Chapter Text
The three Caregivers stood in shocked silence as the elevator dinged open, Doctor Bradley having to physically usher them all inside before the doors closed. They were speechless, everything they ever thought they knew about Dean was shifting and warping in their head to try and fit the new information in. Sam watched as the doctor reached over to the buttons on the elevator, each button corresponding with the eye colour of the subclass whose ward it led to. Pink for Subs, green for Pets, yellow for Betas and purple for Littles. The doctor quickly pressed the button next to the purple label and the elevator jolted into motion.
“He’s a Little?” Castiel broke the silence, almost making Sam flinch. He looked over to the younger angel, seeing the seraph’s face full of confusion and almost paling in comparison to his usual complexion. The doctor nodded in his peripherals and Sam looked over to Gabriel, the archangel staring back at him with wide, shocked eyes.
How could he have been so blind? Dean was small, he had no facial hair and he was guessing he had no body hair either. He was never very good at building muscle. He was always a slightly more sensitive child growing up until he hit his sixteenth birthday, after that he was a walking poster boy for toxic masculinity that dripped with self-loathing. Sam rubbed a hand over his face to compose himself.
“What level is he? What age range?” he asked, looking back to the doctor. Both angels doing the same.
“Well, we ran the usual test and Dean presented as a level 3 Little,” the doctor started.
“Woah, wait, level 3?” Sam cut across, shocked at that news. “How can he have survived this long with no drops or slips? We’re all level 2 Caregivers and we enter our headspaces almost daily. Level 3 classes are meant to spend more time in their headspace than out of them.”
“That’s the most worrying part of this situation,” said Doctor Bradley. “It's honestly a miracle that Dean has survived this long, though I suppose the medication had a big deal to do with it. He was on one of the most powerful illegal suppressants I have ever seen. When we tested his hormone levels, though, he exceeded the range that we would use to class him as level 3, he has one of the highest Neotropic hormone counts I have ever seen.”
The elevator pinged as the doors slid open, revealing the colourful corridors of the Little Ward. The small group stepped out and walked to the right into a large day room full of toys and Littles in soft hospital gowns playing with their Caregivers. All three of the Caregivers felt a pang of jealousy and sadness seeing the happy families but instead focused on the doctor.
“We’ve managed to pin him around the 18-24 month range. I understand that is young for a Little, but it really does vary, Dean isn’t the only one I have met in this age range.” Sam and the angels all felt their eyes widen. Really, he was that young? The doctor continued, flipping his papers on the clipboard he still clutched in his arms. “We suspect the reason the suppressant stopped working is due to Dean’s long and constant use of them, rendering them eventually useless. However, because of this Dean’s body is now suffering the consequences of prolonged and denied instinctual failure. His heart is struggling, and his brain is firing off on wrong neurons, making it more likely to send him into another severe epileptic seizure.”
Sam felt his instincts kick in and saw the orange glow from his eyes casting onto the doctor in front of him. He glanced at the two angels and saw both of their eyes burning brightly too. Doctor Bradley motioned for them to follow him, and he began down the ward to the single rooms.
“How can we help him?” Gabriel asked as they walked, struggling to keep up with the group due to his slightly shorter legs.
“The way we help Dean is with an accommodated slip,” the doctor spoke, glancing back at the archangel. “It has to be a slip brought on by natural hormone creation to stimulate his processing centre and he will need the help of Caregivers to do so.” Doctor Bradley then turned to Sam. “Mr Winchester, I understand that you are a Caregiver, but we have had to label you as Dean’s legal guardian. Not to fulfil that role but because you are the only living blood relative we can find for him. I hope that isn’t too disruptive?”
“No, no it’s alright,” Sam answered, waving a hand. “We don’t have our own Little to care for so there won’t be any clashes or anything, and we already all live together with him.”
The doctor nodded, seeming pleased with the answer. “Usually, we would try and find a level 3 Caregiver for Dean but those are few and far between, and especially with Dean’s situation we believe it will be best for him to be with those he already trusts.” The doctor stopped outside a room with the blinds pulled, a security guard stationed outside of the room sporting a nasty black eye. He turned to face the three Caregivers. “As you are all Level 2, I’m sure you can find a way to make it work and help Dean. And you never know, maybe it will lead to an adoption for the four of you.”
Sam gave a small nervous smile to the doctor, his mind currently a tornado inside his head. He was still beating himself up for being so oblivious to his brother in pain, he was so focused on chasing the life he wanted he completely disregarded his older brother, who ironically turned out to be exactly what he had been searching for all these years. It was a fucking rollercoaster of emotions, and he didn’t know what to feel. Doctor Bradley, meanwhile, had turned to the security guard.
