Warning: This chapter contains explicit sex.
Shout outs to Dizzybunny, callmeGreen-Eyes, Guest, superchiwo, StephyLyanne, and J.C. 16 for taking the time to leave reviews.
And a quick note from my editor.
Eyum: I'm hoping you all are enjoying this Christmas world TCU has been writing for you! *glances at her calendar* I want to apologize to everyone for the long waits in between updates. It has taken far longer than the original planned timeline to release this. I am completely to blame for this. *hangs head* Due to some medical issues compounded by the quarantine, I had to pause editing for everyone because I wasn't able to give works their due, and TCU patiently waited for me to get better to tackle this project. This chapter was a lot of fun to 'beat into submission' (yes, I saw that!), so get comfy and enjoy!
TCU again: Hi. I'd like to add that Eyum offers me her professional editing services for free. She does this for love, just like all of us here in the fanfic community, and she is my friend first, my editor second, so no getting mad at her for needing a mental health break, got it? *growls protectively*
Happy reading, and please leave a review if you like it. =)
Chapter Five
Jack needed another bath to get all of the paint off of him. Fortunately, he liked baths and didn't put up a fuss. Castiel tossed the magic dinosaur pellets into the water, and Jack watched with fascination as they expanded while barely noticing the vigorous scrubbing his father was giving him with the washcloth.
"Did you have a good Christmas?" Castiel asked as he tucked a clean, pajama-clad little alpha into bed.
"Uh huh." Jack yawned hugely, and Castiel had to fight the urge to do the same. "Daddy?"
"Yes, baby?"
"Dean likes princess movies and he's a growed up alpha. Does that mean it's okay if I like 'em too? Even when I'm all growed up?"
Castiel kept a tight rein on his emotions, making sure that none of the anger, frustration, or sadness he was feeling leaked into his scent. He touched his son's soft, smooth cheek and looked into his innocent, trusting blue eyes. "Sweetheart, you can like whatever you like. Whether that's princesses or painting or anything. Anything that makes you happy without hurting anyone else is more than okay. It's good, and it doesn't make you any less of an alpha. As long as you are kind and respectful of others and of yourself you are a good alpha, and I will never be disappointed in you. I promise."
Jack considered this. Then, with the unique ability of childhood to treat all moments equally important and unimportant simultaneously, he said, "Okay" before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
Once again, Castiel lingered on the edge of the bed, watching him breathe, but the peace was marred by worrying thoughts. How much longer could Jack's sweet, innocent soul survive in this house? More than a few times in the past couple years, Castiel had heard the little alpha unconsciously parroting Michael's views on things. In the limited time he had with his son, he did his best to instill different lessons. His lessons were always about love and acceptance, both of others and of yourself, but he feared he was fighting a losing battle. His heart clenched as he realized he was running out of time.
As he brushed his fingers through the silky strands of Jack's hair, he reached a decision. As soon as he and Dean got home, they would talk to Sam. It was time to stop playing by Michael's rules, and time to stop begging for what was already his. One way or another, he was getting his son back. He was going to raise his sweet little boy and teach him what it really meant to be a good man.
Castiel quietly slipped out of the room leaving the door open a crack as Jack preferred, and walked down the hall to the guest room. He intended to tell Dean about his decision immediately, but when he opened the door, he jerked to a stop, all coherent thoughts fleeing his mind at the sight that greeted him.
Dean knelt on the carpet beside the big bed, barefoot and shirtless. He'd left his jeans on, presumably in case someone other than Castiel came into the room first. His ass rested comfortably on his heels, allowing him to hold the position for an extended time without his legs getting tired, and his hands rested on his thighs. Castiel had seen Dean in this position so many times that it took no effort at all to see him naked in his mind's eye. The alpha's head had been bowed, but when he heard the door open, he looked up, locked eyes with Castiel, and then, never breaking eye contact, deliberately tilted his head back, baring his throat.
