Work Text:
Castiel Novak had found out a lot about himself this past year.
From little things like preferring raspberries over strawberries, to personality altering traits. The latter has become painfully obvious only in the last month when he had to start leaving his nephew at the nursery during work hours.
Said nephew who was now crying his little lungs out and soaking his trenchcoat.
“It’s okay - it’s okay, Jack.” he cooed, gently petting his head.
The nursery assistant was looking at him in a way that was both awkward and pitying. “I could just take him, sir. He’ll settle once you go.”, they said.
Castiel was tempted to glare their soul into the nether. Not for the first time, he wondered whether he had gone with the right nursery, seeing as none of their employees had any sort of sympathy towards a distressed child.
“No, no. I’ve got this,” he said evenly instead, only sparing them a strained smile.
He started gently rocking the crying baby, humming his favourite nursery rhyme in a low voice and cradling his face into his neck, hoping the vibrations would soothe him. It took a few minutes for Jack to go from eardrum-bursting shrieks to sniffles and sobs but they got there. It was better than nothing.
Castiel sighed and put him back into the baby carrier basket, making sure he had his bee sleep aid turned on. The boy clung to it immediately, burying his little head into the material and looking at his uncle with the most miserable eyes.
He gave the carrier to the assistant. “I wish he didn’t look at me like that.” Castiel lamented.
“You have your work cut out with this one. His baby blues could guilt anyone into feeling sorry for him.” the assistant said and then handed over a piece of paper. “It’s the nursery’s Christmas schedule. There’s information about the days we’ll be closed and the short days.”
Castiel took the leaflet and shoved it into his bag without looking at it. “Thank you. I’ll see you at three.” he leaned down to Jack who was still sniffling and pressed small kisses all over his face, earning him a disgruntled sound. “I love you. Be a good boy, Jack.”
He got back to his car and dropped in the driver’s seat with an exhausted huff. He looked at the clock - at least he’ll be on time to work today. He pulled out of the car park, his mind wandering to the piece of paper inside his messenger bag.
Christmas.
The funny thing about taking care of a baby, time seems to both flow rapidly and screech to a halt at the same time. It feels both like a lifetime and barely a minute since they’ve moved to Sioux Falls at the end of October. Now, November was almost over and Christmas was a looming worry.
Options were limited, seeing as Castiel refused to spend it with their family in New York, despite the invitation. He ground his teeth when he remembered his mum trying to manipulate and emotionally blackmail him into coming down for Thanksgiving, regardless of the fact that they hadn’t talked since-
His eyes began to burn. No. He can’t think about this now. At least not right before going to work. Maybe tonight, after Jack is in bed and he can wallow on the sofa for a few hours before the boy needs to be fed again.
Castiel turned to work with a few minutes to spare, a feat he hasn’t managed since having been transferred. He was stopped on the way to his office by a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to be met with bright red hair and a big grin.
“Hey there, McDreamy!” she greeted, letting her hand fall from his coat.
“Charlie, good morning. How are you this morning?” He asked, both of them continuing their way to the elevator.
“Y’know, the usual. Getting ready to have my brain plowed by Dick Roman, which is - you know - ironic.” She snickered.
Castiel couldn’t help but chuckle in response. Charlie had been the first person to try to befriend him, all spark and wit. He’d been taken aback by her crass way of talking at first but quickly realised it meant she was comfortable around him, a detail he appreciated. He was glad that Charlie had spotted him and deemed him appropriate for a friendship.
“Someone should tell him he’s barking up the wrong tree.” He quipped and his friend laughed.
“Oh, man! You’re a hoot, Castiel.” she said, “You’re here on time today. I’m impressed.”
“That makes the two of us. I think Jack is starting to understand I’m coming back for him.”
Charlie jutted her lower lip out, not unlike the way his nephew did. “Poor guy. He misses his dad.”
Castiel smiled. To everyone that bothered to ask, he’d told them Jack was his son and not his nephew. Maybe it was the cowardly thing to do, but it was better to have them assume he was a single dad rather than having them awkwardly shuffle off after being offered the truth.
“I miss him, too. It’s hard - He was with me full-time until I started here. We’re both adjusting.” he said.
“I’ll bet. Hey, what are your plans for Christmas? Are you coming to the office party?” she asked.
