The sun was shining, the birds were singing and right now Sam Winchester didn't have a care in the world. His birthday so far was going great and it was only mid-morning. So far he had delicious pancakes with homemade apple jelly they'd canned the fall before and of course the birthday spanking which he enjoyed every part of. It was a yearly ritual but it wasn't until this morning that Sam really learned to appreciate it.

The spanking was never reciprocated on Dean's birthday but Sam now planned on spanking him as soon as he turned fifteen, though January seemed so far away.

"I wonder if people give spankings for Independence Day…"

Dean appeared out of nowhere and Sam never heard him coming. "Come on, I've got a birthday surprise for yah…well it's actually from me and Bobby." Dean led him around to the back of the house and there stood two bicycles, one painted fern green and the other in gloss black.

"I found them in the salvage yard and both were in pretty good shape. Bobby got new tires and I fixed the brakes and stripped off the rust and old paint. I painted yours green because I know that's your favorite color."

Sam ran his hands over the smooth, shiny handlebars and frame. He checked the tires, though he knew they were just fine. His very own bike meant freedom and pride in ownership. This bike, painted the color of his brother's eyes, made him feel more mature and less of a child.

He went to Dean and simply hugged him, no words were necessary. The hug meant "Thank you and I love you."

Sam hopped on his bike and took off down the driveway and Dean wanted to follow but he held back because Sam didn't ask him to tag along. Sam's maiden voyage on his new bike actually meant many things to both brothers, some of it good but some of it painful.

It felt very strange to watch Sam leave without a word. Dean wondered if this was a taste of things to come.

"Sam would never leave me…we're partners, a team…"

…

Sam peddled as fast as possible down the country road until the sight of Singer Salvage disappeared. This time belonged to him and no one else, not even Dean. For once, Sam was completely free.

He let out a whoop and then starting laughing for no reason in particular. After a few miles he turned back and headed home where there was birthday cake waiting and his brother.

…

Dean watched intently as his brother dragged a finger through the cream cheese frosting then licked it clean. The little happy sounds Sam made combined with a roll of his pretty cats eyes had a strange effect on his brother.

The omega felt an all too familiar tingle and his dick began to twitch. Dean would later blame it on his teen libido where almost everything made him horny. It seemed fourteen was just as confusing as thirteen. This was Sam after all, not some stranger Dean could safely have these feelings for. Dean decided to push aside all that shame and embarrassment until later that night, it was after all Sammy's birthday and Dean didn't want to ruin it because he couldn't control anything below the equator.

To make up for this unsettling reaction, Dean decided to tease Sam because this was a very normal thing between them and normal was the name of the game.

"You know Sam, regular kids ask for chocolate or vanilla not carrot cake. What eleven year old wants vegetables in their cake?"

The birthday boy shrugged, "I guess I'm not regular then because I love carrot cake, plus you ate a big piece already so don't fib and say you hate it."

Dean cut himself another slice and made sure to get the one with the biggest rose. Sam watched as his brother scooped it off the cake with his tongue then slide the pink, buttercream covered organ back between his pretty lips.

There was a bit of pink frosting left on the corner of the omega's mouth and Sam really wanted to lick it off but Bobby was there and even at the age of eleven, Sam knew that would have been weird.

"Jokes on you D, I don't like the roses."

Bobby rolled his eyes as Dean used a clean fork to remove the rest of the roses then gobbled them down. "Don't come cryin' to me when you get a buttercream belly ache later."

"Dean grinned at him, "Come on Bobby, you know I've got a cast iron gut."

Bobby turned his attention to the birthday boy, "So you like your bike?"

"Oh yeah thank you Bobby. It's the best birthday gift ever. I took it for a spin and went pretty far and I felt like I coulda kept going but I decided to come home."

Dean tapped his sneaker against his brother's, "You better not go too far from home. Anything could happen and I can't protect you if you're too far from me." Dean kept his eyes on the piece of half eaten cake as he said it.

Sam said he decided to come home which meant he felt he had a choice. Sam had run away in the past just because he wanted to see what it was like. Just the thought of Sam vanishing into thin air made Dean's guts churn.

Bobby noticed Dean looked a bit queasy but he didn't have much sympathy, "What did I tell you Dean, that was too much buttercream. Antacid is in the cabinet."

…

Sam asked if they could clean out the extra bedroom that Bobby once offered to the boys so they could have their own spaces. Bobby was all for it and they got right to work sorting through things.

