CD - Luck of Job 1
Adam Winchester had the luck of Job.
It had been one of those days for nearly a week now. The proverbial Monday Garfield complained about so extensively.
One of those bad days where everything that could go wrong did and everything that shouldn't go wrong did as well.
Adam wasn't a farmer, but he knew if he was, his chickens would have been laying purple eggs with orange polka dots and his cows would have turned in their notice to go and discuss likely Presidential candidates.
It was just that bad.
Adam wouldn't have blamed it on himself and he wasn't superstitious enough to believe it was bad luck, but something was definitely wrong in Adam land.
Last Tuesday had started with a bang, or rather, the crash of the screen door breaking through the thin layer of sealant holding it in place as Dean smashed it open. The door itself has become a nuisance since its' disrepair, but Dean had been the issue.
Flashback
The front door opened with a slam as it widened almost weightlessly to hit the wall beside it. Dean Winchester pushed through and simultaneously the screen from the door began pulling away from the metal.
"Adam!" Dean yelled, turning. "Goddammit. Get down here!" he looked down at the door falling apart.
Dean swiveled quickly, catching the door before it shut and clasped the soft, mesh wire.
The screen of the door sagged and Dean looked slightly helpless as he tried to push it back in place with one hand, hold the door with his knee as he crouched down, and hold the folding end of the screen with his other arm.
Adam tumbled down the stairs, missing the first two steps and catching himself on the railing before diving headlong into the drywall across for the stairwell. It was a two-story town home they had discovered and disregarding the floral print rugs across the cold vinyl floor, it wasn't bad at all.
Adam snorted.
Dean looked back, scowling. "You gonna help or just stand there?" He asked in frustration.
Adam shrugged, pulling himself off of the last step to saunter over to his brother and hold the door open. Dean shifted to lean on his knees as he pushed the screen door in the small cracks it had slipped out of only minutes before.
Dean had straightened up and smacked him upside the head before he could react.
"What was that for?" Adam asked with a mixture of surprise and anger, reaching back to protect his head.
Dean turned, opening the door.
"You being a little idiot, that's what." He grumbled, not bothering to meet Adam's surprised look.
"And so what, you're leaving now? You just come in here to yell at me and break the freaking door?"
Dean scowled, turning. "No. Just making sure it works."
"Oh good. Right." Adam mumbled under his breath.
"Excuse me?" Dean growled. "You got a problem, buddy boy?"
Adam shook his head.
Dean glowered all the same and something in the dark eyes looking down at him and the way his oldest brother squared his shoulders told Adam to can it.
Adam scratched his nose slowly. "So, why were you hollering to wake the dead?"
Dean shifted, reaching a hand back to bring out a crumbled envelope and wave in towards Adam. "Know what this is?"
"A valentine?" Adam asked innocently enough, dodging Dean's second swipe for his head.
Cat reflexes.
"No, little brother, this is your report card from last term. We were supposed to get it in December. The school called Dad, but thank your lucky stars he wasn't home. I was. Turns out Dad was supposed to meet with your teachers because this report card is shit, Adam."
Well fuck a duck.
Adam raised his eyebrows. "Damn."
"You better think of something better than that, little boy." An icy tone crept into Dean's voice and who knew a brother could be so terrifying. Adam was almost Dean's height now, but something about the fury radiating off of the man made the teen feel small.
Like a toddler caught drawing on the wall.
Except in wasn't the wall, but grades that were the problem.
And Dean wasn't opposed to beating his ass.
Adam moved back a step, the back of sneaker hitting the chair propped near the porch door.
"C'mon, Dean." He whined. "You didn't like school, hell, you weren't even good at it!"
Dean snorted. "Maybe, but I wasn't failing history and I didn't have two C's and a D."
Dean took a step forward and Adam decided to move back in response. It was like some twisted and heated version of a dance. Adam was fairly certain he would be dancing more later, but it wouldn't be a tango.
Now Adam maneuvered behind the coffee table, inching backwards towards the lone couch perched precariously on the largest floral rug.
