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It’s a full moon, and the white light casts an eerie glow on the lumberyard around them. The small town had been nothing but welcoming, and it makes it a little worse that this is the place a pack of werewolves chose to prey on.
The werewolf is smiling when Dean stabs it through its heart, and he grins right back. “I thought you’d put up more of a fight.”
Sputtering, the werewolf is dead in seconds. Dean stands, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth, grimacing at the smear of blood his hand comes away with.
“Are you alright?”
Spinning, Dean smiles at Cas. “Hey! Yeah, fine, it’s only a split lip.”
“You’re sure?”
“You could always kiss it better.”
Cas just rolls his eyes, taking the bloodied knife from Dean’s hand and tugging on his sleeve. “Let’s go. There’s more around back.”
“You’re no fun on hunts,” Dean complains, slinging his arm over the angels shoulders. “Loosen up! Sam and Eileen are home safe with Jack, it’s just the two of us!”
“And four more werewolves.”
“Three.”
“Four.”
“Ten bucks says three.”
“What would I do with ten dollars? I’m an angel.”
“Buy me something nice.”
Cas gives Dean an unimpressed look, “That seems counterintuitive, Dean.”
Just as Dean opens his mouth to retort, a smile in his eyes, there’s a growl behind them. He doesn’t have time to react before Cas is shoving the werewolf against the wall and stabbing the knife through its throat.
“One,” Cas counts, twirling the knife in his hands. He throws the knife at something behind Dean. “Two.”
Pulling the knife from the now dead werewolf, Dean makes a face at Cas, slashing a small ones throat as it runs at him. “Three, feather brain.”
There’s a flash of light as the last werewolf falls, smitten by Cas. “Four, skin bag.”
“I regret teaching you insults.”
“You owe me ten dollars.”
“Yeah? What are you going to get me, new boots?”
“Ten dollars isn’t enough for boots.”
“Socks, then.”
Cas blinks slowly, “I’m going to buy Jack new headphones.”
Dean gasps dramatically as Cas strides away, werewolf blood dripping from his fingertips. “Babe!”
“Hmm?” Cas hums back, still walking.
Catching up with the last of his dignity intact, Dean spins to walk backwards in front of Cas. “So, movie and dinner?”
“Shouldn’t we be getting back?” Cas asks, raising his eyebrows.
“Nah, we finished up early. We have plenty of time to kill.”
Cas tilts his head. “What movie?”
“Ha!” Dean laughs and turns again to walk side by side with Cas. “Star Wars?”
“Again?”
“They shoot lasers in space , Cas.”
“It wouldn’t work. I can barely fight in space and I’m an angel.”
“You’ve been to space?”
Cas doesn’t answer, opening the Impala door and smiling at Dean coyly.
“ No way .”
“Dinner first or after?”
Pulling himself into the driver's seat with a sigh, Dean shrugs. “Before?”
Cas nods, leaning across the seat just a little. “Do you still want me to kiss it better?”
“Always,” Dean laughs as he reaches up to pull Cas’s head closer, smiling into the kiss.
***
Sam sets down the wine glasses, smiling over at Eileen as she lights a candle at the center of the table. “Missing anything?” He asks, signing as he goes with only a few pauses in his hand motions. He’s getting better.
“Just your hand,” Eileen says back, wiggling her fingers at him, palm up. Sam laughs and takes her hand, sitting down with her. “Wine?”
“Why thank you,” Sam says as she pours them each a glass, clinking his against hers with a mock dignified look on his face that makes Eileen laugh. His chest tightens and he grins. “Just you and me, finally.”
“Yeah.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, Sam. Just… are you sure Dean and Cas-”
“Hey, hey.” Sam squeezes her hand. “What’s the rule?”
Elieen rolls her eyes, “No hunter talk on dates.”
“Don’t roll your eyes! You made that rule!”
“And you’re supposed to stop me.”
“Never,” Sam signs, rather than says. He grins, leaning across the table. His eyes just begin to close as his nose touches Eileen’s when someone behind him clears their throat. Sam huffs, dropping his head down to look at the table. “I thought you were watching documentaries in your room, Jack?”
