Look at all of those new faces! You all are so wonderful and I can't thank you enough for all of the faves and follows! You guys are so amazing!

This would have been up sooner but we got a little surprise that has kind of disrupted everything. I'm going to have a baby! Yeay!

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 11- The Morning After

...

Dean stretched out across the bed, ignoring the way his muscles screamed at him in protest. When he was younger he had thought that having an Omega begging for his knot would be the best thing that happened. How hot was that fantasy? But now he knew better. An Omega in heat was a lot if work- not that he regretted a minute of it.

Letting his body relax against the bed, he let his mind wander over the past week. Sure, the sex had been good, but that wasn't what had his attention. No, it was all of the little moments they had shared. Holding each other, the softly spoken words, and just being with his Mate.

Mate.

Castiel was his mate.

The thought brought a sense of joy that threatened to burst though his chest, making it difficult to breathe.

Fighting to keep his breathing normal, not wanting to hyperventilate, he wondered where Castiel had gone off to. How long did it take to take a piss? Deciding that it couldn't hurt to check on his mate, Dean got out of bed and pulled on a discarded pair of boxers before heading down the hall to the bathroom.

Knocking on the door as a warning, he opened it to find Castiel sitting on the floor, his eyes rimmed with red.

Closing the door behind him, he moved to sit beside the Omega. "What's the matter, Cas?"

Sniffing, Castiel wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "It's nothing." He tried to shrug it off but Dean slipped an arm around his mates shoulder.

"Your my mate, Cas. You can tell me anything." He tightened his grip. "I love you."

Castiel pulled away from the Alpha to stand up, looking in the mirror above the sink. Dean followed, standing behind his mate, looking at their reflection.

"You don't know me well enough to love me." Castiel had to look away from their image. Seeing them together felt so right- so perfect- but he wasn't sure if he was ready for a declaration of love.

Dean stepped closer, wrapping his arms around the smaller male. "It dosnt matter. I can feel it every time I look at you. I feel it every time I think about you. From the moment I first laid eyes on you in the woods." He kissed the side of Castiel's neck, on one of the many marks that decorated his skin. "I love you."

The Omega was quiet for a long moment, staring at their reflection.

"I want to be more than just a wet hole to fuck, Dean. To be more than an Omega." He sighed. "When I came into the bathroom, all I could see were the hickeys, the bruises, and the claw marks. Evidence of our Union..." He trailed off, wiping at his eyes.

"You don't like it." Dean finished, his face blank.

Castiel looked away, choosing to stare into the basin of the sink instead. "Not even close. I love them. Love that you did it." He sighed. "I loved every moment that we were together, every time you marked me as your own. And it scares me."

Dean turned Castiel around and cupped the Omega's face in his hands. "Listen to me, okay? There's nothing to be afraid of. Whatever it is, we'll get through it together."

The pup sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, biting it for a moment before taking a shuddering breath. "You don't think I'm some kind of freak?"

Much to Castiel's surprise, Dean chuckled. "Not if you don't think I'm a freak for likening it too."

It earned a giggle from the pup.

Dean let his hands fall away from his face to rest on his shoulders. "Come on, Cas. Let's get you cleaned up."

...

Castiel didn't know what to expect when it came to taking a shower with Dean. Maybe that the Alpha would be handsy with his 'property'. Maybe more sex, but that seemed to be far from his mind. Instead, Dean was gentle and loving.

He washed his mate's hair, getting all of the grime, blood, and other body fluids out of his dark locks before moving on to his body. Dean was gentle, taking his time to groom his mate, taking special care with his wounds. Kissing each of the bruises, hickeys, scratches, thin cuts, and red rings of teeth while telling him how beautiful he was covered in his Alpha's marks. The claiming mark on his shoulder that permanently marked him as Dean's getting the most attention.

Castiel tried to do the same for Dean. He wanted to clean his mate, to care for him as he had done but Dean wouldn't allow it. He made the pup keep his hands to himself while he quickly finished his own shower.

Dressing in one of Dean's shirts and a pair of sweat pants, Castiel reluctantly followed the Alpha downstairs.

Where everyone was waiting for them.

Every one of them had heard them. Knew exactly what they had done.

Castiel felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

"I'm not ready for this." The Omega mumbled, a few stairs away from officially being in the dining room. He looked to the door leading to the living room, his lip between his teeth.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked, looking up the steps at his mate.

"They heard everything. They know everything." He looked to the floor, his embarrassment turning his face a bright pink.

Dean walked up the few stairs to grab his mate's hand. "Calm down, Cas. Everything's going to be okay. They won't say anything, I promise."

Castiel said nothing. It wasn't that he was worried he would be made fun of, it was more he didn't like that they had probably heard everything they had done. Knew more than they should about their Union.

"Trust me."

Castiel glanced up at the Alpha. He did trust Dean. After everything he had done for him sitting his heat how could he not trust his new mate?

Nodding, he allowed the Alpha into the kitchen.

"Sit. Let me astound you with my amazing culinary skills." Dean instructed, indicating that he should sit at the table.

