Puppet Food Part 1
Title: Puppet Food (1 - 4)
Summary: Bruised, tired and mentally exhausted from their previous hunt, the boys decide to take a break before they look for the next one. Unfortunately for them, their next hunt finds them first. Contains mature material.
Characters/Pairings: Gen, Dean, Sam, Sam/OMC, OMCs
Author: chocca2
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: *sigh* No, I Still don’t own them, I don’t own much, in fact there have been questions surrounding the ownership of my mind. However, saying that, any characters you don’t recognize have been derived from my head.
Warnings: Violence, graphic descriptions, Strong language, slight noncon (if you squint), Dark fic
Author’s Note: This was originally posted it on Fanfiction.net. Now, this is just one of the many ideas in this crazy head of mine, it’s a ‘Vamp fic’ with a twist. Without giving too much away, there will be Sam and Dean Angst, but mostly Sammy and more protective Dean. Basically Sam's on the menu. They like to play with their food first….
It’s a bit of a slow start but will pick up quickly. It's another a long story (around 45,800 words in total) so I have arranged/grouped the chapters together make it a bit more manageable to read. It's complete so I'll post the rest in a few days. Reviews are very welcome!
Big thanks to my wonderful beta
mickchelle
(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6)
On a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha,
you can listen to your car’s engine moanin' out its single song.
You can think about the woman or the girl
you knew the night before,
but your thoughts will soon be wandering,
the way they always do
when you're ridin' sixteen hours
and there's nothin' much to do
and you don't feel much like ridin',
you just wish the trip was through.
"Turn the Page" by Bob Seger.
The rumble of the Impala’s engine filled the inside of car, its deep vibrations blending with the low muffled sound of Metallica protruding through car stereo. After the second time through, Dean had turned the music to a low hum playing in the background. His head was throbbing. He scrunched his eyes tightly shut, before opening them wide. He turned the warm temperature over to the other end so that the blowers shot out a cool breeze.
In a matter of seconds, the car was filled with cold air that upon making contact with his bare skin caused his hairs to stand and goose bumps formed on his arms. Still, the uncomfortable temperature was needed. After four hours of continuous driving, coupled with injuries and the day that they’d had, his adrenaline levels had almost completely left his system exhausted and fatigued.
"Shit." He muttered, forcing his heavy eyes open a little wider.
They needed to stop. Find somewhere to recuperate and repair and mend their bodies, not to mention their minds. The last hunt had not gone according to plan. The demon they had expelled from a young boy had not gone down without a fight.
Dean turned to his sleeping brother and shook his head. Sam had taken the brunt of it. Dean gazed at Sam once more. Sam’s head was against the window, a patch of condensation creeping across the glass was the only sign that he was still breathing. His hair was caked with blood where his head had made contact with a wall. Dean was sure it had caused a bad concussion as he had battled for most of the trip to keep his little brother awake. In the last hour he had allowed Sam to close his eyes for ten minute intervals before waking him and forcing the younger man to recite his age, name and gender. The latter Dean had added for his own amusement.
He watched Sam concentrate for an answer before realising the question. On receiving the correct answers, including the slurred curse, he had let his exhausted little brother sleep, it was clear that staying awake was not only difficult but also painful.
Yawning loudly, Dean’s eyes widened at the site of the sign that whizzed past his view.
"Motel, one mile." Dean replied to himself.
The older hunter straightened in his seat and sighed in relief. He concentrated on getting Sam, himself and car there in one piece.
-------------
They arrived at ten minutes to midnight. The motel manager was an old, moody and very inquisitive man. He looked Dean up and down, questioning him about the bruises on his face and why he had blood on his shirt. The young, experienced hunter had answers ready on the tip of his tongue. The questioning hadn’t stopped there, he asked about their destination, their purpose for being in town, their occupation, it went on and on. Dean’s patience and tolerance for the man had grown dangerously thin and if it wasn’t for the state that he and his brother were in, he would have told the old man where to shove his questions and snide remarks before abruptly turning and walking out.
However, the position of he and his brother took priority and that meant they had to stop for the night before he caused an accident somewhere on the highway between the motel and the next town.
Looking back at his car, Dean did the only thing he could and fed the man a string of lies that satisfied him enough to finally hand over the room keys for the night.
‘What a dick! Tomorrow we find another motel.’ He thought as he walked over to the car, he roughly got in slammed the door, cursing as he saw his brother flinch.
"Sorry Sammy." After the very short trip around to the side of the motel, Dean removed the key from the ignition and exhaled loudly.
He patted Sam on the shoulder before getting out of the car. Dean tapped the passenger window lightly while he walked around to the back to collect their belongings.
Dean sighed as he returned to find a still sleeping brother huddled against the door. With everything they needed, now in their room, all that was left was his little brother, who seemed unwilling to co-operate.
"Okay Sammy, you may be my little brother, but you sure ain’t little anymore and I’m not carrying you!" Dean watched from the open driver side as Sam curled in on himself in response.
He placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder and shook him lightly as he spoke, "Come on Sammy, there’s a nice warm bed waiting for you!" He smiled when he saw Sam’s eyes flicker.
"I’ll even get you a nice warm coco, maybe read you a story and tuck you in if you’re good boy." Dean grinned.
"Jerk!" Sam mumbled while attempting to open his door.
-----------------
Sam sat on the edge of the bed and squeezed his eyes shut. Even whilst sitting, he could feel the room moving beneath his feet. He had eventually made it from the car to their room in one piece thanks to the assistance of his brother, who was now rummaging through the first aid kit. He swallowed the bile rising in his throat, sucking in a deep breath, he held it and hoped the nausea would pass. After two seconds he exhaled and found no comfort in doing so as the nausea still boiled in his stomach.
Now panting, he opened his eyes to focus on locating the bathroom. The light dazed his vision and he tried to follow the sound of his brother’s voice. Dean! He had to warn Dean. Another minute passed and he knew his time was running out. He had to find a bathroom before he decorated the carpet with the contents of his stomach.