“No, I don’t think so. I’d need to find a babysitter and I don’t feel comfortable doing that.” Castiel shook his head. They reached the elevator and he pushed the buttons for both of their floors. “Jack and I will stay home and watch cartoons.”.
Charlie gasped and looked at him very offended. “But it’s Jack’s first Christmas! You need to do something special.” she insisted. “Like - like go to the mall to meet Santa or take him to a fayre.”
Castiel pondered this for a second and then the doors were opening for his floor. “I’ll think about it. See you later Charlie,” he said and gave the petite woman a weak wave.
“See you at lunch!” she yelled after him and the door closed not long after.
The workday followed the same pattern it always did, the routine only half-welcome. In-between emails, editing documents, and a meeting, Castiel ruminated over what Charlie had told him. Was he being a bad guardian for not trying to make Jack’s first Christmas ‘special’? It seemed a bit absurd, seeing as the boy won’t even remember it.
He thought of Jack’s mum. Kelly was… she was the brightest star in the inky blackness of their family. Where they were all standoffish, she was pliant. Where he was cold and calculated, she was warm and excitable.
Kelly appreciated life. She loved everything with a fierceness he’d always envied, from her favourite pair of socks to Jack. She would’ve gone above and beyond for his every little milestone.
Castiel’s stomach sunk with the thought. He needs to try harder, needs to offer Jack everything Kelly would’ve - and more, if at all possible.
Mind made up, Castiel googled Christmas events in the area and was pleasantly surprised to see quite a few of them - though not all child appropriate. He emailed his personal account a few links with children-friendly options, making notes of the pros and cons of each one.
He’d also realised that they had no sort of decorations whatsoever. When they’d moved, Castiel had sold his apartment with all its furnishings and donated everything that wasn’t clothes or mementos.
He rubbed his eyes in exasperation. He was so anxious to get away that he’d not only been hasty but also wasteful.
After work finished, he hurried to pick Jack up, who was delighted to see him, the folly of leaving him this morning forgotten.
“We’re going to have a busy day tomorrow, Jack.” He told the infant whilst strapping him in his car seat. “We’ll go around town, buy pretty things to put around the house and maybe go to the zoo. What do you say?”
The baby gurgled and kept biting his teething ring, saliva trickling down his chin and onto his bib.
Castiel smiled and cleaned him up with a wet wipe. “How is even your drool cute? It should be disgusting.” he mused, stroking Jack’s cheek minutely.
Once home, it was time for their usual dance of nap-food-play-bath-sleepy time. Some days it went swimmingly, others - Castiel had to pray for either patience, energy, or will to live. Sometimes all of them at once.
Such was tonight, Jack vehemently refusing to settle in his crib. Castiel would sing and cradle him to the point of small snoozing sounds, only for him to start crying again the moment Castiel tried to lay him down. An hour later and still no luck, he decided enough is enough, no matter what all those parenting books said about letting them ‘cry it out’. It worked when it worked and tonight was obviously not one of those nights.
Castiel fit jack in the crook of his neck, gave him a dummy, gathered up his blanket, sleep aid, and teething ring - just in case - and then his own laptop. He laid down in his bed, back to the headboard, baby on his chest and laptop in his lap.
Jack was suckling on his dummy, soft baby noises filling the bedroom. Castiel’s heart soared. He couldn’t help but close his eyes and take a calming breath of his nephew’s scent. He smelled like baby shampoo and that adorable scent of baby. He exhaled a contented sigh right along with Jack.
Now, this - this was perfect. The knowledge that this small, precious miracle saw him as a source of comfort and safety filled his body with warmth, and chest swell with pride. Parenthood wasn’t easy and it was definitely something he thought he didn’t want. Yet here he was, an armful of dozing baby and thinking there’s nowhere he’d rather be.
Once Castiel was sure Jack was deep in slumber, he turned his laptop on and opened the email he had sent earlier. He booked a Santa visit here - a petting zoo slot there - along with a couple of other outdoor activities that seemed infant appropriate.
Satisfied with his progress, he turned his search to local businesses that they could visit tomorrow and purchase some decorations. It turned out Sioux Falls had quite a few family-owned shops, most of them offering handmade decorations of some sort. He bookmarked a particular one that advertised itself as 100% waste-free.
