The Road Ain't No Place
Happy Birthday, Dean
The first time Sam realized that celebrating birthdays should be a big deal, Dean was turning ten.
Sam had had his fifth the year past, and taken the time to reflect that if he got older, so did everyone else. 'course he never really remembered the special days yet, and this particular end of January would have gone without celebration as well if John hadn't said to Dean before he left for another hunt,
"Sorry about missing your birthday, dude. Maybe next year."
And even if that was enough to have John's subconscious kick his ass and his son fight not to look crestfallen, Dean shrugged it off.
"No biggie," he started, and Sam had perked up.
"Birthday?" he questioned, then jumped in excitement. "De, 's your birfday?"
"Yep," John answered his youngest, reaching over to muss both his boys hair. "Dean's getting big."
Sammy turned wide eyes on his brother, and Dean forced a smile. "Yeah," he responded, a little glumly.
John didn't take time to notice, hoisting up his duffle bag, sending out a last farewell before he left the motel room, a half-promise to be home in a few days.
As soon as the door closed, Sammy moved to wrap his arms around Dean's middle.
For once, he didn't need his brother to assure him that his dad was coming back soon. Because today was Dean's day.
"Whatchya wanna do, Dean?" Sammy asked, smiling widely.
Dean hesitated, wanting to blow it off and tell his brother it wasn't a big deal. But birthdays meant a lot to the little kid, Sam loved having days that added something special into life whether it was pie or being able to stay up a little later with his big brother.
So, just for Sammy, Dean told himself, the elder brother ruffled Sam's hair and indulged the day.
"I dunno, how about a movie?"
Sam bounced a little. "Outside?"
"Sorry, bro," Dean said. "Can't teach you how to hot-wire a car just yet."
Sam just blinked up at him, still waiting for the answer.
Dean tugged his little brother towards the TV. "C'mon, I'll pick an extra scary one."
Sam protested at that, even though Dean wouldn't have done such a thing.
Dean couldn't complain at all about that birthday, not when his five-year-old brother was looking at him with those happy wide eyes.
They say that the road ain't no place to start a family
Right down the line it's been you and me
Over the next several years, John blowing off most of their birthdays had become practically a tradition.
Dean told himself he never really minded much, getting older had its perks, but he could get those same ones with his fake I.D.
Such was his mindset a few years shy of a decade later, when he woke up on the morning of his birthday and probably wouldn't have remembered had it not been for Sam's unfailing attempts.
"Guess what today is?"
Sam seemed to suddenly appear in front of his brother, goofy-looking grin plastered onto his face, brown hair almost down past his eyes but a bright excitement peeking through.
"Don't, Sam." Dean rolled his eyes, recognizing that his brother loved jumping on every opportunity to embarrass him but really not wanting today to be made such a big deal.
"Don't what?" Sam asked innocently, quickly following when Dean pushed past him and continued into the kitchen to get breakfast. "It's your birthday!"
"Is not," Dean grumbled irrationally. "You have no proof."
Sam followed Dean's movements a step behind like a persistent puppy, and talked over the sound of cabinets opening and shutting. "Well, I was thinking this year-"
"Seventeen, dude," Dean cut in. "It's not even that big of a deal. Talk to me next year. Actually, don't."
Sam scowled. "Seventeen, dude," he repeated back. "It is big. You're old."
Seventeen. Dean thought to himself. Sucked. Wasn't even sixteen, with the thrill of being able to drive – legally, that is. And not yet his eighteenth – which Caleb had promised was going to kick ass.
Dean already drove, drunk, and impersonated authority figures on a weekly basis, and a birthday wasn't going to get his dad's attention more than a good kill.
So where was the novelty that Sam so readily pounced on?
Dean guessed it was because normal people celebrated birthdays, normal people had a cake and were happy, normal people thought it was a blessing to have another year of life, normal people-
"Dean?" Sam pushed into his older brother's thoughts, spotting the dark scowl forming on Dean's face as he slammed the fridge shut. "Are you-"
"Where's all the damn food?" Dean snapped.
Sam looked like a kicked puppy. His eyebrows drew together, and he opened his mouth then shut it.
"I thought we could go out," he said finally, eyeing his irritable brother. "You know, like we-"
"With what money, Sam?" Dean shot. "And what car? And what time? We have training to do."
"Dean-"
"God, move." Dean shouldered past his hurt and a little indignant brother, and Sam flinched as he heard the bathroom door slam shut and the shower start running with as much force as the old thing had.
