Work Text:
“This is a pretty nice turn out,” Dean nodded approvingly as he looked around at all of the little kids running around. His own little girl was standing impatiently at his side with her basket, watching the other kids too.
“Look, Daddy,” She pointed with the hand holding the basket as she was holding his hand with the other. “She has two daddies.”
“Yes she does,” He replied.
“And she has two mommies like Theo!” She exclaimed and pointed up at the baby in Charlie’s arms. Her son was squirming, whining and pushing at her chest so she would let him down but she wasn’t going to let him run off, not yet.
“Yep, almost all the kids here have two mommies or two daddies,” He explained. “It’s a nice church that likes everyone, it’s why Auntie Gilda likes to come here.”
She looked over at Gilda who was trying to figure out how to work her new camera. Hearing her name made her pop her head up. She smiled and blew Annie a kiss. Annie giggled and turned her attention to the egg filled field again. Dean could practically see the hunger in her eyes; she couldn’t wait to get out there and start grabbing as many as she could. Something else caught her attention and she gasped loudly.
“Daddy! It’s the Easter Bunny!” She exclaimed. “He’s here! He’s here!”
Dean followed her finger to where she was pointing and spotted the giant white rabbit with the blue vest and pink bowtie that was holding a little girl around Annie’s age and posing for a picture.
“Yep, sure is,” He agreed. “He took the time from his busy schedule since he delivered all the eggs last night.”
“He gave eggs to everybody?” She looked up at him, her bright green eyes and lashes reminding him of his own. Her expression was one of curiosity. She was in that questioning phase and the questions never stopped.
Why is the grass green?
Why do my tap shoes make a tap tap tap sound?
Who makes my clothes?
Why did Uncle Sam say dinosaurs are still alive?
That one was fun to try and explain. He was a little annoyed with his brother for that one so he made Sam explain it. The man sat with his niece and they looked at pictures of reptiles, birds, and fish for hours while he explained how they had existed for millions of years, so they were alive when the dinosaurs were. Evolution was still a little over her head, she was only three, but she got a basic idea. In particular she was fascinated by crocodiles and by the recreated pictures artists had rendered showing just how big they used to be. That prompted a trip to the zoo to see how big they were now. Crocodiles were now her favorite animal.
“Does he really give all the kids candy and stuff?”
“He gives them to the kids that celebrate Easter,” He replied knowing full well that would bring a whole new slew of questions.
“There are kids that don’t have an Easter?”
He wasn’t too keen on religion, not the way some people were, and while Gilda had explained the concept of Jesus to the best of her ability, Annie still couldn’t quite understand how people prayed to a man they had never seen. In her little mind if she couldn’t see it in front of her or on the TV, then it wasn’t real. He admitted that he was kind of raising her to be a realist and while he didn’t discourage the concept of religion he had explained that there were many different ones, and each one had their own gods. Oh, she had been fascinated by Greek and Hindu mythology! That one had been easy to explain though; he was a professor that taught courses on mythology and legends. He’d loved that stuff at her age too.
“Remember we talked about the kids that have gods like Zeus or Vishnu?” He crouched down in front of her so he was at eye level. “There are no Easter eggs in those religions because Easter is how we remember when Jesus died.” He really hoped she overlooked the last part and didn’t decide to slam him with a hundred new questions.
“Um,” Her brows furrowed and her little mouth turned down in a pout as she tried processing what he was saying. “Why do we get happy when someone died? Don’t people are supposed to cry?”
He smiled softly and adjusted the bow he’d put in her hair. “We do, yes, but as time goes on we don’t feel as sad, and we remember all the happy times, like when Papa passed away. I cried and cried cause I was sad but now when I think about him I smile. I remember his funny jokes, how he used to dance around the kitchen and pretend he was singing into a spoon while he made dinner, stuff like that. That’s how people feel about Jesus. He died, the people that knew him cried, but then they started telling others about what a wonderful person he was, and soon everyone was celebrating his life. They don’t celebrate his death, we remember the time when he died. We celebrate his life. Today is just the day we remember him the most because it’s the anniversary of when he died. Two things that always stick out to people is when someone is born, and when they died. Christmas is when Jesus was born, Easter is when he died.”
He waited to see if she could process that information. The furrow in her brows eased a bit, but then she was pointing at the Easter bunny again.
“Did Jesus hide Easter eggs? Did he make the Easter bunny?”
Dean looked to Gilda helplessly. He had no idea how to answer that one, not yet anyway. A few more years and he’d be able to successfully explain the origins of the Easter Bunny, but not until she was over her belief that there was a real bunny that came to deliver candy if she colored pretty eggs. She was going on four, not ten, it was way too soon for that.
“He made the Easter bunny so the children could make all the pretty eggs for him to hide,” Gilda stepped in to explain in the most simplistic way she could think of. Kids as young as her didn’t understand yet why people celebrated Easter, not as well as adults did. “Jesus wanted the kids to be happy, not sad today, so the Easter Bunny comes to hide all the pretty eggs and candy so you’ll be happy. Are you happy today?”
