fromfryingpantofire | Now I'm strong and I won't kneel/Except to thank who's watching over me

Entry tags:

castiel,
rp

Now I'm strong and I won't kneel/Except to thank who's watching over me

It had been a very long day so far. For Sam, that day mostly meant waiting, fidgeting with the present in his hands.

More than a few of the others had watched him as they waited, wondering what he was doing here and, more than once, Sam had found himself wondering the same. The Novaks were a family with a lot of wealth and a lot of connections, political and otherwise. He'd done his research. The family was full of Alphas and Betas, insinuated into massive companies and running more than a few of their own. They were old money and old power and most of those who had come to court were the same.

Not Sam. Certainly, the Winchesters were an old family, but they weren't wealthy by a long shot. They were involved in law enforcement, which wasn't exactly a rich occupation to begin with. Sam was going to law school, but his interest wasn't in making money but in helping people and putting away those who abused their positions and their power. But, long ago, John Winchester had made a promise to the Novak family because Mary Campbell had mated him rather than Michael Novak. That one of his children would be offered as a mate to the Novaks should there be a compatible one. It had been a sop, meant to quiet tensions between the families but nobody had thought much of it. Dean had been a Beta and Sam had been an Alpha and that seemed that.

Until the Novaks threw an Omega. Not unheard of, but rare. And, suddenly, Sam seemed to be the one Winchester with a chance, small enough though it might be.

He started when he heard his name called, pulling himself to his full height with the present clutched in his hands. He followed Zachariah Novak trying to ignore the feeling of unworthiness. He was an Alpha from a good line. There was no reason, other than money, to think he didn't have a chance here.

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Sam reaches over, sliding his hand over Castiel's where it lays on his arm. "I don't think anybody knows how to be married. It's sort of something that you learn as you go along. At least, that's the way it always seemed from watching my dad and my step-mother." He rubs his hand over Castiel's fingers. "It's okay to be nervous, though. I'm pretty sure that's normal, too."

It's still nerve-wracking for Sam as well. He's just working at hiding it better because his own hormones are reacting to the nervousness of his mate, trying to calm Castiel. "If it helps, just remember that we're both learning about this together."

Castiel nods a little, then allows his eyes to close as he leans his head against Sam's shoulder. He breathes in, letting his mate's scent envelop him. Sam smells all kinds of good - strong but gentle, warm, earthen. Someone who works hard, someone who's steady. Castiel barely remembers trying to all but jump Sam, but he remembers very well remembers how steadfast the alpha had been, how he hadn't grabbed the chance to get what all of them were there to win.

Except Sam, who would have been happy to just be friends. Sam, who brought a book and never expected to get the omega at all.

Sam, who got what he didn't demand.

Castiel opens his eyes again. "I'm ready."

Sam bends his head, pressing a kiss to the crown of Castiel's head where it leans against his shoulder. "Come on, then. Let's make our entrance."

It's not much of an entrance, really, but Sam laughs at the paper confetti that gets thrown at them as they come in the back door, Dean and Gabriel having gotten on chairs to make sure that a bunch of it got dropped over their heads while Kevin stands back, taking more pictures.

Ellen mock scolds them all and ushers Sam and Castiel into the dining room, the table set as it had been the night before but with the clan's good china and silverware. There's wine and beers available for everybody and Sam and Castiel sit at the head of the table. Sam grins, brushing some confetti out of Castiel's hair as they sit and the rest of the clan settles around them and starts chattering, food passing around the table. It's almost like supper the night before, though the atmosphere is more relaxed.

And Sam only rarely stops touching Castiel.

Castiel feels drunk, even though he isn't.

That in itself is a little strange to him. His plan had been, quite honestly, to drink until their wedding would hardly matter anymore. Now... he finds he doesn't have to. His nerves might flare up later, and he might regret his choice, but right now he feels buzzed without even having touched beer or wine.The warmth of Sam's hands spreads throughout his entire body, and his cheeks feel as though they must be bright red.

He talks to other guests, of course he does. But he doesn't move from his seat by Sam's side, doesn't pull away from any of the touches Sam initiates. He might not reciprocate much, but it's obvious that he's comfortable and relaxed.

Why, the softness around his lips might even be called a smile, with some leeway.

It's much more relaxed than the night before, which Sam is grateful for. Whatever had happened during the night, Castiel and Gabriel seem to be on much better terms.

Somewhere in the middle of the meal, though, Charlie grins and picks up her spoon, tapping the side of her glass. Sam bursts out laughing, shaking his head. He's been to enough weddings to know what she's doing. He turns to Castiel, his mouth quirking up slightly. "That's the signal for the newly married couple to kiss," he explains to Castiel. "Though I'm hoping they don't do it too often, since we all still have to eat as well."

