Chapter Text
John got home after work in the early evening, as he often did. The sound of merry laughter made him smile as soon as he walked inside.
"Hello, boys." He stepped over the Legos on the floor and kissed both Sam's and Dean's heads.
"Hi, Dad!" Dean greeted him.
"Daddy, look at the tower we built! It goes as high as the sky!" The four-year-old omega boy stood up and jumped, waving his little arms in the air.
Dean smiled at him.
"Oh, does it? Wow! And did you build it all by yourself?"
"No, Dean helped."
"I see. He's a good brother, isn't he?" John winked at his oldest.
"The best!" Sam giggled and thew himself into his brother's arms.
"Hey! Not so fast!" Dean complained half-heartedly before picking him up and ruffling his soft brown hair.
"Let me say hi to your mom." John walked away from the laughing boys, a smile still resting on his lips, and found Mary finishing up dinner in the kitchen. "Hey, babe."
"Oh, hi. How was work today?"
John kissed her forehead then gave her a peck on the lips.
"The usual boring stuff."
"Everything's boring to someone when they have taken part in a revolution, I suppose," she teased lightly.
John chuckled.
"I do miss some action, but I'm glad we're living peaceful times." John went to grab a taco from a large silver platter and Mary smacked his hand with the back of a spoon. "Hey!" he protested. "Not so peaceful, I guess…"
She laughed.
"Wait until they're done."
"Anyway," John sighed, "it was not bad, I just wish we didn't have so many meetings. I swear we sometimes have a meeting just to decide about the next meeting."
"Ouch, that sucks, honey. Although to be honest, I kind of miss working."
"I know, sweetheart. This housewife thing is temporary, right? Just as long as Sam's little."
"Right," she sighed. "I just wish—"
Their conversation was interrupted by the loud sound of toddler-crying and they both rushed out of the kitchen toward the boys.
"What's wrong?" John asked.
"Sam?" Mary stared at her youngest with trained eyes, trying to assess whether there was real damage.
"It's okay," Dean calmed them. "He stepped on a Lego and hurt his foot."
The youngest member of the family was bawling, his little hands closed into tiny fists, the chubby toes of his right foot curled.
Mary and John relaxed. They watched as Dean took the little boy's foot between his hands and massaged it gently.
"There, there. It's okay, Sammy. Just a boo boo," Dean cooed.
Sam wasn't having it. He cried his lungs out, tears streaming down his cheeks, now pink with the effort.
"What if I told you that I can do a magic trick and make the pain go away?" the Alpha boy suggested.
Sam's crying subsided a little and he gazed at his brother, curious, but clearly unconvinced.
"Can you do that?"
"Yeah! I can blow on it and the pain will stop."
"You're lying!"
"I'm not! Close your eyes and count to three."
John and Mary exchanged an affectionate look as the scene unfolded between the brothers.
Toddler Sam closed his eyes and started counting.
Dean took his little foot to his mouth and blew on it.
"It's not working!" The boy whined.
"How about now?" Dean started to tickle his foot quickly and skillfully.
"NOOO! STOP!" Sam squirmed on his lap, but he was laughing hysterically now. "DEEE!! NO MORE!!"
Mary gave John another look and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I think big brother's got this," she winked at him. "Come help me open a bottle of wine in the kitchen."
~ * ~
John turned off the TV and went upstairs. It was late at night and Mary was already in bed. So were the boys.
Before he went into his room, John did what he always did—he checked on the kids.
He went to Dean's room first as he had an idea what he would find there.
The Alpha smiled when he saw his omega son curled up beside his Alpha boy. He couldn't help how warm his chest felt at the love between the brothers, but he did wish Sam would spend more time in the bedroom they had just redecorated for him.
He walked toward the bed and picked up the seven-year-old boy with ease. Beside him, Dean stirred a little, sensing the loss.
John carried Sam to his own room, tucked him in and kissed his forehead.
He left the door a little open on his way out, then headed to the bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth.
As John was walking toward the master room where his wife was asleep, he passed his omega son's room and peeked inside.
John puffed with both annoyance and amusement.
The bed was empty.
He tiptoed to Dean's room and looked inside.
Sam was all curled around a pillow, Dean's arm rested protectively over his chest.