"You okay?" Dean stood in front of Sam, looking down with a concerned expression.
Sam looked up and regretted the movement, groaning in response, he clapped his hand over his mouth.
---- 30 minutes later---
The room was drenched in an uncomfortable silence.
"You owe me big time Sam! That was just… disgusting!" Dean made a face while pulling on a clean shirt.
After he had taken care of Sam, he’d jumped in the shower to clean up a little. Sam lay still, in bed, on his back, with his arm draped over his face.
"Urg …I said I’m sorry, Dean." Turning to lie on his side, Sam faced the young man that stood at the other end of the room. Dean walked over to Sam’s bed and using his foot, he slid a bin closer to him.
"If you throw up in your bed, you’re on your own, got it?" Dean spoke with his face still scrunched in disgust.
"Gee Thanks!" The younger man groaned and shoved his face deeper into the pillow.
"You’re welcome, now get some rest, it’s late. I’ll take a better look at your head in the morning." Dean slid into the cool crisp sheets of his own bed and paused before turning out the light. He looked over to Sam and shook his head.
-------------
"Ow! Dammit Sam!" Dean spat and gritted his teeth against the pain.
"Stop being a baby and try and stay still, Dean!" Sam responded, his face deep in concentration over the task at hand.
"God dammit! Watch it Sam!" Dean whined.
"I have to make sure it’s tight, Dean." Sam shot his older brother a frustrated look.
"Whatever. Just hurry the hell up will ya!" Dean begged.
Sam stopped and shot another look towards the older man.
"Do you want me to do this properly or not, Dean?"
Dean opened and closed his mouth without saying anything else. He was in too much pain to get into a fight, again.
Both brothers had woken up in pain and that put them both in foul moods. Sam had woken and attempted to clean up after himself. However, he hadn’t gotten very far and was found with his face pasted to the bathroom floor by his big brother.
Dean woke up sluggish, having not had a lot of sleep, thanks to their neighbours and the cardboard walls. This place was a real dump. Every inch of his body ached, only adding to his irritation.
On discovering the empty pain medication, the two men’s frustrations had turned to anger.
Dean hadn’t forgotten to remind his younger brother of his ‘throwing up all over him’ incident, to which the younger man apologised until he’d had enough. It was then that Sam’s comment about Dean’s lack of responsibility in replenishing their kit flared them into a full blown argument.
It lasted until they had drained their already weakened bodies. They had laid on their beds for half an hour until a silent truce was announced and they began to patch each other up the best they could.
"Food or Meds first?" Dean questioned, trying to ease the tension.
"Ah, food, not that I’m hungry, but you can’t take the pain meds on an empty stomach." Sam finished and stood up slowly grasping the bed for support.
"Right, err …Thanks for…" Dean gestured to his bound chest a little uncomfortable with the situation. Sam nodded and responded with his own unspoken appreciation, followed by an extended period of awkward silence.
"Let’s just go!" Dean replied finally and pushed himself up.
xxxxxxxxx
The drive to the local dinner had been short and made in silence. Dean turned the ignition off and pulled out the keys. Both brothers sat still in their seats, gazing toward the small, unattractive food establishment. They almost groaned in unison as they went for the door handles to get out of the car.
The door bell chimed as the two hunters entered the old diner, each did their survey of the surroundings before they both headed for the farthest booth in the corner. The prying eyes of the few occupants followed them until they sat.
Dean stared at the jumbled words on the menu in front of him, the throbbing pressure in his head would not ease. When he finally made out the ingredients of the breakfast special, he snapped the menu shut and faced his younger brother expectantly. Sam also sat staring at the menu. He contemplated on what he could manage to place into his mouth with having to see again a few minutes later.
The pain in his head was still there, but duller now, not as vicious.
"So, what are you having?" Dean asked as he slouched lower into his seat.
Sam looked up with a blank expression, Dean hadn’t spoken for a while. Things had been tense and uncomfortable since their pointless argument, he sighed and concluded that he and Dean would both feel better after eating and some breakfast.
He truly wasn’t hungry, but would humour his older brother, who was obviously attempting to make amends. Sam briefly looked at the menu.
"Err, I think I’m gonna go for…hmm…Toast." Smiling, he smugly placed the menu down, satisfied at his selection.
"It took you over five minutes to decide on Toast?" Dean laughed before regretting the movement of his sore ribs with a pained gasp.
"Whatever. So, what are you having?" The younger hunter sat straighter and went about analysing the salt shaker with an intensity that caused Dean to notice Sam’s unease.
Damn, that demon had gotten under Sam’s skin.
Both brothers where experienced enough to know how demons would try everything possible to distract and cause damage in every way, but this time had felt different. This time the words and comments had not bounced off as they should, they penetrated the skin and burned a hole that was visible enough to see through.
He saw the open wounds in Sam caused by the comments about Jessica and their Dad. Hell, Dean had felt the burn after the taunts about their father. Both he and Sam just needed things to get back to normal. They just had to shake the whole thing off and get back to being themselves again.
With that in mind, he thought he’d attempt and lighten the mood.
"Well Samantha, I’m a grown man, so I’m gonna have the breakfast special." Dean smirked at his younger brother while looking around for the waitress.
The truth was that he wasn’t very hungry himself, but he knew he had to eat something before taking the medication, plus he felt weak. They hadn’t eaten for over twenty four hour, even prior to that their appetites were suppressed by the ordeal of exorcism. The lack of nourishment was starting to effect their performance.
"I told you Dean, I’m not hungry." Sam looked up at his older brother and sighed sadly.
"Toast will be fine." Sam continued with head low, fumbling with the salt shaker.
