Written for @spngenrebingo Square Filled: Free Fluff
Claire Winchester-Novak was going to have the greatest two weeks of her life. Her dads were taking her and her best friend, Alex Hanscomb-Mills, to the Jersey Shore to celebrate her getting a full ride to Princeton. It also worked out well for Alex’s moms, who were in Europe taking a second honeymoon. Claire couldn’t think of a better way to spend the time between high school and college than with her favorite people in the world.
Three days into their trip, the four of them were walking along the boardwalk, as they had done the days previous. Claire and Dean were in the middle, with Castiel next to Dean and Alex next to Claire. Claire suddenly looks up at her dad and says, “Hey! Do you think we’ll be blessed with a Snookie sighting?”
“What’s a Snookie?” Castiel and Alex asked simultaneously.
Dean and Claire shared a love of trash TV that the others just didn’t get. Dr. Sexy, MD and Jersey Shore were their favorites to binge watch, and they were both fans of Snookie. When the reality show star had a guest role on Dr. Sexy, they wouldn’t stop talking about it for days. Clearly no one was paying attention.
“Actually, Kiddo,” Dean began as he pulled something up on his phone and held it up to her, “we are definitely getting a Snookie sighting today, and an autograph.”
Claire excitedly grabbed his phone out of his hand as she read the screen. “She’s doing a book signing? Here? At the boardwalk? And you’re taking me? You are the best dad ever!” She stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek before handing his phone back.
“Hey, what am I, chopped liver?” Castiel asked from the other side of his husband.
“Ok, fine, you’re an awesome dad too,” Claire replied and kissed his cheek as well.
“Ugh. I think I’m going to puke!” Alex announced from Claire’s other side.
“Hey, just because Jody and Donna dumped you with us instead of taking you Europe is no reason to rain on our happy family parade, young lady,” Dean quipped.
Alex dropped her head in her hand and groaned. “Why do I even know you people?”
Claire slung an arm around her best friend’s shoulders. “Because you love me, and you know I come with dork dad baggage.”
“Hey, I thought we were awesome!” Dean protested.
Claire shrugged. “I’m a teenaged girl. My affections are fickle.”
“Yeah, yeah. Once I get you to Snookie, I’ll be awesome again.”
“It’s possible.”
***
Elsewhere on the boardwalk, Kevin Tran and his mother Linda were also taking a holiday to celebrate his own full ride to Princeton. Kevin was currently pleading with his mom to take him to the aforementioned bookstore.
“I can’t believe with your limited exposure to television for one hour a week, you spent it watching trash television! What else did you watch? That horribly inaccurate Dr. Sexy, MD? You could have been watching National Geographic.”
“Mo-om! I have to rest my brain somehow! Relaxation is just as important for neurological development as study is. Man cannot live on caviar alone!”
“Ok, fine, we’ll go see this Snookie. You did work hard all through high school, and you’ll be working even harder once you start college. I suppose you deserve your hobbies.”
“Great! Let’s go!” Kevin practically dragged his mom down the boardwalk towards the bookstore.
They made short work of their journey, and soon Kevin found himself standing in line to meet the reality star of his dreams. His mother was standing off to the side, trying to look stern, but failing miserably, her son’s joy bringing a smile to her face. Kevin was bouncing on the balls of his feet and trying to see the autograph table over the crowd, paying no mind to the line forming behind him.
Claire and Dean arrived around the same time, standing in line while Castiel and Alex stood off to the other side, rolling their eyes fondly. Claire had her back to the person in front of her as she was animatedly talking to Dean about their favorite Snookie moments. “Remember when she was on Dr. Sexy and she played a ghost, but being transparent didn’t take away from her sassiness and she was like…” Claire was gesturing wildly and didn’t notice when she took a step back and ran right into the back of Kevin Tran.
“Hey, watch it…” Kevin started just as Claire turned around to apologize.
“Oh, I’m so sorry…” The words trailed off as their eyes locked, blue to brown. Claire was the first to break the silence. “Um, hi. I’m Claire.” She offered her hand to him to shake.
He gulped and accepted the proffered hand. “Kevin, uh, my name…that’s my name.”
Claire smiled brightly at him. “Nice to meet you, Kevin.”
Dean not-so-subtly pulled their still clasped hands apart. “I’m Claire’s Dad. Nice to meet you,” he grumped as he shook hands with the stunned boy.
