"That’s understandable." Anna mumbled and Castiel wished she would stop justifying his ridiculous reasoning.

"And I want Dean here because I want him safe and I…" he took another deep breath. "I like his scent."

Finally both his siblings were silent but somehow that was worse.

"Cassie…" Anna started but obviously didn’t know how to continue.

Gabe cut in. "There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?" he said earnestly. "I think it’s good and it’s probably only a biological reaction. You don’t think Sam smells bad, do you?"

Castiel really thought there was a huge difference between disliking, not thinking twice about, and actually liking someone’s scent and he knew Gabriel knew that too.

"No."

"Well there you go."

Castiel pressed his lips together and met their eyes. He knew this was bad and he knew they knew it too but they were still looking at him like they always did. With soft fondness, adoration for their only living Alpha relative, and respect.

Anna reached over the table and squeezed Castiel’s hands. "We’re here to help you. Don’t carry the entire burden yourself, Alpha."

He smiled a little at her. "I promised not to involve authorities. Dean is afraid they’ll separate him and Sammy and I think he might be right. I just… I can’t keep John in the dark for much longer either."

Anna squeezed his hands tighter. "Let me look into options, Cassie. I have friends who do this for a living."

He nodded a little dejectedly, not surprisingly feeling like an extremely bad Alpha. For one he had told his siblings about his shameful feelings for Dean but had still failed to impress on them just how deep his feelings went. He supposed that could be excused on the fact that he barely had figured it out for himself yet.

Another thing was that he had deliberately told only Gabe because he wasn’t sure he really wanted to start pulling on this if it might mean that the boys were taken from him. Which was also the reason why he hadn’t told Dean about Gabe’s job offer.

On the whole he was a very egotistical Alpha.

And to top it all off he knew that Anna would have connections at the Social Office downtown. She was a full-fledged lawyer and even though barely any of her cases concerned wayward or abandoned children she certainly knew people who worked with them. Goddamnit, Castiel was a bad Alpha.

Suddenly Gabriel rose to his feet and hugged his little brother tightly. Neither of them were big on physical closeness so Castiel remained stock still and just blinked at Anna who seemed oddly tear-eyed.

"You reek." Gabe mumbled against Castiel’s hair and he realized what his scent must smell like, even to his family.

Gabriel’s obviously inappropriate comment made him smile, though, and he felt a small chuckle bubble up.

"Stay for dinner?" he asked, knowing Alfie would be incredibly mad if he missed a visit from Gabriel again.

Anna nodded. "I would love to meet your charges."

Castiel nodded too, glad she had chosen to call them that. And he was certain they were dying to meet Dean now that Castiel had revealed such a big secret to them. Well, he supposed it wasn’t that bad. Gabe was right after all and it most probably was a biological reaction between his protective Alpha and Dean’s distressed Omega. Yes, it felt easy and good to explain it away like that.

Gabriel hugged him closer briefly before letting him go. "C’mon, let’s cook those rascals one hell of a dinner. And don’t worry, Alpha, I won’t tell Dean about the job offer." He looked thoughtfully down at Castiel. "It still stands but I think I get it. It’s okay."

Castiel nodded but in reality thought nothing about this was okay. Maybe it would be, if he ignored the fact that he hadn’t told his siblings half the truth about what Dean’s scent did to him. Better not voice it and thereby make it real.

There was a short knock on the door to Castiel’s office and then it swung open to reveal Dean. The Omega stopped just inside and looked curiously at Castiel where he was lying on the couch. Castiel supposed he should be irritated that Dean just walked in like that without waiting after knocking like the little ones did but he somehow wasn’t.

He was, in fact, extremely glad that Dean felt comfortable enough to just walk in. Besides, Dean never bothered him. He had had more than one conference call with the Omega in the room and Dean had never said a peep. It just seemed like Dean wanted to be in the same room as the Alpha when he was doing his homework. Castiel was glad that practice had continued even now when Dean had started dating Benny.

"Tired?" Dean smiled and closed the door behind him before walking over.

Castiel made to sit up but Dean just slid onto the couch and arranged them so that Castiel’s legs were resting in the Omega’s lap with his books on top. That was…odd. But Castiel certainly wasn’t complaining so he just rubbed his back against the couch to get comfortable once again.

"It’s summer soon, we get more to do."

That was a lie. Dean seemed to accept it readily enough but Castiel still felt bad for saying it. Some departments were bound to get more to do just before vacation times started but Castiel seldom did. Naomi took great care to space out their work. He had simply wanted to lie down on the couch a little for no other reason than it smelling solely of Dean nowadays.

Couldn’t say that, though.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence for a while. Dean was reading in one of his textbooks and Castiel was doing his best not to stare. The air was lightly scented with Dean’s contentment and Castiel supposed this would be the perfect time to talk to the Omega about the conversation he had had had with Anna and Gabriel a couple of days ago but he couldn’t find the words.

"Oh." Dean suddenly looked up, almost startling Castiel. "I was talking to our neighbor on the right, Mr. Elkins." Castiel just nodded, completely stuck on our neighbor. Not your neighbor. "We discussed the hedge, it looks like it needs trimming but I think the gardener had his own tools because I couldn’t find any. Mr. Elkins said he’d let me borrow his but I thought it’d be better if we had our own."

Was Dean doing it on purpose? Bunching them together like that like a proper family. Castiel got a warm feeling in his chest at the mere thought.

"I can buy what you need." He said slowly, surely too slowly for Dean not to notice something was wrong. But the Omega just nodded with a smile and looked down at his book again. "But Dean…" he stopped to clear his throat when Dean turned back to him. This was the perfect moment to talk about the job offer. It was like Dean had read his mind and Castiel couldn’t with good conscience put this off any longer. "You, ah… What did you think of Gabriel?"

That…that sounded stupid. Dean blinked at the sudden topic change and Castiel felt like he was eleven again and crushing on his friend’s big sister.

"I liked him." Dean said and closed his book. "He was great with Sammy and Alfie."

Castiel nodded and decided not to beat around the bush. "He told me that if you wanted to earn some pocket money he had a job working extra deliveries for him."

Dean frowned. "Why would he say that?"

Castiel sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Because I told him that you work as my gardener and he said that you could come work for him instead."

"Did you tell him why I work for you?"

Dean’s tone was deliberately neutral. Castiel’s nose twitched with the scent of careful Omega.

"Of course not, just that you want some extra money." He looked back at Dean, seeing the Omega stare at him with suspicious eyes. "I wouldn’t betray your trust, Dean." He said softly and was rewarded with Dean’s scent easing a bit. "I think he got it in his head that it was a financial struggle for me to take care of you boys and pay your salary."

"And is it?"

"Of course not. You have to trust me on this, Dean." He thought of the change jar on the fridge and wondered if he should bring it up.

Dean looked away, chewing on his bottom lip. Castiel stared, entranced.

"I suppose…I mean, it could be cool. I think?" he glanced at Castiel and the Alpha’s chest felt ten times tighter with the realization that Dean wanted his opinion.

"I think it’s a great opportunity for you." He said honestly. Sure, he wanted Dean home as much as possible, especially now that Dean had spent some nights out with Benny, but he couldn’t and shouldn’t keep this opportunity from the Omega. "He said you could come in Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Just as a start. It would give you more free time and leave you time for school and your Alpha."

That hurt, calling Benny Dean’s Alpha. But he supposed if they were dating that was a possibility. He didn’t want to think about it too much because it left a sour feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Dean looked away at his words.

"I suppose." He mumbled and thumbed his textbook. "I would like the job, though."

They both fell quiet for a while but it wasn’t half as comfortable as last.

"Is everything alright with Benny?" Castiel eventually asked and Dean sighed but when he turned back to the Alpha he was smiling.

"It is." He said reassuringly. "I think he might ask me to senior prom."

Castiel frowned. "Why don’t you sound happy about that?"

Dean chuckled and his scent changed to amused. Castiel was actually flabbergasted at how easy it was for him to pick out Dean’s emotions. Not even Hannah had been this open to him.

"Dances are stupid. They’re boring, there’s no booze and everyone just wants sex but are too shy to do anything about it." He bit his lower lip again, staring at the bookcase on the opposite wall. "And I don’t know how to dance."

God but Dean could be adorable without even trying.

"Well, do you think you’d want to go if Benny asked you?" Castiel asked and swung his legs off Dean to stand up. Dean looked confusedly at him.

"Maybe?"

"Well then, why don’t I teach you how to dance?" he smiled down at the Omega. "I can’t have you missing out on prom just because of something as easy to remedy as this."

He really was a selfish Alpha, he reflected as he basked in Dean’s happy scent. Because he certainly was doing this more for the satisfied feeling he got when Dean looked at him like this than for the Omega’s chances of going to the prom. For one, he hated the thought of Dean going to the prom with anyone that wasn’t him, despite the fact that he was well beyond his prom-going days. And second, he was well aware that the Omega wouldn’t have enough time to learn how to dance properly before the prom. And for that matter Castiel didn’t even think teenagers actually danced all that much nowadays. God, Castiel felt old and he had barely passed thirty…

He really should take his offer back but Dean jumped to his feet before he could say anything else.

"Thank you, Cas." He grinned so widely that Castiel was almost blinded.

Instead he just returned a little half-smile and went to wake up his computer. It took him barely any time at all to find a fitting playlist on YouTube and then he and Dean were standing in the middle of the room, facing each other.

Dean glanced at the closed door. "Sam would laugh his ass off."

Castiel chuckled and took Dean’s hand, placing the other on the Omega’s waist. "Lucky we’re alone, then."

Dean all but gulped and put his other hand on Castiel’s shoulder.

The music was light, a more modern take on the easiest waltz and Castiel knew with great certainty that Dean wouldn’t need to know these steps and probably wouldn’t find any use for them at a high school prom. But the thing was that it felt nice to have Dean so close and the Omega didn’t object with any of the obvious arguments so Castiel let himself have this.

Dean kept looking at his feet and was bumping the top of his head against Castiel’s cheek. Christ the boy was growing. Castiel guessed that Dean might actually outgrow him one day and that was rather unusual for an Omega. Then again, Dean was very special.

And Castiel had seen him completely naked so he knew Dean’s body very intimately. He hadn’t thought about it at the time, of course, more focused on the Omega’s distress. But now he reflected, not for the first time, that Dean was rather big in every sense of the word. Sure, his penis and testicles might not be used for reproduction but that didn’t hinder them from producing ejaculate and didn’t necessarily mean that they were small. It was just that most Omegas were smaller. Then again, Dean was still definitely smaller than Castiel himself, even if the Omega one day might grow taller than the Alpha and what the hell was he thinking about all this for?!

He cleared his throat and Dean looked up, stumbling over their feet.

"Sorry." He mumbled and Castiel smiled at him.

"Don’t worry. Just look at me instead of your feet."

"Okay." Dean breathed, sounding embarrassed for some reason. Castiel chalked it up to him thinking about stepping on Castiel’s foot.

"A good dance partner knows when to lead and when to follow." He said calmly and twirled them around. Dean looked adorably cross-eyed for a second. "Let me lead."

Dean gulped again but did as bid. He held Castiel’s gaze steadily and they turned fluently after a little while of stumbling. Castiel smiled and nodded with the music. Dean smelled happy and there was an underlying sweetness to his scent that Castiel knew from experience but didn’t dare acknowledge.

"You’re good." Dean commented after a while. Castiel huffed out a small laugh. His hands felt clammy but Dean didn’t say anything about it.

"My mother believed dancing was a great way to woo potential mates."

It was Dean’s turn to laugh. "Well, you’re good at it and you got yourself a mate. Your mom must be very proud that she was right."

"She was." Castiel conceded. Dean stumbled at the next turn and Castiel clenched him closer, the small space between them suddenly eliminated. Jesus, the Omega was warm. "She died just before Alfie was born, though."

"Fuck, I’m sorry."

Why did they fit together so effortlessly? Castiel did his best to keep himself stoic but it was a losing battle. Especially with Dean pressed close and smelling so sweetly. Castiel was barely aware of what they were talking about anymore.

"Yes, she just kind of wasted away after my father passed. Stroke."

"Cas, that’s just…"

Castiel looked down at the sound of Dean’s sad voice. Whatever had been in the Omega’s scent was starting to get overshadowed by the scent of upset Omega.

"It’s okay, Dean." He said kindly. "They weren’t much like parents anyway. There was no love lost between them and us children. Besides, we get by, don’t we?" he smiled and was rewarded with Dean’s coy smile. The Omega was still short enough to be able to look up at the Alpha through his lashes without it looking forced. And that look did things to Castiel that he preferred not thinking about.

The music was still playing from the computer but Castiel realized they were practically just treading in a circle. He had brought their hands in and was cradling Dean’s hand against his chest. Dean’s other hand had travelled up and his fingers were brushing against Castiel’s neck as the Alpha hugged him close.

He swallowed thickly. Dean’s scent was getting sweeter again and Castiel was actually scared of what his own scent was like to the Omega. He could feel arousal simmer low in his stomach, just barely repressed.

Dean was looking him right in the eyes and Castiel could practically see the Omega’s pupils expand. He parted his lips and Dean leaned in. Or Castiel did. Someone leaned in. They were sharing breaths now and this…this was…

Castiel cleared his throat and took a step back. "Well, I’d say you’re a fast learner." He tried to smile but probably failed. "I’m sure you’ll do well at the prom."

Dean looked almost confused, almost as if he had completely forgotten why they were doing this at all. And then some kind of resigned look came over him and his scent was suddenly masked from Castiel’s sensitive nose.

"Yeah." Dean mumbled and turned back to the couch to pick up his forgotten textbook. "It’ll be great. I’ll go make a snack for the boys, okay?"

Castiel didn’t know what he had done wrong but he never wanted to hear Dean speak with such a defeated, flat tone. He swallowed thickly and reached out for the Omega but Dean just walked out of the office without another glance back and Castiel was left standing there, looking like a fool.

It took him almost a full minute to compose himself enough to walk over to his computer and stop the music. He sat down heavily in his usually comfortable office chair and glared down at his crotch. It was bad enough that he had probably reeked of aroused Alpha but that he hadn’t even been able to control his body was even worse.

He pressed the heel of his hand a little too hard against his semi erect cock and tried to will it away. This was getting out of hand. Soon he was afraid Dean wouldn’t be safe around him anymore but just the thought of sending the Omega and his little brother away almost made Castiel see red. He just needed to get a grip on his emotions.

Castiel’s precious grip lasted about five hours. By that time it was almost eleven o’clock and the house was dead quiet. Sam and Alfie had gone to bed hours ago and Castiel was preparing to do the same when he remembered he had put clothes in the dryer earlier in the evening. To say that he had been scatterbrained ever since his little dance with Dean would be an understatement.

He walked as silently as he could down the creaky basement stairs, not wanting to wake Dean. He hadn’t seen the Omega since Dean excused himself around the same time as the boys went to bed so Castiel had assumed Dean had gone to bed too. Didn’t really have any reason to think otherwise.

The clothes were dry and cold by now and Castiel made swift work of folding and sorting them, not wanting to dwell too much on Dean’s clothes. He was really pressing his limits today, he thought tiredly.

He was glad he had left the light on above the stairs because the rest of the basement went pitch black when he turned off the light in laundry room. The boiler clunked lowly and Castiel sighed to himself.

With all the noise going on it was nothing short of a miracle — or his doom — that he heard the small sound coming from Dean’s room.

It was a low groan and Castiel was walking over to the Omega’s room before he was even conscious of it. It would be rude to walk into Dean’s sanctuary but what if he was in trouble? What if he was hurt? Or sick?

In all fairness, the scent wafting up from under Dean’s door told Castiel all he needed to know but his brain was apparently not really working anymore. Because that was clearly Omega arousal and yet he still opened the door without even knocking.

The sight that met him nearly gave him a heart-attack and it would have served him right.

Dean was on the bed on his knees, ass in the air and his weight braced on one arm. The Omega hadn’t noticed him and Castiel could clearly see why. Placed delicately on the pillow was Dean’s phone and even from this distance Castiel could make out a pornographic movie playing on the small screen, earbuds plugged into the phone and Dean’s ears. Dean’s other hand was busy fucking his slick hole on a big, fake knot.

The air was thick with the scent of Omega slick, Omega arousal, Omega need. Castiel almost choked on it and wanted to.

He gasped and staggered back, closing the door as fast and as silently as he could before bolting up the stairs and to his bedroom on the upper floor. Well inside he leaned against the closed door, breathing heavily as if he had just run a marathon.

His cock was hard as iron, his knot already forming, and images of Dean spread open on that toy swam before his eyes. The Omega’s scent had followed him even here and he could do nothing but hope that his own scent wouldn’t linger where Dean could smell it.

God, he was so aroused.

It had stayed there, just below the surface, this whole evening but it had been manageable. But now… Now he felt it like a living beast inside him, clawing its way outside with hungry growls.

He clenched his teeth shut and palmed his cock roughly. It had been too long since he had touched himself and even longer since he had known someone else’s touches. He rarely indulged and with Sam and Dean here there had been no time.

No, that was a lie.

He hadn’t wanted to masturbate because he had been afraid his mind would fill with images of Dean and he would be powerless to stop it. And now he didn’t want to stop it.

Wanted to remember how Dean had been pressed against him while they swayed to the music. Wanted to remember the Omega’s beautiful green eyes so up close. His scent, his face, the sight of him taking such a big knot and doing it so easily.

Wanted to imagine feeling Dean’s slick on his own body, coating his cock as he pounded into the Omega’s willing body.

Wanted to imagine hearing Dean scream for him.

He whined impatiently and pawed at his sweats before he remembered they didn’t have a button or a zipper. He pushed them down to his thighs and stumbled over to the bed, almost incoherent with the need to fuck, breed, fill.

Everything was a blur. His chest ached with unrequited emotions and his whole body burned with the need to claim something. Claim someone.

He stopped just by his bed and leaned one hand down on it to brace himself for a moment. Stop. Think. Fucking breathe. He almost felt as if he was in rut but that was impossible with the medication he was taking, so the only other logical reason would be that the scent and sight of Dean at his most vulnerable and aroused was reducing Castiel to a feral state.

It should be impossible but he couldn’t think of any other reason for him to feel like this. He had never reacted like this to anyone. Even Hannah in heat had barely taken his lucidity away from him and yet here he was, his head swimming. And just from the sight of Dean! He would never be able to look at the Omega again.

A thought for another time because just the memory of Dean’s flushed body made him tremble. He took a deep breath and straightened to completely push off his sweats. He needed to keep a cool head or he would attract attention. He was very glad his was the only bedroom on this floor.

His cock bobbed obscenely and he took a moment to just grasp it in his hand, squeezing. It eased the pressure a little but there would be nothing stopping his knot from popping soon. He stumbled over to his closet and all but ripped the doors open.

Inside he shoved his clothes roughly to the side and squeezed inside to get to the very back where he kept what little toys he had. It was always handy to keep toys around for ruts and especially so when he didn’t have a mate. He hadn’t used them in a while, of course, didn’t need them when he just indulged in some lazy self-loving. There was nothing lazy about now, however.

The lid to the box ripped when he tore at it but he didn’t care. It was just an old shoe box and not what was valuable here. Inside the box were outdated lube and condoms, a small vibrator the size of Castiel’s thumb, and a fleshlight.

The last item was what he was after and he grabbed it greedily, his cock spitting precome at the mere thought of being inside it. God, it had been too long.

He kept fresh lube in his bedside drawer and the tube was nearly full so there was no problem dumping a generous amount down the fleshlight’s inviting hole. After that there was really no preamble. He just jammed the toy between his mattresses and crouched down to get his dick to the right height before pushing in.

He had to take it slow at the beginning so the fleshlight wouldn’t move too much but when he had figured out the right angle he leaned his weight on the mattress directly above the toy and just started fucking.

The room filled with squelching sounds accompanied by his rough panting but Castiel was oblivious to all of that. The fleshlight hugged his cock just right and he could only focus on the pleasure that ripped through his body as he pushed in and out of the perfectly shaped hole.

"Omega." He growled lowly between his teeth, his lips drawn in a snarl.

Dean was in front of him, on all fours and with his ass pressed against Castiel’s pelvis. Round and plump and perfect. Castiel could practically see him, could feel him. Needed to because he needed the Omega like air right now.

Heat burned in his lower back and his stomach muscles were practically cramping already. He was sweating enough to leave stains on his night tee and he wasn’t even conscious of that fact. Could only keep fucking the fleshlight and see Dean before him.

The Omega smelled so good, so right. And to see him like that…

He snarled when he felt his balls creeping up, could practically feel the release as it rushed towards the finish. His knot swelled to its full size and it was starting to catch on the edge of the fleshlight. Fuck, this was one of those open fleshlights, which was great if he wanted to jam his knot in there and release everything because the closed fleshlights couldn’t contain it all. But it was less great right now when he desperately wanted to let his knot catch but hadn’t put out a towel to catch all his release with.

"Shit." He growled and stumbled back. The fleshlight followed out a bit and he ripped it free from his bed only to tumble down to his knees.

He had his cock jammed back into the toy in the next second, holding it in one hand while he groped for his discarded sweats with his other. His knot caught just as he found his sweats and he had to bite back his satisfied howl.

Sharp pleasure shot through him, his knot extra sensitive and yes, fucking yes, he could feel it. Felt how his whole body caved in with the orgasm just there.

He managed to push his sweats in front of him just in time for his first release to shoot out of him. He pumped the fleshlight in shallow, tight pumps as he coated his sweats with come. His body was shaking and it felt so good. Good enough for his second orgasm to hit him all too soon and he was left curled on the floor, one hand around the fleshlight and the other fisting his soiled sweatpants.

"Oh God, Dean." He groaned through clenched teeth. He longed to hold the Omega, to scent him, to — God forbid — bite him.

Just the thought had him tumbling into a third orgasm and he whined desperately as it washed over him. It had been a long time since he had come this much and it was leaving him trembling and vulnerable, both physically and emotionally.

He stayed there for a long while, in a little ball on the floor with his knot stuck in the fleshlight and still pumping weakly.

He didn’t know how he would be able to face Dean again; didn’t even know if he could do it without jumping him. He was dangerous for the Omega, he could see that now. And yet the thought of sending him away left Castiel gasping through tears.

Chapter Text

Three weeks later Dean was feeling pretty good about his life.

He had been mostly successful in repressing the memory of his shameful behavior when he and Cas danced in the man’s office. The Alpha had been a little…well, not stand-offish but had at least kept some distance between them and Dean couldn’t really blame him.

Still, he thought they were cool and he thought he mostly had Benny to thank for that. Dating the Alpha was going good. It was fine. Most things at school and with their friends were the same but with the added benefit of idiots keeping to themselves and Benny being physical in public. Mostly like having a hand on Dean’s lower back and shit but it was nice.

Did Dean wish they had moved past heated make-out sessions in Benny’s car? Yes. He needed the Alpha to just fucking fuck him already but Benny was doing the right thing, Dean supposed, was treating him respectfully and all that. And that was fine too.

Charlie and Kevin had nearly fallen off their seats when Dean had told them but they had adjusted. For a moment there Charlie had looked like she had wanted to ask Dean something but it had never come and Dean supposed everyone needed some time to just adjust. But mostly their group dynamic hadn’t changed so that was fine, he thought.

Another perk of dating Benny was that dad had been happier than Dean had seen him in a long time.

When the old Alpha had called and announced he was coming home no one had been happy but they had of course scrambled to get back to the apartment anyway. It had actually felt worse to leave Cas and Alfie this time and Dean suspected it would continue to feel like that until it became unbearable.

This time, though, dad had been downright pleasant. He had praised Dean about his Alpha and Dean hadn’t been able to not feel good about making his dad proud. Sammy had put a damper on it, of course, by stating that dad was caught in old-fashioned chauvinistic ways and that Dean was more than just an Omega for an Alpha to claim. Dean didn’t care.

Aside from verbal abuse when dad’s drinking got out of hand there were no other assaults and Dean didn’t think they had gone this long without dad hitting any of them before. Sam had said it was because dad didn’t want to argue with Dean’s Alpha and he had made it sound like a bad thing. Dean was just glad no one had gotten hurt.

Dean and Sam still steadfastly refused to tell Alfie too much about what was going on in their home and Cas still kept to himself even though Dean looked at his phone about a thousand times every day, willing the Alpha to at least drop a message. Dean got it, sure, Cas didn’t want to draw attention to what they were doing when dad was away. But still, he missed Cas and Alfie so much it hurt. At least Sammy got to see his friend in school…

Sammy’s birthday had passed mostly unnoticed in the Winchester household, except for a slap on the back from dad and a soggy pie Dean had bought at the gas station. When they had returned to the Novaks’ Cas had taken them out on town, letting Sam choose what restaurant they ate at and had even bought him a new game for Alfie’s X-box that he promised was all his and that Alfie could only play with if he had Sam’s consent. Alfie didn’t seem to mind, and had even helped his dad pick out the game in the first place.

Dean had had to exit the room when Cas told Sam all this because he had been about two seconds away from crying. Sam found him later and called him a wuss but Dean had seen how shiny the little Alpha’s eyes had looked.

Dean also started working for Gabriel when dad had left again, which was awesome. He went on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school and drove deliveries for about two hours and then for four hours on Saturdays. So nothing much really but not because he didn’t want to do more but because Gabe insisted that school was more important. Dean spent most of his free time with Benny or in the garden, trying his best to tame it even though Cas insisted that he didn’t need to. But Dean actually found he liked the project and he knew the Alpha would stop worrying soon enough.

Dean felt overwhelmed by his new salary, to be honest. Gabriel paid him little under minimum wage, which was fine since Dean technically was driving illegally and the Omega was taking a great risk letting Dean do so in his company van. Still, Dean was pretty sure he would be able to save a lot with what Gabriel paid him and the Omega had promised him steady work during the summer.

Dean saved most of what he earned, putting it into Sam’s college fund which was depressingly empty. When he had started at Gabe’s he had had $212 in there, saved from when they were little and Dean had first understood what going to grown-up school actually fucking cost. Now it was starting to look substantial but it was still too little much too late. Sam was smart, though. Cas had mentioned scholarships when Dean had voiced his concerns and yeah, he was pretty sure that if anyone could pull that off it’d be Sammy.

Dean had no such high plans for himself so he thought it was fine that all his money went to his little brother. His own grades had been steadily dropping over the years, even with his friends’ help and even though they were looking better now it would still probably be barely enough for him to pass high school.

Dean thought maybe he wanted to work with kids, though. Maybe as a teacher for first graders or at a daycare center with pups? He didn’t know but had actually looked up what their community college offered and he felt positive about it. But that was for Future Dean to worry about. Present Dean was pleasantly content at the moment.

Sure, the thing with Cas wasn’t really going away and Benny didn’t prove such a great distraction as Dean had hoped. He had tried, really tried, to devote himself to the Alpha but he was becoming depressingly aware that whatever he felt for his friend wasn’t enough.

Lustful attraction? Check. Friendship? Check. Love? Very much unchecked. And just the thought of mating was…well, it was non-existent to be frank. Not that there was anything wrong with Benny. He was just…just wasn’t Cas. Dean was so fucked up.

So here they were, three weeks later, still in the back of Benny’s dad’s Volvo. Still no penetrative sex going on, prom five days away and Benny still hadn’t asked him. And Dean was going stir crazy. He wanted and needed and it was driving him mad. Wanted and needed the wrong Alpha and that was making him even crazier. Was still jerking off to thoughts of Cas even though he had promised himself not to and felt even guiltier for it now that he had Benny. And could still do fucking jack squat about it.

Right now Dean was on his back in the backseat, Benny settled between his legs and their dicks grinding together.

"Fuck, Benny." Dean all but whined. "Fucking need you." His hole was aching and leaking slick already. It was as if his fake knot couldn’t satisfy him anymore now that he had — should have — free access to a real knot.

"Dean, you taste so good." Benny groaned, his face buried against Dean’s neck, nibbling him there.

Small spikes of pleasure shot through Dean’s body and he was humping up against Benny’s bigger frame. The Alpha smelled pleasant but fuck, Dean was growing more and more frustrated every time they did this with how Benny smelled good but not right.

"Need your knot, c’mon Benny."

The Alpha’s hips stuttered down against Dean. "In the car? I thought we’d—" he cut off with another groan when Dean raked his fingers through his hair.

So Benny wouldn’t fuck him in the car? Fucking hell, Dean was almost tear-eyed from frustration. They were good together but he wanted heat, wanted the desperation that came from unadulterated lust. Lust that would drive them into a fucking frenzy no matter where they were. Dean wanted and needed so much…

"Just your fingers then." He growled. "I fucking need it, Benny."

To his great relief Benny nodded. "Okay, yeah." He pressed out between big gulps of air. "Yeah, lemme…"

Dean pressed his head back against the seat when Benny pressed his big hand against the Omega’s crotch. His dick ached too, hard as a rock and leaking precome in his underwear but to be honest he hadn’t been able to come with just his dick for the last couple of weeks. Needed at least a finger in his hole before he would tip over.

And finally Benny was groping all over the right places. Just a few more moments and Dean would get at least some fucking relief.

"Fuck yeah." He moaned, still with his head back and his eyes scrunched shut. "Fucking touch me, need you to."

Bet Cas wouldn’t hesitate. Cas was a big Alpha, grown in every sense of the word and he would know what to do. Wouldn’t hesitate to throw Dean over any available surface. Fuck, just thinking about Cas smashing Dean face first against the Alpha’s desk as he rammed the begging Omega had Dean approaching the edge like a freight train.

"Yes." He hissed when Benny pressed against his perineum, even through his jeans it still felt fucking amazing. "Yes, feels so good, so fucking hot. Gonna come, can’t, need—"

Alpha!

Castiel jumped and almost spilled his coffee when the front door was ripped open only to slam closed again. He took a moment to take a breath and when he got up from the couch in the living room Dean had already stomped past him and into the kitchen.

Alfie poked his head out of his and Sammy’s room just as Castiel approached the kitchen.

"Dad?"

"Everything’s fine, pup." He said confidently even though it probably wasn’t. He could already smell the rank scent of Dean’s anger. "Go back to playing." He saw Sam hovering behind Alfie but the boys nodded and closed the door when Castiel turned back to the kitchen.

Inside he found Dean rummaging around in the fridge. In here it was easier for the Alpha to pick out the Omega’s scent and while there was anger there was also humiliation and sadness. It tore at Castiel’s heart.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

He knew Dean had been supposed to be out on a date with Benny. If that Alpha had laid one finger wrong on Dean he would—

"Don’t we have any fucking beer in this house?" Dean groused, loudly pushing around the content of the fridge.

Castiel crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. "You know that we do and that it’s on the door." He said calmly. Dean’s whole body was twitching. "Is beer really what you want?"

Dean slammed the fridge’s door so hard it bounced back open again. "What I want—!" he nearly roared, staring at Castiel with wide eyes, looking defiant and beautiful.

