Archive of Our Own ^beta

Story #20

Ocean Spray, Spiced Rum, Lime

Sand, Sun, and Spiced Rum~

It was supposed to be romantic. There was the hotel room with the gorgeous white linen, the enormous hot tub, the miles of white, sandy beaches and crystal blue water. Everything was perfect. And Castiel was here alone.  That wasn’t supposed to happen.  He sat at the bar overlooking the beach and watched all the people. So many happy couples, it made him sick. He slammed back the rest of his drink, rum and coke, and glared at a happy couple that walked past him. They seemed oblivious to his foul mood though.  No one seemed to notice, really, and that just put him in a worse mood. 

“You want a refill?”  the bartender asked.  Cas gave a curt nod and another drink was placed in front of him.  The empty glass was removed, and he folded his fingers around the new one.  Another couple was standing on the sand talking, the shorter of the two throwing his head back and laughing at something the taller man with him said.  The taller of the two grinned as he pointed out towards the water. The laughing man shook his head and pointed back towards the bar, and that earned him an eye roll from his mate. Damn mated pairs, they were everywhere here. Why hadn’t he chosen a place like…Antarctica?  Then there’s be no half-naked bodies, no disgustingly affectionate couples, and he wouldn’t have encountered the random hookup on the side of his hotel, where he caught an Alpha knotted to one of the cleaning maids. That was something he had never wanted to see. And why the fuck did everything smell like rum or goddamn coconuts here? 

The scent of lime breezed past him as he took a sip from his drink.  He noticed the rum smell was stronger now.  Was the bartender using a different kind?  It smelled spiced now.  He grumbled under his breath and took another sip.  Someone had dared to sit down on his left but he wasn’t paying the man any mind, until he leaned closer to grab a napkin out of a holder that was in front of Castiel, and he was blasted a second time with that spiced rum smell.

“Why does every fucking thing in the Bahamas have to smell like goddamn rum?!” he shouted.  Well, actually he slurred loudly, but his outburst caught the attention of everyone around him, including the man sitting next to him who had frozen mere inches from the napkins.

“I’m sorry?  If my scent offends you, I guess I can move.” 

Cas swung his bar stool around so he could look the man in the face.  He was having trouble focusing after downing eight of those drinks, so he squinted in an attempt to bring the man’s face into focus.

“Did you spill a bottle of rum?” 

The man chuckled softly.  “No, dude, that’s just how I smell.  I get it, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.”

A breeze off the ocean seemed to bring the scent of salt up to where they were sitting.  It seemed to compliment the smell of spiced rum very nicely.

“You smell like rum?”  He swayed and nearly fell out of his seat, but strong hands grabbed him and sat him back up straight.

“How much did you have to drink there, buddy?”

“None of your business.”  Castiel growled, though he sounded more petulant than anything.  The man didn’t seem perturbed though.

“You smell like rum too, but more like you drank an entire liquor store.  You’re so going to regret that in the morning.”

“I don’t care.  It’s my honeymoon, I’ll drink as much as I want, it’s in my budget!”  Castiel lifted his glass, intending to take a sip, but the stranger plucked it out of his hand and set it back down.

“Where’s your husband then?  Or your wife?  I think sleep and some water would help.”  The man motioned to the bartender to give Castiel water, so he did.

“I’m not married.”  Castiel’s shoulders slumped and his chin dropped to his chest.

“How are you on your honeymoon, but you’re not married?  I don’t think I’m understanding that part.”  The man’s voice was so nice, nothing at all like Balthazar’s pretentious British accent.

“He left me.  At the altar.  I had this all payed for, so I decided I needed a vacation.”  He wouldn’t have volunteered any of that information if he wasn’t currently drunk off his ass.  A glass was nudged against his hand so he grabbed it and took a swig of the contents.  He grimaced when he realized it was water, not rum and coke.

“What’s this shit?”

“You need to sober up, before you kill your liver.  Why don’t I walk you back to your hotel?” 

“I can get there on my own.”  Castiel stood up quickly, which was an immediate mistake.  The beach seemed to become part of a kaleidoscope, and he swayed so badly that he ended up falling forward.  He’d have landed face first on the sand if it weren’t for the strong arms that caught him.  A gasp escaped his lips when he was swept up into those same strong arms.

“Which hotel is his?  Do you know?”  The man was asking the bartender.

“That one.”  The man nodded towards the one directly behind them.

“Who are you?”  Castiel looked up, but his vision was so blurry all he could see was light brown hair and tan skin.

“My name’s Dean.  What’s your name?”

“I forgot,”  Castiel whined.  He genuinely had forgotten, and he burst into tears.  “Why doesn’t he love me anymore?”

“Sounds like he’s an asshole, and you could do a hell of a lot better,”  Dean said.  Castiel closed his eyes and leaned his head against the man’s shoulder.  Alpha.  Dean was an Alpha.  The smell of spiced rum and lime washed over him, and the amazing smell of the ocean seemed to follow as they walked into the hotel.  The cold air made Castiel’s skin prickle, and he snuggled in closer.  Dean smelled so good.  His scent was comforting, and he soon drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Someone was driving nails into his skull.  That had to be what was happening.  His head had never hurt this bad in his life.  Thankfully the curtains were drawn because the strip of light coming in meant it was daytime.  Either he’d slept all night and woken up with the mother of all hangovers, or he’d slept only an hour or two and it was still the same day.  He didn’t feel drunk though.  Why had he been drinking in the first place?  Balthazar’s scotch was a rare indulgence, and on occasion he drank wine, but never enough to cause this kind of migraine.  He reached across the bed for the familiar form of his boyfriend’s body, but there was no one there.  The sheets were cold.

“Balthazar?”  He forced himself to sit up, groaning from the pain that caused.  Slowly he opened his eyes, and then the realization hit him.  This wasn’t his home. He was alone on what was supposed to be his honeymoon, his boyfriend of six years and fiancé of two had cheated, leaving him for his own sister.  There had been no clue that Balthazar and Hael had been having an affair, until he’d found the messages between them, and as if it wasn’t bad enough that he’d lost the man he loved, he’d lost his sister too. 

He’d been so desperate, not wanting to give his Alpha up, and he’d begged Balthazar to please stay, and he’d thought the man loved him enough to do so.  The wedding was still on, and everyone had shown up.  Everyone except Hael and Balthazar.  It was humiliating and the worst part was how his family had blamed him.  They’d said he was too focused on his career to give Balthazar what he needed, and too awkward for an Alpha so classy and beautiful.  The truly sad part was that it had felt more like he’d been settling when Balthazar had proposed.  He just…didn’t want to be alone, and no other Alphas had ever wanted him.  Now that’s exactly what he was, alone and miserable.  Maybe he deserved it.

It took effort to swing his legs over the edge of the bed and sit up.  His stomach lurched and for a moment he was certain he was about to hurl, but it finally settled a bit.  He looked over at the nightstand, frowning when he saw a bottle of aspirin, a bottle of water, and a note.  Who had left that?  He was grateful, regardless, and he swallowed a couple of pills down with the water.  There was a hint of rum in the air, and he wasn’t sure where it was coming from.  His head hurt too much to try and read the note, so he decided a shower was in order.  Maybe giving the aspirin some time to work, and the shower, would help him feel better.  It was worth a try.

It helped a lot.  Most of the queasiness was gone and his head was only pounding about half as bad as it had been when he’d woken up.  He returned to the bedroom, almost having forgotten about the note until he spotted it again.  This time he opened it and read it.

