„Thanks for taking me in." Cas broke the silence as he finished putting his clothes into the drawer.

"Don't be ridiculous, man. I'm glad we get to hang out." Dean answered easily and crowded the man against the dresser. "Maybe we'd get to do some stuff without our family members... you know..." Dean leered. "...stuff with our members."

"Wow, really? Classy, Dean." Cas couldn't hold in the laugh.

"What can I say, I'm sophisticated as fuck."

With Cas' family coming for the 4th of July celebrations he volunteered his room to be used as a guest room for his uncle Julian and aunt Tessa since Balthazar occupied the proper room. Cas smiled and leaned into the kiss. He was starting to see the current situation as of less troublesome than he originally thought. It was actually a win-win situation. He got to be the good guy by his family and had an excuse to stay with Dean for a week. Not that he needed the rouse with Dean, but it came handy when he was explaining his presence at the house to Ben, who was still kept in the dark.

Now, on the next day, they were supposed to spend the celebrations together, Castiel's family and friends also invited to the party.

"So, how is tomorrow gonna go down?" Cas asked from the bathroom. "Do we need to prepare patties?"

"We?" Dean asked, his amusement clear. "You want to try cooking again after The Great Guacamole Debacle?" There was only a huff in response. Seriously, how was he supposed to know that the avocado will loose color so quickly without the lemon? Whatever Dean said, it wasn't a common knowledge.

"Sorry, babe. Our Grumpy Old Trio is in charge of grill since I'm not sure if they could do anything else. We're making my instant noodle salad. So you can help me, if you'd like to."

Cas perked up, happy about the prospect of cooking together. He came to love those moments, even though he was still being intimidated by omelets. His excitement was short lived and soon we was throwing his boyfriend dirty looks from above the strainer he was using to drain water from canned corn and red kidney beans. "You know, I had something different in mind." he muttered while opening the second pair of cans.

"I'm sorry. I thought we'll start at the beginning." Dean threw him one of those smiles which always managed to defuse Cas' sulking.

"Just how am I only allowed to drain stuff while you're over there frying chicken breasts? When do I get to do it?"

"The moment you'll learn it won't be fried but sautéed. Now soak the noodles and drain them as well." He smiled cheekily but crumbledwhen he saw Cas' disappointed expression. "Fine" He said, defeated."How many cans have you opened?"

"Two of each"

"Then chop two big red peppers just like I did with breasts. When you'll be done mix it together and they you can help me with the dressing."

It all went well in the end, Dean only had to wrestle the ramen spices away from his boyfriend, who was attempting to sneak them into the salad. And wrestle the actual salad away as well, because there was a moment Cas was resembling a hamster, with the huge bowl cradled in his arms, barely fitting due to it's size, his cheeks stuffed with the mix of noodles, spicy chicken and vegetables.

They had a quiet evening interrupted only by few panicked calls from Castiel's relatives inquiring about Winchester's party code, figuring out the cooking arrangement and in one case, seeking information regarding Rufus' presence. After thorough investigation they were submitted to they decided to call it a night.

In the morning Cas noticed Dean had a lot of nervous energy which made Cas worried that the man had second thoughts about introducing the families.

"Come on, Cas, you know it's not like that. I'm actually glad. And we've already taken it for a spin. Anna and Balth already know our bunch, and Gabe knows everybody. I think it'll go well."

"OK..." Cas acknowledged, waiting for Dean to gather his thoughts and be honest with him.

"I need to tell Ben. With our families there the jig will be pretty much up, and it's getting ridiculous. But I'm afraid that if he won't be OK with it, I'm gonna ruin his day."

"So tell him after. We can walk with them after the party, and I'll get to know Lisa a little more while you explain everything to Ben."

"You'd be OK with it?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you and Lisa..."

"I think it would be OK. On the rare occasions we've met she was more than civil to me. And I don't think she would mistreat me only because we're together now."

"You're right."

"Besides, we could trade stories about you..." Cas teased but obviously he was the only one who found it amusing.


When they reached the garage it was obvious they weren't the first one to arrive. Dean's parents were already there, John working on a grill and a kitchen oven – the only one in the place, old and a little beaten down, used specifically on that one day, Bobby and Rufus hovering over him, giving advices about the best way to do it. Kate was shouting at them, to stop it and help them with the tables, and Adam, Jo, Ellen and Mary were preparing the actual tables, quickly accompanied by Cas in the task. Ash had already planted his ass on one of the tables, trying to look as innocent as a thirty year-old man with a mullet could while peaking under the lids and into the pots gathered in one place. So, basically, the usual picture plus Cas. Dean really liked the addition a lot.

