Notes: As always, thank you to the lovely readers who were kind enough to drop me a comment on the last chapter. I love hearing your thoughts on my little story. Feedback and constructive criticism are always greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own obsession with Supernatural.

Triggers: Brief mention of grief. Mention of consensual spanking during sex. I think that's it...

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Sam is sitting on the armchair in the living room, waiting for a commercial break from the nightly news, and watching Cas and Dean out of the corner of his eye. They're on the couch, Cas sitting at the end farthest from Sam with his feet on the floor, and Dean at the other with his legs pulled up on the seat cushion, knees bent out to the sides, ankles crossed in front of him, head leaning against the back of the couch, looking exhausted from his early start time at the restaurant. There's a good two feet of space between them, space that Sam knows wouldn't be there if he wasn't in the room. He tries not to let the thought make him feel like a burden. He doesn't usually watch the news with them, but he knows Castiel watches it every night and he figures this might be a good time to talk to them. He had tried to bring it up earlier at dinner, but it had felt like too much, in the brightly lit kitchen, with his brother and Castiel only a few feet away and able to stare directly at him, and he had felt a crush of anxiety. Sam's attention is pulled back toward the tv by the change in volume when an ad for a car replaces the news team. He takes a deep breath. He knows it's ridiculous to be so nervous about this. Dean would do anything for him, and things are really good between him and Cas right now. And, it's not like Dean hasn't already told him that this was something he and Cas both wanted to do. That it was really up to Sam. He doesn't know why actually asking for it feels so scary. He takes another breath, figures it's now or never.

He keeps his eyes trained forward, watching a sweeping overhead shot of a car driving down a winding road, and feeling his heart beating quickly in his chest.

"So, uh, I've been thinking, and if you guys still want to adopt me, you can. I think I'd really like that." Sam doesn't look away from the tv. "But, if you've changed your minds, that's ok, too. I'm good with whatever you guys want to do." He hears movement from the couch and he feels like an outsider knowing it's probably Dean and Cas turning toward each other to check in and make sure they're on the same page before responding. He wonders if this was a stupid way to do this, if he should have talked to Dean privately first, to make sure they hadn't had second thoughts before potentially embarrassing himself in front of Castiel.

Then Sam feels Dean's hand grabbing his and pulling him up out of his chair, and he lets himself be tugged to his feet without making eye contact. He's expecting to be hugged, but instead, Dean drops back onto the couch right next to Cas and pulls Sam down so that he's kind of sitting on top of both of them, facing forward toward the tv. He feels Dean's arms wrap around his waist from behind, hugging him tightly, and Castiel's hand run over his head petting him softly. He feels Dean drop a quick kiss on one side of his head, then Cas's hand smoothing down his hair before another kiss lands on the other side of his head. Sam feels surprisingly emotional at the reception he's getting and he blinks back the wetness in his eyes, grateful that his face isn't visible to either man.

"We definitely still want to adopt you, Sammy." Dean's voice is low and serious, without any of the joking or sarcasm Sam might have expected. "I love you so much, kiddo. I've felt like you were mine for years, and this feels like the absolute right thing for us to do."

Sam just nods wordlessly, not trusting himself to speak, and not really knowing what he wants to say anyway.

Castiel's hand strokes the back of Sam's head so lovingly that it makes Sam think about Cas referring to him as a cherished child the day of their last social worker visit. "Thank you, sweet boy. I want you to know that I am aware of the enormous trust you're putting in me and that I will take my duty to live up to that trust very seriously. I love you, and I promise you that the privilege of getting to be your parent isn't something I will ever take for granted or treat lightly."

