Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sam POV

-

“Water sprites?” Dean says with a note of weary exasperation. “Water sprites, Cass? You spent over a week in the mountains, capturing sprites by hand?”

They are, to say the least, extremely ugly and visibly slimy.

“They were being aggressive towards the townsfolk, yes,” Castiel replies, as though he’s been completely reasonable, “but that was only because their lake was being drained.”

“So… you see this and you decide to catch them, put them in plastic storage bins full of water in your trunk, and bring them home with you?!”

“They’re not really dangerous,” Castiel protests. “We found the missing child unharmed, and there was every indication they’d been attempting to feed it. They didn’t appear to understand that raw fish aren’t suitable food for a young human, but they tried.”

Inside Castiel’s trunk, one of the sprites surfaces. Sam watches as its misshapen head bumps the inside of the clear plastic, smearing goo across the surface, and wrinkles his nose.

“Maybe you’re right,” Dean scoffs, “but what the hell are we supposed to do with them?”

“Well, we have a small body of water here don’t we? I figured they could live in there.”

“Cass, we’re hunters, we’re not running a supernatural wildlife rehab. You should’ve just killed them.”

Castiel looks so crestfallen that Sam has to side with him. 

“Dean, come on, there’s no reason we can’t put them in the pond. There’s fish in there, not a lot, but enough to feed a few sprites.”

“Several,” Castiel says, with the air of correction.

“What?”

“There are five sprites, I believe that counts as ‘several’.”

“Not helping, Cass. Come on, Dean, please?”

Dean scrubs a hand over his face and sighs, “You can put the sprites in the pond if you want, but that’s it. No more creatures of any kind, for either of you.”

“Either of us? What creatures does Sam have?” Castiel asks with obvious interest.

“I don’t have them yet,” Sam explains. “We’re getting chickens, though. And a dog.”

“From where? I mean, I know where you get a dog, but where do you get chickens?”

“From the chicken store,” Dean says, inaccurately.

Castiel’s eyes widen. “There’s a chicken store??”

“It’s not just a chicken store,” Sam points out. “It’s a farm supply store.”

Castiel is more excited than the kids are to be getting chickens, and insists on going along. So the sprites go in the pond, then the Winchester pack plus two celestials head out for the chicken store.

Ben refuses to go at first. He’s completely uninterested in anything to do with animals, and very much against the idea of wandering around a barn or something to pick out ‘smelly chickens’. When Henry realizes his mommy isn’t coming though, he starts to cry and Ben caves immediately.

It is a little funny, seeing him so uncomfortable for no reason, but Sam has to give it to him. When they arrive, Ben enthusiastically feigns interest in every single baby chick Henry points out, which is all of them.

Charlie is the same, she’s so eager to see the animals Sam has his hands full just trying to keep her from climbing in the pens. He’s so busy he almost misses that Castiel is actually conversing with the chickens.

Dragging Charlie with him, Sam shifts over a few feet and hisses, “Dude, stop talking to them.”

“But they’re such good conversationalists,” Castiel chuckles. “Especially for their age.”

“Yeah, well, people are gonna think you’re nuts, so cut it out.”

An alpha woman passing by does slow down and give Sam an interested look, but he pulls his collar out of his shirt so it’s visible and she moves on without stopping. 

Castiel’s eyes fix on the collar, and he says, “I always wondered why you hide it. Isn’t it nice, to be so obviously claimed by someone?”

Sam gives one terse chuckle, then tucks it away again. “I don’t think of it as a bad thing, I was just never that comfortable being omega.”

“I’m not omega,” Castiel points out. “But still, if Dean gave me something like that I’d be proud to-”

He breaks off short, as if he’s just realized the implication of his own words, and ducks his head. 

“I’m, um, gonna go see if I can find someone to help us,” Sam says awkwardly. “Can you watch her?”

Castiel nods and takes Charlie’s hand without another word, allowing the little girl to pull him away.

Sam bumps into Dean with a teetering cart of fencing supplies before he finds an employee. 

“You okay, Sam?” Dean asks with a frown. “You look kinda spooked.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m…” Sam shakes his head to try and clear it, then pushes his hair back just to give himself a moment to think. “This is so weird, but have you ever- do you think-”

“Sam, what?”

