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***
Cas is most of the way through the transcript of the audio file he’d been working on. He’d spent most of the day working on the files and he was beginning to think about stopping for the day and signing off his time sheet when he gets a call.
The number is simply programmed into his phone as school and Cas frowns at it, wondering what it could be about.
“Hello, Castiel Novak,”
“Hello, it’s Ms. Brenheines from Lawrence Elementary. I’m calling about your son, Jack.”
“Is he okay?”
“Yes, he’s absolutely fine, he handed in an essay to his teacher today and the contents is concerning. I’d like to speak to you and your partner about the matter after school today,”
“Concerning? Of course, myself and his dad will be there.”
The principal says her goodbyes and puts down the phone leaving Cas feeling out of sorts. Jack’s homework is usually the least of his and Dean’s worries, their son is intelligent and has been doing really well with his writing, despite his struggles to keep up at the beginning of first grade so he can’t think what Jack’s written that’s concerning. Jack hasn’t told either of his dad’s if there’s something worrying him, and he’s been good at telling them about things as he’s grown up.
Castiel does his best not to worry anymore, grabbing his cell phone and calling his husband to come to the meeting in a few hours.
“Hey, Cas,”
“Hello, Dean. I just got a call from Ms. Brenheines, Jack sent in a concerning essay – one of his homework pieces and she wants us both to go in to talk about it.”
“Okay, that… sounds a little worrying,”
"I know," Castiel says quietly, he twists his empty coffee mug round idly. The worry is beginning to gnaw at his insides.
“He’s okay though?”
“I think so, the meeting’s in two and a half hours, will Bobby let you off early at such short notice?”
"Yeah, ‘course, I'm his star employee," Dean replies cheerfully. Castiel rolls his eyes at Dean's cockiness. "I can hear you rolling your eyes at me,"
Castiel lets out a chuckle. “Text me if you can get off, I’ll meet you there.”
“I’ll be there, don’t worry,”
***
Dean meets him in the parking lot just as school gets out, taking his hand as soon as he’s out of the Impala.
“Whatever has happened, it’ll be fine. Jack’s a great kid,”
“I know… she just sounded so… severe on the phone.” Castiel’s grip in Dean’s hand tightens, what if this is how Jack gets taken away from them, or if they get reported to CPS, or something equally as drastic.
“Stop thinking what you’re thinking,” Dean stops them just before they get to the main doors where a few of the school teachers are stood around waiting for the children to leave with their parents.
“I can’t help it.”
“Jack’s fine. Let’s just find out what their issue is before we jump the gun and assume things.” Dean picks up Cas’ hand and presses a light kiss to his knuckles while they’re mostly out of view. “C’mon,”
Castiel follows Dean into the school and they navigate the corridors until they get to the principal’s office. Jack is sat outside on one of the seats lined up against the wall, swinging his legs and looking down. He doesn’t see either of his parents coming down the corridor until Cas calls his name.
Jack looks up with his big blue eyes, he looks just as concerned as Cas feels. Cas swipes the wayward lock of hair from his face and kisses his forehead.
“I don’t know what I did,” He tells Cas, Dean sighs sadly behind him.
“We don’t know either, bud.” Dean kneels down in front of Jack, trying to reassure him that he’s not in trouble with them.
The door to the Principal’s office opens and out steps a tall, brown-haired and stern looking woman.
"Mr. and Ms… Mr. Winchester, come on through." Castiel doesn't miss the slip but decides to ignore it, following the woman in.
He hears Dean telling Jack to sit tight and that they won’t be long, and then Dean is right beside him, settling into one of the chairs in front of the dark wood desk. Nothing in the office screams child-friendly and it makes Castiel feel like he’s back in high school. He was up in front of the Principal more than once in his school years despite his appearance of a model student.
“Jack’s teacher read over his homework earlier this afternoon,” She starts, going straight into it. Castiel’s thankful for the lack of preamble and hopes knowing will quell the uneasy feeling in him. She has a piece of paper in front of her and while he can see that it’s Jack’s slightly awkward handwriting, he can’t tell what it says. “His homework task was to write about a time he saw something heroic. Just, have a read through.”
The sheet of paper comes between them.
My daddy is a hero, it begins and Castiel’s hand reaches over to Dean’s thigh. Jack’s always looked up to Dean, because he safed my dad from going to heaven. Castiel narrows his eyes, he can’t think of what moment in their lives that Jack is on about so he reads on.
My dad would be dead if my daddy wouldn’t be so brave. It happened last week. I could hear my dad scream in the bedroom “oh god I’m coming, oh god I’m coming” I was so scared.
Castiel’s cheeks redden and his hand tightens on Dean’s thigh. Oh goodness, this is worse than he could ever have thought.
I don’t want my dad to die. I ran into my parents' bedroom. His legs were sticking straight up in the air. God tried to pull him up, but daddy was on him and pushed him back. He pushed so many times until god let him go.
“As you can tell, this is not suitable content.” Cas feels himself go even redder, that night had been something else, unexpected and for a moment he can still feel the consequences of that night deep inside him. He doesn’t remember their door opening, however, so Jack must have come in and gone out again quick enough for neither of them to notice.