Castiel's brain came back online enough to prompt him to close the door, but when he glanced over and saw the things laid out on the bed, his cognitive abilities stuttered to a halt once more.
Ropes. The most beautiful ropes he had ever seen, made from intricately braided strands of gold, red, and dark green, the colors mingling in the tassels at the ends of each length.
Castiel approached the bed as if in a dream and picked up a rope about as long as his arm. It flowed smoothly through his fingers. Real silk, soft and supple. These must have cost a pretty penny, but he wasn't about to comment on that. He was sure Dean had bought them hoping they would please Castiel, but all Castiel could think was that these were the only ropes he'd ever seen that were worthy to bind a sub as lovely and good as Dean.
"Sorry, Omega."
Castiel blinked and looked down at Dean. What on earth was he apologizing for?
Dean held out his hands, palms up, wrists together. "You'll have to wrap your present yourself."
Oh.
Castiel made a concerted effort to gather his thoughts. The way he handled the next few minutes was crucial. Dean was already half in subspace. He was completely relaxed but for his arms, and his eyes were hazy and a little unfocused. If Castiel said the wrong thing, or even the right thing in the wrong tone, his sub would perceive it as a rejection of this beautiful gift and of him.
Castiel gently circled his hands around Dean's wrists, pulling his arms down to his sides as he sank to his own knees in front of him. "Dean," he said gently but firmly, catching his Sub's attention by bringing his hands up to frame the alpha's face and looking him in the eye. He was deliberately not calling him 'Alpha' because this wasn't a scene and couldn't be allowed to become a scene. "I want you to listen to me very carefully. Are you listening?"
Dean nodded, his attention fully on his Dom.
"I love this." I love you. "This is the most wonderful gift anyone has ever given me, and I do want to use these beautiful things with you, to see you wrapped up in them like the precious gift you are, my good, beautiful, perfect Alpha." He pressed a chaste kiss to Dean's forehead before adding, "But we can't scene tonight. Not here."
Dean's brow furrowed right where Castiel's lips had touched it.
"Please understand me, Dean," Castiel rushed on, anticipating Dean's train of thought from long experience and heading it off at the pass. "This has nothing to do with shame or embarrassment about the nature of our sexual relationship. This is purely about safety. If we are interrupted at the wrong moment, I may not have the time or the privacy necessary to care for you properly, and I won't put you at risk like that. It would be irresponsible of me, both as your Dom and your—" He almost said 'your Omega', but he caught himself just in time. "Your friend. Do you understand?"
Dean nodded, and Castiel was relieved to see that his eyes were clearer, but the peace of submission was gone from his expression as well. "Yeah. Sorry. I should have… I mean, I shouldn't have assumed."
The bitter sadness and disappointment in his scent made Castiel's inner omega whine pitifully, and he didn't even try to resist the instinct to pull the alpha into his arms, guiding Dean's nose to his scent gland on the same side as the claiming bite.
Dean accepted the offered comfort eagerly, shivering slightly as he wrapped his arms tightly around Castiel's waist.
Castiel stroked his bare back and murmured soothing words into his hair. "Shhh. It's okay. We're okay. I'm not upset with you. You didn't do anything wrong. Hopefully the weather will have cleared up tomorrow morning, and we can go home where we can put these beautiful ropes to good use." Remembering the surprise hidden in his dresser at home, he added mischievously, "They'll match the new panties I bought for you perfectly."
Dean lifted his head, and Castiel was glad to see a wide smile on his face at last. "Really?"
"Mmhmm. Green lace embroidered with red rosebuds and a large red rose on each hip. You're going to look so pretty in them. I'll wrap the ropes around your torso to make a matching harness." Castiel traced the shape of it with his fingers as he spoke, imagining how the intricate braid of the ropes would crisscross Dean's chest, ribs, and stomach, how they would move with his every breath, how they would strain as he writhed with pleasure under Castiel. "And I'll finish it all off with a pretty bow around your pretty neck."