Sam nods again and sniffs softly. He feels Dean leaning his forehead against the side of his head. He thinks of his dad and what he had to lose in order to gain what he has now, and the memories that rise up in his mind hurt. Dean has always been a given in his life, his person, loving him and being there for him one way or another, sometimes as his brother and sometimes as more than that when their dad was away. But, he feels an unexpected stab of guilt at the idea that he might be replacing his dad with Castiel.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Dean takes in the contented look on his boyfriend's face as he gets into bed next to him. He thinks about the conversation they just had with Sam in the living room. It's been a big day, and while Dean is glad to have the issue settled so they can make plans to move forward with the adoption, he knows that Castiel is feeling extra relief at having been included in Sam's adoption plans. Dean knows that wasn't a given, and he's grateful that Sam wants Cas to adopt him, too.

"I've been thinking, Dean." Cas says. "Since most of Sam's friends seem to be getting cars for their sixteenth birthdays, I would like us to do something special for Sam, too."

It's not what Dean expected Castiel to want to talk about, and he turns his head on his pillow to study the man's face. He thinks back to the conversation about basketball camp, and wants to tread lightly so as not to offend Castiel when he's clearly trying to be generous. He worries about Cas thinking that he needs to spoil Sam by spending money on him when the guy has so much else to offer the kid.

"Cas, I really don't think we need to buy Sam a car."

"I'm glad that we're on the same page about that, because that's not what I'm suggesting." Cas says. "I have been reading a parenting website on the topic of first cars for teenagers. I have learned that many parents, like ourselves." Dean watches happiness flicker across the man's face at being able to describe them as parents and he wonders if Cas even realized it happened. "want to help their children purchase a car, but also want their children to have the character building experience of working toward and achieving a goal of this magnitude. Many seem to compromise by striking a deal in which the parents match what the child saves toward the car. For example, if the child saves a thousand dollars, the parents would contribute another thousand dollars toward a two thousand dollar car. If we made that deal with Sam, we could put away a little each month to match whatever Sam saves when he gets a part time job. What do you think?"

"I think that's amazing and generous of us." Dean says. He can see the eagerness in Cas's eyes and Dean knows he isn't going to stand in the guy's way or dull his excitement, even if the idea feels a little stressful. "Or you really, since I'm not sure how much I can contribute."

Castiel smiles. "Sam gave me an amazing and generous gift tonight by allowing me to be included in adopting him. I would like to do the same for him on his birthday."

"I need to get another job." Dean says. He can feel the stress spiral coming on, the one he's been feeling lately every time he thinks about how little money he makes and all the changes that would be required for him to make more.

Cas frowns. "I thought we talked about you working two jobs, Dean. I really don't think it's in Sam's best interest to have you gone in the evenings." Cas pauses. "Or in the best interest of our relationship."

"I know. I know." Dean says. "And, I agree with you. I meant that I need to leave the restaurant and find something else. I don't make shit there. And, all this. Basketball camp for Sam. Helping him with a car. The new sneakers he needed at the start of the season. The back to school clothes you paid for. I need to pull my weight more. I can't let you keep doing all this stuff on your own." Dean can feel the panic building. The one that threatens to drown him every time he thinks about money and how completely fucked he and Sam would be without Castiel. "And, Sam's college is going to be here before we know it and I have absolutely nothing saved up for that."

"What about college for you, Dean?" Cas asks, and Dean gives him a hard look. "Have you given any more thought to that? You could start at a community college with just one or two classes. You could take them online if you preferred. It wouldn't be cost prohibitive for us."

"Are you fucking serious? That's the last thing I can think about right now." Dean takes in the startled, uneasy look on his boyfriend's face and is reminded of the fight they had when Cas brought up college a few weeks after Dean's dad died. The fight, if it could be called that, had been one-sided, with Castiel calmly listing the reasons Dean should consider investing in himself now more than ever as Sam's sole care giver, and Dean losing control and screaming back for Cas to just shut up about college, that his dad just died and could Cas give him a fucking minute to breathe and get his shit together before dumping even more stress on him. Dean still feels a queasiness in his stomach when he thinks about how he reacted back then. "I'm sorry, Cas. I shouldn't have raised my voice. I didn't mean to talk to you like that."

