Title: One Day I'll Fly Away
Characters: Sam, Dean
Rating: G, gen
Warning: Angst
Summary: Sam feels sure Dean's hiding something from him. Then one day the answer comes, in a big brown envelope. Tag to 4.14.
There must be something that Dean is hiding from him; Sam feels sure of it. It's been several weeks now since the incident with the siren and those unwanted words coming from both of them which Sam knows must have hurt Dean's heart deeply. Yet that big brother of his doesn't seem too affected. In fact he seems to return to his usual self, throwing mocking jokes Sam's way, flirting with waitresses, hustling pool. But there is one thing Sam finds strange, and slightly disturbing. Dean keeps refusing whenever Sam suggests they leave the place, drive somewhere else, and work a job. It's so unlike him. Sam's been pushing under Dean's nose articles from the Internet or obits from the paper that clearly show patterns of supernatural activities, but to no avail. Actually, Dean himself seems quite busy with Sam's notebook. Every time he sees the thing idle, he'll grab it and soon is lost in his own world. But when Sam asks him what he's doing, he immediately shuts it up. Dean's not exactly angry. He's not mad at all. He looks more like – embarrassed. He'll blush and sometimes mumble something that sounds like, "Not yet, Sammy."
Not yet what?
Another thing that's odd from Dean is that now he often goes to the post office. He's not taking Sam whenever he stops there. No. He doesn't want Sam to know where he's going. Sam has to find it out for himself.
Then comes the day.
Dean practically bounces when he gets into their motel room, taking Sam, who is again browsing through useless case clues, by surprise.
"What the hell, Dean?"
Sam notices a big brown envelope in his brother's hand.
"What's that?" he squints in suspicion.
"I was accepted, Sam!" Dean waves the envelope high in the air.
"Huh?"
"They accepted me! I'm officially a student in this online undergraduate program now."
Sam is completely lost.
"Don't you get it, Sammy?" says Dean slightly annoyed. "This means I'm going to get a degree when I graduate later. I'm taking mechanical engineering. I know I'm good in tinkering with cars but soon I'll know more than that. Gosh, Sam. I'll even be able to design something!"
"Dean," says Sam slowly. "Since when you interested in going to school?"
Dean shrugs. "I don't know. But I don't care! I'm going to be as smart as you, Sammy."
Sam just finds out how it feels like to have his heart leap up to his throat as he sees the sun and the stars in his brother's eyes.