Chapter Text
Gabriel plopped Castiel on the kitchen counter, smiling as he busied himself with clumsily preparing dinner. Pots and pans hung on metal pegs and he slipped one of the wider pans off its hook with ease. A mixing bowl was conjured, as well as the various ingredients vital for pancakes and he set to work making the off white, creamy batter. The sizzle of butter and the faint smell of chocolate chips and maple syrup filled the dry late august air. Cas would occasionally furrow his brow and watch intensely as butter would brown and batter would bubble. His blue eyes would widen in awe as Gabe flipped a pancake with a flick of his wrist (the spatula was in the dishwasher).
Crickets played their symphonies outside as the sun faded completely from the sky, leaving the two of them basking in fluorescent light as the windows filled with impenetrable darkness. They ate their chocolate chip pancakes in the living room while playing an intense game of Sorry! ™. Gabriel lost with as much pride as he could muster, but that didn’t stop him from rolling off the couch in shock. Castiel giggled at Gabriel’s theatrics, his small hands wrapped around a single blue pawn. They sat together for a little while, Gabriel nursing a cup of tea and Castiel sipping a glass of warm milk. Cuddled up in front of the TV, they zoned out to the drone of an English accent dictating on what makes up the universe.
Scooping his little boy up, Gabe carried Cas to bed. The obnoxious blue of a recording long finished illuminated Gabriel’s path as he picked his way expertly through puzzle pieces and board games. Castiel immediately curled up as he made contact with his bed, a small shiver raking up his tiny body as blankets enveloped him. Gabe kissed Cas on his forehead, wisps of thick curly black hair tickling at his nose. “Goodnight, angel,” he whispered, carefully brushing a few stray locks into place.
“Night, Daddy.” The tiny words were almost lost as Gabriel clicked Castiel’s door shut. Even after five years, Gabe could feel his smile widen with the knowledge that he created such a beautiful child. It was a miracle he thanked God for everyday.
After a while of picking up stray toys and picture books Gabriel settled down in his own bed to mess around on his laptop, absorbing all the information he scraped together with ease. With time, sleep crept upon him and he willingly slipped into the meaningless dream.
If only that peacefulness would last.
“WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKEUPWAKEUPWAKEUP,” a shrill voice screamed in time with the groan of bed springs. His head still heavy with sleep, Gabriel only barely registered that Castiel was bouncing dangerously close to his face, his new backpack strapped proudly onto his slender shoulders. “SCHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL,” he yelled enthusiastically, his jumps of joy making the mattress dent slightly.
“Mornin’, Sunshine,” Gabriel muttered over the sound of maniacal giggling. He grabbed Cas from midair, swinging him around a little as if to shake the excitement out of him. "Coffee first, school second," Gabriel declared matter-of-factly, placing a slightly put out Castiel on the foot on his bed. "Shoo." Castiel bounced off the down comforter dejectedly and dragged his feet into the kitchen. Gabe followed behind with eyes glazed over and captain crunch in hand.
Due to a broken coffee maker and a quite pissed off Gabriel, the coffee had to come from the starbucks on the way. Once the sweet sludge entered his system, however, he perked up just enough to actually listen to Castiel's babbling.
"I can't wait to make some connections, and some friends, and read new picture books! I can't wait!" he chirped cheerily.
"Good, pumpkin! I'm glad you're so excited."
Gabriel parked his cherry red t-bird in the school parking lot, Castiel placed somberly on his shoulders. All that happy energy drained once Gabe explained that he wouldn't be joining in all the fun. "But who's going to read me stories and teach me stuff!?" he whined and moaned, hair tassled by the convertible's open top.
"You're new teacher is going to do all of that and more," Gabe explained, weaving easily through the suburban landscape of Lawrence, Kansas. "Hold tight lil buddy, I know you're gonna love this place."
Gabe escorted Cas into the foreign world of linoleum floors and the same few fingerpaintings lining the walls. Cas slipped off his father's shoulders eagerly, his hands already grasping at a couple stray blocks. Content that his kid was safe, he headed straight to the door, goofy slippers slapping the balls of his feet. He stopped mid-stride, however, when he remembered "Aw, shit, I should probably check out this kindergarten teacher and make sure he's not some grade-a asshole." Swiftly, he spun on his heel and marched confidantly back into that room of crying children and sleep deprived/overprotective adults. Where even was this lousy kindergarten teacher anyway?
He was fucking late for work is where he was. He cursed under his breath as he pulled that beautiful 1967 chevrolet impala into a staff parking space and cut the engine, throwing himself one last inspection in the rear view mirror before stepping out of the vehicle. He was wearing a black batman t-shirt with a lighter blue plaid overshirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and hair brushed by the minimum as per his usual preferences. He looked himself down, straightening clothes where needed before turning for the building. His boss was going to kill him. At least now, though, he had an opportunity to greet the kids already there with a smile, to see the beautiful smiles on their adorable (annoying) little faces while they giggled like maniacs or ignored him completely. Who knew.
Gabriel watched as one by one the parents left for their jobs, some sooner than others. One particularly shady man with a thick english accent and impeccably tailored suit didn't dare to even step foot in the brightly colored room. Instead he opted for his little tyke to walk in herself. Her hair was a curly bleach blond and her chubby cheeks flushed with pride as she sauntered into the room. Gabriel held back a scoff at the girls self righteousness.
"Hello. I am Castiel," Cas enunciated clearly, his face an iron mask. The girl turned to look at Castiel and smiled evilly.
"Hello, I'm Megan. You can call me Meg, though," she declared, offering her hand for a handshake. Cas took it calmly, as if they had just formed an alliance (in a way they actually did.)
Gabe grinned as they ran off to cause some mischief and sat down on one of the too-small plastic chairs. He toyed with one of the puzzles, the challenge of completing the brain teaser near hypnotic.
