Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

    “Looks like there’s going to be a heat wave coming in from the west, Johnny. It’ll be raining cats and dogs all day tomorrow.”

    “Just tomorrow? My money says it’ll be like this all weekend. Time to batten down the hatches and stay inside, folks.”

    Castiel spared the radio a glance long enough to turn it off. He’d only kept it on low so he could get an idea of the weather report, which wasn’t encouraging. There was a town coming up, and he was praying they had a motel with vacancy. He had enough supplies to get them through the weekend, he was sure of it.

    Unfortunately, the hosts hadn’t been exaggerating. At current Castiel was driving at half the speed limit on whatever backroads highway he was currently on, high beams fighting the torrent of rain between flashes of lightning, wipers frantically batting back and forth over the windshield. He’d hoped to get farther before stopping for the night, but now he was regretting it. The dash’s clock might only read 5:20, but the clouds had made it necessary for him to use his headlights since noon. He really should start checking the weather before he set out in the mornings, for all doing so would mean borrowing a computer or asking someone with a phone. The Omega was too skittish to do the latter, unwilling to do anything that might put a blip on Bartholomew’s radar. He’d made it halfway across the country before this method had gone south.

    Castiel squinted through the rain, slowing down a little more, fighting to see more than ten feet down the road. A battered green sign drifted by, letting him know Sioux Falls was only twenty more miles. He glanced down at his readouts, biting his lip when he saw the needle resting all the way on E. That damned gas light had been on for a while, he’d been hoping to make it to town before he had to fill up. But that was back when he thought he’d be making better time.

    Twenty more miles. In theory that wasn’t exactly twenty miles. In theory, there would be a motel and/or gas station outside it, hopefully on his side of the outside. He just had to make it to that, not to the town proper. Eighteen miles, perhaps? Fifteen?

    Worrying his lip, Castiel straightened a bit to look into his review mirror. A second mirror rigged on the backseat reflected into the car seat nestled in the middle of the vehicle’s second row. More specifically, at the infant currently sound asleep, nestled in the car seat and a blanket. Thank gods, the rain was better than a lullaby. The only good thing about it, as far as Castiel was concerned. He just hoped the growing thunder wouldn’t wake him.

    The Omega sighed quietly, turning his eyes back to the road. In truth he half thought Bartholomew wouldn’t come after him, he meant nothing to the man. Jack meant even less, the Alpha had made that all too clear. But his ego and pride were another story. For those two reasons alone Castiel continued to keep his head down, trying to put as much distance between himself and him as possible. He was honestly considering making his way to Canada, for all he wasn’t sure how it would work, getting Jack across the border. He had a passport, but his son did not. He was only a few weeks old.

    Castiel didn’t know how far past the ‘Sioux Falls 20 miles’ sign they were when he heard the odd clattering start up again. He groaned softly, fingers tightening on the wheel. “Damn it,” he muttered softly. “Don’t you dare. Not here, not now. At least get us to a motel or something first.”

    His quiet pleas were ignored. That clattering had plagued him since Indiana, going on for a few miles before stopping again, though this was the first time it had been so loud. Worse, he could hear an odd sound that was new. One he had a bad feeling was related to the longstanding gas light that was still glaring at him.

    He made it another half mile or so before Castiel noticed they were slowing down. He pressed the gas pedal harder, but it did no good. Reluctantly he guided them to the road’s edge, pulling over to a flat if soggy patch of grass. When they rolled to a stop Castiel had the gas floored, for what good it did him.

    Grimacing, he took his foot off the accelerator and put the now dead car into park, dropping back against the seat. He scrubbed his face wearily, groaning low in his throat before smacking his hands against the wheel. One break, just one. Was that too much to ask for?

    The exhausted Omega closed his eyes, running through his options. In theory, he could wait here, for the storm to end and/or for someone to see him. But he had no idea when that would be, and he doubted anyone would see him until this monsoon stopped. What’s more, he couldn’t just wait here. If it was just him, perhaps, but not with Jack. Castiel had no issue admitting he knew nothing about cars, he wasn’t even sure he could change a tire. He had no chance of fixing the engine himself, even if gas wasn’t the issue. He had no idea just how close or far away he was from Sioux Falls or a gas station that may or may not be running. Again, if it was just him he’d make the trek, but he wasn’t about to do it with Jack any more than he’d leave his son here.

    Castiel was wracking his brain when he remembered the mailbox. A battered-looking mailbox that looked like it had been hit by wayward cars more than once for all it was five feet off the road. The road leading off it was dirt, but seemed well worn, and the reflective numbers on the mailbox looked new. So had the post it had been standing on. In theory, where there was a mailbox there were people, right? Or, at the very least, shelter.

    The Omega unbuckled his seatbelt, twisting to look around him. After a moment he turned to grab the nondescript gray shoulder backpack that was Jack’s diaper bag. He stabbed one of the ceiling lights on so he could check it. Diapers, wipes, two pacifiers, changing pad, hand sanitizer, tissues, rash cream, burp cloth. Castiel stuffed in a few extra diapers, just in case. He had no idea how long until he could make it back to the car. He crammed a rolled-up blanket and cap into the larger compartment, along with an extra change of clothes and the smallest of Jack’s favorite toys. He shoved his wallet into the smaller compartment, then leaned over to open his glove compartment. He dragged out the small first aid kit he’d stashed there, pulling out the glow stick, relieved to see it came with a string to tie around his neck. He threaded the stick, tying off the string before setting it over the diaper bag in his passenger seat. He fished out the small flashlight too, relieved to see the battery was still strong.

    After a survey of what was within reach, Castiel decided his trench coat was the best option. He had a windbreaker too, and he snagged that from the backseat. He worried his lip, then shoved everything he’d gathered into passenger seat. He’d have to move fast to keep Jack as dry as possible.

    Castiel took a breath, taking out his keys and setting them on the middle console. Then he shoved open his door, slamming it shut and scrambling into the rear driver’s side door in record time, dragging it shut behind him. Even that much had him half drenched, spluttering as Jack stirred.

    “I know, I’m sorry,” he murmured, unbuckling his son. “I’m going to try to keep you dry, but you might get a little wet.”

    He put on the diaper bag first, slinging it across his body. Then he shrugged into the baby carrier, one that would seat Jack on his front, face to face. He gingerly lifted the infant out of his car seat, reseating him in the carrier. Jack fussed a little, then quieted, nuzzling his mother’s shirt. Castiel kissed the top of his head, then pulled the largest cap down over his skull and ears. He put socks on his feet next, making sure every square centimeter save his face was covered before picking up his windbreaker. It was May yet, still warm, but even without the current cold front you got chilled quick when you were wet.

    Castiel shrugged into the thin somewhat water-repellant jacket, but he did so backward. He tucked the collar into his own shirt, to shield Jack, then pulled on his trench coat. He put it on the right way and proceeded to button it all the way up. He tied the belt for good measure, just under Jack.

    It occurred to Castiel then that it might be nice to have a hood for himself, but he didn’t want to undo all his work now. Besides, the lone hoodie he might be able to reach without going outside to open the trunk would be too hot. He settled for snagging the nondescript black cap from the passenger seat, pulling it firmly over his head. An umbrella would be better, but the wind was almost as bad as the rain, not to mention the popping lightning.

    Only when he was satisfied did Castiel pick up the glow stick, cracking it and giving the glowing fluid a good shake. He strung it over his head, positioning it over his front, grabbed the keys from the console, and turned off the ceiling light. He patted the grumbling infant through his layers, muttering, “Bear with me, alright? I won’t keep us in this longer than I must.”

    Before he could think about it too much, Castiel heaved open the door and stumbled out, slamming the door shut. He hit the button on his key fob, locking the doors and stuffing the keys into a trench coat pocket. He wrapped one arm around his front, supporting Jack, then bent his head into the wind and rain and set off at a brisk walk. Despite his upturned collar he could already feel rain starting to work its way down his back, his jeans soaked through before the car was out of sight, his sneakers squishing through puddles with every step. His head was wet too, but at least the cap kept the worst of the rain out of his eyes, which was the point. Castiel had known he’d be soaked through, he didn’t care, as long as Jack was mostly dry by the time he made it to shelter.

    After what felt like several miles his flashlight lit on something besides road markers and ground rapidly becoming mirrored with rippling puddles. Castiel’s shoulders drooped slightly at the sight, relieved to see it did indeed look as tended as he’d first thought. ‘666’ the stickers read. Below that, when he was closer, he could make out the newly painted name. ‘Winchester’. Hopefully, these Winchester’s were either charitable or not home. Honestly he hoped the latter, as loathe as he was to break in.

    Castiel set off down the unpaved drive, mud sucking at his feet with each step. It was heavily rutted, but even when he stuck to the middle each step squished and squelched loudly. Jack fussed a few times, usually after a rumble of thunder, which was getting louder. After the first three times Castiel gave up trying to soothe him, it took more energy than he had to spare at this point. Though to be fair it had been long enough he might need a change, or a feeding, or both. His sore chest might not be damp from just the rain. But that would be part of the reward of reaching shelter, getting to feed Jack and relieving some of the pressure.

    He had no idea how far he walked through the mud, under looming trees and up a slight slope before it widened in front of them. Only then did the Omega raise his head, breath huffing in relief. Finally. Before him the dirt drive widened, leading to a long, single-story cabin fashioned of stone, complete with a chimney. A porch circled it, a car park extending off to the side, both made of wood. A car was under the latter, an old model black one, another vehicle occupying the shadows behind it. The windows appeared to be covered with curtains, but he could see lights behind them. Someone was home. Hopefully a sympathetic someone.

    Castiel dragged himself up the three steps to the covered porch, stumbling across it. His flashlight lit on the welcome mat, which might have made him smile if he wasn’t so tired. ‘Go Away’. Funny, and just the sort of thing he would want should he have the luxury of settling down anytime soon.

    Shifting the flashlight to his left hand, which still wrapped around Jack, Castiel raised his right hand to bang on the door. “Hello?” he called roughly. “Please, is anyone home? Hello?”

    The Omega panted, giving the shouting a break, but he kept banging a fist on the wood. No one answered, no one opened the door, but no one shouted at him either. Licking his lips, he opened his mouth to try again.

    “Hello? Hell- “

    Abruptly the door was jerked open, and Castiel stumbled forward a step. He dragged his gaze up, bracing his right hand against the door jamb. A tall man was standing there, hand gripping the open door, shadowed by the warm light behind him.

    “The hell? How’d you get out here? What are you doing?”

    Dragging his eyes up to the man’s face, Castiel said raggedly, “I walked. I’m sorry to bother you, but I ran out of gas, or my car broke down, I don’t know which happened first. This was closer than town. Please, can I- “

    “Damn it, Dean, get him in here.”

    Someone else, someone taller, came up behind the other man. A hand caught his right arm, pulling him inside so they could close the door. Castiel slumped against it, resisting the urge to slump all the way to the floor.

    “Thank you.” His voice was weak from sudden relief, so he muttered it again. “Thank you.”

    “How far did you walk in this?”

    “You’re soaking wet.”

    One of them, he wasn’t sure if it was the taller one or the gruff-voiced shorter one, took off his cap. Castiel blinked at them, squinting in the new light, both arms wrapped around his precious cargo, shoulders braced against their door. As his eyes adjusted several things occurred to him. One, his half-frozen nose indicated they were both Alphas. Very strong, very good smelling Alphas. Two, they looked as good as they smelled. But he was a little more interested in the worried frowns they both wore. Worried was good, right? Worried Alphas might help an Omega in distress.

    “May I sleep on your couch tonight? Or beg a ride into Sioux Falls? I promise I won’t be any trouble. My car won’t run, and town was too far away.”

    “No, no it’s fine,” the taller one assured him, tone consoling. “Are you okay?”

    “I’m fine, just tired.”

    Jerking his chin at the lump at his front, the relatively shorter one asked, “Your dog get stranded too?”

    He’d forgotten. Jack had gone quiet, despite all the racket. Perhaps he’d picked up on his mother’s unease. Swallowing tightly, Castiel decided to show rather than tell. He undid his trench coat, grimacing when he noticed he was soaking their inner mat with rain and mud. When he started to wiggle one arm free of the coat the taller one stepped forward, taking it from his shoulders. The Omega gave him a tight smile of gratitude, then shrugged one arm free of the windbreaker.

    Castiel kept an eye on both of them as he did this, gauging their reaction. Both went still, their eyes widening as they saw Jack. As he was exposed the infant stirred, fussing quietly. If he wasn’t so drained and desperate Castile might have been embarrassed to see he was indeed in need of nursing, his chest starting to leak milk. It had already grown a bit, as was the way when male Omegas had children. It would return to normal size when he stopped nursing. That, if not the pup starting to cry, made his predicament obvious enough.

    “My son,” he said quietly. “I wouldn’t have left the car otherwise.”

    “You got any spare clothes on you?” the ‘shorter’ one asked, stepping forward to take the windbreaker off too. It joined his dripping trench coat on the hook by the door.

    “Just his. What are you doing?” he protested weakly.

    “Dean’ll get pissed if you drag mud everywhere,” chuckled the taller Alpha. He’d dropped to one knee to start undoing his sopping laces. “I’m Sam, by the way.”

    “Winchester? Like the mailbox?”

    “Like the mailbox. And I won’t get pissed,” Dean griped, turning to march off into the house. “Get him out of those clothes, I’ll get him something dry.”

    “You don’t mind if I use your couch tonight?” he asked, shifting back and forth as Sam got him out of first his shoes, then his socks.

    “Your ass is going in a guest room,” Dean called from down the hall.

    Sam smiled wryly, straightening. “Don’t mind him. You, uh, wanna get him out of that? It doesn’t look like he got wet.”

    “Good.” Castiel sluggishly undid the harness, gingerly lifting Jack onto his shoulder. He jostled him gently, patting the squalling infant’s back.

    “Come on, the guest room is this way.” Sam motioned for him to follow, guiding him through the cozy-looking living room.

    Castiel shuffled after him, eyes darting around. The house was well built, and it looked nice enough, but it was decorated simply. The furniture was all sturdy, practical, but not overly ostentatious. The TV was nice, though, the long bookshelves filled with DVDs as well as books. There were a few pictures on the hall walls, people, but little else. From what he’d glimpsed in the dining room it was much the same, simple, meant to be used rather than merely looked at.

    Sam opened a door in the hall, one that was obviously unoccupied for all the bed looked much too inviting. The Alpha stepped back into the hall once he’d turned on the overhead light, his brother reappearing from another room with a stack of folded clothes in one hand. He paused in the doorway, frowning at the Omega.

    “You wanna get a shower first? You look like you could use it, no offense.”

    A hot shower sounded divine, but still he hesitated, eyes on Jack. That would mean leaving him alone, or with strange Alphas. His instincts railed against both options. “I would like to but…”

    “I can- okay, easy, bad idea.”

    As he’d offered Dean had taken a step forward, hands lifting towards Jack. Castiel wasn’t sure if it was simply his instincts or his frayed nerves, but he’d taken two automatic steps back, head ducking, shoulders hunching to shield his son. The instant he reacted, though, Dean had retreated, giving him some space.

    “You can leave him on the middle of the bed, he shouldn’t roll off or anything,” Sam suggested.

    “We won’t come through the doorway, promise,” Dean added.

    For a long moment Castiel stood there, frozen, legs feeling shaky beneath him. He didn’t feel easy about it, but…he was so tired, and getting very cold on top of it. Swallowing tightly, he turned to gently lay Jack on the bed. The Omega shrugged wearily out of the carrier, setting it on the bed’s foot, then did the same for the diaper bag.

    “Should feed him first,” he mumbled tiredly. “And change him.”

    “We’ll be out here if you need anything,” Sam promised, stepping away.

    “You allergic to anything?” Dean asked abruptly.

    Castiel stared owlishly at him. “Allergic?”

    “Yeah, peanuts, dairy, stuff like that? You ain’t a vegetarian, are you?”

    “I…no, I’m not a vegetarian. Or a vegan. And I don’t know of any allergies. Why?”

    “Just askin’.”

    Castiel shook his head, focusing on his son as they left him. Jack did indeed need a change, and he became a bit less fussy when he was clean and dry. He was also hungry, and Castiel sat on the edge of a wooden chair in the corner as he fed. That much served the double purpose of making the Omega feel better and tending Jack.

    Only when his son was taken care of did Castiel carefully place him in the middle of the bed, stroking his blessedly dry head. Big hazel eyes stared up at him, Jack sucking contentedly on his favorite elephant pacifier. “Please don’t cry and anger the Alphas,” he murmured softly, pulling away.

    Jack flopped his arms, legs kicking the air, staring at his new surroundings, but otherwise didn’t seem inclined to make a fuss. Castiel grabbed the clean clothes, which smelled strongly of both Alphas, and hurried to the open bathroom door. He closed and locked it behind him, glancing at his reflection in the mirror before reaching to turn on the shower. He looked worse than he’d expected, which made him wince. Castiel didn’t remember being quite so pale, almost sickly looking. It made the purpling bruise around his left eye stand out all the more, but at least his split lip was mostly healed by now. They hadn’t had the chance to see the others that littered his body. If all went well, they never would.

    Castiel showered quickly, though he couldn’t help but take a moment to simply relish the water quickly steaming their white tiled bathroom. He hadn’t realized how cold he was until then. It felt so good having heated water sluicing over him.

    He dried off hurriedly, briefly ruffling his hair with the towel before picking up the donated clothes. A pair of gray sweatpants with a drawstring that pooled over his feet, but weren’t too long. They smelled more of Dean, while the Stanford t-shirt that nearly reached his knees smelled more of Sam. Unfortunately, this meant they’d see another bruise or two, but at this exact moment he was too tired to care. The worst were on his back and ribs anyway.

    Castiel stepped into the hallway in a cloud of steam, peeking around before shuffling quickly back to the guest room. Jack was in the process of grasping his newly bared toes with one hand and plucking at the sock on his other foot, making noises around his pacifier. The Omega went to pick him up, yawning so wide his jaw cracked as he cradled his son against his chest, sitting on the bed’s edge. He gave a small start when someone knocked on his doorjamb, head jerking up to stare at Sam.

    “Sorry, just…think this’ll work?”

    It took Castiel a moment to recognize what he was offering. His chest tightened a little when he saw the Alpha was holding a laundry basket lined with folded towels on the bottom and sides. A makeshift bassinet, complete with a soft-looking dish towel over one side, supposedly to act as a blanket.

    “You didn’t have to.”

    “He’s gotta sleep somewhere, right?” Sam took slow, careful steps in until he could place the basket next to the bed. As he straightened he added, “You wanna come into the kitchen? Dean got you something to eat.”

    Castiel was shaking his head, opening his mouth to decline when his stomach rumbled. He felt his cheeks warm as Sam cracked a smile. “It shouldn’t take long, then you can get some sleep. He’ll be more irritated if you don’t eat than if you do, trust me.”

    Shifting Jack to his shoulder, Castiel followed Sam back down the hall to their kitchen. It was a very nice kitchen, by all accounts. Like the bathroom, it looked like one of the places they’d invested in. Stainless steel appliances, cast iron sink, marble counters. Dean was at the stove, pouring what looked and smelled like soup into a bowl. He glanced over as his brother and the Omega came in, plunking the pot back onto a stove eye.

    “Soup’s on.” He carried the bowl over to a counter ledge with bar stools, then went to the fridge. He pulled out a bottle, twisting off the cap and setting it next to the bowl. “Eat up.”

    Castiel hesitated, eyes flicking to the bottle then back to Dean. “Thank you. You didn’t have to.”

    “Yeah, yeah, yeah, just eat. And relax, it’s just soda.”

    Oh. Good. Castiel ducked his head, skirting them and the counter to perch on a barstool. He shifted Jack to one arm with practiced ease, picking up the spoon with his free hand. He wasn’t sure what kind of soup it was, but it smelled good, and there were chunks of chicken and vegetables floating in the broth. He ate in quick bites, listening to the storm still raging outside. When he’d drained the bowl Dean poured in the rest of the soup, and he didn’t bother protesting otherwise.

    “Thank you,” he said again when he was done, shifting Jack back to both arms. “I can pay you, I have money.” Not much, but enough.

    “No, you’re not paying us,” Dean informed him. “Sounds like it’ll be the mother of all storms for a while. You’re staying put until it blows over.” He folded his arms, leaning against the counter. “I run a shop in town. When the storm’s over I’ll take a look at your car, see if it just needs gas.”

    “You’ve already done more than enough,” the Omega protested.

    “We want to,” Sam countered. “Get some rest, we can talk in the morning, alright?”

    Talk about what? Castiel wondered, but he didn’t dare ask it. Not now. He’d rinsed the rain and dirt out of his clothes, hung them up in the bathroom to dry out. Lady Luck had never been very fond of him, but should she decide to change her mind they’d be dry by morning and the storm would be over. At best he’d hoped to spend the night on a couch, nothing like this. It was mindboggling to him, how these strangers had offered him more kindness than his family ever had.

    “Thank you, again,” he repeated in a low voice, ducking his head as he stood. “Good night.”

    The brothers repeated the phrase, watching him retreat but making no move to follow. Castiel shuffled back to the room they’d let him use, closing the door and twisting the lock. He paced back and forth, bouncing Jack and singing softly until his lids grew heavy. When he was sure he would sleep, Castiel gingerly lowered Jack into the heavily padded laundry basket, draping the soft hand towel over him. He crawled sluggishly into the bed, barely having the presence of mind to turn off the lamp. He was out the second his head hit the soft pillow.

Chapter Text

    Castiel woke twice when Jack began to cry, but only enough to tend his son and collapse back into bed. The first time he was hungry again, the second he was hungry and in need of a change. He shuffled to the bathroom after the second time as he had to go himself, but he didn’t check the time before crawling back into bed.

    The third time he stirred rain was still coming down hard outside, but the sky was a little lighter behind the curtains. He sat up groggily, looking around the unfamiliar room. It only took a minute for him to remember why he was here, and not a pay-by-the-hour motel room. The Omega stretched, rubbing his eyes as he swung his legs over the bed’s edge. Despite Jack’s disturbances, when was the last time he’d slept that well? The bed itself was remarkably comfortable, but it couldn’t be just that, could it? Did it have something to do with the Alpha’s scent? It seemed to permeate…everything. A combination of pine and copper and lavender that was Dean, a mix of old books and sandalwood and bananas that was Sam, each combined with a personal blend of Alpha musk.

    Castiel checked on Jack, who was still sleeping, then minced over to the door. He unlocked it, opening it quietly and stepping out to the hall. He went to check his clothes, but froze in the doorway when he saw they were gone. Where were they? What had they done with his clothes?

    “Feeling better?”

    The Omega turned, staring at Dean. Breakfast smells wafted to his nose. “Yes, thank you. Where are my clothes?”

    “Washer. They’re worse off than you were.” Studying the Omega, he asked, “Just how long have you been driving?”

    Castiel shrugged, folding his arms over his middle. “A while. Do you need any help with anything?” He’d never been much good in the kitchen, but he felt he should at least offer.

    “It’s done, I just came to see if you wanted any.”

    “Is the storm letting up?”

    “No. We might get a break later, but it won’t last, then it’ll be bad again. You’re better off just staying put. If you want one of us can run down to your car when the break hits, get some more stuff. Does the kid need anything?”

    “Jack? No, I…I have what I need for him.”

    “Alright, let’s get you fed then.”

    Castiel hesitated, then followed him back to the kitchen. There was the bacon he’d smelled, plus scrambled eggs and pancakes. Sam was at the kitchen table, pecking at a computer as he ate eggs and fruit. He glanced up when they joined him, cracking a smile for the Omega.

    “’ Morning.”

    “Good morning,” he answered quietly, perching on the chair’s edge to eat in small, quick bites.

    “You still working on that Gahagan case?” Dean asked, chewing his bacon.

    “They’re still going to court on Monday, rain or shine.” Sam took a sip of his coffee, adding, “They’re too stubborn to settle, and I’m not betting on hell freezing over.”

    Dean grunted, focusing most of his attention on his breakfast. Castiel kept his head down, something he’d had all too much practice doing. Sam was a lawyer? Sure, the t-shirt he wore now was from the law department, but that didn’t always mean the person graduated. He’d seen diplomas on the hall walls but hadn’t bothered to read them in detail. He’d have to remedy that. So one brother was a mechanic, the other a lawyer. And he was just the vagrant Omega who’d stumbled onto their doorstep. He hadn’t lied, he did have money, but like his belongings, it was all in his car. He’d hidden it, so ideally should someone break into it they wouldn’t find it right away. What he’d driven away with initially was mostly gone, spent on food and gas and motel rooms. He’d planned on settling down soon, if temporarily, so he could work and get more. When he’d left with Jack he’d had roughly $25,000, and he’d had to use $20,000 to buy a half-decent used vehicle so he wouldn’t be driving with recognizable plates. Another few hundred had been used to ensure the person he bought the car from never saw him, and his face didn’t show up on the security cameras. Castiel had been chagrined to realize $4,000 didn’t go quite as far as it used to, and he didn’t want to wait until he was down to his last dollar to start earning more, preferably in a ligitament job.

    “I don’t think you ever told us your name,” Sam said when they’d finished eating.

    “Castiel.” He saw no reason to lie. His wasn’t exactly a common name, but then he doubted they’d bother tracking him down. Besides, he knew their names.

    “Do you have a very important date?”

    “I…what?”

    “Were you going somewhere in particular?” Sam clarified.

    “No, just…away.” He stood abruptly, picking up his plate and reaching for Dean’s, which had been all but licked clean. “Let me get that for you.”

    “That’s okay, don’t worry about it,” Sam protested.

    Dean sat back, sipping his coffee and not objecting to having his plate whisked away. “How’d the kid sleep?”

    Castiel lowered their dishes into the sink. “Well. Thank you for asking.”

    “How old is he, anyway?”

    “Two weeks.”

    “Is he old enough to be traveling like this?” Sam asked, sounding surprised.

    “My choices were limited,” Castiel answered, turning on the water.

    “Limited how?” Dean asked.

    “I’d rather not say.”

    They didn’t press him after that, for which he was grateful. Nor did they stop him as he bustled about, doing the dishes. It was nice to finally feel useful, especially after all they’d done. Being useful had been a rarity even in his past life. Useful in a fashion he wanted to be, anyway.

    He was drying his hands when Jack’s cries reached his ears, and he hurried to tend to him. It was time to feed him again anyway. When he reached Jack he needed a change, too. He took care of that first, then pulled his borrowed shirt over his head.

    Castiel sat against his headboard, cradling Jack as he sucked eagerly. He ate so regularly, it was getting exhausting. Who was he kidding? It had been exhausting by the second day. His diapers needed changing with equal regularity. If he really stayed two days here he might not have enough diapers, which wouldn’t do. He felt guilty enough throwing them away here, for all each one was sealed in one of the Ziploc bags stowed in the diaper bag’s inner pockets for just this purpose.

    The Omega closed his eyes, leaning his head back as he shifted Jack to the other side. He adored his son, didn’t have a single regret, but by gods, it was draining. How did single mothers juggle this and working? He’d find out soon enough, which he didn’t look forward to. Not only would he likely have to pay someone to mind Jack while he worked, which would eat into what would likely be a meager paycheck, but he’d be away from him for much of the day. From what he understood this raising a child business was difficult even with two or more parents on hand, but it had to be easier than this.

    A light knock on the door jamb had Castiel opening his eyes. Sam stood there, hands jammed into his pockets, clearing his throat as he averted his eyes. “Sorry, I just uh, wanted to see if you needed anything.”

