Christmas Morning at the Winchester’s
AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5462849
Warning: tooth-rotting fluff, angel children, christmas feels, mature content
Summary: Dean and Sam Winchester never got to celebrate a proper Christmas. Their Christmases consisted mostly of junk food, stolen presents from nearby houses and worrying over their father not returning from his hunt in time and wondering if they would see him again or not. In fact, Dean had very few happy memories involving Christmas, exception made of that one year he got this necklace from Sam. For the rest… Christmas had never meant anything to him.
Dean and Sam Winchester never got to celebrate a proper Christmas. Their Christmases consisted mostly of junk food, stolen presents from nearby houses and worrying over their father not returning from his hunt in time and wondering if they would see him again or not. In fact, Dean had very few happy memories involving Christmas, exception made of that one year he got this necklace from Sam. For the rest… Christmas had never meant anything to him.
That was, of course, until he had decided to marry an Angel of the Lord and have children with that said angel. Dean smiled at the memory of how his little family had forced him to buy a Christmas tree, hang up Christmas stockings with the names of the family members sowed in green on the fluffy white collars and, of course, take part in the famous Christmas dinner preparation. However, Dean had decided that since he was being forced to celebrate Christmas, he would take care of dinner and it would not be their traditional Christmas turkey he was going to cook.
Dean and Sam had decided to make their famous Winchester burgers they used to make when they were kids. Basically a calorie bomb that would have your heart stop in an instant if you were cholesterol intolerant, but what was Christmas for if not to have fun? Their Winchester burgers consisted of 12 ounces of beef, 200g of pulled pork, 6 rashes of bacon with they didn’t exactly know how much cheese to top it. Knowing that these burgers would probably make the children feel sick for the rest of the week, Sam and Dean had decided to make regular cheese burgers for the little ones. They would get to try the Winchester burgers once their heart had grown stronger. Castiel would be more difficult to convince, although Dean knew how much his angel’s vessel loved red meat (because Cas would never admit that his love for red meat had nothing to do with Jimmy’s likes).
John Tristan Winchester and Alexander Gabriel Winchester were the sons of Dean and Cas. While Dean had mentioned the idea of a surrogate mother or adoption once he, Sammy and Castiel had decided to retire from hunting, his angel had been more than shocked at the prospect of their future child to pop out of another woman’s body. The idea of sperm donation was also completely foreign to the poor celestial being. But Dean had never imagined that having a baby with his angel could be possible: he had been wrong. He had underestimated Castiel again. Their sons had been born out of Castiel’s grace, linking their boys with the angel for the first 18 years of their lives. Once they reached adulthood, the bond would break and John and Alex would be able to freely use their wings. As long as they were linked to Castiel, they wouldn't be able to use either their powers, or their wings without their father’s permission. To be completely honest with himself, Dean was glad that his sons’ powers were restricted for now. At least, he wouldn't have to worry about them revealing their true identities in public.
A small smile graced Dean’s lips when he thought of his little family. Soon, he would have to get up and start working with Sam on the Winchester and cheese burgers for lunch, but right before that, his children would want to open their presents, which would end in a cacophony of screeches, happy squeals and childish roars of happiness. However, Dean wanted to spend some quality time with his husband first. He glanced at the digital clock next on his bedside table: 6:15. Soon, their children would wake up, their stomachs churned up in anticipation. But Dean believed they still had a good half an hour before them. Slowly, he turned around and looked at his sleeping angel. He looked so innocent and vulnerable in his sleep, but Dean knew that his angel was the fiercest of warriors and could snap a grown man’s neck in a flick of his slender wrist. But Dean enjoyed this picture for a few more moments, wondering what he had done to deserve such a beautiful family.
“You have deserved this life, Dean, you have served my Father well and have saved the world a few times, I think you can take credit for all of those accomplishments” Dean felt his heart leap in his chest when he heard his husband’s deep voice. Sometimes he forgot that Castiel was only in a state of deep meditation whenever Dean believed him to be asleep.
“How many times have you read my thoughts when I believed you to be asleep Cas?” His husband’s smile never failed to make Dean’s heart beat faster in his chest. Castiel’s smile was the most beautiful thing Dean had ever witnessed and it never failed to make him feel all warm inside. When the smile grew wider into a grin, Dean knew that his angel was still inside his head.