Her questioning look turned into a bright, happy smile. “I made pretty eggs with Daddy and then the Easter bunny came last night to hide them! Did he hide them for Theo too?”
“He did,” She nodded. “But only a few since he’s so small still. Next year he’ll get more eggs and candy.”
“I got a biiiig chocolate bunny!” She held her hands out wide in exaggeration of the one she actually received, which was a hollow chocolate rabbit about eighteen inches tall.
“Wow! That’s so big!” Charlie exclaimed.
“Uh huh!” Annie nodded excitedly. “Daddy said I couldn’t have candy for brefkist but that I can haves some after lunch! I want to eat his ears!”
Charlie snorted as she tried to stifle her laugh. She caught movement behind Dean and after shifting her son to her other hip she pointed.
“Look who’s coming this way,”
Annie and Dean both turned to see the Easter bunny walking towards them. He stopped to wave and greet all the kids that ran up to him and to stop for pictures when asked.
“Can I get my picture with the bunny?” Annie asked.
“Sure,” Her father said. “Why not?” He was already planning to get ones of her sitting in his lap later but a cute one of her now couldn’t hurt; plus it would be free.
“Yay!” She exclaimed and tore off in the bunny’s direction before her father could stop her.
“Annie!” He shouted but the little girl didn’t slow down. “Mary Anne Elizabeth Winchester! Stop running, now!” The tone of her father’s voice and the use of her full name stopped her dead in her tracks. He jogged over to her, a stern look on his face. “Did I tell you that you could run off?”
“No,” She dropped her gaze to the tops of her pink Mary Janes. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”
“I forgive you. Now,” He held his hand out for her to take. Once she did he smiled. “We can go say hi now and you can take a picture.”
“Ok!” She bounced up and down excitedly. He held onto her hand firmly as they weaved through the crowd of excited children and exasperated parents to reach the giant rabbit.
“Hi, Mr. Easter Bunny!” Annie exclaimed. The bunny stopped walking and turned to face her. He waved and waited for her to get to him. “Daddy said I can take a picture with you. Can I?”
Dean was raising his daughter to be polite and he inwardly gave himself a pat on the back when she asked nicely. The bunny nodded and held his arms out. For a moment Annie hesitated. She looked up at her father who smiled and nodded. Slowly she released his hand and let the bunny scoop her up.
Gilda was suddenly at his side with her camera. “I’ve got this,” She said as she snapped a few pictures. “They’ll look better with this than they will with a cell phone.”
“Thanks. You should get Charlie to bring Theo over.”
“Already here,” Charlie popped up on his right. Theo was frozen in her arms, staring up at the bunny with huge hazel eyes. Dean couldn’t tell if the boy was amazed or terrified. The next ten seconds would tell. When the bunny set Annie down he held his arms out for Theo but the boy started wailing and trying to claw his way over his mother’s shoulder to escape.
“Well I guess that’s not happening,” Dean laughed. He smiled at the rabbit and shrugged. The bunny nodded, his shoulders bouncing slightly as he laughed. The man inside the suit got it. Probably half the kids here were terrified of the giant, anthropomorphic, rabbit with the freaky, wide smile. Clearly his daughter wasn’t though.
“Shh, Sweetheart, it’s ok,” Gilda was quick to take her son before he could knee her wife in the chin a second time in his attempt to get away. She passed the camera off to Dean and picked Theo up.
“Guess pictures later with the Easter Bunny aren’t happening,” Charlie sighed. “Maybe next year.”
“He’s a year and a half,” Dean patted her shoulder. “Try maybe two years. Possibly three. It takes some kids time to warm up to,” He gestured towards the bunny and mimicked taking the head off. “You know, Easter Bunnies and such.”
“Yeah, true,” She sighed. “I was terrified at his age too. Still am not entirely comfortable being around them,” She gestured towards the bunny. “Nothing against you though.”
The bunny nodded in understanding, though she got the impression he was watching Dean, despite the head being half-turned in her direction. She wondered who the reverend had gotten to dress up.
“Reverend Novak!” Gilda waved to the man standing by the basement door of the church. Upon hearing his name the man smiled and waved. He started in their direction and when he reached them his smile widened.
“Well look at you!” He gushed to Annie. “Look at your pretty dress! Your shoes are so pretty too!”
Annie preened at the compliment and turned in a quick circle to show off the bunnies around the hem of her dress. “My grandma made it for me and Daddy bought me my shoes. Look at my tights!” She thrust a leg out. He chuckled and nodded. There were tiny bunnies on them too, and there were tiny carrots on the little, white, sweater she was wearing. Only the top button was closed so the front of her dress and the bouquet of flowers on her chest were on full display. It was an adorable dress. She looked ready for professional photos and he supposed she was. The Easter Bunny would be ready later to do pictures.
“This is quite the turnout, Reverend,” Gilda said as she gestured towards the yard behind the church that continued to fill with parents and their excited children.
“It gets larger every year,” He said with a nod. “We’re happy to have everyone though, we welcome all,” He turned to Dean and offered his hand. “I don’t believe I’ve met you before. I’m Reverend James Novak.”
