The Hand He Had Been Dealt | Destiel

Dean and Cas Have a Splash

"Sammy! For the twenty-fifth time, leave your shoes on!" Dean huffed at the toddler as Sam slowly slid off the back of his shoe with an innocent look on his face. At Dean's insistence, Sam was pouting, putting it back on after a little struggle, crossing his arms over his tiny chest and glaring at him.

"Don't like these shoes," Sam replied with a slightly frustrated tone, stubbornly staying in that pouting position even when Dean rolled his eyes and picked him up, sitting him on the couch. 

"You out grew the last ones. You'll have to deal with it," Dean snarked back, giving Sam the 'stay there' look before going to the bathroom to finally brush his teeth after thirty minutes of attempting to get Sam ready.

He barely finished when the door rang, and he swore, swiping a hand through his hair and deeming it fine before he was moving out of the room and back into the living room...where he found Sam with his shoes off again.

"Sam, if you don't have your shoes on by the time I get back in here, I'm not letting you go with us," Dean threatened, though by the huff Sam gave him, he knew that he didn't believe a word Dean said.

Still, Dean didn't say anything further, moving towards the front door and tugging it open. He was met with Castiel's soft smile, his frustrations with Sam melting away the moment Castiel greeted him with a hug.

"Hey, Cas," Dean greeted, patting him on the shoulder before stepping away from the hug, smiling at him.

"Hello, Dean," Castiel replied, glancing over Dean's shoulder and frowning just a little, "Where is Sam?"

Dean sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "He's mad at me because of his shoes. He outgrew his favorite pair," Dean explained, stepping to the side so that Castiel could come in.

"So he is in that stage now. Apologies," Castiel responded, a smile on his face that didn't ease Dean at all. Still, Castiel continued into the living room, greeting Sam warmly.

The little shit was enjoying Dean's struggle with Sam's childhood.

But, Dean couldn't fault him entirely. Sam already seemed to be in a better mood already, even smiling at Dean, which was something he hadn't done all morning.

"Sam seems to be fine, Dean. I do not see any problems," Castiel said with a secret smile, making Dean roll his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, are we going on this date or not?" Dean replied, still unable to stop from smiling when he looks at Sam holding tightly to Castiel. Honestly, he was screwed. They both made it hard to ever really be mad at them.

"Yes, we'll leave now," Castiel replied, bouncing Sam higher up his torso so he was balanced on his hip, "Will you place Sam's booster seat in the car?"

"Sure," Dean replied, giving Sam a mischevious look that had the toddler hiding his face in Castiel's shoulder. With a smirk quirking the edge of Dean's mouth, he headed outside to the Impala, ducking his head inside the backseat and pulling it out of the car. By the time he got it over to Castiel's vehicle, the older man was already waiting there, focused on Sam in what looked like a conversation between the two.

They stopped talking as soon as Dean got close, Sam giggling secretly when Castiel shushed him. Dean ignored their innocent faces, grumbling to himself as he put the booster seat in the back seat. Castiel helped get Sam in, tickling him just a little before buckling him in and turning to Dean, giving him a smile of his own.

Once in the car, Dean relaxed under the cool air of the AC unit, his eyes closing pleasantly as the car started and pulled out of the driveway. It wasn't until a warm hand touched his, gently working its way in that Dean looked at Castiel, who was focused on the road, though his eyes filled with a happiness that Dean was glad he could put there.

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Dean couldn't have imagined a better first date if he was being honest with himself. They sat in the grass at a child's splash park, the remains of a picnic sitting around him and Castiel as Sam galloped through the water with happy shouts. Dean's skin was pleasantly warm, the cool breeze moving through and reminding him that fall was going to be settling in soon. Castiel's hand wasn't in his anymore, much too hot for that, but their pinkies brushed, Dean's curled over Castiel's just the slightest bit.

"Still think this is a bad idea?" Dean asked with a soft tone to his voice as if he didn't want to ruin the moment. Castiel looked over at him, his eyes catching the light and Dean could feel his heart skip in his chest, his lips parting just a little to breathe in the softest of gasps.

"No," Castiel stated, his eyes turning back to Sam and tracking his movements as his pinkie moved slightly, brushing against Dean's, "I'm...happy."

"Good," Was all Dean had in reply, but he didn't need to say anymore. He knew that Castiel would catch onto everything he meant behind that one word. 

A soaking wet toddler trotted over, and Dean knew that he wouldn't have had a chance to say anything more anyway as Sam tugged him to his feet, squealing about how he wanted Dean to try and hit him with the water guns positioned at the edges of the splash pad. Dean rolled his eyes, giving Castiel an apologetic look before he was pulled away, though Castiel only smiled in encouragement.

Dean managed to hit Sam three times before the toddler got the hang of dodging the water, laughing and sticking his tongue out at Dean before getting hit directly in the face. Dean laughed at the indignation on the toddler's face, chasing him with another stream until he ran out of the gun's range.

He turned to glance back at Castiel and found himself smiling when he saw the older man watching him, an affection in his eyes that made Dean happier than any touch or word ever could.

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Dean held the towel-swaddled Sam close to his chest, the toddler's still wet hair leaving a spot on the shoulder of his shirt. Still, he smiled warmly, pulling him close and looking at Castiel standing next to him, insisting on walking him to the front door because 'that's what dates do.'

"Well, I'm at the front door. Thanks for the date," Dean said with a slight tease in his voice, looking at Castiel warmly. The older man smiled back, leaning up and pressing a warm but chaste kiss to Dean's lips before pulling away.

"Thank you for coming," Castiel responded, leaving the slightly awestruck Dean at the front door and heading back to his car. By the time Dean found the will to move again, Castiel was already pulling out of his driveway, and he knew he had a goofy ass smile that was going to stay on his face for a long time.