This was going to be so awkward. He really liked Lisa, and he wanted to be a part of her life, but he didn't know the first thing about kids. Sure, he raised Sam, but that was his brother. This wasn't his brother, this wasn't his kid. This was his girlfriend's kid. He'd only been dating Lisa for a couple months. What if Ben didn't like him? What would that mean for him and Lisa?

Dean was practically sweating bullets as he walked to Lisa's place. When he got to the door, he'd almost entirely convinced himself that Lisa was going to break up with him on the spot. He knocked and took a deep breath. The long exhale floated away visibly in the cold, March air.

Dean watched his breath fade as Lisa opened the door.

"Hey, Dean. Come on in," Lisa said, smiling. He wanted nothing more than to stay outside. It was too big, too soon. This was a kid, a child, another person that would probably be much better off without Dean in their life.

But he walked inside at Lisa's beckoning anyway. Maybe he could tell her it was too soon, that he could meet Ben later. It's not like the kid was going anywhere. They could do this later.

"Ben, come here. I want you to meet someone," Lisa called into the next room.

Dean froze. He was ten kinds of not ready for this.

But nothing happened. No screaming little kid came tearing into the room.

"Where is that boy?" Lisa sighed, looking into the next room, "Oh."

Lisa gestured for Dean to follow her. Even though his feet felt like cement, he somehow followed his girlfriend. Maybe it was curiosity that drove him forward.

A little boy sat in the middle of a mess of foam blocks, playing with plastic army men on top of the blocks while muttering small sound effects. He looked like he was having some serious fun.

"Ben, honey," Lisa said, "Say hi to my friend Dean."

Ben looked up briefly, glancing at Dean. He waved halfheartedly and returned to letting his army men wreak havoc on the blocks around him.

"Sorry, he's usually more social," Lisa said.

Dean barely even heard what she said. All he could think about was Ben's short, brown hair that looked just like Dean's. And his broad smile that looked just like Dean's. If the kid had had freckles, Dean would've gone into cardiac arrest.

"You're sure he's not mine?" Dean asked.

Lisa laughed and said, "Yes, I'm sure. Why? Do you want to be a father at twenty?"

Dean said, "No, it's just...there are a few similarities."

"What can I say? I have a type," Lisa said, smiling, "Anyway, the sitter won't be here for a while, so our date might be a little later. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Dean said. They were just doing dinner and a movie, so it wasn't too time sensitive.

"Great," Lisa said, "Well, I'll grab us some snacks in the meantime."

The second Lisa walked to the kitchen, Dean felt a foam block hit his back. He turned around to see Ben laughing at him.

Dean picked up the block with a grin and tossed it back at him. It hit Ben's arm, and the kid grabbed his arm and started breathing heavily like he was going to cry.

Shit.

"Oh, crap. I'm sorry, Ben, you okay?" Dean asked, getting closer to make sure he didn't accidentally break the kid.

As he stepped closer, Ben instantly calmed himself with an impish smile and threw a block at Dean's face.

Dean blinked from the impact and said, "Oh, so that's how it is."

A flurry of foam blocks flew between Dean and Ben in no time at all. Dean tossed blocks at Ben, Ben tossed back even faster. Ben laughed brightly as he threw block after block. Dean rolled behind the coffee table for cover, grabbed a stray block, and lobbed it back at the boy.

A block landed on top of Dean's head as Ben shouted, "Look out below!"

They continued laughing and tossing blocks in their little war until Lisa walked in the door with a bowl of cheese puffs. She stared at the foam block chaos that surrounded Ben and Dean.

The silence was palpable.

Had Dean crossed a line?

Lisa put the cheese puffs down on the couch, and Ben scooted next to Dean on the side of the coffee table across from Lisa. Ben pushed a block into Dean's hands and locked eyes with Dean. He nodded slowly. Dean got the idea. He held up three fingers and counted down.

"What're you-" Lisa started.

On one, Dean signaled to Ben, and they both threw foam blocks at Ben's mom.

Lisa gasped and said, "Alright, boys. This means war."

The flurry of blocks continued as Lisa joined the fray. Dean and Ben ducked back behind the coffee table.

"I need more blocks!" Ben shouted.

Dean grabbed more blocks and said, "Yes, sir."

Ben smiled widely and threw more blocks over the table at his mother. Lisa returned fire enough that Dean and Ben got hit at least five times each.

After the blocks had all been thrown, both sides scurried to collect more ammo. Ben brought an armful of blocks over by Dean.

"The enemy is strong," Ben stage whispered.

Dean motioned for him to come closer. "I have an idea," he whispered.

Several minutes later, Dean and Ben stood up with arms full of blocks, walked around the coffee table, and saw Lisa gathering blocks from under the couch.

"Bombs away!" Ben cried.

Dean and Ben dropped their blocks all on Lisa at once.

Lisa laughed and rolled onto her back on the carpet. "I give," she said, giggling, "I surrender."

Dean gave Ben a high five. Victory was theirs.

"Want to watch a movie?" Ben asked, excited.

