"You can sit down, you know?" Sonny said, looking up at Dean from his book. "In fact, I'd prefer you did, because it's getting kinda creepy with you just standing there staring at me."
Dean sat down on the couch across from Sonny, one leg coiled beneath himself, his stare unwavering. Eventually however, he flinched when he heard a small crash upstairs, shortly followed by a bigger one.
Sonny blinked. In less than a second's time, Dean was already half way up the stairs.
Sighing, Sonny followed.
"Sammy?" Dean said, running into the room, which was now a mess. The book shelf was now laying on its face on the floor, books spilling out of it. Dean's blood ran cold and hot at the same time. Blue with fear, and red with anger.
"Help, Dean." Sam's muffled voice arose from beneath the shelf.
"Seriously, Sammy?!"
Sonny walked in to see Dean attempting to lift the solid oak bookshelf as his younger brother slithered out from beneath it.
"I leave you alone for two minutes, Sammy, two minutes, and you've managed to have a book shelf fall on top of you."
"I was just trying to get a book on the top shelf." Sam said, "I didn't know it would fall."
Suddenly, the book shelf got enormously lighter, and Sam was able to wiggle out completely.
Dean looked around in confusion, only to see Sonny standing in the upper corner, helping hold the shelf up.
As soon as Sam was out, both boys stood up straight in front of Sonny.
"I'm sorry, sir, it was my fault, sir. " Dean said immediately.
"How do you figure?" Sonny asked.
"I should have been up here to help him get the book." Dean said. Once again, he blinked for just a moment too long. "I will comply with any punishment you deem necessary immediately, and without complaint."
Sonny stopped, speechless at Dean's apparently practiced behavior. He's memorized that response, it's been beaten into him... Maybe even literally. Sonny looked over at Sam who looked guilty and sort of embarrassed, but showed no signs that this was anything but normal. Dean's head slowly sunk down as the silence went on, and Sonny realized that Dean must think that he was debating the punishment.
"It was just an accident, boys, there's no reason for me to punish you for that." Sonny said. "I can't see a reason why Sam would knock a book shelf on top himself on purpose."
Dean kept eye contact, but Sonny could tell that was the last thing he wanted to do. He seemed to be holding his breath, waiting for the inevitable "but...".
It never came.
"So, how about you both just help me clean up this mess, then we can get back to it?" Sonny said, "Dean, help me prop this shelf back up."
Immediately, Dean moved to lift the shelf, and Sonny quickly came to realize that the boy was stronger than he looked.
Once the shelf was up, Dean and Sam just looked up at Sonny, almost as though waiting for orders.
"Alright, start putting the books back on the shelf."
Sam and Dean got to work. After a moment, Sonny just took a step back and watched their process. They seemed to have a method, and it worked quite well.
Sam stacked the books, Dean put them on the bookshelf. Sonny noticed that Sam seemed to be glancing at the books before putting them in the pile, and he didn't always place them on the top. Running his eyes over the books, Sonny realized that Sam was alphabetizing them, just as they had been before the shelf fell.
Sonny wasn't much for organization, but one of the boys who had had this room previously had been. A strange boy he was, Sonny reflected, then looked down to Sam and Dean. But not as strange as these, I don't think.
The books were back on the shelf in no time, and both boys stood straight, staring at Sonny once again.
"Uh..." Sonny blinked, unused to the instantaneous obedience. "Why don't you two go freshen up, maybe take a shower? The other boys will be in from their chores in a bit, you can meet 'em at supper."
Sam and Dean walked off towards the bathroom, and Sonny heard the water running soon after the door was shut.
What are these boys doing here? They're anybody's dream kid. Obedient, respectful, except to cops apparently, smart...
No longer than ten minutes later, both boys stood in front of him, clean, with still dripping wet hair. It was a sharp contrast to the greasy hair and dusty skin they had sported earlier. They had re-dressed themselves in same clothes they had came in and Sonny made a mental note to get them some new clothes soon.
Only now that they were clean was Sonny able to get a good look at them.