John took a deep breath and smelled how peaceful the room was when they were together. He knew there would be a time for Sam to grow more independent and for Dean to set some healthy boundaries with his sibling. Right now, though, they were just a couple of Alpha and omega brothers with a beautiful friendship.
The tight bond the boys shared was likely to change as they became teens, but John was in no hurry to see that happen. He loved his life as it was. He felt as though he was enjoying the well-deserved aftermath of all the times he had risked his life to make the country a better, safer place.
The Alpha walked into his room and lay down in bed.
"Mm, what took you so long," Mary grumbled.
John looked at the beautiful beta woman in bed and turned off the lamp on the nightstand.
"Miss me?"
"Always." Mary smiled and snuggled closer to his body.
How did I get so lucky? John thought before covering her mouth with his.
~ * ~
Sam's favorite game to play whenever there were other kids his age was hide and seek. He loved coming up with different, strategic places to hide. He also loved winning, which was often the case when he played with other kids.
There was only one problem, everybody wanted to be running and hiding. No one liked being the one having to find the others. Sometimes the neighborhood kids got lucky and could convince one of the older boys to do the seeking as they all found hiding spots.
Sam pleaded with Dean for him to participate in the game, telling him what a great Alpha he would be one day if he could find them all.
Not that Dean needed much convincing—Sam knew that all he had to do was give his big brother a taste of his pleading eyes and Dean would cave.
The problem was that Dean was extremely good at the game, too.
Even though Sam was an exceptional hider, Dean already had a great sense of smell, and as his Alpha skills developed, he was able to move very stealthily, too.
Sam barely breathed in his perfect hiding spot. He didn't want his scent to give him away.
He perked up his ears but didn't hear anything.
The moment he got ready to run from his perfect spot, Sam barreled straight into his brother's chest.
"Ah!" He screamed, startled, adrenaline pumping in his veins.
"Gotcha, baby brother."
"Dean!" Sam protested half-heartedly. "How come I didn't hear you?? I didn't even smell you!"
"Alpha magic, Sammy," Dean winked at him and held him against his chest.
"Not fair!" Sam sounded annoyed.
The truth was, with Dean's arms around him and the sound of Dean's soft chuckle against his head, Sam already felt like he had won.
"You're not going anywhere," the Alpha teased.
"Argh!" Sam grumbled. Like I want to, he thought. "Let me go!" He tried to get away, but not in a serious way. Something about the way Dean held his wrists in such a display of strength but also a touch of gentleness made Sam's little heart dance.
Not that he could understand any of it, beyond the fact that it somehow strangely made him feel safe and loved, but at the tender age of eight-years-old, he didn't have to.
~ * ~
John picked up the boys from school after attending a parent-teacher conference. Since Mary had attended the previous one, it was John's turn to sit and talk to the boys' teachers.
Now, as he drove home, he looked into the rearview mirror as the two boys horsed around the car, teasing each other and laughing. The words he had heard from Sam's teacher kept swirling in his head, adding to his more worrying thoughts about work.
Tension had been growing in a few segments of society and John sometimes felt like nothing was being effectively done to stop it. Besides, inside the very government, there had been a rise in the number of Alpha radicals trying to climb the corporate ladder.
He looked at his sons, at Sam in particular, and wondered what kind of future they would have if the current government wasn't strong enough to oppose the radicals trying undo the progress they had made in the last 10 years.
John had fought in a revolution that divided the country, he had fought for freedom and omega rights.
He looked at ten-year-old Sam and feared that someday in the future his omega son might have to fight too in order to maintain his basic rights. He looked at Dean—strong and powerful, even at such a young age, and also worried for him, but for different reasons.
What he had learned at school today echoed with his troubling thoughts and made John feel tense the whole drive back home.
As soon as the boys left the Impala carrying their backpacks and walked through the front door, Mary greeted them with kisses.
"Hey mom!"
"Hi, mom!"
The boys both kissed her and dropped their backpacks in the middle of the living room.
"Hey! Wait a minute. Your mom's busy with dinner, she doesn't need any extra work. Pick up your stuff," he commanded in a gentle but strong voice.
"Sorry, Dad," Sam apologized. He picked up both his and Dean's backpacks and handed the bigger one to his brother.
