Chapter Text
The first dog had been Dean’s idea. He gladly surrendered the sliver of his bed that wasn’t already taken up by a long-limbed bed hog of an angel to the mutt. He’d even bought it treats, and a higher-end kibble.
The second dog was not Dean’s idea, per se. In fact, it had rather been Castiel’s, who had come to them in the dead of winter, shivering, at around 2 am in the morning, holding the small animal to his chest like it had personally saved him, blessed him, and restored him to full power.
(For the record, that had been Jack, who had, after some contemplation, decided to meddle in the story just one last time.)
Dean’s heart had overflowed with relief and joy and other emotions, primary amongst which had been the immediate and burning need to kiss Castiel, which he proceeded to do.
“Hello, Dean,” Castiel had greeted, grinning like he hadn’t just been thoroughly kissed. The dog, which had good-naturedly allowed itself to be crushed between their bodies up until this point, began to whine pitifully. Needless to say, it stayed.
By the time the third dog rolled into their lives, Dean was beginning to suspect that his life would never be the same and began to have prophetic visions of their bed, completely taken over by a variety of dogs of all shapes and sizes, all merrily snoring away, while he and Castiel slowly became resigned to sleeping in whatever tiny spaces the dogs generously left to them.
While Castiel could be blamed for both the second and the third dog, the fourth couldn’t truly be said to have been his fault.
Presently, Dean began to scowl at Charlie, who had been recovered from her universe healthy and largely happy, through the video chat feature of his phone.
“I heard you were taking in dogs. Like, strays and stuff?” She was saying. “I thought that maybe...”
“No. There are enough dogs in this household,” Dean said, possibly too loudly, as several of their dogs woke from their naps and lifted their ears to the sky, listening, perhaps, for the sound of his pride’s imminent downfall.
“But, Dean-”
“There is no ‘but Dean!’ No more dogs. That’s final.”
“There aren’t any no-kill shelters in the area. I just thought you’d like to, I don’t know, save an innocent life?” And then Charlie began to pout, and the dog on her lap perked up and damn if it wasn’t the cutest little thing he’d seen in quite some while.
“Fine, bring him over.”
“Her!” Charlie corrected brightly, cheeks rosy with the glow of victory. “I’m bringing her over now.”
And then the line went dead, and Dean was left staring at his own reflection on the screen. “Is this what I’ve been reduced to? A fairy freaking godmother for dogs?”
“There are worse things in life,” Castiel noted, smiling as he made his way towards Dean. “What’s his name?”
“Her,” Dean corrected, absently. “And I didn’t ask.”
“Hmm,” Castiel said, thoughtful. “I’m not quite an expert, but I think Duke, Pepper, and Mr. Fitz are all male.”
“So?” Dean asked, taking a slow sip of coffee.
“So,” Castiel said, grinning ear to ear. “Puppies.”
And that is the story of how Dean and Castiel ended up in the shower together, Dean after having spluttered hot coffee all over Castiel’s nice white shirt as well as his own, and Castiel, who decided to join him in the shower because the bed was rarely a viable option to consummate their love upon, due in large part to a prodigious number of dogs.