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It's not that Dean hated Christmas, he just didn't like the hustle and bustle of disgruntled parents pretending they were happy and the flow of annoying and obnoxious children that didn't care they were looking at his crotch, they just thought that his tights were super cool. Actually, come to think of it, he did hate Christmas.
He hated that his Uncle Bobby's garage had gone bankrupt just before Christmas.
He hated that the only job available was the one where he had to dance and wear a stupid outfit and… smile.
His little brother seemed to like it though so he guessed it was okay.
"Ezcuse me, sir. Why are you so tall?" He looked down to the little girl tugging on one of the bells on his sleeve. He grimaced momentarily before remembering he had to smile. The kids, though annoying, we're probably the best part of this job. It was different, talking to a kid was much easier than talking to a parent.
"What do you mean?" He asks, kneeling down to look in the little girl's eyes. She had fair brown hair that bounced around her head in ringlets. A little lick of blonde hair struck through the front most, left ringlet and contrasted with her amazingly blue eyes that sparkled with wonder and confusion.
"You'we an Ewf! Ewf's are small, not tall, wike you!"
He smiles genuinely then as the fan above the little Hut he is stood next to begin to blow and fake snow flutters around them.
The girl's eyes widen, flakes getting stuck on her eyelashes, and she smiles a toothy grin, ear to ear. She looks to Dean and seems to inspect him.
She leans in close, as if she is trusting Dean with her greatest secret, "Are you a giraffe?" She whisper-shouts and Dean hears a snicker from behind him.
He wipes the smile from his face, giving a mock serious look before nodding and lifting a finger to his lips.
The little girl smiles and nods in agreement, "I won't tell no-one. Pwomise."
And then she's running off towards a man with an amused smile but the man has other ideas as he begins walking back, the little girl on his hip.
"Hello," he says as he gets closer and Dean rises with a warm smile, "I would apologise but it was way too funny."
Dean suddenly likes him and, no, it's not the man's sexy, dark bed hair or his unusually blue eyes, it's the way he refuses to apologise for his kid's behaviour. He strongly disagrees when parents apologise to people for their children, like, seriously, if you're sorry then why did you have them?
Dean can't find words to say so instead just keeps smiling and the other, probably slightly older, man notices that and pushes his hand towards Dean.
"My name is Castiel." He supplies and Dean shakes his hand.
"Dean, the undercover giraffe." Dean grins back and the little girl giggles, hiding her face in, who he presumes is, her Dad's neck.
"This is Tabbris." Castiel says, nudging his shoulder forward but the little girl seems to have gone shy as she turns further into Castiel.
"It's nice to meet you both." He knows what he wants to do, he wants to ask Castiel if he'd like to go out to dinner, but it comes out all wrong.
"And you," Castiel adds, adjusting Tabbris in his arms, "I was wondering, actually, if you wanted to go get some food, some time?"
Dean is nodding before Castiel even finishes and mutters a small, "Yeah, sure."
They then swap phone numbers and Castiel and Tabbris turn to leave, too soon, in Dean's opinion.
"Winchester!" He hears his boss shout, to remind him.
"I hope you enjoyed the Grotto at Whispers, and have a very merry Christmas." He grinds out with a forced smile.
The only thing that makes it okay is the sound of Castiel's laughter from further down the shop.
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Castiel had never been so panicked before, he was dressed and ready to walk out the door, just sat waiting for the babysitter to come. Apparently, though, his babysitter wasn't coming.
He rang her up and found out that he had never even booked her.
He groaned as a knock sounded on the door and he got up, opening the door to find Dean, dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a grey shirt. He looked so hot and Castiel cursed God for taking it, er, him, away.
"What's wrong?" Dean asks immediately, the flowers that Cas had only just noticed falling limp as his hands go to his sides.
"I forgot to book a babysitter." Castiel groans, running a hand up and down his face.
"Well, I have my neighbour, Jo, looking after my little brother. We could take Tabs over there? If that's okay with you, obviously." Dean provides, a small, reassuring smile on his lips.
He sees the skepticism in Castiel's face, understandably, and rushes back on his proposal.
"Or we could order take out and stay in? Or I could just go home?"
Castiel had never had someone try and make him as comfortable as this and he soon realised that he could trust Dean, and that this Jo guy was probably okay too.
"I'll go get her." He says, a smile growing and Dean smiles back even wider.
Castiel comes back, moments later with a bundle of blankets and a little bear hanging from a little hand resting on his shoulder. The rest of Tabbris is not visible but Dean assumes, by the way that the blankets are rising and falling, that she is asleep.
"I have to warn you," Dean says once they are in his car and driving steadily down the road, "My brother is a little shit and he is loud and obnoxious and probably won't be asleep when we get there."
Cas smiles, Tabbris was the opposite. Most nights, she chose to go to bed way before her bed time and she woke up at exactly seven every morning, even on weekends, which could be a pain in the arse.
"Tabbris will probably wake up when we get there anyway. How old is your brother?" He decides that constant conversation is better than awkward silence and he hopes that Dean thinks this is going better than Castiel thinks it is.
"Five, though he looks like a seven year old. He's tall as hell."
"Tabs is five, too," Cas supplies, only realising after that he had called her Tabs and not Tabbris, "I bet they'll get along. She doesn't have many friends at school," He smiles again, "She thinks they're all, and I quote, pompous snobs. God knows where she learnt that."
Dean barks a laugh, completely forgetting about the sleeping little girl in the back seat.
"What school does she go to?"
"Vraimont. It's a private, all girls school. She hates it but my older brother insists."
Dean knows he shouldn't ask, but he can't help himself. He finds himself needing to know everything about this man.
"Why do you have to listen to your brother?" He asks and immediately regrets it as a forlorn look crosses. Castiel's face.
"Sorry, you don’t have to answer that." He gives back, eyes flicking to Cas and then back to the road.
"No. It's okay, it just makes me angry to think about." Cas says, his tone uncertain, "When Tabbris was born, I was in a bad place. My wife, April, had been cheating on me and I was certain that she wasn't mine but when April died, they did a paternity test and she was. I was declared unfit by the court and Parental rights went to my brother, Michael.
"It wasn't until another year later that I felt ready to be a proper Dad to Tabbris but Michael wouldn't sign the rights over. He still thought I couldn't look after her. It took my other two brother's, Gabe and Luci, to convince him and even then he would only give me a guardian's rights."
Dean was listening carefully, intrigued by the story.
"He let's Tabbris live with me but according to the law, he is her sole parent and has veto power over every decision I make. He doesn't trust me."
Luckily, Dean doesn't have to think of a reply as they pull into the drive of the little house he rents.
He walks up to the door, Cas following with Tabs, and swings the door open. Loud shouting follows and Dean knows that this is going to be a long night.
They end up never going out and spend all night cuddled on the sofa with Sam and Tabbris watching Star Wars, because Sam cried for a whole hour until Tabbris demanded, quite loudly, that they out it on because Sam is her best friend and she will not stand for anyone upsetting him.
All in all, it's a good night and Dean suspects, hopes, that they'll be more like it.