Castiel nods. "I forgive you, Dean." Cas always forgives him easily. Cas has never once raised his own voice at Dean, and Dean is hit with a wave of guilt at having done it again over the same thing, as if he's incapable of exercising self-control.

Money is the easiest excuse to hide behind, and it's not like it isn't true that Dean can't afford community college right now, but Dean knows that the idea of going to college is triggering for an even more pathetic reason. Fear. He knows deep down that he just can't do school, not like Sam and Cas can. His struggles with his high school classes had taught him that, and he really doesn't want Castiel to see him like that and possibly realize what an idiot he is. It's one thing to not be able to afford college, but it's another thing entirely to flunk his classes or drop out because the work is too hard.

"Thinking about school is just really stressful for me." Dean tries to explain. "I can't even handle the regular expenses for Sam. I barely pay for anything around here. I can't think about doing anything for myself until he's done with school. His college is my priority, not mine. He's the one who works his ass off in school. I sure as hell didn't."

"I understand that." Cas says tentatively. "I wasn't suggesting that you fund your college and Sam's by yourself. I will help with both as much as I can. I hope you know that."

"I do. I just…...think we should focus on Sam first."

"I am focusing on Sam. You getting an associates degree while Sam is still in high school could situate you for a higher paying job by the time we need to start paying Sam's college tuition." Dean doesn't know how to attack that logic, so he says nothing. "And, I think Sam would very much like to see you going to college, Dean. I think he would enjoy having you study with him in the evenings."

"I know he would." Dean admits. Sam had been eleven when Dean had dropped out of high school at seventeen and the kid hadn't taken the news well, crying and telling Dean that he needed to finish school if he wanted to make something of himself. Dean had tried to convince the kid it was the best thing for their family, that Dean and their dad had made the decision together, but Sam had not been swayed. It was the first time that Dean had felt like he let Sam down about something major. "And maybe I'll go someday, just not right now."

"I didn't mean to cause you stress. It was just an idea. And, if you don't want to help Sam with a car, we could always-"

"Of course, I want to help him with a car, Cas. I just can't. I'll be twenty-two years old in three months and when you break out my tips by hour, I make about minimum wage, sometimes less if the weather's bad and people don't want to leave their offices for lunch. I've been working since I was fifteen and I have a grand total of $478 in the bank to show for it. And it's not like my dad had any life insurance to help with Sam's college. What he left us didn't even cover his cremation costs. I had to use my savings to make up the difference. The only real asset he had was the Impala and I'll probably have to sell that to help pay for Sam's college and even that's only going to cover the smallest, tiniest chunk of what his school's gonna cost." Dean takes a breath. "I'm sorry, Cas. I didn't mean to freak out and dump all this shit on you."

"Come here, my love." Cas takes Dean's hand and Dean lets Cas guide him until he's lying facedown on top of Cas, his chest flush against Cas's, just two layers of thin cotton tee shirts and pajama pants between them. Dean's head drops to Cas's pillow over the man's shoulder, his face turned in toward Cas's. Cas rubs Dean's back with one hand and slips the other down the back of Dean's pajama pants, rubbing his bare ass, massaging it gently. "Is this good, Dean, or would you prefer to go out to the garage?"

"Hmmm….." Dean relaxes into the touch and lets himself go limp against Cas's chest. Castiel is always so good at calming him down, or just knowing what he needs in general. "This is great, Cas. It's too late to go outside." "Mmmm…...And too cold."

Dean feels Castiel slip a second hand into his pants, massaging both cheeks firmly, kneading his fingers into the flesh and muscle.

Cas sighs softly. "I really love your ass, sweetheart." He whispers.

"Hmmm…..my ass loves you, too." Dean's words are getting slower and farther apart as he feels himself melting into Cas. "You're pretty much it's favorite person ever."

"Pretty much?" Cas feigns offense.

Dean huffs out an amused breath and Cas gives him a light slap on his ass. His backswing is restricted by Dean's pajama pants, and the slap lands lightly and quietly, as Dean knows was Cas's intention.

