Not a year of school went by for Dean Winchester without there being at least one fight, except for kindergarten. Back then the little boy was still too shell shocked over the death of his mother, being homeless, taking care of a baby and dealing with the changes in his father to worry about other kids making fun of him.
By first grade Dean had wised up and knew better than to tell people anything about himself or his family. He was also becoming battle hardened from life on the road and doing without. By then John was teaching him how to fight. Dean was glad for it and he became an excellent little scraper.
This school year was no exception, the world certainly wasn't lacking in assholes spoiling for a fight.
….
Post Fight
Bobby words dripped with sarcasm, "Well Merry goddamn Christmas. Do you have any idea what I was in the middle of when the school called? Go on Dean, take a guess."
Dean slid a little farther down in the uncomfortable chair made even more uncomfortable by the principle staring at him with creepy, pale blue eyes.
"I'd take a guess but I don't wanna freak out Principle Pucker."
The middle age myopic beta was not amused, "Its Principle Parker, but then you knew that already, Dean."
Dean got a sly grin on his face.
Bobby sighed and shook his head, "Look, the kid tried to kiss Dean, squeezed his butt and called him a bitch so I think he had that broken finger comin'."
"Tyler tells a very different story, one where Dean attacked him when Tyler spurned his advances."
"Oh man, you gotta be kidding me! I'd never hit on Tyler, that guy has a face that would stop a clock."
"Mister Singer, if Dean's version is true you must admit he overreacted. Tyler will be out of commission for some weeks."
Dean snorted, "For a broken finger? What a total pussy."
Principle Parker looked as if he had a case of the vapors and needed a fainting couch over hearing the word "pussy".
Bobby sounded angry but he secretly thought Dean was a hundred percent right, "Dean, watch your mouth, poor Principle Parker looks like he's gonna pass out."
"Dean, you are fortunate to have a supportive uncle who feels education is important. Many omegas your age aren't as lucky, please don't blow this. Education for you is a privilege, not a right."
"Yeah well I have a dad you know and he wants me in school as much as Uncle Bobby."
It was an odd statement to the principles ears but Bobby knew it was important to Dean to let this guy know that he had a dad and his dad cared about him.
Bobby saw red, "Every kid deserves an education, you idjit! You call yourself principle saying garbage like that to a student?"
"Well I can see where Dean gets his fresh mouth from."
Dean thought he'd need to hold his uncle back from strangling Parker but instead the hunter stormed out of the office with Dean right behind him.
….
On the way home Bobby stopped at the store for groceries and he allowed Dean to pick out some candy. He could tell that Dean had already crammed today's negative encounter with Tyler into some sort of overstuffed mind closet where all the bad things got locked away.
Bobby was still learning what it took to parent a teenager and he hoped sugar would make today a little better.
…
Since school started Dean had learned to be a skilled kisser.
So far he made out with Amanda in the janitors closet twice and she let him touch her boobs over her sweater. She had large bouncy breasts that felt like two warm water balloons when Dean gave them a squeeze. He decided at that moment boobs were awesome. She asked Dean to be her boyfriend and he politely declined. That was the end of the kissing.
Robby, a sweet and cute beta, was Dean's second person he locked lips with. The first time they kissed Robby surprised him by sliding his tongue inside Dean's pretty mouth and they tangled tongues. He practiced tongue kissing quite a bit with the beta and learned to hone his skills. Good breath was important and Dean took to carrying around mints and gum for impromptu tongue wrestling.
As with Amanda, Robby asked Dean to be his boyfriend and Dean declined but not so politely. The beta seemed a little obsessed with him at that point and Dean wanted to nip it in the bud before it got out of hand.
It was actually sophomore alpha Daniel who won over Dean after he spied the eighth grader at a school assembly. Just the thought of being with a good looking, older guy excited Dean who was still very new to all the pleasures the world had to offer.
After a while being with the eighth grader became frustrating for Daniel, second base wasn't going to cut it and neither was seeing each other only during school hours. The thing was, Dean was the prettiest omega he'd ever laid eyes on and still as pure as new fallen snow. Daniel wasn't ready to write the kid off just yet.
…..
Dean steadied the ladder for Sam who still had to stretch in order to place the star atop the Christmas tree. Most of the ornaments were old blown glass handed down through Karen's family. Bobby saved them even though he didn't put up a tree but with his boys here it seemed fitting to put one up this year. He hoped someday Sam and Dean would want them. Even though Karen wasn't their kin, the hunter had no other family to pass them down to. The same went for the whole place; he'd long ago made a will naming the boys as the beneficiaries. They'd gone without so many things in their short lives and Bobby loved them so much it was only fitting.