The waitress came, took their orders and returned with the two plates and two cups of hot coffee. Sam hadn’t raised his head since their food had arrived. He took a total of ten bites of toast that he had struggled down. Dean had counted and noted each mouth full his brother took, he hadn’t commented on it as he too struggled to swallow the greasy food. After moving around the remaining food on his plate for over ten minutes, Dean decided that they were both done. The pain in his head was now intense and the slightest movements caused white dots to appear before his eyes.
----------
After ‘eating,’ the two young men made their way to the town’s local shops, their main focus on finding the nearest pharmacy or even a convenience store, anywhere that stocked basic medical supplies, including pain killers.
On the drive to the town, Sam sat quietly, taking in the scenery. It was then that he realised that he hadn’t known where they were. Then again, he was out of it for most of their retreat from their last hunt and he doubted Dean had anywhere in mind but as far away from Arizona as they could manage.
Sam shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He grimaced at the thought of their previous hunt, and sure, he was relieved that they had managed to save the possessed boy, but the ordeal had left an extremely sour taste in his mouth, not to mention opened a large mental wound that was now exposed.
Sam rubbed his face with his un-injured hand, these thoughts and memories a little too tender for now as he mentally tried to push them aside. Returning to his mindless gaze out of the window, the young man formulated that the lone dusty roads still indicated that they were south. He gazed over at his brother and thought to ask him, but the cantankerous expression on Dean’s face told Sam to wait. He would at least wait until Dean had some pain medication in him, that and a good sleep.
Damn, they were both hurting. Dean had experienced his share from the demon not only physically but mentally as well. Sam hadn’t said a word to his brother since the diner, he figured they were not in the mood for much, especially talking.
After having their pointless argument in the morning, he had tried his best to not annoy or tick his older brother off any further than he already had. Sam sighed, even he felt pissed and cranky he realised that this feeling was causing whatever he said to sound slightly brash and haughty. This and Dean, of course, was not a good mix.
----
The town was aged, but was mismatched both with modern and older styled shops that stretched through a long main road. About half way in the middle, the boys spotted their destination. Dean was out of the car before Sam had processed that they had stopped.
The younger hunter slipped out of the vehicle and after locking it, quickened his pace a little to catch up behind his brother.
---
Dean listened for the door behind him, to make sure Sam had followed. He hadn’t spoken to his younger brother since the diner and wouldn’t now until he could speak without snapping. He wasn’t angry with Sam, in fact, the opposite. He was worried and concerned for him, not only his physical state, but his mental one as well.
Dean noted that ‘a quiet Sam’ usually meant ‘a thinking Sam,’ and made a mental note, that when he felt more himself that he would have get Sam to talk about it. Huffing loudly, the older hunter walked over to the medical supplies located down an aisle second closest to the counter.
Picking up a bunch of supplies and clasped them against his sore chest. Dean cursed at the jolt of pain and muttered to himself that he should have picked up a carrier. Upon turning, he found his younger brother holding the handle of a plastic basket toward him.
"Here" He offered quietly.
Dean’s frown drifted into a smile while he dropped the contents into the carrier.
"Thanks. You want anything else?" Dean asked.
Sam surveyed the contents and nodded.
"We need some water." Dean immediately turned toward the isle he had spotted on entering.
"Yep, I’m not drinking that brown stuff coming out the taps either!" He scrunched his face and looked to see his brother’s response, smiling again as he watched Sam pull the same expression.
They had everything they needed. Dean paused while approaching the counter, he stared into the basket counting up the bill in his head. He bit his lip when he reached very close to his budgeted figure. Damn it, they needed some cash he thought while resuming his way toward the payment counter.
"I have some cash Dean." Sam hated how weak his voice came out.
Dean glanced at Sam.
"Nah, I think we’ve got enough. You can save that for later though." Sam shook his head, understanding that that would mean Dean was going to the bar later.
While the cashier totalled and packed their purchase, Sam hovered away and approached the door. He looked out into the street and noted that it seemed to be a very quiet town. There were very few cars and the only the odd person coming in and out of the shops.
Dean brushed passed Sam’s shoulder and walked out of the shop, with Sam at his heels. They slowly made their way to the car, before placing the bags in the back seat, igniting the engine and speeding off down the dusty road.
The tall man, stood in the shadows of a shop canopy, dropped his cigarette and put it out with his boot. He blew out a cloud of smoke and smirked as he inhaled a deep, long breath trying to catch the remnants of their scent.
‘New blood.’ He thought as he pulled the collar of his jacket up.
xxxxxxxx
Sam could feel the sting around the rim of in his eyes, partly due to tiredness, but mostly because he felt like he wanted to cry and not just shed a tear but really cry. He feared if he gave into the threatening tears that they would never stop.
Sam looked up to the mirror in front of him and immediately turned away from his reflection.
Flashback
Sweat ran down the young boy’s face, making his fine blonde locks cling to his face. His small piercing eyes stared towards the two hunters, mainly focused on Sam Winchester.
“Oh Saaammmy…” The tiny voice sang playfully.
Sam tensed and gripped harder to the large book in his hands. He stood beside Dean, who held the rosary beads in one hand and holy water in the other.
Dean turned and nodded to Sam to continue.
Sam swallowed hard, with his head down he spoke, reciting the Latin phrases and words.
“Now come on Sammy, don’t be like that.”
When Sam looked up to the child, he saw the all too familiar smirk that the young boy wore. It was the same smirk that the demon produced, it may have been a different face, a different demon, but behind it he saw the pure evil.
“You know you’re no different to me Sam, just because you deny it doesn’t make you any better. I mean, at least I wasn’t responsible for my own mother’s death. She brings into this world and yo… Ahhhrrrr” The screams and cries, followed by strong curses, echoed through the darkened room.
Dean was standing over the boy, splashing more holy water across the tiny body.
“Take that you son of a bitch!”
The young boy panted through the pain of the exorcism. He gritted his teeth as he stared daggers toward the older hunter before him, he gathered saliva in his month and spat at him.
“Fuck you!”
