exsiliumlogs | Happy Birthday, Dean Winchester

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Happy Birthday, Dean Winchester

Date & Time: Jan 24, evening
Location: apartment unit 210
Characters: Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Castiel
Summary: Celebration of Dean's birthday with a young!Sam who has been affected by time shenanigans.
Warnings: N/A

[ This day had (at least in the last few years) held a special place for Castiel. Dean's birthday had some of his fondest memories, and with Sam -- a younger version of him -- now with them, Castiel could include him. Sam would have a better idea as to Dean's tastes (and he suspected they hadn't changed much over the years, judging from how much of a 'kid at heart' Dean was)... and the angel had Marks with which to procure them with. Castiel had insisted that not only did Sam come with him to shop, but that they go so far as to bake him a pie from scratch along with dinner.

The results were more than adequate, albeit expensive both in time and Marks... not to mention the mess it made of the kitchen and their clothes, where the occasional spill of flour or pie filling had left its mark on them both.

But it had been worth it.

By the time Dean returned, the apartment was filled with a mouth-watering scent of charred beef and crispy bacon... the angel hovering over a frying pan as he brought it's contents to a plate manned by a young Sam Winchester, who was, judging from the quiet muttering between them, the brains of this culinary operation. The pie was covered in a cloth, kept warm for until the birthday boy came back. ]

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[He has to admit, although Cas made a less than favorable impression on him when they first spoke, the guy is pretty cool. Weird, but cool. Despite the looks of the kitchen - and their clothes - everything smells edible, so he's pretty sure Dean will be pleased - or at least hopes so.

The little money he found on the bed in the room he first found himself in, along with the gun he took as his own and was told is his own, he spent on a secret gift, wrapped and secured in the pocket of his thankfully fitting pants.

When the door opens to announce Dean's return, Sam puts down the plate on the counter, and looks at Cas for approval before running towards the door, and practically hurling himself into his brother's arms.

Hey, when you're in a crazy world and you've got a one man family? You learn to appreciate them even more.]

Happy birthday, Dean!

[ through these past few years of not being home, dean's come to remember that january 24th holds more meaning than your average day. despite that, dean's never been one to boast about his birthday, sometimes even preferring that it quietly passes by without notice or the hassle of people's congratulations.

at least it's been easy enough to forget this time around.

he's been stuck away for most of the day thanks to whatever errand, hassle or mission preparation the initiative's wanted of him, and when not that, he's been looking for any means to revert sam back to his original age. but luck's not on his side, so eventually he's forced to head back to the apartment...

despite it being january 24th, dean doesn't expect the sudden armful of sam that greets him the moment he steps inside...nor the nice smell of food that seems to have overtaken the small apartment. ]

Woah, hey, Sammy- [ happy birthday, dean! well, alright, he can't help but smile-- a look tossed at cas, too. ]

What the heck've you two been up to? [ as in wow, what's going on and what oh what is that smell? ]

[ Time has been felt more profoundly on Dean's part than on Castiel, who has over time released some of that urgency to return home back to the battle he has heard ends poorly for all involved. There has yet to be confirmation of this, but... the hints he's heart casts a shadow of doubt on his motivations and his sense of urgency falters.

He all too often escapes to things like these or to a mission to give himself the excuse that he is still doing good despite his selfish intentions to linger where he doesn't belong.

Replacing the pan to the stove with a kind of deliberate slowness in contrast to Sam's energetic bounding towards Dean, the angel turns and straightens up to face him. ]

Hello, Dean.

[ They'd argued the last time they spoke, both of them reacting poorly to the arrival Sam (again) only this time as a child. But that seems to be forgotten after the day he's spent with Sam. Taking a bottle of beer from where they chill in a bucket of ice, he twists off the cap and brings it to the older Winchester. ]

Sam and I have been preparing dinner to celebrate of your day of birth.

We made pie!

[Proudly, this is the first time he'll be giving his brother one that isn't store bought. There's something very...normal about baking your brother a pie for his birthday. He likes it a lot.