Dean's arms were thicker, stronger, and riddled with cuts and bruises, while Sam's were thinner and more delicate looking, his skin clear of the bruising that clouded his brother's. Both boys, Sonny noticed, had scars on the top of their lower arm, as well as as scar that slit their hand. Both scars were deep, permanent, most likely. Sonny couldn't imagine what they must be from.
It was the last observation that struck Sonny to the core.
They were exhausted.
It was a soul deep weariness that didn't just go away with sleep. No, that type of exhaustion only went away with safety, consistency, love, and time. Things these boys had likely never had in their lives.
They stood there, staring at Sonny expectantly, once again waiting for orders.
"Relax, explore, do whatever you want. Supper will be ready in 'bout half an hour." Sonny said.
Both boys looked at each other, then back to Sonny. The two boys turned to face each other and Sonny listened to them as he pulled out the ingredients for supper.
"You've got your watch?" Dean asked.
"'Course, Dean," Sam said, "I'm not a baby."
"Good." Dean said, "Meet me here in 25 minutes. Don't do anything stupid."
There was a bit more of a conversation that Sonny couldn't make out, but he heard feet walking away. He turned back to his work, cracking eggs into a bowl, then dumping some flour, salt, and corn meal in. Turning around, Sonny set the bowl on the counter and began to stir. He looked up for a moment hearing a yell outside, and jumped at the sight of the eldest Winchester brother in front of him, sitting there in a tall chair on the breakfast bar. Dean didn't even try to hide his stare.
"If you're gonna sit there and stare at me you could at least help." Sonny said, "Stir those beans for me, kiddo." Sonny said.
Dean stood, walked to the stove, and stirred the beans.
"So, Dean, tell me about yourself." Sonny said.
"What is there to say?" Dean asked, after a moment.
"I don' t know, surely you got some hobbies?" Sonny prompted.
Dean thought a moment, then shrugged. "Hunting, I guess." he said.
"What else?"
"I like cars."
"What's your favorite?"
"My dad's got a '67 Chevy Impala." Dean said.
"That's a pretty neat car."
Dean just nodded.
"What about Sam? What does he like?"
"Books, science stuff." Dean said, a fond smile sliding onto his face, "He's a nerd that way."
"Nothing wrong with liking to learn." Sonny said, "He seems like a smart little cookie."
"He's brilliant," Dean said, his face fell, and he shook his head, his eyes flickering to Sonny, "he doesn't deserve all this."
It was silent for a bit, broken only by the occasional sound of Sonny's spoon clinking against the bowl, or Dean's spoon scraping the bottom of the pot.
"Where do you boys live?" Sonny asked.
Dean shifted, not answering for a moment.
"Everywhere, sort of." Dean said.
"What do you mean?"
"Dad travels a lot for work." Dean said, "We sort of just get pulled along for the ride."
"Yeah, I get that. Where's your base though? Where's your house?"
"Don't have one."
"Hm." Sonny said. "What's your dad do?"
There was a moment's hesitance in Dean's response, and Sonny knew to expect a lie.
"He's a handy man, does odd jobs," Dean said, "anything no one else wants to do."
"And your mom?"
"She's gone." Dean said, "Dead."
"Sorry." Sonny said, though he had halfway been expecting it, "How long ago?"
"Sammy doesn't remember her." Dean said.
"Do you?"
Dean bit his lip and glanced away, "Yeah, I do."
There was a pause in conversation, and Sonny hesitated to enquire more, but he was still curious, and Dean was talking. He seemed to slowly be relaxing, and he seemed to be less defensive when Sam was around.
"How'd she die?"
Dean froze. Sonny knew he'd made a mistake, pressed too hard for the time being. Dean needed to do this in his own time.
"You know what? That's a story for another day, don't you think?" Sonny said, "I'll go call the boys in, why don't you go search for Sam?"
As if on cue, Sam appeared in the door way.
Dean looked back at Sonny.
"Alright... Um..." Sonny said, "Stay here for a bit, I guess. I'll go round 'em up."
A/N: Alright, yet another chapter flopped on out of my fingers, so I hope you guys like it. Please review, I'd love to know how you think I did. If there's any inconsistency in their ages in this or any following chapters, it's because I'm still trying to come up with a set age. The range I'm considering is Sam: 8-10 and Dean:12-14