Chapter 3: Got You by the Balls

Dean followed close behind Cas as the biker strode into the real estate office, Balthazar nodding toward the chairs against the window as he headed for the front desk. Hannah had passed all of the information to him and headed out to lunch, letting Balthazar call the office to speak with the agent and finalize the details of their meeting. He had seemed a little too eager to do that, an odd smile on his face while he was on the phone before they left the hotel. Benny pushed Gabriel into a seat and settled down on the other side of him, arms crossed over his chest. "What do you know about this real estate agent Hannah has found?"

"I don't know, but Balth likes the guy."

"Some pompous bastard, that's for sure," Gabe interjected. "I've never met one of our cousin's friends that I liked."

"You just rub them all the wrong way," Balthazar replied as he rejoined the group. "He's ready to see us now."

The group of bikers followed Balthazar into one of the side offices, Cas and Dean taking the two open seats while the rest of the gang hovered around them. Cas was admittedly eager to finally meet the main Balth had been texting for hours, someone he was clearly interested in. The real estate agent, a dark-haired man with guarded brown eyes, frowned at the group, glancing up at Balthazar curiously. "You didn't say you were bringing the whole family, love." There was an underlying hint of sarcasm in the man's voice, his accent clearly British.

Balthazar shrugged, leaning against the side of the agent's long wooden desk, his entire body leaning toward the man in a stance that begged the agent to pay attention to him. "We have a lot of varied needs in our clan, and I thought you'd like to hear them directly from the customers' mouths. You did say you 'aim to please'." Cas refrained from rolling his eyes at the innuendo in his cousin's voice, already mentally trying to decide the odds that Balthazar would be able to entice the other man into his bed. He hadn't known his cousin to hit on alphas before, and he suddenly wondered what Crowley's designation might be.

The agent snorted and leaned forward, pushing the files on his desk to one side as he glanced at his computer screen. Cas caught a whiff of his chamomile and lemon scent and sighed, leaning forward far enough to tap his cousin's side. "Balthazar."

"Look, omegas have a better track record in real estate when it comes to picky clients," the younger alpha snapped, clearly realizing that he was going to have to defend his choice of agents to his demanding boss. "If I thought there was a chance in hell that you would settle with the first nice house that ticked all of your boxes, it wouldn't matter who your agent was, but I know you. It took four months for that guy in Chicago to find you a property you would tolerate, and you still don't really like it. We did it your way last time; let's do it my way this time."

"You specifically told Hannah to look for an omega, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did. Trust me cousin; this is going to work."

Cas threw his hands up in defeat and leaned back in his chair, Dean watching the argument curiously. "Alright, agent, I suppose you're hired."

"And whom will I have the pleasure of serving?"

"I'm Castiel Novak."

"Crowley," the agent replied, dipping his head in an imitation of a bow. "Balthazar tells me that you will be looking at multiple properties in Lawrence as well as some of our nearby cities. We do have access to a large portfolio throughout the entire state so I do not believe we will have issues meeting your demand. I have a form here where you can select your preferences and I can use that information to choose properties to show you." He passed a small tablet to Cas, taking a second one from his drawer and navigating to the correct app. "Now, who will be staying in your house, Mr. Novak? Just you and the terrified little squirrel sitting next to you?"

Cas glanced at Dean, the omega somewhat resembling the rodent in question as his eyes darted around the room and he tugged at the hem of his jacket nervously. The alpha reached over and placed a calming hand on his leg, smiling gently as the younger man slowly relaxed. "Yes, Dean will be staying with me. Also my brothers, Gabriel and Samandriel, and my guard Benny here. Balthazar will need his own place nearby, probably with Charlie and Hannah and their mates, since he can't seem to get along with anyone else in the family."

Balthazar snorted as he accepted the second tablet from Crowley, quickly tapping the boxes and fields that would provide a good home for himself and the four women Cas had assigned to him. He actually did get along marvelously with Charlie and with Hannah's mate Tessa; Hannah was able to tolerate him for long periods and Charlie's mate Gilda was a truly sweet soul who got along with everyone. "Gabriel is the problem, not me. I have tried for decades to make friends with your brother, but he manages to break every truce."

Gabe grinned as he leaned over Cas's shoulder, pointing at a couple of the options he wanted in their house. He and Balthazar might be terrible roommates, but they did love each other dearly and the alpha had been injured more than once while protecting his omega cousin from some of the more unsavory people they had to deal with on occasion. "Hey, Samandriel was the one who threatened to chop your balls off and feed them to the cats, not me," Gabe pointed out.