Sam watched as Dean gathered every bit of calm he could muster, they knew this would be a hard one, the demon had chosen such an innocent young boy to possess and it was difficult to hear such cruel words pour out from a child.
Sam's hands were holding so hard onto the book that he almost tore the page. He spoke louder, attempting to ignore what was being said.
“You’re going back to hell! You hear me!” Dean spat, he gripped his rosary beads tighter.
“Hell? Now that’s a good subject, because, you see, I won’t be alone, you want me to say hi to Daddy for you? I cou… Arrr” The boy pressed his lips together as he fought the pain.
“…And Sam, Jessica and Mommy send their lov…FUCK!” The boy’s head flung back as his eyes blackened.
“As their poor bodies burn, tear and suffer indescribable pain that will never end, they think of you, Sam!”
Sam’s voice trembled at the thought of his loved ones, the tears in his eyes clouded his vision and he attempted to read the words in front him. He looked up beside him as he felt the firm hand on his shoulder.
”Don’t Stop!” Dean spoke, trying to encourage his deflated brother.
The boy’s body shook violently, while the effects of the exorcism took grip; his voice switched and fluctuated between the deep evil growl and a young, lost boy.
“Sam, I gotta give it to you, I mean you really are a bad omen, from the day you were born and even now every body around you dies…” The child looked up and smiled at the effect his words had on the two men.
He watched Dean step closer and aim the holy water at him. This, however only made the young boy smile even more.
“Oh you never learn…” He squeaked and flung Dean to one corner of the room.
Sam watched in horror as he was thrown to the other direction, his vision blurred before everything faded to black.
Present
The loud banging on the door shocked and woke the younger brother from the memory.
“Dude? You gonna share the bathroom or what?”
Sam sensed the concern in his brother’s voice. God, how long had he been in here? He wondered as he swiped his hand over his face.
“Sam?”
Sam cleared his throat, “Yeah I’m coming, just give me a minute!”
---
Dean walked away from the bathroom door.
“Yeah a minute, you’ve only had over thirty minutes already, Sammy.” He moaned.
The older hunter Sat on the edge of his bed and ran his hands through his hair. He began to regret agreeing to Sam accompanying him to the bar. It was clear that his younger brother’s head was messed up, hell his was too.
The older brother within him allowed Dean put aside his own feelings and place Sam’s first, it was a natural trait of Dean Winchester, and he would always look out for Sammy, even if he wasn’t ‘Okay’.
The bathroom door clicked and opened to reveal a freshened up, but very tired looking Sam.
“You look worse now than you did when you went in.” Dean spoke as he picked up his bag and walked towards the bathroom.
“Thanks Dean!” Sam answered and smiled sarcastically.
“You're welcome! Be ready to go when I’m done. We leave in fifteen!”
--------
He lifted the drink and swallowed remains of the cold beer, placing the empty glass heavily on the counter.
The bar tender walked over and offered the youngest Winchester another.
“Yeah, thanks.” Sam turned his head to the pool table at the back of the room.
Dean had a large grin on his face, he watched as the young woman flaunt over to him, placing her finger on his lip. He shook his head in acknowledgement.
Sam turned back to face the bar as another cold, large beer was placed before him. Sam nodded in response and lifted the cool liquid towards his lips.
“Brother’s eh?”
Sam shot his head up at the bar tender; he tensed as his hunter instincts took over.
“What?” He spoke defensively.
“Hey, chill dude. I have an older brother. It was justa guess. You get to have great observational skills in this job.” The tall man held his hands up to signal no harm, he turned away and continued to work.
Sam watched him for a minute and returned to his beer. He ran his finger over the condensation of the cool drink; maybe he had been a little harsh, maybe he just needed some harmless banter to help detach himself from his thoughts.
He took another long swig of his drink. “You must get to see a lot, working in a bar?”
The blond headed bar tender turned to face him, he smiled and responded. “Oh yeah, probably one of the only perks of this job, it’s not my life’s ambition to do this forever, I’m just saving up.”
Sam smiled in response, understanding that bar work wasn’t something most people aspired to do. “You’re saving up? What for?” He inquired and took another sip of his drink.
“For college.” The bar tender replied with enthusiasm. He appeared excited that someone was interested in his plans.
xxxxxxxx
Sam couldn’t hide his amusement at the coincidence of the man’s plans.
The bar tender pushed the cloth further into the tall glass he was cleaning, lifting his brow to indicate that he wasn’t following Sam’s amusement.
The young hunter didn’t reply, he simply chuckled more to himself and took another sip of his drink before looking down into his glass.
“Okay what? Did I say something funny?” The bar tender paused and stopped what he was doing, “Are you just going to laugh at me for the rest of evening?”
“I’m not laughing at you, it’s just … ah …it's nothing” Sam replied with an inward smile.
“Nothing huh?” The young man standing behind the bar wore a dejected expression as he nodded and picked up his glass and cloth.
“Look man, that came out wrong, what I mean is, it’s just funny cause in a way I can relate to you…that’s all” Sam tried his best ‘forgive me’ smile and waited for a response.
“Another?” The bar tender offered pushing a shot glass towards the hunter as he lifted the bottle of Jack Daniels.
Sam rubbed his hand over his face, he had reached his usual limit for alcohol consumption, which in Sam’s case wasn’t much and was not sure if he truly wanted to drink the night away.
“I… uh… lemme finish this first.” He gestured to the remainder of the beer in his glass. The bar tender nodded and went to serve another customer.
The younger hunter turned around behind him to look for his brother, he sighed as he saw Dean in the same place he had been since he last looked at him. He watched as Dean grinned at the women’s flirtatious teasing, it didn’t take long for the brothers to make eye contact, at which point Dean nodded and untied himself from the women's grip.
“Sorry ladies, I’ll right back.” The older hunter gave them a wink while he walked away towards Sam.
“I did pretty well tonight!” He raised his eyebrows while he placed his hands in his pockets.
Sam glanced at the two women and then back to his brother with an unimpressed expression.
