Title: Fault
Fandom: Supernatural
Rating: PG
Length: 539 Words
Content notes: For the FFW prompt "apology" and h/c Bingo prompt "Bruises" Weechesters.
Summary: It was Dean's fault that Sammy had gotten hurt.


Dean looked up from his cereal and then immediately ducked his head again. Sammy was calmly eating his own coco puffs, apparently without a care in the world, but Dean couldn't be so detached. He couldn't meet his baby brother's gaze; not with the dark bruises that ringed those sad bluish-green eyes. Dean knew it wasn't really his fault; after all, their dad was there too, and he's really the one in charge.

But still, Dean was supposed to be protecting Sammy on his first hunt. He was supposed to be looking out for him when the baddies appeared. So, in a way, it was still his fault that Sammy had gotten hurt. He wondered if he should apologize or something. Dean glanced up again, but Sammy was still intent on his breakfast. Dean wished that his own cereal didn't taste like dirt that felt heavy in his roiling stomach.

"It isn't your fault, you know," a small voice announced a few minutes later.

Dean's head shot up, and he found Sammy looking at him with those bruised eyes. "What?"

"They got a lucky hit," Sam said seriously. "I let them get too close."

"No, Sammy-" Dean began.

"No, Dean!" Sam replied sharply. "Listen to me."

Dean's mouth snapped shut at the unusually sharp tone, then ducked his head again rather than having to meet those stern, darkened eyes.

"You've been fighting for years. You've been doing this since you were younger than me, right? So it's about time that I learned how to actually fight monsters and stuff too." Sammy declared calmly. 'It isn't that I want to fight, but it looks like I have to."

On a normal day, Dean would have snorted. Their dad didn't give them much choice in this matter. Today he simply continued to listen.

"And I learned a lot last night, Dean, I really did. I won't be caught off guard like that again. And it was good, in a way, that it happened when it did. I was with you and dad. I know that if I had been in over my head, you would have saved me."

Dean chanced a glance up, and he saw the trust and admiration shining in Sammy's eyes. He couldn't look away from those eyes as Sammy quietly continued.

"This is the only way I'll learn, Dean, is by doing these things. If I have to fight monsters and kill things, then I have to learn how to do it well, right? Grow up strong and tough like you and dad, right?"

Dean nodded mutely, still held captive by those bruised eyes.

"So it isn't your fault that I got hit last night, okay?" Sam's look sharpened into a glare. "In fact, you're the one that taught me well enough that I was able to get away from them and kill it after. So you need to stop feeling guilty, right now."

Dean opened his mouth to reply, but Sam's glare stopped him. Instead, he meekly replied, "I'll try."

"Good. Now stop avoiding me and teach me that knife trick you used last night."

Allowing himself to grin, Dean grabbed his spoon, slurping down the last bite of his cereal. "Okay, I can do that."