Summary: Merry Christmas, Castiel!
"Why do you use trees to celebrate Christmas?"
Dean chuckled, looking back. The angel was looking around with large, open eyes. He kind of resembled a child, except that the way he tilted his head and scrunched his eyebrows was only something Castiel could do. "It's a tradition in America, Cas. Don't ask me." he smiled. "'Sides, we're here for food, not decorations."
The older Winchester swore he saw Castiel's eyes darken slightly – perhaps with disappointment – but Sam was waving a bag of beef jerky at them, so he turned back around and went back to pushing the cart down the aisles of Walmart.
"You know, what if we don't hunt this Christmas?" Sam suggested as they were driving home, having to raise his voice to be heard over the music blasting from the speakers. Castiel perked up in the backseat.
Dean shot his brother a look of surprise. "What?" he half-shouted back. Sam rolled his eyes and turned down the music, earning another look from his brother.
"What if we just... I don't know, rent a room in a motel. Chill out. Just this once, just for two or three days." Sam glanced back at Castiel to see that he was listening, eyes agreeing but face blank. Sam leaned a little closer to Dean. "Come on, man. It's Cas' first Christmas on Earth. You wanna have him running after some random monster?"
"Sam-"
"You do not have to make special allowances for me, Sam. I am perfectly fine with hunting during Christmas. I am sure Father would understand."
Dean stared at Castiel in the rearview mirror. "Wait, what's that gotta... oh." he blinked, glancing back at Sammy. "So you mean Christmas..."
Castiel met Dean's eyes in the mirror and gave a slight nod.
Dean groaned. "Well damn. Look, Cas, it's just that-"
Sam glanced downward, then glanced back up. Dean grit his teeth as the puppy dog eyes came out to play. "No. It's not going to work, Sammy. Stop." he ordered, fixing his eyes on the road.
Minutes later, he made the mistake of looking into the rearview mirror, to see Cas looking at him with those piercing blue eyes, eyebrows curved up in the middle. Dean sighed and gripped the steering wheel harder. "Fine. We'll do that pansy Christmas thing." he grunted.
Sam flashed the angel a grin, which was returned with a whisper of a smile.
Dean glared at the black road. "Shut up." he snarled, and blasted up the music.
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"This one's got lights already." Sam pointed out, brushing his hand along some prickly plastic needles. December 24th seemed to have arrived quickly.
Dean looked up from the cheapest, light-less tree he was scowling at and came to his brother's shoulder. "You want this one? Fin-"
"Dean... Sam... I found one that amuses me." Castiel was almost smiling, shifting his weight eagerly from one foot to the other.
"Yeah? Alright then, lead the way." Castiel nodded and turned, trench coat fluttering like a cape around his legs.
Dean fought back a protest as they stared up at the tree. It wasn't tall, only about a foot or two tall. It was coated with fake frost, glittering with lights...
…. and dancing and wearing a Santa hat as it sang the Charlie Brown version of "O Christmas Tree" and "Rocking Around The Christmas Tree" and all those other cheesy Christmas songs about trees.
"There is no way." Dean said calmly, shaking his head. Sam was laughing. Castiel was watching the tree, smiling, but turned to Dean at the rejection.
"Why not, Dean? It's fun." Sam picked it up. "Cheap, too. Ten bucks."
Castiel's eyes were scanning Dean's face. "You do not find the singing tree amusing. It annoys you."
"Yeah, a bit." Dean sighed. "Look it's fine we can-"
But Castiel shook his head. "No, it is loud and it bothers you. We can find something else... like this." Castiel turned to the tree beside the dancing one.
This one was much larger, standing maybe five and a half feet tall. It boasted its own lights, as well as frost, and it was not singing and dancing. Dean nodded and picked up one of the boxes before stuffing it into the cart. "Alright. Are we done here?" he grinned hopefully.
Sam rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Cas. I'll show you where the Christmas cookies are, and we can pick up some lights and stuff."
Castiel followed the younger brother, glancing back at Dean before disappearing around the corner.
"I hate Christmas." Dean grumbled as he followed, once again pushing the cart.
