Peter was up at the crack of dawn, waiting for the workmen to arrive. Today they would complete the sound proofing on the finished basement room. He had been sure to only use long time, vetted employees of the family company.

Everything was shaping up quite nicely.

…

Castiel cradled his mug of hot coffee while watching the slow climb of the sunrise through their bedroom window. He looked down to admire the colors cast across the hardwood floor he had spent so much time refinishing. The stain glass window had been put in sometime in the 1920's and each corner sported rich colored glass in a clean bud pattern. Rather than trying to marry the home into one style, Castiel embraced the changes made through the decades leaving the home as a delightful hodgepodge.

There had been a first true snow last night that left the wilderness draped in pure, sparkling white. This world, this beautiful life, belonged to him and his little family. Castiel finally felt the Master of his domain.

….

Cas placed a warm, wet kiss on his sleeping Omega's forehead. Dean opened his eyes and then blinked, momentarily shielding their beauty through thick lashes. His Alpha was dressed in "teacher clothes" aka an old suit of Spencer's. Cas had carefully combed his hair but already the unruly dark locks had curled at the nap of his neck and a rouge cowlick had popped up. Dean thought his husband was the hottest dork in the world.

Dean reached up to straighten his husband's crooked tie, knowing it would be slightly askew by the time the teacher got to school. It was just one of those unexplainable things about Cas that plucked at the teenager's heartstrings.

Cas smiled so big his gums showed, "Good morning my Omega. I changed Grace's diaper and gave her a bottle." The teacher nodded toward the nightstand where a breakfast tray was waiting for Dean along with a mug of coffee, "breakfast in bed for my sweetheart."

Dean tried not to feel guilty but then guilt was Dean's middle name. He wanted to be the one to make breakfast for Castiel and tend to Grace. Two caregivers in the marriage took some getting used to. "Thank you babe, you are the best."

The Alpha bent and placed a longing kiss on his wife's plump lips. Dean slipped his tongue inside his husband's mouth as he placed Cas' hand over his blanket covered crotch to stroke his erection.

Cas reluctantly broke contact and backed away from the bed, "If I stay a moment longer I know exactly what will happen."

When Dean tossed back the covers to show off his morning wood and hard nipples, Castiel grabbed his messenger bag and fled the room with an "I love you" called out as he rushed down the stairs.

The Alpha couldn't afford to be late for work.

…

Javier was excited as a kid at a carnival. He had the honor of riding shotgun in the Impala with Dean as the driver making the little Omega feel all sorts of badass. In honor of his fun day with Dean, Javier wore a flannel shirt, jeans and boots. He had long, raven hair pulled back in a neat braid and he went without makeup or jewelry except for his wedding and engagement rings.

Dean got a real kick out that. The princess was dressed like a regular old prince. He glanced over at his friend who was busy nodding his head along to "Spirit in the Sky". "So what did Benny say about your new look?"

Javi broke into a big smile just thinking about his big Ben, "Benny said I looked handsome. Can you imagine? I'm always a pretty princess to him. I think Benny was proud of me trying something new. I love Benny, he accepts me any old way."

"So maybe you should skip the waxing from now on, go natural. Leave that crap to the females along with the high heels."

His friend went quiet for awhile. Dean turned off the music, "Sorry, did I hurt your feelings?"

"No…I was just thinking. I guess I could give up waxing my butt but not my legs and pits. I like tank tops, shorts and dresses." He gave Dean a stern look, "No way will I give up my jewelry and fun clothes."

"Hey, whatever floats your boat Javi. You do you. I just want you to know there are options, you don't always have to fit into a certain style because of your size and pretty looks."

"Consider me fashion flexible."

Javier loved Dean for his gift of friendship and acceptance. It met the world to the formerly oppressed Omega. Through other people's eyes Javi saw his potential and room for growth. He placed a hand lightly on his friend's leg and then turned the music back on.

…

Javier proudly marched into the salon in his masculine clothes and announced his friend Dean wanted a mani and pedi. The salon workers ruined the badass look he was trying to achieve by calling Javier a cutie and adorable.

Dean draped and arm around his friend's shoulder and did is best to turn Javier's frown upside down. "Hey, buck up. I think you look tough as nails."

The women next turned their attention to Dean.

Dean was completely out of his element. Having so many hungry females approach him at once was a little scary. Omega or not, Dean was the hottest guy to enter their salon in a long time. He looked good and smelled even better. There was a sterile stud in their midst and everyone wanted to please him.

The winner was Allison, a twenty-something brunette with a shock of pink hair.

Allison immediately got Dean's tootsies into a foot bath and started work on his manicure. While she trimmed his cuticles, Allison questioned Dean about his personal life. When she found out Dean was married and just had a kid her ego deflated.

Dean put it in perspective for her, "Don't feel bad, anyone would be barking up the wrong tree with me." He took out his phone and brought up a photo of Castiel, "See, no one can complete with that. I've got a hot, educated, loving guy and he's the best mate in the world."

Next Dean brought up photos of Grace. Dean was proud of all the compliments he received.

