They're Applauding Us (3/?)
Dean couldn't be positive but it seemed as if Sam was standing by the door waiting to pounce when he arrived home with only an hour to get himself and his kid ready for their-um Jesse's play date with Castiel's niece.
"Dean, why didn't you tell me that you knew Castiel Novak? That is like huge!"
"Shut up, Sammy," Dean replied, hanging his jacket on the hook by the door and walking towards the stairs, the Sasquatch hot on his heels.
"And you are going over to his house tonight. Seriously, how do you do it? You've been back home for a total of two fucking months, and you've already got a date with the most famous Lawrence resident since-well no one."
"Not a date, Sammy," Dean bit out.
"Daddy, what took you so long, we gotta go to Cas' house!"
Dean stopped at the foot of the stairs, Sam behind him, Jesse at the top of the stairs, and sighed heavily.
"Jesse, we have time, we won't be late. Please go gather some toys to take over with you. And Sammy, shut up."
"But Dean-"
Dean turned to Sam and patted him on the shoulder.
"Please, Sam, I'm freaking out a little bit here, and I could really use some space. Can we have this discussion at a time when I'm not completely exhausted and wondering what the fuck I was thinking agreeing to a play date between my son and the niece of a man I met in a grocery store?" A man who also happens to have the most amazing fucking eyes I've ever seen, Dean thought to himself.
Dean watched as Sam's face began to morph into an expression that should only be used when dealing with injured animals and shook his head, holding out a hand to prevent what he knew to be an impending hug from his giant brother.
"Jesus fuck, Sammy, I kinda hate you right now."
Sam nodded and Dean supposed it wouldn't be awesome of him to punch the stupid grin off his brother's face in his own house.
"We will have plenty of time to discuss this tomorrow while helping Bobby and Ellen tomorrow," Sam said, "so hurry and get ready or you'll be late."
Dean had a few more choice words to offer his brother but decided he didn't have the time to give Sam the shit he deserved for being such an Oprah. Besides, it wasn't like Sam hadn't been all for talking about feelings from the moment he could string a sentence together, so it seemed unlikely that it would be possible to beat the girl out of him at this point.
After showering and changing in record time, Dean walked across the hall to Jesse's room to find his son sitting on the floor next to his overstuffed backpack and tears about to fall from his green eyes. The familiar helplessness that came whenever his son was sad settled heavily on Dean's shoulders.
"What's going on, big guy," Dean asked softly as he sat on the floor in front of his son.
Jesse just shook his head, looking down at the tightly gripped hands resting on his lap. It was at times like these that Dean wished his kid was a little less like him and could feel comfortable talking about his feelings.
"I know it's hard but you'll feel better if you tell me," Dean coaxed gently.
Jesse sighed and lifted his watery eyes up to look at his father.
"She's not gonna like me," he whispered, small lips trembling.
"What makes you say that, son?"
"I dunno what toys she'd like! And if I bring the wong ones she'll think I'm stupid." Jesse sniffed.
Dean reached out and gently wiped a tear from Jesse's round cheek.
"Remember when we moved here and you told me you were scared? I told you about how me and Uncle Sam moved around a lot when we were little. Well we had to make new friends every time we went to a new town and you know what?"
Jesse had moved into Dean's lap as he talked his little body tense but the threat of tears seemed to have been abated.
"Wha, Daddy?"
"We were scared too, worried that no one would want to be friends with the new kids but my dad, your Grampa John, told us to just be ourselves. I, of course didn't believe him but he was right."
"So every kid you met wanted to be your friend?" Jesse asked skeptically.
Dean chuckled, "Not exactly but I was always able to make new friends more often than not."
Jesse considered this, "Well wha if this kid don't like me? Will you be mad? Will Cas hate me too?"
Not for the first time, Dean cursed Jesse's mother, knowing that her actions had contributed to Jesse's chronic anxiety.
"Jesse, how about we give this a try okay? You and me are both going to find out tonight if we are able to make new friends and I promise you that if you aren't having fun or if you just want to have ice cream with Aunt Jo, we'll come straight home, k?"
Jesse nodded slowly and wrapped his arms around Dean's neck, to which Dean responded by holding the boy fiercely.
"Hey, is this a boy's only party or can any Aunt Jo join in the fun?"
"Jo!" Jess cried out, jumping off Dean's lap and running to Jo, who stood leaning against the door jam.
Jo dropped to her knees and caught the five year old in her arms for a quick hug before pulling back and holding him at arm's length.
"Let me have a look at you know. Hmm, your grey Stanford hoodie, sweet cowboy boots, clean jeans and artfully messed up hair…well, I am giving you the Aunt Jo seal of approval."
Jesse giggled, "Wha about Daddy, Jo? You 'prove of him?"
Jo stood up and swept a critical gaze over Dean, and held out her hand.
"What?" Dean asked.
"Hand, please," Jo asked, a grin teasing the corner of her mouth.
Dean looked over to see Jesse standing to the side of Jo, arms crossed. "Daddy…"
"Fine," Dean said, laying a calloused hand on top of Jo's smooth palm.
Jo made a show of inspecting Dean's hand. "Wow, I barely see any grease at all. I would pass you for that alone but considering you are wearing a t-shirt in the flattering color of green that matches your sexy eyes, I'm actually going to give you a score of seven on a scale of one to ten."
Dean rolled his eyes, "Jeez thanks, Jo."
"Anytime. Now, if I'm not mistaken, and I rarely am, you boys need to get going."
Jesse picked up his backpack, and grabbed Dean's hand pulling him down the stairs, Jo following closely behind.
"Hey, wait!" she called out, walking towards the kitchen, "I picked up some cookies for you guys to take over. It's only polite to bring a gift."
Jo returned shortly, pressing a bag of fresh cookies into Dean's hand.
"Thanks, Jo," Dean said, feeling a little overwhelmed, wondering if Jesse's anxiety was contagious.
"You two have fun, and Jesse, don't forget to miss me!"
Dean watched Jesse and Jo hug one more time, and turned to Sam who was standing with the door open, a dorky smile on his face.
"If you hadn't asked her to marry you, Jesse and me would have disowned you," Dean said, grabbing a brown hoodie off the coat rack as he walked past Sam.
Sam chuckled and waved them off, closing the door behind the two Winchester men walking towards Dean's mint condition Chevy.