    Castiel smiled tiredly. “It’s alright, I don’t mind. I’m fine, thank you for asking.”

    “Were you able to get everything you needed when you left?”

    The Omega’s faint smile turned to an equally faint frown at that. “If I had my way I would have taken nothing. What I did take was needed for survival. Everything I kept is in my car.”

    “If you want, we can bring it here when there’s a break in the rain. Dean’s got a garage around back, it’d be out of character if there weren’t some gas cans in his stash.”

    Castiel opened his mouth to refuse, but hesitated. “You’ve already done more than enough, but…I don’t want anything stolen, either. I could go with you, drive it back here.”

    “If you want to. Dean was going to take a look at it, see if there was anything that needed fixing.” When Castiel started to open his mouth he cut the Omega off, “We’re doing this because we want to. From the looks of it, you need all the help you can get and no one’s done it so far. If it makes you feel better, think of it as us doing it for him.” Sam nodded at Jack, who had one little hand splayed over his skin, hazel eyes blinking lazily as he ate.

    Castiel looked down at his son, then nodded slowly. For Jack he would do anything, he’d already come to that discovery. It wasn’t until after he was born Castiel had found a strong enough reason to leave his life, after all. If he could do that, he could swallow what little remained of his pride to accept more help from these Alphas.

    “Very well. I’m grateful for all you’ve done for him. If there’s anything I can do to repay you, let me know.”

    Sam hesitated, then asked slowly, “Look, is someone after you? We’re not going to kick you out if someone is, we just want to know so we can protect you.”

    Protect him? That was a first. “I won’t be here long enough to be a danger, I promise. The last thing I want is to bring trouble to you.”

    “That’s not our concern,” Sam protested, taking a few careful steps into his room. “When was the last time you got more than a few hours of sleep at a time?”

    Castiel chuckled wryly. “I dare you to name any new parent who can say they have. It will be a while before I get so lucky.”

    “I know that, but you looked like you hadn’t been sleeping at all,” Sam protested. “A new kid is enough to take it out of you without adding to it.”

    “Perhaps, but this is better than the alternative. Don’t worry about me, Sam.”

    “Maybe we want to worry about you.”

    “Why? I’m no one. You don’t know me. In fact, it’s better if you don’t.”

    “Does anyone know where you are? Where you’re going?”

    “I took great pains to ensure they didn’t.”

    “Disappearing on your own is almost impossible.”

    “How would you know?”

    Sam smiled wryly. “Let’s just say we had a rough childhood. It’s easier to see something in someone else if you’ve been through something similar.”

    “Was your name always Winchester?”

    “Not for a while.”

    “How long before you could take it back?”

    “Six years.”

    “Did you want to?”

    “Yeah.”

    “That’s a difference, then. I’ve had two last names in my life, and I don’t intend to use either one again. I’ll consider it a point of pride if I can manage that.”

    “But Castiel’s your real name?”

    The Omega shrugged. “I’ve always had it. I like it. They shouldn’t be able to take everything from me.”

    “Fair enough,” Sam agreed. He hesitated, then asked carefully, “Is Jack’s father going to come looking for him?”

    Castiel grimaced, shifting Jack up onto his shoulder as he pulled away. “If they even bother it will be out of pride, nothing else.”

    Sam’s lips twitched in a smile as Jack burped. “I know you said he’s only a few weeks old, but he seems so…tiny.”

    The Omega chuckled. He continued to pat Jack on the back gently, if he burped that quickly there was generally more than one. “He seems so now. He didn’t at first, but that was just because he waited to arrive after the epidural wore off.”

    He hadn’t expected the sympathetic wince, but it was appreciated. “Whoever said Omegas were the weaker breed never set foot in a maternity ward.”

    Castiel raised an eyebrow. “Really. And you have?”

    “Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. “Our sister’s Alpha got stuck in rush hour trying to meet her at the hospital, and Ash was in a hurry to get out. At the time I was the only one there, and Jo needed the support.” He held up his left hand, adding wryly, “My fingers were all straight until then.”

    To Castiel’s amusement there were indeed three crooked digits on the hand Sam held up. It was a nice, long-fingered hand. Could hands be attractive? It had never occurred to Castiel before, but apparently it was a possibility.

    “Did her Alpha eventually make it?”

    “Barely,” Dean affirmed, coming to lean against the doorway, arms folded. “Her car got towed because she abandoned it and just ran the seven blocks to the hospital. I haven’t seen Charlie move that fast since Comic-Con.”

    “You were supposed to be her support, not be the guy who got outpaced by a Hobbit.”

    “Hey, she’s slippery,” Dean protested. “And she was motivated. I’d like to see you keep up with a Hobbit when they’ve got a Nazgul on their ass.”

    “Your sister’s Alpha is a halfling?”

    The brothers turned to stare at him for a moment before they both smiled wryly. “Might as well be,” Dean admitted. “You, uh, into that stuff?”

    Castiel raised a challenging brow. “Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”

    That earned him a pair of grins from the brothers. It set off an odd, fluttery sense in his chest. He hadn’t anticipated that any more than he’d anticipated a person could have attractive hands.

    “There’s a box set in the living room. It’s not like we can get anything productive done today anyway,” Dean pointed out, nodding at the window. Castiel had opened the curtains, giving him a good view of blurry forest through a wall of rain.

    “Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit?”

    “Both.”

    Castiel raised his eyebrows. “Which one would you like to watch?”

    “Up to you,” Sam told him amicably.

    The Omega worried his lip, considering.

    “We’ve got two days, should be enough to do both, don’t you think?” Dean suggested.

    “Seriously, Dean?”

    “Why not?”

    “Just because you can do it doesn’t mean everyone can,” Sam protested.

    “I can, actually,” Castiel interjected. “I just wasn’t sure you could.”

    “Ye of little faith,” Dean scoffed, turning to head back down the hall. “Queue it up, Sammy, I’ll get the popcorn.”

    “No licorice,” the taller Alpha called after him.

    “It’s the perfect movie food, bitch!”

    “Jerk!”

BREAK/BREAK\BREAK

    Castiel moved his feeding and changing operations to the living room. They watched all the Hobbit movies that day and began on the Lord of the Rings. He wasn’t overly fond of Dean’s beloved licorice, but he helped Sam go through several bags of popcorn. Rather than make a poor deliveryman drive out to bring them a pizza, Dean made one. Well, one large pizza with the supplies meant to make two.

    As the storm raged on Castiel allowed himself to indulge in one of his guilty pleasures with two very nice, very handsome Alphas who enjoyed the antics of hobbits just as much as he did. More than once he looked over to where they were sitting, wondering at the simple luxury he’d never been allowed before. Also on more than one occasion, he glanced over in time to see one or both of the brothers averting their eyes.

    Near the end of the first day, when they’d finished dinner, Castiel glanced around at the dishes and decided he wanted to help this time. But his hands were full of Jack, who had been oddly quiet as the sounds of Middle Earth filled their living room. So, after a moment of hesitation, he stood and handed Jack to the nearest brother. Dean’s eyes widened slightly, but he gingerly took the infant, supporting his head without prompting, cradling him to his broad chest.

    Trying very hard to ignore the warm fluttering at the sight of seeing his pup in Dean’s arms, Castiel set about gathering up plates and taking them to the kitchen. When he returned a short time later, the Alpha was on his feet, slowly pacing around the living room, taking slow, bouncing steps as he wandered about. His head was bent over the pup, eyes never leaving Jack. One tiny hand had lifted from his swaddlings, waving about. As Castiel watched, the Alpha gingerly shifted his hold on Jack so he could free a hand, offering a finger to the pup. Tiny, chubby digits wrapped around his index finger, a low croon and gurgling babble coming from the bundle.

    “Can I hold him?” Sam asked in a barely audible whisper.

    “Wait your turn, Sammy,” Dean muttered, tone oddly tender.

    It seemed they hadn’t noticed him yet. Sam was practically hovering, eyes intent on the swaddled pup. They were both entranced. It was such a far cry from what he’d left, someone who’d wanted nothing to do with Jack, someone who’d as soon disown the pup as look at him. It made his chest go tight.

    “You may hold him if you wish.”

    Both brothers started, looking back at him guiltily.

    Castiel managed an honest smile, shuffling forward. “It’s fine, really. I’m just…I’m unused to trusting people with him. He’s everything.”

    Rather than comment on that, Dean informed his brother, “You can have a turn when he lets go of me.”

    As it turned out, this didn’t happen for quite some time. Even then Dean was very reluctant to pass over the pup. Sam handled him just as carefully, cradling the pup tenderly against his chest, fussing with the blanket he was wrapped in, settling back against the couch. Castiel kept one eye on them, more as a precaution than any real concern. They felt…safe. He felt he should be more wary, but his instincts indicated his pup was in no danger with these two, and he trusted his instincts.

    Jack eventually fell asleep, content in this new environment. Castiel could hardly fault him when he shared the sentiment. It seemed they were both content here.

    Shortly before the second movie ended on Saturday, there was finally a break in the rain. Dean put what seemed to be a toolkit in the trunk of his Impala, asking what the Omega wanted him to grab. Castiel would prefer to go himself, get what they’d need, but that would mean leaving Jack. Bringing him wouldn’t be prudent. He was in the midst of weighing his options when Sam volunteered to watch him. Dean seemed to find this agreeable, but it still took some assurances before Castiel agreed. Even then he only did so because Dean promised they wouldn’t be gone long, likely less than thirty minutes.

    He made sure Jack was fed and had a fresh diaper, asking multiple times if Sam was sure he’d be alright and if he had any questions until Dean dragged him out. By this point, Jack was dozing in his converted laundry basket and Sam swore that if anything happened he’d call Dean’s cell. Likely the Omega still wouldn’t have walked away from his pup, but his instincts weren’t setting off any alarm bells so he allowed himself to be directed to the Impala’s passenger seat. Dean even got the door for him.

    The going was much faster, if no less wet, in a vehicle than it had been on foot. Dean pulled over behind the older model SUV type vehicle. The Beta he’d bought it from had called it an Isuzu Crosswind something-or-other, the dull blue paint making it look very drab, nothing special, which had suited his needs.

    “That’s your problem right there,” Dean informed him, cutting the engine. “You’ve got a foreign piece of crap.”

    “My choices were very limited when I acquired it.”

    He climbed out, unlocking the car and pocketing his keys as Dean went about fetching something from the Impala’s trunk and popping the hood. Dean got behind the SUV’s wheelfor a minute, listening to the results when he tried to start it. As he moved to check on to the engine Castiel went around, gathering his stowed cash and stuffing it into the duffle that held what few clothes and toiletries he’d brought. Another bag held more of Jack’s things, a briefcase held the dinosaur of a computer he’d bought with his own money ages ago, and all their documentation, along with a folded-up highchair and jumper. The latter two resembled folding canvas chairs, lightweight and meant to travel. The pack-n-play had to go in the Impala’s backseat. It came with a detachable bassinet and mini changing table, very handy should he ever need to assemble it. He hadn’t gotten the chance to really try any of these things out yet, but he was hopeful.

    All but the pack-n-play he transferred to the Impala’s trunk, essentially emptying the car. Then he went around to peer over Dean’s arm, curious as to what he was doing. He seemed to be feeling around, tugging this, probing that, an oil rag in one hand.

    “Well, you’re out of gas, which doesn’t help. Your brake line’s shot, your fuel line’s frayed to hell, and the sparkplugs are corroded. I’m guessing you bought this off of some second-hand douchebag?”

    “As I said, my options were limited. Is it fixable?”

    “Yeah, but you sure you wanna fix it?”

    “Yes. I still have a long way to go. I’d like it not to break down until after I get there.”

    “You got a specific destination in mind?”

    “After a fashion.”

    “Anybody waiting for you?”

    “I hope not.”

    Dean braced his hands on the car’s edge, regarding the engine before turning his attention to Castiel. “I’ll patch her up, get some more gas in her tank, enough to get to the shop. I don’t know what kind of backup there is right now, it might take a few days, but I can guarantee it’ll get you where you need to go after that.”

    Castiel nodded slowly. “I understand. Thank you. Is there a motel in town? I don’t want to trouble you any further.”

    “You ain’t a bother, Cas,” Dean sighed, straightening and going to check the Impala’s trunk. He took out the gas can first, pouring a few gallons into the tank before going to root through his bag of tools in the trunk. “We want to do this. And this way we know you’re safe. If it was just you, fine. But you’ve got a pup. A really young pup. We can’t let you do that in good conscious.”

    “Then let me repay you,” the Omega urged, keeping out of the way to let him work. “Let me pay for groceries, let me help around the house. Something. I…I can’t…I won’t….I will do everything but service you.”

    Dean jerked, then swore quite enthusiastically as his head slammed into the car’s open hood. He backed up, wincing and rubbing the back of his head. “Damn it. No way we’re asking you to do that, alright? Forget it. If you really want, we can talk to Sam when we get back. Let’s just worry about this first.”

    “Very well. I just don’t enjoy owing people, or relying entirely on them. It’s something I intend to rectify going forward.”

    “You don’t owe me and Sam squat,” Dean informed him, pointing at the Omega with a wrench before going back under the hood. “We’re doing this because we want to. Because the Omega family we’ve got would skin us alive if we let you go off alone like you are. That simple.”

    Was it? Was it really that simple? Could it really be that simple? Castiel’s experience said no, but then the Winchesters appeared to have a knack for debunking his expectations. He was postponing official judgment, but for the time being this didn’t appear to be a bad thing.

    It took a little time, but Dean got the Omega’s vehicle to where he was okay with Castiel driving it into town. He led the way with the Impala, whom he called Baby, Castiel tailing him. After a few miles they drove passed a scrapyard, then a Dollar General, before coming to a four-way stoplight. Dean turned right, passed a Gas ‘N Sip, a thrift store, then pulled into the lot outside a mechanic shop. ‘Winchester’s Auto and Repair’, according to the sign. The sign on the door was turned to ‘Closed’, which was unsurprising, but Castiel’s heart sank a little when he took in how many cars were in the lot. Were these finished or jobs waiting?

    He parked next to Dean, getting out uncertainly. “Are these new jobs?”

    “Looks like. I knew there’d be problems, but damn.” Dean opened the door to the main office, which wasn’t locked. “Hey Asa, you in?” he called.

    The Omega timidly followed, standing just inside the doorway and looking around as someone called back, “I’m in the well!”

    “Get outta there, I need to talk to you.” Dean went through a side door, going into the warehouse area with multiple hanger doors that were currently closed.

    Castiel chose to hang back, worrying his lip, hands thrust into his pockets. He could hear them talking, two rumbling voices in the hanger. A minute later Dean came back, a bearded Beta following him.

    “Good news, we’ve got the parts,” the Alpha announced, jamming his hands into his back pockets. “Bad news, it might take a little while to get to it.”

    The Omega felt a brief frown flicker over his face, despite himself. “I understand. How long will it take?”

    “Only about two-three days, minimum. Possibly four. There was a, uh, four care pileup on Main Street when someone forgot to confiscate old man Gallagher’s keys.”

    Castiel’s head tilted slightly. There was a desk between him and the other two, but if he didn’t know any better he would have sworn Dean had subtly kicked Asa when he’d started to give a shorter time frame. But he was afraid to ask questions, that always seemed to annoy people. So he inclined his head and asked if there was anything they needed from him. Asa joined Dean in insisting that money wasn’t necessary, down payment or otherwise. So he simply handed over his keys and followed Dean back out to Baby.

    When they made it back Castiel tried not to seem in too much of a hurry to get inside, but he wasn’t sure how well he succeeded. At least they didn’t seem offended. The first thing out of Sam’s mouth was the promise that everything was fine and Jack was still sleeping. The Omega checked on him, fussed with his blanket a bit, then went to help unload the Impala.

    Dean turned to making dinner as Sam helped him unbox the pack-n-play and its attachments. Jack was still too young for the highchair and jumper, but this would be very useful. Castiel hadn’t put much thought into the assembly process, which turned out to be very complicated. Between him and Sam they barely had time to get it put together by the time Dean called, “Soup’s on!”

    Tonight was Mexican, hardly soup, with taquitos and homemade guacamole and nachos and margaritas. Alcoholic for them, virgin for the Omega. It smelled divine and tasted just as good. Dean’s cheeks went a bit pink and he ducked his head when Castiel told him as much, muttering something unintelligible into his glass. He also refused to let Castiel do all the cleaning up, and the Omega chose to be stubborn about it just to see what would happen. He was both relieved and pleasantly surprised when this only earned him some grumbling and their splitting things 50/50.

    Castiel was feeding Jack afterward, perched on the couch, when they rejoined him for the last movie. The Omega felt better rested, but he was still tired. More so than he’d thought. He didn’t realize he was nodding off until Jack’s fussing jolted him awake, turning to his pup only to find a changing was in order.

    He had only just started to nod off again when Jack began to babble uneasily. Castiel fought down a groan, dragging his head upright in time to see Dean standing up, quietly going over to lift Jack out of his carrier. The Omega tensed, but stayed put, watching in the flickering light provided by the TV.

    “Easy, tiger, you gotta keep it down,” the Alpha scolded in a soft voice, flipping a cloth over one shoulder before settling the pup there. “Your Mom’s beat. That’s it, easy, shhh.”

    Sam gave his brother a bemused smile, glancing towards the Omega before turning his attention back to the movie. He didn’t seem to notice Castiel was awake, or if he did he chose not to mention it. Castiel watched as Dean began to pace with a bouncing gait, patting Jack on the back, muttering commentary to the pup as the Battle of the Five Armies raged on. Castiel hadn’t expected the sight to make his chest go tight.

    He’d never even wished to see Bartholomew react this way. From the beginning, he’d known it would never happen. At the same time, it was what he’d ached for. Jack deserved a father, needed a father, someone who would love him and care for him as Castiel did. It wasn’t uncommon for an Omega to mate more than one Alpha, especially considering the numbers imbalance. Siblings were only a little less common, the only real issue being the possibility of butting heads. Omegas were so far outnumbered by Alphas that polygamy was tolerated or encouraged, depending on which part of the world you were in. Before, Castiel hadn’t considered it much because he knew he’d be mated off to someone who’d consider him a prize, something not to be shared. That wasn’t to say he was completely against being mated, to one or more Alphas, he was too much of a romantic.

    As soon as the thought even sparked Castiel promptly squashed it. No. They were being kind, nothing more. He wouldn’t take advantage of it any more than he already had. He should be grateful his luck had finally turned in his favor, not wanting more. So what if the very gruff Dean turned all soft and paternal when he had the pup in his arms? So what if Sam had been quick to volunteer to hold Jack when he’d gotten discontent while Castiel had been putting in the pack-n-play’s screws? For gods’ sake, as the credits started to roll they were bickering over whether Sam should take a turn or if they should just try putting him back down.

    Castiel chose that moment to ‘wake up’, sitting upright and stretching with a quiet groan. In a heartbeat he had two pairs of guilty eyes watching him, Sam cradling the remarkably content pup to his broad chest. Jack didn’t seem at all bothered, by the strange Alphas or the bloody battle he may or may not have registered. At current he was waving his arms, chubby fingers reaching up to Sam, cooing and babbling.

    “I wouldn’t recommend letting him grab your hair.”

    “Uh, okay. Should we…put him down?” Sam asked uncertainly.

    “No, I…human interaction is good. I’m afraid it was somewhat limited the first days of his life, it seems as good a time as any to rectify that.” He hesitated, then added, “He seems to like you, both of you.”

    “He not in the habit of liking new people?”

    “No.” He’d screamed the one time Bartholomew had gone near him, had taken hours to calm down on the lone three occasions strangers had tried to touch or hold him. He would have feared that same reaction when he’d first handed Jack to Dean, but he’d gotten close without seeming to mind before, so he’d taken the risk. Frankly, Castiel thought Jack had better instincts than he did.

    Castiel added some extra padding to the laundry basket, liking the idea of having Jack on a more bed-like thing for the night rather than a carrier. The Omega puttered about, taking another indulging shower, putting on a pair of flannel pants and a long-sleeved shirt, brushing his teeth, and shaving before going to check on his pup. Sam was still in possession of Jack, who was now on the changing addition to the pack-n-play. The Alpha was on his knees, peering over at the infant, long-fingered hands closed over his face.

    As Castiel watched, head tilted, he spread his hands to reveal an exaggeratedly shocked face. Jack giggled, kicking chubby legs on the padding below him. Sam covered his face again, ducking down a little, then popped back up to reveal his face again, this time sticking out his tongue. Jack laughed outright, shrieking in delight.

    The taller Alpha blew raspberries on a chubby tummy, then tugged Jack’s shirt down. He picked up the pup, swinging him up a bit before bringing him down to shoulder level. This was apparently highly entertaining, making Jack shriek all the more. Once against the Alpha he settled down a little, though, nuzzling against him.

    “Alright, now you gotta settle down. I think your Mom’s about ready to go to bed.”

    The gentle words were followed by a grunt of pain as one of those tiny, surprisingly strong hands managed to get hold of a lock of brown hair and yanked. Grabbing was one thing, letting go was another, and he’d barely gotten a knack for the former. Despite his shorter hair Castiel had already had to pry his son’s fingers off it, after losing what felt like a fistful to a single yank.

    He chose that moment to step in, coming around and working Jack’s fingers apart. Sam gave him a sheepish smile, scooting Jack a little lower on his shoulder. “Didn’t think he’d be that strong.”

    “I did warn you.”

    “Yeah, you did.”

    Dean, leaning against the doorway with a beer dangling from one hand, grinned. “Now will you let me cut it?”

    “When you admit pie and cake are basically the same thing.”

    The elder Alpha’s amused expression turned very serious very quickly. “They are not the same, Sammy, and you know it. Don’t diss pie.”

    “How long has this impasse stood?” Castiel asked, genuinely curious.

    The brothers exchanged looks. “Dunno, ten years maybe?”

    “Ten years, really?”

    “Maybe closer to eight.”

    “Eight sounds about right.”

    “Yeah, that was when you really started letting it grow out.”

    “Why is it you didn’t seem to have a problem until college?”

    “Because until college it wasn’t that bad.”

    Castiel couldn’t help but smile at the familiar bickering. There was no heat to it, like the barbs his own siblings had aimed at him. At this exact moment, the idea of giving Jack siblings went beyond overwhelming, it was terrifying. But should the day come where Jack did have siblings, this was what he hoped for them.

Chapter Text

    The weather was a little better the next day, but it was Sunday so there was nowhere for them to go. They watched Lord of the Rings, they talked, they ate, they laughed. At some point, as Sam and Dean were honestly fighting over what zombies would actually be like should there be a zombie apocalypse, it occurred to Castiel that he had never felt this way about anyone before. Not his family, and certainly not Bartholomew. By this point, he was sure Dean had in fact made Asa give an extended estimate on his car, but he didn’t mind much. He wanted to enjoy his time with them while he could.

    Monday morning, Castiel came out when he heard them stirring to find Sam eating fruit wearing a suit, Dean tossing a pair of coveralls over a barstool before raking scrambled eggs from a pan onto two plates. He glanced up, cracking a smile when he saw the Omega hovering with Jack in his arms. “Hey, ‘morning. Listen, we’re kinda backed up at the shop so I’m gonna be swamped today, but Sam just has to be in court for the morning.”

    Sam nodded, swallowing a mouthful of coffee. “Yeah, I can do everything else from home. I don’t have to be at the office.”

    Castiel was already shaking his head. “You don’t have to. We’ll be fine. You’re already doing too much.”

    “It’s something I’d be thinking about anyway,” Sam promised, waving it off. “Besides, after I’m done we need to go for a supply run.”

    “You’re low on diapers, and some other stuff, and I’m guessing he’ll need a bath soon,” Dean pointed out. “We’re due for a supply run anyhow.”

    The Omega worried his lip, but nodded. It sounded reasonable, right? They’d made it seem that way. He was unused to people wanting to take care of him like this. This wasn’t just giving him an impressive monthly allowance for his needs, this wasn’t having groceries shipped in once a week, this wasn’t throwing things at him in hopes he’d go away and leave well enough alone. This was practicality and genuine concern.

    “If you’re sure.”

    “We’re sure,” they said in perfect unison.

    He cocked his head at that, impressed, and began to eat his food. By the time he’d finished they had wrapped up and were about to walk out the door. It took several assurances that yes, they would be fine and yes, he had all their contact information and no, he didn’t need anything else. In the end Castiel felt as though he had to kick them out, watching as Baby and a newer model Charger pulled down the muddy drive.

    Deciding to make himself useful, Castiel started with the dishes. He had to stop to feed Jack after that, then moved on to tidying the new clutter in their living room. He threw out what packaging couldn’t be reused and stowed the rest, tucking the things he couldn’t use yet into a corner in his guestroom. He cleaned the windows, he dusted, he vacuumed, he even polished the pictures and knickknacks.

    While he was doing all this, he also took the time to really look at said pictures. The framed diplomas, for one. Those issued to Samuel Winchester indicated he’d made it through law school, at Stanford no less. Dean Winchester had received a duel Bachelors degree for both mechanical engineering and business. Most of the pictures seemed to be of family, friends. Shots taken on graduation day, usually with each other. A picture of him and Sam leaning against a car to either side of a shorter, older man with a beard and trucker cap. Another appeared to be at a mating ceremony, with them standing in tuxes with females in beautiful bridal gowns, one blond and one redhead. A third was of the older man standing with a brunette female outside a sign that read ‘Singer’s Auto and Repair’. There were a few others, but those four people were the most reoccurring. From what they’d told him he guessed the older couple were Bobby and Ellen, foster parents turned adopted parents. Jo was Ellen’s biological daughter from a previous relationship, who was now mated to Charlie. They hadn’t given him many details, beyond the fact that they’d had an erratic and unstable upbringing before ending up with the Singers. For all that, Castiel envied them. Blood didn’t matter to him, it had certainly never done him any favors. Their story proved it, non-biological relatives being more family to them than their distant relatives had been. They hadn’t provided the full story, of course, but then he could hardly judge. He still knew more about them than they did him.

    He had changed Jack and was sitting on the couch nursing him when Sam returned. He looked up, smiling at the Alpha as he came through the front door. His tie was loosened, but otherwise he looked much the same as when he left. Not at all frazzled or irritated. Perhaps the case had gone favorably.

    “Hello, Sam.”

    “Hey, Cas.” He glanced around as he shut and locked the door. “Where’d all his stuff go?”

    “I moved them back to my guest room.”

    The Alpha’s eyebrows shot up. “All of it?”

    “The boxes are stacked and I threw away anything that couldn’t be reused on what we assembled.” The pack-n’-play was still out, but all the boxes, empty or otherwise, had been stowed away.

    Hazel eyes were roving are the space, flicking down the hall and into the kitchen, a frown furrowing between them. “Did you…clean?”

    “Yes.”

    “Why? You didn’t have to.”

    “I wanted to. I like to make myself useful. Besides, you’re letting me stay here without charge, you’re feeding me, fixing my car. It’s the least I could do.”

    The frown turned to a grimace. “You’re supposed to be resting.”

    “I am resting.”

    “More than you already are. I don’t think he’ll mind,” Sam pointed out, nodding to Jack.

    Castiel’s eyes drifted down to his son as the Alpha went on down the hall, thumb brushing a chubby cheek. He doubted Jack would mind this, but then that wasn’t what he worried about. What worried him was what Jack would think of him in the coming years, when he was old enough to understand. Would he blame his mother for what he’d done? For running from his father or for staying as long as he did? For abandoning the lifestyle where money was never a worry, where he would always have had the best of everything?

