Castiel looked around in a strange fascination at the scenes playing out in front of him at the Winchester brothers had definitley lost their minds he decided, tilting his head to see Dean flitting about the home decor section like a male form of Martha Stewart. From what Cas knew she is very into this stuff because her name is all over EVERYTHING in the home and garden section. Dean was frantically grabbing boxes of stringed lights and anything that had an old man in a red suit on it. Cas then turned his head to see Sam throwing anything pine in his cart. Maybe it was a ritual, or a summoning spell they needed all of these things for. Whatever the reason, this was the first time in three years he had seen the two look so anxious doing anything besides hunting monsters. In fact, this time last year, Sam was in Hell and Dean was drunkenly passed out in bed.
"Goddamnit Cas!" Dean snapped moving him out of the way of a large metal shelf containing the brightly colored bulbs, "You want to help us? Here take this half of the list and grab whatever you see. Any questions, you can call us." Dean pushed Castiel off towards the middle asile and turned back to the task at hand. Castiel tilted his head to the right, and tried to make out Dean's handwriting. All he really knew for sure was that this must be a very important ritual, and that he needed to be very precise in what he grabbed.
The first item on the list that he could make out was egg nog. Castiel walked up and down every major aisleway looking for the sign above each section that should say egg nog, there wasn't and Cas looked around helplessly.
He found Sam walking hurriedly down his aisle and ran up to him "What is egg nog?" he asked panic setting in.
Sam threw Cas a rather bitchy bitch face and laughed "It's a drink Cas, so you'll find it in the food section. This is the..condom section... I thought you were down here getting Dean his Christmas present!" He grabbed Castiel by his trench coated shoulders and steered him over to a cart. "Here take one of these. Everything you need to grab on the list is gonna be in the food section."
Cas nodded in ignorant understanding and took the cart from him. Then he became slightly nervous, "Sam, why would I be in the condom and lubricant section for Dean? And what kind of ritual is this? Am I supposed to get gifts for every human I know?"
Sam just patted him on the back. "It's a lot to take in. It'll be easier to explain when we get to Bobby's...and I just thought Dean might've suggested something for the Holiday, but I guess not. I'll go grab some other stuff and then Dean. We're running kinda late so hurry up." With that Sam Winchester bounded off in the opposite direction.
Cas began racing with Angelic speed to the drink aisle, nearly tripping on himself once and hitting a large woman with his cart. He looked in every alcoholic, and juice type beverage aisle he could find. Finally he checked near the milk, and there it was. He grabbed a few cartons and looked at the next item.
Dean and Sam found Castiel the angel in an aisle with candy canes and assorted nuts lying all over the floor, and a very angry store manager shouting at him.
"This says I only needed a few candy canes. Which means less than this twelve pack. I'm intending to pay for the few that I grabbed out of the box." Dean heard Cas say, and came racing in to damage control the situation.
"He's my cousin, a little special," he slid her a 50 dollar bill. "We'll just be leaving." He grabbed Cas' arm tight and they got the hell out of there. The whole car ride no one said a word. This Christmas business was tiring Castiel thought closing his eyes and enjoying the melody of Hells Bells coming out of the Impala's speakers.
About an hour later they were pulling up to Bobby's. There was a thick white blanket of snow covering the scrap metal lot. Cas hadn't seen snow so perfectly untouched like this in quite a few centuries. The moonlight bounced off of the layer, leaving a silvery glow all over the property. Cas isn't sure how long he was there, but Dean had just finished unloading the Impala and walked over to him. He put an arm awkwardly on Cas' shoulder and stood there for a minute or two.
"You've been out here an hour Cas, Bobby's worried you'll freeze to death out here, so uh come on inside." Cas let himself be pulled into the familiar warmth of the Singer residence and was greeted with a warm "Hey" and a chuckle from the boys adoptive father.
Cas nodded and sat down, crossing his hands in a business like manner. "Now then, what is this ritual everyone is planning for? What is Christmas? What do trees have to do with all of this?"
All three of the other men laughed at him and grabbed seats in Bobby's sitting room/study. The fireplace was burning brightly and merrily. Bobby grabbed a large brown leather book and threw it on the old desk in front of him.
"Christmas Cas, is Jesus Christ's birthday."
"Yes, I know that Bobby, I was there for that. But you humans do realize he actually was born in the fall, mid October...also there were no trees or large men in red suits."
Dean cracked a smile at this and took another swig of his beer "Well shit." He mumbled.
"Well alright then, Christmas now a days is about Santa Claus bringing presents and cheer to snot nosed kids while they're sleeping. It's based off of a Pagan god."
"That just sounds terrifying. Perhaps we should look into this Santa Claus." Cas tilted his head deep in thought.
"No, he's alright Cas. Relax." Sam said, almost soothingly. He was really starting to feel bad for him. Cas was really confused. Time for him to step up and give Cas the true heartfelt meaning of the holiday.