“Dean Winchester,” Dean shook the man’s hand firmly.
“You’re a friend of Gilda and Charlie?”
“Yes, Charlie’s my best friend,” Dean replied. “Gilda raves about your church and how open-minded and welcoming it is. When she said I should bring Annie today I thought it would be nice. She’s excited.”
“I bet she is,” The reverend smiled at the little girl. “I bet you’re excited to go get the eggs. We have special things inside them, not just candy. Some of them have little toys and there are three extra special ones with tickets inside. If you get one there are special toys inside the church to pick from.”
Annie gasped, her little eyes wide with excitement. “I want a special toy!”
“You have to be nice when you collect eggs,” Her father warned. “You can’t take any from the other kids, it’s not fair.”
“I won’t,” She promised.
“That’s very good to hear,” The reverend smiled and nodded towards the bunny who was still standing nearby, though he was posing for pictures with a couple of older children. “There will be pictures after the egg hunt, as well as juice and snacks.”
“Do we get to look for eggs now?” Annie asked.
“Not yet,” Her father replied as he scooped her up. “First the reverend has to give his sermon. After that you can come back outside to look for the eggs.”
“Aww,” She pouted softly. “Ok.”
Dean set her down when Gilda offered her hand.
“Come on, potty break first, Cutie.” She took both kids and headed for the church.
“So,” Reverend Novak smiled as he clasped his hands behind his back. Has your spouse or partner joined you today?”
“Um,” Dean shook his head. “No, he passed away when Annie was six months old, a car accident.”
“I’m so very sorry to hear that,” The reverend’s smile fell away, turning to one of empathy.
Dean wasn’t sure how to respond to that, he never knew, but Charlie always had his back.
“So, what time does the sermon start?” She asked.
The reverend checked his watch. “Oh, I should be getting inside now, actually. I’ll see you all inside in a bit.” With a polite nod, he started for the door.
“That was awkward, I never know how to respond when people say that,” Dean rubbed the back of his neck and laughed uncomfortably. “Do people think I should still be crying? Should I still be? I mean, I’ve dated since Mick died, does that make me a bad person?”
“No, no, Honey, it does not make you bad,” She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “There’s no time limit or expectation on mourning. Anyone that thinks there is, well, they’re eggheads.” She winked, making him laugh at her little tongue-in-cheek humor.
“You’re right. Besides, is, uh, is the reverend?” He asked the question softly, and with one eyebrow raised. She got what he was saying though.
“No, no he’s not, but he has a brother that is,” She said as they started following people towards the church.
“Interesting, cause he’s hot!” He whispered. Charlie snickered softly and nodded.
“He is, men and women alike drool over him but he’s straight, happily married, and has a little girl who is absolutely adorable.”
“Have you met the brother? Is he even half as good-looking?” He asked.
“I have not, but Gilda has. She says they’re very different; like most brothers are, but they’re the best of friends, and that Cas is a sweetheart.”
“Cas,” He tilted his head as he tried to remember if he’d ever heard a name like that before. “What kind of name is that? It’s not short for Cassandra, right?” He said it lightly, as a joke and it got her laughing.
“No, silly, his name is Castiel, like the angel.”
“There’s an angel named Castiel?” He’d never heard that name before, and if memory served him, it wasn’t in the bible.
“There is, and he’s an archangel, depending on which lore you read. Geesh, you’re the history teacher!” She elbowed him playfully.
I teach mythology and legends, though not as they are believed today. I teach the history behind the stories, not the religions as a whole. Yes, I know the two overlap but I’m not teaching Christian religious courses so I’m sorry if I don’t know the name of every angel,” He chuckled.
“I’m just messing with you. But yes, there are dozens of archangels, not just the four they talk about in the bible. Don’t shoot me but I haven’t like, read the entire thing, just bits and pieces here and there.”
“You went to Sunday school every week as a kid,” He laughed. “How have you not read the whole thing? Even I’ve read the whole thing!”
“Your mother took you and Sam to church twice every week. I went on Sundays and I spent the majority of the time playing games with the other kids in the church basement so we weren’t bothering the adults in the cathedral. No one there took Sunday school seriously, not even most of the teachers. There was a nun though, and she did, but I was old enough to stop attending by the time I’d have reached her group. I don’t think my mother wanted her to influence me. Or maybe she didn’t want me talking back to the woman.” She shrugged.
They followed everyone inside where they met up with Gilda and the kids as they were coming out of the bathroom. Dean scooped his daughter up and followed his friends into the chapel. It was pretty packed for a nondenominational, queer welcoming, church and he found himself rather impressed as he looked around. It was nice seeing such diversity. There’s been none of that in his mother’s Baptist church when he was growing up. It was no wonder she’d walked away from the church when he was twelve.
They found seats in the second row from the front and squeezed in between two other families. Reverend Novak wasn’t out there yet so they had a few minutes to get the kids settled. Dean hoped the sermon would be short or else there would be a child riot that he was not prepared to deal with. They’d find out soon enough though.