"When you're done putting away your stuff, I want you two to come down here. We need to talk."
John watched his kids exchange a nervous glance and disappear up the stairs.
"Is everything all right?" Mary touched his arm softly. "I can smell something off."
John sighed heavily.
"I'm worried, that's all. Mostly about work, but I need to talk to Sam about something." John kissed her head. "Do you need any help in the kitchen?"
Mary scoffed.
"You? In the kitchen? Thanks, but no thanks," she winked at him.
A couple of minutes later Sam came down the stairs. His scent gave away that he felt nervous.
Dean was right behind him, watching everything attentively.
John approached his youngest son.
"First off, this involves you too, Dean."
"Me?" The young Alpha widened his eyes.
"Yeah."
The Alpha stepped forward.
"Your teacher said you're not doing your English homework."
"What? That's not true! She said she loved my last assignment!" Dean protested.
"Yes, she did. She also showed it to me because she thought it was suspicious and guess what, you weren't the one writing it."
Dean swallowed hard. His scent gave away distress vibes. Sam looked away guiltily.
"She said someone else has been doing your math exercises as well and that someone isn't me or your mother. Sam?"
The younger boy sucked on his lips and looked at his feet.
Dean put a hand on his shoulder protectively.
Mary looked at the scene from the kitchen door. She tried hard not to smile.
"Sorry, Dad," Sam apologized.
"No, I'm the one who's sorry," Dean said.
"You are perfectly capable of using your intellect, Dean. A little less baseball and video games for you and more studying, all right?"
"Yeah, Dad."
"As for you, young man," John turned his attention to Sam. "Mrs. Hills said you're giving away your lunch to a third grader Alpha boy."
"What?" Dean instantly reacted, his eyes looking at his brother rather accusingly.
Sam sucked in his breath. The smell of distress became denser in the air.
"Is he bullying you into doing that?" John wanted to know.
More distress pheromones and Sam took a step back.
Both John and Dean were now staring intently at him.
Sam felt the pressure and shifted his weight from foot to foot.
"It's no big deal," he choked out.
"What?!" Dean's scent was spiked with combative pheromones and Sam cowered a little.
"Dean, stay out of this—" John glared at his oldest. "Sam, you cannot let this happen. If this boy is giving you a hard time, you tell the teacher, talk to the principal, talk to us! This cannot go on."
"It's fine, really. I wasn't even hungry. Someone said he doesn't have enough food at home. Maybe he's just hungry."
"That's no reason to steal someone else's food. He could've asked," John argued. "Did he ever hurt you?"
"No," Sam shook his head quickly.
"Sam, are you lying to me?" John narrowed his eyes.
The young omega boy felt his heart race. His father could be really intimidating and right now Sam just wanted to get out of there.
"Dad, let me go. I don't wanna talk about this." He tried to turn around.
"Hey, young man, you don't turn your back to me while I'm still talking!" A low growl came to John's voice. He grabbed Sam's wrist and pulled him closer again, perhaps a tad too forcefully.
"Hey!" Dean reacted instantly.
He pulled Sam's arm back and pushed his father away from his brother. His teeth were bared and a growl vibrated on his throat.
"Don't hurt him!" Dean spoke defiantly.
John was taken aback by the aggressive protection coming off his older son.
His instinct told him to lash out at the other Alpha who dared challenge him, son or not, but John could sense Mary staring worriedly at the scene, could smell Sam's fear, and urged himself to take a deep breath and not let his animal side take control.
"Dean," he spoke on a calmer tone. "Of course I won't hurt him. I just don't want him to let anyone do that to him."
"Everybody, let's all take a deep breath, okay?" Mary spoke softly.
Dean obeyed. His scent went back to something neutral after a minute. He looked at Sam worriedly then back at his father.
"John, honey? Let's talk in the kitchen, shall we? We can pick this up later with the boys," she strongly suggested.
"Right." Before he left, though, John grabbed Dean's shoulder and squeezed. "I know your intentions were good. But next time you show teeth to me you'll be in serious trouble, do you hear me? I'm your father, Dean."
The young Alpha looked down in submission. He looked as if he himself barely understood the surge of aggression that took over at the possibility of someone hurting Sam.
John was willing to cut him some slack.