Balthazar gulped and dropped a hand in front of his crotch, protecting his precious jewels. "I worry when someone who studies medicine makes a threat that specific."

Crowley chuckled darkly, reaching out and patting Balthazar's hip comfortingly. "Come, now, sweetheart; I'll protect you from the big, bad omega," he purred. The alpha's pale blue eyes widened at the suggestive undertone in the man's scent, something akin to arousal peppering his.

Benny growled and leaned forward to thump the other alpha's shoulder, breaking the gaze he had locked on Crowley. "Get a room; don't stink up this one."

Cas chuckled and finished filling out the form, leaning forward to pass the small tablet back to a now-blushing Crowley. "I believe that a house that falls within these parameters will meet our needs nicely." He glanced at the newest member of their clan, the boy sitting quietly in his seat but almost vibrating with excitement, green eyes swimming with gold flecks. It seemed that he had been paying attention to the conversation and understood that they were picking out a house that he got to live in, and maybe he understood that he could ask to have a say. "Dean, is there any special feature you want in this new house? Anything you want."

Dean nodded and glanced at the tablet, too nervous to reach for it but clearly eager to voice his opinion. Cas held it out to him, watching as the omega carefully touched the screen and moved the page down, smiling as he pointed at one of the options. "Acreage? You want a yard?" Dean nodded, holding his hands as far apart as possible to indicate that he wanted it big. He also scrolled back to the picture at the top, one of the houses that the firm had for sale, and pointed at the colorful flowers bordering the front porch. "And flower beds. Crowley, you got that?"

"Every gesture," the omega replied obediently, tapping a few commands on both tablets to send the information to his database. "How many other properties should I look for?"

Balthazar looked at his boss and shrugged. "It'll take time for the others to get everything shut down in Chicago, but we should put Ishim, Akobel, Ketch, and their mates in Topeka and maybe Malachi and his mate Rebecca in Kansas City."

"We'll need a second pair for Kansas City," Benny pointed out. Castiel never wanted any of his gang to live alone, to feel like they weren't loved and protected by their family.

"Ezekiel will do nicely there."

Gabriel snorted at that, chuckling darkly at his cousin's innocent expression. "Don't want your little sister too close, eh Balthy? Anna'd tear you a new one if she heard that you were trying to put that much distance between you."

"I'd prefer she stay in Chicago, to be fair, but she is pregnant and I am, technically, that pup's uncle. It's only right that we be within a short drive of her. But not walking distance."

Castiel raised his hands in defeat. "Fine, Kansas City. Better send Ezekiel's siblings there, too. Ask for at least three more volunteers for Topeka and everyone else can stay here. They'll be fine with condos or townhomes close to the town center; I'd prefer to be more on the outskirts where it's peaceful and quiet." Cas didn't glance at the omega sitting beside him, but his gang knew that Dean was a primary factor in his desire for peace and privacy. He wanted the boy to have a better life than Azazel had offered.

Crowley nodded. "Fine, we'll start with the two houses here, then I'll look into the arrangements for the rest of your clan. In the app you indicated that you need at least five bedrooms, but you haven't said anything about the number of floors. Is there anyone in your family who prefers not to have stairs, or do you have a layout preference?"

Cas shrugged. "I'm sure that five bedrooms would be difficult to manage without two or three stories. My current house is a ranch-style, and there is somewhat of a noise issue. I think the bedrooms would be better if they were not next to the living room and kitchen."

"Okay, no first-floor Master, then," Crowley murmured, typing away on his computer. "Do you cook, Mr. Novak? Or does anyone in your house cook?"

"I do," Gabe piped up. "Mostly baking, but I enjoy making family meals from time-to-time."

"Yes, that's helpful." Crowley stared at Castiel for a long moment, his eyes calculating as he hummed under his breath. "Alright, I believe I have enough information. I will have something for you to look at tomorrow."

Cas started at the sudden dismissal. "What, no pictures to look at? The last agent had a dozen properties for us to view the same day we met with him."

"None of which you bought," Crowley pointed out, having already surmised that this alpha was going to be a very interesting client. "You didn't like any of the houses that he took you to in the first few months and you started to think that he didn't understand you at all. That's why you settled, took a house that was pretty much alright, but you don't have any urge to return there. Tell me, Mr. Novak, do you want to go through that process again?"

