Happy Anniversary

Written for the schmoop_bingo prompt of "first anniversary"

Fandom : Supernatural/Leverage

Pairing : Dean/Eliot (Fits in the same 'verse as "I Keep Your Picture" and "How It All Began" – kind of a timestamp to the parts I haven't finished writing and posting yet!)

Rating : PG-13

Word count : about 1,400 words

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

Happy Anniversary

There are things worth celebrating and things that . . . well it doesn't really matter about at all. Over the years, they've probably missed more Christmases than they've been able to celebrate and the same goes for birthdays. It's not like either of them have had regular jobs, hell they've not even had regular lives but throughout it all, the one thing they've hung on to is the knowledge that they have each other, that they've been at the other end of a phone call.

Well until a little over a year ago, all of that was true. Then there was Caitlyn and everything changed. Changed in ways neither of them had ever dared to hope.

Dean moved round the kitchen cleaning up Caitlin's breakfast dishes as she happily banged a spoon that she had no intention of letting go of against her high chair table. Dean knew better than to try and take it off of her until he was ready to lift her out of the chair. He looked over his shoulder and shared a fond smile with her as she called his name.

With the last of the dishes clean, he dried his hands and crossed to pick her out of the chair. "So Munchkin, where do you reckon your Daddy's gone, huh? Sneaking out all early on us this morning. I wonder what he's up to? No good, no doubt about it." Dean carried on talking as she snuggled against him as he took her back to her room to get cleaned up and changed. "You haven't forgotten what day it is today, have you, Caitie? You remember I told you all about it?"

Dean had just finished pulling her clean t-shirt on, vivid pink with the words 'I'm a princess' emblazoned on the front in large sprawling and sparkly letters, when he heard the front door open and close signalling Eliot's return. He walked to the door, pointed to Eliot and then set her down on the floor and let her toddle on unsteady legs across to the new arrival with a cry of 'Daddy'.

Eliot smiled and set down the packages he'd been carrying and held out his hands to her. "Has Dean put you in that t-shirt again? I'm sure he washes it on its own so you can have it to wear more often."

"It's her favorite and anyway you know it's true," Dean smirked as he crossed the room and when Eliot stood up, he leant in to give them both a quick kiss. "So did you want some breakfast or did you eat while you were out?"

"It may very well be true but we don't need to tell everyone," Eliot snarked in return, the argument familiar to them both and not really serious. His attention on Dean had just the expected response from Caitlyn and she smacked her hand against his nose and mouth. He looked down at her and sighed, "You don't help matters by proving him right you know, Caitlyn." He spread his hand over her back to cover the set of words there that read, "When I'm not being a monster!"

"Yeah, a bit of breakfast would be good. I – erm – I got you a bit of something while I was out." Eliot couldn't help but smile at Dean's sudden interest.

"You did? What for?" Dean asked tentatively.

"Here and ummm, happy anniversary," Eliot flushed, but was relieved to see the clear delight in Dean's eyes as he crossed to take hold of the bag Eliot was holding out. Inside there were two carefully wrapped presents.

Dean lifted the larger parcel out and unwrapped it to reveal a shirt. He smiled and held it up in front of him, calling to Caitlyn, "So, Caitie, what do you reckon? Has your daddy got good taste? Am I gonna look handsome in this?"

"Dean! Dean!" Caitlyn called, enthusiastically clapping her hands.

"Looks like that one meets with suitable approval. So what's in the other one?" Dean lifted the small present out and gave Eliot a curious look, surprised to see the other man looking really anxious. He unwrapped a small velvet box and when he flipped the lid open, there inside lay two identical rings. "El!" he gasped.

Eliot hung his head and said, "You don't have to . . ." only to find his words cut off by Dean wrapping his arms around his shoulder and bringing him in closer.

"You and me, for real," Dean said softly. The two of them shared a kiss that was interrupted by Caitlyn patting at them both and calling their names. Dean drew back and looked Eliot in the eyes and said, "Thank you." He then turned to Caitlyn and said, "Come on Munchkin. You've got something to give Daddy as well."

He lifted her from Eliot's arms and set her on her feet and watched as she pattered away. He followed her and then turned her round when she had picked up a large piece of card. She held it out as she returned to Eliot and he bent down to take a look at what she was carrying. Turning the card over he saw a mess of her hand and fingerprints, combined he was pretty sure with more than a few of Dean's. At the top, Dean had written "Happy 1st Anniversary" and at the bottom, "Love Caitlyn x". Eliot's eyes were damp at the thought of how lucky he was to have all this.

Dean left her to play with Eliot while he quickly made Eliot some breakfast and the three of them were sat quietly together on the floor when there was a knock at the door. Eliot frowned for an instant before going to answer, having taken note of Dean's excited grin. When Eliot opened the door there on the other side stood a man with a delivery note. Eliot's jaw dropped as he gasped, "I didn't know you were coming today."

"It's all arranged, sir."

"It's okay, El. They spoke to me or rather I called them to get the delivery moved up to today."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Dean confirmed. "So you guys want to bring the couch in. He's not going to stop you really, I won't let him," Dean finished with a smirk to the delivery guy who was still standing waiting in the doorway.

The guy went back out to his delivery truck and his colleague who was already undoing the straps that had held the couch in place inside. Eliot crossed the room, hoisting Caitlyn into his arms on the way. "You did this, why?"

Dean laughed, tweaking Caitlyn's nose as he replied, "Because my plan for our first anniversary can't happen if we've got nothing to sit on. Come on, El, you knew it was coming, so I got them to move the delivery up a few days. It's not like we haven't finished the decorating, it's not like we've got anything else to sit on." He turned away, bending down to pick up a few stray toys and move them out of the way.

And so that was how Dean and Eliot spent their first anniversary since they'd bought their first home together with the little girl who had become their much loved daughter, curled up on the couch together, all three of them watching and singing along with "The Aristocats," because Dean's gift to Eliot and Caitlyn had been a set of every single Disney DVD that he'd been able to find and a tub of popcorn.

A little over a year ago it definitely would not have been their first choice of movie to watch, but a year down the line with a little girl curled on Eliot's lap as he lay back against Dean's chest on their new couch watching cats because she loves cats just now and neither of them can think of anywhere they'd rather be.