Hi guys! So, I've been working on this little surprise for you all month. Today (November 2nd) officially marks the one year anniversary of this fic, so I have an extra special long chapter for all you guys today!
By the way, I did include Dan and Phil in this work, mostly just because I was writing them in another fic at the same time (on AO3 only), and writing them in came easily. If you know them, great! If you don't, just treat them like any other random character from chapter one. All of their rights belong to them. (woo that was fun)
(Please read the end message.)
~•~•~•~•~
This is what you want, Jack, this is good for you.
He could feel the cold kiss of the metal against his pale skin. Blood began to well up around the edges of the cut, warm and wine red and metallic. It was accompanied with a stinging sensation that grounded Jack like nothing ever had before.
He could feel himself take the blade up once more, ready to slice away the pain, when he heard it.
"Jack?"
The moment Cas' voice broke the silence, Jack felt a horrible sense of disgust wash over himself. What am I doing? The voice had died down to almost nothing, a mere whisper in the back of his mind.
Disgust filling his head as bile filled his mouth, Jack stumbled back from the counter, horrified. The razor fell to the green tiled floor with a sharp clang as he backed up even further from the sink.
His heart pounding in his ears, Jack slowly picked up the razor, turning the faucet on cold and running it underneath the water. "I'm in here," He called out to Cas, flinching slightly at the inflection of his voice. It sounded shaky, and there was a small crack right in the middle of it. "In the bathroom."
Cas didn't seem to notice. "Come join me and Dean when you're done, okay? We need to get a handle on our Halloween plans." There was an awkward shuffling sound that sounded like Cas hovering outside of Jack's door uncertainty, and then the slight creaking that signified Cas was walking back down the long hallway. Jack let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding in.
With shaking fingers, he dried off the razor and slipped it down to the very bottom drawer under the sink. He wouldn't be touching that again anytime soon. He quickly rinsed his arm as well, hissing slightly at the stinging sensation of the cold water hitting the open cut.
He applied minimal pressure to his arm until it seemed the cut had clotted, though the pale skin around the cut was puckered and red. Thinking it through, he slipped on the brown jacket Cas had bought him.
Giving himself a once over in the mirror to check that his eyes weren't red and you couldn't see any of his left forearm, he allowed an almost pleasant smile to overtake his face. I just hope it's convincing enough.
As soon as he hit the top of the stairs at the end of the long hallway, he could hear deep voices. Dean and Cas were speaking, and they sounded agitated.
"But Cas, Mom wants to meet Jack. We could introduce them on Halloween first, since we're trick or treating over there anyway. I'm sure that it would be completely fine if-"
"Dean, you know she had told us things are bad right now. We can't throw that on them" Cas' voice spoke over Dean's. Jack could almost see the frown on his face, though he stayed out of sight, behind the banister. "She and John have therapy from one to three. And do you even know if Jack wants to go trick or treating in the first place?"
There was a small mumble from Dean, and a sigh from Cas.
"Did you try Bobby?" Dean sounded hopeful.
"He and Crowley are away on vacation in London. Didn't you see the pictures?" Cas spoke softly, disappointingly, before leaning in for a kiss. As he pulled away, Jack could hear him speak again. "It's okay, Dean."
""What about Charlie then, Cas?" Dean sounded desperate, ignoring Cas' last words completely. "The kid seems pretty attached to her, maybe she could take him for the day?"
"I tried already, apparently, there's a massive D&D group thing going on then that she's been preparing for for months. We can't just throw him at her." There was a pause, in which Cas seemed to be contemplating something. "Did you ask Sam?"
"He's apparently taking a day to ride down to Philly, to talk at some law school about the benefits of some strange thingy to do with law and- Cas, you know what I mean." Dean seemed to deflate, the fight leaving him. "Wait a minute, did you check with Gabe yet?"
Cas shuffled uncomfortably. "I wasn't sure, since he's so exuberant... Would he really be the best thing for Jack right now?"
"Oh." Dean paused. "I didn't think of that."
"How about this. If we can't think of any other options, I'll ask Gabe."
"Deal."
Jack looked down at his feet before leaning out a little further around the banister, careful not to make any noise or move too suddenly, and looked back up, meeting Dean's amused green eyes.
"Hey, Jack. Didn't hear you come down."
~•~•~•~•~
Cas and Dean sat together on the white sofa, Cas' legs in Dean's lap. Jack sat across from them in the softest armchair Dean had ever seen. He couldn't really blame Jack for choosing that spot, he too had become enamored at first with the odd piece of furniture.
Finally, after the longest possible silence, Jack spoke. "Were you trying to get rid of me?" It was tentative, and even quieter than the first time Dean had heard the kid speak. His heart broke as he followed Jack's downcast eyes all the way to the floor.