    Money wouldn’t have been an issue, no. But nothing was ever free, and Castiel had decided the price for that lifestyle was too high. It had always been too high, but it had taken him that long to find the motivation to leave it. He couldn’t let Jack stay there, where having the latest phones and cars were paid for with servitude. Where all the nice clothes and food was given in exchange for obedience and dancing the way older Alphas dictated. Where even obeying them and letting them do as they wished still inevitably got you knocked around because you still weren’t good enough.

    The Omega’s eyes drifted back up as Sam reemerged, slowly coming over to sit across from him. He still wore the dress shirt and pants, but his tie was gone, along with his suit jacket, the buttons at his collar and cuffs undone. Castiel might have gone back to watching his pup, but he didn’t like the grim look on Sam’s face.

    “Is something wrong?” he asked uncertainly.

    “That’s what we’ve been wondering. Look, we’re not going to throw you out or anything. We just want to know if there’s anything we should know, so we can protect you.”

    Castiel managed a wan smile at that. “I appreciate the sentiment, but there’s nothing you can do. Besides, once my car is fixed I won’t bother you anymore.”

    “You’re not bothering us, neither of you,” Sam protested. “That’s the problem. We like having you here, we like having both of you here, and we’re worried.”

    That wasn’t something he was used to hearing, but he stood his ground nonetheless. “As long as I keep moving, there’s nothing to be worried about.”

    For a long minute Sam was quiet, studying him. Then he leaned back, folding his arms. “Dean won’t release your car for a while, you know.”

    “He said four days.”

    “No, I mean a while. Unless we’re sure you’re safe, we’re not letting you go back out there.”

    An uneasy tingle ran down Castiel’s spine, and he sat up a little straighter. “What do you mean? You’ll keep me here against my will?”

    “We’ll strongly encourage it. Think about this, Cas, is it really that smart? You’re low on resources, energy, you’re burned out and you’ve got every right to be. If you try to keep going, you’ll run yourself into the ground. That won’t do you or Jack any good.”

    Castiel hesitated, unwillingly admitting that Sam was making a point. One he’d been trying to ignore, praying he could handle, but it was a realistic concern. How long had he slept since he’d been here? It was easily more rest than he’d gotten in the last week altogether.

    “How much money do you have left?” Without waiting for an answer, Sam pressed on. “When did you plan on getting more? Just what did you think you could do to bring more in?”

    “Work. I was going to get a job somewhere.”

    “Okay, say you got a job. How many hours were you going to try and work? What would you do with Jack during all that time? You’d have to pay someone to watch him, that on top of living expenses would take up everything you earned if not more. Unless you’ve got some qualifications we don’t know about.”

    Castiel stared down at Jack, going through the motions of burping him without thought. He’d known all this, of course. But while he currently refused to sell himself in order to bring in income he knew he might change his mind in time. If he got desperate enough.

    “So how about you do this instead. Stay here for a while. Not forever, just a little while. Take some time, rest, eat. Then, after a week or so, if you still want to work we’ll help you find something in town. We’ll even help you find someone to keep an eye on Jack if we can’t. That way you’d get to keep all you make, and you wouldn’t be killing yourself to do it. If you want to move on when he’s a little older, we’ll help you then too.”

    The Omega’s chest went tight. He stared up at Sam, hand still patting Jack’s back. “Why?” he asked at last, voice quiet. “Why would you do this? Why would either of you do any of this?”

    “Because we like you. We’re worried about you. Both of you.” He nodded to Jack. “We can, and we want to.”

    “I can offer you nothing.”

    “You’re wrong about that,” Sam disagreed, mouth twisting wryly. “Just think about it, alright? You’ve got time, at least until your car’s fixed.”

    Castiel wavered, studying him. He was sorely tempted to say yes outright. It was logical, as loathe as he was to admit it. Frankly, his issue would be as much about trust as being a burden, or at least it should be. Castiel wasn’t accustomed to trusting just anyone, never mind so quickly. But his instincts were already at ease around them; hell, he’d even let them hold Jack when he wasn’t in the room. That was far more than he’d ever given to anyone.

    Sam was right. It had been the one major fault in his plan, but it had been the best of an assortment of bad options. He’d been running on fumes when he’d stumbled onto their doorstep, and he would be hard-pressed to find a job where he’d at least break even, never mind be able to set pennies aside to press on with. Technically what they were offering him was the ideal solution, but then the Omega hadn’t made it this far by simply trusting everyone he’d come across.

    In the end, logic won out. But only because he was inclined to trust them, at least for the short term. Jack seemed to like them, at any rate, and they’d handled him well.

    “Does Dean know what you’re offering?” he asked at last, lifting his gaze back up to Sam.

    “Yeah, he does.”

    “And he’s alright with it?”

    “He’s the one who said something first. He just thought I should be the one to suggest it to you. Dean has it in his head I’m better with words.”

    Castiel considered this for a minute, studying him, then slowly nodded. “Alright,” he said at last. “I’ll stay. At least until my car’s fixed. Maybe…maybe longer.”

    A warm smile lit Sam’s face. Castiel got the sense he’d made the right choice, a warm sense he immediately tried to quash. Sentiment had only caused him problems in the past, he had to be careful what he allowed himself. For Jack’s sake if not his own.

    “But until I’m able to find work I’d like to help out around the house. Cooking was never my strong suit, but I can do everything else.”

    “That’s probably for the best. Dean likes to cook, and he’s pretty good at it.” Eyes drifting to Jack he said, “Just don’t push yourself. Alright? You start pushing yourself too hard, you’re not allowed to help anymore. Deal?”

    Lips twitching in a wry smile, Castiel agreed, “Deal.”

    “Good. Great. So, uh, you hungry?”

    The Omega’s head tilted slightly as he watched Sam lurch to his feet. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say the Alpha was uncomfortable all of a sudden for all he seemed happy. He had the decided notion that this was a good thing. It was oddly comforting to him, seeing that even Alphas could feel awkward at times. Assurance they too were human.

    “Sure. Would you like me to make something or-“

    “No, it’s fine. I can manage sandwiches, at least. Is that okay?”

    Castiel perked up a little at that. “Yeah, that’s okay.” He liked sandwiches. Especially PB&J’s, but he wasn’t picky.

    While Sam did spend a majority of the afternoon working, he did it at the dining room table as Castiel puttered about. There wasn’t much left to clean, so he turned to laundry. He’d already done a load of towels, but after Sam changed out of his work clothes he got a load of colors going. In between moving laundry around and folding it, he played with Jack. More than once Sam seemed to take breaks around those times, and while Castiel wasn’t sure he could afford to be away from his work that long he couldn’t bring himself to complain.

    Dean brought home barbeque for dinner that night, tender pulled pork, sweet rolls, french-fries, even pickles. He liked pickles. From what Castiel put together from his grumblings Dean preferred doing the cooking himself, but this place was up to his standards when that wasn’t possible. Castiel was certainly happy with the food quality. He’d been eating the cheapest food he could find ever since he took to the road, though these last few days he’d been forced to resort to shelters. He’d been reluctant to initially, if only because he could afford something, but the few days prior to breaking down he’d stop at a shelter if the town was large enough to have one. They never asked questions when an Omega with a pup came through. It was something he’d opted not to tell them yet.

    Castiel was doing the dishes when Sam asked, “You feel like making a trip to the store?”

    Dean was stowing the leftovers that the brothers had agreed would be left for the Omega’s lunch the next day, taking a sip from his beer as he closed the fridge and turned to regard him thoughtfully. “Up to him.”

    “Are you sure?” he asked uncertainly. “You’ve both been working all day.”

    “Sure,” Dean agreed with a shrug. “It’s just a matter of whether you want to take Jack or not.”

    Castiel’s eyes drifted to the carrier, which was sitting at the edge of the kitchen where he could keep an eye on Jack. He was batting at the toys dangling above his head, but he was starting to kick restlessly, and he kept spitting out his pacifier. That was usually a precursor to the cry that meant he was hungry.

    “I didn’t take the car seat from my car,” he admitted distractedly.

    “Yeah, I saw that when we moved your car. I put it in Baby in case you needed it.”

    The Omega frowned at him. “Why were you moving my car?”

    “More folks came in today. We were moving all the cars that got in first to one side of the lot. You’d be amazed how many people think they can make it when the weather goes to shit.”

    “There’s nowhere to strap in a car seat in the Impala,” Sam protested.

    “Then we’ll put it in your car.”

    “You’d be willing to bring a newborn to a grocery store?” Castiel clarified, eyebrows raised.

    “Sure,” they said in unison.

    “Let me feed him first. He’s getting hungry.”

    “I’ll see about getting the car seat ready while you do that,” Dean said, apparently liking this answer.

    Sam started working on a list as Castiel lifted Jack out of the carrier, taking him into the living room. He briefly set him down so he could take off his shirt, settling down as he got the infant close enough to latch, which he did with his usual enthusiasm. One thing was for sure, Jack was a healthy eater. He’d just have to be careful when he got older, otherwise he’d be a very chubby toddler.

    He was aware of Dean coming back inside to get the carrier, but didn’t think much about it. When Jack had had his fill and he’d been burped Castiel put his shirt back on, made sure he was dry, shouldered the diaper bag, then went out the side door that led to the overhang where the brothers parked their cars. Sam’s had been on the far side of the Impala, which was why he hadn’t really seen it that first day. Now, as he circled around the car Dean called Baby, he could see the Alpha’s lower half sticking out from the Charger’s backseat. He was bent over, one knee braced on the seat, jeans pulling snug over his ass in the process. Castiel might not be overly interested in a relationship right now, but he was hardly blind, thank you.

    When he stopped admiring the view, it occurred to him Dean was making irritated noises. Head tilting to one side, he went around to peer through the other open door. The Alpha was scowling, wrestling with the carrier. It seemed he’d gotten the base strapped in, and possibly the carrier to the base, but it seemed he was trying to secure the carrier’s straps with very little success.

    Making a frustrated noise, the Alpha demanded, “Who designed this thing? NASA?”

    “I assumed it was made by the company on the box. I’m not sure what sort of research went into its design.” Straightening, Castiel came around and said, “Perhaps I should try.”

    In his experience Alphas didn’t take well to such things, but the brothers didn’t react like the Alphas he was used to so he thought it was worth a try. He was pleasantly surprised when Dean backed out of the car, looking irritated. “I’m usually good at this kind of stuff.”

    “These things are somewhat notorious for being difficult,” Castiel pointed out. He handed Jack into his arms, then climbed into the backseat. He settled the carrier until it popped into the base with a click, then made sure it was strapped in securely. Dean had set it in the middle seat, so it was easy enough to get the waist strap through the slots. Satisfied, he undid the mangled straps, then went to go around to the other side. “Put him in. I’ll show you.”

    He got a glimpse of Dean’s dubious expression, but the Alpha gingerly maneuvered himself in, Jack cradled to his chest.

    Castiel watched as Jack was carefully placed in his carrier, arms flopping up and down as if excited to be going somewhere. Once he was placed, Castiel tugged out the straps and began buckling him in with practiced ease. There was a part that attached over Jack’s chest, the bottom pieces attached to them sliding into a buckle between his legs. Jack blinked up at him, babbling as he batted at his mother’s lingering hand.

    The Omega stroked his forehead with a thumb, looking up in time to meet Dean’s eyes. He blinked, unsure as to why the Alpha was watching him like that, but before he could ask he backed out of the car and closed his door. Castiel climbed into the seat beside his son, closing the door as Sam came out, list in hand. It felt almost odd, riding beside him for a change.

    He listened without comment as they spent half the trip bickering over the radio, oddly content. The store they drove to was on the other side of town, but it was larger and carried more than just groceries. One-stop shopping. Convenient. It also had several carts that had built-in seats for Jack, though he felt the need to wipe it down before he felt comfortable placing Jack in it. Just in case. He was hardly a germophobe, but he’d become a bit more cautious with his son. Sam didn’t seem to mind the wait, at any rate, and Dean seemed to approve.

    “What do we need first?” he asked as they made their way into the store.

    “Might as well hit the baby aisle first.”

    “You sure?”

    “We’re sure.”

    Just how often did they say things at the same time? This time they’d spared a brief, irked look for each other, but otherwise they didn’t break stride. Jack at least seemed content for the time being, sucking on his pacifier, watching everything with big eyes as he was pushed into the store.

    Castiel followed them with the buggy, pleasantly surprised to find that there was indeed a selection of baby things, including a few tubs. The smallest one, with the most pronounced curves to provide support, seemed like the best idea. It would even fit in the kitchen sink.

    The Omega was carefully studying the array of shampoos and soaps for babies when he heard a weary sigh from Sam. He glanced up, wondering if he should hurry up, only to blink in confusion when he found Dean fiddling with a breast pump. It was one of the manual variety, wrapped in plastic rather than boxed up. He was currently pressing it to just about everything except his chest.

    “Are you confused as to its intended function?” he asked carefully.

    “No, he knows what it is,” Sam informed him with a decidedly long-suffering tone. “He’s just being an idiot.”

    Dean shot him a dirty look, putting the pump back on the shelf. He went farther down the aisle, to where the diapers were. He found the brand Castiel had been using and grabbed a large box of the smallest size. That has been something he’d been willing to splurge on, at least. Unless he absolutely couldn’t, he had tried to use the best for Jack, or at least not get by on the cheapest option.

    After he added soap to the cart Sam snagged a bottle of baby oil and baby powder, and when Castiel looked at him he shrugged and asked innocently, “What? You’re almost out.”

    Dean had already added baby wipes and was turning to the small selection of baby monitors, while Sam had apparently found hooded towels among the onesies.

    He opened his mouth to voice a protest, but the words froze in his throat when Dean looked up from the buggy and met his eyes.

    “Shut up. We want to.”

    Sam glanced up, a towel in each hand. “Blue or red?”

    “I don’t…” He trailed off as he met Sam’s eyes. For all his expression was amicable, there was a firmness that was identical to the one Dean had directed at him. Telling himself it was for Jack, he said quietly, “Blue.” It came out meeker than he thought it would.

    This wasn’t part of the deal, not that he remembered anyway. He didn’t understand why they were so insistent, but if they wanted to get supplies for Jack he wouldn’t question them much. It wasn’t something he was used to, to say the least. Growing up he’d had resources, yes, but they were given out of obligation. Bartholomew had given him an allowance for the same reasons. He’d bought all of Jack’s supplies from that allowance, stocked up, but there had only been so much he could do.

    Half their cart was full by the time they got to the rest of the shopping list. Staples, mostly, and food. Lots of food. He felt a little better seeing that they had apparently needed to stock up on essentials like laundry detergent and toilet paper. They hadn’t come just for him.

    Jack was dozing a little by the time they hit produce, their last stop. Apparently Sam required fruit daily, something Dean stated with no small amount of snark as the taller Alpha picked out bananas that met his standards. As he carefully placed the yellow fruit to the top of their haul, he quipped, “This from the guy who needs a daily bacon fix.”

    “Hey, bacon’s awesome.”

    “So is fruit. If it wasn’t for fruit pies, you’d have scurvy by now. What kind of example are you setting?”

    “Example?” Even as he asked Dean’s eyes flicked to Jack.

    Castiel wasn’t often in the habit of keeping his son awake, but he wanted him to sleep most of the way through the night when he could. So he wiggled a rattling elephant for him to bat at as the brothers bickered. He was starting to fuss a little, getting irritated, not that Castiel could blame him.

    The squalling didn’t start in earnest until he was strapped into his carrier again. Castiel tried to soothe him, with mixed results. He hated having that loud noise filling the contained space when it was just him, but even more so with the Alphas trapped in here with him. At least it didn’t take long to get home, and they didn’t seem too upset by it all.

    He got Jack out, carrying him inside as soon as he could, but he did try to help them unload the car. They sent him away, telling him to take care of Jack, and he was starting to wail in earnest now so Castiel obeyed. They’d already kept him up nearly past his bedtime anyway, hence his displeasure, but it still took time to get him to sleep.

    Eventually, the Omega lowered the sleeping infant into his makeshift bassinet, delicately placing the blanket over him before mincing out and pulling the door to. He found everything had been unloaded and put away, the supplies for Jack stacked neatly behind the couch. Sam was prepping a few salads in Tupperware containers in the kitchen, slicing vegetables they’d just bought and adding them to beds of lettuce. It seemed Dean had just finished wrestling the baby monitors from their twist ties and cardboard, and was currently unwinding their power cords. Castiel had never needed one before, Jack had simply never left his side. There was a larger unit that was meant to be on the baby’s end, and a smaller unit that was meant to be on theirs. It was a simple enough device, though he’d heard Sam mutter something along the lines of “hold us over until we find something better”.

    “He asleep?” Dean asked absently, plugging one end of a cord into the larger unit.

    “For now,” he affirmed, smothering a yawn.

    “Maybe you should go ahead and turn in,” Dean coaxed, setting down the monitor.

    “Is there anything else you need me to do?”

    “No, get some rest,” Sam urged, snapping lids into place.

    “You’re sure?”

    “Yeah, we’re sure. Go,” Dean urged, waving him away.

    Unable to find the will to protest, he was tired for all he felt he hadn’t done much today, Castiel bid them goodnight and shuffled off to get a shower.

Chapter Text

    Just like Monday, on Tuesday Castiel emerged to find them eating breakfast, having made enough for him too. Dean had scrambled eggs and made pancakes, dumping no small amount onto a plate for the Omega before sitting down to eat his own food. They ate, drank their coffee, and left after insisting he stop trying to be useful.

    Castiel wasn’t as miffed by this order as he’d expected to be. He ended up spending most of the day fussing over Jack and seeing what their DVD collection had to offer. Though he did start spending time on their porch, just sitting in the hanging swing and gently rocking it back and forth as Jack slept or ate. The backyard was mostly grass that led to a tree line, which had dried out by this point, broken only by a narrow, cleared area for a grill and firepit. He could see a clear blue sky with the occasional bit of fluffy white cloud between the porch eves and the trees. Birds fluttered about, singing or chirping. Squirrels darted about, sometimes chattering irritably back and forth. A butterfly or two fluttered by. Best of all were the bees. There were even fewer of them than the butterflies, but they were his favorite.

    He’d never had this, before or after Bartholomew. Sure there were vacation houses, but they were always sleek, modern things that were all hard angles and glass. Never anything as rustic as the cabin-like structure the Winchester brothers called home. And never anything where nature could get so close. The yards were always kept neatly manicured, the few flowers and trees choreographed rather than allowed to run wild.

    This set the tone for the following week. All it took was one failed attempt for Castiel to decide he’d leave the kitchen in Dean’s capable hands. He could manage the simpler things, and they made sure he had a supply of things for sandwiches or leftovers to reheat for lunches while they were gone. On Thursday Dean was able to come home just long enough to eat before he went back to the shop, Sam did the same on Friday, but this didn’t appear to be the norm. Castiel was okay with that, he didn’t take offense, for all the added attention made him feel oddly fluttery.

    At some point, it did occur to him that this could very well be like one of those horror movies he’d binged on during his pregnancy, when Netflix had been his only friend. They had Netflix too, but he didn’t use it much. There had been a plethora of horror flicks, ranging from creepily good to hilariously horrible. He knew it was silly, wondering if his life would play out like a movie, but then there were also too many stories to discount it completely. What if he decided he wanted to leave one day, then what? Would they let him? Sam had promised, and while their word seemed to mean something to them Castiel had dealt with far too many dishonest Alphas in his life.

    Castiel decided he would rather deal with those doubts sooner before later, if only so as not to have them hanging over his head. Saturday seemed as good a time as any. The morning had been so domestically normal it bordered on eerie, if only because it was a ’normal’ he’d never known before. Sam had been coming back from a jog when he’d come to breakfast that morning, Dean had mowed the lawn before the day got too hot, and now they were eating lunch while Jack napped. It was simple enough fare; according to Sam they had burgers at least once a week, and Dean had mentioned using the grill this afternoon for dinner.

    Slowly rotating his glass of water where it sat on the table, Castiel asked, “Dean?”

    “Yeah?”

    “What became of my car?”

    Sam froze, his own glass halfway to his lips. Dean coughed on his mouthful, but hurridly gulped it down to ask in an all too innocent tone, “What do you mean?”

    “To use your diction, I’ve had quite enough bullshit in my life. First my family, then…whatever it is you two are trying to do, I would appreciate it if you would at least have the courtesy to be forward with me about it.”

    The brothers exchanged a look, Dean clearing his throat uncomfortably. “Well, uh, I mean it did take a while to get that thing fixed up. It had more problems that didn’t come up until we started working on her.”

    Castiel raised an eyebrow at him. “Were you simply waiting for me to ask before you informed me she was roadworthy?”

    “Roadworthy might be a stretch, but…” Eyes drifting to Sam, he admitted, “She’ll get you where you need to go.”

    “If I were to ask you to return it to me, would you?”

    “I’m not really comfortable with you taking a cross-country road trip in that car,” he protested.

    Castiel met his gaze squarely. “Please answer the question, Dean.”

    It was hard for him to be sure, but he thought he saw a pained look cross the Alpha’s face, however briefly. “Yeah, I would.”

    “If I told you I wanted to continue on my way, would you let me go?”

    There was a beat of silence, then Sam answered in a low voice, “We gave you our word.”

    “You intend to keep it?”

    “Of course,” Dean snapped back, sounding offended. “But is that what you want? To get back on the road?”

    Castiel’s eyes drifted down to his plate, empty save for a few stray chips. He picked up one that had been broken in half, tracing the end around the faded patterns that rimmed his plate. “I never intended to take advantage of your goodwill. My initial plan was to only spend one night on your couch and not trouble you further. But you’ve done far more than that. I honestly don’t know for certain if anyone’s even looking for me, or if they ever will. Though this is likely the last place they’d expect to find me. Frankly, I think the two of you know me better than Jack’s father does. I truly don’t want to trouble you any further but…” He raised his gaze to Sam, stating, “You were right, before. I was running myself into the ground and my resources were dwindling. I don’t understand why you’ve helped me as much as you have. I don’t understand why you’re so insistent. But if you’re both willing to allow me to stay longer I’d accept your hospitality. Is that what you had in mind?”

    “You’re welcome here as long as you want,” Sam insisted, hazel eyes intent.

    “As long as you need. Longer,” Dean added. “We want you to stay.”

    “Why?”

    Neither answered right away. In fact they looked a little uncomfortable, but it was Sam who said carefully, “We like you. We’re worried about you. If you don’t want to tell us what you’re running from, that’s okay. You don’t have to. But we know what’s out there, too. You’re an easy target. Even if you didn’t run yourself into exhaustion, there’s a lot of people who wouldn’t think twice about taking advantage of you even if you have a pup.”

    “Hell, that’d make you more appealing,” Dean added darkly, face grim. “Us telling you we’re not like that doesn’t mean much, I know, but at least we know you’re safe here. We won’t kick you out.”

    “Even if it never develops into anything of an intimate nature?” Castiel challenged.

    “I’m not going to say it hasn’t crossed our minds,” Dean admitted, earning a sharp glance from his brother. “But I mean come on, clearly you’ve had other things to worry about. If you don’t like us that way, or nothing happens, that’s okay too. Our offer isn’t dependent on that, if that’s what you’re asking.”

    Castiel nodded slowly, eyes drifting back to his plate. “I appreciate your honesty.” He was quiet for a moment, then continued, “I will stay, but I’d like to impose on you as little as possible. I can still clean, do laundry, help around the house in whatever way I can. But if possible I would like to find work. It will likely take a long time before I can repay you for everything, but I would like to make an effort. I dislike owing people.” Lifting his head to meet their eyes, he stated carefully, “I wouldn’t rule anything out in the…other department. It would take time, but as I said, if you’re willing to accommodate us for that time frame I would be willing to stay.”

    “No one’s saying you have to pay us back,” Sam protested.

    “You don’t owe us anything,” his brother added.

    “I’m glad you think that, but it would ease my conscience. Also, it would give me a logical reason to remain here for the foreseeable future.”

    He saw it click for both of them nearly simultaneously.

    In a far calmer tone Sam mused, “If you still want to work, I’m sure we can find something. But you’d keep your paychecks.”

    “Stability is good for pups, especially in the early years,” Dean pointed out philosophically. “It certainly couldn’t hurt you, either.”

    Castiel’s lips twitched. “Thank you. Though as much as want to work, and I would have had to anyway, I’m not sure how many places are willing to hire an Omega with a newborn. Most places aren’t too keen on hiring an Omega in the first place.” They were an even higher risk for maternity leave than female Betas, never mind the added fact of the less-than-stellar economy.

    Sam seemed to be pondering this when Dean asked, “How do you feel about secretarial work?”

    The Omega blinked at him. “Answering phones, scheduling appointments, things like that? Like on T.V.?”

    His lips twitched in a faint smile. “Yeah, like on T.V. It ain’t the nicest gig out there, but it’s simple, and I could make sure the boss wouldn’t be a complete douchebag.”

    Sam gave a snort.

    “What?” he protested.

    “Alex isn’t even gone yet and you’re already replacing her.”

    “That’s why it’s perfect,” his brother argued. “She’s already put in her two weeks. This way she can help train her replacement.”

    “Who is Alex?” Castiel asked uncertainly. “What position is she leaving?”

    “She’s the person who’s been a secretary at his shop while she saved up for nursing school,” the taller Alpha stated. “Do you really want to work around short-tempered grease monkeys all day? I’m sure we can find you something less abrasive.”

    “Who are you calling short-tempered?” Dean demanded.

    “If memory serves part of Alex’s job was to bang heads together when your guys got too rowdy. Look, they’re good guys, I get it, but I’m not sure if a building full of Alphas is the best place for him to be.”

    “Are you kidding? It’s the best place for him to be. Once they warm up to him, dicks will fuck with him at their own peril.”

    They were starting to raise their voices, so Castiel decided to interject. “Don’t wake the baby,” he warned patiently, taking a sip of his water. “Are you sure it wouldn’t cause any problems? Me working at your business?”

    “Why would it?” Dean seemed genuinely confused by this.

    “Because technically I’m living with the person who would be writing my paychecks. Also, are you sure there’s no one else who would want the position?”

    “Pretty sure. And no, I don’t think it’ll be an issue. I’ll be completely impartial, promise. Besides, this way you can take Jack with you. There’s plenty of room in the office, at least until he starts moving around too much. I don’t think the Gas-‘N-Sip is going to let you taking nursing breaks.”

    Castiel grimaced at that, but Dean had a point and he knew it. That was the part that had bothered him the most even before, the idea of having to leave his son behind even if it was just to go to work. He didn’t understand how some people did it. As it was he started to fret just leaving him in the bedroom too long even with the baby monitor.

    “As long as you’re sure,” he said at last. “Though we may have to find something else when he gets older.”

    “Deal,” Dean agreed without missing a beat.

    Satisfied that he wasn’t going to end up trapped in yet another house with yet another Alpha boot on his neck, he moved to another topic of interest. “Is there a park here?”

    “Yeah, why?” Sam asked, eyebrows raised.

    “I know he’s not old enough to enjoy it yet, but I’d like to go there sometime. What about a library?”

    “We’ve got one of those too,” Dean affirmed. “Sam’s a regular.”

    “Is it open on Saturdays?”

    “Yeah, wanna go?”

    “Yes, but after Jack wakes up. As long as we go after he’s awake and fed he should be quiet enough.”

    “That sounds familiar,” Sam muttered into his water glass.

