It took her a year, but Lisa stopped blinking in surprise when Castiel silently appeared behind her. Hey.

Hello.

She grinned at him, Castiel was still so formal sometimes and he still blinked whenever she went up on her tiptoes to brush a quick kiss against his mouth. Everything okay?

Yes. He tilted his head, as if contemplating something, before leaning down to brush a kiss against her lips. Dean, Sam, and I will be home for dinner.

Lisa could only shake her head. Of course. The one night she didn't bother to make anything would be the one night all of her men would be home. If it was just Dean, then she would ask what he was in the mood for, willing to put in the effort. If it was just Dean and Castiel, she would just go with a known, but easily prepared, favorite. But with all three men, it was just safest to order pizza and be done with it. She grinned up at him. No anchovies, right?

Castiel actually shuddered in revulsion. It always tickled her stupid at how much Castiel hated the little fish.

---

His shoulders finally fell back into place. They had been around his ears, tight with tension and fear these last few days.

Dean.

He ducked his head to hide his smile. Even after all these years, Castiel still hadn't figured out pleasantries or greetings. Hey, Cas.

But that was okay, since Dean liked his pleasantries non-verbal. That Castiel had figured out. Dean tilted his head back, letting his smile be kissed by his lover.

Is it time to go home?

Dean glanced over his shoulder.

Sam waved him off, his other arm already over his eyes. Go. See Lisa and Ben. I'll call. Bye, Cas.

Dean rolled his eyes. Seems like Super Hunter had found his kryptonite. Looping his arms around Castiel's waist, he waited for that quick second of nothingness from Angel DOT. The smell of dinner cooking, sounds of a video game being played. They were home.

Dean!

He spun and caught the flying, compact body just in time. Hey, kid.

He hugged Ben for one hard second, ruffling his hair after letting him go. You being good for your mom?

Yeah, yeah. Ben waved him off. I want you to check out the new chick in class.

New chick? Dean grinned, sitting down at the dinner table. What's her name?

Carlie. Ben futzed with his phone, bringing up her picture.

Dean whistled. She's cute.

Ben smirked. Yeah, and she gave me her number.

Dean whooped, high-fiving his adopted son. Did you hear that, Cas?

Castiel was blinking, his smile was unsure, but it was encouraging and there. Congratulations? I wish you success in your endeavors with this young lady.

If I'm a grandmother before I hit fifty, Lisa's voice carried out of the kitchen, I know where to aim my gun.

Dean smirked. Hey, Lise.

She bent to accept his kiss, brushing one of her own against his lips. She tasted of her sweetness and gravy.

Mmmm, meatloaf?

Lisa laughed against his lips. Yes, meatloaf. You and food.

Hey, I'm a —

Growing boy, she finished, shaking her head. I hope to God Ben doesn't keep growing like you.

No one is like Dean, Castiel intoned quiet seriously.

Lisa laughed again. You aren't wrong about that.

---

Castiel was not sure about the purpose of this game, but his lover, Sam, and Ben seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. The three of them did not so much as sit in front of the television, as they fought for space. Elbows, knees, whole bodies were thrown about, answered by yells and screams … and from Dean and Sam, the occasional expletive.

You looked confused.

He turned to Lisa. She was smiling at him again. He enjoyed her presence in his life when he could be here with her and Dean. She explained things in ways he understood. What is the purpose of this game?

Well, proponents say that it improves hand/eye coordination, but I think there's no real purpose other than letting boys work out their aggression. She laughed between her words.

He nodded his thanks as she placed a cup of coffee at his elbow. Sam and Dean use their aggression quite often. Why would they need to — work it out here?

Well … Lisa trailed off, turning in her chair to watch the three males. I think that because the video games are a safe outlet. They can beat things up that aren't real. They can pretend for a little bit that the monsters aren't real.