Dean even put up the old strands of what he called "arm burner" lights he found in the attic along the porch to make things cheerier.
It was nice having them off of school until after the New Year. Bobby swore he would not hunt the week leading up to Christmas; instead he farmed jobs out to other hunters, the ones with no family who needed to keep busy so they didn't sit there drinking and crying in a shitty motel room somewhere or worse.
Sam felt sure their dad would show up, it was Christmas after all. Bobby had given him an unusual looking pendent on a cord as a gift to give to his father. The little boy had his heart broken so many times and he knew counting on their dad to show up might be foolish but he held fast to the hope John would walk through that door.
Dean had been through enough Christmas' to know the chance of John showing up was slim but he held out hope only because Sam did. He felt sorry for Sam because the kid never really got a proper Christmas. At least Dean had fuzzy memories of his last Christmas with Mary and John and all the wonderful smells, colors, food and music that came with the holiday. Dean hoped this real Christmas with Bobby would make up for some of it.
He lifted Sam off the ladder and set him on his feet. Sam took Dean by the hand and they stood back to admire the patchy tree with the cheery lights and ornaments. Besides the glass ornaments there were all the little things the boys had made Bobby over the years like the Popsicle stick star covered in glitter Sam gave him one year and the construction paper Santa with accordion legs and cotton ball beard Dean made his uncle in second grade.
Bobby had saved them all in a sturdy box and when he got drunk and lonely he opened that box and the world didn't seem so bad after all. These handmade gifts reminded Bobby that he still mattered and he needed to stick around as long as possible for Sam and Dean.
…
Dean had cut the deerskin and used a leather punch to make the holes for the drawstring on the pouch and Sam did the whipstitch with waxed cord around the outside with the big upholstery needle they found in Karen's sewing items. Dean wove the thick strip of leather through the holes and then put on the slice of buckhorn with two holes Dean had drilled into it. Two knots later and their gift to Bobby, was finished.
Sam held it up proudly, "Do you think he'll like it?"
"Sure, he can put all kinds of stuff in there. Spell stuff, salt, marbles, anything!"
"Marbles?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"Oh I wish we had some marbles for him."
"Don't worry Sammy, Bobby will find something cool to put in there."
…
Bobby made sure the boys weren't around when he called John to ask if he was coming for Christmas dinner. Bobby figured there might be some choice words and he didn't want Sam and Dean to hear.
When he got ahold of John the hunter told Bobby he was states away following a lead and wouldn't be able to make it.
"Come on John, the boys need you and its Christmas."
"Just explain it to them. Dean will understand, he knows the drill better than anyone."
"You are a real piece of work. I can just see Sam's sad puppy eyes when I tell him."
"Bobby, I'll get there just not for Christmas. Look, I gotta go."
"Yeah well Merry fuckin' Christmas to you to."
Bobby had the grim task of breaking the news to Sam and Dean. Sam's reaction was disappointment and anger. Dean acted like it wasn't a big deal so Sam wouldn't feel so bad. He reminded Sam that their dad was a hero out there saving people, and monsters didn't take a holiday.
That was the moment Sam decided he wouldn't hold out hope for anything when it came to their dad. He had Dean and that was enough, it always had been and it always would be.
….
The mouthwatering smelled of roasted venison and scalloped potatoes traveled all the way upstairs. Dean's belly let out a rumble, "Oh man, I think I smell pumpkin pie too."
Sam handed Dean something wrapped in tissue and when he opened it there was the pendent Sam planned on giving their dad.
"Bobby gave it to me to give to Dad but you are the one who deserves it."
Dean put it on immediately, "Thanks Sammy, I love it and I'll never take it off." He took something out of his back pocket and handed it to his brother, it was a bracelet woven from leather cord in shades of green, tan and one strand of red.
Sam turned it reverently in his hands, admiring the colors and the work his brother put into it. "This is for me?"
"I put red in there so you'll always remember I love yah, Sammy. I even made it longer so you can adjust it when you get bigger." He tied it around Sam's skinny wrist and tucked the long ends in. "If you need to take it off or you don't like it, that's totally cool."
Sam hugged his brother tight, "Are you kidding? I'll never take it off. I love you, Dean."
"Merry Christmas Sam."