Allison showed Dean an array of nail polishes available to him but he declined. Dean was not a makeup or nail polish type of guy.

She held up a bottle of clear, "How about this," then she held up a bottle of clear with sparkles, "or how about a little razzle dazzle?" "Pick the sparkles…pick the sparkles…"

"You win, clear for my fingernails and sparkles for my toenails. No one will see my toes except for Cas and it'll give him a big thrill."

….

The BFF's went to Sonny's Pizza afterward. Dean ordered them a carnivore pizza with a side of garlic knots, coffee and tiramisu. The food was right up Dean's alley, greasy, rich and flavorful.

The place was family run and had been around forever. It was worn and comfortable with a tasty menu. It reminded Dean of places he used to go eat with his dad. For a moment he felt a pang of sadness and loss but managed to shake it off and not ruin his good time. The last thing he needed was John Winchester invading his thoughts.

Over dessert Dean brought up the visit from Barbara Leech and Prendi. "Amazonian wants us to do a follow up article and photo shoot with Grace but not for "Omega Bride."

Javier's interest was piqued, "What magazine would it be for?"

"Something called "Big O". I have no idea what it is."

"Big O is a cutting edge magazine that caters to Omegas and females. It's quite popular. They have celebrity news, recipes, child rearing advice, fashion and decorating tips, an advice column, diet tips, sex talk and a travel section. The stuff geared toward Omegas can get a little preachy but I enjoy reading it."

Dean casually shrugged, "never heard of it."

Barbara also wants us to do a photo spread for their "Maximum Male" magazine, I've never heard of that one either."

Javier started to giggle.

"What."

"It's a magazine that usually has a scantily clad Omega on the cover. It's not a porn magazine, just a little racy. They have manly stuff in there. Cars, fine food, fashion, sports, fitness, sex and stuff like that. They do a version for males that strictly like females, same content but a different cover. They just change the word Omega to woman. "

Dean didn't know if he'd do a racy pose even if his bits were covered. The Omega decided to hash it out with his Alpha and Barbara.

…..

Castiel pointed to the perky cheerleader in full cheer garb, "Yes Deirdre."

The teen waved one of her braids at the English teacher in a bid to be flirty, "You should bring your baby to school."

"Why don't you try staying on task and not concern yourself with my home life."

Another student piped up, "We all wonder about your home life. It sounds pretty cool from the article."

The teacher pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh of exasperation. It had been another very long day. "I'll bring Grace and Dean for Christmas Open House next month. Now let's stay on track."

They all answered in unison, "Yes Mr. Novak", Cas wondered how his last period class managed to do the unison thing and if they were just jerking his chain. He looked up at the clock and saw the bell was about to ring.

"Tomorrow we will start our exploration of Renaissance literature. The period focused on self-actualization and one's ability to accept what is going on in one's life." The teacher slid off the front of his desk to his feet and went to sit down.

A collective groan went up around the classroom and Cas just rolled his eyes. "Stop the groaning or I'll tack on a unit on Maslow's five levels of hierarchy and needs."
Danny complained out loud, "Man, this is some college level bullshit."
Castiel pointed to the knuckle dragger, "BOOM! I just tacked it on. Wanna try for something else?"
Danny felt the dagger stares on him, "No Sir."
"Excellent choice." ….

While the students read quietly, Castiel texted Dean.

"How was your day?"

"I got sparkles on my toenails and I ate too much pizza."

"Very nice, I can't wait to suck your sparkle toes! Are you home?"

"Just dropping off the little lumberjack now and picking up Gracie."

"Lumberjack?"

"I'll tell you all about it when you get home."

"Ok. I'll stop and pick us up some dinner. Chinese?"

"Cashew chicken and egg rolls!"

"Done, I love you."

"Love you too."

Dean showed his phone to Javier "Does this mean I'm going to get laid?"

The petite Omega deciphered the code, "A cat, fireworks, cucumber, fish and an eggplant…yup, pretty much."

…

When Grace laid eyes on her fabulous, beautiful, most perfect mommy ever in the entire universe times infinity, the baby went nuts. She shrieked her happiness and made grabby hands in the air.

Marla, a grandmotherly type and old friend of the Mercado family handed Grace over to Dean. "She was a very good girl." Marla had styled the baby's wispy blonde hair into a funny little pony tail that looked like corn silk trapped in a ribbon.

Dean peppered Grace's face with little kisses while clutching his daughter possessively. "Thank Marla for the fancy hairdo." Grace smacked her lips at the lady. "That's her way of blowing you a kiss."

Dean pressed his nose against Grace's hair. The young mother relaxed and contentment filled his heart.

"I missed you, baby girl."

…

As students filed out of the classroom, Peter stood quietly to the side and waited for the room to empty. Several young Alphas stopped dead in their tracks when they caught the poorly masked scent of an Omega in heat.

It was unwise to be out alone in that condition. An Omega never knew when he might cross paths with and Alpha that had no impulse control or worse, a group of them to egg each other on. Luckily the teens were completely harmless and just horny. They took a sniff of the air and moved on.