"Cas, Christmas is really just about being with your family, about giving whatever you can for others..."
Dean snorted. "Yeah, that's exactly the kind of answer I'd expect from you Sammy. Cas, Christmas is about presents and egg nog, and food. Don't let them fool you."
Cas nodded, almost taking Dean for his word entirely. "I see. What do we do about presents?"
"Doesn't matter to me." Bobby said putting his book away.
"I'm just happy to be here." Sammy smiled.
"I've got pie." Dean said speaking around the crumbs of apple pie he had been able to squirrel into his mouth.
Castiel nodded. "I see." Humans were so strange he thought to himself.
"Well, come on boys we should go to bed, might have a case to work, and a tree to find." Bobby said setting his hat down on the desk.
2 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS
"Put your back in to it you idjits." Bobby said grunting. The three of them were trying to lift their perfect tree into Bobby's truck.
"Where's Cas?" Dean asked looking around.
"Woah Dean, you need to pay attention to this. You almost dropped your side." Groaned Sam.
"You called?" Castiel's voice appeared out of nowhere with the sound of wings flapping in the background. He sighed and with one hand, placed their tree safely in the bed of the rusted old Ford.
"Uh, yeah, where have you been?" Dean asked as the other two sat themselves in the truck. Cas just smirked and disappeared.
"Freakin Angels." Dean muttered.
"Hey this is great Cas." Sam smiled handing him a beer. Dean and Bobby just walked up and down the house with mouths agape. Somehow Castiel had managed to clean, and decorate the house with minimal destruction or accidents. (He almost lit the house on fire putting up mistletoe).
"It's missing something though" Bobby griped walking into the basement. Dean, Cas, and Sam all sat in anticipation to see what Castiel could have possibly missed. Everything was decorated like they saw on T.V. Every detail was flawless. Bobby's hobbit hole actually looked cheery to them.
Bobby walked up with a brown paper bag full of something and shuffled over a Christmas rug (with a devil's trap on the bottom of it) and craddled something precious in his arms.
"Uh, Dean, a little help here." He blushed. Dean got up and took whatever was in his hands and put it on the top of the blue and silver tree.
"There. Perfect." Bobby stepped back to smile at the mismatched angel smiling down at them. "Karen and I got this our first Christmas together, it's kind of a good way to keep her in this, ya know?"
The boys all nodded, and a sort of sentimental feeling fell over the group. Everyone had wistful smiles of years past on their faces, well everyone but Cas. Who stared disgustedly at the tree.
"Something wrong Cas?" Dean's powerful voice broke through the silence.
"Dean, there is an angel on that tree. Why is there an angel on that tree? We may have wings but we're not birds. And my true form looks nothing like this."
The angel's plastic face smiled down serenely at them. Castiel shuddered.
Dean and Sam, almost simultaneously spit their beer all over the little room, covering Cas and Bobby in the explosion.
"Really Cas? You're scared of that?"
He swallowed hard and took a long drag on his beer bottle.
Bobby had the most incredulous look on his face "You've gone up against demons, and you can't handle my Karen's angel?"
Cas just shrugged."It...is, not, normal."
"You best be hushin up now boy, before I put you up on that tree instead."
Castiel gulped and scooted closer to Dean.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Dean and Bobby sat silently at the table, tears in both of their eyes.
"I just have no idea how the years keep passing me by. How all of the people who should be here right now keep leaving." Dean reached for the whiskey and made short work of the shot that was left.
"I know boy, but we're all here. I mean, just look at our tree. Karen's angel, Ellen's scarf she knitted me one year wrapped around the base, your daddy's bullets tied up like ornaments, ash's watch, and jo's ornament that she made me for Christmas one year. they're all here, just inna spooky kinda way." Bobby put his head in his hands.
"Where are Cas and Sammy anyways Bobby, they've been gone all day."
"Beats me, those idjits took off this mornin and haven't checked in since."
Just then, the door slammed open and in came Sam with a huge smile on his face.
"Me and Cas actually did normal shopping together, nothing exploded, or was destroyed. All in all a good trip."
Bobby and Dean groaned. "What did we tell you 'bout presents?" Snapped Bobby "We didn't get you anything."
"That's alright, at least Cas got a lesson on the materialistic side of Christmas. He got some good presents on his own. I was pretty surprised." He sat down next to Bobby and stole his whiskey.
"Speaking of which, where'd that flyboy get to?"
"I think he's finishing up some stuff, I don't really know. He was here."
An hour or so after Sam's arrival, Cas walked in out of breath and covered in snow.
"Um, Cas, What're you doin?" Asked Dean cocking an eyebrow.
Cas just grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door. There, out in the snow, Castiel had carved a snowman of himself and Dean smiling at the sunset. They were freakishly good, which made Dean shudder.
