After leaving the main house, Castiel took Dean on a tour of the rest of the farm. The place was still busy unpacking from the summer performances at Bristol, especially Gabriel and Lucien's teams dealing with the supplies and pavilions, and everything that went with them. Naomi had half a dozen assistants going through the garb with fine tooth combs, although most things were in dire need of laundering before repairs. A few items were relegated to the recycling pile, and a couple pieces were tossed onto the rags pile. Balthazar, had a couple people help him sort the barding the horses wore, while Alfie and Oren directed a team taking care of the saddles and bridles and other assorted tack. Even though the Horde had been home for three days, there was still plenty to do to recover from the renaissance festival.
The two men joined Michael and the armorer, Caine Adamson, who were going over the armor, and Dean spent a good twenty minutes talking shop with the man. Castiel had to physically drag Dean away, and only with a promise to get Caine's contact information would Dean leave. Castiel shook his head and grinned as they headed toward the barns, Castiel's domain. They entered one of the buildings, and after the "kicked over anthill" freneticism of the rest of the farm, the interior of the barn was a peaceful refuge. It was also a lot cleaner than Dean was expecting.
Castiel walked over to a particular stall and a large gray head came over the side. He smiled softly and ran gentle hands over the head. Dean came up next to him and ran a hand along the gray muzzle. The horse turned its attention to Dean, lipping the sleeve of his t-shirt. Dean smiled and ran a hand along the velvety soft skin around the horse's mouth and nose.
"I take it this is Ladyhawke?" he asked in a soft voice. He looked over at Castiel and smiled at the pride in the other man's countenance.
"Yeah, this is her. She's been part of the stable for six years and we've been working together ever since. Isn't that right?" The horse swung her massive head to Castiel and he rubbed his forehead against the horse's jaw. With a final pat, Castiel stepped away and led Dean on the rest of the farm tour.
It was an unhurried walk, Castiel pointing out various things of interest, recounting stories of growing up on the farm, and how he went from doing the types of chores his kids were now doing, to overseeing the stables, nearly 50 horses, and the staff that went along with it all. Dean felt a twinge of inadequacy when he took in the scope of just what Castiel did on a day-to-day basis. He wasn't just a sword jock. It took serious brains to run the type of operation they had going here. He looked down at his calloused, nearly permanently dirty hands and shoved them into the pockets of his jeans.
"So what are you planning on making for dinner? I thought you were more baker than cook."
Castiel stopped in his tracks at Dean's question and he looked completely panicked. "I did invite my mother to eat with us tonight, didn't I? Uh… take-out?"
Dean shook his head and grinned. "How about I make dinner, and you make dessert. We can head to the supermarket before we pick up the kids, and we can then get them to help cook."
Castiel checked his phone for the time and nodded. He stepped closer to Dean and caressed his cheek with a hand before pulling him for a kiss.
"Get a room!" Gabriel called out with a cackle as he drove by on a golf cart. Dean flipped Gabriel the finger and continued kissing Castiel. Castiel reluctantly stepped back and shook his head.
"If we want to hit the supermarket before getting the kids, we should leave now. I've got cloth bags already in my truck as well as a couple insulated bags."
Castiel laced his fingers with Dean's and they headed back to Castiel's house. Ten minutes later, they were in Castiel's truck heading down the drive to the main road, and making their way into Lexington. Dean had his phone out and was putting together a shopping list, muttering to himself and planning.
"I'm going to put things on my list for breakfast and lunch groceries for tomorrow. Did you have anything special planned for tomorrow?" Dean asked, looking up from his phone and taking in the passing scenery. "I Googled a bit before coming, and there's this place called Explorium? It looks like the kids might have fun there."
Castiel glanced at Dean with a soft smile. "We've got an annual membership there. You're right, the kids have tons of fun."
"Oh," Dean looked a bit deflated at that bit of information, and Castiel was quick to reassure the other man.
"I think it's fantastic you're putting effort to include the kids, Dean. And even if it's not new to them, I think we should take them to the Explorium tomorrow. Weather is calling for rain, anyway."
The truck pulled into the parking lot of a Trader Joe's, and after grabbing the grocery bags from the back, and a shopping cart by the store entrance, the two men got to shopping. Ground beef, salami, and sliced turkey breast at the meat counter. Milk, eggs, and heavy cream from the dairy section. The canned goods, baking, and freezer aisles were visited. A crusty sourdough bread, a challah loaf, and a package of white bread all went into the shopping cart. Castiel simply watched Dean, smiling softly. He did add a frozen deep dish pie crust to the cart. Assorted vegetables were placed in the shopping cart, and Castiel added a few Granny Smith and Jonathan apples. Castiel did have to hurry Dean through a bit toward the end, as they were nearing pickup time for the kids.
"It seems you've got a menu planned," Castiel glanced at Dean after merging back into traffic. They were heading to Jack's preschool first.
