AN: So there will most definitely be bad language and violence in this fic. I will try to post warnings at the beginning of each chapter. I just decided to write this a long time ago and thought I might as well post it over here. There will be defined pairings in here that might not be what you think of. And the way I wrote Sam and Dean could either be close brothers or wincest. Take it the way you like. There's nothing graphic between the two of them. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and feedback would be most appreciated!
The street of the small Colorado town was quiet. It was still early in the morning, and the only people awake were the ones that had to be. The Winchester house was no different. John Winchester was getting ready for work, making himself some coffee, while his youngest son was fast asleep. He had only been asleep for a few hours. He had been up late doing homework and watching random things on Netflix. His big thing right now was documentaries.
John was sure his son was going to grow up to be an evil genius.
John did the same thing that he did every morning when he had to work. He turned on the coffee pot, turned the TV on low to watch the news, and made himself a bowl of cereal or toast. But this morning, he added something new to his routine. He stopped to look at the pictures on the fridge. Up until a few years ago, he had been living happy in Kansas with his wife and two sons. But his wife was no longer with them, a car accident taking her from them. His oldest had been off in the Middle East, fighting a war that John wasn't sure they could win, and his youngest son was a mopey teenager with the chance to play soccer at Stanford on the horizon.
The pictures on the fridge made him think about that. One of them was of Mary with Dean, back before Sam was born. Dean was a four year old little piece of hellfire, and Mary loved her little boy so much. Underneath it was a magnet of Sam in his junior league soccer uniform. It was currently holding up a menu to the Chinese place that Sam loved. There was a picture of John, Dean, and Sam sitting on the back of, at the time, John's beloved Chevy Impala, years before he gave it to Dean. So many memories on one metal door.
That's when John's eyes came to a letter hanging there, right next to a calendar with a big red circle. Dean had been back in-country for going on a week now and was due to come back to Colorado any time now. He had things in Kansas he had left behind and he needed to get. John couldn't wait to see the Impala pull up in the driveway beside his pickup. Thought he wouldn't say it aloud, he missed his oldest son. John made his way to his coffee cup and looked at his phone that was on the charger.
1 unread text message from Dean.
A smile curled on John's face as he opened the message.
Dean: Coming into town this morning. Don't tell Sammy. I want to surprise him. School doesn't start until 8 right?
John laughed to himself and sent Dean back a text, telling him that school started at 7:45 here, but Sam probably wouldn't make it in until 8 if he didn't get his butt in gear sometime soon.
Dean: Don't worry, I got this.
John smiled. Leave it to Dean to take care of Sam. He had been doing it his whole life. Standing up to bullies, putting Band-Aids on Sam's cuts and scrapes, cheering him on at matches when no one else could make it. Mary had died when Sam was just a little thing, so a lot of responsibility fell on Dean's shoulders at a young age. But Dean didn't seem to mind too much. Sam and Dean were two peas in a pod.
In the background of John's breakfast, he could hear all about the failing businesses around the world, countries falling into despair as more threats of nuclear war coming from North Korea. John thought when he went to Vietnam all those years ago, that these things would've been over. But it wasn't over, and he wasn't sure it ever would be. He sighed and drained the rest of his coffee before rinsing it out and leaving it in the sink. If Sam was up early enough, he would do the usual routine of putting things into the dishwasher. If not, he would do it before the game.
"Shit." John groaned. He had forgotten all about Sam's match when he promised to work the emergency night shift at the garage he worked at. There was no way he could get out of it tonight, being such short notice. Thank god for Dean coming home. At least Sam would have someone there tonight. He'd make it up to him someday. But he knew he made that promise all the time.
He pulled on his faded green jacket with the patches and put his baseball cap on his graying hair. Looking around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything that he might need before he could come home for lunch, John locked the door and shut it, heading out to his truck to make the drive into work.
He turned on the radio in his truck, ignoring the usual news talk and going straight for the classic rock station. Blue Oyster Cult was the soundtrack for his drive as he made his way to the other end of Calumet. It was the same drive five days, sometimes six, a week. Past the same McDonalds with part of the M always fading out. Past the same bowling alley that Sam used to beg to have his birthday at until he got too old for those type of parties. The same movie theater that he had taken his sons to see their first R rated movie, even though they had already seen plenty of them. The mountains made a beautiful backdrop off in the distance. It wasn't Kansas, but it was home. A change had done him and his boys a world of good.
"Mary would've loved this town." He would tell himself over and over again, trying to justify not returning to Lawrence. But Lawrence held bad memories. Abandonment by his father, death of his wife, almost losing his youngest son to the same thing that took his wife from him, debt, grief, anger. There was too much there that made him not want to stay. Calumet was his home. Their home.