“I can see that, so did you actually win anything, apart from the local entertainment?”
“Uh yeah! Made 150 dollars, hence I said I did pretty well.” Dean straightened as he corrected his sibling. He glanced towards the girls and smiled.
“Okay, so yeah maybe the local women have found themselves drawn to me, I can’t help being attractive.” Dean smiled.
Sam snorted at his brother's comment “Whatever Dean, so you're done right?” The younger hunter turned to the women once more and continued before Dean could reply. “Well, in here anyway?”
“I sure am bro, uh Let me take you back to the motel and drop you off.” Dean threw another wink towards the women, causing them to giggle and wave. “Unless you wanna… You know...meet the locals?” Dean smirked.
“No thanks, I'll pass. Go on, I'll stick around here for a bit. See you later Dean, you have fun and…” He gulped the last of his beer down, forcing a smile at the waving ladies “Uh play safe...”
“I always do Sammy” Dean’s smile turned to a frown as he noticed the empty glass.
“So how many have you had? You're planning on staying here? You sure you don't want a lift back?”
“Bye Dean.” Sam answered with sarcasm in his voice.
“I’m just looking out for you Sammy.”
“Thanks, but I’ll be just fine, Dean.” The younger Winchester smiled and placed his hand on his brother’s back ushering him towards the women. “Have fun.”
“Later dude!” Dean grinned and left.
Sam watched his brother walk away with both women on either side of him. He rolled his eyes and snorted before bowing his head to stare at the countertop.
Sam looked up from the puddle he had been staring at on the bar while he thought about another beer. He was met by the now familiar face of the bar tender; in the dim light his pale skin contrasted with his intense, blue eyes making for a very unique and unforgettable appearance.
“That drink still on offer?” he asked.
He was answered by the sliding of the shot glass over to him, followed by the bottle.
-----
Laughter echoed through the nearly empty bar. The two had joked and shared light chatter until the early hours of the morning. It surprised Sam at how easily he had opened to the stranger, although part of him knew that it was mainly to do with the alcohol, there was another feeling he had that he couldn’t quite pin point. Sam reached into his pocket for the twenty he knew he had put away. His hand brushed his cell phone and he pulled it out along with the note.
The Winchester glanced at the screen, confirming the time as he thought about his brother. The thought of calling him for a lift passed as quickly as it came and he stood up from the bar stool, trying to gain his balance.
“Look, thanks man, that should cover it” Sam slipped the twenty onto the bar as he discreetly held onto it for support.
The bar tender frowned for a brief moment and took the twenty before retuning shortly with fifteen dollars.
Sam scrunched his face, confused at the amount change, “I think you uh…I don’t understand?”
“I told you those last few were on the house. It's least I could for you, seeing as you listened to me babble on for hours” He spoke playfully at the confused and slightly tipsy young man.
Sam nodded and stepped back, suddenly feeling confident enough to balance on his own. He scooped up his change and placed it in his pocket. Sam watched as the bar tender held out his hand and smiled.
“I’m Tristan by the way.”
He met the greeting hand “Right….Sam. Thanks again and… uh …if I don’t see you again good luck with everything”
“Thanks. Same to you” He replied and watched the young Winchester walk out of the bar. He stood there for several minutes, wearing a grin at the closed door.
----
Sam brought his jacket tighter around himself, he had thought the long walk back to the motel would sober him a little, that and he didn’t want to have to bother his brother, knowing he was probably ‘busy’ with his own entertainment.
After a few minutes the crisp air certainly did its trick with the sobering up, the young hunter was now fully awake and regretting staying at the bar so late, the appeal of a nice warm bed was growing with every step he took.
Sam’s thoughts were disturbed by a sudden presence; he quickly turned around, bringing out his gun to point it at the threat. Sam frowned and hastily darted his eyes from left to right. He was sure someone was behind him, he gripped harder to his weapon, the wide open space made him feel increasingly uncomfortable. He turned around to continue towards his destination, but was immediately met with a blow that drifted him into unconsciousness.
----
The room was drenched in darkness, only one bed lay empty.
The tall figure stood over the bed where the youngest Winchester lay. He had been striped down to his jeans, his limp form was draped across the bed.
The pale, soft hand stroked away the young man’s brown locks covering his face. The same hand took the butt of his cigarette and put it out in the unused ash tray on the bedside table. He licked his lips while he dipped his head lower towards the unconscious Winchester and drew in a deep long breath. He held it in and smiled before leaving the room.
Summary: Bruised, tired and mentally exhausted from their previous hunt, the boys decide to take a break before they look for the next one. Unfortunately for them, their next hunt finds them first. Contains mature material.
Characters/Pairings: Gen, Dean, Sam, Sam/OMC, OMCs
Author: chocca2
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: *sigh* No, I Still don’t own them, I don’t own much, in fact there have been questions surrounding the ownership of my mind. However, saying that, any characters you don’t recognize have been derived from my head.
Warnings: Violence, graphic descriptions, Strong language, slight noncon (if you squint), Dark fic
Author’s Note: This was originally posted it on Fanfiction.net. Now, this is just one of the many ideas in this crazy head of mine, it’s a ‘Vamp fic’ with a twist. Without giving too much away, there will be Sam and Dean Angst, but mostly Sammy and more protective Dean. Basically Sam's on the menu. They like to play with their food first….
It’s a bit of a slow start but will pick up quickly. It's another a long story (around 45,800 words in total) so I have arranged/grouped the chapters together make it a bit more manageable to read. It's complete so I'll post the rest in a few days. Reviews are very welcome!
Big thanks to my wonderful beta
mickchelle
(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6)
On a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha,
you can listen to your car’s engine moanin' out its single song.
You can think about the woman or the girl
you knew the night before,
but your thoughts will soon be wandering,
the way they always do
when you're ridin' sixteen hours
and there's nothin' much to do
and you don't feel much like ridin',
you just wish the trip was through.