“I was,” Jack says absently, oblivious as he sits down next to Eileen, his hands clasped in his lap. Eileen obviously finds it adorable, and so does Sam, but like, come on. “Can I have a hedgehog?”
There’s silence all around, and then Eileen looks at Sam with that light in her eyes like she’d just heard the best idea in the world, and Sam’s own eyes widen as he puts up a hand, “No, wait- Jack, you had a pet, remember? And it- well it didn’t really end well.”
Jack slouches, eyes turning vacant. “Oh yeah… I guess you’re right.”
“Sam!”
Sam swallows, “C’mon Jack, I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t blame you, I just don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
“It’s okay, Sam.” Jack shrugs, glancing at Eileen. “I just kind of wanted… a friend.”
Eileen’s eyes go soft, she looks at Sam with pleading eyes, “Sam?”
“Really?” The younger Winchester brother isn’t so stubborn to know he’s fighting a losing battle, with a sigh, he nods. “Go get your coat, Jack, it’s cold out.”
It’s not until they’re piling into Elieen’s Jeep that Sam realizes the kid totally guilt tripped him, judging by the proud grin he keeps giving Elieen.
“Okay Jack, if we’re getting you a pet, we’re doing it right. Do you know what hedgehogs eat? What kind of habitat they need?”
Jack frowns. “They don’t eat people food?”
“No, Jack- I thought you were watching a documentary?”
“Yes. It was about Blue Whales.”
“What-”
“They’re huge Sam!”
Driving, Eileen laughs at the snippets of conversation she’d been able to catch. “We can ask the store clerk all those questions. Did you bring your gloves, Jack?”
“Oh, no… I must have left them in my room.”
Sam turns and tosses Jack his pair, “Put mine on. The heater hasn’t kicked in yet.”
Jack pulls them on, his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth just a little as he opens and closes his fists in the too big gloves. “Do you think Cas and Dean will be mad that we’re buying a hedgehog without telling them?”
“What? No,” Sam says.
Just as Eileen says, “Probably.”
Eileen and Sam exchange looks, and Sam shrugs at her. Eileen smiles nervously back, “I meant, probably… not?”
“Dean said I couldn’t have a cat, he never said I couldn’t have a hedgehog.”
“Exactly! Besides, it’s not like it’ll hurt him.”
“Probably,” Eileen adds helpfully.
“Thanks, Eileen.”
Jack leans in between the two front seats, cutting off their silent conversation. “I’m going to name it Carl!”
“Put your seatbelt on, it’s not safe,” Sam chides with a laugh. “What if you choose a girl?”
Jack thinks about it for a few seconds and then nods. “Ms. Carl.”
“Sounds great, buddy.”
***
“Seriously? There’s no way.”
“I’m telling the truth.” Cas laces his fingers together under his chin. “Alexander The Great had secret girlfriends-”
“And boyfriends?”
“-and boyfriends.”
Dean leans back and shakes his head. “Damn, if only I’d been born two thousand years ago.”
Cas glares, “If only.”
“I’m kidding!” Dean kicks Cas under the table, “You’ll always be my favorite of my secret boyfriends.”
Calmly, Cas picks up a fry off Dean’s plate and throws it at his face.
“Hey!” Dean picks you the fry and shoves it in his mouth, it hangs out halfway as he talks, “Sam is gonna have an aneurysm when I tell him.”
Cas just nods, staring over Dean’s shoulder. “Uh-huh.”
“What? You good?”
“You know, I was considered to be the most… amorous, of the angels in my garrison back then.”
Dean tips his head forward as he chokes on his drink, “I’m sorry?”
“If only you’d been born two thousand years ago,” Cas says, crossing his arms.
“No, no way, you can’t leave me hangin’ after saying something like that.”
“I already told you, Alex had a lot of secret boyfriends.”
Dean’s eyes widen as far as they can go. “ Alex ? What?”
“You heard me.”
“Babe.”
“Should we get the bill?”
Groaning, Dean throws his napkin down onto the table, muttering as Cas stands up, “I’ve been to space, Dean. I was Alex’s secret side ho, Dean. By the way, I call Alexander The Fucking Great Alex , Dean. I’m not elaborating on any of that, Dean-”
“What?”
“What?”