Castiel shook his head slowly, honey and ginger scent colored with a faint hint of shock. "I just thought that's the way it was done."

"It doesn't have to be," Crowley purred. "I'm better than your former agent, and you can trust that I want you to be perfectly happy with the house I find for you. After all, my reputation is at stake here." He pointed at the framed awards on the wall and the two glass ones on the shelf behind him, all of which proclaimed that he was the most successful real estate agent at the company. "Give me a day."

"Alright, we will." Castiel pushed himself to his feet, helping Dean up as his clan members gathered around him. "I will await your call."

Cas led his gang back to the street, heading for the three bikes parked peacefully in the shade of a flowering crepe myrtle, its branches heavy with the clusters of blood red blooms. Dean walked over to the tree and ran his hands down the smooth bark, leaning close enough to examine the pale wood before raising his arms and pulling a cluster of flowers close to his face. Before he could get a sniff of the flowers' aroma, a flurry of loose petals rained down on him, along with a generous shower of golden pollen. He giggled, actually made a soft, happy sound, and shook the branch, emerald eyes flashing omega gold in joy. Had the boy ever had occasion to climb a tree or play in the flowers?

Cas glanced to his side as Balthazar pulled out his phone and shot Crowley a quick text: Dean likes flowering trees.

Crowley: Hmm, yes, I can see that, pet. Balthazar glanced back up at the building and realized that Crowley's office faced the small side parking lot, the omega's dark eyes watching Dean cover himself in flower petals. "He looks happy," Balthazar observed.

"He's beautiful," Cas murmured back, catching Dean's scent as it brightened with his joy.

A moment later, the rumbling growl of the omega's stomach froze his actions, Dean's eyes losing that bright omega gold as his arms lowered to wrap around his belly. Gabriel approached his fellow omega, smiling kindly as he ran his fingers through the boy's dark blond hair. Even though Dean was nearly a head taller than Gabriel, he seemed smaller in that moment. "You sound a little hungry, kiddo. I guess we kinda forgot to stop for lunch."

Dean shook his head, clearly trying to deny his obvious hunger. His stomach growled again, giving him away.

Cas stepped up beside Dean and reached out to zip up his jacket, keeping his movements slow and gentle. "Gabriel is getting hungry, Dean; what do you think we should feed him? I was thinking he might enjoy some pizza if we can find a place." Dean nodded slowly, waiting patiently as Cas brushed the flower petals out of his hair and tried to clean off the smudges of pollen on his cheeks.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea, baby bro. Let's grab some pizza!"

Balthazar rolled his eyes as he jammed his helmet onto his head, revving up his bike as Gabriel hopped on the back. "I saw a place a few miles back, Boss," the alpha offered.

Cas nodded and led Dean back to his bike, Benny starting his own up as he backed out of the parking spot. Moments later, three bikes thundered out of the lot, the crepe myrtle still raining flower petals behind them.

"He's decided to move his entire base of operations to Kansas."

A sharp snort sounded through the phone's tiny speaker. "Geez, why?"

Michael shrugged, pulling up the online version of the major biker gangs' territories. "No idea, Luci. I mean, the town he picked is basically on the border between us, Devil's Blood, and the Demon Hunters. Maybe he's trying to guard the border."

"Wouldn't be a bad idea, actually," Lucifer mused. Michael could imagine his brother's pale, narrowed eyed and furrowed brow. "Damned Bloods have been pecking at our border for years, and we haven't been able to do anything about them. If Cassie's plan keeps them at bay, I'm inclined to support it."

"So am I." Michael glanced at the digital map, tracing the southern part of their western border thoughtfully. "Luci, I want you to deploy extra people to Texas. Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio may not be as protected as we would like if Azazel decides to retaliate."

"Should I pull people from Houston?"

"No, the shipping business there is a cornerstone of the Novak empire. We can't afford to lose anything there. Keep your people in NOLA, too; pull anyone you need from Atlanta, maybe, or anywhere in South Carolina. Revenue has been low from those states recently and we'll have to worry about industries there later. I'll send you some people if you need."

"No, I should be fine. Recruitment has been strong in Florida and Alabama this year, so I'll have the people. What about Cassie's meeting with the Demon Hunters leader?"

"He's a big boy now, Luci. He can handle it on his own. After all, he handled the Azazel meeting remarkably well and came out of the situation with a new omega."

"Hmm, yeah, I heard about that. Gabe said he's a pretty thing, a bit underfed maybe but as tall as us. I haven't seen many six-foot omegas."