The Omega cut himself off, however, as soon as Castiel straightened to tower over him. Castiel narrowed his eyes, knowing full well that he was taking advantage of Dean’s Omega instincts telling him to cower before Alphas. It was rude but the Omega was being rude too.

"My office." He stated at length, keeping his tone steady and a little clipped. "Now."

He wasn’t really mad, not at all, just concerned. But from experience Dean didn’t always work well with concern. He wanted to know what happened while Dean was out but in the end he supposed it didn’t really matter as long as Dean was okay and calmed down. He didn’t want the Omega’s mood scaring the little ones. Especially not with how sad Sam had looked when the Winchesters first had returned to him this second time.

Castel really wished Anna’s contact at the Social Office would have come up with a solution by now. Then again, he didn’t even know if Anna had talked to him or her and was also a little scared of how that conversation might go.

Dean sighed when Castiel turned his back to lead the Omega upstairs but he followed without argument.

Well inside Dean went to sit on the couch without any prompting needed and Castiel made sure to close the door before he took a seat beside the Omega. Dean tensed slightly but relaxed when Castiel obviously didn’t attempt to touch him. Castiel wondered if that reaction was a reflection on Dean or himself.

"I’m sorry." Dean mumbled after a silent moment.

This close Castiel could smell the lingering scent of sex on the Omega and his insides twisted.

"Dean." He said kindly and tried to reign in his own emotions. "You don’t have to tell me exactly what happened but please tell me if you’re hurt."

Dean laughed humorlessly. "Not physically."

Castiel frowned. "Did someone hurt you?" that would be no laughing matter, he would see to that. "Benny?"

Dean’s scent had turned gradually sour with sadness and his questions only made it worse.

For a long while Dean just sat there on the couch, staring at his hands. It was getting darker outside and Castiel could hear a light rain smatter against the window behind his desk. The only light was the one he kept on his desk and it now created a much more intimate setting than he was completely comfortable with. Very faintly he thought he could hear the boys playing downstairs.

"I hurt Benny." Dean eventually sighed. Castiel waited patiently for him to continue and when he did he still refused to look Castiel in the eye. "We were…were making out, you know? He really likes—liked—whatever, he was into it. And I thought I could be too. He kept saying how great I smell and I was like, yeah you smell good too man." Dean looked up and looked haunted, enough to make Castiel’s heart ache. "But I…he…"

"He’s in love with you?" Castiel asked and should get a reward for how calm he was keeping right now. Dean smelled distressed and all the Alpha wanted was to take him in his arms and hug him tight.

"I think he really was." Dean answered, his voice wobbly. "But I-I," he sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "I said someone else’s name." Castiel’s breath caught. When Dean opened his eyes again he looked positively wrecked. "While we were making out. I cried out for someone else. Who the fuck does that, Cas?"

"Someone desperate." Castiel whispered but it was obvious that Dean didn’t hear him or maybe didn’t care.

"He just looked at me like…like I had ripped his heart out. And then he started acting all resigned, as if he had known all along. But I-I really tried, Cas! I wanted to make it work."

He was getting worked up again, waving his hands as he spoke and his distressed scent spiking. This time Castiel couldn’t help but reaching for him.

"Dean, calm down." He took the Omega’s hands in his and Dean breathed out in a big whoosh. "It’s okay."

"It’s not." Dean objected heatedly but his volume had gone down and he was looking at Castiel as if the Alpha held all the answers. By God did Castiel wish he did. "It’s not okay. Benny was one of my best friends and now I went and fucked this up and I’m gonna lose him."

"Omega." Castiel said sternly to end Dean’s rambling but his eyes softened the second Dean quieted.

He stroked Dean’s hands with his thumbs, well aware that he shouldn’t be allowed to touch the Omega after the filthy things he had done with his fleshlight while thinking about Dean’s lean body. Yes, these three weeks hadn’t been easy. Once the floodgates had opened it had been impossible for him to close them again. When Dean went to live with his dad for close to two weeks it was both a blessing and a curse. He needed the Omega close but if Dean hadn’t gone away when he did Castiel might have done something they both surely would have regretted.

As it was now, however, he had gotten back some of his self-control and it was good too because it seemed the Omega really needed his counselling.

"If he truly is your friend he will come back to you." He said kindly. "I don’t know Benny but from what little I have seen and from what you have told me I gather that he is a good Alpha. He knew what he was getting himself into, dating a friend, and he will come around." He smiled gently. "Just give him time. I’m sure the sting of rejection hurt him and he is after all an Alpha, we do have our pride."

Dean returned a very small smile. At least his scent was easing. "Speaking as an Alpha with experience on the matter?"

The Omega’s unexpected curiosity made Castiel laugh. He leaned back on the couch, regrettably letting go of Dean’s soft hands. "Not truly. I did date a feisty Beta when I was in middle school but we just kind of drifted apart when we got to high school." He smiled at the memory of Meg and her wicked tongue. They had been too young but that hadn’t mattered to them as they snuggled on her bed.

Dean turned to him, pulled one leg up on the seat to fold between them and leaned his arm on the back of the couch. If Castiel shifted just a little Dean’s fingers would graze his shoulder. He remained where he was.

"What happened?"

He shrugged casually. "We started hanging out with different people, I suppose. My friends were more upset when they found her snogging the football captain than I was. I just told them ‘Oh, I think we’re broken up’. They teased me quite a bit for it."

Dean laughed and it sounded so easy, like all the tension was bleeding out. His scent was getting there too.

"That does sound like you."

Castiel smiled smugly for some reason. "Yes, well, it didn’t matter because I eventually met Hannah in high school and wouldn’t have had time for Meg anyway."

Dean nodded, a twinkle in his eye. "Was she like a cheerleader or something? Made you work for it?"

"No, no." He looked out the window at the darkness and rain. For a long time memories of Hannah had hurt but lately they felt more like fond memories. And he wanted to share them with Dean. "Well, I had to work for it but not like you think. I guess I’ve never gotten my Alpha pride wounded by a rejection but wooing Hannah sure brought out all of my instincts."

Dean smelled more relaxed by the minute. Castiel was glad that talking about something from his past could make the Omega calm. If nothing else then hopefully he could be the distraction Dean needed right now.

"Tell me."

"Well, during the winter break of our senior year the history teacher went skiing and broke his leg. So at the start of our last semester we got a substitute teacher for a couple of weeks."

Dean’s eyes widened. "And that was Hannah?"

Castiel huffed out a small laugh. He could still see her the way she had looked the first time he had seen her. "Yes. I remember… Well, I just knew instantly that she had to be my mate and judging by the looks she gave me I knew she felt the same but," he looked down at his empty ring finger. It had been empty for a long time now but sometimes he still found himself touching the finger as if twisting a ring. "She kept her distance. She was five years older than me and a student herself, studying to become a full-fledged teacher. Even so, it would have been wrong of us to do anything, I suppose."

Dean grinned cheekily. "So you never became an item while you were in school? But not for lack of trying on your part, I assume?"

"You assume correctly." Castiel smiled and reveled in Dean’s pleased scent. "I did everything I could to get her attention, to make her snap. I even went to her collage dorm and looked pathetic enough that all her friends laughed at me but I didn’t care."

"But did either of you snap?" Dean asked in a mumble, suddenly sounding thoughtful.

"Not really, no. And a good thing too or her teacher license could have been revoked. But as soon as high school was over for me I was outside her apartment again and that time she let me in." He smiled at memories that felt so far away they were flaking at the edges. "And about two years later we were mated and had Alfie. So you see," he stated and turned to Dean who still looked strangely thoughtful. "Not every love-story begins or ends like you assume they will. There might be more for you and Benny." It hurt his throat to say that. "Or maybe you’ll get to be with your mystery man instead."

Whoever that may be.

Dean nodded slowly and stood up to stretch. Castiel was completely unable to look away from the slip of skin that showed between the Omega’s jeans and the hem of his t-shirt.

"I dunno about that but I think maybe me and Benny are going to be okay. I hope so ‘cuz he’s a really good friend, you know?"

Castiel ripped himself out of his lewd thoughts. "Yes, friends are important." Way to sound inconspicuous…

Dean smiled down at him. "Thank you for listening."

"Of course, Dean." He stood up to and just had to put a hand on Dean’s shoulder. "I’ll always listen to you."

Dean smiled fondly. "I know, Alpha."

Sun was beating down on his back through the window behind his desk. He was sweating and hot. Everything seemed to be in disarray. Papers, pens, Castiel. His cock was twitching.

Suddenly Dean was walking into the room. Without knocking? No, there was no door to his office. Or…?

Dean stopped beside him and Castiel was already turned to him, his legs spread before the Omega had even dropped down to his knees. Dean smelled so good. So fresh and sweet.

"Such a perfect Omega for me." Castiel rasped and stroked Dean’s cheek as the Omega worked Castiel’s hard cock out of his pants. "You’re mine, aren’t you?"

Dean just whined and nuzzled Castiel’s hand before diving in and swallowing as much of Castiel as he could take.

The Alpha threw his head back and grabbed a tight hold on Dean’s hair, forcing more of his hard cock inside the Omega’s mouth. Dean moaned and saliva dribbled down his chin. He looked beautiful.

"You feel so good." Castiel told him in a much gruffer voice than usual. Dean whimpered and swallowed around the thick cock. He should be choking but he was taking it beautifully. "I’m going to knot you, Omega." Castiel growled and started really fucking Dean’s face now. His hands gripped Dean’s head to hold him still and the Omega went completely slack in his grip. He was holding onto Castiel’s legs.

"God, you look perfect around my knot. Take it, Dean, be mine."

Dean opened his eyes and tears spilled over his flushed cheeks. Between their legs Castiel could see a big wet spot forming on Dean’s crotch and the air was suddenly thick with the sweet scent of Omega release and slick.

"Fucking hell, so perfect." He growled and forced his knot inside Dean’s mouth too. His cock buried deep down Dean’s throat and with his knot pulsing, he came forcefully.

His whole body spasmed—

—and he woke with a shock, his body curling in on itself as he emptied into his underwear where he was on his stomach, grinding against his bed in the dead of night.

A dream. It had been a dream. And what a goddamn dream at that. Face fucking? Dean hadn’t been able to breathe in the dream and Castiel had continued anyway. He had never — barely even in rut — been so worked up that he forgot about his partner’s wellbeing. But dream-Dean had come from the rough treatment. Surely that was just a part of the dream as well?

He lay in bed for a while, shaking as he came down and completely oblivious to the stickiness in his underwear as he tried to recall everything of the dream and Dean.

"Face knotting?" he mumbled and shuddered at the mere thought. That wasn’t something he had ever wanted to try and frankly didn’t fancy even after how wonderfully satisfying the dream had been.

He wondered what had prompted the dream, though. He supposed it was the talk he had had with Dean during the evening. He knew he shouldn’t feel gleeful that Dean and Benny apparently had broken up but he did. And right now he was frankly a little too out of it to even feel guilty about this dream. This extremely vivid dream that surely would have him jacking off again much too soon.

Two weeks later it was nearing school graduation and Castiel was both dreading and awaiting John’s call. He could see it in Sam and Dean too, their shoulders tenser by the day. Even Alfie was affected by it and he hated it.

Anna had called him a few days ago and told her that her friend, Rachel, was looking into options for the Winchesters but the fact that this job was being done under the table, so to speak, and without the father’s knowledge made the process difficult. You didn’t just take an Alpha’s pups away from him or there would be repercussions.

Castiel had yet to discuss this with Sam and Dean as he was both unsure if Rachel could even help and knew Dean would take this as a breach of their promise. He simply didn’t want to tell the Omega about the Social Office’s involvement if it turned out they couldn’t help after all. Because why lose the Omega’s trust if it was all for nothing?

Castiel was a bad Alpha that didn’t deserve nice things and yet he had three of them.

At least he hadn’t had any more of those weird dreams. Well, not that he remembered. He woke up hard more than usual, though, so he supposed something was going on in his subconscious. And if he was being entirely honest he was masturbating a lot more than usual. And thinking about Dean. Such a bad Alpha.

Dean hadn’t spoken much more about his breakup with Benny but Castiel had been able to gauge that both teens were handling it pretty well. Benny had avoided Dean for a while, probably nursing his wounds, but they were getting there, if Dean’s clipped rendering of their school days was anything to go by. Castiel thought a lot of that was owed to the fact that both Charlie and Kevin were helping them get past it and that Dean and Benny didn’t share any classes. Gave them space. Castiel was just sad that Dean hadn’t been able to go to prom with the Alpha but in the end that may have been for the best.

Actually, from what Dean told him, Castiel thought it kind of sounded like Benny had known going in that Dean’s mind was on someone else. As if the Alpha had only been waiting for the other shoe to drop. He didn’t know if that was true or not but if it was it could explain why Benny seemingly recovered so fast. If he had indeed recovered. Still, if it was true and he had known Castiel felt sorry for him.

Also, if he had known then Castiel had come to the conclusion that Dean’s mystery man would have to be someone from school. Because how else would Benny know the guy? Or know that Dean was crushing on someone else? If that was even what was going on with the Omega. Well, someone from school or a celebrity, Castiel supposed.

Still, he felt comforted by the idea because then at least it wouldn’t be one of the sleazy johns that had stolen Dean’s heart. Why the hell that would even be an option he didn’t know but the thought had crossed his mind. So yes, great that it was a school mate. Or possibly a teacher like him and Hannah had been? Really great.

In the afternoon of the Wednesday on the last week of school Castiel was down in the laundry room, hanging sheets and steadfastly ignoring the fact that Dean had slept on some of these. Had done such lewd and honestly fantastic things on them. Just plain ignoring all other things than just the mechanics of hanging the sheets.

It was getting warmer outside and he thought he would soon start hanging his laundry outside. Dean had been out in the garden a lot these last two weeks, probably filling time that had gone to Benny before. The Omega had organized the tools Castiel had bought for him, made friends with Mr. Elkins who was more than happy to give him gardening tips. And he had even restrung Castiel’s laundry hanger. Castiel had bought new clothespins for the occasion and Dean had beamed happily at him.

God, Castiel felt pathetic with his goddamn puppy love. The sooner Rachel found an alternative for them the better. Just had to ignore that stabbing feeling to the heart that he got when he thought about the Winchesters leaving.

His increasingly sad reverie was interrupted when Alfie joined him in the laundry room. He couldn’t help but smile at his little Beta.

"Hey, pup." He said fondly and shook out a pillow case.

"Dad." Alfie said reproachfully because he wasn’t a pup anymore and Castiel knew that. Castiel grinned to himself.

"What’s up? Where are Sam and Dean?"

Alfie fiddled with another pillow case. Castiel moved on to hang a sheet.

"Dean’s out setting up the sprinkler. Sammy went to help him but I think they started a war. There’s water everywhere."

"That old thing?" Castiel frowned at the mere thought of his old sprinkler. His old gardener had just sighed at it and Castiel was pretty sure the man had brought his own. "He shouldn’t bother, it’s probably broken." Dean could get hurt tinkering with it. Castiel didn’t know how but he knew he could. Also knew he was being stupid.

"That’s what I said." Alfie smiled but then averted his eyes again. It made Castiel pause with the laundry.

"Is something wrong?"

Alfie shrugged but Castiel could see that with patience his son would start talking. So he just went back to finishing with the laundry, silently watching the Beta. Alfie’s scent didn’t betray much but then again his scent was pretty dulled to Castiel. Both on account of the boy being a Beta and because they were blood relatives. Still, Castiel would have been able to smell if the boy had been upset so he took comfort in that.

"You know that camp I go to during the summers?" Alfie suddenly piped up and Castiel frowned more because of the abrupt change in topic than the actual question.

"Of course, Camp Refoogee."

"And you know I go, like, every summer? For weeks."

Castiel leaned against the table where he usually folded the laundry. "For three weeks, yes."

"Well, I…" Alfie looked down, toying with an unused clothespin. "And you know how Sammy doesn’t go because they don’t have the money and stuff. So I go without him even though he’s my bestest friend."

He knew Alfie usually felt a little bad about that but Sam had never indicated that he resented his friend for it. Castiel was kind of already seeing where this was going.

"Alfie." He said kindly and his boy looked up at him with eyes that reminded Castiel of Hannah. "Don’t beat around the bush."

Alfie swallowed. "Sam and Dean are gonna live here during the summer too, right?"

There was hope in his voice at the end there. Castiel smiled. "That’s the plan, yes." The plan for now.

"Then I don’t want to go to Camp Refoogee this year."

Castiel regarded his son’s determined look for a moment. "Are you telling me that you don’t want to go to the summer camp you’ve been going to since you were eight because you don’t like it? Because you think you’ll have more fun at home?" he leaned down to get at Alfie’s eye level and put a hand on the Beta’s scrawny shoulder. "Or are you saying you don’t want to go because of Sam?"

Alfie drew himself up, preparing to fight for his reasoning. "I don’t think it’d be fair to Sammy. I know he wants to go and it’s one thing when he’s at his dad’s apartment and I’m here but I don’t want to go when he lives here. It feels wrong."

Castiel closed his eyes momentarily and then straightened to give his son a crushing hug. God, his little pup had grown into this remarkable boy so fast that Castiel barely knew what to do with himself.

"How about this?" he cleared his throat and pulled out, looking into Alfie’s somewhat confused eyes. "If you got the choice, don’t think about Sam for a moment, if you could choose freely. Would you want to go like usual?"

Alfie blinked. "Of course, I love camp."

Castiel smiled, feeling so full of love for his son that Alfie picked it up even with his little Beta nose. Castiel could see it twitch but he didn’t even try to calm his emotions down.

"You’re a good boy, Alfie."

"Dad?"

"I have another proposition for you." He combed his fingers through Alfie’s hair. "What do you say I pay Sam’s entry fee for him and he goes with you to camp?"

Comprehension spread slowly on Alfie’s face and Castiel took ridiculous satisfaction in watching it.

"Really?!"

Castiel nodded. "Really."

Camp Refoogee wasn’t the cheapest camp around but it also wasn’t very pricey. Castiel knew he could make it and if things got a little tight he still had the money from Hannah’s life insurance. Castiel had put almost all of that into a savings account for Alfie’s college and future life but he had kept some of it for precisely things like this. Everything to make his pup happy and if it made the Winchesters happy in the process, well then he saw no problem with it.

"Can I tell Sam?"

"Of course, pup." He smiled at Alfie’s beaming face. "Let’s wait until dinner, though, so we’re all together. I want Dean’s opinion before we rush into anything."

"Yeah." Alfie grinned and bounced out of the room.

It should be ridiculous, how Castiel valued Dean’s opinion as much as a parent’s. Because shouldn’t he be asking John’s permission? Oh they would have to tell him, Castiel knew, because the camp required a parent’s signature and he wasn’t about to commit identity fraud on top of everything.

But Dean’s opinion was what mattered and it warmed him that Alfie seemed to think so too. It should be weird and wrong but it really didn’t feel like it was. Felt right.

He sighed and leaned against the table, looking up to the ceiling and imagining the skies beyond it. "I wish you could meet our wonderful boy, Hannah." He mumbled fondly. "You would’ve been so proud."

Chapter Text

Alfie was practically bouncing once they sat down for dinner. Sam eyed his friend as Castiel plated their food and the older Alpha couldn’t help smiling. Alfie had been so good and not told Sam all evening and Castiel knew the Beta was just going to explode if he didn’t get to talk about camp soon.

"Hey Alfie." Dean mumbled. The Omega put a hand on the boy’s arm and Alfie looked at him with a smile. "Are you okay?"

God. Castiel’s hands suddenly shook and he had to put down his plate. To see Dean so concerned about Alfie, to see the gentle way he interacted with the little Beta, it was making all of Castiel’s Alpha instincts soar. Dean would make such a great dad.

Would look so good all round with pups. My pups.

Castiel wanted to slap himself.

"I’m fine, Dean." Alfie piped up. Castiel drew a shaky breath and was glad the Beta held the Winchesters’ attention.

"Actually, Alfie has something to say. Don’t you, son?"

Alfie’s face lit up like the sun. "I do!" he all but yelled and then visibly tried to calm down. Sam was clutching at his chest, obviously startled and Dean was just staring at the Beta with round eyes. "I mean, I do. Sorry." He smiled sheepishly.

Castiel chuckled and put down a plate with steaming fish and potatoes, extra sauce, for his boy. "It’s okay, you go ahead now."

Dean glanced at Castiel with suspicion in his eyes but said nothing. The Alpha pretended like he hadn’t seen. Alfie was turning to Sam and Castiel’s whole attention was on the boys.

"Sammy, you know how I go to camp every year?"

Sam pressed his lips together momentarily. "Yeah."

In the corner of his eye Castiel could see Dean’s shoulders slump and he hated it. Dean’s scent betrayed nothing but that didn’t have to mean anything. Castiel started eating slowly, the others completely focused on Alfie’s smiling face.

"Well, this year with you staying here I told dad it’d be stupid if I went, right?"

Sam’s eyes widened. "No, Alfie, no." He said imploringly. "You should go. I want you to go."

Dean’s shoulders were still tense but he looked proud even as he stared down at his steaming plate. God, the Winchesters were really too precious for this world. If Castiel hadn’t already known, he now knew he had done the right thing in agreeing to pay for Sam.

"I know and I totally am." Alfie continued and grabbed Sam’s hand in his. "And guess what, so are you! You’re going with me, isn’t that awesome?"

Dean looked like he wanted to cry. Now his scent was thick with self-loathing and Castiel was rushing to swallow so he could remedy it.

"But I can’t, Alfie." Sam said calmly, sadness carefully kept from his tone. "I don’t have the money."

"And that’s why dad said he would pay for you!" Alfie exclaimed and bounced in his seat. "He even called the camp and they could fix it so you’ll be in my cabin."

Sam’s face turned to Castiel, so full of wonder that Castiel’s heart swelled at the mere sight.

"Really?" he breathed and Castiel nodded with a smile. Sam jumped up from his seat and rushed up to Dean. "Can I go Dean, can I?"

Dean was staring at Castiel but he still looked sad. "Cas, no." He mumbled but it was loud enough to quiet the giddy boys. "It’s too much."

"It’s not." Castiel stated calmly. He would hang the moon for them if he could. In comparison this was nothing. Summer camp for three weeks for two boys was expensive but Castiel had made sure he could afford it before he called the camp to check if they could accept a last minute booking.

Alfie and Sam were quietly watching the other two. Dean sighed.

"Cas."

Castiel put down his knife and fork. "Dean." He said in a steady voice. "I want to do this for you, for Sam. You don’t have to worry."

"But I fucking do, okay?" Dean said but there was no real heat behind his words. He just sounded tired and Castiel hated that even more. "You having us here and…I mean, don’t you think I know what camp costs?"

Of course Dean knew, of course he would have checked it before, hoping to send Sammy to Camp Refoogee with Alfie. Castiel’s whole chest hurt.

"Dean, I know I am not your and Sam’s Alpha but I am the Alpha of this house and you need to start trusting me with the finances." He said sternly. "You’re working for Gabriel now but you’re still taking care of the garden for me, for free."

Dean shrugged. "I like to do it."

And I like to take care of you.

Couldn’t say that though. Instead he pointed at the kitchen door. "Don’t you think I know you’ve been putting money in the change jar? The money Gabe pays you is supposed to go to you and Sammy."

Dean blushed crimson and ducked his head, his scent spiraling into shame. "I didn’t think you’d see." He mumbled.

Castiel sighed. "Of course I would. I also know that you’ve been using your salary to shop for groceries. That money is for you, Dean. I appreciate it that you want to help out around here but I will tell you if I need it, you need to trust me."

"I do trust you." Dean stated heatedly, almost as if Castiel had insulted him. Castiel smiled kindly.

"Then let me do this for the boys. Let me take care of you."

Dean looked at him for a long time and Castiel held his gaze as if it was the most natural thing in the whole world. More than anything he longed to reach out for the Omega, though. To pull Dean close to him and let him scent the truth, the trust that Castiel wanted to give him. His fingers twitched but he held himself back.

Then Dean nodded once and looked away. Sam and Alfie started laughing with joy and the Beta jumped up to hug his friend.

"We’ll have to talk to dad."

"Naturally."

Dean sighed. "I dunno what to tell him about the money, though."

Castiel took a sip of his lemon water. "Do you think he has a grip on what it costs? You could tell him that you’ve saved everything from your job, if you’ve told him about that."

"Haven’t had the chance but yeah, that could work." Dean picked up his fork and started eating slowly. "He’d need to sign the permission slip anyway, right?"

Castiel nodded. "Yes."

They were interrupted by Sam bouncing over to Castiel to hug him tightly. The angle was awkward because Castiel was unprepared for it and was still sitting down but it felt great anyway, the way Sam basically crushed him in his little arms.

"Thank you, Alpha." He said happily and Castiel smiled at him.

"You’re welcome, little Alpha."

Castiel could see Dean watching the two of them and the Omega’s scent was so filled with happiness now that Castiel could barely breathe. This was what it should be like, he reflected. Two laughing boys and a wonderful, happy Omega. Castiel wanted this and should feel bad about wanting it with Dean specifically but right in this moment his self-deprecation was overshadowed by his own happiness and it felt good. Felt liberating.

"I’m sorry about the jar." Dean mumbled when they were alone in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner. "I just feel bad about us living up all your money."

Castiel smiled kindly and accepted the plates Dean held out for him. He bent down to place them in the dishwasher.

"I know that, Dean, but I meant when I said. You need to trust me on that part, on everything." When he straightened Dean looked away quickly as if he had been staring. A small blush crept up on his cheeks and Castiel decided to gracefully avoid it. "I’m not mad, Dean. I just want you to feel safe here, to feel at home."

Dean coughed and leaned against the counter. "I do, though. Just wanted to contribute."

"You’re gardening." Castiel pointed out with a grin that Dean easily returned. "But I see your point and it has been helpful when you’ve helped out with the groceries." Not to mention how Castiel absolutely loved how domesticated it felt. How happy that made him. Dean wanted to nest in their shared home.

No, nesting is going too far. He just wants to help out, prove not to be a liability. Not nesting.

"You know what?" Castiel said, probably a little too high-pitched. "I could set up a bank account just for food and things you’d buy at the grocery store. Give you a card to that account, how about that?"

Dean’s eyes grew wide before he suddenly looked away, gnawing at his lower lip. Castiel was sure the Omega would protest the kindness again. As if he didn’t deserve it. His scent was laced with something else, though. Sweet and enticing and Castiel had to reel himself in before leaning inappropriately close.

"I’d like that, Alpha."

Castiel cleared his throat and hoped his own scent was neutral. "I’ll get right to it, then."

Had to at least hope he didn’t smell like he felt. God, it would be another long night of pulling on his cock, wouldn’t it? It was getting to feel hollower every time he did it.

Every time they moved back "home" Dean started hating it more and more. It smelled bad and was so generally run down that Dean didn’t want to bring Sam there. He hated that Cas had seen it.

Dean never wanted to disappoint Cas. Cas, who was everything Dean ever wanted, both for himself and Sam. Cas, who put all other Alphas to shame. Cas, who made Dean resent his own father.

He stared grumpily at dad as the Alpha sloppily ate the Spaghettios Dean had hastily prepared for him.

"So, basically what you’re saying is that you’re leaving again?"

Dad snorted. "Well not right away."

Dean scrunched up his nose at the way dad spoke with his mouth full. At least he seemed kind of happy. Dean had yet to tell the man that he had broken up with Benny and didn’t see the point if it kept dad in a good mood. Or maybe the Alpha was happy because of the new hunting trip he just had told Dean about.

"Dean?"

Dean turned to see Sam standing in the doorway that led into the kitchen. He was clutching a pen and a piece of paper and Dean knew instinctively that it was the permission slip for Camp Refoogee. Cas hadn’t paid yet, of course, and Dean knew they could only hold the spot open for so long.

"Look, Dean, I’m sorry I missed graduation. Okay?"

Dean blinked at their father. He honestly couldn’t remember when dad had last come to one of their school graduations. But dad had been more dad-like the last time he had been home too.

Benny. Dean thought and barely managed to keep the misery out of his scent. It’s because dad is proud of me for dating an Alpha.

Well not dating anymore but still.

"It’s okay dad." He mumbled and waved Sam into the kitchen so he could take the paper from him. "I actually have something I’d like to ask you."

Dad scraped the bottom of the bowl with seldom seen enthusiasm. He had downed three beers with the food and was currently most likely in the happy state of drunkenness. Which was good because dad basically had three moods: happy drunk, angry drunk, and sad drunk. Unfortunately the last two greatly overshadowed the first one in quantity.

"What is it, son?"

Son. Dad hadn’t called him that once since he had presented.

There was a time where he had been longing to hear it but now it just felt like too little, too late. Besides, Cas called Sam son sometimes and it just seemed much more accurate. With all the time Sam had spent in the Novak household even before all this started he had basically been raised by the Alpha just as much as Dean. Guess that explained why Sam had turned out so great.

"Well, I’ve started working part time for a bakery downtown." He was still holding the paper close to his chest. Dad was looking him in the eye, his scent stale like it usually was when he was happy drunk. "And the manager offered me full-time during the summer."

"That’s good." Dad said and almost sounded proud. "Just wish it wasn’t something frilly like baking but okay." Almost.

"I’m actually a delivery boy." Dean mumbled to the table before looking up again. "Anyway, I’ve been saving and stuff and Sam wants to go to this camp over the summer." He handed dad the permission slip and tried not to be nervous as the Alpha read it over. Or looked like he was reading anyway. Cas had a copy of the paperwork at home in case dad decided to flip out.

"This says it’s for three weeks." Dad stated at length. "In July."

Dean tried to remain patient but it was difficult when dad was just stating obvious facts. "Yeah, but it’s okay. I have enough money."

Sam was standing so close to him he was basically pressed right up to Dean’s side. His scent was one of clear nervousness and Dean wanted to tell him to calm down but didn’t think it mattered. Dad had probably destroyed his nose a long time ago and their scents were muted to him anyway.

Dad looked up and though his expression was unreadable it at least wasn’t angry.

"Is this why you took the job in the first place?"

Well, no. But would it be smart to say so? Dean was used to lying but he was never great at doing it to the Alpha’s face. It was one thing to omit his and Benny’s breakup, for instance.

"Yes." He answered eventually but thought it sounded more like a question and he had anyhow waited too long for it to sound truthful, right?

But dad broke out in an extremely rare smile. "That’s good, Dean. Taking care of your family like a good Omega." Oh my God, was dad actually praising him? "You’ll make your Alpha proud and that’s all any Omega could ever hope for, right?" Okay, he was praising Dean as best he could. Dean was fine with it; would take what he got.

Sam, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to smack dad in the face so Dean was fast to nab the pen from his brother’s grip and all but toss it at dad.

"Absolutely, Alpha." He said with as much devotion he could muster and to his relief and happiness dad signed the permission slip without further ado. He accepted the paper and pen back and all but slammed it into Sam’s chest. "There you go, squirt. All ready for camp."