Dean's scent grew stronger and spicier with every word until Castiel could almost taste it, so he wasn't surprised when Dean licked his lips and said in a rough voice, "Uh, Cas, if you're not planning to fuck me tonight, you should probably stop talking dirty to me."
"Who says I'm not planning to fuck you?"
Dean frowned. "Uh, you did? Just a few minutes ago?"
"I said we couldn't scene tonight. I never said," Castiel leaned forward until his lips brushed Dean's, "we couldn't fuck."
They did occasionally have sex without a scene of any kind. Castiel thought back to Charlie's New Year's Eve party last year. (She had been less than pleased to find them screwing in her bed half an hour before midnight.)
"I mean," he drew back to look Dean in the eye coyly, "if you want to." Because safe, sane, and consensual always applied, scene or no scene.
"Yes. Fuck, yes," Dean breathed right before diving in for the kind of frantic, hungry, impatient, uncoordinated kiss they never got to have when they were scening; where everything was so carefully controlled and a part of Castiel always had to remain above the lust, watching for the slightest signal that his sub was reaching his limits.
The next few minutes were a blur. Somehow Castiel's clothes disappeared in between kisses, and so did Dean's jeans and underwear. They fell into the big bed, a tangle of grasping, needy limbs, with hands and mouths seeking out every sweet spot on each other's bodies that they knew of (which was pretty much all of them after five years). As much as Castiel loved dominating Dean and receiving the precious gift of his submission, that privilege of caring for him at his most vulnerable, it also felt good to occasionally let go and indulge in some impulsive, unplanned, see-where-the-moment-takes-us sex.
In the end, Dean wound up on top of Castiel. Their naked bodies were pressed together from chest to hips with Castiel's legs wrapped around Dean's waist, and their cocks lined up just right. Dean nudged Castiel's head back and sucked at his pulse point. His glasses bumped awkwardly against Castiel's jaw, but both of them were too lost in pleasure to care. Dean nipped at the vulnerable skin with his teeth, pulling a groan out of the omega. Sharp alpha teeth could rip Castiel's throat out if they wanted to, but not for a second did Castiel feel any fear. It wasn't a matter of finding the danger arousing, there simply wasn't any danger. He was always safe in Dean's arms.
Castiel became aware of something other than the blanket under his ass. Something soft but textured. "Wait. Stop, Dean," he gasped.
Dean yanked himself back as if Castiel's skin had burned him. "What? Did I hurt—"
"You didn't do anything wrong," Castiel hastily assured him for the second time that night, "and I'm not changing my mind. I just don't want these lovely ropes to get lost or damaged before we even have a chance to use them." He sat up and pulled the length of rope he'd been lying on out from under him. "Let's put these somewhere safe before we get any more carried away, okay?"
"Oh." Dean blushed and smiled sheepishly, a thread of embarrassment cutting through the arousal in his scent. "Yeah. Course." He scrambled off the bed, gathered up the ropes, and went to tuck them safely away in his suitcase.
Castiel lounged back on his elbows, shamelessly admiring the naked alpha. Even the back of his neck was blushing. How he could be both so incredibly sexy and so cutely adorable at the same time was just unfair.
Dean straightened up and turned around, smirking when he caught Castiel ogling him. "Were you checking out my ass?"
Castiel shrugged. "Among other things. It is a very nice ass."
Dean laughed and climbed back onto the bed, prowling toward Castiel on all fours until he was caging the omega in with his body. "Glad you think so." Green eyes darted down to where Castiel's hard cock curved up against his stomach, and then back to Castiel's face. "Speaking of my ass, when you said you wanted to fuck, did you mean…"
"Yes," Castiel said hoarsely. "If you want."