“Did you say something?”
“Yeah uh- we should get going.”
***
“Do they come in green?” Jack asks, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.
The pet store employee blinks slowly, “Hedgehogs?”
“Yes-”
“He means the cages,” Sam interrupts, squeezing Jack’s shoulder. “Go choose one, okay Jack? I’ll finish up here.”
Jack nods, turning and making a beeline for the small selection of hedgehogs. Eileen pats Sam’s chest, “I’ll go with him.”
Sam signs a thanks, smiling after the two of them.
“Adopted?” The employee asks with a perfected customer smile.
“Uh, yeah- kinda. How’d you know?”
“So was I.” He smiles at Sam and pushes a large green cage across the counter. “You seem like you’re doing fine.”
Sam lets out a breath that’s half a laugh, half a relieved sigh. “Thanks.”
“Don’t wash him in a tub.”
“I- what?”
The employee laughs, “The hedgehog, not the kid.”
“Oh.”
“Sam!” Jack waves Sam over, pointing with his other hand at a glass case. “Look!”
Sam moves over to stand next to Eileen, leaning over her shoulder and putting his hands on her hips to see the one Jack is pointing at. “The albino one?”
“No, the white one.”
Eileen laughs and lifts her arms to rest her hands over Sam’s. “Tell him why.”
“It’s different from the other ones,” Jack says, staring intently at the hedgehog. “But it’s still good, not broken.”
Sam smiles and nods against Eileen’s shoulder, “Not broken.”
When the employee hands the tiny thing to Jack, his hands are gentle. “Hello Ms. Carl Kline. We’re family now.”
Eileen squeezes Sam’s hand, and he squeezes hers back. “I’m okay with missing dinner for this,” she says.
Sam switches to looping an arm around her so she can see his face when he signs, “Me too.”
***
“Sam says Jack just went to bed.”
Dean nods, scooping the last of the popcorn out of the container with two fingers. “Good. It’s late.”
Cas raises his eyebrows at Dean, “You’re tired?”
Through a yawn, Dean shakes his head, “Nah, I could keep going for hours.”
“Then it’s a good thing the drive is only half an hour.”
“What? You don’t want to spend the night at a hotel with me?”
“Be quiet.”
Dean throws his head back in a sharp laugh, feet loud on the asphalt outside the quiet theater. “You act all tough, but the second someone suggests-”
“No, Dean.” Cas reaches out to stop the both of them. “Someone’s here.”
“Like… someone or someone ?”
Cas nods, which, you know, helpful. Dean rolls his eyes just as the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and Cas’ grip on his arm tightens. “Another werewolf?”
“Or something worse.”
“That’s a little hurtful,” A voice growls. A werewolf, older than the others, steps out into the light of one of the movie theater posters. He’s wearing a janitor uniform, the name of the apartment building they found the first victim at pasted on one side of his chest, a name tag that reads ‘Ford’ on the other.
Cas tilts his head, “You followed us all night?”
“You killed my pack.”
“An angry werewolf!” Dean says darkly, nudging Cas, “That’s a new one.”
“He’s right, we did kill his entire pack. What makes him think he can take us?”
“People do stupid things when they’re angry.”
“Speaking from experience?”
“Rude.”
Ford growls, “I’m right here!”
“Yeah!” Dean gestures to Ford, “Stop embarrassing me in front of the monster janitor, babe.”
Cas laughs at that, and Dean’s face lights up. The angel shakes his head fondly, “What now, then?”
“Now,” Dean says, on a roll, “good ol’ Ford tries to charge us, ‘cause he thinks we’re off our guard.”
Just as he says it, Ford lets out a frustrated yell and throws himself at Cas. There’s a knife in his chest before he hits the ground.
“And he’s wrong, of course,” Cas says.
“Of course.” Stepping over the body, the two head back to the Impala. Cas leans into Dean as they walk, and Dean wraps an arm around him. “Know what I’m thinking?”
“What?”
“Technically there were five werewolves, so all bets are off.”
***
“Is he asleep?” Eileen signs to Sam as he walks into the library.
Sam nods. “He didn’t want to yet, he wanted to stay up and show Dean and Cas Carl.”
“Ms. Carl.”