Sam did the grunt work while Bobby quickly went through boxes. Dean refused to help and announced he was going into the salvage yard. The teen was upset because out of the clear blue sky Sam announced he wanted his own room so he could study in peace.

Bobby let him go with no argument because with Dean, sometimes it was best to let him work things out on his own.

The elder alpha knew Sam was at an awkward age where he was just a year or two off from either presenting as alpha or omega or finding out he was a standard-issue beta. Bobby could see Sam's need for some independence and this was a good first step.

"Sam, you know when your brother gets back he's gonna be pretty testy and if Dean acts the smartass …well just let him get it out of his system."

Sam watched through the dirty window as Dean marched up to the edge of the salvage yard with a crowbar then vanish into the metal ruins with Rumsfeld right on his heels.

"I know, Bobby."

"I sure as hell wish these boys came with an instruction manual…"

…..

Dean busted out a window of a puke green Ford station wagon. He told himself it was to put the butt ugly thing out of its misery but really it was Dean's way of working out his anger and frustration. He swung the crowbar again and dented in a passenger door. The teen spent the better part of the morning smashing and dismantling it until his mind and body were exhausted. With all the fight gone out of him, Dean went back.

Rumsfeld spent his time lying on a flatbed, watching the sad and angry young human beat against the metal corpses until he was staggering around and on the verge of collapse. The human suddenly stopped, slid down to the ground and began crying. The dog hopped down and went over to this broken creature and placed his big head on the human's lap. It seemed to help because in just a few minutes the crying stopped and Rumsfeld was getting hugs and ear scratches.

….

Sam was a busy little bee sweeping the hardwood floor when Dean came in and leaned against the door jam. Sam kept working, waiting for his brother to speak first.

"The room looks a hell of a lot bigger without all that junk. You did a good job, Sam." The praise meant that Dean was coming around and the tension was easing between them.

"Thanks Dean." Sam ventured a smile in hopes he'd get one back and when his brother smiled it was like a storm had ended and the heavens opened up, casting sunshine all over the place and then tossed in a rainbow just for the hell of it.

"I saw an old desk in the attic, it's gonna be hell to get down but I think together we can manage it. You can use it to do your homework and store all your pens and crap."

Sam went in for a hug but Dean rebuffed him, "Geez, enough with the hugging. It's only a desk."

Sam looked hurt so Dean gave in, "Ok, bring it in little bro."

…

The boys managed to get the old desk down from the attic with a little help from Bobby. They also found the chair to go with it plus a nightstand, an old bankers' lamp for the desk and a hideous little lamp with two figurines of Victorian dancers attached. Dean even put in the elbow grease to get the furniture cleaned and polished.

When evening came, Sam decided to use a sleeping bag until they got a mattress for the metal bed frame in the attic. The brothers went through their normal evening routine but when it came time for the two of them to enter their rooms there was a moment of hesitation. Sam and Dean had never slept in different rooms before except when Sam was a newborn and even then Dean would sneak inside the nursery to check on the baby. His parents would often find Dean with his pillow and fuzzy Batman blanket, asleep on the floor next to Sam's crib.

"G'night D."

Dean messed up Sam's hair, "Night Sam. If you get lonely you know where I am."

"Ok. If you have a bad dream I'm right next door."

…..

10 pm

Sam put his sleeping bag against their adjoining wall just in case Dean had one of his nightmares.

Sam got an earful but it didn't sound like a nightmare. There was a lot of moaning going on and the bed springs creaked in a quick rhythm which almost put him to sleep until he heard Dean let out a growl followed by a long, loud sigh.

The creaking stopped and a few minutes later he could barely hear his brother snoring softly.

…

12:30 am

After a trip to bathroom, Dean just couldn't resist checking on his brother and he found Sam hugging his pillow and fast asleep.

"Poor little fella had a long day…"

Sam was a pretty sound sleeper so Dean watched him for a while. He missed Sam's steady breathing which always relaxed him. Dean considered grabbing a blanket and pillow and sleeping next to him but this wasn't his space, it belonged to Sam.

…..

2:47 am

Sam crept into their room and was pleased to see Dean sleeping on his own side of the bed as if he kept his brothers side open just in case.

Sam carefully slipped under the covers, trying his hardest not the make the bed squeak and wake up his brother.

"I'll get used to my room later when I get a bed of my own...probably…"

Facing the wall, Dean opened one eye and closed it again. Everything was as it should be.

…..

June 2nd, 1994

Dean woke to the low rumble of Baby pulling up to the house.

TBC