Henry was right in the middle of appreciating the feeling of making it to a brand new year when he realized that it meant the date was officially January 1st. Which meant that Dean's birthday was only a few weeks away. And he hadn't thought about it at all, which just wasn't how he wanted to handle Dean's birthday. Especially considering it was the first of Dean's birthdays everyone would be celebrating together. That just wouldn't do.
Everyone around him shouted "Happy New Year!" at the same time. Dean and Cas bashfully leaned in for a quick kiss, while Sam cleared his throat and offered to fill up Charlie's glass instead of acknowledging Sarah, who was carrying a very tired Bess down to bed. Kevin clinked his champagne glass with Henry's and smiled before taking a drink. Drinking underage didn't seem to apply in their family. Henry looked around at the whole group of them and smiled softly before he decided he would speak to Sam about the birthday first thing in the morning.
A full night's sleep later, on January 1st at 9am, Sam was in the same place he was every day. Alone, in the kitchen, sipping coffee. Apparently even celebrating big holidays didn't affect his morning schedule. Others in the bunker wouldn't be awake for a while yet, and Henry jumped on his chance while it still existed. Now that the idea was in his head, he couldn't shake it. It was the first time he was around for Dean's birthday, and he was damn well going to make it a good one.
"Sam," he said upon entering the kitchen. "Do you and Dean celebrate birthdays?" Henry knew perfectly well they didn't, and would have known even without the help of reading the Supernatural books. After all, getting the bunker together for a Christmas celebration had been a real event and Sam and Dean had seemed vastly out of their depths the entire time. It was incredibly obvious that holidays didn't impact them much. Sam looked up from his coffee with a dazed and confused expression.
"Huh?" he said. Henry went and poured his own cup of coffee into the DeLorean mug Charlie had given him for Christmas. A bit on the nose, but damn did he love that mug.
"Birthdays," Henry repeated. "Do you celebrate them?"
"Oh. No, not really," Sam said, shaking his head. "I mean, we would try to get little gifts for each other as kids, and Bobby got us some stuff. Dad gave us each a gun once." Henry blew lightly on his coffee.
"So what would you think about maybe doing something for Dean's birthday this year?" Henry asked. He watched Sam's eyes consider and then widen a bit.
"That's right, it's soon, isn't it?" he said. Then pulled a face. "I don't know, Henry. I mean, I'm sure the effort would be appreciated but Dean doesn't really like being the center of attention."
"Morning," Sarah said, walking into the kitchen with Bess in toe. The small girl yawned widely, and then her mother echoed the expression.
"Morning," Sam said with a smile.
"Sarah," Henry started, "What would you think about having some kind of birthday party for Dean?" Bess wandered over to Henry and sat down near his feet, then leaned against his legs and let her eyes fall shut. Henry smiled down at her.
"A what?" Sarah asked. She rubbed her eyes, still trying to wake up. Sam bit back a little grin and Henry shook his head.
"Forget it, I'll ask you later," he said. Sam crossed the kitchen and offered to get Bess's cup of juice ready for her, which Sarah readily accepted, while Henry thought about Sam's advice. Maybe he was right. He knew Dean better than anyone, after all. But Henry wanted to do something special. So he decided to ignore absolutely everything Sam had said and ask Cas's opinion instead. No harm in getting a second pair of eyes in on his idea.
Cas was harder to corner than Sam had been. It took another day and a lie about finding something in an archive that Cas might enjoy seeing. He only got away with it because Dean was cooking at the time and he always refused to leave food when it was cooking. It really was an event to get those two apart. Unless they were fighting. In that case, it was almost impossible to get them to be in the same bunker, let alone the same room. Luckily they didn't fight that often.
"What is it you want me to see?" Cas asked as they turned a corner and down another hallway, far enough away from everyone to not be overheard.
"I want to celebrate Dean's birthday," Henry said. There was a beat of silence before Cas answered.
"So nothing for me in the archives, then?" he said with a slight smile pulling up one corner of his mouth. "Is it usual for Dean to have a birthday celebration?" Henry frowned a bit.
"Well, no," he said. "That that's why I want to make this one special." Cas took on a more thoughtful expression.
"It would be nice to celebrate Dean's life," he said. "He doesn't appreciate it enough."
