Chapter Text
8 years ago
When Dean was four years old his mother died. It had been quite the nasty car accident and it had claimed many lives, none of which Dean remembered, of course, besides his mother. Since her death, Dean’s previously happy life had become this infected sore that just kept growing and never healed.
At eight years old he more often than not found himself at the homeless shelter, begging for food that scarcely was given to someone who still had a home. But the thing was that while Dean may have had four walls and a roof, it was hardly a home.
Home, for one, had food. And love.
Dean loved his little brother, Sam, very much, though, and couldn’t help but love his father even though the Alpha did very little to tend to his sons. Did, in fact, do less and less each year.
So Dean did what he could, nicked food from the school cafeteria, forewent eating altogether to feed little Sammy, begged at the shelters or simply begged outside the grocery store. It would get easier, he told himself, when he got older and could figure out how to get away with stealing from stores and gas stations. He was still too little to dare it just now.
This particular day Dean stood outside the grocery store, just outside the doors where the AC cooled the air somewhat every time the doors slid open. The sun was sweltering and Dean probably had sweat stains on his back. He felt grossed out by himself and even more so when the sharp scents of other people spiked in the heat.
Dean hadn’t presented yet, as most younglings presented first when puberty began, but he could already tell that he would be either an Alpha or an Omega because Betas usually didn’t have as keen sense of smell as the other two. And Dean smelled everything.
That would serve him well later on, he thought. He only hoped he got to grow up to be a strong Alpha, so he could be someone who could protect Sammy.
As he stood there, people-watching, a little boy about Sam’s age came out of the store and stopped beside Dean. He had sun kissed blonde hair and peered at Dean with curious interest. Dean shifted nervously. This kid had on proper clothes, smelled nice and clean, and was carrying the biggest bar of chocolate Dean had ever seen.
It’s gonna melt in the sun.
He knew he was being petulant but he was hungry and chocolate tasted delicious.
"Why’re you lookin’ at my candy?" the little boy asked suddenly and scared the crap out of Dean.
Somehow the kid had managed to slide right up to Dean without him noticing. The chocolate looked even bigger this up close. Dean could feel his mouth water.
"‘M sorry." He mumbled and unconsciously rubbed his belly. "Didn’t mean nothin’ by it. Just hungry, ‘s all."
The boy looked down at his candy, clutching it in both his hands just like Sammy did when he was carrying something big. Sam would be so happy for some chocolate.
Then suddenly the boy thrust the chocolate bar at Dean. "D’you wanna have it?"
Dean’s stomach grumbled loudly and he opened his mouth to answer just as an adult carrying a big grocery bag emerged from the store.
"Alfie." The man said, his tone both relieved and frustrated. The kid turned and looked up at the man and so did Dean. "I said to wait inside the doors."
The man was tall, lean. Looked strong but in a less obvious way than some other Alphas Dean had met. Because this was an Alpha, Dean knew that immediately. Not only because of his piercing eyes, his chiseled jaw, his entire demeanor when he approached the kids, but because of his scent.
The sharp musk of Alpha radiated from him, enveloping Dean as soon as the man stepped closer. It felt safe and somehow familiar. Made Dean want to curl up against the man. He felt his knees tremble and frowned down at them. That was weird; he didn’t usually react this strongly to Alphas. Maybe he would be an Omega after all? Or maybe a Beta with a good nose, there were those too.
"Daddy!" the little boy — Alfie — exclaimed happily and threw his arms around the man’s waist in a crushing hug. The man put his hand on the boy’s head but was looking at Dean. "This boy wants my candy."
Dean’s face immediately heated because that made it sound like he had been trying to steal it or something.
"You shouldn’t talk to strangers." The man chastised in a soft voice, his eyes still trained on Dean. Dean squirmed on the spot, preparing to leave.
"But he’s hungwy, daddy." Alfie protested. Dean opened his mouth to argue but his stomach piped up first with an even bigger growl than before. Dean was so embarrassed he just wanted to die.