“You do have really interesting thoughts my beloved. I rejoice in hearing you talk in such manner about me.” Dean smiled again and kissed his angel softly, trying not to think too loudly about how he found Castiel’s old fashioned way of phrasing deeply arousing. The chaste kiss progressively turned more passionate, needier even wilder. Their skin touched, their fingers interlaced and their tongues explored the so familiar terrains of the other’s mouth. Dean’s lips found Cas’ neck and started suckling at the tender skin right over the angel’s Adam apple. Dean felt his cock twitch at the sound Cas made when his husband’s lips brushed over his tender skin. Dear Lord, how could one man hold so much power over him?
“I am not a man, Dean. I am an angel”, Castiel said huskily, chuckling softly when his human smacked his naked ass with the palm of his hand.
“Remember the pizza man, angel?”
“Like hell I do”, Castiel answered, his tongue moisturising his lips sexily. Dean captured his angel’s lips once again and started massaging Cas’ bulge through the sheets. Luckily, you might say, as the weight of Dean’s body quickly shifted to the other end of the bed when his sensitive ears caught the sounds of their children’s little stomping feet running towards their bedroom. Castiel groaned in frustration and with a snapping of his fingers, his boner was gone. Damn this angel.
“I was about to favour you with the same treatment, beloved, but considering your thoughts I may find you to be too disrespectful to grant you such relief?” Dean’s puppy eyes rivalled Sam’s at the moment, which most of the time didn't have any effect whatsoever on his husband, but considering the urgency of the situation, Cas forgave Dean quickly and made his boner disappear as well. Both men had enough time to put on boxers before their bedroom door slowly creaked open wide enough for two small bodies to enter the bedroom. Dean smiled as he saw his elder son help Alex onto the bed. The smallest child immediately hid in the safe warmth of Castiel’s embrace.
“Good morning John, Alexander”, his husband’s rich voice greeted their children with such fondness and love in his tone it made Dean’s heart swell with pride for his little family. John quickly placed a wet kiss on each of his fathers’ cheeks, before settling down and huddling closely to Dean’s powerful chest. Alex was almost completely buried underneath the thick duvet covering the couple’s bed. Cas’ hand gently stroked his youngest son’s soft hair. Dean swore he saw his husband fondling at some invisible wings and it made the older hunter smile softly.
“Time for a thorough grooming of your wings, my children. John, yours look particularly dreadful, where have you been spending your time lately?”
“At the park, dada. They often get dirty when I play in the sand… and I can’t reach them in the shower, they’re too far up my back”
Dean and Cas often had disputes concerning their children playing outside like normal children. John being six and Alex four, they deserved to live normal childhoods, however Castiel believed that their status as hybrids still differentiated them from other children. Dean didn’t want his children to grow up thinking that they were freaks from another planet. He had to go through the same feelings, he didn’t want his children to feel that way. Ever, half angel or not!
“Yeah well we’ve talked about that, next time you call me and I’ll help you wash your wings”
“Meuh…” John was the kind of child who didn’t like baths. Dean would usually make this moment of the day a particularly fun one by filling the bathtub with bubbles and letting his boys play with their toys in the water. Alex would spend the rest of his life in a bathtub if he could.
“And you, Alexander, what is your excuse young man?” Deep blue eyes looked at the angel with a look that would make any parent’s heart melt (including Dean’s), but Castiel’s expression remained stoic. Alexander’s lower lip quivered slightly as he looked at his father with innocent puppy eyes.
“I also like to play in the sand with John and Anthony…” Anthony had been Alex’ best friend since he had started kindergarten a few weeks ago. Ever since the first moment the two boys had laid eyes on each other, they had been inseparable. Dean couldn’t be any happier for his boy, especially since Anthony’s mother insisted that Alex spent as much time as he could with his new found friend and the Jefferson’s house. That left enough time for Dean and Castiel to spend alone together whenever John had to attend the choir or his swimming classes.
“Well next time you’ll mind your wings a little bit better, children. They define you as individual angels and it leaves a very bad impression to appear in heaven with unkempt wings…” Dean raised his eyes to the ceiling, making sure that Castiel saw his slight exasperation. The angel winked at him, something so uncharacteristic for Castiel, and gave him that small secret smile. Their sons merely nodded their approval and went back to their cuddling.
