Sugar Daddy

December

Alfie groaned as he walked in the door and dropped his bag on the floor. Dean looked up from his beanbag chair where he was reading a book for his English class.

"What's wrong?"

"I applied to twelve different places today alone, and despite it being two weeks until Christmas, no place accepted. I even watched one guy toss my application in the garbage can. I mean, shit, I know I look young, but if they actually reviewed my application they'd see I'm plenty old enough to work. I just can't work at bars or anything yet." Alfie was pouting and didn't even bother trying to hide it.

"Want me to see if I can get you in at the garage?" Dean wanted to help but the only two places he knew that would hire Alfie if he asked were the garage he worked at or the Roadhouse, but you had to be twenty-one to work there since it was a bar.

"I don't know anything about cars. I'd be as useless as a nun in a strip club," Alfie sighed. Dean barked out a laugh at the mental image his friend had just given him. It managed to draw up the corners of Alfie's mouth for a moment.

"Well, keep trying. Something's bound to give." It was lame advice but it was the best Dean had to offer at the moment. He didn't want to worry his friend, but money was getting tighter. Sure, Dean had been able to cover the rent and utilities for the month, but now he didn't have enough for gas for his car or for groceries. He'd already picked up more hours at the garage but his grades were going to suffer if they didn't get more money coming in soon. A knock at the door drew both of their attention.

"Probably Cas," Dean said as Alfie walked to the door.

"Yeah, probably." Alfie opened the door to find their friend Charlie standing there.

"Sup bitches?" she greeted them as she walked in.

"Hey, what brings you by?" Dean set his book aside and pulled himself up from the beanbag chair. She held up a game, wiggling it a bit as she did the same with her eyebrows.

"Oh, what's that?" Alfie plucked it from her fingers. "Sweet! The new Call of Duty!"

"Nice!" Dean grinned. "Let's play!"

"Did you guys eat? I'm in the mood for pizza." Charlie said as she flopped down in the other beanbag chair.

"Uh, we sort of can't afford takeout right now." Dean scratched at his chin as he looked over at Alfie. Poor guy looked almost distraught for a moment before a very familiar look of determination came over his face. It was the same look his brother Cas always gave.

"I'll be back in about a half hour. You guys want pizza, I'll get pizza."

Before Dean could say something, Alfie had grabbed his coat and was out the door.

"Where is he going?" Charlie asked as Dean sat back down in his own chair.

"Probably to ask his brother for money. He helps us out sometimes," Dean replied.

"Cool." Charlie leaned forward to slide the game into the console. Dean was still collecting wood to put together more shelves but he didn't quite have enough yet for an entertainment center, therefore the television and the game system were sitting on the floor. Once winter had passed he hoped to come across more discarded pieces.

"Alright, let's get this game started. Alfie takes over for whoever loses," Charlie declared.

"You're on."

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It was a little more than an hour before Alfie came back carrying a bottle of Coke, one small pizza box and four large ones in his hands. Dean jumped up to help him, and Charlie followed them to the kitchen.