@@@@@@@@@@
“Oh, that suit is so hot!” Cas’ face was beet red when he took off the head of the giant bunny suit he was wearing.
“I thank you for filling in for Shane,” James said as he unzipped the suit for his brother. “He just texted me, he’ll be here in ten. All someone will have to do is step away long enough to help him into the suit and zip it for him.”
Cas peeled his tee-shirt off and laid out the white button-down he’d brought with him to wear after his run as the Easter Bunny.
“I can do that, he just better show up,” He grumbled as he used a wet washcloth and some soap to wipe himself down. It was the best he could do until he could go home and shower. If the morning hadn’t turned out to be so warm he wouldn’t have felt like he was melting inside the suit. He was glad he’d remembered corn starch because he was feeling sweaty in other places too, though he wasn’t mentioning that to his brother.
“He’ll be here and even if he doesn’t get here in time, Ty has agreed to wear the suit for a while.”
“Alright,” Cas slid the shirt on and turned to face his brother as he buttoned it. “Say, who was the man you were talking to earlier? The one with the woman with the electric, red, hair?”
“Electric, red…” James didn’t have to think for long about who his brother was referring to, only one woman with hair like that was here. “Oh, you mean Gilda’s wife. Her name is Charlie, lovely woman, very witty. Their son Théoden is absolutely precious, though it’s usually only Gilda that comes on Sundays with the baby.”
“I didn’t ask about Charlie,” Cas laughed as he ran a comb through his hair. He’d reapplied his deodorant and a tiny bit of cologne in hopes that he didn’t smell too bad after being in that suit for the last nearly two hours. “I asked about the man she was with. Is he a member of the church because I don’t remember seeing him before. I’d remember someone that gorgeous.” He checked his hair in the mirror and deeming it passable, switched out of the shorts he’d been wearing into a pair of black dress pants. From there he shrugged the shirt on and began buttoning it. His brother was busy behind his desk sorting through his notes for the sermon.
“Hmm? Oh, I believe his name is Dean, he’s a widower, his husband died when their daughter was still a baby. I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been,” He set the notes down and smirked at his brother. “You’re interested, aren’t you.”
“Well yes, of course I am, he’s gorgeous!” Cas looked at him as though that was the daftest observation he could have possibly made.
“Is that why you kept staring at him?” James teased. He could be just as big a brat as their older brother, Gabriel when he wanted to be.
“Was I obvious?” Cas worried as he put on dress socks and his Oxfords. “I didn’t think people could see my face inside the mask.”
“No, not that obvious,” James admitted. “But I noticed. I think Charlie noticed too, but that’s about it.”
“Hmm,” Cas tied his shoes and stood up. “I think I’ll pass on the jacket, it’s too hot for it.”
“I agree. As soon as my sermon is over I’m ditching mine. I cranked the air up so I don’t melt,” James chuckled.
“His little girl is precious, looks a lot like him,” Cas commented as he tucked his shirt in.
“She’s adorable,” James agreed. “She was excited to show off her dress too. Her grandma made it.”
“Aww,” Cas smiled. “That’s really cute, most parents just buy a dress from a store.”
“Hey, don’t knock us because we bought Claire a dress,” James waggled a finger at his brother. “Neither Amelia nor I know how to sew like that. I can mend a hole in a piece of clothing but that’s about it. You couldn’t make a dress either, remember your apron from middle school?”
Cas burst out laughing. He and James were twins and that was one of the few classes they’d had together. Teachers tried to keep them separate because together they were troublemakers. Overall they’d both been good students but putting a rambunctious, mischievous set of twins in a class together was just asking for trouble but putting them together in a Home Ec class?
Jimmy, as he’d gone by as a kid had loved to pick on his brother. He was older by nine minutes and loved to lord that over Cas. He also loved pranking his twin. Cas was very reactive as a kid and responded quickly with his fists before he’d remember to use his words, but only when it came to Jimmy. This happened as much at school as it did at home and that class had been a nightmare for their teacher. From Jimmy stuffing cookie dough down the back of his brother’s pants to Cas dunking his brother’s fabric for his apron in cranberry juice so it turned pink, it drove their teacher nuts. Somehow they both managed to pass with a C. They both aced cooking and baking but those aprons?
Just to be a smart ass Jimmy had dared his brother to add ruffles to his apron. Cas, never one to back down from a dare, had taken that challenge and added them. He’d intended to give the apron to their mother but it ended up being a hot mess. It had looked so horrible that he was at risk of failing, so he’d ripped them off. Big mistake, he’d ripped out half the stitching and spent time after school for two weeks trying to fix it so he’d get a passing grade. In the end he’d earned a C.
The stupid thing looked like a patchwork Frankenstein monster of whatever fabrics he could get to fix the holes and rips he’d caused. It ended up being the ugliest thing he'd ever seen but much more solidly sewn than his brother’s and to this day his mother wore it proudly when she cooked. It was a constant reminder of what a punk he’d been as a kid, but it also reminded him that his brother, the pain that he could be, was his best friend in the world.
“I think Mom still wears that just to torment me,” He grinned.