He grinned at his brother and tried to convey with his eyes that dad could still take it back. Sam met his eyes for a moment before turning to dad with the biggest smile plastered on his face. It looked fake as fuck to Dean but he was relatively sure dad wouldn’t see the difference. With a twinge he wondered if dad had actually ever seen Sammy’s real smile.

"Thank you, Alpha." Sam beamed and dad visibly preened. Not that Sammy saw because the little Alpha all but ran from the room. But it was okay, it could be interpreted as enthusiasm, Dean supposed.

"Actually this is a good thing." Dad said and got up to grab another beer. "You’ll be working all summer and Sam’s going away so you’ll not even miss me."

We never miss you. Dean thought petulantly. Not anymore, at least.

"Are you going away for long?" he asked politely.

Dad nodded and seemed really excited to talk about his hunting trip. "Bobby’s friend Rufus has bought a hunting cottage and way up there it’s all fair game. We’ll be eating buck for the rest of the year!"

Dean severely doubted it was "fair game", especially without a hunter’s permit or even a license for their weapons. No reason to state any of that, though. Absolutely no reason at all to dampen dad’s spirits when they were this unusually high.

"That sounds fun."

It sounded awful. Three grown men, Alphas, cramped together in a little cottage? It sounded like the recipe for cabin fever.

Dad nodded and took a swig of his beer. "I’ll be going in a about a week, pick up Bobby on the way. It’ll be awesome."

Stress-free, no kids to care about. Paradise, surely.

"Will you be home in time to drive Sam to camp?"

"Weren’t you listening, Dean?" dad asked, suddenly grumpy and Dean didn’t know what he had done wrong. He just blinked at the Alpha, making him sigh exasperatedly. "I said, it’s good Sam’s away because I’ll not be here either."

Dean’s mind slowly picked up on his own error. Oh, he had brought this on himself. Like usual.

"Yeah, I-I know." He cleared his throat and tried not to be nervous. Not to act scared. "I meant to pick Sam up, not drop off."

Dad rolled his eyes and got up. "I’ll be home in time for school to start. You can drive him." So August then. That would mean almost three months without dad. Now Dean really had to reign in his emotions or the Alpha would be suspicious about why Dean was so happy all of a sudden. "And Dean," he stopped in the doorway to look at Dean who was still at the table. "You should try to listen better. If you’re not careful your scatterbrain is gonna cost you your job. I know it’s hard for you Omegas with your hormones and all but try not to embarrass yourself." His eyes softened as if he was going to say something nice. "You’re not smart, Dean. But any idiot can be a delivery boy, don’t fuck it up."

Dean swallowed over the lump in his throat. "Yessir." He mumbled and watched how dad nodded before leaving.

Dean sat for a moment, forcing his mind into a blissful blankness, before he started slipping to the fact that Sam was going to camp and dad was going away. Sam and Dean would be able to stay with Cas and Alfie all summer. And the little ones would be away for three whole weeks.

Dean’s cheeks heated at the thought of sharing that big house with only Cas. He dreaded it and yet couldn’t wait.

Three days after dad had left again and the Winchester brothers had installed themselves in the Novak residence again, Dean was sitting out back the bakery, enjoying a bagel Gabriel had forced on him after Dean’s shift for the day was over since he knew Dean tended to forget to eat.

It was extremely hot but the weather had been weird lately. Hot winds coming in already in March and now Dean was about to sweat away. He longed to go home and take a dip in the little plastic pool Sammy and Alfie had dragged out onto the lawn.

They had filled it with cold water from the hose yesterday but Dean thought the water ought to be hot enough now with the sun beating down on it all day. He was just glad that the delivery van had a functioning AC and that Gabe was okay with Dean doing the deliveries in a wife beater and shorts.

Just as he was finishing up his treat he saw Benny walking by on the gravel road that ran between the backside of the bakery and the forest behind it. He looked good and Dean felt a pang in his chest about how everything had ended. To cry out someone else’s name during sex and for that someone to be Cas, specifically, an Alpha that Benny had met and everything…

Dean felt so ashamed he blushed even now.

And of course Benny happened to see him even from afar. The Alpha stopped in his tracks, looking indecisive and Dean hated it. Sure, Benny hadn’t avoided Dean and his friends in school but he hadn’t sought them out either. Not like before. Charlie and Kevin had asked but Dean had gotten the feeling they had known all along it wouldn’t work out and it pissed him off. He had really tried, okay?

Then Benny was walking over and Dean felt trapped. But kind of in a good way, sort of? He had wanted to talk to Benny alone ever since their break-up but it hadn’t happened. Now was as good a time as any, he supposed.

He waited with baited breath and Benny stopped a few feet away, hands in pockets and eyes to the ground.

"Hey Benny." Dean mumbled after a while. Benny smelled faintly of embarrassment and nervousness and Dean supposed he was no better.

"Am I… Are you busy?"

Dean tore at the last of his bagel, crumbs falling to the ground beneath him. "Nah. I just got off work."

Benny nodded. "Do you like it? Work, I mean."

Dean shrugged. "It’s alright." Miles better than prostitution. "How are you?"

"Good. I’m working at my granddad’s restaurant."

Dean looked up and smiled at his friend, seeing Benny return a tentative smile. "Yeah? That’s great. You always made the best gumbo, man."

Benny bobbed his head. "I’m…I want to work there after the summer too. It’s family owned but mom and her brothers don’t want the restaurant and I kinda do."

"Wanna take over when your granddad can’t anymore?"

"Yeah."

Dean smiled wider, prompting a surprised happy scent from the Alpha. "I think that’s an awesome idea. I know you’ve talked a lot about that place. What did your parents say?"

That made Benny look away and his happy scent diminished. "They want me to go to college. I applied, you know? And I got accepted to State but I don’t…"

"You don’t want to?" Dean asked and Benny nodded.

"Granddad says he’d love to have me."

"Then you should do that, Alpha." Dean smiled encouragingly. "You should do what makes you happy."

Benny’s face lit up in a genuine smile and Dean realized with a start how much he had missed this. Sure, Benny had talked to them in school even after Dean hurt him but it hadn’t felt the same. Not carefree, like this, and Dean really wanted that.

"I’ll get my own apartment soon." Benny stated confidently. "Just saving for the deposit, and then I’ll be out of the house."

"Good for you."

Benny looked happy and Dean felt his own chest swell at the sight. Benny was a kind and attractive potential mate; a good Alpha. Sure, Dean had realized he couldn’t love him like the Alpha deserved but he still loved his friend very much and thought he deserved more than he got. So if working with his granddad made Benny happy then Dean was happy he got to do that.

"How are you? With…" Benny swallowed. "Everything."

Ah. How were things with Dean and Cas?

Dean looked down and pursed his lips. "Not very good. Coping, I think is the best word for it."

Dean was actually a little surprised with how maturely he was handling it. And Benny didn’t even know Dean was living with Cas basically full-time; couldn’t know how hard it really was. Just the fact that he was talking to the Alpha about it was a success for Dean. Then again, Benny already knew so Dean supposed that made it easier.

"I’m sorry, Dean."

"No, you know what?" Dean looked up. Benny just stared at him in surprise. "I’m sorry. I hurt you and I don’t think I’ve apologized for it, not properly."

"It’s okay."

"It’s fucking not." There was no real heat behind Dean’s words but they made Benny shut up all the same. "I knew going in that I felt something for Cas. But I thought…" he sighed deeply. Benny took a few steps closer and leaned against the dumpster to the right of the stairs Dean was sitting on. "I mean, I’ve kind of always liked you on some level so why couldn’t a relationship with you become something more, right?" he shook his head, feeling foolish. "I suppose if we’d done it before I met Cas…"

Benny startled him by laughing softly. "Don’t say that, it makes it sound as if I was just too late. It makes it worse."

"Shit, sorry, I…" he trailed off when he looked up and saw Benny smiling down at him. Fuck, why couldn’t he just like Benny? It’d be so much fucking easier.

"It’s okay Dean, you can’t help who you’re attracted to."

"If it was just about attraction then you and me would be peachy." Dean commented dryly.

Benny shifted on his feet and it looked like he blushed a little. Then again, he was wearing a flannel shirt in the middle of June so Dean supposed it could just be the heat.

They fell silent for a while, Dean contemplating how easy it felt to talk to Benny again and how great that was, and Benny contemplating God knew what.

"You know," the Alpha started at length. "If you’re not going to do anything about your situation it’s probably only going to get worse." He looked down at Dean who just listened silently, already well aware of how bad it could get. "And if you’re still at least attracted to me, and I’m attracted to you…"

Dean frowned in confusion. Benny reeked of nervousness.

"Are you saying we should try anyway? I can’t give you what you want, Alpha."

"No, I get that and that’s not what I’m saying. Look," Benny turned more bodily to him and Dean reflected absently on how good the Alpha smelled even though he was obviously sweaty. "You need something to help you get over that Alpha and I need a distraction from my family. We could just…you know, have sex?"

Dean swallowed and looked down. That offer actually sounded as divine as it sounded insane.

"I dunno, Benny. With what happened between us…"

If Benny had said this before, Dean would have jumped on the idea like a starving man on food. And perhaps that was what he had really been doing all along. Because he was certain the Alpha talked about them being friends with benefits and wasn’t that how Dean had looked at their previous relationship all along? Sure, he had tried to make it more, tried to convince himself that he would want it. But he really hadn’t and he had hurt Benny because of it.

"I can’t hurt you again."

"I know." Benny said softly, making Dean look back up again. "But you won’t, not this time. If we do this we’re both going in knowing what it means to the other. Just a distraction, just sex as stress relief. I think we could both need it."

Dean should say no. He trusted Benny to know his own feelings but Dean wasn’t so sure the Alpha wasn’t doing this because he believed Dean would come around after all. That maybe, if they fucked enough, Dean would grow to love Benny instead. Dean knew that wouldn’t happen. It hadn’t happened the first time and wouldn’t happen now either.

So he should say no and spare the Alpha — spare himself from hurting the Alpha — but instead he found himself nodding slowly. Because he was weak and heartsick and horny. He wanted to be held and even if there would be no emotions between him and Benny — if the Alpha could be trusted with that — it would at least be better than nothing.

vLiving with Cas would only make this harder on Dean but even so the Omega was loathe to go back to his previous life. So he would just have to bear with it and maybe Benny would finally be the distraction Dean had thought he could be? Just thinking about the three weeks he would be spending alone in the house with Cas made Dean dizzy. If Benny fucked him silly first then facing alone-time with Cas would maybe not be as bad? Dean could only hope.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Benny parroted, sounding both incredulous and tentatively happy.

Dean stood up and tossed the last bit of his bagel into the dumpster. "Just as long as we’re both clear on what we we’re getting from this."

Benny nodded somberly. "Just sex with someone we know we can trust." He grinned unexpectedly. "And with someone who doesn’t stink."

A burst of laughter escaped Dean. "Sounds perfect." He jerked his head to the side and started walking. "Come on."

"Now?" Benny asked, genuinely surprised.

"Sure." Dean shrugged with a grin of his own. "Or do you have somewhere else to be?"

A promising grin spread slowly over the Alpha’s face. "Hell no."

Chapter Text

Dean took Benny to dad’s apartment because Benny’s dad had the Volvo and Benny’s house was too crowded in the afternoons.

He knew Cas expected him back now that work was over so he texted the Alpha real quick that he was out with friends and tried not to get ridiculously happy when he got a smiling emoji in return. The Alpha was such a dork.

"Sam is with Alfie and dad’s away on work." Dean supplied when they walked into the empty apartment.

It smelled stuffy, warm and like no one had been there for a while. He hoped Benny didn’t notice or at least wouldn’t comment on it. He really didn’t like that Benny got to see the squalor but they couldn’t really take their business anywhere else unless they wanted to pay for it. Besides, here they had a perfectly adequate bed so Dean thought they would be fine.

They were after all two hormone ridden youths about to have sex, even the floor would be fine.

Benny looked around with polite interest, as if Dean couldn’t smell the rising arousal on him.

"It’s nice." He commented lightly.

Dean pulled him into a crushing hug, combing his fingers through the Alpha’s hair. "Shut up. It’s a fucking dump and we both know it." He hissed against the Alpha’s lips. "Now, are you gonna fuck me or not?"

"Shit." Benny mumbled and yeah, this was what it was going to be like, okay? Dean may have been reluctant at first but now that they were actually going to do this he needed it done yesterday.

He had wanted a knot for too fucking long. First Cas, and then Benny plus Cas, and then Cas again. Would he finally be given some relief?

Benny took charge from there, smashing their lips together and demanding entrance immediately. Dean readily submitted to the Alpha, reveling in his scent and strength. Dean wasn’t a small and dainty Omega like most were but he was still smaller than Benny — and Cas. Shut up! — and he loved how the Alpha manhandled him.

Benny’s hands travelled down Dean’s back to grip firmly at his ass. After so many nights alone it felt so fucking unbelievably hot to finally have someone else’s hands on him that Dean moaned unabashedly into the Alpha’s kisses.

"You feel so good, Dean." Benny groaned. Dean nodded fervently as he bucked against his friend.

Their cocks bumped together and fucking yes, Benny was already as hard as Dean. Fuck, Dean had barely gotten a good look of the Alpha before and they had never been completely naked together. Dean couldn't wait.

He started tugging impatiently at Benny’s shirt as the Alpha licked his throat. Pleasurable shivers ran through Dean and he mewled when Benny nipped him behind the ear.

"Fuck, Benny. Gotta…gotta get…"

"Yeah." Benny murmured and all but ripped Dean’s wife beater over his head.

Dean fumbled with the buttons on the Alpha’s shirt but Benny just tore it off, the fabric tearing a little. And fuck, Benny was ripped. Probably had to be with all that football he had been playing but shit.

"Alpha." Dean whined and pawed at Benny’s pecs.

He was much hairier than Dean and so broad-shouldered that Dean felt as if he was looming even though they were almost of the same height. He looked good. Looked manly and like an Alpha should and Dean’s fucked up fucking mind couldn’t help but think about what Cas would look like naked.

Would he be hairy too? Dean didn't think so. He had kind of seen Cas naked that one time after the shower but he had been so out of it then that he could barely remember now. He was bigger than Dean, though, but he didn’t have bulging muscles like Benny. Was probably plenty strong anyway, though. So fucking tall and sure of himself. Would treat Dean so good.

"Sch, Omega, it’s okay." Benny shushed him gently and Dean only then realized he had been whining this whole time.

He looked up from where his head was cradled against Benny’s neck. The Alpha looked like he was really restraining himself, clearly aroused but now also concerned. This wasn’t right, Dean shouldn’t do this to someone so sweet.

"This is not working, Benny." He said in a timid voice. "I can’t be what you need."

"Can you be yourself?" the Alpha asked kindly. He smiled down at Dean. "That’s all I ask. I know you’re suffering, let me help you."

"I need to be knotted, Alpha." Dean murmured and saw Benny’s pupils blow out even though Dean had meant it in the least sexy way there could be. He needed the reassurance that he was needed, that he was good; that an Alpha wanted him. It was his fucking primal instincts rearing their ugly heads and Dean hated it but couldn’t help it.

The Alpha exhaled once, slowly. "Pretty Omega." He all but growled, clearly holding himself back. "I’ll give you what you need."

They were back to kissing again and Dean didn’t even notice when they started walking. Benny obviously didn’t know which room was Dean’s bedroom but he was clearly headed for any other room than the living room.

He was rock hard against Dean’s hip and Dean was leaking slick all over his underwear. His own dick was twitching and spitting out precome but Dean hardly felt it. Could only feel how empty he was. He ached to put something in his hole and make the burning sensation in his chest go away.

They fumbled and almost crashed into a wall but Benny caught them just in time. The stumble made Dean look up and he oriented himself before they accidentally went into dad’s room. Instead he pulled the Alpha over to the room he shared with Sam.

Well inside they tore off the last of their clothes and Benny pressed Dean down in the bed he indicated. The Omega landed on his back, his legs spread and his dick flopping against his hip.

"So fucking beautiful." Benny murmured and Dean arched his back with a groan. He loved getting praised and especially so during sex.

Fuck, he was just now realizing that he hadn’t had real, penetrative sex since his time with Azazel and his Beta friends. Should this scare him? Probably, but it really didn’t. His hole clenched pathetically and Dean whined for the Alpha.

Benny nodded and licked his lips. He was stroking his fat cock almost absentmindedly and Dean’s mouth watered at the sight. He loved sucking cock, especially Alpha cock with the threat of the knot being forced in as well. But that wasn’t what he wanted right now and Benny seemed to know that as well.

"Condoms?"

"Fuck it." Dean moaned. "I know I’m clean."

"Me too, but Dean—"

"Wanna feel you fill me up, Alpha." Dean arched his back again, displaying all of him for the Alpha. "Wanna feel it run out when I stand up."

Benny was on him before he had even stopped talking. "Fucking hell, Dean. You’re driving me insane. Tell me where you keep your condoms." If he wasn’t so aroused that might have been his Alpha voice, Dean thought foggily.

He frowned at it but still recognized that Benny was doing the right thing. He had after all promised Cas that he wouldn’t have unprotected sex again.

Cas. Would have it with Cas.

"Bedside drawer." He groaned. "Just fuck me already."

Benny nodded jerkily and they shared a few hurried kisses before Benny sat up on his knees to get a condom for himself. His hands shook but he had it on his leaking cock a moment later and was pawing at Dean’s hips.

"Present for me." He murmured and started stroking his cock again when Dean bucked up into the air.

Dean mewled submissively and rolled gracefully to his stomach before pulling his legs up beneath him to rise to his knees. He arched his back, perfectly displaying his open and leaking hole in a pose he had practiced many times. Most Alphas wanted their sexual partner to present for them once in a while and especially those buying a hooker.

But Dean didn’t have to pretend to like it this time. Holy fuck, he loved it right now.

Benny was grunting behind him, his free hand stroking reverently over Dean’s ass and back as he made approving noises. Dean’s dick jumped and slapped him on his stomach when Benny pressed two fingers to his hole.

"Come on." He moaned and pressed back, eager to get any part of Benny inside.

Benny gave an agreeing grunt and shifted closer. Fucking finally did Dean feel the Alpha’s thick cockhead against his hole and he would have fucked himself back on it if it hadn’t been for Benny holding him still.

They both groaned deeply when Benny slid in, tortuously slow. Dean supposed the Alpha needed a moment to collect himself when he was finally balls deep but Dean was done waiting. He couldn’t push back but he could buck. So he did and Benny made the most deliciously vulnerable sound.

"You’re gonna make me blow."

"Get to fucking me first." Dean hissed over his shoulder.

"Feisty."

"As if you didn’t know I would—fuck!"

Dean could do nothing but moan and try to stay upright when Benny set an almost punishing pace. The Alpha’s fat balls slapped against Dean and his cock brushed against Dean’s prostate on almost every stroke.

The air was so thick with arousal that Dean almost thought he could see it. Fuck, Benny smelled good when he was aroused. And he felt so good inside, so big and thick, filling Dean up so good. Pleasure zinged through Dean’s body and he whimpered into his pillow. His own dick was at the moment sorely neglected but Dean barely even thought about it. It just felt so good to finally have an Alpha inside him. An Alpha that wanted him.

Why doesn’t Cas want me?

No! He shouldn’t go there. Shouldn’t ever go there but especially not with Benny pounding him in the ass. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t.

"It’s okay, Omega." Benny suddenly said through gritted teeth and Dean only then realized he was crying into the pillow. "I’ll be what you need. You cry out for him, Omega, it’s okay."

"N-no." Dean moaned. Fuck he felt wrong. His whole body was alight with pleasure but his mind was a fog of lust and depression. He wanted this but he wanted it with Cas. Why couldn’t it be Cas?

"It’s okay." Benny soothed, his hands gentle against Dean’s sides even as he kept up his hard pace. His cock was drilling relentlessly into Dean and it felt so good. And yet it wasn’t enough. "Say what you need to say, Omega." There was no malice in Benny’s words, only kindness. "Let go, please just let go."

Dean moaned deeply and clawed at the sheets as his orgasm was kept from him. Just right there, teetering on the edge and he could have it, he really could. But it wouldn’t be right to Benny.

"Such a good Omega." Benny murmured intimately. Dean sobbed brokenly as his dams cracked.

"C-Cas." He whispered against the pillow and God, it felt divine. He had said the Alpha’s name on a number of occasions while pleasuring himself but it never felt like that. Not like when he had a live and willing Alpha pounding into him at the same time.

"That’s right, Omega." Benny groaned and gripped Dean’s hips hard. "Say what you need. Take it for yourself, you deserve it."

"Oh, fuck Cas!" Dean wailed when the Alpha hit his prostate dead on. "Cas, Alpha, want you. Want you, please, please take me." He was gasping and could feel the Alpha’s cock inside him jumping. "I’ll be g-good for you. Need you."

The Alpha grabbed Dean’s hip in one hand and his hair in the other, pulling Dean back up against him.

"Come for me, Omega."

Dean came with a strangled cry of Cas’ name mingled with sobs, clenching hard around the Alpha and spraying as far as his own pillow with his watery Omega come.

He felt the Alpha’s knot being pushed in at the last moment and nearly came again, just from the freeing feeling of being tied off. The Alpha pushed him face down into his own wet spot and held him still as he emptied himself. They panted together for a while before the Alpha turned them slightly and rolled them over to their sides.

The movement made Dean’s clench again and the Alpha came once more with a harsh groan. Dean mewled lowly and pressed back against the Alpha. He wrapped his arms around Dean and humped into him but seemed to be done for now.

"I’m sorry, Dean." Benny murmured against Dean’s neck and broke the spell. The Omega shivered and closed his eyes tightly. "I didn’t know it would be so bad for you, I’m sorry."

"Couldn’t have known." Dean croaked. "I didn’t either." Still, somehow he felt better now. His mind was pleasantly fuzzy and his body was lax with his recent release. "It feels better now."

"Yeah?"

Dean pressed back again and smiled when Benny hugged him tightly. "Yeah, just next time maybe don’t smash my face in my own come."

"Oh, shit." Benny rose to his elbow, the angle extremely poor what with them still being connected and Dean winced when it pulled at his hole. "I’m sorry, fuck." Benny used a part of the sheets to wipe off Dean’s face.

Dean smiled at him and couldn’t help but laugh a little when Benny looked sheepishly back at him.

"It’s okay."

Benny smiled almost shyly and leaned in to peck Dean on the cheek before lying down again.

"Should we do it again?" he murmured and sounded sleepy.

"Not right now we’re shouldn’t." Dean countered jovially and felt his tensions ease when Benny laughed throatily against his neck. This had been a good idea. "But I’d like to…I mean later, some other day…" he cleared his throat and tried to ignore how that made his hole clench. Benny’s cock jerked. "If you want to. I get it if you don’t want to with me going stupid like that."

Benny hummed and kissed Dean’s neck. "It’s okay. We’re okay. And yeah," he reached down to gently cup Dean’s spent dick. "I’m up for it any time. Best I ever fucking had, even with you screaming the wrong name."

Dean laughed with embarrassment but was glad all the same. He could smell the sincerity and happiness on the Alpha and relished the scent.

"You could’ve had it sooner, you know." He teased. "I was waiting for you to take me."

"In dad’s car?" Benny scoffed playfully. "He would’ve chopped my balls off. Besides, I wanted to wait until prom night. I think I got it in my head that it’d be romantic and I dunno." He shrugged as best he could while lying entwined with Dean.

Dean decided to steadfastly ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. So Benny had been planning to ask Dean to prom. Had planned for it to be romantic. But even as he lay there, feeling bad about what he had done — and was doing — to Benny, he knew that it was definitely for the best that he hadn’t tried to force himself to love the Alpha. Just looked what had happened here and this was just sex. Dean was pathetic.

No, better to focus on something else.

"Didn’t know you were such a sap." He teased because humor was easier than honesty.

"Well, I didn’t know if you…I mean, I knew you had at least once before but…"

Dean blinked when Benny’s scent betrayed nervousness and he turned his head to look over his shoulder at the Alpha.

"Benny, when you first asked me out, did you think I was a virgin?"

"Um…" Benny coughed and averted his eyes. His cock jumped inside Dean with the cough and Dean barely resisted the surprised little squeak that threatened to bubble up. "I didn’t know what to think. You’re very pretty, Dean, but you’ve never had a boyfriend that I know of, so…"

God, Benny was just too precious for Dean to handle. He turned back and snuggled in against the Alpha’s warm chest. So many times Benny had defended Dean against Alastair and the other dickwads and he had never taken their words seriously? Why the fuck couldn’t Dean just love this wonderful Alpha?

Because Dean couldn’t settle, that was why. Benny was remarkable but Cas was everything and Dean was just a stupid little Omega with stupid little dreams.

Benny sighed contently and hugged Dean close again, obviously completely oblivious to the Omega’s struggles. Their bodies were probably going to be stuck for another thirty minutes, by Dean’s experience, so they had best get comfortable. Dean sighed too, tired to the bone.

By the time it was only one week left before Sam and Alfie had to go to camp Castiel was going insane. It was probably the heat and…

And it really wasn’t the heat.

Well, it was surely contributing but the inside of his house had always been relatively cool and he had a ceiling fan in his office and the bedrooms. Not Dean’s room but he was down in the basement and probably had cooler nights than the rest of the household anyway.

Dean. Dean was the reason Castiel was going insane. He wanted the Omega, so much. And now the heat was amping up Dean’s scent as he sweated. And it forced him to walk around in nothing but a tight wife beater and small shorts. And sometimes he got in the plastic pool with the boys.

Almost naked and with a glistening body.

Castiel wanted to poke his eyes out. Every night he found himself fucking that goddamn fleshlight and every time it almost made him cry. He was ill-tempered and had been short with the little ones on more than one occasion.

He had never acted like that with them before and he knew Alfie was upset about it. He had heard Sam comforting him, telling the little Beta that it probably was the heat and nothing else. He had sounded so used to snarling parents that Castiel had wanted to cry all over again.

But it was all he could do to concentrate around Dean, to not smash him against a wall and fuck him senseless. To not lift him up on the dining room table and open him up with his tongue, have him mewling and squirming, begging for the Alpha’s cock. Even Castiel’s fantasies were getting out of hand.

And it had only gotten worse when Dean had come home one evening smelling distinctly of Alpha musk. So Dean was having sex again and it was none of Castiel’s business. Except he felt like it really was. Because what if Dean was hurting again? What if he thought he needed to sell himself again? Or what if someone was forcing him? Could be Dean was just getting in a new relationship but Castiel didn’t think so. Couldn’t think so.

And then one evening during that last week Dean came home and the scent was fresher. So fresh Castiel could smell it all the way to the living room couch where he was sitting and trying to relax. Sam and Alfie were outside in the pool and Castiel was glad for it because he wasn’t able to control himself when he smelled the clear scent of Benny’s pheromones on the Omega. Benny.

"Where have you been?"

Dean startled when Castiel met him in the hallway and the Alpha couldn’t blame him. He had barely been conscious of moving himself.

Dean eyed him up and down, clearly taking in Castiel’s unusually disheveled appearance.

"Out with friends." He answered cautiously and moved to step to the side but Castiel growled at him. Dean’s eyes rounded out and he stayed in place.

"Bullshit." Castiel pressed out. "I can smell sex on you."

Dean pressed his lips together and his scent changed to defiant. "So? I’m not doing that if that’s what you’re worried about."

Well yes, so thank God for that. But he was still angry and he couldn’t even say why. Dean was standing so close, smelling delicious even through his growing irritation and Benny’s Alpha arousal.

"I can smell Benny on you, I thought you said you broke up." He accused in a low growl. Somewhere in the back of his mind he recognized how uncharacteristic this was of him but his Alpha instincts were surfacing and roaring about someone else touching his mate.

Not mate, not mine.

Dean frowned. "We did. Doesn’t mean we can’t have sex, though, does it?"

He was puffing his chest out, challenging the Alpha and Castiel’s instincts shot to the forefront of his mind.

"You need to be careful." He commanded in his Alpha voice and Dean cowered a little. "I will not have you going about having sex with just anyone. I am the Alpha here and I—"

Something changed in Dean’s eyes and his scent spiked into desperate anger.

"Well you know what?!" he roared in Castiel’s face, completely interrupting the Alpha. "You’re not my Alpha, are you?!" he pushed his chest against Castiel’s, standing on his tiptoes to come face to face with the stunned Alpha. "Are you?"

All of Castiel’s anger diminished and he deflated like a used balloon. "I…"

Dean snorted at him, hot air blowing against Castiel’s face. "I didn’t think so. Now let me pass, Alpha."

Oh how Castiel hated that sneer in Dean’s tone. The Omega hadn’t talked to Castiel like that since that first time in March. He stumbled to the side and Dean strode past him, proud and independent and so goddamn beautiful.

"Dean…" he reached for the Omega but Dean just walked away, not even turning his head.

Castiel felt awful. He had pushed too far, pushed too much where he wasn’t entitled and now Dean was angry with him. He felt as if his head was going to explode. His whole body hurt and he shivered as he leaned against the wall. His mate was angry with him.

No! Not mate. Please God, let me get over this.

He dragged himself to the shower, hoping to cool down. It didn’t make him feel better but he at least felt more resolute in his quest to quell these inappropriate feelings. He needed to separate himself from the Omega.

He should actually send Dean away. Rachel still hadn’t been in contact with him but he could always tell Dean to live in his dad’s apartment while the boys were away at camp. It wouldn’t be right because he wouldn’t be able to explain why to the Omega but if he kept lashing out like this he might end up inadvertently pushing Dean to leave anyway. Either option was horrible.

Two days after his and Cas’ fight Dean still hadn’t apologized. He really thought he should but he didn’t want to. He was still angry, to be frank. And Cas hadn’t made any indication that he wanted to talk about what had happened either. Dean actually got the feeling the Alpha was avoiding him.

Dean snorted at the mere notion. Fine if Cas was sulking or whatever, he had been the one in the wrong anyway. Sure, he didn’t know that Dean was just fucking one of his best friends to get the Alpha out of his system; to save their fragile family peace. But even so he shouldn’t give Dean the business just because he was having sex. He didn’t fucking own Dean.

Did act like a jealous lover, though.

Fucking dangerous thoughts, those. And Dean had a lot of them.

He hadn’t seen Benny since that day but that had been a choice on their part, not because of Cas. Dean hadn’t even told his friend about that. No, Benny had just been occupied with his granddad’s restaurant and Dean had been hanging out with Charlie and Kevin after work so there, no goddamn sex.

Not that he would tell Cas that. The Alpha had holed up in his office and he could fucking starve in there for all Dean cared. He sent the boys to get Cas when it was time for dinner and Dean steadfastly avoided going into the office even when he wanted to. That couch was comfortable, okay? It didn’t matter, Dean could read on the living room couch instead.

