Chapter Text
By the end of the first day after the feast, Castiel could still hear his husband’s moans and groans coming from behind his closed door. He hadn’t seen much of Dean because hanging out with Dean while he napped and his stomach gurgled eventually veered into the uncomfortable and Cas excused himself to do his own things.
There still wasn’t a whole lot for him to do in the barely furnished palace, but he enjoyed coffee in one of the courtyards, his feet dangling into the cool water of the shallow pool, toes brushing the sparkling mosaic floor. It was beautiful and peaceful in the nuptial palace.
Back in Rain’s Landing he had always hoped for some time to himself to read and pursue other hobbies, but obligations as the Lord of the town had always called him away. Now, he basically had nothing but time to put up his feet and be lazy and didn’t know what to do with himself.
Dean didn’t leave his room all day and when it got too dim to read, Cas returned to his own room, just to find Dean still groaning. Dean had told him not to worry, that the discomfort was just an expected reaction to the feast, but Cas couldn’t quite help wondering if this was how it was supposed to be. Dean had said that they would cleanse on the second day after the feast, so he’d probably be alright once he cleared his bowels.
Still, wasn’t it his spousal duty to look after his ailing husband? Cas knocked on the door. Dean didn’t answer, though the groaning from within didn’t quite stop. Not one to be all that intimidated by closed doors, Cas opened it and looked inside. It was stuffy inside with the blinds closed and a somewhat musky scent of sweat lingering. Dean definitely would benefit from tomorrow’s bath, though Cas wasn’t going to say that.
“Dean?” Cas opened the door a bit more, letting some of the dim light of the corridor spill into the room. The form on the bed was moving and writing slightly and eventually Dean lifted his head up.
“Cas…?”
“I just wanted to check in on you. You sound like you’re in discomfort and I didn’t want to go to bed without checking that you’re alright,” Cas said. He saw Dean wipe his hand over his face, then drop it heavily into the covers.
“I’ll be fine tomorrow. The food just has to go through the system. Don’t worry about me,” Dean said.
“If you’re sure?”
“Yeah,” Dean said and since he sounded tired and somewhat miserable, Cas decided not to press the issue. He got Dean some more water to drink and then he wished him a good-night, which Dean faintly echoed.
Cas could still hear him moaning deep into the night.
The night hadn’t been particularly restful with his husband clearly uncomfortable. Cas had grown up with plenty of siblings and he had shared a room with Gabriel for a while. Gabriel was also one to enjoy overindulging, no matter the consequences. So having to suffer through Gabriel’s whining and the uncomfortable sounds of his bowel movements had prepared him to some extent. But Dean was not only of a different species, he was also his husband.
Cas wasn’t particularly happy about it, but once he was up he dared to poke his head into the bathroom to see how Dean was doing. Luckily, herbs were burning, dispersing a pleasant fragrant in the big bathroom. Dean wasn’t hanging out in the lounging chairs in the main room, so he must be in room holding the toilets. The door was cracked open a bit and Cas could hear him moaning still.
“Is everything alright?” Cas called. He heard Dean curse, clearly having been taken by surprise.
“Cas, dude, you gave me a fright,” Dean called back.
“My apologies. How are you doing?” Cas asked, feeling somewhat awkward to linger outside of the door.
“Alright. I just have to… you know,” Dean answered.
“Is it… going?”
“Dude! I thought you weren’t interested in what was going on during this part of the cleaning!” Dean said and Cas couldn’t quite tell if Dean’s voice sounded embarrassed or amused. Maybe a bit of both.
“I’m not. But you don’t seem to be doing all that well and I worry about you. If I have to call a doctor, you have to let me know.”
“Dude, don’t call a doctor just because I’m taking a while to take a shit,” Dean argued. “It’s just the disruption of my eating schedule. I’m no longer used to eating once every two weeks. I overate and now I’m paying the price.” Cas wanted to argue that he didn’t like the sound of that and that hours of restless groaning in pain couldn’t be normal, but Dean continued: “Honestly, I’ll be fine. Relax.” Cas relented and went to refresh himself in the bathroom at the other end of the palace, before he made his way to his tea room for breakfast. It was nice out, with fresh wind coming in through the window but the humidity already in the morning air promised another hot day. It might be refreshing to go for a swim in the bathhouse, though considering Dean’s state, it was somewhat unclear if he was going to be able to make it.