"Exactly!" Henry said. Cas slowly nodded.
"If you think a big celebration is a good idea, then I will assist however I can." Henry mentally cheered. What did Sam know? This was going to be fantastic.
"Great!" Henry said. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocked and clicked through his contacts. There weren't many. "First, I think we should call Charlie. She'll be good at coming up with ideas."
"Should we tell Dean a day we are planning to have this party?" Cas asked. Henry hit call and put the phone up to his ear.
"Oh, no. Definitely not," he said. "It should be a surprise." Cas looked dubious.
"Henry, I don't—"
"Cas, it will be fine," he said. Cas still looked uncertain when Charlie answered, but he nodded. Henry smiled. "Charlie, we need your help planning something." His doubt turned to amusement when Henry explained to Charlie what they wanted and Cas could overhear Charlie's loud shouts of excitement even from across the hall.
A week into the party preparations, Henry grabbed a quiet moment with Sam to tell him they were doing the party anyway. Sam looked more dubious than Cas had. He sighed in that frustrated way that he usually reserved only for Dean.
"As long as you know it's on your head, Henry," Sam said. Henry held up his hand to stop him from saying more.
"I know," he said. "It will be great! I wanted to ask you about getting Sarah to bake a cake. I wasn't sure what flavor." Sam snorted.
"Well, first things first: don't ask her to make a cake. Dean will never forgive you. Make it pecan pie and maybe this will actually work." He said. Henry smiled at him.
"That's more like it," he said. He clapped Sam on the shoulder. "Now, I have a plan to get Dean out of the bunker the day of the party, but I need your help."
A day later, Henry grabbed Cas from his place in the kitchen with Dean. Honestly, like they were sealed at the hip. The former angel waved apologetically as he was dragged away and a suspicious squint found its way to Dean's face.
"Cas," Henry said once they were out of earshot, "We need to ask Sarah to make the birthday pie." Cas raised an unimpressed eyebrow.
"You couldn't ask her without my assistance?"
"Well," Henry paused for a moment. "You're more convincing. And I thought you would want to stay involved." It was partially true, Cas was more convincing, although Henry knew Sarah would take no actual convincing. He just knew this was as good a time as any to start hanging out with Cas more. Sure, they all lived together – and in pretty close quarters – but Henry's one-on-one time with Cas was low. Very low. And he figured if there was one interest they shared, it was making Dean happy. As far as Henry was concerned, Cas was his grandson every bit as much as Sam and Dean were. So he should find a way to express that. Cas let out a breath.
"Of course I will help wherever I can," he said.
"Great! Sarah is in the living room with Bess, I think," Henry said. He turned and walked around the corner forcefully and ran smack into Dean's chest. Dean's suspicious squint was stronger now and Henry pasted on a smile.
"Dean," he said, "Didn't hear you coming. You scared me." Dean made a doubtful uh-huh noise.
"I was coming over to say that dinner is done. If you want to eat."
"We'll be there momentarily," Cas said, coming up to Dean quickly with a carefree smile. He kissed Dean's cheek lightly, which did help relax the hunter's expression significantly. Dean glanced between the two of them again before grunting and walking away. Henry caught him rubbing the cheek where Cas had kissed him as he turned the corner at the other end of the hall. Utterly smitten.
"Hurry if you don't want it cold," Dean called back. Henry let out a breath when Dean's form disappeared and Cas raised his eyebrow in amusement.
"One of the reasons I thought this might not work," he said with a hint of smugness. Henry shook his head.
"You're far too similar to Dean," he said.
"And I'm not even half as naturally suspicious," Cas responded. A smile ticked up at the corner of his mouth. "Let's go eat. We can ask Sarah about pie later, if you still think the job requires two people." Henry rolled his eyes but followed quickly behind Cas when he started walking back to the building noise of the table being set.
"So, what, I have to make the pie because I'm a woman?" Sarah asked, hands on her hips. Henry and Cas both gulped. Sam was helping Dean clean dishes to give them a free minute to ask for Sarah's help. And now Sarah was pulling that expression Henry had only seen when they found Bess, crawling, halfway to the dungeon. Turns out the bunker maybe wasn't baby proofed effectively. What a shock, considering it was the home of a secret society. Not that it wasn't baby proofed now. It was definitely baby proofed now. Sarah could be scary.