What didn’t sit right with him was how Cas barely even looked at him. Only talked when talked to. He didn’t act differently with the boys, though. Only Dean. Sam hypothesized that it had to do with the heat but Dean didn’t think that was fucking true. If that was the case Cas should be acting wonky all the time, not only when Dean entered the room.

Dean had checked. Had been standing outside the living room and watched how Cas laughed with the boys as they watched TV. And as soon as Dean walked into the room the Alpha either got quiet or left.

No invitation to watch TV with them. No friendly pat on the couch beside him. No nothing. Dean’s chest hurt and he had taken to rub his breastbone as if that would relieve anything. Had only left his chest sore.

And it had only been two fucking days. Dean was severely fucked in the head.

The pleasant sound of the doorbell broke him out of his downward spiral. Sam and Alfie were braving the heat to play with their friends at the playground a couple of blocks away and Cas was of course in his office because fuck him. So Dean rose with a sigh to answer the door.

The man at the door was a handsome Beta about Cas’ age. He had blonde hair and smiled a pleasant smile down at Dean.

"Well, hello there." He said in a decidedly flirty tone. If Dean wasn’t so goddamn angry at Cas he might have switched on the charm but no dice.

"What do you want?"

The Beta’s eyebrows shot to his hairline but his smile only grew. "I’m actually looking for Cassie."

Dean frowned. "Cas?" he looked the man up and down. Cas hadn’t mentioned seeing anyone and Dean certainly hadn’t smelled a Beta on him but that was hardly Dean’s business, was it?

He only wished the Alpha would have had the decency to do the dirty deed somewhere else. Even Dean had sense enough to fuck Benny in dad’s apartment and he was just a stupid Omega.

The Beta stuck out a hand. "I don’t think we’ve been introduced. I’m Balthazar, I work with Castiel."

Oh, okay. Yeah, that was better but only marginally so. Cas worked from home and in all these months there had never been another employee here to visit so why now?

He shook the man’s hand briefly. "I’m Dean. I live here."

He took a ridiculous amount of satisfaction in seeing — and scenting — the Beta’s surprise.

"Really?"

"Really." He repeated dryly and stepped to the side. "Cas is in his office, I’ll take you."

Maybe the Beta knew the way and maybe he didn’t but Dean didn’t care. He wanted to be there to see Cas’ reaction. If this was a lover he was sure he would be able to see it on the Alpha’s face. Balthazar followed closely but not uncomfortably so. More like he didn’t actually know the way and Dean took comfort in that, as if that would mean something good.

He rapped quickly on Cas’ door before striding right in. Cas was sitting behind his desk, his hair adorably tousled as if he had been running his hands through it. He looked up with surprise when Dean entered so brusquely and it only grew when he saw the Beta behind Dean.

"Balth?" he asked, confusion clear in his voice.

"A guest for you, Alpha." Dean stated in the most obnoxious tone he could manage. Balthazar didn’t seem to react to it but Cas, who obviously knew Dean better, tilted his head to the side with a frown.

"Thank you, Dean." The Beta said kindly and Dean could take a fucking cue, okay?

He slinked out of the room but intentionally botched closing the door properly. It came to rest on the bolt and Dean pressed himself to the wall beside it, straining to hear.

"Please sit down." Cas offered and Dean heard one of the chairs the Alpha had behind his desk being carried over.

"Thank you." Paper rustled and Cas made a sound of recognition. "Naomi sent me with these."

"You didn’t have to." Cas said and someone was rifling through a bunch of papers. "You could have sent me copies."

"I was going to be in the neighborhood anyway and she wanted you to have the originals."

"Still." Cas murmured and for a while the two sat in silence as the rustling continued.

So maybe this was only a business meeting after all. Maybe Dean was being a hormonal little bitch. Maybe he ought to call Benny for a quickie. He started regretting how he had acted towards Balthazar and was just about to leave when the Beta spoke up again.

"So, Dean?"

The rustling stopped. "Yes." Cas cleared his throat. "Yes, he…"

"He said he lives here." Balthazar mentioned casually.

Cas coughed and Dean held his breath. "He and his little brother. Our families are friends and their parents had to go away for work over the summer so I offered."

"Oh."

The Beta actually sounded disappointed and Dean wondered why. That had been some great lying on the Alpha’s part. Spot on what they had agreed on and delivered perfectly.

"What do you mean, ‘oh’?"

Yeah, Dean wanted to know too.

"Well, you know…" Balthazar trailed off but Cas didn’t fill in any blanks. Dean’s heart was hammering. "Oh come on, Cassie." The Beta suddenly laughed. "I didn’t know he was a friend’s kid. Pretty young Omega like that living with you, what was I supposed to think?"

"Balth!" Cas balked and Dean bolted at that. He was thoroughly unwilling — and frankly incapable — of listening to Cas hash out all the reasons why he didn’t want or need Dean in that particular way.

Balthazar left half an hour later, waving a cheery goodbye to Dean who had retreated back to the couch in the living room. So maybe Cas and the Beta had nothing going on, Dean thought without any real excitement.

Chapter Text

The very next day Dean was feeling awful. He couldn’t take Cas’ cold shoulder anymore, he was actually feeling physically ill from not being the center of the Alpha’s attention at least once per day. He never knew he would miss it so much until he didn’t have it and he felt like a goddamn fool.

As soon as Alfie and Sam made a loud exit to rendezvous with their friends again Dean found himself outside Cas’ office. His heart was hammering in his chest and he was nervously flattening his hair as if that made some kind of difference to anything.

He knocked and waited for the first time since that very first time. There was an almost unnaturally long pause before he heard the Alpha call out in a confused voice. Dean slipped inside and looked down at the floor as he leaned on the door to close it.

"Dean?" Cas asked confusedly and Dean was happy there at least wasn’t any irritation in his tone. God, Dean had missed this room.

"I just…" he coughed meekly, well aware of what he must smell like. "Can I sit in here with you?"

Not even close to a fucking apology. Dean was an unworthy Omega if there ever was one.

He heard the sound of Cas’ office chair rolling back and suddenly the Alpha stood in front of him, his hands on Dean’s tense shoulders. Fucking fuck the man smelled good. Dean almost keened and presented his throat at the merest whiff.

"Dean, I think we need to talk."

Dean nodded but still refused to look Cas in the eyes. The Alpha led him to the couch and sat down together with Dean. Much too close for the Omega to relax but whatever.

Cas drew a big breath but Dean’s dams broke before he could even get another word out.

"Cas, I’m sorry, okay?" his head snapped up at the surprised scent that wafted from the Alpha.

"Sorry for what?" Cas asked gently, looking genuinely confused. "I was the one that snapped at you."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Don’t you think I’ve had worse than that? You’re only trying to help me and I shouldn’t have reacted like that, I know I’m in the wrong here."

Cas opened his mouth but closed it again only to chuckle. "We’re both just butting heads." He smiled and Dean’s heart fluttered. "If I accept your apology, which I don’t deserve." He held up a hand when Dean opened his mouth to protest. "Then will you accept mine? You are practically an adult and I know you can take care of yourself, you’re very mature for your age Dean. I’m sorry I get overprotective."

Dean only gaped at the Alpha. "But…if you thought you were wrong then why have you been avoiding me like the fucking plague?"

"Ah." Cas averted his eyes, his scent thick with embarrassment. "I was ashamed of my behavior. And I should be. It took you coming in here for me to realize I was handling the conflict wrong." He looked back, a proud smile on his wonderfully pink lips that Dean needed to stop staring at. He wasn’t goddamn deaf, didn’t need to read lips or something like that. "Will you accept my apology?"

The earnestness that shone out of the Alpha’s eyes actually made Dean laugh out loud. "You’re such a dork." He shook his head fondly when Cas only smiled uncertainly at him. "Yeah, okay. We both did wrong and we both feel horrible about it. Apology accepted."

Cas breathed out in a big whoosh as if he had been afraid that Dean would somehow find it in him to say no. He leaned back against the couch and fucking hell Dean had missed this. Couldn’t believe how easy it was to come back to what they had had, almost as if nothing bad had happened between them.

He pulled up his legs on the couch to sit on them and turned to the Alpha. "So, how you’ve been?"

"Miserable." Cas jerked when he realized his Freudian slip. "I mean, I don’t like to fight with anyone and there’s been lots of work so…"

Dean let it slip altogether, filing the Alpha’s blush away for later when Dean was alone with his fake knot.

"That Balthazar bring you a lot to do?" he asked casually, carefully picking at his fingernails when Cas looked at him so he wouldn’t have to meet the Alpha’s gaze.

"He contributed." Cas answered in an amused voice. "But I already had a lot to do."

"He mentioned he works with you." Dean mumbled, unsure why he was pressing this but somehow needing to now that they had gotten the other stuff out of the way.

Cas nodded. "He’s my boss’ assistant. He’s not usually out of the office running errands, though. It was good to see him, we used to be very close when I worked in the office downtown."

"Guess he just missed you or something then." Where the fuck had that come from?

Cas looked at him with amusement and Dean tried to calm his emotions so his scent wouldn’t betray him. But it was all probably too late. Jesus Christ…

"Do you have something you wish to ask, Dean?" Cas asked with too much mirth. Fucking not okay.

Dean shrugged. He had already gotten himself this deep, hadn’t he?

"Just thought…he was handsome and unmated, you know? And your age and stuff." Way to give himself up. Dean was such a fucking tool sometimes.

"You think Balth is handsome?"

What was with the flat tone in the Alpha’s voice all of a sudden? Dean looked over to him and saw how his jaw was clenched tight enough to bulge at the sides. Dean picked up nothing on the Alpha’s scent but his eyes were dark with something. Jealousy, Dean hoped. And he supposed he could exploit the Alpha’s question to get to know for sure but then again, Cas had encouraged a relationship with Benny so Dean decided not to. Besides, he was more curious about Cas’ relationship with his Beta colleague.

"I suppose. Don’t you think so?"

Cas blinked. "Me? I don’t know." He looked away with a frown, seemingly really contemplating the question. "I’ve never thought about Balth like that. Besides, he’s a Beta."

"So? Charlie likes girls." Dean pointed out, knowing he had told the Alpha about that and that Cas had seemed accepting of it. Sure, a relationship between a male Beta and an Alpha would be an infertile relationship but pups weren’t everything. It would be an unconventional relationship but certainly not uncommon.

"I know." Cas’ frown eased and he smiled a little at Dean. "I’ve just never seen him like that. How did you know he was unmated?"

Dean shifted restlessly. "His scent, right?" most people smelled differently when they were mated, more like having two scents in one, whether it was a psychological or physiological reaction science had yet to explain and most times, when a mating failed or the other died, the partner would revert back to their old scents. So he supposed Balthazar could be a divorcee. Except… "And he didn’t have a mating bite."

Mating bites went right at the crook of the neck and would have been easily spotted on Balthazar, courtesy of the low V-neck he had worn. Both partners had one and Dean longed to have Cas’ teeth break his skin and—stopping right there.

Cas looked softly at him. "Not everyone has a bite."

"No?" actually, now that Dean thought about it — and looked at Cas’ neck just to make sure — Cas didn’t have one and he had been mated. "I guess…mom and dad had so I’ve never thought about not having it." He leaned his elbow on the back of the couch so he could rest his head against his hand. "Why didn’t you and Hannah? If I can ask?"

Cas looked down at his left hand, specifically his ring finger. "We didn’t think it was necessary. We loved each other and we married and it felt like enough." He looked up and smiled. "Gabe used to tease me about it but we made it an active choice. Better not to leave a bite if something were to happen. Guess we didn’t mean it quite so literally."

Dean hated himself for the feeling of relief that washed briefly over him. If Castiel had been bitten before Dean would have had to put his bite over it to make the new claim. And that didn’t sit right with him. He wanted Cas as his Alpha — as his mate, yes he could admit it — but that didn’t mean he wanted to erase Hannah’s memory. She had been Cas’ first real love and she had brought them Alfie. She was important.

"I’m sorry, Cas." He mumbled empathically and put a hand on Cas’ shoulder. "No one should tell you what your mating have to entail. I’m sure you loved each other very much even without needing to bite."

"Yes." Cas answered in a suddenly low rasp. Not a sad rasp, though, oh no. "I always thought it was a little strange, though. Not even during her heat or my rut did I feel the need to…" he looked up and Dean felt pinned by the intensity in the Alpha’s eyes. "I’ve never really felt the need before."

Before what, Dean wanted to ask so very badly. They were sitting so close, Dean’s hand on Cas, almost massaging the Alpha, and Cas’ eyes flicked down to Dean’s lips. Someone drew a sharp breath and the air was cloying. Dean couldn’t reel in his arousal even if he wanted to and he really, really didn’t.

He was about two seconds away from asking Cas about what he had said. Cas looked like he was two seconds away from doing something, anything. Time seemed to stand still and Dean couldn’t breathe.

And then suddenly reality crashed down on them when Sam and Alfie burst through the front door downstairs, yelling for Dean and Cas and dinner.

Cas all but jumped off the couch and the only thought in Dean’s head was that the boys had barely been away at all. And yet the sun had apparently moved quite a bit since he first entered the Alpha’s office.

The rest of the week passed in a haze and Castiel couldn’t honestly say what he was doing from time to time. Work, mostly, but otherwise?

He couldn’t forget Dean’s jealous scent as they spoke of Balthazar, he couldn’t forget the conversation he had had with Balthazar about Dean, and he certainly couldn’t forget that he had almost goddamn kissed the Omega on the couch there.

He needed to watch it but everything was simply slipping out of his hands. And it didn’t help that Balthazar thought Dean would be an exciting mate for Castiel, what had that even been about?! If anything he would have thought his colleague would have suggested Dean as a lover, maybe, but not mate. That was probably what had thrown Castiel for a loop there.

And then Dean had come in, talking about mating bites and Balthazar and Castiel had been confused. And a little lost. And in love, it was looking like. Castiel should talk to someone, like a professional, and he had been on his way to call that hospital psychologist a number of times but always stopped himself in the last moment because how would that look? He should talk to someone else, someone who knew nothing of Castiel or Dean. And he should probably talk to Dean but he was a cowardice Alpha. At least he had managed to tamper down on his anger.

For some reason Dean followed with Castiel as he drove to drop off the boys at Camp Refoogee. Castiel told himself that it was because the Omega wanted to see the camp for himself before he actually entrusted the personnel with the safety of his beloved little brother.

He half expected the ride back to be awkward with just the two of them cramped in Castiel’s Lincoln but it very much wasn’t. Dean was all smiles, sang along to the rock tunes on the station he had found, and when the reception got bad he turned it off and talked to Castiel about everything and nothing.

Little tidbits of Dean’s life outside the house. Work, Gabriel, Charlie and Kevin, the boys. Some new movie the teens wanted to see, school. Castiel listened eagerly to everything and drank in the sound of Dean’s voice and the scent of his happiness.

They of course didn’t speak about Benny because that would just be…well, it would feel wrong for Castiel somehow. As if Benny was this other Alpha Dean had had an affair with. Castiel knew he was in the wrong for thinking like that. He was just glad that Dean didn’t smell like the Alpha right now.

Ever since their fight Castiel hadn’t smelled Benny on Dean again but he knew they were still having sex. Dean would get a text and his whole body and scent just changed. And he still came home smelling satisfied in that way you only got after great sex. So he took greater care to wash afterwards but it couldn’t erase his contentedness and Castiel felt torn about that.

He wanted Dean to feel content and wanted to smell the satisfaction on him but wanted very desperately to be the one to bring out those emotions of the Omega. But he supposed he should be happy for Dean’s sake. It was a thought that kept him functioning for a while but in the dead of night with only his fleshlight to keep him company it was difficult to stay positive.

You’re not my Alpha, are you?!

Castiel wished with all his heart that he could be.

"This is a nice office, Cassie." Gabriel looked around himself with open curiosity where he was sat in front of Castiel’s desk. "How come I’ve never been in here before? You’ve lived here for ages."

"You have." Castiel replied and tried to sound casual but there was nothing casual about why he had called his big brother here. "This was Hannah’s sewing room."

Gabriel frowned and looked around himself more, almost as if trying to orient himself. As if he hadn’t just walked up here by himself.

"Oh shit, it is." Gabe gave a surprised laugh. "You’ve really changed the room."

Castiel shrugged. No point in denying the obvious.

"Sewing isn’t very helpful in tax accounting. Now," he leaned forward and steepled his fingers. "I’ve called you to ask for a favor."

Gabe leaned back in his chair and smiled deviously. "Really?"

The Omega always assumed something deviant was going in, Castiel reflected absently. Maybe because he wanted it to be or because he was hoping for it. Well, for this one time he would be right.

"I want you to set me up on a date."

Gabriel blinked. "What?"

"You heard me, but let me amend. I want you to set me up with one of your more promiscuous friends. Preferably an Omega."

Gabriel blinked at Castiel for a long while, completely stunned, and the Alpha couldn’t blame him. Gabe had sought to fix Castiel up with someone for a long time and Castiel had always firmly refused. Mostly because he thought most of the Omega’s friends were unsavory but also because he hadn’t felt strong enough to move on.

"Do you…" Gabe cleared his throat. "What’s this about, Alpha?"

Castiel sighed and slumped down in his seat. Time to be honest or this would continue down a path he rather it wouldn’t. Or that he in fact wanted very much but that was the problem, wasn’t it?

"I believe I am in love with Dean." He glanced up to see Gabriel staring at him in pure shock. Appropriate. "I have been talking to the Social Worker Anna asked for help, Rachel. And she told me that as long as no one makes an official report she can’t do much. If…if there was abuse, or if Dean wanted to file a report then…" he shook his head sadly. "Rachel spoke of emancipation, at least for Dean. I don’t know but without letting John get involved her hands are pretty tied and letting him know about everything seems like a bad idea. I suppose we should but I know Dean doesn’t want to and I…I find myself incapable of denying him. So as long as the boys won’t agree to file an official report we’re pretty much stuck in this limbo. And I," he paused to take a deep breath. "I cannot spend the coming two weeks alone with him anymore. This week has been torture and I-I can’t think of what might happen if…if I…"

He trailed off and drew a shuddering breath, combing his shaking hands through his hair. He was sure his scent was ripe with self-loathing and shame and he was incredibly glad that he had been able to get Gabriel to come here while Dean was at work.

"Cassie." Gabriel mumbled soothingly. "I had no idea. I thought…" he shook his head just as Castiel looked up at him. "Every time we talk at work and I mention you Dean’s whole face lights up so I’ve suspected he’s infatuated with you but that you also felt…"

"It’s more than that." Castiel said imploringly, desperation clawing at his throat. "I’ve never felt like this before. His scent is driving me crazy. I don’t want him as a lover, I-I want to mate with him, Gabe. I want to bite him." God, his whole body was suddenly shaking just thinking about it.

"Never?" Gabriel asked softly and it took a few seconds before Castiel understood what he was asking about.

"Not even Hannah." He confirmed in a low rasp. "Please, Gabriel. If I don’t do something I fear I’m going to assault him." Dean had taken a lover, why couldn’t Castiel?

Gabriel pressed his lips together momentarily but then broke out in a smile. It felt so out of place that Castiel could do nothing but stare at him.

"I’m not going to get you some tail to get over Dean."

"But—"

"And I get that you’re feeling desperate here, you reek of it." His smile grew wider when Castiel could do nothing but look embarrassed. "But you’re also not listening. I think he’s into you too and you know what? He’s old enough to mate, isn’t he?"

"But that’s…infatuation is not only what I’m feeling." Castiel drew deep sigh. "It’s much too much, I’ll scare him away and I feel like I would die if he refused me. And what if he only wants sex? Mating is legal but sex is…" he shook his head.

The laws were a bit fuzzy on this one but the truth was that mating was legal at the age of sixteen even if the other party was older. That didn’t mean it wasn’t frowned upon, though. And if they only engaged in sex it would still technically be illegal, which made it all a kind of grey zone that haunted Castiel’s dreams.

"You know what I think, Alpha?" Gabe asked kindly but with a wicked smile that contradicted his tone. "I think you should at least talk to him. Tell him how you feel. It’s better to get it out in the open than for him to suddenly get ‘attacked’." He grinned when he mocked Castiel’s way of using air quotes. "Also, I think with all this self-hate going on you’ve probably been acting and smelled weird and he has a right to know, you know?"

Castiel just stared at his brother as if he had grown a second head. "Are you insane? I can’t tell him."

"Why not?"

"I’d… he would move out." Castiel’s breath stuttered at the mere thought. "He would hate me."

"Are you so sure about that?"

Castiel wasn’t impressed with his brother’s knowing smirk. "Gabe, you will not tell him."

Gabriel shrugged. "I won’t but I still think you should. And if you do end up like a match made in the heavens you certainly won’t find any scorn from me or Anna. Mating is a good thing, Cassie, don’t fight it." He got up at that, as if this was the end of the conversation.

"But Gabe…"

The Omega was already at the office door. "Little brother." He interrupted in an obnoxious tone. "Take my advice on this one and don’t try to fuck yourself out of it. Fuck Dean instead, you have my blessing."

"Gabe."

Gabriel slunk out the door with a wide grin. "Blessing." He whispered in a drawn out hiss.

Castiel was torn between feeling trapped and relieved.

Dean rubbed his hair thoroughly as he walked into his and Sammy’s bedroom again. Ever since Cas had expressed anger at the scent of Benny’s arousal on him Dean always showered at the apartment before going home. Benny didn’t question it and had sometimes even joined him.

Now when he walked in wearing only a pair of boxer briefs the Alpha was still lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Dean frowned at the unusually thoughtful look on his friend’s face. "You okay, man?" he asked and bent down to pick up his shorts.

Benny looked at him while he dressed, still just as thoughtful and still naked. Dean could smell his own slick on the Alpha and wondered if Benny wouldn’t want a shower today. Some days Dean leaked more than others and ever since Dean and Cas had been left alone in that big house he had definitely been leaking more.

It somehow seemed like the Alpha was always on his guard but still so close to just saying whatever it was that was keeping him on edge like that. It was driving Dean mad.

"I think we should stop doing this."

Dean blinked at his friend. "What? The sex stuff?"

Benny swallowed and looked up at the ceiling again. "Yeah." He said, much more softly than Dean had anticipated. An icy feeling creep into Dean’s stomach but he steadfastly ignored it. "I think…I mean, we started this to get some stress relief, right?"

"Right?"

"And it’s been good." Benny looked at him again and smiled a little, making Dean more at ease even if it was a bit sad. "Really good, Omega."

"Yeah? I think so too." Dean said, only a little smugly, and sat down at the foot of the bed. Benny pulled himself up to lean against the headboard. "So what’s up?"

Benny sighed. "What’s up is that I’m a fraud. I thought I could do this without any feelings getting involved and how stupid was that?" he smiled again, weaker this time. Dean listened with baited breath. "I mean, I’ve had a crush on you for so long but I was so juvenile. I couldn’t do anything about it but as soon as I scented another Alpha on you, scented you when you spoke of Cas," He shook his head, tsk-ing at himself. "I knew I had to act but I also knew I was too late. And then I did my best to get over you but brother, I really couldn’t." He looked up and smiled yet again even though his tone was sad. "I swear to you I didn’t start this benefits crap with any intention of getting you back. I really thought I could just help you and get some sex for me. But I can’t. It hurts hearing you call out for him and not me."

Dean felt frozen inside. "I know." He all but whispered. "And it’s my fault, I should have said no."

"It’s really not your fault, Dean." Benny said kindly. "And it’s not that bad, just me admitting that I’m a stupid Alpha and ending this before any of us get hurt again."

Dean nodded but felt numb. "I wish…I wish things were different."

Benny nodded too. "Me too but we’ve gotta work with what we have, okay?"

"Yeah."

"And honestly, Dean, you’ve gotta talk to Cas." Benny shuffled so he could sit beside Dean, the comforter bunched in his lap. "I did this more for stress relief but my family’s coming around. At least dad is being supportive about me taking over granddad’s diner. But you, you did this to get over Cas, right? And I don't think it’s working."

"I know, fuck." Dean leaned down, his head in his hands. "I did a shitty job of it too. Feels like I didn’t even try."

Benny put a gentle hand on Dean’s shoulder and his scent changed to comforting. "I think you did try but I think…maybe it’s not something you should strive to get over, you know?"

Dean nodded but didn’t really believe it. Why would Cas really, really, want a kid like Dean? It was incomprehensible and even if all they did was talk about it nothing and everything would change. Cas would never look at Dean the same.

"Thanks Benny, for everything." He said and smiled a wobbly smile. "And sorry."

"Don’t think about it, Omega." Benny said with a crooked smile. "And you know what? There’s a really beautiful Beta who delivers vegetables for grandpa. Her scent is wonderful and I’d hate for her to smell you on me when I go make a move on her."

Dean huffed out a laugh. "Whatever man." He shoved at Benny who laughed too before leaning in to kiss Dean on his temple and getting up to get dressed.

So yeah, Dean supposed he should take the bull by the horns. He had never been so scared.

Gabriel’s words had been bouncing around in Castiel’s head for the last couple of hours and he couldn’t for the life of him find flaws in them. It could be because he wanted his brother to be right, very badly. Or it could simply be because he wanted Dean even more.

His whole body was thrumming with desire and he had had to excuse himself right after dinner or he would have said something. Gabe was right, he should talk to Dean, but he should do it when he was in the right state of mind. Couldn’t possibly bring this up as an adult when he was sporting an erection.

And by God, Dean had to have smelled him by now, right? Castiel desperately hoped not but couldn’t be sure. Though he supposed that if the Omega had scented Castiel’s obvious attraction to him he would have left to stay in the apartment by now. Unless…

Unless he wanted Castiel too. Unless Gabe was right and Dean really was interested.

Castiel had spent the evening cooped up in his bedroom, pacing and wringing his hands. His father would have scoffed derisively at him but Castiel didn’t care, didn’t even think about it. He wanted Dean and maybe Dean wanted him too.

He hated Gabriel for putting that notion in his head but at the same time he wanted to thank him for easing some of Castiel’s guilt.

The worst part, though, the absolutely worst part and the reason why he had confined himself to his bedroom was that Dean had come home this evening and told him straight up that he and Benny wouldn’t be meeting anymore. Not for sex.

Castiel had just stared dumbfounded at him and Dean had kind of looked — oh please let it be so — like he had wanted to add something. Or like he had hoped Castiel would react to it in some specific way.

But the moment had passed, they had eaten under the weight of a stifling silence and then Castiel had fled to his bedroom. How shameful he had acted, was acting. He was the Alpha here, he should take control of this situation.

Yes, he could feel determination filling him. About five hours too late, perhaps, but he had gotten there. He needed to talk to Dean, Gabe was right about that. The poor Omega must be feeling abandoned and lonely with Castiel acting like this. And that wasn’t right. He was supposed to take care of Dean, not push him away.

When he walked out of his room he found the rest of the house to be cast in complete darkness. The upper floor was no surprise as he was the only one who utilized it aside from Dean taking showers up there.

That the ground floor was dark and silent too was more of a surprise and when Castiel looked at the time he was even more confused. It was rather late, sure, but not later than Dean’s usual bedtime. He had actually expected to find the Omega down in the living room, watching a movie or anything of the like.

Instead it was empty and Castiel got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. What if Dean had gotten fed up with Castiel’s antics and decided on his own that he could just as well live in the apartment? He was getting paid regularly by Gabriel now and it would be more than enough to feed him. He certainly could make it on his own now.

Castiel’s feet were carrying him over to the closed basement door before he was even aware of it. Down the creaky steps he went, his heart in his throat and the only thing keeping a desperate whine at bay.

The door to Dean’s room was closed but that hadn’t stopped him before. He didn’t knock, half because he was expecting the room to be empty and half because he kind of wanted to catch the Omega unaware.

His poor heart did a painful flip at the sight of Dean sleeping in his bed but Castiel didn’t have time to calm down or start thinking rationally. Because the second his eyes started travelling over the Omega’s body he realized two things.

One, Dean had obviously fallen asleep right after masturbating.
And two, the fake knot was still buried in Dean’s wet Omega hole.

And that was when the scent hit him. Honestly, it had been there all along but he had been too scared to scent it. And now…

Castiel reeled from the scent of satiated Omega, satiated Dean. The fake knot had obviously done the trick and Dean had probably been too tired afterwards to bother with clean up and why should he have to worry? It wasn’t like Castiel was expected to walk in here at night.

Or what if he was? What if Dean had masturbated with exactly this in mind? What if he wanted Castiel to go absolutely insane at the sight of him? The sight of his hole stretched so wide around that fake, awful knot.

Castiel was three steps into the room, completely intent on pulling out the knot to replace it with his own throbbing cock, before he realized what he was doing.

Maybe Dean wanted this or maybe he didn’t, either way it would be horrible of Castiel to take advantage of this situation. They needed to talk first, establish what they both wanted out of anything that could happen between them. Castiel couldn’t do anything without Dean’s consent and he certainly didn’t want to.

His cock wanted to, though. Well, it wanted to be buried in the Omega’s tight channel right now, that was for sure. Talking or no fucking talking.

Castiel’s whole body trembled but he forced himself to turn away. To close the door and to walk up to his own bedroom again. But God, every instinct in him screamed at him to go back down and to claim what was his.

Just like last time he had caught Dean in a compromising situation, Castiel’s knot was already forming at the base of his aching cock. And just like last time he felt the overwhelming need to just fuck something but his heart was pounding for a very different reason this time and when he clenched his eyes shut tears actually spilled over.

He wanted Dean, so much, but he was still so unsure if he was allowed and it hurt, not knowing. He should wake the Omega up, ask him, talk to him.

Kiss him, hold him, fill him, bite him.

He was panting by the time he had managed to rip open his jeans and pull out his cock. His knot was swollen and throbbing too and Castiel didn’t waste any time trying to find his fleshlight. At this moment it was an effort just to stumble over to the bed.

He ended up standing by the side of it, leaned down on one hand as the other pumped his cock. His balls were already so tight, so high. He groaned deeply and thrust against his hand, desperate to find release.

This was why he couldn’t just talk to Dean. He wouldn’t be able to control himself, not even a little. Just the thought of Dean right now pushed him from desperate to insane. If he ever hoped to have a grown-up conversation about his feelings for the Omega he would probably have to jerk off first.

"Oh, Dean." He panted, the air thick with his arousal and his cock expanding in the wake of his release.

He would spray the whole bed and he didn’t care. He had his own fucking washer, he could just do the laundry in the middle of the night and no one would know.

Except Dean.

The Omega slept down there. If he didn’t wake up when Castiel started the washer he would most probably do so when Castiel came back down to put everything in the dryer. Oh, God, Dean would know. Would smell the mess on Castiel’s sheets and he would look at Castiel with those eyes and he—

"Fuck!"

He had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep any further noises from spilling as he emptied himself all over his comforter. His whole body shook and he could barely remain standing but he needed to, needed to take care of his knot.