Cas busied himself with breakfast and then selecting a good outfit for the bathhouse before grabbing another novel. The sunshine was getting stronger and it was agreeably warm in the courtyard, though not too hot yet since Cas could still keep his feet in the pool.
By the time the sun had reached its highest point, Dean had still not shown himself. Castiel frequently turned around to look over his shoulder, peering into the hallway behind him if maybe Dean was coming out to meet him. Eventually, Cas had to get up and check on him. It could very well be that Dean had gone back to nap, but Cas found him still in the bathroom, sweaty and a bit pale.
“I’m fine…!” Dean grumbled though he sounded anything but fine, so Cas left him there with some more water, then he dressed himself. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do, since the guards had long left and he wasn’t sure who to go to. He stepped outside of the palace and looked into the courtyard. No one was around, which was hardly surprising. He would have to leave the palace compound of their private home and cross the square that connected them to the main palace. He crossed the courtyard and peeked out into the street. Would he be allowed to just walk up to the palace and ask to see someone? He had no idea if there was a court physician assigned to the Winchesters or if he’d have to find an apothecary or private practice for this kind of issue. And maybe it wasn’t an issue at all. But Cas was what his sister had called a “worry wart” in the past, so he’d rather be sure that everything was alright.
There were guards by the wide gates leading to John and Mary’s residence, one at each side, holding a spear. They seemed surprised to see Castiel, especially without Dean, but they wordlessly nodded at him. The gate was rolled to the side, allowing Cas to enter. The last time he had been here, for the feast, the gate had been open. But if the entire family was as occupied with their bowels as Dean was, then the heightened security measures were understandable.
Cas didn’t even have the chance to reach the antechambers before he could see Bobby marching towards him (Cas didn’t know how else to describe the swift, tense and grim-faced way Bobby hurried into the courtyard). Cas was glad that the grouchy man didn’t approach him with weapons in hand, because that would have been a diplomatic affront to Cas. There was a limit to caution in Cas’ opinion. But Bobby was unarmed safe for the grim look on his face. Before Bobby could demand an explanation for his presence or – worse – tell him to get lost, Cas said:
“I am in need of a doctor,” he said and that stopped Bobby right in his tracks. “Dean is in pain and I wanted to inquire if there is something that can be done. He said he was fine, but I don’t know him enough to trust that assessment.” Bobby rubbed his face.
“I’ll fetch Missouri. Wait here,” he said. Cas did just that while Bobby went back inside through a side door. About ten minutes later Bobby returned, a female Naga in tow. She was dressed in a simple white robe, a band wrapped around her forehead, holding her curly hair out of her face. She studied Cas with interest.
“Alright, let’s get going,” Bobby said. Missouri shot him a look.
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous Bobby Singer! You don’t have to guard me. This young man is no threat to me!” she scolded. Bobby looked like he had bitten into a lemon at that, but there was clearly nothing he could say which would not offend Cas, so he merely held out the big bag he held. Cas got it.
“Careful, child. Lots of medicines in there,” Missouri warned him but she seemed to approve of him taking the bag.
“Thank you for your assistance,” Cas told Bobby.
“My pleasure,” Bobby said but didn’t sound like it had been a pleasure at all.
“Oh, don’t you mind that surly old man,” Missouri said, when they were on their way.
“I can still hear you!” Bobby called after them but Missouri ignored it even though Cas darted a look over his shoulder. Bobby still was keeping a keen eye on them, even after the gates had closed after them.
“Men like him, sometimes you have to push to get them to shut up. Stubborn. Just like the Winchesters. I suppose that makes them a good team, but it can be quite frustrating too,” she said. She turned to study Cas again. She towered over him of course, like any adult Nagas did, but while she had a certain aura that demanded respect, she wasn’t particularly intimidating.