He reaches up, tucking his fingers under Castiel's chin. "Are you okay with that?" They wouldn't do it if Castiel didn't want to. Sam wouldn't allow them to put his new husband in an uncomfortable position.

What an odd little tradition, commanding the couple to kiss. But Castiel knows how to adhere to tradition and do his part, how to entertain guests and be a proper omega - at the same time, Castiel also knows how warm and soft Sam's lips are against his own.

"You should probably kiss me, then", he observes, keeping his eyes on Sam's. He misses Dean nudging Charlie with an elbow, as if to say: 'see, he can be cheeky. My brother got a feisty one after all. this is awesome'.

That cheekiness makes Sam laugh, eyes lighting with his grin as he leans down to kiss Castiel again, his fingers still on Castiel's chin. He keeps the kiss gentle and still chaste. He'd leave it like that until they were on their own.

Not that it stops the rest of the pack from cheering and clapping, Gabriel even adding a whistle that makes Sam start laughing, which breaks the kiss as he lets go of Castiel's chin to flip them all off.

Castiel's cheeks are a lovely shade of crimson when their lips part, and his eyes flick to the crowd once, for just a moment, before he smoothes down his shirt in what appears to be a nervous little gesture.

"Your friends and family must not have kissed a lot to find this so exciting", he murmurs, but what could sound biting comes out more like a tease, especially with how at ease Castiel currently looks. It's strange to be the center of attention in this... positive, dare he say healthy manner. It's uplifting.

He really does love that look on Castiel's face and the pink in his cheeks. Sam drops his hand to take Castiel's again and laughs.

Jo grins from where she's seated by Dean. "I think we're more excited just to see Sam kissing somebody."

Sam groans, sitting back. "Jo..."

"Hey. We're just glad that there's somebody else that'll drag you out of your office sometimes!"

Castiel doesn't frown much, but the look he shoots Sam is certainly calculating.

"Is he prone to overworking himself?"

Off to their side, Dean is making a whipping gesture silently, and Castiel doesn't really care. He can't have Sam overworking himself - not if they're to ever stand a chance of getting Castiel with child. They'll both have to be in peak condition physically and mentally.

So yes, if need be - Castiel will physically drag him away from his work.

Sam groans, hiding his face.

Jo and Dean look at each other before taking pity on him. "It's less that he's prone to overworking himself and more that he takes his position seriously," Jo allows, looking back to Castiel.

Ellen nods, passing the salad around again. "In most packs, Sam would still be training to take over from the previous pack Alpha. Definitely not until he was finished with his schooling."

With a sigh, Sam leans back in his chair, taking Castiel's hand. "I'm lucky I have such a good support system here that I could stay in school when Dad died. But there are things that need an Alpha to do them and I'm in my last semester of law school." Which means, a bit, that he does do a lot of work.

Ash grins from where he's sitting to Ellen's side. "There's always office sex."

To which Sam balled up a napkin and threw it at the Beta.

"It sounds like your pack knows how to take care of you as much as you know how to take care of them."

And Castiel is glad for it, even though the familiarity of this pack is bewildering to him. Where he's from, the level of society he was born into, the labor is divided more harshly. Those of lower rank get to feel how much lower than the pack leaders they are daily.

This is... strange. But in a good way.

"I understand sex is traditionally had in beds."

The question kind of made everybody pause, looking at Castiel as though trying to decide if he was making a joke or not.

Just looking at his husband, Sam figures it's probably not a joke. Of course, nobody had ever told Castiel what being an Omega meant in the first place.

Gabriel, on the other side of the table, gets a wide grin on his face. "Oh, sure. TRADITIONALLY, sex is only ever had in a bed. With the Omega on his or her hands and knees, once or twice a week and everybody bored out of their skulls because it's tradition and nobody's supposed to actually enjoy it. In actual fact? You can have sex anywhere and in any number of positions."

"Gabriel, if you break my husband, I'm not talking to you for a month."

The grin only gets wider. "Samsquatch, I'm not going to break him! But you'll probably find something interesting in your wedding gifts tonight. Kali suggested it."

Which makes Sam pause. "I'm really not sure I want to know..."

The comment had, in fact, been meant as a dry joke, but Castiel quickly remembers his place with the way silence falls for a moment. He's been sheltered, and doesn't always know how to talk to actual people - aside from his uncle's condescension towards those of 'lower birth'. Castiel learned etiquette, not social interaction. It's not surprising to him that his humor doesn't ring with these people.

"I'm not a glass figurine", he mutters under his breath, though he refrains from pointing that out. It's hardly surprising that these people would see him like that, and Castiel is beginning to realize that having been the victim in every way so far, he'll have to work on proving to them that he's not a fragile, naive flower maiden.