    “What’s that supposed to mean?”

    “Nothing.”

    “Bitch.”

    “Jerk.”

BREAK/BREAK\BREAK

    Castiel wasn’t sure if it was how his first days on Earth were spent or if it was because he was that way naturally, but Jack traveled well. When they took him to the library, he was quiet and content to stare at all the new sights as Castiel wandered the shelves. It had been so long since he’d been to an actual library. Bartholomew had put him on house arrest after he’d found out about the pregnancy, and he’d had to have one of the servants return the books before they’d gotten overdue. He’d considered an ereader, but had discarded it when he’d decided his allowance would be needed to supply his pup with necessities.

    They went to the park, too, and Sam produced a carrier that was far lighter than the one Castiel had been using. It looked like something of a pouch to him, abet one with holes for Jack’s legs, with plenty of back support and would secure the infant firmly to his chest. Hands-free, very handy, particularly if he was to work at a place that would allow it. Though he had wished Sam had produced it sooner, lugging that carrier through the library isles hadn’t exactly been easy. It was still nice taking a walk in the late evening as the sun started to descend, the air cooling. The path itself wrapped around the park, running by a river and under trees before reemerging by the parking lot. It continued on in what Castiel assumed to be a jogging path, but they didn’t go that far. He was fully aware of both Alphas to either side of him the whole time, even when they weren’t talking, though not in a bad way. He’d always been acutely aware of Bartholomew’s presence, but this was different. They didn’t put him on edge, just the opposite. He found himself calmed by them, even when they bunched around him to one side of the path to let a biker or dog walker pass going in the opposite direction. His instincts still found no reason for him to be wary of them, confirmation he’d made the right call in staying here longer.

    Monday morning came, and Castiel made sure to get up earlier, packing Jack’s diaper bag and feeding him a little sooner so he’d be ready when it was time to leave. Sam drove them, stopping by the shop on the way to work since he still had the carrier base in his car. It was agreed Castiel would take his car home that day so they could use it, but in the meantime, he didn’t feel comfortable trying to get a car seat into a vehicle with no seatbelts, so Baby was out.

    They were just opening up shop when Castiel shuffled through the door, carrier in one hand and base in the other. A girl with long black hair looked up at him from the computer she’d been pecking at, raising her eyebrows. Dark eyes flicked from him to Jack then back up again. “You him?”

    “My name is Castiel,” he said uncertainly.

    “Alex.” Jerking her chin over to a second chair behind the desk she sat at, she asked, “Any idea what you’ll be doing?”

    “I have a vague notion,” he admitted, carefully depositing his load in a corner before coming over to sit on the offered chair. “I was hoping you could enlighten me.”

    Alex glanced at him, studying him a moment before lowering her voice and asking, “Is it true?”

    “I don’t understand.” He wasn’t sure why she was whispering, but he did the same. What was she talking about?

    “Small town. People talk. Is it true you’re living with Sam and Dean?”

    “Yes,” he said carefully, still confused. “Why, is there some rule I’m breaking?”

    “No, it’s just unusual.” Turning back to her computer and raising her voice slightly above normal volume she abandoned their previous topic and started rattling things off, tapping an open schedule book by the computer. “This is the paper schedule, but there’s one on the computer too. This way we’re not completely screwed if the power goes out. Make sure any change you make in one, you put in the other.”

    Castiel was half listening, half wondering what the odd behavior was about when Dean came in through the door that led to the garage area. He frowned a little at Alex, asking, “What’re you doing?”

    She gave him what was probably her most innocent look. “Just giving him a rundown, like you asked me to.”

    Judging by the suspicious look he gave her, Dean wasn’t all convinced. But he let it go enough to say, “Give Nelson a call, his truck’s ready.”

    “You got it, boss.”

    The suspicious look intensified, but Dean still turned to go back into the garage. Castiel frowned at her, but Alex just picked up the cordless landline and set about dialing a number scribbled in the scheduling book. She called Nelson, let him know his vehicle was ready for pickup, then went back to seriously explaining the scheduling methods to him.

    The Beta didn’t ask him any more odd questions, not right away at any rate. Most of Castiel’s morning was spent learning the ropes of the paper end of an auto shop business. It was interesting, at least, and Alex didn’t seem to mind when he had to tend Jack. She eyed him oddly when he nursed his son while continuing to make notes on how to go about making certain calls, but didn’t comment. Another item the brothers had produced was a sort of light blanket to drape over him, since apparently there were still prudes in town who’d take offense to him feeding Jack in public. In truth, he’d become so accustomed to doing it at Sam and Dean’s house he hadn’t thought much about it. A habit of doing it wherever he could, in the car, in a motel room, had evolved into doing it only in his guest room. But they hadn’t seemed to mind, so he’d begun doing it in the open. It was something he genuinely hadn’t put much thought into until now, though he did take the time to seriously ponder it when Alex went to ask one of the mechanics for an update at the demand of the car’s owner. Castiel felt his face warm as he came to the conclusion that they hadn’t objected an action that meant he was periodically shirtless in their presence. It wasn’t quite the societal faux pas as a female being shirtless, but people still took offense to nursing in public for reasons that never ceased to baffle Castiel. Had they not minded because it was a natural thing, or had the exposed skin also been a bonus?

    “What’s his name?”

    Castiel looked up, pulled from his thoughts as Alex came back in, hanging up the landline. “Mmm? Oh, Jack. His name’s Jack.”

    “How old is he?” she asked, sitting down and peering at the blanket covered in cartoon zoo animals.

    “Almost a month.”

    Her eyebrows shot up. “Should he be, uh, out?”

    Castiel smiled at that. “He’s fine. Infants were ‘out’ constantly for a majority of history.”

    “Did you just do air quotes?”

    When he gave her a blank look, Alex rolled her eyes and turned back to her computer. “Okay, let me show you how to log deliveries. They have a secondary inventory on their end, but it helps avoid mistakes if two people are keeping track of them. And it’s harder for people to embezzle.”

    “Has that been a problem?” Castiel asked, frowning.

    “Once, not long after Dean opened the business. This dick, Marv, was cooking the books. We were lucky it didn’t last long. These are good people here, a lot of these guys have families. But even then we were breaking even.”

    Castiel regarded her, head tilted. “Dean’s good people?”

    “Yeah.” She turned away from the computer, frowning at him. “Wouldn’t you know better than me?”

    “It’s complicated,” he admitted.

    Alex stared at her screen for a moment, finger tapping her mouse. Castiel thought she was about to go over inventory when she said, “Garth and Asa both have young pups. He let them take off when they needed and gave them extra shifts when they needed. He takes a tow truck shift at least once a month.”

    “Tow truck duty?”

    “Yeah, they’re on call with the truck. It’s not fun, mostly because it’s off-hours too.”

    “But he doesn’t have to?” he asked slowly.

    “Nope. He’s the boss. He could opt-out. Technically he doesn’t even need to be here, but he loves the work.” Reaching over to tap a scanner by the computer, she said, “We scan the packages with this, and this is the excel document where we keep track of the serial numbers.”

    Castiel spent most of the day putting his attention to the work, which was surprisingly involved. Aside from diaper changes and his own bathroom breaks he only pulled his attention from it when lunchtime came around. He remembered belatedly that he hadn’t thought to bring anything, but when a mechanic he didn’t recognize made his rounds with a takeout bag he passed one of the bundled sub sandwiches to the Omega. Castiel blinked, unwilling to accept it. “I didn’t order anything.”

    The somewhat scrawny looking Beta beamed at him. “I know, Dean did. He said you’d like the salami and pepperoni. It has banana peppers.”

    His ears pricked at that. It had been a topic of discussion that had exasperated Sam. While he too enjoyed fruit on a regular basis, he also shared Dean’s fondness for spicy things. The taller Alpha had rolled his eyes when they’d started piling banana peppers onto their sandwiches the other day.

    “Thank you,” he said quietly, accepting the sandwich.

    “Banana peppers?” Alex asked, wrinkling her nose.

    “They’re good,” he protested.

    “If you say so,” she grumbled.

    Castiel chose to ignore her, happily eating his sandwich.

    Late that afternoon, as Castiel looked over the various files that contained what was essentially a paper backup system to everything in the computer, Dean came into the office. He seemed much as he had when he’d come in through the front door, the arms of his coveralls tied around his waist, streaked with oil, his skin sheened with sweat, but a broad, genuine smile was on his face. He braced his hands at the top doorjamb, leaning in to look at them.

    “Ready to knock off?”

    “We’re wrapping up,” Alex said, looking over at him. “You can go if you want. There’s not much else to show for now.”

    “How’s it going?” he asked, eyebrows raising.

    “Guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”

    Castiel stood, Jack nestled against his chest in his carrier, going to gather his things. “It was nice to meet you, Alex. Have a good evening.”

    She waved absently, preparing to shut off the computer. Dean came around, picking up the bulkier carrier before Castiel could get to it and leading the way outside. He helped Castiel get everything into his car, securing the carrier and transferring Jack from one to the other. It felt surreal, being behind the wheel of his own vehicle again. He turned the key, the engine coming to life without that odd sound that had been a persistent thing for many days. The gas gauge even read as being two thirds full.

    The Omega pulled out of the parking space where it had been left, following the Impala out towards the road. For a moment it occurred to Castiel that he could easily turn right instead of left. Leave this place, keep going. As soon as he had the thought he discarded it, feeling a bit guilty for it. He couldn’t run out on them, not now, not after all they’d done. Even if they hadn’t, he had no supplies, he wouldn’t make it far.

    Shaking his head, Castiel turned left onto the main road. He followed Dean back out of town, to their house, pulling alongside their cars. There wasn’t enough room under the shelter, but he didn’t mind. Sam apparently hadn’t been home long, he was still wearing his suit and tie when he came out. Castiel wasn’t sure why they felt the need to help him, he’d gotten to where he could lug everything inside a motel room in one trip, but he did appreciate it for all he objected even as they took things from his hands.

    “You don’t have to,” he protested, cradling Jack as the carrier was taken from his free hand.

    “How’d it go?” Sam asked, ignoring him as his brother was, slamming the door shut.

    “Good,” Castiel affirmed. “I didn’t realize there was so much, but she’s going over all of it very well. Tomorrow she was going to start letting me try my hand at things.”

    “You remembered to feed him, right?” Sam asked as they headed back into the house.

    “Yes, I remembered,” Dean snapped, irritated. “Jeez.”

    “He did,” Castiel confirmed. “And thank you. It was good.”

    “See?”

    Sam rolled his eyes, setting down the carrier by the kitchen, where Castiel often settled Jack during meals.

    “How was your work?” Castiel asked, patting Jack’s back as he stirred.

    “Long. But that case we had at court the other day is finally settled. It’s just the paperwork left.”

    “Is that good?”

    “For this case, yeah. It doesn’t always end well, but it’s nice when they do.”

    “Was that the only time this week you needed to go to court?”

    “Yeah. I still have to wear the suit, though.”

    Sam was a defense attorney, and while he admitted it wasn’t always a pleasant job it was fulfilling, which seemed to be of key import to the Alpha. Why commit yourself to a career if you couldn’t at least tolerate the work? Castiel had long since given up being allowed to take classes, being allowed to do anything that required more than a high school diploma, but he didn’t begrudge the brothers their ability.

    After dinner, spaghetti with toasted cheese bread, Castiel settled himself on the couch with Jack to feed him in turn. He was aware of them this time, watching the brothers through his lashes as they joined him one by one. They weren’t staring, but then as far as he was aware they never had. Nor were they completely ignoring him. Deciding he wouldn’t care about it so long as they didn’t say anything, he focused his attention on nursing his son.

    A few minutes passed, and he looked up absently as the T.V. was turned on, his lips twitching as the new Dr. Sexy episode was brought up. During his last week here he’d come to find that Dean had an unmistakable fondness for the show, for all he was a far cry from the target audience. Sam apparently tolerated it, but Castiel found himself growing fond of it the more he watched. The storyline was oddly compelling, though at Sam’s behest he hadn’t said as much to Dean.

    This much had become part of their routine in the evenings. T.V., games, or just sitting on the porch. They didn’t always talk, especially if the brothers had had a long day, but that was alright. The silence wasn’t awkward, Castiel didn’t feel the need to fill it, or sit still and quiet until it was safe to flee without repercussions. It was a first for him, one of many novelties he’d come to enjoy.

    For all he hadn’t felt he’d done much, Castiel still felt drained when he went to bed that night. If Jack didn’t wake him up so regularly he wasn’t sure he would have been up in time the next morning, getting things together to go back to the shop with Dean. He was halfway through breakfast when Sam asked uncertainly, “Are you sure you’re up to this so soon?”

    Castiel looked up at him over the rim of his coffee mug. They’d bought decaff just for him. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

    “There’s a lot of reasons. But isn’t it normal to take a month or two off when you have a kid? You can wait longer if you want to.”

    “It’s fine. Besides, Alex is leaving soon. This way they won’t be without a secretary in the interim.”

    “He says he’s fine, Sammy.”

    Dean didn’t seem overly phased by the grim look his brother sent his way. “Just because we play through the pain doesn’t mean it’s healthy, or that he should do the same.”

    “I’m not that fragile, Sam, I promise.” He even managed what he hoped was a convincing smile when he said it.

    “I know that, I just…don’t feel like you have to do too much. You don’t.”

    In an effort to console the Alpha, Castiel reached over to rest a hand on Sam’s forearm. He went perfectly still, gaze locking with the Omega’s. “I appreciate your concern. If I start to feel it’s too much, I’ll let you know.” He gave Sam’s arm a squeeze, then withdrew his hand. It wasn’t something he’d done before, certainly, in fact he surprised himself. But it had felt right, and clearly Sam wasn’t offended. Just the opposite, actually, considering how both brothers were watching him.

    “We won’t go under if you have to take a sick day or two,” Dean put in, tone softening from what it’d been before. “Just say the word.”

    Castiel grasped his mug tightly, murmuring his thanks as he busied himself taking tiny sips, trying to ignore the odd tightening in his chest. Being fussed over as a whole was a new experience, but to have safeguards put in place if he couldn’t keep up rather than warning him that he’d better do just that was something newer still. Either keep pace or get out of the way had been the standing order for so long it had become a part of his modus operandi. How was it that even after nearly two whole weeks they still managed to surprise him, make him feel like this?

    He was still wondering this when they completely ignored his protests, helping him carry Jack’s things out to his car the moment he’d finished packing what he’d need. For all he felt for sure he should be irritated, he couldn’t be, not much. They weren’t doing this because they thought him incompetent, they were just trying to help. After having his hands full for so long it fell weird to have things lifted from them, but not in a bad way. It couldn’t be bad, could it? Or was he so used to one extreme he didn’t see the pitfalls of another?

    He deliberately shoved that thought aside as he got behind the wheel. Was it so bad, hoping there was something more? That something good could exist without there being painful catches?

    As promised Alex had him be much more hands-on today, which was almost more absorbing than simply watching had been. They got a shipment midmorning, and he strapped Jack to his chest as he and Alex went around checking to make sure everything on the invoice was accounted for and logging serial numbers.

    Castiel set foot into the garage for the first time when Alex sent him to let Asa know the spark plugs he needed for an older model vehicle was ready. He didn’t stay long. He’d meant to linger a little, look around, but instead he’d practically fled after delivering the message. It had hardly been his intention, but as he’d spoken to Asa he’d become acutely aware of the eyes on him. The skinny Beta Alex had identified as Garth peeked out from the well under a Jeep, waving before ducking back out of view. Dean had done much the same before going back to work on a truck engine. Three others had just blatantly stared from their positions around the garage. He wasn’t sure why he was of such interest, but he was hardly going to ask.

    Weirdness aside, Castiel was happy with the turnout of that day. Something that only deflated during dinner, when Sam asked, “Do you feel like going to the store?”

    Once he’d looked up from his bowl of chili and realized the question was direct at him Castiel asked, “Is there something in particular we need?”

    “Yeah, you need clothes.”

    “I have clothes.”

    “You have two pairs of jeans and three shirts.”

    Castiel grimaced at that. He’d prioritized Jack’s things in his mad scramble to pack. He’d grabbed only a few scant things for his lone, small duffle. “It’s fine. I don’t need much.”

    “You need more than that,” Dean objected. “Why didn’t you say so sooner?”

    “I didn’t think it was an issue.”

    “How’d you notice?” the elder brother protested, waving his spoon at Sam.

    “You didn’t notice him doing laundry every other day?”

    “Thought he was just being clean,” he grumbled into his bowl.

    “If you feel up to it we can go to the store after dinner.”

    Castiel hesitated, then shook his head. “It’s getting late. Jack’s bedtime will be soon, I shouldn’t keep him up.”

    “Then one of us stays here,” Dean shrugged.

    “Good idea,” Sam agreed. “Sing ‘Smoke on the Water’, he likes that one.”

    “Now wait a minute, who said I’d be staying?”

    “You get him all day, I want a turn,” Sam complained.

    “It’s not like we spend the whole day together, I’m busy.”

    “It’s fine, I don’t really need new clothes. It can wait until the weekend,” Castiel protested.

    “No, Sam’s right. Might as well go now. It probably won’t be as crowded anyway.”

    They appeared to be having a stare down across the table, then as the Omega watched, Sam dropped his spoon and held up his hands in the traditional rock-paper-scissors gesture. Dean’s eyes narrowed, but he mimicked the gesture. Castiel watched, nonplussed, as they pumped their fists twice before thrusting out their fingers. Sam threw rock, Dean threw scissors.

    “Two out of three,” the elder Alpha protested, brow furrowed in a scowl.

    Sam arched his eyebrows, but they repeated the process and drew the same results. Dean cursed, taking a swig of beer before going back to his dinner. His younger brother looked decidedly smug.

    “Did you two just fight over who takes me clothes shopping?” Castiel asked slowly.

    Neither answered, if anything they looked a little chastened as they avoided eye contact.

    How was it two grown men who were older than him, if the dates on their high school diplomas were anything to believe, were behaving like children? Unless he missed his guess, Dean was thirty and Sam was twenty-eight to his own twenty-two, yet they still bickered. Was it because they were brothers? Even as close as they were they still fought like this? At least it hadn’t become physical, not that he’d witnessed at any rate, and the wounds didn’t seem to linger. If anything, the disagreements were forgotten minutes after they’d ended.

    After dinner was finished, the kitchen cleaned up, Castiel fed Jack and burped him. Generally, you had perhaps an hour after this before he started to get tired, and if you were lucky he decided he wanted to sleep, though more often than not he seemed intent on fighting it. Something Castiel couldn’t help but resent.

    The Omega had lowered his pup into the pack-n’-play, where he could see and hear things and hopefully not cause much trouble. He was lingering, fussing, when Sam came back out into the living room. He’d changed into more casual clothes, trading his suit for jeans and a striped shirt which somehow made him seem even taller. When Castiel glanced towards him he was pocketing his phone, asking, “You ready?”

    Castiel glanced towards Dean as he straightened, wondering if he should heed the unease or try to ignore it. “You’re sure about this?”

    Dean was leaning against the doorway that led to the kitchen, his glass of evening whiskey dangling from one hand. “I’m sure. He’ll be fine. I’ll see if he’ll go down before you get back.”

    “Will we be gone that long?” Castiel fretted.

    “Maybe. You can take time to yourself, you know,” Dean reminded him philosophically. “And on the off chance something comes up, I’ll call. Look at him, he’s fine. Besides, since he just ate he’s probably too full to make much trouble.”

    Castiel’s gaze drifted back to his son. Dean wasn’t wrong, he was usually quieter after he ate, at least until the time came for the inevitable diaper change. He fussed a moment more, stroking his head, tugging the wrinkles from a blanket, before allowing himself to be drawn out the door. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Dean with his son, really, he just…it didn’t feel right, walking away from him.

    He meant to wait until later, but Sam had no sooner pulled out onto the highway than he asked, “It shouldn’t take too long to get a few changes of clothes, should it? I just hate to stick him with bedtime duty.”

    He caught a glimpse of Sam’s face as he glanced over at him when they passed under a streetlight, already on as the sun sank into the horizon. Sam didn’t seem offended by his pressing the subject, a wry smile tugging at his face. Unlike Dean, he didn’t always insist on music in the background when he drove, one of those differences that was neither good nor bad.

    “Are you kidding?” the Alpha was asking. “He’d be thrilled to get stuck with bedtime duty.”

    Castiel blinked at him. “I don’t understand.”

    “We both like pups, but Dean’s got a more natural touch. He’s great with them. We won’t do anything you’re not comfortable letting us do, but if you need us to pitch in more all you have to do is ask.”

    “You’re already doing far too much,” Castiel assured him, ducking his head.

    Still, that was one thing he had to agree with. From the first day neither brother had made presumptions as to what the limits were with Jack, they only did what he allowed and nothing more. It was something he appreciated dearly. He would also have to be blind to miss how they handled Jack, how they looked at him. He’d always thought a pup had to be the Alpha’s in question to garner that sort of treatment, but it seemed he’d been mistaken. Jack might as well have been made of delicately blown glass for all the care they afforded him. That was nothing to say of the thrall he seemed to have over them judging by how they stared at him.

    For these reasons, Castiel tried to ignore the instinctual unease of leaving his young pup behind, even temporarily. He wouldn’t linger, he wouldn’t rush but nor would he take forever. It seemed to be a fair enough compromise.

    Sam drove to a store in town, not the large chain store but something smaller, dedicated to clothes and an assortment of accessories. The Omega opted not to linger, finding a few extra pairs of suitable jeans, finding a pair that fit well when he tried them on and grabbing several of them. At Sam’s urging he found a pair of linen pants meant more for casual wear, if only for variety, and a pair of shorts since it was warming up. The Alpha wandered along, nudging a narrow basket through the racks, long fingers flicking through hangers and holding up the occasional shirt. For all the dress code at Dean’s shop was strictly casual, jeans were perfectly fine, he wanted shirts that were at least vaguely work appropriate. This part took longer, but they did find several that fit well enough and weren’t so pricy he balked when he checked, ignoring Sam’s protests on that front.

    “You need to at least have enough to make it through the week,” the Alpha argued when he started to worry over how much they were getting. “That simple. You’re not breaking the bank by getting a few pairs of pants here.”

    “You’ve already gotten too much for us,” Castiel pressed.

    “That was for Jack. This is for you,” Sam stated. He snagged a pack of socks too, then waved a hand towards the underwear.

    Castiel reluctantly shuffled over, selecting a pack of cotton boxer briefs in his size. “I’ll pay you back.”

    Sam sighed, but seemed to give up for the time being.

    They were taking things out to the car when he asked, “Do you have a phone?”

    “No.”

    In the light of streetlamps Castiel saw the incredulous look this earned him. “Seriously?”

    “Seriously.”

    “You’ve never had a cell phone?”

    “I had one, not that I used it much. Unless games count,” the Omega admitted, going to open the passenger door.

    Sam folded himself into the driver’s seat, asking, “Did you lose it?”

    “No. I left it. Things are too easy to track these days.”

    The Alpha nodded in understanding, starting the car. Castiel stared at the window, taking in the oddly serene town as the last traces of sunlight began to fade. People were out and about, taking advantage of the longer days and cooler evenings. Couples or groups of friends walking, talking, laughing, teenagers or younger pups running around on foot or bicycle. A far cry from the cities where his family had always preferred to spend their time.

    It was a peaceful drive home, for all Castiel was acutely aware it had taken longer than he’d thought. He tried not to dash inside outright, but he did scramble out of the car the moment it was in park, grabbing the two bulging shopping bags before making his way towards the door. Sam took one off his hands without a word, teasing out the house key on his keychain to let them inside.

    Dean came out of the hallway before Castiel could make it past the living room, motioning for them to be quiet. For a moment the Omega froze, unsure of how to handle this. It would be rude to demand answers, wouldn’t it? As though he’d spent the entirety of the trip wringing his hands over Jack’s safety? He hadn’t, he wouldn’t have left him if that was the case, but he couldn’t help worrying a little.

    The decision was taken from his hands before he could do more than register it, the Alpha stepping closer and lowering his voice. “Just put him down. He’s out and I’d like him to stay that way.”

    Castiel stared at him in surprise. “Already?”

    Dean only shrugged, extending a hand towards the hallway. Castiel wasted no time in quickly if quietly hurrying to the bedroom they’d been using. Sure enough, Jack lay in the makeshift bassinet, fist curled under his chin, eyes closed, breathing soundly around his pacifier. For a moment the Omega hesitated, tempted to touch him if only to reassure himself, but reined in the compulsion. If he did that then Jack might wake up, and instinctive concerns aside it seemed Dean had indeed managed to put him down without much trouble.

    He felt a little guilty as he reemerged, looking over at the Alpha on the couch that had long jeaned legs propped up on the coffee table, one booted foot crossed over the other. He looked up from the newspaper he’d been glancing over, eyebrows lifting in question. It eased some of Castiel’s guilt that he didn’t seem offended by his reactions, as though the Omega’s constant fretting was perfectly normal. Was it? He honestly wasn’t sure. He’d been the youngest of his siblings and had never been around infants, or pups at all for that matter.

    “Thank you, Dean.”

    He shrugged, giving the paper a snap before burying his nose a little deeper in it. “Alex must be working him as hard as she is you,” he grumbled.

    Castiel smiled faintly, carrying his bag into the kitchen where Sam was already cutting tags off things. The taller Alpha ignored his protests that he didn’t need to do that, helping him peek and cut tags off of fabric. He went ahead and got the first load into the washing machine before trudging back out to the living room, where both brothers now had computers on their laps. Sam was typing intently on something, for all his eyes were starting to droop. He couldn’t see what Dean was watching, but he looked no less tired for all his head wasn’t nodding.

    “Go to bed already, would you Sammy?”

    The Omega, who’d just sat down, looked from one to the other. As far as he could tell Dean hadn’t even looked at his brother, but he did agree with the opinion. Maybe it was because he seemed to get up earlier, but he did appear worn out.

    “In a minute.”

    Dean sighed quietly, but didn’t press it further. Castiel tucked himself into the corner of the couch across from Dean, opening one of his library books. He hadn’t gotten very far yesterday, and he had a feeling this would be a regular occurrence on days he worked, but he was hoping to get in a few pages before he crashed.

    He clung to this decision with iron-clad resolution even as he found himself struggling to focus on the words in front of him. Castiel blinked rapidly, taking a deep breath, telling himself he’d keep it up at least until the washer went off. Maybe.

    The Omega was still fighting to focus on the paragraph at the chapter’s start when he found the book being gently pulled from his fingers, but he had neither the strength nor the wherewithal to cling to it. Dazed and still half asleep, he made a low noise of protest as he struggled to sit up. When had he slumped over?

    Hands were on him, trying to pull him up off the couch. Alpha scent hit his nose. In that moment, he didn’t smell Sam or Dean, only Alpha, and instinct kicked in.

    Raw panic shot through him, his eyes snapping wide open, the Omega abruptly fully awake as he jerked out of the hands on his arms and shoulders, recoiling into the couch, curling into a defensive position and jerking his arms over his head. For several long, painful seconds he held as still as he could, feeling his hands trembling, his breath and pounding heart unbearably loud in his ears.

    Then he heard their voices. Those weren’t his brothers. That wasn’t Bartholomew or Bartholomew’s servants.

    “It’s okay, it’s okay, we’re not gonna touch you, we’re not touching you.”

    “Cas, look at us, you gotta look at us.”

