Chapter Text
It had been a few weeks since Dean and Sam were able to save Cas from the Empty, and the tension between them was palpable. Cas, true to form, was acting as if nothing had changed, leaving Dean feeling frustrated and sad. He couldn't help but wonder if Cas regretted his confession, if he had changed his mind about loving Dean.
The fight with Chuck and the rescue mission for Cas had left them all feeling drained, especially Jack. They decided that it was time that they all relaxed and truly got to enjoy their free will. So, Jack had reverted to his toddler self, his powers and his physical attributes diminished to that of a three-year-old.
Which brought them to the present. Dean and Cas found themselves looking at preschools for Jack, trying to navigate the waters of parenting while also dealing with their own complicated emotions.
They finally settled on a preschool that seemed nice enough and went in for a screening. The sun was just shining bright in the sky as Dean parked the Impala in front of the quaint preschool building. It was a small, cozy place, with colourful drawings adorning the windows and the sound of children's laughter drifting through the air.
Beside him, Cas sat quietly, his blue eyes fixed on the building ahead. Dean glanced at his friend, noting the tension in his posture. Ever since they'd saved him from the Empty, things between them had been... complicated. Dean expected that after their usual back-from-the-dead hug, they could talk about the "confession," but Cas had looked like nothing was out of the ordinary, and Dean didn't know how to start the conversation.
Maybe Cas didn’t feel the same anymore, maybe he didn’t actually want a relationship and was just expressing his platonic love, or maybe Dean hallucinated the entire ordeal like a purgatory scenario 2.0. Who even knows anymore. Not Dean. This is all to say that Dean hadn't confessed his feelings for Cas, and since then, they had been stuck in a strange limbo, unsure of how to proceed.
"Ready to do this, Cas?" Dean asked, breaking himself out of the trainwreck of thoughts.
Cas nodded, though his expression remained guarded. "Yes, Dean. It's important for Jack to have a good education."
Dean forced a smile, ignoring the pang of disappointment in his chest. Cas was right, of course. Jack deserved the best, and if that meant putting aside his own feelings for the sake of their makeshift family, then so be it.
They stepped out of the car and made their way to the entrance, where they were greeted by a friendly-looking woman with a clipboard in hand.
"Hello! Welcome to Little Angels Preschool," she chirped, her smile warm and inviting. "I'm Mrs. Jenkins, the director. And you must be Jack's parents?"
The question startled Dean and his initial instinct was to correct the assumption. But before he could utter a word, Cas smoothly stepped in, his expression calm and composed.
"Yes, we are," Cas replied, his voice steady as he exchanged a subtle glance with Dean.
Dean exchanged a nervous glance with Cas before plastering on his best fake smile. "That's us," he said, gesturing between himself and Cas. "I'm Dean, and this is my... partner, Cas."
Cas shot him a grateful look as Mrs. Jenkins led them inside.
The interior of the preschool was just as charming as the exterior, with colourful murals decorating the walls and tiny tables and chairs scattered about. Dean couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia as memories of his own childhood flooded back. Well, before shit hit the fan, that is.
As they followed Mrs. Jenkins down the hall, she chattered away about the preschool's curriculum and extracurricular activities, but Dean found it hard to focus. His mind was consumed with thoughts of Cas and Jack, and the fragile balance they had created between them.
Eventually, they reached a small office at the end of the hall, where Mrs. Jenkins motioned for them to take a seat.
"So, tell me a little bit about Jack," she said, settling behind her desk. "I see here that he's three years old?"
Dean nodded, his heart swelling with pride. "That's right. He's a smart kid, loves to learn new things."
"And how would you describe your family dynamic?" Mrs. Jenkins asked, pen poised over her clipboard.
Dean hesitated, exchanging a quick glance with Cas. "Well, uh, Cas and I, we've been raising Jack together," Dean began carefully, "We're a... family. And Jack, he's our son. We love him."
Beside him, Cas tensed slightly, but to Dean's relief, he didn't object. Instead, he reached out and squeezed Dean's hand, sending a wave of shock through Dean’s entire nervous system.
Mrs. Jenkins smiled, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air. "That's wonderful to hear. We're very family-oriented here at Little Angels, so it's always nice to see parents who are actively involved in their child's education."
Dean returned her smile, and his eyes darted to Cas, searching for a sign of what he was thinking but couldn’t find anything.
As the meeting continued, Dean found himself growing more and more anxious. He was pretty sure his ears were sweating. He almost jumped out of his seat when Mrs. Jenkins concluded the meeting. He hoped he didn’t miss anything important, and hopefully, Cas actually paid attention, unlike Dean who had been hyper-focused on Cas’s hands in his for the past 30 minutes.
Dean thanked Mrs. Jenkins profusely for her time and reiterated how much they appreciated everything she'd said and hoped to hear from her soon about Jack’s admission. Cas nodded in agreement, but there was a distant look in his eyes that Dean couldn't quite decipher.
As they walked back to the Impala, the silence between them was palpable.
"Well, that was... something," Dean said, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Cas shrugged. "It's a good school," he said quietly. "It would be good for Jack."
Dean's chest tightened at the mention of their son. They couldn't mess this up.
They climbed into the Impala, the tension thick in the air. Dean started the engine, his fingers drumming nervously against the steering wheel.
They drove in silence, the weight of their unspoken feelings hanging between them like a tangible force. But as Dean glanced at Cas, he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this charade they had found themselves in could be the key to finally breaking down the barriers that had kept them apart for so long.