Ben didn't even have a chance to close the front door before Lisa went off on him.
"Benjamin Isaac Braeden, I am extremely disappointed in you. You have never gotten a detention in your life, and you're going to start now? I don't think so! If you get one more detention, or God help you if you get a suspension, just one-"
"Lisa!" Dean cut her off, standing behind Ben and putting his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Before you scream the kid's head off, stop for a second and listen to his side of the story." He looked down at Ben expectantly, waiting for him to repeat the conversation they had had back in the car. Ben seemed to be frozen in place, though, opening his mouth to speak and then rethinking. He looked up at Dean with wide, pleading eyes, unsure of how to start the conversation.
"It's okay, just tell her."
Lisa's gaze shifted between them, questioning. "Tell me what?"
"Let's go sit in the living room," Dean suggested. He led them in and sat down on the couch with Ben, while Lisa took the one across from them.
"What's going on?"
Ben took a shaky breath. "Mom… do you remember when everything with Brian started a few years ago? When he started calling me all those names, and I told you I thought he was right?"
"Yeah? Ben, what's going on?"
"Well, that thought never really went away." Lisa looked puzzled for a second before the realization hit her.
"Are you telling me…" she paused, wanting to hear the words come from her son so she knew she wasn't overthinking.
"Mom, I… I like guys. I'm, I'm gay." Ben looked as though he was mentally preparing himself for the worst. His eyes brimmed with tears and he hung his head, scared to even see Lisa's face after what he said. She's disappointed in me, I know it…
He looked up out of the corner of his eye and saw a tear moving down Lisa's cheek, and it felt like his heart sank into his stomach. "Mom… why are you crying? Are you mad at me? I'm sorry, if it's because I like boys, or because I didn't tell you sooner, Mom, I'm… I'm really sorry…"
His panic turned to confusion and then finally relief, though, when Lisa moved over to the couch that he was on and pulled him into her arms. With all three of them crammed on the cushions meant for two, he started really crying, half leaning on his mother and half on Dean. But this time he wasn't crying from fear or stress. He was letting out the tears he had been holding in since he and Dean walked through the front door, the tears he couldn't let out before. All of the tension lifted and he let himself relax, practically melting into his mom's embrace.
"I'm crying because I messed up, Ben," she choked out between sobs. "You were going through all this stress and all I did was yell at you, I never thought about it or tried to help, and I let my baby boy down. I'm so sorry…" Ben wrapped his arms tighter around Lisa.
"I'm so sorry. Ben, I'm so sorry I wasn't paying attention to what was happening, I should've done a better job. I love you, sweetie, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" she wiped the tears off of her son's face and pulled him closer. Dean wrapped them both up in his arms and held them for what seemed like forever, rubbing Ben's shoulder and placing a soft kiss in Lisa's hair. This was definitely an issue that concerned the two of them more than it did him, but he was there so he needed to help in some way. This was his family, biologically or not.
Ben wiped his eyes and began to pull away from the mess of limbs and tears. Just like when he was eight years old and Dean taught him how to get his game back from Brian (though Lisa wasn't too happy about seeing the kid writing in pain grabbing his crotch), Ben hugged Dean, his hands gripping the fabric of the rough jacket. And just like all those years ago, he gave a simple, "thanks." And just like all those years ago, Dean replied with a hand on his shoulder and a smirk, saying all of the fatherly words that Ben needed to hear without really saying anything at all.