Massaging it with his hand was not as fulfilling as the fleshlight but it didn’t matter in this moment. He just squeezed hard and his hips jerked forward as he came again, this time unable to keep his moans back.

Anyone would hear, they wouldn’t even have to come inside the room. If he had accidentally woken up Dean before and the Omega had come to investigate then Castiel’s secret was out. There would be no denying his aroused scent now and he had said Dean’s name, hadn’t he? Fuck, the pleasure that coursed through him made him sluggish and he barely knew what was up or down anymore.

So he stood there for a long while, head back and eyes closed, as he massaged out orgasm after orgasm from his spent and shaking body. It felt so good and at the same time not.

Felt like his world was crashing down around him and he was powerless to stop it.

Chapter Text

After the disaster that had been the dinner and consequent evening Dean had felt miserable at work. Gabriel kept giving him alternatingly knowing and sad looks and Dean didn’t even know why. He supposed his scent was a dead giveaway because heat suppressants could only save so much, right?

It had anyhow resulted in Gabe sending Dean home earlier but still promising to pay for the whole day for some reason Dean couldn’t fathom. He really didn’t deserve the kind treatment but he felt like he kind of needed it. Masturbating to thoughts of Cas until he fell asleep with the goddamn knot still stuck in his ass had really taken a toll on him.

His hole was fine but the rest of him… The position he had fallen asleep in — face smashed against his pillow and his ass in the air — had left him sore and full of kinks. What he really needed was to go home and take a long, hot shower.

What he wanted to do was go home and talk to Cas.

The words had stuck in his throat the evening before but he knew he needed to get it out. When he had told the Alpha about breaking up with Benny he had almost thought Cas would come out and say something and Dean could swear that he had scented arousal on the Alpha during dinner.

It had thrown him for a loop because his own body had reacted too strongly to it for him to think straight but now, with a few hours between them to calm Dean down, now he was once again determined to get everything out in the open.

Even if it meant Cas would send Dean to live in dad’s apartment from now on, he would take it. Better to get everything out in the open and to have at least tried.

Cas was watching TV when Dean got home and it was a little unusual for him not to be working in the middle of the day but Dean didn’t complain. Maybe this way it would feel a little less like intruding. He stopped just inside the living room and wanted to have time enough to gather his wits but the Alpha had obviously heard him because he turned around immediately.

"Dean?" he asked in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

For Dean to be home in the middle of the day, he supposed.

"Nothing’s wrong, Gabe just gave me a half-day." Should have maybe told the whole truth because Gabriel could easily debunk the lie. He stepped closer. "Actually, Alpha, I wanted to talk to you about something."

He tried to control his emotions, he really did, but it was difficult with Cas’ confused scent swirling around him.

Cas pressed his lips together for a moment and then turned to turn off the TV. "I do too."

"Really?" fuck Dean was nervous. What if Cas had found out and would send Dean away after all? Maybe talking wasn’t such a good thing after all. He walked closer but felt as if he was in a haze.

"Yes, Dean, I’ve been thinking…" Cas combed his hand through his hair.

Goddamnit, Dean wanted to be the one to do that. His feet felt heavy as he stumbled closer. Cas was talking now but Dean could barely hear him. Under the Alpha’s apprehension was the musky scent of his arousal and why was that there? Calling to Dean, enticing him, arousing him.

Fucking hell, this was not going to work. Somewhere along the lines everything had escalated out of his hands and now he couldn’t even be in the same room as the Alpha, apparently. Cas’ voice washed over him and made him shiver in anticipation. He needed the Alpha, so much.

And then his world toppled when his foot caught in the carpet and he stumbled the last few feet to the couch. He landed over the armrest with an oof.

"Dean!" Cas exclaimed and caught him by the shoulders before he could face-plant against the couch. How uncool.

"Shit, I’m sorry, Cas." He mumbled and looked up.

The Alpha was sitting mere inches from him, their faces all up in each other’s. Cas squeezed his shoulders and Dean’s eyes flicked between the Alpha’s wide eyes and his open mouth.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a husky voice.

Dean was trembling and so very not okay but at the same time awesome. He made an embarrassing sound at the back of his throat. The armrest was pressing in against his stomach and his hands slipped on the soft fabric but it was okay. Brought him closer to the Alpha.

Their lips were almost touching and Cas’ breath was coming in short bursts, his eyes wide with blown pupils. Their arousals mixed deliciously in the air and Dean was already ready to fucking blow.

"Alpha." He whined pathetically and time was freezing, freezing, and fucking speeding up to the point where his head spun.

Cas made this huffed out sound, almost as if he was punched in the gut and then his lips were on Dean’s. Demanding entrance, pressing, prompting. Dean moaned so deeply his whole throat vibrated and he opened up immediately.

Their tongues slid together even as Cas was rising to his feet, bringing them chest to chest. His hands travelled up to cup Dean’s face tenderly in contrast to their rough kissing and Dean fisted the Alpha’s t-shirt.

Fucking fuck, Cas kissed like he meant it. Demanding, possessive, passionately. Dean melted against him and even though pleasure wracked his body he didn’t feel desperate to continue. Now that he had the Alpha he just wanted to savor the moment and bask in Cas’ scent, sounds, touches.

"Dean." Cas growled against the Omega’s lips. "Need you. Can’t think straight."

"Yes." Dean all but screamed. "Fuck me, Alpha."

Cas nibbled at Dean’s lower lip to shut him up. He was still cupping Dean’s face but the touch was turning rougher. Dean rubbed his face against the Alpha’s hands. Their bodies were slotted together and fuck, it had never felt perfect like this.

His hole quivered and Cas growled again, almost as if he knew how much Dean ached for him. The Alpha twirled them around so fast Dean got dizzy but he didn’t have time to think about it because suddenly he had Cas’ front pressed against his back and fuck, that was the Alpha’s thick cock pressing against the swell of Dean’s ass.

"Cas, Cas I want you so fucking bad." He moaned and Cas answered with a drawn-out groan. He buried his face against the crook of Dean’s neck and pleasurable chills went down the Omega’s body when he felt Cas’ sharp teeth scraping the skin there. "Fucking yes." He hissed. "Bite me, want to be yours."

"No one else can have you." Cas rumbled and started rutting against Dean even as he held the Omega close to him. Dean scrabbled to get a hold on Cas’ strong hands but the Alpha moved them down to Dean’s hips and the Omega had to lean on the armrest when he jackknifed from pleasure.

"I don’t want anyone else, fucking please Cas."

The Alpha’s fingers were digging in and shit, Dean thought he might come just like this, just from Cas humping his ass. It felt so good, too good. Felt like he couldn’t get a fucking grip on reality because surely this was just another dream? Cas was lust-crazed behind him and Dean had never thought the Alpha was more handsome.

"Precious Omega." Cas murmured and he sounded as if he was trying to regain some control but fuck if that was what Dean wanted.

He started fumbling with the button and zipper on his jeans. "Fuck me, Alpha. I want you inside me, breed me up real good."

Dean’s hands were roughly pushed to the side and Cas all but ripped the jeans open to force them down. Dean nearly howled in pleasure when his dick bobbed free to smack against the couch. He gripped the upholstery tight when the Alpha bent him further over the armrest. This way he presented just beautifully and Dean sobbed with the pleasure that shot through him at the approving sound Cas made.

"Dean." Cas rasped out as he raked his fingers down Dean’s back and ass. "Tell me to stop, you’ve got to tell me."

Dean whined and canted his hips to show off as much as he could, spreading his legs wantonly. "Don’t ever stop, Alpha."

The snarl that earned him made his hole twitch and leak enough slick to dribble down his balls. And then suddenly Cas went to his knee and promptly shoved his face against Dean’s ass, his tongue snaking in and licking greedily at Dean’s hole.

"Oh fuck!" Dean screamed and bucked back. Cas gripped his hips hard and held him still but that did nothing to diminish Dean’s arousal.

Their scents were so thick and so intertwined that Dean didn’t even know one from the other and it felt so goddamn right that he almost started crying just thinking about it. Cas licked eagerly, lapping at Dean and then pushing the tip of his tongue inside.

Dean’s dick jumped and he bore down on the couch as best he could, the need to release overpowering everything else.

"Gonna fucking make me come." He huffed out through clenched teeth and that got the Alpha’s attention alright.

He stood up swiftly and kept one hand on Dean while the other busied with opening his jeans, judging by the sound. Dean’s whole body shook. His balls were so tight and he had never been this wet before. Had never wanted to be filled this much before. Wanted Cas inside him and wanted him always.

A broken sob was pressed out of him when Cas pressed the tip of his cock against Dean’s hole. He held still, the anticipation killing him but also somehow knowing the Alpha needed this moment. Needed to know Dean wouldn’t back out and probably needed to collect himself.

But there was no hesitation in either of their scents and when Cas finally breached him Dean breathed out in a great whoosh of relief.

With just the head inside the Alpha apparently lost his shit because he slammed the rest of the way in without any preamble, making Dean howl for real. He bucked back, thrashing on the couch even as his hole clenched around the Alpha’s cock and fuck, he could feel his whole body locking up in the anticipation of his release.

Cas made these little humming sounds, seemingly so pleased with himself that he could barely contain them and Dean could see why. He had never felt like this during sex before. So whole, so complete to his innermost core. Cas felt so right in every way and Dean didn’t even know he was crying tears of joy until they rolled off him and hit the couch.

A relieved laugh punched out of him but it was short-lived when the Alpha pulled out only to slam back in.

After that Dean’s world narrowed down to Cas’ cock, taking his cock, being in his hole. The Alpha alternated between making pleased and soothing sounds. He held Dean’s hips tightly and his jeans chafed where they pressed against the back of Dean’s thighs but all Dean could register at this moment was pleasure. Completeness.

"Dean." Cas growled. Dean moaned when the Alpha jammed himself as deeply as he could. Fuck, he wasn’t the biggest Dean had ever taken but he felt huge. "Beautiful. Mine. My mate."

Dean’s whole body convulsed with pleasure. "Yes." He rasped. "Want to."

He could feel the Alpha’s knot forming and shit, it would be such a tight, wonderful fit. Suddenly Dean wanted nothing else but to be tied to Cas, to lie in bed as Cas’ knot filled him with come and the Alpha soothed him with his strong hands and deep voice.

He was up on his tiptoes to keep up with Cas’ brutal pace but a sudden stumble on the Alpha’s part forced Dean down a fraction of an inch. His dick pressed mercilessly against the hard armrest and fucking fuck, he was going to come. Now.

"C-Cas." He gasped. "I can’t, gotta come—the couch."

Cas growled approvingly and fisted the back of Dean’s shirt to pull him up, flush against the Alpha’s heaving chest. Dean’s back bowed almost painfully but he couldn’t register that now, not when his poor dick bobbed in the air, desperate for any friction, oh please.

Cas put a hand on Dean’s throat, pressing the Omega’s head back against his shoulder as his other hand travelled down to grip Dean’s dick tightly. Dean moaned deeply and shut his eyes, completely overwhelmed with everything going on. Cas hadn’t stopped his thrusts either and the pleasure was just too much, too everywhere.

Then Cas stroked Dean once, pulling the Omega’s dick tight against his stomach as he bit down on Dean’s shoulder. It definitely wasn’t a mating bite but it was fucking close enough for Dean to come. He wailed, his hands grabbing Cas’ arms as he shook in the Alpha’s arms.

His come was trapped between Cas’ hand and Dean’s stomach and it felt fucking awesome. He could feel his hole milking Cas for all he was worth and the Alpha made a choked sound before emptying himself inside Dean. His knot was fully formed but wasn’t inside and Dean pressed back to get it where he wanted it but Cas held him back.

He whined in protest but Cas just growled back and all but gnawed at Dean’s shoulder.

"Want your knot, Alpha." Dean murmured groggily. Fuck he felt fucked out and yet their combined scents made him heady from residual arousal. Goddamnit, he wanted to go again.

"Dean." Cas rasped. He was still holding Dean tightly and the Omega could feel him shivering. "Dean, I…"

"Sch, it’s okay, Cas." Dean soothed and stroked the Alpha’s arms, reveling in the muscles he felt there. Fuck, they hadn’t even had time to get naked.

Cas buried his face against Dean’s hair, obviously scenting him and rubbing in his own scent.

"I lost control." He breathed. "I’m sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about, shit." Dean laughed a little. "I wasn’t fucking kidding, okay? I want you."

Maybe having this conversation while still standing like this, with Cas’ cock still in Dean’s ass and his knot still full, wasn’t the best idea but Dean got that Cas needed to talk about this because they really did. That was after all what Dean had been hoping to do. So he decided to just roll with it.

"You’re so young." Cas whispered. "I don’t want to scare you."

"Scare me away, you mean?" Dean asked dryly. "That won’t happen, okay? I want you as a mate, I really do."

That made Cas stiffen and he pulled away slowly, carefully disentangling them and pulling out of Dean’s slick hole. Dean turned around just in time to see Cas wince at his still very full knot. Fuck, his cock hadn’t even softened and it all looked very painful.

"Cas." Dean tutted and stepped up to him. His jeans were trapped around his thighs and it made moving awkward but Cas hadn’t stepped far away to begin with. He took the Alpha’s face in his hands and kissed him tenderly. "You should have knotted me."

"I don’t want to hurt you."

"Never will." Dean smiled cheekily and kissed him again, stepping in to completely slot them together once more. Cas made a soft sound as Dean rubbed against his cock. "I was built to take it, to take you. Was built for you."

"You can’t mean that, Dean."

Dean almost wanted to cry at the defeated tone in Cas’ voice. His scent was changing and not for the better. Why was the Alpha even thinking like that? Why wouldn’t Dean want him? He wanted to assure Cas and the only way he could think of was a physical way.

So he pressed in close, uncaring of the slick and semen that ran down his thighs, and put his nose to Cas’ neck. He pulled in a deep breath and nosed along the taut muscles there. The Alpha still smelled so good and slowly as Dean continued to rub his own scent over Cas, the Alpha’s scent changed from self-deprecating to renewed arousal.

"Let me take care of you, Alpha." Dean purred. "I want to be the only one to do this for you."

Cas made a possessive sound and suddenly Dean found himself in the Alpha’s arms, once again carried bridal style like he had been so many months ago. He felt a little dizzy from the fast movement but he smiled and put his arms around Cas’ neck.

The angle was a little off and Cas wobbled on his feet but Dean leaned in to kiss his neck all the same. Fuck, Cas smelled good. Always did, of course, but like this? Aroused and determined? It was enough to get Dean hard again too.

Cas carried him to the bathroom instead of his bedroom and Dean didn’t question that for now. They were both covered in sweat, slick, and come anyway. Needed a shower and whatever Dean could do to help Cas with his knot they could surely do it in the shower as well.

He let the Alpha undress him and watched with a twinkle in his eye and a huge dopey smile as Cas’ pupils diluted as more and more of Dean’s skin was revealed. Yeah, whatever hang-up Cas had about a potential relationship it had nothing to do with the physical aspect of it, that was for sure.

He smiled gently and went to return the favor as soon as Cas had turned him around and back again, maybe admiring Dean’s body or maybe checking for injuries. Dean didn’t know which one it was but Cas was looking at him with these eyes that shone of awe and it was enough for him.

He peeled off the Alpha’s clothes slowly, kissing some parts as he went and when he kneeled to pull off Cas’ socks and jeans Cas’ eyes closed and he moaned throatily.

"Gorgeous." Dean breathed and went to kiss the tip of Cas’ bobbing cock but the Alpha pulled him up before he had the chance.

Their mouths pressed together as Cas kissed him hungrily and Dean readily submitted to the Alpha’s will. A stumble later and they found themselves inside the shower. Dean turned it on without looking and they both groaned in discomfort when cold water hit them.

"Sorry." Dean grinned and to his relief Cas grinned back.

The Alpha pressed him up against the chilly tile wall but he was warm enough on Dean’s front to compensate for it. They kissed until the water got hot but somehow cleaning wasn’t on their mind anymore. The water cascaded down on them, washing away the most superficial fluids but Dean was already leaking again and Cas’ cock was dribbling precome between their stomachs.

"I’ve needed for so long, Dean." Cas breathed with his mouth a hair’s breadth from Dean’s.

Dean moaned lowly, loving how they shared breaths and how everything tasted of them.

"Come here, Alpha."

He snaked a hand between them, forewent his own dick altogether to massage at Cas’ knot. The one thing Dean didn’t want to do was actually tie off here in the shower. Drying off would be a bitch and Dean wanted to be able to enjoy being stuck to Cas.

But Cas still needed his knot to deflate and sure, it could do so on its own just like an erection could flag without any attention to keep it going but Dean knew every Alpha hated waiting out his knot. Waiting out an erection was painful enough, Dean had gotten explained to him.

Besides, he really wanted Cas’ knot to pop when they were pressed together like this. Every Alpha Dean had ever been with always came buckets when their knot was stimulated and Dean couldn’t wait to be covered in Cas’ release.

So he took a firm grip and twisted his hand just so, just like other Alphas had taught him.

Cas’ head thumped down on Dean’s shoulder and the Alpha shook with the groan that wracked through him. His hips bucked forward and his cock jumped. Dean just kept the firm pressure and turned his head to kiss Cas’ wet hair.

"So good, Alpha." He murmured and fuck, the sounds Cas made were almost animalistic. Vulnerable and demanding all at the same time. Dean was hard as a rock by now but his need seemed secondary to pleasing his Alpha.

"Dean, oh God, I need—" he interrupted himself with a clipped whine and Dean shushed him gently. Fucking hell, he had never been with an Alpha quite like Cas. Cas was everything Dean had never knew he had needed and more. He was so beautiful in his desperation that Dean could hardly breathe.

"That’s right, Cas. Give me all of you." He moaned. He was barely conscious of the fact that he had started humping Cas’ leg. The Alpha groaned and pressed even closer, his knot throbbing in Dean’s tight grip. "Let go."

Cas did so with a growl. His cock jumped and Dean caught it with his other hand, squeezing the head even as he kept massaging the knot at the base. Cas thrashed against him, thrusting and pressing Dean against the wall. And fuck, there was so much come.

Cas was pawing at him, pulling on Dean as if they couldn’t be close enough and Dean just went with it all. Would keep massaging and stroking until Cas told him no and when the Alpha came again Dean gasped out an orgasm of his own.

Fuck.

The pleasure was overwhelming, their scents making him almost delirious, and still he kept massaging Cas. The Alpha wrapped his strong arms around Dean when Dean’s knees threatened to give out and the crushing hug he pulled the Omega into gave them very little room to move. But that didn’t seem to concern Cas.

He was just standing there, mouthing at Dean’s ear and neck, panting as his body recovered from its multiple orgasms. Seemed content to just stay like that and hell if Dean was complaining. He was too tired to stand on his own anyway.

Desperate moment ebbing away, though, Dean started feeling Cas’ body turn stiff again. And when he pulled out he looked away, looking ashamed and dead tired.

"I…I shouldn’t have…"

"Fuck, Cas, just stop, okay?" Dean grabbed the Alpha’s head to turn him back so they could talk face to face. The water was still washing over them and it was washing away their combined come, Dean’s slick, and their scents. Dean hated it; wanted to keep it on him. "Are you really regretting this? Because I’m sure as fuck not."

"Dean you can’t mean that."

Dean just stared at the Alpha, completely dumbfounded. "Did you not see me begging for you, taking care of you?" he lowered his voice into a sultry slur. "Coming my brains out for you?"

A shudder went through Cas’ body and he closed his eyes momentarily. "I did but Dean, you have to believe me when I say I want more. I don’t just want you as a lover."

"I don’t either!" Dean exclaimed. He had his hands down on Cas’ tense shoulders now, gently rubbing the skin with his thumbs. Cas had his hands on Dean’s hips but there was distance between them. Junior prom slow dance regulations distance. "I want to mate you. Jesus, Cas, why is that so hard to understand?"

"But I…"

Fuck the Alpha could be thickheaded sometimes.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You know what? Obviously you need to work this out for yourself. I fucking want you, all of you, but if you’re too afraid to let me have you then you need to just up and say it."

Cas’ expression closed off and Dean immediately regretted his words. He had always had a knack for running his mouth at the wrong moments but he had never really regretted it until now. Fuck, Cas was the only Alpha Dean had ever wanted to roll over and submit to and he had just blown it, hadn’t he?

"I think we should sleep on it."

Cas’ neutral tone was killing Dean.

"In your bed, or…?"

Cas swallowed and looked away, stepped out of the spray. Despite the warm water Dean felt cold inside.

"In our own beds."

Fuck. Yeah, Dean had probably blown it. Shouldn’t have pressed so hard, shouldn’t have done anything, really. Should have just been a good little bitch and kept his mouth shut because now he might have just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him before it had even really started.

Should have known it would go like this. So typical.

Castiel felt awful.

He had done exactly everything he had been afraid of doing. Had forced himself on Dean, had taken what he wanted, and had pushed the Omega away. He could barely comprehend the fact that he had put that kind of distance between them.

He had told Dean everything and the Omega had still claimed he wanted Castiel and even so, even so, Castiel hadn’t believed him. Had believed he had to protect them both and had left Dean alone in the shower.

Had hid in his room, foregone dinner altogether and barely slept at all during the night. And oh God, what if Dean hadn’t eaten either? He hadn’t called Cas down for dinner and the Omega sometimes forgot to eat. This would definitely be such a time, wouldn’t it?

Castiel should have made sure Dean ate properly. He should have sat the Omega down and they should have talked, like they had been supposed to do. But he had let his hormones and desires get the better of him and God, he had taken Dean bare.

Had just pushed the Omega over the couch and fucked him raw. And even now, when he sat in his office, head in hands and the air thick with his self-pity, he found himself getting aroused at the memories of what Dean had looked like.

The Omega was everything Castiel ever wanted, body, mind, scent. And he had so eagerly submitted to Castiel’s will that the Alpha found himself growing hard just remembering.

But it wasn’t right!

Dean didn’t know what he was agreeing to. He couldn’t know. He was so young and so full of life. Castiel knew he could never have anything causal with Dean and now that he had known the taste of the Omega he was uncertain that he could ever be without it. He wanted Dean all for himself and that was dangerous.

Dean was a person first and Castiel knew that, wanted and needed to act accordingly but found it so difficult. His mind was a jumble of hate and desire. He could barely breathe and felt a dizziness that had nothing to do with the fact that he hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

When he had woken from a fitful sleep Dean had already been gone. Castiel still didn’t know if it was because Dean had given up and moved out or because the Omega had simply gone to work. He should call him, should try to explain himself, should make amends.

Dean deserved him to be honest.

When the door to his office suddenly opened he jerked as if slapped but didn’t move from his hunched over position. A quick glance at the way the sun shone in at a slanted angle told Castiel that he had been sitting in his office for hours. Certainly long enough for Dean to go to work and come back, even though Castiel hadn’t heard any of it.

Because he was sure it was Dean that was standing in his office now, looking at him with his vividly green eyes.

Dean’s scent permeated even Castiel’s ugly scent and what he smelled on the Omega almost made him sob. Dean was shrouded in a soft, soothing scent and it wasn’t appropriate. Castiel had basically sexually assaulted the Omega and then pushed him away like he meant nothing. Dean ought to hate him. Should hate him. Shouldn’t have taken such good care of Castiel’s knot in the shower like that.

He was too deep in his thoughts to realize that Dean had been moving. He jerked again when the Omega reached out and made contact with his clammy skin. Dean made a soothing noise so low it was barely there as he caressed Castiel’s stubbly cheek with the back of his fingers.

Gentle, careful touches soothed the Alpha. And then Dean was pressing closer, his other hand on Castiel’s neck, caressing gently there as well. Palms, fingers, Dean’s thumbs pressing in against the knots on Castiel’s shoulders.

Castiel was relaxing gradually, surrendering to the Omega’s care. And it felt so good it couldn’t possibly be wrong. Alphas were supposed to take care of their family but so were Omegas, would it really be so bad to let Dean soothe Castiel’s soul? Wasn’t that what people in relationships did? Soothed each other.

Castiel sat with his eyes closed, just reveling in Dean’s touches. He felt like pudding in the Omega’s hands and then suddenly Dean bent down to press his face against Castiel’s hair. He breathed in so deeply the Alpha could hear it and then — oh dear God — then Dean rubbed his face against Castiel’s throat.

There was really no pretending here. What Dean was doing was clearly scent marking, rubbing his scent in all over Castiel’s head and neck to ward off other potential mates. Dean was claiming his territory and the Alpha couldn’t breathe with how it made him feel.

Aroused, overwhelmed, feral.

Their scents were mingling again just like they had yesterday and Castiel was heady from smelling it. They mixed so well and now that Dean was here with him again Castiel had a hard time remembering why they shouldn’t do this. They were supposed to be talking about something first, right?

"Alpha."

Dean’s tiny moan broke any semblance of control Castiel had been trying to maintain.

He growled possessively and stood with a flourish, pushing his chair back and swiping almost everything off his desk in one swooping motion. The Omega made a little squeak when Castiel gripped him tight and lifted him up on the desk but Dean recovered fast enough.

He pulled on Castiel’s shirt even as Castiel pulled on his hips and in the next moment they found themselves smashed together. Dean’s legs wrapped around Castiel as the Alpha groped his ass and rutted against him. Eager lips kissed the other’s and everything was a flurry of need, want, can’t stand it.

Dean was making these desperate little noises and Castiel recognized the real desperation in the Omega. Not the need to be fucked right now but the need to be held and not abandoned. He had made Dean feel like that and he would never forgive himself for it.

Because Dean wanted this, wanted him, wanted them, and the Omega had been telling him this all along. Castiel had been so afraid of hurting him and of his own responses to Dean’s mere presence that he had completely missed all the cues, even when Dean had been screaming them right in his face.

"I’m sorry." He pushed out through hurried kisses. Dean was already trying to undress him. "I should have realized, should have known."

"It’s okay, Cas." Dean panted. "We’ll talk. After."

After, yes after was good. After when they could both think straight. After when Castiel was buried deep in the Omega, letting his knot settle in Dean’s warm body. After when Castiel could hold the Omega, scent him, love him tenderly instead of this frenzy they were in now.

He nodded at Dean’s words and bent in to lick and nip at the Omega’s bobbing Adam’s apple. Oh how he longed to bite down and claim the Omega for himself but that would have to wait too until they were both completely sure they were on the same page.

After.

He backed out half a step to start tearing open his jeans. Dean was leaking so much slick his own jeans looked damp and Castiel reeled from arousal when the scent hit him. He growled in pure need and started tugging at Dean’s clothes instead. They were keeping him from his mate and—and he needed to calm the fuck down.

Clothes were not sentient and Dean wasn’t his mate. Yet.

He captured Dean’s mouth in an almost bruising kiss and Dean moaned into it. He needed to calm down and did so by kissing Dean deeply as the Omega did his best to undress them both. The air was suffocating, heated and saturated with their combined arousal and Castiel wanted to scent it all the time, everywhere.

"Come on, Alpha." Dean whined. "Want you naked this time. Want your fat knot inside me, want all your come."

"Yes, yes, Dean." He groaned. He was never again going to deny this wonder of an Omega anything.

Something, most probably his own shirt, ripped when Castiel tore the last of their clothes off but neither of them paused to look. They both just stared in pure awe at each other for all of five seconds before they were back to kissing.

Kissing, pawing, stroking, kneading. Castiel was panting, his cock bobbing and his knot filling so fast it hurt. Dean threw his head back when their erections got smashed together and the sound the Omega made was almost enough to throw Castiel over the edge.

He gathered Dean close even as the Omega threw his arms around the Alpha’s neck. With minimal coaxing Castiel had Dean at the edge of the desk, his open and slick hole ripe for the taking and Castiel wasted no time pushing inside.

His hips stuttered at the tightness and Dean’s face was contorted in pleasure. He was breathing through gritted teeth and looked absolutely stunning to the lust-crazed Alpha. Just like last time their bodies fit perfectly together, almost as if Dean had been made for Castiel, just like he had said.

My own little Omega.

His feral instincts were roaring in triumph to finally be inside Dean again. He didn’t know how he had ever lived without this feeling, didn’t know how he had thought he had lived before at all. Feeling Dean like this, scenting him, seeing him…it was everything there was.

And then Dean rolled his hips and completely shattered Castiel’s mind.

"Fuck, please, Alpha." Dean whined and Castiel huffed out a groan before he pulled out only to push back in again.

Faster and faster, the build was insane. They were pressed tightly together and though it gave Castiel little room to move he wouldn’t have it any other way. If Dean needed to cling to Castiel then the Alpha would certainly let him. Besides, Castiel kind of felt the same need to be as close as possible.

Dean was huffing against Castiel’s sweaty clavicle and the Alpha was scraping his teeth against the side of the Omega’s throat in return. His fingers were digging into the meat of Dean’s ass and the Omega’s dick was trapped between them, leaking precome.

"Breed you." Castiel panted out, completely delirious with arousal. "Gonna breed you, fill you with my pups, watch you get round. My pups. Mine."

Dean’s breath hiccupped. "Fuck yes." He groaned and licked at Castiel’s skin. "Want it so much, Alpha. Please fucking believe me."

"Mine."

Castiel’s mind was slipping and he closed his eyes, pushed his nose into Dean’s soft hair and just breathed.

"G-gonna come, Alpha." Dean whined. "Want your knot."

"Knot you, yes."

His knot had been catching at Dean’s rim for a while now and God, he wanted in so much. But Dean was so tight and delicate and Castiel didn’t want to hurt him. But the Omega was begging him for it. His Omega was begging for his knot. It was all Castiel’s Alpha instincts could do but obey.

Dean gasped sharply when Castiel forced his fat knot inside the Omega’s quivering hole. And good Lord, it was tight. Dean clung to him and his whole body was trembling but his scent was still one of distinct arousal and safety so Castiel found comfort in that.

He also took a moment to just gather his wits. He had been so close to coming before but now… He needed to calm down and take care of his Omega first.

"Oh, God, Cas…Imma…I-I can’t…"

The reality was that Castiel was going to come as soon as he moved and there was nothing he could do about that.

"I love you, Dean." He whispered and felt Dean’s whole body tense up. For a fraction of a second he thought he had scared the Omega but then he felt Dean buck as his dick jumped when he came hard between them.

"Fuck, Castiel." Dean moaned, his face pressed against Castiel’s chest.

Castiel groaned deeply, completely unable to hold in his own orgasm with Dean’s body trembling around him and the Omega’s hole milking his cock. He jerked his hips about two times before he came too. The feeling was overwhelming and he felt his knees trembling but there was no stopping him now.

His first orgasm brought out the animal in him now that his knot was trapped securely in the Omega, tying them together, and he just grabbed a tight hold on Dean’s hips before he started pounding the Omega again. Short, powerful thrusts that drove him mad.

