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So he had finally made it. To be fair, Sam sorta knew he would graduate but first of his godamn promotion? At Stanford? Hell if he wasn't ecstatic.
Though he was in a slightly bittersweet mood. Sure he just graduated Stanford Law, lived happily with his girlfriend of 3 years and was about to speak to the assembled graduates. But something was missing and that put a damper on his mood.
When they all stopped clapping, he awkwardly waved then stepped forward to grab the mic.
"Thank you," he cleared his throat then faced the crowd.
"Thank you. So this is the end of 4 years of hard work and the beggining of many more to come. We all studied hard, put many all-nighters and got many breakdowns because hell if law isn't a difficult subject. "
Some people nodded wholeheartedly, some chuckled. Sam smiled, then shuddered as his shoulders slumped. He took a deep breath.
"To pursue such a hard-won career I believe we must all have a steel motivation. I don't know yours, but mine is a person. I'm gonna spill my life there so bear with me.
I didn't have the most wonderful childhood, far from it actually. My mom died in a fire when I was 6 months old, fire which burnt our house, and my dad died inside with her. He turned to alcohol, disappeared for weeks at times while moving us all across the country.
And the only reason I'm not dead today, but here talking to you, is my brother. "
Suddenly Sam was smiling. He stared a few seconds somewhere in the void, then shook his head. When he spoke up, his voice was so full of admiration, love and deep devotion that some eyes in the public watered slightly.
"Dean was only 4 years old when mom died, but he pretty much became both mom and dad. He found food, he found supplies, he basically brought me up with the sheer force of his heart and I will never, ever be able to thank him enough.
He's a force of nature. Brought me to school, then back to the motel we were sleeping at the time, cooked with what he could and numerous times didn't eat just to leave it to me, and I know he hopes I never noticed but I did. I know he had it rough with dad, who was an angry drunk and drunk most of the days, but Dean always cared, because he has a heart of gold.
When dad wrapped his car around a pole, I was 12 and Dean 16. He buried him, then we went to Sioux Falls, in North Dakota, where our uncle Bobby lived. He took us in, paid for school, bought food, but Dean was a stubborn asshole who can't accept to be cared for. He found dad's car, a Chevy Impala 67' , entirely rebuilt it, and it's a beauty, his pride and joy, but for the moment I am the one in charge.
Even though we were settled, life was still difficult because Bobby had a steady but low income, so when I made sure I absolutely wanted to go to college, Dean just smiled, a bit sadly, obtained his GER then dropped out of school to work as a mechanic full time. I argued, I tried to tell him that he was smart, because it's true, he's a maths genius and could easily become engineer, but he just shook his head and said " Sammy, it's your dream. You're gonna work to get all the scholarships you need, and I'm gonna work to pay you the rest. It's my job, yours is to be smart. "
So I worked. I got into Stanford full ride, but Dean paid for everything else. And just after my highschool graduation, as we were heading home, he told me he enlisted in the army.
I didn't expect it, but I respect and admire him too much to go against his decision. At the end of the summer, he got deployed overseas. I haven't seen him since. We talk, we write but I haven't seen him in front of me for 4 years.
Now I'm not completely antisocial, opposed to him, so I actually have people here to watch. There's Bobby our surrogate father, with Ellen, his totally-not-wife and kind of surrogate mother and Jo, her daughter, who is now a sister. There's Charlie, my completely crazy redhead geek of a best friend, Castiel, who is her exact opposite but somehow they are friends.
There is Jess, my wonderful girlfriend, with unconditional support and unwavering presence.
But the reason I'm standing there, the reason I kept fighting and I'll keep on it, my inspiration and the eternal hero of the 10-years old me as well as the 22-years old me, is not here.
So Dean, my older brother, just know that I miss you man, and I wish you were here, even if we start bickering endlessly. See you someday. "
When Sam finally dropped the mic, the silence was unbearable. He breathed deeply, trying to contain the little tears that were appearing in his eyes.
Then everyone was clapping. The sound was deafening, and he smiled, even if the heart wasn't there.
Then, "Well hold me Sammy, that was beautiful. "
Time seemed to stop. Sam was vaguely aware of some of his classmates murmuring that whoever called him Sammy was brave because everybody knows no one can call Sam Winchester like this, but he couldn't hear anything. He saw the smiles of Bobby, Ellen and Jo because of course they knew the little shits.
But nothing else mattered that the man in military clothing standing up on the third row with the biggest shit-eating grin to ever exist paired with the softest eyes.
Sam could only smile brighter.
"Dean!"
Dean laughed, and it was like a switch turned inside of Sam. He was suddenly standing in front of him and pulled him in a tight, bone-crushing hug.
"I can't believe you're here, I can't believe, how ? When ?"
He was rambling but he so didn't care. Dean laughed again, a little breathless, as he squeezed back just as tight.
"I came back two days ago and I'm off for 2 months. As soon as it's over we goin on the greatest road trip of your life. I hope you took care of Baby. "
Sam stepped back, but even his eye roll didn't erase his smile.
"Yes Dean, I did, because your love for this car is unhealthy. "
"Bitch. "
"Jerk. "
Dean shoved Sam, who went willingly, smiles still on both their faces. They looked at each other, then Dean grabbed him by the shoulder and hugged him again.
" It's really good to see you," Sam said, voice a little muffled by his head on his brother's neck's crook, even if he was a few inches taller already.
"Yeah Sammy, it's good to see you too. "