"Mmmm." Dean starts to grind his crotch slowly against Cas's. "Harder." "Cas, please."

"I offered you the chance to go out to the garage and you declined." Cas says, his logic standing in the way of Dean's pleasure. "I'm not comfortable doing anything that Sam could overhear. You know that very well Dean." The scolding quality in Cas's voice stirs an arousal deep within Dean.

"Hmmm…...You're right." Dean says, using what he believes to be his most enticing tone. "I do know that very well. So I guess I was being pretty naughty asking for it anyway, wasn't I?" Dean grinds harder against Cas, still moving slowly but applying more pressure. "You should probably put me over your knee and just whale the naughty right out of me. Really teach me a lesson. Then fuck me until I can't remember my own damn name. What do you say, Cas?"

"Do you want to go out to your car, Dean?" Cas asks, his voice annoyingly neutral as he refuses to rise to the bait.

"And, look at that." Dean says. He knows he's kind of being a brat, but he wants what he wants, and he wants it right here. "I just said fuck. That should earn me a nice, long punishment."

"Well, I suppose I could wash your mouth out with soap, if you'd like." Cas says, amusement clear in his voice. "That's a very quiet punishment."

Dean groans. He knows it's not a real threat. Castiel sometimes throws it in when he's scolding Dean, but Dean has no interest in actually getting his mouth washed out, and he's pretty sure Cas knows that.

"Unless you cry like a small child." Cas whispers into his ear.

Dean laughs into the side of Castiel's face. "Thanks for the offer, but I'd really prefer getting my ass beat." He wheedles.

"You're acting like I'm denying you something when all I'm doing is suggesting a change in venue if you would like to make noise that might be overheard by Sam and make him uncomfortable." Cas's voice is serious, and Dean knows he should stop pushing. "He's a child, Dean. His comfort comes before our sexual satisfaction. Always. This isn't something new."

Dean whines low in his throat. " I know. But I'm so warm and relaxed and comfortable right here. And Sam's a really deep sleeper."

"That's hardly the point, you naughty boy." Cas's scolding just does things to Dean, and his movement against Cas quickens.

"You're such a tease, Cas." He mutters.

Dean feels a sharp pinch on the fullest part of his left ass cheek. "Ow!" Dean exclaims. "I hope you're planning on kissing that better."

"Among other things, yes." Cas says, rubbing the skin he just pinched soothingly, before resuming massaging Dean's ass, throwing in the occasional soft pat.

"Mmmm… " Dean relaxes into the massage, feeling like he could drift off right here, lying on top of Cas. "This doesn't feel too terrible."

"I'm glad I could help you relax, my love." Cas's voice is low and rumbling and soothing, and Dean feels like he could lie here and listen to it forever. "I'm sorry for causing you stress earlier, with my suggestion to help Sam purchase a car. If you would prefer not to do that, we could alternatively buy him a puppy for his birthday. Or a kitten. Whichever you think he'd prefer. The research I've done shows that both cars and pets are typically satisfying gifts for children that are remembered fondly well into adulthood. And that is the kind of gift I would like for us to give Sam."

Dean laughs. "Oh, my god, Cas."

"Does that mean yes to the car or to the puppy?" Cas is all earnest curiosity.

"It means I wish you'd been my dad when I was Sam's age."

Cas gives Dean's ass a firm squeeze with both hands at once and Dean gasps softly. Cas rolls them over, putting Dean on his back as he hovers over him on his hands and knees and reaches a hand down the front of Dean's pajama pants, smiling mischievously. "Well, I, for one, am very glad I'm not."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Sam meets them near Castiel's car in the parking lot after the game, his backpack and gym bag slung over his shoulder. He leans in to receive one-armed, half hugs first from Dean, then Cas.

"It was still a good game, Sammy." Dean says, sympathy clear on his face. "You looked great out there."

"You did, Sam." Cas says, his expression solemn. "We're very proud of you for how hard you've worked at basketball this season. You should be proud of yourself, too."

