Castiel scrambled back and forth between the kitchen and the patio in the backyard, struggling to prepare for Mike's visit. He had gotten up early that morning, cleaning frantically so that the house looked presentable. It wasn't that Dean and Castiel were slobs, they were just both men and a bit...carefree, about some things.

Sam had been a big help when he had got there two hours after Castiel had started working, helping him clean up while Lucifer and Gabriel had began grilling outside. Lucifer had always been good at cooking, and Gabriel was there just to make sure the man didn't burn the house to the ground. Dean had left to pick up Mike about an hour ago, and would be arriving any minute.

"Thank you Sam. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't of helped." Castiel said gratefully, resting his head on the freshly cleaned counters, letting out a sigh of relief. They had just finished with cleaning, the home all but spotless. Sam chuckled, sipping on a glass of water beside him.

"It's not a problem, Cas. We're trying to impress this kid as much as you are, especially from how Dean talks about him. From what I understood before Dean left, he seemed to like rock and cars, two of Dean's favorite things?" Sam asked, a smile crossing his face as he remembered how happy that his older brother had been.

"Yes. I believe that Mike might like Dean more than me at this point." Castiel said with a smile. He didn't mind if the orphan liked his husband better, because Dean truly deserved to have his happiness, and that alone made Castiel happy as well.

"Don't worry, Cas. You'll win him over with your cooking." Sam urged, patting Castiel on the shoulder in a reassurance, only to groan when he heard Gabriel and Lucifer shouting outside. Castiel glanced out the window, where Lucifer and Gabriel were glaring at each other, both of them motioning towards the grill where the food rested.

"Sometimes they never get along." Sam said with a roll of his eyes, tapping the counter in a rhythm before pushing himself off and moving towards the door. "I'll go settle them. God knows they'll fight until one of them ends up getting slapped by a piece of meat." The Winchester muttered before walking out of the kitchen. 

Castiel watched them fight until Sam came into view of the window. At first, he just watched the both of them like Castiel was doing, until they both realized his presence. There was a moment of just staring, a moment of talking, and then, a moment of Sam slapping both of them upside the head. Castiel chuckled to himself, wanting to watch more, but he was distracted by the sound of the door opening and closing.

The Novak made his way into the living room, where Carrie and Jake were watching their favorite TV show. They didn't even notice Castiel as they watched a polar bear  rescue some kind of sea creature. It confused Castiel, as polar bears were not known to help other animals without the intent of eating them, but he didn't ask questions and instead grinned as he saw Dean and Mike come from the hallway.

Carrie and Jake instantly noticed the new person. "Uncle Dean!" Carrie shouted, running over to Dean and hugging tightly around the leg, looking at Mike with curiosity. "Who is he? Is he going to live with you from now on?" 

"This is Mike. He's....um..." Dean trailed off, looking at Mike, then Castiel for help. Castiel wasn't sure what to say either. How did you tell a little kid about something so hard to comprehend?

"He's from the same place you're from." Castiel said finally, shifting his feet. Carrie let out an 'aah' nodding her head knowingly. She removed herself from Dean's leg, only to attach herself to Mike's.

"Hi!" She squeaked, hugging around the teen's leg. Mike looked surprised, but a smile began spreading across his face as he hugged her awkwardly, his eyes soft.

"Hello there. What's your name?" Mike asked. Carrie smiled brightly, introducing herself before taking the teen's hand and tugging him towards the TV, where some kind of theme song was playing. Castiel smiled, feeling his heart warm. He was feeling more certain about this kid by the minute.

Even Jake seemed to take a liking to Mike, mumbling softly about who his favorite character was on the TV show, which only surprised the husbands even more. Jake was reserved and didn't usually connect with anybody unless he was around them for a long period of time.

"You know that we can't stop this right? We'll have to adopt him now that the kids like him." Dean mumbled to Castiel, out of hearing range from the three sitting on the couch. Castiel felt a grin begin to spread across his face, and he look over at his husband, who was really in his personal space.

"Of course, Dean." Castiel said softly, tilting his head forwards and bumping it on Dean's forehead. "But,  didn't we talk about this? Personal space?"