“Has he tried to leave at all?” he asked politely. The security guard grunted before replying.
“Nah, not since that first time. He was loud for a while then about ten minutes ago I heard him crying. He’s stopped now though,” the guard said in a gruff, low voice.
“And you didn’t get someone to check on him?” Castiel cut across, eyes burning a bright orange and his face twisted in obvious rage at the guard. The large security man scoffed at the angel.
“Brat’s probably faking to try and make a run again. I’m not stepping in that room again with the right hook he’s got on him,” the guard paused and gestured to his black eye. “Little shit can cry himself out for all I care.”
“What the fuck dude?” Sam said loudly, stepping forward to try and get in the man’s face as he towered over him. Gabriel and Cas both leapt forward and held him back, Cas stepping in front and pulling Sam’s face down to meet his gaze. Sam stared into his partners’ eyes, both of them willing him not to make a scene. He closed his eyes and took a breath, slowly relaxing his hands he had never even noticed had balled into fists. He opened his eyes again and nodded at the angels, they let him go and stepped back to his sides, remaining close for comfort. He looked at the doctor again who had backed off slightly and was giving the security guard a hard stare.
“Can we just see him please?” He asked, the doctor looking back over to him and giving him a nod. He opened the door and let all three men step through before him, each man glaring at the security guard as they stepped through.
“Sammy! Oh, thank god,” Dean’s voice cried, pulling Sam out of his anger, and making him flick towards the small man on the bed. Dean suddenly looked so much more vulnerable than he ever had before, and Sam felt his heart pinch. Dean slipped off the side of the bed and landed on the floor, his legs shaking a little at the impact as he was so high off the ground. He wore a soft hospital gown covered in dinosaurs and made of the material that Littles could tolerate. It made Sam wince internally to think of how Dean’s skin had suffered all those years with the clothes he wore.
“Sam, tell them I’m not a Little! They won’t listen to me. I’m not meant to be here I’m a Neutral and you know it,” Dean pleaded with Sam walking over to the men now staring dumbly at him next to the door as the doctor walked in and shut the door behind him.
“Dean…” Sam started, looking his brother up and down, cringing at the green and yellow bruises that dotted his arms and legs, his mind flicking back to that horrible moment in the bathroom. “Why did you do it? Why did you take those drugs?” Sam watched as Dean blanched slightly at the question before he composed himself.
“What the hell are you on about Sammy? Whatever douche-face here said is bullshit.” Dean glared at the doctor as he spoke, the man looking at him with a mixture of sympathy and concern. “Look I’m a Neutral, okay? We can stay here and find out what’s wrong with me but just get me to the Neutral Ward, not this freaky circus place where they treat me like a baby.”
“No Dean,” Gabriel cut across, Dean turning to look at him. “They’ve run the test. We know now. You don’t need to hide it anymore, you can be yourself.” Gabriel said stepping forward as he raised his hands in an ‘I mean peace’ gesture.
“No! What? Shut up, I’m not a Little!” Dean yelled, backing up against his bed. He was really backed into a corner, how the fuck was he going to get out of this one? “I’m not a Little!” He yelled again at the Caregivers and doctor in front of him. Though it was more at himself, his mind was going fuzzy and he hated it.
“Dean, it’s okay,” Sam said stepping forward next to Gabriel, Cas stepping with him. Dean shrank back even more, his breath was starting to quicken and he felt like a trapped animal. “Look, I don’t know what Dad said or did-”
“Shut up Sam!” Dean yelled. “I’m not a Little! I’m not! I’m not! I’M NOT!” he practically screamed the last word. Fuck, his chest was killing him, his heartbeat felt strange and way too hard. He clutched a hand at his chest and stared blindly up at his brother. “Sammy, my heart hurts…” he muttered.
“Woah, okay Dean, it’s okay,” Sam rushed forward and held his brother up by his arms. “Just copy my breathing, yeah? You’ve worked yourself up too much, just breathe. Big in, big out.” Dean reached out his hand and put it on Sammy’s chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing and copying it. Soon his heart rate lowered, and it didn’t hurt so much anymore. He looked up into Sam’s burning eyes and nodded, his brother understanding and stepping back.
God, he could smell all the pheromones from Sam, Cas and Gabe swirling around him. The room was too small, and it was suffocating, it was a miracle he had managed to keep his eyes normal. He just hoped he wasn’t producing any pheromones they could sense.
“I may have a solution to this predicament,” the doctor piped up. Dean looked up and glared at him, he was stuck in this stupid place because of him so he wasn’t his biggest fan. “Dean you are adamant that you are not a Little and that the tests were wrong, correct?” Dean stared warily at the doctor, nodding slowly. Where was he going with this?