"Sorry, sir. . I – I didn't mean to. It just kind of happened."
"It's okay. We'll pick this up later."
Mary touched John's arm. Her scent and fingers against his hand were able to dissipate the remaining roused pheromones.
They went into the kitchen and closed the door.
"Did you see that?" John sounded a tad nonplussed.
"I did."
"He just bared his teeth at me. At me!"
"He thought Sam was in danger. It was instinctive. You know he's going into puberty. He's prone to becoming more aggressive and protective when he feels threatened or feels someone he loves is being threatened."
"But I'm his father!" John argued.
"Babe, you're an Alpha. You know it better than me that when the beast inside roars it's hard to be rational," she retorted.
John sighed and nodded.
"I do. I mean…" his lips curled up with a small smile. "I'm feeling as angry as I feel proud right now. Did you see how protective he got?"
Mary smiled back.
"I did. Our boy is growing up."
"You know I worry about someone giving Sam a hard time. I hate to think that someday in the future we could revert to the old ways in which omegas were nothing but…" John lowered his voice, "sex slaves".
"Shhh, don't even go there. It won't happen. Besides, Sam's a strong boy. He just prefers to avoid conflict. If the boy did try to hurt him, I'm sure he'd fight back."
"I hope you're right. I mean, right now I'm here to protect him, and hopefully Dean will be by his side in the future. But what if we can't be there for him?"
"We'll keep an eye out for this Alpha third grader. And when Sam goes to omega school, he'll have self-defense classes," Mary reminded him.
"Yeah. Guess it wouldn't hurt to start these classes earlier. I'm sure I could teach him a few tricks like I did with Dean."
"That's a great idea, dear."
Upstairs, Sam was sitting on Dean's bed. His hands were between his knees and his eyes were trained on them as Dean kept pacing right before him.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Dean asked, trying his best to keep his voice and scent under control.
"I didn't want to upset you."
"Sam, you won't upset me!" Dean stopped in his tracks. "I don't want any bully doing that to you! I can't believe he'd mess with you."
Sam knew why Dean was feeling that way. His brother was very popular at school. Everybody loved him, respected him, wanted to be near him. Sam didn't think his bully knew that Dean was his brother, though. It was not like Sam had told anyone about what was happening.
He knew that the kid would probably leave him alone if he told his brother, but Sam didn't want to worry Dean about a problem he believed was under control and that, on some level, he wanted to handle on his own. Besides, someone had told him that the boy had a tough life at home. Sam knew it didn't justify his actions, but he didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
"Dean, it's okay. Really. Promise me you won't do anything."
"You know I can't promise you that."
"Please! It'll only make it worse," Sam begged. A cloud of distress rose around him.
Dean toned down his attitude. He sat beside his brother and put a hand on his thigh.
"Hey, look at me. I'll talk to him. I promise you it won't get worse."
"Dean—"
"Do you trust me?"
There was a plea in Sam's hazel eyes as he gazed at his brother.
"I do."
Dean smiled.
"Good. Because you should."
Sam smiled, but only feebly.
"Wanna play some video game?"
"Yeah."
"Gonna beat your ass, c'mon!" Dean tugged at his hand.
Sam smiled widely now. He rushed downstairs with his brother and pushed the bad thoughts out of his mind.
A week later, after the boys had gone to bed, Mary was having a glass of wine with her husband as they watched TV. She had waited until the boys were asleep to talk to him.
"The school called."
"Hm? Everything all right?" John asked, eyes focused on the TV.
"Remember the boy who was bullying Sam?"
John turned to face her.
"Yeah?" He grew instantly tense.
Mary chuckled.
"He's brought Sam lunch twice this week, which Sam refused. He also apologized to him."
John frowned.
"The teacher was happy they had worked it out, but when I asked Sam about it, he assured me he didn't say anything to the boy. He was surprised when it happened."
"Dean?" John asked knowingly.
"I confronted him and he won't tell me what he did, just that the boy wouldn't bother Sam anymore."
John smiled.
"That's my boy. It calls for a toast."
~ * ~
John walked into the house with grease stains on his shirt and a rusty wrench in his hand. He found Mary on the sofa, reading a book.
"Where's Dean? I could use his help with the Impala. It won't hurt to teach him a few basics either."
