Chapter 5: Normalcy
Felix sniffed eagerly at the other dog as Dean shooed the two of them into the yard. He didn't normally mind the mutt sniffing around company, but that was usually when company wasn't in the middle of having their leg repaired from looking like hamburger helper…
It was nearly Christmas, and it struck him as almost funny-in the morbid sort of way that had inevitably seemed to follow the brothers-how strange it was to see a fully decorated pine-tree mere feet away from a man biting down on a belt as he finished suturing the wound. Boy am I glad we ended up getting tile in here… "Okay. That's the last of it." He pulled out a tube of antibiotic cream and applied a generous helping before taping an oversized gauze pad over the surface. The man nodded, having nearly passed out a few minutes before.
Sam reappeared from the kitchen with a glass of water and a handful of pills. Antibiotics were easy enough to come by-and they never used any prescription pain killers-which made Dean feel slightly less guilty about "borrowing" a few dozen boxes from a pharmacy with particularly bad security (and he had left cash for them, after all). The younger Winchester helped him swallow the pills before guiding him to the sofa-bed.
As the man passed out the two convened in the backyard, watching Felix play with his company. Dean cracked a beer as he turned to Sammy. "I guess we were never great at 'normal'." He half-joked, glancing back through the sliding door to make sure the man was okay.
Sam shrugged, "We're pretty normal… for hunters." He looked at the back fence, a faint smile tugging at his lips, "Thanks again Dean, for everything."
Dean was silent a moment before he replied, "You don't need to thank me."
"Yes, I do. You ran away to keep me safe, you've busted your ass to keep me healthy and happy, and when I talked about hunting again you didn't flip shit-and as a result we ended up as a safe house…" Sam looked at his brother, "I mean, if it wasn't for my big mouth we'd still just be normal."
Dean frowned, "That's my job. I'm here to make sure your ass is safe." Dean paused, "And besides, if it wasn't for your big mouth we wouldn't be hanging out with Bobby on the holidays or helping all these guys. You're a real bitch, but your heart is in the right place."
Sam smiled, "Jerk."
Dean reached over and screwed with Sam's hair, intentionally ruffling the curls so that they would fall in his face. Sam huffed as Dean smirked. "So, did they post your final grades yet?"
"Not all of them. The only one left is that one gen-ed, 'American History from the Native Lense'." Sam shrugged, "But that was an easy-A."
Dean rolled his eyes, "Sammy, every class is an easy-A for you."
"No, I studied for a couple this semester…" Sam recalled having to study for at least a handful of tests, though to be honest it was mostly because he just wanted to make sure he remembered everything from high school…
"Whatever brainiac." Dean chuckled.
Sam patted Felix's head as the dog came over, the other one-a German Shepherd who had arrived with their recovering friend-also put her head on Sam's chest. As he scratched both their heads he turned toward Dean, "So, how's work been?"
"Not bad. Thankfully hunters work weird hours, so I normally don't have to worry about ducking out of work. Even if I did, I doubt it would matter, Craig seems thrilled with how everything's going." Craig Roberts had been ecstatic when Dean had announced shrink was down to 3 percent, apparently Dean had done well at making sure the mechanics actually checked the damn part numbers before trying to fix things.
"Well that's good." Sam nodded as he distractedly scratched Felix's chin. He suddenly had a flash of seriousness cross his face before he looked up again. "Hey, Dean, can I ask you something?"
"What is it this time?" Dean's eyebrow rose in slight concern.
"I wanted to ask about Kim…"
Dean's face relaxed, women are the one thing I can handle giving advice on, "Okay, shoot."
"Um… you know we've been together for a while and I was thinking about how it's getting serious."
"Yeah."
"And well, I… I… was thinking about if I should take the next step." Sam fidgeted with Felix's ear as he spoke.
