Down a long gravel driveway, sat in the center of a circular clearing in the dense forest of trees, the little one-story cabin was bustling with activity. Everyone was cleaning, cooking, and getting dressed – well, for the most part.
"But Papa, I don't like that dress," Charlie pouted, crossing her arms, long red hair falling into her face. "Why can't I just wear my overalls?"
"Because, Uncle Sam and Aunt Jessica are coming over, and we're all dressing up for dinner," Castiel reminded her patiently, kneeling in front of her with a petite yellow dress in his hand.
"Oh, just let her wear the damn overalls," Dean called from the doorway. "Hell, I don't like dressing up, either."
The blue-eyed, dark-haired man shot a glare over at his husband, but it went unnoticed as Charlie ran over to Dean and leapt into his arms. "Thank you, Daddy!" She beamed up at him.
"You bet," he grinned back. "You ready to help me with the burgers?"
"Uh-huh," the little girl nodded enthusiastically.
Castiel stood and walked over to them, wrapping an arm around Dean's shoulder and kissing his cheek. "I believe this is what the parenting guide called 'being a pushover'," he teased.
"What kinda dad would I be if I didn't let our little girl dress like a farmhand all the time?" Dean winked. "Go finish getting dressed, handsome. We'll be outside."
Castiel nodded and they parted ways, him to the master bedroom and Dean and Charlie outside on the patio to the grill.
"Careful, it's hot," Dean warned the spunky eight-year old, but she just rolled her eyes.
"I know, Daddy," she drawled, walking in a careful circle around the grill to plop down in a lawn chair just off the brick patio. Picking at the grass under her feet, she began, "I'm gonna show Kevin all my new games. He's gonna think they're so cool and I'm gonna show him how to beat all the levels!"
"You guys could, I dunno, play outside in this nice weather in the big backyard your papa and I set up for you," Dean suggested, starting on the burgers. "Overalls are for kids who play outside, you know."
"Whatever," the little girl scoffed – with way too much sass for a kid her age. Dean was still convinced that those mini-bitchfaces were Sam's fault.
They stayed that way for another half hour, Charlie going on and on about her video games while Dean flipped burgers. Finally Castiel emerged from the house, bright blue tie in hand, and his husband set to work fastening it around his neck. They guy still had no idea how to tie a tie without it ending up upside-down and backwards so Dean always had to do it for him.
After the final knot had been slipped into place and a quick brush of lips triggered a quiet retching sound from Charlie's direction, the family of three heard voices drawing near.
Sam, Jessica, and their son Kevin had let themselves into the house and soon joined the rest of the group on the patio.
"Sammy!" Dean shouted, wrapping up his giant brother as best he could in a big hug.
"Hey, man," the younger Winchester grinned, hugging back.
"Uncle Saaaam!" Charlie yelled, springing out of her chair and squeezing her way between the brothers.
"There she is," Sam laughed, releasing Dean to swing his niece up onto his shoulders.
Castiel gave Jess a warm hug and Dean followed up with the same. "Good to see you, Jess," he said.
"Same to you," the cheery blonde replied, smiling wide.
"Hey, Kev." Dean bent down to greet his nephew. "How you doin', little man?"
"Good," the black haired nine-year old said stiffly, not even looking up from the book he had been reading while walking. Dean shook his head and grinned. Just like Sam.
"Who's up for burgers?" the older Winchester called out as he clapped his hands and stood up.
"I'm starved," Sam groaned, plopping into a seat at the patio table. "Let's get going already."
A chorus of agreement, some scraping of chairs, and a few trips into the kitchen later, all six were sat around the table, eating heartily and catching up on the past few weeks. Sam and Jess usually visited Dean and Castiel often, but Sam had been busy with work lately; some fancy-shmancy lawyer stuff that Dean pretended to be interested in as Sam chattered on.
Before long, Charlie had plucked Kevin's book from his hands and run inside with her cousin on her heels, undoubtedly about to force him into some video games.
"I'll be shocked if she can keep his nose out of that book for more than twenty minutes," Jess laughed.
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Dean said with a look at his brother, who merely shrugged.
"Can't say I'm upset about having an intellectual kid."
