Chapter Text
“Cas! Ba-a-abe! Where are my pants?”
“Quit yelling, Dean, you know I can hear you at any volume! Just take a pair of my jeans!”
“You know I don’t fucking fit in your jeans, asshole!”
“Yes you do!”
Dean scratches his head and reaches for a pair of Cas’ jeans. Other than ending right at his ankle, they fit. That’s new.
“What do you think, Luke? You think angel Daddy’s messing with me?”
Luke shakes his head vigorously and reaches his arms up for Dean to pick him up off the bed. He’s 2 years old and perfectly capable of walking and talking—he just chooses not to most of the time.
Dean’s halfway down the stairs before he hears a crash near the kitchen and a, “Raleigh! Raleigh, pick that up right now. You are going to behave today, so help me.”
“So should we sneak back upstairs and avoid this mess, buddy? Maybe take a nap or something?”
Luke shakes his head again, rocking his whole body on Dean’s hip. “Uncle Sam.”
“Oh yeah, you’re right. We can’t really skip out on seeing Uncle Sammy today. Maybe we can just leave Raleigh and angel Daddy here then?”
Another enthusiastic head shake.
When Dean makes it to the kitchen, he’s bombarded by a screaming Raleigh and an impatient Castiel. He promptly passes Luke off and scoops up Raleigh mid-run.
“Where do you think you’re going, soldier?” Dean asks seriously.
“Battle with Daddy,” Raleigh answers with the same level of seriousness.
“Well I hate to tell you this, kid, but you’re probably not gonna win that one.”
Raleigh screams and squirms in Dean’s arms to demonstrate how strongly he disagrees.
“I know, I know. But you gotta believe me, dude, one time I saw angel Daddy smite dozens of guys in like 10 seconds.”
“What’s smite mean?”
Dean looks at Cas like a deer caught in the headlights and says, “I’ll tell you when you’re older. All right, now when I set you down you’re going to behave, right? No more battle with Daddy?”
“Right,” Raleigh agrees with more squirming.
As soon as Dean sets him down, Raleigh runs full force across the room at Cas—who is still holding Luke on his hip. Cas sidesteps the attack and when Raleigh tries to jump on him, Cas picks him up by his ankle and holds him upside down in the air.
Dean never tires of seeing his angel holding both of their children in precarious positions that no human could manage.
“You are not going to win this battle, Raleigh,” Cas says grimly as he looks at his upside down son.
“All right, guys, I think we were supposed to be at Sam’s, well, an hour ago, so we should, you know.” Dean claps his hands and gestures toward the door.
Cas tosses Raleigh onto his shoulder and starts walking toward Dean. “Lead the way, Dad,” he says with a small smile.
Dean catches Cas in a kiss before turning toward the door. “Hey, babe, why do I fit in your jeans?”
“Because you’ve been chasing children around for two years and are now wasting away before my very eyes.”
“What? That’s not—” Dean quickly looks down at himself and grabs at his stomach, which is…definitely a lot flatter than it’s been since his 20s. “Oh.”
“I’m in the process of replacing your jeans—Raleigh, stop kicking me—which is why your pants are so often missing.”
“Here, let me take Luke.” Dean reaches his arms out and Cas deposits the tamer child into them.
Cas then is able to wrangle Raleigh with all of his strength amidst the child’s giggling and screaming. It’s a struggle when they get to the car, because they forgot to switch the car seats so they have to take the Mazda instead of the Impala which of course makes Luke cry because he loves the Impala as much as Dean does, so it’s several loud minutes of Raleigh still trying to fight Cas while Dean tries to soothe Luke, and by the time they’re actually in the van, a couple of their neighbors have come outside to see if they need any help.
Parenting is hard.
The adoption process was the easy part. It took just a year and a half after their wedding to bring home twins Luke and Raleigh Winchester. It was a lot of paperwork more than anything, but luckily Sam and Dean had saved a couple of lives of people who could help them out and bypass some of the red tape.
When they held their sons in their arms for the first time, Cas and Dean didn’t even look at each other or speak for a solid five minutes. Then, finally, they had exchanged deliriously happy smiles and switched babies.
That was the last moment of peace before pandemonium.
Sure, it’s nice that Cas is an angel and can make sure that the boys stay safe, that they’re healthy, and he has a lot more stamina to take care of them than Dean does (even though he requires sleep most days of the week now). But even so, Cas elects not to use his power liberally for several reasons, one of which being that it isn’t fair to whisk away dirty diapers when Dean still has to change them by hand and another being that discipline should be taught and not programmed.