The mingled scents of hearth fires and thunderstorms filled the air between them and around them. It smelled like home and mate. At least, that was what it smelled like to Castiel. He wanted to bathe in that scent every day for the rest of his life. He wanted to drown in it. It should have scared him how easily he could get lost in this, in Dean; how easy to forget the consequences of falling. It should have, but he had Dean's claiming bite on his neck, his alpha in bed with him, and his inner omega was purring, mine mine, my Alpha, he wants me, mine mine, and it was just too hard to remember why this was dangerous when he felt so safe.
"I always want," Dean said, and Castiel's heart twisted painfully. Of course this was just sex for Dean. Castiel was just the most convenient option. It could just as easily be Benny, and it wouldn't make a difference to Dean as long as he gets a dick up his ass. But then Dean surged forward to kiss him again, and all thought was driven from Castiel's mind.
They kissed and rutted together for long minutes, and with every exquisite roll of Dean's hips, Castiel felt himself leaking more and more slick. "Roll over," he murmured the next time they came up for air. "I can start prepping you now."
Dean obligingly flipped onto his back and opened his legs for Castiel to kneel between them. Even though this wasn't a scene, there was still something intoxicating about Dean's easy cooperation, his perfect, unquestioning trust. It made Castiel want to cover the alpha in kisses, worship every inch of his body, and beg for the right to spend the rest of his life making Dean feel safe and loved.
Instead he gathered some of his own slick on his fingers and reached down to circle Dean's hole, massaging the outer muscles and gently encouraging Dean to relax before he attempted to fit even one finger inside. Just because he wasn't Domming tonight didn't mean he would risk hurting Dean to satisfy his own needs a little quicker.
Dean whined and shifted his hips impatiently, trying to get Castiel's fingers where he wanted them. "Come on, Cas. I'm not a virgin. I've done this like a thousand times. You're not gonna break me."
Castiel pinched Dean's ass with his free hand. "We'll get there. God, I always forget what a brat you are when you're not subbing."
"Yeah, and you're the one who said nothing but vanilla sex tonight, so I get to be as bratty and impatient as I want and there's nothing you can do about it."
Castiel raised an eyebrow. "I could just refuse to fuck you."
Dean's head popped up off the pillow. "You wouldn't!" The pouting look he gave Castiel really shouldn't have made him more attractive, yet somehow it did.
"You're very lucky I can't punish you tonight," Castiel grumbled as he finally sank a finger into Dean's tight heat.
It also shouldn't be possible to moan smugly, but Dean managed that too.
For the next several minutes, Castiel made it his mission to take Dean apart as thoroughly as possible while quietly plotting his revenge. By the time he had worked up to three fingers, Dean was a needy, writhing mess, panting, "Fuck, fuck, fuck," over and over.
"Hold that thought," Castiel said, pulling his fingers out of Dean and wiping them clean on Hannah's duvet. (Fortunately, there was nothing other than slick on them.) Mirroring Dean's actions earlier, he climbed off the bed, went over to Dean's suitcase, and took out the shortest length of rope.
When he turned back around, Dean was in Castiel's earlier position, propped up on his elbow, his eyes dark pools of want behind his glasses. However, unlike Castiel, his skin was flushed all over, and his hair plastered flat in places from pressing his head into the pillows as he arched his spine in pleasure while Castiel was massaging his prostate. There were also some patches of hair adorably sticking straight up like a hedgehog. His cock drooled pre-come, making a shiny wet patch just above his navel, and he smelled fucking delicious!
His brow furrowed when he saw the rope in Castiel's hands.
"I'm not tying you up," Castiel said. "However, since this is my Christmas present, I do think it should be properly wrapped." He flicked his gaze pointedly down to Dean's cock. "May I?"
Dean swallowed hard. "Yeah. Go ahead."
Now it was Castiel's turn to prowl predatorily towards Dean and loom over him. As he wrapped the rope around Dean's cock just below where his knot would pop, he heard Dean give a mewl of pleasure at the sensation. He tied the rope loosely so it wouldn't cut off circulation or prevent Dean from coming, and he finished it off with a bow right on top of Dean's balls, the tasseled ends brushing his ass. The effect was quite artistic if he did say so himself. He wished he could take a picture, but he knew Dean wouldn't be comfortable with that, so he contented himself with a long stare to fix the image in his mind.