So I learned through the concierge that your name is Castiel.  Pretty cool name.  It’s doubtful you’ll remember me, though I hope you do.  My name is Dean.  I’m the one that picked you up off the beach after you drank so much you couldn’t stand, and I carried you back to your hotel.  Don’t worry, two maids and the desk dude all accompanied me up to your room, I guess to make sure I remained a gentleman.  I’ve never taken advantage anyone, drunk or otherwise, but hey, they don’t know that.  I bought the bottle of aspirin for you cause I knew you were going to have a killer hangover this morning.  We got you tucked in, and you never woke up.  I hope you feel better in the morning.  Don’t worry about the aspirin, I just want your head not to feel like it’s exploding. 

I’m leaving this note for two reasons.  One, if you’re feeling up to it, I’d like to invite you to a late lunch with my brother Sam and me.  He’s an Omega, in case you were worried about that.  We don’t know anyone else here, and I thought it might be nice.  My treat.

Second, I don’t mean to sound forward, cause I’m really not like that, but you were hanging all over me last night and well, you smell really freaking good.  I figured out as I was tucking you in that I could smell your secondary scent and a third one under that, though it was very light.  You smell like fresh cut grass and sunflowers, with an undercurrent of fresh earth.  It’s really amazing.  One of the maids told me it’s cause you’re my truemate.  If it’s alright, I’d like to just have lunch, see what you think.  You kept going on about my scent yesterday, so I hope when you’re sober and you don’t feel like you’re dying, you’ll still like it.   Here’s my number, in case you want to text.  I have free texting here.

Dean~

Castiel stared at the note in shock for a long time before reading it again.  His truemate?  Was this for real?  He sniffed and realized he still smelled rum in the room.  But where was it coming from?  He set the note back on the nightstand and began sniffing around, seeking out the source of the smell.  Eventually he tracked it back to his abandoned swim trunks, the ones he hadn’t actually used yet to swim.  There was rum, and he was pretty sure he’d spilled something on himself last night, but on the back of his shorts there was the most intoxicating scent of spiced rum.  It was different, better, and there were hints of lime in it.  Dean was an Alpha.  Still carrying the shorts with him, he went back to the note and snatched it up.  He found his phone and added Dean’s number into it.  With his stomach in knots, he sent the man a text.  It was only a few minutes later before his phone vibrated with a return message, and a location where they would be meeting for lunch.  He wished desperately that he could remember what Dean looked like, or how they had even met.  If this was indeed his truemate, though, he was going to at least meet with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Castiel shaved and dressed in a nice pair of khakis, choosing a blue V neck tee shirt that he felt complimented his eyes.  He wasn’t ugly, he was just awkward, or so everyone liked to tell him.  He walked the three blocks to the outdoor café Dean had suggested for their lunch, and taking a deep breath, went inside.

He didn’t know what Dean looked like, and there were too many scents to try and pick out spiced rum and lime, so he settled for standing still and hoping the Alpha remembered what he looked like.  In the meantime he took a look around.  The place was pretty busy but not overly full, and the food smelled delicious.  He’d been to the Bahamas before, and he loved most of the food here.  A man with a deep tan smiled at him and he found himself hoping that was not Dean, because the man made him deeply uncomfortable.

“Castiel?”

He turned at the sound of his name and found himself staring at what had to be the most beautiful man he’d ever laid eyes on.

“Dean?”

The man chuckled.  “Guess you didn’t remember what I looked like, huh.”

“Sorry, I don’t even remember drinking yesterday.  What time did you bring me up to my room?”  Castiel asked.

“Oh, maybe ten after seven.”  Dean moved closer, stepping around the creepy guy with the tan until he was standing directly in front of him.

“Wow, really?  I didn’t wake up until almost ten this morning.  I must have drank a lot.”  He was ashamed of himself for drinking that much.

“I asked the bartender.  He said you’d had eight rum and cokes.  Heavy on the rum.  I’m surprised you still have a liver.”  Dean smiled, and Castiel found himself smiling back.

“I’m feeling the ill effects of all that alcohol, trust me.”

“Our table is this way.  I hope it’s ok that I chose a table outside.  They don’t have air conditioning, and it’ll get too hot if we sit inside.  We’re under the shade of an umbrella.”  Dean began walking, and Castiel fell in step beside him.

“How did you come across my drunk self last night?” 

“Well, my brother wanted to play in the surf but I wanted a drink, so I left him to go splash in the water and I went up to the closest bar, which was where you were sitting.  You screamed about everything smelling like rum, which, most of that was me, by the way, and you were almost falling out of your seat.  You were angry, hurt, and drunk, and…I was worried.”  Dean pointed to a table where a very tall man with a scruffy beard and his hair pulled up in a tiny bun was sitting.  “That’s my brother, Sam.”

“Hello, Sam, it’s very nice to meet you.  I’m Castiel.”

“Nice to meet you too.  Are you feeling better today?”  Sam asked as they shook hands.

“I think I’ll feel better once I have some food in me,”  Castiel replied.  He was both surprise and pleased when Dean pulled his chair out for him.  Once he was sitting, Dean took the seat between them.

“We’ve eaten here before; it’s pretty good food,”  Dean said.

“What brings you two down here?”  Castiel asked.

“I was here on work and my assignment is over, so I invited Sam down to spend a couple of weeks with me.  He just got here three days ago,”  Dean replied.

“What kind of work brings you to the Bahamas?”  Cas wondered.

“I do personal security.  I had a temporary gig watching over a senator’s daughter.  She was here on vacation.  I decided I liked it here, so now I’m taking my own vacation,”  Dean explained.

“Personal security, is that dangerous?” 

“Sometimes it can be,”  Dean replied.

Their server arrived, bringing glasses of water and taking their drink order before leaving to take care of the next table.

“Dean was part of Homeland Security, then the Secret Service, but he left.  Decided to do lower-profile work,”  Sam volunteered.

“Homeland Security?  The Secret Service…”  Cas stared at the Alpha, his blue eyes wide with wonder. 

“It’s not as glamorous as it sounds.  I worked the Canadian border for a few years, then my buddy from college who was on presidential detail called me up, told me there was an opening.  I applied, got in, did that for a few years, but I refuse to work for Trump.  I wasn’t on presidential detail, but I refused to be under his administration, so I left. I make good money doing this, and I’m less likely to get shot.” 

“Again,”  Sam said.  Dean shot him a look of annoyance.

“Again?”  Cas asked.  “You’ve been shot?”

“I was grazed.  Twice.  I was faster than the shooter both times.” 

“I’m an economics and financial planning professor back in Kansas.”  Cas frowned.  God his job was lame!

“Hey, we’re from Kansas!”  Sam exclaimed.  Cas perked up at that.

“Oh?  Where from?”

“Dean lives in Lawrence, but I’m in Kansas City.”

“I’m just outside Lawrence,”  Cas told him.

“Oh, wait a minute, you’re not the poor guy they wrote that atrocious article about in the paper, are you?  The one whose fiancé married his sister while he was waiting at the church.”  Sam managed to look both sympathetic and horrified at the same time.  Cas sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Yes.  I’m considering leaving, moving somewhere new and starting fresh.  It’s humiliating.  My entire family blames me for him cheating.  They’re traditionalists and don’t believe Omegas should work.  They should be barefoot and pregnant, doing everything possible to cater to their mate, and the Alpha’s absolute happiness was their primary goal.  He didn’t have a problem with my working when we met, but I am guessing my family brainwashed him.  He was nagging at me to quit and stay home.  That’s not something I’d be happy doing.  I love teaching.”

“You shouldn’t listen to stupidity.  It’s your life, you do what you want with it.  If teaching is what you love, do it.  Hell, I put Sammy here through college because his dream was to become a lawyer, so I did everything I could to make sure it happened.  Don’t listen to people that try to bring you down.”  Dean was smiling softly at him when he dropped his hand and finally looked up.  He smiled back.

“How much did I talk when you found me yesterday?”

