Much More Than a Hunch Part 1 - prompt fill
Title: Much More Than a Hunch Part 1
Author: Gedry
Pairings: Dean/Cas
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1239
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. I am making no profit from this fanfiction.
Spoilers: none
Warnings: None
Summary: For lillyg who wanted FLUFF and got a daycare verse instead.
No beta, my bad!
Much More Than a Hunch
Dean sighed for what must have been the third time on the way to work. He was already a half hour late and thanking a God he wasn’t sure was listening that Bobby understood his situation.
Being a single parent wasn’t easy; especially with the twins. He managed to get both boys up and moving this morning and they got to school with their clothes on and their coats. But he’d forgotten something for Ben’s art project and Jesse was adamant that he had to have more pencils so off to the store he went and kissed being at work on time for his first day goodbye.
Who would have thought six year olds could be so demanding.
Dean holds his breath when the cell phone rings at three. But it’s just Sam calling to tell him that he’d already checked in with the daycare and the boys had made it back from their first day at the new school just fine. Dean silently takes back every horrible thing he’s ever said about his little brother. Sam has been more than awesome about this whole thing. He’s even let Dean and his boy’s crash at his place until they can find a house of their own. Dean was sort of flabbergasted that eternally single Sam lived in the best school district in their area but his brother had insisted that it paid to think ahead.
Dean figures taking in an overwhelmed older brother and his two young children after Dean’s wife died isn’t really what Sam was thinking ahead about at the time, but he’s nice enough to never mention it. Dean’s grateful for that.
He misses Lisa so bad. If it weren’t for the boys he wonders if he would have kept moving after he lost her. Some idiot drunk behind the wheel in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday took away Dean’s whole life. Fuck that guy. Dean hopes he rots in hell.
He hasn’t picked up a beer in five months, two weeks, and four days. He could give you the hour and the minute but it’s something he’s actively trying not to think about anymore.
It hurts too much.
Dean stumbles through work and makes the drive home halfway numbed by familiar roads and halfway astounded in the changes since he grew up here. It’s so almost familiar that he’s freaked by the whole thing.
He’s greeted at the door by nurturing daycare workers. He’s single, he’s still pretty young and Dean figures, even with the dark circles under his eyes from the nightmares he’s still dealing with, they probably find him pretty attractive. It’s not something he’s interested in at all.
And of course his boys have decided to make new friends at school by harassing them mercilessly. The pretty little redheaded girl in the corner is still crying softly into the pants leg of the guy Dean assumes is her father while a slightly taller girl stands in front of her with her arms crossed and her jaw tight.
Ben has the decency to look guilty. Jesse, well, not so much.
“What did you do?” Dean hisses as he kneels down next to his sons.
“We were just goofing off,” Ben blurts.
“It’s not our fault she got her feelings hurt,” Jesse adds.
“She’s too sensitive,” Ben says.
Dean rolls his eyes. Clearly his sons have done something terrible.
“Look,” he comments as he wades through the throng of after school kids to the other side of the room. “I don’t know what my boys did but tell me and I’ll make sure it never happens again.”
The other guy turns and Dean feels the room fade away as he sees blue eyes that he never thought he would get a chance to look into again.
“Cas?” he whispers even though he’s almost certain that it can’t be.
The other man’s gaze sharpens in return. “Dean Winchester,” he says slowly in that tone that even years later and much deeper clearly belongs to the odd boy who once lived next door to Dean’s family. “These two are your children?”
The world snaps back into motion and Dean’s faced with the uncomfortable reality that he and Cas didn’t part on what you would call friendly terms and even if they had Dean’s kids haven’t exactly made a good first impression.
“Umm,” Dean sighs. “Should I say no?”
Cas doesn’t even twitch a lip. Ben’s voice from behind him barks “DAD!” clearly offended by the perceived rejection.
“They’ve been harassing Anna about her hair all day,” Cas replies. “I would like them to stop. Anna’s had a rough time of it recently and she doesn’t need any more hardship in her life.”
“Tell them to stop or I’m going to punch them both in the mouth,” the taller girl hisses at Dean quietly.
“Claire!” Cas snaps. “That is not appropriate.”
“I’ll talk to them,” Dean assures her before turning back to Cas and adding “it won’t happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t.” Cas answers and just like that he treats Dean like he’s ceased to exist.
Dean gathers up what’s left of his pride and makes sure the kids have their hats, coats, and school bags. He’s yelling at them to quit goofing off and get in their seats in the car when Cas comes out to the car parked next to his and begins loading the two girls inside. Jesse stares defiantly out of the window at the trees on the other side of the parking area.
Ben scrambles out of the car to say frantically to Anna “I’m sorry for teasing you. My brother and I are new here too. I won’t do it again.” He holds out his hand and after a moments hesitation the little girl reaches out and they shake solemnly.
Dean’s eyes rolls towards Cas; his mind thinking of a lifetime ago when he and the little boy next door shared much the same handshake.
Cas is watching him as well “It’s good to see you again Dean,” he offers quietly.
“Same here Cas,” Dean nods as he extends his hand. There’s a moment where he thinks Cas is going to refuse but then he reaches out and they shake slowly. “I guess we’ll be seeing each other around.”
“Yes,” Cas says with something like looks like a smile. “I suppose we will.”
“Come on Dad!” Jesse yells from inside the car and Dean rolls his eyes, shakes his head, and steps back into being a father. As he slips into the driver’s seat he sees Cas watching him from where he sits in his car.
It makes Dean feel a spark of warmth in his chest; something he didn’t think he was capable of any more.
“That is one weird guy,” Jesse mutters.
Dean grins, so many memories of his childhood slamming back into his brain. “Maybe,” he answers. “But once upon a time he was the best friend I ever had.”
Dean wonders if he might have the chance to build that friendship again.
He really hopes he can.