Title: Sticks and Stones
Pairing: Adam/Michael, pre-slash Castiel/Dean
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Rating: PG-13
Prompt: Adam is Michael's kid's kindergarten teacher. The child could be original or, I don't know, a bb!Castiel or something? – Written for ladyknightanka
Summary: Adam isn't certain what to make of the well-dressed single dad in his playground.
In a playground full of mums or at least couples Mr Michael Novak stands out like a sore thumb. He's big and broad shouldered with neatly clipped dark hair. He's wearing a tan overcoat over a charcoal grey suit and Adam entertains the notion that he's actually a mafia hitman during his work hours. Little Castiel is almost a dressed as a clone of his father, wearing a small suit and a trench coat and he puffs up proudly, holding his lunchbox to his chest, when Adam speaks to him to welcome him to his first day of kindergarten. A lot of the parents hang around on the first day, taking photos and soothing frazzled nerves, their own and their children. Castiel doesn't cry. He kisses his father dutifully on the cheek and hangs up his coat on his peg and Michael disappears to the waiting car, a BMW in black, Adam notes and expands a little more on his hitman theory.
He has a nice small class this year. As well as Castiel there are the Winchester twins who Adam is going to have to keep an eye on to make sure they don't escape out of the window at the first opportunity, a little boy called Gabriel who lisps and whose mother seems to think sending him in with a lunchbox full of sugary treats is the way to make him the most popular boy in class. It might be if Gabriel didn't eat them all for himself. Then there's little Joanna who's already bitten him on the hand and Ruby who he thinks may be possessed. One minute she's quiet and sweet and the next minute screaming the place down. Just the six of them but from half-eight when their parents drop them off until three when they pick them up again they keep Adam on his toes.
Occasionally Michael arrives to pick Castiel up from school but more often than not it's his secretary, Anna. She picks the little boy up and swings him round and he laughs and laughs. Adam watches all the kids getting picked up. He wonders where Castiel's mother is because she never comes to collect him. She might be busy, even more so than her husband but maybe Michael is a single father. Adam was raised by a single mother and he's always got a soft spot for the kids in his class with only their mum or their dad. He imagines Michael working all the hours he can to give Castiel the life he wants his son to have and slowly his first impression of Michael Novak fades, replaced by the one of him as a caring family man instead.
He finally gets to talk to Michael when he has to call the man to come and pick up Castiel because Gabriel stuck a half-sucked lollipop in his hair and Adam's attempts first to ease it out and then cut it out have left Castiel with a little bald patch. The other kids giggle at him, pointing at it and Castiel sniffs and rubs at his eyes and tries very hard not to cry. Adam's heart breaks a little for him and he feels so guilty because it's his fault. It's then also his fault that Dean, one of the Winchester boys, starts going round the class hitting anyone who laughs at Castiel.
"I'm so sorry." Adam says when Michael arrives in a flurry of coat and briefcase and notes from his meeting. The man glares at Adam and scoops his tiny son into his arms, cradling the little boy to him. "You should have just left it. I would have taken him to the barbers and they would have sorted it out." Michael informs him briskly and Adam hangs his head because he's right of course. He's probably going to make a formal complaint about Adam. He watches Michael leave and wonders if Castiel will be back the next day or if Michael will decide he doesn't want to send his son to the sort of school that would employ Adam. When he goes back inside the classroom he figures that may be something a lot of parents will be asking themselves soon as while he's been outside talking to Michael Dean has got into his desk draw, found the scissors and cut patches out of his own hair.
Adam is not fired, although he thinks he should be. He does get a formal warning though. Castiel is back in his class the next day with a new hair cut that hides the little bald patch and Dean is back with a hat tugged firmly down on his head. Adam has moved anything sharp to the draw with the lock on it and they play with sand, read a picture book and talk about colours. Michael comes to collect his son more regularly than before, most likely to check on Adam and make sure he hasn't caused any other small commotions.