"Why would you even think that, lapin?" Cas frowned a little.
Jack just shrugged and played with the cuff of his left jacket sleeve.
"Of course we weren't trying to get rid of you!" Cas seemed upset that Jack would even insinuate such a fact. While Dean loved his passionate fits of emotion, raised voies was not what Jack needed right now. Maybe Cas was right about Gabe… He put his arm on Cas' kneecap, looking up into his boyfriend's bright blue clarity flashed between the two of them for a moment, and then Cas continued, his voice at a more acceptable volume.
"We were simply trying to plan… well, you see," Cas smiled. "Two days after Halloween, the second of November, is our anniversary, me and Dean, and we just wanted to do something special, that's all." Then he seemed to catch himself. "Not that you're not special! Just… we wanted to do something just the two of us."
"Oh." Understanding clear on Jack's face, he seemed to visibly calm down. "What are you two planning on doing?"
"That, my dear lapin, is a surprise for Dean." Cas smirked, blowing a kiss at Dean as he spoke.
Dean stuck out his tongue. "Of course it is." Finally, he turned back to Jack, who had a kind of wistful look on his face. He felt his heart leap into his throat as he put himself in Jack's position. He padded down the hall, and decided to listen in to his new foster parents' conversation. It would switch to him, discussing places to stash him, as though he was being thrown away again, as though they didn't want him. That could have been me. The thought was sudden, and it hurt, almost as if he had been smacked. If Mom hadn't put her foot down for the first time, I could have been the one looking for a family.
"Dean?" Cas was shaking his shoulder lightly.
"Huh?" Dean blinked, the fog of the memory leaving his emerald eyes.
Cas let out an endearing chuckle. "I was just asking Jack if he wanted to head out today and go costume shopping. For Halloween."
"I haven't trick or treated since I was five," Jack whispered, subconsciously pulling his sleeve down again, the ghost of a sad smile tugging at the edge of his lips.
"Well, if there's one thing I know about trick or treating, it's that you need a costume." Dean flashed a blindingly white smile, seeing Jack's face light up. "What do you say about some shopping, kid?"
~•~•~•~•~
As soon as the three of them stepped into Creep it Real, Jack's eyes widened with shock. The whole place was decked out in purple, orange, and black. Costumes hung on racks that seemed to go on for miles. There were walls and walls of makeup, and candy by the pound. Different decorations of all shapes and sizes were strewn about the whole store, under Buy one get one Free and Twenty Percent off signs.
"What is this place?" Jack whispered, in awe.
Cas smirked. He had done the same thing when he had first set foot in the store. "High end Halloween store. My father used to leave me and my siblings here every year to pick out our costumes. They have pretty much every Halloween item you could ever want."
"Wow," Jack breathed out.
Suddenly, a tall man with glasses, a black quiff, and the palest skin Cas had ever seen walked up to them. Like the rest of the store employees, he wore a Halloween themed outfit, a black leather jacket, ripped black jeans, tall boots, and a shirt with the words, 'I'm a real pain in the neck!' written across them. His nametag read Phil.
"Welcome to Creep it Real, my name is Phil and today I'll be your assistant. How may I help you?" The man smiled good naturedly, and Cas was surprised to find that he had small pointy canines. He spoke with a refined British accent, and his tone was pleasant, though his eyes betrayed his fatigue. It was the Halloween season, so Cas wasn't surprised.
"I preordered something last week, under the name 'Novak,'" Cas stated, though his tone was questioning.
Phil nodded knowingly. "Follow me to the register, I'll ring you up." He had already turned around and started walking to the register, rubbing his eyes when Cas realized that they still didn't have a costume for Jack.
"Oh, um…" Cas stumbled over his words slightly, making a small gesture back to Jack as he did.
"Oh!" Phil slapped his forehead. "Did you want to purchase anything else or require any other assistance before I ring you up?" The words themselves sounded boring, recorded even, though he still managed to give them life. He must be naturally good with people, Cas decided. I'll give him a good review on their customer survey.
"Yeah, the kid needs a costume." Dean smiled at him politely.
Cas saw Phil's eyes light up at this as he looked Jack up and down excitedly. Suddenly, the sole focus of this british man's attention was Jack, and he shuffled awkwardly under his scrutinization.
"Well then…" Phil trailed off, realizing he didn't have a name to call Jack.
"Jack," Cas supplied, as Jack himself was looking a little bit like a deer caught in headlights.
"Well then, Jack, what kind of costume did you have in mind?" Phil took the whole thing in stride, probably having dealt with a number of awkward customers in the past. Ẅhen Jack didn't respond immediately, he just smiled softly. "Come with me, I'm sure we'll find something you like."
As they walked down the aisles of the store, Jack's eyes grew and grew, beginning to look like saucers.