Next, he looked up a Christmas tree nursery. The problem was Castiel flatly refused a cut one and apparently, that’s all they did around these parts. What happened to getting a potted tree and nurturing it beyond the holiday?
Finally, Castiel stumbled upon a local business called “Winchester Nursery and Flower Shop”. According to their website, they’ve only been opened since September and was founded by two brothers, born and raised in Sioux Falls. The photos on the website showed a lovely and cosy-looking family home with a huge greenhouse at the side. When clicking on the menu for the nursery, he was delighted to see they specialised in potted trees. It seemed really quite perfect.
He wrote down the address, turned the laptop off, and got ready for some shut-eye before Jack woke up for his bottle in a few hours.
Saturday found Castiel excited about being out of the house with Jack for Christmas shopping. The feeling which persevered all throughout the morning, getting the baby up and ready.
“We’re going out today, Jack. Are you excited? Uncle Castiel sure is.” he’d coo at the six-month-old. In return, his nephew babbled happily, swinging his little, chubby hands around and spraying small bits of food in the air.
They hit town first, checking out the local shops and buying a few of bags filled with different decorations for the inside and outside of the house, plus for the tree. Castiel relented and bought an outdoor pack of fairy lights from Walmart - because what was Christmas without outdoor lights? He promised to himself he’d try to use them for as many years as possible.
They’d been out for a while, and despite Jack being fed regularly and given toys for entertainment, he was starting to get squeamish. It’d been a while since they’ve been out together for so long and Castiel supposed it was enough excitement for now. There was still the tree itself to buy, but he reckoned they could go later in the day after jack had a proper nap at home. The zoo would have to wait another day.
This time, he didn’t even bother putting Jack in the crib, just headed straight to the recliner and settled both of them in it. Castiel was tired. As he listened to the baby’s soft breaths, his eyelids felt heavier and heavier. He felt warm and comfortable, the weight of his nephew grounding him. They fell asleep just like that: Jack grabbing onto his shirt tightly and him keeping the boy steady with both of his palms.
It was almost 3 pm by the time they left the house again, the sun starting its descent. The nursery was close to the outskirts of town, with no neighbours for a few miles. Castiel parked the car in one of the bays, noting that it was pretty full.
He took in the house in front of him. It was bigger than the photo made it seem, two stories high and painted olive with off white shutters around the windows. The front yard was colourful even in winter, flower beds planted all around the driveway, and pots lined up on the porch. Christmas lights flickered in warm white and a beautifully decorated tree on the side of the front steps.
He turned his head to the flower shop. The light of dusk was hitting the pane glass of the greenhouse, warm shades of yellow, orange, and red dancing around in the reflection. Castiel could see the plants inside standing proudly behind the windows, all sort of signs scattered at the front, promoting other businesses or informing people of deals. He could faintly hear chatter coming from inside but not much else. It was all very quaint.
He took the stroller out of the trunk, filled it with the baby bag, and making sure it’s secure before unbuckling Jack from his car seat and strapping him in the stroller instead. With the weather as nippy as it was, Castiel was glad to have bought an extra liner for Jack. He did not need a sick baby on top of the teething.
He couldn’t see where to go for the nursery so he decided to head for the flower shop and ask for some assistance. Inside the greenhouse was warm, but not overly stuffy. A surprising amount people moved between the pots, chatting and touching different plants. It was even more impressive from the inside, with high ceiling and shelves upon shelves somehow mounted on the frame and trailing plants hanging heavily, blooms or no blooms. Different types of small trees lined the outer walls, garden decorations scattered here and there with price tags attached to them.
He found the till to the right of the front door, the very tall man behind it - obviously an employee - was finishing ringing up a purchase.
“Hey there! Can I help?” the man - Sam, his tag said - greeted. He had his hair up in a bun, dandelio-yellow apron stained with green, and a kind smile on his face.
“Hi, yes - I’m actually looking for the tree nursery? I couldn’t find the entrance.” Castiel says, pushing his stroller closer.
“The nursery can only be accessed through the shop, so you’re in the right place. Let me ring Dean up and he’ll come to get ya.” Sam replied, taking out a two-way radio as Castiel thanked him. “There’s someone here to see the nursery, let me know how long you’ll be.”
