Title: Our Father
Author
anyothergirl415Character(s)/Pairing: Sam & Dean, John
Theme:
Nano TablePrompt(s): 14 - Memory
Words: ~710
Rating: PG (more gen than anything else)
Disclaimer: If I had my way, this would be the show. Very seldom do I have my way.
Summary: All the items the man had thought important enough to carry along with him on the road and this book was one of them?
“Dean? Look at this…”
The book was thin and light in his hands, worn along the spine from overuse, and the minute Dean’s fingers curled over the cover he was transported back in time, to a night so many years ago it could possibly have been a figment of Dean’s imagination.
”Daddy, will you read us the story?” Dean asked and curled his fingers around Sammy’s, arm swinging with the gently back and forth sway of his little brother’s body beside him.
John looked up from his notes, small smile turning up the corners of his lips as he considered his sons. “Are you both ready for bed?”
Dean smiled brightly, knowing his daddy was going to read the story because he’d been a good boy like he was supposed to be and gotten both he and Sammy ready before daddy could even ask. “Yup! Both Sammy and I brushed our teeth and went potty and got in our jammies.”
“I go pee pee,” Sammy pulled his thumb from his mouth, blanket dangling from his fingers, and grinned up at his daddy, tongue poking through the small gap between his teeth. “Dee gave me big boy undies too. With Spiderman!”
“Spiderman? I thought you liked Batman,” John’s smile strengthened as he pushed up from his chair and scooped down to gather both boys into his arms, carrying them across the room to the bed.
Sammy climbed across the mattress and pulled the worn baby blue blanket up on his lap, “Nope. Dee and I like Spiderman more now.” He insisted and turned to his brother, smile faltering. “Right Dee?”
“Right Sammy,” Dean nodded and slid off the mattress as John set him down.
It took a minute to negotiate but they knew this routine. John settled in against the head board, Sam tucked under one arm while Dean scurried off for the book. John watched Dean hesitate by the side of the bed, as if he knew he was slowly reaching the age where he was too big to curl under his dad’s arm and lay on his side. Making the decision for the boy, John lifted his arm and smiled at his son, “C’mon Dean.”
Eyes lighting up slightly, Dean climbed back onto the mattress and settled in beside his dad, laying the book across John’s lap in favor of using his hands to tug the blanket up around his body.
“Would you like to read it Dean?” John offered to his eldest son.
Dean shook his head and reached across John’s chest to take Sammy’s hand in his. “Nope. You read. I gotta read in school all day and I need a break,” he stated matter-of-factly.
John chuckled and nodded, “Sounds fair.”
Sammy grinned at his brother as their daddy’s deep voice began the tale. Dean knew the story because it was Sammy’s favorite and they read it most nights but it was secretly his favorite too so he never complained. Even on the nights, like this one, when he didn’t get to hear the ending because sleep tugged him under before the last page was turned.
“Dean?” Sam frowned, stepping forward to lay his hand on Dean’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Looking up at his brother, Dean swallowed hard and nodded, flipping the book closed in his grasp, turning away from the open duffel bag on the bed. His father’s things. All the items the man had thought important enough to carry along with him on the road and this book was one of them?
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Dean murmured and pulled the book up to his chest, folding his arm across it to press it hard into his body.
Sam slid his arm around Dean’s shoulders and sighed softly, “I know.”
Dean didn’t think Sam did know. He couldn’t remember those softer moments. He didn’t remember their dad reading to them from that book every night. Coughing slightly Dean stepped away and turned, tossing the book on the bag belonging to his now dead father. “I’ll be outside.”
He could feel Sam’s eyes on him as he walked away and Dean wished it was more comforting then it was. Then again, Dean wished a lot of things that never came true anymore.