He stays after the other parents have left sometimes. He has lists of things he thinks are important for Castiel to learn. Adam points out he has to teach what's required by the state and Latin for four year olds is not required. Michael mumbles something about getting Castiel a tutor. Adam fully expects that Castiel won't be in his class for much longer. He's revised his opinion of Michael again to a pushy parent. As far as he's aware Castiel isn't allowed friends over after school and when Mary Winchester approaches Michael in the playground to suggest that Castiel come over that weekend since he and Dean were such great friends Michael had honestly been rather rude about it.
When the months roll on and Castiel is still there every day Adam isn't really sure what to make of Michael Novak. He gets the children to draw family pictures. Castiel's is just of himself and his father. "My mother left when I was little." He says softly when Adam prompts him. He hangs all the pictures up on the wall and puts Castiel's in pride of place. Michael stares at it for a long time when he comes to collect the small boy that evening. He's so distracted that he doesn't notice Castiel slipping away from his side to go and run around the playground with Sam and Dean. Adam keeps half an eye on them out the window, but the playground is fenced in and Mary is watching them. Michael's reaction is the one he's more interested in.
"Does he ever talk about his mother?" Michael asks finally. Adam shakes his head. "No, he's a very quiet boy. He said she left when he was younger but that's all he said."
Michael nods, his shoulders flexing a little. "Yes, we divorced shortly after Castiel was born. I couldn't give her what she wanted; I wasn't a very good husband." Adam doesn't know why Michael feels the need to tell him this but he just nods and listens. He's good with listening.
"She left because I'm gay." Michael says finally, more to the picture than to Adam which is a good thing because Adam is too busy chocking on his own tongue to be able to make the proper sympathetic noises. He recovers and nods, starting to fidget, going around the classroom and putting things away. "That must have been hard on you, being married if you didn't want it." He says and Michael turns to smile at him. "It was what my family wanted. I've always tried to do what they wanted, to be someone they could believe in." He says softly. "I would have tried to make it work."
"That's a stupid idea." Adam says sharply. "You can't force yourself to be unhappy just for your family. If they really loved you then they'd love you whoever you were." Michael blinks at him, obviously startled and Adam feels like the stupid one. The adult world is complex and complicated and he's here all day teaching the little ones. He can tell them that things will just work out, that their parents will always love them and if they're good then they'll get by because good people do but life isn't like that and Michael will no doubt remind Adam of that cold hard truth in a minute. Instead he begins to stare at his shoes. It's disarmingly sweet.
"I know. That's why I want Castiel here." He says after a moment. "He's happy here with other children his own age. He needs that more than anything I think he needs." He looks up, fixing Adam with his dark eyes and Adam's knees hit against the edge of his desk and he finds himself sinking down under that gaze.
"That's very good of you." He murmurs and Michael moves towards him purposefully. Within a few steps he's in Adam's personal space, looming over him.
"He likes you, Mr Milligan," Michael says and his fingers reach out to brush over Adam's cheeks. "I thought you were too young for this job the first time I saw you. I thought you weren't disciplined enough to keep them in line and then when you cut that chunk out of Castiel's hair I thought I'd been proved right but you…" He trails off for a moment, searching for the right words and Adam strains into his hand, pressing his face against the warmth of his fingers. "Castiel is so happy and it's because of you. He likes coming to school in the morning and he's excited and sometimes at home he sings. The songs you teach them here." The way Michael talks about his son, about his family, as if they're the most precious thing in the world to him makes Adam's heart flutter. "Thank you for that."
"It's not all me." Adam says, blushing and he's too honest to claim he was responsible for everything Michael sees. He gestures out the window, not wanting to break Michael's concentration on him but needing Michael to see his son now tearing around outside, trench coat flying out behind him as he chases Dean over the playground. "That's his best friend. You should let them play together after school. I know that would make Castiel really happy."
Michael laughs softly and cups Adam's face in his hands, cradling it gently as he brings their mouths together. The kiss lasts a second if that but it makes Adam dizzy. "You're such a good teacher." Michael mutters as they part. "Always thinking about your students."
"Not always." Adam says and slips his hands up to run them through Michael's hair and draw him back down to kiss him again.