"Turn the Page" by Bob Seger.
The rumble of the Impala’s engine filled the inside of car, its deep vibrations blending with the low muffled sound of Metallica protruding through car stereo. After the second time through, Dean had turned the music to a low hum playing in the background. His head was throbbing. He scrunched his eyes tightly shut, before opening them wide. He turned the warm temperature over to the other end so that the blowers shot out a cool breeze.
In a matter of seconds, the car was filled with cold air that upon making contact with his bare skin caused his hairs to stand and goose bumps formed on his arms. Still, the uncomfortable temperature was needed. After four hours of continuous driving, coupled with injuries and the day that they’d had, his adrenaline levels had almost completely left his system exhausted and fatigued.
"Shit." He muttered, forcing his heavy eyes open a little wider.
They needed to stop. Find somewhere to recuperate and repair and mend their bodies, not to mention their minds. The last hunt had not gone according to plan. The demon they had expelled from a young boy had not gone down without a fight.
Dean turned to his sleeping brother and shook his head. Sam had taken the brunt of it. Dean gazed at Sam once more. Sam’s head was against the window, a patch of condensation creeping across the glass was the only sign that he was still breathing. His hair was caked with blood where his head had made contact with a wall. Dean was sure it had caused a bad concussion as he had battled for most of the trip to keep his little brother awake. In the last hour he had allowed Sam to close his eyes for ten minute intervals before waking him and forcing the younger man to recite his age, name and gender. The latter Dean had added for his own amusement.
He watched Sam concentrate for an answer before realising the question. On receiving the correct answers, including the slurred curse, he had let his exhausted little brother sleep, it was clear that staying awake was not only difficult but also painful.
Yawning loudly, Dean’s eyes widened at the site of the sign that whizzed past his view.
"Motel, one mile." Dean replied to himself.
The older hunter straightened in his seat and sighed in relief. He concentrated on getting Sam, himself and car there in one piece.
-------------
They arrived at ten minutes to midnight. The motel manager was an old, moody and very inquisitive man. He looked Dean up and down, questioning him about the bruises on his face and why he had blood on his shirt. The young, experienced hunter had answers ready on the tip of his tongue. The questioning hadn’t stopped there, he asked about their destination, their purpose for being in town, their occupation, it went on and on. Dean’s patience and tolerance for the man had grown dangerously thin and if it wasn’t for the state that he and his brother were in, he would have told the old man where to shove his questions and snide remarks before abruptly turning and walking out.
However, the position of he and his brother took priority and that meant they had to stop for the night before he caused an accident somewhere on the highway between the motel and the next town.
Looking back at his car, Dean did the only thing he could and fed the man a string of lies that satisfied him enough to finally hand over the room keys for the night.
‘What a dick! Tomorrow we find another motel.’ He thought as he walked over to the car, he roughly got in slammed the door, cursing as he saw his brother flinch.
"Sorry Sammy." After the very short trip around to the side of the motel, Dean removed the key from the ignition and exhaled loudly.
He patted Sam on the shoulder before getting out of the car. Dean tapped the passenger window lightly while he walked around to the back to collect their belongings.
Dean sighed as he returned to find a still sleeping brother huddled against the door. With everything they needed, now in their room, all that was left was his little brother, who seemed unwilling to co-operate.
"Okay Sammy, you may be my little brother, but you sure ain’t little anymore and I’m not carrying you!" Dean watched from the open driver side as Sam curled in on himself in response.
He placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder and shook him lightly as he spoke, "Come on Sammy, there’s a nice warm bed waiting for you!" He smiled when he saw Sam’s eyes flicker.
"I’ll even get you a nice warm coco, maybe read you a story and tuck you in if you’re good boy." Dean grinned.
"Jerk!" Sam mumbled while attempting to open his door.
-----------------
Sam sat on the edge of the bed and squeezed his eyes shut. Even whilst sitting, he could feel the room moving beneath his feet. He had eventually made it from the car to their room in one piece thanks to the assistance of his brother, who was now rummaging through the first aid kit. He swallowed the bile rising in his throat, sucking in a deep breath, he held it and hoped the nausea would pass. After two seconds he exhaled and found no comfort in doing so as the nausea still boiled in his stomach.
Now panting, he opened his eyes to focus on locating the bathroom. The light dazed his vision and he tried to follow the sound of his brother’s voice. Dean! He had to warn Dean. Another minute passed and he knew his time was running out. He had to find a bathroom before he decorated the carpet with the contents of his stomach.
"You okay?" Dean stood in front of Sam, looking down with a concerned expression.
Sam looked up and regretted the movement, groaning in response, he clapped his hand over his mouth.
---- 30 minutes later---
The room was drenched in an uncomfortable silence.
"You owe me big time Sam! That was just… disgusting!" Dean made a face while pulling on a clean shirt.
After he had taken care of Sam, he’d jumped in the shower to clean up a little. Sam lay still, in bed, on his back, with his arm draped over his face.
"Urg …I said I’m sorry, Dean." Turning to lie on his side, Sam faced the young man that stood at the other end of the room. Dean walked over to Sam’s bed and using his foot, he slid a bin closer to him.
"If you throw up in your bed, you’re on your own, got it?" Dean spoke with his face still scrunched in disgust.
"Gee Thanks!" The younger man groaned and shoved his face deeper into the pillow.
"You’re welcome, now get some rest, it’s late. I’ll take a better look at your head in the morning." Dean slid into the cool crisp sheets of his own bed and paused before turning out the light. He looked over to Sam and shook his head.
-------------
"Ow! Dammit Sam!" Dean spat and gritted his teeth against the pain.
"Stop being a baby and try and stay still, Dean!" Sam responded, his face deep in concentration over the task at hand.
"God dammit! Watch it Sam!" Dean whined.
"I have to make sure it’s tight, Dean." Sam shot his older brother a frustrated look.