"For dinner, I was planning on a meat sauce over spaghetti, and I'm going to roast a head of garlic, to smear on the sourdough. Serve with a side salad. And it looks like you're planning on making an apple pie?"
Castiel nodded. "And what's with the other things?"
"Challah loaf will become a French toast casserole for breakfast tomorrow, and the deli is for sandwiches for lunch."
"You think of everything," Castiel said with a smile, pulling up behind the last car on the pickup line. The truck inched forward in fits and starts, and soon enough, Castiel was securing Jack in his car seat, and they headed off to Claire's school for her pickup. While Claire was more than capable of getting into the car herself, Dean opened the door for her with a bow. Claire laughed and clamored up into the truck, securing herself on the booster with her seatbelt.
"Poppa, Dean is here, so can we go get my ears pierced?" Claire asked from the back seat. Dean glanced at Castiel and hid a smile at the dejected look on his face.
"Was that the deal, Cas?"
Castiel nodded and bit his lower lip. The thought of his baby girl being in even the tiniest bit of pain, pained him. He was thisclose to telling her he'd changed his mind when he felt a warm hand on his arm. He glanced over to Dean, exhaled slowly and nodded his head. He sighed and they detoured to the nearby mall.
In the end, Claire sat on Dean's lap while Castiel waited with Jack outside the store once he'd paid and signed the consent form. Two store workers held a piercing gun to each of Claire's ears, and at 3, 2 - pop, Claire jumped, too surprised not to have gotten to the expected one, and it was done. She ran out to show her father, Dean thanked the two young women, and they headed back to the farm.
Once Claire and Jack were out of their uniforms, Castiel took them to the barn for afternoon chores, and Dean began chopping vegetables for the sauce. First, the usual soffritto of celery, onions, and carrots, then the meat was added to brown. Canned crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, tomato paste, and water was added once the vegetables were soft. Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano were added, and then it was just a matter of time. Dean lowered the flame under the pot and headed into the living room. He made his way through the photos on the wall, feeling more and more like an intruder and imposter. Seeing the smiling family, Dean wondered how he'd be able to find his place in this family unit. He wasn't looking to replace Jimmy, he'd never be able to replace Jimmy.
Fuck, what was he doing here?
And then the three reasons came in through the side door, afternoon chores finished. The kids ran to the bathroom to wash, while Castiel washed at the kitchen sink. He glanced at the pot on the stove and inhaled deeply.
"That smells delicious, Dean."
"Thanks, elskan," he replied. He pulled Castiel closer and kissed him softly. Jack, of course, chose that moment to come barrelling into the kitchen.
"Ewwww!" he exclaimed and grimaced. "Kissing is gross! I'm hungry! Can I have my snack now?"
The quickness of Jack's reaction and then moving on to other (more important) things nearly gave Dean whiplash as he stepped away from Castiel. Castiel smirked and headed for the fridge while Jack went to the pantry. Milk and homemade chocolate chip cookies made with M&Ms were on the menu for an after school snack, and Claire joined them once she was done washing her hands.
The afternoon passed with the kids giving Dean a tour of their rooms and their favorite toys, while Castiel made the apple pie. When it got closer to dinnertime, Dean sliced the top of the head of garlic off, placed it in aluminum foil, drizzled some oil and coarse salt on it, wrapped it, and put it in the oven. He also got a large pot of lightly salted water up to boil. He set the kids up at the kitchen island, and Jack sliced cucumbers while Claire carefully cut cherry tomatoes in half for the salad. Castiel was at the sink, washing lettuce leaves. As he watched the family work together in the kitchen, Dean suddenly felt overwhelmed with feeling like an intruder again. He slipped out of the house and found a bench down the short walkway. One of the farm dogs wandered over to Dean and pressed its head against Dean's leg, demanding attention.
"Gods, what am I doing here?" Dean asked the dog while he scratched behind its ears. The dog glanced up with chocolate-colored eyes and sighed. "Am I crazy for planning to move away from my family to give this a go? I mean, it's not just Cas, yanno? What if the kids start to hate me? See me as trying to replace their dad?"
"Hey, Assbutt!" a voice called out. Dean turned with a frown and the dog trotted over to Gabriel, who looked at Dean innocently. He knelt and gave the dog a pat on the head. "Hey, Deano. I see you've met one of the farm dogs. His name is Assbutt."
Dean rolled his eyes and stood. "I've got spaghetti to make. Good to see you, Gabe."
Gabriel waved and Dean went back into the house to get the dried pasta into the pot of boiling water. Amara arrived just as Dean was draining the pasta into the colander, with a carton of chocolate milk and a couple liter bottles of mead.
"Gran!" the kids yelled when Amara entered the kitchen. She took in the domestic scene and smiled, the kids went back to helping Castiel set the table, and Dean was unwrapping the head of roasted garlic. He cut several slices of sourdough onto a plate, placed the roasted garlic and the butter next to the bread, and carried it into the dining room along with the pot of spaghetti.
