"You are driving me insane" John scrubbed his hand over his face. He had been trying to read the same paragraph for the last hour.
"Sorry Mr Winchester" Dexter looked up from the sofa. Dean had been explaining to Dexter, in great detail, why Superman was better than the Incredible Hulk.
"Go do something useful. Wash the car" John rubbed the bridge of his nose. Why he had agreed to look after all the kids, he didn't know. Sammy and Debs were being suspiciously quiet in the bedroom. Dean had been educating a future killer with comic books. Life was strange.
"Yes Sir" Dean put the comic back in his bag. "Come on Dex"
"Why?"
"You got better plans?" Dean asked.
"No"
"Then fill the bucket, under the sink with warm, not hot, water." Dean pointed towards the kitchen. He took off the over shirt he was wearing and tossed it behind him on to the sofa.

"Batman" John said.
"What?" Dean stopped in his tracks.
"Batman would kick both of them into next week"
Dean's mouth dropped open a bit. He shook his head and went to help Dexter.
"Adam West, not Michael Keaton" John went back to reading the book.

Half the Impala was covered in suds.
Dean was methodically cleaning the boot. He looked at Dexter pawing at the front drivers door. His body was there, his mind elsewhere. Dean's mental alarm bells were ringing full blast now. He kept it from reaching his face. This kid scared him. "You missed a bit over there Dex"
Dex was three years older, but Dean thought of him as younger. He was a small animal learning to walk. A tiger, who hadn't found how sharp his claws were yet.

"It's only going to get dirty again"
"Not the point"
"What is?" he asked.
"You have to look after things. It's what you do. Blend in. Take a little pride." Dean looked at the blank look on Dex's face. "Or at least show total un-interest. You can earn point with people by sharing their dislikes."
"Don't you have to like things other people like?" Dexter was puzzled again. The bells in Dean's head turned back to a niggle. He was asking questions, maybe there was something he could do with him.
He smiled, "You'll get no where doing that. Suck up!" Dean teased.
"Okay" Dexter nodded.
"Dex. You have to hear, but not agree with me every time." Dean pointed out.
"Okay" he was back into his own world again.
Dean took a second to think, "What would you do if someone at your school called you a suck up?"
"I wouldn't care" Dexter said.
"You don't have to care, you need to react like you do. You are a teenage boy. " Dean said like it explained every thing. "Look, I said it in a jokey way, what if I said it like this" Dean threw the sponge back in the bucket, stepped to close to the other boy. "Suck up" he challenged.
Dexter didn't like this. He lunged at Dean. Dean dodged out of the way.
"You have a problem now. I've used words and you've started by trying to hurt me. You were half right"
"Should I have hit you?" Dexter asked.
"Not yet. You have a few more things to try. It's like trial and error. At some point you'll figure out the right response. I've started with words. Come here." Dean moved them back to where they were.
Stepping a little closer, he growled again "Suck up!"
"No, I'm not"
"Yes you are. Sissy suck up!" Dean didn't touch Dexter.
Dexter push Dean away. Knocking him over.
"Ow! Dude!"
Dexter towered over Dean. His eyes promised hurtful things, maybe worse.
Dean looked up, bells again. "Time out Dude"
"What?" Dexter stopped.
"Once they are down, you stop too."
Dexter tried to put it together in his head. It made no sense to him.
"It's time for an instant replay. You have just got detention for fighting. I've just got you on the school's radar by calling you a name. You are not this stupid Dex."
Dexter stepped back and thought for a second. Dean sat back and looked up expectantly.
"There are two ways to play this. Before the teacher comes over and you get in trouble. I've got you to push me by pushing your buttons. You can leave me here or you can offer me a hand and an insult."
Dexter was still thinking it through. He steadily took a look around him.
"Ding ding. Too late. You are detained and have another day to play this very same game."
"But you went to fast" he started.
"Life moves fast. You have to practice. It's like anything else. The more you do it the better you get. Think of it as a dance. The music plays, you move. It stops long enough, you think what might be next."
"Okay"
"Start small. Lets try another dance" Dean got up. He brushed the dust from his jeans. He stood squarely on to Dexter and put his hand on Dexter's left arm. He waited. Then smiled. "Hiya Dex"
"Hello" Dexter stood, not doing anything.
A minute passed and Dean started to feel uncomfortable. He moved his hand on to Dexter's arm again "All right Dexter, how it hanging?"
"How is what hanging?" the boy answered, confused.
"For gods sake Dex!" he put his hand on his face, "This is simple greeting 101." he shook himself, "Right. Tell me what I just did?"
"You said hello, put your hand on me and asked about hanging" Dexter listed.
"You need to tell me hello in return!"
"I did!"
"No. Dude, you need to mimic something I've done." Dean counted on his fingers, "The tone of my voice or an action. How you do it depends on how well you know me. Get it?" he asked.
"No" he shook his head.
Dean grumbled and threw his hands in the air. "Son of a bitch"
Dexter was concerned. Had he lost another friend? "Show me again"
"Sorry. I am not doing this right. One of the reasons you shouldn't listen to me. Rule one, don't get frustrated." Dean looked at Dex. "Do what I did"
Dexter put a smile on his face. "Hello Dean" He gripped Dean's arm.
"Loosen the grip a little there, Dude" Dean rubbed his arm. "kind of need the circulation"
Dexter sighed "I can't do it Dean"
"Yes you can. The smile was dead on Dude. Try again"
"Hello Dean" his hand went to Dean's arm.
"Hi Dex" Dean put his hand to Dex's arm. Knocking Dex's off his. Dex watched. Wondering if he should put his hand back. "Dex, look at me, not my hand. Did you see what I did?"
"Yes"
"Try it. Hiya Dex" Dean's hand went to Dexter's arm.
Dexter smiled. "Dean! Good to see you" he moved his arm to Dean's knocking the hand off. He made eye contact and Dean grinned.

"'Atta boy"
Dexter looked a little proud.

"Now, wash the soap off, or it'll dry wrong" Dean went back to scrubbing the car.