Chapter Text
The morning came much too early for Sam’s liking. He was woken at precisely 5am by Lucky barking at him and pawing his face while standing on Cas’. Sam planned to just roll back over, but that plan was ruined when Dean burst through his bedroom door.
“I don’t care what kind of role play you’re into, but I don’t want to hear it,” he grumbled, eyes barely open. Sam’s face heated as he blushed, and Cas frowned in confusion. Lucky barked again, and Dean opened his eyes a little more to look at the dog. Suddenly, Dean’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening.
“Why is there a dog in your bed?”
“I found him under a bush,” Sam explained, desperately trying to calm Dean. If Sam freaked out, Dean wouldn't hesitate to throw Lucky back outside. Sam didn't understand how Dean disliked dogs so much… but he did, and so Sam had to approach the subject carefully.
“And what?” Dean questioned. “You thought you’d keep it? Sam, you know you’re going to get too attached to it. What are we supposed to do when we’re working a case?” Sam opened his mouth but Dean interrupted him. “Don’t say we’ll bring him along. You know the rule - no dogs in the car.” Huffing, Sam settled back onto the bed. Cas came behind Sam and wrapped his arm around Sam’s shoulders. The dog crawled onto Sam’s lap and nudged his nose against Sam’s palm.
“It’s not forever,” Sam pouted. “We’re taking him to the vets later, to see if he’s micro chipped.” Dean walked towards the bed, hand held out at the dog in warning. Lucky seemed to understand, as his tail stopped wagging for the first time since he’d woken up.
“I'm not kidding, we’re not keeping him,” Dean cautioned, though his eyes were softening by the second. As Dean reached the bed, Lucky leapt up at him and started to lick his hand excitedly.
A small smile creeped across Dean’s face as the puppy jumped up, and he only waited a split second before scooping Lucky up in his arms. Sam smirked at his brother.
“This changes nothing,” Dean assured, although he was already petting the dog with vigour. “We’re not… we’re not keeping him!” Dean called as he backed out of the room, Lucky still in his arms. As he left, Sam and Cas sat on the bed snickering. Maybe Lucky was some kind of witch, because Sam never thought he’d see the day when Dean would voluntarily pick up a dog.
Cas climbed out of bed and began to get dressed, pulling on his shirt as soon as his feet touched the floor. Sam did the same, knowing they couldn't put off the vet visit much longer. He wore his softest flannel to hold Lucky against; the vets would be stressful for a puppy so young.
Once they were ready, Sam and Cas went in search of Dean and Lucky. They found them in the kitchen, where Dean was frying up something - maybe liver - for the dog to eat. In a million years, Sam would never have guessed that Dean would get along so well with an animal, or that he would seem so content with switching between cooking and scratching the dog’s tummy. It was a perfect scene from the domestic life Sam had always dreamed of.
“Dean, we’re going to the vets now,” Sam said. Dean frowned, reluctant to hand Lucky over, but Cas soon had hold of the dog. The angel placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder and took off, flying them to the closest vet clinic to the bunker.
Cas grabbed hold of Sam’s hand and walked them inside. Sam was grateful, because he didn't think his legs would work otherwise; he was way too scared about losing Lucky. All of the people in the waiting room - an old woman with a poodle, a little girl holding a cat, and a middle aged man with a caged budgie - looked up when Sam and Cas walked in. Palms sweating, Sam had to let go of Cas’ hand.
The receptionist behind the desk was a bubbly young woman, her long maroon hair pulled back into a tight pony tail. She smiled brightly when they stumbled up to the desk. Sam gave a small wave, awkward enough that Cas reached out his hand to hold Sam’s again, squeezing it in comfort.
“Hi, I'm Flora! Welcome to Pine Veterinary Surgery. How can we help you?” Flora asked them cheerfully.
“We found this dog yesterday, and we wanted to know if he is micro chipped, or if anyone had come in looking for him,” Cas explained, holding up Lucky for Flora to see. She bit her lip as she looked over the dog, her immaculate grim faltering slightly.