“You know, Ben actually said something to me once, but it was weird, and he was so loopy that I decided it didn’t mean anything.”

“What didn’t mean anything?”

“Cass is totally in love with you.”

Dean freezes, makes a face, then scoffs, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not,” Sam insists. “Ben says he listens to us have sex and you are not gonna believe what he just said.”

Over Dean’s objections, Sam relates their exchange, and is annoyed to be met with disbelief.

“I’m sure that’s not what he meant. You’re overreacting.”

“I am not overreacting!”

“Okay, okay,” Dean says hastily, holding his hands up defensively. “Would you lower your voice, please? We’re in public.”

“I’m not going to lower my voice unless you stop talking to me like I’m some hysterical omega!”

People are staring and Sam doesn’t care. He was already feeling insecure after last night’s failure to perform and this is the last straw. 

Dean takes a deep, settling breath, then says, “Look, Sam, I’ll talk about this if you insist, but I’m not gonna do it in the store between the riding mower display and the clearance patio furniture.”

“I don’t give a crap, Dean,” Sam snaps. “I want you to tell me you’re going to take this seriously.”

“Why the hell would I take Cass being in love with me seriously?”

“I’m not sharing you with him. I won’t!”

“What are you talking about, Sam?”

All his bottled up feelings of not being enough are ready to explode out; Sam thinks he can actually feel words he won’t be able to take back filling up his mouth. 

“Tell me to stop,” he pleads, voice dropping to a whisper. “Please tell me to stop talking, Alpha. Tell me everything is okay.”

“Sam…” Dean hesitates. “You don’t want me to do that.”

“Yeah, I do. I- I need you to, just, save me from myself, right now. Now, please, before I lose my mind in front of everyone in here.”

Dean nods, once, then reaches for him, gently holding Sam by the elbows. “Alright, okay, Sammy. You’re okay. You’re calm, you’re fine, and we’re not going to talk about this right now. You’re gonna pull it together, and we’ll talk about it at home.”

The choked feeling recedes a little and Sam releases a shallow breath. He’s calm, everything is fine. 

“Better, baby?” Dean prompts. 

Sam nods and swallows hard, but the lump in his throat is already gone. “Yeah, better. Thank you.”

“Come on, let’s get this done and get outta here.”

—————

Ben POV

-

He knows there’s something wrong from the second Sam bolts like that, but Castiel’s face is impassive, and though Sam is gone for a surprisingly long time, he seems fine when he comes back with Dean. 

It’s a quiet ride home, except for the kids, who are happily chattering to each other about what they’re going to name the ‘chickies’. Ben tries to ask once what’s wrong, but Dean snaps at him, and ends up apologizing.

“Just not now,” Dean sighs. “Not now.”

Apparently ‘not now’ also means ‘not anytime in the next couple hours’. As soon as they’re parked, Dean ushers Sam inside with what seems an unnecessary amount of care, while Ben is left to wrangle kids and attend to the damned chicks he never wanted in the first place. 

“Is everything okay?” Jack asks softly, leaning close to Ben will hear him. 

“I’m sure it is,” Ben lies. “Sam probably just isn’t feeling well or something.”

Castiel lures Jack into helping set up the chicken coop, but Ben is still stuck out there, trying to keep hold of Robin and stop two toddlers from accidentally squishing the little balls of fluff. The first time his phone rings he ignores it, the second time he fumbles to answer, then nearly drops it.

“What?”

It’s Dean. “Can you come up to the house?”

“Right now?”

“Yeah, Sam and I need to talk to you.”

“About what?”

“Can you just come here?”

“Don’t get all bitchy with me,” Ben huffs. “You’re the ones who ditched me out here.”

“I’m sorry. We’re sorry. But it’s important to Sam, so could you…”

“Alright, fine.”

The kids are next to impossible to drag away, but Ben manages to lure them into the house with the promise of cartoons and candy. He leaves them in front of the TV and joins his mates in the office, leaving the door cracked open just in case.

“What’s going on?” Ben asks, looking between Sam’s upset frown and Dean’s blank expression.

“Sam thinks Cass is in love with me.”