The first year was pretty damn rough. Cas and Dean realized very quickly that the bunker was not even remotely a good place to raise children, so they solicited Sam to help them find a suitable house in the area. That took a couple months and a very angry few days of moving (they left boxes lying around still packed for a solid half a year before finally getting around to actually settling in). Dean found a job at an auto shop when the boys were three months old, and that brought in a whole new level of exhaustion and a whole new wave of arguments between Cas and Dean until the boys were six months old. Dean spent several nights sleeping in a Cas-less bed during that time. He doesn’t even remember what they fought about, just that it was loud and violent and luckily in the past. When the boys started talking and walking, Dean and Cas felt like they spent 90 percent of their lives running. Dean swears there was an entire week where he just forgot to eat. Whenever Sam came over, he’d get all puppy-eyed and ask if they were all right and if they needed help like a dozen and a half times.
They finally, finally got the hang of it after the boys’ first birthday. They settled into a comfortable rhythm that was still exhausting at times, but at least it wasn’t killing them both.
After putting the boys to bed one night several months ago, they fell into their own bed and stared at each other for a second before breaking into a fit of giggles.
“Remember when our biggest problem was sex?” Dean asked, flipping over on his back and locking his hands behind his head.
“Mmm,” Cas said pensively. Then after a beat, “When was the last time we even had intercourse?”
Dean laughed out loud at that. “Dude, I have no idea. Since Raleigh said his first word at least. That was what, three or four months ago? Fuck. Cas, we really should have sex.”
“We really should.” Cas rolled over then and curled up against Dean’s body.
He was trying to be seductive, but then they both fell asleep within two minutes.
Now, on their way to Sam’s with two terrible 2’s in the backseat, Cas reaches over to the passenger seat and rests a hand on Dean’s thigh.
“Do you think Sam will have food?” Cas asks with his eyes on the road.
“Man, I hope so. I’m sick of our leftovers.”
“Maybe I can figure out how to use my grace to speed up the cooking process. I could start baking again.”
“You’re trying to fatten me up again, aren’t you?”
Cas squeezes Dean’s thigh and smiles smugly at the road.
“You already forced me to go gray, you’re not winning this one too.”
Cas moves his hand to Dean’s hair and says, “Like I said before, I am still willing to color your hair for you, Dean. I did it for almost two years without your knowledge.”
“Nah, it’s fine. I like how much you play with it now.” Dean closes his eyes and leans into Cas’ touch. “What are you gonna do when I’m really old?”
Raleigh throws one of Luke’s toys up between Cas and Dean then, and Luke screams while Raleigh laughs hysterically. Dean whips around and hands the toy back to Luke while chastising Raleigh about car manners and respecting other people’s property. They’re pulling into Sam’s by the time it’s all sorted out.
Raleigh runs to the front door and starts banging as soon as they get out of the car, but Luke just reaches up for Dean’s hand so they can walk together. Before they start moving, though, Cas pulls Dean against his hip and whispers, “I’m going to fuck you senseless when you’re really old.”
“You’re gross, Cas.”
Cas smacks Dean’s ass in response and then the door swings open and Sam scoops up a giggling Raleigh. Even Luke breaks from Dean’s grasp and runs at his uncle, clinging to Sam’s leg when he gets there.
“Hey, pilot!” Sam greets Raleigh as he lifts him above his head. “And Jedi,” he adds to Luke. “You guys are getting so big, soon enough you’ll be taller than me.”
“Daddy say no way,” Raleigh responds.
“Oh is that so? Which daddy said that?”
“Human Daddy!”
“Figures. All right, you guys go play and let the grown-ups talk for a bit,” Sam says before setting Raleigh down and ruffling Luke’s hair. The boys then promptly race into the living room where Sam has a whole slew of toys set up.
“Heya, Sammy,” Dean greets as he pulls his brother down for a hug.
“Hey Dean, you’re looking better than the last time I saw you.”
“What? Did Cas tell you to say that so that I’d quit complaining about my hair?”
Sam chuckles as the three make their way inside and take a seat at Sam’s kitchen counter. “You don’t look as tired as you did a couple weeks ago. And you don’t smell like Luke’s vomit. Want a beer?”
Cas and Dean exchange a look before Dean says, “We’re on a water-only diet right now. Cas thinks soda and alcohol make me incompetent as a parent.”
“That is not true, honey,” Cas says bitingly. “You simply have more energy and are generally less cranky without them.”
“Luke! Luke, don’t put that in your mouth. Please spit it out,” Dean calls to the living room.
Luke, as usual, stares at Dean for a second (a little too coincidentally like angel Daddy does) before obeying.
“Thank you.”