Dean sucked air in and grimaced.  “You told me about the altar, but mostly you were angry that I smelled like rum.  Pretty much chewed me out because I smelled good.  After I got you into your room and put you to bed, I came back down and chewed out the bartender.  He should have had the common sense to see you were in distress and cut you off.  You could have wandered down to the water and gotten hurt.”

“Dear God, I’m an angry drunk?  That’s embarrassing.”  Cas covered his face with his hand and groaned.

“Not really.  You’re more of a cuddly drunk.  One that gets very sleepy, very quickly.”  Dean laughed.  Cas lowered his hand and smiled.

“That’s better, I suppose.  It was my first time drinking like that.”

“You were upset.  I get it.  I was engaged once too.  I didn’t get left at the altar, but I did get left.  That shit stings.”  Dean took a sip of his water to hide the hurt as much as possible, but Sam had that damn sympathetic look in his eyes again.

“So you think we’re truemates?”  Cas asked.

“What?  Truemates?  You didn’t tell me that!”  Sam exclaimed.

“Didn’t realize I had to tell you everything, Sammy.”  Dean shot his brother a dirty look, but Sam just gave him one of his patent bitch faces.

“I could smell the lime under the spiced rum, but…I think that’s you that smells like the ocean too.  It’s not as strong as the rum or lime, but I can smell it.”  Cas ignored their little exchange.  Lord knew he had enough of them with his own brother.

“Right, and I caught your scent as I carried you up to your room last night.  I smelled the fresh cut grass pretty strong, but then I smelled the sunflowers.  It caught me off guard, and I gasped.  That’s when one of the maids asked me what was wrong, so I told her.  As she explained things, I caught the underlying scent of freshly turned earth.  It made sense that you were my truemate.  I can’t smell anything except the primary scent on anyone else.”

“It’s interesting that you say that.  My friend Meg teaches biology, and she explained to me that we all come into this world with a specific genetic makeup.  To one person, I might smell like fresh cut grass, but to another I might smell like unripe bananas.  It’s how the other person’s senses process it.  She says we can have primary mates, and often times have several.  Some people have dozens.  Truemates though, she says, those are in a different category entirely.  Their scents are so compatible that once they find one another, they are the only ones that can smell the third, underlying scent.  My ex, I smelled like summer to him, or so he said.  But he couldn’t smell the sunflowers, and definitely didn’t smell anything earthy on me,”  Cas explained.

“You smell like summer, yeah,”  Sam said.

“And to me, you smell like caramel, or maybe agave.  Either way, it’s sweet,”  Cas told him.

“He definitely smells like flan.”  Dean teased.  Sam broke out in a huge smile.

“So what you’re saying is my brother literally smells like the Bahamas.” 

Cas’ smile widened a bit.  “I suppose I am.  It’s very nice though.  I-I like it.”

“So can I ask what exactly happened or is it too soon?”  Dean’s expression was serious but Cas could see the concern in his eyes.  He got the sense that this man genuinely cared, and he wasn’t sure why, since they had really only just met.  How much did he really want to tell them?

He quickly realized he wanted to tell them everything.  They wouldn’t be biased, especially considering what Dean had said about him working.  Licking his lips, he got started.

“So I was dating an Alpha named Balthazar.  We met at a university social function roughly 10 years ago, when I had first started.  He was in a relationship at the time and I wasn’t looking to be in one, but we became good friends.  A few years passed and he confessed to me over dinner one night that he had feelings for me and proceeded to ask me out.  I liked him, maybe not the way he liked me, but I had a lot of trouble dating. I don’t really do big crowds; I have a hard time joining in on mundane conversations, and I don’t make friends easily, but he liked me in spite of all of this, so I said yes.  We dated for a long time.  About four years.  I have been evaluating what my feelings for him were since I got here.  I think that I was so desperate to be loved and have someone in my life that I just accepted what he was offering me.  It wasn’t love though, not in the real sense of the word.  It was settling.  Still, we were in a committed relationship, and I was faithful to him.  Around the time he proposed, my older sister Hael began coming around more.  She’d gotten out of a bad relationship and we were always close, so I would sit with her, listen to her vent her frustrations, and do what I could to make her feel better.  She never thought I was weird, which is part of why I think she and I were so close.  I never noticed her getting close to Balthazar.  Eventually I’d start coming home from work to find her there, and she’d say she came by early and was waiting for me, but the truth was, she’d been there for hours, fucking my fiancé, and using that as an excuse so she didn’t have to run out the door before I got home.

“I, uh, got sick one day.  Turns out I was pregnant.  I left work early, went home, didn’t think Balthazar would be home since he was a professor too.  Walked in on her locked on his knot.  I became hysterical.  I ran, went to my brother Gabe’s house.  He is the only member of the family that finds Hael and Balthazar at fault and not me. I was under so much stress that I miscarried.  Balthazar came looking for me, apologizing, saying it was just the one time.  I believed him at that moment, but in retrospect, I think I was doing some serious blocking.  After a brief stay in the hospital, I went home. I begged him not to leave me. He said he loved me and he wasn’t going anywhere.  But he was different.  I chalked it up to his guilt, but now I’m realizing it’s because he wasn’t in love with me, he was in love with Hael. 

“The day of our wedding rolls around, I was pacing in the back room, waiting to be told I could start walking.  Then Gabe comes and tells me, two hours later that Balthazar never showed up, and there was a text going around to all of the family that he and Hael had eloped. They’d run off together the night before.  Right up until that morning, he’d been assuring me everything was fine, though he was doing it via text, not in person.  I was devastated.  It was humiliating, and I am now no longer on speaking terms with him or most of my family.  Only my brother Gabe.  He’s not speaking to Hael or most of the family either.  But, this trip was paid for, non-refundable, and I needed time to reevaluate my life and decide what exactly it is that I want to do, so I took my already packed bags and I came here.  Balthazar, the bastard, tried to take the plane tickets for him and Hael, so they could come and enjoy my honeymoon.  I called the police on him.  I paid for them, not him.”  Cas sniffed in disdain and took another sip of his water.

“Wow, he’s…”  Sam shook his head in disbelief.  “Would you be angry if I said he’s an asshole?”

“Not at all.  I’ve called him some pretty choice things.  While I’m here, Gabe is back home, emptying our condo.  See, Balthazar moved to Chicago with Hael, took a university job there, and I just cannot live in the same place I did with that man.  I need a fresh start.  He’s putting all of my things in storage and at my request, burning everything Balthazar left behind.  Which was most of his stuff.  It’s cathartic, the pictures he’s been sending to me.  But I truly do need a fresh start,”  Cas said.

“I can’t believe the nerve of that guy.  What a piece of work.”  Dean smelled pissed, his spiced rum scent growing deeper.

“But hey, look on the bright side, you came here and met your truemate.”  Sam liked to look on the bright side, Cas noticed.  “That has to be a good sign, right?”

Cas couldn’t help feeling shy.  He knew what most people did when they met their truemate.  They got mated as quickly as possible.

“I’m hoping it is,” he confessed.

“Can I ask you something?”  Dean asked him.

“Sure.”

“Why were you marrying him?  Why didn’t you bond with him long before that?”

The café had picked up in business, every table now filled, and their server was a bit overwhelmed. He returned at that moment to get their food order.  They all knew what they wanted, and Cas waited until the drinks and a complimentary bowl of fruit was placed on their table before he answered Dean’s question.

“Well, that was mostly because of Balthazar.  He was older than me, and the relationship he was in before we began dating, his ex cheated.  They’d been in love, or so he says, and ready to seal the deal, if you will, when he caught his boyfriend cheating.  Bonding is a lifetime commitment.  When you’ve been cheated on, it can cause distrust issues.  You’re linked to this person for life, though it’s not as deeply linked when they’re not truemates.  He told me he wanted us to reach the 10 year mark together before we bonded.  I agreed.  Now, I’m glad I did or I’d be trying to get it chemically broken, which I hear is excruciating.”