The radio was silent for a bit longer than what Castiel assumed was normal before it crackled back to life and a muffled voice came through.
“You’re supposed to say ‘over’ when you finished talking, Sammy. You know the damn rules. Over.” the voice said, sounding miffed.
Sam rolled his eyes. “Right. Sorry. I forgot we’re the only ones using these things and not our phones like, you know, normal people.”
Silence.
“Again - You didn’t - Oh, forget it. I’m coming. Over.” the other man - Dean - replied, the radio going silent again.
Sam looked at him with mirth in his eyes and a smirk not unlike a young child that has pulled a successful prank. “Sorry about that. My brother gets really passionate about these things.”
“It’s no trouble, really. Not everyone likes technology.” he offers - though not sure if he’s right or not.
Sam chuckled. “Well, I guess that’s true. So, I’ll take a leap and say you’ve never been here before. Would you like me to give you the rundown of the nursery?”
Castiel confirmed and Sam continued. “Okay, so, it’s a few acres of land, full to the brim with different sorts of trees. Dean’ll know more about types and their specifics so ask him for any pointers - I’m no good with plants. You’ll walk around and see which one you like the look of, let Dean know and he’ll mark it up for you then come back here to pay and arrange a delivery-slash-collection day. We prefer selling them potted but we can cut them if that’s what you want.” he explains then takes a look down at Jack and gives his nephew a little wave. “And don’t worry about the little guy. There are paths all throughout so pushing the stroller will be easy.”
Castiel was embarrassed to say he hadn’t even thought of that.
The back door opened with a quiet creak and both of their heads turned toward it. Castiel heard his breath hitch.
Standing in the doorway was the most stunning man Castiel has ever seen - or could have possibly imagined. He watched as the man cursed under his breath and shook a light layer of snow off of his shoulders and hair, the drowning sun right behind him, engulfing his whole body and accentuating a perfect silhouette and - and Castiel suddenly forgot how to breathe.
“Started snowing, did it?” Castiel thinks he hears Sam talking, but he can’t be sure. He’s still staring at the apparition.
The man comes closer and it only gets worse from here, his dark blonde hair glowing orange in the sunlight and his voice deep and smooth - completely different than what it sounded through the radio.
“As you’ve probably noticed, seeing as you’re in the damn greenhouse, Samuel,” he replies, grumpy edge to his tone but eye lighting up as soon as he sees Castiel - or wait, no, he’s looking at Jack. Not Castiel - stop. “Aw, hey there, lil’ guy! You brought daddy over for some fun?”
Castiel feels himself flush and thanks God he can easily blame it on getting hot in the now-stuffy building. He clears his throat and tries his best not to sound weird, “It’s Jack’s first Christmas. We just moved here and have nothing in regards to decorations. Google told me you’re the only place in the area that does potted trees.” he babbles.
Dean is looking at him now, a pleased expression on his face. “You’ve come to the right place, then. Let’s show you two around and I’ll see if I can help.”
Castiel said his goodbye to Sam and followed Dean to the backdoor. They exited the greenhouse after Dean put on a beanie and scarf and Castiel made sure Jack is bundled up properly and his rain cover is on.
They walk in relative silence for a minute or so, Castiel racking his brain for something to say but being unable to take his eyes off the man walking in front of him. He’s so busy staring at the way Dean’s hair comes out from under his beanie and curls around it that he almost doesn’t notice the man falling in step with him.
“I’m Dean, by the way. Dean Winchester.” he says.
“Castiel. Nice to meet you, Dean.” Castiel replies. Once his brain catches up with the information given to him and he adds, “Winchester? Are you and Sam the owners?”
Dean’s grin turns into an outright beam and their surroundings suddenly seem brighter, as if the man itself was the light source and everything else gets to bask in it. Castiel realises with a start that Dean’s eyes are green - an evergreen that promises forests and whispers in the dark, smiles in crowds, and lives lived well. They have flashes of gold now and he doesn’t know if that’s simply the light from the lamp posts or if it’s possible for someone’s soul to shine through irises.
“Nice to meet you, Castiel - weird name, by the way. And yeah - Sammy and I inherited this land from our uncle bobby when I turned 18. Used to be a junkyard and I’ve been working on it ever since.”
