Round 'n Round We Go

~Part Two~

Cas pulls his wrists through crisp, white work shirt sleeves and does the cuff-links before buttoning the front. His pants are next and he tucks his shirt in and pins it altogether by doing up the black, leather belt that Dean gave him for Christmas last year.

Throwing on his black suit jacket, he turns to the mirror and tousles his own hair a little―to make it look less like bed hair―before finally allowing himself a worried glance at his sleeping husband.

Cas' eyes soften minutely when he sees a little frown denting Dean's brow, an expression that Cas knows well. Dean must be uncomfortable, he thinks. After all, he knows how unhappy Dean is now that he can no longer sleep on his front. That was his favourite sleeping position. He has irrational nightmares about people burning on ceilings if he ever sleeps on his back, so he compromises and sleeps on his side instead.

"Dean?" He calls softly, knowing Dean won't wake up and answer him, but doing it all the same. He says it mostly for himself, so he can confirm that, yes, his husband is still there, he hasn't gone off any place. Honestly though, that's his deepest, darkest fear. That one day Dean will wake up and leave him. It's about as irrational as Dean's burning ceilings nightmare, he knows, because Dean has sworn his love one-thousand times over and promised that they'll always be together. Hell, he's carrying Cas' child so Cas knows Dean's committed.

He marches around the bed and lowers himself down on the quilt, the mattress depressing under the burden of his weight.

"I hope you feel better when you wake, my love…" he whispers, lowering his lips to gently grace Dean's forehead with them. It's already been an exhausting morning for Dean, he's already re-acquainted himself with the toilet and Cas can see how much the morning sickness takes out of him, simply by staring at his sleeping face.

Dean doesn't stir, not even when Cas brushes a hand along the stubble of his jaw, or when he softly parts Dean's lips with the pad of his thumb. He cannot help but think Dean beautiful, even when asleep and sick. It is when he's dreaming that Cas can see him at his most vulnerable, because Dean doesn't let his guard down. Not ever. Not even around him.

They're married and they've got a child on the way, but Cas knows Dean's still defensive. He's always got his hackles raised, always ready for a fight, even though he's an Omega. He understands that this was the way Dean was raised, but he can admit to himself that it bothers him, more than a little. He doesn't expect their marriage to be perfect, but the one thing Cas wants more than anything in the whole world is for Dean to open up and let him in. He wants to understand why Dean's always putting up walls. It hurts, because Dean obviously doesn't trust him to keep safe all his secrets. Cas is hopelessly in love with his husband, but Dean never shares anything with him. How he's feeling, what he wants, his goals? None of that. It makes Cas nervous.

"I wish you would share what you are thinking…" he accidentally mumbles aloud.

This time, Dean stirs. A little moan escapes his lips and Cas suddenly finds that he is holding his breath. He freezes, at least until the other settles back into stillness, and then he lets out the air as a tiny little sigh.

After another kiss, a chaste peck, he rises from the bed.

"I'll see you after work." He says, to his unconscious beloved, snatching his overcoat from the corner chair on his way out.

Finally, once Cas is gone from the room, Dean allows his eyes to snap open and almost immediately he throws an arm across his face.

There's no denying it―the over-protective tone of Cas' words. Dean's an Omega and it's not something he can change, but god, he wishes he could. Even being a Beta would be better than this. Cas thinks he needs protecting, from the outside world and from himself. It's infuriating and controlling.

He makes a snap decision. Moving himself out of bed, he dresses, grabs his keys, wallet and phone and leaves Cas a hastily scribbled note before heading out the door.

"Dean, we have to talk about this."

It's less than two minutes since Cas got home―as a husband, Dean knows and notices these kinds of things―but he obviously picked up the phone and called as soon as he'd read Dean's note. Cas' sounds strained over the phone, but Dean isn't really aware of that, all he can hear is the anxious and slightly angry voice that he is oh-so-familiar with.

"About what?" He replies nonchalantly, the phone sitting in the passenger seat on loud speaker.

"About why you're avoiding me!"

"I'm not avoiding you."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not.

"Yes, you are!"

Dean lapses into silence. There's no point in arguing, he's only going to be gone for a couple of days so Cas will just have to live with it. He just needs some breathing space. He doesn't want Cas doing the "bread-box" thing for the rest of his pregnancy, but he supposes he can't really stop him. What Cas can do for him is give him a little time! Normally, he's fine with Cas' controlling habits, after all, they're not usually this bad, but ever since Cas found out that Dean was pregnant, his grip had tightened. If nothing else, it simply proved to Dean that Cas did in fact see him as a pathetically worthless Omega, pandering to his Alpha's wants.

On the other end of the phone he hears Cas sigh tiredly.

"Look, where are you now? I'll come up there with Sam and he can drive the Impala home and―"

"I'm only going to be at Uncle Bobby's for a couple of days, Cas! It's not like you don't know where I am or what I'm doing! I'll be fine!"

This time it's Cas who goes silent. Then, after a few seconds of nothing but the hum of the Impala's engine, he hangs up, leaving Dean alone in his car.