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If there was one thing Sam Winchester knew how to do, it was argue until he got what he wanted.
Dean had seen it all too often, when Sam and his father would start an argument about the next step, with Sam insisting they stay a little longer because, "Dad, I just made some friends!"
Dean understood his father: they had a duty, something important to do, but sometimes he wished he wouldn't leave Dean alone with Sam to deal with his grief, because Dean was heartbroken every time it happened, and it was always happening more.
And then, Sam began to argue with Dean. Like fireworks on the Fourth of July, which Dad would never have allowed, but which Dean hadn't been able to deny Sam.
That case was the most egregious; it wasn't the first, but Dean had promised himself it would be the last.
He had just finished putting the breakfast plates away when Sam appeared.
"Hey, De." Sam murmured, looking around as if considering asking Dean something.
Dean narrowed his eyes. Sam wasn't a spoiled or manipulative child like other kids Dean had met, but sometimes Dean believed and feared that he was too smart for his own good and Dean's.
"Sam." Dean greeted him. "What's up, champ?" Dean asked, running his hand through Sam's hair like he'd seen some dads do with their kids.
Sam smiled every time Dean did it, so Dean would keep doing so.
"Can we go to the American Museum of Natural History?" Sam asked, holding up the book he'd brought with him, which, after Dean glanced, was a book about the museum Sam had just mentioned. "It has two huge dinosaur halls, with about 100 specimens on display, and they're real fossils! There's T-Rex, Apatosaurus, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Deinonychus." Sam started naming them. When he saw Dean falter, he continued. “But it’s not just fossils, they also have the evolution and origin of vertebrates, prehistoric mammals, meteorites, a section on astronomy and the universe, the oceans, animals from around the world, even anthropology!”
“We can’t,” Dean said, hating himself for having to be a Winchester, but knowing he had to.
“Dean, please?” Sam said.
“No.” Dean shook his head.
“But Dean…” Sam started to protest, but Dean stopped him. “Sammy, we have other things to do.”
Sam deflated, lowering the book and looking at it. “But it’s the Natural History Museum.”
“I know.” Dean muttered, softening his tone, hoping Sam wouldn’t yell at him like he did at Dad.
“There are dinosaurs.” Sam muttered.
“I know.”
“And the T-Rex.” Sam spread his hands, as if Dean would understand better what he was taking away from Sam.
“Sam.” Dean said Sam’s name, hoping he’d stop listing all the things he’d be missing.
“And they have real fossils.” Sam continued.
“Sammy.” Dean begged, one last time.
“Please?” Sam looked up, staring into Dean’s eyes. “Maybe we could see some monsters from back then, too? That they didn’t recognize because they don’t know?”
Dean cursed mentally. There they were, the two weapons Sam owned that Dean said Dad didn’t use often enough.
“Sam, don’t do that.” Dean warned.
Sam Winchester’s puppy dog eyes didn’t disappear, but Sam accentuated them with his confused expression. “Do what?”
“That face.” Dean pointed at Sam.
“What face?” Sam asked, staring at his brother, having to tilt his head to look him in the eye.
“That one.” Dean clarified, jabbing his index finger into his little brother's forehead, enjoying the frown.
“Dean, I'm just looking at you.” Sam groaned, pushing his brother's hand away. “I'm not doing anything!”
“No, you're looking at me to make me say yes.” Dean groaned.
At that, Sam snapped his head up, looking expectantly at Dean. “Really?”
“Shit.” Dean cursed under his breath.
“Can we really go?” Sam insisted, almost jumping on the spot with excitement.
Dean, knowing he'd just brought about his own downfall, sighed. “Sammy, you can't look at me like that.”
“Like what?” Sam blinked, feigning innocence.
Dean sighed again. “…Nothing.”
“So can we go?” Sam persisted, demanding the same question that hadn't yet been answered.
Surrendering to the inevitable, Dean agreed. “…Yes.”
“Really?” Sam smiled, the toothless smile of children about to tell Dean everything there was to know about dinosaurs.
“I said yes, didn’t I?” Dean snorted, gently pushing the over-excited kid away for a Saturday morning.
“Thanks, Dee!” Sam exclaimed, leaping onto Dean to wrap his arms around Dean’s neck.
Before Dean could truly appreciate the contact with Sam, Sam stepped back, gently pushing Dean. “Go get dressed! I want to see the T. rex, the Apatosaurus, the Triceratops, the mammal hall, the fossil hall, and then there’s the planetarium…”
Dean stared at his brother. “How many things do you have planned?”
Sam, his eyes huge, replied. “None.”
Dean sighed. “Sammy.”
Sam smiled. “Can we go now?”
Dean sighed. Sam had him wrapped around his pinky, and there was nothing Dean could do about it.
Except, of course, buying the little T-Rex plushie for an excited Sam at the Dino Store outside.