"No! I mean, not because, uh," Henry stammered.
"We don't know how to make pie," Cas added in a slightly frightened tone. They quelled under Sarah's glare for a few more seconds before she dropped her hands from her hips and started laughing.
"I'm kidding, guys," she laughed. The tension dropped from both of their sets of shoulders in relief. "Of course I'll make it."
"Thank you, Sarah," Cas said solemnly. Sarah chuckled again and put a hand on Cas's arm.
"Always so serious," she shook her head. "Obviously I'm going to help. Is there a flavor you had in mind?"
"Pecan," Henry immediately supplied. Sarah nodded.
"I can buy ingredients while we're shopping for presents," she said. A thick silence pervaded the room and her cheerful expression sunk into disapproval as she looked between the men. "Come on, presents? You remembered pie and not birthday presents?" Henry cleared his throat.
"In fairness," Cas said, "I feel pie is more important to Dean overall." Sarah glared at him and he ducked his head, chastised.
"I suggest you start thinking of ideas," Sarah said. "We're going shopping in two days."
"Shopping for what?" Dean's voice echoed as he came around the corner and into the room. Sarah smiled easily.
"I thought I would make dinner next week," she said. "Plus, I think it's about time these two go on a supply run, don't you?"
"You mind if I tag along?" Dean asked with a smile.
"No!" Henry immediately said. It was sharp and too loud and everyone looked at him with different variations of disappointed or confused expressions. Sarah was glaring. Dean just looked mystified.
"Why can't I go?" he said, his voice taking on a sharp edge of hurt.
"We're taking Kevin too," Sarah supplied easily. "It's about time he helped out with supplies, but it would be way too cramped with everyone. Just take a load off while we're out!" They all stood in silence for a few moments, attention focused on Dean. He was still obviously more than suspicious, and definitely hurt, but he finally shook his head.
"Fine," he said. "Whatever. Enjoy your sopping. And don't forget beer."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Sarah smiled sweetly. She winked at Dean and his expression finally cracked a bit, softening at the edges. Sarah could be scary, but she could also be unbelievably good at getting cranky men out of their 'moods'. Henry thought he remembered Charlie being the one to say that. And she was probably right, as Charlie usually was.
"Mama!" a little voice called. Bess careened in from the hallway and latched onto her mother's leg. Sam lumbered in shortly afterwards, looking strained and out of breath.
"She just," Sam panted, "up and ran." Sarah laughed and Henry saw Cas out of the corner of his eye being dragged away by Dean. Sarah made a comment about Sam not being able to run faster than a 2-year-old and Sam grinned bashfully. Henry continued to glance nervously at the hallway Dean and Cas had disappeared down and swallowed thickly. They were screwed.
As soon as they were a few doors away from the noise of the living room, Dean spun and got directly in Cas's face. He stood in Cas's space, breathing hot against the other man's mouth without touching his lips. Cas's breath caught and his eyes widened.
"Cas," Dean said lowly, drawing out the name.
"Yes?" Cas said in false calm. Dean walked them backwards a few steps until Cas's back was pressed against the wall.
"What's going on?" Dean asked. He leaned in and whispered the last word right into Cas's ear. Cas shuddered against him and Dean ran a slow finger up Cas's side.
"Well, you've just ambushed me," Cas murmured. Dean leaned in and kissed the soft skin below Cas's ear, a spot he knew was particularly sensitive. Cas let out an inadvertent sigh.
"Don't play dumb," Dean said. He trailed kisses down Cas's neck. "You know what I'm talking about. What are you all up to?" Cas tilted his head to the side to give Dean a better stretch of skin to lavish attention on.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Cas said. His voice caught when Dean began sucking deeper kisses into his collar bone, pulling back the line of Cas's shirt with soft fingers.
"You're all sneaking around," Dean said, speaking between the careful touches of lips to skin. "I want to know why." In a blur of movement, Cas flipped their positions and pushed Dean against the wall instead. He leaned forward intently and brought their lips together, reaching his tongue into Dean's mouth. At the same time, he used one hand to reach up and tangle into Dean's hair the way he knew Dean liked. After a few movements, he pulled away. Dean was disheveled and his mouth hung open.