"Whatever. Just hurry the hell up will ya!" Dean begged.
Sam stopped and shot another look towards the older man.
"Do you want me to do this properly or not, Dean?"
Dean opened and closed his mouth without saying anything else. He was in too much pain to get into a fight, again.
Both brothers had woken up in pain and that put them both in foul moods. Sam had woken and attempted to clean up after himself. However, he hadn’t gotten very far and was found with his face pasted to the bathroom floor by his big brother.
Dean woke up sluggish, having not had a lot of sleep, thanks to their neighbours and the cardboard walls. This place was a real dump. Every inch of his body ached, only adding to his irritation.
On discovering the empty pain medication, the two men’s frustrations had turned to anger.
Dean hadn’t forgotten to remind his younger brother of his ‘throwing up all over him’ incident, to which the younger man apologised until he’d had enough. It was then that Sam’s comment about Dean’s lack of responsibility in replenishing their kit flared them into a full blown argument.
It lasted until they had drained their already weakened bodies. They had laid on their beds for half an hour until a silent truce was announced and they began to patch each other up the best they could.
"Food or Meds first?" Dean questioned, trying to ease the tension.
"Ah, food, not that I’m hungry, but you can’t take the pain meds on an empty stomach." Sam finished and stood up slowly grasping the bed for support.
"Right, err …Thanks for…" Dean gestured to his bound chest a little uncomfortable with the situation. Sam nodded and responded with his own unspoken appreciation, followed by an extended period of awkward silence.
"Let’s just go!" Dean replied finally and pushed himself up.
xxxxxxxxx
The drive to the local dinner had been short and made in silence. Dean turned the ignition off and pulled out the keys. Both brothers sat still in their seats, gazing toward the small, unattractive food establishment. They almost groaned in unison as they went for the door handles to get out of the car.
The door bell chimed as the two hunters entered the old diner, each did their survey of the surroundings before they both headed for the farthest booth in the corner. The prying eyes of the few occupants followed them until they sat.
Dean stared at the jumbled words on the menu in front of him, the throbbing pressure in his head would not ease. When he finally made out the ingredients of the breakfast special, he snapped the menu shut and faced his younger brother expectantly. Sam also sat staring at the menu. He contemplated on what he could manage to place into his mouth with having to see again a few minutes later.
The pain in his head was still there, but duller now, not as vicious.
"So, what are you having?" Dean asked as he slouched lower into his seat.
Sam looked up with a blank expression, Dean hadn’t spoken for a while. Things had been tense and uncomfortable since their pointless argument, he sighed and concluded that he and Dean would both feel better after eating and some breakfast.
He truly wasn’t hungry, but would humour his older brother, who was obviously attempting to make amends. Sam briefly looked at the menu.
"Err, I think I’m gonna go for…hmm…Toast." Smiling, he smugly placed the menu down, satisfied at his selection.
"It took you over five minutes to decide on Toast?" Dean laughed before regretting the movement of his sore ribs with a pained gasp.
"Whatever. So, what are you having?" The younger hunter sat straighter and went about analysing the salt shaker with an intensity that caused Dean to notice Sam’s unease.
Damn, that demon had gotten under Sam’s skin.
Both brothers where experienced enough to know how demons would try everything possible to distract and cause damage in every way, but this time had felt different. This time the words and comments had not bounced off as they should, they penetrated the skin and burned a hole that was visible enough to see through.
He saw the open wounds in Sam caused by the comments about Jessica and their Dad. Hell, Dean had felt the burn after the taunts about their father. Both he and Sam just needed things to get back to normal. They just had to shake the whole thing off and get back to being themselves again.
With that in mind, he thought he’d attempt and lighten the mood.
"Well Samantha, I’m a grown man, so I’m gonna have the breakfast special." Dean smirked at his younger brother while looking around for the waitress.
The truth was that he wasn’t very hungry himself, but he knew he had to eat something before taking the medication, plus he felt weak. They hadn’t eaten for over twenty four hour, even prior to that their appetites were suppressed by the ordeal of exorcism. The lack of nourishment was starting to effect their performance.
"I told you Dean, I’m not hungry." Sam looked up at his older brother and sighed sadly.
"Toast will be fine." Sam continued with head low, fumbling with the salt shaker.
The waitress came, took their orders and returned with the two plates and two cups of hot coffee. Sam hadn’t raised his head since their food had arrived. He took a total of ten bites of toast that he had struggled down. Dean had counted and noted each mouth full his brother took, he hadn’t commented on it as he too struggled to swallow the greasy food. After moving around the remaining food on his plate for over ten minutes, Dean decided that they were both done. The pain in his head was now intense and the slightest movements caused white dots to appear before his eyes.
----------
After ‘eating,’ the two young men made their way to the town’s local shops, their main focus on finding the nearest pharmacy or even a convenience store, anywhere that stocked basic medical supplies, including pain killers.
On the drive to the town, Sam sat quietly, taking in the scenery. It was then that he realised that he hadn’t known where they were. Then again, he was out of it for most of their retreat from their last hunt and he doubted Dean had anywhere in mind but as far away from Arizona as they could manage.
Sam shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He grimaced at the thought of their previous hunt, and sure, he was relieved that they had managed to save the possessed boy, but the ordeal had left an extremely sour taste in his mouth, not to mention opened a large mental wound that was now exposed.
Sam rubbed his face with his un-injured hand, these thoughts and memories a little too tender for now as he mentally tried to push them aside. Returning to his mindless gaze out of the window, the young man formulated that the lone dusty roads still indicated that they were south. He gazed over at his brother and thought to ask him, but the cantankerous expression on Dean’s face told Sam to wait. He would at least wait until Dean had some pain medication in him, that and a good sleep.
Damn, they were both hurting. Dean had experienced his share from the demon not only physically but mentally as well. Sam hadn’t said a word to his brother since the diner, he figured they were not in the mood for much, especially talking.