Dean nodded as he listened.  “Yeah, I can understand that.  I was with a girl named Lisa for a few years.  We dated right after high school for about a year, then she cheated.  I dumped her and didn’t see her for about seven years.  Then one afternoon I’m shopping and who’s at the other end of the aisle, with a little boy?  Lisa.  The kid had her dark hair but shit, he was my clone.  I asked her who his father was, but she swore up and down his father is the guy she had cheated with.  She was single, unmated, and much more grown up than she had been at 19.  I asked her out and we dated for a year.  I moved in, started treating Ben like he was my own, cause I really thought he was.  I proposed, she said yes, but as the wedding date drew closer, I realized I was doing this not for her, but for Ben, so he’d have two loving parents.  I wasn’t in love with his mother.  She wouldn’t let me bond with her and I wasn’t sure why, but about two weeks before the wedding, she goes and calls the whole thing off.  Cited a bunch of excuses from “she couldn’t handle my job,” to “I don’t think you really love me,” to “she wasn’t ready to settle down.”  She had a laundry list.  Turns out she had another Alpha interested in her.  I was pissed, hurt, and my heart broke for Ben.  He wanted me to stay with his mom, begged me to be his dad.  I wanted to be, but I packed my bags and I left.  The kicker?  She mated that guy.  They’re still together. 

“Ben calls me every so often to tell me he misses me, and to vent about how much he hates his mom’s mate.  The guy didn’t want pups that weren’t his, so he treats Ben like crap.  They have two of their own together and he spoils them, but alienates Ben.  I got to talking with Lisa not long ago and I asked her, if Joe, that’s her mate, doesn’t want Ben around, or he feels that the pup is being a nuisance, could he come and stay with me sometimes.  She agreed, because she loves Ben very much.  It’s sort of like a divorced parent situation.  Ben comes to stay with me whenever he works Joe’s last nerve, or he isn’t getting enough attention at home.  And most of the summer he comes to stay with me.  It’s the closest I thought I’d ever come to having pups of my own.”

“Is Ben yours?”  Cas asked.  Dean looked so sad as he shook his head.

“Nah.  I did a DNA test.  He’s not mine, but he’s mine, if that makes sense” 

“It does.  Pups need love and affection.  He’s a lucky boy to have you in his life,”  Cas said honestly.  Dean smiled.

“Thanks, Cas.  Ben’s a big reason why dating has been hard for me in the last few years.  A lot of people think I’m stupid for taking on a parental role for a pup that isn’t even mine.”

“Well they’re idiots if they can’t see that it takes a truly amazing person to open their heart up to a pup that isn’t theirs.”  Cas pulled the bowl of fruit closer and began selecting pieces of pineapple, mango, and papaya, placing them on his plate.  Dean took the bowl when he was finished, and then Sam took what was left.  They all ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, looking out at the crowds of tourists and the people heading to the beach.

“How long are you here for?”  Dean asked once he’d finished his fruit.

“I just got here two nights ago, but I’m paid up for 14 days,”  Cas replied.  “You?”

“Til I feel like going back,”  Dean replied.

“I’m here for 10 days, and I plan to swim every single day,”  Sam said. 

“I haven’t been in the water yet.  Is it warm?”  Cas asked him.  Sam nodded.

“It’s like bath water; it’s wonderful.  We should go swimming later.”

“I’d like that.”  Cas felt like maybe he could become friends with Sam.  He was sorely lacking in people that fit into that category.

Dean watched the Omega as he chatted with his brother about life back in Kansas.  It turned out they both had extensive book collections because they were both avid readers, and they started discussing their favorite books.  He was still in shock that he’d come here and met his truemate.  What if Balthazar had mated Cas?  Would he have been able to even smell that Cas was supposed to be his?  What if they had married?  His heart squeezed painfully at the thought of not meeting his truemate until after the man was already married.  Somehow, though, it felt like the fates were working in his favor.  It had turned out to be a painful ending for the Omega with the penetrating blue eyes and the messy dark hair, but this could potentially be a wonderful new beginning for them both.  Cas was beautiful, and Dean hoped not so jaded that he wouldn’t want to give him a chance.  He was still lost in thought, not realizing that he was still staring, when he heard Cas clearing his throat.  His eyes refocused, and he realized the man was now staring right back.

“You alright there, Dean?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m great.”

“You were staring at me.”  Cas seemed amused by that.

“Well, you’re gorgeous.  It’s hard not to stare.”  He flashed the man his most charming smile.  The Omega blushed, a soft smile rising up on his lips.

“You’re not just saying that?”

“I say what I mean, Cas.  You’re probably the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.” 

“My brother likes you, I can smell it on him,”  Sam stated.  Dean glared at him for a moment before his own cheeks turned red.  When he looked at Cas again, the man was smiling even more.

“How would you like to join us down on the beach?”  Dean asked.  “We’ll forgo the rum though,”  he teased.  Cas laughed softly.

“Alright, I’d like that.  Besides, I don’t need to drink the rum.  I get the benefit of my truemate’s scent without getting drunk.” 

Dean broke out in a wide smile at the Omega’s flirting.  “Whoever thinks you’re awkward is an idiot.  I think you’re great.”

“Thank you, Dean.”  Cas liked that neither Dean nor Sam seemed to think him strange.  Hopefully that opinion wouldn’t change as they got to know him better.

After they ate, they headed back to their hotel.  Cas was pleased to learn they were all staying at the same place, just on different floors.  Dean and Sam had adjoining rooms on the fifth floor, in the east wing while Cas was on the third floor in the south.  They agreed to meet in a half hour, after changing into their swim trunks and grabbing whatever beach gear they wanted to bring. 

Dean looked incredibly cool sitting on the bench in the lobby in a white tee shirt and blue, yellow, and white swim trunks.  He was watching the people around him and his sunglasses were perched on top of his head.  Next to him was his towel and some sunblock.  Sam was nowhere to be seen.  As Cas crossed the lobby, Dean spotted him and stood up.  A huge smile graced the Alpha’s face.  Cas was struck by how beautiful the man was.  He smiled in return.

“I recognize those trunks,” Dean teased when he saw what Cas was wearing.

“Yes, well, they’re the only pair I brought with me.”  Cas laughed. 

“I brought two pairs, but these are more comfortable,”  Dean said.

“Where’s Sam?” 

“Jerk ran out to the beach already.  I swear he’s a fish.  We have to look for him when we get out there.”  Dean grabbed his stuff off the bench and started walking. Cas fell in step beside him.

“I came here with my family years back.  My brother, sisters and I all played in the water, but it was cooler.  We went in January, not July,” he said.

“This was my first time here.  I like it a lot.”  Dean held the door for him and they stepped out into the bright Caribbean sun.  He dropped his sunglasses over his eyes and Cas dug his own out of his pocket.

“I wasn’t sure I’d actually enjoy this trip,”  Cas admitted.

“Well, you should.  Rub it in that bastard’s face that you had a great time without him.”

Cas smiled.  “This is true.  I’m definitely enjoying myself today.”

“How’s your head?  And your stomach?  I forgot to ask.”

“Better.  Much better.  I took some ibuprofen upstairs, just in case.”  Cas said as they moved from solid ground to the sand.  They were both in flip flops, but the sand was a bit too hot to just take them off and walk barefoot. 

“There’s Sam’s stuff.”  Dean pointed to a bundle of clothes and towels.  “We’ll set up there and go find him in the water.”

Cas followed after and they took more time than Sam had to spread their towels out and claim their little section of the beach.