As impatient as any child, Sam pulls at Dean's arm, trying to lead him towards the table. Sit damn you and tell him if they have a future in the kitchen!]

You two made a pie? [ ...in that case he's surprised the kitchen isn't burning as they speak. of course, dean doesn't say anything, just smiles and then cas is handing him a beer-- and it's all going a little fast.

he blinks at the angel, a hesitant smile on his face. they had indeed fought the last time they'd spoken, and now that it was behind them dean could finally see how dumb the entire thing had been. sure, he's still not a hundred percent about trusting anyone to look after sam but their level of petty comments had been childish to say the least. ]

I-- thanks. [ sam and cas have made pie and dinner? as he's being tugged away by the younger winchester, dean gives cas a look-- it's almost apologetic for their last conversation, but thankful, too -- and then he's turning back to sam. ]

Easy, easy, I'm going, I'm going.

[ Castiel gives a small smile of his own, prepared to offer up a solemn 'You're welcome' in reply when Dean is pulled along by his brother, and the cool beer slips out of his hand along with him.

The angel lingers behind, watching their backs as they go to the table. He observes them both with his usual calm, but over the last few months -- ever since Sam's disappearance, actually -- he's been more aware of how fragile companionship is in this place. It's so easy to lose those he has grown fond of, and now more than ever the list of threats to them are many.

These two are his friends, and Castiel finds himself stopping to appreciate that more than usual. ]

Sam has been eagerly waiting for your return. [ He remarks with a trace of amusement, siding up to the counter to return his attention to the plates. ]

[He huffs at Cas's words but he can't really contradict them -- they're true. Now that he's got his brother where he wants him, and Cas's attention is turned away from them, he takes the opportunity to pull out the tiny wrapped gift from his pocket, and presents it to his brother.]

This one's just from me though. And you gotta keep it. [He instructs quietly before letting go of it and watching Dean's face intently.

They never had a birthday like this, one with a home cooked meal and paid for presents. All that's really missing is dad.]

[ dean snorts quietly, green meeting blue from over his shoulder briefly one more time before his attention's on sam. he blinks though, when a small wrapped object is presented to him, the idea of gifts having completely escaped his mind.

the dinner and this surprise was more than he deserved, after all.

he doesn't say anything before setting aside his beer and unwrapping the gift... and what he finds inside-- ah, well, there aren't enough words for someone who is already quite poor with them to begin with. dean doesn't lift the necklace from the midsts of the wrapping quite yet, no, he runs his fingers over the small car-like pendant that looks a lot like his baby from back home. ]

Sam- [ he glances back at his brother, words stuck for once in his life in a way that's almost embarrassing if he's honest.

he doesn't deserve this, he doesn't deserve either of them, but god, he's glad he has them anyway.

he's tugging sam into a hug as he speaks; ] It's perfect, Sammy, perfect.

[ This one's just from me though.

Castiel glances over his shoulder to catch sight of the gift as Dean unwraps it, and once it's revealed, his gaze drifts away from them and a thoughtful look crosses his face. Blue eyes drop to the pendant tucked away beneath his collared shirt as he pinpoints the hints Sam has been dropping.

And you gotta keep it.

There are few things that Castiel feels distinctly guilty for. The deaths of his brothers and sisters by his hand, of course. Sam and Dean and how they suffered whenever he played a part in the Plan. And now he feels the first stirrings of guilt for the keepsake he wears. It took him a while to realize it, but Sam's jealous and the angel doesn't know what he's supposed to do about it.

This might be a good start, though. Clearing his throat, he picks up two laden plates, waiting with them as he looks at the two of them. ]

It... looks like the Impala. [ A brief flicker of a smile returns -- it's been a long time since he's seen it. ]

That is a very thoughtful gift, Sam.

[It's as if Dean's compliment has flipped a switch; Sam's face beams with pride and happiness. His big brother's approval means more to him than anything. More than he's willing to admit.

He falls into the hug willingly.]

I'm glad.