Sam smiles. "Thanks, guys." He opens the door to the backseat and tosses his bags onto the seat, watching Cas move around the car to the driver's side. Dean pats Sam on the back as he walks past him to the passenger door.

He knows he's not taking the loss as hard as some of the guys on the team are. It's not that he isn't disappointed that the team didn't make the playoffs, or that the season is ending with a loss. He could feel his heart sink when their shooting guard's final shot of the game, their last hope at a win, had bounced awkwardly off the backboard, then the rim, before dropping down outside the hoop while the buzzer blared. But, after lining up to shake hands with the guys from the other team and being dismissed to the locker room by Coach Harris, Sam had looked to the bleachers, finding Dean and Cas on their feet with the rest of the crowd, looking devastated for him. They'd met his eyes from the stands and smiled and clapped at him, and Sam had felt some of the sting of the loss disappearing.

Sam gets into the backseat and clicks his seatbelt into place. "Thank you guys for coming to so many of my games this season. It means a lot to me. It was really great to get to look up and see you guys in the stands."

"Hey, there's no place we'd rather be on game nights, Sammy." Dean says. "I love watching you play."

"Yes." Cas nods. "It's been a wonderful experience to get to watch you play, Sam. I have enjoyed your games very much."

Sam watches Dean pat Cas on the shoulder. "And, Cas here, finally got some much needed exposure to the world of sports."

"I did." Cas confirms. "And, I found it educational and very exciting."

Dean has attended every home game all season, and Cas has only missed one on a night when he had to attend a client dinner for work. They even showed up at a couple of the away games when Sam's team had played at neighboring high schools.

"So, now that basketball's over, what are you gonna do with all your free time?" Dean asks.

"Well, for starters." Sam starts to smile. "Kelly asked me if I wanted to go to a movie with her tomorrow night."

"Nice, Sammy! Look at you." Dean says.

Sam can feel a grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, we were talking before homeroom this morning and she just asked me. I probably sounded like a moron because I was so caught off guard. I told her I could go, though. I can, right?" Sam watches them exchange a look in the front seat. "Right?"

"Will it just be the two of you?" Castiel asks. Sam isn't surprised that it's Cas that speaks first. He has noticed that Dean tends to hang back and let Castiel take the lead in situations like this, when Sam is asking for something new and there's even a slight chance he might not get what he wants. It's something that would have bothered Sam in the past, but he thinks about his social worker telling him that it's a good thing that Cas is around to help set boundaries for him and hold him accountable for his behavior and he doesn't disagree. He thinks that maybe he has a good balance with Dean and Castiel, with one soon-to-be-parent who is fun and cool and playful and one who acts more parental and can be kind of a hardass when Sam needs it.

"Um, yeah." Sam says, watching the back of the man's head. "Just us and a freakin' movie theater full of other people."

"Mind your tone, Samuel." Cas shifts into full reprimand mode, and Sam knows his own sarcastic tone was probably a mistake, as was throwing in the freakin', which he's pretty sure Cas has seen as disrespectful, but he no longer feels the same sense of alarm he once did in these situations with Cas. It hits him how secure he feels in their relationship now. How he trusts Cas to not treat him unreasonably or take away something that's important to him without being willing to hear him out or work out a compromise. "I asked you a simple question. Being disrespectful will not serve you in this conversation."

"Yes, Cas. Sorry. I just meant that, yes, just me and Kelly are going, but we'll be in public the entire time, surrounded by other people. So, can I go?"

"May I go, Samuel?" Cas corrects.

Sam thinks about responding playfully with sure Cas, you can come too, but he doesn't want to put any ideas in the man's head that he needs a chaperone.

"May I go?" Sam repeats politely.

"What movie are you going to see?" Cas asks.

Sam holds back a sigh. "I don't know, yet. She just asked if I wanted to see a movie on Friday. We haven't talked about which one yet."