“Ha, right.”
Eileen pulls on Sam’s arm until he sits down next to her in the small loveseat, tucking herself under his arm. “Alone time?”
Sam huffs, “Yeah, finally. Unless Jack needs something else.”
“You’re a good dad, you know.”
Shifting, Sam shrugs. “I uh- yeah, I guess. I try, at least.”
“Sam.” Eileen sits up to give him a look. “I’m deaf, not blind.”
With a laugh, Sam nods. “I know.”
“I see how he looks at you, you’re his hero.”
“Since when are you so observant?”
“I’m not. I just have eyes.”
Sam nods, swallowing. “Yeah… after everything with the Ma’lak box and his soul-”
“Hey!” Eileen smacks his arm softly, “The rule?”
“Really? Even right now?”
“Yes.”
“Okay…” Sam tilts his head to lean it against Eileen’s. “I just wanna be there for him, for real, this time.”
“I know.”
“Did we just buy him a hedgehog?”
Eileen giggles, turning her head against Sam’s chest. “Yes.”
“Wow,” Sam says, even though she can’t hear or see him. He’s sure she feels his laugh though.
In the other room, the bunker door creaks open, letting in Dean and Cas’ voices.
“He’s an asshole!”
“I know.”
“Why the hell would she want to end up with-”
“Dean I don’t care about a fictional Star Wars relationship.”
“Then you don’t care about my life, Cas.”
“You’re so overdramatic-”
“Sammy!” Dean calls when he sees Sam, “Tell Cas that freaking Kylo Ren would be a horrible boyfriend for Rey.”
Sam blinks at him, “I’ve never seen-”
“You all suck!”
Eileen shakes her head and stands, picking up the empty wine glasses off the table. “I think he’s rude.”
Dean gasps and points at Eileen. “Exactly!”
“I mean, he’s a bratty kid.”
“He killed his dad!”
Jumping up, Sam takes the wine glasses from Eileen. “I’ll get those.”
Cas follows him out the door, “I’ll, uh, help.”
Sam chuckles as he walks down the hall, Cas behind him and the voices of their SO’s fading in the background. “How was the hunt?”
“Fine.” Cas shrugs. “It’s almost boring after dealing with everything we have.”
“Yeah, no kidding. Dean and I took care of some vamps a couple weeks ago and it felt like target practice.”
The kitchen is dark when they step inside, smelling like coffee and burnt bacon. Cas shakes his head with a smile. It smells like Dean. It smells like home. “How was Jack?”
“He knows a lot about Blue Whales after today,” Sam replies with a glance at the door. “He’s got something to show you, but I told him to wait until morning.”
Cas nods, opening his mouth to say more when Dean shouts from somewhere in the bunker. “What was that?”
Sam groans, “I think I know.” he rushes out the door, Cas on his heels.
They find Dean and Eileen in Jack’s room, Eileen is standing in the doorway with her arms crossed, and Dean has his gun pointed at the hedgehog's cage. Jack is right next to it with wide eyes. “Cas! He’s going to shoot Ms. Carl!”
Cas looks between his boyfriend, the hedgehog, and Jack. “Dean, don’t shoot… Ms. Carl.”
“I was just checking on the kid,” Dean says, shoving his gun back into his waistband. “And there’s a freaking rat in here!”
“She’s a hedgehog,” Sam says.
“Her name is Ms. Carl,” Eileen says.
Dean squints, “What?”
“She’s albino! Which means white, if you didn’t know,” Jack explains, pulling on Cas’s sleeve. “She’s part of our family now, so you have to be nice to her.”
“You got him a hedgehog?”
Sam shrugs, an arm around Eileen.
Cas laughs, leaning down to look at Ms. Carl, “Well, from now on, we’ll make sure she feels welcome.”
Jack glances at Dean, “All of you?”
Expression softening, Dean reaches up to tossle Jack’s hair, “Sure thing, kid. I won’t try and shoot her. She’s actually kinda cute.”
“Want to hold her?”
“I uh- you know I’ll pass, wouldn’t want to move too quickly.”
“Right,” Sam says, “Dean hates going fast.”
“It took him ten years to ask me on a date.”
“Babe!”