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Dean wasn't used to being in charge yet. Dad had checked in the night before, and promised to be back soon, but it had already been two weeks since they had last seen him.
Dean promised he could handle it, but deep down he was terrified. But Sam didn't need to know that.
Despite what his dad wanted, he tried to take his brother out for a walk every day. It was better than staying cooped up in the motel like their dad wanted them too. Dean wasn't sure if their dad understood how stir crazy they would get being locked inside all the time.
There was only so much Scooby-doo they could watch before they wanted to kill one another.
It was Sam who had the bright idea to go to the park and Dean was just as desperate as him to see anything but the same god awful wallpaper over and over again. But it was too far, and Dean was worried that something would happen to them.
They had seen it in passing while they drove up to the motel and Sam begged their dad to stop just for an hour or two before he had to go. “There are people dying, Sam,” John chastised. “It’s more important. We can go when I get back, okay? I promise.”
Sam believed him.
John had every intention of taking them.
Dean knew it would never happen.
So, Dean grabbed their things and together he and Sam raced out the door.
They were luckier than they had ever been. Dean found someone's wallet on the ground with enough money inside to get them both a snack from the grocery store and something to feed the ducks.
"Peas!" Sam insisted. "Not bread. Bread is bad for ducks. They like peas."
"Sure" Dean shrugged as they walked toward the frozen section. Whatever would keep the boredom away and keep his little brother happy.
The park was too hot for anyone to be out, but Dean preferred it that way. He knew that no one else would bother them. No concerned moms asking where their parents were would brother them.
They found a nice spot under a large tree where Sam happily took one of the bags of Peas and immediately went to work feeding the ducks.
Sam’s cries of laughter made the whole thing worth it. If their dad ever found out what they did, Dean would gladly take whatever punishment came his way. It was Dean’s responsibility to make sure they were safe. But it was also his responsibility as a big brother to make sure Sam was happy and he hadn’t been doing a very good job of that lately.
Dean didn’t see it at first, he was too busy keeping watch over Sam, but there was something moving off in the distance. It was easy to miss. The sun was too bright and it was hidden in the reflection on the pond water.
He couldn’t see it clearly, but he knew enough to tell it wasn’t an animal or natural at all. He was definitely sure it wasn’t his imagination. Dean was instantly on alert, immediately regretting going against his dad’s rules. “Some brother I am,” He thought guiltily.
Dean wondered how he could try and convince Sam to get back to the motel without raising any suspicion when one of the ducks bit Sam on the hand trying to get to the peas.
“Ow!” He cried out. Sam wasn’t really hurt, but he inspected his finger all the same like he expected there to be blood. “That’s not nice!”
Dean looked back toward the monster, wondering if somehow it might have been startled by the noise and was surprised to see it… laughing? He wasn’t sure how he knew, but Dean was certain it was laughing.
He could see it more clearly now. It had eyes, too many of them. Human and not human but he couldn’t understand how he knew that either. Where he thought the water was reflecting the sun, he realized it was actually just the creature. It was made of light and it was hot and gentle at the same time. It felt like summer and peace.
“Dean, look!” Sam grinned. “There are turtles, too! Oh can we go swimming? Can we come back?”
“I–” Dean couldn’t tear his eyes away. “Uh.. I don’t know.”
“Please?”
“Turtles aren’t as nice as you think they are.”
“Come on. Please?” Sam gave him his best pleading look that usually broke Dean, but he held firm.
“What happens if you get hurt? How am I supposed to explain this to dad? He’ll kill me.”
The water rippled, and Dean knew the creature didn’t like that he said that. “Uh.. not really but, you know.” The water calmed.
Dean should have been scared. He should have grabbed Sammy by the hand and ran the other way. But he didn’t. He knew the creature, whatever it was. He wasn’t scared at all.
“Here,” Dean said, grabbing another one of the bags of peas. “You take this one, and this one is mine.” He took the last bag in his hand and started walking along the water’s edge. “I’m gonna go find some fish or something.”
“Okay,” Sam replied, not even bothering to look at him.
Dean shook his head, wishing he could be as care free as his brother. Wondering if he could even remember a time he was like that. Sure, he had his memories of his mom, but they were all tainted by her screams and the smell of smoke.
Not as cautiously as he should have, Dean approached the creature. It stared at him with its impossible eyes and light that mimicked the sun. “Hello,” he greeted. “I’m Dean.” Though, he felt like he didn’t need to say that.
Just like he felt like he should know the creature's name. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn’t remember…
“I…” Dean blinked, feeling nervous. “Are you hungry?” He opened the bag and reached his hand inside. “We don’t have much.” There was no way Dean could throw them far enough they would reach the creature, so he tossed them in the water hoping he didn’t look as ridiculous as he felt.
The creature didn’t seem to mind at all. It definitely wasn’t hungry though. It watched curiously, then in delight as the fish ate all the peas instead. Again, Dean wasn’t sure how he knew, he just did. So, he reached in the bag again, this time with a smile on his face, and fed the fish.
Just like his brother, he enjoyed his time at the pond. He was carefree, even though there was a large… something… in the water watching him and occasionally his brother. Dean didn’t notice when his shoulders relaxed or when he actually started laughing. Maybe it was when one of the fish actually jumped out of the water when he tossed the peas further in.
The sun rose higher in the sky and Dean forgot to be nervous that their dad would find out what they were doing.
Dean and Sam had long jumped in the water, not caring what was swimming in there with them. The water was cool, and there was someone watching over them.
They didn’t feel hungry or scared. No humans or monsters or anything bothered them. The only sounds they heard were their laughter and the sounds of splashing water.
By the time the sun started setting in the sky, and Dean and Sam were back to sitting on the water’s edge, Dean finally realized that Sam couldn’t see the creature at all.
He definitely should have. Its light, more beautiful than the sun, was the only thing Dean could see in the darkness besides the stars.
“Thanks, Dean,” Sammy said with a yawn. “Dad would have never let us do this, huh?”
Dean tore his eyes away and looked down at his little brother, but didn’t answer him. He knew it was time to go, but didn’t want to. He still had his responsibilities that all came crashing down on him at once.
He looked back at his friend, who hovered above the water like a guardian in the night. Dean opened his mouth to say something to it, but decided against it. Instead, he said to his brother “Come on. We better start heading back.”
“Do we have to?” Sam complained.
“Yeah. Time for bed. Better get back before dad if he’s not back already.”
“Fine,” Sam grumbled.
They gathered their things and reluctantly started making their way up the path. Dean suddenly stopped, turning back to the pond wanting to say goodbye to his friend.
But it was gone.
“Are you okay?” Sam asked innocently.
“Yeah,” Dean answered too quickly.
“You’re crying.”
“What?” Dean quickly wiped his face. “No I’m not. Big brother’s don’t cry.”
Sam eyed him suspiciously “Yes you are.”
“Shut up and keep walking,” Dean replied with a forced grin. “If he’s not back by tomorrow, we can get pancakes in the morning. We still have enough money from that sucker who dropped his wallet.”
“Okay!” Sam cheered as he raced ahead of Dean.
Dean turned around one last time, hoping, praying, to see his friend, but there was no one there.
Defeated, he followed his brother home.