He raised his eyes to Dean's face and found the alpha staring down at his festive dick with a strange expression. "Dean? If you don't like it, we can take it off."
"No." Dean shook his head and looked up at Castiel. "No, it feels good. Um…" He laughed self-consciously and looked back down at the rope bow. "It's kind of like the first time I tried on panties, you know? I thought it would look ridiculous, but it actually makes me feel kind of… pretty." He flopped back onto the pillows and put his hands over his face, knocking his glasses askew. Embarrassment soured his scent. "God, I am so screwed up."
"Hey! No, you're not!" Castiel pulled Dean's hands away from his face and righted his glasses so he could clearly see Castiel glaring sternly at him. "I just got done explaining to my son that there is nothing wrong with an alpha liking princess movies. Well, there is nothing wrong with an alpha liking lace and silk and feeling pretty either. That is your father talking, not you. If it brings you happiness without hurting anyone else, then it is good. End of discussion."
Dean reached up to cup Castiel's cheek, and Castiel couldn't help but to lean into the touch. "You know you're the only person who can say shit like that to me and actually make me believe it," Dean said with a soft smile.
Castiel had to forcefully remind himself that the warmth in Dean's eyes was gratitude and platonic affection, not romantic love. "Guess I'm special," he said in a weak attempt at deflection.
"You have no idea," Dean murmured, which was not the response Castiel had expected, but before he could read too much into it, Dean's hand slid around to the back of his neck and dragged him into a kiss, and once again Castiel's brain was filled with white noise, not a single coherent thought to be found.
~o0o~
Shit, shit, shit. He had almost slipped up. No, he had slipped up. Fortunately he knew exactly how to kiss Cas to short out his higher brain functions. He flicked his tongue against the roof of the omega's mouth, eliciting a shudder, a moan, and a wave of thunderstorm scent that made Dean's dick twitch. This, of course, made him suddenly hyper-aware all over again of the bow tied around his dick, and fuck, why was that so fucking hot?
He decided not to worry about it. Cas was right. That was John Winchester's toxic alpha bullshit talking. What did it matter why it felt good? It just did, and since it wasn't hurting anyone, he was going to just enjoy it, and everyone else could go to hell. It wasn't like anyone but Cas was ever going to know about this anyway.
Of course, it was always easier to ignore the voices in his head when he gave control over to Cas and let himself sink into that happy, floaty, quiet place where the only voice that mattered was his Dom telling him he was a good alpha, he was perfect, he had nothing to be ashamed of. He couldn't have that tonight, but he could have the next best thing.
"So are you gonna fuck me or what?" he said, nibbling teasingly on Cas' lower lip.
"Oh, I'm gonna fuck you," Cas growled, pushing him back down into the pillows. "I'm gonna fuck you so good you forget how to use that bratty mouth to say anything but my name."
Ohhh, yeah. Now they were cooking with gas. Cas hiked Dean's legs up around his waist, shoved a spare pillow under his lower back, and then practically dragged Dean onto his cock in one smooth thrust. Dean groaned, rolling his hips to help Cas along. The stretch and burn was toeing the line between pleasure and pain, but Cas had prepped him well enough that he wasn't worried about injuring himself. Dean always did it a little rougher when he wasn't subbing. It helped distract him from all those pesky insecurities about bottoming.
"Are you alright, Dean?" Cas asked once he was fully sheathed inside the alpha, his balls resting snugly against Dean's ass. "Do you need a minute?"
"No. Fuck."
"No, you're not alright, or no, you don't need a minute? I need you to be clear." Dean would have been more annoyed if it hadn't sounded like Cas was really struggling to keep still long enough to check in with Dean.
"No, I don't need a minute. Fuck. Move. Please move."
