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It’s May 2nd, 1993. Sam is ten years old today. He was practically vibrating with excitement when Dean walked him to school this morning, going on about how cool it was to be in the double digits now. Dean had just smiled and laughed with him the whole way, sending him off into the school with a genuine ‘happy birthday, kiddo’ before turning away and heading to the high school.
At 2:30 in the afternoon, Dean is loitering against the corner of the drug store on Main Street, sipping his bottle of root beer and watching the people and cars pass by while he waits the hour before Sam gets out of school. It’s one of the few times he’s completely alone, and he hates it. He’s not used to having nothing to do, no responsibility, no little brother to watch over. It’s always the longest hour of the day. Sometimes he gets himself detention on purpose, just to have some way of passing the time.
He could do homework, read a book...that’s Sam’s thing though. Dean never cared for school or research or stories. Not that he’s not smart, not capable of getting straight As if he wanted to. He just doesn’t care. Another four years and he’ll be a hunter, full time, just like Dad. And four years after that, Sammy will join them and they’ll make the most kick-ass threesome any monster has ever seen. Hell, they’ll probably have to retire early just because the word will get out, and every fugly under the sun will just run when they see the Winchesters coming.
Dean chuckles to himself. He knows it’s just a fantasy, a pipe dream. Sam already hates the life, and Dean figures he’s going to leave first chance he gets. And Dad is just reckless enough, Dean’s not sure how many close calls the man has left. But they’re family, and family is everything. So Dean will stick by them as long as he can. He doesn’t think about what he’ll do when they’re both gone, when Dean is alone like this all the time.
A slight movement in the corner of his eye catches Dean’s attention, and he turns to see a girl stepping up next to him. She’s maybe sixteen, short, petite, long blonde hair pinned up in a messy bun at the back of her head. She’s got on a tight t-shirt that comes down just above her bellybutton, a tight denim skirt that comes down just below her ass. She smiles up at Dean.
“Hey there,” Dean says, smiling as he looks her over.
“Hey yourself,” she says, giving Dean the tiniest wink. “Whatcha up to?”
“Nothing,” Dean says, mind racing, trying to figure out why this girl is coming on so strong. “Hanging.”
“You feel like having some fun?” She smirks.
“Depends what your idea of fun is.” Dean smirks back. She takes a step closer, leans into Dean and pushes up on her tip-toes, makes like she’s going to whisper into Dean’s ear so he leans down. Her lips brush his neck, feather-soft kisses against that sensitive spot just below his ear that send shivers up and down Dean’s spine.
“Twenty bucks and I can rock your world, baby,” she whispers, then her tongue joins her lips on Dean’s neck, and Dean can’t help the groan that slips past his lips. The feel of her mouth on his neck sends his imagination soaring and his blood racing. His mind flashes with the images of what it’d be like, his hand in his pocket fingering the small wad of bills. He’s got twenty three dollars left. Two days till Dad gets back. Enough groceries back at the apartment. His hand grasps the money, he’s about to pull it out, he’s really just going to say screw it and indulge and not be alone for a little while. Till it’s time to get Sammy….
Sam. He promised Sam they’d go for ice cream for his birthday after dinner. All those dirty images are instantly replaced with his little brother’s face, his wide, bright-eyed smile, all full of deep dimples when Dean had made the promise. Sam’s scrawny little body wrapped around him in a hug, his curly brown hair flopping into his eyes. Dean shoves the money back down in his pocket, pulls his hand out and gently pushes the girl away.
“No thanks, sweetheart, maybe another time.” Dean smiles at her, his biggest, flirtiest smile to soften the blow. She takes a step back, shrugs, smiles a half-smile.
“Suit yourself,” she says as she walks away. Dean watches the sway of her hips until she turns down a side street and he can’t see her anymore.
***
They’ve had dinner, done the dishes, the sun is setting and they’re making their way to the ice cream shop downtown. Sam is riding piggyback, arms wrapped around Dean’s neck, Dean gripping his legs around the knees where he’s got them wrapped around Dean’s waist. The kid’s still a shrimp, even at ten years old, so it’s not a big deal to carry him like this, and it makes him happy so Dean does it without making a fuss.
They get to the ice cream parlor and Sam orders the biggest sundae they have, loaded with strawberry sauce. Dean gets a sundae too, extra hot fudge. They sit at a picnic table outside, stuffing their faces and laughing. Dean teases Sam about being ten, and how he’ll start to like girls any day now. He laughs at the disgusted expression he gets.
Halfway through, Dean pulls a package from his coat pocket, a rectangle wrapped up in yesterday’s newspaper, and sets it down in front of Sam. He watches Sam’s eyes get big, his brows rising up to hide underneath his too-long bangs. Sam reaches for it tentatively, like he half expects it to disappear into thin air.
“Go on, kiddo, open it.” Dean grins, shoves another spoonful of vanilla ice cream dripping with hot fudge into his mouth. Sam picks up the present, smiling up at Dean as he rips the paper off. Dean grins at the tiny gasp Sam lets out when he sees what it is. Sam turns it around, mouth gaping as he shows Dean the cover like he didn’t know what it was.
“You got me Lord of the Rings?” Sam asks, amazed. Dean chuckles.
“Yeah, Sammy, you’ve been wanting to read it, right?”
“Yeah, I have! Thanks, Dean!” Sam is beaming, barely able to resist opening the book to start reading it right then and there.
“Happy Birthday, buddy,” Dean says, scraping the bottom of his sundae bowl, scooping the last melted bits of ice cream into his mouth. Just then a familiar figure turns the corner and starts walking toward them. The girl from earlier that afternoon walks up the sidewalk, hips still swaying, and as she passes them she gives Dean a bright smile, a wink. Dean smiles back briefly, then turns his attention back to Sam, who is reading the back cover of the book, spoonful of strawberry sauce and ice cream suspended halfway to his mouth. Dean smiles again, knowing he made the right decision - when it’s a choice between himself and Sammy’s happiness, Dean will choose ice cream over hookers every time.