Castiel takes a proper look around him and finds that the land is not unlike a Scandinavian forest - with shorter trees. He can’t help being impressed. He tells Dean as much and Dean beams once more, obviously unconcerned with what it does to Castiel’s cardiac rhythm.
“Been at it for the better part of a decade. ‘M pretty proud.” He says, raising one shoulder in a noncommittal shrug but appearing pleased with the compliment. “So, any idea what we’re looking for? We’ve got spruce, pine, yew, cedar, and fir.”
“That’s… that’s a lot of variety. I’m afraid I have no clue.” Castiel admits, stopping when Dean does and facing the taller man.
“Okay, we’ll start with a few basic questions. Fragrance level?” Dean asks, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Castiel ponders for a second. “I don’t mind.”
“O-kay. Colour? They can vary from light to dark green or we’ve got some silver-blue varieties.”
“Uh, dark green, maybe?”
Dean chuckles, although Castiel isn’t sure what’s so entertaining. “Alright. Do you want them to grow anything? Like cones or berries?”
“No - nothing of the sort. Jack’s getting into the phase of putting everything in his mouth and he’s going to start crawling soon,” he says, this time confident in his answer.
Dean purses his lips and looks in the general direction of the trees, lost in thought. He turns back to Castiel once he seems to have come to a decision. “I think you might do best with a fir tree. They’re pretty classic and sturdy. The Fraser fir has good needle retention. D’you wanna head over and you can have a look?”
Castiel nods and they make their way through the paths, admiring the multitude of trees on their every side. Dean was right - their selection was very wide and Castiel briefly wondered how hard it was to keep track of all of them and if the upkeep was worth the profit. The land, from what he could see, was actually quite impressive in size, having walked for maybe five minutes and not yet arrived at their destination.
Typically, this is when Jack started fussing. “Oh no, buddy.” Castiel said, stopping and going around to the front of the stroller. He quickly checked his nappy - clean - then checked his temperature - seemed normal. “He must be hungry. I’m so sorry about this - he usually goes longer without a bottle-” he starts explaining but Jack’s muffled sniffs have evolved into crying.
Castiel unbuckles him, rocking him in his arms whilst bending down to grab the baby bag and putting it inside the stroller for easier access. He throws a guilty look to Dean over his shoulder and is relieved to find him smiling fondly.
“Nah, man. Don’t worry about it. Babies are a lot of work. Take your time, we’re not far off.” Dean says, good-naturedly, now standing across from Castiel on the other side of the stroller. “It’s kinda dark now, do you want me to hold him?”
Castiel’s eyes widened in surprise at the offer. Not surprised at the offer, per se, since he gets those often - Jack is awfully adorable - but rather at the fact that he’s actually considering saying yes. Okay, so fine - he might be overprotective of the boy but nobody can hold that against him.
“Uhm, if you’d like to help, would you mind getting his bottle ready? He doesn’t do well with strangers.” he finally says, rubbing soothing circles onto the baby’s back. “It’s not hard, you just need to get the bottle and put it in the bottle warmer - it’ll only take a couple of minutes.”
“Sure thing, Castiel. Just show me what to do.” Dean replies, not hesitating in unzipping the bag.
Castiel feels a sudden rush of warmth for this man - grateful he hasn’t insisted on holding Jack. He resented it when people couldn’t take a hint. “Okay, open that thermal bag and grab one of those bottles - yeah that one. The white machine is the warmer - push that button to turn it on - yep. You’ll need to put it here because it gets hot - great - now just place the bottle inside, the light will go off when it’s the right temperature.”
Dean looks down at the gently whirring machine with what could be a satisfied smile. “That’s so cool, man. I haven’t seen one of these before.”
Castiel chuckled and draped the still-screaming Jack over his shoulder, still rocking him. “Your brother might have implied you aren’t a big fan of technology.”
Dean grunted and dragged his hand over his face a few times. “It’s really not that. I don’t have anything against it, I’m just very old school. But things like these-” he gestures towards the baby bottle and warmer “- they’re pretty cool and super useful. I ain’t got nothing against those.”
“I understand,” Castiel replies seriously. “I like technology a lot myself, but I have been accused of being an “eco-maniac” by peers before. I, apparently, cannot like both technology and nature.” he finishes, using a single hand to use air quotes in order to accentuate his point.