He doesn't break easy... although tonight under Sam, he wonders if he might.

Which is when Sam, at least, realizes it was meant to be a joke. He takes Castiel's hand, bringing it up to his mouth to press his lips to his husband's knuckles. "No. But we also don't know what your limits are, either. We're...very much not what you grew up with and we know it. So finding out what goes and what doesn't is going to take time. On both sides."

Castiel's expression softens at that, something warm seeping into his eyes. He appreciates the gesture, and for a moment forgets all about the guests around them. "We're still getting to know each other," he adds in agreement, eyes dropping to his own knuckles, as if transfixed by the soft kiss. Everything is new, and a lot of it is bordering on too much, but... at the end of the day, so far he doesn't have reason to think anything but highly of Sam Winchester.

"I appreciate the care. And the honesty."

"We both still have a lot of learning to do," Sam agrees, rubbing his thumb over the back of Castiel's hand. "And we're both going to make mistakes. But we'll manage."

Which leads to another round of glasses being tapped and Sam laughing as he shakes his head and leans in to kiss Castiel again.

So it goes for the rest of the meal, though Sam refrains from smooshing the cake in Castiel's face, no matter what the rest of the pack was trying to get him to do. The rest of the evening flies by and it's all too soon before they're making their way down to the cabin, Sam's arm at Castiel's waist as they walk through the moonlight.

It's obvious that Castiel is nervous. He's not a good enough liar to hide the signs of that, and it's only natural. It's his first time, and omegas are under a lot of pressure to do well, do please their mates - those raised in very conservative households more than others.

Castiel prays that he won't accidentally cue Sam in to the fact that he expects it to be painful, though. He doesn't think he wants to hear it confirmed before he experiences it.

They're silent all the way up to their bed chamber, and even then when they step closer together, kissing softly. Castiel wants to get it over with, but at the same time, isn't so eager that he'd rush. So he's content to kiss Sam for a while before dropping his hands lower and reaching for Sam's belt buckle.

To be honest, Sam would be far more concerned if he couldn't tell that Castiel's nervous. And he's pretty certain that Castiel thinks it will be painful, too. That's what families always tell Omegas to keep them from having sex until they're married and mated off.

He catches Castiel's hand before it reaches his belt buckle, bringing it back up to his mouth to kiss. "We have all night," he says, eyes warm and watching Castiel. "There's no need to hurry. I was thinking it might be best to take our time, do a lot of touching first."

Which, he hopes, will have the added benefit of letting Castiel get used to Sam's body and his own. "We can help each other get undressed, or we can undress ourselves and then go to bed?"

The moment Sam reaches for Castiel's hands, he worries he did something wrong. But he's learning to understand that Sam will always find a way to gentle his fears and worries with kindness and reason. He isn't in a rush to knot Castiel, and the omega is relieved. He doesn't feel ready enough, doesn't feel prepared enough. Doesn't know if he ever will, with all the myth spooking through his head regarding what he's to expect in bed.

So he kisses Sam and steps back a little, begins shrugging off his jacket and unbuttoning his own shirt slowly, never taking his eyes off Sam. Baring himself to his husband inch by untouched inch.

Not in a hurry, no. Not that Sam doesn't want to knot Castiel. And, for the purposes of the paperwork, he really does have to. Though, he doubts that anybody would be able to tell if he hadn't.

Sam steps back as well, taking off his tie first before he begins undressing slowly. Keeping his eyes on Castiel the entire time because he does want to see his husband's body very much.

Castiel isn't shy about his body. With all the things that he's been taught, that might be surprising - he bares himself to Sam efficiently and without much hesitation, unashamed of his body. He's made sure to stay desirable and beautiful, and Sam will reap the rewards of what Castiel has sown. The omega knows what he looks like, and he knows it's good.

What has his eyes widening is every inch of tan skin revealed on Sam's own body. It dries out his lips, makes his breath stutter a little, because he hasn't really been prepared for Sam himself to look so appealing to his own eyes.

The look on Castiel's face doesn't escape Sam in the least. He smiles, shucking off his shirt and laying it carefully over a nearby chair. Then he takes a moment to look over Castiel, fingers twitching with the desire to reach out and touch.

Something he doesn't stop himself doing, really, though he should get his trousers off, at least. Instead, he steps forward, brushing his fingers over Castiel's cheek before his hands slide down, gently stroking over Castiel's shoulder and down his chest.

It takes another moment before he raises his eyes to Castiel's face again with a smile. "You can touch, too. If you want."

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Now I'm strong and I won't kneel/Except to thank who's watching over me

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