When they finally were alone together, Dean let his mind wander over the past couple years, back to the time when Castiel had fallen pregnant during an angelic mating season. He draped his arm closer around Castiel's shoulders at that, kissed his lover's head at the warm feeling spreading through his body; a warm feeling that was pride, love, something sweet and gentle he never thought he'd ever feel.
He felt Castiel's slender hand raise up and play tenderly with the hem of his t shirt, sliding beneath the material and stroking against soft hunter's skin, while Dean's thoughts drifted once more. He thought of Elisha as she was growing up, angelic genes giving her accelerated growth until she'd attained adulthood within two years. Dean sighed, chest rising and falling in pride at how beautiful she'd turned out, retaining Castiel's dark hair, his bright blue eyes and Dean's freckles and warm smile. She loved classic cars and classic rock, loved to hunt, yet had a gentle side that they both could be proud of.
Dean still remembered her first hunt; a demon that had caused havoc in an Iowan town one hot summer day. She hadn't flinched, had just gone for the kill without a second thought. Dean knew that it was because of his training, Sam's training, Bobby's training that had helped her on her way, yet there was something else inside her that fuelled her, made her strong and unyielding. Dean often wondered if she could smite people like her other father once had been able to, but she'd never shown aptitude for it.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Castiel suddenly asked into the silence, jarring Dean loose from his thoughts with a jerk.
"What? Oh, Elisha. Yeah, she is," Dean said, proudly. "We did good with her, didn't we?"
"We are good fathers," Castiel agreed, placing a gentle kiss on Dean's mouth tenderly. "It makes you wish we could have another, doesn't it?"
Dean drew away, looked down at Castiel in surprise, hadn't expected that Castiel would become broody. The angel looked up at him, almost shyly and offered him a smile that was shaky at the corners.
"Dude, are you getting broody?" Dean asked him, with a chuckle and a kiss laid on the end of Castiel's nose.
"Yes, Dean," Castiel said, quietly, before turning away to look out at the sunset turning the horizon a warm glow of orange-red-yellow light out of the cluttered window, clouds decorating the majestic beauty with speckled dark patches.
Dean watched him, and smiled sadly, knowing that Castiel couldn't see him.
"So am I," Dean admitted quietly, unable to believe that he too was feeling the effects of wanting another child. "I always wanted a big family, Cas. Something to call my own, and leave behind when I'm no longer here."
Castiel nodded, as though he was thinking the same things. Tied to his human body, who knew how long an angel would last? Dean certainly didn't, Bobby didn't seem to either and Dean had tried asking him in fear of Castiel's life.
"You know when the next blue moon is?" Dean asked gently. "We can always try for another baby then."
"I don't know, Dean. I don't think there's one for quite some time yet," Castiel said, voice dragging as though he were thinking of something else entirely.
"What is it, Cas? What are you thinking of?" Dean asked, picking up on the angel's reticence, but the angel seemed to be avoiding his gaze all of a sudden, an awkward expression pushing the angel's mouth out into a tempting pout.
When Castiel didn't respond, Dean cupped his lover's chin in one tender hand, before turning Castiel's face to his insistently.
"Tell me, Cas?" he insisted gently, searching Castiel's face intently.
"I want a baby now. I don't want to wait," Castiel admitted, looking as though he didn't want to be admitting to what he was, as though it wasn't allowed.
Dean smiled, sadly, wondered aloud how they were going to achieve another pregnancy.
"You could carry the baby," Castiel suggested, drawing away from Dean as though fearful of rejection.
"Me? You want me to carry the baby?" Dean asked, eyebrows shooting to his forehead in sudden surprise.
Castiel almost cringed slightly, a characteristic that Dean hadn't expected and in that one moment, Dean saw how much this meant to his lover. The hunter squeezed Castiel's shoulder gently, felt lost, confused, didn't know what he should even be feeling over Castiel's request.
"You really want another baby, don't you?" Dean asked, trying to buy time while he thought.
"Yes, don't you?" Castiel asked again, eyes turning pleading, puppy dog like with their intensity.
"Yeah. I just - I didn't expect to be the one to carry it though," Dean said, uncertainly.
He scratched at the back of his head, gently, mulling over his own feelings on the subject and coming back to the same answer every time. He rested his head on the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling as Castiel settled into his body once more, slender fingers stroking over his abdomen once more, dragging ever downwards as though tempting Dean.
The hunter mulled over what he already knew; facts about Castiel being a genderless angel trapped in a male's body, yet still able to carry a healthy baby to term. Five years go, the hunter wouldn't have thought it possible, yet now he knew it to be true. He'd seen the evidence with his own eyes and he was the one responsible for it happening. He didn't ask whether it was possible for him to carry a baby; for all he knew, it was possible too. He felt Castiel's hand slide lower down his exposed skin, sliding ever onwards to the waistband of his jeans. A small smile tickled across the hunter's lips, but Dean didn't stop him, and the actions only cemented what he already knew, what he wanted.