Phil stopped in front of some of the scarier costumes briefly, quickly assessing Jack's reaction and shaking his head, moving on. He did the same with a variety of comical costumes, and even briefly contemplated a risque one, before making a face reminding Cas of the time he saw Dean try to stick a whole lemon slice in his mouth.
Near the back of the store, Jack stopped on his own, staring at a large rack of brightly colored costumes.
"Those are our Disney onesies, they're actually quite popular." Phil explained to them happily. "We have many full body costumes here, but these are by far the comfiest and easiest to wear."
Jack walked over as if in a trance, slowly pulling out a light blue one.
"That's Stitch." Phil chuckled as though there was an inside joke associated with Stitch. "Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind." he spoke out, in a crude (though strangely accurate) imitation of Stitch's voice.
Cas could hear Dean let out a small chuckle from behind him, deep and rumbling.
"Want to try it on?" Phil was enthusiastic, beginning to shephard Jack to the changing rooms in the back already. Jack followed him, shooting one last alarmed look back at Cas and Dean before finally just being dragged away.
Cas glanced over at Dean, who was looking him dead in the eye and smirking.
"So, it would seem we'll have some free time after this. What do you want to-" Dean started, checking his watch, only to be interested by Cas.
"Silly Dean, we have to decorate the entire house!" Cas smirked. "There's no time for anything else!" He bopped Dean on the nose, giggling at the way he saw Dean's nose scrunch up. Carefully, he stepped back and threaded their fingers together. "We'll discuss that later."
Phil and Jack reappeared a few moments later. "Follow me, I'll ring you up up front." Phil smiled.
Jack was carrying the blue onesie under one arm and sporting a huge smile, one of the most genuine Cas had seen in a while.
Phil made quick work of the items, quickly scanning the tag on the inside, and then ducking under the register and pulling out an opaque bag, scanning the label on that too. The price rang up, and Dean flashed a glance at the small calculator for a moment. Yikes. Costumes are more expensive than I remember.
Cas passed over his credit card.
"Your total is 135.60," Phil clarified, grabbing their receipt, placing it with the costumes in an even larger bag and passing it over the counter. He gave them one last smile. "Have a lovely day."
As he passed their bags over, Cas took them, eyes flicking to whatever discoloration seemingly appeared on his right hand. Written in dark black letters along his ring finger was the name Daniel. Cas smiled to himself as he noted the golden ring that accompanied the name.
They left the shop with their purchases, and a final wave to Phil, who seemed to have acquired some sort of coffee via a very affectionate blonde coworker. Dean swung the bag slightly on his arm as he walked, humming.
Cas shivered, pulling his trenchcoat slightly closer to himself as the strong wind seemed to barrage them. When they finally made it to the car, he opened the door, sliding in as quickly as possible and slamming it shut. Dean and Jack did the same.
"You know what I think, guys?" Dean spoke up suddenly.
"Hmm?" Cas murmured, looking over to him, trying not to let the blatant adoration he held for this man show too much in his eyes.
"I think we definitely deserve some hot chocolate when we get back home," Dean hinted, the ghost of a mirthful smile tugging at the edge of his lips.
"I think that can be arranged." Cas leaned over and pecked him quickly on the lips before starting the car. Dean knew he was a sucker for hot chocolate.
They pulled into the driveway, unloaded the car, and entered the quiet house. Cas made quick work of the kitchen, both pointing out and grabbing ingredients, moving in perfect sync with Dean as he did. When they had set up all of the necessary baking utilities, (there weren't many) he turned to Jack. "Have you ever made hot chocolate like this before, Jack?" He asked him.
Jack shook his head slowly. "We usually microwaved water and put in a packet."
"Well let me tell you, kiddo, it is so much better on the stove." Dean grinned. "Here, can you help me by filling this pot with water?" He handed the small pot to Jack carefully, watching as his face brightened a little and he cracked a small smile.
Dean then turned to Cas. "Hey, I'm gonna go grab some of the decorations, can you watch the kid while I do?"
"Yeah sure, you know they're in-"
"Our bedroom closet, under the Christmas decorations and behind the Thanksgiving decorations," Dean finished for him. "Don't worry, Sunshine, I know." He pecked Cas' forehead affectionately before heading out of the kitchen. If he remembered this correctly, there were going to be multiple trips needed.
~•~•~•~•~
Dean opened the door to their room slowly, hearing the light pine wood creak slightly as it swung forward. He smiled to himself, making his way over to Cas' bedside table. Cas is one of those strange people who locks his closets, Dean thought to himself. If I remember correctly, the key should be in here.
He opened the drawer, pushing aside a couple unnamable things, as well as a small novel Cas had been reading and a pencil. "Huh, it's not in here," Dean frowned as he spoke, just as his hand made contact with a small, velvet covered box. Dean could feel his heart jump into his throat.