“That husband of yours, he can be quite stubborn too. Always has been. But he’s a good boy,” she said.
“Yes, I suppose he is,” Cas answered. “And maybe it’s not my place to disregard his assurance that he’s fine.”
“Your place?” Missouri repeated, sounding curious. “Don’t tell me Ezra already got into your head about where your place as the future king’s omega is?”
“Maybe,” Cas said, somewhat amused by her clear disdain. “Was she wrong?”
“Of course she’s wrong! And of course she’s right,” Missouri said with a snort. “She’s wrong where you as an individual are concerned. However, if a royal person is reduced to their function, she’s right.”
“I’m not sure,” Cas said. “My function here is not to give Dean an heir. I’m here to symbolize the building of bridges between our races.”
“Some people might have missed that memo,” Missouri warned him, though Cas had most certainly found that out already. “Though from a medical stand point I’d be very curious about a cross species pregnancy. Would your offspring be angel or naga? Both or neither? Very interesting questions.”
“If it happens, you are welcome to study me,” Cas said with a laugh.
“I will, thank you,” Missouri answered and the surety of her voice gave Cas pause. But when he looked up at her, she just tilted her head slightly and lifted her eyebrow. Cas decided not to dwell on it and opened the door to the antechamber for her. Missouri cleaned her tail much swifter than Dean, who seemed to be overly dedicated to scale polishing, and they were in the house in a matter of minutes. Maybe her being a doctor allowed her to skip the formality. It wasn’t like the street outside was particularly dirty anyway. Cas could swipe the floor if necessary, but he wasn’t as concerned with the cleanliness of the place as Dean seemed to be.
They found Dean still lingering in the bathroom. He seemed surprised and then quickly embarrassed by Missouri’s presence.
“Cas, I said it was fine!”
“And I don’t want Bobby to think that I poisoned you,” Cas shot back, which shut Dean up quickly. “So let her examine you.”
“Well, fine then,” Dean grumbled. Missouri winked at Cas when she passed him.
“You’re a quick study,” she whispered, still loud enough for Dean to hear. He narrowed his eyes at them, suspicious of their whispering. Cas excused himself and went out of the bathroom. He took a seat in the open door leading to the closest courtyard. It didn’t have a pool, like the main courtyard, but there were benches arranged around a low table with a small firepit in the middle. Cas had explored the whole matrimonial palace by now, but there were so many rooms and courtyards and corridors and outside spaces that he wasn’t sure what to do with them. His home in Rain’s Landing had been more constrained though of course not less luxurious if you ignored the frequent rain. But the main castle where the rest of his family tended to reside was much more lavish and boasted in quite a lot of useless rooms that seemed more representational than functional.
Cas however had many siblings and an extended family who frequented the castle. He and Dean were alone. They didn’t even have servants yet who would take up some of the rooms arranged around their courtyard. And children, if at all possible, were surely not to follow anytime soon.
Left to his own distracted musings, it didn’t take too long for Missouri to come looking for him. Cas got up at once, still not entirely at ease by having everyone look down on him and at least standing reduced the amount of head craning he had to do.
“I will be happy to report to Bobby that you have not poisoned the future king of Naga,” Missouri said with a smile playing on her lips. “It’s just a bad case of indigestion due to his digestive tract no longer being used to eating such a high volume at once.”
“Did Bobby actually worry about me?” Cas said. Missouri laughed but didn’t answer. Instead, she continued:
“He’ll have to drink a special tea you can brew for him. He should be doing better within the hour,” Missouri said. She took a paper envelope out of her big bag and handed it to Cas, then she followed it up with a tube of what looked to be ointment. “If he’s sore afterwards, give him this to rub into his nether.”
“Nether,” Cas repeated and took both items.