Sam, tucked in the window seat, pulls himself up defensively. “I flashed my collar at this alpha who was looking at me in the store. Cass asked me why I always hide it, so I told him, and he basically said if he was the one wearing Dean’s collar he’d be proud of it.”

That was not what he expected, at all. Ben tries to picture the exchange and winces. “He’s never been great at social interactions, has he?”

“No, he hasn’t,” Dean says, “but that doesn’t mean he wants to be my third omega or something.”

Ben snorts derisively. “He totally wants to be your ‘or something’, that silly angel has a crush on you the size of Jupiter. He wants you so bad it’s embarrassing.”

“See! I told you,” Sam bursts out.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean scoffs. “You told me, and maybe you’re right.” 

“He’s right.”

“I’m right.”

“What exactly is the problem anyway?” Ben asks. Dean has never shown any interest in Castiel, and he can’t imagine them together, so it seems off that Sam is all worked up about it.

Sam huffs indignantly. “Look, Cass is part of our pack, but he’s not a mate. All I want is for Dean to tell me that’s not going to change and he just keeps saying ‘why would you think I want to mate Cass’.”

“Jesus Christ, Sam,” Dean barks. “I’m not gonna mate Cass! Happy?”

“What are you so worried about anyway?” Ben asks Sam. 

“Nothing,” Sam says evasively. “That’s all I wanted to hear. I’m not sure why it took a fucking hour and you coming in, but… that’s fine. I got what I wanted and I’m done with this conversation.”

“Well, I’m not.” Ben crosses his arms over his chest and gives Sam his fakest smile. “I don’t wanna spend another six months tiptoeing around while things get worse and worse because you won’t talk to anyone. And you-” He turns a piercing look on Dean, “You need to talk to your best friend and tell him he can’t talk to your brother like that. In fact, maybe you should tell him straight to his face that it’s not gonna happen.”

Dean visibly cringes and protests, “What? No, I can’t- I mean, he’s gotta know that already, right?”

He’s not getting out of it though. Once the idea is out there, Sam takes Ben’s side and insists on it.

“If I have to talk to Cass,” Dean says, finally giving in, “then you have to say why you’re so upset about this whole thing.”

Sam curls up on himself even more at that but he answers. “I just know I haven’t been much of an omega recently. I mean, I still haven’t really gotten to love my collar. I can’t have more kids, and my scent has been fading, now I can’t even take a knot anymore. What’s the point of having me as a mate?”

“Are you serious?” Ben asks incredulously. “Are you off your meds or something?”

“Yes,” Sam says quietly, avoiding his eyes.

“Oh. I- I was joking, but Sam, why? Why would you do that?”

“I felt better, so I quit taking them.”

“How do you feel now?”

“Worse,” Sam snaps, “don’t be a dick.”

“You don’t be a dick,” Ben retorts. “What-”

“Hey, stop it,” Dean interrupts. “Both of you. And Sam, I would want you as a mate even if we never have sex again.”

There’s not much room on the bench next to Sam but he squeezes in anyway, and scents his brother under the chin.

“You still smell good to me,” he mutters into Sam’s neck. “Even if you didn’t, I’d still want you with me. There’s nothing you could do that would ever change that, baby brother.”

Sam’s face twists a little, like he’s going to cry, but he doesn’t.

“Get back on your meds, babe,” Ben says gently. “It doesn’t have to be like this.”

“I will,” Sam says in a choked voice. “I will, I promise.”

—————

Dean POV

-

Talking to Castiel is just as awkward as he feared it would be. Dean would much rather not recount what Sam said, but he has to. He told his mates he would and he’s eager to nip this thing in the bud before it becomes a problem.

“I didn’t mean to upset Sam,” Castiel says, looking thoroughly ashamed. “My, um, what’s the phrase? My mouth got away with me.”

“That’s not- It doesn’t matter,” Dean sighs. “You did upset him, and normally that’s the kind of thing we could both let go, but he’s struggling, man. You didn’t see him at his worst, but it was bad. He feels like he’s not enough, like he’s letting me down, and I can’t have that. Things are finally getting to an okay place, and I’d really like to not fuck it up this time.”

