Bring It On Home- A Destiel AU [COMPLETED]

Chapter 15

Bobby's flight arrived late Saturday afternoon, and Dean picked him up from the airport. Thankfully, the snow had abated since last weekend and the roads were clear.

"So how's work?" Bobby asked.

Dean shrugged. "Boring, but what else is new. How're things in your neck of the woods?"

Bobby took off his trucker hat and smoothed his hair down before replacing the cap. "Business is alright. It ain't much, but I bring in enough. Makin' more money from selling scrap metal these days than I do from repairs. Times are tough; people make do with a dent here or a ding there." He shot Dean a sidelong glance. "I heard you went to visit Sam."

"Yup."

Bobby chuckled. "So how is the idjit? And be honest - I know he lies through his teeth to me on the phone. Said he liked cafeteria meatloaf."

"He's doing alright." Dean checked his side mirror and changed lanes. "Better than alright, actually. He's coming up here next week."

Bobby gave Dean a long look. "For a visit?"

Dean nodded. "For now."

"... But you're hoping it'll end up being more permanent," Bobby finished for him.

Dean didn't correct him. He just kept his eyes on the road.

Bobby sighed. "Do you really think that's such a good idea, Dean?"

"What are you talking about?" Dean demanded. "It's the best thing for him! I'm his brother. It's a new town. A clean slate. It's exactly what he needs."

"It's just..." Bobby scratched his beard. "You two know how to bring out the worst in each other. And I know he's making amends, but everything that happened, I'm sure it's still a little raw... Every little thing he does that annoys you is gonna drive you up the wall. And the same for him. I'm just not entirely convinced that living together is the right move."

Dean exhaled through his nose and adjusted his grip on the wheel. "Bobby, the fact of the matter is, there's not a whole lot of other options. He's got no job, no clean friends, I'm sure his credit rating is shit... And I will not - I will not let him fall back into the same patterns that got him where he is now."

"You know, he's always welcome with me." Bobby cleared his throat. "I'd give him an honest job, place to stay..."

After a quiet moment, Dean said, "Thank you, Bobby. I appreciate it. But Sam's my brother, and it's my job to take care of him."

"It's Sam's job to take care of Sam," Bobby said quietly, a dark knowing look in his eye. "It's your job to help him if he asks. But you can't give him anything he don't want for himself."

"I know, Bobby." Dean drove up the ramp onto the freeway. "I know that."

....

The weekend passed quickly and comfortably. That evening they ate breakfast platters at Denny's and traded anecdotes about what exactly was wrong with teenagers these days. On Sunday, they went to Jeff and Laura's for brunch and Bobby was a clean-cut angel of a man, more genteel than Dean had ever seen him, and once they got in the car to leave they both turned and looked at each other and guffawed. Bobby admitted, laughing so hard he was almost crying, "When you were in the bathroom - hahahahah - I said the nativity had 'striking verisimilitude!'"

So yeah, it was a good weekend. Dean was glad Bobby was staying until Tuesday.

The entire time, he saw neither hide nor hair of Cas. It wasn't unusual, since barring the previous weekend, they only hung out on Fridays. And it made sense, considering Dean had company and it wouldn't be polite to barge in. And it... well, it made Dean feel weird. Part of him was relieved to have dodged that particular hurricane of awkward, but part of him - his dick, specifically - was disappointed. Not like anything could happen with Bobby around, but... fuck, he didn't know. He just wanted to know that Cas wasn't specifically avoiding him.