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," Cas said coolly. He leaned in and snatched another quick kiss before disappearing down the hallway. Dean panted, still leaned up against the wall. He licked his lips and shakily tried to pat his hair down before he leaned off the support of the wall and looked down the direction Cas had vanished in.
"Damn," he said. He really had picked one. Or, possibly more accurately, one really had picked him.
"So he doesn't know?" Henry asked. Cas squinted at the cans of soup in front of him like they were written in another language. Which wouldn't actually make sense because, as far as Henry had been able to observe, Cas could actually read all languages. So it was just the can of soup that was the problem.
"I am capable of keeping a secret," Cas said, sounding distracted. He pulled a can of chicken noodle off a shelf and looked at it in his hand for a moment before putting it back. Henry huffed, impressed. He looked up at the shelf and then back to Cas.
"What are you doing?" he asked. Cas continued to furrow his brow as he looked at the can.
"Sarah told me to find soup."
"What kind of soup?"
"She didn't say."
"Ah." Henry furrowed his own brow at the wall of food. And that was exactly how Sarah found them. There was an amused snort to their left and then Sarah rolled into place in front of them with a full cart of food.
"Guys, it's just soup," she laughed. Cas looked apologetic as she reached over and began grabbing cans, quickly dumping them into the cart.
"You didn't specify the type," Cas said, his expression turning embarrassed. When she finished dumping cans there were over fifteen in the cart. Sarah gestured to all of them.
"Whatever you get, it's gonna get eaten," she said. "That bunker houses four grown men and a boy barely past being a teenager. I could bring cream of monkey brain soup back and it would be gone within a day." Henry chuckled and Cas cracked a small smile.
"Is that everything, then?" Henry asked. They all looked at the overflowing basket of foot.
"Looks like," Sarah said.
"Wait!" A voice called from behind them. They all turned to see Kevin lightly jogging down the aisle with something blue in his hand. When he reached them, he slammed the package of Double Stuff Oreos into the cart and grinned. "I've been looking for you guys for like ten minutes. Now we're done."
"Good choice," Sarah smiled at the package of cookies. "Hope you have a good hiding place, though, or you're not getting jack."
"I have my ways," Kevin wiggled an eyebrow and Henry groaned dramatically.
"Are we all finished now?" he asked. Sarah chuckled.
"Let's get out of here," she said. "We need to be fast if we want time at the mall for presents." They all raced through self-checkout, which turned into an assembly line. Cas handed items from the cart to Sarah, who scanned them, then sent them down to Henry and Kevin, who were competing for best grocery bagger in Kansas. At least, that's what it looked like. Kevin thought he had a definite lead. Then again, so did Henry. They argued over who had done a better job while they loaded bags into the car.
"I packed more bags than you," Kevin said. He slipped into the back of the car, a four-door piece of junk from the mid-80s that Dean had slowly fixed up for Sarah a couple weeks after she and Bess moved in permanently. For now, the use was split between her and Kevin, who was using it to drive to school a couple days a week in Concordia.
"Yes, but your bags are a disaster," Henry retorted. He climbed into the back with Kevin as Cas had already claimed the passenger seat.
"Quantity over quality," Kevin responded. Henry snorted.
"You only say that because you know I did a better job."
"Eat me, Gramps!"
"Well, I certainly wouldn't ask you to bag my groceries!" In the front seat, Sarah and Cas shared an amused look. Henry and Kevin were still arguing when they pulled up in front of the mall. When they finally got inside the building, Cas turned around and put one of each of his hands on Henry and Kevin.
"You are both terrible at putting food into bags," he said. "Now, it is time to go and buy gifts for Dean." He removed his hands and Sarah muffled a giggle at the looks on all three men's faces.
"I already got Dean a gift," Kevin said, offended. Henry glared at him.
"Then why did you come with us?" he asked. Kevin shrugged.
"You told Dean I was coming," he said. Cas sighed.
"Sarah, do you know what you're getting?" Sarah cleared her throat to stop laughing and nodded.
"Yup, I know what I want," she said.
"Then take Kevin with you," Cas said. She smiled and looped her arm through the prophet's.
"Alright, Tran, come keep me company," she said. Kevin smiled and held onto her arm more tightly.