“I know she does,” James laughed. “But also because she loves you and it reminds her of you when you’re not there. That hideous thing is her favorite because you made it. I wish I’d been more serious about making mine so it would have lasted too.”
“You still have the shorts you made the following year though, I know because you wear them every summer. They highlight your chicken legs,” He teased.
“Oh shut up,” James laughed even harder as he got to his feet. “Well, suppose we should get out there.” He sobered himself but found it impossible to stop smiling.
“I’ll meet you up front,” Cas patted his back and started for the chapel while James went down the hall to the front of the church.
He couldn’t resist looking for Dean as he made his way up the aisle. The seats were full and he figured he wouldn’t see the man again until the egg hunt started but then he remembered Dean’s friend with the fiery hair. He looked for her and spotted her up at the front, just one row back and across the aisle where he’d be sitting with Amelia and his niece. As he passed their row he smiled and nodded to Gilda who was the only one watching people still trying to find seats; Dean and Charlie were busy trying to keep the kids entertained.
“There you are,” Amelia scooted over as he sat down. “You survived the suit, eh?”
“Oh that thing is horrible!” He whispered. “It smells like sweat and I thought I was going to melt inside it. I couldn’t wait to get it off!”
She grinned and nodded. “Yes, James has worn it a few times and complains every time he takes it off. He’d have put it on today except he’s the face of the church and everyone would be asking where he was.”
“Yes, I knew that, it’s why I agreed. I’m not putting it on again though, he can hire one of the teenagers next year!”
His niece Claire reached out for him and he scooped her up.
“I gonna get eggs!” She clapped her hands excitedly but being the daughter of a minister she knew not to be loud. He smiled and bopped her on the nose.
“I know, and you be nice out there, ok? No pushing the other kids, there are plenty of eggs for everyone but you also have plenty of candy at home. I heard the Easter Bunny came today and brought you a basket.”
“Uh huh, and there was a pretty bunny inside it. It’s really soft,” She procured said bunny from under her arm and held it up so he could pet it.
“Wow, that is soft. What’s his name?”
“It’s a girl, Unca Cas,” She gave him the stink eye before smiling again. “Her name is June Bug!”
“June Bug,” He liked that. “Where did you come up with that name?”
“She has a book of bugs that James has been going through the pictures with her. He told her what people call them and since the bunny is tan like them she decided it’s an appropriate name,” Amelia explained.
“It’s a great name,” He bopped the bunny on the nose. “You play quietly while Daddy does his sermon, ok?”
She nodded and settled back against his chest, content to play quietly with her toy for the next forty minutes.
“We’re here! We’re here!”
Cas and Amelia both looked over to see his brothers Gabriel and Michael slipping into the empty seats next to them. Michael’s wife was ushering their kids in after the two men. Gabe had his son, Jonah in his arms and the baby was sound asleep.
“I was wondering when you were going to get here,” Cas leaned over and pulled the blanket back so he could see his nephew’s face. Jonah was barely a month old and was so tiny. He suckled softly in his sleep. “How’s Shaina?”
“Still in the hospital,” Gabe replied softly. His wife had suffered post partum depression so bad she’d made the decision to voluntarily commit herself. That had been five days after Jonah had been born. Cas knew Shaina’s depression was something she had battled her entire life. He knew there were other issues as well but didn’t think it was polite to ask what they were. He supported his brother the best he could and his sister-in-law.
He was about to ask where their sisters were when Hannah and Hael suddenly appeared and squeezed in next to Mike’s wife Debbie. They waved and he waved back. James stepped up to the podium just then and smiled when he saw his family. If there was one thing the Novak’s did, it was support one another. Every Sunday at least two of them were there with their families but on holidays they all came. He looked around and spotted their parents two rows back Both of his sister's kids were sitting with them. Their mom blew him a kiss and he grinned, couldn’t help it.
James started talking and the room fell silent. Cas often did his brother the favor of proofreading his sermons, helping him with the ebb and flow, and making sure he didn’t sound repetitive. He’d read this one and fixed it so many times that he had it memorized.
While James spoke Cas looked over at Dean and his friends. Even in profile, the man was beautiful. He was talking softly with his little girl and there was a phone in her hands, no doubt playing some sort of game to keep her occupied and quiet. He wondered if the man dated at all. Should he take a chance and ask him out? He’d probably never see the man again and would be forced to ask Gilda about him. That was more embarrassing than approaching the man himself.
As he turned around to face the front again he made his decision: he would introduce himself and see if there was a possibility Dean might be interested. He would just have to wait patiently for the sermon to be over. Only thirty-seven minutes to go…
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
“He’s a twin?” Dean nudged Charlie and whispered softly.
“Who?” She whispered back.
“The reverend! Is that the brother that’s queer? There’s another one I’m pretty sure is a brother, and the two women have the same dark hair. The other dark-haired guy has a wife and kids. It has to be him, right?”
Charlie watched the reverend’s family for a few minutes before nodding. “I think so. Lucky you, right?”
“Ha!” He said in a whispered huff. “He’s better looking, how is that possible? They’re twins!”