    Slowly, the rush of terror subsiding, Castiel lowered his arms and lifted his head. He stared up into the faces of two very worried looking Alphas. They’d backed away, hands held up palm out, giving him multiple escape routes in an apparent effort to look as non-threatening as possible.

    “I…I’m sorry,” he said quietly, guilt rushing in to replace panic. What was wrong with him? Even before he’d never reacted like this. It was part of why he’d had so many problems, he’d had the occasional habit of standing his ground. Initially he’d done it far too much, but then he’d learned to be strategic about it.

    “Don’t be.” He’d barely spoken before they said those same two words in near-perfect unison. It got a tiny, brief smile out of him as he carefully sat up, throwing his legs over the couch’s edge.

    “I should go to bed. Goodnight.”

    “Cas?”

    He looked up at Dean, fully aware both of them had worry creasing their brows.

    “You sure you’re okay?”

    “Do you wanna talk about it?” Sam asked carefully.

    “It’s nothing. Thank you for concern. Thank you for everything.”

    Dean looked like he wanted to say something, but after a moment’s hesitation, he closed his mouth, brow furrowed. Sam just looked worried, hazel eyes following the retreating Omega. Castiel ducked inside the guest bedroom that had become his, though for how long he wasn’t sure. He pressed his shoulders to the closed door, squeezing his eyes shut in the dark room as he took deep, calming breaths.

    When his heart finally settled to a more serene tempo, he gathered his toiletries and slipped into the bathroom across the hall, glad he didn’t glimpse either of them. As he scrubbed shampoo into his hair Castiel wracked his brain, trying to make sense of his reactions. What was wrong with him? He’d been proud of being able to hold his ground in the past, not flinching even when Bartholomew stumbled through the door after a dinner party with far too many spirits. Though granted the Alpha’s abuse of choice was generally verbal and emotional, that had been one thing Castiel had considered an upgrade. Until that last night, Bartholomew hadn’t actually raised a hand to him, but he’d grown up with worse. Learned to duck fast at a young age, make himself scarce, keep himself busy and out of the way, part of why he’d taken to books. As long as he was out of sight, he was out of mind. Safe. Invisible.

    He’d moved on to rubbing suds into his skin when it occurred to the Omega what might very well be a key difference. He hadn’t cared if Bartholomew liked him. Why would he have? By the time he’d hit double digits he’d given up on what he’d realized was a futile endeavor, getting his own father to care for him. His siblings had been a lost cause, though a tiny part of him still wished they could have had something. A tiny part he regularly tried to quash with his realistic side, the one that was long since tired of getting hopes quashed.

    Sam and Dean were another story. He had tried to keep that part at bay, yes, but only because it wasn’t very practical. Initially, he’d only intended to stay until sunrise then be gone. Then he’d genuinely only wanted to bother them long enough to get his car fixed. His self-imposed deadline kept moving farther and farther away, now he had no idea where it lay. What’s more, he was genuinely fond of them. As much because of what all they’d done for him and Jack, for the kindness they’d shown them, as for any other reason. The longer he was with them in this house, in the safe little nook away from possibly searching eyes, the more attached to them he grew. He didn’t mind their bickering, for the most part it truly did seem harmless. He liked Dean’s cooking, he liked talking books with Sam, he liked watching movies and shows with them, he liked just sitting and being with them, he like eating meals with them. To top it all off, he found he wanted them to return the sentiment. He wanted them to like him in turn. He’d wanted Bartholomew to like him too, initially, but in less than a week had decided to give up on that. Not only was it improbable, he didn’t want the Alpha to like him. He’d wanted nothing to do with the man.

    The same couldn’t be said for the Winchester brothers.

    Castiel groaned softly, wondering if that was the only difference. To be fair, there were a lot of differences, but that was the majority of them all bundled up into one. He cursed every single Alpha that had reduced him to the shrinking and cringing behavior he’d thought was long since buried. He wasn’t afraid of Dean, wasn’t afraid of Sam. Occasionally startled and regularly surprised, yes, but not harmed. Just this morning he’d voluntarily touched Sam’s arm. They’d touched him in the past, but never anything deliberate. Brushing by each other as they moved around the kitchen, fingers grazing over his as items were passed, innocent mundane things. None of that got a twitch from him.

    Until now he’d automatically smothered the very notion of anything more out of practicality. It wouldn’t happen, there was no reason to think it would. Or so he’d thought. Now he wasn’t so sure. Now he allowed himself to ponder it as he turned off the hot water and stepped out onto the bathmat. What if he did stay? Would he want more? He’d never wanted anything before simply because he knew all too well it wouldn’t be his choice. But what if he could choose? Choose to stay with them, be intimate with them? The bickering when it came to him was more fighting over who got more time with him, who got to do something with him or who got the seat on the couch next to him, not fighting over the Omega himself. He decided to assume they would be satisfied sharing him, which gave him a tingle of titillation rather than a tremor of trepidation.

    Now if only he wasn’t a traumatized and tainted Omega with an infant, this might go somewhere.

    Even as he had the thought Castiel paused, toothbrush halfway to his mouth. Until recently he would have thought Jack would have been regarded as a negative to potential Alphas. To Dean and Sam he was almost a bonus, unless he was mistaken. They handled the pup with as much care as Castiel did, more even. Once it was clear they were allowed to touch him, care for him, they did so with a reassuring combination of ease and delicacy.

    By the time he crawled between the sheets, Castiel had come to a conclusion if not a decision. He did care for them. They certainly seemed to care about him. More importantly, they cared about Jack. If the opportunity presented itself, he’d like to see what would happen should things progress, but he wouldn’t actively seek it out. He had neither the energy nor the resources right now. Something he had just enough time to think about before he gladly crashed into unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

    Considering he’d only worked half a week Castiel was glad it was Friday. Barring any wrath from Mother Nature, the shop did have people on duty on Saturday’s, but Dean didn’t always work on them. Castiel had barely opened his mouth to suggest he go in that day before the Alpha shut him down, and if he was honest with himself he didn’t fight it. He didn’t feel he had a right to be as tired as he was, but that didn’t change the fact that he was.

    Castiel was prepared to follow Dean to the shop as he had the day before, but turned from closing the side door on Jack to find Dean pulling the passenger side door open. As he watched, the Alpha stepped back and turned to look at him expectantly. Deciding to keep it straight forward he simply stated, “I don’t understand.”

    “There’s not much point in taking two cars if we’re going to the same place.”

    “I thought you didn’t like my car.”

    “I don’t.”

    “Then why do you want to drive it?”

    “You gonna get in or not?”

    Not seeing any reason not to, Castiel climbed into the passenger’s seat for the first time, the door closed for him once he was settled. Dean went around the hood, apparently not oblivious to the look his brother shot his way, and got behind the wheel. Trying not to roll his eyes, Castiel asked, “This isn’t going to become another argument, is it?”

    Dean gave him an all too innocent look as he cranked the engine. “What?”

    “Never mind,” Castiel sighed, turning to look out the window as they backed towards the road.

    Despite his concerns, Castiel didn’t put much thought towards the issue, especially after they got to the shop.

    Someone had run out to get lunch, and Castiel was carefully putting in the serial numbers for parts used on a car in the garage when the bell over the main door dinged. Both he and Alex looked up to find Sam standing in the doorway, smiling at them. “Hey, you got a second?”

    Castiel hesitated, but when he looked to Alex she waved him off, turning her attention back to her phone. She’d seemed to be absorbed in it since he’d been doing more. Or at least she had once she decided he didn’t need micromanaging.

    Jack still secured to his chest, the Omega stood and stepped outside with Sam, brow furrowed worriedly. “Is something wrong? Dean didn’t say you were coming by.”

    “He doesn’t know. Well he knew about this, just not that I’d be giving it to you now.” As he spoke Sam reached into a pocket, taking something out and offering it to him.

    Castiel frowned, taking the sleek looking phone. “What’s this?”

    “It’s for you.”

    The Omega stared at it, the screen coming to life as his thumb brushed it. While it was hardly up to par with theirs, it was also more his speed and likely easier to discard should the need arise. Still, he felt compelled to ask, “What is it?”

    “It’s a prepaid phone. I went ahead and put our numbers in.”

    After a moment’s hesitation, and some degree of reluctance, Castiel stated, “I don’t require one.”

    “It would make us feel better.”

    “Why?”

    “We don’t have a landline, for one. We didn’t like you being home alone without a phone. And if you’re going to be working or running around town we’d rather you have a way to communicate. Consider it a safety precaution.”

    Castiel still wasn’t thrilled about this added token, but he had to admit Sam had a point. At least he had gotten a basic one. If it had been a higher-grade phone he would have had to refuse. The thing even had a case already, for which he was glad. He tended to drop things at the worse possible times.

    “Thank you,” he said at last, reaching out to accept the phone. “But you guys really need to stop doing this.”

    Perhaps this was the infamous puppy-dog-eyes Dean had warned him about. “We’re just trying to help.”

    “And you are. Probably more than you know,” the Omega assured him.

    “I gotta go. See you this afternoon.”

    With another smile for the Omega and a brief touch for Jack Sam went back to his car. Castiel watched him go, then went back inside, a little dazed. Alex looked up as he slowly sat back down, likely looking as out of it as he suddenly felt.

    “What’d he want?”

    Rather than answer, Castiel held up the phone, opening it and staring at the screen.

    “They got you a phone?”

    “It would seem so.”

    “You sure there’s nothing going on between you guys?”

    “It would take far too long to explain.”

    Thankfully Asa chose that moment to come through with lunch, diverting them both. It saved him from having to deal with a question he didn’t know the answer to. He’d like to know, but maybe it was one of those things that would reveal itself in time.

BREAK/BREAK\BREAK

    June came to a close, time seeming to move faster as day after day rolled by. Jack seemed to grow before his eyes, until he was too large for him to work around while he was in the front carrier. After Alex left the office rearranged a little, and a play area was set up, tucked safely in a corner. He was starting to sit up and roll over, and Castiel knew it would just be a matter of time before he began to run about.

    He hadn’t thought much of the fourth of July, but a few days prior the brothers asked if he would be okay taking time off with them when they went to see their family. Castiel was hardly sure about this, but they’d convinced him it was low risk. So he and Jack rode in the back of Sam’s Charger when they drove to the next town, where Bobby and Ellen lived. She ran a bar and he ran a scrapyard. Jo and Charlie were there too, and Ash, who was nearly two years old by this point.

    Castiel wasn’t sure what he’d expected. They’d promised that they hadn’t told their family anything incriminating, wouldn’t tell them anything he wasn’t comfortable with. Despite what was likely an air of uncertainty about him he and his pup were still welcomed with open arms. After what he took to be a very scrutinizing once-over he was more or less accepted by their surprisingly maternal mother figure. Bobby, a gruff but not unkind man who regarded him from the shadow of a trucker cap, had a similar response. Charlie outright hugged him, ignoring the brother’s half started protests, but after a moment of going dead still in the redhead’s arms, the Omega found himself slowly relaxing. She was warm, this Charlie, friendly. The fact that Sam and Dean had seemed genuinely worried, like she was trying to hug a rabid dog, was entertaining to say the least. Jo seemed to think they were nuts, but didn’t comment on it.

    Apparently, Ash was unaccustomed to not being the smallest person in the room, and seemed particularly intrigued by Jack. Castiel let him come close, but refused to hand over his pup when asked. By Ash, at least. Later in the day, after a meal primarily prepared on the grill that left them all stuffed, Dean hesitated when Ellen offered to take him off his hands. Castiel had gladly freed his own arms after feeding him to give them a break and found it oddly easy to nod his accent to the silent request. He’d never seen another female or Omega hold Jack before, aside from the nurses at the hospital where he’d been born. He’d been on alert for any warning or tingle from his instincts, but it never came.

    When they did leave, he didn’t feel relieved or drained as he always had in times past when leaving a family gathering. Tired, yes, but not like he was fleeing torment. Just the opposite. These strangers had welcomed him with more warmth than his own blood ever had.

    It was a week or so after that things began to evolve in earnest. Castiel blamed Jack, he was far from crawling but he still managed to be a handful, already lifting his head and peering around at the world. It made it easier to not notice the small changes at first. The accidental touches that started to linger, the close proximity that could no longer be called incidental. It was refreshingly respectful, but at the same time the longer it went on the more he wanted.

    By the time August arrived Castiel had discovered his libido was neglected but fully intact. It was still easier not to pump, but he was starting to weigh the benefits of baby food. As nice as it was to be a free food source, he wanted his body back. And not just because he’d decided he wanted them to stop tiptoeing around him. Unfortunately he felt the need to warn them, even knowing the inevitable questions that a warning would cause.

    It seemed as good a time as any to say something. It was Friday, and while they were tired today hadn’t been overly trying. Sam hadn’t had to go to court, and it had been a few days since Dean had needed to explain to a particularly obnoxious customer that the repairs his vehicle required were due to his extreme neglect. Those didn’t happen often, thankfully, but that one had been worse than usual, according to Garth. Partly because the Alpha had decided he wouldn’t be blamed for his own car’s breakdown, partly because he’d tried to intimidate Castiel. It hadn’t worked. The Omega had been expecting him, he’d called him just an hour before to update him on things, then the man had barged into the office shouting about incompetence and ranting at Castiel as though he was the one to blame. Practice at dealing with flammable Alphas, and no small amount of time with two brothers shoring up his backbone, had come in handy. He’d sat there patiently, waiting for the Alpha to take a breath before calmly asking him to have a seat while he found the mechanic working on his vehicle. He didn’t even get to finish his offer before the man was shouting again.

    He’d been in the middle of threatening to get Castiel fired along with the mechanic when Dean had come in. It had been a beautiful thing to see, the change that had come over the shorter Alpha as he went from yelling at Dean, as he was the one who’d been working on his car, to demanding to speak to whoever was in charge, to realizing he was speaking to the owner. If it hadn’t upset Jack Castiel might have called the experience enjoyable. Well, that and it had left Dean fuming. From what Castiel could tell, from his own limited experience and gossip around the shop, he was more affronted by the fact the Omega had been yelled at than even the condition of the car.

    Castiel glanced up from his empty bowl of stew, which had been delicious. Sam had that distant expression that meant his mind was likely running in several directions far away from here. Dean wore a similar expression, though if the Omega knew them as well as he liked to think it was more likely he was debating on whether or not to grill out this weekend. There was a chance of rain, but not a lot, and it had been a few weeks since he’d done that.

    “I appreciate what you’re doing,” he began, pausing as both brothers came back to the present to look at him. “Immensely. But I’m not going to break.”

    Confusion flickered across Sam’s face before a decidedly blank expression took over, something Dean had squarely in place.

    “What do you mean?” Sam asked as Dean took a sip of his beer.

    “I think you know. This. Us.” Dean’s hand was closer, so he reached over and slid his fingers under the Alpha’s, lifting up their hands and lacing their fingers together. He looked from one to the other, watching, waiting.

    Dean’s thumb brushed over the back of his hand as they exchanged a look. The Omega waited patiently, letting the gears churn and silent communication fly. After a moment of this Dean cleared his throat, carefully withdrawing his hand.

    “You haven’t always reacted well when we’ve startled you. We don’t know what happened before, so we’ve been a little afraid of pushing you too much, especially since we don’t really know your boundaries.”

    “Don’t wanna accidentally set off any triggers,” Dean added. “We’re happy to keep going as slow as you need.”

    “Actually, I’m bringing this up because I was hoping to go a little less slow,” Castiel admitted. “As for triggers…if you’re referring to previous reactions, it was only really when you startled me. I am sorry about that.”

    “You shouldn’t be apologizing for that,” Dean warned, eyes narrowing.

    “To be perfectly honest I think you two are the only Alphas I’ve ever liked. Well, I like Bobby and Charlie, but not in the same way.” Charlie was the only other person besides the brothers who texted him. He was delighted to find he had what might be called a friend. “My family member’s behavior left much to be desired.”

    “Don’t get me wrong, we wanna know, but don’t feel like you have to tell us anything.” The first part earned him a sharp look from Sam, but nor did the taller Alpha contradict him.

    The Omega considered this briefly. He’d meant to, eventually. Besides, over these last weeks they’d pieced together their own past, which was more exciting than his own. When Sam had been six months old their mother had died in a house fire, putting their father into something of a manic state at the loss of his mate. For years they’d moved around the country, as best as Castiel could tell alternating between a nomadic lifestyle and that of survivalists. The longer it went on the worse John got, and while it wasn’t admitted in so many words the Omega was under the impression he’d been an abusive alcoholic. Eventually, when Dean had been twelve, they’d been dumped on Bobby one day and never seen John again. A few years later Bobby had mated Ellen, bringing her and Jo into the family circle. Relatively speaking their upbringing had been almost normal after that. Dean had been on the wrestling team, Sam on the debate team, making their way through school if only so they’d never have to scrape for resources again. Something they’d had far too much of in their formative years.

    His eyes drifted to his cup of sweetened tea, slowly rotating it on the table. “I don’t mind. I’d rather you know, I think. Besides, I know about you. It seems fair.”

    Neither commented, just waited, still watching him.

    After a long moment, he opened his mouth and stated, “I don’t remember my mother. She died when I was born. She and my father hadn’t been mated, but he still blamed me for it. I suppose my siblings took their cues from him. They tolerated me on the good days and used me as a source of amusement on bad days. The older they got the more good days there were. Zachariah, my father, would become violent when he was angry, but he mostly threw things, broke things. He didn’t hit us. Not often, anyway. There was too much of a chance word would get out. When he did, he made sure things didn’t show. I learned early on how to avoid confrontation.”

    When he peeked up to gauge their reaction neither said a word, though he saw anger in both their eyes.

    Lowering his gaze back to his drink, watching the ice cubes shift around, he continued, “There were complications during the birth, so when my mother died he blamed me. I think he would have given me up for adoption, but I was an Omega. I was useful. He already had four Alpha children, he didn’t need a fifth, and he considered Betas disposable. But he kept me so that way when I was old enough he could mate me off to someone important. I was allowed off the estate, but only for functions, school, lessons. Smile, be polite, don’t make eye contact, keep your mouth shut unless someone speaks to you. I hated going to those functions, they were boring, the clothes weren’t comfortable, the food was passable at best.” Glancing to Dean he admitted, “I think you’ve spoiled me in that department.”

    His lips twitched at that, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

    “Zachariah used these events to show off me as much as himself. I guess I was hoping it’d take longer, or that someone else would decide they liked me. Apparently a few others were, but Bartholomew made the best offer. They call it dowry, but it’s still a bride price. I never saw how much it was, but it and the rise in standing apparently made me worth keeping around all those years. There was a mating ceremony, I think half the state came, honestly I’m afraid to think about how much the flowers alone cost. They were pretty though, the only part I really liked. I had hoped, but he confirmed it after the ceremony. He wanted me to help him make a pretty picture, not anything else.”

    He saw confusion flicker in Sam’s eyes, so he elaborated a little more.

    “He was a lot like my father. Appearance was everything. He had the Cambridge education, the important job, the big house, the prestige, the social standing. All he needed to complete that picture was an Omega on his arm, like he was so important he didn’t have to share. I guess a male Omega like me was supposed to be even more so, but he preferred females. I thought I’d have to talk him out of it, get him too drunk to do anything, but he just sent me away and told me not to bother him. So I didn’t. I even had my own room in that big house. He didn’t seem to have any interest in me beyond the fact that I was his. As long as I went to events, behaved appropriately, came to dinner each night he was home for it, he left me alone. I even had a monthly allowance, was finally able to get my driver’s license, come and go from the estate as I pleased. As long as I wasn’t around or didn’t irritate him when he drank he didn’t hit me, just threw things, and he always missed. I guess with all that it shouldn’t have bothered me when he came home smelling like hookers or mistresses, I don’t know why but it did. They could hardly smell me on him, and I was very happy to have him have sex with them and not me. I guess it was the principle of the thing, sleeping with gods know how many people when he was technically mated.”

    The Omega felt his fingers going to his neck, not for the first time reveling in the lack of a mate mark.

    “He refused to mark me. I got very good with makeup, making it look like he had. For the image. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that. It wasn’t the best…the most domestic arrangement, but it was functional. Considering what I was expecting it was actually ideal. It likely would have continued indefinitely if I hadn’t gotten the flu. I wouldn’t recommend it.”

    Understanding crossed their faces, mouths tightening, but still they were silent.

    “He had me on the strongest suppressants and birth control medication the doctor he’d selected for me was allowed to proscribe. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been aware previously that some medications could affect them. Not until my first heat in six years began. I don’t remember much, to be honest. It’s all a haze. I just remember that he found me. Broke down the door. I was sane long enough to make a nest, bar the door, not that it did me any good. That was the first time he was really angry with me, but it was worse when he found out I’d gotten pregnant. He told me to get rid of it, I said no, so he locked me in the attic for two days. When he let me out he’d calmed down, but he still wasn’t happy. He hadn’t wanted a pup yet, it didn’t fit into this plan he had. He said if I wanted to keep the pup then I’d have to do it myself. So I did. I hadn’t used much of my allowances, so I put it towards seeing a doctor, prenatal care, getting a nursery ready. He ignored me even more, drank more, slept around more, and he dragged me to every single event between then and when I started to show. On top of that he put me on house arrest, I wasn’t allowed off the estate without an escort he trusted or Bartholomew himself.”

    The brothers were both bristling, blatant anger radiating off them, but he pressed on.

    “Considering I was afraid he’d make me terminate the pregnancy I was willing to keep my head down and bear it. He was at work when I went into labor. The guard on duty at the time drove me to the hospital. I thought it was going to come to blows when the nurses wouldn’t let them in the delivery room.” Snorting a laugh he added, “He tried to tell them not to give me drugs, that it was supposed to be some sort of punishment for getting pregnant. They told him in great anatomical detail where he could stick those suggestions and told him to wait outside.”

    Perhaps including this was a mistake. He had to pause until the growls died down. Sparks of Alpha red were sparking in both sets of eyes. But he had to keep going, he had to finish.

    “Jack was six pounds, six ounces. He took his sweet time getting here, too. Thirteen hours, and he didn’t sound too thrilled when he made it either. They kept us for a day and night, then let us go. Bartholomew wasn’t there when I got home. He didn’t come home until that night.” He hesitated, but he’d come this far. “He was more drunk than usual. Apparently it had been one thing to have sex with an Alpha with a mate. It was another to have sex with an Alpha that had a mate and a pup. That was the final straw, from what I could tell. It was the first time he attacked me directly, not just verbally. That’s what the bruises were, when I first came here. When he wore himself out he told me that I had two choices before he went back out again. Either get rid of Jack, or leave. So I left. I knew he might change his mind, so I made sure I’d be hard to follow. I’d been driving for two weeks when my car broke down here. I’d only taken a few breaks, but I never stayed more than a few hours at the same motel. Theoretically I could have gone much farther, but I had to stop so often, and I was avoiding the direct route as much as possible. Jack’s still seen more of the country in his first year than I’d seen in most of my life.”

    He stopped there. It seemed he’d covered the topic well enough. Now to wait for their reactions.

    When what felt like an age passed with no comment from either of them, he carefully raised his gaze to look first at Sam, then at Dean. He was still trying to work out just what their expressions meant when Dean asked in a low voice, “How do you trust us?”

    Sam shot his brother a sharp look, posture stiffening even more, mouth pressing into a tight line that indicated he didn’t like Dean’s question, but he kept quiet.

    Castiel turned his gaze from Sam back to Dean. “I’ve spent nearly all my life surrounded by people who lie constantly. Unless they’re behind closed doors they always had an act that was otherwise flawless. Even then it dropped sometimes, you can’t keep that sort of facade up all the time. I know the tells, I know how to find them. Neither of you have a tell. And you’re consistent.” There were other reasons too, but that was the simplest.

    “That’s it?” Sam asked carefully. “We’re…genuine?”

    “You’re genuine and I like what that is for you. Both of you. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”

    “So you’re betting on us not being expert con men?”

    “Essentially. But I don’t make such decisions lightly. Especially since more than just myself relies on those decisions.”

    Sam cleared his throat. “I guess the only thing we have to worry about if Bartholomew finds you is the mating contract.”

    Castiel stared at him a moment, face blank. “I don’t understand.”

    “You said there was a mating ceremony. He didn’t mark you, but there’s still a contract binding you to him. If he does find you, that would be enough for him to make a good argument in court.”

    “Damn it,” Dean muttered darkly.

    “There was no contract.”

    Two sets of eyes snapped up to stare at him, sparking with what he could almost label hope.

    “What?” they demanded in perfect unison.

    Lips twitching at that, he repeated, “There was no contract. I know what you’re talking about, but he didn’t make me sign anything. That’s why I was so sure the mating as a whole was meant to be a sham for the public. After the ceremony and the reception I expected him to make me sign a contract then have sex with him. He did neither. So when he told me to leave, I did. He has no hold on me besides the fact my father was paid a dowry, and since bride prices are illegal in most first world countries that won’t mean anything. The moment he told me to leave I was free. He didn’t even claim Jack as his pup, he wouldn’t sign the birth certificate, not that I offered.”

    Apparently, that last bit of information was what did the trick. Affirmation that there was nothing left tying either of them to the Alpha who’d contributed to Jack’s DNA. Huge smiles lit both their faces, a stark contrast to how they’d been for most of this conversation.

    Dean stood up abruptly, coming over to the Omega and pulling him out of his chair. Before Castiel could ask, he found himself yanked into a tight hug, strong arms wrapping around him. For a heartbeat he was rigid, but as the surprise eased so did he. He wrapped his arms around Dean in turn, hands fisting in the back of his shirt as he rested his cheek on his shoulder.

    Chair legs scraped on the floor as Sam stood up, and when Dean reluctantly released him Castiel was engulfed in strong arms for a second time. He didn’t notice until his vision went blurry that his eyes were going damp, and he squeezed them shut as he clung to the Alpha.

    He only eased his grip when Sam started to pull away, or so he thought. Castiel took a step back when the Alpha’s arms started to unwind, but then his hands gripped the Omega’s shoulders. He looked up and caught a brief glimpse of a few crimson sparks among the hazel in Sam’s eyes before his chin was tipped up, and warm, soft lips pressed over his own.

    Castiel’s breath caught, eyes going wide at the brief touch, but didn’t pull away, lips parting as Sam pulled back for a moment. There was a pause, as if he was gauging the Omega’s reaction, then he was back. His fingers tangled in Sam’s shirt, lids fluttering. He’d been kissed before, but never anything like this. It wasn’t a forced thing, all stiff and chapped lips pressing bluntly over his. It wasn’t a drunken thing that made him want to vomit when it was over. This was someone gently kissing him, hands coming up to cup his face, a coaxing quality to the movement of his lips. After a moment of this Castiel began timid movements of his own, which seemed to delight Sam.

    He was breathless when they parted, head starting to spin. He was faintly aware of a grumble behind him, then Sam was turning him around, and he switched his hold to Dean instead. After a moment of clutching his shirt he slid his arms up over his shoulders, pressing their bodies together, reveling in the contact as much as the kiss.

    The Omega only pulled away when it was to gasp, then squeak as hands settled on his hips from behind, lips pressing to the base of his neck. He’d never had someone kiss his scent glands before, or do the mouthing thing Sam currently was. Did they taste good?

    He was still wondering about this when Dean caught his mouth in another kiss, a tiny mewl in his throat. At this point he was practically sandwiched between two chests, which began to rumble in response to his involuntary sound. A delicate tremor ran down his back at the positive sounds. One of his hands released Dean, sliding back and fumbling for Sam, eventually tangling in his long hair. His breath hitched when teeth lightly caught the shell of his ear, the growl behind him intensifying.