“Can I ask, will you put sunblock on my back and shoulders?  I don’t feel like burning,”  Dean asked.  Cas tried to curb his excitement at getting to touch the gorgeous Alpha.

“Of course.”

Dean handed him the bottle of sunblock and stripped his tee shirt off.  He turned around and Cas tried not to stare too hard as he squirted some into his hand.  There were freckles all over Dean’s chest, back, and shoulders, but they were light, almost blending in with his already tanned skin.  He’d noticed over lunch earlier that the Alpha had more on his cheeks and nose.  They just made the man even more beautiful. 

He began rubbing the lotion into the Alpha’s skin, smelling the way it mingled with the scent of rum and lime.  The Alpha snickered when Cas rubbed some onto his ears and the back of his neck.

“I always forget my ears,” Dean admitted.

“Most people do, but it’s annoying when they burn so bad later that you can’t roll onto your side,”  Cas said.  He hadn’t been asked to do it, but the Alpha wasn’t complaining when he proceeded to apply more lotion to his arms and around the front to his neck and collarbone.  Dean grabbed the bottle and began applying some to his chest and stomach.

“Do you need some too?” he asked.

“It would probably be a good idea.”  Cas replied.  He tugged his own shirt over his head and inhaled sharply when Dean’s hands began rubbing the lotion into his chest.

“This ok?”  Dean peered up at him over the edge of his sunglasses, and Cas swallowed hard as he nodded.      

To his surprise, despite knowing the Alpha was aroused, Dean was incredibly respectful, and soon they were heading down to the water in search of Sam.  Seeing him flirting and playing with a woman with dark hair made Dean pull back though, and he led Cas farther away, until they were standing in water up to their chests.  Fish were swimming around their feet and every time one bumped Dean’s leg, he flinched and moved closer to Cas.  It was incredibly amusing to the Omega, and he eventually took pity on the nervous Alpha and reached out to take his hand, pulling his attention away from the water.

“Do fish scare you?”  he asked.

“Not exactly, but I know there are jellyfish and stuff, and sharks.  Sharks scare me,”  Dean confessed. Cas sucked his lower lip into his mouth as he tried to hide his smile.  Big, strong Alpha who put his life on the line for other people regularly was afraid of jellyfish and sharks.  It was…cute.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”  He broke out in a smile anyway, and Dean blinked in surprise before grinning wide.

“Oh you will, will you?”

Cas laughed, pleased by the Alpha’s amusement.  Balthazar would have been miffed by any teasing or joking about his masculinity, even if he was the least masculine Alpha he’d ever known.  Dean had a sense of humor and he found that he liked that very much.  A fin in the water behind Dean drew his eye and the other man turned to see what he was looking at.

“Oh hell no!”  With his knees to his chest, Dean fled the water.  Cas followed, laughing hysterically the entire way back to the shore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“So, how would you feel about having dinner with me tonight?”  Dean asked once they were stretched out on their towels.  It had just been a dolphin, apparently, but he wasn’t eager to get back in the water.  Cas was stretched out, his hands linked behind his head and his legs crossed at his ankles when Dean asked, and he smiled as he turned his head to look at him.

“Like…a date?”

“I don’t want to push you into anything. If you’d rather it just be as friends, I’d be ok with that.”  Dean sounded so shy, it was sweet.  He didn’t want to take too long to think about it though and possibly ruin any future interest on Dean’s part, or make the Alpha doubt his interest.  A date sounded very nice though.  Balthazar had stopped taking him on them around the time Hael began coming over regularly.  Now he realized why.  He decided he did want a date.

“Yes, I would like that. As a date.” He added the last part in for clarification.  Dean’s smile was dazzling, and it made his heart flutter.  He’d never really experienced that before.

“Yeah?  You’re sure it’s not too soon?”

“Unfortunately, I think I was just trying to prolong a relationship that was long dead.  I haven’t been on a real date in years, and I would love to go on one with you.” 

Dean settled back on his towel, all smiles as he looked up into the hot summer sky.  “Awesome.  I’ll pick someplace real nice and meet you at your room.  How does eight sound?  Unless the place needs reservations, and then I’m at their mercy.”

“That sounds perfect.  Could you aim for semi-casual?  I didn’t bring any suits or anything more formal than dress pants and linen shirts, and sandals, because of the heat,”  Cas asked.

“Sure.  Any preferences on what you want to eat?”

Cas shook his head.  “No, I’m not picky.  I like everything, even super spicy food.”

“Well, when I’ve reached the point where I’ve had enough of this sun, I’ll go inside and see what I can do about getting us a reservation.  If I can’t get one tonight, I’d still like to see you.  We could order in?  But I’m not the kind of guy who will lie and not look for a reservation first.  I just want you to know that.  I’ll call every restaurant within walking distance before I settle on dinner in.  I want you to be absolutely comfortable with me.”

Cas pulled one hand out from behind his head and reached over to place it over Dean’s.  “I’m glad, but though we just met, I do already feel comfortable with you.  I know you’ll select a nice restaurant for us.”

Dean linked their fingers together and squeezed gently.  “I’m starting to cook out here, how are you doing?”

“I think I’d like to go in the water again,”  Cas replied.

“Dude, there are sharks!”  Dean whined.  The laugh that bubbled up in the Omega’s chest had him feeling happier than he had in ages.  He really liked this Alpha.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“Come on, pick up.”  Cas muttered as he picked out a shirt to wear.  He settled on a light pink one and then threw it aside.  The only reason he’d packed that one was because Balthazar liked him in that color.  That was insulting to Dean as far as he was concerned.  Instead he settled on blue. 

“Hello?”

Cas sighed with relief at the sound of his brother’s voice.  “Gabe, how is the packing going?”

“It’s going well.  I called Meg and Gad, and a couple guys from my work, and we got everything packed up in about two days.  It’s all in storage now. Meg took all of the clothes your douchebag ex left behind, and she’s cutting them into ribbon.  I was there earlier and I scrubbed everything down, but you’re so clean to start with that there wasn’t much to do.  The Realtor is coming in the morning.  How are you doing?  Not brooding too much, I hope.  He’s really not worth it.”

“I know that.  I got drunk enough to pass out last night, but I have no intention of ever doing that again.  It’s miserable the next day.  Thank God for aspirin!”  Cas found a pair of black pants and laid them out too.

“Cassie, you can’t drink away your problems.”  Gabe sounded worried, but Cas didn’t call to upset his brother.  He was excited to tell him about Dean.

“I know that, and that’s the last time I plan to ever drink like that.  I called with news.  Good news.”

“You find yourself a sexy cabana boy to have hot, sweaty sex with?”  His brother was joking, but it made Cas blush anyway.

“No, there are no cabana boys here.  You’re incorrigible.”

“So what’s your good news if not raunchy sex with a hot young man?”

Cas sighed and rolled his eyes.  “I found my truemate.  He happened to be here on vacation too.”

He heard a disbelieving squawk come from his brother.  “You’re kidding!”

“No, I’m not kidding.  He’s gorgeous, and he’s definitely my truemate.  I can smell the secondary and the third scent on him.  He is retired Secret Service and owns his own security company now.  And the best part?  He lives in Lawrence.”  Cas felt himself getting more and more excited as he talked. 

“For real?  And you believed him?”  Gabe asked.  Cas stopped on his way to pull the iron out.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Did it even dawn on you that he might be lying to impress you?  How old is this guy?”

“He’s 35.” 

“Yeah, 35 and retired Secret Service.”  His brother’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. 

“You’re so negative all the time, Gabe.”  Cas chided, but he had to admit, there was a seed of doubt now planted.  Was Dean telling him the truth? 

“I’m a realist.  Just like I told you douchebag didn’t really love you.  Granted I didn’t know he was cheating, but still.”

Cas went to the iron and got it set up.  He would just have to do some research and find the truth.