"That's a good sign, Sammy." Dean says. "Means she's more into seeing you than the movie. The movie's just an excuse to get you all alone in a dark theater so she can take advantage of your little virgin self."

Sam watches Castiel glance toward Dean with a disapproving look before turning his attention back to the road as he drives, and it makes Sam smile to see that he's not the only one who finds himself on the receiving end of that look.

Dean laughs. "Oh, c'mon, Cas. I was just playing around. You've got nothing to worry about in that department. I'm pretty sure our little Sammy's going to be a virgin until he's thirty."

"Shut up, Dean." Sam scoffs. "Like you know anything about girls, anyway."

"Hey!" Dean says. "I dated Lisa in high school, for almost an entire semester. I know some stuff."

"Oh, yeah." Sam says. "I forgot about her. Lisa was cool. She was always so nice to me. It's too bad you guys broke up. I bet Lisa would let me go to the movies with Kelly."

Sam watches Castiel's eyes narrow at him in the rear view mirror. He can't see the rest of the man's face and for a brief moment he wonders if what he intended to be playful joking has been taken as disrespect.

"Well." Cas says, and Sam realizes that he knows Castiel well enough now that he can tell from the sound of that one syllable that he has nothing to worry about. "It is one of my life's goals to be considered as cool as Dean's high school girlfriend, so I will not stand in the way of you and your fresh mouth going to the movies with your friend."

Dean laughs and Sam feels himself grinning. Castiel shoots him another look in the mirror and Sam can see the skin around the man's eyes crinkling with amusement at his own joke.

"Me and my fresh mouth appreciate that, Cas." Sam has learned that terms like fresh or sass mean that Castiel is being playful, while disrespect or mind your tone are indicative of a serious reprimand and need to be responded to with a respectful yes, Cas every time. Sam is continuously aiming for more of the former and less of the latter. He always feels like he has achieved something special when Cas is playful with him. He thinks about how things in their little family, particularly between him and Cas, are getting better all the time. He remembers Kelly's concern that Castiel was abusing him and he thinks about how preposterous that seems now, with how much has changed between him and Cas, and how much trust has developed, even in the short time that's passed since Kelly was at the house.

"That is, as long as Dean doesn't have a problem with it, of course." Castiel says.

"I am totally good with Sammy going out with his little girlfriend." Dean cranes his neck to look at Sam in the backseat, with a smirk on his face and a raised eyebrow. "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Sam sighs. "She's not my little girlfriend. And, we're not going to do anything except watch a movie."

"Huh." Dean feigns curiosity as he turns back around to face the windshield. "Is watch a movie what the kids are calling it these days?"

Sam huffs out his annoyance. "Dean, I want you to know that I'm rolling my eyes back here."

"Noted." Dean says easily. "Hey, are you guys going to need a ride? I'd be happy to drive you. It might be less awkward than having one of her parents pick you up."

"Yeah." Sam says. "Cause you referring to her as my little girlfriend and making lame sex jokes won't be awkward at all. And, anyway, Kelly got her license last week. She's going to pick me up in her new car. She got a Prius for her birthday."

"Oooh, fancy." Dean says, turning toward Castiel. "Look at that, Cas, Sammy's dating up!

"Yeah, I guess that runs in our family." Sam grins. "Ha!"

"Hey!" Dean turns his head to the side, looking at Sam from the corner of his eye. Sam can see the grin on his face. "Don't make me come back there, Sammy!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Dean raises a hand and gives the closed bedroom door a courtesy knock before quickly pushing it open.

"Dean." Cas admonishes him for not waiting for a response, but it's worth it to see the surprised look on his little brother's face as the kid hurriedly slams his laptop closed.

"What's up, Sammy?" Dean grins. "Getting a little porn fix in to get you in the mood for your date tonight?"

Dean watches the boy's face flush with embarrassment. "Shut up, Dean. That's not what I was doing."

Dean walks over to where Sam is sitting at his desk. He reaches a hand toward the boy's laptop, as if he's going to lift the cover. "Let's see what gets Sammy's engine revved, shall we?"

