A/N: Radom normal AU. Warning for implied past abuse.
"It's for the best," Sammy whispered, through a throat tight with tears.
"Is that what you think?" Dean's voice was raised, his hands tugging at his hair, his back to Sammy. "You never cared about him! You always provoked him! And you're not the one who has to take the place that he left!"
Sammy's tears spilled over at Dean's rage, but he was used to be the target of senseless anger. "I don't care! We are better off now!" Sam raised his voice, fighting back.
Dean spun toward him for the first time since Sammy had handed him the letter detailing their father's new plans, plans that didn't include his children, that just boiled down to him leaving for good this time. Dean's face was twisted with rage, his fist balled, and tears ripe to fall in his lashes. Sammy shrunk back, an instinct he had developed whenever their father got in one of his moods. He had never felt that fear for Dean though, and he didn't really now. But the moment that Dean saw his brother's face, glistening with quick falling tears, his whole form sagged. "Come here," Dean said, voice thick and hoarse. Sammy hurried forward to be pulled into his brother's arms, and found, as always, a shoulder to cry on.
They stood there for what felt like ages when- "Dean, is Sammy okay?" a little worried voice piped from the doorway of the living room.
Dean reached a hand to scrub away some of his own tears quickly, before turning to face the little boy, clad in footie pjs and clutching his teddy bear. "Yeah," Dean rasped, before clearing his throat. "Yeah, everything's going to be fine, Adam. You go back to sleep now, sport."
"But I want to make sure Sammy is okay first," Adam insisted, clutching his teddy bear closer. They were a stubborn family, for better or worse.
"I'm good," Sammy sniffed from Dean's shoulder, peaking up and giving Adam a smile. He held onto Dean a little tighter though, needing someone in their lives who didn't disappear.
Adam seemed to notice and hurried forward to hug onto Sammy, pressing a kiss to his side, the highest place little Adam could reach. "Kisses make booboos better," he insisted, peaking up as Sammy ruffled his hair.
Dean reached and put a hand on Adam's back, rubbing it soothingly. How was he supposed to explain this to the kid, who had already lost his mother, about Dad? Heaving a sigh, he came up with something else to say, something easier. "How about we all get some sleep, and in the morning, I'll make us pancakes?" Both faces turned up toward him. "It is the first day of summer vacation after all."
Adam squeaked with excitement, and toddled off imminently, leaving Sam to pull away and meet Dean's eyes. "Will we really be okay?" he asked, imploring, needing the answer.
Dean put a believable smile on his face. "Yeah, we will." He didn't even bother to mention that this was all insane, how could a highschooler raise one middleschooler and a preschooler? He wasn't sure of the answer, be he knew he would have to do it.
Sammy searched his face, before a little smile truly came to his own. "Pancakes?"
"I promise," Dean said, sincerely. Dad had never promised anything. "Now off to bed, and don't let this worry you."
Sammy nodded and padded off, still in his own pajamas from being woken by the leaving truck, only to find the note. Dean heaved another heavy sigh once he heard the door to his brothers' shared room close. He moved around the island that was all that separated the living room from the kitchen and open the fridge. Staring out at him were several rows a beer. His stomach churned as he picked one up, glaring at it. Resisting the almost overwhelming urge to break it, he set about dumping each bottle down the drain, opening the little window over the sink to let the spring air wash the smell of malt away. Then, with care, he washed each bottle and put them in a box so that he could get change from them. It was time to look for more work.
But he knew, deep down, that he was right. They would be okay, they always had been before. As long as they stuck together. With one final look around the now silent house, Dean copied his brothers and went to his room to sleep.