“Well, I have a shot of highly concentrated artificial Neotrope hormones here,” Doctor Bradley spoke as he pulled a capped syringe full of clear liquid out of his pocket, Dean almost flinching at the sight of it but holding himself steady. Was this really what it had come to? Decades of keeping his secret under wraps and now it was all just collapsing.
“With your permission Dean, I’d like to give you this shot,” the doctor continued, gesturing with the syringe. “If you do not react then we know we were wrong, and you have our deepest and most sincere apologies. We will remove you from this ward and take you to the Neutral Ward instead.”
“And if he has a reaction?” Castiel said from next to Sam.
“Then we know Dean is in the right place and that the diagnosis we discussed is correct. Then we can start with a care plan and getting Dean settled with you.” The doctor responded, looking back to Dean. Suddenly Dean felt all eyes in the room on him.
How the fuck was he meant to worm out of this? If he said no to the shot then that was just too fucking suspicious, but if he said yes then he was sure to react. From what he could remember on his 21st birthday, he was resolved to the mind of a baby, and he couldn't do anything for himself. It had been horrible when John had locked him in a storage container for the day and only returned the following morning when he knew the bio-shift was over. Dean shivered unconsciously at the memory and looked back up at his brother and the angels, all of whom were looking at him with pleading orange eyes. Fuck.
“Fine. Fine! I’ll take the stupid shot,” he grumbled, watching as the caregivers and doctor all relaxed slightly. He’d just have to fight this shit as much as he could. He was pretty much already fucked as it was, he would just go down swinging. Shuffling forward slightly he waited for the doctor to meet him halfway. His heart was thudding in his chest as the doctor lifted the short sleeve of his surprisingly comfortable hospital gown, wincing slightly as the needle entered his arm and the liquid forced its way in. No going back now.
Sam held his breath as Dean winced at the injection, his instincts screaming to soothe him. He stood fast though, grabbing both Gabriel and Castiel’s hands, the angels squeezing them back. The doctor stepped back from Dean, recapping the syringe, and depositing it in the yellow hazards bin by the door. The four men stood back and observed Dean who was looking between them all slightly confused.
Suddenly, he noticed Dean’s body language change. Sam watched as the small man’s body tensed and his eyes focused on the floor as if he had to concentrate hard on something. Dean’s eyes flickered a faint lilac, like a lightbulb struggling for power. Sam heard both angels gasp on either side of him as his own breath hitched.
Dean’s eyes started consistently glowing lilac, slowly growing deeper towards a strong violet as his legs started to wobble and his face pinched in concentration. Sam watched as Dean’s legs suddenly gave out beneath him and he fell to his knees. The young man looked up at his brother with bright violet eyes and proceeded to burst out crying.
Sam rushed forward and scooped up his brother, holding him close as he wailed into his shoulder. The crying sounded pained, frightened. Dean was terrified. Sam turned to the shocked doctor. “What’s happening? Why is he crying like this?” he asked, trying to soothe the boy in his arms who was crying louder by the second, almost screaming.
“I don’t know, I’ve never seen this kind of reaction,” the doctor stammered at a loss.
“Isn’t there something you can do?” Gabriel asked, reaching forward and rubbing a hand on one of Dean’s exposed legs as Sam held him bridal style.
“Hold on,” Doctor Bradley said before rushing out of the room. The three Caregivers all share a concerned look and do their best to comfort their shortest member. The doctor returned with another syringe and stepped forward, inserting it into Dean’s arm as he had the last one. Dean screamed louder at the pain and grabbed onto Sam tighter.
After a moment, the cries became more sluggish and quieted slowly, eventually silencing as Dean breathed softly. “I just gave him a mild sedative, it shouldn’t last too long,” the doctor said, discarding the used syringe. “I would recommend changing him into a diaper as he fell asleep in his headspace. You can stay with him whilst he sleeps but I am going to write him a prescription for Carbamazepine, an anti-epilepsy drug. He’ll need you to be in charge of it and manage his doses.”
Sam nodded as he crossed to the bed, pulling back the covers and placing Dean down. He made quick work of slipping a diaper onto his brother before shuffling him up the bed and tucking him in. To his surprise, the man began to fuss as he tried to detach his hands from his shirt. Sam smiled and climbed into the bed beside his brother and let him curl into his side.
He listened as Cas and Gabe finished speaking with the doctor before they settled in armchairs and chatted with each other, occasionally looping in their tall lover on the bed. Meanwhile, Sam stared at his brother’s peaceful face as he slept.
“I’m going to look after you, Dean,” He spoke softly, carding a hand through Dean’s spiky hair. “I promise. You’re never going to be alone again.”