“Cloaca, anus, whatever you may call it. We call it the nether. It’s located towards the bottom of our tails. You’ll probably want to take an anatomy lesson before you’ll be required to do a diaper change,” she joked with him but Cas was actually starting to be somewhat uneasy about his lack of anatomical knowledge. How did Naga even have sex? It wasn’t something he had pondered much, though he should definitely have had a healthy dose of curiosity about sex too instead of only cultural quirks. Due to the absence of any official expectations of heirs to validate their union, sex had simply been very low on the list of things to concern himself with. The fact that he was a relatively small, bipedal creature in a city of snake giants was much more pressing.
“Oh, stop making that concerned face,” Missouri said, then she patted Castiel on the shoulder. “I’ll be sending over a recommended meal plan for your husband, so that we won’t have a repeat of this.”
“You think he might be able to eat more frequently?” Castiel wondered and Missouri shrugged.
“I don’t see why not. We're not required to eat this way. Rituals around food are also culturally determined. I read that angels are hard to starve and yet you eat multiple times a day.”
“That’s true…”
“And it’s true for us too. We can eat infrequently, but we don’t have to,” Missouri explained. “Alright, that’s all for now. Don’t forget the tea!” Castiel nodded. “No need to see me out, I’ll find the way!”
“Thank you, Missouri,” Cas said and once she had rounded the corner of the corridor, Cas took the short route through the courtyard to get to his tea room. He sniffed the contents of the envelope and wrinkled his nose. It was very strong, almost pungent with faint traces of what might have been fennel. There were instructions written on the envelope, so Cas followed them carefully. Once he was done he loaded the pot of tea and a cup on a tray and carried it back to Dean. He put it on the table in the bathroom where there were chairs to lounge in, before he went to check in on Dean. The Naga was lying face first on the bench, tail pulled in slightly and the tip hanging over the edge of the bench.
“Is that hygienic?” Cas wondered, startling Dean. Dean groaned and turned onto the side. “Missouri had me make you some tea. Please come drink it.”
“Fine,” Dean grumbled, but he was slow as he moved, making his body seem huge and bulky. Which it technically was. Dean followed Cas out of the toilet and settled on the chair. Cas filled him a cup and then handed it to Dean.
“You need to drink two cups,” Cas instructed him, then he put the ointment on the table. “And you are to use this if you feel sore.” Dean’s face turned red. “You don’t need to be embarrassed. I’m your husband and I hope you will take care of me too if I suffer from indigestion.” That seemed to appease Dean somewhat.
“Fine,” he muttered. “You angels really are weirdos without boundaries.”
“I do have some boundaries. I trust you will be able to evacuate your bowels without my assistance,” Cas said and Dean rolled his eyes. “I’ll be reading in my room. Do you need any books for entertainment?”
“No, it’s alright. I’ll nap after I took the tea. Thanks, Cas.” Cas nodded and then he left Dean to do his business.
“Great snake, that was the most uncomfortable poop session I’ve had since I was out of diapers,” Dean complained when he surprised Cas by joining him for dinner. Cas looked him up and down. Dean was dressed in a loose silk gown, haphazardly tied in the front, which gave Cas the by now familiar but still slightly scandalous peek at his nipples. He did look better now, face slightly pink and hair wet from a bath or shower.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Cas said with a small smile, pouring Dean a cup of coffee.
“Thanks,” Dean said and took a sip. “Much better than that tea.” Dean licked his lips. “By the way… we should probably talk to Rufus again to see if he’s already found us some servants. I don’t really want you to have to clean up after me in the bathroom. I mean, not that I think it’s your job to clean after me!”
“I appreciate that,” Cas joked. “Do you think they’ll find us the servants I requested?”
“Rufus didn’t really comment the list so I assume he’d be fine with the positions that you’d like filled. Though I guess they might assign us a main guard too.” Dean took another sip of his coffee, sighing in delight. He did seem a bit more awake by now, which was a huge improvement to just an hour earlier.
“Good. It would be nice to eventually have other angels on staff, but I understand that we have a ways to go before that can happen,” Cas said. Dean lifted his head and looked at Cas, apparently surprised. “What?” Cas wondered, tilting his head.
“You want angels here?”