And holy shit, Cas moved! It took him a few tries to locate Dean's prostate, but Dean was already riding high on the glorious feeling of Cas inside him and their combined scents swirling around them in a heady cocktail that smelled to Dean like mate and home. He barely needed that extra punch of pleasure when Cas did finally hit the sweet spot. God, he could probably come just from the sight of Cas fucking him, tattooed biceps flexing as he pulled Dean down on his cock again and again. The way that those black feathers moved as Cas moved, Dean could easily imagine the ink wings coming alive, lifting from Cas' shoulders and spreading out behind him. Castiel, an avenging angel with flashing blue lightning eyes. It was definitely sacrilegious how hot Dean found that image.
Dean's cock slapped his belly with every thrust, and he could feel the texture of the rope, the tassels swishing softly against his ass. He made the mistake of looking down, and fuck fuck fuck, the juxtaposition of Cas' cock splitting him open and that pretty bow around his own painfully hard dick, his knot beginning to swell just above it, was possibly the single most erotic thing he had ever seen in his life, and shit, he was gonna come.
"Let go, Dean," Cas panted, picking up on it in Dean's scent and quickening the pace of his thrusts. "Let it happen, and then you can finish me with your mouth."
"Cas," Dean whined as he thought of sucking that cock, the same one currently pushing relentlessly into his prostate. It would be coated in Cas' slick too. He loved the taste of Cas' sli— "Ahhhh. Uh, uh, unguhhh." His vision whited out as his orgasm overtook him, and for a few seconds he was only aware of spine melting, toe curling pleasure radiating out from his cock and his prostate to every inch of his body.
When he came down enough to notice his surroundings again, he sensed immediately that something was wrong. Cas' scent had changed from thunderstorms to stagnant water, and he wasn't looking at Dean but at the door.
The door which was open.
Cas had definitely closed it behind him when he came in, but he must not have locked it because it was open now, and there was a laundry basket laying on its side just inside the doorway, clean clothes spilling out of it, and there were footsteps retreating quickly down the stairs.
"Shit. Hannah?"
Cas nodded. He had already pulled out of Dean, and he was softening quickly, mood officially killed. Dean felt loose, empty, and completely unsatisfied despite the fact that he had one of the best orgasms of his life less than two minutes ago. His knot had popped, but it was deflating as quickly as Cas' dick, and the rope slipped off without even needing to be untied.
Cas scrambled off the bed and closed the door again while Dean looked around frantically for something to clean himself up with. In addition to his own come all over his chest and stomach, he could feel Cas' slick starting to leak back out of his ass.
"Here." Cas tossed him a clean hand towel from the pile of laundry on the floor.
They cleaned up and dressed as quickly as possible, but it was still a few minutes before they were presentable. Even then, 'presentable' might have been a stretch. Cas' hair might always kind of look like he'd just had sex, but this was definitely a different level of messy, not to mention his reddened lips and the hickey Dean had put on his neck where only a turtleneck could have covered it. Dean was sure he himself didn't look any less debauched, and there was no doubt that he was going to be walking funny for at least a few hours.
"She's probably told Michael by now," Cas said, looking at the door like it led to the gallows. He looked at Dean again, and there was panic in his eyes, the panic of a cornered animal. "Will you come with me? I don't… I don't think I can face them alone."
Dean pulled him into a hug, the rotten stench of the omega's fear triggering every protective instinct he had. "Of course I will. We're in this together. I won't leave you. Not ever." It was dangerously honest, but it calmed Cas, and that was all that mattered right now.
"Thank you," Cas murmured into Dean's neck. He clung tightly to the alpha for a few more moments before drawing back to take Dean's face between his hands, just as he had when he was explaining why they couldn't scene tonight. (A good call. Dealing with drop would have made this situation so, so much worse.) "Dean," he said, staring intently into Dean's eyes in that soul-gazing way of his, "there is nothing wrong with you, and there is nothing wrong with what we just did. Whatever happens, whatever Michael says, I need you to remember that. Can you do that for me?"