“I understand.” Castiel nods, solemn and impassive under the nearly-dark sky. “I’ll consider my words more carefully next time.”

“And Cass?”

“Yes?”

“You and me…”

“There isn’t ever going to be a you and me, is there?”

Dean feels a little guilty actually, for his absolute lack of feelings. Beyond having no need for another mate, he simply has no interest in his angel friend. “No, there’s not.”

“And Sam?”

“What about Sam?”

“Is he also uninterested?”

“I don’t…” Dean fumbles. “Are you…?”

“In a perfect universe,” Castiel says, tilted his head up toward the emerging stars, “I would have liked to fill the space in your life where Ben is now. But that place is taken, and you have no romantic feelings towards me. Do you think Sam feels the same?”

“I have no idea.”

Castiel turns towards him, with a rather wistful, faint smile on his mouth, then says, “I’m not really a sexual being, you know. I would just like, now and then, to be near him. If that’s alright with him, and with you, Alpha.”

Dean barely hears Castiel’s remark that he’s going to check on the sprites. He trudges back up to the house in a daze, mentally trying and failing to turn his world right side up again. 

When he gets inside the house, Sam takes one look at him and says, “Wow, you look… He took it that bad, huh?”

“Um, n-no,” Dean stammers, “he, uh, he actually took it shockingly well.”

“So, what then?” Ben asks curiously, pausing in setting the table to join the conversation.

“Apparently, he’s actually jealous of you, and he wanted to know if Sam was interested in him.”

“I beg your fucking pardon?”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking.” 

“What’d you say?”

“Nothing, he just told me that and then said he was going down to the pond to look at the sprites again, god knows why.”

Ben looks at Sam, and Sam looks back, then they both turn to him again, as if he’s got the answers to this bizarre and unexpected situation.

“Daddy.” Below Dean’s line of vision, Charlie’s tiny hand closes on his fingers. “Uppies.”

He picks her up automatically, before Sam can finish saying, “Say ‘please’, little girl.”

Charlie is already where she wants to be, but she grins and says, “Pwease.”

Oddly, the thought of sharing Sam with Castiel doesn’t produce nearly the same negative impulse as idea of being with the angel himself, so Dean asks Sam, “Would you ever, y’know, be interested?”

“Sam?” Ben prompts when their mate doesn’t react immediately. 

“Why are you both talking about this like it could actually happen?” Sam bursts out.

“I dunno,” Dean say with a half-shrug. “You two always had a thing. Whenever he screwed up or I got pissed at him, you were the one going ‘it’s Cass, man’ or ‘he’s one of the good guys’. ‘Let him keep the sprites, Dean’.”

Sam goes a little pink, but doesn’t deny it.

“He doesn’t expect to sleep with you or anything,” Dean continues. “He said he just wants to be near you.”

Ben giggles and Sam goes even pinker.

“I- I guess I’ll… think about it,” Sam says finally. “Even though I’ll feel like a hypocrite after that fight we had today.”

Dean hopes he will really think about it. Some extra non-sexual affection might be good for Sam, after all, especially with everything going on, and it’s not like Cass isn’t pack already. They’re family and he’s not going anywhere.

Chapter Text

Ben POV

-

He wasn’t too sure about this whole Castiel and Sam thing, but it seems like they’re good for each other. Dean gave his permission a couple weeks ago, and Ben doesn’t know what that covers exactly, but Castiel has been bringing Sam some small gift or token every morning, and it makes Sam inordinately happy. Today it’s flowers, which Castiel presents with a remark that he’s pretty sure plants of that sort aren’t supposed to bloom in the fall.

“Well, I wouldn’t know,” Sam says with amusement. “But they’re very nice. Now I just have to find somewhere to put them.”

The Winchesters do not now and have never owned a vase, but luckily the old farmer’s wife did. Sam discovers one tucked away in the back of the cupboard over the fridge. It’s old-fashioned, antique crystal like Ben remembers seeing in his home as a child. Sam doesn’t believe it’s anything but glass so Ben shows him how to flick the rim with a fingernail to hear the crystal ring.