"Cas," Dean said, breath catching in his throat.
"Yes, Dean," Castiel said, tone distracted as he slipped his hand into the front of Dean's boxers, skimming over the hunter's erection gently.
"Yes, Cas," Dean murmured. "I'll carry the baby. Just explain to me how it's possible. It doesn't seem to me right now how it can be."
"It is possible for you to carry a baby, Dean. After all, I did it - or rather Jimmy did. And I just happen to know of a way to do it," Castiel said, voice suddenly devious as his hand stilled on Dean's dick, fingers still coiled around his shaft in cooling stripes.
Dean sat up and looked at his lover sharply, holding Castiel's hand around his dick when it felt as though the angel was going to pull away.
"You do? You know of a way?" Dean asked, in surprise. "How? Why? What is it, dude?"
"Do you really want to do this?" Castiel asked again, tone serious as though trying to ascertain Dean's true feelings on the matter. "I mean, really? I need to know this before I tell you."
"Yeah, dude, I want your baby, now tell me already," Dean asked, eyelashes fluttering slightly when Castiel started stroking his dick gently, gaze still remaining intent on the angel's face.
Castiel watched him for a while, saw no hint of hesitation in Dean's expression, behind his eyes, knew that Dean would never lie to him; at least, not something as important as having a baby. After all, it was Dean's own body coming under fire with the suggestion.
"We have to sleep together," Castiel said, and smiled when Dean blinked in disbelief at him
"Yes, that's what you usually have to do to get a baby," Dean said, slowly, wondering when the angel was going to tell him something he didn't know already.
"You have to sleep together three times, Dean. In the space of five hours," Castiel said, a sparkle in his eyes as his hand gathered speed, jerking Dean off almost to completion. "My angel essence will do the rest, or so I've heard."
"Oh God, Cas," Dean moaned, hips lifting into Castiel's questing palm, thoughts racing away from him on wings of shadow. "I think that's easily done."
His breath came in panted gasps as his hips pistoned from the worn couch beneath them, loving the feel of Castiel's sure, firm hand stroking his dick and he came, shot thick ropes of his spend into his boxers with a muffled cry of Castiel's name. He relaxed against the couch, head hitting the back cushions with a thump as the angel leant in for a heated kiss. Dean responded, all lips and tongues and sated moans as he pushed his fingers through his lover's hair.
"Hey, Dad! Hey, Dad," came a warm voice from the doorway, as a bright young woman breezed up, looking fresh from the road.
Dean and Castiel broke apart, smiled up at Elisha Winchester standing over them, her dark hair tossed from the breeze as she grinned her warm smile at them. Elisha leant in and kissed first Castiel, then Dean as they remained snuggled together on the couch, looking a little flustered and fucked out. Elisha caught their looks and stepped back a little, looking embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?" she asked, blue eyes dodging from first Castiel's face to Dean's.
"No, sweetheart, you're alright," Dean said, voice weary as he stood up to embrace his daughter. "Good to see you again, El."
"Good to see you too, Dad," Elisha replied, hugging Dean and kissing his cheek warmly. "And you, Dad."
This last said to Castiel as he came forward for his own kiss and cuddle, arms wrapped round both Dean and his daughter.
"Aww, that's adorable," Bobby said, as he wheeled in, Sam behind him, smiling.
Dean chuckled and let Elisha out from the crook of his arm, so she could sit on the armchair across the room. Castiel and Dean returned to the couch, arms still draped around each other's bodies tenderly. Sam sat behind Bobby's desk, peering over the top of a pile of books at the hunters and angel gathered in the room with him. He remained silent, watching while Bobby explained to Elisha why she'd been called there, describing the prophecy he'd found that was cause for concern, and Elisha nodded at him.
"Okey dokey, we'd best get started trying to find out more," she said, with a sigh and a stretch of her arms above her head. "No time like the present and all that, after all. At least I get to spend more time with my dads this way."
Dean and Castiel smiled at her, matching paternal smiles tempered with hope that there'd be another baby to swell their little family. Elisha caught their look when Bobby and Sam didn't, throwing them both a questioning glance. Dean motioned that he'd tell her later, to which she nodded.
"She's very perceptive, isn't she?" Castiel asked, leaning in to murmur the words into Dean's ear quietly.
"She gets that from you," Dean replied, with a proud smile, making Castiel's full lips quirk into a gentle smile.
"You gonna tell her, or shall I?" Castiel asked his lover quietly.
"You can if you like," Dean said, with a tender smile at his angel.
Castiel nodded his slow, deliberate nod at Dean, making the hunter chuckle and draw him in ever closer to his body. They returned their attention to the conversation at large, catching up with it fast and ascertaining that Elisha didn't know of the prophecy either, nor did she know of any demon or angel threats imminent. Her intelligent face took in every detail they threw at her, before she suggested they search through every book they could find on prophecies, even the ones they'd already looked in.
-tbc-