Dean's heart swelled with so much love it hurt. Cas was clearly terrified that he had just lost any chance of regaining custody of his son, yet he was still taking care of Dean, wrapping him up in protective wings. Dean nodded mutely.
"Say it out loud. Please."
Dean swallowed down the lump in his throat. "There is nothing wrong with me." He even believed it. At least for that moment.
Cas smiled, and his scent sweetened a bit. "My good Alpha," he murmured and kissed Dean softly. It was just the briefest chaste brush of warm lips, but Dean held the memory of that kiss and those three little words (not the words he longed to hear, but they were close enough) at the front of his mind as he and Cas walked down the stairs, side by side, hand in hand.
~o0o~
Hannah was standing in the doorway of the living room with Michael. She was very pale, her distress bleeding clearly into her scent. Michael smelled calmer, but his mouth was pressed into that thin line of disapproval Castiel had been familiar with since childhood. He gripped Dean's hand a little harder, and Dean squeezed back, a silent reassurance that he wasn't going anywhere. Dean's support would help him keep his head.
"It's alright, Omega," Michael said quietly to his mate. "I'll take care of this. Leave us."
Hannah ducked her head and hurried away towards the kitchen, refusing to make eye contact with either Castiel or Dean. Castiel wasn't sure if that was because she felt guilty for ratting them out or because she was embarrassed about what she had seen them doing. Likely it was a bit of both.
When Hannah was out of sight, Michael just eyed them in icy silence for a few seconds. Castiel wanted to take charge of the situation instead of standing here waiting for Michael's judgment, but blurting out 'We didn't do anything wrong' would put him on the defensive.
"I wish I could say I'm even a little bit shocked," Michael said at last, "but to be perfectly honest, I suspected there was something of this," he grimaced in distaste, "disgusting nature going on. It was painfully obvious where the balance of power lay in this relationship."
Castiel could detect the faintest whiff of burnt toast emanating from Dean, but the alpha remained a solid, unwavering presence at Castiel's side, using the tricks he had learned from dealing with his father to control his scent. He doubted Michael would be able to pick up on the subtleties of Dean's scent unless he was completely overwhelmed.
"What Hannah saw," Castiel said, barely resisting the urge to growl at his brother (challenging Michael's inner alpha like that would not help the situation), "had nothing to do with power or dominance. It was two equals giving each other pleasure in a perfectly natural way. And to be perfectly honest, our sex life is none of your business, nor does it have any bearing on my fitness as a parent."
"Oh, I think it does. Obviously I can't stop you from mating this pathetic excuse for an alpha." Michael didn't even deign to look at Dean as he said this. "But I will not allow you to expose my son to such perversion."
"My son! Not yours!" This time a growl did break through the words.
Michael just smiled, cold and full of sharp alpha teeth. "No. Not since you signed over legal custody to me, remember? You gave me the right to do anything I deem necessary to protect Jack's interests, which was frankly the only good parenting decision you have ever made. I have been extremely lenient, allowing you to visit him whenever you wished, allowing him to spend weekends with you, but all that ends now. From now on, you will have one supervised visit per month which will be conducted here with either Hannah or myself present at all times. Dean is not invited. In fact, if I see him anywhere near this house or Jack again after you leave tomorrow, I will get an official restraining order. Do I make myself clear?"
Castiel could feel the blood pounding in his ears, but this time it was anger, not panic. "It seems you've left me no choice," he said flatly, knowing that Michael in his arrogance would interpret that as surrender.
Michael nodded curtly. "I'm glad we understand one another. And there's no need to discuss any of this in front of Jack tomorrow." Translation: We'll pretend this never happened. A Novak family specialty. The implied or you will never see Jack ever again was obvious.