Sam’s flowers look… well, like flowers in it, but Ben acknowledges that he’s never really had an eye for that sort of thing. Sam is happy and Castiel no longer has that depressed look like someone ran over his puppy, so that’s an improvement.

“What is that?” Dean says as he comes into the kitchen. “Sam doing some kind of spell?”

“They’re flowers,” Ben chuckles. “I’m sure you know what those are.”

“Where did they come from?”

“Cass picked them.”

“Kinda late in the year for that, huh?”

“So I’m told.”

Ben straightens up from loading their new dishwasher, hopefully correctly, he’s still not real certain about that, and dodges a touch from his alpha. It’s not that he doesn’t want Dean near him, he does. He wants it very badly in fact, but there’s something devouring him from the inside and he’s not sure how much longer he can control it.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” 

“You sure?”

“Uh-huh.”

Dean’s hand hovers over the counter near his, then withdraws. “Alright, I’m gonna go work on the fence out by the pond.”

“Okay.”

“Let me know if anybody calls?”

“Sure.”



Dean lingers, like he wants to say something else, but he doesn’t. “See you at lunch then.”

“Mm-hm.”

His slow footsteps eventually reach the back door and he leaves. The second the door closes, Sam bounds in from the living room where he’s been supervising the toddlers.

“Dude, what the fuck was that?” he hisses.

Startled, Ben sputters, “W-what?”

“I deliberately pretended to be too busy in the other room so you would have a chance to talk to Dean for like, the tenth time, and for some reason you’re still acting weird.”

“I’m not acting weird.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You so are! You haven’t slept in the middle of the bed in ages, you’re avoiding Dean, and things weren’t great before so it’s actually super fucking obvious.”

“It’s nothing,” Ben replies, shrugging off the concern. 

He can totally do this dishwasher thing. Soap fills the medium hole, booster goes in the little one because they have hard water, close it and press the Start button. Technically it’s not all the way full but Dean used about a dozen dishes just for breakfast, so by dinnertime there’ll be too many to fit if he doesn’t run it now. 

“Ben,” Sam says flatly.

“What?” he snaps.

Sam sucks his teeth and says, “You gave me shit for not talking about what I was going through, so I don’t think it’s unfair for me to call you out when it’s you. What the hell is going on?”

“I’ve been…” Ben swallows hard and forces himself to finish. “I’ve been dreaming.”

“Dreaming?”

“I think they’re memories.” 

“Okay. Talk to me.”

Ben shifts and leans back against the edge of the counter, then rubs his palms over his face. “It’s all the time now.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Sam says uncertainly.

Ben’s downcast eyes catch the movement of Sam’s blue and orange flannel as his mate comes around the kitchen island, then there’s arms around him and he snuggles into the embrace. 

“It’s okay, Benjy,” Sam murmurs, hugging him tighter, “you can tell me.”

“I thought I’d finally feel better,” Ben confesses, “y’know, once I remembered. But now… now I know he doesn’t look at me the way he used to, and I kind of miss the blissful ignorance.”

“So tell him.”

“I can’t.”

“Why? You think giving him the cold shoulder is gonna make it better?”

“No.”

Sam pushes away to look him in the eye. “Then why are you doing it? You know I love you, and I know you love him, but you’re hurting my brother for no reason and it’s starting to piss me off.”

“Look, I promised him,” Ben sighs. “I said I would keep my shit together, for him and for you. I know how much work I can be and it’s not fair to make you two do everything for me. Especially you, having to watch the kids alone.”

“You’re joking,” Sam scoffs. 

“No, I’m not, Sam, but these dreams are screwing with my head and I just know if I let him near me I’m gonna completely fall apart.”

“Ben, I almost never watched the kids all by myself. Most of those times I at least had Cass and Jack around to help me, it wasn’t like it was some huge burden. And Dean… he’s dying for you to need him like that again. So just- just go out there and talk to him and do your thing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

Ben nods, accepting the permission, then lifts his face for Sam’s kiss, murmuring, “Love you, Sammy.”

“Love you, too. Now go.”

The pond is pretty far from the house, but Supe eyes make up for the distance. Dean is out there, about to start digging post holes for the fence Sam requested he put up so the kids can’t fall in and drown. It’s a long trudge, but not as dull as it should be. Apparently it wasn’t just the flowers that are out of season. Despite the chill in the air, the long grass and weeds that have grown up in the fields are still green and alive. Maybe it’s the sprites.

