Soldier Boy

Chapter Eight

"Kill me." Dean groaned when he woke up with a killer migraine and felt like death.

"I won't do that." A serious, raspy voice filled the room, startling Dean.

"Dammit, Cas!" Dean shouted, clutching his heart as he shot up in bed.

"Sorry. I woke up early, and I didn't want you to be up for too long in pain, soldier boy," Cas said softly, his voice tender as he handed over the headache medicine to Dean with a glass of water. Soldier boy was Cas's nickname for Dean; Dean wanted to be in the military like his dad, and sometimes he acted like a soldier. Cas called him that when they were younger, and it just stuck.

"Did you stay the night?" Dean asked after taking a drink of the glass and downing the pills. Cas nodded. Cas turned around and exited the room, and Dean sighed. He needed to get dressed. He had pick Sam up by eight in the morning, and Bobby would soon be here. If he didn't at least look somewhat alive, Bobby might question what he'd been doing the night before.

Dean quickly took a shower and used the toilet, brushing his teeth before traveling downstairs. Castiel sat on the couch, once again studying, but a plate with a heaping pile of eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and hash browns sat at the table, beckoning Dean forward.

Dean sat at the table, a glass of water and a fork next to the plate in front of him. Dean dug in, savoring the wonderful tastes in his mouth. Cas was a god at cooking when he did cook, and Dean couldn't wait for the next masterpiece he'd create. But, for now, Dean stuffed his face with this masterpiece.

When he was done, he cleaned his face and grabbed his keys. "Come on, Cas, I'll drop you off on the way," Dean said, putting on his leather jacket. Castiel packed up his backpack, putting on his trenchcoat before slinging his backpack over his shoulder. Cas followed Dean out the door, getting into the passenger's seat while Dean climbed into his Baby.

Dean drove Cas home, dropping him off at the end of his driveway that currently had three cars in it. Castiel held in a groan. Michael and Raphael were home, and both wouldn't be pleased with Balthazar's hangover. Thankfully, Anna hadn't drank last night.

Dean watched Cas walk up his sidewalk until he reached the door, going inside his home before Dean peeled away from the side of the road. Dean began driving to Kevin's house, remembering the way easily. He parked in the driveway, walking to the door of the home. It was fifteen minutes until eight, and the boys probably were just finished up a good breakfast.

Dean rang the doorbell, Kevin answering the door a moment later. "Sam, your brother is here!" Kevin called, moving away from the door so Dean could enter. Dean went in, standing in the entryway as he waited.

Sam came trotting down the stairs, bag in hand, looking like death itself. He had bags under his eyes, and Dean knew Sam hadn't slept much last night. He smiled amusedly. Sam would crash again as soon as they got home.

Sam lumbered out of the door, and Deam followed suit, thanking Mrs. Tran on the way out. Sam threw his bag in the backseat, curling up in the front seat and closing his eyes. Dean quietly got into the driver's seat. He started the car, Baby purring to life under his skilled hands.

Dean drove the two home, Sam falling asleep on the way. Little snores emitted from his baby brother's throat, and Dean smiled in adoration. After parking Baby in the driveway, he clambered out and went to Sammy's side, lifting him out of the Impala in his arms. He carried Sammy into the house and to his room, tucking him into bed like he used to when they were younger.

Dean brought in Sammy's bag after shutting his door and turning off the light, placing it outside his door for later. Dean then went to his own room, quickly doing his homework- easy stuff like trigonometry and anatomy. After that, he started picking up the house a bit and doing laundry. During his second load of laundry, Bobby showed up to help with anything.

Bobby and Dean tinkered with Baby a bit, her engine making a weird rattling noise. Hours came and went, Sam waking up some time after noon. Bobby made them all club sandwiches, complete with lettuce and tomato, and a side of chips. Sam did his homework, talking with Barry, Andy, Jess, Lily, Jake, and Kevin about it for hours so they could all check their answers. Andy would tell Ansem, and Kate wasn't in the same class.

When dinner rolled around, Bobby had made a delicious casserole and some garlic bread. The make-shift, hodgepodge family ate dinner quietly, Bobby talking shop with the boys. Bobby would tell them a problem with a car, and they'd guess at what the problem could mean and how to fix it.

It was easy for them to talk to each other, easier than whenever John was home and trying to talk to him. Everything always seemed so awkward and stiff, as if John expected something to jump out of the shadows and kill all of them. John also happened to think Sam was in Boy Scouts still, and no one bothered to tell him otherwise.

Dean would buy him more badges from the store, and Bobby would struggle to sew them on, sticking his finger with the needle multiple times before finishing or calling Ellen, Jo's mother, to finish it. John was never the wiser.

Ellen was also commonly found teaching Bobby recipes to cook, the man having no culinary skills. Before he'd gained two boys to raise, he'd commonly had takeout or lived off whatever the stubborn mother brought him. Ellen had always thought Bobby should take better care of himself. Sometimes Jody, the local Sheriff, would bring him something too, but she had a family to worry about.

Once dinner was over, Dean helped Bobby with the dishes while Sam went to finish his homework. After cleaning the dishes, Bobby and Dean sat on the couch, talking. A bottle of beer was in Bobby's hand, Bobby drinking it slowly.

Once the clock hit ten o'clock, Bobby had Dean go up to bed.

Bobby locked the doors, and set an alarm on his phone to wake him up so he could wake the boys. He slept on the couch that night, his sleep rough but not too bad.