Castiel turned on his heel and started back upstairs, tugging Dean along behind him. Back in their room, he closed the door and locked it before finally letting go of Dean's hand. The sight of the debauched bed with its sheets and blankets twisted every which way stained with slick and come, and the rope lying in the center, still tied in a bow, made Castiel desperately wish that he could turn back time, be warm and safe and tangled up with Dean again behind this locked door. He hadn't gotten to come, but he doubted either of them could get back in the mood now.
As the adrenaline ebbed from his bloodstream, he suddenly felt his legs trembling under him and half collapsed onto the edge of the bed. Dean sat down beside him, and he automatically leaned into his alpha's warmth. They ended up in a kind of sideways hug, Dean cradling Castiel to his chest, his chin resting on top of Castiel's head.
Castiel wasn't sure when he started to cry. It began gently, a few silent tears trickling down his cheeks, but then the dam broke and he was sobbing, trying to muffle the noise in Dean's shirt. Dean didn't shush him, or tell him not to cry, or offer empty platitudes about how it would be okay and they would figure it out. He just held Castiel tight, his warm maple scent wrapping around the omega as surely as his strong arms, and let him get it all out. When he ran out of tears, Castiel felt spent. He was exhausted both physically and emotionally, but he also felt clearheaded.
"Can you text Sam and set up a meeting for me?" he asked a little croakily, peeling his cheek off of Dean's damp shirt.
"Course," Dean said, reaching for his phone. "You want me to come along?"
"Yes, please."
Dean spent a few minutes tapping at his phone screen while Castiel wiped his eyes, blew his nose, and generally tried to feel more like a human being and less like a walking blob of tears and snot.
"Okay. All set. He says we can come by his office tomorrow around noon, and he's giving you the friends and family discount which is Sammy-speak for pro bono."
"What? No!" Castiel protested. "I can't let him do that."
Dean held up his hands. "Look, you can try to pay him, but knowing him, if he does take your money, he'll just donate it to some charity for homeless kids or something. You might as well skip the middle man and donate the money yourself."
Castiel smiled at that despite the fear still sitting like a stone in his stomach. "The Winchester boys," he said, shaking his head fondly. "Selfless to a fault."
Dean gave a bark of laughter. "I am far from selfless."
"You're here with me, aren't you?" Castiel pointed out. "What did you get out of all this besides a truly awful Christmas?"
Dean shrugged. "Hardly the worst Christmas of my life. I got to play in the snow with you and Jack. That was fun."
Castiel smiled again, and it felt a little more natural this time. "Yes, that was fun. And with Sam's help, we'll get to do it again next winter." He had to believe that. He had to believe that they would win. He couldn't even entertain the thought of losing his son for good.
They folded the clean laundry that was still spilled all over the floor and packed their suitcases so they would be ready to leave as soon as possible tomorrow. Dean unknotted the rope and tucked it away with the others.
The bed still reeked of sex, but they weren't about to leave the room or ask Hannah for fresh sheets. They changed into pajamas and crawled under the covers. This time there was no awkward moment of trying to stay on their respective sides. As soon as Dean had deposited his glasses safely on the nightstand with his phone and they had turned out the lights, they both shuffled to the middle of the bed without discussion, laying face to face on a single pillow.
Castiel traced the lines of Dean's face with his fingertips in the dark. "Dean?"
"Hmm?"
He swallowed down his own emotions because Dean needed to hear this, no matter how painful it was for Castiel to say. "I want you to know that even though we're not a couple like we've been pretending to be, I think you're a wonderful role model for Jack, and I want you to be a part of his life, as much as you're comfortable being. Michael was right about one thing. Kids need both alphas and omegas to learn from, but those alphas and omegas don't always have to be their parents. I would be very proud for my son to grow up to be as good an alpha and as good a man as you are."
Dean was silent for a moment, and if not for his scent, Castiel would have thought he had fallen asleep. Then he heard a faint sniffle and a slightly choked, "Thanks, Cas."
He kissed Dean's forehead, and gradually they drifted off in each other's arms. Tomorrow they would have a lot of difficult things to do, but they would do them together.