It was like everything around him had frozen. He could remember the first time he had asked Cas about marriage.
"Have you ever thought of marriage?" The question started Castiel, and he jumped.
"What?"
Dean repeated himself. "Have you ever thought of marriage?" As he asked, he traced the name on Cas' forearm, the winding curves of the four cursive letters.
Cas felt his breath hitch. "Occasionally." He tried and failed to sound nonchalant, the ring in his pocket growing heavier. He still carried it everywhere he went, despite him having no idea when he was going to give it to Dean.
He knew marriage was a formality in their society, nothing more than a glorified performance put out to boast to others. He knew the only marriage certificate you needed was your own skin. He knew their anniversary was coming up and he and Cas had waited too long already. None of these thoughts stopped the jolt of pure joy that little box sent through his body.
It was then, of course, that he spotted the key, resting on top of the dresser.
Put the box back. Don't open it. Slowly close the drawer. Cas will show you when he's ready.
Dean did as his rational side instructed, despite every thought in his head screaming the opposite. With limbs heavier than lead, he slogged to the closet, opening it slowly with the bronze skeleton key. He felt himself move aside boxes, identifying the orange and black one easily and beginning to lug it downstairs. None of that mattered. His mind was going a million miles an hour.
He set the box down slowly at the bottom of the steps, going to meet his boyfriend, but not for much longer, in the kitchen, and seeing Cas' beautiful blue eyes to flick up and meet his own. An innocent smile played at the corner of his lips. He has no idea how easily he just shattered my world.
~•~•~•~•~
Jack's head shot up from what he was doing, excited. "Castiel told me you enjoyed your hot chocolate with whipped cream!" He exclaimed. "He helped me put it on," Jack offered the small mug to Dean with a tentative smile.
Dean just stared at the offending cup of coco as if it had slapped him.
"What is it Dean?" Cas sat, looking at him, slightly confused, which only made Dean's grin grow wider. Cas was sporting the cutest whipped cream mustache he had ever seen.
"You have a little something…" Dean trailed off, and then suddenly, with a burst of confidence he didn't even know he possessed, pushing himself closer to Cas across the table, smudged Cas' lips with his finger, wiping the whipped cream away.
"Dean…" Cas whispered to him, staring with deep blue eyes. You could go swimming in those eyes, and Dean almost couldn't tear himself away. Slowly then, he watched as Cas closed them, leaning in, as Dean did the same.
"Hello, Earth to Dean."
Dean blinked suddenly. Cas was still in front of him, though this time, his lips were only parted into a smirk. "Zoned out a little bit there, you okay?" Jack peeked out from behind his shoulder, face only slightly furrowed in concern.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm okay, thanks a ton, Jack." Dean smiled as genuinely as he could, finally accepting the steaming cup from the teenager. "I brought down the first load of stuff, there only appear to be two more boxes in the closet," he informed Cas with a small smirk. "Hoarder."
"Yeah, I can never let anything go, no matter how broken it is…" Cas said wistfully. "C'mon, I'll help you lug down my other two bins of spooky stuff. I'm afraid they might be a two person job."
Cas took one last wistful sip of his hot chocolate before setting it back onto the table and standing up. Oh well, it's not like I won't be able to have more of that in a few days, he thought with a smile.
Cas was right, it had taken both him and Dean to lug just one of the other large boxes down the stairs, and while Dean insisted on dragging the third along himself, it was clear that his muscles were straining with the effort.
"Okay, so what are we putting up first?" Dean questioned, ripping the top off of one of the boxes.
"Garlands!" Cas exclaimed, excitedly wrenching the purple and orange decorations from the box with a flourish. They look like caterpillars.
"And then?"
"Lights!" There were indoor and outdoor lights, all of them a spooky shade of orange.
"And then?"
"Scented candles!" Cas grinned. "Not gonna yank those out though, that's the entire third box." He motioned to the untouched, slightly smaller box behind the first two.
Jack opened that box as he spoke, and Cas could see his eyes visibly widen. "How many scented candles do you own?" He asked, a little bit of fear in his voice as he picked one up.
Dean moved to stand next to him, his jaw dropping as well. He reached in and pulled out a speckled orange one. "More importantly, how many pumpkin spice candles do you own?"
Cas let out an awkward chuckle. "Tis the season. I just don't think we'll be able to use all the decorations this year… everyone's moved out."
"We don't have to use all of the decorations," Dean reminded him, putting a consoling hand on Cas' shoulder.
"I know, but still." Cas smiled a sad smile. "Let's just get to work."
Jack put his candle down slowly, trading it for a long garland. He moved to the railing on the staircase where he had hesitated only hours earlier, and began to hang it, smiling to himself.