Dean laughs earnestly and wonderfully and Castiel wishes he’d do it again. “Man, I think you need new friends - and to never stop doing those air quotes. That’s adorable.”
Uh. Did he just - Did Dean just -
Castiel can’t help himself and says “Was that a flirtation?”
Dean’s cheeks get pink quite quickly - so not because of the cold - but before he can reply, the warmer dings. Castiel takes the bottle, quickly checking the temperature at the back of his wrist, and rearranges Jack in his arms so he can feed comfortably.
“Uh, no - no! It wasn’t. I’m sorry, I’m a big flirt, everyone keeps telling me. These things just come out of my big mouth. You’ve got a kid and I definitely did not mean to offend. I’m sorry -” Dean rambles, his palm at the back of his neck and his face definitely rosier in colour than it should be.
Castiel’s stomach swoops onto itself and he thinks he might be sick with nerves. “It’s okay, Dean. No offense taken,” he says, hoping his voice didn’t falter. “I was just - surprised.”
“Sorry, again. Didn’t mean to be awkward.” he laughs - awkwardly.
“I assure you it’s fine. I’m - I’m a single dad,” he says, voice trembling. “No partner at home to berate me for beautiful men flirting with me.”
If at all possible, Dean’s face changes shades completely, going from pink to bright red. If this was one of Jack’s cartoons, Castiel thinks he might have had smoke coming out of his ears. He found it ridiculously endearing and so much harder to take his eyes away from him. If anything, Dean’s flustered reaction has given Castiel a confidence boost.
“I- Uhm. Right, of course. Single. You’re single. That’s - that’s good. I mean! Not good, no. Being a single parent is bad - I mean not bad! But - yeah - okay, I’ll shut up now.” Dean groans into his hand, obviously flustered.
Castiel feels like grinning and laughing at the sheer delightfulness of the interaction. However, he feels the other man might not be appreciative of such a display. “Yes, being a - a single dad is hard. But very rewarding.” he settles on, looking down at Jack, whose eyes are now closed but still suckling gently on the bottle. “He makes it easy.”
“Being cute gets you asshole privileges,” Dean replies, still very much beet red but at least in better faculty of his words.
Castiel is tempted to say ‘You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?’ but restrains himself. He is taken aback at how easy it would be to let that line out of his mouth and into existence. Flirting isn’t something he does. Or, it wasn’t.
“Oh yes, definitely.” he says instead, looking around their surroundings. “We can keep going if you don’t mind pushing the stroller?”
Dean gets behind the stroller without question and the sight of him warms Castiel almost as much as the cuddly baby in his arms.
“We’re not far off, just another turn. I like keeping them in sections.” Dean says, starting up the conversation again.
“I’ve never been one for Christmas decorating, I will admit. My - Jack’s mum - she loved any and all holidays.” Castiel offers, a tightness coiling in his chest. Not completely unpleasant. Perhaps he’d missed talking about Kelly as much as he missed her .
Dean nodded. “I get that. Seeing as you’re here, I s’pose you’ve decided to give it a go?”
“It’s his first Christmas. I felt like I should do something - if not special, just something .” Castiel sighed. “I’m aware he won’t remember anything but- but maybe…” he trails off, throat suddenly tight. Castiel is ashamed to say his eyes prick.
Dean turns his head to him, eyes soft. “But maybe everything’s for you, too?”
Castiel exhales a shuddering breath and has to look ahead - anywhere but his baby and the gentleman at his side. He wills his eyes to stop burning. “Yes,” he says, simply.
They walk in comfortable silence until they reach their destination. Castiel takes a moment to inhale the scent in the area, now almost engulfed in early darkness, festoon lights and lamp posts illuminating everything.
Jack, now finished with his bottle, Castiel returns it to the bag and hooks the infant over his shoulder, gently patting his back trying to coax a burp out. When it doesn’t come out a minute later, Castiel places Jack back into the stroller.
He and Dean go around the area together, looking at different sizes and shapes. Castiel’s house has taller ceilings than average but he doesn’t want a tree taller than he is. It’d seem excessive seeing as it’s just him and Jack. Dean asks him to think about where he’s placing it in order to try to eye out one that’s not too wide.