Castiel nodded. Not quite understanding, but he could see the attraction in escaping from the turmoil of their lives. He certainly enjoyed these visits, allowing himself a short reprieve before going back to the civil war that was ravaging Heaven. He watched them for a moment longer before moving to join them. He sat on the couch, behind Dean, quietly enjoying the warm weight of his lover against this shins. He blinked at Lisa as she settled down next to him, curled up against his side. Something in his host encouraged him to wrap his arm around her. She sighed in pleasure, sinking more into his embrace.

---

The women in the neighborhood envied her. They told her so all the time. Not only did she have an adorable son who clearly adored her, she also had Dean, his brother, and Castiel coming and going all of the time. The women would tell her much they enjoyed it when the three men were home and helping out around the house, because, inevitably, shirts came off as the summer got hotter. They all knew about Dean, of course, and that was a kind of jealously all of its own and she couldn't even begin to think how the neighborhood housewives would react if she ever told them that Castiel shared their bed too.

But it wasn't until the Halloween block party that everyone knew that Dean, Sam and Castiel could kick some serious ass. They had decided to stick close to home that year, 'because the weirdos came out at Halloween' Dean said.

The block party had been a great idea for the kids, cutting down on the possible dangers inherent in the holiday. Grills were fired up, picnic tables were filled with food, kids of every age ran around, grabbing food and candy as the night air sounded with talking and laughter.

Sam and Dean were telling everyone they were traveling salesmen, but nobody was buying. Of course, Castiel didn't really help by merely saying, I'm with them.

Lisa laughed behind her hand, not having the heart to tell the three men just to give it up. Her laughter died as screams rent the air.

Ben! She saw Dean first, but before she could ask, he shoved Ben into her arms.

Get inside, now.

He was in hunter mode and she knew better than to question. She dragged Ben into their home, slamming the door shut, grabbing the shotgun out from under the couch.

Mom, what's going on?

I don't know, honey. Stay down. She crouched in front of him, both of them peaking through the curtains out into the streets.

People were running everywhere, screaming. Some ran over each other and children, hysterically trying to get away from the monsters chasing them. Others were grabbing family members as soon as they could find them as they tried to evade the monsters. There had to be five or six of them, hairless, claws, moving so fast she could barely make out more.

She saw Katy and her son heading their way, one of those things right behind them. She jerked opened the door, hauling them inside, unloading a shot into its face. It barely stopped it. She kept firing.

Lisa, duck!

She only felt the heat shooting above her head, felt Ben's hands jerking her out of the way. She turned back to see Dean using an improvised hairspray-and-lighter blowtorch.

What are those things? Katy screeched. She had her son clutched so hard against her, the boy was turning blue. But Josh's eyes were so huge and he clung just as tight to her.

Wendigos. Dean shook the hairspray. Lisa, tell me you've got more of this?

My bathroom, cabinet under the sink. With the shotgun still in her hand, she grabbed onto Ben. She glanced outside, watching as Sam and Castiel kept the beasts away from the houses and focused on them. Sam was displaying some amazing hand-to-hand techniques while simultaneously shooting his handgun. Castiel seemed to content to use hand-to-hand. Probably because of his angelic strength, he was making a bigger dent in rendering the wendigos less harmful.

Thanks, Lise! Dean barely stopped to open the door properly before slipping back outside. He barely broke stride as he fired up the canisters of hairspray, setting the wendigos on fire, one by one.

Sam and Castiel herded the monsters towards Dean until they were nothing but heaps of flames and flesh.

No one left their houses until the three men doused the flames. Little by little, people emerged.

Everyone was silent, staring at Dean, Castiel, and Sam. Scratches and bruises were forming, they were dirty where they had fallen. The lamplights glinted off the shiny steel of Sam's gun.

So, I guess you guys aren't really traveling salesmen, one of the men muttered.

Dean cackled, Sam shook his head, hiding behind his hair. Castiel blinked.

Lisa could only be thankful that they were safe and sound for another night.