They all set to work, hanging garlands everywhere, stopping only when Jack halted to share a bright idea with them. "We should wrap the garlands in some of the lights. That way, we'll have less stuff unused this year."
Cas' face visibly brightened, excited at the prospect of the huge house seeming less abandoned.
Dean began to unwrap different decorations now, metal pumpkins and candles the size of his head. He tried to artfully arrange them as best he could, all the while, his brain focused on other matters.
Decorating the house took about an hour, and by the time that they were done, Dean and Jack were exhausted. "I had no idea you had so much… house." Dean was at a loss for words. "I'm going to need a map to navigate this."
Cas just smirked slightly and checked the time. "I have 'work' in thirty minutes, babe. Are you okay with…" He trailed off, still uncertain about how Dean felt about his work. Jack's shoulders stiffened.
Dean just smiled warmly at him, leaning over to peck him on the cheek. "Of course," Then he paused. "Wait a sec, it's only eight. Did your shift get moved?"
"Oh, I moved it so I could be back sooner. Tomorrow night is trick or treat after all." Cas smiled. "And I assume that some people will still want to see me after it's over. He heard Dean's sharp intake of breath.
~•~•~•~•~
-Halloween-
It was five forty five, and Jack was struggling with the zipper on the back of the onsie. As far as he reached, he just couldn't manage to zip up the last five inches or so. He could feel himself starting to get worked up, but there was no way that he was going downstairs to ask for help, not with his back exposed like that. He contorted his body further, striving to reach that small, cold piece of metal, which had lodged itself firmly near the center of his back.
With one final grunt, sounding more like a whimper, Jack felt his hands close on the elusive zipper. He yanked it as hard as he could, praying it wouldn't fall off. Luckily, with a satisfying zipping sound, the entire back of his costume closed up.
He breathed a sigh of relief, flopping down on the bed, exasperated.
Checking the time, Jack grumbled something else, sounding more like a curse than anything else, and rolled off again. He made his way down the stairs, coming to a stop at the bottom and observing the domestic scene before him.
Cas stood, arms out in front of Dean. As opposed to his usual beige trench coat, a black one now adorned his frame. Dean was crouched in front of him, using a lint roller all over the coat, a deerstalker perched on his head and a blue scarf around his neck.
Dean turned around when Jack reached the bottom of the stairs, and Cas looked up from staring into Dean's eyes.
Cas immediately let out what could only be explained as a squeal. "Oh you look adorable!" He exclaimed, "Dean, where's the camera?" He all but snatched the deerstalker from Dean's head and the scarf from his neck, and ran past him to get to Jack as he put them on.
And thus, the Halloween picture taking commenced, under the old willow tree in Cas' backyard. Jack could feel himself begin to smile against his own will as Cas bounced around with a child-like joy. Who's to say that there's an age limit on the fun of tonight?
Dean took about twenty different pictures, and finally a selfie of the three of them. This was when Jack finally got the courage to ask him and Cas what their costumes were.
"Oh! I'm Sherlock, and he's Doctor Watson," Cas explained with a smile. "We'll have to get you watching!"
The clock struck six o'clock, and it was like a spell. Out of every house poured children and teens of all shapes and sizes, all of them bouncing around with just as much excitement as Cas.
Jack stared at them for a moment in shock, before Cas handed him a pillowcase. "We take Halloween Trick or Treat very seriously in my neighborhood," Cas explained. "Now come on, we only have two hours!"
In those two hours, Jack stopped by more houses than he had ever seen in his life, each more decorated than the last. Once or twice, he heard Cas tut something like, "Tacky," or, "Overkill." Cas' house is the most subtly decorated house in this entire neighborhood, Jack thought with a small smile.
Cas seemed to know everyone, no matter their ages. He knew the old man handing out jumbo sized candy bars, and the young woman with nothing but bubblegum in her candy basket. He always smiled politely, and made pleasant conversation for a few moments, complimented their houses, and it was off to the next door.
They trick or treated in John and Mary's neighborhood as well, and it was Dean's turn to exchange pleasantries, Dean's turn to laugh and compliment other's houses. Everything here seemed realer, in a way. The tension was clear in the air, and people wore their hearts on their sleeves.
Dean's mother seemed quite nice, though quite stressed out. Jack almost wished that she had stayed, since the phone call she had taken mere moments before leaving seemed to nearly leave her in tears. She would have been happier if she stayed.
They began walking back to their neighborhood after Mary left, as there was no point in staying in this unfamiliar place.
Nearing the end of the night, it was quite clear that the three of them were getting tired. "Come on, just one more house," Cas smiled to Jack as they all made the way up the steps to the large, well landscaped house at the edge of the neighborhood. Cas checked his watch. "We should get going after this anyway, it's almost eight."