“Even identical twins are different, Dummy,” She teased. “Plus I’ve caught him looking this way like three times already. I’m pretty sure he was…” She made a gesture with her hand to indicate hopping. “Out there. I thought he was watching you but it was hard to tell. He has good taste.”
“Oh shut up,” He chuckled softly. He gaze shifted over to the reverend’s family again and he noticed Cas was looking their way. The man smiled and nodded politely. Dean started to smile back when Annie suddenly elbowed him hard enough to make him grunt.
“Sorry, Daddy,” She whispered. “I was falling.”
He pulled her higher up on his lap and balanced her so she wouldn’t slide off again.
“It’s ok, Sweetheart,” He kissed the top of her head and smoothed her honey, blonde, hair down. It had already darkened so much since she was born. He was pretty sure hers would end up being the same color as his. When he looked over at the reverend’s brother again he was talking with the man beside him as he took the baby from his arms. Maybe that was another brother? The reverend sure had a big family.
The sermon was pretty good and it got his wheels turning. There were bits he thought he could incorporate in some of his classes. When it ended people started immediately ushering the anxious, excited children outside. Gilda took Annie to the bathroom again so Dean and Charlie followed everyone else outside.
“So how are they going to do this?” He asked.
“Well, it looks like they’ve sectioned off the field. Look, there are signs indicating age groups,” She pointed. “Theo will be with the babies but it looks like Annie will be with the two to five year olds. That little blondie is the reverend’s daughter, Claire. She’ll be in Annie’s group.”
“What is she, four?” He wondered.
“Just turned four,” She replied. “She’s about six months older than Annie.”
“She’s adorable,”
“She’s precocious,” Charlie laughed. “Kid’s going to be a football player someday. I hope her parents have warned her not to push the other kids so she can get the eggs, she did that last year and her mother pulled her out and took the eggs away. She gave them to the little boy Claire pushed and he ended up getting one of the tickets. Her father used it as a lesson about kindness and patience.”
“Is she an only child?” He asked.
“Yes, though I’m pretty sure Amelia is pregnant but isn’t announcing it yet. She has that glow and her hand goes to her belly whenever someone gets too close. Gilda was like that with Theo, blocking accidental jabs and bumps.”
He looked around at all of the gathering parents. As he did so he noticed the bunny was back, and this time he seemed…shorter. He was dancing and hopping around, playing with the kids and posing for pictures. It was cute. Near the backdoor of the church he noticed the reverend and his family, minus his wife and daughter who were by the field waiting. His wife had other children with her, ones he was pretty sure had been sitting with their family.
“They sure have a big family,” He noted. Charlie looked back to where James and his family were standing and talking.
“He’s like, one of five or six or something. His father’s a reverend too, retired about four or five years back and James took over. Gilda has been going to this church oh, about twenty years now? She said it was nice when the older Reverend Novak did sermons but that James is more passionate and his sermons are very well written. She says he’s more relatable too because he’s younger. What did you think? It was nice, right? I never heard his father give a sermon but I've heard several of James' over the years. They've all been pretty good.”
“Yeah, it was. I heard a few things I want to incorporate into some of my courses. I’ll have to try to remember them tonight so I can write them down.”
“Make a note now on your phone so you don’t forget,” She said.
“Right, good idea,” He grinned as he pulled his phone out. He pulled up his notes and hurried to write it all down before he forgot.
“Hello,”
He resisted the urge to shiver at the sound of that voice as he looked up. Blue eyes that reminded him of the spring flowers coming up in his gardens were looking right at him. The man smiled softly as he offered his hand. “My name is Cas, I don’t think I’ve seen you here at church before.”
“It’s my first time,” Dean replied as he shook the man’s hand. “Gilda wanted me to bring my daughter. I’m Dean, by the way.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Dean. Where’s your daughter?”
“Bathroom,” Charlie nodded towards the church. “Theo fell asleep but he doesn’t need to be changed yet. Annie can only hold it so long though.”
“That’s a pretty name,” Cas said. “I have a cousin named Anna.”
“Her name is actually Mary Anne, she’s named after my mother, but we all call her Annie. I’m sure at some point she’ll want to be called something else but for now, it’s Annie.” Dean explained with a chuckle.
“Yes, I have a nephew, his name is Brenton but he hates his name and only wants to be called by his middle name now. So we call him David.” Cas gestured towards the boy with his sisters-in-law. Mike’s wife Tracy had joined Amelia to help keep the kids under control. David was doing a poor job appearing uninterested in the day’s happenings.
“Ah, I see he’s reached that age,” Dean chuckled.
“Where he tries to seem cooler than he actually is? Yes, I’m afraid he has,” Cas smiled and shook his head. David was ten going on fifteen.
“You have a pretty big family,” Dean nodded towards the group of people that were slowly dispersing and finding other people to speak with. It was clear they were all regulars at this church.
“I’m one of six,” Cas said, his smile widening. “It was interesting growing up.”
“I bet,” Dean chuckled. “I have a younger brother and he was plenty.”
