Christmas Alone With You (AU!Dean Winchester x Reader)

Mall Santa

If one more snotty nosed toddler pulled on the hem of your dress asking when Santa was going to be there; you were going to scream. Not one of those fake played up ones either, you were going to belt it out and use the full capacity of your lungs. And then probably get fired because people who hate Christmas and have zero patience for children shouldn't be working in the mall taking photographs of them with the fat-man himself. Or at least the poor excuse of a Santa Claus that they could scrounge up at the last minute when the original bearded-wonder that played him came down with the flu.

Not just that, but the new guy was late too and the line up of children and parents kept getting longer and longer. Questions of his whereabouts going unanswered every couple of minutes as you assured the crowd that Santa would soon be there.

Another forty-three minutes and seven tantrums later, Santa arrived. Looking as fake as ever with an elastic white beard and a pillow tucked under his belt as a stomach. You could've found a better Saint Nick if you tossed a rock in a crowd. Hell, half the parents looked more like him than this guy, but he did have that deep voice going for him. He really put the 'HO' in Ho-Ho-Ho.

"Nice of you to show up." You hissed so only he could hear as he passed by you to take his seat in the oversized armchair.

"Family emergency," he muttered in return, giving you a dubious look.

"Yeah, sure." You said to yourself, rolling your eyes but he caught all of it. He wasn't really sure what your problem was; how could someone hate him that much already. Sure he was late on his first day, but you technically hadn't officially met yet.

"Next in line for Santa, please step forward." You tried hard to keep your voice from falling into monotone mode, but it was hard especially after hours of saying the same shit over and over again. Your throat was dry and hoarse and you were counting down the seconds until your lunch break.

Children whining and parents giving you a dirty look when you finally put that 'Santa will be back in twenty minutes' sign up. A couple of them checking their watches like they were going to be timing you. Some days were harder than others to keep the Christmas cheer alive; today you were definitely feeling more Scrooge vibes.

_____

Dean sighed, staring at the stack of bills on his kitchen table. "Crap." He palmed his face, scratching the scruff on his cheeks that he'd yet to shave off since losing his job a few weeks before Christmas. This year was supposed to be different.

He felt like a failure as a father and big brother and his daughter, Mary, definitely deserved better. She was four years old and already knew the truth about Santa Claus. He had hoped to keep the ruse going a few more years, but not everything goes to plan and life rarely does. He could barely afford the roof over their heads and keep it heated and her fed, let alone Christmas presents. Yup, this holiday season was going to suck.

"Dean, would you let me help out, please. You can pay me back if it makes you feel better." Sam pleaded with his brother for the umpteenth time that week when he caught him staring at the stack of red stamped mail again.

"No, Sammy. You got your own family to worry about now and you're gonna need that money for the baby pretty soon." Dean loved his little brother and Jess and whatever it was they were having. Jess was due in the new year and they stupidly wanted to wait to be surprised in the delivery room, but to each their own, right? "I just need to find a job for now until the holiday rush is over and then hopefully someone will be hiring long term. Do you think you could watch Mary today while I shake a few trees?"

"Sorry," Sam shook his head, sitting across from his brother at the table. "I gotta go check on Bobby, he caught the flu and last time I called he was bed ridden. So I made him some chicken soup and I was going to bring it over to him. Last thing you need is Mary getting sick too. But Jess could watch her next door." He shrugged.