“Of course? What’s the point of our union if it doesn’t lead to contact?” Cas challenged. Dean lifted both hands, clearly placating. “I understand that much has to be done beforehand, but I’m sure my mother and siblings will eventually want to visit. And they might bring diplomats, scholars, clerics, merchants or tradespeople with them. That’s the point of contact, to foster cultural exchange.”
“I get it, Cas. It’s just weird to imagine. We’ve been at war in living memory, we’ve not had any cultural exchange in… well, ever. We Naga tend to stay among us.”
“So do we angels, but still we understand the necessity of interaction. We have established contact with demons and with humans so far.”
“Humans,” Dean repeated, lifting his eyebrow. “We’re both human.”
“Philosophically speaking yes, maybe. But I’m talking about the species. They look like me, but they don’t have wings or Grace. They do have magic though.”
“Oh,” Dean said, nodding in recognition. “Right. All you small bipedal creatures kind of mix together in our collective understanding,” Dean teased. “And they live beyond your lands and the lines of Hell. So of course we don’t get to see them unless they wander.”
“They tend to do that. Very curious for people that vulnerable,” Cas agreed. “No wings, no Grace…”
“Well, it must be a question of perspective. You seem very vulnerable to me too,” Dean said though he had dropped the teasing smile and seemed contemplative.
“I’m not,” Cas assured him. “I’m an angel after all. Even if I wasn’t welcome here, the actual danger to myself would be acceptable. It’s the danger to the diplomacy I fear more.” Dean poured himself some more coffee, then he looked at Cas quizzically. Cas felt compelled to elaborate: “That Bobby considers me a potential danger to you, not just after the feast but he also wanted to come along when Missouri came over, isn’t particularly pleasant to me. If my mother knew, she’d be affronted by the insult.”
“There are plenty of legends of angels not dealing well with insults.”
“That’s true. We are very proud,” Cas agreed. “Which is why I will of course not inform my mother about any of it. Though I might get unpleasant if this continues.”
“Yeah, of course, Cas. I’ll talk to Bobby to get out of your feathers about it. I get why he’s cautious but he does lack… well, subtlety. The fact that he fought in the war probably makes him more cautious than people our age.” Cas nodded.
“I do understand and I am compassionate, but as I said-“
“Yes, diplomacy, I understand,” Dean said with a grin. “It’s fine, Cas. Really. Assert yourself and demand respect, that’s more than cool with me.”
Cas smiled as well, then he held his basket with bread towards Dean. “Hungry?”
Dean’s face immediately pulled into a grimace, much to Cas’ delight.
The next day brought a guest to their doors. Dean had spent the morning complaining about being bored because this was the longest he had ever gone without working. Clearly, this man didn’t know the meaning of a vacation if a couple of weeks were bothering him that much.
The bell ringing was a welcome distraction for both of them.
“Hm, that’s odd. Usually, we don’t really get visitors after a feast. Everyone’s busy pooping or recovering from pooping.”
“Dean, I get it. It’s a time of extensive bowel movements,” Cas said. His ethnographic fascination for the rituals and habitus around toilets had long since dried up because it was all Dean ever talked about (next to his boredom) and there was only so much input he could offer.
They found Jess in the ante chamber, smiling brightly. Gone was the drunk woman of the feast and she looked much more well rested and rosy cheeked than Dean did.
“Rough work on the bench?”
“The worst,” Dean said and Cas groaned internally, fearing a continuation of toilet talk among the two of them. But Jess didn’t seem interested in exchanging more (un) pleasantries about their bowels.
“I’ve come to check up on Cas, if it’s convenient now?” Jessica asked. Since she was his omega companion, he shouldn’t be surprised by her calling on him, but he still was.
“Oh… Yes? Of course. Come in. Though if you’re inquiring about my stomach, I really don’t have much to say about it.” Jess laughed and sat down on the bench to start cleaning her tail. Cas looked at Dean for guidance. Was it rude to stay in the open doorway and wait for her to finish? Should he go prepare some tea for her? Dean seemed to understand.