“Why don’t you look up Winchester Security?  It’s based in Lawrence.”

He heard tapping on the other end of the line and knew his brother had probably already been online when he called. 

“Hmm.”

“Hmm?  What does that mean?”  Cas went to retrieve his pants and got started on ironing them.

“It means, it’s a legit company.  The website has pictures of him shaking hands with Obama and says he worked for the Secret Service and Homeland Security.”

“Yes, he told me that already.”  The doubt his brother had instilled in him vanished, and he found himself smiling as he eliminated the very few wrinkles that had been in his pants.

“So your truemate is basically everything douchebag isn’t,”  Gabe said with a chuckle.

“Are you ever going to use his name again?”  Cas laughed.

“Nope.”

“Well, I have a date tonight with Dean.  Gabe, he’s so sweet.  I didn’t miss Balthazar at all today.  I’m still angry, don’t get me wrong, and I hate both him and Hael.  I never want to see either of them again, but…I don’t want to dwell on the humiliation they subjected me to.  Dean doesn’t think I’m strange.  Even Balthazar told me more than a few times that I was odd.  He thinks I’m funny, and I made him laugh today.  I never make people laugh!”

“He sound great Cassie.  Where are you guys going on your date?”

“He’s trying to set up a reservation at one of the restaurants in the area.  He said he’d text me when he had them to let me know the exact time, but we were aiming for eight.  I still need to take a shower and shave.  It’s funny because his brother is a lawyer but since he’s on vacation, he’s not shaving, and he’s been pulling his hair up in these crazy little buns.  Oh, and it’s hard to get him out of the water, he’s like a fish.  Dean, on the other hand bolted from the water earlier when he saw a fin.  It was a dolphin.  I talked him into going back in the water with me for a little bit, but then we saw some nurse sharks and he ran out again.  I don’t think he’s going to do much swimming while he’s here.”  Cas laughed as he hung the pants up and got started on his shirt.  Gabe was chuckling on the other end of the line.

“Well, I can’t say I’d be sticking around if I saw sharks either, but that’s still funny.”

“They feed the sharks here, so they’re really used to humans.  Dean doesn’t care though, they scared the heck out of him.”  Cas was still amused by that. 

“We all have our fears.  Tell me later how your date goes.  I’m glad you’re getting back on your feet, but don’t rush into things, ok?  Truemate or not, I doubt Dean wants to be your rebound,” his brother warned.  “Be good to the guy, and if he hurts you, I’ll break his legs.  Secret Service or not.”

Cas was all smiles, happier than he had been in such a long time. 

“I have an hour to get my shirt ironed and shower before he picks me up.  I’ll talk to you later.”

“Go, have fun.  Don’t forget my tee shirt that you promised!” 

With his brother off the phone, Cas put it to charge and finished his ironing.  He wanted to hurry and get into the shower so he could rid himself of the sunscreen and ocean water he still was covered in.  He really hoped Dean would want to properly scent him later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Dean texted while he was in the shower to let him know he’d gotten them reservations at a restaurant two blocks away at 8:30, but he would still come meet him at his room at 8. Cas hurried to shave and dress before Dean arrived, and on instinct, he reached for his engagement ring to put it back on like he did after every shower.  His heart squeezed painfully when he remembered he’d left the ring back in his condo.  He reminded himself that this was his fresh start, his chance to start over with someone who cared. 

There came the expected knock at eight, and he opened the door to find Dean standing there looking gorgeous as usual.  His green eyes were alert and warm as he smiled.

“Hey, you look great.  The blue really brings out your eyes.”

“Thank you.  You look wonderful as well.  I like you in tan, it flatters you.”  Cas did like the pants Dean had chosen, but he questioned his own choice of compliments.  The Alpha was wearing a white, linen shirt with tan dress pants, and he looked very handsome. 

“I can pull off a tan suit.  I actually own one.  My friend Charlie shares your opinion, and she bought it for me.  I wore it to her wedding two years ago,”  Dean said.

Cas made sure his phone, wallet, and key card were in his pocket before stepping into the hall and closing the door behind him.

“I bet you were very handsome.”

“I could show you pictures, if you want.  I was her best man.  She did a beach wedding, but up in Boston. It was really nice.” 

“I’d like to see them. I look forward to getting to know you better.”  Cas fell in step beside him as they made their way to the elevators.

“Me too.  I want to learn anything and everything you’re willing to share.”  Dean held out his hand, palm up and Cas smiled as he slid his own into it.  The Alpha smiled as he slotted their fingers together and squeezed.

“Are you…did you want to…”  Cas felt his cheeks heating up as he took a step closer.  “Did you want…to scent me?  The sunscreen and sea salt was masking most of it earlier.”

“I really do, but I was thinking after dinner, when we find a moment of privacy.  Maybe when I walk you back to your room?”  Dean still pulled him a little closer.  Cas could tell the Alpha was dying to really scent him, but he was modest enough and respectful enough t0 not just grab him and do it right here, where other hotel guests might see.  He appreciated that. 

“Alright.” 

They held hands in the elevator going down, and the entire walk to the restaurant.  It was nice.  With Balthazar, any sort of affection was saved for the bedroom.  There was no hand holding in public, no gently bumping against one another as they gravitated closer, talking about whatever came to mind.

“So you have a house?”  Cas asked after they were at the restaurant, seated at their table.  They’d been talking about life back in Kansas, and the Alpha mentioned his gardening hobby.

“I do.  I actually approached the people that had bought my family home and asked them if they were considering selling.  They weren’t, but I gave them my card and asked that if they decided they wanted to, could they please let me know.  About five years later I get this call out of the blue from the wife and they wanted to sell.  Her Alpha husband got a job overseas and they needed to sell quickly.  I got the house at a third of its value and…I moved in.  Afterwards I sort of regretted it since I live in this huge, four bedroom house all by myself, but it’s home.  It’s where I grew up.  My dad lost it when I was nine to foreclosure and we just lived in a series of motels after that, so it was the only place I ever really felt happy in.  It was the only place that ever felt like home.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your mom.  How did she pass away?” 

A small furrow formed between Dean’s brows, and he looked down at his glass of water.

“She was coming to pick me up from pre-school and some moron hit her.  Dead on impact.  The school called my dad to tell him my mom never showed up, so he came to get me and dropped me at his best friend’s house, along with Sam.  Then he went in search of her.  He thought maybe some sick bastard had taken her, cause back then there were people that were stealing Omegas and forcing them into sex rings.  The government didn’t see it as a major problem and they didn’t really make much of an effort to look for the ones that were taken, but no, he called the police to report her missing and they called him down to the morgue.  Mom was dead, not missing.”

Cas reached across the table to take his hand.  “I can’t even imagine how that must have affected you.  I grew up with two parents that were…loving on the surface, but highly critical of their children, and extremely judgmental.  We were always at fault, even when whatever happened wasn’t our fault.  It was my fault my fiancé cheated, not his.  I’m curious what their opinion is of my sister’s actions, though I’m not calling them up to find out.  My mother wasn’t the kindest woman, but she was always there.  I couldn’t imagine how it would have affected my dad, or us as pups, had she not been around.  My heart aches for you and Sam.”

“Our entire world changed that day.  Bobby, that’s my dad’s best friend, he kept us for a while, and then dad took us back, but things got bad.  Dad lost his job, then the house, and he started doing odd jobs here and there to earn enough to pay for a motel room and a bit of food, and Bobby gave my dad money when he couldn’t pay for things.  When we weren’t with him, I took care of my brother.  I raised him, cooked for him, changed his diapers, bandaged his boo boos, and basically, I took over as his mother and father, even though I was barely out of diapers myself.  Then when my dad died, it wasn’t really that big of a change. I’ve always taken care of my family. It was my responsibility, not as an Alpha, but as the eldest son and big brother.  Sammy, he doesn’t need me anymore, so I’ve kind of floundered since he went off on his own.  I didn’t think I’d find my truemate though.  It kind of feels like Christmas in July for me.”  Dean smiled softly as he squeezed Cas’ hand.  “I know it might not seem like that for you, but I’m really happy I met you.”