Dean continued forward, anger boiling and his eyebrows set in the same hard line as his shoulders. "Why didn't you bring this home?"
"I didn't get one."
"Everyone gets one, kid. The student gets one and the office keeps a copy. You know why?"
Adam shook his head. "I'm guessing you're going to tell me?"
"Damn straight." Dean affirmed, moving quickly to snag the boy's arm roughly. "So when Adam Winchester decides to get rid of the first one, John Winchester can still beat his ass for failing high school."
The wrestled gracelessly for a moment, the power struggle becoming physical.
"But maybe." Dean grunted. "I should just wale on you myself."
"Aw, Dean, come on!" Adam hollered angrily. "Get off!" He kicked the side of Dean's left knee and watched as it buckled.
Dean yelled, grasping for his knee but keeping a hand on Adam's bicep.
He managed to stand again, using that momentum to turn the fleeing teen.
"Not a chance, buddy boy." Dean grappled with the kid, dropping the letter to use his full strength and push the teen on to the couch. "You earned this one."
Adam fell hard back into the couch, his brother now towering over him. Both boys were breathing hard and the envelope looked even more unfortunate on the floor. It was like a letter of execution.
"So." Dean began, hands crossing over his chest. "You want to tell me how the hell we didn't get this in December?"
"No." Adam replied insolently. He glared at the floor.
"You better rethink that, kid, I'm not in a mood for this." Dean intoned harshly.
"Yeah, well you aren't Dad!" Adam huffed.
"You better be pretty damn glad I'm not or you wouldn't be sitting right now." Dean yelled back. "I can make that happen because I am in charge while he's gone."
That statement made Adam hate Dean even more, but his brother was right. Adam was dumb, but he wasn't stupid. So the teen started talking through gritted teeth.
"I threw it away."
"What?"
"You heard me." Adam looked up angrily.
"Hey!" Dean glared. "Drop the attitude or I'll spank first and ask questions later."
"You can't‑" Adam started to rise.
"Can and will. Now talk." Dean cut him off effectively.
Adam rolled his eyes before looking up at the older man. "I threw it in the trash when I got it because I knew Dad would be pissed at me."
Dean snorted.
That could win understatement of the year.
Adam shifted in frustration. "I thought he probably wouldn't notice. I didn't think the school would call."
"There's a note on it that says to call them to talk to your teachers." Dean notes.
Adam shrugs. "Apparently I'm not allowed to flunk out without them getting the whole army of fucking—"
"Hey!" Dean growled, shifting on his feet. "You're not allowed to flunk out period."
"Coming from the guy who didn't even finish high school!" Adam sat up.
"I didn't fail sophomore year." Dean roared. "I dropped out senior year to help Dad hunt and watch out for you and Sammy. Don't use me for an example!"
Adam looked down at his lap in shame. Bad move, kid.
For a few minutes the only sounds in the room were the two boys breathing and by the way Dean pulled in his breath, Adam could tell the he was livid.
"M'sorry." He said finally.
"Yeah well, you're a day late and a dollar short." Dean replied shortly.
Adam shrugged. "I know. It's just, school sucks and Dad has been in one of his moods for the past few months and I knew he'd be pissed at me. And Dean, he won't let me hunt if he finds out and he's just starting to let me!"
Dean stared at his younger brother carefully, his expression softening.
Adam was no Sam when it came to the puppy eyes, but he was the youngest, so that should count for something.
Dean shook his head. "Son of a bitch." He mumbled. "Stay put." He pointed at Adam.
The Dean paced. He walked around the living room and left to think in the parking lot. Adam wasn't sure if Dean was cooling off or trying to think of an excuse for him. Either way, the teen figured it would be in his best interest to shut up and stay put.
So Adam watched Dean pacing thoughtfully.
Dean walked back into the motel room, careful not to open the door too quickly or roughly. He looked Adam over before walking over to his brother.
Adam looked up, meeting the older man's eyes and sitting up in the couch. His was sinking between two of the cushions and he could have sworn he felt one of the springs digging into his left thigh.
