Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.
Not Without My Brother: Date Night
Dean fidgeted nervously as he walked up to the door of the restaurant. This was the first date he'd been on since getting custody of his little brother. He felt a bit out of practice, but since meeting Leslie a few nights ago, he'd been unable to get her off his mind. She had silky blonde hair and legs that stretched on forever. A perfect figure completed the package. He'd asked her out, and she'd immediately accepted.
"Hey, handsome," the leggy blonde called out as she approached him from the parking lot dressed in a tight black dress and spiked heels.
Dean whistled. "Leslie, you look stunning."
She smiled and leaned in seductively and pressed a lingering kiss to Dean's lips, which he eagerly returned. "You know, we could just skip dinner," she suggested as she pressed her body to his enticingly.
Dean swallowed hard and forced himself to think of Sammy. Things would need to be different now because of his little brother. "Actually," he stammered out, trying to distract himself from the feel of her body against his, "I'm pretty hungry and I made us reservations."
Leslie sighed and offered him a slight pout. "All right. Maybe we can go back to my place for coffee." She wrapped her hands around Dean's arm and let him lead her inside the restaurant.
Dinner was pleasant. Leslie ran her feet up and down Dean's legs, and he was definitely getting a bit hot under the collar. His heart thumped eagerly in his chest, and he found himself really wanting to ask for the check so he and Leslie could go to her place for "coffee." Dean fumbled with his phone and finally got it to his ear.
"Dean?" Sammy's teary voice came over the line.
"Hey, Sammy. What's up, buddy?" Dean's attention was immediately focused on his little brother. He watched as Leslie frowned at him when he pushed her foot away from his leg.
"I just wanted to tell you goodnight. Uncle Bobby said I could call you one time." The small boy's voice wobbled.
A smile curved Dean's lips; he was enjoying the night out, but he really missed his bedtime ritual with his little brother. "Goodnight, Sammy. I promise I'll check on you when I get home."
"Can I sleep in your bed and wait for you?" Sammy asked hopefully.
"Sure you can, kiddo. I'll see you in a few hours." Dean could tell by the look on his date's face that things were going to get interesting once he hung up the phone.
"G'night, Dean," Sammy sighed.
"Goodnight, Sammy." Dean clicked the end button on his phone and placed it on the table before looking up at Leslie.
"When were you going to tell me you had a kid?" she asked in an accusing tone.
"Sammy's my kid brother," Dean explained. "Our dad is gone, and Sammy's mom passed this year. I'm all he's got."
Leslie examined one of her perfectly manicured nails. "Oh," she said flatly.
"Do you have any kids?" Dean asked, already knowing the answer. Sammy had changed his life drastically. Before his kid brother, Dean knew that he and Leslie would have enjoyed a brief but satisfying relationship. Now, things were different. He would never introduce his brother to someone he knew wouldn't stay in their lives.
"No, of course not," she answered scornfully. "If you'll excuse me, I need to freshen up." Picking up her purse, Leslie left the table and marched toward the rear of the restaurant.
Dean sighed and fiddled with his silverware as he looked down at his half-eaten dinner. He no longer had an appetite. He should have known that Leslie wasn't the kind of woman who would want to raise another person's child.
As the minutes passed, Dean realized his date would not be returning to the table. He asked for the check and turned down the leftovers. He didn't want any reminders of this disaster of an evening. He felt sick at the thought that Leslie had disregarded Sammy so easily.
On the drive back to Bobby's, Dean blasted his music from the speakers in the Impala and sang along loudly to relieve the tension that had built up inside him. Pulling into the driveway, he silenced the music. He didn't want to wake his little brother.
He exited the car and entered the house quietly. Bobby looked up from the kitchen sink in surprise. "What are you doing home so early?"
Dean ran a hand through his short-cropped hair as he sank into a chair at the table with a frustrated sigh. "As soon as I got off the phone with Sammy she wanted to know if I had a kid. I knew right then from her tone and the look on her face that it was over, Bobby."
The older man nodded as he poured himself a mug of steaming, strong coffee. "Some women can't handle a man with baggage," he replied in a matter of fact tone.
Dean snorted. "Glad I found out now before things went any farther. She made an excuse to go to the bathroom and never came back. She acted like I wasn't good enough anymore because I had a kid."
There was a sniffle in the hallway right outside of the kitchen. Dean stood and immediately went to investigate. "Sammy?" he called out as he rounded the doorway. He found his little brother wiping at crocodile tears that were rolling down his flushed face.
Dean knelt before the four-year-old and rubbed the tears away with the pads of his fingers. "What's up, kiddo? Did you have a bad dream?"
Sammy sniffled once again and shook his head "no."
Dean frowned and pressed a hand to his little brother's forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"
Sammy began to cry even harder before he threw himself forward and buried his face in his big brother's shoulder.
Dean stood with the small boy tucked into his arms. "You're scaring me here, Sammy. What's wrong?" the older Winchester asked.
"I-I'm sorry," the upset child finally managed to choke out.
"What are you sorry for?" Dean asked as he brushed Sammy's sweat-dampened bangs back from his face.
"I'm sorry I made her go away," Sammy hiccupped.
"Made who go away?" Dean asked in confusion.
"The lady you got dressed up for," the boy wailed miserably. "She didn't want to eat with you 'cause of me. I'm sorry."
"Oh, Sammy," Dean sighed. "It's okay, dude. It's not your fault."
"Yes, it is," the boy responded petulantly.
Turning to Bobby, Dean told him, "Sammy and I are gonna go upstairs for a while. We need to have a brother-to-brother talk."
Bobby nodded. "I've got some research to do. Call me if you need anything."
Dean carried his little brother upstairs and passed the child's bedroom in favor of his own. Climbing up onto the bed, he leaned back against the headboard and settled Sammy against him. The little boy's shoulders shook with sobs and his small hands fisted in the material of his brother's shirt. Dean rubbed his hand soothingly over Sammy's back. "I need you to calm down, buddy, so we can talk."
"I can go away, Dean. I can go live with Henry and Bonnie again. Maybe that lady will want to have dinner with you if I go away." Sammy sniffled and looked up miserably at his brother.
"Hey, you're not going anywhere, Sammy. Me and you are stuck like glue, remember? Any lady that doesn't want you has no place in my life. You're number one, kiddo, and you always will be; I promise you that."
Tears were still pouring down Sammy's cheeks. "Are you sure, Dean? What if no ladies want me? No one will go out to eat with you ever again," he wailed.
Dean chuckled and tipped Sammy's chin up so the boy was looking into his eyes. "Then that's their loss. You're an awesome little brother, Sammy. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"Really, Dean?" the four-year-old sniffled.
"Really," the older Winchester smiled. "Now, are you ready for bed? It's late."
Sammy curled against his brother's chest. "No," he yawned.
Dean chuckled. "How about if I read to you?"
"Okay," Sammy yawned again as Dean reached for the book on the nightstand. "I'm glad I don't have to go live with Bonnie and Henry," he sighed as he snuggled against his big brother.
"Never again, kiddo. You're stuck with me," Dean promised. "Now close your eyes and listen to the story."
When Bobby checked in on the brothers an hour later, Sammy was sleeping tucked securely beneath Dean's arm. The older Winchester had his chin on his chest as he snored quietly. Bobby grinned. "What a pair," he murmured, shaking his head as he headed back downstairs to finish up his research.
The End
Thanks so much for reading! LadyWallace and I are co-writing a Supernatural story called "Not Right Now." Please check it out and let us know what you think. You can find it on my profile page.