Title: Coins and Bills
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Rating: K+
Summary: Snapshots of Sam's perspective of Dean and Cas' relationship.
Notes: Unbeta'd. If you would like to request a ficlet please feel free to contact me with the idea on my tumblr (which is linked on my profile) or contact me here.
Dean Winchester under all of his false bravado, devil-may-care attitude, and 'no chick-flick' rule, was a loving individual, caring to the point of painful. Which is why no one is surprised of the way he is now.
All of his life he cared for his baby brother making sure he got fed even when Dean had to do without dinner for a few days – or weeks, and his father, who comes home violently drunk on more than one occasion. Dean was a caretaker, it was engraved in his very bones.
It was March 3 when things began to fall apart.
John Winchester was dead. Tried to drive home drunk and crashed into a lamp post. Went through the window and died on impact. In some ways Dean believed that was mercy, or maybe just karma.
Losing a parent is always hard but to Dean he wasn't really a parent, more like a child. John was like Sam, his own child he had to protect from the world and the cruel, harsh reality we call life. Dean was John's caretaker so when he heard about his death he didn't been try to stop the sobs that wracked his body.
Sam was too young to understand but he did notice the change in Dean. He saw the way he would sit on the couch and cry when he thought Sam asleep. He saw the way Dean left after he dropped him off at school, driving right past the place where he himself use to go to school. And he saw the way Dean would sit at the table, papers strode out, counting coins and bills.
From then on whenever Sam finds money – coins or bills on the streets, it always goes into Dean's wallet when Dean's asleep.
The first time Sam gets into a fight at school he's in the fourth grade. The kid had been taunting him about not having a mom or dad for a while, saying that just having Dean didn't make them a family. Sam had finally just punched him in the nose just like Dean taught him.
When Dean gets up to the school he's scowling and refuses to speak to Sam until he talks with the teacher, so Sam sits in the hall outside of his classroom.
Twenty minutes later, he sees his teacher walk out of the room with a smug look on her face, Dean following after her exclaiming loudly, "Don't worry Mr. Wilson, he will get punished harshly until he knows not to hurt other people," But when he looks over at Sam he winks.
That night they go out for burgers and ice cream and that punishment he promised Ms. Wilson is long forgotten.
Sam is in fifth grade when he meets Castiel. Dean brings him back to their house, and Sam sits on the steeps watching them. He watches them move around the kitchen, singing along to some random Metallica song. Castiel move's around the kitchen like he belongs there and Dean will occasionally smile over at him when he thinks Castiel isn't looking. And when they all eat dinner together that night he learns more about Castiel, who he decides he likes right then. Later, when he's suppose to be in bed, he gets up to get water and he sees them kissing on the couch. He smiles for the rest of the week.
Sam is in the end of his sixth grade years when Castiel approaches him. "I want your permission to ask Dean to marry me," He says without preamble. Sam's head jerks backwards in shock.
"You want to my permission to ask Dean to marry you?" Sam repeats, eyes wide as saucers.
At Castiel's small nod Sam launches himself into Cas' arms, hugging as tightly as he can. Sam spills all about how Dean gave everything up for him and how Dean hasn't ever been as happy as he is with Castiel. And when Sam finally pulls back there's a twinkle of amusement shinning in Cas' blue eyes. "So I take that as a yes?"
At Sam's vigorous head nod, Castiel throws his head back and laughs.
It's July 4th going into Sam's seventh grade year that they're out in the small pasture shooting fireworks. Castiel catches Sam's eyes after they've both shot off all of their bottle rockets, and shoves a hand in his pocket pulling out a small box. Sam grins when he sees the box and nods at Castiel.
"Dean," Castiel calls, walking to where Dean was standing after setting offing his last firecracker. Dean stands up from the ground and smiles at Cas.
Castiel dropped to one knee right in front of him, pulling out the box and opening it. Dean looks confused for a moment before he gasps.
"Dean," Castiel repeats, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Will you marry me?"
The undignified squeak that Dean lets out is one that Sam knows he will deny to his dying day, but the passionate kiss they share after Cas slips the ring on is one he will always remember.
That night Sam has to sleep with his head phones in trying desperately not to hear the moans and cries and banging of the head board against the wall, but in the morning when he sees Castiel and Dean singing in the kitchen, Cas' arms wrapped around Dean's waist from behind while Dean methodically flips the bacon, it's more than enough to make up for it.