"Maybe he'll settle down at last. Mother's been harassing me again about him and Gabe."

"They'll settle when they're ready. Not everyone is lucky enough to find their mate as young as we did." Michael heard a squeaking female voice on the other end of the line, followed by Luci murmuring something soothing to his youngest daughter. "Gotta go, big bro; my sweet angel says that Ingrid's got supper ready and you know how much trouble I'd get in if I showed up late. My mate is not a forgiving woman."

"Yeah, no problem, Luci. Talk to you later."

Gabe leaned over and nudged his brother, nodding at Dean sitting on the alpha's other side. Benny and Balthazar had returned to their room after their supper, leaving all of the leftover pizza in their boss's suite so that the new omega would have plenty to eat. He had put away an entire pizza by himself, even managing handful of breadsticks afterwards. Cas hadn't been entirely sure where the skinny boy put all that food, but Dean had seemed truly happy to be allowed to eat until he was done eating. Now, leaning against the arm of the couch where he had settled in to watch tv almost four hours earlier, Dean had fallen asleep.

"He's had a long day," Cas murmured, returning his attention to his computer screen. "As soon as his clothes arrive, I'll take him to bed."

Gabe jumped at a sharp knock on the door, Cas surging to his feet in an instinctive reaction to a noise that might prove to be dangerous to the omegas under his care. "A delivery for a Castiel Novak," a voice called from the other side of the door. Cas glanced through the peephole and saw a male he recognized, the delivery boy from the clothing store with his red vest and logo hat. Satisfied, the alpha unlocked the door and opened it just far enough to take the large bag, seeing that it was still sealed from the store.

"Everything is here?"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Novak, sir," the delivery boy stammered, a young beta clearly intimidated by the alpha's presence. He held out a receipt, the one that Cas had signed in the store, and the alpha folded it in half before tucking it in his pocket. Grabbing a few bills from his wallet, he tipped the boy and sent him on his way, locking the door behind him.

The commotion had woken Dean up, the omega rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he noticed the large bag at Cas's feet. "Your clothes are here, Dean," Cas explained, grabbing the bag and heading for the bedroom he shared with the omega. "Come, let's see if we can get you changed into something more comfortable than my jeans and shirt."

Dean nodded and followed obediently, closing the door as he watched Cas pull out each item of clothing and compare it to the receipt, stacking everything neatly on the edge of the bed until he was done. "Okay, it looks like everything's here." Cas pulled the small bag of underwear out of the stack and placed it on top of the pajamas Dean had picked out; they were a soft, pale green material with cherry blossoms printed all over them, one of the omega's favorite things from the shopping trip. He had never been allowed any separate clothes to sleep in when he lived with Azazel, so these would be a luxury for him. "Why don't you get changed for bed while I get this stuff put away. Are you hungry at all?"

Dean shook his head as he took the clothes, walking out of the room and toward the bathroom so he could change. He frowned at the sound of the shower running; clearly Gabriel liked to wash himself before bed instead of in the morning, and he would probably be there for a while. Dean returned to the bedroom and took a seat in the office chair next to the desk, staring at the folded clothes in his hands.

Cas finished putting Dean's clothes in the drawers, frowning when he spotted the omega sitting at the desk. "Dean, what's wrong?" Dean raised his hand over his head and mimed water falling down onto him, pointing at the bathroom barely visible through the half-opened bedroom door. "Oh, Gabe is taking a shower. Well, you can change here if you want. Unless it's going to make you uncomfortable or something."

Dean shrugged and stood, slipping out of his overshirt and folding it neatly before taking his t-shirt off. He heard the rustle of clothes behind him, and he turned curiously as soon as he had folded the shirt, catching his breath in a silent gasp at the sight that met his eyes.

Castiel had stripped out of his three layers of shirts, tossing them carelessly on the bed as he stretched out muscles that were tight from riding all morning and hopping between the hotel and stores all day. He froze as he felt the omega's stare on him, glancing over his shoulder and smiling gently as he realized what had caught the boy's attention. Two beautifully detailed midnight blue and black wings spread across his upper back, the long primary feathers tattooed down his arms, the shading so perfect that they almost seemed real. A multitude of other, more colorful tattoos covered his lower back and sides, but the dark wings were his crowning glory.

"It's the mark of our clan," Cas explained, staying perfectly still as Dean inched closer. "You can touch them if you want, Dean. These are my angel wings. Everyone in the clan has some sort of wing tattoo, even Benny as recently adopted as he is."

