Based upon the cover picture as prompted by prompatholics on tumblr. :) Enjoy
„Dean, come here, Dean!"
A little, chubby boy gestures to his older brother as he falls onto his knees, splashing water mixed with sand all around himself. The addressed boy smiles gently and walks towards the kneeling child. The sun is high on the sky, warming the air to the point of it being almost unbearable, but the boys are not bothered by the heat. It's been so long since they could light-heartedly enjoy themselves on a beach that they are happy to take whatever the life has in store for them.
"Hurry up, they'll run away!" the younger brother calls again as he waves his hands all around himself. Dean picks up his pace and soon he kneels down beside Sammy.
"Who'll run away?" he asks as if he doesn't see small fish swimming around his younger brother.
"The fish. Look, they're so beautiful – and this one looks like you and this one is so tiny and-"
Dean lets his brother babble about the water fauna as he tries to recall the last time Sammy could be this happy; unconditionally happy with none of John's restrictions, rules and orders. Deciding his memory quite probably doesn't go that far, Dean sighs and pats Sam's head. The little boy looks at him with question in his huge hazel eyes.
"Of course they're beautiful, Sammy," Dean says and with a nod of his head, he encourages the younger boy to keep doing what he was up to. Sam obeys with enthusiasm and he rolls over stones and shells to look for more animals.
"Dean, can we catch some and keep them?" Sammy looks up to his brother with hope written all over his sweet, naïve face. Dean smiles sadly, preparing for the inevitable.
"No, Sammy," he answers and squats down to make Sam believe he's not the authority in here and that he's not denying what Sam wants just because he can. "I'm sorry."
"Why not?!" Sam squeals and gives Dean his upset face.
"Because we don't have anything to put them into," Dean reasons, "look, I know you love animals, Sammy. But we can't have any, it's a responsibility and we can't drag a pet from one motel to another. They would suffer."
"Well, I suffer without the animals," Sam objects and crosses his arms, "it's not fair."
"No it's not," Dean admits.
"So I can get the fish?" Sam tries again, focusing his puppy-eyed gaze at Dean, "pleasepleaseplease!"
"Look," Dean says desperately, "what if we caught them and you played with them and then we let them go again?"
"No. I want to keep my fish. I want to name them and feed them and be their papa." Sam cries and glares at Dean. "Why do you never allow me anything?!"
"Sammy," Dean sighs, trying not to feel to hurt by what his brother just said. He knows Sam doesn't really realise what he's saying and that if he knew he was hurting Dean, he would probably not say it at all. "They already have parents. They've got fish momma and fish papa and fish brothers and sisters and fish friends. And they would be very sad if you took the fish from the sea. You don't want to make them sad, do you?"
"I don't have a momma," Sammy voices what Dean was thinking about, "and dad doesn't like me anyway."
"Why would you say such a thing, Sammy?" Dean asks with serious face. His gaze is probably too harsh because Sam looks away.
"He's always away. Normal daddies are not away so much." Sam mumbles and his voice is barely audible.
"I told you he's got to work," Dean says calmly and reaches for Sam, "but I'm here for you right?"
"Yep." Sam admits and turns around. "But it doesn't count, you've always been with me."
"And why doesn't it count?" Dean asks in surprise.
"Because you'll always be here," Sammy explains with childish logic.
"And that's what matters, Sammy. If you know that I'll always be here, how would you feel if somebody took me away?" Dean smiles softly, trying to make Sam see his point without a told-you-so.
"I would be alone. I don't wanna be alone." Sam whimpers, "are you leaving?"
"No. Of course not," Dean smiles and takes his little brother into an embrace, "so isn't the fish."
"You think they have brothers?" Sam asks weakly, obviously conflicted between wish to have a pet and feeling sorry for it.
"They're all brothers and sisters, Sammy."
The brothers sit one beside another for some time, watching the small animals and feeling happy to be together. Sam keeps being excited over them, but he doesn't talk about getting one anymore. Dean is happy he passed so smoothly through this, because there was no way John would allow Sam to keep an animal and Dean didn't want his brother to be unhappy.
A few hours later, the sun is getting low and sending bright orange and red light all over the place. Dean stands up, already feeling sorry for having to leave this soon, but he gestures for his baby brother to follow him. Sam leaves the water reluctantly, but he doesn't beg Dean to stay. It seems strange to the elder Winchester, but he doesn't question it.
"You wanna say bye to the fish?" Dean asks. Sammy nods and they stare into the water for a bit longer while Sam places his hands in front of his ears, moving them back and forth and while he opens and closes his mouth in – as he told Dean – a fish farewell. Then they walk back to the motel room where John's waiting for them.
"Dean?" Sam asks and it sounds like he is deep in thoughts.
"Yes?"
"Are all dogs brothers and sisters too?"