Jack rang the doorbell this time, and took a slightly self conscious step back. He could hear some rustling from inside, and then a shadow passed in front of the frosted glass of their front door.
A young man with curly brown hair opened the door, still chatting with someone out of sight as he did, an orange bowl in his left hand.
"Trick or treat," Jack said softly, looking into the man's chocolate brown eyes, fear almost prominent. This man was tall, about six foot three if he had to guess, and he reminded Jack of sleepless nights and tall shadows cast outside his room door.
Then the man's face split into a huge grin, and he began to coo softly. "Aren't you just the sweetest!" Jack was surprised to find that this man had a british accent as well. "Phil, come see this one!"
The other shadow behind the door moved then, and the employee from Creep it Real was poking his head around the frame. "Jack!" He exclaimed with another of his blinding smiles.
Jack blinked, surprised that this man remembered him. "Hi."
"This is my husband, Dan." Phil smiled as he began to chat good naturedly with Jack. "You remember me talking to you about him?"
Jack let out a tentative smile and nod in response.
Cas waved when Phil acknowledged him, but kept back off to the side with Dean, watching Jack speak softly with these men.
"I didn't know they lived here," Dean murmured in Cas' ear.
Cas just smiled a little bit. "Me neither," he confessed, "They must have moved here more recently than I thought."
Their whispered conversation was cut short as he heard Dan state, "Well, it is the end of the night, and I doubt any more trick or treaters are going to come through…" he seemed to pause for a moment before stating with a sort of finality, "Hold out your bag," to Jack.
Jack complied, confused, though his eyes widened as Dan simply dumped the rest of his bucket into Jack's bag.
"Oh," Jack seemed to whisper, much to Dan and Phil's enjoyment. "I can't take all of this from you guys."
"Trust me, we need to get rid of it anyways." Dan leaned in, almost as if telling a secret, and Cas could see the tattoo on the side of his neck in the porch light. "We haven't exactly celebrated like this in London in a long time, and Phil may have gone a tad overboard with the candy."
"Hey!" Phil complained. "I heard that trick or treating was a much bigger deal in America, that's all! I expected more kids…"
Jack looked down self consciously, and Dan put his hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Hey, don't worry," he said softly, "I trick or treated until I was sixteen."
They said their goodnights to the nice british couple, and left for home. Cas interlaced his fingers with Dean's, giving him a light kiss on the cheek as he did.
~•~•~•~•~
-November 2nd-
Cas woke up just before eleven, sliding out of bed as quietly as he could. He padded into the kitchen, silently thanking every higher power that he could think of that Dean liked to sleep late, and began to prepare breakfast. He turned on their gas stove, watching the purple fire crackle into existence. He placed their nicest frying pan on the stove, and got started cracking some eggs.
Everything had been prepared. Jack would be dropped off at Gabe's later, even though Cas was a tad skeptical about that situation, and everything about their day had been carefully planned out in advance.
One of Dean's favorite foods were omelettes, and he liked them with lots of bacon and cheese, as well as a few different vegetables now that Cas had introduced him to.
Carefully, Cas flipped the omelette onto a seperate plate and added the final touch, a light sprinkling of chives across the top of the meal.
It was a couple more minutes before Cas could hear the sounds of Dean stirring from their room. It wasn't much longer after that when Cas could see Dean as he rounded the corner of the staircase, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Morning, babe," Dean managed to get out, before Cas tackled him in a hug.
"Happy anniversary!" Cas tightened his arms around Dean's waist, giving him a solid kiss on the lips as he did.
Dean chuckled slightly, his hands sliding to Cas' waist as he did. "Happy anniversary, sunshine." Then he noticed the breakfast Cas had laid out. "Is that-?"
"Breakfast?" Cas offered.
They sat down together, quietly.
"Where's Jack?" Dean finally asked. "Usually I'm the last one up."
Cas just let out a small chuckle at that and began to cut open his own omelette. "I believe that he's still gorging himself on Halloween candy. Was it a mistake to let him keep it in his room?"
"Probably." Dean took the first bite of his omelette, his eyes closing as he did. "Oh God, Cas, this is amazing."
Even after a year, Cas couldn't help but blush. He bit into his breakfast to avoid saying anything that he would regret, casting his eyes down towards the plate. Finally, he swallowed, looking back to Dean. "Thank you."
His soulmate simply let out a small chuckle. "So, Cas, what amazing plans do you have in store for me today?"
"Oh, just you wait and see." There was a mirthful look in Cas' eyes.
Jack emerged from his room a little later, and the three of them finished up their wonderful breakfast, even though Cas had forgotten to make Jack an omelette. (He felt terrible, and whipped one up for him as quickly as possible.)
