Faith
Only Sam, dean and Castiel would be hunting so close to Christmas, since they really didn't do Christmas and if they did it was a hit and miss affair that was usually some fried chicken, some beers and watching a game of football. It wasn't the Winchester's favourite season. Last year, Dean and Castiel had been in Purgatory and Sam had been trying to pick up the pieces of his life that had been left.
So here they were in a very cold Chicago, hunting shapeshifters who had been very creative with Santa's and elves in local department stores, but had lacked intelligence when working so close to the jewellery department.
Walking back to where they had left the car, they didn't say much to each other, Sam thought he should mention that it was Christmas Eve tomorrow, perhaps they could do something but he didn't know whether post purgatory Dean would want to or if Cas would even be here.
A block away from where they parked the Impala the hunters stopped in front of the Church of St John the Divine, where the local community were staging an outdoor nativity, despite the freezing temperatures. Sam raised an eyebrow when a female angel Gabriel announced herself to the rather cold looking shepherds.
"Hark I am Angel Gabriel and I bring you glad tidings of joy,"
"As if Gabriel would talk like that, he would have probably turned the sheep into wolves first before delivering the news, telling them to go to Nazareth instead of Bethlehem." Dean joked; making Sam smile but Castiel cocked his head.
"This was before Gabriel became a trickster," he announced his face burrowed in confusion as he watched the rather overdramatic performance, "but when you take in to account of the ancient translation of amariac language it is not far off, what I don't understand is why the shepherds are wearing dressing gowns..."
Dean rolled his eyes, "It's Christmas man, it's a nativity and that's the international costume for a shepherd in a nativity."
"Also you celebrate this in December when Jesus was born most likely in your September; the feasts at this time of year were normally pagan." Castiel continued spouting out his confusion.
"Oh come on Cas," Dean scoffed, "What's more pagan than a religious festival based on a fairytale?"
Sam groaned wishing that the ground would swallow him up whole, Castiel glowered at Dean, not saying anything but his eyes clearly said "Explain...carefully"
"Well besides you know the angels, shepherds, wise men and maternity stable there is the glaringly obvious virginity question!" Dean explained and inwardly Sam screamed, he sometimes wished he could just wander over into his brother's head and kick his brain.
"You don't believe that Mary was a virgin?" Castiel growled, his eyes narrowing.
"Dude she was married, you can't tell me that in all their dating years and even after their marriage that they didn't do the nitty gritty, unless old Joey was batting for the other-"
"Dean!" Castiel yelled and Sam swore he could have heard thunder in a clear skied night, "Jesus was the Son of God."
"Says who? You?" Dean retorted.
"Yes since I was there," Castiel replied slightly pompously.
Sam blinked at the admission but could sense the atmosphere around the pair become more volatile, now they were ignoring each other, watching the scene where the shepherds rejoiced the new boy king marching off to Bethlehem.
"This is just another example of your lack of faith," Castiel sighed
"I have faith," Dean shot back stung.
"Oh really?" Castiel glared, attempting sarcasm and actually getting it right.
Sam coughed awkwardly, "You know I am going to ahead and warm up the car, you know get it de-iced" he backed away slowly not sure whether Dean or Castiel who were stubbornly glaring at each other, noticed the younger hunter walk away.
"What?" Dean challenged, breaking the stare off, "Just because I don't have much faith in the nativity or god-"
"My father," Castiel cut in bitingly, hurt in his eyes, he walked to a bench, sitting down, watching the nativity sadly.
Dean sighed, watching the angel, he could relate to him being defensive over a once idolised father who had let him down in the past few years. He shuffled across to stand beside the bench, "I just don't know how you still have such blind faith in your father Cas,"
"Like you did in your father?" Castiel said icily.
"Low blow Cas," Dean winced, "But look where blind faith got us?"
"It's not blind faith Dean," Castiel said passionately, "its faith... Although do we really have it anymore?"
Dean sat down beside Cas, their knees brushing, the hunter sighed watching his breath evaporate in front of his eyes, he look across to the angel, "You know, I do actually have faith," Dean started and Castiel whipped his head to the hunter, "Just not in Jesus," the angel huffed, "or God."
"Stop interrupting me Cas!" Dean cried in exasperation, watching the angel fold his arms huffily, "I do believe in Jesus you know, but just differently," he looked to the nativity then back to angel, "Maybe his mom wasn't a virgin and yes his dad was a carpenter, but he was special enough for people to believe that his birth was a big event and special enough that people believed in him...and you know I thought..I thought you could relate to that...that whole believing in a human thing."
That got the angel's attention his blue eyes meeting the earnest green eyes of the hunter who continued, "I mean look, we celebrate his birth thousands of years after the event and if that is not faith what is? Faith that the people I save are worth saving because somewhere out there, who knows there could be someone just as special as the baby in that crib over there."
"That's almost blasphemous Dean," Castiel grumbled a smile tugging his eyes, "But I get your point."
"Yeah are you going to smite me?" Dean joked,"But seriously Christmas to me, it isn't about Jesus or God, it's about love, family, the people I care about and the faith I have in them. My family, you and Sam, that's what I have the most faith in."
Castiel felt his throat burn aware of the emotion that he was feeling, he coughed "And who taught that shell of a faithless man who I dragged from hell about faith?"
Dean smiled at the angel then looked at the nativity, where the shepherds, wise men and angels surrounded the Christ child, he let his hand search for Castiel's, gently slipping his fingers into the angels, he squeezed, and "You did Cas."
Castiel stared at their conjoined hands shocked, then up to the profile of the hunter's face, he let his thumb rub over the hunter's skin, his throat constricting not sure what to say.
So he didn't say anything instead, he turned back to watch the nativity, never letting go of Dean's hand.