In Which Boaz Makes a Roadtrip

[mini_dean]

"Ben, he's not asking for you to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"Yeah, I get that." He looked at the picture in his hand that Dean had left. His father - all these years later and suddenly Dean was back and his mother was telling him that she knew - wanted to see him. And he had a little cousin. "Just... not something I was expecting."

"Dean will be fine with whatever you choose. But I'd really like you to think about at least talking to him. I'm sure you've got questions."

"I do." He rubbed the back of his neck. "What about you, Mom? You want him around again?"

Lisa smiled just a bit. "It was nice seeing him again, Ben. I'd like to see more of him. But if you're not comfortable..."

"Mom, I'm not eight anymore. You don't need to worry about my feelings when you're seeing a guy." He smirked up at his mother. "I just don't want to hear about what you two are doing when I'm not here."

"Like I'd tell you that anyway." Lisa smoothed the first red spike of her son's hair so she could kiss his forehead. "Do me a favor, though?"

"What's that?"

"If you decide to take a road trip out to Iowa like I know you're planning, please at least tone down the look so the press doesn't follow you."

Ben smirked a bit and shook his head. "Yes, Mom."

***

The flight from LA to Des Moines wasn't bad, and he rented a car the next morning to drive the rest of the way to the house where Dean had told his mother that he lived. It probably wasn't the smartest plan he had, but he did want a chance to look at this family before he went to talk to them.

He watched his cousin and his uncle go off to school, and saw that his father's car stayed parked in the driveway. Figuring that it meant Dean wasn't going off to any job, Ben pulled the car up next to it in the driveway and made his way to the front door, knocking before he looked at his reflection in the window.

He actually looked normal for once, and sober too. It was the best he could manage, so he hoped it would be noticed he was trying to act the part. If only for his mom's sake.

Comments

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

"Little here, little there," he shrugged. "Got a gig consulting for the FBI on different weird cases that are a bit more my jurisdiction and a little less theirs. It's not much but it's a steady paycheck and benefits so it's more than I've gotten otherwise."

[mini_dean]

"Nice. So all that demon stuff actually can pay off in the end."

Sorry, Dean. He does remember all of that.

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but not without a whole lot of bullshit in between," Dean said with a sigh. There had been so much. The Apocalypse, the angels, everything else -- but it had been worth it. "Wasn't all bad, though. Wouldn't have Liv without it. Or you, for that matter."

[mini_dean]

"Sometimes in the midst of the crazy times, remember the things worth your life, it shall keep you moving on."

He was quoting a lyric to a song he had written a few years ago. It fit.

"You ever think about me and mom, up until now that is?"

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, every once in a while," he nodded. "Sometimes more than others. But there was one part that was pretty bad. You guys wouldn't have wanted me swinging around."

[mini_dean]

"I think Mom's always been holding out on you coming back. After that whole changling thing, she just... she never really looked at guys the same way."

Ben shrugged and sipped his coffee. "So like I said, I don't want anything between us to screw up anything between you and her."

The kid is giving you his blessing to spend time with Lisa.

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

Dean nodded again, looking down at his coffee cup. "Thanks, Ben. I appreciate that." There was something about Lisa that always drew him back in again, and he wasn't sure he wanted to lose that quite yet.

[mini_dean]

"I haven't seen my mom that happy in awhile for something that wasn't about me, but her. I'd like to keep it that way."

He was also a rock-star and could find many people willing to hurt you if you hurt her, Dean. That's the look he's giving you.

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

Dean got the look, before nodding. He understood that very clearly. "I'll do my best."

[mini_dean]

"Good."

He leaned against the counter. "So is there anything you want to know about me?"

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

He shrugged, before matching his stance against the perpendicular counter. "Well, considerin' I don't know a whole lot, whatever you want to tell me would be good."

[mini_dean]

"Well, what do you know? I mean, there's a lot of trash out there about me that ain't anything more than that - trash. Comes with the whole rock star gig I'm told."

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

"That? I don't know jack about. Though Olivia tells me that your music speaks to her in a 'profound and amazing way'." He paused for a moment. "Though, that was before she knew that you two were related."

[mini_dean]

"Is that right?" He laughed. "I take it she didn't take that news too well, then, huh?"

He put the coffee cup down and crossed his arms. "Where to start on that story..."

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

"She took it well enough. I think she was more interested in meeting you than anything else."

[mini_dean]

"I'm sure."

He thought a moment, then shrugged. "The press make me out to be a lot more than I think I am. Everything is about costumes and explosions and really hot chicks dancing behind me." He smirked just a bit. "Which you can imagine makes the job fun."

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

Dean laughed. "Hey, every job has it's perks. Even mine."

[mini_dean]

"Yeah, and it's a nice perk." He rubbed the back of his neck, then shrugged. "Though they want me to start dancing on stage. That ain't gonna happpen. I can barely remember the stage directions they give me as it is."

He chuckled. "Back when I went on that show, I doubted I was even going to make the top five. I literally did the audition as a dare. It would have been a free spring break in Hollywood. Why not?"

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

"Well, the world works in mysterious ways," Dean nodded. "Never know what you're gonna get handed."

[mini_dean]

"Or when it gets handed to you."

Ben shrugged. "Didn't really have much going for me otherwise. My college life was more about the social life than the learning, no matter what I told my mom."

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

"What were you 'studying'?" he asked, complete with air quotes.

[mini_dean]

"Beyond the girls on campus?" Ben grinned. "Business, actually. I did auto shop through high school and had a part time job working at a garage since I was sixteen. My boss suggested that I take it in case I ever wanted to have my own garage."

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

Dean nodded. "Not a bad plan." He shrugged. "I never went to college. Sammy did."

[mini_dean]

"I only went because Mom wanted me to. She didn't get to finish because of me."

Ben looked up at Dean. "And she's never regretted it either, before you think about taking blame there. She told me that she would gladly give it up again if it meant she still had me."

[jstliketherifle.livejournal.com]

"Goin' to college is good, though," Dean nodded. "At least give you the option of going somewhere."