    For all his mind was swimming, Castiel was acutely aware of his own arousal as well as theirs, and not just because of their scents. He could feel himself starting to go hard and wet, something a live and in-person Alpha had never managed before, let alone two. With a jolt he realized he had no qualms about doing more with them. He was nervous, yes, but otherwise he was actually eager for more. He’d hoped there wouldn’t be the usual unease or fear that usually hit when he thought an Alpha might want to use him, but this gave him undeniable affirmation.

    Curious, he pulled away from Dean’s mouth and turned his head into the Alpha’s scent glands, humming happily. A guttural groan dragged itself from Dean’s throat as he found his scent glands, kissing and nibbling at his flesh. He wasn’t sure about the taste, but having his nose buried in a scent source was just as tantalizing as being able to elicit such reactions. He could see the appeal.

    A hand, he wasn’t sure who’s, had just slid under the hem of his shirt when a cry came from the living room. Castiel paused, his first instinct to turn towards what sounded like the beginning of his son’s “I’m hungry” serenade. The last thing he wanted was to leave their arms, but he’d spent a long time catering to already potent instincts. He groaned softly, shoulders drooping, Sam making a similar sound against his skin. He felt Dean’s lips curl into a faint smile before he pulled away, palm pressing to his cheek.

    “He’s not going to stop.”

    “I know,” Castiel sighed reluctantly.

    “You should probably feed him,” Sam grumbled into his neck.

    “I should,” the Omega agreed, forehead falling onto Dean’s shoulder.

    “You should let him go.”

    Sam huffed, but reluctantly withdrew, taking a step back, fingers giving his hip a squeeze before letting him go. Castiel moved away from them with equal reluctance, giving them one last look before going to tend his son. Jack was starting to thrash and kick around in his pack-n’-play, looking thoroughly distraught, his pacifier cast aside.

    “Alright, alright, enough,” Castiel scolded absently, bending to pick him up and carry him over to the couch. Jack only quieted when it was to suck contentedly, though his mother did wince as he nipped him in the process. “Alright, I get it,” he grumped. “No fun for me while you’re around.”

Chapter Text

    While Castiel was glad of this advance, he was equally glad they still didn’t try to rush anything. Despite the first initial heat between them, they didn’t pounce on him that night, or the next, for all he sometimes wondered if he wished they would. There were still changes, at least. There were more little touches, lingering fingers and brushing hands. In the morning he was surprised when Dean pressed a kiss to his cheek as the Omega passed him the creamer, blinking up at him with wide eyes only to receive the same gesture when Sam obligingly handed him a bowl of fruit they both liked to pick from. He was hardly complaining, just surprised. It was something he happily got used to, and carefully worked to return himself.

    The first time he timidly leaned up on his toes a bit to press a light, brief peck to Sam’s lips when he came home with pizza Monday night he scurried away, face warm. He almost made it to the kitchen table before long arms snaked around his waist from behind, pulling him back against the Alpha. When he looked up he found himself subject to a much more thorough kiss that left him feeling a bit dazed. Dean complained about the food getting cold, but he was also the one who pulled the Omega into his arms for a very intense goodnight kiss that evening.

    By Friday Castiel found himself itching for more. He felt like they’d been teasing him all week for all he knew it was illogical. There hadn’t been much opportunity, granted, and he still found it difficult to extract himself from the needs of his infant son. His first instinct was to him, and when he’d worriedly admitted as such to the brothers they’d brushed it off. If the pup in question was older that would be one thing, but he wasn’t even a year old yet. Not only were they okay with Jack being a priority, they seemed to think highly of him for it.

    Regardless, by Saturday he’d made up his mind. He’d finally have sex with someone of his choosing that he cared about on that level if it killed him. Once upon a time, he’d held himself in check as much so he’d retain his virginity until he wished to give it up as because of his father’s orders. Now that that was no longer an option, he intended to take advantage of his situation as well as his biology. As it was male Omegas had the least chance of conceiving out of any Omega or Beta, their chances only shot up during heats. When he’d run he’d taken the remains of his prescriptions of birth control and suppressants, but so long as he was nursing he was incapable of conceiving. A perk of his being a male Omega, as far as he was concerned. It meant he had a built-in, foolproof contraceptive.

    So when the chance came, he took it. Sam had bent to press what seemed to be an absentminded kiss to his lips on Saturday afternoon, after the taller Alpha had just lowered Jack into the basinet for his post-lunch nap, and rather than let him pull away Castiel wrapped his arms around broad shoulders, pulling him back down. Sam fumbled for a heartbeat, then returned the deepened kiss with gusto. He had to brace a knee on the couch Castiel was perched on to keep from falling, a hand propping against its back, but he didn’t pull away. When the Omega ran a hand up into his hair, teeth catching his lower lip, he outright growled.

    “Cas?” he rasped in a low voice, free hand cupping the back of his neck.

    “Please,” he breathed, keeping his own voice down so as not to wake Jack.

    “You sure?”

    Deciding to be blunt, Castiel gripped Sam’s wrist and pulled his hand away from his neck, guiding it down to press against his crotch. He heard Sam’s breath catch as he felt the Omega’s growing erection. Crude, perhaps, but it got the message across.

    “I get to put him down next if this is how you’re going to start thanking us.”

    Castiel hesitated as he was pulled off the couch and towards the hall, guilt flaring in his breast as he looked back at Dean. He felt Sam pause too, both of them looking back at the elder Alpha sitting on one of the love seats, feet propped up, laptop on his legs. Castiel’s concern eased when he saw the amused look Dean wore, waving a hand at them to go on. He didn’t seem offended at being second, and in all honesty, Castiel had simply grabbed the first brother who gave him an opening. He’d have to mention it later, just in case.

    “I’ll keep an eye on him.” He jerked a thumb towards Jack. “Have fun.”

    Heat warmed Castiel’s cheeks at the last suggestion, but before he could consider a protest he was pulled down the hall to the guest room he used. The door was shut quietly, then Sam was on him. He squeaked at the abruptness but clung to him all the same, eagerly returning hungry kisses. He’d gotten better at this kissing business, or so he liked to think. The brothers certainly hadn’t complained. He’d had two very patient teachers in that, and it had come to be something he enjoyed very much. The Omega had hopes that sex would follow a similar route.

    Cloth fell to the floor as they fumbled with their clothes, Castiel glad he’d gone barefoot today. After a few irritated grunts the Alpha managed to ditch his boots, then promptly shoved him back onto the bed. Castiel bounced a little on impact, beaming up at Sam and grabbing his shoulders as the Alpha crawled on top of him. He hooked a leg over his waist, his mouth devoured in a rough kiss, but not before his breath caught at the sight of the nude form before him. He’d had a good idea of the shape Sam was in, he was up before all of them so he could jog to the gym and jog back. Dean often went during his lunch break, something his brother’s teasing had led Castiel to believe this hadn’t always been the case. That being said, he hadn’t expected blatantly toned muscle, nor the fact that he was, for a lack of a better word, proportional.

    Maybe he would have worried about that, but he was turned on and horny and breathing in the scent of an Alpha in a similar state. So rather than let himself think about it much, he tried to lose himself in the moment. Sam’s scent, his warmth, the feel of him under searching fingers, the taste of him, every little movement and gesture. It engulfed him, threatening to overwhelm him.

    Castiel was acutely aware of it when they finally ditched the last of their clothes, his hips lifting to make it easier for long fingers to yank off his underwear, sheets coming into contact with bare and damp skin. It sent a thrill up his spine, his heart pounding so loud he thought for sure Sam could hear it. A hand was on his shoulder, gripping him tight, teeth catching his lower lip as the Alpha’s free hand ran down his side, sliding down his thigh to his knee.

    The Omega hesitated, an odd sense of unease and deja vu hitting him as his leg was lifted, knee pushed towards his chest as he automatically hooked the other around Sam’s hips. Brushing it aside, writing it off as first-time nerves, he arched his back and rocked his hips, rubbing their groins together, making them both moan. Sam’s grip tightened, the hand on his leg leaving its post to brush down over his hip, two fingers stroking his slick-covered entrance.

   Stars flashed under his lids as the Omega gasped, a pleased growl thrumming in Sam’s throat as he kissed him roughly. It was an incredible sensation, but he stiffened as it catapulted him from the moment. He froze, body going rigid as things changed in the space of a heartbeat.

    Suddenly Castiel found himself back in his old nest. One he’d built hurriedly when he’d realized what was happening to him. Dragging his mattress onto the floor and shoving it into a corner, taping heavy towels over the windows to keep the room dark, dumping what was left onto the mattress along with every blanket and pillow he could find. The thick scent of his own heat filled his nose, along with the heady musk of Alpha arousal. An Alpha had broken into his nest, light pouring in from the hallway, through the door that still hung open. It was blinding, made worse as the illumination from crystal fixtures ricocheted off the polished hardwood floor and cream painted walls of the hallway outside. He’d crawled to the corner of his nest to get away from it as much as the figure that had charged in, able to realize he wanted nothing from that Alpha even through his blurred vision and heat-hazed brain.

    They were on top of him. Blond hair tousled and out of place for once, blue eyes filled with Alpha red sparks, face contorted with both anger and need. This wasn’t right. He didn’t like this Alpha, didn’t trust him, didn’t want his help to fulfill this heat. This one was not to be mated with, of that his instincts were absolutely sure.

    Castiel wrenched away, or tried to. The Alpha still gripped him firmly, had already shed his clothes and was atop him, between his thighs. He screamed a wordless rejection, struggling to untangle himself from the Alpha, to put distance between them. He couldn’t leave the nest, it wasn’t safe, but he had to get away. He managed to work one leg between them, jamming his knee against the Alpha’s chest and shoving hard as his hands shoved and beat at them in an attempt to dislodge them.

    “Cas, wait, what’s wrong? Stop, I’m not going to hurt you.”

    Feet pounded outside, a door crashing as it was thrown open. “Cas!”

    Hands grabbed his wrists, restraining them even as he bucked and thrashed wildly, eyes wide in panic. Someone dragged the Alpha away from him, the hands releasing him, leaving him free to back himself up against the nearest wall.

    When his back collided with a headboard, Castiel’s head jerked up to stare at the doubled forms now off his nest. He blinked rapidly, trying to pull himself together, realizing it was far easier than it should have been in a heat. It hit him then that this was because he wasn’t in heat. He wasn’t in his old bedroom. He wasn’t on the Gracie estate. He wasn’t even in Maine anymore. He was safe from Bartholomew. He and Jack were safe.

    It took several, painful seconds, but the scene before his eyes melted away. He found himself staring down past the foot of the bed, at where the two brothers stood, hands raised in placating gestures, faces creased with worry. He could hear Jack starting to fuss in the living room. He’d woken his pup.

    “The hell was that?” Dean was demanding, agitated for all his eyes never left Castiel, shoulders tense.

    “I don’t know,” Sam snapped, guilt as well as worry marring his face. “He was fine, then he just freaked.”

    Castiel took a few calming breaths, trying to get his head screwed back on straight before he spoke. He was huddling against the headboard still, on the pillows. While he did stay where he was, fully aware he was still naked, he straightened a little and faced them.

    “I’m sorry,” he rasped in a low voice. His throat felt oddly scratchy. Had he screamed more than just the one time?

    “Don’t be,” Dean protested. “What happened? Are you okay?”

    “I’m fine,” he mumbled shakily.

    “No, you’re not,” Sam argued. “Something happened. Talk to us. Please, Cas. If something I did set you off, I need to know.”

    “No, I…I don’t think….” He trailed off, frowning as he shivered uneasily. His eyes flicked to the doorway as Jack began to cry in earnest.

    “I’ll get him, you stay there,” Dean stated, reluctantly leaving the room.

    When he was down to one Alpha Castiel’s eyes drifted back to Sam. The guilt redoubled when he realized he’d gone soft. It was both a comfort and something he regretted, for all his own arousal had been smothered.

    A moment later Dean returned, lightly bouncing Jack. Pulling a pillow over his lap, Castiel extended his arms and Dean obligingly passed him over. Jack settled a little once his face was buried against his mother’s skin, but it took a few minutes for him to quiet down. In that time the pieces began to fall into place. It was just as well, it didn’t seem the brothers would be leaving until they knew what had happened. Knew they hadn’t done something to him, hadn’t pushed him too far.

    When Jack was finally quieted, and in the process of going back to sleep, Castiel said in a low voice, “I didn’t think I remembered anything.”

    Sam, who’d pulled his underwear and pants back on, frowned at him. “Anything from what?”

    “My heat.”

    Both of them stiffened, Dean’s eyes narrowing as Sam paled.

    “I didn’t,” he insisted. “It was a blur, an unpleasant blur. I’m sorry, I didn’t think there were any memories left to resurface, much less that they would. I’m sorry, Sam, it’s nothing you did wrong.”

    “Stop apologizing for shit you’re not responsible for,” Dean snapped.

    “Is that what happened?” Sam’s voice was much less abrasive, tone careful. “You had a flashback?”

    Castiel nodded, hand still patting Jack’s back.

    “You didn’t see me,” the Alpha continued, eyes distant as he too seemed to put the pieces together.

    “I really did enjoy what we were doing,” Castiel insisted in a low voice. “I never thought that would happen, I would have said something otherwise. Since I didn’t remember I didn’t think…”

    “You didn’t think you’d have PTSD,” Dean finished, face grim.

    He nodded his head mutely.

    “I think some of your reactions before should have been signs,” Sam pointed out slowly. “We should have considered this. I’m sorry, it should have been addressed.”

    “Why would I have that problem if I don’t remember?” Castiel protested.

    “Maybe you repressed them,” the taller Alpha suggested.

    “Could be things just got muddled. It sounds like that douchebag didn’t take care of you during your heat.”

    “I don’t understand.”

    “We’re not supposed to just fuck your brains out when you’re in heat,” Dean informed him, ignoring the sharp glace Castiel shot down at Jack. “Technically we’re wired to take care of you, protect you. A lot of the time that entails a lot of sex.”

    “But you’re prone to dehydration,” Sam continued. “Making sure you get enough to eat and drink even if you don’t want to is another part of it. Even if you aren’t mated that much should be obvious.”

    “Let me guess, you were dehydrated and malnourished when you came out of it?” Dean asked, mouth set in a grim line.

    When he nodded reluctantly, Dean scowled, muttering some choice things about the Alpha Castiel had been with at the time.

    “Would it help to talk to someone?” Sam suggested gently. “Someone removed from the situation?”

    The Omega frowned slightly, head tilting. “You mean like a shrink?”

    “Seriously?” Dean deadpanned.

    “Just because you don’t believe in it doesn’t mean it won’t help,” Sam argued. He picked his shirt off the floor, pulling it over his head. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he told Castiel. “But it is an option. All you have to do is ask.”

    Honestly, it wasn’t something Castiel had thought about. But then he’d never thought about the long-term consequences of his time with Bartholomew either. He hadn’t thought the scars would be so lasting, or that they’d interfere like this. The idea of talking to a psychologist didn’t appeal to him. But nor did the thought of allowing Bartholomew this power over him any longer. He wanted to do more, be more, with the brothers. It seemed in order to do that, he’d have to bite the bullet. “Normally I don’t think I’d like that, but…I won’t allow him to interfere more than he has. I did enjoy what we were doing, Sam. I would like to do it again. With both of you.”

    “Like, together or separately?” Dean asked. For all his brother shot him an exasperated look Sam didn’t seem as genuinely irritated as usual by his bluntness.

    Deciding there was no harm in making them aware of one of his more private fantasies, Castiel stated, “Both.”

    “Both?” they chorused, apparently surprised by this.

    “Both,” he confirmed. “Would that not work?”

    They glanced at each other, then away.

    “I wouldn’t rule it out,” Dean admitted at great length. “Sammy?”

    Sam cleared his throat. “I just wasn’t sure if you’d be okay with that.” This was directed at the Omega, who smiled.

    “I spent over a decade with no one but myself for company. Towards the end of that time I also had a plethora of explicit romance novels at my fingertips. I would like to start more traditionally, but I am very open to most experimentation. There are numerous things I’d like to try if you find them acceptable.”

    He took the flare of heat in their eyes and the brief spike of arousal scent as an affirmative. Glancing down to see Jack fighting to keep his eyes open, he looked back up at them and decided it would be best to address the subject at hand first. The sooner he rid himself of the last of Bartholomew’s influence, the better.

    “If it means cutting any final links to the douchebag you mentioned, I would be willing to speak with a professional.” He hesitated, then asked reluctantly, “Do you think we should wait until after that to try again?”

    He tried not to be too disappointed when they both nodded.

    “We’re not going to risk you freaking out again,” Dean added.

    “You’re the priority. We’ll wait as long as you need.”

    “Hopefully not too long,” he sighed, making them crack smiles.

BREAK/BREAK\BREAK

    That afternoon, when he borrowed Dean’s computer, Castiel found someone he thought would be a good fit. There weren’t many locals who specialized in therapy, but there was one who had hours that would allow him to see her during his lunch hour. She was also the only female Beta in town, which he had to admit had a sway on his decision. He just didn’t feel comfortable visiting the male Betas or the one male Alpha. So he filled out the online forms, as required, and sent them to Dr. Barnes.

   In the meantime, he did have a discussion with Sam and Dean on what other things they could do until he got issues under control.

    “Would it be acceptable to sleep in the same bed?” he suggested uncertainly. “Does Jack wake you up during the night? It would probably be worse if we did that.”

    He was prepared to discount it, but they seemed to perk up at the idea.

    “That could work. We don’t mind waking up,” Sam promised. “It usually doesn’t last, anyway. If you want you could stay in our rooms, or we could stay in yours.”

    “Or both,” Dean added, a decidedly lecherous look in his eyes.

    Castiel cocked a brow at him. “If you’re both willing to proceed, let’s start slowly. Perhaps one at a time. If that works, and Jack doesn’t disturb you too much, we can discuss both of you. But I don’t think my bed’s big enough.”

    “Ours are,” Dean informed him promptly.

    Later, when he inspected both their beds, he found Dean was right. Well, Dean’s bed was bigger and just as comfortable as his. Apparently Sam hadn’t sprung for the better mattress. He’d avoided going into their rooms in an attempt to respect their privacy, for all they’d both insisted they didn’t mind. He decided that should they reach the point where all three would be sleeping in the same bed, they would do so in Dean’s room. But for now he’d rather stay closer to Jack, so that night Sam laid down next to him.

    He woke twice that night to Jack’s serenade, and both times he had to extract himself from a groggy Alpha. He felt bad about this, but was surprised the next morning when Sam suggested he start pumping. When he reminded the Alpha he didn’t mind, and this way was simplest, Sam argued that this way he wouldn’t have to get up every time to feed him. They could do it instead. Castiel hadn’t expected them to offer taking feeding shifts so he could stay in bed more, but they did. So that night he gave it a try, and while it felt odd using a pump it didn’t hurt.

    The first time Jack started to cry he stirred, sitting up and trying to leave the bed only to get held down by Dean. His first instinct was to struggle, not fully awake or understanding why he was being kept from his pup, but Dean kissed his cheek and rasped, “I got this,” in his ear.

    It took a minute, but Castiel slowly laid back down as he remembered the milk in the fridge. He watched the shadow that was Dean as he got out of bed, going around to pick up Jack and carry him out. He fell asleep again before they came back. The second time he stirred out of habit, but stayed put as the Alpha half-rolled half stumbled out of bed.

    Over breakfast he suggested that they not do it anymore, only to find Sam wanted to at least try it first. Dean, for all his sleep had been interrupted twice, pointed out that it wouldn’t be so bad if they were taking turns. This way everyone got more sleep. Castiel felt like he could have protested more, but in truth he’d slept better last night than he had since well before Jack was born. He felt a little guilty about it, but let them win that discussion without much protest.

    Monday morning, Dean called him over to show him an email from Dr. Barnes about setting up a first appointment. Tuesday, Sam came to get him and drive him across town to her office. It was small but cozy, constructed to be as nonthreatening as possible. The walls were painted a faint green, nature sounds were playing somewhere just loud enough to hear, and vanilla-scented candles were lit. Dr. Barnes herself, who preferred to be called Pamela, smiled warmly at him and shook his hand. She seemed glad that Sam would be keeping an eye on Jack during their session, and while she did take a moment to coo over the smiling infant her attention was primarily on Castiel.

    For forty-five minutes the Omega endured the entirety of her attention, which was both gratifying and rattling. He hadn’t expected to need tissues any more than he’d expected to be angry enough to almost walk out at one point. He had to hand it to her, she got to the heart of things, and for all he felt emotionally drained when he left he did so with an appointment card in one hand. Her recommendation was for two appointments a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays at the same time.

    “How’d it go?” Sam asked, passing him a sandwich once he’d climbed into the passenger seat.

    Castiel twisted to glance back at Jack, who was batting at a little stuffed lion hanging above his carrier. Only then did he unwrap the sandwich as Sam pulled out onto the road. “Good. Fine. I have another appointment.” He hesitated, but when he started to open his mouth Sam cut him off.

    “Stop worrying about the health insurance.”

    “But…”

    “For one thing, it’s an employee benefit. For another, it’s cheaper to just add you to ours. And you need a doctor, both of you.”

    Castiel made a face, but gave up on argument he’d already lost. He’d allowed them to put Jack on their insurance without a peep, but had argued them doing the same for him. In the end they’d informed him that he would worry about his own health as much as he did his pup’s if they had to force him to. Jack was scheduled for his first doctor’s appointment since he’d left the hospital he was born in next week. Along with a general health visit he’d be getting his first immunizations, much to Castiel’s relief. The pediatrician came highly recommended, as did the family doctor he’d be seeing the day after.

    Aside from asking how things went, how he liked Dr. Barnes, neither pressed for information. He loved them for that. He’d told them things, but not all the details. Pamela was extracting everything, making him address things so he could conquer them. Not the most pleasant of processes, but it was effective, he had to admit. She was also fascinated by the relationship he had with the brothers, in no small part because she was the first he told about what was going on between them. She approved of the rotation they had during the night, satisfied they were treating him and his pup well, though she recommended waiting until they’d dealt with certain things before trying to sleep all together.

    August turned to September, the days still warm though the green trees were flecked with orange and yellows, the first hints of pending fall. Jack still woke twice during the night, but it no longer left Castiel worn in the morning. He liked to be propped up where he could see things at work, he was getting to where he could prop up his own head, sit up a little and look around. He babbled more, too. Meaningless syllables mostly, but they listened in eager anticipation of his first word. They still went on evening walks, Sam still went with him to the library whenever he managed to finish a book, Dean worked with him until he could manage basic cooking without rendering the food inedible. Life went on, but with more kissing and touching.

    Despite desperately awaiting the day when his son slept through the night, the most stressful part of it all was what Pamela put him through. Her philosophy was that it was unhealthy to let things stay buried. Castiel might have disagreed on this point, but he’d already had to deal with what she warned him of, one of those hidden memories surfacing and causing problems. Instead, she drew them out one by one in a controlled environment. From being left to cope with his childhood fear of thunder on his own, to the irritated smacks from a drunken Alpha. As it turned out that last night hadn’t been the first time Bartholomew had gotten physical, it was just the worst. Before it had just been the occasional blow when he was irritated and Castiel was in the way, or a thrown object he wasn’t able to avoid. It explained a few things, though he never told Sam or Dean. Despite this, the verbal abuse had been worse. Almost more so than what his family had dealt him. He told Pamela about them, too. Zachariah, Michael, Raphael, Lucifer, Naomi. He’d been telling himself for years it really hadn’t been his fault his mother had died, but this was the first time he genuinely believed it completely.

    It didn’t happen overnight. It couldn’t. But the brothers were patient with him, as always, and Pamela was persistent. There was a lot he hadn’t known he’d forgotten, a lot she had to talk him through recalling so they could deal with it and put it to rest.

    By the end of September, Pamela gave him her blessing to continue a physical relationship. Something both Alphas had informed him they wouldn’t move forward without if it killed them. Dean still insisted on calling her that evening to confirm it, much to Castiel’s irritation. It had been months at this point, and jerking off in the shower was no longer cutting it.

    They agreed to start off slow, vanilla, which meant one-on-one for a little while. At least that was what they said at first. Castiel couldn’t fault them for their intentions any more than he could their efforts.

    “Are you sure about this?” Castiel asked uncertainly from his perch.

    “Completely sure,” Dean promised.

    They’d started out as he and Sam had before, with kissing and touching and the like. But once they were on Castiel’s bed, their clothes discarded, Dean had rolled them over so he was on his back, the Omega sitting astride him, hands braced on his chest. Honestly he wasn’t sure what to do to begin with, but he felt at a loss with this new position.

    “You have more control this way,” the Alpha elaborated. “Go as slow or as fast as you need.”

    Castiel craned his neck, looking back at the throbbing erection just behind his rear. His wasn’t much better, though at this point he was blatantly leaking slick. “Perhaps it would be better the other way. You might recall I have no practical experience in this.”

    Dean reached up, hands settling on his hips, thumbs gently stroking his skin. “I don’t care. Besides, out of all those books you’ve mentioned a few of ‘em had to mention cowgirl.”

    The Omega considered this for a moment, flicking through his past reads before he shifted his position, bracing his knees on the bed to either side of Dean’s waist and lifting himself up a bit. He scooted back a little, not missing the catch of breath when his hand wrapped around the Alpha’s cock. His hands stayed on the Omega’s hips, but they did squeeze a little at that.

    Biting his lip as much from concentration as uncertainty, Castiel lined up the head as best he could and gingerly lowered himself down. His first try missed, Dean’s dick sliding over his entrance rather than into it. Not that the Alpha seemed to mind, if his groan was anything to go by. Castiel tried again, gasping as he felt something start to intrude. He paused, giving himself a moment to adjust, then pressed onward. He decided it would be best to get the initial discomfort over with, not stopping until he was firmly seated atop Dean’s groin, panting, his member as deep as it would go.

    “Shit,” Dean panted, eyes flecked with Alpha red.

    “Shit,” Castiel agreed breathlessly.

    He allowed himself a brief breather, but the discomfort was only mild, no actual pain. What it faded, replaced by a pleasantly full sensation and the desire for more, he braced a hand on Dean’s chest again and carefully began rocking his hips back and forth. The Alpha groaned, one hand sliding around to grasp Castiel’s own cock. He used the Omega’s own slick to lubricate his hand, stroking him slowly.

    When his rocking became almost frantic, Castiel switched gears. He put more of his weight onto his bracing hand, and used his legs to lever himself up a little before dropping back down again. He gasped at the sensation, and repeated the motion. He had to be careful, a few times Dean slid completely out of him, but after a minute he found a pace that avoided this and still felt very good. Better still, once he did Dean matched his stroking to that same rhythm, which had his eyes rolling.

    Castiel had no idea how long this went on, and he didn’t have the presence of mind to check. Sometimes Dean would reach a hand up, stroking his nipples, brushing a thumb over the head of his cock, little things that made him moan louder. He tried to return the favor, pleased when he found that rubbing his palms over the Alpha’s chest for friction on his own nipples got the most enthusiastic response. When combined with him clinching down over his cock, Dean got even louder, a growl coming from his throat. For the first time that symphony of flesh smacking against flesh, slickened anatomy moving against each other, breathless pants, and pleasured moans wasn’t a thing he felt the need to ignore. Just the opposite.

