The couple decided to wait until the day after Dean's party to tell the kids the good news. The rest of the night went off without a hitch: cake was eaten and laughter rang as Dean welcomed in his fifteenth year.
"Time for presents!" Clint screamed, practically dragging the teen to the small pile of gifts.
"Clint, inside voice," Tony admonished but ruffled the boy's hair as he apologized.
"Open mine first!" Clint bounced on his feet, holding out a rumpled rectangular package.
"All right, all right," Dean laughed and reached for the present. "A video game, Clint? You know this means I have one more game to kick your butt at, right?"
"Nuh-uh! I'm gonna beat you this time!"
"Whatever you say, squirt," the teen smiled, then reached for the next gift. Next, he opened a variety of games and technology from the rest of his siblings before opening Bobby's. It was a rather large but flat rectangular box, which, upon opening, Dean shut again immediately.
"Dean?" Sam asked. "What is it?"
The teen shook his head and closed his eyes, steadying his breathing. Tony, sensing Dean's distress, glared at Bobby, not knowing or caring what was inside, but hating that it made his son feel this way.
"Dean, honey?" Steve slid onto the floor beside the teen and placed a hand on his knee. "Dean, what's wrong?"
Taking a deep breath, Dean opened his eyes and met Bobby's gaze. The man gave him a small nod, giving him the courage to once again lift the lid of the box. Inside sat John Whichester's leather jacket, the one Dean had seen the man wearing the last time he saw his father alive.
"Is that-" Sam leaned over, touching the jacket lightly as if the slightest touch would make it disappear.
"Now I can't take full credit for it," Bobby's voice interrupted. "Your Mr. Coulson gave it to me, apparently he- well you kids don't need to know how he got it, but it's yours now, kiddo."
Dean looked at the man in silence for a moment, before leaping to his feet and giving the man a hug. "Thanks, Uncle Bobby," he whispered.
"Yeah, yeah, don't get soft on me now," the man grunted, patting the teen's back.
"Me next, Dean!" Sam said when Dean pulled away from Bobby. Inside the little box, was a simple, folded piece of paper. Raising an eyebrow to his brother, Dean opened the paper and was surprised to see a handwritten letter.
"Sam?" the teen asked, cautiously.
"Dr. Mills helped me with it," the boy smiled shyly.
Dean.
I don't really know how to write letters, but I'm gonna do my best. I didn't know what to get you for your birthday, nothing really seemed right, ya know? So I asked Dr. Mills and she suggested this.
REASONS DEAN IS THE BEST BIG BROTHER-
Dean tore his eyes from the paper. "Sam — "
"You don't have to read it now, but instead of just telling you how much you mean to me, I wrote it down. So you know it's true," Sam responded, quietly, shrugging. "And you can look at it as much as you want to."
Sighing, Dean closed his eyes and pushed back his rising emotion. "Thanks, Sammy," he whispered, pulling his brother in for a crushing hug.
"Our turn," Tony jumped up and handed the teen a small jewelry box.
"Um, thanks?" Dean replied, confused. "But, I'm not really a Tiffany's guy."
"Open it before you make any witty remarks," Tony laughed, sitting directly on Steve's lap and pulling his husband's hands into his.
Following the instruction, Dean opened the box, only to get more confused. "A key?"
"It's a key to our storage locker, Dean," Steve explained. It's where we put everything you gave us that first night. And along with the key, we're also going to a gun range next Saturday. This key isn't the gift, Dean. We're trusting you to keep those weapons in the storage locker and only bring them out when one of us takes you to the range. We're giving you our trust. "
Dean stared at the key in his hand, taking in the silence around him. "I — thank you, I — "
"You don't need to thank us, Dean," Tony reached out and squeezed Dean's knee reassuringly. "You earned this. You earned every bit of trust we place in you."
The teen blinked away tears and surprised even himself when he surged forward and wrapped himself around his foster parents. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he whispered, taking in their embrace with every fibre of his being.
"I guess I should put that knife I kept with the others now, huh?" he asked as he pulled away. "You've earned my trust too."
Steve ran his strong fingers through his son's hair distractedly as he tried to fight down his own tears. "Thank you, Dean," he spoke softly. "That means everything ."
"Everything," Tony repeated.
"Thank you, everyone, I — " Dean pulled back and took a stabilizing breath. "I've never had this before and — and I can't wait to spend every birthday from now on surrounded by my family… officially?" With that, the teen sent a shy, questioning look to his foster parents, who returned his look with surprise. Tony dropped his jaw and blinked rapidly, while Steve covered his mouth in shock.
"Dean, are you saying…" Tony trailed off, allowing the teen to finish for him.
Dean nodded and smiled. "I'd like to get adopted. If you'll still have me."
" If we'll — get over here," Steve attacked his newest son in another hug, beaming with joy as he felt Dean squeezing back just as hard. "Thank you, Dean, thank you."
"No, Steve. Thank you," Dean whispered, feeling Tony join the hug.
" NOW you'll officially be my big brother!" Clint shouted, jumping up and fist-bumping the air.