Dean rolled his eyes, stepping away and surveying his husband, a smirk crossing his features. "Ah yes, the first day we remet. I believe I got you detention?" Dean asked, not realizing that Mike and the twins had stopped talking and were watching the two with interest. Castiel blushed, remembering the day like it had only happened last week.

"How could I forget?" Castiel asked with a grin. They trailed off in their conversation, just like they did when they were younger, until Sam made his appearance.

"Hey, Cas. I got Luci and Gabe calmed down. Have Dean and the kid-" Sam cut off as he noticed Dean standing beside Castiel, with the twins sitting on Mike. He let out a small smile, almost like a gasp, before walking over, looking over the adoptee.

"I take it you're Mike? It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Dean's younger brother." Sam said, putting on his signature 'I'm-an-innocent-puppy' smile. The moose held out his hand and Mike stood, taking his hand. Castiel couldn't help but laugh at the teen's face when he realized how tall Sam actually was.

"Younger brother?" Mike echoed, sending Castiel and Dean a small look of horror. Sam grinned, and Castiel could tell that the man loved Mike already. "Is there anymore surprises I need to know about? No one has a robot arm right?"

Dean chuckled, his eyes shining with amusement. "Well, Castiel's brother is named after Satan, but he's only mildly evil." Dean commented with a smirk. Sam shot him a look, but they were interrupted as Lucifer shouted from the open back doorway.

"Oh Sammy dear!" Lucifer's voice was dripping with annoyance and sarcasm, making Castiel bite his lip to keep from grinning. Gabriel had definitely done something. "Your dear boyfriend is trying to put candy in the meat, so get your moose ass out here before he ends up missing."

The look on Mike's face was the most priceless thing that Castiel had ever seen, and he almost felt bad for the boy. Almost. Dean had the same idea as he clasped the teen on the shoulder, watching as Sam hurried towards the backyard.

"Don't worry. This is a normal everyday thing for them." Dean assured Mike, who looked at him like he was crazy. Castiel couldn't agree more.

"Candy in meat? Moose? What?" Mike echoed, looking as confused as Lucifer during a sappy movie. Castiel did feel kind of bad about that. He didn't consider that they're family might overwhelm him.

"Here, we'll give you a quick rundown of our family. Gabriel, candy lover, trickster, best lesson teacher. Lucifer, sassy, misunderstood, he can be intimidating but don't let it fool ya. He's quite caring." Dean explained, earning a snort from Castiel. Both Mike and Dean looked at the black-haired man curiously.

"You've got something to add, angel?" Dean challenged with a smirk. Castiel grinned at the pet name, squinting his eyes at his husband.

"You make it sound like you liked Lucifer at first. If I remember, you hated his guts." Castiel commented, waving his hand in a dismissing manner. "You were never one to sugarcoat."

"Oh, so you want me to give my honest opinion?" Dean said with a grin, glancing at the curious Mike. "Gabriel. Total dick. He uses...creative ways to teach you a lesson, not limiting to nearly killing you a dozen times if it's needed. Lucifer. Probably could snap us all in half to be honest. He's extremely hard-headed yet passive, and has a temper that rivals a demon. Didn't trust him until about a year before Cas and I got married."

"Now Sammy, my dear brother. Self-loathing, a bit depressed at times, but he's the most caring, kind person I know, and I'm married to Cas. Nickname is moose because of his ridiculous mane of hair and height." Dean finished, smirking over at his husband. "Better?"

"Better." Castiel agreed with a grin, looking over at Mike. The teen seemed to listen to their every word intently, as if committing what they say to heart.

"So, how did you end up getting along?" Mike asked, tipping his head. Dean tensed, and shook his head a bit. Castiel sighed, and took Dean's hand.

"We'll explain it when we are alone. It's rather long, and not the best story ever to be told. I honestly don't want to have to let Sam, Gabriel, Lucifer, or their kids have to listen to it." Castiel told Mike, squeezing Dean's hand comfortingly to ease the tension in his shoulders. The teen nodded, his eyebrows furrowing curiously, but he didn't mention anything more as Sam came back in, announcing them that the food was done.