“I’m going to go watch them while you two catch up,” Cas says with a gentle hand on Dean’s back.
“You mean you’re going to go play with them?” Dean accuses.
“Yes.”
Dean turns back to Sam once Cas has made his way over to the living room. “Last hunt go all right?”
“Uh yeah, just a couple of shapeshifters out in California. Took Garth with me, cleared it up pretty quick. How are you and Cas doing?”
Dean smiles affectionately. “Awesome. Really. Maggie watched the kids a few nights ago so we could go out, and then we ended up getting home early and the three of us fell asleep watching a movie. It was nice.”
“God, you’d think you guys are a hundred years old. Well, I guess that analogy doesn’t really apply to Cas, but you know what I mean.”
“Hey, we’re still cool, all right? We still—do stuff.”
“Going to Chuck E. Cheese is not doing stuff, Dean.”
Dean rolls his eyes. “I’ve got a husband and two great kids and a stable job. Not to mention I’m in my fucking forties now. Going to—”
“Language, Dean,” Cas interjects from the living room as he throws Raleigh in the air.
Dean gives Cas the finger over his shoulder as he continues, “I’m living the dream, Sammy. I got out. You should, too.”
“Yeah, and do what? Go to law school? Get married, have kids when I’m pushing middle age? It may have worked for you, but it won’t work for me.” Sam takes a long pull from his beer and avoids eye contact with Dean.
“But you’re good? You, uh, you’re all right hunting?”
Sam shakes his head and laughs. “I miss you, man. I don’t know, I just—I wish I got to spend more time with you guys. You know I love those kids to death, and you and Cas...”
“I know. I know it’s not the same. But you gotta look at the big picture here, Sammy. We’re not dying every year trying to save the whole goddamn world. You and I aren’t grossly codependent anymore. Cas hasn’t been brainwashed in years. Hell, he hasn’t paid attention to angel radio since he got his grace back. God, Sammy, we have normal problems.”
“Yeah. Yeah, um, you’re—”
The doorbell cuts Sam off, and Raleigh runs to answer it.
“Aunt Charlie!” he screeches after swinging the door open.
Charlie lifts Raleigh onto her hip and greets, “Hey buddy, where’s your co-pilot?”
Raleigh points to the living room where Cas has picked up Luke and is walking back over to the kitchen.
“Hey, sweetheart, how are you?” Dean asks as he pulls Charlie in for a one-armed hug.
“Pretty good, old man. You and Cas getting any sleep these days?”
“More than we used to, but still not enough.”
“Hey, Charlie, glad you made it,” Sam cuts in with a kiss to Charlie’s forehead. “Please, have a seat, make yourself at home.”
“So what’s the deal? It smells like man pain in here,” Charlie says as she sits on a stool and adjusts Raleigh onto her lap.
“You know, Sam and Dean just being Sam and Dean,” Cas answers.
Dean rolls his eyes and smacks Cas on the back of the head.
“Don’t hit, Daddy,” Luke scolds from where he’s perched on Cas’ hip.
Everybody laughs at that, and then Dean takes Luke from Cas and blows a raspberry onto his stomach before settling him in his lap.
It’s a relaxing day when it’s all said and done. Sam makes dinner, and Dean eats more than usual (with Cas’ urging). Charlie and Sam get into a long discussion about some TV show they’re both into, so Cas and Dean take the opportunity to put a movie on for the twins while they nap together on the couch. When they wake up, it’s dark outside and Sam and Charlie are playing a very loud game with the twins in Sam’s guest bedroom upstairs. When Cas and Dean try to tell them they need to get home to put the boys to bed, Luke starts crying and Raleigh screams. Sam reminds Cas and Dean that he has accommodations for his nephews at his house for a reason. Realizing that means they have the night off, they call Maggie and end up going to a bar with her and Charlie while Sam takes care of the boys.
As soon as they close the door behind them when they get home later, Cas shoves Dean into the wall and kisses him fiercely.
“Oh hey, tiger, haven’t seen you in a while,” Dean says with a smirk as he flattens himself against the wall and pulls Cas closer by his belt loop.
Cas kisses him again before saying, “I love you. I don’t know if I’ve said that enough lately. I love you, and I can’t believe how good of a husband and father you are. I mean it.”
Dean ducks his chin to hide his smile. “Nice pillow talk, Cas.”
“I love that I can still make you uncomfortable,” Cas answers with a chuckle. “Come on, I’m going to suck you off and then fuck you.”
“That’s more like it.”
Parenting is hard. Dean wishes he could help Sam more. Things aren’t perfect.
But they're pretty damn close.