One year. That was all John Winchester was willing to allow his children to stay in Berkeley, California. His eldest son, Dean, was sixteen while his younger son, Sam, was only the innocent age of twelve-Or he would be innocent had the brothers not been raised in the painful life of a Hunter. The only home they knew consisted of cheap diner food, stolen Christmas presents and ratty motels where most of the time the family ended up leaving in-debt to. The Winchesters were far from perfect or common, but for once they had a chance at achieving some state of normality. Then again, nothing supernatural could stay away from a family so ridden with the kind of energy the Winchesters carried. It was an unspoken bond between the knowledgeable members of the universe to another.
oOo
The hazel-green eyes of a young Dean Winchester lazed into consciousness as his fathers '67 Chevy Impala roared to a stop up to a small but cozy-looking rental home. The house was a simple light blue, two-storied building complete with the traditional white American porch and shutters. A partially tended to lawn and a small brown bench were all that extended in front of the building.
"Is this really going to be ours for a year Dad?" A soft voice asked from the rear of the car. Sam stuck his head between the two front seats and tilted it in question at a smiling John. The young boy sucked on his bottom lip nervously anticipating the answer.
It wouldn't be the first time John Winchester had let his boys down and ripped them away from a place they were beginning to feel like a part of. Dean silently looked between the members of his family, and held in a nervous breath. He didn't know if he could see the disappointed look on his brother's face if their father broke his promise one more time.
"Of course it is, Sam. I mean it when I promised you two that." John said with a grumpy huff as he pulled the keys from the ignition and almost jumped out the door-away from the suspicious faces of his wary children.
Without another word he went to the trunk and pulled a total of three green suitcases out. It had been his idea to actually buy suitcases for once, as a symbol that this time was different. They /were/ going to stay in this busy California suburb for the duration of a year, no matter how hectic and busy things turned in the hunting world. It would be a well-needed vacation for the boys from the perpetual wave of motel living.
Inside the sleek black car, the elder brother was rolling his eyes as he looked back to his Sammy. Sam raised a simple eyebrow in question and shrugged. After a soft nod, Dean shot out of the car as well and up the concrete walk to the door of the house and swung it open with an eager Sam following behind him.
John trudged in only a moment after and was relieved to see the land-lord had made good on their deal. All the furniture of the previous owner was still assembled throughout the rooms. Luckily, most of it looked to be in decent shape rather than the tattered rags of too-worn fabric like he'd expected. He peaked his head into the boy's new rooms and smiled as each one seemed to be adjusting to the idea of it being completely theirs. After dropping two of the suitcases in front of the adjacent rooms of his sons, he headed down stairs to set up his office from where he'd be furiously tracking a certain yellow-eyed demon who owed him quite a bit. Spreading all the clues and keys across the large oak desk, John set to work and hoped that Sam would be setting up the wireless soon enough.
That night, the boys raced downstairs after a long day of setting their belongings up-not that they had much but the house came with its own collection of strange objects and books to look over and claim. The pizza man looked almost surprised to see someone as young as Sam open the door and behave so civil whilst a clearly older but shirtless teen sat on the couch ignoring the encounter and flipping through channels.
"Should we tell dad the food is here?" Sam asked, walking to sit next to his older brother and placing the pie on the small center coffee table. Dean snorted in reply before turning to a wide-eyed brother.
"Sam, you know how it is. He's on a damn case again. We /know/ better than to interrupt him." A gentle hand patted the younger Winchester on the shoulder as Dean leaned forward to grab a slice of pepperoni pizza. Sam pouted and let out an all too loud sigh as he sunk into the couch. "Hey, kiddo, cheer up. At least I'll be here to look after you whenever he goes running off again. We got this."
"I guess. Maybe I'll even make a friend or two." The smaller boy smiled as he took his own slice and nodded to himself.
"I'm sure you will, you got that Winchester charm like your big-bro." A soft chuckle escaped the plump lips as he finished of his slice. "And Sammy, let me tell ya'. The family charm works on boys and girls, trust me-"
Sam giggle was stopped by the footsteps of their father who had just entered the room. Simultaneously, both boys sucked in their breath with a guilty look upon their young faces. John simply smiled at the sight of the pizza and took a slice before going back to his cave, only stopping to ruffle his youngest son's hair.
In a quick exhale, the brothers allowed the relief to flood them. Even for being so young, Sam knew better than to believe his father would be accepting of his brother's sexuality. Dean stood up quickly and rushed up the stairs to his room where he'd feel at peace with himself and the close call.
Only less than a week until John would be probably be off on another job and they'd go back to their own sense of normality, where secrets between the brothers were rare and forbidden. The only difference was this time there'd be a whole school to face with the truth. Maybe Dean Winchester could finally find someone to be in an actual relationship with.
oOo
Things were awkward and silent for the remainder of the week and into the weekend. The obvious increasing distance between John and his children was suffocating all of them that when Tuesday finally rolled around, the boys were all too excited to be going to their first day of school. Even Dean who characteristically despised school with the core of his being, was finding the idea a welcome relief. It was the first time they'd be starting so early in the year-only one month into it.
Sam woke bright and early, thankful that the middle-school and the high-school were actually set on the same time-clocks. Going somewhere so new and foreign without his big brother was possibly the most terrifying thing his young brain could imagine. An hour before school began the youngest Winchester was already set and ready to go in the kitchen. After only about ten minutes of waiting impatiently for his brother, Sam opted to wake the sleeping lump up himself.
"Dean!" The whine reached the boys ears as soon as he could see the light from the hallway peeking into the creases in his eyes. A loud groan escaped the tall figure before he settled back into bed, ready to go back to sleep when he felt a hand shaking his shoulder.
"Come /on/ Sammy. It's like, seven in the morning. We don't even have to go until eight. Let me sleep!" Sam punched Dean in the arm as he heard his brother complain and crossed his arms in a testy manner.
"You promised we'd leave early to get our work and stuff sorted out. So get up before I punch you in the face instead this time." Dean chuckled as he rolled out of bed and shuffled to his closet to put on jeans and his shirts. He glanced to a glaring Sam and smirk at him. "What are you smiling at jerk?"
"Nothing, bitch. Just that me and you got the same style little bro'. " Dean indicated to the jacket and layered shirt 'style' his brother so mirroring-ly sported. With a soft smile and a turn of his heels, Sam left the room and Dean quickly followed down the stairs.
Their dad was sitting at the table nursing a cup of coffee when he saw his sons and looked up. In his hand were the keys to the Impala. Dean rolled his eyes slightly and grabbed a can of 'Monster' before leaning against the counter to watch his hung-over looking father. John extended the keys with a stoic expression towards a shocked looking Dean whose face lit up like a Christmas tree.
"R-Really? Dad? You serious?" The hazel eyes were confused but touched as he shakily took them from the large, worn paw of his father. Sam remained watching the exchange in stunned silence.
"Bobby has a job for me and he'll be picking me up in an hour. I figured you two would need it to get to school and what not." John nodded to himself and rose from his spot before getting kissing distance from his eldest son's face. "You will treat her with respect and swear if there is so much as a scratch on her, I'm hanging your ass above my door. Understood?"
"Yes sir." Dean said, voice monotone. A soft breath of relief passed his lips as he father backed away and back down the hall to his office. Dean turned to Sam smiling and almost as if on-cue their palms met in a loud high five.