He sighed happily and moved to retrieve the drinks from Ellen's truck to take them to the field kitchen already set up in the back of the yard. There's a makeshift kitchen counter, kitchen oven, sinks and on the left his father and his friends set the grills up. Dean was listening to their argument till he noticed the newcomers. Sam and a very pregnant Sarah were greeting everyone, his younger brother coming in his direction with a huge tray of stuffed mushrooms that only needed few minutes in the oven. Dean snorted.

"Of course. I should have known you'll make Sarah prepare you some rabbit food. Good luck the poor girl has us to put some proper meal on the table." He said, leaning against the counter, arms crossed, amused smile in place.

"Shut up, jerk. If you must know I made these myself."

"Yeah, right. Grocery shopping doesn't count as 'making' food."

"I did make it!" Sam basically shrieked indignantly. Dean gave the food once over.

"Well, since the preparation process so far consisted of chopping up various vegetables I'm gonna believe you." His answer was another huff and a voice behind.

"Don't be mean, Winchester. We can't all be master of pan. Some of us have shit to do."

"That's no way to talk to your boss, Barnes." Dean grinned as he answered Pam. "What you got for us?"

"And who died and made you nutrition police?" She rolled her eyes as she dumped a bowl of sliced eggplant covered in some yellow powder. By the lack of any scent Dean could easily guess it was turmeric.

"I just need to establish if we need to order pizza now or do I actually manage find something edible this year." He pointed at the yellowish slices with distaste. "You're really scraping the barrel with these."

"Oh, come on, Dean." Cas sneaked up on them looking curiously at the table. "It's a real fun to see what others have brought. It looks very interesting, Pam. Is it ready to taste?" He asked the dark haired woman.

"At least someone appreciates my effort. Sorry, handsome..." she continued "...you have to pan-fry it first and eat right after." She finished and added on a parting note "It's a sort of healthy snack."

That remark had managed to draw an outraged cry from Ash. "Snacks aren't supposed to be healthy, Einstein."

"True that." Said Benny dumping a foil covered plate, but the smell wasn't fooling anyone. There had to be Benny's famous deliciously marinated entrecôte there. "Nice to see you again, Cas."

"Hey, Benny. I see that at least you're living up to high Dean Winchester's provision standards" He said, rolling his eyes at his boyfriend.

"Yeah, next time come and cook with us. Is Dean still as fun to cook with as a bunch of anorectic models?"

"More or less." Cas smiled back, but squawked when Dean slapped his ass. "Hey! I speak the truth!"

"Agree on that one, brotha'. You're really tense when it comes to cooking."

After that the whole Novak clan arrived, Gabriel parading in like he owned the place, the rest of the family in tow. Everyone gathered to welcome the new additions to their bunch, Anna and Balthazar exchanging hugs with people they already knew, Cas' parents being introduced to everyone, which made the ordeal so much longer when they've learned about Chuck's pen-name and the whole family admitting to being fond of his work, recalling all the fun times they had reading the books. The introductions extended to Balthazar's parents, Chuck's brother Julian, a tall, slim gentleman, walking with a thin cane and his wife Tessa. When it turned out that they're respectively a coroner and a pathologist,s Adam basically kidnapped them into a heated conversation regarding the medical sciences, the qualifications they had to meet to do the job in the UK, and basically, drowned, according to Dean, who managed to snatch the pot please-it's-just-Tessa came with, disappeared in the Nerdland.

Dean shot Cas an apologetic look as he victoriously peaked into the pot, to see an army of eggplant involtini, and put it together with the rest of the dishes. Cas and Gabriel observed him as he noticed the sweets Gabe and Missouri brought, and turned his focus onto the spinach filled puff pastry which was the work of Cas' mother.

"So, is Dean junior gonna be here today?" Gabe asked his brother, still observing the man's ministration

"Yes, he is. And no, if you're gonna ask, he still doesn't know." Cas answered easily and took a sip from his bottle.

"Cassie, he's pretending you don't exist!"