"The boys are still in bed. I walked past Dean's room ten minutes ago and they're still knocked out."
"Bed? It's almost ten on a beautiful summer day. I'm sure they have stuff to do."
Mary shrugged and turned a page on her book.
John walked closer. She could sense his look.
"What?" She asked without turning her head.
"Don't you think they're getting a little old for this sleeping arrangement?"
Mary sighed. She closed her book and looked at her husband.
"What are you worried about? Sam's only twelve. He probably won't go into heat for another year or two."
"I know. It's just…well, I love how close they are, but sometimes I wonder if they're too close."
Mary knew what he meant. She would be lying if she said she didn't sometimes think about it.
"We have come a long way as a society, but you know that if something happens and Sam is taken, his fate will be sealed."
"John!" Mary chided him in a whispered but worried voice. She cast a look upstairs to make sure the door to Dean's room was still closed. "You know Dean wouldn't do that."
"He could. I've talked to him. He's a sixteen-year-old boy with a healthy libido, Mary."
The beta grimaced and rolled her eyes. She wasn't exactly happy to think about her son's sexual appetite.
"He's got a knot. Technically, he could."
"Well, Sam hasn't had a heat, so technically, he could not," she shot back, even though they both knew that although Alphas preferred to wait for an omega's heat, they didn't have to.
"I'm not saying he would, I mean, I know our son. But we've got to worry about the future. If Sam goes into heat and they're in bed together, they might not be able to hold back."
"We don't even know if Sam's heat would affect Dean. It doesn't normally affect Alphas who share blood…" Mary tried weakly.
"Right, but you know how close they are. What if Sam's heat triggers a rut?"
Mary chewed on her bottom lip.
"What?" John asked.
"I don't know. Is that such a bad thing? I mean, siblings sometimes end up together…"
"Mary!" John puffed. He looked rattled.
"Calm down, I'm just saying… Dean would protect him and care for him."
"Dean's too young to make this choice," John stated. "Claiming Sam would put an end to any dream Sam might have at pursuing a career."
"I know. Not all people are career-oriented, though. He might be happy with family," she hinted at her own current situation as being a housewife.
"I know, honey," John softened his voice. "He could, but he needs to have a choice. They're too young to know any better now."
"I agree," she caved.
Silence fell and John stared at the closed door upstairs.
"Hey. Babe," Mary tugged at his hand.
"Yeah?"
"There's still time. They're kids. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Meanwhile, go back outside, you're getting oil stains all over the house. I'll go wake them up."
John took her hand and kissed it.
"Thank you."
Mary saw him turn around and leave. She looked at the closed door, looked at her book with dismay, then got up.
~ * ~
Sam woke up perspiring. His heart rate was fast and the nightmare was still so very real.
He looked around his room and took several deep breaths to try and calm down.
Little by little, the cloud of distress faded, and he relaxed.
He couldn't even remember what he had dreamed, just that it had felt way too vivid.
Sam felt at his bed and knew exactly what he wanted.
Who he wanted.
He pulled the covers off of himself and his feet touched the floor.
Sam hesitated.
He knew how his parents felt about him going to his brother's bed at night now.
Not that they prohibited it or anything, but they explained that they were no longer little kids, and that both Sam and Dean needed some independence.
The thirteen-year-old boy pulled his feet up and sat against the headboard.
He checked the watch by the bed—3:30 am.
Sam tried to lie down and close his eyes again.
A feeling of dread washed over him and sleep just would not come easy.
Sam got up and walked out of his room. He stopped by his parents room to make sure they were sleeping and okay.
"Sam?" John grumbled without opening his eyes. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Nightmare."
"It's all good. I don't smell any threat. Go back to bed."
"Okay."
Sam turned around slowly. He walked back to his room obediently, but when he was there he couldn't bring himself to go back to his bed.
His heart raced again, but this time the feeling in his chest was warm and cozy.
Sam looked over his shoulder and didn't hear any movement coming from his parent's bedroom.
He tiptoed his way to his brother's room.
Dean was asleep, the covers wrapped around his waist.
Sam could see his brother's naked chest move up and down in his peaceful sleep.