“I don’t think anyone’s been looking for him, but we can certainly get him scanned,” she told them. Before Sam or Cas could reply, Flora began to tap something out on her computer. There was a whirring sound as the computer loaded, until Flora turned back to Sam and Cas. “Doctor Carlson is in the emergency room, you can take the dog through to there. Although, the Doctor will have to do some preliminary tests to check if this little fella’s healthy - which will cost some money.”
“No problem,” Sam smiled, handing over the only debit card he had that wasn't fake. Sam’d had it since he was at Stanford, and had put some money on it every time he’d had the chance to do a real job. That way, if they ever needed to bring Lucky back, their card would be on file. Flora took the card and nodded before typing something into the computer. After a few seconds she handed it back.
“Thank you, Mr. Winchester,” she said. “Dr. Carlson’s office is at the end of the corridor, room D.” Sam smiled and took hold of Cas’ hand again. As they walked down the corridor, Sam heard the old woman lean over to the receptionist and whisper “Those boys are adorable, make such a good couple.” It made Sam smile. He was usually really nervous about public displays of affection, but hearing the comment made him feel more comfortable. His hold on Cas tightened ever so slightly, and he began to walk down the hallway more confidently.
Cas knocked on the door, waiting for it to open. A few seconds later, a woman who looked about Sam’s age came to the door. With a smile, she stepped aside to let Sam and Cas in. She gestured to a table with equipment set out on it already, suggesting that Cas set Lucky down there.
“Howdy, I'm Dr. Carlson,” she greeted brightly, following Sam to the examination table.“We just need to do some preliminary testing before we scan the dog. Does he have a name?”
“He’s called Lucky,” Sam laughed nervously. He reached out to pet Lucky, instantly calming as he felt the fur between his fingers. “We found him under a bush last night.”
“Which is why we need to see if he has a fit bill of health,” Dr. Carlson told him, also moving to stroke the dog. “Outwardly, it looks like Lucky is happy and healthy, but you never know what’s hiding. He could be malnourished, he could have fleas. Worse case scenario, he has something like lung worm.”
Nodding, Sam took a seat in the corner of the room. He had a clear view of Lucky, could see his face and how he was doing. Cas sat beside him, leaning his head on Sam’s shoulder. The action helped relieve the tension Sam was feeling, and he was ever grateful that Cas was there to help him through. He’d been to the vets twice before - once with Riot, and another time with a stray he’d picked up as a kid. He’d hated going both times. Every time the dog whined at what the vet was doing, Sam felt like he was in pain as well.
Dr. Carlson worked in silence. The only sound in the room was Lucky’s small whimpers. Each time he made a noise, Sam’s grip on Cas’ knee tightened, and in turn Cas gently stroked Sam’s back. It took a while for the vet to do all the tests, but she seemed pleased with the results. Once she was done, she called Sam and Cas over.
“I'm really happy with this little guy,” Dr. Carlson said, petted Lucky as she spoke. “He has no health issues, which is remarkable for a puppy so young. I wouldn't usually recommend a pup being taken away from it’s mother so early. He’s lucky to have found a couple as kind as you to look after him.”
Sam looked down at Cas, fondness in his eyes. He was lucky to have Cas as his boyfriend, he knew, but it made him blush when people complimented them.
“So… does he have an owner?” Cas asked, bringing Sam back to reality.
“Well, there’s no microchip, and Flora did a quick search of the county, but so far no biscuit,” Dr Carlson told them. “So I guess you guys have a dog! I have to ask you though, please don’t put him in the pound. He’s not old enough for that yet - he needs attention and care.”
Sam stopped listening after she told him Lucky was theirs. He had a dog. They had a dog! Sam’s breath caught in his throat as he reached out for Lucky and held him close. Lucky buried his nose in the soft flannel of Sam’s shirt, snuggling into Sam’s arms. Cas laughed and Sam looked up to find both Castiel and Dr. Carlson watching him.
“I don’t think keeping the dog will be a problem,” Cas chuckled.