"Anything to get away from Henry 'Worst Bagger' Winchester," he said. Henry's head boiled and Cas had to put his hand on Henry's arm to stop him from marching after the retreating pair.
"That little brat," Henry muttered. Cas glared at him.
"You're fighting with a 19-year-old," he said. "You realize that, correct?" Henry quelled slightly under Cas's look and his scowl lessened.
"Sorry," he muttered. Cas shook his head the way he sometimes did at Dean. It was frustration with a hint of amusement.
"I'm not sure what I would like to get Dean," Cas said. Henry shook his head.
"Me either," he said. "Let's just walk and browse for a while." Cas nodded and they both started down the main hall of the mall. They passed a few stores which they ignored out of hand. Claire's, Forever 21, Foot Locker… nothing they thought would catch Dean's eye.
"Choosing presents seems like a difficult activity," Cas said after a few minutes of silence. They passed an Apple store and Henry was taken aback, as he always was, at the sheer amount of technology in one room. He would never adjust to the Apple store.
"I agree," Henry said. They ducked into a Hot Topic and almost immediately left again, both pulling an unimpressed expression.
"How are you supposed to find a gift that reflects how much you care about someone?" Cas continued. "Dean knows I love him because I tell him. Why would an object also be needed to prove it?" Henry thought for a moment.
"I think it's a way of showing that you understand someone," Henry said. "Humans like to know that people know them. A good gift means a person has been listening. It means there is a connection."
"Humans may put too much value in objects," Cas said flatly. Henry chuckled.
"Oh, they definitely do. But gifts are valuable for the emotion that was put into finding them." Cas seemed to muse on that while they passed a store that sold only candles.
"Dean wants to know he is understood?" Cas asked. Henry nodded. An idea for a gift was suddenly coming to him.
"Exactly," he said. "He'll love whatever you get him, because he cares about you, but he'll love it more if it is personal. I just figured out what I'm going to buy, actually. Will you be alright on your own?" Cas's eyes filled with fear for a moment before determination took its place.
"Of course," he said. "I may have an idea as well."
"Great!" Henry said. "I'll meet you back at the door, ok?" He turned and walked quickly in the opposite direction, down towards the store he had seen was brand new a few weeks earlier. He hadn't known what a leather goods dealer would be able to sell him then, but Cas's question had him figuring it out.
"Hey, Henry?" Dean knocked on Henry's door loudly. He had barely seen his grandfather in days. First, he was sneaking around, then the sneaky shopping trip, and now he kept disappearing to odd corners of the bunker without warning. Cas still wasn't talking. Which was digging at Dean's stomach like a hot coal. Cas lying was never, never a good sign.
"Yes?" Henry called back. The door stayed closed and Dean huffed in frustration.
"You want to open the door?" he said.
"Um… I'm changing?" Henry said slowly, the end of the sentence drawing up like it was a question that even Henry wasn't sure he was asking.
"You not sure about that?" Dean asked, still grumpy and unhappy to be speaking to a door and not Henry himself.
"What do you need, Dean?" Henry called. Dean clenched and then released his fist in frustration. He resisted the urge to break down the door. It wouldn't be hard. He's done it once before when he'd thought Cas was dying or something. Turns out he had just locked the door to do something and then fallen asleep. Dude slept like the dead. He only started to wake up when his door actually shattered as Dean crashed through it with the help of a fire hydrant.
"Just got a call from Garth," Dean said gruffly. He felt stupid yelling this through a door. It was supposed to be a gesture and instead he was just shouting at some wood. "There's a salt and burn a couple hours from here… I thought you might want to come with me." Dean winced. Inside the room was silence. Then the door clicked open so Henry could stick his head out. He looked downright mournful.
"You want me to come?" he asked. His voice was sad and Dean steeled himself for disappointment.
"Yeah, you know, first time out since the Abaddon thing," he said. Henry sighed loudly.
"I'm sorry but I think I'm coming down with something," he said, his voice soft and untruthful. "I know I'll be knocked on my ass in a couple of hours. I'd just hold you up." Dean tried to brush it off despite the disappointment and rage building up inside him.
"Hey, just thought I'd ask," he said. He started to back away from Henry's room but Henry didn't open the door any further or start to change his mind.