"Hungry, Alfie. Speak properly." The man said calmly and put his grocery bag down on the ground to rummage around in it for a second. "And if you’re hungry, you should be eating this instead." He handed Dean a pre-made sandwich wrapped in plastic. It was the fancy kind you bought at the deli in the store.
Dean just stared with wide eyes and the man had to wriggle the sandwich before he accepted it.
"Thank you, sir." He mumbled and clutched the food to his chest, much like Alfie had clutched his candy.
"It’s okay, son." The man said, the corner of his lips quirking up into an extremely small smile.
Alfie grabbed the man’s hand when he straightened. It was obviously a sign of trust and love between what Dean assumed was father and son and he couldn’t help but feel jealous.
"Why’re you hungry anyway?" Alfie asked before Dean had had a chance to turn away. "Does your mommy make icky food you don’t wanna eat?"
"Alfie." The man said reproachfully and the boy turned his face up to his father.
Dean swallowed and looked down at his feet in their dirty, slightly too small, sneakers.
"I don’t have a mom."
When he sneaked a look up at the boy Alfie was regarding him almost weirdly seriously for a little kid. Almost like Sammy did sometimes.
"I don’t either." Alfie stated then but for some reason sounded less sad than Dean had done. "She died."
"Mine too." Dean whispered. The scent of protective Alpha suddenly filled Dean’s nostrils and his eyes snapped up to meet the man’s.
"You’re Dean Winchester, aren’t you?" he asked and though his face was unreadable, Dean felt safer than he had in a long while.
"Yessir."
The man nodded and then plucked Alfie’s chocolate bar from his lax grip before handing it to Dean.
Dean accepted it but just stared down at it. What was this? Was he supposed to give the sandwich back now?
Then suddenly the man’s big and warm hand was on Dean’s head, stroking his hair back from his forehead before coming down to cup Dean’s chin gently. He tilted Dean’s head back so that their eyes met again, Alpha protectiveness permeating the air.
"You take care now, Dean." He said and Dean could do nothing but gulp and nod slowly in answer.
Present day
When Castiel’s pup had been two years old his mother, and Castiel’s mate, had died. She had been diagnosed with terminal cancer not long after Alfie’s birth but had soldiered through for as long as she could muster.
Castiel was not proud to admit that he had cried when she finally let go. Alphas don’t cry, Castiel’s stern father would have said. Castiel was even less proud to admit that he had attacked the doctor when she had come to pry Hannah’s lifeless body from his iron grip. No one had blamed him, though.
Now, years later, the pain was still felt fresh on some days and he could admit to himself that he probably would react the same if it would happen again. Castiel had been in a dismal place for a long time after Hannah had left him.
The only thing that had brought him out of the broken shell of an Alpha that he had become had been the gentle, and not so gentle, reminder from his sister Anna and brother Gabriel that he still had a pup to look after.
Alfie had become his world and every day he could watch his pup grow had been a blessing since. He hated to think about what would have happened to that sweet child if Castiel had completely let go of reality. Hurting Alfie was his greatest fear.
But everything had turned out alright in the end. Castiel had worked hard and advanced within the firm he had been employed. Nowadays he was able to work mostly from home and even though tax accounting wasn’t very exciting and other Alphas scorned at his line of work he knew he had made the right choice. Because he had taken care of his family, however small.
And Alfie had blossomed into this wonderful child, making Castiel smile almost ridiculously at times. Just grazing his twelfth birthday the boy had presented as a Beta and Castiel was so proud. Alfie was kind and intelligent, did well in school and had many friends.
Alfie’s best friend in the whole wide world was Sam Winchester. They did everything together. Sammy was perhaps a little bit more adventurous than Alfie but not so much that it was dangerous and Castiel thought it was fine, dispelled some of Alfie’s shyness.
Sam had recently presented as an Alpha, explaining much of his assertiveness and Castiel hadn’t been able to contain his fond smile when little Sammy had puffed out his chest as he retold the presenting to Castiel.