"Merry Christmas, Dean."
…
The trio feasted on venison, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole crescent rolls and pumpkin pie topped with spray whipped cream, just how the boys liked it. Afterward they retired to the living room where the fire was crackling away in the old brick fireplace.
For Sam's gifts Bobby gave him an antique book of protection prayers in Latin and for Dean a keris knife with a bone handle. He also gave Sam a model airplane, tester paints and brushes plus a large, leather bound journal and colored pens. Dean received a Hamilton titanium field watch and a jumbo bag of peanut butter cups.
Bobby didn't expect a thing so when the boys gave him the leather pouch the tough as nails hunter got all teary eyed. He said it was the nicest gift anyone had ever given him and he knew just what he'd use it for.
Sam asked if it he'd use it for marbles and Bobby chuckled, "No son, I'm gonna use it to hold ceremonial tobacco."
They all had some eggnog and Bobby spiked his with rum. Dean asked if he could try rum in his. Bobby put a few drops in and Dean looked disappointed.
Bobby sat in his big leather chair and Dean stretched out on the couch while Sam cozied in between his brother's long legs. Rumsfeld joined them after he knocked the basket of crescent rolls off the counter and ate the six that were left.
Sam bent his head backwards to look at his brother, "Dean, is this my first real Christmas?"
Dean smiled softly at him and replied, "Yeah, it is." He toyed with strands of Sam's silky hair as they listened to holiday music played on the radio.
A few eggnogs later and Bobby decided to head up to bed.
"Merry Christmas, boys."
They chimed in at the same time, "Merry Christmas, Uncle Bobby."
After Dean could no longer hear Bobby's footsteps, he got up and poured himself more eggnog and snuck a generous shot of rum in the mug. He settled back on the couch and Sam nestled in.
Sam took the mug from Dean and took a sip, "Gross, what is that?"
"Rum. Its Christmas and I'm gonna be fourteen next month so I think I'm old enough to try real booze."
Dean took the mug from Sam and downed the rest of it. He made a face and Sam caught that, "Ha, you don't like it either."
"Shut your pie hole, bitch."
"Shut your pie hole, jerk."
Sam turned all the way around so he was facing Dean who tried to push him back so the kid wasn't leaning on his chest but Sam was surprisingly heavy. Either that or Dean put way too much rum in that drink. He did feel a little warm and sort of dreamy. Sam traced the several bruises on Dean's neck with his finger and the omega closed his eyes.
"Dean, how did you get all these marks on your neck? It looks like you got in a fight with an octopus monster. Did someone hurt you?"
Naw, it's just hickeys…you know, when someone kisses you somewhere other than your mouth and they suck hard enough to leave a little bruise. It's pretty hot. This older guy showed me how and he's super good at it."
Dean undid a few buttons on his flannel shirt and showed Sam his shoulder where there was another one, "That one kinda hurt."
Sam turned on the lamp so he could see it better. He got that frown on his face where his eyebrows practically touched each other, "Why did you let him do that?"
"I dunno, it felt really good at the time. I like it, all the touching and stuff. You wouldn't understand because you're a kid."
"That guy is bull crap."
"Sam!"
"Well he is."
Sam leaned in and gave his brother a kiss on the lips then backed off and waited, for what exactly he didn't know. Stealing a kiss from Dean was exhilarating and felt very naughty.
Dean sat up and Sam thought he'd get a punch in the shoulder or yelled at so he braced himself. Instead Dean, bent down, put a finger under Sam's chin and then kissed him but it wasn't hard and awkward like Sam's. This kiss was soft and gentle and Dean's lips felt like moist velvet. When the kiss ended Sam opened his eyes and his brother was already standing.
"That is how you kiss, Sammy, soft and sweet. That's your Christmas mistletoe kiss from me to you." Dean looked at his new watch, "time brush your teeth brushing and hit the sack.
…..
Dean stayed on his side of the bed by the window where he stared at the colorful glow from the old Christmas lights outside. He listened to his brother's breathing so he'd know when Sam finally fell asleep but the kid was still fidgeting around trying to get comfortable.
When Sam wiggled over and tried his best to be big spoon Dean let him.
"Too wound up from Christmas to sleep?"
"Dean, was that my first real kiss?"
"Yeah, I guess it was."
"Because there wasn't any mistletoe so it couldn't be a mistletoe Christmas kiss."
"You think too much. Go to sleep."
"G'night D."
"G'night sweet Sammy."
TBC