"What next step? Like, with kinky stuff?" Dean tilted his head slightly. "Because while I always knew you were a bit of a freak, I never would've thought you'd have a-"
Sam's face pinched as he flipped through three different bitchfaces, quickly cutting off his brother. "No. I mean the next step in our relationship-"
The gears clicked into place as Dean's brow rose again, "Like marriage?"
"Maybe… I'm not sure. We've never talked about that, and, like…" Sam exhaled, frustrated.
"I'd talk about it first, talk about what you want to end up." Dean paused, trying to think back to any of the semi-serious relationships he'd had-of which there were far fewer than the one night stand column-"And then maybe try out something close, but not quite as committal. Maybe get a 'promise ring' or some bullshit like that." Dean paused, "No offense."
"It's okay, they are kind of dumb. But it might not be a bad idea. Thanks." Sam smiled as he patted the dogs, before Felix tried to jump onto the lawn chair, causing them both to topple to the ground as the other dog watched and Dean started cracking up.
**SPN**
"Shit!" Dean pulled the ham from the oven. It was overdone, but salvageable-thank God.
"Well, I know where you got your cooking skills from…" Bobby joked, sipping coffee from a mug as he leaned against the kitchen doorframe.
Dean huffed, "You just wait. You'll be kissing the ground I walk on after you get a taste of this."
"Uh-huh." The older hunter replied.
Dean rolled his eyes as he returned to cooking. Christmas dinner had evolved for the brothers. After that first year away together things had changed, thankfully for once, for the better. Bobby had come down for Christmas and Kim was going to stop by in the afternoon as well-the four of them along with a food-crazed Felix would have dinner later that night.
For now, though, it was just the brothers and Bobby. He'd arrived a few days prior, and after being picked up from the airport had gone over with the two the finer points of successfully running a safe-house. Thankfully the neighbors hadn't minded too much, but the advice had reemphasized the importance of privacy-prompting Dean to buy much more opaque curtains.
Sam strolled into the kitchen to join in the mess, "Hey Bobby, trying to help Dean with dinner?"
"I would if he'd let me."
"Good luck. Last year I got a spoon to the hand when I tried to come in and help make the green bean casserole." Sam smirked as Dean stirred another pot.
"'Make'? More like snack on…" Dean commented, quickly turning off a burner.
"Close enough…" Sam shrugged.
"In any case, thanks again for the invite, boys. I can't tell you the last time I had a real Christmas dinner." Bobby smiled, "Even if the host is going to let his gravy boil over."
"Fuck!" Dean quickly shut off the burner and moved the gravy to the dish-towel on the counter. He glanced over at the two, sighing as he realized how ridiculous he looked, "Thanks for coming Bobby. Sorry about being a bit nuts today…" He sheepishly grinned at the two.
"It's alright. I get it." The hunter responded.
"In any case, if you don't mind we can actually help…" Sam added.
Dean glanced at the mountain of dishes and half-made food, "Fine. But nobody touches the mashed potatoes. I know neither of you can make them worth shit…"
"Deal."
**SPN**
I met a man who lives in Tennessee, and he was headin' for Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie. From Pennsylvania folks are travelin' down to Dixie's sunny shore. From Atlantic to Pacific, gee, the traffic is terrific!
Oh there's no place like home for the holidays, 'cause no matter how far away you roam… If you want to be happy in a million ways, for the holidays - you can't beat home, sweet home!
The table was set, the room was decorated, and the smell of food wafted deliciously through the air. Sam smiled as he looked around the room. Kim was seated beside him, Dean and Bobby opposite, and Felix trying to look his cutest in order to get a special morsel from the table. Life might be a bit weird, but I wouldn't trade this for the world…
The End.
Author's Note: Thanks everyone who has reviewed and read! I genuinely appreciate it! I will be continuing Adaptation for a bit longer (it's almost done, augh!), then a few other pieces I've been working on will be up. One is another Supernatural piece-this time about body switching for the boys and them dealing with their trauma and relationship, and the other is a Harry Potter AU with Harry growing up in the US with Sirius and Remus as his dads. Best wishes, and stay safe everyone!