deancasbigbang:

Title: The Volunteer
Author: thatwriterlady
Artist: Diminuel
Rating: Explicit
Pairings: Dean/Cas, mention of Sam/Eileen, mention of Mary/John
Wordcount: 29300
Warnings/Tags: Truemates, Falling In Love, Self-Esteem Issues, Mention of Loss, Depressed Character, Devotion, Alpha Dean, Omega Castiel, Fluff, Smut
Posting: 11/5/2018

Summary:

Dean visits his brother on occasion at the hospital where Sam works in the maternity ward as a doctor. This time turns out to be different. He’s only ever heard his brother talk about the mysterious Omega that volunteers in the NICU to hold the preemie pups, and help them want to live. On this day Dean happens to meet the mysterious Omega, and it changes his life. The quiet, reclusive man is his truemate, and he isn’t as happy about that as Dean is. It will take some patience and a whole lot of love to convince Castiel that he is worth having as a mate. Dean has his work cut out for him, but he doesn’t care, he’d do anything for his truemate.

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Sam stood outside the NICU watching as Castiel rocked gently in the glider chair. His shirt was open and he had a tiny pup pressed against his chest. Little Abigail Norman. She was six weeks old now, though she’d been born almost six weeks premature. Her little hand was in her mouth and her eyes, the most beautiful chocolate brown, were wide open as she sucked away on her fingers. The Omega was stroking his fingers gently up and down her back, smiling softly as he soothed the tiny pup. He knew she was one of Castiel’s favorites. She’d struggled so hard in the beginning. After her mother had given her up for adoption, essentially walking out on her, she’d had failure to thrive. Her doctor and the nurses had all done everything they could to try and save her, but it was Castiel who managed to make her want to fight to live. She was almost ready to be released. It broke his heart knowing she didn’t have a home to go to, but she wasn’t the first pup to come through here that had been given up by their parents, and she wouldn’t be the last.

“Hey, Sammy, you free to join me for lunch?”

He turned away from the window to see his brother approaching.

“Uh,” he checked his watch, “I’ll be free in a few. I have a patient to check on. Give me five?”

Dean nodded and watched as Sam headed around the corner. He looked into the NICU window, his eyes landing on the man sitting with the pup cradled against his chest. There was something both beautiful and intimate about it, and he was intrigued. He wondered if this was the volunteer Sam had mentioned a few times over the years. The man looked up, his blue eyes locking on Dean’s own green ones. It sent something that felt like an electric shock through him. He’d already figured the man was an Omega, based on where he was and what he was doing, but he’d never had such a reaction to one before. More than anything he wanted to go in there, to scent the man, but if this was the Omega Sam had mentioned, the man would be offended.

“He’s saved her life.”

Dean jumped at the sound of his brother’s voice and turned to see that Sam was standing next to him.

“This is that Omega volunteer you talked about, right?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, Castiel. I don’t really know his story. He showed up here about 15 years ago, long before I started here and just offered to volunteer to cuddle the pups that were really in critical care. Thanks to him, many of them have gone on to thrive and survive. He has cried and mourned every one that didn’t make it,” Sam replied.

“He doesn’t look all that old.” Dean noted. “Is he mated?”

Sam side-eyed him, pursing his lips. “Don’t go there. No, he is not mated. I don’t know how old he is. He’s older than me, that’s all that I know.”

Dean turned back to look at Castiel again and found the Omega still watching him. A nurse had come to take the pup he’d been holding, and now he was cradling one that was barely bigger than his hand, holding it against his chest as he stroked a finger against its cheek. There were so many wires Dean could hardly see the pup itself.

“Why is he staring at me?”

“I don’t really know, he never does that. Usually he focuses 100% on the pups. If he feels up to talking later, he might say something.” Sam sighed and turned away from the window. “I have an hour, let’s go down to the cafeteria.”

“Cool. I’m starving.” Dean gave one last glance back at the Omega with the bright blue eyes. Castiel was beautiful, though there was something in his eyes, something that spoke of heartache, and he found himself wondering what it was. With a sigh he followed after his brother, not knowing if he’d ever see the gorgeous, haunted Omega again.