It takes about fifteen minutes to decide on a tree. When Castiel tells Dean he wants it potted, Dean beams again, very pleased to hear that, and makes a passing comment about how ‘cutting them is a damn shame’ . Castiel may, or may not, have just decided this man was perfect.
On the way back they discuss Dean and how the business came to be. Dean elaborates on the story he told Castiel earlier. He finds out Dean is 28, has a Biological Sciences degree, and plans on doing a master's - just hasn’t had the time yet. He also learns his brother is a lawyer at a big practice in a nearby town but decided he’ll be coming to help Dean out every Saturday in December because ‘he’s a control freak and thinks I’m going to get stressed’ . Castiel thinks back to how full the greenhouse was and the numerous people they’ve come across on their way to the fir trees, and how Sam might not be wrong. He doesn’t voice this out, of course.
By the time they’re back at the greenhouse, the night was truly ruling over Sioux Falls. There wasn’t anyone left in the shop and Sam was just turning around the sign that said ‘Closed’.
Castiel turns to Dean hastily, “I hope I haven’t kept you after closing time. My apologies - I should’ve realised the time.”
Dean laughs and takes off his beanie and scarf, shaking off the snow. “Nah, man. There are still people finishing up in the nursery. That’s just to stop incoming traffic.”
“Oh. Alright.” he exhales, thankful he hasn’t been an inconvenience.
Dean goes over to the computer at the till typing out a few things. “Okay, I’ll just need a few details. First, your last name.”
“Novak,” he replies.
“Address, phone number, and email?”
Castiel relays all of that information and they arrange a time and day for delivery. Once the tree has been paid for, Dean gives him a receipt and a delivery confirmation. “We’ll send out both a text and email reminder on the day of, just in case,” he tells Castiel.
“That sounds good. Thank you, Dean. You’ve been a great help.” he offers.
“Hey, man, no worries. T’is my job. Plus, you’re a nice guy to talk to Cas.” Dean says, leaning his elbows forward on the desk, the perfect image of nonchalance and charm.
His heart starts thrumming with such an intensity he can feel the pulsations in his ear. He’s never - Nobody’s ever called him Cas . The only ones to ever call him anything but Castiel had been Kelly and Gabe. And they called him ‘Cassie’ as a way of getting a rise out of him. The dark-haired man doesn’t think Dean realises he’d just nicknamed this stranger and set him alight with excitement.
“Before you go, here - take this.” Dean continues before Castiel can say anything else. He takes a leaflet from the side and what appears to be a business card, writing something on the back of it then handing them over to the starstruck Castiel. “I organise a little Christmas neighbourhood party in the nursery every year on the 24th. Nothing fancy, but there’ll be food and drinks and games for the lil’ ones.”
Castiel takes the papers and clutches them in his hand, swallowing the growing lump in his throat. Everything about this man has managed to settle and unsettle every nerve in Castiel’s body, without much effort on his part except a well-timed smile and a devil-may-care attitude.
Dean was an enigma right now. Details of his life and the journey he’s been on in order to arrive at the destination - which was the most inviting, gentle, and intriguing person - were unknown to him.
But Castiel wanted to know it all. God, he really did.
Bidding Dean and Sam goodnight, Castiel left the greenhouse with a smile that didn’t cease throughout the ride home, making dinner or Jack’s routine.
Today, his baby - because that’s what Jack was now, wasn’t he? His - was settled and happy as anything. He probably would’ve let Castiel put him to bed in his nursery and not kick a fuss up.
Yet, Castiel didn’t want to. He set up Jack’s old bedside crib near his own bed again. The boy seemed thrilled with the turn of events, grabbing a couple of Castiel’s fingers in one hand, gripping his sleep aid in the other, and dummy in his mouth. It took an embarrassingly short few seconds for him to be deep asleep.
Castiel chuckled as he watched bright blue eyes disappear behind sleepy eyelids. He stroked Jack’s soft hair out of the way. His chest fluttered again when he realised that the boy’s hair was no longer the platinum blond he was born with - rather, a gorgeous colour that reminded him of soft green eyes and flaming orange in a greenhouse.
He sighed and closed his eyes, letting soft snores lull him into a restful sleep.