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This was not what Dean expected when he walked into Walmart on a Tuesday afternoon, holding one of Jack’s hands, while Cas held the other. They were making their usual grocery and supply run. The store had recently undergone renovations, so they hadn’t been to this location in a while.
They had only just entered the store when Jack saw the bears and started jumping up and down. Who would put a custom bear making store at the front of a Walmart? Someone who doesn't have kids, obviously.
Of course, Cas was helpless to Jack and Dean couldn’t handle two pairs of pleading puppy dog eyes, so he begrudgingly led them into the suspiciously placed bear establishment.
Their little four year old chose a long eared bunny at the place where you are supposed to build a bear, and Dean chose a traditional teddy bear.
Cas still did not understand the appeal of a fake stuffed animal, but he was happy Jack was happy. Jack didn’t want a sound in his bunny, but Dean chose a custom sound. An employee led him to the back, so he could record the sound in silence. Cas stayed with Jack as he rubbed the heart to put into his bunny and handed it over to the employee to stuff.
Soon, a single father accompanying his young child entered the store and started chatting with Cas. Cas politely engaged in conversation with the man, but remained restrained. He didn’t want to talk to the stranger and also wanted to protect his son.
By the time Jack’s bunny was stuffed to his preferred squishiness, Dean was done recording and had joined them at the stuffing machine. Dean was rude to the man, making sure his bear was stuffed before the kid’s and gruffly saying goodbye and shuffling Cas and Jack to the computers.
Cas helped Jack navigate the computer system and Dean quickly filled out the information for his own animal. Dean was still prickly, and grumbling about the man under his breath.
“Dean, why are you so upset? He was just being friendly. I think it’s good for Jack to have other friends his age.”
“Cas, he was coming on to you… I’m not talking about this right now.”
“Dean, he was only being friendly.”
“Oh, really? Touching your arm and laughing at nothing funny you said is being friendly?”
“Dean, I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine, let’s just hurry up and pay, so we can do what we actually came here to do.”
They paid and the rest of their shopping experience at the Walmart was awkward and strained. The only words they exchanged were the bare minimum required to determine what they needed.
The boxes of stuffed animals monopolized the space in the cart, a reminder of their little tiff from before. Jack kept on tugging their shirttails and begging for his bunny, but they didn’t want him to drop it in the store. They promised he could play with his bunny as soon as they got to the car.
The check out process went smoothly and Jack was practically vibrating with excitement by the time they got to the car. Cas put away the cart while he got the bunny out of one of the boxes for Jack. He handed it to Jack in the backseat before turning around to get the car started and the music going.
Sam was waiting for them when they got back to the bunker and helped them unload their groceries. Dean was busy unbuckling Jack from his carseat when he heard Sam distantly asking Cas about the boxes. Dean fumbled with the seatbelt until it was done and hauled Jack up on his hip while he bounded up the stairs.
“I love you, Cas.”
He was too late. Sam had pushed the button in Dean’s bear’s paw. Cas had heard it. Sam had heard it. Jack was begging to be put down so he could press the button, too.
Dean was frozen.
Jack finally clambered down his daddy’s side and ran to Sam to grab at the teddy bear.
“Oh.. um, I’ll go. Come on, Jack, show me your bunny!”
Sam held out the bear to Cas, then Dean, and then decided on setting it on the counter and left with Jack, to go play with the new bunny.
“You were jealous.”
“What?”
“You were jealous. That’s why you were being so unreasonable about that man.”
“Oh, I guess so, yeah.”
Cas picked up the bear and pressed the paw.
“I love you, Cas.”
He looked at Dean with tearful eyes. He finally said it back. Dean finally said it back. And he meant it. He really meant it, in the way Cas had meant it before he was swallowed by the Empty. Dean loved him.
“I mean it, Cas. I know it’s taken a while for me to say it, but I’ve felt it for a while. It’s hard for me…”
Cas crosses the room and kisses the one who he loves and loves him. Dean squeezes his angel into a hug and squishes the bear, causing it to make the sound, again.
“I love you, Cas.”