Dean's trembling fingers danced across the delicately inked lines, tracing the flared alulae over Cas's shoulders gently before stroking the secondary feathers over his shoulder blades. Cas half-turned and ran his fingers through Dean's hair, showing him that he didn't mind the curiosity. "What do you think of the color?" Dean nodded enthusiastically, biting his lip as he glanced out into the living area of the suite and the omega in the bathroom. "Gabe's are gold, kinda a darker shade at the base and super bright on the tips. I don't know how the artist managed that color, but it looks amazing. I'm sure he'll let you see them sometime. I have three other brothers besides him, and they also have this type of tattoo. Michael's wings are silver and white, though the base of each feather is just a few shades above black, and Lucifer has crimson red feathers that darken into a color maybe a few shades brighter than dried blood. They're both a bit weird, to be fair, but the colors work for them. Samandriel had his modeled after a peregrine falcon, so they're a kind of blue-gray color with detailed markings."

Dean nodded and stepped away, watching as Cas stripped out of his pants and pulled on his own pajama bottoms. He normally slept nude, but he didn't want the omega to feel uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed. Dean tilted his head and drew a sharp V on his chest, mimicking the shape of the shirt that Balthazar had been wearing that day. "Balth has rainbow wings," Cas snorted, running his fingers through his raven hair. "Like actual rainbows. He goes out of his way to shock people, and I think the tattoo artist just about died when he asked for those colors. I think, if he could have managed it, they would sparkle. He will gladly show you if you ask."

Dean turned half away from Cas, pointing over his shoulder at his scarred but tattoo-free back. Cas chuckled and patted the omega's shoulder, smiling at the soft, half-voiced purr he got in response. "If you choose to join our clan, you can have wings, too. Do you know what color you might want?" Dean nodded and pointed at his pajama shirt, at the green background color. "That would be lovely, Dean. Now, go ahead and finish changing."

Dean nodded and grabbed the small bag Cas had given him earlier, the pink thing branded with the symbol of a very expensive male omega underwear store that Gabe had ducked into for a few minutes while Dean had been in the collar store. The omega pulled out the first thing his fingers brushed against, jade eyes widening in shock at the beautiful, pink satin panties he found. They were edged in black lace with tiny black bows on the front and back, ribbons laced across the pouch in the front meant to hold his penis comfortably. Dean raised them to his cheek and rubbed them, amazed at the silky feeling against his skin.

Cas grinned as he took the bag away, tucking it in Dean's drawer so he could explore the other underwear later. "Gabe thought you might like those. He's perfectly happy to wear boxers that he definitely finds in the alpha aisle, but he wanted you to have something nice."

Dean quickly stepped out of his jeans and kicked them aside, too excited to bother folding them neatly just yet. He stripped out of his borrowed boxers, freezing at the sharp growl from his alpha, followed by the scent of shock covering the honey and ginger he had already come to like so much. "What is that?" Dean glanced down at his groin, shaking his head at Cas's question; he had no idea what had upset the alpha.

Cas stepped closer and pointed at the solid silver cage enclosing Dean's dick, a small brass lock holding it to the ring around his balls. "He has you in a cage? Did you choose this? Did you agree to this? Dean, how long has Azazel kept you in chastity?" The omega shrugged, a gesture that Cas was coming to understand meant the omega had always lived like that and he didn't know what other way it was supposed to be. "Was it since your first heat? Have you worn that cage since you presented as an omega?" Dean nodded. Azazel had told him that he would have no use for his penis; as an omega he only existed to give his alpha pleasure. After the agony of his first heat, when Azazel had mercilessly watched him writhe in his chains, refusing to touch him or give him any toys to ease the burn, Dean had accepted the cock cage without protest. At least his master had never left him to suffer alone like that again. He had believed Azazel when he said that all male omegas wore them to make their heats easier and keep them from being tempted to wander away from their masters.

Cas took a deep, calming breath, gesturing for Dean to sit on the edge of the bed as he turned toward the door. "Gabe! You'd better be out of your shower; I need you in here."

"Yeah, yeah; I'm done," the blonde grumbled, walking into the room with a small towel in his hands. His skin was still slightly pink from his shower, and he had already changed into his own animal-print pajamas. His dark golden eyes took in the scene before him, his half-naked brother and the fully-naked omega, widening slightly at the glint of metal between Dean's legs. "Ah."