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Sitting in the room of the rented cabin, bathed in red and green lights, devouring five batches of chocolate chip cookies shaped like elves, or Santa, or bells or reindeer, were the three saviors of the world.
"You know, this isn't so bad!" Dean said through his seventh cookie, spraying crumbs everywhere.
"The only thing left is to set up the tree." Sam nodded to the box that was still sealed and sitting near the tiny fireplace.
Dean nodded, pulling the pocketknife from his pocket as Castiel swiped three more cookies from the plate and continued to eat. He knelt beside the long white box containing the Christmas tree and sliced it open. "Alright, ladies. Go ahead and do your thing, then." He said as he sat back.
"What, you aren't gonna help?" Sam grunted as he freed the base. Castiel joined him, pulling out the top of the tree and looking startled.
"Have I broken it?" he asked confusedly.
Dean laughed and gestured. "No, Cas. Go on then, Sammy. Help him out."
Samy rolled his eyes. "That's the top, see?" he explained, and went on to pull out the other sections. Castiel nodded, snapping the base into place and aiding Sam in piecing the tree together. Sam went on to fluffing out the branches, angling them and so forth, and Castiel began to search for an outlet to plug it into.
Finding one, the angel leaned forward with the short cord in hand. The tree wobbled. Dean swallowed the most recent cookie and jumped to his feet, just as the tree toppled. He caught it just as Sam did, and they stopped it from falling over. The lights flickered on, nearly blinding Dean as they burst into brightness inches from his eyes.
"I like it." Castiel declared, smiling. Dean sighed and stepped back.
"Needs a star." he pointed out, looking around.
"We bought a tree topper. It's in the bag over there." Sam pointed with a foot while readjusting the branches where they'd grabbed.
Castiel followed as Dean went searching for the object. Finally finding the box, he flipped it over expecting a star.
He was not expecting an angel to smile up at him, complete with sweeping white wings and a long gown. Dean stared at it, then looked up to see Castiel staring at him, a cookie in each hand. "This was your idea, wasn't it?"
Castiel's smile sent crumbs spilling over his chin.
Dean looked at Sammy. "Well, you put it on there, baby brother." he offered, holding it out. "That was the tradition, back before Mom died."
Sammy shook his head. "I want you to do it."
Dean sighed dramatically, as if this was all a big pain in the ass, and pried open the box. He pulled the plastic angel out carefully, walking over to the tree as he did so. Stretching, he placed the angel up there and plugged it in. A halo lit up brightly, and he rolled his eyes yet again.
Castiel and Sam were watching him, licking chocolate off their fingers. Castiel wiped a milk mustache off his upper lip, and Dean suddenly burst out laughing, making both of them jump.
"What?" Sam demanded, and Castiel echoed him.
"This is the most ridiculous thing." he laughed. "It's great."
Sam smiled at his brother's happiness and plopped down into an armchair. "It's pretty weird, celebrating Christmas with an angel, eating homemade cookies..." he reached an hand up and flicked the white puff on the top of his Santa hat. "and these? This is so stupid, and yet so relaxing."
Castiel reached up and rolled the bell of the reindeer antlers he wore between his fingers. "This is a fun experience. I am glad to have shared it with you two." he said honestly.
Dean cleared his throat, and pointed a finger accusingly at Castiel. "Dude. No chick flick moments, remember?"
"Somehow, that is not as serious coming from you when you where a hat with a bell." Castiel's eyes crinkled with the wideness of the smile this time, and Dean tugged the elf hat down farther on his head.
"This is manly as shit, Cas."
"If you say so, Dean." Castiel nodded, then looked at the shining empty plate that was sitting on the table. "Oh."
There was an awkward silence as the trio stared at the empty plate. Then suddenly Sam and Dean began argueing over which was the fatter, and dragged Castiel into the fight as he protested that he only had seventeen of the cookies.
Finally Dean shouted for everyone to shut up and pointed at the clock. 12:00 gleamed brightly in red, and Dean looked to Castiel. "Merry Christmas, Castiel."
Sammy smiled. Castiel looked happy, genuinely happy, as he tilted his head to the side with a chime of little bells. "Merry Christmas, Sam and Dean."