Chapter Text
Both in their boxers and t-shirts, Dean and Castiel were lying on the hunter’s bed facing each other. They hadn’t been doing anything more than kissing and cuddling, the angel not too eager to repeat that very morning’s experience.
Still, Dean was content, glad to have the omega so close to him. Once in a while he took a deep breath, letting his angel’s essence fill his nostrils, his lungs, his mind.
“You smell so good,” he said, probably for the hundredth time that day.
“Not as good as you,” Cas replied before himself taking a deep breath. “You smell like comfort if comfort was a summer breeze blowing through a wheatfield on a hot summer day.”
Dean chuckled as he leaned his forehead on the angel’s. “What’s with the poetry, dude?” he asked in a lazy voice.
“Poetry? I don’t know that it is, that’s just how I feel,” Castiel explained before landing a small peck on the hunter’s lips. “You think Mary will let Gabriel and Camille keep the children?”
With a groan, Dean pushed his head back so he could lock his eyes with Castiel’s. “I really don’t wanna talk about Gabe right now.”
“Why not?”
“‘Cause that makes the moment much less sexy.”
“This is a sexy moment? I’d rather think it’s a tender one.”
“All right, I’ll give you tender. But only if you shut up about Gabe.”
Castiel giggled, making Dean’s heart flutter in his chest. “I promise,” he said as he snuggled against the hunter, letting out some kind of purr.
~ • ~
“I wouldn’t be against raising one of the omegas if your mother denies Gabriel and Camille’s request,” Castiel announced a couple of mornings later. He didn’t look up even though he could hear Dean choking on a piece of toast.
“What?” the hunter eventually said, his voice rough from the coughing.
“I said, I wouldn’t be against– ”
“Yeah, no, I got that. But why?”
“They need someone, don’t they?” This time, the angel dared look up only to be met by the sadness in the hunter’s green eyes.
“Yeah, they do, but you’re only starting to warm up to Henry. Don’t you think a kid would just… you know… make things even more difficult for you?”
“Maybe you’re right,” Castiel agreed as he sipped on his tea. “It just doesn’t seem like your parents are very much in favor of sending the kids away.”
“When I talked to Mom yesterday, she said they were all getting along great. Even Dad seemed to like Gabe just fine, which is not something I would ever have thought could happen.”
“I myself can see them getting along, to some extent anyway. They do share some of the same qualities.”
Dean quirked a single eyebrow at the angel. “How so?”
“Well… It’s more of a feeling type of thing. They’re both pretty headstrong, this we know. They also think they’re funny even though Gabriel tries a whole lot more. And they have the biggest hearts.” Dean’s expression shifted to an incredulous one. “Don’t look at me like that, Dean. You know John’s got a big heart underneath all that gruff.”
“I guess.”
“He does. And just like you, he feels the need to hide it all underneath infinite layers of sarcasm and machismo.” Castiel gave the hunter an amused look over his cup. “It’s endearing, really.”
“Shut up!”
~ • ~
When Mary and John came back to the bunker after their trip in glacial Canada, it was without the kids. They appeared on the fifth floor, startling Bobby and the others.
“What the hell,” the older man yelped when he saw them. “Jesus, I almost got up and ran I was so spooked,” he said as John ran to the bathroom. “What’s with him?”
“Turns out Dean’s not the only one who can’t stomach the Gabriel Express,” Mary explained as she came to sit at the table with the others.
“Why not you?”
“Dunno. Either a metabolism or DNA thing, can’t be sure.”
“It may have to do with the hormones actually,” Kevin said. “See, Dean and John are alphas, you’re an omega. Me and the others, we’re nephilims. I think Camille’s a beta…” he said again to which Mary nodded. “That might just be it: alphas can’t fly.”
“Well, anyday you think we should test that theory of yours, you let me know, all right?” Charlie said with a grin. “There’s this cute girl up in Canada I’d really like to meet, if you know what I mean.”
“Why don’t you ask Gabriel to give you a ride? Or even Michael?” Ash said, not one to be bothered by the archangel status of their new friends.