With a deep breath, he stepped into the room of children and...one adult (shit), and paused in the entrance. Putting on his best smile, he clasped his hands together and cleared his throat. Using the best batman voice he could muster, Dean addressed everyone in the classroom. "Sorry I'm late kids, I had to stop to save the world for a second there." (the world being his baby, who he'd had to tend to when she wouldn't start this morning).
Only when the admittedly extremely hot and young kindergarten teacher came in did Gabriel realize two things. A) he was still wearing his fluffy bunny slippers and B) he was playing about as much as all the other five year olds. Embarrassed out of his mind, he stashed the puzzler and schooled his face into the default I-am-a-concerned-father expression he'd been practicing for days.
Dean turned his eyes to the single adult standing in the room(and what fucking parents left the rest of their kids there alone while he wasn't around to supervise. Douchebags), a pleasant grin on his lips. "You must be one of the parents," he held his hand out to shake. "Dean Winchester, professionally late kindergarten teacher," smooth.
Gabe shook the hand presented to him and let a small smile break through.
"Gabriel Novak. Castiel is my kid." He nodded his head at the blue eyed boy who at the time was too wrapped up in staring at building blocks to notice.
Dean shoved his hands in his pockets once the pre-requisite handshake was over, a light smile on his face as the other man explained himself, eyes following the gesture to the child. He refocused on the adult, who he noted was still here. Most parents were off the moment they confirmed the children were under safe supervision(or even before hand apparently). "First kid?" he might as well chat as long as none of the children were killing each other. He kept one eye on the classroom just in case. The lesson could wait while all the children got comfortable.
It wasn't like Dean had any children of his own, but he'd seen enough and handled enough, and raising Sammy, even if they weren't that different in age, certainly helped. Sometimes he envied parents, what they had, but alas Dean never really got that comfortable with another person long enough to have a little rugrat of his own. Oh well. He fiddled with some pocket lint, looking the other man over and noting the differences between him and his kid. He decided that the child took after his mother and left it at that.
"Only kid," Gabriel replied. He flashed a lopsided smile before frowning at his watch. "Gotta go, cupcakes should be coming out soon and they need icing. Keep Cas outta trouble will ya?" he joked, knowing all too well his kid would grow up to be a goody two shoes. Crazy how genetics work. Gabe was already backing out of the classroom by the time Dean could reply, his body practically vibrating because it was his shift to ice the cupcakes. CUPCAKES. Finally, he could let his meticulousness shine, dip a finger or two into the buttercream frosting. As a reward, he mused, he could buy two for him and Cas, as long as they're not all sold out by the end of the day. He had a good feeling about this next batch of blondie swirls.
Dean could only watch as the man fled for...cupcakes. "Uh, yeah no problem," he turned to glance at the aforementioned child and all seemed well, from an adult eye anyway. Kids will be kids. He straightened what was left to straighten of his clothing before stepping towards where his desk stood in the corner, contemplating schedules and curriculum simple enough for a child but engaging enough for those ever developing minds. Or he could just let them play so long as they're not killing eachother, but where was the fun in that?
Cas, on the other hand, was working at a job of his own. He was making connections, allegiances, building up a network of toddlers ready to work for him. Already he had Meg as a right hand man, and Rachel was the only one of them smart enough to write, and she was organizing Castiel's appointments. He even managed to work something out with balthazar, a wildcard out of all the children. All it took was a little politics and negotiation over a bottle of applejuice before they could settle on something they could both benefit from. At the moment, he was smuggling goldfish during lunchtime in exchange for the best picture books.
Time flew by for both of the Novaks as the day ticked on. Around three Gabriel strolled back into the cheery classroom, his shirt covered in sugar and flour and a big grin on his face. His hands were behind his back, the two cupcakes he snagged held precariously close to his already soiled shirt. Castiel, upon seeing his father, perked up and rushed over, giggling wildly.
"Hey, kiddo!" he said with a smile, taking the brunt of Castiel's bounciness. He revealed the cupcakes and Castiel gasped in surprise, taking his own cupcake gingerly. Upon the top of the cupcake was intricate latticework of icing, and smack dab in the middle was the capital letter C.
"Thanks, Daddy!" he squealed, his finger delicately dipping into the swirl of the C and smudging it just enough for a heavently taste.
Grinning, Gabe bit into his chocolate chip cupcake pridefully as white icing smeared over Cas's nose. "Happy first day of school, punkie. I wanna hear all about it in the car, ok?"
Dean was, to put it nicely, tuckered the fuck out. Children were exhausting. Precious, but exhausting. The teacher himself was leaned back against his desk, palms flat against the surface to support him as parents returned to pick up their children, one bringing treats for his little one. Ah, yes, cupcake man. He watched enviously as the two bonded, but Dean didn't see children happening in his future, he didn't really consider himself worth that kind of joy. Ah well. "Remember kids, show and tell on friday," a tired afterthought.
Gabriel looked up from Castiels antics to see Dean sprawled across the only adult chair in the room, obviously exhausted. Tomorrow, he should get the teacher a cupcake too. "Come ooooon, let's go let's go let's go!!" Castiel whined, his sticky hands tugging heavily on Gabe's. "We're missing the new episode of Super-"
"-Fun Happy Childrens Show," gabriel cut Cas off. He didn't want to advertize to the world his kid watches the ultra gorey supernatural. "I know I know ok, let's go."
Gabriel ushered his son out into his car. "What's that teachers name again?" Gabriel asked as nonchalantly as possible.
"Mr. Winchester!" Castiel said with a giggle. "But he lets us call him Dean. Only when there are no other teachers around. He's cool."
"Yeah," Gabriel agreed absentmindedly. "Cool."