Instantly, the twins were racing for the door, both of them with the appetites that could rival Dean Winchester himself. Mike smiled softly, watching them before following afterwards, Dean and Castiel right behind him.

"He reminds me of my mother." Dean whispered in Castiel's ear as they walked, his lips brushing along  the edge of his husband's skin. Castiel furrowed his eyebrows, studying the teen with a peaked interest.  It was true. Even though he didn't know Dean's mother as well as his husband did, he could definitely see it in the way he smiled. It warmed his heart.

"If he agrees, we're definitely adopting him." Castiel mumbled back softly, pecking his husband's lips before they reached the backyard. Outside, Lucifer and Gabriel were pulling the last of the meat off the grill while Sam supervised, making sure that neither of them would get into any trouble.

Carrie and Jake instantly ran over to the tall man, hugging him tightly. Castiel had realized early on that they always did this. IT was like they needed comfirmation that Sam was actually there and that he was going to stay. Sam scooped them up into his large arms, easily carrying them to the small table that they had set up, smiling and patting them both on the heads before turning to Mike.

"Mike. This is Gabriel and Lucifer. Castiel's older and younger brothers." Sam introduced, motioning to each of the Novaks as he said their names. Gabriel gave the teen a big grin, that seemed more michevious than the trickster might have meant. Lucifer's smile was more polite, almost formal, but such was the ways of the morningstar.

"It's a pleasure to meet you finally. Dean and Cas haven't stopped talking about you since the visit." Lucifer said, smirking playfully at his black-haired brother. Castiel rolled his eyes, but his amusement was clear on his face as he tsked at his brother. Mike nodded, suddenly looking a bit shy.

"Well, let's eat before we all starve and waste away to nothing." Gabriel declared dramatically, taking the plate of meat to the table. The structure already held the food that Castiel and Sam had made previously, mainly side dishes like pasta and salad.

Mike smiled at the trickster and Lucifer, his eyebrow quirking at their seemingly vastly different personalities. Together, they all sat down, Dean, Castiel, Mike, and Carrie on one side, Sam, Gabriel, Lucifer, and Jake on the other. Sam piled food onto two seperate plates for the children before everyone else got there own. There was plenty to go around.

"So Dean tells me you like classic rock?" Sam asked, taking a small bite of his salad, ignoring the look of horror he got from Gabriel. Castiel had to hold back a snicker at his brother's antics.

"Ah, yes, my father got me into it." Mike said with a smile, his eyes getting a glazed look to them. He was obviously thinking of his late father. "He actually named me after one of the men in the band foreignor. Michael Jones I think it was."

To say Dean tensed would be an understatement. No, every muscle of his seemed to clench, his eyes going wide as he looked over at Mike. It didn't really help with Castiel either, who felt that pang in his heart that never went away when he thought of his oldest brother.

How did I not realize Mike was short for something?  Castiel thought, feeling unease. The family shared meaningful looks before Sam finally stood, forcing a fake smile on his face. All the while, Mike was watching them with a confused expression.

"Come on Carrie, Jake. Let's take your plates into the living room so you can watch TV." Sam said, his voice strained and his jaw clenching and unclenching. Even though the twins were only six, the new exactly what that meant, and that they needed to give the adults some time alone. Obediently, they followed their adopted father into the house, only for Sam to return a few minutes later, wringing his hands.

"Did I say something?" Mike asked, the fear coming into his voice making Castiel's chest hurt all the more. The black-haired Novak knew that the boy had nothing to do with this, but the painful memories were brought forwards. Even Lucifer  seemed on edge, which was surprising since no one but Sam could ever really tell what he was thinking.

"No, it's not you. We....we just are a bit touchy about our older brother, whose name was Michael." Castiel spoke up, though his voice was barely over a whisper. Luckily, the deepness carried it farther than a normal tone would have, so all of them heard the man clearly.

"Oh...is this..." Mike trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence, but Castiel nodded, knowing exactly what he was talking about. The teen slumped back in his chair, furrowing his eyebrows together. "So, this might not be a good idea after all. Considering me for adoption I mean."