Sam snatches the laptop out of Dean reach and sets it down on the other side of his desk. "Don't be gross, Dean. I was not looking at porn. There are other things on the internet besides porn. Maybe if you broaden your horizons a little you'd know that."

"Dean." Cas says, his expression solemn. "If you're done harassing your brother, perhaps we could have the conversation we came up here to have."

Dean grins at his brother one more time before turning toward Cas, and schooling his features into something less mocking. "Ok, Cas. Take it away."

"Sam, we would like to speak with you. Do you have a few moments?" Castiel asks.

"Sure, Cas." Dean watches Sam nod at his boyfriend, the response is still respectful, but much more relaxed than how Sam had spoken to Cas in the weeks immediately following the kid's meltdown in the car, when his demeanor toward Cas had been worryingly Stepford-like.

Cas gestures toward Sam's bed. "Is it ok if we sit?"

Dean follows Castiel's lead and waits for Sam to respond with a yes, of course, Cas before he sits down on the bed a couple of feet from his boyfriend. Dean watches Sam's eyes widen and he knows that the kid has spotted the box of condoms in Castiel's hand. Dean had told Cas this was unnecessary. That Sammy probably already had a condom squirreled away somewhere for an emergency, and that he wasn't the type of kid who was going to score on his first date, anyway. But, Cas had cited statistics on teen pregnancy and STD transmission, along with his takeaways from the parenting websites he reads, and he had insisted on making sure Sam has what he needs to protect himself, just in case. Dean couldn't really argue with that, so here they are.

"Sam." Cas says. "We know that tonight is only your first date with Kelly, and we are not suggesting that we expect anything sexual, especially not intercourse, to happen between you two this evening." Dean holds back a smirk as Sam blushes slightly. Castiel raises the hand holding the condoms. "But, we bought you these because we wanted you to be prepared in case anything does happen in the future. It has been my experience that you cannot always predict when you will need protection, and we want you to be ready if and when the situation arises. You are very precious to us, Sam, and we take our responsibility to safeguard your well being extremely seriously." Dean watches his boyfriend and thinks about how he would have approached this on his own, and he feels a sense of gratitude that Cas is brave enough to be sincere instead of hiding behind the teasing and flippant comments that Dean would have relied on. Dean can't imagine telling Sam that he's precious with a straight face, but he's glad that Sam gets to hear this kind of stuff from someone. Dean knows it always gives him a warm, loved feeling when Cas directs it toward him. "We also want you to know that if you ever find yourself in a situation where you don't feel safe or comfortable where you are, you can always call either of us for a ride and we will come get you, at any time, day or night, no matter what, even if you've been drinking or doing anything else that you don't think we would approve of. We will pick you and bring you home, and we won't be angry with you or punish you for it. Our priority, first and foremost, is always your care and safety. Do you understand, Sam?"

Dean watches Sam nod solemnly, and he can tell Castiel's speech has affected him. "Yes, Cas." The kid turns to include Dean as well. "Thank you, guys. I appreciate it, really."

"Do you have any questions about sex, or anything I've said, that you would like to ask us?" Cas asks, and Dean can feel the corners of his mouth wanting to curl up in amusement. Sam might be right that there's more to the internet than just porn, but Dean's confident that there's enough porn on it to ensure that no teenager has needed to ask their parents a question about sex since the internet became a common household amenity.

Sam blushes again. "Uh, no, I, I think I'm good. But, thank you."

Castiel nods thoughtfully. "Just know that if there is ever anything you want to talk about regarding sex or relationships, or anthing at all, we are always here for you and willing to listen. You can always talk to us." Dean watches Cas give Sam a warm smile. "You know that, don't you, sweet boy?"

Sam nods and returns the smile, looking only slightly uncomfortable after that conversation, which Dean thinks is a win. "Yeah, I do."

Dean's instinct is to grab the box of condoms from Castiel's hand and toss them to his brother with a wrap it before you tap it, Sammy to lighten the mood, but he knows this conversation is important to Castiel and he doesn't want to diminish the experience for him, or for Sam, in any way.