Castiel could already tell that Sam would grow up to be a responsible Alpha. Much like Alfie he was intelligent and kind and, much too Castiel’s sadness, Sam had experienced loss in his life too. When Sam was just a baby his mother had died in a car crash and he had grown up with only his Omega big brother Dean and Alpha father John. They had no other relatives, at least not in town that Castiel knew about, and John Winchester had slowly but surely driven away what friends they had had.
When Castiel had entered freshman year in high school John had just been starting his Senior year but even though they never really met Castiel could still remember how John had doted upon Mary and how they had always been surrounded by a group of happy friends. They had seemed so carefree. But then tragedy struck and one by one John’s friends left him. Castiel had never been close to the man but he had watched from afar with saddened eyes. And then his own mate had been torn from him and he hadn’t had time to think about much else.
John hadn’t taken the loss of his mate very well and what he had turned into had been a good example of what not to do, however awful that sounded. Castiel knew of the Alpha’s behavior not because Sammy talked about it but because this was common knowledge in town. Their mates’ deaths had been too close, the similarities too many for people not to talk.
Mostly the talk was scorn directed at John for how much better Castiel had handled the situation but Castiel thought that was unfair; every situation was different. Some said it was because Castiel was a better Alpha and some said it was because Hannah hadn’t been Castiel’s True Mate. Castiel resented both arguments because what was to say what made a good Alpha? And he had always thought talk about True Mates belonged in fairy tales. He had loved Hannah and no one could tell him otherwise.
But mostly Castiel preferred to keep himself out of those kinds of discussions, no matter if he was getting praised or snorted at. It was ultimately always the children that suffered and Castiel would have none of that if he could help it. Him they could sneer at all they wanted but no one hurt Alfie and got away with it.
And no matter the circumstances Sammy had turned into an exceptional young man anyway, just like Alfie, and Castiel couldn’t help but feel proud for him too. With how much time Sammy spent in Castiel’s house he was bound to grow attached to the boy.
And while Castiel had rarely spoken more than the occasional hello to Dean, and even then only very briefly, he knew that Dean was a remarkable person as well. So resilient and with so much intensity in his vibrant eyes. Yes, Castiel wanted to get to know Dean more because Alfie really loved his best friend and Dean meant the world to Sam but even with how little he knew he was certain Dean was a good person. Perhaps one of the better youths Castiel had met.
Which was perhaps why he was stunned into stupidity one Friday noon when he parked outside the Taco Bell in town, thinking he would treat himself to some fast food after his meeting with his boss Naomi.
Because there, in the alley between Taco Bell and the building beside it, was Dean, on his knees, sucking off a grown man. And maybe Castiel’s brain was short-circuiting a little but his first thought had been that this was a weekday and why wasn’t Dean in school?
But all that changed when he saw the man grab harshly at Dean’s hair as he started fucking the Omega’s face. Castiel’s breath left him in a big whoosh and he barely registered his actions as his inner Alpha instincts forced their way to the surface.
Castiel was usually a pretty calm Alpha but this was way beyond his comprehension. All he could see was a man raping Dean — kind Dean who always looked tired when he came to pick Sammy up — and he was striding up to the pair mere seconds later.
"Dean!" he boomed, his voice like thunder as Alpha rage laced the word. His world was tinted red at the edges and he knew he was potentially dangerous right now but he didn’t care. Dean was a child.
Dean popped off the man and turned scared eyes up at Castiel. This close he could smell the cloying scent of sex and Beta arousal. Dean smelled like fear and it made Castiel growl threatening. But too late.
"Mr. Novak—" Dean started but was cut off when the Beta came all over his face.
"Shit." The man groaned but his orgasmic bliss was short-lived when Castiel promptly punched him in the face.
The Beta was obviously caught off guard and Alphas were generally stronger so it was no surprise that the man went tumbling to the ground. He yelped indignantly.
Castiel grabbed Dean’s arm and yanked him harshly to his feet. "You’re coming with me."