"Oh man, an intellectual kid? Really?" Dean chuckled. "Only you, Sammy."
"He's gonna get into the honor program at his school, I know it," Sam announced proudly.
"I think you're more excited about that than he is," Dean teased.
"Castiel," Jess interjected, laying a hand atop the blue-eyed man's, "will you show me the new dock you put in down by the river? Sam's been telling me about it, I'd love to see."
"Of course," Castiel replied eagerly. The small river ran right along the edge of his and Dean's property, and as a birthday present one year Dean had cleared a path through the trees and down the hill to the bank. They went down and swam often, but Castiel loved to just sit by the water and read, so Dean surprised him again with a little wooden dock where he could sit and poke his toes in with his book while staying dry and comfortable. Sam had helped Dean build it, but Jessica had been home with a flu-ridden Kevin and hadn't seen it yet.
The two took off down the path arm-in-arm, their amiable conversation going out of earshot of the two brothers just before they disappeared down the hill.
"Did you plan for her to do that?" Dean asked knowingly, getting up from the table and grabbing a couple of beers from the cooler nearby, tossing one to Sam.
The younger Winchester ignored the question and kicked his feet up on Jessica's now-empty chair. "Have you talked to him yet?"
Dean rolled his eyes. "No, Sam, I haven't."
"What's the hold-up, dude? You know he'll go for it, and Charlie –"
"Speak of the devil," Dean cut him off as the redhead burst through the door to the patio.
"You'll never catch me!" she cried dramatically over her shoulder.
"Run for your life, you fiend!" Kevin shouted, bounding past the bewildered Sam and Dean to chase after her.
"Is this –"
"Yeah," Sam confirmed, just as slack-jawed as his brother. "This is really happening."
Charlie leapt behind a tree, somersaulting out on the other side before taking off running again. She had a head start, but her budding-genius of a cousin was surprisingly fast. He pounced, catching her shoulder, and they both tumbled to the ground, wrestling and giggling and yelling things like, "Unhand me, you fool!" and "You're mine now, villain!"
"Jess is never gonna believe me when I tell her they're actually playing outside together," Sam chuckled.
"Cas will just be glad she's not in front of the big screen anymore. Maybe he'll actually get to watch 'Singing With the Stars' or whatever for once," the older Winchester snorted.
They both took a swig of beer, leaning back in their chairs to bask in the warm weather, watch their kids roll around in the dirt (good thing Charlie didn't wear that dress), and enjoy the company of family.
Dean propped his head up on his hand, watching his husband fondly as his bright blue eyes danced across the page of the latest book to tickle his fancy. They were both lying in bed, the only light coming from the dim lamp on Castiel's side, casting half of his face in shadow. Sam and Jess had left a couple hours earlier, carrying an exhausted Kevin to the car after having to literally drag him away from his cousin. Charlie was tucked into bed, fast asleep with a smile still etched onto her chubby face.
It had been at least ten minutes and Dean was still working up the courage to make a sound. The whole time he'd been staring unabashedly at Castiel, who didn't seem to mind. But after a little while longer, he closed his book and turned to face Dean.
"What is it?" he asked.
"What's what?" The Winchester feigned innocence.
Castiel's brows knit together. "Dean."
"Okay, okay," he relented, rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling. "I was just... I've been thinking about it for a while, you know? Maybe we could think about... um..." He cleared his throat nervously. "Maybe Charlie would like a little brother or sister," he finished quietly.
"Oh, Dean," Castiel sighed, snuggling up close to his side. "I was wondering how long it would take you to realize."
"What?" Dean looked down at his husband, golden-green eyes shining with confusion.
"You want another child," Castiel stated. "You have since the day we brought Charlie home. You were born to be a father. And, I believe that the second child we bring into this family will be blessed to have one as good as you," he finished simply.
As if those words didn't shatter Dean's heart – in the good, bursting with happiness kind of way. As if those words didn't fill him with even more love and admiration than he already had for his husband. As if those words didn't render him speechless, bring tears to his eyes, cause his arms to wrap Castiel up in a tight embrace and fall asleep the happiest he had ever been.