“I’m not going to lie; I’m extremely happy that I met you as well, but I am still feeling the sting of humiliation and hurt over what he did.  I can’t just turn off my emotions.  I spent six years with someone, built my life with him and thought we’d grow old together, have a couple of pups, and he decided on the drop of a dime that he wanted that with my sister instead of me.  I can come to terms with the fact that he didn’t want to marry me and that he left.  It’s how he did it that hurts the most.  I wish he could have just come right out and said he wasn’t in love with me.  We could have ended things amicably and moved on.  At that point if he wanted to be with Hael, maybe it wouldn’t have torn my entire family apart.” 

Dean got up from his chair and moved to the one right beside Cas.  He wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer.

“Some people, they just don’t know a good thing when they have it.  I’m so sorry he did that to you.  I want you to know that there is one thing I’ve wanted my entire life, and it’s to have the kind of love my parents had, and I have always believed that I could have that with my truemate.  I promise I will never be so dismissive or cruel.  I’m not perfect by any means, and I’ll give you all the time you need to heal.  I’m not going anywhere, ok?”  He kissed the Omega softly on the temple, inhaling the scent of his coconut shampoo mixing with his fresh cut grass smell.  Cas leaned into him, sighing with contentment.

“Thank you, Dean, I appreciate that more than you know.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Dinner was wonderful, and the following day they spent time together in the water, and then out shopping.  The next few days were spent together.  Sometimes Sam went with them, sometimes he didn’t.  They went snorkeling, fishing, hiking, bike riding, and anything else that caught their interest.  The more time Cas spent with Dean, the less his heart hurt.  He called home to his brother twice more, for updates on the condo going up for sale but also to fill him in on how great of a time he was having. 

The best part was when, two days after Sam had gone home and he and Dean were relaxing out on the terrace of Cas’ hotel room, Gabe told him Balthazar had called looking for him.

“Yeah, the bastard had the nerve to call.  When he couldn’t call you directly because you changed your number, he called the folks, but you didn’t give it to them either, so they told him to call me.”  Gabe sounded so smug. 

“What the hell did he want?  There’s no reason he has to be calling me.”  Cas accepted the glass of wine Dean had poured for him and took a sip.  It was sweet and delicious, taking the edge off of his bitter feelings.

“Oh, so get this!  He was under the impression that you were sitting at the condo crying yourself to sleep every night, and he wanted to make sure you were ok.  I laughed and told him you went to the Bahamas and were living it up there with your truemate.  He freaking flipped!  I could hear Hael in the background demanding that he tell her why he was cursing up a storm, but he would tell her.  At least, not while he was on the phone with me.  I guess he thought a $20,000 vacation should just go to waste because the wedding was off.  Dumb ass.  He said he was coming back when you got home to talk, and to collect his stuff.  I told him you weren’t coming back here, the condo is up for sale and that his stuff was gone and if he wanted to know what happened to it, to call Meg.  He demanded to know where you had moved to, and got mad when I wouldn’t tell him.  You don’t owe him anything, Cassie, and so help me God, if you even think of forgiving him, I’ll disown you!”

Cas could hear how upset and angry his brother was but strangely enough, he simply felt amused.  Not by his brother’s reaction, but by his own indifference to his ex’s upset.  He looked up at Dean, who could hear bits and pieces of the conversation, and he could smell the mild distress pouring off the Alpha.  Dean was worried he might actually consider going back to him.  That was never going to happen.

“How many times has he called you now?” he asked his brother.

“Three, and twice he had to do it when Hael was out because she’s pissed as hell at him and doesn’t want him calling about you.  I’m getting ready to change my number, but you might want to watch out in case he just shows up there.  I wouldn’t put it past him.”

Dean set down his glass of wine and looked at Cas in alarm, but he was quick to soothe the Alpha. He brought his hand up to Dean’s cheek, cupping it gently and shaking his head.  Nothing was going to make him go back to Balthazar.

“He shows up, I’ll have hotel security remove him.  I want nothing to do with him.  I will not listen to his apologies.  At this point I just want to move on.  I have my laptop here and I put in dozens of applications.  I have six interviews when I get back, none of which are in Kansas or the Chicago area.  Change your number and do not give him any information, please.  Just make sure that I have your new number.”

“I’m going in the morning to do that.  Need a new phone anyway.  I tried blocking him, but he just calls from other numbers, so I’m just going to change it and be done with that ass,”  Gabe grumbled. 

“Why don’t you come stay in my room?  He won’t know you’re there; your brother hopefully didn’t give him my name,”  Dean said.

“I didn’t!”  Gabe piped up loud enough for Dean to hear.  “I won’t tell that bastard a damn thing!  I shouldn’t have gloated and told him Cas was in the Bahamas.”

“It’s ok, I’ll alert the hotel and give them a picture of him so they’re prepared if he shows up.  Hopefully he forgets that we were supposed to stay in this hotel since he left all of that information up to me.  He didn’t do any planning at all, for the wedding or for this trip,”  Cas said.  “I’m not worried.  He won’t get anything out of me, so he can just stay with his wife up in Chicago.”

Dean took the hand pressed against his skin and kissed it before grinning.  Cas smiled back.

“You guys are having a good time though?”

“Yes, and Dean has invited me to stay another two weeks.  We’re having a wonderful time,”  Cas replied.

“Good.  I’ll let the realtor know you’re staying longer.  Don’t let this dickhead ruin your vacation.  He’s done enough damage.” 

“He’s not ruining anything.  I’m not his Omega.  He has one.  Best that since he made his bed, he should get used to lying in it.”  Cas took his hand back and drained the rest of his glass of wine.  Dean refilled it while Gabe filled the Omega in on the real estate market, and how the condo fit in.  It had been shown three times so far, but no bites. He had expected that though.

When he hung up with his brother, he sighed deeply.

“You ok?”  Dean asked.  Cas dropped his hand from where he was pinching the bridge of his nose and smiled. 

“Actually, yes.  I have no desire to hear anything Balthazar has to say.  I’m more bothered by the fact that he is essentially harassing my brother.  It’s insulting that he is asking after me, the person he left, while he has a wife that he’s supposed to be in love with.  Not that I feel even the slightest sorry for her, because I don’t.  If he tracks me down and starts spewing crap about how he made a mistake, I swear I’ll punch him right in the face.  If I never seen him again, it will be too soon.”

“I’ve been thinking.  It would be more cost efficient if you stayed with me for the rest of our stay here.  I’m not going to press you for sex, but I’d feel better if you were in my room with me, where I can keep you safe.”  Dean was watching him closely, and he could tell he was paying close attention to his scent too.  They’d spent most of the last 10 days together and were becoming increasingly attuned to one another’s moods.  He didn’t need to be protected but he understood an Alpha’s instincts, and it gave him butterflies knowing that Dean wanted to protect him.  

“Do you see me as pack already?  You say you need to protect me, is that why?”  he asked.  Dean’s expression was earnest.

“Yes, I care a great deal about you already, Cas.  Fuck, if I’m being honest, I’m crazy about you.  You’re the most amazing thing to ever happen to me, and I want to keep you safe.”

Cas stood up from his seat and came around the table to stand in front of him.  Dean had been incredibly respectful and they’d shared nothing besides a few tender but chaste kisses up until then, and even now the Alpha remained in his seat, one hand wrapped around his glass of wine, the other draped across his lap as he looked up at Cas.