    Something must have given him away when he felt his orgasm on the rise. Dean’s hands left their work, grasping his hips and lifting him up a little, holding him steady. The Omega barely got out a “Wha?” of confusion before he braced his feet on the bed for leverage and started thrusting into him faster than what Castiel had managed. His mouth fell open as he sucked in rapid breaths, hands digging into the Alpha’s chest, a keening sound coming from his throat as he was hurtled over the edge.

    Dean kept going through his orgasm, only stopping to flip them back over when Castiel started to slump. The Omega dragged him down into a kiss as he kept going, hips pounding into him as his rhythm disintegrated. He kissed Dean as the Alpha realized his own orgasm, loving the fact there hadn’t been a need for a condom. He’d be glad when he could put Jack fully on solids, but he would miss being able to be completely one with his Alphas.

    Castiel knew when Dean was finished, but rather than letting him roll away he hooked a leg over his waist, clinging to him so he would settle where he was. The Alpha obliged, a hand stroking through his hair as they shared tender, lazy kisses. Castiel was wondering if they would mind if he dozed when a thumb brushed his cheek, and his eyes opened to find Dean studying him with what could almost be called worry.

    “How’re you holding up?” His voice was a little rougher than usual, but his words were tender. Castiel smiled faintly at his concern. Dean made it easy to forget sometimes, that he had a tendency to fret even more than his brother.

    “The words ‘extraordinary’, ‘breathtaking’, and ‘awesome’ come to mind.”

    That earned him a patented, lecherous grin. “I’m that good?”

    Castiel snorted. “I don’t think I would be quite so impressed if I had done this before. Or if I didn’t love you.”

    Dean went still. “You what?”

    The Omega blinked at his reaction, and it hit him then that he’d never actually said it. None of them had. Well, he’d admitted it to himself, and to Pamela, but he’d never said it aloud to either of them. To be fair, they hadn’t either, but then they hadn’t really had to. Not when they were so diligent about showing it every day in a wide assortment of little things. It was in the way they looked at him, the way they kissed him, the way Dean made his lunch so he wouldn’t be eating PB&J’s every day they didn’t get takeout, the way Sam made him honeyed chamomile tea after a particularly trying session with Pamela. They’d shown him rather than told him how much he and Jack both meant to them. He’d hoped he was showing them in return, but perhaps it was different to simply say it. Who knew three little words could mean so much, or that they’d be hard to get out? But now that he’d said them once, it was easier to say again.

    Feeling a bit guilty, he pressed a hand to Dean’s cheek. “I love you, Dean Winchester.”

    For a heartbeat Dean only stared down at him with an unreadable expression. Just when Castiel thought for sure he saw dampness in those evergreen eyes, Dean bent to kiss him. Again and again he pressed happy kisses to his lips before moving to his cheeks, nose, forehead, jaw, eyelids. In between them he murmured roughly, “’Love you, Cas. Want you to stay with us. Be ours.”

    Castiel’s breath caught. “Be mate to both of you?”

    “If you want. If you’ll have us.” He turned his face into the Omega’s neck, clinging to him for all they were still intertwined.

    “I…if you’re sure, if you’re both sure….I should be the one asking if you’ll have me.”

    Dean finally pulled up to look him in the eye again. “’Course we’ll have you. Haven’t we been saying that? We just want to be sure you don’t feel like you have to or anything.”

    Castiel smiled faintly. “Maybe I would have, in the past. Now I would say yes because I choose to.”

    “Are you? Saying yes, I mean?” Dean asked carefully.

    Technically a mate mark was the only solid, indisputable, guaranteed way to mate a person. But a verbal agreement was relatively sound, a signed mating contract or license even better. Castiel considered this, as well as Dean’s question.

    Finally he said slowly, “I would like to have this conversation with Sam as well. I want to be sure, and it wouldn’t be fair if it was only one of you.”

    “Trust me, Sam’s on board.”

    “I do trust you, but I want to have this conversation with him,” Castiel insisted patiently. “You are two individual people. You are you. Sam is Sam. I love Dean. I love Sam. I would be very happy to mate you, I would be very happy to mate Sam. But part of that will be treating you as individuals.”

    “Alright, point made. Want me to switch with him?”

    Castiel groaned, head tilting back as his eyes closed. “If you insist. But I’ll need a breather.”

   Dean twisted to look at the clock. “We’ve got some time before Jack wakes up. We can trade off after he eats.”

    The Omega raised his eyebrows, though his eyes stayed closed. “Do you intend to have this settled by dinner?”

    “Yep.”

    Castiel groaned in mock despair, making Dean laugh softly. The Alpha pecked his lips one more time, then settled down half on top of him, half off. They did manage to doze for a little while, content in each other’s arms, before the Omega heard his son rousing.

    Protests aside, Castiel essentially dragged Sam back to his bedroom by his shirt after Jack was fed and handed over to Dean. Not that the taller Alpha complained. The lone pair of pants Castiel had pulled on were cast aside as he fell onto the bed for the second time that afternoon, beaming as he pulled Sam down into a kiss, hooking both legs around his waist.

    “You okay?” Sam rasped, moving to his jaw so the Omega could answer.

    “Very okay.” He was breathless and getting aroused all over again, eager to finally finish what they’d started what felt like an age ago. “I will not be okay if you stop.”

    A growl that was all Alpha sent a pleasant tingle up Castiel’s spine, his breath catching as his hips were hitched up, and his head fell back with a keening moan as he was taken slowly. Sam didn’t stop, nor did he speed up until he was firmly seated deep inside the Omega, their groins pressed together.

    “Oh gods yes,” Castiel gasped, pulling him into a sloppy kiss.

    When the Omega’s hips began to buck, trying desperately to get any sort of friction or movement, Sam nipped his lip and pinned his hips to the bed. Castiel wasn’t sure he liked this, but quickly changed his mind as this was followed by movement. The Alpha set a steady pace, head dropping to nip and suck at the base of Castiel’s neck as he went. A hand came up, pinching and tugging at nipples still a bit tender from a feeding. Somehow the added stimulation to overstimulated flesh was both painful and tantalizing, reducing him to a writhing mess. Or rather, as much of a writhing mess as Sam would allow. The torment continued, fingers moving from his nipples to his cock as his mouth began marring his collar bone.

    Incoherent babble fell from his lips, and to Castiel’s dismay, he came hard before they’d really begun. He cried out, back arching on the bed, eyes rolling back. A triumphant sound came from Sam’s throat, but he didn’t slow down. If anything he went faster, harder, all through the Omega’s orgasm.

    Castiel fell limp, panting, eyes glazed, whimpering when a harsh kiss was pressed to already swollen lips.

    “’M sorry,” he mumbled.

    An irritated grunt reached his ears, right before he was flipped onto his stomach. He stiffened at this, then mewled when the Alpha slid into him, this new position hitting just as many nerves as his being atop Dean had. Fingers laced through his, lips brushing the back of his neck as Sam took up a slower pace.

    “Multiple orgasms,” he rasped, nuzzling behind his ear.

    Castiel cracked his eyes open at that. “What?” he croaked.

    “Omegas. Female Betas. Multiple orgasms,” Sam rumbled. “Didn’t know?”

    “No.”

    This time, when lips pressed to his shoulder, they were curled up in a smile. “It’ll come in handy.”

    Castiel had just enough time to think oh gods, before his hips were lifted completely off the bed. He was guided onto his knees, though he didn’t bother lifting his shoulders from the bed, eyes fluttering as Sam’s pace resumed. He was past the point of complaining. Every new position was just as pleasurable as the last, if not more. Though later he realized changing positions like that helped Sam postpone his own orgasm.

    The Omega had been turned back over and pulled into Sam’s lap, legs straddling his hips, his arms clutching the Alpha’s shoulders, when his second orgasm was finally allowed to build in earnest. They were moving too fast for kisses and the like, his hands scrabbling desperately for any type of purchase, reducing him to a constant string of moans and keens as hands gripped his hips, yanking him up and down. It was similar to what Dean had done, but different. Castiel decided he liked it best when he could look at them during sex. Being on his stomach with Sam at his back hadn’t been unpleasant, but it had been the most discomforting of his positions.

    “Gonna cum?” It was more growl than not, rasped as Castiel’s keens got more strained.

    The Omega nodded frantically, not sure he’d be able to form a verbal answer. He gasped as Sam tightened his grip, slamming him down hard, then yanking him up only to slam him down again. He did this four more times before a helpless yell was dragged through his lips, his eyes rolling back into his skull.

    Immediately he was dumped onto his back, where it was easier for Sam to get more leverage and pound into him hard and fast. Castiel’s orgasm was fading when he hit his, the Omega still clinging to him as he came with a gasping growl. Slowly, gradually, as his own climax faded to a sea of bliss, Sam’s pace slowed to a stop.

    For a long minute they just lay there, panting, unwilling to move. As it became easier to string thoughts together, Castiel found himself musing over how his expectations of the brothers had been debunked yet again. In truth, he’d expected them to be similar in the bedroom as they were outside it. Instead, it seemed the opposite was true. Outside, Dean tended to be more gruff than tender when he wasn’t dealing with pups. Sam was the awkward, caring one. Castiel had enjoyed himself thoroughly with both, without question, but he did find it almost amusing that Dean was the tender lover while Sam was the rougher one.

    When he felt they’d had enough of a breather, but if they waited any longer they’d doze off, Castiel began stroking Sam’s hair away from his face. “Sam?”

    “Mmm?” It was grunted against his shoulder. Apparently he was still unwilling to move much.

    “If you feel up to it, we need to have words.”

    It took a moment, but Sam raised his head to look him in the eye. Something that looked like worry was in his gaze. Castiel continued stroking his hair, deciding to get right to the point.

    “I love you, Sam Winchester.”

    Hazel eyes widened, his breath stopping.

    “If you will have me, I would be yours.”

    Sam didn’t say anything at first. Then he sat up, pulling Castiel upright. The Omega winced a little, but let himself be maneuvered into his lap, hands cupping his face, thumbs stroking his cheekbones as Sam gazed into his face. He kept his peace, watching as the taller Alpha scrutinized him carefully.

    “You’d be mine?” he clarified slowly.

    “Well, yours and Deans, together and separately. I thought it best to address this on an individual basis.”

    Relief hit Sam’s face, and Castiel realized what he’d probably assumed.

    “I’m sorry, I should have phrased that better.”

    “Don’t be,” Sam said hurriedly. “I just…I love you. We both do.”

    Castiel smiled up at the Alpha that still cradled his face. “You’ll have me? Problems and pup and all?”

    “Problems and pups and all,” Sam promised, kissing him so sweetly his toes curled. So sweetly he almost missed what exactly the Alpha had said.

    “Pups?” he repeated when they parted. “Plural?”

    “Maybe someday.”

    “Someday,” Castiel agreed. “Eventually.”

    “Besides, we’ve got issues too,” Sam pointed out.

    “You guys aren’t the ones seeing a shrink.”

    “How do you think we knew to recommend her?”

    Castiel blinked. “Why didn’t you mention this sooner?”

    Sam shrugged, hands moving to his shoulders. “Dean doesn’t like to talk about it. We still go one or two times a year, for a tune-up. We only went in the first place because it was causing problems. The stuff we’d buried, I mean. It wouldn’t stay buried anymore.” He hesitated, then asked, “Could you not tell him I told you? He’s still prickly about it. It’ll be better if he tells you himself.”

    Keeping something from Dean didn’t sit well, but he also knew Sam was right. Just like he didn’t tell Sam about the pie stash at Dean’s shop, Dean didn’t need to know right away that he knew the Alpha had been to the very shrinks he ridiculed. Some secrets were okay to keep, he’d talked with Pamela about that. Some were not, but things on level with surprise parties and mean things said behind their backs were.

    “The courthouse won’t open until Monday, will it?” he asked, heaving a sigh.

    “No, why?”

     Castiel pursed his lips. “Because I won’t have a heat until after I stop nursing.”

    Sam’s face lit in a wide, bright smile. The Omega squeaked as a brief if rough kiss was pressed to his lips. “Mating license, not a mating contract,” he informed Castiel when he pulled away. “That’s nonnegotiable.”

    “No objection,” the Omega stated breathlessly.

    He had just enough time to gulp in some oxygen before he toppled to the bed under another happy kiss.

Chapter Text

    When they went to the courthouse on Monday, Castiel was disappointed to find it wouldn’t happen immediately. There were some checks to be run, and paperwork. He really should have known better. But while they were there he also snagged a few pamphlets on the process of changing a name.

    “What’re those for?” Dean asked as they pushed out through the doors. Since it was a nice evening they planned on going to the park after this, especially since it didn’t take too long.

    Castiel shrugged, stuffing them into a coat pocket. “They never made me take Bartholomew’s last name, though he did get angry if I didn’t answer to it. Legally I’m still Castiel Novak, and since it’s what I put on his birth certificate he’s legally Jack Novak.” He nodded to his son, nestled in the carrier Dean held. “I was hoping to get that fixed.”

    “Fixed?” they repeated in unison.

    The Omega smiled at that as they descended the courthouse steps. “Yes, fixed. I was thinking Castiel Winchester and Jack Winchester. Unless you have objections?”

    They had no objections, something they expressed with great enthusiasm both then and the next time they each made love with him. Castiel honestly hadn’t thought about it until he’d signed for a delivery at the shop and the deliveryman asked for a last name. He’d never liked his last name much, and had planned to change it regardless when he got the opportunity. This seemed to be as good an opportunity as he could have hoped for. Better still, it was one less tie to his unwanted past and one more to the family he’d chosen for himself. Pamela supported his decision, pleased he’d done so on his own.

    October arrived, bringing with it cooler air and shorter evenings. The leaves began to turn in earnest, blown about by stirring winds. Castiel hadn’t realized just how often he’d stand in their backyard, watching the bees with Jack on the porch until there were none to watch.

    On the first day of the month, Dean clambered up into the attic and started passing down decorations. There were bats and ghosts and fake spiderwebs and all manner of creepy things. Sam seemed far less enthusiastic about the holiday, but Dean went all out. Castiel, who’d never been able to enjoy the novelty of decorating a normal-sized house for one festivity or another, joined him. He handed up creatures to hang around the porch, plastered a skeletal window cling to one of the front windows, and helped spread the cobwebs over the railing. According to Dean they did, in fact, get trick or treaters, just not a lot. Since the town was small it wasn’t uncommon for people to load up in trucks or vans and go from neighborhood to neighborhood, coming in groups to pound on doors and beg for candy. Castiel had enjoyed the fourth of July, even if the fireworks had upset Jack, but Dean was making Halloween last the whole month. He even started watching horror movies almost exclusively, starting with a series called ‘Hatchet Man’. Sam was not impressed. He preferred the older classics, apparently. And while Castiel did enjoy the monochromatic classics, he could see the old-school appeal of ‘Hatchet Man’. Before special effects and acting had standards. Unfortunately, he had the bad judgment to tell Dean this, and the man proceeded to pout for three days. Sam had laughed so hard he nearly fell off his seat while his brother threw a dinner roll at him.

    They’d made it halfway through October when Dean got the urge to bake pies. It wasn’t an every week occurrence, and it’d been a while so he got together the current in-season fruit and got to work in the kitchen. Castiel helped him peel the apples for one pie while he mixed things for another, Sam sitting at the counter pecking at something on his laptop.

    Frowning as the Alpha added cinnamon to the pumpkin goo in his bowl, Castiel asked, “Are pumpkins in season?”

    “No, but October and November are for pumpkin and sweet potato pies.”

    “Why is it the only thing you know about fruits and vegetables are related to pie?” Sam asked dryly.

    “Because pie, Sammy.”

    “You know how he feels about his pie,” Castiel chided.

    Dean regarded him with suspicion. “Are you mocking me?”

    The Omega gave him his most innocent look. “Why would I do that?”

    Sam snorted into his glass of water, earning him a dirty look from Dean and a delighted cackle from Jack. When that dirty look turned back on him, Castiel mutely offered him a bite of the apple he was currently slicing. After a moment of the fruit being wiggled under his nose, Dean took it, crunching on the fruit as he went back to his mixing.

    He poured the orange puree into one pie crust, leaving the top bare as he slid it into the oven and set the timer. He then turned his attention to the mixer and began adding the apples Castiel had prepped, tossing in an assortment of other ingredients without glancing at the recipe. Castiel watched him work, leaning against the counter, eyes following his movements. This time the Alpha carefully arranged a lattice of dough atop the mixture once it was poured into the crust, something Castiel had come to find was among the most intricate methods of topping a pie.

    When he was satisfied Dean set it aside, it apparently had a different cooking temperature than the pumpkin pie and would have to wait. He had just finished washing flour off his hands when he seemed to notice the newest song to come on the radio. It was mostly a rock station, background noise he liked to have on while he worked in the kitchen, but as Castiel watched Dean turned up the volume, and a song he hadn’t heard before filled the warm kitchen.

    “What’s this one called?” he asked, listening to the lyrics. He did like the rhythm of it, the beat of the drums.

    “Jukebox Hero.”

    Castiel watched, half fascinated half amused as the Alpha pulled him around the counter, spinning him around. Was Dean dancing? He never danced. Sang along sometimes, nodded to the beat, tapped his foot, beat out the rhythm on Baby’s steering wheel, but never actually danced. Castiel couldn’t help but smile, fumbling a little as he was spun and pulled about in a nonsensical pattern, body parts moving and waving about with minimal coordination. It was hardly any of the dances he’d been taught growing up, but it was still fun. More fun than the waltz or foxtrot, at that. When he waved at Sam to join them he shook his head, holding up his hands as though to keep them at bay for all he was grinning at them.

    The song eventually ended, and Castiel found himself spun into Dean’s arm, running into his chest as another began. This one Castiel had heard before, he couldn’t remember the name but he knew it was Led Zeppelin. He draped his arms around Dean’s neck, leaning up to kiss him. Dean returned it, a soft smile on his face, only to pull away abruptly as the oven timer went off. Castiel stood there, feeling very put out as the Alpha peeked into the oven, checking on the pie.

    Jack chose that time to start up his cranky fussing, which generally meant he needed changing. It made sense, he’d just eaten. Castiel turned to get him out of the bouncer nestled out of the way but in plain view, only to have Sam stand up, waving him off.

    “I’ve got it. Make sure he doesn’t burn himself.”

    “That was one time!” Dean protested, pulling on mitts.

    “Once burned, twice shy,” Castiel told him patiently. At least Dean was already taking it out of the oven rather than checking it in the oven. From what he’d heard, that was how things had quickly gone wrong.

    Dean had decided it was cooked sufficiently, turned down the oven temperature and was in the process of putting the apple pie in when someone knocked on the door. He hesitated, but the oven door was open already and his mitted hands were full, so Castiel went to answer it. He’d become used to it in these last months, especially since all that bureaucratic paperwork had gotten rolling. Not only was he legally their mate, he and Jack were well on their way to becoming Castiel and Jack Winchester. For whatever insane reason, it was harder to get a name change than register someone as a legal guardian, which Sam and Dean now were. Since then, they’d taken full advantage of their new paternal rights. The bouncer Jack had just been in had arrived first. Then had come toys and a Led Zeppelin onesie. Castiel’s protests had been largely ignored, even when the things were for him. At least they showed a little more restraint in that department, for all he was delighted with his bumblebee slippers. They had really run rampant with Amazon once they decided there was nothing stopping them.

    Sam glanced up, frowning slightly from the changing table as Castiel went to the door. “Did you order anything?” he called.

    “Yeah, but it’s too early. Thought you ordered something.”

    Castiel was aware of this exchange, but he was already unlocking the door. He pulled it open, expecting the mailman or a deliveryman or perhaps a Jehovah’s Witness. Who he saw made him go still, eyes widening, a hand squeezing over his throat, stomach lurching into his mouth before it plunged through the floor.

    He stared, feeling almost dazed even as panic rose in his chest as crystal blue eyes lifted from a smart phone to regard him. The man looked exactly like he had the last time Castiel had seen him sober. Blond hair neatly combed into place, slacks and tucked in shirt neatly pressed, tie matching his coat, shoes shined to perfection. Everything, down to the phone in his hand and the half bored, half bemused expression on his face, was exactly as he remembered.

    “Hello, Castiel. I’ve been looking for you.”

    The invisible hand gripping his throat vanished as the instinctive rush of icy fear began to fade under rising, broiling anger. “What are you doing here?”

    One blond brow raised slightly. “That’s no way to speak to the person you abandoned. Do you have any idea how hard you were to find? If your name hadn’t come up when you put in to change it, I never would have found you.”

    Paperwork. Of course. He should have known. Bartholomew had sources everywhere.

    As his hand tightened on the door, tempted to simply slam it on that sculpted nose, the Alpha’s eyes moved down from his face, a disapproving furrow appearing between his brows as he took in Castiel’s clothes. The Omega’s chin lifted defiantly, unwilling to be ashamed in any regard. He’d expected a Sunday spent lounging around the house, for one thing. He wasn’t dressing for company. What’s more, he had never bothered investing in loungewear, especially once he and the brothers became intimate. He’d taken to stealing theirs to wear around the house, for which he got no complaints. At current he wore one of Sam’s oversized hoodies, a pair of Dean’s track pants, and his bumblebee slippers. Yellow and black plush things with little cartoon bumblebee faces on the toes.

    “What do you want?” he asked abruptly.

    Bartholomew met his eyes again, brows lifting. “Watch your tone. I’m here to take you home. Put on something appropriate and we’ll go.”

    “No.”

    To be fair, it wasn’t a word Bartholomew was used to hearing, let alone from him. Castiel said it firmly, deliberately, staring the taller man down. Even so, it took a few seconds for it to register.

    “No?”

    The door creaked as it was pulled open wider. Castile glanced to either side to find Sam at his left, holding Jack, and Dean on his right, both of them bristling. Bartholomew’s gaze flicked to each of them in turn, an understanding look crossing his face.

    “I see. I was hoping the name change was just an effort to elude me. I hate to break it to you, but he already has an Alpha.”

    “Actually I have two, and neither of them are you.”

    Ignoring him, Bartholomew’s gaze fell on Jack, who was staring at him with big eyes, head resting on Sam’s shoulder, little hands fisted in his shirt. “I see you kept it.”

    “His name is Jack,” Castiel bit out, rage rising like bile in his throat.

    “I don’t know what all he’s told you, but he’s spoken for. You can keep the pup if you wish, but he is mine.” He talked right over the Omega as if he hadn’t spoken.

    “You don’t have a claim on either of them,” Sam stated stiffly.

    “You’ve got no right to say where Jack goes, any more than you’ve got a right to say what Cas does.” Dean sounded like he was having a harder time keeping his temper in check than his brother.

    “I beg your pardon?”

    “You never had him sign a contract. You never mated him. When you told him to leave, you gave up what little right you did have. No jury is going to side with you.”

    “I don’t need a jury,” Bartholomew said stiffly, as though this were obvious.

    Before Castiel could open his mouth, dual growls echoed behind him. Sam pressed Jack to his chest, his arms going around his pup protectively as he was pulled back a step, Sam and Dean gliding forward to stand between him and Bartholomew. Castiel had the distinct pleasure of seeing the blond take a step back, unused to having people stand up to him in such a fashion.

    “You’re gonna need a damn surgeon,” Dean snarled, hackles up.

    “What makes you think you can come onto our territory without permission, without cause, and threaten an Omega? Threaten a pup?” Sam’s voice was eerily calm, icy, which made him sound almost closer to ripping out Bartholomew’s throat than his brother.

    Castiel hefted Jack onto one hip, taking a careful breath. He wouldn’t mind seeing them deal with Bartholomew, he’d even help them dig the various holes that would be needed for his shredded body parts. But there would be a lot of legal issues with that, and as a few people actually liked Bartholomew he would be missed eventually. He couldn’t let his Alphas do that to themselves. Besides, part of his therapy had been letting go. Forgiveness had been a step too far for him, but letting go, not letting Bartholomew have any sort of lingering power over him, had been much more doable.

    So rather than let them rip Bartholomew apart with their teeth, which they would if the man was allowed to keep talking, he cleared his throat. “The only tie you had to me you let go when you gave me a choice. Give up my son, or leave. So I left. Now you will leave, and you will not come back. If you don’t, we will call the authorities. If I see you again, if you come near me or my pups ever again, if you try anything against us ever again, I promise you will regret it.”

    Bartholomew scoffed. “And what can you do to me? You can’t tell me some hicks with a cabin in the woods have better resources than I do.”

    “They might surprise you, but that wasn’t what I was talking about. You spent years ignoring me. Dragging me to meetings, dinners, parties. You talked about a lot of things in front of me, you did a lot of things in front of me because you thought I was too stupid or ignorant for my presence to matter. I will be getting the strictest restraining order on you as quickly as possible. If you break that restraining order by the slightest margin, not only will the law be brought down on you, I will make your life very complicated very quickly. Consider for a moment, just how much is your pride in this matter worth?”

    Bartholomew’s face had darkened the more Castiel had talked. He could see it falling into place, just how damaging it could be if he pursued the Omega. For the first time he was glad the man had written him off as a deaf and blind moron incapable of being anything besides an accessory. As long as he’d followed all social rules and done everything expected of a mated Omega of his standing, Bartholomew hadn’t bothered sending him away during private conversations or delicate business dealings. Much of it had made Castiel uneasy, a few times he’d been seriously tempted to tip off authorities of some kind. He still wondered if he should, but at current he had to prioritize the safety of his family.

    “You should be careful, Castiel. Do you know what you’re doing?”

    “I know exactly what I’m doing. Sam?” When the Alpha didn’t respond, he rested his free hand on his shoulder. He waited until he turned stiffly, jaw tight, eyes hard, to look down at him. “Go get your phone. If he’s not off the property by the time you get back, call the police chief.”

    Sam didn’t seem thrilled about having to leave his post, but he gave a single, brisk nod before turning and stiffly stalking into the house. Jody was a friend of the brothers, funny enough. He’d been as surprised by that as by the fact that a female Beta was the police chief. She was very good at her job, though, and even-handed. The sort of officer who deliberately didn’t play into politics when at all possible. Castiel had met her when she’d brought her cruiser into the shop for an oil change. Dean gave all military and law enforcement officers a special discount, so they call came to him. Even the fire department. It did wonders for his public relations. The moment there was any whisper of trouble involving Winchester’s, half the emergency responders in the county would descend upon Bartholomew with extreme prejudice.

    “Think about what you’re doing, Castiel. You’re used to a certain lifestyle. Do you really think these people can give it to you?”

    “They have given me far more than you or anyone else ever have. I want nothing to do with you. As far as I’m concerned, the only good thing to come of your presence in my life is Jack. Now leave before an assortment of very irritated police officers arrive.”

    Sam was stalking back, already dialing by the look of it.

    “You can’t do this.” Bartholomew was actually starting to look angry, as if he was finally realizing Castiel was serious. He took a step forward, which was a mistake.

    His foot barely touched down before Dean was in motion, a renewed growl in his throat. He grabbed Bartholomew by the lapels, slamming him back against the side of the house hard enough to make Castiel wince, jamming a forearm under his throat. There was no trace of the usual humor or good spirits that had been in is face mere minutes ago. Had it been only minutes? Now he was staring down Bartholomew, looking very much like he’d enjoy ripping his throat out. Castiel thought he would, too.

    “Don’t you dare touch them, you sick son of a bitch. Give me a good excuse and I’ll rip you apart, so help me gods.”

    Sam slid between them and Castiel, blocking the Omega’s view with his body, phone rising to his ear. “Hey, Jody. Can you come out here? We have a pest problem.”

    “You want him that bad? Fine, have him. The bitch is more trouble than he’s worth.”