Dean wailed in pleasure, his hole convulsing around Castiel as the Alpha did as best he could with the limited movement he was afforded.

"Jesus fucking Christ." Dean sobbed out. "Fucking touch me, please."

Castiel growled as soothingly as he could. His knot throbbed but he had to take care of his Omega. He pushed to spread Dean out on the desk and started kissing him just as one of his hands closed around the Omega’s dick. He wasn’t as hard as he had been before but Dean didn’t seem to mind that.

He just bucked up to meet Castiel’s short thrusts yes, this was it. Castiel’s knot was burning, his whole body was feeling weak and fuck, he was coming right now, emptying everything into Dean and Dean just moaned with the feeling.

"Ah, Dean." Castiel gasped, completely overwhelmed by the much more forceful release. His hips twitched and his hand on Dean’s dick lost all semblance of rhythm. "Need you."

Dean shushed him and kissed him tenderly until Castiel could draw a big enough breath again. When he regained some of his brainpower he squeezed Dean’s dick and started stroking him tenderly. Their movements were slowing down and Castiel was glad he had thought to let Dean rest back on the desk or he was afraid he would have dropped the Omega.

His knot still tied them together and would continue to do so for at least half an hour but Castiel wanted nothing else in this moment than to be attached to Dean.

"Wonderful Omega." He murmured into their languid kisses and Dean arched his back, his dick jumping in Castiel’s hand. "Can’t believe you’re giving this to me."

"Cas." Dean gasped pitifully, his hole clenching around Castiel’s knot. "I’ve wanted you for so fucking long."

"Me too, Dean. God, me too."

He leaned in to nip at Dean’s throat and Dean moaned almost desperately again.

"Gonna come." He slurred and Castiel hummed in pleasure.

Dean’s back arched sharply when a second, smaller orgasm overtook him and the way his hole felt when he released was enough for Castiel to come for a third time. He moaned pitifully and pressed his face against Dean’s fluttering pulse.

"God." He breathed. "It’s never felt like this."

Dean chuckled and carded his fingers through Castiel’s sweaty hair. "You telling me I’m the best you’ve had? ‘Cuz right back atcha."

He ducked his head best he could when Castiel leaned out to look at him. "Don’t hide." Castiel said with amusement. "You’re right."

And by God, that was the truth of it all. Castiel had thought Hannah had been his mate and she had been, of course, in the simplest form of the word. He had loved her very much and he still did but that didn’t diminish the fact that he had never felt like this before.

Looking at Dean’s satisfied face made Castiel feel whole.

Dean smiled bashfully. "Sorry I kind of jumped you."

Castle blinked. "You jumped me? Then what did I do to you?"

Dean blinked too and then burst out laughing. It made his hole clench and Castiel bowed his head with a moan when a fourth, extremely small, orgasm crashed over him again.

"Ravage me?" Dean suggested and hugged Castiel’s waist with his legs. The Alpha stumbled to stay on his feet. "Look, we gotta talk, about a lot. I get that, I really do, but Cas," he took the Alpha’s tired face in his gentle hands. "No more beating around the bush, okay? No more pushing away. I almost fucking died yesterday. Not fucking kidding."

His voice had grown a little wobbly and Castiel ached to sooth his Omega.

"I’m sorry." He murmured and smelled Dean’s scent spike into comfort and love. Castiel’s heart ached.

"I know you are and so am I. Fuck, I spent all day at work in a haze, thinking you didn’t want me after all. But I couldn’t let you go, couldn’t not try at least one more time."

"I’m glad you did." Castiel whispered. "I can’t stand it without you."

Dean nodded with a smirk. "Kinda got that now."

Castiel huffed out a laugh at the cheekiness of his Omega. God, he wanted to do so much in that moment. Talk, shower, cuddle, sleep. They were still tied together, though. He helped Dean sit up and then grabbed a hold on the Omega as Dean wrapped his legs around the Alpha’s waist.

"Going somewhere?" Dean smiled and Castiel took a moment to kiss him before he lifted Dean up off the desk.

The Omega made a surprised sound and clung more tightly to Castiel. And it was probably for the best too. Castiel was naturally strong and Dean was small enough for him to carry him easily but then again, Castiel had just had four orgasms so he was admittedly a little unstable on his feet.

"I want to hold you." He murmured, honestly surprised if he made any sense at all. "Need to lie down."

"Fuck yeah, Cas." Dean mumbled with his lips pressed against Castiel’s cheek.

The Alpha carried them to his bedroom and sat down on the bed only to immediately lie down on his back. He shimmied up the bed with a grunt that made Dean laugh and then he was finally comfortable.

Dean sat up to straddle his lap, Castiel’s cock and knot still deep in the Omega. His smirk was positively debauched and Castiel loved everything about this moment. He put his hands on Dean’s thighs and could already feel himself falling asleep.

"You sure I’m not too heavy?" Dean asked and bounced a little on Castiel’s lap, the give of the bed making the motion fluid.

Castiel smiled. "I love your weight on me." He reached for Dean when the Omega blushed. "Come here."

Dean let out a little sigh and then spread out over Castiel as best he could while still attached to the Alpha. He curled up on Castiel’s chest, his face in the crook of Castiel’s neck. His scent was content and adoring and Castiel fell asleep feeling safe and happy for the first time in a long time.

Chapter Text

Dean woke first and very slowly. He was covered in dried come that stretched his skin when he moved. He wrinkled his nose at it but almost moaned out loud when he felt his muscles protest the movement.

His whole body ached in that pleasant way it only did after really great sex and the fact that he woke up surrounded by the Alpha made everything about a thousand times better, dried come be damned. Cas had said he loved Dean and Dean couldn’t stop grinning about it.

He hadn’t slept long but long enough for Cas’ knot to deflate and at some point they had shifted so that Dean was spooned by the Alpha’s warm body. Cas was breathing heavily, obviously still deep in sleep and Dean didn’t mind. He used the time to settle his own jumbled thoughts so that when the Alpha eventually woke up Dean was all on the clear on what he wanted to say.

Cas snuffled adorably when he woke up and the moment their eyes locked a huge smile spread on the Alpha’s face. Good, that really helped with Dean’s resolve.

"Dean." Cas mumbled sleepily. He lifted a hand to stroke Dean’s cheek and Dean shifted so that they were lying face to face. "You stayed."

Dean frowned a little. "Of course I stayed, Alpha." He nuzzled against Cas’ hand and a small smile graced Cas’ lips. "I want us to talk about everything we probably should have talked about weeks ago. Like around the time I said your name while making out with Benny."

Cas made a surprised sound and his eyes widened comically. Dean grinned mischievously.

"So, you okay with talking right now?"

The Alpha’s surprise settled and he smiled widely as his hand came down to rest on Dean’s waist. "Of course, Dean."

Dean’s face flushed and he looked down, suddenly shy in the face of the Alpha’s attention. "I just…you said yesterday that you wanted more, right? To not just be lovers."

"Yes." Cas simply conceded. Dean looked up and boldly met the Alpha’s kind eyes even though his heart was fluttering like a scared hummingbird.

"I want that too. I meant it when I said I want to be your mate."

Cas’ eyes softened. "Are you sure?"

Dean nodded as best he could while they were lying in bed. "I am, but hear me out. I get it that you think I may be too young, that I don’t understand what mating really means. But I do." He shifted closer and felt Cas’ hand curl against the swell of his ass. "I do understand it and shit, Cas, lemme tell you I feel fucking lost without you. I’ve had a lot of sex, okay? Nothing’s felt like it does with you and it’s not just that. I feel like I need you all the time, need you to look at me and just fucking be around me."

"I feel it too." Cas whispered. Dean felt winded by his own speech. "I thought…I mean, I can’t help but compare it to Hannah but it’s not really fair to her."

"No, she was a whole other person, it’s not comparable." Dean agreed swiftly but Cas was shaking his head.

"You’re right but that wasn’t what I meant. I mean, it’s not fair to her because I feel so much…so much more with you." He sighed but smiled too and Dean was just looking at him with big eyes. "With Hannah I felt loved and that was great. And with you I feel like that too but you also make me want to be better. I feel safe and loved, and I want to strive to make you feel like that too. I feel…I feel like I could spend my whole life trying to be good enough and yet you would always deserve more."

Dean couldn’t breathe. He just lay there, staring at the Alpha with incredulous eye, his lips parted in astonishment. He had no idea Cas had felt all that for him and he couldn’t believe how accurately the Alpha had put to words how Dean himself felt.

"Cas." He whispered and the Alpha made an embarrassed face before rolling to his back.

"And then there’s this shit." Cas muttered and covered his handsome face with his big hand. "I’m too old for you, Dean. I’ll scare you away with how much I want you and I feel like I would die if that happened." He peeked almost shyly at Dean and the Omega was moving before Cas even started talking again. "I wasn’t kidding, you know. I would want a pup with you."

"Fuck, Alpha." Dean climbed on to straddle Cas’ waist and bend down to kiss him. "I want that too. You’re not too old, okay? Other people will say that but other people are assholes. All that matters is what you and I want, right? And I love our scents together so much it fucking hurts not to smell it. And that’s the fucking truth."

"I do too." Cas murmured in a voice too intimate for Dean’s dick not to take interest in this.

He loved how Cas’ hands felt on him as the Alpha caressed his thighs and sides. And he reveled in the content scent Cas let out. He was looking up at Dean with these adoring eyes that fucking melted Dean’s heart right there.

"You know what I think we should do?" he asked and slowly rolled his hips. Cas’ cock was definitely taking an interest in this as well. "I think we should take some time, just fuck around and breathe each other in. We have time now that Sammy and Alfie are at the camp. And then, you know," he shrugged casually and sat back to rub his ass against Cas’ perky cock. "I want your bite on me, want you to claim me and want us to be mated. I know you want it too but there’s no reason to rush it, right?"

Cas smiled adoringly up at him. "I think that sounds like a good plan."

Dean bit his lower lip coyly. "Yeah?"

With a laugh Cas pulled Dean down into a crushing hug. "Yeah."

The Alpha rubbed their noses together before he kissed Dean soundly and the Omega felt as if there could be nothing wrong in a world where he got to have moments like this with Cas.

The days that followed were honestly the best days of Dean’s life.

The only thing that separated him and Cas was Dean’s work but other than that they couldn’t keep away from each other and Dean was in heaven. Quick touches and longing glances had turned into smoldering stares and groping hands and God yes, Dean shivered in anticipation as soon as he was in the same room as the Alpha.

And it wasn’t just that. It was everything else as well. How they could and now would cuddle up on the couch. Banter over what to buy in the grocery store. Exchange hurried hand jobs in the car after. Laugh and press close as they prepared dinner together. Play footsies under the table as they ate. Share Cas’ bed every night. Fall asleep in each other’s arms. Wake up together.

Fucking hell, Dean really was in love and it was just as sappy and wonderful as he had hoped, but never dared believed, it would be. Cas just kind of lit up every time Dean came into the room and every moment spent together was so effortless all of a sudden. So fucking serene. Dean had never really known love as easy and unconditional as this and if he sometimes got so overwhelmed he cried he wasn’t even ashamed for it. Cas would just hold him close and whisper praise as his protective Alpha scent enveloped the emotional Omega.

Almost a week later it was nearing the end of Sammy and Alfie’s camp stay and even though they had talked to the boys over the phone a couple of times they hadn’t mentioned the direction their relationship had taken. They had both agreed to sit the boys down when they got home, possibly even later than that. School didn’t start until the second week of August, they still had time.

Both Dean and Cas were still figuring this out because yeah, everything was perfect with a cherry on top, but there was still the thing about Dean being underage and dad and everything else fucked up that had and could happen. That what they were doing right now was technically illegal didn’t make things easier either.

Because they still hadn’t taken the last step and actually mated and without a mating Cas was basically just sleeping with a minor. They nibbled at each other plenty but bites were still kept only superficial and that was okay. Dean knew with every passing moment that he still wanted it and Cas reassured him that he was feeling reassured as well. They would do it right, though, and not rush it. They had time and Dean actually felt good about savoring it.

He had thought he would be desperate for it by now, somehow feeling unwanted if Cas didn’t put his mark on Dean’s neck but he really, really didn’t. It felt great that they were waiting and actually the anticipation was making it even better. Dean wished he could live in this moment forever.

On the Friday that last week Cas was scheduled to have a conference call with his work. It was the last work he would have to do before going on a three week vacation and fuck, Dean could barely wait. Sure, Dean would still be working but without Cas’ work they would have more free time together anyway. It was going to be awesome.

Cas had explained that the meeting was used to sum up the summer report for his department and that unlike other conference calls he had taken this would most probably span several hours. Dean had judged it to be pretty important and had opted to get out of the house even though the Alpha had told him repeatedly that that wouldn’t be necessary.

Truth be told Dean thought he kind of had to get out or he wouldn’t be able to contain himself in such a promising situation. Because what would it be like to play cockwarmer for the Alpha as Cas attended his meeting? Would probably be awesome. And would the Alpha be able to keep to only warming or would he end up fucking Dean’s face before the meeting was over? And would Dean manage not to come in his pants just sitting there under the Alpha’s desk with his fat cock in his mouth?

Questions like those prompted Dean to get away from the Alpha. Because he knew he really wanted to try and he also knew that if he propositioned the Alpha then Cas wouldn’t be able to say no. Most probably because he would want it too but also because he tended to have a hard time saying no to Dean in general. They had after all already engaged in some pretty good sex in Cas’ office, ranging from the first time that Cas’ laptop barely had survived to comparably tamer blow jobs.

Anyway, while that might seem like the best way to spend an hours long meeting Dean didn’t want Cas to risk his job. Engaging in sex with a minor was bad enough, even if they knew they were mates to be. But engaging in sex with a minor and possibly getting caught by his business associates? Yeah, no.

So they had talked about Dean going out for the evening and Dean was actually excited. He hadn’t seen his friends since he and Cas admitted how they felt and it was not for lack of trying on his friends’ side. He felt a little bad about that but probably not as much as he should. He and Cas had a lot to work out, after all.

The plan was for Dean to go over with Kevin and Benny to Charlie’s where they would play video games and yeah, Dean got a lot apprehensive when Charlie texted him to say that she had asked Benny too. Because, okay, he and Benny hadn’t had a bad break up or anything and contrary to Charlie’s worried text he and Benny had no problem getting along. Sure, Charlie and Kevin didn’t know what Dean and Benny had been up to for the first part of the summer so okay, he got that she was worried she had overstepped but that was fine. If Benny was fine with meeting then so was Dean, it was all cool.

Except he hadn’t know what Cas would think. Because Benny and Dean had been engaging in sex just two weeks prior, less even. And though Dean had no bite to prove it he was Cas’ now. They weren’t living in the middle ages, true, but it still felt wrong to hang out with Benny so soon.

But Cas had of fucking course surprised Dean by being the most understanding and trusting Alpha there ever goddamn was. He had just told Dean he trusted the Omega and, based on Dean’s assessment, he trusted Benny too. Besides, they wouldn’t be alone. Dean had just gaped at his Alpha, feeling so astonished and proud that he hadn’t been able to get a word out. If Cas’ smug smile was anything to go by he had understood anyway, though.

So everything had been all set and everyone was good. That was before the plans had been changed, however, and now Dean found himself nervously entering the Alpha’s office with only two hours left before the meeting was scheduled to begin.

Cas looked adorably confused when their eyes met. "Dean? I thought you had left already."

Dean snorted and walked over to perch on the Alpha’s desk. "As if I would go without a goodbye kiss." He grinned and Castiel’s scent smelled as amused as he looked.

"Well what are you doing all the way over there for, then?" he asked with a chuckle and stood up to close the last distance. He cupped Dean’s face in his warm hands and Dean sighed contently into the soft kiss.

"You’re fucking amazing at that." He mumbled.

"Kissing?"

"Everything." Dean coughed and looked away with a small blush when Cas chuckled again. "Anyway, I gotta talk to you about my plans for today."

Cas stroked the pad of his thumb against Dean’s cheekbone once before stepping back, looking attentively at the Omega.

"Yes?"

"Well, remember how I’m supposed to go to Charlie’s?"

Cas laughed out loud and crossed his arms. "Yes. I am old but I’m not so old I don’t remember plans we’ve made the day before. Which I myself referred to just a moment ago."

Dean smiled sheepishly and God, Cas’ eyes twinkled when he smiled just right. No! This was not the moment to get distracted by his Alpha’s handsomeness. Heh, his Alpha. For real.

Dean had to pinch himself to get back on track. He saw that Cas noticed but neither of them mentioned it.

"Right. So. It turned out that Charlie’s mom had gotten the date wrong and she’s having guests over for dinner. Guess she didn’t want a bunch of noisy teenagers in her house." He shrugged at the gentle displeasure in Cas’ scent because hey, he could dig it if Mrs. Bradbury thought they would be in the way. They probably would be. "And Kevin’s mom is really anal about video games, borderline hating them. So Charlie just texted me that we’d be going to Benny’s instead." Yeah, he totally noticed Cas’ scent changing yet again but decided against mentioning it. It wasn’t quite jealousy anyway. "But I thought…well, he’s got three siblings all younger than us and they’ll never leave us alone…and I mean, I’d never bring people over to dad’s apartment because it sucks so…"

He looked away but immediately looked back when Cas made an understanding noise.

"I see where this is going." The Alpha said softly and Dean suddenly wished he could take everything back.

Because what the hell was he doing? It was too much to ask. His and Cas’ relationship was still too new, too tender. He was so fucking selfish.

"No, you know what?" he cleared his throat and straightened to stand awkwardly before Cas. "I take it back, just letting you know that we’ll be going to Benny’s instead. If…if you’re okay with that?"

"Dean." Cas murmured in gentle reproach. "Of course I’m okay with you going to Benny’s. This is about what we talked about yesterday, isn’t it? Yes, I know you and Benny just got out of a relationship with each other but I trust you, very much. Besides, it’s not like you’ll be alone." He smiled encouragingly and Dean wet his lips without even thinking about it. "And if you want to ask your friends to come here and play video games it’s of course fine with me."

Dean’s eyes grew wide. "Really?"

Cas laughed and uncrossed his arms to put his hands on his hips. Accentuated his crotch, that.

"Of course." His eyes were twinkling again. "Dean, I know that what you and I are building is new and that we’re tentative about boundaries. And I also know that I am the Alpha of this family and that this is technically my house since I bought it but Omega," he stepped in to take Dean’s hands in his, rubbing his thumbs in soothing circles. "This is your house too now, I want us to be equals in our relationship."

"Y-yeah?" Dean asked and his voice totally didn’t crack because he was getting aroused, oh no. Cas’ scent was wrapping around him.

"Yes." Cas breathed with certainty. "I really appreciate that you ask me, especially now that I have an important meeting but I assure you, it will be fine. I trust you to make mature decision and I’m going to wear headphones anyway. And if you take the X-box from the boys’ room and move it to the living room any noise will be even further away from me."

Dean swallowed hard. Gulped, more like. "So it’s okay? If we play here? I swear we won’t be rowdy."

"I trust you."

God, Cas was so close. Dean loved his scent. "And it’s okay if Benny comes too?"

Cas’ smile was almost wicked. "Omega, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Unlike others you’ve been with, I’m a real Alpha. And real Alphas aren’t insecure about their mates. They know, and make sure their mate knows, that they’re the only Alpha for their mate." He grabbed Dean’s hips to pull the Omega close to him and fucking hell, Dean was already trembling from barely contained lust. "You are my mate, Dean. You are mine and I’m not threatened by little boy-Alphas that throw themselves at you."

"Fu…fuck…" Dean gasped. He was already hard and could feel slick making his hole wet.

Cas chuckled but it was so dark and fucking sensual that Dean couldn’t think about what could have amused the Alpha.

"We don’t have time, Omega." He purred and kneaded Dean’s hips. Dean’s whole pelvis jerked forward and he moaned lowly when he felt how the Alpha was beginning to grow hard as well.

Okay, they didn’t have time for a real fuck but surely there was time for a blow job? Suddenly Dean ached to have the Alpha inside him however he could get him and he was sliding down to his knees before he even comprehended what he was doing.

"So good to me, Alpha." He moaned and swiftly unbuckled Cas’ belt. Cas inhaled sharply when Dean opened his slacks and started groping for his cock. "Making me feel so loved, so fucking appreciated."

"It’s because you are." Cas hissed out and fucking finally put his hands in Dean’s hair. His legs were trembling when Dean put his hands on the Alpha’s thighs and kissed the head of his cock.

He wasn’t completely hard yet but Dean took swift care of that. Just a few moments of suckling on the head and Cas’ breathing was already clipped. They didn’t have time to fuck and therefore probably should end this before Cas’ knot fully filled but Dean could already tell that that would be a race.

Cas had told him that he usually had better control over his knot but that Dean was driving him insane. Dean of course didn’t know if that was true or not but was very inclined to believe it. Especially with how easily he reduced Cas to his feral instincts.

He rested back on his heels and took more of Cas when the Alpha was rock hard. Cas groaned and threw his head back. His fingers were scraping against Dean’s skull and the Omega closed his eyes as pleasure raked down his body.

They had done blow jobs before and Dean just fucking loved the taste of Cas. Once he had even coaxed Cas to pop his knot when Dean was sucking him off. A part of him had wanted Cas to knot his face but he had never tried it and thought it would be kind of painful. That didn’t hinder him from sucking Cas as deep down as he could while he massaged the Alpha’s throbbing knot, though. Fuck, Cas had come so much he had almost looked pained there at the end. Maybe they would have time for that right now?

"So good, Dean." Cas growled and grabbed tighter at Dean’s hair.

Fucking yes, fuck my face.

Dean loved it when Cas took control and like this, helpless on his knees while the Alpha directed the pace as he slowly pulled out and pushed inside Dean’s wet mouth, he felt the best. His own dick was hard and hurt a little where it was trapped in his jeans but he ignored it. He did shift his feet a little to be able to rub his ass against his own heel, though. The angle was very off and it threw his balance a little but it felt so good he didn’t care. Just clung to the Alpha’s thighs as Cas face-fucked him slowly.

The pace was agony and bliss all at the same time and Dean embarrassed himself by moaning wantonly. Except with Cas there was no shame, he loved all of Dean and only responded with a strangled growl himself.

"Going to come soon, Omega." He pressed out and Dean whined through his nose at the hushed words.

He shifted once again, this time to press his thighs together and God, his dick felt fucking wonderful. He was so close to coming himself but wanted Cas to topple over first. Cas was so fucking amazing in how he treated Dean all the fucking time and Dean wanted to be a good Omega and take care of his Alpha.

"Going to take care of you, Dean." Cas groaned out when his pace increased, almost as if reading Dean’s mind. Short, shallow thrusts so as not to choke Dean and Dean wanted to tell him that he could take it. That he, in fact, wanted to choke on the Alpha’s cock. "I’ll do anything you want. Lick you open, lick you until you come from my tongue alone."

Holy shit, Dean was going to come right now.

He removed one hand from his death grip on Cas’ thigh and pressed the heel of his hand against his dick. Sure, he wanted something in his hole — Cas’ tongue was divine — but he couldn’t hold out any longer.

So with just a few seconds of rubbing he came hard, a strangled shout pressing past Cas’ cock and Dean’s throat muscles somehow relaxed as the rest of his body locked up. Cas slid in effortlessly, his cock all the way down Dean’s throat and Cas’ knot pressed tightly against Dean’s lips.

"Dean? Oh fuck."

Dean loved when he managed to surprise the Alpha during sex and loved it even more when Cas cursed like that. Gratification washed over him as he felt the Alpha’s come pour down his throat and Cas moaned deeply as he all but jackknifed over Dean’s head.

The air that had been saturated with desire and arousal immediately filled with the scent of satisfied Alpha and Dean would have smiled if he hadn’t had a fat cock in his mouth. Cas stayed hunched over Dean for a little while but Dean just swallowed around him and accommodated.

The Alpha’s knot was still pretty full but not completely so and Dean guessed Cas would be okay for now. He would rectify that later, of course, not one to let his Alpha go to bed with an unsatisfied knot. For now, though, he felt so content to just sit there as Cas caught his breath.

"You…" Cas drew a deep breath and pulled out slowly. "You are amazing."

Dean snorted in deflection of the praise and licked his lips to be sure he hadn’t missed any of Cas’ come. "You taste amazing." He grinned.

Cas helped him to his feet and pulled him into a deep kiss. His tongue licked Dean’s mouth thoroughly and Dean more than eagerly shared the taste of Cas’ come with the Alpha. He was thrilled that Cas wanted that. Most Alphas Dean had been with, Benny included, didn’t like the taste of their own come. But Cas cared more about kissing Dean than to be scared away by something like that and Dean loved him the more for it.

"Thank you, Omega."

Dean grinned again and rubbed their noses together because he knew Cas liked that and totally not because he craved in it too.

"So I guess I’ll have to take a shower before everyone comes over."

Cas chuckled and gave him a quick peck. "I don’t know what you’re talking about, I think you smell wonderful."

Dean scrunched his nose in amusement. "Dork."

Charlie and Kevin had been excited to visit Cas’ house and Dean had only felt a little bad telling them the same lie Cas had told Balthazar as to why Dean was actually in Cas’ house rather than his dad’s apartment. But they believed it readily enough and he thought it was for the best anyway.

He just hoped he didn’t smell too much of happy and almost-mated Omega or they would start asking questions. Sure, Dean and Cas weren’t interested in hiding their relationship but they had both agreed that they would keep everything on the down-low until they had talked to Sammy and Alfie and until they had actually mated.

Benny was understandably a little more apprehensive about coming to Cas’ house but the thought of not having to fight his brother and sisters over the video game finally won him over. Also, Dean’s multiple reassurances that Cas would be okay with him coming over.

Sure, Benny didn’t know that Dean and Cas’ relationship had evolved to a point where the older Alpha might take offence by Benny’s mere presence and he didn’t know that Dean had told Cas everything about his and Benny’s relationships either. But he was still wary of Cas and Dean understood why. Benny couldn’t after all know that Dean had managed to snag the world’s greatest Alpha.

Eventually everyone had agreed and Dean had gone to take that much needed shower. He had seen Cas watching him smugly through the open office door as he walked to and fro Cas’ bedroom and he hadn’t been able not to feel good about that.

He had put some of his clothes up in Cas’ room and was glad for it now because it meant he was able to strut his stuff for the amused Alpha to see. Dean loved Cas’ eyes on him. An hour later Dean was still thinking about ways he could take care of the Alpha’s knot.

The doorbell rang with just twenty minutes until Cas’ meeting would start but Cas had said that was okay too. He didn’t mind meeting the guests first and Dean secretly thought Cas wanted to size Benny up. He completely trusted the Alpha when he had said he didn’t feel threatened but it wouldn’t hurt to eye his potential rival, did it? Dean actually kind of relished a meeting between the two Alphas because, okay, maybe he had a small kink for Cas being possessive. Small.

Dean heard Cas coming down the stairs just as he opened the door but he didn’t have time to say anything to the Alpha because Charlie flung herself in Dean’s arms as soon as the door was open enough for her to squeeze through.

"Dean!" she exclaimed and hugged him so hard he thought his ribs cracked. "Haven’t heard from you in ages!"

"We spoke on the phone yesterday." He wheezed out.

"Yeah, about setting this up, jeez."

He rolled his eyes at her and then stepped aside to let his friends in. Apparently they had carpooled and Dean grinned widely at Kevin and Benny.

"Come in." He said unnecessarily but Kevin beamed at him all the same.

"So Sammy’s not here?" he asked. "And, um, Alfie?" he said Alfie’s name uncertainly but Dean couldn’t blame him. He had been talking a little more about Alfie during the last months but probably not so much that his friends would remember him all that much.

"Nope." Dean said happily. "They’re at summer camp. We’ve got Alfie’s X-box all to ourselves."

"Good." Charlie grinned just as Benny closed the front door behind himself. He was smelling faintly of nervousness and Dean smiled kindly at him. "Because I’ve got Halo 3 so you better prepare yourselves."

Dean pointed to the living room. "You can set it up, I’ve got snacks in the kitchen. Help me with that, Kevin?"

"Sure." The little Omega said enthusiastically just as Charlie bounced into the living room.

Benny looked a little lost for about a split second and then Dean saw him noticing Cas looming at the end of the hallway. Yeah, that was why Dean had sent Charlie to the living room and why he was taking Kevin into the kitchen before either of them had had time to say hello to the Alpha. Cas and Benny needed to assess their common ground first. Establish shit. Cas wasn’t very territorial and he had given Dean that simply wonderful speech but Dean still knew how Alphas worked. Pecking order was still a thing and Dean was down with that.

So he pulled Kevin away and the last thing he saw before they entered the kitchen was how Benny drew a deep breath and how Cas approached him confidently.

It took a little while for Dean and Kevin to sort out what they would want to eat right away and what to put in what bowl. Dean had only had time to make the world’s quickest run to the grocery store after his shower so he had basically just grabbed the first thing on the shelves. Looking at everything now, though, he felt pretty confident that they would be occupied well into the night with just eating.

"Okay," Dean said when they were done for now. "You take the big bowl and the soda, I think I can carry the rest." Because fuck going twice. Kevin smiled and walked ahead of Dean but stopped as soon as he got out in the hall.

He let out a little squeak and Dean almost walked right into him. He was just about to ask but the second the scents hit him he had to take a moment to steady himself. Because the hallway was filled with mingling scents of the two Alphas.

Mutual protection, care, apprehensive trust.

Yeah, it was a beautiful blend and it called to Dean’s Omega instincts just as he supposed it called to Kevin’s. By the look on the smaller Omega Dean was pretty sure Kevin was fighting between arousal and nervousness.

"Dean." Cas said, his usually gravelly voice even deeper somehow.

"Yeah." Dean almost whined but managed to clear his throat in time. "We good out here?"

Cas looked over at Benny and the younger Alpha gave Cas a little smile that Cas quirked his lips at.

"Of course." He answered smoothly and Dean knew he was telling the truth or their scents would be completely different. Cas stepped over to Kevin and carefully took the big bowl of chips from him. "Let me help you." He extended his hand and shook Kevin’s in a firm grip. "It’s nice to meet you again, Kevin."

Kevin just gaped at him for a moment, eyes wide. "Th-thanks." He mumbled after a while and yeah, his scent was definitely not nervous anymore.

Dean pressed his lips together. "We’re in the living room." He said brusquely and pushed past Kevin and the two Alphas, completely ignoring Benny’s knowing smirk. Okay, so maybe out of the two of them Dean was more prone to being jealous, big fucking deal.

As he watched Cas interact with Kevin and Charlie Dean grew more at ease, however. Cas was just naturally charismatic in his stoic kind of way and Dean saw that even Benny looked comfortable enough around the Alpha. And Cas was after all Dean’s, there was no questioning that.

"Well," Cas said when there was only five minutes left before his meeting. "I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun, I’ll be leaving you to yourself."