Dean’s standing with his back to the house, but at the sound of Ben’s voice he stops and jams the shovel he’s using into the dirt, where it sticks upright.

“Need something?” he calls back, only glancing over his shoulder at Ben standing ten feet behind him.

“Just you.” Ben sees the second it sinks in, then Dean turns and looks at him with such burning longing that he almost chokes on his words. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Dean asks, though it doesn’t sound like he expects a real answer.

Ben answers anyway. “I’ve been avoiding you because I’ve been getting my memories back and I want things to be like they were back then, but I don’t know if that’s possible. Or if you even want to. Sam says you do though and he can practically read your mind, so here I am.”

—————

Dean POV

-

A couple strides get him close enough to drag his omega in for a kiss. Ben melts into it, and Dean’s stomach flips. It’s not like they haven’t kissed at all since Ben lost his memories, but things definitely haven’t been the same. This feels a little more like them.

“Please…” Ben gasps out against his lips. 

“Let’s get up to the house,” Dean answers, pulling away reluctantly. “I think the sprites are watching us.”

They race to the house and Ben wins, which Dean playfully refuses to accept, since super strength legs are cheating anyway. Sam is sitting on the floor with a basket of laundry, and he gives them both a knowing look when they come into the living room. Dean flips him off first, brotherly style, then bends down to give him a quick ‘thank you’ peck on the cheek. Then he pauses, feeling bad about leaving Sam out.

“Alpha?” Ben says quietly from where he’s hovering near the bottom of the stairs.

“Just a minute.”

“Do you want me to go up and wait?”

“No,” Dean says quickly, feeling strangely anxious to have him out of sight. Then he realizes he was almost harsh and softens it with, “Stay, baby.”

He turns back to Sam, who shakes his head slightly, as if he really is reading his brother’s mind.

“You sure?”

Sam nods, gesturing to Charlie and Henry playing in front of the unlit fire place. “Somebody’s gotta watch them, and I’m not in the mood anyway.”

“Alright.” Dean rumples Sam’s hair a little, then smooths it back into place. “See you in a bit.”

He tries not to seem too eager as he follows Ben up the stairs, but once they’re in the bedroom, he lets loose and his omega responds in kind. He actually hears fabric ripping at one point and it might’ve been his jeans, but he doesn’t care because it feels like he has his Ben again.

“I might be crazy,” Ben pants, tugging Dean towards the bed, “and I know we can’t, but I really want you to knock me up again.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, I think about it all the time.”

Dean can’t pretend his dick isn’t interested in that, though practically speaking it’s not the best idea.

“And by the way, this whole omega cycles thing is bullshit,” Ben carries on. “I can’t get pregnant again until my milk’s dried up, which doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen anytime soon, and even then I only get a chance every three months.”

“Considering you have the gestation time of a rabbit, I’d say that’s a good thing.”

Ben pouts and flops backwards onto the bed with a dramatic sigh. 

“Hey, look,” Dean chuckles, “I didn’t say never, just maybe not for a couple years.”

In response, Ben huffs and rolls onto his stomach, then looks over his shoulder with a coy smile. Dean’s heart rate picks up immediately. They’ve never done it that way before, since just weeks after they slept together for the first time, Ben had decisively nixed doggy-style for reasons unknown.

“You sure about that?”

“I trust you,” Ben says lightly, then wiggles his ass enticingly.

Seeing his own body displayed in a new way is always intriguing, but Dean has never been able to pretend even to himself that he’s actually attracted to it, not like he is to Sam. His little brother is breathtaking on his knees, with that narrow waist and perfect swell to his ass. Dean knows perfectly well his own isn’t nearly as shapely. It’s okay, but it’s nothing special as far as butts go, and the evidence is right before him.

“You just gonna stand there and look at it, or what?” Ben prompts.

“Or what,” Dean jokes, then dives in face first.

He doesn’t stick to the area too long, Ben is already wet and leaking, and neither of them ever went in for much foreplay. That’s another Sam thing. Dean kisses up Ben’s spine instead, keeping it slow, giving him a chance to change his mind. 

