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Many people thought Dean was crazy to take in a baby at sixteen. Many adults thought he wouldn’t be able to handle the responsibility and what was yet to come to the young teenager. However, time and time again Dean would prove them wrong. After three months of Castiel finally being around Dean wanted to believe that he had a somewhat decent handle on taking care of a newborn. Although, he would have to admit that if it weren’t for Sammy and Bobby and Ellen, Dean might have destroyed his life with Castiel by now. They were his support system for the past eight months really when his own parents weren’t.
Thank god for them.
However, today was one of those days that Dean believed were going downhill at a fiery fast pace. His new job had been tough to figure out the hours at the coffee shop, in order to accommodate him and Castiel and eventually school once that started. Meaning, that had been stressful for Dean. Then Castiel just seemed grumpy today. He was constantly making a fuss throughout the day and uncooperative when Dean wanted him to be cooperative. Which was strange, considering that despite being a newborn, Castiel was very good at staying quiet, calm and kind with Dean. Usually only Dean, but still – he wasn’t being cooperative today even with Dean!
And now, was the worst part. Now it was currently 1:50 in the morning and Castiel was crying. Now the kid had a set of lungs on him, when he needed them and right now, Dean knew just how well Castiel’s lungs were working. The three-month-old had been crying non-stop since midnight. Dean woke up to Castiel crying at midnight, before shuffling to his crib in order to find out why his son was crying. However, Castiel did not respond the way Dean had hoped to food, a diaper change, rocking in Dean’s arms, or even laying with Dean on Dean’s bed. More often than not, at least one of the previous methods calmed Castiel down enough for them to sleep for a few more hours or even sleep for the rest of the night.
This time, nothing was helping Castiel. No matter what Dean cried, they baby continued to cry and cry. By 2:30 Dean’s mind was fried and his panic was overstepping his calm demur. Castiel’s little chubby face was a bright red from all the screaming and crying, with tears continuously streaming down his cheeks. His tiny hands were clenched into fists at his sides. Dean was currently pacing back and forth in his bedroom, bouncing Castiel slightly in his arms. His hair was standing up in a million different directions, from Dean constantly pushing his hands through his hair in worry. Small, dark bags were beginning to form under Dean’s eyes as he continuously listened to Castiel’s shrill sobs.
“C’mon Cas, please don’t cry. Please, stop crying.” Dean mumbled hoarsely. He bounced Castiel some more before, shifting positions, so Castiel’s head rest on Dean’s shoulder. To Dean’s sorrow, Castiel’s cies did not stop or even quiet in volumn. “Why are you crying buddy? What’s wrong? I’ve tried everything that you always like me to do! Usually they calm you down, so what is going on today?” Dean whispered painfully. Please Cas, please. I need to sleep. You need to sleep!
Castiel only cried harder.
“Oh no, no, no, no. Shhh. Shhh, buddy, shhh. Don’t cry. Stop crying Cas, please stop crying.” Dean begged quickly, making his pacing faster. He rubbed small circles into Castiel’s quivering back, but nonetheless, Castiel continued to cry. “Please Cas, please, I’m begging you here. Stop crying buddy. Please stop crying. I’m begging you.” Castiel did sound like he was stopping anytime soon, and Dean nearly whined out loud. With tired eyes, he glanced over at the clock to see that it was already past 3 in the morning. Three hours. Three whole hours and still counting. Dean swallowed with fatigue, staring down at the sobbing baby. Gently, he stroked the small tuffs of black hair, that covered Castiel’s head, back off of Castiel’s forehead.
“C’mon Cas, don’t cry buddy. Don’t cry anymore please.” Dean begged, still pacing around his rooms. His nerves were nearly fried and the only thing keeping his eyes open were Castiel’s very loud cries. “Please, I’ll do whatever you want, but you gotta stop crying. It can’t feel good to cry for three hours, can it buddy? So, let’s say you stop crying and I’ll…I’ll let you ride front seat of the impala! How does that sound buddy? You always like taking rides in the impala, so win-win right? Right?” Dean groaned when the cries didn’t lessen. “What am I saying? I’m just babbling nonsense now, huh buddy? That’s what happens when you run on 2 hours of sleep and stay awake for 3 with a screaming baby in your arms. I can’t let you ride in the front seat. It’s way too dangerous. You probably won’t sit up there until you’re thirty buddy, just like Sammy. He earned his rights to sit up front finally. And I’m still babbling.” Dean mumbled out of exhaustion.
As Castiel’s cries continued, Dean wracked his brain for any kind of solution to help Castiel. His own heart was aching with every painful cry Castiel gave. Finally, an idea came to Dean’s mind. It was something he remembered his…mother doing for him when he was younger, and it helped him to sleep. Worth a shot.
Dean moved over to sit in the large chair in the corner of the room, before taking a deep breath. When Dean spoke again, his voice was soft and gentle, almost drowning in Castiel’s cries:
“Hey Jude, don’t make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart. Then you can start to make it better.” Dean sang quietly. His voice didn’t falter once; it did not skip or miss a note. Small warmth came with every word that Dean sang, and it seemed to have an effect on Castiel. By the end of the first stanza, Castiel’s hands slowly unclenched out of fists.
Dean took this as a sign to continue. “Hey Jude, don’t be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin. Then you begin to make it better.” Ever so slowly, Castiel’s sobs began to grow quieter. From screams to cries, and from cries to soft whines. Dean smiled wearily and went on with the lullaby. “And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain. Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders. For well you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool. By making his world a little colder.” The smile on Dean’s face only grew when Castiel’s soft whines turned into gentle sniffles. Carefully, Dean wiped Castiel’s face of tears, gently stroking his red cheeks. By now Castiel had finally opened his teary eyes, to reveal his beautiful blue eyes that Dean loved so much.
“There’s those blue eyes.” Dean laughed softly, as he wiped the tears in the corners of Castiel’s eyes. Quietly he continued with the song. “Hey Jude, don’t let me down. You have found her, now go and get her. Remember to let her into your heart. Then you can start to make it better. So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin. You’re waiting for someone to perform with. And don’t you know that it’s just you, hey Jude, you’ll do. The movement you need is on your shoulder.”Castiel’s sniffling eventually subsided. His pink lips were closed and his slightly teary blue eyes were now solely focused on Dean and his voice. Dean smiled warmly and tickled Castiel’s cheek. “Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah yeah.” To Dean’s amusement and relief, Castiel giggled a bit at his cheek being tickled and the silly part of the song. Suddenly, Castiel’s mouth opened in a tiny ‘o’, as he let out a tremendous silent yawn. His eyelids drooped a bit lower. Dean could feel his own eyes growing heavy also. Dean gently snuggled back into the chair pulling a blanket on, Castiel curled closer to Dean’s chest, eyes closing slightly and breath evening out. Just as Dean closed his own eyes, leaning into the chair, the last lines of the song came out his mouth before father and son were both fast asleep,
“Hey Jude, don’t make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her under your skin. Then you’ll begin to make it. Better better better better better better, oh.”