Just One Word: Tantrum
Tantrum
[ooc: AU prompt response in the Only Human verse, where Cas is given a chance at human life after the war.]
It was, at the best of times, organized chaos. This morning it was not so organized. First, Ester wanted to wear her pink butterfly shoes but Cas couldn’t find them and she was on the verge of tears before John saved the day.
“How’d you find them?” Cas asked, ruffling his son’s hair.
“They were underneath her jacket,” John said with a shrug, while Cas helped tie Ester’s laces. Twelve years old and Cas already suspected that he might have gotten some of his wife’s gift. Not that John was admitting to visions or premonitions or talking to spirits or any psychic moments at all but Cas had one of his inklings.
“Okay, okay, let’s see.” He straightened and looked down at his kids. “We’ve got backpacks with your homework, lunches, snack and everything right?”
“Right!” Ester bounced in her pink butterfly shoes. She was a strange mix of the perfect little girl and a tom boy. She liked pink, ponies, and dolls but she also tried as often as possible to get into Cas’s workshop and help him with whatever projects he was working on. He had a feeling that was somehow his fault instead of his wife’s.
“And since it doesn’t look like rain today, we don’t need umbrellas, but it’s a little chilly so, sweaters.”
“I want the one Uncle Dean and Uncle Sam brought me from Nevada!” John said, now looking as eager and excited as Ester had about her pink butterfly shoes.
Cas almost covered his face with a hand. Uncle Dean and Sam had very kindly brought back a Las Vegas sweatshirt for John when they’d done a chupacabra hunt there. The sweater, unfortunately, had the outline of a very curvy woman angel on the back with the slogan “Las Vegas: Don’t Worry, God Forgives” and John was right at that age where that made him the coolest kid in school. Cas suspected that Dean was more responsible than Sam for that.
“Do you remember what happened the last time you wore that to school?”
“Mom yelled at Principle Saunders. It was awesome.”
In the distance, Cas heard the bus pulling up outside and he decided that he’d face the wrath of the public school system instead of the fight with his son and handed him the sweater. Ester wanted her My Little Pony sweater so that made his life easier. Hustling them out the door he stood at the end of the driveway and waited until the bus was out of sight around the corner before letting out a huge sigh. How did single parents manage? He didn’t have an idea but a quick check of his watch told him he was probably going to be late to start work on the Anderson’s porch.
Still, he turned around and went upstairs instead of jumping into his truck. He stopped at his bedroom and grinned at his wife. There wasn’t much of her to see, since she was mostly buried underneath blankets and vaguely lump shaped.
“The top of my head isn’t that cute,” Pam said from underneath the covers.
“It’s actually very adorable,” he corrected. “The kids are off to school. John’s got his Vegas sweater on so expect a call from the school.”
“Stupid Republican principle. That sweater is funny.”
“We’re the only ones who get the joke, you know.”
“So? Still funny?”
He chuckled and crossed to the bed to drop a kiss on the top of her head. She intercepted him with a hand to the face and shoving him back.
“I’m sick and you’re no longer immune to the flu.”
“I’ll risk it.” He did settle for kissing her palm though. Pam was temperamental when she was sick and he really didn’t want to risk another temper tantrum. She threw things when she got angry.
“I’ll be home when the kids get home. Drink lots of fluids. Make sure you eat something. Don’t make me send Paul over because I will and he nags.”
“Get out!” Pam said with a laugh, swinging a pillow at him. “People need their woodwork.”
He laughed and dodged, apparently not quick enough to escape the tantrum. Married life with children was so difficult sometimes.
[ooc: AU prompt response in the Only Human verse, where Cas is given a chance at human life after the war.]
It was, at the best of times, organized chaos. This morning it was not so organized. First, Ester wanted to wear her pink butterfly shoes but Cas couldn’t find them and she was on the verge of tears before John saved the day.
“How’d you find them?” Cas asked, ruffling his son’s hair.
“They were underneath her jacket,” John said with a shrug, while Cas helped tie Ester’s laces. Twelve years old and Cas already suspected that he might have gotten some of his wife’s gift. Not that John was admitting to visions or premonitions or talking to spirits or any psychic moments at all but Cas had one of his inklings.
“Okay, okay, let’s see.” He straightened and looked down at his kids. “We’ve got backpacks with your homework, lunches, snack and everything right?”
“Right!” Ester bounced in her pink butterfly shoes. She was a strange mix of the perfect little girl and a tom boy. She liked pink, ponies, and dolls but she also tried as often as possible to get into Cas’s workshop and help him with whatever projects he was working on. He had a feeling that was somehow his fault instead of his wife’s.
“And since it doesn’t look like rain today, we don’t need umbrellas, but it’s a little chilly so, sweaters.”
“I want the one Uncle Dean and Uncle Sam brought me from Nevada!” John said, now looking as eager and excited as Ester had about her pink butterfly shoes.
Cas almost covered his face with a hand. Uncle Dean and Sam had very kindly brought back a Las Vegas sweatshirt for John when they’d done a chupacabra hunt there. The sweater, unfortunately, had the outline of a very curvy woman angel on the back with the slogan “Las Vegas: Don’t Worry, God Forgives” and John was right at that age where that made him the coolest kid in school. Cas suspected that Dean was more responsible than Sam for that.
“Do you remember what happened the last time you wore that to school?”
“Mom yelled at Principle Saunders. It was awesome.”
In the distance, Cas heard the bus pulling up outside and he decided that he’d face the wrath of the public school system instead of the fight with his son and handed him the sweater. Ester wanted her My Little Pony sweater so that made his life easier. Hustling them out the door he stood at the end of the driveway and waited until the bus was out of sight around the corner before letting out a huge sigh. How did single parents manage? He didn’t have an idea but a quick check of his watch told him he was probably going to be late to start work on the Anderson’s porch.
Still, he turned around and went upstairs instead of jumping into his truck. He stopped at his bedroom and grinned at his wife. There wasn’t much of her to see, since she was mostly buried underneath blankets and vaguely lump shaped.
“The top of my head isn’t that cute,” Pam said from underneath the covers.
“It’s actually very adorable,” he corrected. “The kids are off to school. John’s got his Vegas sweater on so expect a call from the school.”
“Stupid Republican principle. That sweater is funny.”
“We’re the only ones who get the joke, you know.”
“So? Still funny?”
He chuckled and crossed to the bed to drop a kiss on the top of her head. She intercepted him with a hand to the face and shoving him back.
“I’m sick and you’re no longer immune to the flu.”
“I’ll risk it.” He did settle for kissing her palm though. Pam was temperamental when she was sick and he really didn’t want to risk another temper tantrum. She threw things when she got angry.
“I’ll be home when the kids get home. Drink lots of fluids. Make sure you eat something. Don’t make me send Paul over because I will and he nags.”
“Get out!” Pam said with a laugh, swinging a pillow at him. “People need their woodwork.”
He laughed and dodged, apparently not quick enough to escape the tantrum. Married life with children was so difficult sometimes.