Word Prompt: Cactus

Warnings: None

Cactus

"Ow!" Dean exclaimed, rubbing at the pinprick left behind by the spine of the cactus that he had fallen into. "Goddamnit," he mumbled under his breath.

"Dean," an aggravated voice reprimanded.

"Sorry, Cas," replied Dean, no trace of apology evident, "Jeez, this sonofabitch hurts!"

Sarcastically, Bobby snipped, "Aw, want me to kiss it better?" receiving a look of horror in return. "I was kidding, ya' idjit."

"Stop fooling around," Sam piped, not even looking up from the map of the Grand Canyon.

"Come on, Sammy!" exclaimed Dean, excitement and happiness shining in his eyes as he slung an arm over his brother's shoulders, "It's a vacation! Have fun!" he shouted into Sam's ear.

"Ow, Dean!" grumbled Sam as he rubbed his ear in pain.

Dean took this moment of non-vigilance to snatch the map, tear it into pieces, and let it float away in the light breeze wafting through the small valley earning him a bitch-face in turn.

Joyously, Dean teased, "Turn that frown upside-down, Sammy," earning him an eyeroll from his brother and Bobby, and a curious head tilt from Cas.

"Yeah, yeah," Sam mumbled, letting a grin pull at his lips at seeing his brother happier than he had been in weeks.

Whispering to himself, Cas asked, "How can one turn their frown upside-down?"

Offhandedly, Sam responded, "It's just a phrase, Cas."

"Let's go, ya idjits; we have 'ta get to the hotel before anything else," ordered Bobby, ignoring their angel's obliviousness, which Dean responded to with a mock salute and an emphasized, "Yes, sir!"

"Always the perfect soldier," Sam joked, clapping his brother lightly on the back.

"Bitch," Dean laughed.

"Jerk," his brother automatically responded, dimples finding their way into his cheeks.

"Boop!" Dean exclaimed, poking his fingers deeply into the dimples that he had not seen in so long.

"I do not understand," questioned Cas, absolute confusion marring his vessel's features.

"If you know what's good for ya," grumbled Bobby, "don't question it.

"Dean, Sam," he hollered, "Let's go!"

"Yes, sir!" they both shouted and began running towards Bobby, passing and slinging their arms over Cas' shoulder as they past him, drawing him tight to their sides, tighter into the family. Cas stumbled along, feeling his heart beat quicken at the welcoming touch of the boys.

With Cas in their grip, the boys lurched to a stop at Bobby's feet, Sam and Dean assuming their mock-salutes, Cas, disheveled and slouched as usual, earning them all a mocking laugh from their stand-in father.

Bobby, taking part of his boys' game and the lead, about-faced and led the way through the desert terrain of the Grand Canyon, each man playing their part in the admiration of their short vacation, teasing, joking, and simply being a family; letting the long-lost smiles find their way back to each of the family members' faces as they let the troubles of the world recede, if only momentarily, to the recesses of their mind.