But Dean should have known that Sam wouldn't give up that easily, should have known by now that even when he was acting like an asshole towards his brother Sam could see right through him.
It was for that reason that when Dean came out, ready to make this day like any other, Sam was once again standing in front, determined and smirking a little.
"I have an idea-" the preteen started, but Dean talked over him, "For fuck's sake, Sam-"
Sam raised his voice to an almost shout, "There's a sweet car outside."
Dean eyed him unimpressed. "So?"
"So, don't you want to take it for a spin?"
Dean stared at him.
"You said we needed a car," Sam pointed out. "You know, so we could go out for your birthday."
"I also said we needed money, Sam," Dean said, but with a little less irritation.
"I have some," Sam said. "And you could show me how to drive."
His brother was smiling, looking hopeful. It might have been Dean's birthday, but Sam knew that if it were up to the elder brother himself, the day would go by just like any other.
Their dad may not have cared enough about festivities, and Dean may have tried to feel the same. So it was Sam's job to take care of this day.
Dean continued to stare at his brother, his nagging irritation fading a little reluctantly.
"Okay," he said. "Okay, Sam."
So hot-wiring cars wasn't the most productive, or legal, or sane of birthday parties.
But they still had a helluva time doing it.
Circus life, under the big top world
We all need the clowns to make us smile
"I can't believe you."
"I can't believe you," Dean countered, although he was grinning madly.
The two brothers walked out of a diner, another ten years after their first hot-wiring debacle.
Sam may have missed out when he went to Stanford, but he was back and he'd be damned if he stopped celebrating Dean's birthday.
Even if this time had led to them being kicked out of the restaurant and Sam once again scarred from another encounter with a clown, courtesy of his big brother.
He'd still managed to humiliate Dean, getting the entire diner to sing him 'Happy Birthday.' Sam smirked at the memory of his brother's gritted teeth and red face, deciding that no matter how much Dean hated him for doing that every single time it was still another tradition that needed to be fulfilled.
After all, Dean had found it hard to stay irritated when he witnessed Sam holding a chair firmly in front of him as the clown had advanced.
Both brothers smiled a little ruefully at the memory of the night as they reached the Impala.
"So, another birthday down," Sam commented. "Man, seems kind of unfair to be older but shorter, huh?" Sam elbowed his brother, then quickly moved around to the shotgun side before Dean could retaliate.
"Shut up, bitch, who still calls all the shots?"
Sam grinned as he shook his head and glanced at his brother. "'least we don't have to hot-wire any cars, right?" He patted the Impala fondly.
"Who says we can't?" Dean started but Sam rolled his eyes.
"We are not stealing a car dude, we're not teenagers any more."
Dean made a long-suffering sound.
"But hey," Sam continued, reaching into the car. "I still got you something." Sam took a moment to say dryly, "'cause you totally deserve it after that."
Dean just smirked.
"There better be either a girl or a weapon in there," Dean then said, nodding towards the cardboard box that Sam now held.
"Better," his brother promised, sliding the box over the hood of the Impala.
Dean's face showed how much he seriously doubted that, but he pulled the top off.
"Pie!" Dean said, in a tone that was gleeful, eyeing the thing eagerly, just as Sam had known.
"Can't have a birthday without the pie," Sam said, smiling and reveling in the rare moment that his brother was happy, even if it was just because of a dessert.
"Or hot-wiring a car," Dean pointed out, looking up to meet Sam's eyes.
The two laughed briefly, before Sam grabbed the pie and produced two forks once they were both seated in the Impala.
"Don't be a jerk."
"Gimme the pie, bitch."
Oh you stand by me
Faithfully
A/N: Is there a record for fastest fic written by the worst procrastinator in the history of all procrastinators ever to procrastinate while said procrastinator procrastinated on twenty other more important things. Because this was definitely worth it.
Welp, yay for Deanie! *throws confetti* Oh, and Steve Perry's birthday was apparently two days ago, so hey! Journey tribute :) I've kind of been having a marathon of their songs. Then this popped into my head. 's been a good day.
*contented sigh* The bros. And that last episode? Ohmygod, I can't, Dean.
Go ahead and review? Birthday prezzies for Deano, and all! *huggles him* I think agent iz hyper and I should bring back the Help Fix Deanie [and now Sam] foundation as well, proceeds are converted from reviews! xD
Faithfully (*hums*)
~Dodo