For a moment he just stood there, staring. He knew, because Dean and he had talked about it a few times, that Dean's body was changing. His brother was always hot, even in cool temperatures. Mature Alphas had a slightly higher metabolism, but right now Sam was the one experiencing a certain warmth travel down his chest and pool between his legs.
He shook his head lightly and walked to the bed.
Sam put his knee on the mattress and waited.
It only took Dean a moment to stir in his sleep and open his eyes.
"Sammy?"
"Yeah."
"Is everything okay?"
"Had a bad dream."
Sam had seen Dean with his peers at school. He, as well as everyone from school, had seen his brother be all smug and popular, brave and fierce. But unlike other people, Sam and only Sam had seen Dean with his guard down—sweet and caring.
"C'mon, baby boy." Dean pulled the covers to welcome him close.
Sam smiled with relief and snuggled against his brother.
Dean's arms instantly wrapped around him.
Sam gasped a little at how hot Dean's skin felt against his bare arms. He took a deep breath and let Dean's Alpha scent wash over him, soothing but also, for some reason, arousing.
"You don't mind me here?" Sam asked sheepishly.
"'Course not," Dean spoke in a thick, slurred voice. "Don't be silly, Sammy."
The Alpha buried his face in Sam's neck, nuzzling him.
"Dean!" Sam made a high-pitched sound of a protest he did not mean.
Dean purred contently and sighed deeply.
"Sleep, Sammy."
Sam did, but he almost didn't want to. Part of him wanted to stay awake and breath in their closeness for a bit longer. Nevertheless, the calming effect of Dean's scent and the rhythmic sound of his breathing were way too powerful and lulled him to sleep in no time.
~ * ~
When he turned fourteen, Sam knew he had to start getting used to the idea of not seeing his brother around school anymore. In the mixed school where they studied, omegas only went as far as middle school. If Sam was to continue his studies and go on to high school and, perhaps, college, he would have to move to an all-omega boarding school at the end of August.
He sighed with dismay at the thought. Though he was excited about studying and wanted to keep at it, the idea of not being around his brother was very hard for him to deal with.
Sam watched Dean from a distance.
The eighteen-year-old Alpha was an omega-magnet. Dean was surrounded by betas and Alphas all the time. Middle-schoolers were discouraged to hang out with Alphas, but some omega girls and guys would gravitate toward Dean and his group of Alphas during the breaks. Sam didn't understand how his classmates could be so openly flirty around Dean's group when, aside from Dean, who Sam felt completely at ease with, the others laughed way too loud at things Sam didn't quite understand. It was intimidating.
He saw his brother's dirty blond hair as the sun shone bright on him. Even from a distance, Sam could tell Dean's freckles would be standing out today.
Like he needs the sun to shine on him, Sam thought adoringly. Dean was the very sun when there were people around.
It amazed him how his brother could be so charismatic and yet so reserved. All those friends, all those omegas who crushed on Dean, they didn't know how shy he actually was. Dean was pleasant and could be outgoing, but Sam knew that he only let a handful of people truly get close in, especially when it came to his feelings.
"Hey, Sammy! C'mon! Join us!" Dean called from a distance.
Sam saw the group of rowdy Alphas and the few omega girls swooning around them and declined politely.
"I have class. See you later," he smiled.
Dean waved at him and turned his attention back to one of his best friends in school. Sam knew his name was Benny. He'd been over a few times.
Their parents never really encouraged Dean to bring other Alphas home—perhaps they were way too overprotective of Sam—but Benny was so nice that he'd been an occasional guest at the Winchester's.
Sam was on his way to the classroom building when a beta girl stopped him.
"Hey! Sam, right?"
"Hi."
"Are you Dean's brother?" The girl's eyes sparkled.
Sam knew where that was going. It wouldn't be the first time.
"Yeah. Why?" He tried not to sound curt. He failed.
The girl squealed happily and handed him a note.
"Could you give him my phone number? We have science together. He'll know who I am."
Sam took the slip of paper.
"Why don't you give it to him yourself?" He suggested.
"I can't! Have you seen the way he looks? Gosh!" She blushed and her scent was all sweet and inviting.
Sam tried not to roll his eyes before answering. He offered her a smile instead.
"Fine. I'll give it to him."
"Thank you so much! You're the best!"