"Why..?" Dean began,
"Because, it is a season to commemorate the bond you have with people, and you and I Dean have a very profound bond." He looked worriedly at him "Did I do something wrong?"
Dean just shook his head and placed a small peck on Cas' cheek. "No, this is the best Christmas present ever."
"...Better than pie?"
"Cas don't spoil the moment." Dean said lacing his freezing fingers in Cas' surprisingly warm ones.
Cas just nodded and they stood looking at the two snowmen a little longer before Sam called them back inside.
It was about two hours to go until the official Christmas Day when Sam caught the stomach flu. Everyone was sleeping, except Castiel of course. Naturally he heard Sam's awful wretching from his seat on Deans bead and floated down the stairs to make sure the young man was alright.
Sam lay crumpled on the floor in Bobby's bathroom. Cas thought for a moment and then walked into the kitchen, pulling out a glass and filling it full of water for Sam. He took it gratefully and chugged it down.
"What is wrong?" Asked Cas putting his head to Sams forehead like he had seen Bobby do to Dean once.
"It must've been something I ate." Sam shuddered looming over the toilet.
"Do you require anything Sam?"
He just weakly waved a dismissive hand at Cas and sighed "You should get back to bed."
Cas shook his head and walked out of the room. A minute later he returned, taking Sam's great feverish body in his arms and gingerly set him down on a large pile of blankets on the old couch. Next to it, was a bucket, some tissues and another glass of water.
Sam was surprised and touched that Cas would do this for him, especially since they had gotten off to such a rocky start.
"Th..thank you." Sam chattered laying his head back on the too lumpy pillow.
Castiel gave him a genuine smile. "It is nothing Sam, I would've done the same if it were Dean. I just regret that you are sick on Christmas."
Sam smiled weakly "it's alright man, I got what I wanted..."
Cas tilted his head and waited for Sam to continue.
"An actual, normal Christmas with my family no Demons,no Monsters...just the stomach flu, my pretty much father, and my brothers. Best Christmas ever ."
Cas tucked Sam's feet under his blankets, eyes shining more than they ever had. "Thank you Sam."
"For what Cas?"
"For considering me one of your own, these feelings are new to me, but I feel, warm? If that describes it accurately."
Sam just laughed weakly and dropped his head back on the pillow. "You're so weird Cas."
"What's all this noise?" Asked Bobby walking sleepily down the stairs, shotgun in hand.
"Sam is sick..." Cas began.
"So Cas is taking care of me." Sam finished. Leaning down to puke in the bucket.
"Good God boy!" Bobby said turning on the light to see Sam positively flushed. He raced over and put his hand on his forehead. "You're burning up."
"Tell me about it." Sam sighed.
The three of them lounged awake for an hour or so, lazily talking, or resting their eyes. Castiel never stopped looming over Sam, with watchful caring eyes. He looked up only once, and thats when Dean came tromping down the stairs.
Deans hair was a mess, and his wife beater and worn flannel pajama pants made him look like a little kid waking up early after Santa Claus had come, except instead of merriment he saw his brother asleep between an Angel of the Lord, and his grumpy father. The puke bucket sat looming near Bobby's outstretched feet.
"You're up early." Bobby muttered.
Dean just rubbed his eyes and stalked over, taking a blanket and cuddling himself up on the floor next to Sam's dangling hand, and Cas' legs. "Merry Christmas." He muttered before breathing deeply and evenly again.
Cas carefully got up and turned off the light after everyone had fallen asleep on the couch/ floor. He ate a sugar cookie he found on the kitchen table. It tasted, well cheery. The sun was beginning to peek into the sky. Cas thought long and hard as he sat staring at the sun, and it dawned on him. That Christmas was a time to be happy with what you have, and to spend it with family, whether they be blood or not.
As Castiel thought all of these things through he looked into the livingroom where he saw, the cranky old drunk who adopted two boys, and not only helped to save the world on a daily basis but also father not only them, but Cas included, asleep with Sam's head on his lap. he also saw his newfound brother, a man that had literally been to Hell and back, his younger brother, who had taught him about emotions and more about self sacrfice than he ever thought a human could stretched out on the couch looking like a human burrito. And last but certaintly not least he saw the love of his life haphazardly sprawled out on the old wooden floor shivering in his sleep. Castiel admired Dean for all of his strengths and his weaknesses. Dean would never admit that he was anything good, so Castiel had vowed to change that, even if it took him forever.
Dean groaned in his sleep and rolled over under the thin blanket. Cas walked into the room and grabbed another blanket carefully tossing it over Dean's sleeping form. He threw his arms around him and smiled, breathing in the smell of sleep deeply ingrained in Dean's hair and neck. "Merry Christmas." Cas breathed closing his eyes and letting the sounds of his human's breathing calm him into a sleep like stupor. He couldn't wait for Christmas next year.