“Doin’ okay, baby?” he purrs into Ben’s ear once he’s close enough.

Ben shivers underneath him and nods. He isn’t quite as relaxed as usual, but the smell of arousal is thick in the air with no hint of fear. Dean pets him anyway, calming him like a skittish horse until he’s loosened up. 

“God, Alpha, you’re killing me,” Ben moans into the pillow.

“Sounds like you’re ready,” Dean chuckles, then backs up to tug Ben’s hips into position. “Come on, sweetheart, work with me here. Elbows and knees usually work the best.” 

Once he’s comfortable, Ben presents himself deliciously, displaying his open, dripping ass right at the perfect height for Dean to sink into it with one steady thrust.

“Oh, f- fuck me,” Ben groans.

Dean squeezes his hips gently. “Still okay?”

“Holy shit, yeah. Feels different, but good different.”

It feels pretty much the same for Dean, still hot, tight, and wet as usual, what’s different is Ben trusting him. This is their first real moment since the memories incident, and that’s more than enough to keep his cock hard. 

“Alpha, move,” Ben pleads, ass clenching around him.

Dean does as asked and abandons himself to the task. Sex is one of his favorite things to do for a reason, because he doesn’t need think too much and has always been good at it. On top of that, he knows how to play Ben’s body like an instrument.

However, he’s still a hunter, always aware of his surroundings, so he’s not too wrapped up in the moment to miss something unusual. The last time Ben orgasms, writhing on Dean’s knot, he glows. Not a lot, it’s not like he’s shining exactly, but there is definitely a subtle light shimmering all over. The light is gone in seconds, and Ben doesn’t seemed to have noticed anything, so Dean chooses not to say anything right away. He’d rather let his mate enjoy the comedown.

Ben comes down hard, though. He seems oddly worn out and ends up both sleepy and shivering. 

“I’m okay, really,” he insists, but it’s obvious he’s straining to sound normal. 

“You don’t sound that okay,” Dean says, making sure to give his omega extra pets and kisses to ease the transition as they untie. “You want one of your toys to fill you up while you take a nap?”

“Yes, please,” Ben answers with a yawn. 

Once he’s plugged up and wrapped in a warm blanket, he falls immediately into such a deep sleep that Dean feels safe leaving him, just for a few minutes. 

His intention is just to check on Sam and the kids, then go back upstairs, but it doesn’t work out that way. Downstairs Sam and Castiel are in the office, muttering together in urgent tones that don’t bode well. 

It’s not good news. Sam has just gotten off the phone with Garth, who called from a payphone two hours away to warn them that someone in their pack screwed up and ate some people. Garth’s family and some of the others managed to get away in time not to be killed by the hunters that showed up in response to the kills, so they’re incoming with nothing but the clothes on their backs and their cars.

“Shit,” Dean says in shock. “Who were they?”

“The hunters? Nobody Garth knew, by sight or name.”

“Okay. Well that’s very bad.”

“No kidding,” Sam scoffs.

“There’s no way those hunters are giving up now that they got the taste of blood,” Dean says pointedly. “They’re probably tracking Garth’s car as we speak.”

“Yeah, I know. So all the werewolves going to need clothes, money, vehicles, and somewhere to lay low until we get this settled.”

Garth’s family alone is six people, plus they’re bringing two more families with children, and a couple older folks who got away with them. That’s a lot more work than Dean was planning on when he woke up that morning.

“I told them to stop in here first,” Sam says. “Garth said they haven’t eaten or even stopped this whole way except to call, and I’m not sure how much food we left at the bunker.”

Dean doesn’t mind that, but that doesn’t mean they have a lot to do and not much time to do it before a significant number of people they don’t know show up on their doorstep.

—————

Ben POV

-

Dean isn’t there when he wakes up, disoriented and sluggish, with a heavy, painfully full chest and an empty stomach. It’s cold outside the bed, so Ben keeps the blanket he was wrapped in tucked around him while he goes in search of his alpha. He’s so focused on that task that he doesn’t even realize there’s something amiss until he’s at the bottom of the stairs and surrounded by people. 