Sam looked at the slip of paper and shoved it as far as it would go into his pocket. He looked over his shoulder at his brother, gesticulating and laughing among his group, and tried to ignore the bitter feeling stirring inside of him.
~ * ~
A few hours later, Dean and he were walking back home from school. Sam felt at the paper in his pocket but didn't bring up the girl. He was quiet and thoughtful as Dean went on and on about all the upcoming exams he would have to study for and that were driving him crazy.
"I can help you if you want," Sam eventually said.
"Are you sure? You have your own stuff to prepare for."
"Yeah, I mean, perhaps I'll need time to understand it on my own first, but if I can, then I can try and study with you."
"You are the best, Sammy. What would I do without you! Mwah!" Dean kissed the top of Sam's head and Sam pushed him away playfully.
You'd better get used to not having me, Sam thought, his mood darkening. He knew that the all-omegas school was looming in his future.
Dean didn't mention it and neither did he, though.
They got home and Sam went straight upstairs to use the bathroom. A while later, when he made his way back downstairs, he heard his mom and Dean talking in the kitchen.
Normally, Sam would have just walked in, but the content of the conversation made him stop in his tracks and listen from behind the door.
"Do you seriously expect me to believe that you don't know how a girl's underwear just popped up in your backpack?" Mary was asking.
Sam swallowed hard. Heat pooled in his cheeks and his chest felt tight.
"I'm telling you, I have no idea how it ended up there. Somebody must have slipped it into my stuff as a prank or something," Dean argued.
"At least it doesn't smell like an omega's underwear and certainly not an omega in heat."
"Mom! Where would I find omegas in heat? There are only Alphas above Middle School, remember? All the omegas are either too young to have them or even if they do, they're just too young," Dean stated.
"That's why I worry. The omegas at school are just kids. I hope you're not —"
"Mom, c'mon!" Dean sounded not only annoyed, but irritated as well. Maybe even offended.
"But even if these belong to a beta, I hope you're using protection, Dean. Your father and I will not be taking care of any grandkids right now. You're too young to knock a girl up and—"
"MOM!" Dean sounded downright angry now.
"Sorry," Sam walked into the kitchen. He feared that sooner or later they would be able to smell him anyway.
Both Dean and his mom turned to look at him at the same time.
"I was just gonna get some water. I can come back later."
"No, stay," Dean spoke firmly. "This conversation is over."
"Dean," Mary did not sound happy about it.
"Mom, I don't know whose panties these are, but I'll figure out who put them in my stuff. I'm not getting anyone pregnant, so you can just relax, okay?"
Dean looked at his mom, looked quickly at Sam, and stormed out.
Mary sighed heavily.
Sam took a glass of water and sat at the table sheepishly. He could scent his mom's distress.
"Tell me, Sam. There are always dozens of girls fussing around him, aren't there? I can smell them on his clothes."
"There are," Sam spoke softly. "Everybody thinks he's hot." This time he DID roll his eyes. "But to be fair, I've only ever seen Dean make out with betas or other Alphas. He wouldn't do anything with omegas."
"Not at school, but don't forget there are plenty of omegas out there going into heat and very willing to be knocked up by a good Alpha who can support them. "
"Dean's not stupid, mom. He knows that."
"I hope you're right. Gonna have your dad have a talk with him nonetheless. I know he'll listen to him. But enough about Dean. Are you okay, sweetie? How was school?" Her voice grew soft and her look, tender.
"It was okay."
"Let me know if you need anything. Dinner will be ready soon."
"Thanks, Mom."
Sam felt at the paper in his pocket.
He didn't know why, but the idea of Dean getting a girl pregnant made Sam feel really, really jealous. He knew it was something irrational, but Sam didn't want Dean to start his own family. He couldn't bear the thought of having to go to a different school. Imagining Dean with a different family altogether was devastating.
Sam got up, tore the slip of paper to pieces, and went up to his room.
~ * ~
At night, after John and Mary had said their goodnights and gone to bed, Sam made his way into his brother's room. He was feeling too guilty to just fall asleep. His heart felt heavy and his conscience was eating at him.
Sam found Dean lying in bed, leafing through a notebook.
"Still studying, eh?" He asked bashfully at the door.