[Glad. It doesn't begin to cover it, really. He feels more accomplished about this then he did about researching info that saved lives.

He looks up when he hears Cas's voice, and flashes him a proud smile.]

Thanks. [He finally pulls away from his brother, giving him an expectant look.] Need help putting it on?

[Nope Dean sure isn't given a choice in wearing it, sorry. There has to be something to mark their connection, and he gave away the last one.]

[ dean turns to look between cas and his brother, pride swelling in his chest at both cas' words and his brother response.

he might have not seen the first conversation between the angel and sam, but even dean could wager that it must have been a bit ugly.

just as ugly as his meeting with sam probably. and while they had managed to bounce back from their argument earlier, nothing compared to this. dean rarely sees sam happy anymore, when his normal age, so this genuine smile that he gets and the hug-- it would make him a massive girl to admit that those matter more than the pendant, wouldn't it? he'll left it unsaid, no need to get sappier about this than he already is, is there?

so he simply nods and hands it to sam. ] You know it. Let's see how it looks, yeah?

[ Walking around to the other side of the table to give them space for Sam to help Dean with his gift, he places the two plates in the empty spaces on the table in front of them, each one covered in a thick napkin to keep the food warm.

His hands find the back of the chair nearest him as he watches the pair, blue eyes switching between the two smiling faces. There is a warmth here, that... familial love that is always strong between them but made all the more obvious likely from Sam's innocence.

It's a pleasant change. ]

Would you like a glass of milk, Sam?

[ He doesn't get beer until he's older. ]

[Taking back the necklace, he hops behind his brother and fumbles with the clasp. He looks up at Cas's question with a smile that still refuses to dim - gosh the electricity bill will be a monster for today - and nods.]

Yeah, please - thanks!

[And moves to get on with his task. Once it's secure around Dean's neck, he moves to admire it.]

Looks awesome! [He declares and no, he doesn't remember the last time he felt this happy either. But he's got Dean, he's got a somewhat stable home and normal life, and while he misses dad a lot - Cas isn't bad company. It's a whole new world they're meant to save, and he feels like a hero in a book; everything is new and everything is interesting, and he gets to explore all of it with Dean.

What more could a kid ask for?

He turns to look back up at the angel.]

What do you think?

[ dean lets sam do his thing and before he knows it, the small impala-like pendant rests against his chest, much like the amulet cas now wears had before. he'd regretted throwing the one sam gave him originally away, but he'd never had the luxury of sparing his actions too much of a thought until he'd seen it on cas a good long time ago back attollo. what he doesn't regret is asking cas to keep it despite sam's reaction now, and while he can understand his brother's feelings, it's much safer with the angel.

but this time, despite all that, he's going to do his damn best to keep this new necklace safe and secure around his own neck.

running a hand over the pendant one more time, he grins at sam. ] Don't think there's any way this couldn't look awesome.

[ and then, because sam's asking, dean looks at cas, too. talk about winchesters putting the angel on the spot, right? that grin of his has turned into something slightly more coy as he waits for cas' opinion. ]

Yeah, Cas, what do you think?

[ Suddenly put on the spot, the angel first drags his eyes from where the pendant rests down to the boy -- Sam -- knowing that he's supposed to say some words of encouragement regarding the gift. A glance back at Dean tells him he's getting no help there. ]

It's... uh. Very nice.

[ For an angel who appreciates humanity and the rest of his Father's creation as works of art, his vocabulary is severely lacking when it comes to describing it. In any case, he frowns in concentration as he squints at the pendant. Those blue eyes don't narrow for long, though, and after a moment they lift up to scan Dean's face before quickly turning back to Sam. ]

The likeness is unusually canny for this place. Where did you find it?

[Nice? Nice is what you say when there's nothing else to say. The child is less than thrilled by this response as is evident by his slight pout, but Dean likes it so he supposes that's all that matters. He perks up at the question, proud to have found something rare and special]

It was at the back of one of the shops, I can take you there if you want. They had a bunch of crap in a pile, and this.

