Title: Way Out

Pairing: Dean/Castiel

Rating: K+ (Maybe T if you squint)

Prompt: Alpha!Fem!Cas thinks she isn't good enough for Omega!Dean because she doesn't have a knot.

Notes: Unbeta'd

It happened slowly – more nights out with colleagues, more supposed headaches that kept them from being intimate, more nights 'swamped in paperwork. Cas was avoiding him and she wasn't doing a very good job at it.

Now when most Alphas avoid their Omegas it means one thing – they're cheating, but Dean trusted his Alpha better. Well, he trusted her but at some point it became too much – queue the worrying.

And that's how he ended up here, waiting for Castiel to come home to confront her about it.

Dean was sitting on the couch, fiddling with his t-shirt when the door finally opened, signaling Cas had finally come home. He sighed, getting up to greet her at the door. He smiled sadly when he caught sight of her in the foyer taking off her coat.

"Hey, Cas," Dean said softly. Cas' head snapped to him, nostrils flaring in recognition of the smell of her mate.

"What are you doing up?" She asked, dropping her keys on the table next to her briefcase. "It's almost eleven, I expected you to be in bed."

Dean had to blink back tears, mouth pressing into a thin line. Dean does not cry, and no Alpha will change that, no matter how much he loves her.

"I just," Dean cleared his throat, his voice threatening to crack. "Just wanted to see you. We, uh, we need to talk." Dean finished after a moment, leveling his gaze with the floor. He didn't want to see his mates face right now.

"Oh, well, ok," Castiel said moving towards the living room. Dean followed after her, moving to sit on the couch he sat at before Cas came in. The couch dipped with their combined weight.

"So," Castiel started after she sat down next to him. "What do you want to talk about?"

Dean clenched his jaw, teeth grinding together, blinking back tears again. "You…"his voice broke.

"Dean, is everything okay?" Cas asked, concern painted on her face.

Dean rolled in his lips. "You never touch me!" He blurted out, fisting a hand in his pants. "You are always staying at work late and you always have an excuse for why we can't have sex and I just – " The dam broke and the tears were flowing freely now, running rivers down his face. "If you wanted another omega you could have just told me." He bit out harshly.

"What?!" Castiel exclaimed, jumping off the couch like it burned her. "Baby, no! That is not it at all!" She said, dropping to her knees in front of him. She reached her hands up to grasp one of his, bringing it to her chest.

Dean turned his head, refusing to look at his mate. Castiel reached up with one hand, grasping at his jaw. She turned his head manually, forcing him to look at her in the eyes. Tears were still pouring out of Dean's eyes when he finally gazed into Castiel's.

"Baby," Castiel started softly, dropping her hand at his jaw to cover his at her chest. "The reason I've been avoiding you is because I'm not enough." Castiel finished, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I'm not…I'm female."

Dean's brow scrunched up in confusion. "Your female," Dean agreed hesitantly.

Castiel just chuckled, sad smile forming while tears slipped down her face. "I mean I don't have a knot, I can't give you kids, I can't always help with your heats like a male alpha can." Cas said softly, gaze on their still conjoined hands. "I'm not enough, she supplied after a moment of silence.

Dean stared at her, disbelief written all over his face. After a beat, he couldn't help it, he laughed.

It was Cas' turn to scrunch in confusion as she regarded her mate. He stopped after a moment, body still quivering from laughter, reaching up with his free hand to wipe away stray tears. Another second past before he spoke to his mate again.

"You're a dumb ass," he stated bluntly.

Castiel's head jerked backwards in shock, brows raising in question.

"You," He poked to her chest with his free hand, "Though that I wanted to run off with an alpha with a knot and you were trying to give me an out?" He questioned, smile lighting up his features. At Cas' nod he went on, "You do realize that I am one of the most oppressed minority groups on this planet right? I mean male omegas are a rare sight – even more rare than a female Alpha. I'm treated like a – and I quote – 'knot slut' by male alpha's wherever I go, so baby," He placed his free hand over hers, "I would never want a male alpha. Also," he pulled the hand laying on hers back, and then smacked the back of Castiel's head.

"Ow!" Cas grunted, yanking her hands back from clutching Dean's hand. She shoot him a glare which he returned with a smirk. "What was that for?"

"For doubting me," he supplied easily. "I love you no matter what you are, even if you were an omega I would still love you and want to be mated with you. Never doubt that."

Castiel grinned at her mate, standing up carefully before pulling him to his feet with her. She wrapped her arms around his waist , tucking her head between his neck and shoulders. She placed light kisses on his pulse point, tongue tracing the vein. He hummed softly in pleasure.

"I won't," She said after a minute.

"Good, now," he pulled back some to look her in the eyes. "I believe we have a lot of lost time to make up for."