Dean walked into the house about a half hour after John had left. The clock on his phone said 7 on the dot. And the house was still dark, minus the lamp that John always left on. Pocketing his keys, Dean climbed the stairs two at a time towards the bedrooms, where he knew Sam was still probably fast asleep. Dean walked past his old bedroom. While there was some exercise equipment sitting in the middle of the room, the posters were still on the wall, the bed with the same quilt was still there, and other things that made the room his were still where they should be. Dean smiled some. He knew it wasn't because John was sentimental, but he was glad that his space was still in tact.
He made his way to Sam's room. He didn't even bother to knock. They had never really knocked when going into each other's rooms. They honestly never had a need to. And sure enough, as Dean walked in, he found Sam asleep in a pile of blankets. He shook his head as he looked around the room. It was spotless, minus a few dirty shirts laying on the floor. Much different than how Dean's room had been pre military. Dean couldn't help but smile as he made his way over to his brother.
"Sammy." Dean said, poking as Sam's side and head. "Saaammmmyyyy."
"Sammy's a chubby twelve year old." Sam groaned, hiding under his blankets.
"Come on man. I come all the way from Iraq to see you and this is how you treat me?" Dean joked, poking at his brother again. Sam groaned.
"It's still early. Leave me alone." Sam said, pulling away from Dean. Dean laughed some.
"Well, according to my phone, it's after 7." He looked out the window. "And there goes your bus." Sam shot up, his eyes wide.
"Shit!" Sam called out, jumping out of bed. "Dad's gonna kill me! I can't be late again." Dean just watched his brother jump around like a monkey and laughed some. "What's so funny jerk?"
"Well, bitch, I have a perfectly working car that I wouldn't mind driving you to school with." Dean said with a shrug.
"What? So you can drool over the barely legal girls?" Sam asked, rolling his eyes.
"Fine. You can explain to dad why you were late to school for…how many times now?" Dean asked. Sam groaned and threw his head back, looking up at the ceiling. As much as he hated to, he knew he had to ask Dean for help. He sighed.
"Dean, will you please drive me to school?" Sam asked.
"I don't know. I have this really strict no whiny little…"
"I'll pay for breakfast." Sam said. That got Dean's attention.
"Come on Sammy. We'll stop by McDonalds on the way to school." Dean laughed. Sam grabbed his soccer jersey and put it on. He had to wear it on the days that he had matches. Thankfully, this one was more ceremonial than actual play. "Bet that thing gets you all the girls." Dean laughed. Sam rolled his eyes. "Or guys, I'm not judging."
"Dude!" Sam said. Dean just laughed and headed out of Sam's room while his brother finished getting things together for school.
Dean was waiting out on the front porch for Sam when his brother came out, carrying his heavy backpack on one shoulder. Dean stood up, letting his feet drop from the brick railing they had been on. He looked at Sam's back as his brother walked down the steps in front of him.
"You know that'll fuck up your spine, right?" Dean asked. Sam turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised.
"What?" Sam asked. Dean motioned at his backpack.
"Carry it with one strap." Dean said. Sam rolled his eyes and threw open the door to the Impala. "Hey! Easy with Baby! She's classic!" Dean said. Sam sighed and got into the passenger side, setting his bag on the floor at his feet. Dean climbed in shortly after, starting up the car. Metallica blared from the speakers.
"See your music choice hasn't changed." Sam said. Dean looked over at him before backing out of the driveway.
"Sorry, can't hear you over how awesome my music is." Dean laughed. "Too bad your emo shit can't quite match up."
"Oh bite me." Sam mumbled. Dean laughed.
"Save that for Jessica." Dean said. Sam looked at Dean with wide eyes. "Easy tiger, dad told me all about her." Sam sighed and set back for the ride. He fished his wallet out of his pocket to pay for the breakfast from McDonalds. After Dean driving through Main Street and honking at everyone he remotely knew, they made it to the high school.
"You'd think they'd paint that by now." Dean said, motioning to the fading Wolverine on the side of the building. He looked around at the parking lot. A dusty gravel lot. "Or pave the fucking parking lot. Come on, I just gave her a bath."
"We're a poor high school in the middle of nowhere." Sam said. "Do you really expect us to have things like updated textbooks and a paved parking lot?"
"I'm just saying." Dean said. He smiled at some girls who walked by, books in hand. "Well, guess you better get in there. Earn your diploma and all that jazz." Sam sighed and grabbed his backpack, sliding out of the car. "Hey, aren't you gonna give me a kiss?" Dean asked with a laugh. Sam slammed the door before flipping him off. He met up with a couple of his friends before heading inside the building. Dean waited for a moment before pulling out of the parking lot. A banner wishing their championship winning soccer team hung on the fence he drove by, gently blowing in the wind.