Dean looked at him, smiled, and closed the notebook.
"Come in," he beckoned him closer.
Sam hesitated.
Dean took a deep breath and frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Sam chewed on his bottom lip.
Finally, he walked up to the bed and sat down on the edge.
"Some girl gave me her phone number."
"Oh." Dean stared at him, then his smile widened. "There you go, Sammy," he teased and tried to poke Sam's ribs playfully, but Sam put a hand on Dean's to stop him.
"No, it's not like that. The number was meant for you. She asked me if I was your brother and to give you her number."
"Oh. Okay then," Dean sounded clearly disappointed. "Where is it?"
Sam swallowed hard. He felt something clogging his throat and making his eyes sting.
"I threw it away. I'm so sorry, Dean. I don't know what came over me. I heard your conversation with Mom about getting a girl pregnant, and I just felt so jealous I started to hate that slip of paper," he pushed the words out of his mouth in one breath. "Please forgive me, I shouldn't have done that. I don't know what I was thinking."
The scent of Sam's distress made Dean feel agitated. He shifted in bed and moved closer to his brother.
"Hey." He touched Sam's shoulder lightly. "Thank you for telling me."
"Are you angry?" Sam asked tentatively. "Because I remember her face. I can tell her I lost it and she'll give it to me again. I'll let her know it was all my fault and—"
"Sam, no," Dean shook his head. "I don't want her number. And I'm not angry."
"Really?"
Dean nodded. By now he was biting back a smile.
"I don't wanna sound smug but I'm kind of fed up with phone numbers slipped into my pockets. I don't like that they're using you for this now. I hope they don't start giving you their panties to give to me."
They both laughed.
"Are you not interested in the girl? Are you interested in someone else?" Sam was curious.
Dean shrugged.
"I hook up sometimes. But I'm definitely not on my way to getting someone pregnant," he chuckled softly.
Sam smiled.
"C'mere." Dean lay down and pulled Sam with him.
The boy fit perfectly in his arms and nestled his moppy hair under his chin.
"I'm glad. I feel kind of funny thinking that you could start a family of your own," Sam admitted.
Dean gazed at him. There was something frail in his green eyes, something that made Sam's chest feel warm—it was one of those sides of Dean that Sam doubted the people at school got to see often. Or got to see at all.
"Mom doesn't have to worry. I haven't done anything yet, Sammy," Dean confessed. "I mean, I want to. Sometimes I really, really do. I just…I don't know, I haven't been that intimate with anyone to want to take things further."
"Oh." Sam felt a spark of joy inside of him that was difficult to tame, let alone to understand.
"Of course, Alphas' scents don't change after they mate, so mom and dad won't know unless I tell them, and honestly, I don't really want to talk to them about this stuff."
"I get that." Sam considered something. "My scent will change, right?"
Dean nodded.
"It'll 'mature'," Dean acted out the quotation marks. "When an omega is…claimed, people can tell. Alphas in particular can do that." Dean didn't want to use the word knotted. It seemed way too raw to use with his baby brother. Even though Sam was an omega, and even though he would, eventually, be knotted by an Alpha.
Dean pushed that thought as far away as it would go. He kind of hated the guy already. He thought about how Sam must have felt when he threw the slip of paper away.
That conversation was getting a little awkward.
"You know, it's a little late for this." Dean moved in bed and so did Sam. "I want to wake up early and go over the subject. You're welcome to help me if you're still up to it."
"Yeah, sure."
"Sammy? Thank you for coming clean. I promise I'm not mad."
They mirrored each other's smiles. Dean kissed the boy's forehead.
"I should go to my bed."
"Yeah…you should," Dean's voice lacked any kind of conviction whatsoever.
"Goodnight, Dean."
"Night."
Sam got up and turned off the lights on his way out.
Dean took a deep breath, inhaling what was left of Sam's scent, then turned to the other side and hugged his pillow.
He hadn't fallen asleep yet when he heard the padded sound of footsteps coming closer.
The Alpha smiled even though he didn't move an inch.
Dean felt the bed shift under Sam's weight as he got under the covers with him.
Without saying a word, he turned around and big-spooned the omega.
Sam didn't say anything either, but his scent was just as pleasant and soothing as Dean's.
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tbc...