The man on the ground flailed and cursed but Castiel could smell on him that he wouldn’t be challenging an enraged Alpha so he just left, dragging Dean behind him all the way to the car. He needed to calm down, though.
"Get in the car."
"No."
Castiel turned his head and glared at Dean but Dean just glared right back. His scent wasn’t strong, had never really been, and Castiel had always believed that was because Dean was on heat suppressants like most Omegas were. Even so, Castiel could smell anger on him and that made him pause.
"No?" he asked but it wasn’t really a question.
"You fucking cost me twenty bucks, Mr. N." Dean gestured to the alley but the Beta was already gone. "I need that money."
Castiel felt gut-punched.
He leaned in, getting his face right up in Dean’s and the Omega only very barely managed not to shrink back.
"Get. In the. Car."
Castiel hated using his Alpha voice and he had never done it to a child before but the situation was just too much. Dean’s face was still covered in the Beta’s release and he smelled strongly of it, more so than his own scent now that his anger receded.
Wordlessly Dean opened the door and slid in. When Castiel had sat down in the driver’s seat he reached over to the glove compartment and pulled out some tissues, roughly handing them to Dean before he started the car.
The silence was stifling. Castiel was sure his anger poisoned the air and he did his best to reign it in, wanting Dean to only smell safety on him. It was difficult, though.
"You need to tell me what’s going on, Dean."
"Really?" Dean sneered and the sound was ugly, raw. Not a sound Dean usually made, as far as Castiel knew. "I need to?"
He glanced at the Omega. Dean was staring out the window, looking angry as all Hell but at least his face was mostly clean now.
"No." He agreed. "You don’t. But I would really appreciate it if you did. You’re a good kid, Dean, and I—"
"Oh don’t give me that crap." Dean interrupted snidely. "I’m a good kid, I shouldn’t be whoring myself, I should be in school, I should be a good fucking Omega and shut my trap. Well you know what, Alpha?" he turned bodily to Castiel and the Alpha glanced at him best he could while driving. "Life is fucking hard, don’t you fucking dare tell me nothing else."
Castiel pressed his lips together and took a deep breath to calm himself. It proved to be the wrong thing to do because his nostrils immediately filled with the scent of upset and angered Omega with an underlying scent of fear still lingering.
"Are you?"
"Am I what?"
"Whoring yourself? Was this not a first time? An only time?"
Dean looked at him as if he was stupid but then his features softened and he looked down at his hands, still clutching the tissues.
"It started in school." He mumbled. Castiel clenched his jaws shut but remained calm. They were almost home now. "Lots of hormones and everyone wants sex but wooing is such a drag, you know?"
Castiel didn’t know. Had only ever really had eyes for one Omega and he had found great joy in trying to woo her, even after she became his. But he understood the meaning.
"How many?"
"Does it matter?" Dean slumped back against the car seat when Castiel parked outside his neat house. Regular suburban life suddenly surrounded them and it really didn’t fit in with the conversation. Dean seemed reluctant to leave the car and Castiel couldn’t blame him. He was just glad he had managed to calm down so that the Omega could feel safe enough to talk.
"Not that many, though." Dean mumbled after a while. The car’s engine still ticked slowly in the heat. "Not that… I mean, I could’ve had more but it was mostly Alphas that wanted it and they were just kids."
You are too, though. Would be stupid to say that.
"Is that why you started going to adults?"
Dean made a face, scrunching up his delicate features into something ugly. His scent was cloying, thick with self-deprecation.
"Adults pay more." He muttered, not meeting Castiel’s eyes.
Castiel’s stomach churned. "Let’s go inside, please."
"You not going to order me around, Alpha?" Dean spat and his tone was derisive but he was on his way out of the car before Castiel could answer.
He sighed heavily and pulled the key out of the ignition. Really shouldn’t have used his Alpha voice on the Omega.