Cas can tell that Dean is trying hard to hold back hysterics, feeling him shaking under his hand on his thigh.
“Jack’s homework is normally at a standard that doesn’t require us to read through it,”
“Please check your child’s homework before they send it in,” She says sternly, completely ignoring Cas’ words. “and for the sake of your child, I’d advise you to lock your door and keep your… relations… quiet.”
“Of course,” Castiel chokes out. He stands up, with Dean doing the same.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. and Mr. Winchester. I hope I don’t see you or Jack back here any time soon.”
"No, I hope not," Castiel leaves the room. Jack looks around at him and Cas smiles.
“I’m sorry,” Jack says solemnly, swinging his feet. Castiel wonders briefly if Jack will hit his growth spurt at some point.
“No need to apologise, Jack, you didn’t do anything wrong. Let’s go home,” He takes Jack’s hand and the seven-year-old jumps off the chair with his usual enthusiasm.
Once they were all outside, Dean burst into his gratefully held laughter. Jack looked around with confusion but Castiel just rolled his eyes. This has been nothing short of an embarrassment to the both of them, he couldn’t quite understand how Dean thought it was so amusing.
“What’s so funny?”
Castiel quirks a brow at Dean, begging him with mirth to explain that one to Jack. It’s the first time since leaving the office that he actually feels amused over the whole thing. Dean’s suddenly not laughing and just shrugs.
A shrug isn’t going to cut it for their curious kid, Jack likes asking questions and won’t stop until he’s satisfied with the answer, so while Jack may not ask right now, Cas will be willing to bet that there will be questions over dinner time.
Instead, they all head to the car, Jack buckling himself into the back and Dean driving.
***
Jack’s busy playing in his room when Dean and Cas finally get to talk alone. Dinner had been a thankfully uneventful affair, Dean had made up some story to answer for his earlier hysterics.
Cas and Dean are lying on their couch, with Cas’ head resting on his shoulder. Moments like this are rare with Jack around occupying nearly all their time.
“I’ve never been so embarrassed,” Cas mumbles, drawing his arm over Dean’s chest and holding him tight.
“Can’t say I ever expected that from Jack,” Dean agrees. “At least he still holds his innocence. To him I’m your knight in shining armour,” Dean kisses the top of Cas’ head, rubbing a hand down his back.
“You’re always my knight in shining armour,” Castiel turns in Dean’s embrace, pressing a kiss to Dean’s lips. “Can we promise never to talk about this ever again?”
“Only if you see the funny side of it,”
“Jack came into our room and saw us having sex, Dean.” He says.
“And he thought I was saving you from God,”
Castiel chuckles, trying to picture what they looked like from a perspective at the door and he finds his insides tingling remembering their positions that night. Castiel does his best not to squirm on top of Dean as they lay together, but Dean seems to have caught onto his thoughts and smirks up at him.
“See, ain’t that embarrassing,” Dean murmurs and hums into a kiss on his neck. The tension between them skyrockets.
“Dean,” Cas whispers, trying not to get involved in anything sexual outside of the bedroom.
“Dad!” The shout comes from what Cas reckons is the kitchen and he arches a brow at Dean. “I can’t reach the cookies!”
Castiel laughs. “Well, you put them on the top shelf,” Cas says to Dean, nudging him in the ribs to get him off the couch to help their son.
“I swear that kid is hungry all the time.”
“Are you forgetting whose kid this is?” Castiel smirks at him and kicks Dean’s butt as he walks off.
“He’s got your genes,”
“and picked up your eating habits,” He counters easily.
Dean leaves and he hears him grabbing the cookie jar for Jack. Castiel stretches out on the couch, yawning and screwing his eyes shut. He’s not prepared for the poke on his exposed tummy and yelps.
Jack laughs loudly so Castiel sits up quickly and grabs his son around his middle and tickles him relentlessly, falling back onto the couch with him.
They tire eventually, and all three of them slump together, curled up. Dean hands out cookies to everyone with Castiel getting a chunk less than everyone else as Jack steals a bite from his cookie.
“Hey!”
Jack just looks pleased with himself and Castiel doesn’t comment on it, instead pulling the throw off the back of the couch and laying it over them.
“Movie anyone?”
“Star Wars!” Jack shouts, jumping off the couch to grab the DVD from the rack.
“I’m happy with that,” Dean says with a grin.
"Of course you are," Cas responds dryly. They've watched Star Wars a hundred times and Jack doesn't seem to tire of it.
“We can watch How To Train Your Dragon tomorrow night,” Dean says. Jack is busy putting the disc in the player and Dean leans in, pressing a kiss to Cas’ lips. “Promise.”
Jack falls asleep an hour into the movie, but Dean and Cas let him sleep on the couch between them until the movie ends. Dean tries to wake Jack but it seems he’s either far off in dreamland or he’s faking it so Dean carries him up to his bed.
Castiel can’t help but smile as he watches Dean carrying Jack up the stairs and put him to bed before he and Dean retire to their own room to read their books and maybe put their books aside later on to get on with something else.