They all look equally alarmed to see him, which is hardly fair because it’s his house. This is Ben’s house, there’s not supposed to be a bunch of fear-reeking strangers in it. And where is Alpha? Nowhere to be seen, which is just all kinds of wrong. 

“Um, hello,” someone says, voice sweet and careful. “I’m Bess, do you remember me? We met once before, it was a while ago though.”

Bess is familiar, he thinks, but he’s certainly not going to talk to her or shake her hand like she’s offering. 

“You know…” Bess says slowly, “I- I think Sam’s just in the other room. Would you like me to get him for you?”

Ben doesn’t say anything, but Bess answers her own question and goes off to find Sam anyway. 

Sam appears within seconds, rushing up to hug him, but then he draws back with a confused look on his face.

“Want Alpha,” Ben pouts, unhappy with the entire state of affairs.

“I know, I know,” Sam says immediately. “He’s just- he’s busy taking care of something- Oh, no. Benjy don’t cry, come on…”

What else is he supposed to do? Sam pulls him in again and he leans into it, hiding his sniffles in his mate’s reassuringly pack-scented flannel. He hides there in that safe place and doesn’t come out until he hears his alpha.

“Shit,” is the first thing out of Dean’s mouth.

“Yeah, shit is right,” Sam mutters as he transfers Ben into their alpha’s arms. 

“I only meant to leave him for a few minutes, and then with everything, I figured as long as he was still asleep he’d be fine.”

“Well, he woke up alone and he’s not fine. And it’s not just that, he’s… Smell him.”

Dean’s nose roots into the crook of Ben’s neck and then he mutters, “Son of a bitch. How?”

“You’re asking me?” Sam says incredulously. 

The conversation fades into whispers, then Ben is led back to the bedroom. He doesn’t mind that, as long as Alpha stays.

“You can stay up here if you want,” Dean offers once they’re inside with the door shut. “I can’t hang out too long, though. I have to go help Sam, ‘cause Cass is useless in these situations.”

Ben’s not sure what he wants to do, he can’t even think because he’s too uncomfortable. When Dean takes the blanket off him, his hand accidentally brushes Ben’s nipple and he whimpers in pain.

“Crap, sorry, sweetheart,” Dean apologizes immediately. “I can get the-”

“Want you,” Ben interrupts, voice low but insistent. 

“You want me to do it, huh?”

“Please.”

“Alright, c’mere.” Dean beckons him, backing up to sit on the edge of the bed. 

Ben follows, straddling his alpha’s lap for easy access. He clings to Dean’s shoulders eagerly, gasping when he feels suction on his tender nipple.

—————

Dean POV

-

He doesn’t really think he can be blamed for knotting Ben again. He probably shouldn’t have agreed to nurse from Ben with the omega totally naked in his lap, but between how bad Dean feels about neglecting him and the rapidly intensifying scent, he’s going to claim his judgement was compromised. 

Ben does not want to be left alone after, but Dean has already been gone too long, so he gets his omega dressed in comfortable, loose clothes and a slick pad, since it seems like things might be moving in that direction, however improbable. He prefers to have all his bases covered with so many strange people in the house, so he scents Ben as thoroughly as possible too, before they rejoin the others.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Sam hisses the second he sees them walk into the living room. 

“Sorry,” Dean says guiltily, “I got a little sidetracked.”

Sam leans in and gives a suspicious sniff. “Yeah, sidetracked.”

“Have you smelled him? I couldn’t help it.”

“Yes, I smelled him, he probably shouldn’t even be down here.”

“I’m aware of that, but he didn’t want to stay up there alone and you want me down here, so this is the compromise.”

Grudgingly, Sam admits that’s a fair point, then adds, “Garth was able to contact a few more of his pack mates and he’s in the office making a list of needed supplies right now. We should talk to him.”

There are a couple more of Garth’s friends in the office, and while Garth himself is an unassuming beta, the both of them are alphas. Neither of them are young or careless enough to stare or try anything, but Dean can see they’re both struggling not to react to Ben’s scent. He keeps Ben close, sitting safely on the floor between his knees while they talk strategy, and tries not to worry that his mate smells like he’s about to go into heat when that should be biologically impossible.