Dean waited impatiently as Castiel unlocked the door and he stomped past the Alpha first chance he got. He obviously didn’t know where he was going, though, and ended up in the kitchen looking trapped. He stood by the counter when Castel entered the room, his knuckles brushing the cool surface.
Castiel got a weird feeling seeing Dean in the kitchen. He had invited him in on other occasions, while they were waiting for Sam and Alfie to finish up, but that had felt different. Dean looked good in Castiel’s kitchen today. Fit in.
"Please, Dean." He said in a low tone, making his way over to the fridge. Dean was watching him cautiously. "Give me a chance to understand."
"Dunno what fucking difference that would make." Dean muttered. Castiel wanted to berate him for his language but hardly saw the point in this moment.
When he offered Dean a soda the Omega accepted it but only pocketed it in his leather jacket. John had worn a jacket just like that when he was in high school, Castiel remembered. The older Alpha had looked very good in it but Dean wore it better.
"You said life is hard." Castiel leaned against the fridge and crossed his arms, more to put them somewhere so he wouldn’t start wringing his hands. A very un-Alpha-like trait, his father had told him.
Dean rolled his eyes and stubbornly refused to meet Castiel’s. "You know it is." He paused and seemed to get lost in his own world. Castiel just stood there, silent and vigilant. Dean’s smell was seriously muted due to his medication but he still smelled sweet to Castiel. Sweet and uncomfortable. "Dad is not the best of Alphas."
Castiel frowned and shifted on his feet. "Tell me."
It wasn’t an order and he certainly didn’t use his Alpha voice but Dean’s dams were obviously breaking. He was still staring into space.
"Ever since mom… He’s not handling that well. And he…well you can’t blame the guy, right?"
"Dean, is he hurting you?"
Dean frowned deeply and somehow managed to avert his eyes even more. He looked guarded and Castiel knew he had pressed too hard.
"No. He just…he’s just not all there, you know? And sometimes he leaves." Dean surprised Castiel by laughing suddenly. A short burst of bitterness that seeped into his scent, clouding the sweetness. "That’s a fucking understatement. He leaves all the time. For weeks. And he usually gives us money but…" he shrugged and finally met Castiel’s eyes. He looked so tired and beaten that Castiel couldn’t help how he unfolded his arms and almost reached for the Omega.
"He doesn’t give you enough."
It was bad enough that John Winchester left his two underage sons to fend for themselves but to also leave them without means to provide for at least food was atrocious. Castiel could practically feel his Alpha instincts clawing their way to the surface when Dean just shook his head sadly.
"It’s…you know, food and then there’s field trips with Sammy’s school. And bills, rent." Dean hunched in on himself and Castiel was nervous about scaring him off but he went to put a hand on Dean’s shoulder nonetheless. Thankfully, Dean leaned into the touch.
"You’ve been providing for Sam." By selling yourself.
Castiel couldn’t help how his voice came out in a low growl but Dean didn’t seem to mind. The Omega just turned more bodily to him. His scent was filled with sadness and laced with fear and Castiel wanted to rip John a new one. He was their Alpha, they needed him.
And the fact that this could have been Alfie’s fate if Castiel hadn’t gotten his shit together made him even angrier. He had to try and rein in his emotions, though. He loved Sammy, almost like a second son, and he knew Dean deserved love as well but he had to control himself so that his scent didn’t scare the Omega.
But Dean said nothing about that, though. Just shrugged dejectedly at Castiel’s words.
"Someone has to." He almost whispered.
"You need to talk to someone." Castiel ground out but that, of all things, was apparently the wrong thing to say.
Dean wrenched out of his lax grip and stared angrily at him. "I’ve already said enough to you." He spat and oh, he was so guarded once again. Castiel felt his anger drain away and give way to this unexplainable sadness. "No one can know about this, Mr. N." Dean warned in a low tone, his brow furrowed in his anger. "Me ‘n Sammy’s been talking about it but it can’t be done. Child Protective Services would come and they would take us away—"
"Dean."