Around five, Cas stood in his room, nothing but black pants on, looking himself over nervously. He had no idea what to wear. Aimlessly, he drifted to his bedside table, pulling the small box from it and setting it on his bed. Looking back to his reflection, he was brought back to another worry-filled day in front of his mirror.
"Anna, unless you're going to help-" Then Cas' eyes widened, and he whirled around to face her. "You can help! Quick, which do you think he'll like better? White or blue?" He held up two shirts for her to see desperately, one as pale as his face, the other a deep navy blue.
Anna simply chuckled and rolled her eyes at his antics, those of a child with a crush. "White. Your tie is already blue." She looked him over as he moved to slip a beige coat off of its hanger. "Really? You're going for the tax accountant look?
"I like the coat. Dean got it for me." Cas pouted a little, defensive.
Smiling softly at the memory, Cas went to his closet and pulled out the silken shirt, royal blue tie, and worn trench coat. His hands traced appreciatively over it before beginning to dress. The tie felt alien in his hands, and he fumbled with it as he did. Come on, you just have to tie the knot, his brain helpfully supplied, bringing Cas' thoughts back once more to the little black box by bed, and he felt another kind of knot begin to tighten in his stomach.
A quick check to make sure his hair was in order.
Finally, he shrugged on the well loved jacket, slipping the little black box containing the source of his nervousness into his pocket, buttoning it closed as if that would make his anxiety disappear. Opening the door, he heard himself call out, "All yours!" to Dean, sounding abnormally normal.
Dean barely took half as long as Cas did, though he came out wearing his leather jacket over an olive green shirt that made his eyes pop, and Cas felt his throat go dry.
Dean walked slowly over to Cas, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Hey, Sunshine. Looking spiffy."
"I would say the same." Cas held in an elated giggle that threatened to break through. He settled for the biggest smile he could possibly have. "Come on, let's grab Jack and head out."
Jack came bounding down the stairs at the first call from Cas, looking slightly guilty and holding the fourth Harry Potter under his arm. "I'm ready to go," he stated, standing up straight.
Dean chuckled, a light blush scattered amongst his freckles. Like stars in the sky…
The ride to Gabe and Sammy's new place wasn't long, though Cas swore if his heart beat any faster, it might jump out of his chest. They pulled into the gravelly driveway, the car coming to a halt right behind Gabe's, a baby blue volkswagon bug that Gabe liked to drive everywhere, despite Sam's protests of long legs.
As soon as they rang the doorbell, Gabe was there, excitement practictically oozing from his pores. "You must be Jack!" He exclaimed. Cas winced as Jack seemed to visibly recoil from the smaller, exuberant man. Oh boy.
"You two lovebirds don't have to worry about a thing, I've got a handle on this," Gabe pulled Jack into an awkward hug. "You're so sweet, like a little gumdrop." Then he gasped overdramatically. "That's what I'll call you!"
Sam came to the door then, luckily for Jack. "Okay Gabe, don't give the poor boy a heart attack." He gently pried Gabe off of Jack, opting to hold out his hand to shake instead. "My name is Sam. It's nice to meet you. Dean has told me a lot about you.
Jack shook his hand, and cracked a tentative smile.
As soon as Jack was situated, they were off again, sliding into Cas' car once more.
"So will you finally tell me where we're going?" Dean joked as they pulled onto a street in the town.
"Don't have to tell you anymore, we're here." Cas smiled warmly as he pulled into a parking space, opening the door to feed the meter from a roll of quarters.
Dean climbed out of his half of the car as well, taking his time, coming almost face to face with Cas as he stood to his full height. He leaned down and gave his sunshine a small kiss on the lips, causing Cas to break out in small giggles.
"Come on, follow me." Cas laced their fingers together, and the two of them began to walk down the street, their breaths prominent in the frosty December air. "I figured maybe we could walk around for a little bit first, you know, see the sights, smile at the strangers, do the things…"
Dean looked to him with wide eyes. "You remembered?" He whispered quietly.
"Where are we actually going to eat?" Cas sounded tentative as he asked, not wanting to overstep his boundaries, but his stomach was rumbling.
"Oh shoot." Dean muttered. Since they had left the bar, they had just been wandering around in the middle of the town, looking at all the christmas lights and trees and other christmas stuff people had hung up. "I figured maybe we could walk around for a little bit first, you know, see the sights, smile at the strangers, do the things…" He trailed off.
"Ok." Cas smiled and slipped his hand slowly, tentatively, into Dean's, squeezing it slightly. Dean couldn't help but notice how well Cas' slightly smaller hand seemed to fit into his perfectly, and how warm his hand was. "So where to first?"
"Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?" Cas' soft voice dragged him back to reality.
"Haven't needed to before today," Dean almost whispered back. "No one special." He paused. "In retrospect, a terrible thing to ask me, since I'd known you for about three seconds, and it was the beginning of November, but I'll let it slide."
