Such an ordinary family

Monsters Inc.

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« No way I'm gonna wear this! » Dean shouted, leaving the room.
« But Daaaad! » Jewel ran after him.
« NO. I said NO, Jewel... And don't you do your puppy eyes with me, it won't work. You won't trick me this time »
Castiel, arms crossed on his chest, was smiling as he heard the argument going on between father and daughter in the kitchen.
He glanced at the armchair and started to laugh as he knew Dean would eventually give in and wear the costume she has selected for him.
Chadwick came back from the walk with the dog and made a face when he heard the crying tone of his sister.
Castiel nodded at the armchair. Chadwick unleashed the dog and came closer.
« Are you kidding? » he turned around and looked at Castiel with shining eyes.
« Your father was working this morning. He gave your sister carte blanche to pick up his costume. So I took the ones you had reserved for yourself, I selected mine and your sister chose... this! » He pointed to Dean's costume.
« Holy cow! » he ruffled through his hair.
« As you say! »
« I'll get the camera » he took off his vest and laughed. « This is gonna be real fun»
« You bet» Castiel laughed too.
« I can't wait till tomorrow! » Chadwick shouted as he climbed the stairs to his bedroom.
Castiel leaned down and grabbed all the costumes... Apache took refuge in the kitchen and looked at him from afar, sitting, pricking up its ears.
« No comment or I'll disguise you as an alley cat » Castiel promised, as he walked away.

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As every year, on Halloween's eve, the family worked together at the decoration of their house...
Dean was ranting as he painfully carried the old shabby scarecrow back from the cellar... He pitched it in the little green spot that was supposed to be an alley and hung the skull-and-crossbones knocker on the door...
Jewel and her brother happily decorated the windows with skeletons and fake spider webs...
It ended all with a pitched battle with decoration sprays. Apache was hopping and skipping from one kid to the other.
« Now that's enough. Put those away now » Dean was a bit pissed and raised his voice.
Chadwick and Jewel, without a word and in unison turned to their father, with a mischievous smile on their face.
« Don't you even think about it » Dean pointed a threatening finger at them.
He hardly had time to finish his sentence and ended up under the crossfire when the kids sprayed spider webs all over him.
« Wait, I'm gonna..... » but it was not use, he couldn't take it off him.
« CASS » he shouted for help.
« I'm not mixing in! 'Told you not to leave them alone » Castiel shouted, safely entrenched in the kitchen.
« TRAITOR ! » Dean shouted back, trying in vain to get rid of the spider web glued all over his fingers and hair.
He turned to Chadwick and showed a threatening finger covered with the sticky substance...
« Next year, YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT ALL OF THIS... » He said, walking to the kitchen.
« And clean this mess, RIGHT NOW »
Chadwick and Jewel looked at each other.
« Gimme five » the boy said, extending a hand to his sister. She hit it as hard as she could.
« It was even more fun than last year» she was skipping in joy.
Someone sneezed behind their back. Apache tried to get rid of some spider web sticking on his nose.

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Castiel was standing in front of the kitchen table, scouping out a huge pumpkin. He frowned, focusing on his task...
Dean rushed in, obviously angry.
« I could have used some help here !» he was mad, brushing through his hair covered with white spider webs.
« Come here» Castiel put down his spoon and smiled at him with lots of tenderness.
« What kind of crazy thought to come up with such stuff » Dean was pissed and rubbed his hands on his pants.
« Stop complaining, you old grumpy ! » Castiel sighed, with amusement.
« And of course, all you can do is laugh about it »
Castiel started to peel off the web residues... Dean suddenly felt uncomfortable, feeling Castiel so close to him...
« I'm all right... Go on doing what you were up to » he said, moving a few steps away, trying to act casual.
« I'd better take a shower to get rid of it all» he smiled, trying to hide the turmoil sneaking in his heart.
« As you wish, Dean » Castiel replied, taking away a piece of web hanging on his eyebrow. His finger brushed against Dean's cheek.
Their eyes met.
« Don't bother » he said, brushing his hand away.
Before leaving the room, he felt he had to regain some confidence and turned to Castiel...
« I'll be back in 5 » softly hitting the door frame.
Castiel smiled, aware of his friend's embarrassment... Dean... and his everlasting personal space, he sighed.
He picked up the spoon and concentrated on the pumpkin again...
He set the flesh aside in a big bowl. Dean came back about 10 minutes later and granted him a wry smile which Castiel returned... He pulled up his sleeves, looked at the bowl and prepared all the ingredients for a soup.
Dean repeated the same routine he had adopted since he was a kid. He had learned from him mother who had learned from her own mother. Somehow he wanted to perpetuate the tradition with his own kids.
Castiel had never done anything similar in his youth, only vicariously, as his own parents considered this tradition a pagan one, thus forbidden in their house.
At most, he was allowed to go for a trick-or-treat tour with his class comrades, under his mother's severe supervision...
He had only found out about the joy of celebration with his first boyfriend and since then, he'd never missed one.
However, he had never enjoyed this festival as much as when he celebrated it for the first time with Tessa and her little ordinary family.
She taught him to scout the pumpkin and turn it into the decorative element which was essential to a proper celebration.
He was the one who took up the torch when she died and Dean'd found nothing wrong about it...
Like everything else related to this family, it all seemed natural.

« I'm gonna make it clear, I won't go any further than down the street this year » Dean said, tasting the soup with a satisfied click of the tongue.
« Dean... It's Halloween » Castiel insisted.
« It's a celebration for the kids » Dean grouched.
« ... And the adults » Castiel went on.
Dean turned around and faced his friend, digging out the second eye of his masterpiece.
« Don't even think I'm gonna walk in the streets dressed in this ridiculous outfit ! » Dean snapped, pointing at the living room.
« Not any more ridiculous than wearing boxer shorts and socks, with shaving foam on your face ! »
« Please, don't start again with this » Dean warned. « Damn draught... I didn't end up half naked outside by choice or for pleasure, OK ? » he moved towards the cooker.
« The female neighbors never complained about it, as far as I know » Castiel added, contemplating his finished work with a smile of satisfaction.
« What do you think ? » Castiel questioned, a bit hesitant.
« About what ? » Dean ranted.
« I'll never manage to do as good as her » he whispered, suddenly lost in his thoughts.
« It looks great, I mean it, Cass » Dean took him by the shoulders, granted him a genuine tender smile and handed him a full spoon.
« Here, taste this and tell me what you think »
Castiel complied, looking into the empty eyes of his pumpkin.
« Perfect » he smiled, now staring at Dean.