“Yes, as I’m sure you can tell, James and I are twins, but we have a younger sister too. Everyone else is older than us.” Cas gestured towards his brother who was chatting with the various people that were gathering near the field. It was almost time for the hunt.
“Yes, I noticed,” Dean said with a grin.
It was hard not to stare, Dean was gorgeous, but if he was going to take his shot he wanted to do it now, before the man’s daughter returned. He didn’t want to take his attention away from her.
“I was wondering if I could take you to dinner one night this week, or perhaps next weekend if you’re available?”
The look of surprise on Dean’s face was almost comical, as was the huge grin on his friend Charlie’s face. She stood quietly, waiting to see what Dean would say. It was clear he’d never been asked out this boldly before.
“Uh, yeah, yeah, I’d like that,” Dean managed to spit the words out. “When were you thinking?”
“Does Friday work for you? I get off work at five and I’ll be home about a half-hour after that. I could pick you up at seven? Or if you want to drive you could pick me up.” Cas was inwardly cheering; that had taken more guts than he’d thought himself capable of having.
“Sure, seven works,” Dean looked over at Charlie but she already knew what he was going to ask.
“Yes, the peanut can spend the night at our house,” She patted him on the shoulder. “I’m going to go find Gilda and the kids, get Annie in line for her picture with the Easter Bunny. I’ll see you over there in a bit.”
She walked away, giving Cas the little bit of privacy he was hoping for, even in the midst of the crowded parking lot.
“Can I get your number?” He asked.
“Sure,” Dean rattled off his number and Cas texted him so he’d have his number too.
“I’ll text you during the week, make sure dinner is still on and where I want to take you, that ok?” He asked as he tucked his phone away. Dean’s smile was breathtaking. He had no right being that good-looking.
“Yeah, sounds great.”
For a moment they just stood there. Before it could become awkward Cas decided to strike up a conversation.
“We do this egg hunt every year. More and more kids come all the time. This is a very laid-back church and everyone is welcome. I think people feel comfortable coming here.”
“That’s what Charlie was saying earlier. She said she likes the way your brother does his sermons. Gilda has been coming here since she was a kid. Her mother is queer and this was where she felt comfortable coming.” Dean nodded towards the brunette that had just emerged from the church with his daughter. Charlie had intercepted them and was steering them towards the line for the pictures.
“I grew up in this church,” Cas said. “My father has been a minister since before I was born. He’d expected more of us to follow in his footsteps than just my brother but the rest of us aren’t too keen on standing in front of a crowd of people and talking, especially several times a week. I come Sundays; that’s plenty of church for me.”
Dean chuckled “So if you’re not a minister too, what do you do for a living?”
“I am an anesthesiologist at the surgical center at St. Francis. We do a lot of colonoscopies,” He laughed. “What about you?”
‘I’m a history professor at Curtis University. I primarily teach folklore and mythology but I teach a couple of third-year history courses. European history from 1300 to 1600 and from 1700 to 1900. Next year they want to throw a modern history course into the mix but that would mean teaching evenings and I’ve made it clear I can’t do that. I want time in the evenings with my daughter before I put her to bed.”
“That’s very interesting,” Cas told him. “I took courses like that and I loved them. They weren’t any easier than my other courses, I had to work just as hard, but it was laughable how many people took those courses thinking it would be a cakewalk.”
“Yes, I know,” Dean said dryly. “I’ll have a full lecture hall and by day three I’m down by a quarter. After a week, by half. I like to think what I teach is interesting but I expect just as much effort be put into the coursework I give them as they put into their other courses. I teach history courses so if they fail it can cost them their degree. It normally doesn’t, I think one kid in all the years I’ve been teaching didn’t get his degree after failing three of my classes but to be fair, he failed most of his math and science courses too.”
“I don’t know that I could teach,” Cas admitted. “It’s an admirable profession and it’s amazing that you want to fill young minds with knowledge but I hate being in front of crowds. I hated it so much that my brother and I switched places for our sophomore year so he could take Speech for me and I took his Algebra class since I’m better at math. He got an A in math that year and I got an A in Speech!”
Dean started slowly gravitating towards the line for the Easter Bunny as Annie started getting close to the front. Cas walked with him and as they got closer he leaned in and dropped his voice. “That was you in the suit earlier?”
“Yes,” Cas wished he could do a sniff test; he wasn’t entirely sure his deodorant was working. Church was over so he unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled the sleeves up. “It was nice interacting with the kids but I was miserably hot. I told my brother I’m not doing it again.”
“Be glad it’s not the middle of summer. Today’s warmer than usual for Easter but at least it’s not ninety. I feel bad for game mascots.”
“I was a mascot in high school for one year. One was enough. I froze in the winter at the football games and boiled in the spring and fall for baseball and basketball. I thought it would look good on my transcripts. I found other things to put on it after that!” Cas smiled when Dean laughed at his joke. The man liked his humor, that was important.
“I played baseball, all four years, but I dated the mascot for the first two,” Dean winked and grinned. Cas liked Dean’s sense of humor too. He had the feeling their date was going to go well.