“We’ll meet you in the sitting room. Tea or coffee?”
“Tea, please!” Jess called without looking up. Dean put his hand on Cas’ shoulder and gently turned him around, then he followed him to the kitchen. Dean fetched him one of the more elaborate tea sets from a shelf and then Cas got to work boiling the water.
“I assume it’s pointless to offer you some biscuits along with tea,” Cas said, while he put some of the biscuits he had made into a glass bowl. The tray just felt empty without some biscuits on it. “But as long as it’s not a social faux pas I’ll do it.”
“Nah, we get that it’s the polite thing to do for angels. We’ll just consider it decoration,” Dean suggested which Castiel accepted with a little chuckle. They took the tray into the sitting room where Jess joined them shortly after.
“Jess, in your professional opinion as an omega companion,” Dean started before Jess could explain why she was here. “Will Cas offend anyone if he serves snacks with tea? Even if he’s the only one eating the snacks?”
“Dean,” Cas chided, really not up to having his tea time habits under excessive scrutiny. But it was just Jess, not her aunt. Jess seemed to ponder it, then study the bowl with biscuits.
“No. I’d say that’s alright. Auntie always says that a woman – or omega in your case - does well to bolster her womb with additional meals. Since pregnancy is a relatively private affair, others might choose or not choose to take part whether they’re expecting or not. But you can certainly offer food and explain that it’s a cultural tea time ritual if anyone looks at you oddly.”
“Am I expected to host many people…? I don’t really expect anyone to call on me. I know almost no one here,” Cas said. He had never been particularly social, but he had had his network of contacts back at home.
“That will come in time. You’re still new here, but eventually you’ll get to build your network, maybe find an occupation to spend your time with? I don’t want to disappoint you, but royal omegas tend not to be expected to work and be busy.”
“Eh, mom’s always busy.”
“Your mom was in the army, during a time of war. And she’s as easily bored as you are,” Jess shot back. Dean shrugged.
“Since you’re an omega you will most likely be approached to watch the children in the extended family,” Jess said. The thought didn’t exactly fill Cas with joy.
“I’m not particularly paternal,” Cas admitted. “I’ve never had to deal with any children. None of my siblings have any.” Well, none that he knew of… Gabriel wasn’t known for his restraint.
“That’s understandable,” Jess said.
“Besides, Lisa didn’t seem very interested. Lydia seemed to be though. Should I be worried about Lydia leaving her child with me?”
“Maybe. Kate might also ask you to watch Adam even though he’s of age already. It’s mostly about the connections that can be forged to the royal family. My family was honored when Dean’s mother accepted to foster me. I usually spent summers with the royal family. It was fun, especially as I had no siblings.”
“Ah, I do understand that concept. I spent a lot of times in other courts too growing up. But usually there were nannies or governesses to watch me,” Cas said.
“You can arrange for that if you want,” Dean said.
“If it’s important to Naga culture then I will of course honor the tradition,” he said when Dean seemed somewhat worried. Jess smiled at him.
“Don’t worry too much about it. I’ll help you figure it out,” Jess promised. “Once you have servants you can also call for me, anytime!”
“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” Dean challenged after a moment. “Study in the library and hang out at the soda stall or whatever it is you university kids do?” Jess rolled her eyes.
“That’s exactly why I’m desperate for Cas to call for me.” Jess and Dean chatted about the capital university some more and then Jess excused herself because she did actually have to be at the archives to dig through books for a paper.
“So, Jess is not an omega companion by profession,” Cas concluded when he and Dean were cleaning up in the kitchen.
“No. She’s training to be an archivist, but being a companion to a royal omega is of course a prestigious position,” Dean explained. “As if Jess needed more prestige. She’s already moving in the highest circles.”
“Well, it never hurts to have connections,” Cas answered with a shrug. “I don’t mind and she seems kind. As long as nobody makes any outrageous demands on my behavior as an omega.”
“Nah, wouldn’t dream of it,” Dean said with a grin, patting Cas’ head in passing.