“I’m crazy about you too, Dean.  I didn’t think it was possible to fall for someone this fast, especially after spending six long years with someone and never once feeling like this.”  He lowered himself down so that he was sitting in Dean’s lap and kissed him.  There was a thumping sound as Dean placed his glass on the table, and then he was wrapping his arms around the Omega and holding him closer. 

The kiss deepened, and Cas scrambled to set his own glass aside so he could bury his fingers in Dean’s hair.  The Alpha’s hands tightened on him, and a deep groan slipped out when Cas kissed him harder. 

“Cas, wow!”  Dean was panting, sucking air in when they both tried to catch their breath.

“I would like you to stay the night.” Cas stroked his thumbs along the Alpha’s freckled cheekbones and kissed him again, softly this time.  Dean’s green eyes searched his blue ones, needing to make sure he really wanted this.

“Yeah?  You’re sure?”

Cas nodded.  “I am.  I want to know what it’s like to make love with someone that truly loves me and wants me, and that I want in return.”

Dean swallowed hard and when he blinked, Cas could see the tears in his eyes.

“I want that too.”

Cas stood up and held out a hand to him.  Dean took it as he got to his feet.  He let his beautiful Omega lead him back into the bedroom and over to the bed.  Once there, he slid his hands under Cas’ thighs and lifted him up so he could lay him out on the bed.

“You’re so beautiful.”  He knelt down on the bed and swung one leg over so that he was straddling Cas.  The Omega’s hands came to rest on the Alpha’s thighs, and he squeezed the firm muscles there.  Dean was well-built, and so incredibly gorgeous. 

“Do you want me to present?” he asked.  Dean shook his head.

“No, I’d prefer if, for our first time, we were facing.  I want to see your face as you come.”

Cas’ heart began to race excitedly.  He grabbed the hem of his tee shirt and pulled it over his head.  When he looked up, he saw Dean doing the same.  He brought his fingers up to trace the tattoo on the Alpha’s chest, the same one Sam had. He’d heard the story behind it, and he thought it was touching. 

“I have a tattoo.” 

Dean quirked an eyebrow.  “Oh?  I’m curious now since I’ve seen most of your body.  Where could you be hiding a tattoo?” 

Cas smiled up at him and batted his lashes.  He was pleased at the way the Alpha’s pupils dilated.  Dean’s fingers hovered over the button on the Omega’s shorts, waiting for permission.  Cas nodded and he watched as Dean opened them and slid the zipper down.  He lifted his hips when Dean climbed off him so he could remove the shorts completely.

“God, you are stunning,” the Alpha said as he ran his hands up the Omega’s thighs.  He grabbed the hem of the boxers the man was wearing and pulled those down as well.

Cas was lean, firm, and it was clear just how well he took care of his body.  Anyone that couldn’t appreciate that and want this man in their bed every single night was a damn idiot.  After having a good, long look at the hard cock in front of him, he noticed the tattoo.  It brought a smile to his face.

“Cas, is that…a bee?”

“It is.  When I was in college I contemplated switching my major and doing botany with a minor in entomology instead.  I love flowers and that’s what I really wanted to do, but my dad said he’d disown me if I didn’t get my mathematics and finance degree.  Once I did and I started working, going back to school to get another degree,”  Cas shrugged.  “Certain other people thought I didn’t need to go back, so for a long time, I didn’t.  But about four years ago, I started taking classes anyway.  During my off hours.  As a staff member I can take a certain number of courses for free, so I’m about four credits away from another degree,”  Cas explained.  Dean smiled as he traced his fingers over the tiny bee.  It was fitting.

“Is that what you want to do?  Will you teach it?”

“I think…yes.  I’d like to get the last credits I need, so maybe I’ll stay where I am now, earn them, and then teach somewhere else.” Cas tugged at Dean’s pants.  “Can we talk about my career later?  I want your knot right now.”

Dean chuckled and let the Omega get his pants open, then he slid off the bed long enough to let them drop to the floor.  Cas’ eyes widened when he realized the Alpha wasn’t wearing any underwear.  His cock stood up proudly, massive and leaking.  He’d never say it, but Dean put Balthazar to shame in every possible category. 

“I don’t have condoms.”  Dean was chewing on his lower lip.  “I thought about getting some, but then I was afraid you’d get mad and think I was being presumptuous.”

“I’m not going to get pregnant; I went back on my suppressants after…”  Cas held out his arms.  “I won’t get pregnant.”

“What if they fail though?  It happens.”  Dean asked as he crawled back in the bed.

“You tell me.  Are you going to walk if I do?”  Cas countered as he wrapped his hand around the Alpha’s hard cock.

“Never.  I would never.  I want a family, remember?  And I want you.”

Dean’s kiss was deep and Cas grabbed onto the man, pulling him down on top of himself.  The scent of slick filled the air, driving the Alpha crazy with the need to taste it, and see if it was as wonderful as the Omega’s fresh cut grass and sunflowers scent.  He moved down the bed and pushed Cas’ legs open.

The smell was intense, like he was standing in a field of sunflowers, in the middle of summer, and the taste was sweet like honey.  That made him smile.  It just seemed so fitting.  Cas writhed beneath him, spreading his legs wider and moaning loudly as Dean licked his way inside him.  He’d never experienced anything like this, and it had his head spinning. 

“Dean, Dean, I-I’m going to…”

The Alpha was determined to make him come at least twice.  He slipped two fingers in, alongside his tongue and quickly found that sweet spot that had his Omega screaming his name. 

“Dean!  Oh God!  Fuck!” 

Cas came hard, his entire body shuddering with the force of his release.  It was shamefully fast but felt fantastic, and he refused to feel embarrassed about it.  The last time he’d orgasmed that hard was…

With a boyfriend back in high school.  It was becoming more and more obvious that what he’d had with Balthazar, the cheating and leaving had been a blessing in disguise.  He’d needed the man to give up on him so that Dean could come into his life. 

Dean was pressing soft kisses to his inner thighs while he slowly worked him open. 

“You’re so beautiful like this, Cas.  I want the chance to see you this way a million more times.”

Cas smiled, reached down to brush his fingers through the man’s hair.  This was what he’d always wanted in a relationship, and in an Alpha.  Dean made him happy.

“I…want you to bond with me.  Do you want that too?” 

Dean sat up a bit, swiping at his slick covered lips and chin.  “Of course I want that, but are you sure?  I mean, this isn’t too soon?”

“I’ve been doing a ton of thinking since I got here.  Especially since I met you.  You’ve already given me more than I’ve ever had before.  I know a lot of it is instinctual, but I trust you not to hurt me or betray me.”

Dean moved up the bed, wiping at his face once more before kissing him softly.

“How does this sound.  We’ll enjoy this vacation, and when we get home…you come stay with me.  Move in.  Truemates or not, I want you, Cas.  Once you’re completely moved in and settled, we’ll mate.  That will give you the time you may not realize you need to be absolutely certain this is what you want.  Trust me, I want this more than anything, but I need to know that down the road you won’t regret this.  It would kill me to fall head over heels in love with you only for you to resent me later.  So we’ll enjoy this trip, go home, and you can finish up your last four credits.  Next year, we’ll move wherever you get your new job and by that point we’ll be mated and maybe…” 

He stroked his hand over Cas’ belly, and the Omega completely understood his intention.

“If waiting will give you peace of mind, then we’ll wait, but only until I’m settled in your house.  I do want this, but…maybe I’m being too hasty.  You’re right.  And yes, we can start on our family.”

That seemed to be the best possible thing he could have said because the Alpha’s scent became so full of joy and excitement that the lime and spiced rum became much more intense, wrapping around him and making him feel safe and wanted.

“I can’t wait to start my life with you, Cas.” 

Cas smiled wide.

“We’ve already started.”