"Aw, you’re not joining us, Mr. N?" Charlie asked and waved a controller at him. "I’m sure we can figure out a way to share."

Cas chuckled and put a hand on Dean’s shoulder. "I assure you I would be horrible at it. Besides, I have got work to do."

"On a Friday?" Kevin piped up but immediately looked embarrassed when Cas turned to look at him. "I mean, that just seems boring."

Cas smiled widely. "It very much is, but don’t let that dampen your spirits." He turned to look at Dean. "I’ll be in my office if you need anything."

Dean smiled with soft eyes. "I know, Cas."

Cas squeezed his shoulder before turning to leave and God, Dean just wanted to kiss him silly.

Chapter Text

It was just after midnight when Dean’s friends eventually left and Dean waved them off with a smile. He had had a really great time with them but he had to admit to himself that he had been distracted the last couple of hours. Because he knew Cas’ meeting was supposed to end at nine and yet the Alpha hadn’t come down to join them. And he had longed something fierce for his Alpha’s mere presence.

Just as he walked back into the living room to start cleaning up he noticed Cas standing by the foot of the stairs, just kind of looming there in the dark.

"Jesus." Dean breathed as he jerked back in surprise. "How long have you been there?"

Cas tilted his head to the side but didn’t say anything. Most of the house was shrouded in darkness and for a moment there it almost looked like the Alpha’s eyes reflected the TV’s light unnaturally. A not completely unpleasant shiver ran through Dean.

"Cas?"

The Alpha made a beckoning sound and then started walking up the stairs. Part of Dean was scared that Cas was angry over something but since he couldn’t figure out what he just followed cautiously. Plus, he couldn’t ignore how his Omega instincts screamed for the Alpha.

The upper floor was dark as well, the only light coming from Cas’ bedroom and judging by how little it was Dean suspected it was only the bedside lamp. He walked over with trepidation but yeah, the scent of Cas calmed him down when he got closer and it got easier to discern the smell.

Cas wasn’t mad at all but there was still something about his scent that Dean couldn’t identify. Something feral, primal and fuck, Dean wanted him.

When he stepped inside the room he saw that he had been right about the light. The lonely lamp shone with a soft yellow hue and illuminated the room and the bed they shared. It was empty now, however, the comforter and pillows in a heap on the floor.

Dean eyed it but quickly shifted his attention to Cas who was standing in his closet, rummaging around on his tie rack. Dean swallowed because if this was going where he suddenly thought it might be going he needed to calm down or he would blow his load before Cas had even begun.

When Cas turned around in a flourish Dean’s breath hitched. The Alpha’s eyes were black with lust and Dean could see his cock already thickening in his nice slacks. He didn’t know what he had done to prompt this reaction out of the Alpha but he would be sure to try and do it again.

Cas had two ties in his hands and he pulled one of them taut between his hands. The tie made a sharp snapping sound and Dean jerked to hear it. Fuck, what if Cas wanted to spank him? That would be so fucking awesome.

Just one meaningful glance down at Dean’s clothes had Dean ripping them off and within the next heartbeat he was climbing on the bed. Cas was on him a second later and manhandled him so that Dean was on his back, completely spread-eagle under the Alpha’s bulk.

"Fuck yes, Cas." He moaned and Cas huffed out a soft growl in response. It was like Cas had gone completely feral and fucking hell, why was that hot?

Cas grabbed Dean’s right hand and pulled it up to the bars on the headboard. A few expert flicks later and he had tied Dean securely there, kept in place with one of Cas’ smooth ties. The knot was tight but it didn’t hurt and when Dean pulled on it he found to his satisfaction that he couldn’t accidentally slip loose.

He grinned at the Alpha when Cas went to secure Dean’s other hand to the headboard as well and Cas responded by leaning down and flicking one of Dean’s nipples with his warm tongue. The sensation was extremely brief but very much enough to ignite Dean’s whole body. He hissed and arched his back to get more attention but Cas just calmly pushed him back down.

Dean whined in protest and felt his hole leak slick already at just the sight of Cas’ smirk. It was wicked, showing off his sharp teeth, and Dean tried to buck up his hips but Cas moved away from the motion too fast.

He climbed off the bed and started undressing agonizingly slow and all Dean could do was watch. The Omega’s dick was already hard, standing nearly perpendicular to his body, and he clenched and unclenched his hole almost unconsciously.

He didn’t know what had gotten into the Alpha but he loved it. Loved being dominated in bed and was absolutely loving this added bonus of the simple bondage. Cas’ ties were soft and he had tied Dean’s hands just right for Dean to be able to squirm but not move very far.

Dean wondered if he regretted that Cas hadn’t tied his legs to something as well but as soon as the Alpha climbed into the bed and forced Dean’s legs apart and up he completely, one hundred percent did not regret anything.

The Alpha was truly a wonder to behold with all his lean muscles, sharp hipbones, and fat cock hanging heavily between his legs. Dean keened at the sight of him and the sound turned into a drawn-out whine when Cas started caressing the Omega’s thigh while jerking himself off.

Fuck, Dean was slick. He was leaking all over the sheets, even to the point of where he could feel a wet spot forming underneath him. He watched with a dry mouth how Cas threw his head back and breathed through his gritted teeth as he all but fucked his own fist.

He had a tight grip on Dean’s right thigh now, holding the leg out of the way and Dean still had enough sense to keep his left leg to the side as well. Cas’ eyes were burning as they raked down Dean’s trembling body and the Omega’s dick throbbed with need as the Alpha’s musky scent of desire washed over him.

"You like me like this, Alpha?" he moaned and licked his lips. Cas huffed out a groan. "All helpless just for you?"

Cas snarled in triumph and fucking hell, was he going to come? Like this, all over Dean’s prone body? Dean arched his back, wordlessly begging for attention. Cas’ fingernails were digging in, just shy of breaking the skin and Dean hissed when unexpected pleasure shot through him at the stinging sensation.

Suddenly Cas bent low, grazing his teeth along Dean’s neck and up to nip at the Omega’s ear.

"Mine." He growled and God, Dean’s whole body was taut with the need for release.

He wanted the Alpha’s hands on him, wanted Cas to jerk him off as he pounded Dean hard. But for some reason Cas was holding off, standing on his knees over Dean and still pulling harshly on his own cock.

Dean could see that his knot was forming and goddamnit, Dean wanted that inside him. He bucked up and for a second he got some much needed friction on his dick but Cas just sat back up again, grinning predatorily. Dean huffed out a breath he hadn’t known he had been holding and bucked up again, this time into nothingness.

"Alpha, shit, you gotta…I-I need…"

Cas growled again, the sound so much more feral than Dean had ever heard anyone ever make. He grabbed a tight hold of the back of Dean’s thigh, right under his knee, and forced the Omega to bend. It was no problem for Dean and he actually wished Cas would be a little more forceful but any such thoughts fled his mind when he saw the pure rapture on Cas’ face.

The Alpha had closed his eyes, his lips were slightly parted as he leaned his head back and fucking fuck, he was coming all over Dean’s dick, balls and perineum right the fuck now. Dean moaned and spread as wide as he could, loving the feel of the Alpha’s release on him.

But…

Dean’s head jerked up when the scent hit his nose. He stared down at the watery release, too thick to be piss but too thin to be Alpha come. And the scent of the Alpha’s pheromones was so strong that Dean could barely breathe.

His whole body sized up when he realized what was going on.

"Fuck, fuck." He moaned, completely unable to stop his orgasm as it rushed through him. "You’re fucking scent marking me? For fucking real? I—ah!"

Rubbing faces against necks was one thing; was more endearing than anything else. But this…this was primal. This was ownership in its most basic form and Dean, well fuck, Dean was just so overwhelmed with pleasure that he came untouched.

His dick jumped with every spurt, spraying come over the both of them as his hole clenched painfully around nothing. Cas snarled again and snapped his teeth, his scent so full of satisfaction that Dean’s eyes teared up.

Dean barely had time to recover even his breath before Cas sat back so that he could rub his hand all over Dean’s dick and balls, rubbing in their combined releases. Rough touches that sparked Dean’s arousal anew. He keened and thrust against Cas’ hand.

Cas managed to somehow grin and coo at the same time and Dean was delirious enough to not manage a single word. Because holy fucking shit, Cas had marked him with his scent. It was so dirty and fucking hot at the same time.

The Alpha rubbed lower and completely blew Dean’s mind when his fingers pushed their releases into Dean’s already slick hole. He easily pressed two fingers in there and scissored to add a third with a glorious smirk.

"My Omega."

Dean made these little hissing sounds, completely unable to even manage the simple word yes. Fuck, his mind had really turned into mush.

And then Cas was lining up, hard enough to be able to push in without needing aid from his hand to guide him. Some of the hard lines on his face eased and he moaned, his whole body trembling as he pushed slowly into Dean.

He gathered Dean’s legs around his waist and Dean did his best to help, he really did. But shit, he was already completely drained and even so Cas easily coaxed a new erection from Dean’s dick, new need to come, new pleasure.

Cas rolled his whole body into his powerful thrusts, making the motion fluid and Dean turned his head so he could kiss the Alpha when Cas leaned down close enough. Unlike the controlled thrusts the kiss was hurried and sloppy, probably mostly because Dean had no coordination left in his body.

Then the Alpha grabbed a hold of Dean’s hips, his thrusts getting shorter and sharper as his knot started catching on the Omega’s rim. Cas rumbled out a groan and pressed his face against Dean’s neck, panting harshly. Distantly Dean became aware of the fact that Cas was practically chanting his name between breaths and fuck, that just made his heart feel like it was going to explode.

"W-want you…I…" Dean shut his eyes tightly and did his best to aid the Alpha in thrusting.

Cas held him so close they could hardly move and then his knot breached Dean to keep them even closer. Cas shouted hoarsely against Dean’s neck as his first orgasm poured out of him and Dean moaned in satisfaction, clenching hard on the Alpha’s knot.

"Dean." Cas rasped out and shit, he sounded completely debauched, almost as if he had been in a trance.

"I’m here little Alpha." Dean gritted out. Cas was still thrusting into him and Dean’s dick was sliding between them in the combined releases and sweat that coated their stomachs. "Here all for you."

"Oh, Dean." Cas groaned and latched onto Dean’s neck, no doubt sucking one hell of a hickey and fuck if that wasn’t enough for Dean to fall over the edge again.

He moaned brokenly and his whole body jerked as his dick erupted again in entirely too short a time. This orgasm was much more powerful and almost painful but any ache was eased by Cas’ soothing scent. The Alpha groaned deeply when he felt the warmth spread between them and he bucked hard before coming again.

Fuck, there was so much going on that Dean was only distantly aware of the fact that Cas was coming so much it was leaking out past his thick cock. The sheets were sure to be ruined and Dean couldn’t find it in himself to care. Reveled in the realization, to be frank.

Their motions gradually slowed down until Cas was basically just undulating his hips in aborted little circles. Dean ached to wrap his arms around the Alpha but didn’t say anything. If Cas needed to take a moment to breathe then that was okay.

Eventually it seemed like Cas was done and his whole body kind of relaxed. Dean groaned a little when Cas’ weight pulled on his trapped arms but he just smiled when Cas looked questioningly at him.

"Hey there." He said softly and watching Cas come back to himself was both hilarious and adorable.

"Shit, Dean, I tied you up." He heaved himself up on his knees, mindful of the fact that they were still attached.

"Yeah you did." Dean said cheekily and watched as Cas fumbled to untie him, the knots tighter now with all the pulling Dean had done on them without even knowing. "You dog."

Cas smiled sheepishly down at him and shifted over to Dean’s other hand only after he had rubbed Dean’s reddened wrist for a moment.

"I’m sorry."

"Don’t be." As soon as Dean was free he wrapped his arms octopus style around the Alpha’s torso and Cas grunted as they all but fell to the side.

The position was incredibly awkward in their tied off state but Dean just laughed at Cas’ attempt at righting them. When they had shifted enough for Dean to be sitting comfortably on top of the Alpha he clenched his hole, prompting a spasm to run through Cas’ whole body. His hips jerked up and he gritted his teeth. Dean smirked in satisfaction when he felt a small spurt of come shoot out of Cas’ still hard cock. Cas always had so much to give Dean.

"D’you wanna tell me what this was about?" Dean asked and gestured down to his crotch where basically nothing had dried yet. He was sticky and loving it. "It was almost like you were in rut."

But not really, of course. Dean would have known from Cas’ scent alone and Cas probably wouldn’t have been coherent enough to tie Dean with such considerate ties. Or to tie him up at all. And besides, Dean knew the Alpha was still on his rut suppressants.

They had talked about him getting off them now that Dean would be there to help him. And Alphas only had about two ruts a year anyway, it wasn’t like it would be tough on them when they were two. But as far as Dean knew they were still waiting to go there until after they had mated and yeah, this had anyhow not really been any ordinary rut-behavior.

Cas relaxed slowly as Dean waited patiently, resting back against the mattress with a sigh. "I’m honestly not sure what I…" he frowned and then held up his head to be able to look more directly at Dean. "No, you know what? I know exactly what this was."

Dean raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh?"

"Yes. You are my mate, Dean. We haven’t completed it with a bite so I felt a need to do something. I let my Alpha instincts take over and I’m sorry if I hurt you."

"Didn’t hurt…" Dean mumbled but Cas just kept talking, his voice steady and determined.

"I told you I’m not threatened by Benny and I’m not but apparently my Alpha instincts reacted like this to his presence. You’re a person and no one owns you and yet I feel this deep need to make you mine, do you understand the difference?"

Dean gulped. "Yes." He rasped and his eyes didn’t fucking tear up because fuck.

"And another thing. I’ve always scoffed at people when they talked about True Mates. When people said I handled Hannah’s death better than John handled Mary’s because John and Mary were True Mates and me and Hannah weren’t I was always a little affronted. But you know what?" he grabbed a tight hold on Dean’s hips and Dean had to splay his hands on the Alpha’s hard stomach to keep his balance. "I was wrong, okay? I owe John an apology because if he felt even a fraction of the love I feel for you then I can’t even imagine how he even survived Mary’s death himself."

Dean swallowed against the tears. "Don’t justify his behavior." He mumbled.

"I’m not." Cas easily used his stomach muscles to sit up and hold Dean close. The motion jostled his cock in Dean and the Omega hissed. "I’m not, Dean. But do you hear me? I can’t live without you. I can’t."

Dean smiled shyly and looked down. "You sayin’ we’re True Mates?" that would be ridiculous, right? True Mates didn’t exist outside of movies. Right?

Cas gripped the Omega’s chin and lifted his face so that their eyes could meet. The scent of Alpha calmness surrounded Dean and relaxed his suddenly stiff muscles.

"That’s exactly what I’m saying. You oppose me now or never, Dean Winchester."

Dean’s breath hitched. "Never." He stated in a hushed tone and a second later Cas’ lips were on his. The kiss was almost reverent in its tenderness. Dean melted against the Alpha and if he felt what could only be described as a sob wrack the older man’s body then no one felt a need to point it out.

Dean was still in a haze a couple of days later when they had picked up Sam and Alfie from camp. He just couldn’t…well frankly couldn’t believe life could be like this.

They had spent the evening listening to the boys’ eager renditions of everything they had done at camp and looking at Sammy’s tanned, smiling face Dean felt a kind of peace he had never really felt before. His Alpha wanted him and his brother was safe.

They wanted to wait until the boys had calmed down a bit and then tell them about the upcoming mating so for the time being Dean went back to sleeping down in the basement. He looked forlornly at Cas just to be a dick about it because he enjoyed watching the Alpha struggle with his need to comfort his Omega but truth be told Dean was okay with sleeping in the basement for now.

He understood why they needed to treat this cautiously, not only because Dean was underage but because Alfie might not want anyone to replace his mom. Especially not someone only four years his senior. Neither Cas nor Dean actually believed the little Beta reasoned like that but still, it was a delicate situation.

Besides, Dean sleeping downstairs made for some real great sneaking around sex. Honestly, Cas creeping into Dean’s room in the dead of night was like something directly from Dean’s fantasies and he could feel his heart soar every time Cas joined him in his much smaller bed.

A few days later they still hadn’t told the boys but they were working up to it. To be frank Dean was a little nervous, not because he wasn’t sure of this but precisely because he was so sure it was almost unrealistic.

With only little over a week left before school Dean was down in the laundry room, pulling wet laundry out of the washer to bring it out and hang in the back yard. Just remembering Cas’ praise on how Dean tended to the garden was enough to make him smile and maybe he was whistling to himself, so sue him.

He noticed his little brother’s scent before he saw him and he turned to the open door just as Sam walked in.

"Dean, I gotta talk to you about something."

"Sure." Dean wrestled the last sheet out of the washer and dumped it on top of the rest of the laundry. "I’m gonna go out and hang this, wanna help?"

Sam eyed the pile of clothes and bedsheets before stepping back with a determined expression. He shut the door tightly and Dean tilted his head to the side.

"I’ll help you but we’ve gotta talk first."

Okay, that made Dean frown. "Okay." He said slowly and pushed the laundry basket to the side as he leaned against the washing machine. "Shoot."

Sam pressed his lips together for a moment and looked away. His scent was ripe with apprehension and determination and Dean wondered absentmindedly when his little brother had grown up. Camp had been good for him. He had come home looking stronger, taller, more sure of himself. Dean loved it but was a little sad he had missed seeing it as it happened.

"I…I know you and Mr. N are having sex."

Dean froze for a moment and then a calmness overtook him. This was maybe not how they had wanted to reveal their relationship but he wasn’t the least bit ashamed of it.

"Come on Sammy, you know you can call him Cas too."

"I’m serious, Dean."

Dean sighed at his brother’s stern face. "So am I, don’t get your panties in a bunch." He smiled when Sam only managed to look more irritated. "I suppose you’ve smelled it, right?"

"Right." Sam stepped closer and suddenly looked so much younger. "Can you please not joke about this, Dean? Tell me the truth."

Dean swallowed but still felt just as calm. "We wanted to tell you and Alfie together but yeah, me and Cas are having sex. We’re—"

"Is he using you?" Sam interrupted with what was almost a snarl. He was back to looking serious and angry and Dean was taken aback.

"What? No!"

Sam frowned. "You’re telling me you’re not using sex to repay him for taking us in? For paying for camp?"

"Jesus Christ, Sammy." Dean had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. Sure, Sam was only trying to protect his older brother but it was still Dean’s mate that the little Alpha was mistrusting. "We’re mates."

Sam’s confused scent hit Dean so hard he coughed once. "What?"

"Yeah." Dean cleared his throat. "It’s been a struggle because of my age and shit but yeah, we’re in love." God, that felt liberating to say out loud. "I love him, Sammy."

Sam was eyeing Dean’s neck and Dean sighed before pulling on the collar of his t-shirt to reveal that there really wasn’t a bite there.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. We’re just waiting with the bite, doesn’t make it less true. Believe me."

Sam scrunched his nose. "I don’t want details Dean, that’s gross. I was just asking because…well…" he looked away and yeah, he was back to smelling apprehensive. "Just wanna be sure it’s not some kind of hero complex."

Dean couldn’t even believe Sam had a grip on what that meant.

"You think I want him because he’s been so cool to us? Because he’s like the Alpha we never had growing up? Because he treats me right? You think I’m just idolizing him?"

Sam shrugged but turned back fast enough when Dean huffed out a small snarl.

"Dean?"

"It’s nothing like that, Sam."

Sam nodded slowly. "It’s his scent, right? I’ve seen you going cross-eyed over it and I get it."

"You do?"

Sam sighed. "You’re not exactly as subtle as you think. And besides, I’m an Alpha too. I couldn’t, and I would never, challenge Mr. N—Cas, and that’s not just ‘cause he’s nice, you know?"

Dean frowned in confusion. "Actually I don’t, is that an Alpha thing?"

Sam blinked and then huffed out a laugh. "I suppose. But Dean," he put a hand on Dean’s arm. "You’re really mating? For real?"

Warmth spread through Dean’s chest and he couldn’t help the no doubt dopey smile that spread on his face.

"Yeah."

"Then I’m happy for you."

Okay, Dean had been a little more emotional than normal this last month so forgive him for pulling Sam into a crushing hug. Wasn’t like the squirt was complaining either. He just smelled of happiness and hugged Dean back.

"What about dad, though?" Sam asked against Dean’s ear and when the hell had Sam hit his growth spurt? Fucking camp.

"Let’s jump that hurdle when we get there, okay?"

Sam nodded. "Cas should hurry and put a bite on you."

"Probably but we wanted to make sure you and Alfie were fine with this first." He pulled out and for some reason found himself carding Sam’s long hair with his fingers. "You gotta promise me not to say anything to Alfie yet, okay? Me and Cas wanted to do this together."

Sam smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Don’t be sorry for being perceptive. It’s a valuable trait."

Sam laughed and Dean couldn’t help feeling great about this. Okay, so maybe they hadn’t told the little ones in the right order or whatever but it felt like everything would work out fine anyway. At the moment it felt like nothing could go wrong and Dean clung to that feeling like a drowning man to his lifebuoy.

Chapter Text

On the Saturday before the Monday that marked the new school year dad came home and Dean and Sam were once again forced to go back to that hated apartment.

Cas had almost not wanted to let Dean go, just kept muttering about how he should have bitten Dean and the Omega couldn’t agree more. But they had decided to wait until they had told the little ones and Alfie still didn’t know. That their plans to tell him over dinner had been interrupted by dad’s phone call had only made it seem worse.

Because ever since Cas had told Dean about his plans for the evening the Omega hadn’t been able to think about anything other than the subsequent mating that would follow their reveal. Jesus Christ, his whole body had practically been thrumming with the need for the Alpha’s bite and now he would have to wait. Fucking dad.

As it was now, Sam and Dean were forced to endure a boring dinner listening to dad proudly retelling his hunting stories instead of a nice dinner with Cas and Alfie. And boy, did dad have a lot of stories even though he had had none of that promised deer meat with him home.

Dean wanted to ask just to be an ass but thought he really shouldn’t because at the rate dad was drinking he was probably soon going to go into either angry drunk or sad drunk mode. And Dean didn’t want to deal with either one when he was still so on edge himself.

Suddenly dad laughed at something he had said and Dean realized he had been too occupied with his own thoughts. He managed a wane smile but of course dad noticed.

"What the fuck’s wrong with you, Omega?" dad groused and opened another beer. How many was that again? It was difficult for Dean to keep count because dad had had a lot of beer of his own with him when he got back.

"Sorry, I’m just—"

"Your Alpha not treating you right? You know you gotta do good by him, Dean."

Dean almost froze in terror and he saw how Sam glanced at him but he remembered in the last moment that he still hadn’t told dad he had broken up with Benny. Benny was the Alpha dad was referring too, thank God.

"No, he’s fine."

Dad snorted. "‘Course he is, he’s a strong Alpha for fuck’s sake."

Dean wanted to ask how the fuck dad could know that but didn’t see the point.

"Yeah." He mumbled and tried to ignore Sam’s icy stare. No need to draw attention to Cas before the mating. Everything should be legal before dad was involved, that was for fucking sure.

"Not like he’s a fucking Beta." Dad mumbled against the beer bottle he was nursing but Dean heard him. And judging by Sam’s jerk he heard too.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked carefully. Dad’s eyes were getting brooding and that couldn’t be good. Probably shouldn’t have asked.

"I’m just sayin’ you’re an Omega, Dean. And Omegas were made to service Alphas, not goddamn Betas. What good are they anyway? Fucking in-between breeds."

Dean was just gaping at dad, completely unable to understand what the man had just said. But Sam’s hackles rose and he got to his feet.

"My best friend’s a Beta." He stated challengingly and Dean cringed. Dad turned a dark stare at his youngest son.

"Don’t you think I don’t fucking know?" dad growled. Fuck, things were escalating again. "Castiel fucking Novak’s little twerp. I know who you associate with and I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that."

"What about it?" Dean interrupted loudly, completely unable not to when dad spoke like that about his mate. They hadn’t ever discussed the Novaks before and all of Dean’s senses felt heightened.

Dad rose slowly and towered over Dean. Fuck.

"It’s about you," dad hissed in Dean’s face. "Allowing your brother to get influenced by a little Beta shit like that."

"What’re you—?"

Dean let out a strangled moan when dad promptly punched him in the side. He hunched down and clutched his side as pain shot through his body. On his other side Sam made a distressed sound but Dean couldn’t draw breath enough to answer him.

"It’s about you," dad continued loudly in Dean’s face. "Not taking proper care of your brother. Botching the only fucking job you had, Omega."

Dean tried to school his scent so he wouldn’t scare Sammy but knew it probably didn’t work. He hated it when dad got so explosively angry like this. Usually dad was easier to read, his anger more predictable, but sometimes he got like this and those times more often than not ended with Dean getting hurt.

The old Alpha reeked of alcohol and stale anger and Dean’s eyes watered at the scent.

"Stop it, dad!" Sam yelled and for some reason that earned Dean another punch. He grunted and slid off the chair but Sammy was there to catch him. "There’s nothing wrong with how Dean’s handled the situation you’ve put us in."

Dad snorted and was rounding Dean’s chair to where the two of them were hunched. Dean tried to put himself between dad and Sam but was pretty unsuccessful in moving altogether.

"Grow up, Sammy." Dad snorted. "I leave you money, you can take care of yourselves."

"No we fucking can’t!" Sam roared. He was reeking of Alpha anger and that combined with dad’s similar scent made Dean’s head dizzy. "Do you even know what Dean had to do?"

Dean froze. Oh God, please don’t let him react to that. Dad was already rearing to get angrier than he had been in a long time and that was just because they were opposing him, if he knew that Dean had whored himself out there was no telling what would happen.

"What did you do, Dean?" dad asked in an icy tone and Dean’s breath hitched.

He wanted Cas there, wanted his mate to protect him but shit, they hadn’t really mated. Why had they waited? Why had they thought they had time? Dean wasn’t old enough to marry but he was old enough to receive the mating bite. Why had they let their happiness overshadow everything else? Cas couldn’t help him now; would only get himself in trouble even if Dean vouched for them being mates.

No, Dean couldn’t and wouldn’t do that to Cas and Alfie. He had made the choice to wait just as much as Cas had and this was the result. He would just have to get through this like usual and as soon as they got back to Cas and Alfie, Dean would make sure he got that bite. People would talk if they mated under circumstances like these — not to mention the age difference — but Dean would rather have people talk than not have Cas’ protection and love. The only tricky part would be getting Sam away as well but maybe…maybe if Dean and Cas were mated they could convince Child Protective Services to let them gain custody over Sam?

"Nothing, sir." He pressed out. "Just made the money last ‘s all."

Dad was on him in an instance, punching him almost in the same spot for the third time and this time Dean almost felt his ribs crack.

"Are you fucking lying to me, boy?!"

Dean reeled from the blow and curved into a little ball, desperately trying to regain his breath. Black spots were dancing before his eyes and oh fuck, was he passing out? Couldn’t pass out now, needed to protect Sammy.

"Dean!" Sam was clutching the Omega’s shoulder but dad tore him to his feet and shook him by his arm.

"And what the hell do you think you’re doin’?" dad shook him harder when Sam opened his mouth to answer. "Think you’re mister hotshot now that you’ve presented?"

Dean’s whole body went ice cold with the realization that Sam was getting hurt. He lunged himself to his feet and managed to break dad’s grip on Sam using surprise alone.

"Please don’t hurt him, it’s me you’re angry with." For what reason, Dean still didn’t know.

"Dean." Sam said imploringly but Dean just pushed him behind his back. God, his sight was fuzzy at the edges. What would a broken rib feel like? Maybe it was the lack of a proper breath that left him dizzy.

"It’s okay, Sammy." Dean almost whispered. He still couldn’t get enough oxygen and that sudden movement hadn’t helped.

"Yes, it’s quite alright." Dad sneered. "You let the grown-ups talk. Don’t know where you get these tendencies anyway. Talking back and thinking you’re better than the rest of us. Well, you’re not, Sammy." Suddenly dad snagged a hand in Dean’s t-shirt and pulled him close, made him kneel. Dean’s hands scrambled uselessly to get the big Alpha to let go but it was no use. Dean’s air was getting cut off. "You." Dad breathed in Dean’s face. His breath reeked of booze and Dean almost gagged. "I told you to watch out for Sam and this is what he becomes under your care?"

"Dad, please, you’re choking him." Sam said in a shrill voice. Dad pushed the little Alpha harshly when he went to help Dean and he landed badly when his back crashed against his chair.

John snorted and pushed Dean away too, letting him slump down on the floor.

"There’s nothing wrong with him." Dean said in a raspy tone. "Sam’s the best Alpha I know."

"Well thank you for the fucking confidence." Dad sneered meanly. God, he looked like a demon with his face scrunched up like that. "Well it just so happens to be that I’m still your Alpha, Omega. Boyfriend or no boyfriend."

Dean’s eyes teared up when he thought of how he had been just hours away from getting Cas’ bite — from being Cas’ — and how dad had ruined that.

"We’re going to mate." Dean stated weakly and meant Cas even though dad thought of Benny. His tears spilled when dad just laughed at him.

"Mate? You don’t even know what that means." He kicked Dean hard on his thigh when a small growl erupted from the Omega. "We’ll see, Dean. Not everyone can stand you for as long as I have, might be you’ll never get your mate." He bent down and grabbed a handful of Dean’s hair. "Don’t you cry now, I’m just being honest. And while we’re at it I’m forbidding Sam from seeing that disgusting Beta boy ever again." He shook Dean hard when the Omega growled again. "Do you fucking hear me?!"

"Don’t talk about Alfie like that." Dean groaned weakly. His side was really hurting now and he wanted to check on Sam. The little Alpha was both moving and groaning so that was good at least, let Dean know he was alive enough to feel pain.

"Why not?" dad asked derisively. "I told you, Betas are nothing. Only Omegas and Alphas matter, everyone knows that. Betas are the fucking toilet of the world with their inferior scent and fucking everything. I’m so goddamn glad neither of you was a Beta or I don’t know what I would have done, Dean, I’m not fucking kidding."

Dean felt numb inside. How was this his dad? He remembered a time when dad had been kind and happy and he remembered moments during these long years that had been okay moments too. Dad could get very verbally abusive when he was mad but this was a new low, even for him.

"How can you say that?" Dean asked and hated how his words cracked but he couldn’t help the tears that flowed steadily now. "Mom was a beta."

Dad punched him so hard in the chest that the blow almost was powerful enough to crack Dean’s breastbone. The pain that shot through the Omega’s system was blinding and he only let out a strangled gasp before he toppled over to land face first against the filthy kitchen floor. New pain radiated out from the point of impact and Dean could do nothing but lie there and take it as it invaded all of his senses.

"Don’t you fucking talk about Mary!" dad roared like a man possessed. He got to his knees beside Dean and pounded both his fists on the Omega’s upturned back, like a furious ape. "You don’t know anything!"