"I'm sorry," Henry said again. Dean shrugged and turned, calling the words back over his shoulder.
"Not big deal." Yes it was. "Feel better." He wouldn't.
Dean turned the corner and tugged on the sleeve of his shirt, a habit he wasn't sure when he had picked up. He just knew he did it when he was frustrated. And he was. First time he'd asked Henry to go on a hunt with him since the Abaddon kidnapping and the heaven fiasco and he'd been turned down flat. And with a bullshit excuse! If Henry didn't want to come, if he still wasn't over the other shit, he could have just fucking said so.
Dean turned the last corner and ducked into his room. He quickly grabbed his duffle from under his side of the bed and started tossing things into it. Salt and burn would take a day, maybe two, so the duffle was left looking deflated and empty only holding a couple shirts, a pair of jeans, and a sawed-off. He was dumping the duffle on the floor when Cas walked in and cleared his throat.
"Hey, babe," Dean grunted. A small smile snaked across Cas's lips the way it always did when Dean used any kind of pet name for him. He glanced at the bag on the floor.
"Are you going somewhere?" Cas asked. Dean stood up and seemed to consider something for a minute before speaking.
"Yeah, salt and burn," he said. "You want to come help me out?" Cas moved forward and kissed the hunter which, admittedly, did make him feel better. But then Cas pulled back.
"Why don't you just go with Sam? You haven't had time to be just brothers for a few months now," Cas said. "I'm sure you could both use a break from the bunker." Heat burned in Dean's cheeks. He tried not to show how hurt he was but he knew some of the anger and shame burned its way to the surface.
"Right," he said shortly. "I'll just take Sammy. Whatever." Cas's eyebrows pulled together in concern.
"Dean, I don't mean to—"
"No, I get it," Dean cut him off. "Who wants to spend a couple sweaty hours in the car with me anyway?" Cas opened his mouth to object but Dean cut him off by shouting down the hall. "Sammy! In the car in five. Salt and burn!" He grabbed his duffle, kissed Cas's cheek roughly, and then walked out of the room. Cas's arms fell to his sides in disappointment. He stood there until he heard the door to the garage open and close. Shortly after that, Henry walked into the doorway.
"Did he ask you to go with him?" Henry asked. Cas nodded, frown pinching the corners of his mouth. Henry sighed. "Me too."
"It seems a bad sign that the planning of this party is actually causing Dean sadness and anger," Cas said.
"Well, he'll appreciate it in the end!" Henry said, attempting to be cheery. Cas still looked doubtful and somewhat disheartened.
"Boys! Kitchen!" Sarah's loud voice coming from down the hall made both of them jump. They shuffled down the hall together and into the kitchen where Sarah stood. Bess sat on the counter behind her. There had been a debate about allowing this sort of thing the week after Sarah moved in. Dean hadn't really wanted to give up solo ownership of the kitchen, and he especially didn't want children that were "always covered in sticky things and shit" on his counter. The shouting match had been absolutely terrifying. Sarah won without question. Now they switched off cooking and Bess could play wherever it was Bess wanted to play.
In Sarah's hands were cleaning agents in little spray bottles and rags, and there was a broom leaned against the counter next to her. She handed off the rag and one of the bottles of cleaner to Henry and then passed the broom to Cas with a small smile.
"Alright, we have until tomorrow," Sarah said. "Kevin won't be back from school until tonight, and Charlie will be here with the decorations tomorrow morning. " Henry and Cas both stared at the cleaning supplies in their hands.
"What are we cleaning?" henry asked. He turned the spray bottle over in his hands.
"Everything," Sarah declared with a grin. She pulled rubber gloves up over her hands and took on an affected, straight stance, mouth twitching in laughter. "Now get busy!"
AN: Alright, maybe I left it on a slightly angsty note, but it's almost impossible not to do that where Dean is concerned. I hope you enjoyed part 1! This is only going to have one more chapter (much shorter than other Henry Verse stories) but I hope you enjoy it anyway. And sorry this is posting in April when Dean's birthday is in January, but in fairness I did start writing this on Dean's birthday. Anyway, thanks for reading. Leave comments below! And the second half will be up soon. (Fic title from Hero by Family of the Year)