    He didn’t go down the steps as much as he tripped down them when Dean shoved him away in disgust. He almost fell, which was disappointing. When he regained his balance he straightened, brushing himself off and smoothing his clothes as he shot one last hateful look back at them. Seeing them still there, watching him, Sam still with a phone to his ear, the Omega still staring him down. He spat on the ground, then stalked towards the sleek black rental parked in their driveway.

    They stayed put until he was gone, only then did Castiel take a good look at Sam’s phone, still pressed to his ear.

    “Did you actually call Jody?”

    “Sorry, false alarm. No, just a really persistent salesman. Sorry to bother you.”

    Castiel considered the brothers as Sam hung up. “You really thought you’d kill him, didn’t you?” It had been his only concern. That Jody hadn’t really been on the line. It was nice to know that was one fear that was unfounded.

    Alpha red still sparked in both their eyes as they turned to look at him, postures ridged, hackles still up. “Failsafe,” Sam bit out, nostrils flaring.

    “Fucking dick.” The words weren’t said so much as they were growled as Dean turned abruptly. Castiel started as his fist slammed into one of the porch’s posts. Wood cracked as the painted bumblebee hanging from it split, bits of wood falling at his feet and to the ground below. It had been something Castiel had picked up during one of the times he’d gone with Sam to the farmer’s market.

    Mouth set in a tight line, the Omega turned abruptly and went back into the house. He shushed Jack, who was uneasy and starting to fuss at all the loud noises and anger scents. When he was sure the pup wasn’t about to have a meltdown, he put him back into the bouncer in the kitchen, pressing a kiss to his forehead before marching back out onto the porch.

    There he found the brothers looking towards him, the anger fading slightly as Dean took a step forward, hand half extended towards him.

    “Cas, I…I’m sorry, I’ll get you a new one.”

    “That’s not my concern at the moment.” He went right up to Dean, reaching up with his left hand to grip the back of his neck and yank the Alpha’s nose directly into his scent glands. That done, he turned to Sam and extended his right hand. “Here. Now.”

    His order was obeyed, and the moment Sam was close enough he gave him the same treatment. Hands tangled in his clothes as Castiel waited patiently. It took a minute or two, but gradually the tension began to leak from them. Only when he was satisfied something was happening did he start talking.

    “As much as I would have enjoyed seeing you two take care of him, he’s not worth it. He is not worth the trouble he would cause in dying at your hands. He is not worth the time it takes to say his name. To spit on him would be a waste of saliva. Sam? Tomorrow you will begin proceedings for a restraining order. Just tell me what you need from me to do it. Understood?”

    He waited until the Alpha nodded against his skin to continue.

    “Dean? I don’t think Jody would mind arranging to have his photo circulated among her people. Just in case he does try something. With as much discretion as is possible. Understood?”

    Again he waited for a nod of affirmation before pressing on.

    “Good.” He pulled Dean up first, since he’d been the first to have his nose buried in the Omega’s scent glands. Rather than let him up, he brought the Alpha in for a slow, loving kiss. A process he repeated with Sam. “If you don’t mind, I was enjoying myself before he came, and I’d like to forget about him.”

    Both Alphas came obediently along as he drew them back inside, closing and locking the door. Castiel couldn’t help but feel a trill of delight at this. At the novelty of having two big, strong Alphas obeying his wishes with the slightest touch.

    “Now as much as I’m glad you hit something besides him, I’d like to look at your hand now. Then you can check on your pie.”

    Dean’s eyes went to the kitchen, but he let Castiel pull him towards the bathroom. There was a small assortment of first aid stuff under the sink there, next to the cleaning supplies. He cleaned up the cuts on the Alpha’s knuckles, then spread antiseptic over them. Dean grumbled about the Band-Aids he stuck on his hand too, but Castiel talked him into leaving them on for the rest of the day.

    Once the Omega released him Dean went to check on his pie, and Castiel carefully approached Sam. He paused by the Alpha who was sitting at the counter again, the screen open to some of the documents he’d been working on previously, but he seemed to be looking straight through the monitor. After a moment’s hesitation, he set a hand on his shoulder. When Sam turned to look up at him, he raised his brows in a worried, questioning look.

    Sam smiled tightly, reaching up to squeeze his hand. “You gonna be okay?”

    “I was going to ask you that.”

    “He’s not my douche ex,” Sam pointed out.

    Castiel considered this, then slowly admitted, “That…felt good. At least now I don’t have him hanging over my head anymore. He’s a bully. If he can’t control you or maintain leverage against you, he has no reason to think about you. He has every reason to want me swept under the rug, the restraining order and leverage were just to encourage him to stay away. I honestly don’t think you’ll need to use it, but I’d prefer to have it in place as a precaution.”

    Sam nodded, bringing his fingers to his lips. “It’ll be done as soon as the paperwork can get through.”

    Dean straightened from the oven where he’d been checking the pie. “Good riddance.” He tossed his oven mitts onto the counter, then went over to Jack’s bouncer. He scooped up the pup, hoisting him high in the air, tossing him in a way that still made Castiel uneasy. But Jack shrieked in delight, cackling in a way that made him smile despite himself.

    “Careful,” he muttered.

    Ignoring him, Dean brought him down to blow a raspberry against his tummy. Jack continued to laugh, chubby legs kicking. The Omega watched, leaning against the counter, eyes on his pup as he was flown about like an airplane. He was so happy, face contorted in a wide smile, joyous peels of guileless laughter filling the house. It was a beautiful sound. His expression a beautiful sight. He was wearing a blue onesie with long sleeves and leggings, the fabric covered in white pawprints. It had been one of the ones Sam had gotten him.

    This was what he’d wanted for Jack. For himself. All the money, all the fancy houses, and prestigious schools meant nothing. They were cold, hollow things. This? This was warm, genuine. Loving. He wouldn’t give it up for anything. It was insane to think he would.

    Castiel contentedly wallowed in this domestic bliss for what remained of the day. He tried Dean’s pies, both of them. The apple was good, but once doused in whipped cream the pumpkin was commendable. Sam knew what he needed for the restraining order, and they made copies of all the necessary documentation. Dean made lasagna for dinner, complete with homemade noodles. Though Castiel had a feeling that much was just so he could pound the dough.

    They went for a walk after dinner. It got dark sooner, but the leaves were changing, the air was cool, and the park was no less beautiful. Jack liked to watch the leaves flutter down, raising his arms as if he was trying to catch them. It had the added bonus of tiring him out, so he was easier to put down at bedtime. He was still in Castiel’s room, which the Omega had a feeling would become the pup’s bedroom in due time. He certainly never used it anymore these days. His nights were spent in Dean’s room, on Dean’s bed, lying with an Alpha on either side of him. He still pumped, they would still take turns to get up and take care of Jack during the night. Some nights they were intimate, but some they were not. To his delight, once a certain level of comfort was established they seemed to have a genuinely hard time keeping their hands off him. Only half of their encounters were actually in a bed. Castiel felt like a dam had been broken down, now that he had a taste for sex with people he loved, who loved him, it was like he’d become an addict. He’d yanked Sam down onto the couch with him by his tie, and drawn Dean into a make-out session when he’d been working on dinner that had ended with the Omega bent over the counter. He’d discovered the novelty of blowjobs, of oral sex in general. He was a quick study, something the brothers had yet to complain about. During some of his Pamela sessions, Dean would opt to take Jack, meaning he and Sam had the car to themselves. He’d been very pleased when he’d managed to reduce the lanky Alpha to a panting mess simply by leaning over the middle console.

    He knew they communicated, too. It was in their behavior, the small cues he was getting better at picking up on, and some not-so-small cues. He’d no sooner gotten back from giving Sam a blow job than Dean was pulling him into the file room, and he had to cram his own arm into his mouth to smother a scream as he was fucked hard and fast against the filing cabinets. It could be exhausting sometimes, when they decided to make it a competition. Their current standing record was getting him to four orgasms in one night before he’d been forced to cry uncle. Most of the time they were good at keeping that competitiveness  in check, relatively speaking, but it was a shared character flaw he’d come to accept.

    Castiel had to remind himself of this that night as he lay sprawled atop the large bed, one hand fisting in the sheets while the other was tangled in Sam’s hair. The taller of the two was bent over him, devouring him slowly with languid kisses, but his free hand was running over his skin. Stroking, caressing, deliberately rubbing over his nipples just often enough to make him squirm. Not that he could go far. They weren’t restraining him, but he didn’t dare move his lower half too much. Dean was lying on the foot of the bed, hard at work. His mouth was wrapped around the Omega’s cock, fingers slowly moving in and out of him. From what Castiel could tell he was using four to stretch him as he moved them in and out at a painfully slow pace. As if the man’s mouth wasn’t doing enough to taunt him. Like in all things both men had their specialties. Sam could kiss him and finger him to a whimpering orgasm in under ten minutes, guaranteed. Dean had a knack for blow jobs, able to suck and lick and kiss his cock until the Omega was a writhing mess.

    Sam pulled away, chuckling after the Omega gave a particularly pitiful-sounding keen. “You gonna put him out of his misery anytime soon?”

    Dean withdrew with a particularly loud slurp, humming thoughtfully. “Dunno. I think he can keep going.”

    “No,” Castiel gasped, panting. “He can’t.”

    Sam chuckled, but caught his wrists when he started to reach over, intending to shove Dean’s head back down. The Omega’s back arched, a choked sound in his throat as a hot tongue flicked over the tip of his throbbing cock. He stared up into Sam’s face, pleading, body contorting as Dean wiggled his fingers, seemingly hitting every nerve inside him. Long fingers wrapped around both his wrists so that Sam’s free hand could stroke his hair, a thumb stroking his temple.

    “Color?” he murmured.

    Castiel hesitated, staring up at him through damp eyes. Along with their explorations had come the light system. For bolder experimentation they used a more complicated system, but day-to-day they just used the basic three-light system. Green was all good, full steam ahead. Yellow meant he needed them to slow down, they were pushing his limits. Red was for full stop. They’d had him come up with a safe word too, just in case. He’d never had cause to use it yet, though.

    As much as he was desperate for release, for an end to this drawn-out torment…he liked doing as they asked of him. Liked pleasing them. Liked being able to obey them. If they wanted him to hold out a little longer, he could do that.

    “Green,” he whispered.

    Dean wiggled his fingers as Sam firmly pinned the Omega’s hands above his head, hazel eyes hardening in a way that sent a tremor down his spine. “Then hold still until he’s finished with you.”

    Castiel’s back arched off the bed as he was promptly deepthroated, eyes rolling, a garbled mess tumbling from his lips. Only their grip on him kept him mostly still, a desperate, straining whine in his throat. Sam bent to kiss him, muffling his sounds, lips curled up in a smile.

    “Mmm, hurry up,” the Alpha goaded when they parted. “You’re killing him here.”

    The elder Alpha grunted, and proceeded to rub a bundle of nerves as he sucked hard, tongue stroking the underside of his cock. Castiel wailed against Sam’s mouth as he was sucked and stroked to an orgasm, body bucking and straining as inner walls clamped hard over Dean’s fingers, his cock spurting cum that was quickly gulped down.

    The Omega lay, limp and spent as he panted heavily, glazed eyes staring unseeingly at the ceiling. Sam’s hand had eased his grip, thumb stroking the inside of his wrist, Dean releasing his dick and sitting back on his heels, fingers sliding out of him. After a moment Dean’s face appeared in his vision, a hand patting his cheek gently.

    “How’re you holding up, Cas?”

    His chest was still heaving, his body still floating on cloud nine, so a happy warble seemed more plausible than actual speech. Evergreen eyes crinkled in a warm smile, a thumb stroking his cheek. Long fingers laced through his own and the Omega squeezed them.

    “Let’s wait until he’s coherent,” Dean stated.

    Sam didn’t comment, but he let go of Castiel’s hand in favor of pulling him up, propping the Omega against his torso and looping an arm around his chest, stroking his hair with his free hand. Castiel let himself be held, more than happy to remain where he was, fingers tracing idle patterns over the back of Dean’s hand.

    “He has no idea what he had,” Sam stated, kissing his forehead gently.

    “Not a fucking clue,” Dean agreed.

    Castiel blinked a few times, pulling his thoughts together. “Good riddance. But…I don’t…Jack is too young to remember. I don’t want him to. I don’t want him to ever know about him. You are his fathers. Not him.”

    “Done and done,” Dean agreed.

    “Of course.”

    The Omega hesitated, then said carefully, “I think I’m coherent now.”

    The brothers laughed at that, and Sam began to maneuver him. Castiel found himself guided onto all fours, moaning softly as his lover slid into him. Once Sam was firmly seated, he gripped Castiel and slowly drew him back. The Omega fumbled, then braced himself against Dean as the elder Alpha helped hoist him up and back. Castiel gasped softly as his shoulders hit Sam’s chest, staring wide-eyed into Dean’s heated gaze.

    “Wha…what…?”

    Rather than answer verbally, Dean kissed him firmly, pushing his thighs apart and out of the way. Sam was sitting with his own legs out of the way, but braced to keep them steady. Castiel braced his hands against Dean’s shoulders, letting himself be manhandled, his breath hitching as he found himself firmly sandwiched between them. His eyes went wide, his mouth falling open in a quiet half cry, half moan as he was stretched over a second cock. His hands dug into Dean’s shoulders, nails biting into flesh, Sam’s hands tightening on his hips to keep him in place.

    “Shit,” Dean panted.

    “Fuck,” Sam growled at the same time.

    Castiel, eyes rolling back as they both bottomed out inside him, whimpered a weak, “Holy fucking shit.”

    He was dismayed when they both snorted laughter.

    “Been wondering if you’d like this,” Dean chuckled, kissing him sweetly. “Guess we have our answer.”

    One hand raked down the elder Alpha’s chest, making him growl, the other fumbling over his shoulder. He couldn’t reach Sam’s shoulder, so he tangled his fingers in his hair instead. Sam’s hands tightened, lifting him a little and dropping him back down again. The Omega wheezed a pleasured gasp, Sam growling in his ear, Dean giving a guttural grunt.

    “You’re-you’re sure you are both comfortable with this?” Castiel panted.

    “We’re focusing on you,” Sam rumbled, teeth sinking into the base of his neck.

    Castiel quickly decided not to press the issue. He was being lifted up and lowered again in what became a steady pace, hands stroking him, his cock, teeth nipping his skin, mouths sucking. The stimulation threatened to overwhelm him, far more than that he was accustomed to. Being filled by both of them at the same time was, in a word, incredible. His head lulled, mouth hanging open, eyes rolling in ecstasy. At least he was providing some of his own in turn, as best he could tell. No doubt he was doubly tight around them, his fumbling hands dragging down Dean’s chest, yanking at Sam’s hair and gouging at his arms. He tried to clinch down, something that caused him pain and pleasure in equal measure, but it made his Alphas growl thunderously so he did it again.

    In hindsight none of them lasted long by their normal standards, but Castiel took solace knowing they lasted no longer than he did. He openly screamed as he came hard, body clamping down like a vice on the two cocks inside him, head falling back on Sam’s shoulder. He was still riding on the waves of orgasmic fruition when Sam came, Dean tumbling over the edge after him.

    The Omega managed the tiniest mew of displeasure when they slid out of him, crumpling to the bed in a tangled heap of limbs and heaving chests. Castiel lay there in a daze, floating contentedly on sheer bliss. He was still floating with the first set of teeth latched onto the base of his neck. Castiel yelped, floundering blindly as a second mouth latched onto him. Despite his initial reaction Castiel managed to get hold of himself, to stop himself from resisting too much. It would be impossible to make anything permanent without a heat, but he’d been waiting for them to mark him even temporarily. He’d been wondering what might be holding them back, but whatever it was must be assuaged now. For that he was glad. Feeling them bite him like this seemed all the more final than even the mating license.

BREAK/BREAK\BREAK

    Thanksgiving marked Castiel’s and Jack’s first month as official, legal Winchester’s. They celebrated it with an oversized bird under Bobby and Ellen’s roof, both of whom were oddly unsurprised for all they were thrilled at having a grandpup. Even Bobby, from whom Castiel suspected Dean had inherited his caring gruffness. He seemed almost afraid to hold Jack, for fear of breaking him, but the Omega had no qualms at placing his pup in Bobby’s arms. They’d known what processes had been started, from what Castiel gathered, but hadn’t wanted to interfere. They welcomed him with open arms, but according to Charlie they’d just made things official.

    Christmas was celebrated in much the same fashion. There was snow on the ground, one of many firsts for Jack that season. By then he was crawling, even struggling to stand. He wasn’t walking yet, but Castiel knew it wouldn’t be long. He had a head of brown hair and a wide smile that came easily to his chubby face. He’d been turning to look at whoever said his name since the day before Halloween, but his babbles were starting to sound more coherent, like he was trying to mimic his parent’s speech patterns. For all he’d known he had a long way to go for distinct words, having his son raise both arms to him and babble “Mama!” had brought tears to his eyes. Jack’s developmental journey was full of prideful moments, or ones that made his heart swell. His chest went tight with pleasure and pride when Sam came home one day and the pup beamed up at him, pointing a chubby finger up at him and announcing brightly, “Papa!” After surprise had registered, a smile had split his face. Dean had danced around the living room with the pup when he’d giggled “Dada!” up at him. It was a trend that had continued, Jack’s distinction between his three parents.

    His first steps were spontaneous, which was the only reason they weren’t caught on camera. He’d been dragging himself to an awkward standing position for some time, but even braced on furniture or an adult he always seemed very unstable. Then, one day when Sam was stowing the assorted toys that had been set out on a blanket for him to play with, Jack had pushed himself off the couch and toddled on unsteady legs over to him until he could grab fistfuls of the Alpha’s shirt. Castiel, who’d been folding towels on the couch, had frozen to stare at the pup. They’d tried to replicate it after Dean rushed in at their rejoicing, but Jack had denied them a repeat performance until the next day. Barely a month after his first birthday he’d become something of a handful if only because he was now fully mobile. Castiel was simultaneously proud, since the usual age range was fourteen to sixteen months, and exasperated at having to chase after him. They’d already baby-proofed the house, but now they had to take extra precautions at every turn, including adding in extra locks on the doors after Dean caught him letting himself out onto the porch one evening.

    When Jack was two years old, walking and talking and eating solid foods in his highchair, Castiel let himself start seriously thinking about neglecting his suppressants. Between Jack and work he’d found himself putting it off far longer than he’d anticipated, for all he was still their mate. He’d officially moved into what was their shared room by this stage, all three of them sleeping in the largest bedroom. The guest room Castiel had first stayed in was now Jack’s room, with two others to spare for guests they never had. It was a thought in his mind, a reminder that there was room for more. Neither brother pushed him, for which he was grateful, though he’d known from the jump they’d wanted more pups.

    Castiel discussed it with his mates first, then with his doctor. When Jack was two and a half years old, he had his first heat in three years. Bobby and Ellen gladly took him for the week, watching over him while his parents were in no condition to care for him. Sam took Jack while Dean stayed behind to monitor Castiel, who was already suffering the side effects as he descended into heat. He’d been in no condition to pass over the care of his pup, it had been hard enough for him to even let Sam take him away. He only allowed it because both his mates insisted he was being taken to trusted people, that they’d call to talk to him during his more sane moments.

    They’d followed through on that promise, in addition to taking far better care of him than he’d thought was possible. He wasn’t dehydrated or malnourished when he came out of it, just drained. Not to mention oversensitive and very fulfilled. He waited until two months after his heat to visit the doctor, not wanting to jump the gun. He sat in the parking lot, calling both Sam and Dean afterward so he could tell them at the same time. They’d been over the moon to hear the heat had been successful. Jack was their pup in everything but blood and they still adored him, but Castiel was quietly thrilled to be able to give them a pup of their own.

    There was very little he hadn’t told his mates, even before they’d shared his heat. He hadn’t thought about it before, about returning the favor when they marked him, but even in rut-induced stupors, they’d insisted. Castiel had stumbled out of his nest after his heat in something of a mild delirium to find fresh marks on either side of his neck, but Sam and Dean each had a mark of their own.

    Marks or no marks, there were some things Castiel had opted not to tell them. Not right away, at any rate. Like how he’d waited until he was absolutely certain Bartholomew wasn’t going to try anything, that his family wouldn’t try to reclaim him, before going through with his heat. He’d even enlisted Charlie to do some checking, without mentioning it to the brothers of course. Not only had the Novak’s done a good job of pretending he’d never existed, Bartholomew had already bought himself another pseudo-mate. The investigation hadn’t been conclusive, but it seemed obvious to Castiel that this Bela Talbot had taken to being a kept bitch even worse than he had. If he could have, Castiel would have thanked the now rich Omega for restoring balance to the world.

Chapter Text

Six years later…

    Castiel gently rocked the porch swing he was sitting on, sipping from his mug of tea, eyes on the frolicking figures in their backyard. Normally he wasn’t a huge fan of ginger tea, but this time around it was downright delicious, particularly with a spoonful of honey mixed in. It also helped soothe his stomach when morning sickness hit.

    When Jack was five they’d built a playset in the backyard, one with swings and a slide and a rope ladder and a sandbox. Their eldest was in the process of seeing how high he could get on the swings before jumping off. His sisters were clambering up the ladder and throwing themselves down the slide, again and again. Periodically one would shout, “Switch!” and they’d change course. Dashing up the slide, something that took repeated attempts, and scuttling down the ladder.

    As it turned out, knowing multiples were more common when you had more than one Alpha and actually birthing multiples were two different things. The twins had been a surprise, but not an unpleasant one. Not after they started sleeping through the night, at any rate. Claire was a golden-haired tomboy if there ever was one, the sort of pup who preferred Monster High and Wonder Woman over Barbie. Alex was a little more traditional, for all their parents had already gotten a call from their school. A week after they’d started kindergarten, they’d both gotten into a fight on the playground after a first grader had pushed Alex down. She’d come up swinging, and Claire had jumped onto his back. The boy’s parents had actually wanted an apology for beating him up, which they hadn’t got. To say their fathers had been proud would be an understatement.

    Eyeing his midsection, which was already starting to swell with his third pregnancy, Castiel drawled, “You aren’t going to be much trouble, are you?”

    He was only three months pregnant, so they didn’t answer him. They had agreed this would be the last time, or so Castiel hoped. He’d sworn the twins would be the last, but then his mates could be very…persuasive. Besides, once they were out of him he adored the hooligans. He blamed Jack for his weakness in that regard, his firstborn was the easiest of his pups. Jack was energetic, but cheerful, friendly. Rarely did someone who met him not like him, which worried his mother sometimes.

    Jack had been a year old when Castiel had finally given up on working. He was currently very happy in his role as homemaker. It certainly kept him busy, and while they had to get more creative in their sex life with three pups running around it was still going strong.

    A thud drew Castiel’s gaze from his pups to the converted barn. He waited a moment, then called, “Dean?”

    “Dropped a door,” he called back.

    Castiel sighed quietly, grimacing as Claire abandoned their game to run towards the barn. Dean was currently restoring an old model Mustang, the latest of several he restored and sold for what he called ‘milk money’. The Impala was the only one he’d ever kept for himself, but there was a steady rotation over the years. Claire was fascinated by the process, spending hours watching him work.

    Sam came out onto the porch as she disappeared, asking, “He drop something again?”

    “Yep.” The Omega took a sip of his tea as his mate sat next to him on the swinging bench, a mug of coffee in hand. “You talked to Mick?”

    “Yeah.”

    Castiel’s eyes narrowed as the Alpha innocently sipped his coffee. “And?”

    “It’s me.”

    A broad smile lit the Omega’s face. “That’s great news! Why aren’t you excited?”

    “I guess it’s still processing.”

    Castiel leaned over, pulling him into a congratulatory kiss. “You earned this. You’re the reason that firm is still afloat. Gloat a little.”

    Sam gave a wry smile at that. Dean would agree with him and they both knew it. Sam had taken work at a small local firm a few years before Castiel had met them, and had done well for them in his tenure there. Recently one of the two older attorneys who ran the firm had announced he’d be retiring, and before he left a replacement would be appointed. Mick Davis, personal assistant to the partners, was due to make announcements today. Why they felt the need to do it on a Saturday Castiel wasn’t sure, but it was still good news. He’d been confident Sam would be chosen, but then his competition had been Brady Johnson and Ava Wilson. What they’d lacked in skill and know-how they’d made up for with combining ass-kissing with wheeling and dealing. The only reason they still had jobs was because Brady had connections and Ava made a point to always wear low-cut blouses.

    “Are you going to tell him?”

    “Later.”

    Rolling his eyes, Castiel called, “Dean?”

    The rhythmic banging from the barn paused. “Yeah?”

    “Can you come here for a moment?”

    After another pause, Dean came out, mallet still in hand. His hands were streaked with grease, his skin sheened with sweat. Claire followed on his heels, trying to tug the mallet from his hands and whining about why she didn’t get a turn to use it.

    “Something wrong?” he asked, not letting her have it.

    Turning to Sam, Castiel gave him his most blatantly expectant look.

    “Mick called?”

    “Yeah.”

    “And?”

    Apparently his brother’s expression was all he needed to see. Dean’s face split in a wide grin as he laughed, striding over to the porch. “See? What’d I tell you?”

    “What happened?” Claire demanded, bouncing as she tugged at his wrist.

    Setting his mallet on a table, Dean clapped his brother on the shoulder as Sam stood to return his embrace. As he pulled back, still beaming as he gave Sam’s shoulders a shake, he answered, “Papa got the job.”

    “What job? He’s already got a job.”

    “He got a better job.”

    “How come?”

    “Because he’s awesome.”

    This seemed to satisfy her, so she went to hug his waist before running back to rejoin her sister. As Sam sat back down, picking up his mug, Dean asked, “Want me to make that stir fry stuff you like? Since celebratory drinks are off the table?”

    “Don’t let me hold you back,” Castiel assured them.

    “It’s fine,” Sam protested.

    The Omega raised a brow. “You sure? We can have a nice meal, and then while Dean watches the kids you and I can have a celebration of our own. But if you’re not interested that’s alright too.”

    Sam coughed on his coffee as Dean beamed. “That’s a great idea, Cas.”

    “You, uh, sure you’re up to it?” the younger Alpha asked, clearing his throat.

    Castiel rolled his eyes. It was either endearing or irritating, how they tended to fret when he was pregnant. “I’m horny and we haven’t been able to get any alone time in almost a month. Yes, I’m up to it. I suggest you take full advantage.”

    “Yeah, Sammy, get while the getting’s good,” Dean urged with his most lecherous grin.

    “Alright, alright. But only if you promise you can keep quiet.”

    Castiel chose to ignore that, hiding his blush in his tea mug as Dean snickered. “I’ll put on a movie or something.”

    “It was one time,” the Omega grumbled. “And it was your faults.”

    “I thought it was my fault,” Sam mused thoughtfully.

    “It was my fault,” Dean argued.

    Castiel rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to his pups as he sipped his tea. He’d stopped asking certain questions about a year after mating them. Like ‘are they honestly arguing about who made our pups think someone was torturing me at midnight?’, or ‘did Sam just lick my face so he wouldn’t have to share my mouth tonight?’.

    It was a price, yes, but one he was more than willing to pay. Granted it did sound cliché on the rare occasion they were asked how they met, Dean always took particular pleasure in giving a dramatic “It was a dark and stormy night”, but he wasn’t wrong. As far as Castiel was concerned, it was easily the best possible outcome to the darkest part of his life. All brotherly bickering aside, it was something he never regretted.

THE END