"You can cook?" The pup asked, sitting gingerly on the chair, still sore from Dean's love marks. A reminder of their Union.

Dean shrugged, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Nothing fancy but it's edible."

"As opposed to non edible food?" Castiel asked, cocking his head to the side.

Dean laughed. "Obviously Jo has never cooked did you. Try to keep it that way." He disappeared into the refrigerator and the pup took the advantage to stare at the Alpha's ass sticking out.

He wondered what it would be like to sleep with Dean? Not because of his heat but because he wanted to? To be in control of his actions?

He watched as Dean moved around the kitchen, talking about the different ways Jo has ruined a meal. Taking in his movements.

Would he be a rough lover? Hard and demanding, or would it he gentler? He felt his cheeks getting warm at the images that we're running through his mind. Of touching. Of Dean's mouth on his, on his skin. Of being one with his mate.

'You really are just an Omega slit, arnt you?' A nasty voice sneered. 'Already aching for your Alpha's knot. How pathetic.'

Shame filled the pup.

He knew that what he and Dean had done was nothing to be ashamed of. They were mated- an Alpha and his Omega- and that there was nothing wrong with what they had done, but there was still a part of him that was ashamed of what they had.

Ashamed of being an Omega.

Ashamed of allowing Dean inside of him. Of being claimed.

Ashamed of liking it. Of loving every moment of being with his Alpha.

Absentee he rubbed his hands over the cuts and scratches that covered his arms. Oddly enough he found comfort in them. Of being able to feel his Alpha's marks on his skin.

He really was a freak.

"You okay, Cas?" Dean asked, looking at him over his shoulder.

"Yeah, just thinking about the heat." He offered a smile that Dean returned.

"It was something, wasn't it?" The Alpha's grin got bigger, memories swam through his head.

Castiel chewed his lip, fingers gripping Dean's sweat pants. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"How bad was it?" He felt himself cringing as if getting ready for a blow.

"How bad was what?"

"Sex. With me?" Castiel looked down at his hands. At the bruises that covered his wrists and up his arms where he had been held down. His mates handiwork.

Castiel heard Dean setting something on the counter before crossing the kitchen. Kneeling on the floor, at the Omega's feet, he took one of the pup's hands in his own.

"Listen to me Cas. There was nothing wrong with what we did. Everything about the last week was awesome, okay? Stop worrying about it." Dean squeezed his hand.

"But I didn't do anything. You did all of the work." He pointed out.

The Alpha shrugged. "So what? You'll learn."

The Omega met his Alpha's gaze. "You want to do it again? Even though heats over?" He faught to keep his voice steady.

Dean smiled, his eyes full of laughter. "As often as you want." He brushed a kiss across the pup's knuckles. "Don't forget, we've still got rut."

"Oh yeah." He had forgotten about rut. He knew Alphas went into rut more often than Omegas went into heat but he wasn't sure about how often that was.

Dean placed another kiss to his knuckles. "So, how about that food?"

After a week of eating just enough to stay alive, there was nothing better than macaroni and cheese with the sandwich Ellen had made for him the first time he met her. The two of them ate in a comfortable silence, neither of them feeling the need to fill the air with senseless chatter as they ate.

Gabriel seemed to think otherwise.

Halfway through their lunch, The Beta burst into the room in a tornado of chaotic

"It lives!" Gabriel exclaimed in exaggerated horror as he entered the room, falling back against the wall, his hand over his heart.

"Hello Gabriel." Castiel greeted as if nothing had happened as the Beta sat at the table as well.

Sniffing the air, Gabriel pulled a face. "You smell like sex."

"It's nice to see you too, Gabe." Castiel smiled around a fork full of macaroni.

Dean looked back and forth between the brothers, unsure if Gabriel had meant to be offensive or not. Castiel didn't seem to be fazed by the remark so he let it go.

The Beta turned his attention to the Alpha, a grin in place. "So. Dean Winchester. Been taking care of my little brother?"

"Leave Dean alone, Gabe." Castiel shot the older man a look Dean did not understand.

"Of course. What kind of Alpha would I be if I did not take care of my Omega?" Dean asked, lifting his fork to his mouth.

Gabriel's eyes flashed to Castiel for a moment, obviously making it known he had noticed the marks covering his baby brother's arms and that he was not happy about it.

"So, little brother, Michael, Lucifer, and Balthazar want to take you out tonight." Gabriel's eyes were still on Dean as he spoke to Castiel.

"Why?"

"To celebrate, of course."

Castiel shot Gabriel a distrustful look.

Gabriel touched his heart, pretending to be hurt. "You've got a mate, Cassie. That's a cause for celebration."

Castiel sighed, setting his fork on the plate. "There's no way of getting out of this, is there?"

Gabriel just grinned.

"Where are we going?"

"A little place called The Roadhouse." The Beta stole his little brother's fork, shoveling macaroni into his mouth.

Castiel had never heard of The Roadhouse and it only added to the feeling of dread that was settling in the pit of his stomach.