“I’ll let you focus on your daughter,” He said when they reached the line. Annie was next. “I look forward to watching her and the other kids run and collect the eggs. I have to watch my niece, Claire. She tends to think she’s a linebacker.” He rolled his eyes before looking around for his niece. She was stalking the edge of the field, ready to snatch up the eggs as soon as the hunt started.
“Maybe I’ll see you before we leave,” Dean liked Cas, he was funny, gorgeous, and quite personable. He was looking forward to their date.
“I’d like that,” Cas smiled and touched his arm lightly. “Excuse me, I need to go steal my new nephew for a bit. I’ll see you later.”
Dean watched him walk away, taking a moment to admire that ass. While he’d thought the reverend was good looking he had nothing on his brother. Cas filled his clothes out nicely and he suspected the man liked to work out. James looked like a stick in comparison.
It was finally Annie’s turn and Dean paid the two dollars for the polaroid of his daughter while Gilda snapped what seemed like a hundred pictures. Annie smiled brightly and her father couldn’t wait to print a picture out to hang on his wall. He wanted a few for his parents too.
“I hear you’ve got a hot date,” Gilda teased once the little photoshoot was over. Dean grinned and nodded, though his cheeks had turned rosy at the mention of it.
“Yeah, he basically marched up to me, introduced himself, and then asked me out. Totally caught me off guard.”
“But you said yes,” She elbowed him playfully.
“But I said yes.” He admitted.
“He’s a sweetheart,” She spotted Cas talking with an older couple from church and waved when he looked her way. He smiled and returned the wave. “The entire Novak family are good people but Cas has a fire to him that his brother doesn’t have, at least not in the same way. James is passionate about his beliefs and what he preaches. Cas is passionate about life in general. I think you two will get along very well, plus he loves kids. He’s everyone’s favorite uncle.”
“I’ll be the favorite uncle one day too,” Dean thought about his brother and new sister-in-law. They were in no rush to have kids, they were still enjoying being married. One day they’d have little ones and he planned to love on them as much as he did his own daughter.
“You’ll be a great uncle,” She assured him. “You’re already a great dad. Now,” She ushered him towards the field where the kids were all gathering. “Charlie has the baskets. The hunt is about to start.”
The hunt itself was simple but the kids had a blast. They ran all over their section of the large field grabbing whatever eggs they could find and filling up their baskets. The babies had their parents to help them and it was slow going for Theo who wanted to play with every egg Charlie pointed out for him to pick up. In the end, he had seven eggs, none of which contained a ticket. His parents and Dean as well were fairly certain the young toddlers weren’t getting one of the tickets anyway.
Annie came back with eight eggs and she was very proud of herself. As soon as she got back to her father she put her basket down and crouched in front of it to pop open each egg. “What’s this?” She asked when she found a piece of paper inside one instead of candy.
“Hey!” Her dad exclaimed. “You won!”
“I won?” She scrunched her little nose up in confusion. “What did I win?”
“A toy,” He explained as he took the ticket from her. Her attention span was short so he knew she'd forgotten about the tickets inside some of the eggs and about the special toys inside. “Come on, let’s go tell Reverend Novak.” He passed her basket off to Gilda and took his daughter’s hand. They made their way over to where the reverend was standing with people he was very obviously related to, the resemblance was uncanny.
“Did you win?” James asked when Dean handed her the ticket to give to him.
“Uh huh,” She nodded. “Daddy said I get a toy.”
“You do,” James motioned for them to follow him inside. “You’re the first one to come give me your ticket so you get first pick.”
He led them down to the basement which had been turned into a very nice rec room. There was a table in the corner with a variety of toys to choose from. Annie gasped when she saw them.
“Go ahead, pick the one you want,” He told her. She let go of her father’s hand and ran over to the table where she took her time looking at everything.
“Which one do you want?” Her father asked. She tapped her chin as she studied all the toys. There might have only been three tickets but they’d bought a variety of toys for the various age groups. The toys in the front were for kids in Annie’s age group. She finally settled on a Squishmallow unicorn and hugged it tight.
“Look, Daddy, it’s soft and squeezy!” She held it up so her father could touch it.
“You’re right. It’s a pillow too, you can sleep with it."
“I’m going to sleep with her tonight!” So she’d decided the unicorn was a girl.
“What do you do with the toys that don’t get picked?” Dean asked.
“We host a raffle at Christmas and whatever is left over, we donate,” James explained. “Plus we have a toy and coat drive. This year we’ll also be collecting other warm things for those in need. Hats, gloves, socks, thermal items, whatever will help someone stay warm.”
Dean liked that idea, and he liked this church. The people were nice, caring, and he could see why Gilda liked it so much. He wanted to help with the drives. Even if things didn’t work out with Cas, he wanted to help. He’d spend the rest of the year buying things and bring it all at the end of the year.
The morning ended on a high note. The kids had enjoyed themselves as much as the adults had, and Annie had a new toy that Theo was intent on stealing, until he passed out in Charlie’s arms again. It was a pleasant Easter morning and now they were off to have brunch with his family. It was already turning out to be a good day, and he was really looking forward to Friday…