[A treasure in the garbage. Something that could finally make Dean seem really and truly happy.]

[ unlike sam, dean isn't phased by cas' lack of descriptive words. he's smiling at his brother again a minute later. ]

Huh, yeah, gotta admit it's quite a find. [ as said, dean hadn't expected anything for his birthday, let alone a gift so fitting... he has to hand it to sam, the kid's outdone himself this time.

he's about to say something more when his stomach decides to speak for him by growling angrily... ]

So 'bout that food...

[ Cas and his natural stoicism means he just can't win. What he doesn't say is that it was a miracle -- the word just wouldn't fit -- but it is extremely fortuitous.

The angel glances between the brothers, his expression slowly growing more nervous as he realizes he might have said the wrong thing, and just as he opens his mouth to try and recover... Dean speaks up and gives him an opportunity to dodge the situation. ]

Uh, yes. One moment.

[ Leaving the boys with their plates on the table, he goes to the counter and retrieves his own plate, along with a glass of milk for Sam. ]

[Sam finally plops down on a chair next to his brother, reaching to start serving himself. What, don't tell him this household suddenly grew manners. He won't believe that.]

What'd you do today?

[It was lucky, that Dean was so busy that he hadn't come home before they were done, but it also picks his interest. This is a strange new world, Dean could have been up to anything! He's eager for all the stories. He passes the bacon once he's done filling his plate.]

[ once at the table, dean has to pause at sam's question. i was looking for a way to get you back to normal doesn't sound like something that would go over too well, so he just shrugs vaguely. ]

Nothing special. Some uh- mission preparations for some group going out tomorrow, or something. [ while he'd been running around with stuff like that, too, he'd spent most of the day grilling people about sam. ]

Trust me, my day hasn't been half as exciting as you guys'.

[ true enough, really. ]

I will be staying with Sam, then.

[ Too busy tucking in and preparing his burger for consumption, the angel completely misses Dean's efforts in subtlety. He takes it completely at face value -- that the ~~younger~~ older Winchester was going on a mission and as per their agreement, one or the other would watch his brother.

To Sam, he asks nonchalantly: ]

Could you pass the ketchup?

[Said younger Winchester has heard nothing of this arrangement, nor does he approve of it.]

Wait -- what? No - Dean, you can't go alone -

[He's only ever seen Dean go on hunts with their father, and true this Dean is older but they've always told him how important it is to have back up. He's been staying back doing research in libraries on his own for a while now and he'll be damned if Dean will miss his backup because he wants to leave him with a babysitter.

He jumps back to his feet. Yeah you get your own ketchup there Cas he's got bigger fish to fry.]

I'm not a baby, Dean - I can take care of myself. You're not going alone.

[ christ, you're both morons.

cas, that wasn't helpful -- though in an odd way he actually also appreciates it, goddamn it -- and sam, you get a ~calming~ hand wave. ]

Hey, hey, calm down. This is how things roll around here, Sam, and you're stayin' right here - [ a look at the angel, when he gets his damn ketchup handed to him. ] - with Cas.

[ maybe he's not going on a real mission, but he can damn well use this as an excuse to further snoop around and see if there's any way to get sam back to his original age. as much as he wants to spend time with this version of his brother, it's more important they get a child out of a war zone. ]

And who said I was goin' alone anyway? There're plenty of other Transports around to help.

[ Castiel begins squirting ketchup onto his burger, apparently unaware of the accidental slip-up that serves as an equally accidental and convenient excuse for the hunter. When Sam gets up to leave the table, Cas watches him with a furrowed brow of confusion, his eyes squinting while the two brothers exchange words, piping up only when Dean is finished speaking: ]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought it was customary for the birthday boy to be denied nothing.

[ In other words, Sam, you're ruining the party. Come back to the table. ]

...Actually, I could use Sam's help in cataloging a number of documents I acquired during the last mission.

Not in our family.

[Snappy, pissed. You can never get what you want when your last name is Winchester, unless what you want is to hunt freaky things that try to kill you or rot in a library until it closes drinking triple red eyes.]