“Dude, I don’t think they’d appreciate me calling on them so they could help get me some,” Charlie said, even though she wished she had the guts to do so.
“Want me to ask?”
Charlie shook her head, still giving an appreciative smile to the nephilim. “Maybe next summer I’ll take a couple of weeks and drive up North to go see her.”
“Not if I see you first,” a brunette announced as she appeared in the room, making everyone jump again.
“You idjits gotta stop doing this shit,” Bobby said in a growl as he rolled towards the newcomer. “Who the hell are you?”
“Bobby, that’s Dorothy,” Charlie said after letting out a high-pitched squeal, “she’s one of the Fredericton rebels,” she added before grabbing her friend in a tight hug. “Gabriel brought you over?” she asked after a while.
“Yeah, I felt I could ask for a favor since I’ve been screening his calls for so long,” Dorothy explained as she hooked her arm with the redhead’s. “So… How about you show me that place of yours, huh?”
~ • ~
Through his computer’s camera, Kevin sent a pleading gaze to Josephine.
“So, how pissed are you?”
“On a scale of one to ten? Thirty-six… If not more.” As she spoke, she kept her eyes downward, apparently having trouble meeting the young man’s own.
Kevin sighed, hoping she’d look at him. “Not to be a jerk but you lied to me too. You said you didn’t know where that nephilim camp was and yet, that’s where you were the whole time.”
“I had a job to do,” the girl said, finally looking up, her dark eyes like fire on Kevin’s screen. “But I never lied about who I was. The girl I was totally falling for doesn’t even exist. You broke my heart, man.”
The heat in Josephine’s eyes seemed to be dwindling a little when she saw Kevin’s eyes bug out and his cheeks redden.
“I thought it was clear as day,” she explained with a shrug. “I was so happy to know you’d be coming here, you know?”
“Look, Joss… I didn’t think… I thought that was only me, you know? I hated lying to you and it kinda broke my heart a little bit too.”
“Yeah, well, you can forget about it, dude. I like girls and you sure as hell ain’t one,” Josephine said again, crossing her arms over her chest.
“No I’m not but I told you back then that I had my junk and you still wanted me. What’s so different now?”
Josephine’s laugh certainly didn’t sound amused. “You don’t get it, do you? Next time you go undercover or some shit, make sure you know what the hell you’re talking about. Yeah, okay, your guy parts really did bug me at first but then I fell in love with you. The girl-you, I mean, which was all pretend so… Yeah, I guess we’re done here.”
“Joss, please… I didn’t act as much as you may think.”
“Do you consider yourself a woman? Like, at all?” Josephine asked, sadness etched all over her face again.
It was Kevin’s turn to hang his head low. “I… no, I don’t… I don’t think so… and I don’t wanna wear makeup, or dresses or heels. Not on a regular basis anyway,” he specified, hoping she’d understand that it may have become a kink of his. One he’d certainly indulge in if that was something she’d be into. “But, other than that, it was all me, you know?”
“How about your family, Kevin? How truthful were you about that?”
Kevin’s cheeks felt like they were on fire now. “I’m sorry, Joss, I had to lie. I’m so lucky, you have no idea. My mom, she’s a superstar, one of the strongest omegas out there. I love her very much and she loves me too, even though I am…” He sighed. “She could have aborted me but she didn’t. I wish every other nephilim could be as lucky as I am.”
“Well, most aren’t.”
When he looked at the screen again, he saw Josephine still looking at him, now with tears running down her cheeks. “Joss… I’ll never be able to make it up to you, I know but… I’d like to see if we can ever get past it? Like, just get to know each other again? I’m not asking for your love but I wanna try and regain your trust and friendship. Please?”
She shrugged again. “I don’t know, Kevin. It’s all so weird. I kinda have to grieve a little, you know?”
For the first time since the start of their video conversation, Kevin was able to smile. It was small, but a smile nonetheless.
“Take all the time you need, Joss. And whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here for you.”