"—and they would split us up." Dean concluded in a voice loud enough to shut Castiel up. "Don’t fucking rat us out. I’m doing all this so that me ‘n Sam can be together. I lost mom, I can’t lose him too."
"Dean." Castiel almost pleaded but he didn’t dare put a hand on the Omega again. Dean stepped back as if he had tried. "Please listen—"
"Listen to what? I’m not talking to some fucking authoritative figure who thinks they know best. They’ll put Sammy in a home and I’d never seen him again." His fear of this happening was thick in his scent and Castiel almost choked on an incoming breath. "I’m fine whoring as long as it means I get to keep Sammy, okay? Don’t ruin it."
Castiel wanted to cry. They were just pups.
"Please calm down." He murmured soothingly and to his well-hidden surprise Dean actually calmed down. Very minutely, but still. "Of course I won’t say anything to anyone without your consent but please, Dean, this selling sex thing needs to stop."
Dean snorted. "I’m sixteen, it’s legal for me to mate now and that means sex, Mr. Novak."
Castiel’s eyes softened. "Sex with your peers, Dean." Dean didn’t budge, didn’t even blink. "Have you even been using protection?"
Dean rolled his eyes and leaned his rump against the counter, his shoulder to Castiel as he crossed his arms. "I’m on heat suppressants, I don’t want a fucking pup."
Oh God, Castiel wanted to cry all over again.
"I’m talking about STDs, Dean." He said kindly and saw how the Omega tensed up. "That Beta came all over your face, how much of that went in your mouth? How many times have you…" he could barely say it. "Have you taken someone else’s seed into your body?"
"I…" Dean looked down, scuffing his foot against the floor. "I dunno."
"You need to be careful." He stepped up to the Omega again, closer but without touching this time. "I need you to stop."
"I need the money."
"I will give you money."
Dean’s head snapped up and for a moment he looked so young and vulnerable that Castiel almost thought it had worked. But then Dean’s features darkened and he turned to Castiel, puffing his chest out in hurt pride. He was at least a couple of inches shorter than Castiel and only an adolescent Omega at that but he still managed to look intimidating to Castiel’s saddened mind.
"I’m not a charity case."
"I know that Dean, good God, I know." Castiel put his hands on Dean’s shoulders, squeezing slightly when he felt the stiffness there but Dean didn’t back down. "And I didn’t mean it like that. You could work for me. I have a garden and I’m useless at keeping it. I pay an expensive gardener to do it for me but I would much rather pay you. I could cut the expense in half and it would still cover what you and Sammy need and I would practically be making money on it. It would be a win-win."
Dean’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I don’t know jack squat about gardens."
Castiel sighed exasperatedly. "Neither do I, why do you think I hired someone? And you know what? When John’s away you and Sammy could sleep here. Sam and Alfie could have an extended sleepover and I have a guestroom all set up in the basement, you could stay down there. Or Sammy could sleep in that room with you, whichever would be best for you."
Castiel warmed to the idea even as he talked about it, his pace quickening to the point where he didn’t realize that Dean’s tentative expression at the thought of gardening changed into anger once again.
He batted Castiel’s hands away before the Alpha had even finished. "I told you I don’t need your charity."
"It’s not—"
"Or pity!" Dean roared and started walking out of the kitchen. "Thanks for the offer but I can take care of my little brother just fine on my own."
Castiel’s whole body jerked at the sound of the front door slamming shut and he was ashamed to say that he did nothing to stop Dean from leaving. Didn’t run after him, didn’t drive around looking for him or go to his apartment to talk to him. Didn’t try to call him.
Did basically nothing an Alpha should have done. Because Dean’s hurt scent lingered in his nostril, so strong it overpowered his whole being. Dean was a proud Omega and Castiel’s offer had translated as him finding Dean unfit to care for his family. He had wanted to help the Omega but had only managed to hurt his most primal pride.
Castiel had to do something but could already say that he wouldn’t break his promise to Dean and blab about this. However faulty that decision was.