Beer and broken noses

"I think I'm speechless," John Winchester announced to the kitchen at large.

Sam didn't say anything. There wasn't much he could answer to that. Dad was never speechless. Especially in situations like these.

"I mean, Dean, sure, if it had been Dean... but you?"

"Dad, I..."

"The principal told me –"

"The principal's an idiot," Dean cut in hoarsely. He was sitting at the kitchen table, wrapped in blankets, sniffing suspiciously at the cough mixture Dad had just handed him. Taking any kind of medicine was something Dean preferred to avoid at all costs, but he'd had the flu for a week now and Dad had finally put his foot down.

"Of course he's an idiot," John snapped. "Or he wouldn't be doing that job. I've only got two kids and I'm going slowly insane, he's got hundreds."

That wasn't fair, Sam thought.

"Dad, come on! It's not like I'm going to gaol, or anything, it wasn't that bad!"

"You broke this kid's –"

"David Lewis," Dean supplied helpfully.

"You broke this kid's nose!"

"He's a bully," Sam said sharply. "He punches people about as often as others shake hands, and he harasses the girls. Last week he set fire to Max Evans' book bag. He's responsible for almost all the vandalism on the school grounds. Even a few of the teachers are afraid of him. So when he decided I was this week's victim of choice…"

"Yes, Sammy, I know all that, but did you have to do it in front of the staff room windows?"

Dean's rasping laughter sounded kinda grotesque, like something straight out of The Addams Family.

Sam huffed. That had been something of a mistake. Still, at least he'd saved his own book bag from death by fire.

John sighed helplessly, pulled two beers out of the fridge, and sat down at the table with the boys. Dean reached for the second bottle, but John slid it across to Sam, whose jaw dropped.

"If you're old enough to drive and break peoples noses…" his Dad said, mouth twitching.

"What about me?" Dean demanded.

John glared pointedly at the cough mixture.

Sam took a long swallow of his first officially sanctioned beer and grinned at the sight of a blanket-wrapped Dean fiddling around with teaspoons and cough medicine.