The quiet family moment was interrupted by a very excited John who couldn’t hold himself back after ten minutes and began asking his parents if they could go open their presents now. Dean teased his eldest by saying that he’d only get to open his presents once his Uncle Sammy was awake. At this, both the children bolted off to Sam’s bedroom noisily, leaving a proud Dean behind on the bed, his grin showing pearly white teeth. Castiel shook his head in barely hidden amusement.
“Poor Sammy”, was all he whispered under his breath before placing a soft kiss onto Dean’s lips.
“Yeah, well he deserved it… certainly”
Dean got out of bed with a small smile on his lips, his own excitement beginning to show as he sleepily put on sweat pants and a simple shirt. “I’m gonna start a fire, a’right?” But when Dean turned around to face his husband, he found him already gone, certainly already downstairs preparing breakfast for the garrison that was about to bolt down the stairs. Dean quickly joined his husband in the kitchen after starting a fire. Sam was sitting at the table already, holding two small, overly excited kids in his strong arms all the while pretending to be busy eating Alex’ ear. The youngest child squealed happily and managed to push his uncle away (not without Sam helping him, of course, but who was Dean to spoil the moment).
The little family happily breakfasted on eggs, bacon and pancakes (topped with what looked like litres of maple syrup). Castiel, who rarely ate anything at all, helped himself to some bacon and eggs, but Dean that he didn’t really enjoy it and only did it to honour the family tradition of eating together before opening the presents. The children were already excitedly discussing what Santa Claus might have brought them and were being taunted by their uncle who kept telling them that Santa had forgotten them. Dean, meanwhile, stuffed himself with pancakes and always sent a syrupy smile whenever their eyes met. His angel never failed to smile back softly.
Despite the children’s excitement, they all ate their breakfast slowly, as if it were an unspoken rule not to rush this moment of togetherness. But once all had finished their breakfast, John and Alexander bolted from their chairs as if chased by the devil himself and Dean could hear them fight over who would get the biggest presents. He also noticed the fond smile on Cas’ lips as he watched their children bicker softly. It struck Dean that Cas’ childhood (if you could really speak of a childhood when angels were involved) might not have included any kind of brotherly bonding moments. In a spontaneous moment of public display of affection, Dean wrapped his fingers around Castiel’s wrist.
“Alright kiddos, calm down. Let’s pile up those presents”, Sam said as he began rummaging through the colourfully packed presents under their Christmas tree. Alex and John sat excitedly on the floor in front of the fireplace, waiting for their uncle to pile up their presents. “Sooo, one present for Sam, and one present for Sam oh, and another present for Sam…” the giant said, teasing the children once again by pretending that all the presents meant for the boys were actually addressed to him. John forcefully uttered his disapproval, while Alexander, so alike Cas, simply stared at his uncle expectantly and waited. Dean chuckled at that reaction.
“You are lying, Uncle Sam, give us our presents… please” John added sheepishly, seeing Cas’ stern look directed towards him. Grinning like a big fool enjoying himself far too much, Sam eventually handed the children their respective presents and counted down starting from 10 to make their excitement linger a while longer. He didn’t’ manage to finish his countdown that John already began unwrapping his presents Wendigo fashion, tearing the paper apart with no mercy whatsoever and roaring in triumph when he realized what Santa had brought him for Christmas. A brand new skateboard and a whole bunch of new stuff somehow skateboard related that Dean had had many trouble convincing Cas to buy. His angelic husband would never admit that he found this ‘board on wheels’ dangerous for a child, but Dean had tried to convince the angel that every kid that age owned or wanted one. “It’s in, you know… skateboard phenomenon and all…” Dean wasn’t sure if it had been that or the prospect of his son’s happy smile that had convinced Castiel to eventually buy the board on wheels.
Meanwhile, Alexander had already begun drawing in the colour book he had wanted for Christmas (which Anthony’s mother had bought for him), ignoring the amazingly cool present Dean and Cas had got him, namely the talking robot he had been ranting about for ages, as well as Sam’s present, a collection of the brother Grimm’s tales (God Sam would turn Alex into a nerd, Dean knew it).
“Alex, Santa brought you the robot you saw at the toy store, see?”
“I know… I’ll play with him afterwards…”, he said, furrowing his brow in concentration as he tried not to cross the line with the thick pencil (not managing to completely avoid this, though, but Dean still thought it was cute). After the kids had opened their presents, it was now officially the adults’ turns. Dean was grinning brightly while he grabbed the presents he had got his husband and brother from under the tree. Sam and Castiel had taken place on the couch next to the fireplace and were watching the children enjoy their new toys. Dean, who liked seeing people’s reactions to his presents more than receiving one himself, handed Sam his pack. The younger Winchester suspiciously took the squared package.