You haven't introduced me to any of those other transports and you're not offering any of them stay with me so you don't trust them as much. You're the one going out doing dangerous things - you're the one who needs backup. I'm just going to stay here and I donno - catalog whatever it is Cas has for me. If any of us should be at it alone, it's me.

[There's the little lawyer in the making.]

[ dean tosses a grateful look in cas' way ( at least somebody gets it ) and then ends up huffing a laugh at his brother. ]

No chance, buddy. You and Cas have stuff to do here. I've worked with the others before. Just 'cause I don't bring 'em around doesn't mean I can't count on 'em on the field. Plus, I know how to look after myself just fine, kiddo.

[ little lawyer or not, this isn't a fight you'll win. ]

And that's that. End of discussion.

[ Again, the angel looks between the two, brows lifting. This isn't really how he anticipated the dinner to go, but perhaps he's getting a better idea of how your average Winchester family dinner generally goes.

To Sam, he offers a gentle consolation: ]

Dean has gone on missions without me before. He'll be fine.

[ Or else anyone seen as responsible for any harm coming to Dean would have to answer to a very angry angel of the Lord. And his kid brother. ]

Please return to the table, your meal won't be as appetizing when it cools.

Edited 2013-02-04 04:55 (UTC)

I can look after myself too! I'm not a baby, Dean - I can stay home alone, I've stayed home alone heck I've stayed in worse places alone.

[Even standing up, he has to look up at his brother, his eyes welling out with tears]

You're all I've got, Dean.

[He's not leaving the table, no. Instead he moves to cling to his brother again, desperately this time, fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt.]

[ oh man, this is going in the wrong direction. but. ]

No, you haven't, dude. This is a war zone, not some sleazy motel in a hick-town in freakin' nowhere. [ and that's the truth of it. ]

So come on, let's get back to eatin', yeah? Don't wanna talk about this today of all days, do we? [ despite what he says, a hand still comes to sooth a pet on sam's upper back. ]

[ The angel sits there, quietly watching Sam before he recognizes his input is just as unwelcome as the argument over a birthday dinner and instead drops his attention to the food on his plate. His hands go to either side of his plate, because Castiel rarely ever looks completely casual at rest.

To some degree, Castiel can understand (at least from an academic point of view) how Sam feels. But Dean is right -- outside these walls is a war on a global scale, even cosmic when you throw in the fact that they travel through time. With Lucifer and demons possibly lurking around just to make matters worse, it was a dangerous place for them. Sam especially. Sam as a child perhaps moreso, if only for his vulnerability.

Instead of speaking, he just lifts his eyes to Dean and Sam briefly, but remains silent. He could offer to leave, but somehow he suspects that would be... impolite. ]

[Dean has a point and he knows it; he's been trying to take it as an adventure, as being a hero in a storybook, discovering a new dimension, saving the world. But he's not. He's just a kid, just a useless kid in a warzone. He can face bullies, he can take monsters, but what can he do against an army?

Absolutely nothing.

Dean, on the other hand, can do things. Dean can always do something. Help dad, save people, take care of him. But that doesn't mean he's immortal - none of them are. They can't handle everything, in the end they're just people. And if Dean goes out there without the backup he trusts, because he'd do anything to keep Sam safe, if something happens to him out there...

He can't even bear to think it; instead he just buries his head in his brother's chest and clings to him, making sure he's real, he's there, he's safe if only for now. There's nothing he could say to change Dean's mind, he knows it. Nothing he could do. But he's not going to let his brother get hurt either.

This is a warzone. He won't let him face it alone. He'll come with him whether he likes it or not.

So he finally pulls himself away from his brother and slumps back in his seat, his lips stretched thinly in determination.

Suddenly, his appetite is all gone.]

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Happy Birthday, Dean Winchester

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BACK FROM VACAY. I MISSED YOU GUYS.

I MISSED YOU GUYS TOO /TACKLEHUGS