Dean sat heavily on the coffee table. "You messed up." He stated.
"I know."
Dean nodded. "I'm thinking I wallop you for it, I'll talk to your teacher, and you promise to get your grades up. Then we forget about it."
Adam looked up in surprise. "Really?"
"You make it sound like a good thing." Dean laughed.
"Anything it better than Dad getting a hold of my ass and that envelope." Adam pointed out.
That made Dean crack a smile. "Yeah, I guess so."
"I'll do it." Adam said.
Dean nodded slowly, rising to sit next to his brother on the couch. "C'mon, let's do this crap." He said with finality.
So Adam stood up and laid across Dean's lap.
And Dean spanked.
It was hard and long and it only took a few swats for Adam to start regretting his decision. Dean was no John Winchester, but the man packed a punch in his right hand. The burn in his ass started to become unbearable and soon tears were spilling out of Adam's eyes, which was stupid, because he was a big, strong fifteen.
So Dean smacked and Adam cried.
Before long, or too long, in Adam's mind, Dean was rubbing circles into the kid's back, offering some comfort to the wounded teenager.
Adam pulled himself off his brother's lap and gracefully as he could, which was saying something. After three years with the Winchesters, he still couldn't figure out how to be dignified after a spanking.
The two were more like water and oil.
Then Dean pulled him into a firm hug. "I hate doing that, kid." He mumbled.
Adam sniffed. "I know."
"Don't lie anymore, huh?"
Adam groaned. "No chance of that, Dean. My ass won't let me."
Dean chuckled.
Adam winced as he eased himself on to the couch next to his brother. "I wish Sam were here."
Dean looked like he had been caught off guard, but Adam didn't look up at his brother, he just watched the fraying edge of the rug under his sneakered feet.
"Hey." Adam's head shot up, his eyes meeting Dean's. "I do too." Dean replied.
After another quiet minutes, Dean spoke again. "Of course. Sammy would've been pissed you were failing school. He always cared about that shit."
"He's not Dad." Adam pointed out. "He isn't you either."
Dean laughed. "You underestimate the power of the Winchester hierarchy, little brother."
Adam groaned. "Not really. I actually hate it because being at the bottom sucks. Who's ass do I get to whack?"
"Our pet turtle."
"Oh shut up." Adam groused. He thought for a moment. "But, if I get taller than you—"
"Even then I can beat your ass." Dean's smile widened.
Adam shoved him hard and Dean laughed. "Jerk."
"So what's up at school?" His brother questioned. Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You said it sucked."
"Uh, because it's school, Dean. School sucks; it's just a fact."
"That's it?"
"What do you want, more ammo to beat my ass?" Adam was frustrated.
"No." Dean glared. "I told you to cut the attitude. And I just wanted to know, see if I could help."
"Oh." Adam felt small next to his brother and slightly abashed at getting angry with him. Dean wasn't all bad.
"I'm not good at it and this week I messed up with a, uh, never mind."
"A what? Wait, a girl? You mean an actual girl?"
"No, a fake one, Dean. Yes, a real one!" He made a face.
Dean turned to face him better, grinning. "Wow, Adds, really growing up, huh?"
Adam shook his head slowly. "That's the problem. I was a dick to her, Dean, and now she hates me."
Dean nods pensively. "Women."
Adam agreed. "Yeah, she says a lot of stuff she doesn't mean, but mostly I don't understand her except I know I messed up this time because I called her a bitch."
Dean frowned.
"And before you get all Rambo on my ass I know I shouldn't have, Respect women and all." He glanced back at his brother. "I'm going to apologize on Monday."
Dean nodded again more slowly, resting back into the couch casually. "You do that and don't call girls that again, you hear me?"
"Yeah, I got you." Adam responded lamely. "You think it will work?"
Dean laughed. "It seems too, flowers won't hurt either. But just come to terms with the fact that women are complicated, I still don't understand them."
"Oh good." Adam groaned.
End of Flashback
To be continued