"We've got time," Dean said, "Sure."

Ben ran over to a bookcase next to the TV, full of energy.

Dean extended a hand to Lisa and helped his girlfriend off the floor. Dean hadn't been expecting to have so much fun, but the block war had been awesome.

Lisa pulled a foam block out of the bowl of cheese puffs, brushed it off on her thigh, tossed it to the ground, and sat on the couch. Dean joined her and put the cheese puffs on the seat next to him.

Ben ran back and pushed a DVD onto Lisa's lap.

"Go ahead, put it in," Lisa said.

Ben said, "But I don't know how."

"Yes, you do," Lisa said, "You just want me to do it for you."

Ben sighed dramatically and took the DVD over to the DVD player under the TV.

"You're a pretty great mom," Dean said.

Lisa smiled and said, "I try. You're pretty great with kids for someone who was so worried about this."

"Well, you've got a pretty great kid," he replied.

Ben shouted, "Mommy! It's not working!"

"Press the big button first, sweetie," she said.

"Ohh..." Ben said.

Dean smiled. Ben really was a great kid, and Dean could easily himself fitting into this family.

Ben hurried back, and Lisa patted the spot next to her on the couch.

"I wanna sit by Dean," Ben whined.

Dean glanced at Lisa and moved the bowl of cheese puffs onto his lap to make room. Ben climbed up on the couch next to Dean excitedly. The main menu for "Finding Nemo" came up on the screen.

"Finding Nemo?" Dean asked, "Isn't the beginning a little scary for a four year old?"

Ben stuck his tongue out at Dean.

Lisa pressed play and whispered, "Don't worry. He never watches the beginning anyway."

Sure enough, the moment the barracuda came on the screen, Ben buried his face in Dean's arm.

"Is it over?" Ben mumbled against Dean's arm.

"The scary part or the sad part?" Dean asked.

"Mmfph."

"What?"

Ben removed his face for half a second to say, "Both," before hiding himself again.

As the title card appeared, Dean said, "It's all clear, kiddo."

Ben sat up quickly to watch the rest of the movie.

Halfway through the movie, Ben slumped against Dean's arm. Dean moved his arm and let Ben lay on him, the kid curling up against Dean's side. Lisa grinned at Dean. Dean barely noticed. It was kind of nice having Ben being all over him.

Just after Nemo was reunited with his dad, Dean heard a soft snore from Ben. Dean looked at Lisa.

Lisa glanced over at her son and said quietly, "Looks like he's asleep."

"Yeah, he probably wore himself out," Dean murmured.

"Are you okay?" Lisa asked, "Is this freaking you out at all? I can move him."

Dean said softly, "No, it's fine. He seems comfortable anyway."

She looked at Ben, and keeping her eyes on him, said, "I don't want him to know that we're dating yet."

"Oh, uhh, okay," Dean said, confused.

"He's young. I'm not sure he'd understand what it means, but he's also very smart," Lisa said, "I don't know how he'd handle me dating someone. I hope you're okay with that, not telling him, I mean."

Dean looked down at Ben. The kid seemed to like him, but this was Lisa's kid. It was definitely her call.

"Yeah, whatever you want," Dean said.

Lisa smiled. "That being said..." she said. She leaned over at kissed Dean softly on the lips.

Before Dean could react, the doorbell rang.

Lisa got up to get the door, and Dean looked down at the child resting on him, making sure the doorbell didn't wake him.

Lisa walked back into the room with a young teenage girl on her heels.

"He just passed out," Lisa said quietly, "But if he does wake up, you know the drill."

"Yep, I've got this. Have fun," the girl said.

Lisa asked Dean, "You ready to go?"

Dean glanced down at Ben and wasn't sure if he'd be able to go. The kid was fast asleep, laying against his side. Slowly, Dean was able to slide out from under Ben, making sure he was laying down on the couch comfortably.

Ben didn't wake up, and Dean could barely pull himself away. The kid looked so peaceful sleeping there. It was sort of relaxing to see him resting like that.

Lisa touched Dean's shoulder, and Dean remembered. Date. Yes, right. They had a date.

Lisa said goodbye to the babysitter as Dean got ready to leave.

Once they got outside, Lisa said, "You were really great in there. Ben really likes you."

"Yeah, I noticed. He's a cool kid," Dean said.

Lisa laced her fingers with Dean's and smiled at him. "So, what time is the movie?" she asked.

"There was one every hour, why?"

"I just don't want to be late."

"We won't be late."

"Well, I don't always walk very fast, so-"

Dean swept her up off her feet and carried her in his arms. She squealed loudly, not expecting to leave the ground so suddenly. He grinned at her, and God, he was falling for this woman.

"Problem solved," he said.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, smiling, "You're ridiculous."

He kissed her and let her back down, so they could more effectively get to the theater. He kissed her again when they got in the front doors of the movie theater. He kissed her again when they stood on the escalator, going up to their theater.

He would be perfectly content kissing her forever.

Dean could be in love, he could be loved, he could have a family of his own, and really, he couldn't imagine anything he wanted more.