Dean shook his head instantly, seeming to finally find his voice. "No! We enjoy having you here and we still are planning to adopt you it's just...this is just a obstacle we'll have to get through." The Winchester said, letting out a sigh and rubbing a hand over his forehead. Castiel knew that Dean was tired of all the suffering they had been forced to go through as teenagers and reliving it would be no easy task.

"You guys. We have to tell him what's going on. Leaving him in the dark isn't fair, especially if he's going to be your kid." Lucifer cut in, getting a nod of agreement from Gabriel, who was silent. It wasn't common to get the trickster that way, but then again, they're family had been ripped apart by the seams. No one could come out of that unscathed.

"You're right. Might as well get comfortable. This might take a while." Castiel told Mike, grabbing Dean's hand as a comfort and as a support. Slowly, they began retelling the stories of their lives, starting at the time when they were children, up to when Mary had died. They then skipped to the time they remet, recounting all the adventures that they had, the terror that they faced. The most uncomfortable part was speaking about Lucifer's abuse towards Castiel - which the oldest Novak apologized for profusely - and the reason behind the anger. This, Lucifer had to go inside to 'check on the kids' but Castiel knew that reliving it would only unwravel everything Sam had worked to fix. Sure, they were doing good, but these things took time, a lot of time. Gabriel held Sam close through most of it, as the tall man was looking like he was about to cry.

When they got to Michael, Lucifer came back, claiming that the kids were still watching TV. Nervously, Dean recounted his dream that led him to his discovery. Sure, he had told Castiel, but never any of the others. It was an awkward moment for him, but none commented on it as they ended their tales with Michael. Mike  listened from beginning to end, his concentration on the story never wavering. The teen seemed to take their pains, their joys, their sorrows, as if they were his own, and Castiel knew in his heart that even if he shared the namesake of his dead brother, he couldn't imagine anyone more perfect for him and Dean.

"Wow." Was all that Mike could say when they finished. Castiel just nodded, feeling a bit weary from the story. His free hand was running over his arm, tracing the scars that were hidden underneath his long shirt. He often did it as a reminder that even though he suffered, he had beaten his demons, and he was certainly glad for it.

"That's our lives. They sucked ass didn't they." Dean commented, trying to lighten the mood. It worked just a little bit, all of them letting out uneasy chuckles. Mike smiled ssympathetically, running a hand through his hair. It was a habit Castiel  noticed that both he and Dean had.

"I'm just wondering how many mirrors you broke throughout your life to reach that point." Mike mumbled shyly. Castiel could tell his was nervous about sharing a small joke with them, but it made the family feel better, that at least he was trying. Dean seemed to enjoy the little comment the most.

"Well, there was that one time Sam and I snuck into a mirror store when we got drunk on his twenty-third birthday." Dean replied, and Sam groaned at the memory. Castiel let out a soft chuckle as he remembered Dean telling him how they thought they had seen 'Bloody Mary' and procceeded to try and break every mirror in the store. "It was like six hundred years worth of bad luck by the time we stopped."

"Yeah, that'll do it." Mike said, wrinkling his nose in amusement. Castiel smiled softly, glad that they were able to release the tension that had grown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We'll see you guys later, alright?" Sam whispered, glancing at the sleeping forms of Carrie and Jake as Lucifer and Gabriel carried them out to the car. Castiel nodded as Dean and his brother exchanged hugs before he took his leave. The black-haired man sighed and laid his head back, looking at his husband and Mike who were sitting on the couch beside him.

"Before we take you back. You need to know that we've made our descision." Dean began, smiling at Mike with a hint of excitement glowing in his eyes. "We want you to become part of our family." 

Castiel felt his heart warm at the happiness that glowed in Mike's face as he lunged forward, trapping both of the men in a strong hug. "Thank you so much!" He yelped, grinning from ear to ear as he released the husbands from his grip. Dean laughed, slinging his arm around Castiel and looking up at the teen.

"Welcome to the family, kiddo."