"All right, Sam." Castiel gets to his feet and crosses the room to Sam, setting the box of condoms down on the kid's desk with a fond smile at the boy. "We'll let you get back to whatever it was you were doing."

Sam looks down at the box, then back up at Castiel. "Thanks, Cas."

Dean claps Sam on the shoulder and settles for giving his brother a fond smile of his own before he follows Cas out of the room.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Dean studies his boyfriend from behind, and drops a kiss on the back of the man's ear. They're lying on the couch, exhausted, with Dean's body wrapped around Castiel's, his chest against the other man's back, his leg draped over his hip, his fingernails running lightly up and down Cas's chest, scratching gently through his tee shirt. Dean's other arm is bent at the elbow, his head propped up on a closed fist. Castiel's head is laying flat on an outstretched arm on the couch, his eyes half closed, mouth slightly open. Dean thinks about how wiped out the guy looks. To be fair, Dean knows that his boyfriend did the bulk of the work tonight. Dean had wanted to make good use of having the house to themselves while Sam was out with Kelly, and Castiel had complied with his every wish, spanking Dean's ass until he was a quivering mess over Cas's lap on the couch, bending him over the coffee table and fucking him brainless while Dean yelled himself hoarse and got rug burns on his knees, and giving him another hard fucking against the tiled bathroom wall when Dean had begged for another round in the shower less than an hour later.

Dean raises his hand to Castiel's head and runs his fingers through the man's hair, listening to his boyfriend moan softly in appreciation. Dean relishes moments like this, when he gets to be the one taking care of Cas. They don't happen nearly as often as he knows they should. So much of their relationship is Cas taking care of him. Housing him for the next to nothing that he contributes to their household each month, helping him raise Sam, encouraging him to better himself, supporting him emotionally, and catering to every sexual desire he has. Dean thinks about all the times Cas has been willing to leave their warm bed to go out to the garage to make sure Dean was satisfied. Or how Cas lets Dean get away with only working one job that brings in ridiculously little money so that Dean can spend more time with Sam. Or even the little things, like every time Dean gets to be the little spoon, or the one who gets to sit on Cas's lap, or the one on the receiving end of a massage. Dean knows he needs to carry more of the weight in their relationship before Castiel gets tired of bearing so much of it himself, and it fills him with trepidation.

Dean thinks back to when his dad died, and how he had been sure that would be the end of him and Cas. Dean knew he would need to really step up for Sam with their dad gone, as a real parent, and he couldn't imagine Castiel wanting to make that kind of space in his life for Sam, or to want to commit to raising him with Dean, not when Dean had so little to offer someone like Cas, in terms of financial stability or life experience. But, after watching Cas with Sam over the past few weeks, Dean has started feeling that maybe having Sam in his life is working in his favor with Cas. Despite how much Cas tells him he loves him, Dean still has lapses in confidence when he can imagine Castiel leaving him for a more suitable partner somewhere down the line, a man closer to Cas's own age with more things in common, a do-gooder with a college degree and a good job. But, what he can't picture, ever, is Cas walking out on a child he's adopted, or on that child's other parent. Dean can still hear Cas saying that it's important for Sam to know that they want to adopt him and make the most profound commitment to him that they can. And, Dean couldn't be more thankful to Castiel for wanting to be Sam's parent. But, somewhere below all the genuine gratitude that Dean feels lurks the shamefully selfish thought that there wasn't an accompanying proposal from Cas to make his relationship to Dean as legal and binding as the man obviously wants his relationship with Sam to be. Dean's not quite twenty-two, and it's not like he'd be thinking about marriage at this point at all, if the man he loved hadn't just welcomed the opportunity to make a permanent commitment to his little brother. Dean takes a deep breath and tries to ground himself in the present and tamp down his insecurities before they start to spiral out of control. He leans forward and kisses the back of Cas's head.