“Eh is there any reason why you should be?”, Dean asked in mock surprise. He knew that Sam always worried Dean would get him a clown again, like on Christmas three years past. It had been the shock of Sam’s life and Castiel almost killed the laughing Dean when he saw that the elder Winchester had no consideration whatsoever for his phobic brother. Smiling at the memory, Dean observed Sam slowly ripping the paper and relished in the expression on his brother’s face as he realized what Dean had got him.
“Dude… seriously? An E-reader? Wow I think that was… the best present idea you’ve had in a long while… thanks dude”, he said, smiling happily (and quite incredulously) at Dean.
Castiel had got Sam a collection of beautiful books (yes, even Dean had to admit that they did look expensive and valuable) on Greek mythology (geeks got to be geeks together, Dean muttered under his breath). Again, the expression on Sam’s face was absolutely heart-warming. Sam had bought the couple three nights in a nice hotel not far away from where they lived, as well as his babysitting services for those nights, which of course was just what the couple needed at the moment, especially since they hadn’t managed to finish what they had started this morning. Dean winked at Sam while Castiel merely nodded in thanks.
Eventually, the moment came that Dean had been waiting for weeks now. He was curious as to how Castiel would react to the present he had got him, especially since the present was a rather… unconventional one. This is the reason why Dean had decided that he would show his husband his first present in private, not that he didn’t want Sam to see it, but Dean had meant for it to be a special moment. Therefore Dean first gave the present he had made for Castiel, namely a selection of pictures showing Dean, Sam and the kids in the park, in the woods, in the Impala or even at home, on the couch, watching TV and drinking hot chocolate, or several pictures of the kids sleeping in their beds or having fun at the beach. In fact, since Cas was sometimes absent for a few weeks, Dean tried to keep the children entertained so that they wouldn’t feel their father’s absence too much. Hence the family pictures not all featuring Cas.
“Dean that’s… that’s beautiful…” Cas’ emotion-stricken voice made Dean smile softly.
"It's so you always remember us when you're gone"
Castiel wasn’t very emotional, but every once in a while, he would show his true feelings and reach Dean’s heart every time. A closer look at his husband told the former hunter that Castiel was shedding a single tear. Dean was glad that Sam had decided to play with Alex and his new robot at this moment, for he slowly pulled Castiel into the kitchen in order to show him the present he had initially wanted to give him.
“Dean, this album is just beautiful I… thank you so much… I realize I’m not often present for our children but I hope that it…” Dean interrupted his husband with a soft kiss to his lips. The angel, who didn’t bother hiding his wings to Dean anymore, softly wrapped them around his human and pulled him closer.
“Castiel listen… there’s something I want to show you. It was my first present for you, but I wanted it to be something special… and I didn’t want everyone to see it. You are the first… well strictly speaking the second person who sees this eh… just don’t laugh, alright?” Castiel’s confused look did not reassure Dean.
“No Cas, don’t…”, he said, taking a few steps back. Castiel looked at his husband with worry written all over his face. Dean took a deep breath and eventually took off his shirt, revealing a tattoo in his right shoulder. Castiel’s eyes went big. On his husband’s shoulder was, tattooed in black ink on his tender skin, Castiel’s handprint. Castiel came closer to look at the handiwork: Enochian runes covered the inside of the palm, while Alexander and John’s names were written in calligraphic style on each side of Castiel’s hand. Tears welled up in the angel’s eyes again.
“Dean, do you know what those runes mean?”, Castiel asked. Dean smiled softly and nodded his agreement.
“Yes, angel… You are our light, our eternal guardian”
Castiel smiled when Dean said these words in his native language. He didn’t bother ask where or who Dean had learned that language… his question was lost in their kiss.
“I love you, Dean”, Castiel said in Enochian, “I love you so much. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. You and our children are my light. I will forever cherish you.” Dean, who hadn’t understood a word, simply kissed Castiel back.
“I’ll have to ask Gabriel to translate this for me... after we've had a taste of our famous Winchester burgers”, he said, ignoring Castiel's wince, before dragging his angel to their bedroom.