~ • ~
“Guess who came to town?” Claire said the second she saw Bobby and the others appear on her screen. “Abaddon’s on her way to Mexico and she stopped by before crossing the border. One of the El Paso hunters is trying to keep an eye on her.”
“Frank, you heard that?” Bobby said to the man on the other screen. “Know of any hunters in Mexico?”
“Think so, gonna have to look it up,” the omega answered as he started typing. “There’s these guys in Chihuahua but they can’t do much if Abaddon’s not even going that way. I’ll send you the contact I got, Bobby. If there’s any other group in Mexico, he’ll know about it.”
“Thanks, Frank. And how about you, Claire? Can you send me the name of the El Paso guy?”
“Apparently he’s somewhat famous but I never heard of him: Victor Henriksen?”
Dean chuckled at the name. “Hell, I don’t know if he’s famous but we’ve worked with him once. Remember Sam? That guy we met on that job in Colorado?”
“Yeah… Never heard back from him, I thought he was dead,” the younger Winchester provided from somewhere off screen.
“Hey, Sam! How’s Henry doing?” Claire couldn’t help but ask.
This time, Sam came into the camera’s view. “He’s doing good, Claire. He’s crawling around already, pretty sure he’s gonna walk before his first birthday. He’s strong, just like you were.”
The smile Sam gave his sister helped her start to believe that she had been forgiven for taking Henry almost six months before. “I miss you guys,” she dared to say, only to find everyone returning the sentiment.
“Where’s your girlfriend?” Dean asked his sister with a wink.
“Alex asked Michael for a couple of days off and he sent her back to her moms. She should be back Monday.”
“Why didn’t you come too?”
“I can’t leave as easily, have a lot of injured people to take care of. I’ll try to get home in time for Mom’s birthday, Christmas at the latest.”
~ • ~
“I could ask Gabriel to fix me again,” Castiel said as he was lying next to Dean on their sofa, his head on the pillow of the hunter’s lap.
“Huh?” Dean said, rapt by the latest episode of Dr. Sexy they were watching.
“I mean, if we ever wanted to have kids, which we don’t right now. Maybe I could have Gabriel fix me again. This way I could– ”
“We talked about this before, Cas. You may be feeling fine now, but you know how it comes and goes. I’d rather you didn’t torture yourself with this crap, all right? You’re more important to me than any of the kids we’re never gonna have,” Dean said as he tangled his fingers in the angel’s hair, intended on disheveling his boyfriend as much as possible. “I know you’ve hit a year of therapy sessions with Pamela and it’s helping but… baby steps, you know?”
“I know… I just feel the need to give you all you could ever want. You’d make such a marvelous father.”
“As would you,” Dean said, now rubbing a soft hand over the angel’s soft belly. It had taken a while for Castiel to accept Dean’s hands anywhere near this part of his body. “But we don’t have to make that baby. There are other kids out there that could use our help, just like Claire did, and Ash, or Alex… Even Henry.”
Castiel shivered at the reminder.
“Do you resent me for not keeping Henry? Are you scared I wouldn’t want to keep our child if we were to have one?” Castiel sat up, worry etched all over his face and tears welling up in his eyes. “Because I would keep it. Even if you didn’t want me anymore, I would still love our child. I promise I would.”
“Babe,” Dean only said as he took the trembling angel in his arms.
It would happen quite a bit that Castiel would let himself be overwhelmed by doubt and guilt, leading up to anxiety attacks only Dean could help him come down from.
“Let’s wait another year to talk about this, all right?” Dean said after a while, holding his angel in a tight embrace and peppering his face with light kisses.
~ • ~
It would take another three years for the couple to become parents. That they would end up adopting one of Abaddon’s own nephilim babies was something they wouldn’t have guessed.
The ginger girl grew up to be even more beautiful than her mother. And, in time, the name Emma Winchester would become synonymous with freedom and salvation.
“ But that is another story and shall be told another time.”
– Michael Ende, The Neverending Story
~ FIN ~