"As difficult as it might be for you, try to tone down your melodramatic indignation. He's doing no such thing. His family is perfectly aware of my existence and we attend functions together. He's just trying to find a way to tell a teenage boy that his father figure is homosexual. And if I have any say in it, it will take a little more time."

"How so?"

"Because the last time Dean practiced the coming-out-to-Ben speech on me he actually referred to himself as 'being experienced in more than one flavor of love' and tried to explain all the intricacies of the terms 'catcher' and 'receiver'." Cas said with a fond sigh. Back then he was a little taken aback but when he thought of it, he found it really endearing how Dean got adorably flustered.

"Wow, he must be really good in bed if you stay with him."

"He is, but that's beyond the point."

"So what's the point."

"The point is I'm OK with that, so you don't need to be insulted on my behalf." Cas fixed his brother with narrow stare. "You will not try to trick or intimidate Dean and forcing the confession out of him."

"Yeeez, OK, Cassie. I love when you get all smitey and commanding. It gets me..." The sentence was interrupted when they spotted Lisa and Ben entering the yard. Lisa was holding a platter Dean and Ash raced to get their hands on first and Ben had one of those tube-cases that architects sometimes carried around.

The last one to arrive was Charlie, clearly a little worse to wear, probably after last night partying, but the state she was in didn't overshadow her usual cheerfulness.

With everyone in place it was time for the first round of food, Pam and Sam's dishes served as an entree, they gathered around the makeshift table to dine together. The dinner went by in a casual atmosphere, the air filled with laughs and chatting. When they were done, plates and cutlery disposed off it came the time for Ben to unveil his project.

As it turned out the tube-case contained Ben's family tree – the project he achieved the highest grade at school for and now he wanted to show it.

Sam and John cleared one of the tables so Ben could unroll the tube. There was a huge tree with branches creating an impressive crown. Winchester and Campbell's branches hovered over the Breaden's side so at first glance everything looked even. Only after a moment one could tell these parts extending from the paternal side. Dean knew Lisa didn't have a big family, she as well as her parents not having any sibling. Dean proudly investigated his family members, everyone on a proper place, starting from the top, right to their generation. Everyone were there – his cousins, and Sam, whose branch was intertwined with Sarah's, just as his father's was with his mother's. And just as Dean's branch was curled around a smaller one.

The man gasped at the image. Next to his picture there was a slightly grainy shot of Cas, no doubt taken with a phone camera. He even remembered the settings. It was from the museum trip Cas managed to set up for them to show how family archives were gathered and cataloged. He showed them some of the old family trees, together with family heirlooms and some albums. As a part time member of the museum staff Cas was allowed to show them a little bit more and Ben seemed to love it. He took two kids Dean never saw in his life – a quiet, but smart boy named Jesse, and a mini-version of Jo named Krissy. They were just as enthusiastic about the whole ordeal as Cas seemed to be, and Dean had to once again pondered at what time in his life he became a nerd magnet.

Right now he was trying to figure out something else entirely. At what point Ben saw through him and came to terms with Dean's sexuality. Not that he and Cas were overly subtle about their relationship but Ben was a teenage boy, and not even in the sex clouded digits yet. He was a boy who invited the girl he liked on a museum trip.

He looked at Lisa who raised her hands in defensive gesture and whispered to him.

"Don't look at me, I didn't tell anything. Ben figured it out, and when he asked me if you were serious enough to put Castiel into the project I collaborated." Around them everyone were saying words of praise about the project and Ben's vision, and when the boy looked at Dean to see his reaction the man exhaled and beamed at him. Ben grinned back and started answering the question people had about certain points.

At one point he actually looked at Cas, hesitation clear on his face.

"I hope you don't mind, Mr Novak? I wanted it to be a surprise, but I hope you're not angry? Our teacher said that we shouldn't use anyone's information without their OK."

"Of course I'm not angry." Cas answered silently, his voice hoarse, his hand searching for Dean's. "And of course you have my consent." They exchange small smiles but the atmosphere was far from frivolous now.

"You know what, next time you could make Cassie's head stick out from our family bush or something, cause we're too awesome not to be included." Gabe's voice boomed in the silence, making the Winchester's laugh the Novaks to blush. But with that the festive mood return, everyone commenting on the project.

This prolonged for hours, mostly because under every name there was a nest-like space on the branch where Ben wrote funny quotes, trivia or hobbies regarding every person. Everyone started pointing at those, remembering stories that went with it, more than happy to recall embarrassing moments from other's lives.