"We're going formal today, I see," Amara observed, following Dean.
"This room is for guests, and we have a guest, Gran!" Claire explained, carrying the salad in from the kitchen. Amara took the salad from her granddaughter and placed it on the table. She then helped Jack into his chair. Castiel came in with a large bowl of the meat sauce.
Once they got themselves situated around the table, Castiel served the kids while Amara and Dean discussed kitchen knives. Soon, everyone was too busy eating to talk. Dean took a piece of bread and spread a roasted garlic clove onto it before handing it to Castiel to try. Jack asked for a piece, and Dean obliged, and then asked the little boy what he thought. Jack simply nodded and gave a thumb's up. Then he went back to slurping spaghetti. Claire managed to eat a bit neater than her younger brother, but only barely. Spaghetti was difficult for some adults, nevermind kids. Dinner wound down as warm apple pie was enjoyed. Dean volunteered to clear the table while Castiel and Amara got the kids packed for their overnight at Gran's. Amara promised them a movie and popcorn before the bedtime routine, and the kids were looking forward to seeing Meet the Robinsons (again).
Castiel gave his kids hugs and kisses, and Jack surprised Dean with a hug around his legs. The little boy craned his neck to look up at Dean. "The food was really good, Dean. Can you teach my Poppa how to cook good food?"
Dean snorted, Castiel blushed, and Amara ushered her grandchildren out the door. Castiel shut the door behind his family and turned to Dean, who held up a hand. "I know, I know, dishes before anything. Or at least, load the dishwasher."
The two men entered the kitchen and while Dean loaded the dishwasher, Castiel put the leftovers away. When they were done, Castiel stepped into Dean's space, cupped Dean's face in his hands, and kissed him slowly, increasing the pressure of the kiss in increments. Dean ran his hands up Castiel's sides and parted his lips, moaning when Castiel flicked his tongue against Dean's tongue.
"Thank you, bien-aimé," Castiel said softly when they finally broke their kiss. "Dinner was wonderful, and I think you've won the kids over." I know you've won me over. "Can I take you to bed now?"
Dean grinned at Castiel's formality as he nodded. Castiel locked the front door and began shutting lights while Dean headed for the bedroom. He pulled his shirt over his head and gasped, feeling Castiel's hands run across his back. He glanced over his shoulder as Castiel pressed himself against Dean and kissed his shoulders.
Say the words, Dean.
Not now, Frejya!
Castiel pulled his own shirt off and began shucking his clothes off. Dean did likewise and then sat on the edge of the bed. He watched Castiel approach, relishing the sight of the other man in his glorious nakedness, completely unabashed as his erection bobbed before him. Dean shivered and reached out, pulling Castiel close. Castiel stood between Dean's legs and Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel's waist, pressing the side of his head against Castiel's chest. Castiel looked down at his lover, running a finger around Dean's earlobe.
"Are you okay, mon chérie?"
He felt Dean nod, but he tilted the other man's face up with a finger under the chin. "Tell me what you want, Dean."
Dean closed his eyes briefly and ducked his head, snagging Castiel's finger between his teeth before looking up at Castiel and sucking the finger and sliding it out of his mouth. Castiel's expression went dark with desire and he pushed Dean back on the bed before kneeling between Dean's legs. He eased an arm under Dean and pulled him closer to the edge of the bed. When Castiel began rimming Dean, Dean groaned and arched on the bed, carding Castiel's hair in his hands. He moved against Castiel's tongue and lips and fingers, hissing in pleasure, then murmuring nonsense as the pleasure built and intensified.
"Gods, Cas, please, fuck… so close" Dean whined and tugged at Castiel's hair. "Fuck me, please, engill. I need you."
Castiel leaned over and opened the nightstand drawer. He pulled out a bottle of lube and a couple condoms, handing one condom to Dean. When they were both ready, Dean made to turn slightly to lay on the bed but Castiel stopped him with a touch. Instead, Castiel moved Dean even closer to the edge of the bed. He rested a knee on the bed and slowly entered Dean.
"Gods, yes," Dean groaned and rolled his hips against Castiel and fisted his cock in his hand. The two men moved in tandem, giving, taking, feeling, and experiencing. The pace increased and both men tipped over the edge, Dean arching his back on the bed and coming with a shout, and Castiel pounding into Dean, hands on the bed on either side of Dean's waist when he came. They both took several minutes before moving.
Clean up didn't take long and soon both men were in sweatpants and snuggled in bed with the TV on. Castiel sat, leaning back against the headboard. Dean's back was propped against Castiel's chest and abdomen and Castiel's arm was draped over Dean's shoulder. Dean had control of the remote and was flipping through the channels. When he saw the opening scene to The Princess Bride, he stopped and placed the remote on the bed. The two settled into watching the movie together, reciting parts every so often, enjoying the movie they clearly both had seen a time or twenty and enjoying an end to a fantastic day together.