Castiel went to greet the stranger, hand extended. The Omega gave the hand offered a firm shake. He was no shrinking violet.

The teacher picked up on the rich, ripe scent of Omega heat. The stranger was tall, slim and dark eyed with striking facial features. He was dressed in a long black garment that looked similar to a priest's cassock.

In the old days, as Castiel had learned in his reseach, Omegas often wore black during a heat cycle to hide blood stains and for modesty. I was a part of the old ways and on the surface it seemed an oppressive garment but actually had been embraced by Omegas. The garment was originally designed by an Omega as a deterrent from unwanted attention. As a result, the garment became a part of Alpha fetishism much like a nun's habit or priest's robes. Forbidden fruit was always in season.

Castiel became quite flustered over such close proximity to a strange Omega in heat and dressed that way. He pretended not to notice. "How may I help you?" He noticed the Omega looked around to be sure no one was near. Castiel gestured inside the classroom, "Where are my manners, please come in."

Once the Omega was seated across from the teacher's desk, Castiel asked again how he could help the stranger.

"My son and I will be moving to the area quite soon and I'll be enrolling him here at your school to finish his freshman year. I'm going around speaking with his teachers so I can get a feel on how he might be treated." The Omega looked Castiel straight in the eye, "Andrew is an Omega and he is currently in a private school and doing well. My son has never been in public school before."

Castiel saw this as an opportunity to show how very progressive he was, "I can assure you, in my classroom everyone is treated equally and any sort of prejudice is dealt with swiftly by me personally."

"Good to hear Mr. Novak."

"I'm at a disadvantage, you know my name but I don't know yours"

The Omega smiled, "Just call me Rich."

The teacher caught himself staring brazenly into the Omega's mesmerizing dark eyes. He tore his gaze away to look at the clock and realized he had to leave now or he'd be very late getting home. He missed Dean and Grace and there was still a matter of picking up dinner.

"Well Rich, I hate to cut this short but I have a beautiful wife and child to get home to and a matter of dinner to pick up." He stood and shook Peter's hand.

Peter turned to leave but Castiel touched his arm, "Wait, I'll walk you to your car. It's not wise for you to be out alone in your condition."

"You mean my heat. I debated coming here but since I'm at the end of my cycle. I hoped it wouldn't be too obvious."

"It is noticeable." Castiel could feel himself blushing. He shouldn't have even been near this person but he couldn't very well turn away a parent of a potential student.

Peter boldly took the teacher by the hand and kissed it, a strange thing for him to do, "You are a gentleman Mr. Novak. Since my mate passed, life has been difficult, it's nice to know there are still good people in the world."

…..

Castiel closed the driver's door on the Mercedes and waved goodbye to the man he now knew as Rich and then headed straight to Golden Harvest to pick up dinner. Dean had a very big appetite that Castiel was always happy to indulge. "He's a growing boy and a nursing mother and that is so very, very hot…aaaand I'm a perv…oh well." The happy teacher ran his fingers over the photo of Dean and Grace stuck in his visor, "I am a lucky guy."

…

Mrs. Huang shook Castiel's arm, "Hey teacher man, are you dreaming again?"

Cas blushed for the second time that day, "I was just thinking about my wife. Dean got his toenails painted today."

The petite woman waved her hand dismissively, "You are the most whipped Alpha I have ever met."

Cas waggled his eyebrows at the short, stout woman, "Happily whipped." That made her giggle and it took a lot to make Mrs. Huang giggle.

She went through his order, "Egg rolls, cashew chicken, sweet and sour pork, fried rice, spring rolls and red bean buns." She dropped two fortune cookies in one of the bags, "Anything else Teacher?"

Cas' mouth was already watering. "No, I can't wait to get home and dig in."

The bell above the door let out a tinkle and Mrs. Huang waved, "Be with you in a moment."

The Alpha grabbed the bags and turned to find Rich aka Peter, standing right behind him. The Omega let out a convincing gasp of surprise, "I swear, I'm not following you!"

Castiel smiled, "You still haven't gone home? I told you it's not safe."

"I have a growing boy that has to eat. Contrary to popular belief, Omegas are not born cooks. I suppose I'll have to learn."

Peter went to the counter and got a to-go container then filled it with items from the buffet. He paid and left the restaurant. He found Castiel standing there in the cold waiting for him.

The teacher nodded toward the parking lot, "I'll walk you to your car. Promise me you'll stay home until…you know."

"My heat is over? Thank you for your concern."

Cas shrugged, "I'd be worried about any Omega out alone in your condition."

When they reached the Mercedes, Peter suddenly hugged the Alpha tight, "My hero." The Omega in heat trailed his bare hands down the back of the Alpha's coat.

Castiel stood there feeling very uncomfortable. "Good night."

"Goodnight Mr. Novak."

….

Peter watched as the SUV pulled out of the parking lot. The Omega felt satisfied at how this first round went. As his brother always said, divide and conquer, then punish.

TBC

….