"Dean's worn it since his first heat, apparently," Cas growled, struggling to control his emotions and not frighten the omega in question. "Azazel didn't say anything about this; he didn't even give me the key. I don't know how he brainwashed Dean into thinking that he wanted to be in chastity all the time, but I want to find a way to take it off."

Gabe sighed and moved close enough to examine the device, frowning at the small metal lock. "Honestly, he's lucky Azazel didn't castrate him. Some alphas who are . . . intimidated by their omegas will do that. The cage almost seems humane."

Dean whined in the back of his throat, remembering the handful of times he had angered Azazel enough that he threatened castration. Cas sat down on the bed beside him, wrapping an arm around Dean's back and pulling the omega against his side. "I'm not going to do that to you, Dean. Gabe's pretty good with a lock pick; he'll have that off in no time and you can be in control of your own pleasure from now on. Ok?" Dean nodded, letting his head rest on Cas's shoulder as Gabe headed into the other room to find his lock picking supplies. How many other things had Azazel done to him that were out of the ordinary? Cas had seemed upset when he said he had spent his free time locked in a dog crate; was that so unusual? Was it strange that Azazel kept him chained up when the alpha wasn't around, or that he hadn't been allowed to eat even one full meal a day since his last pregnancy? Azazel said that if he was too hungry, his body wouldn't be able to make another pup and he wouldn't have to pay for another abortion. He found himself thinking back through his decade in Azazel's care, wondering which things were normal for an alpha's second omega and which ones were cruel and unusual. Had Azazel even cared about him at all?

Gabe returned to the room, kneeling on the floor in front of Dean so he could inspect the lock. "This won't be too tricky, kiddo, but I am going to touch you in some pretty uncomfortable places. Just bear with me, okay?"

Dean nodded, sniffing back the tears that filled his forest green eyes as Cas ran a soothing hand down his side. He pointed at the cage, at what he now realized was just another sign of the absolute power his previous master had held over him, and uttered one soft, broken word, the first thing he had managed to say in ten years. "Why?"

If Cas was surprised to hear the omega speak at last, or amazed at the deep timbre of his voice, he managed to keep that out of his scent. "Because Azazel is an evil, despicable man. He's a demon, and he doesn't deserve someone as sweet and beautiful as you. He tried to break you Dean, he did everything in his power to make you as dark and malicious as him, but he failed. You've been through a lot, but you're still such a pure, righteous soul, and I know that you will heal from this. I'll make sure of it."

Gabe grinned as his metal pin managed to spring the lock open, carefully slipping it free of the cage and moving away from the bed. Dean reached down with shaking hands and slipped the metal tube free, opening the ring and dropping all of the pieces on the floor. "Th-thank you."

"Any time, Dean-o. Let me, uh, leave you two alone, okay? We've all had a long day and I could use some sleep." With that, he was gone, closing the door behind him. Dean knew that the other omega had never been forced into chastity, that maybe none of the omegas in Cas's gang had, and that cheered him up somewhat.

Dean wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled up at Cas, slipping off the bed as he grabbed his new panties again. He bet they would be a lot of fun to wear now that he didn't have that cold, restrictive metal binding him anymore. Dean pulled the satin on, smiling at the feeling of it on his ass, adjusting it in the front until it felt comforting and sexy. He looked up at his alpha and grinned, preening slightly.

"They look lovely on you, Dean. Do you want to sleep in just those or do you want to wear your pajamas?" Dean nodded and pulled the pajama top over his head, sliding his legs into the pants before tying the string in front. "Alright, let's go to bed, then. And, since I don't want to hear that Azazel made you sleep on the hard floor in hotels when he had a nice, big bed to himself, I need you to know that this is our bed, and I expect you to sleep in it."

Dean nodded in understanding; he had actually already looked at the floor under the desk and wondered if he could convince Cas to lend him one of the half-dozen pillows on the bed. Azazel had given him one when he was in a good mood, sometimes even a blanket. Sleeping in the bed itself was going to be much better, though.

Dean climbed in beside Cas, careful to stay on his side of the mattress even as he burrowed down into the blankets and piled pillows around his alpha-sized form. Cas just chuckled before turning off the lights, reaching out to pet the omega's hair affectionately. "Goodnight, Dean."

"Nigh'," the omega managed, cursing the scratchy sound of his voice. He premised himself that he would keep practicing so he could talk to Cas and truly thank this alpha for saving him from Azazel's dirty clutches. Cas believed he was righteous, and he would find a way to live up to that. Somehow.