Then suddenly dad let out a howl of pain. Dean mentally braced himself for another impact but all he heard was this loud crash that accompanied the Alpha’s howl and in the next moment he heard dad curse and yell about splinters, Sam, and what he was going to do to them.

Small hands were grabbing at him and Dean got to his feet at Sam’s hurried pleading.

"Come on, we’ll get out—fuck!"

"Don’t think I’ll let you fucking leave after that, Sammy boy." Dad roared and even though Dean saw two of everything he could definitely see that Sam had hit dad over the back with one of the kitchen chairs and that the enraged Alpha was now blocking their way out.

"Ba…ck…?" he pressed out and only then realized he had blood in his mouth. Had he bitten off his tongue? He swallowed and thought not.

"Fuck." Sam cursed vehemently and hauled Dean back to their room. Dad stumbled after them but had obviously taken a hard hit because they managed to get inside much faster than he could move.

Their door didn’t have a lock but this had happened before so Sam knew what to do. Dean’s dresser had been placed conveniently close to the door for this very purpose and the little Alpha quickly pushed it in front of the door. Dean slumped to his knees in the middle of the room and could only think how lucky he was that Sam was an Alpha because Dean would never have been able to move that dresser by himself.

Outside dad pounded on the door and kept yelling nonsense but it looked like they were safe for now. The door shook and the dresser thumbed back against it but it had held before.

"Shit, Dean." Sam carded his hand through his sweaty hair and Dean saw him wince. He wanted to ask how the little Alpha was, wanted to inspect his back. Wanted Cas. "This is so bad. What the hell happened? What do we do?"

"Same as always, Sammy, we wait it out." Dean mumbled and reached for his little brother. Dad had already stopped pounding on the door and Dean knew he would fall asleep soon. So they would wait it out like usual.

"Dean, we should get out of here."

Dean shook his head and the world swirled. "Can’t leave him when he’s passed out, he could drown in his own vomit."

"But Dean—"

"We’re not leaving Sammy." Dean stated as determinedly as he could while still blinking black spots out of his eyes. When he lifted Sam’s t-shirt he could see that a sizable bruise was already forming on the Alpha’s back. "We’ll wait until morning. Deal with it like always."

"This fucking sucks." Sam muttered and Dean couldn’t agree more. This had been their life for a long time but with the comparison of living at the Novak residence this seemed a hundred times worse than before. He longed for dad’s departure so they could go back to Cas and Alfie.

"I feel a little lightheaded." He slurred and crawled onto his bed. "I think I’m gonna lie down for a bit." He rolled to lie on his back and Sam immediately sat down with him.

"No, Dean, you might have a concussion." Concussion? Oh, right, you shouldn’t sleep with those.

"Dad didn’t hit me in the head." He never did. "I’m just a little winded, it’s fine."

Sam sighed and curled up against his big brother. Dean’s last thought before sleep took over was that soon Sam would be big enough to be the big spoon instead. It was a thought that put a smile on his sleeping face.

The logical thing to do when Dean and Sam eventually returned to the Novak household would have been to sit everyone down and have a nice chat about Dean and Castiel’s relationship.

That being said, the fact remained that as soon as Castiel lay his eyes on his Omega all rationality fled out the window and his body heated with the need to claim his mate. And by the looks Dean gave him in return, it was obvious that the Omega felt the same.

Sam, bless his little heart, had taken one look at the two of them and rolled his eyes before promptly dragging Alfie out of the house with the pretense of wanting to go to the playground. Alfie had looked confused for a moment because he had really missed Dean too but he didn’t waver long. God, Castiel’s sex life was now in debt to a twelve-year-old and he wasn’t even sorry.

"Sam deserves our thanks." He grunted as he stretched out over Dean in their bed. Dean rolled his hips up.

"Don’t talk about my brother right now."

Castiel chuckled and leaned in to kiss along the Omega’s neck. He tasted so good that Castiel’s eyes almost rolled back. He needed to bite that skin, put his mark there and needed it now. Dean’s aroused scent was getting stronger and Castiel relished in the sweetness.

"We should have talked to them, I need to bite you."

"Fuck yeah." Dean moaned. He spread his legs wider to accommodate the Alpha and they both groaned deeply when their erections aligned.

"You were gone for too long." Castiel murmured against Dean’s ear. The Omega mewled in response and hugged the Alpha tight.

Long was a relative term, of course. John had only been home about a week before leaving again and even though Castiel was very happy with the shortness of it he was also confused. Because up until now John had always been home for about two weeks, give or take a few days. Not that Castiel was about to question it right now but it was still noteworthy, he thought.

His thoughts scattered when Dean gasped for him and he grabbed a tight hold on Dean’s hip to roll down hard against the Omega. The motion made him see stars for how good it felt to finally have his mate underneath him again. He licked at the skin under Dean’s ear and the Omega was pulling at Castiel’s clothes in frustration.

He chuckled and sat up on his knees to pull his t-shirt over his head. Dean stared almost mesmerized at Castiel’s naked chest and the Alpha couldn’t help but preen under his mate’s almost reverent gaze.

"See something you like, little Omega?" he all but purred and Dean snorted out a laugh at the cheesy line. Castiel grinned down at him but when he reached to remove Dean’s own t-shirt the Omega suddenly froze.

"Wait."

Castiel’s fingers brushed Dean’s heated skin. "We’ve waited long enough." He murmured but paused entirely when Dean’s scent changed into apprehension. He straightened. "What’s wrong?"

Dean averted his eyes, his demeanor suddenly shy and his scent spiraling into shame. "I just…um, shouldn’t we wait after all? Until we’ve told the boys?"

Castiel’s cock wanted to murder someone but he ignored that. If Dean wanted to wait they would, of course, wait but Castiel definitely got the feeling that this was about something else.

"Dean." He said, his voice steadier and awfully close to his Alpha voice. Dean flinched under Castiel’s hand. "Tell me what this is about."

Had Dean changed his mind? No, Castiel thought not.

Dean shifted on the bed. "It’s…uh…"

Castiel frowned. "Dean, you know you can trust me."

Dean’s eyes suddenly teared up and it felt like knives tore at Castiel’s innards.

"Please don’t be mad."

"Mad? I don’t understand…"

The Omega shimmied back and sat up before lifting his t-shirt over his head. The motion was fluid and would have pleased Castiel any other day but right now all he could see was the yellowing bruises that marred Dean’s side. In the middle of his chest was another one and Castiel did nothing for a while but stare in shock.

His mouth went dry and his mind blank.

"It’s…not usually this bad." Dean mumbled and Castiel felt like vomiting when he understood.

"You told me he doesn’t abuse you." He accused in a voice much too angry to be talking to the sad and scared Omega. But Dean’s scent was making Castiel react in protection and he was suddenly so angry he could barely breathe. He slid off the bed and almost tore at his hair. "Have you been hiding this all along?"

Dean sighed and hunched in on himself. "I just…it’s not that bad. I mean, this time he went a little overboard—"

"A little?!" Castiel roared. "Does he hurt Sam too?!"

Dean winced at Castiel’s tone and he bowed his head. "Usually I manage to get in-between." He mumbled without looking at Castiel and the Alpha couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

In a fit of Alpha rage he lashed out and threw his bedside lamp against the wall. The poor lamp shattered, sending glass shards everywhere. Dean jumped high and then immediately cowered down on the bed, scent spiking into fear.

"Get in-between?!"

He couldn’t believe this had been happening all along and he had been too stupid to see it. Had been too occupied with his own lust to see that both Sam and Dean had been physically abused right under his nose. His mate had been abused.

"Alpha, please calm down." Dean pleaded. He slid off the bed and dared move closer to where Castiel stood, shaking and almost panting with rage.

At the sight of his frightened mate Castiel forced himself to calm down. He had to make sure Dean felt safe here, had to start thinking rationally. Had to breathe. And the fact that Dean was the one trying to calm him down even if he was the one scaring the Omega wasn’t right. Dean shouldn’t need to calm Castiel down, he should be able to handle this maturely.

But everything was different when it came to his mate.

"I’m sorry." He said, voice strained, and motioned for Dean to come even closer. The Omega made a timid sound but still allowed for Castiel to pull him into a hug. He felt better, having Dean in his arms and the Omega’s scent in his nose. Despite the fact that Dean still smelled of fear. "I’m not angry with you, mate." He mumbled soothingly. "Never at you, you are my perfect Omega. I need to protect you."

"It’s okay, Alpha." Dean mumbled in response but Castiel vehemently shook his head.

"It’s not. I have stood by silently for too long, Dean. I’ve allowed for you and Sam to return to that apartment even though I know CPS would take you from John judging by the state of the apartment alone. This, this I will not stand for."

Dean leaned out to look Castiel in the eye, his own filled with apprehension. "What are you saying?" he whispered and Castiel knew his own scent was filled with determination.

"I’m saying enough is enough, Dean." He stated in his Alpha voice. "I’m calling Anna."

"Cas—"

"Mate." Castiel countered and Dean shut his mouth immediately. "I’m taking over now."

Rachel hadn’t taken kindly to the accusations about abuse and when Castiel had called in Anna she had been even more appalled. They had all sat down to an hours long meeting where Castiel had coaxed the Winchester boys to reveal everything. And that meant everything.

Sam had seemed almost happy to do it. Scared that CPS could take him away from Dean, yes, but happy to file a rapport. Dean hadn’t fared as well. He had been sad and dejected but thankfully not angry with his Alpha. Castiel didn’t think he could have handled it if Dean had shut him off.

But once the floodgates opened it seemed like Dean didn’t even want to try and close them again. And as he sat at the table, his scent ripe with self-depreciation but also determination and honesty, he retold everything that had happened and what he had had to do. And Castiel could feel nothing but pride for his strong and brave mate.

Of course, the fact that Dean and Castiel still wanted to mate was kept under wraps and Anna strongly urged them to keep it that way so as not to give the Social Office any bad ideas. It was enough that Castiel admitted that the Winchesters had been living with him from time to time because that put into questioning his reasoning. Still, what John had done greatly overshadowed what Castiel hadn’t done so he wasn’t worried about that and neither was Anna.

The CPS did take Dean and Sam into custody for the time being, though, but thankfully kept them together. Anna assured Castiel that all this was very normal but he still couldn’t help but feel lost without his mate. Gabriel helped Castiel with food and Alfie was a constant source of reassurance but it was tough when he didn’t know when he would see his mate again.

Late at night it was difficult for him to believe he had made the right choice and the only thing that helped hold his resolve together was Alfie. Because while the little Beta might not know everything he still understood that Sammy and Dean’s dad had hit them and he certainly didn’t think that was okay.

"I wish they could live with us forever." He mumbled on the evening that the CPS had come to collect Dean and Sam.

Castiel wanted Sam’s custody as much as Dean wanted his own emancipation and Anna had yet again assured him that she would do her best.

"I wish I had done something sooner." Castiel whispered. Alfie sat down beside him on the couch and curled against his father. "You know, pup, I…" he cleared his throat. He needed to tell his son about him and Dean but the words felt heavy. This had been supposed to be a happy occasion. They had been supposed to be all together. He took a deep breath. "I love Sam and Dean but Dean…he is very important to me, Alfie. We…wanted to tell you together but..." he sighed. "I love your mom, pup…will always love her, but…" God, his throat hurt.

"It’s okay, Alpha." Alfie said suddenly and confidently, thankfully interrupting Castiel’s rambling. "Mom has been dead for a long time. And I like Dean too."

Castiel drew a shuddering breath and smelled only reassurance and love on his Beta son.

"Are you sure?"

Alfie grinned at him. "Yeah. Besides, Dean makes way better burgers than you do."

The laugh that punched out of Castiel was raw and almost painful enough to make him cry. But God, it felt good to laugh.

The months that followed were long and gruesome. Dean missed a lot of school because of the hours spent with social workers and lawyers and all that shit.

Anna had represented Sam and Dean pro bono and John had had a state appointed lawyer that frankly didn’t seem to even want to touch the case with a ten foot pole. Alpha on Omega and pup violence was never looked kindly upon. So procedures were swift, according to Anna, even if they took several months. Anna gave Dean much of the credit for being honest and open about everything because that had certainly speeded the process up.

They settled out of court and John was sentenced to be sent to court mandated rehab to treat his alcoholism and, in the event that that went well, he would go to an Alpha correctional facility for abusive Alphas.

Honestly Dean was a little uncertain about that last one because a part of him still believed John was a good Alpha, or had the potential to be one, if he just got rid of his alcohol problem. Anna assured him that that was what the correctional facility was for, though, and when Dean saw Sam’s satisfied face he let it go. The truth was that John had been abusive even in his absence and Dean supposed his now faded bruises spoke for themselves. Once was after all enough, as Anna put it.

During those long weeks he had only seen Cas twice and both had been down at the courthouse when Cas had been called in for statements and they had only been able to glance longingly at each other. Dean was glad Sam had been with him the first time and that Alfie had been with Cas the other or they would probably have ended up fucking in a closet.

Fucking hell how Dean needed his mate. He almost felt as if his suppressants were failing and by the look of it Cas hadn’t been faring any better.

But Anna had expressed very clearly why they couldn’t have any contact during this time. They needed to make everyone believe that the only relationship the Winchester brothers had had with the Novaks up until this point had been completely platonic.

Dean didn’t really understand why but Anna had explained that all of this had put Cas under some kind of scrutiny from the CPS and Dean understood that. It had after all come to the attention that Dean had been soliciting sex so of course everyone’s kneejerk reaction was that Cas had been paid with sex as well. Or demanded it as payment. Sickos.

But by now, so far into Dean’s new school year’s first semester that he was sure he would have had to retake some classes if it hadn’t been for Charlie and Kevin’s continued unwavering support, the court had finished with their case and not a moment too soon either. The CPS had let off Cas pretty easily and Dean ached to be with his Alpha.

Plus, as soon as the CPS had deemed Cas an outstanding Alpha it had been much easier for him to gain custody over Sam at the same time as the court emancipated Dean. Dean suspected he would have to buy Anna gift baskets for the rest of his life but he was really, really okay with that.

He was in fact a tad bit overwhelmed at how Cas’ family just rallied behind him when he needed help, just like a real family should. So if Dean perhaps broke down crying about that a few times then no one questioned it. Anna just held him and let him cry and Sam just rubbed Dean’s back soothingly.

As soon as everything was settled with every paper signed and done for, Dean dropped Sam off at Gabe’s where Alfie was already waiting. They all still had a lot to figure out, both individually and together, but for now Dean and Cas needed to be together and there seemed to be no questions coming from anyone else about that.

Gabriel promised to take good care of the boys, to not feed them cake for dinner, and to send them to bed at a respectable hour. Dean very much doubted the last two but his body was screaming for his Alpha so he didn’t really have much choice other than to trust the Omega. Besides, both Sammy and Alfie deserved cake for dinner after all of this.

"Cas?" the house’s front door slammed shut behind Dean. "Alpha? Where you at?"

He shucked off his jacket and toed off his shoes, dropping everything in the hallway as he stalked towards the stairs. He didn’t get far before Cas stepped out of the kitchen. He had on only pants and looked at Dean with such intent in his eyes that Dean felt himself growing hard already.

The Alpha’s scent was thick with longing and he visibly scented the air, no doubt finding Dean’s scent just as longing.

"Dean." He rumbled and was on the Omega a second later.

Dean moaned unabashedly and grabbed the Alpha’s shoulders when Cas gripped his hips. They all but crashed against the wall, Dean wrapping his legs around the Alpha as Cas started licking the Omega’s throat.

"Cas, I can’t fucking stand being without you." Dean gasped desperately. His whole body trembled when he felt Cas’ sharp teeth against his sensitive skin. He was hard and leaking slick, could definitely feel Cas’ cock filling rapidly, but all that was secondary to his need to mate. "You fucking bite me now, Alpha. You bite me now and make me yours or I fucking swear I—fuck!"

The feeling of Cas’ teeth breaking his skin was painful for a split second before a feeling Dean could only describe as euphoria washed over him. Better than any orgasm he had ever had and more fulfilling than anything he had ever experienced. He could feel Cas almost purring against him, his teeth deep in Dean’s neck and his tongue lapping at the blood that spilled out.

He felt whole, felt like there was only one thing missing.

He grabbed Cas’ hair in a tight grip and angled the Alpha’s head as much as he could with Cas’ mouth still attached to him. Cas growled approvingly and fuck, sinking his own teeth into the Alpha’s neck felt so indescribably right that Dean almost started crying.

He felt Cas’ cock twitch but just like Dean the Alpha didn’t seem to have an orgasm but instead to experience the same kind of euphoric completeness. His purr increased and he pressed his whole body closer, grinding against Dean as Dean lapped at his skin.

It took them minutes, long moments of contentedness, before they detached. Cas looked at Dean with hazy eyes and Dean imagined he looked similarly debauched. The Alpha’s mouth was smeared with blood and Dean grinned at him.

"Hey, mate." He whispered and watched with satisfaction how a smile spread across Cas’ handsome face. With the blood he looked positively feral and Dean loved everything about this moment.

"Never leave me again, Dean."

Fuck the Alpha’s voice was gravelly. He leaned in and rubbed his nose against Cas’. "Never."

Dean and Cas got married in February, exactly one month after Dean’s eighteen’s birthday. They had a quiet winter wedding and Dean blushed when he admitted out loud that he wanted blue colors to match the Alpha’s eyes.

In lieu of their dad, Sam was the Alpha to give Dean away and he had never looked prouder. Benny acted as Dean’s best man, while Gabriel was Cas’, much to Gabe’s amusement. He looked so smug during their best man dance that Benny’s date Andrea reeked of jealousy.

Cas looked so handsome in his suit that Dean commanded Charlie to take extra photos with her polaroid camera, which she did with a smirk. She took a lot of others pictures as well, including one of Kevin and Alfie standing extremely close which she claimed would be used for future blackmailing even though Dean was pretty sure nothing was going on.

Dean chose one picture of him and Cas up by the altar and one of the Novaks and Winchesters gathered together and sent them to John. He was still in rehab and Cas had refused to even ask if he could get out for the day.

Dean understood even though he was sad not to have his father there. So he took those two pictures and on the back of the one where everyone was gathered he wrote wish you and mom were here and meant it.

Chapter Text

8 years later

At only two o’clock in the afternoon Castiel shut off his laptop and leaned back in his chair, relaxing now that the week’s work was over with.

In the eight years that had passed since he had married Dean his home office hadn’t changed very much except that it now hosted yet another overfilled bookcase. He had worked hard and had managed to rise to a position directly under Naomi and he was proud of his work, even more so because Dean was proud of him. Plus, nowadays he made more money working only three days a week than he had done working six days when he had started at the firm.

And the extra time was great. Since Alfie and Sam had moved out to share a room at their college dormitories, Dean and Castiel had the house to themselves and though Castiel missed his boys awfully much sometimes his mate more than made up for the empty space.

Dean was lively and happy, filling every room with his wonderful presence and Castiel reveled in every moment they got together. Yes, they had had some prejudices to overcome when they had first mated but the drama had eventually died down and Castiel had anyhow not cared about that. Not as long as Dean and the boys were happy with their arrangements.

He was just sitting there in his office, hands behind his head, and thinking about what to make for dinner when he heard the front door slam shut so hard the sound travelled all the way up to him. He frowned and glanced at the clock Dean had hung to Castiel’s left, just right for Dean to see it from the couch in the opposite corner.

Ten after two, Dean shouldn’t be home yet.

After high school Dean had taken a year to study at the local community college and after that he had gotten a job as a TA at the preschool in town. He wasn’t really qualified for the job, other than being absolutely adorable with the pups, but the school had hired him more as a playmate for the pups than for teaching so it worked out.

And Dean loved his job so he was great enough at it that the other teachers loved him. Not to mention how the pups responded to him. Yes, Castiel had to admit that he on more than one occasion had just stood looking at the Omega playing with the pups when he had been supposed to pick Dean up.

But Dean usually stayed at the school until after three, helping the other teachers clean up and sometimes locking up as well. There would be no reason for him to be home now, unless something was wrong? Or maybe it was just Gabriel. He had been known to forget about personal boundaries and Castiel should really take back his key.

He rose to his feet but before he had taken even a step he caught scent of Dean. And a second later the Omega rushed past Castiel’s office, so fast he was nothing more than a blur, before clearly shutting himself in their bedroom.

And God, Dean’s scent made Castiel dizzy for a moment. It was so…tantalizing. Of course, Dean always smelled good to Castiel, so that was no shocker, but there was something different today.

He stumbled out of his office, barely aware that his cock was reacting as well. He reached the bedroom door just as he heard Dean push something in front of the door.

The armoire?

"Dean?"

"Stay away, Cas."

"Dean, what’s going on?"

He pushed at the door but it only thumped dully against what was probably the armoire. But that wasn’t right, he needed to be able to get in. What if Dean was hurt? He didn’t smell hurt, though. He smelled ravishing. Castiel was almost fully hard already but still barely registering that.

"It’s…fuck." Dean moaned deeply and Castiel slapped the door in frustration. Because that had been a moan born out of pleasure and Castiel should be in there with him. "I-I think my suppressants failed. I dunno, I…"

Castiel’s breath hitched. "Are you in heat?"

In all of their years together Dean hadn’t had a single heat. He had remained on his suppressants and Castiel hadn’t questioned it. They had talked about pups and both wanted it but the Alpha had respectfully left the decision of when up to the young Omega.

"Y-yeah…I think, I mean, it’s been over ten years since last but I feel—ah—I feel so hot."

Castiel clawed at the door, desperate to get in and to aid his mate. His cock was hard as a rock just from Dean’s enticing scent and to also hear him like this? Castiel would be in heaven, he knew it, if he could just get inside.

"Dean." He rumbled out in his best Alpha voice, only slightly crippled by his own arousal. "Let me in."

"Cas, fuck!" Dean moaned again, longer and lower. "You better stay the fuck away if you don’t want a pup."

With Dean in heat he would be at his most fertile and Castiel had stopped taking his rut suppressant a long time ago, meaning he was also very fertile. So yes, them having sex right now would most likely end with Dean getting pregnant. And what was wrong with that?

"What if I want a pup with you?"

"Cas, that’s your knot talking." Dean pressed out. Castiel leaned his forehead against the door.

"Are you touching yourself? Why have you locked me out, Omega?"

Castiel couldn't think straight. His ruts were usually pretty wild but Dean had always taken good care of him, kept him sane. This, though, this was something else entirely. Dean’s desperately aroused scent wafted through the door and Castiel was taking deep breaths, greedily getting as much as he could into his system.

"Why is this happening?" Dean whined. Castiel heard the slick sound of Dean fucking his hole and he thought that better be the Omega’s own fingers that were in there because if it was one of the fake knots he would be furious. It was all in good fun using those knots under normal circumstances but right now Castiel felt as if his whole body was pulling itself apart with how possessive he felt.

"Let me help you." He growled.

"I should never have switched pills, fuck." Dean muttered.

Lately Dean had been having these terrible headaches that his doctor had blamed on the suppressants he was on. So he had recently switched brand, nothing unusual about that. Except maybe these weren’t strong enough for Dean.

Because Castiel was too much of an Alpha for the pills to—Castiel needed to get his rationality back.

"Dean." He said as calmly as he could. "Let me in, we need to talk."

"A-alpha." Dean breathed, so low that Castiel wouldn’t have heard him if he wasn’t straining for every sound. He reached down and adjusted his cock. His knot was almost fully formed but he needed to think straight and to help his Omega.

"I’m backing away from the door."

Walking away physically hurt but a moment later he was rewarded when he heard Dean push the armoire to the side again. It took every ounce of his self-restraint not to barge in and fuck Dean on the floor. He waited until he heard the Omega call out for him and when he walked in slowly he saw that Dean had positioned himself on the other side of the room, the bed in-between them.

Dean was naked from the waist down and his dick was hard, almost purple, and leaking profusely. He was panting and leaning on the bed, his eyes almost black and he blinked hard but couldn’t seem to focus. His slick-soaked jeans and underwear lay on the floor by the bed but thankfully Castiel saw no toys.

The Alpha approached carefully but managed to stop just inside the door. He breathed with an open mouth but it barely helped. Dean’s scent was so sweet and so strong that Castiel’s knees almost buckled.

"Dean, you look…" he cleared his throat when he saw how the Omega arched his back at the sound of his voice. "So beautiful. So perfect for me."

"Alpha, I need-d" Dean’s voice cracked when he saw Castiel start to undo his belt. "You’ll have to wear a condom."

Castiel snarled to get Dean to stop talking. The Omega’s dick jumped and a fat blob of precome bubbled up at the head.

"I have never used a condom with you Dean. I will not, mate."

Dean’s hands clenched against the comforter. "I’ll get pregnant. You don’t want a pup with me."

"I do!" Castiel stated certainly, almost angrily. He was slowly approaching the trembling Omega, slacks open and halfway down his ass. "I have wanted one since first we mated, Dean, you have to believe me. But you are so young. I’ve only been waiting for you to be ready."

Dean gulped but remained where he was. Castiel stepped out of his slacks at the same time as his underwear and quickly pulled his shirt over his head. Some buttons came loose but Castiel wouldn’t notice that until next morning.

"I am." Dean breathed. He canted his hips just as the Alpha reached the bed. "I want one, so much. And it’s not just my heat talking. B-but I’ll have to stop working for a while."

Castiel bared his teeth. "I make more than enough money to support us."

"We’ll have to take Alfie’s room for a nursery."

"He’ll make do with Sam down in the basement, when they visit."

Dean was panting now and Castiel was so close. "Dad’ll want to see the pup."

John. Three years of rehab and two years of the correctional facility coupled with a grievance counselor he was still seeing had done the old Alpha good. He had a job at an auto shop now, still went to AA, lived downtown. Dean visited once a month, still hell-bent on mending his family, Sam visited less than that and not only because college was out of state. Castiel went with his mate on occasion.

"He’s been good lately." And that wasn’t even a lie.

"Alpha." Dean whined. This close Castiel could smell not only Dean’s delicious scent but also the quite honestly heart-stopping scent of his slick.

He bumped his forehead against Dean’s sweaty hair when he finally reached his Omega. Dean whimpered and rubbed his face against Castiel’s.

"We’ll call the pup Mary if it’s a girl." Castiel murmured affectionately.

"Oh God."

Dean wound his arms around Castiel’s neck and Castiel breathed open-mouthed against Dean’s neck as he let his hands travel down the Omega’s back to his plump ass.

"You give me consent right now, Dean. I want you, want a pup, but I will not take you without consent."

"Yes, Alpha." Dean hissed out and nipped at Castiel’s mating bite. "I consent."

Castiel’s satisfied purr rumbled through his entire chest and Dean sobbed out a moan. The Omega’s hips stuttered and Castiel grabbed a tight hold to rut their erections together. The noises Dean made were indescribable, not to mention his scent. How Castiel was even holding it together he would never know.

When he reached down to press two fingers inside his mate Dean cried out and came hard between them. The Alpha kissed him through it, well aware that this was only the first orgasm of many that he would wring out of his pliant Omega.

As soon as Dean stopped shaking Castiel gently guided him to the bed. He barely had time to pull off Dean’s t-shirt before the Omega rolled to his stomach and got to his knees to present. He keened and Castiel could see his slick hole twitch. Yes, he knew exactly what Dean needed right now.

"I will take care of you." He rumbled as he climbed on the bed to stand on his knees behind the Omega. He soothed his hands down Dean’s trembling back as he rubbed his hard cock against the Omega’s crack, getting himself nice and slick. "Feed you, bathe you, keep you hydrated." With a mighty shove he buried himself deep inside Dean and a scream of pure ecstasy ripped out of the Omega. "Knot you."

Dean thrashed back against him, trying to take him deeper but Castiel held still, reveling in the feeling and giving Dean’s body the time to adjust. It barely needed it under normal circumstances and definitely not now but Castiel wouldn’t take any chances. His knot was already full and straining and he didn’t want to force Dean’s body too fast. It was up to him as Alpha to keep his Omega safe during the heat.

He leaned over Dean and took a strong hold of his neck and the Omega instantly relaxed, going almost limp under the Alpha. A low keening sound was calling out to Castiel’s Alpha instincts and he growled lowly in response.

"Do you feel that, Omega?" he rumbled as he rubbed his hips in small circles. "Do you feel my knot all full for you? I’m going to push inside soon, going to tie off." He reached down and splayed his palm across Dean’s flat stomach to feel his muscles flutter just under the skin. "Going to fill you up, make you round for me."

Dean let out a quite frankly animalistic sound and Castiel knew exactly what that was about. He straightened with a smirk and grabbed Dean’s hips in both hands before pulling out and slamming back in, immediately setting a steady and hard pace.

Dean arched his back and pressed back. A few garbled words escaped him that sounded suspiciously like Castiel’s name and the knuckles of both his hands were white with how hard he was gripping the comforter beneath him.

Castiel could already feel his knot catching on Dean’s rim and he relished the feeling. There was honestly none like it and he readily gave in to the need to knot, knowing there would be much more to come during Dean’s heat.

The moment he forced his knot inside Dean came again, this release even more watery than the last as it splashed down on the bed. He should have put out a towel but he wasn’t thinking straight. Would have to make up for that later when they were done for now and his knot had deflated.

Now he would do nothing but pound into his mate as fast and hard as his knot allowed him. Dean mewled and was still trying to buck back, to get closer, to force Castiel to get deeper. The Alpha growled soothingly and bent down to cover as much of the Omega’s body with his own as possible and Dean definitely responded well to that.

"Alpha." He slurred and Castiel licked over his mating bite.

"Omega."

He scraped his teeth over the bite and Dean shuddered beneath him. The Omega’s tight hole was clenching and had been almost milking him since Dean’s orgasm. He was getting close himself, just needed Dean to let go one more time.

His hand was sweaty and Dean’s dick was covered in thin Omega release. It made for a wonderful lube when he grabbed Dean’s still semi-hard dick and started stripping him fast.

"Alpha! A-again…"

"Yes, Omega." Castiel growled. He could feel his own orgasm approaching and he pushed harder into Dean’s loose body, wanting to give that greedy hole everything it could take and more. "For me."

When Dean came for a third time he did so with a relieved sob and his orgasm forced Castiel’s own. He snarled in triumph when he filled his mate with his seed, primal instincts making him almost delirious as their satisfied scents mixed.

He groaned and rolled them to their sides as a second, smaller release was pulled out of him by Dean’s rhythmic clenching. He nuzzled the back of Dean’s neck and cradled the Omega’s spent dick in his hand protectively.

They stayed like that for some time and Castiel could feel Dean gradually relaxing as this first wave of his heat subsided for now.

"Beautiful Omega." He whispered. "Mine, all mine."

Dean shuffled to press back against Castiel’s broader chest.

"I love you, Alpha."

They named their pup Mary, after Dean’s mother who had died when he was four years old and whose death had transformed his previously happy life into this infected sore that just kept growing and never healed. Until he met Castiel.