“Um…hi Claire’s Dad…” Panic started to fill his chocolate eyes as Dean continued to shake his hand aggressively.
“Dad, stop,” Claire ordered, removing his hand and pushing him back.
As the line crept forward, Claire engaged in small talk with the cute boy in front of her, much to Dean’s dismay. He tried to join the conversation multiple times, but backed off when Claire scowled at him, so he resigned himself to standing behind her and pouting. He wasn’t able to engage his daughter’s attention again until they were at the autograph table.
Claire was first. “Oh my God. You’re amazing, I love you so much. You were my favorite on Dancing With the Stars,” Claire gushed as her book was signed. “My dad brought me because I got into Princeton,” she continued on. Snookie signed her book “Congrats on the Ivy League. Love, Nicole.” Claire stared at her book as she was waiting for Dean.
“Uh, hi, um, Nicole. You’re so pretty,” he stammered awkwardly as he presented his own copy of her book.
Claire interrupted. “That’s my dad. Sorry he’s such an old skeezer.”
“I dunno, he’s kinda cute,” she replied as she started to sign. “You got a name, Daddio?”
“Dean. My name’s Dean.”
She finished signing and handed his book back. “Here you go, Hot Stuff.” She winked at him as he clutched the book to his chest and backed away.
Dean was so stunned by his interaction that he didn’t even notice when Claire wandered off with Kevin. In a daze, he found where Castiel and Alex had been waiting for them. “Snookie thinks I’m cute,” he said to Castiel.
“Well, that makes one of us,” his husband replied dryly.
“Shut up, you love me.”
“You’re lucky I do,” Cas said as he looked around for their daughter. “Dean, where’s Claire?”
Alex chuckled as she spoke up. “Over there with that cute boy she bumped into in the line.” She pointed to where the two were ducking out the door. “Oh great, now I’m stuck with the Dork Dads.”
***
Claire giggled as she and Kevin ducked out of the store, ditching their parents. “Hmmm, I guess I should feel bad stranding Alex with my dads,” she said as they made their way down the boardwalk.
“Alex? Is that your boyfriend?” Kevin asked nervously.
“No, Alex is a girl,” Claire replied vaguely.
“Oh, so your girlfriend?”
“Haha. No, just my best friend. More like a sister. My girlfriend and I broke up after her mom died and she had to move away.”
“So, you’re single?” Kevin fished for information.
“Yep. You?”
“Uh, yeah. Ever since my girlfriend went crazy and slit her roommate’s throat. I’m pretty sure she got possessed by a demon.”
“Wow. Creepy. So, what do you say we go get some ice cream?” Claire’s ability to gloss over the most uncomfortable situation with food was surely a habit she picked up from Dean.
“Oh, uh, ok. Sure.”
They walked to a little ice cream stand a few blocks away from the bookstore. Claire ordered the “Napoleon,” a giant waffle cone filled with five scoops of whatever flavors she wanted. Kevin paid, even though he didn’t get anything but water. They sat at a nearby bench and when Kevin tried to dip a spoon into Claire’s cone, she pulled it away.
“Dude! If you wanted ice cream, you should have ordered some!”
“But, I thought you were going to share. Especially when you asked me what kind of ice cream to get.”
“I was looking for a suggestion, not offering you my treat.”
“Rude! I bought it!” Kevin couldn’t help but laugh.
“Ok, fine. You can have a bite. One bite, from this layer.” She pointed at the third scoop down, a blue one with multicolored bits throughout.
“Awesome, bubblegum. I always wanted to try that flavor.” Kevin helped himself to a hearty spoonful of the confection.
“Hey, not so much!” Claire protested with a laugh.
Kevin grinned at her and went in for another bite. “So, Claire, what would you say if I asked you out for dinner and movie?”
“I’d ask what’s for dinner and what movie?”
“Hmmm….” Kevin made a show of thinking deeply. “Burgers and the new Marvel film?”
“Make it Star Wars or no deal.”
“Done. Saturday night?”
“Done. We’re staying at the Palms, room 210. Pick me up at 7?”
“Hey, so are we. 310.”
Claire looked at him, shy for the first time. “We could walk back together?”
“Ok.” Kevin stood up and reached for her hand.
She let him pull her up and they were met with three pairs of stern parent eyes: blue, green, and brown. Alex stood off to the side with her arms crossed over her chest. “Busted,” she chuckled at them.