"Hey!" Cas bumped into his side playfully. "I was nervous, and you being absolutely stunning wasn't helping anything!"
Dean just pressed another soft kiss to the side of his forehead.
They walked for a little longer, watching as people bustled around them, talking loudly and buzzing with adrenaline. Holiday spirit was starting to seep into the air, and you could almost see the barely contained excitement buzzing underneath everyone's skin.
Dean suddenly felt a small tug on his arm, and he stopped, right in the middle of the sidewalk, to turn back and see Cas looking up at him. Cas' blue eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Come on, just duck in here with me," he offered, and Dean wordlessly agreed, allowing Cas to pull him off to the side, under the little canopy, and open the door for him.
The moment he stepped inside, Dean was hit with the smell of coffee. Blinking as his eyes adjusted slightly, he looked around. There were little white lights strung up all over the small shop, and a few assorted booths, looking worn down. The whole place seemed to glow with a warm light. "Oh."
Cas just smiled a little at him. "Come on, I saved us the booth by the window in the corner." He nodded and smiled at the curly brown haired barista as he grabbed Dean's hand and dragged him over.
The barista came over briefly, keeping his eyes cast downward as he passed them two steaming cups of hot chocolate.
"Come on, you need some hot chocolate." Dean dragged Cas into a random coffee shop, proceeded to sit him at a small cozy corner of the cafe, march to the front, and order something, looking very important while doing so.
They sat down, the large window next to them giving them a view of all of the pedestrians walking by. "Cas…" Dean could feel his heart swell with love.
Cas gave him a tentative smile, one that was eerily similar to Jack's. "Do you like it?"
"Like it? I love it! And… I love you." Dean gazed at him with adoration, and a faint blush began to glow on Cas, coloring his cheeks a cherry red. "It's the first place we ever went together, Cas, it's perfect. You can relax."
Cas let out a small chuckle at that. "You've just been so amazing recently, with Jack, and with me, and just… everything."
"Cas," Dean chastised him gently. "Remember what I said about positive vibes? I'll always be here for you, no matter what."
No time like the present, I guess...
"Dean." Cas took a small sip of his hot chocolate to calm his nerves. It's just Dean, you've seen him a million times, why should this be any different? "I need to talk to you."
"Okay?" Dean looked slightly nervous, but mostly still lovestruck as he mirrored Cas' small sip of hot chocolate.
"When I first met you, I was a different man. I was sad, and alone, and I had no purpose in life," Cas began. This isn't scripted, just act natural. "I was resentful of society, and I couldn't see any kind of future for myself." He ignored Dean's small noise of protest. "All of that changed when I met you. You have are the the kindest, most inspirational man I have ever met. You raised your little brother practically on your own, and dealt with a father figure that you disagreed with. And the most important part of all of that is that you came out of it exactly the way you are today, loving and kind. You made me see a future for myself, Dean Winchester. And, I know it's more of a formality at this point, with our whole society and all, but I was wondering," Cas stood up, his legs shaking slightly, only to bend down on one knee, fumbling only slightly with the small velvet box in his pocket. "if you would do me the honor of becoming my husband?" He cracked open the ring box.
There was a moment of silence, in which the whole shop seemed to freeze.
"Yes," Dean breathed out. "A million times over, yes."
~•~•~•~•~
Okay guys, that was it.
I should explain myself. I've been working on this fic for a year now, and if you scroll all the way back up to chapter one, you can see how much I've grown as a writer. The bittersweet part here is that I have other plans. School is a big part of this decision, as well as my other activities. I'm also planning a collab with a friend, and I have other works that I want to share with you guys! Because of this, I'm going to end this one here. Maybe not forever, but for a while. At least for now.
I want to thank each and every one of you guys! You've all been amazing. You stuck with me when I first started this fic off, you gave me a chance a year ago, when I could barely form articulate sentences. You read this, and you supported it, and that's all I could ever have wanted.
So I figured, why not go out with a bang? Even though this story is rough and of debatable quality, it will always be one of the works that I'm most proud of. It was my baby for a year, and now, it's like I've watched it grow up all on its own. I never had a direction to go in with this fic, and the only chapter I ever planned out was the last, but I'm so grateful for the experience.
By the way: I'm going to be mostly relocating to AO3 now, at Random_Inked_Thoughts . This may even be the last fic I ever post on . Come visit me please, I have the majority of my works there already, and a bunch of stuff I never posted on here! :D
Okay, before I go, one last thank you to my amazing not quite beta readers, but more importantly, friends. Both of them have been with me for the duration of this story. Their AO3 usernames are as follows: Backbiter222 & pulpphiction . You can also find pulpphiction on tumblr with the same username. She draws amazing stuff! Please pop over and give them a look if you have time!
The End..?