When they thoroughly cataloged every part of the project it was getting dark, which meant the fireworks would start soon. Everyone took chairs, mats and anything they could sit on and went to sit on the roof of one storey building – the place they'd watched the show every year.

Everyone was already settled more or less comfortable only Cas still lingering a little bit, not sure where to sit. Dean took the opportunity and when Cas came closer he grabbed his sleeve and pulled him down, so the man plopped down on the mat. Dean maneuvered them a little, so that Cas was leaning his back against the other man's chest, whose ankles were crossed underneath Cas' legs.

While waiting for the show to start, the low murmur of various conversation lulled the dark-haired man slightly. He leaned his head back against Dean's shoulder and whispered lowly.

"See? It turned out the way you wished. You didn't have to tell him and he found out. Made a wish recently? Made a deal with the devil?"

Dean smiled and kissed Cas' cheek before nuzzling it. "Nope. Just got lucky. Still gonna talk to him." he added as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.

"Are you happy with how it went down?" Cas asked and covered Dean's hands with his.

"I'm happy that apparently he accepts. I don't know what I would do if he had problems with us." Dean mussed. "Sorry." He added, guilt obvious in his voice.

"Don't be. We would figure something out. Luckily we don't have to." He squeezed the hands enveloping him and closed his eyes.

"I love you."

Cas smiled. "I love you too."

"Don't sleep. It's starting."


They walked behind Lisa and Cas, the two giving them a chance to talk. It was just a little before midnight when Lisa decided they should be going back, Dean immediately offered he and Cas would walk them back to the house.

"So, buddy... you're OK with Cas and me – together?"

"I don't see the problem. Jesse Turner is my school has two dads. Well... I guess one of them is, but the other is raising him as well. Some kids make fun of him. And when he had a birthday party some of our friends didn't show. Mom said their parents forbid them." Ben seemed to mull something over in his head. "Too bad for them. He has the best parties ever. Last year he had a bouncy castle, just as I did, and his dads played with us and looked like they had as much fun. And this year we had like twelve different kinds of pizzas and we all went for paint-ball together... Moms rarely go with us. And neither of his dads is a woman."

Dean was trying to catch up with the story as it progressed but that was the point when he found himself really lost. "Huh?" was the best he managed.

"I mean... when I watch TV one dad is always the fun one, and the other one is cooking and managing house and cleaning. At Jesse's they're all cooking, even Jesse has to help, and when I was there once for diner I was also preparing a salad. And later we all had to clean up before we got to play Wii. In other houses it's usually moms who prepare food. Well, except at Krissy Chambers'. It's only her and her dad, so they do a lot of stuff together. They're also going camping and he taught her some awesome self-defense moves. She's cool."

"OK." Dean said hesitantly, not sure if they were having the same conversation. "But how did you know Cas and I were together?"

"You're always doing stuff together, and I remember when you were hanging out with Sam all the time people assumed you were a couple. But you couldn't cause he's your brother."

"I hang out with Benny all the time and you don't think we're a couple." Dean cringed at the mere thought. The picture was almost as bad as with Sam.

"Well, he is married. And you don't have sleep-overs all the time like with Mr Novak. Mom also has sleep-overs with her boyfriends. And I heard Mr Novak's brother telling Sam about you two."

"Well, OK then. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's OK. Mom said you were afraid about my reaction and it got you really stressed out. But I really like Mr Novak. He's cool. And really smart. And I like that we get to do stuff together. Just like Jesse and his dads."

"So?" Cas asked "How did it go?"

Dean turned to him, eyes a little glazed over and he responded dizzily. "Jesse Turner has two dads and Ben is definitely crushing on Krissy Chambers. Oh, and he's OK with us, cause Lisa is awesome and apparently she raised Ben so he doesn't even see that homosexuality might be a problem for some people."

"See, wasn't so bad." Cas said and nudged him. "Come on, let's trade celebratory blow-jobs."

Dean smiled and follow his boyfriend, ready to celebrate Cas to the next week.


See, for once something went the way Dean prayed for it.

Wow, that once scene was sappy as fuck? When did my Destiel become this?

Big thanks to Klu, who helped me with 4th of July celebration. All mistakes are mine. And I hope there aren't any food taboos. I don't know about the actual day but I have done my fair share of party cooking and all of the stuff were a success.