After having their pointless argument in the morning, he had tried his best to not annoy or tick his older brother off any further than he already had. Sam sighed, even he felt pissed and cranky he realised that this feeling was causing whatever he said to sound slightly brash and haughty. This and Dean, of course, was not a good mix.
----
The town was aged, but was mismatched both with modern and older styled shops that stretched through a long main road. About half way in the middle, the boys spotted their destination. Dean was out of the car before Sam had processed that they had stopped.
The younger hunter slipped out of the vehicle and after locking it, quickened his pace a little to catch up behind his brother.
---
Dean listened for the door behind him, to make sure Sam had followed. He hadn’t spoken to his younger brother since the diner and wouldn’t now until he could speak without snapping. He wasn’t angry with Sam, in fact, the opposite. He was worried and concerned for him, not only his physical state, but his mental one as well.
Dean noted that ‘a quiet Sam’ usually meant ‘a thinking Sam,’ and made a mental note, that when he felt more himself that he would have get Sam to talk about it. Huffing loudly, the older hunter walked over to the medical supplies located down an aisle second closest to the counter.
Picking up a bunch of supplies and clasped them against his sore chest. Dean cursed at the jolt of pain and muttered to himself that he should have picked up a carrier. Upon turning, he found his younger brother holding the handle of a plastic basket toward him.
"Here" He offered quietly.
Dean’s frown drifted into a smile while he dropped the contents into the carrier.
"Thanks. You want anything else?" Dean asked.
Sam surveyed the contents and nodded.
"We need some water." Dean immediately turned toward the isle he had spotted on entering.
"Yep, I’m not drinking that brown stuff coming out the taps either!" He scrunched his face and looked to see his brother’s response, smiling again as he watched Sam pull the same expression.
They had everything they needed. Dean paused while approaching the counter, he stared into the basket counting up the bill in his head. He bit his lip when he reached very close to his budgeted figure. Damn it, they needed some cash he thought while resuming his way toward the payment counter.
"I have some cash Dean." Sam hated how weak his voice came out.
Dean glanced at Sam.
"Nah, I think we’ve got enough. You can save that for later though." Sam shook his head, understanding that that would mean Dean was going to the bar later.
While the cashier totalled and packed their purchase, Sam hovered away and approached the door. He looked out into the street and noted that it seemed to be a very quiet town. There were very few cars and the only the odd person coming in and out of the shops.
Dean brushed passed Sam’s shoulder and walked out of the shop, with Sam at his heels. They slowly made their way to the car, before placing the bags in the back seat, igniting the engine and speeding off down the dusty road.
The tall man, stood in the shadows of a shop canopy, dropped his cigarette and put it out with his boot. He blew out a cloud of smoke and smirked as he inhaled a deep, long breath trying to catch the remnants of their scent.
‘New blood.’ He thought as he pulled the collar of his jacket up.
xxxxxxxx
Sam could feel the sting around the rim of in his eyes, partly due to tiredness, but mostly because he felt like he wanted to cry and not just shed a tear but really cry. He feared if he gave into the threatening tears that they would never stop.
Sam looked up to the mirror in front of him and immediately turned away from his reflection.
Flashback
Sweat ran down the young boy’s face, making his fine blonde locks cling to his face. His small piercing eyes stared towards the two hunters, mainly focused on Sam Winchester.
“Oh Saaammmy…” The tiny voice sang playfully.
Sam tensed and gripped harder to the large book in his hands. He stood beside Dean, who held the rosary beads in one hand and holy water in the other.
Dean turned and nodded to Sam to continue.
Sam swallowed hard, with his head down he spoke, reciting the Latin phrases and words.
“Now come on Sammy, don’t be like that.”
When Sam looked up to the child, he saw the all too familiar smirk that the young boy wore. It was the same smirk that the demon produced, it may have been a different face, a different demon, but behind it he saw the pure evil.
“You know you’re no different to me Sam, just because you deny it doesn’t make you any better. I mean, at least I wasn’t responsible for my own mother’s death. She brings into this world and yo… Ahhhrrrr” The screams and cries, followed by strong curses, echoed through the darkened room.
Dean was standing over the boy, splashing more holy water across the tiny body.
“Take that you son of a bitch!”
The young boy panted through the pain of the exorcism. He gritted his teeth as he stared daggers toward the older hunter before him, he gathered saliva in his month and spat at him.
“Fuck you!”
Sam watched as Dean gathered every bit of calm he could muster, they knew this would be a hard one, the demon had chosen such an innocent young boy to possess and it was difficult to hear such cruel words pour out from a child.
Sam's hands were holding so hard onto the book that he almost tore the page. He spoke louder, attempting to ignore what was being said.
“You’re going back to hell! You hear me!” Dean spat, he gripped his rosary beads tighter.
“Hell? Now that’s a good subject, because, you see, I won’t be alone, you want me to say hi to Daddy for you? I cou… Arrr” The boy pressed his lips together as he fought the pain.
“…And Sam, Jessica and Mommy send their lov…FUCK!” The boy’s head flung back as his eyes blackened.
“As their poor bodies burn, tear and suffer indescribable pain that will never end, they think of you, Sam!”
Sam’s voice trembled at the thought of his loved ones, the tears in his eyes clouded his vision and he attempted to read the words in front him. He looked up beside him as he felt the firm hand on his shoulder.
”Don’t Stop!” Dean spoke, trying to encourage his deflated brother.
The boy’s body shook violently, while the effects of the exorcism took grip; his voice switched and fluctuated between the deep evil growl and a young, lost boy.
“Sam, I gotta give it to you, I mean you really are a bad omen, from the day you were born and even now every body around you dies…” The child looked up and smiled at the effect his words had on the two men.
He watched Dean step closer and aim the holy water at him. This, however only made the young boy smile even more.
“Oh you never learn…” He squeaked and flung Dean to one corner of the room.
Sam watched in horror as he was thrown to the other direction, his vision blurred before everything faded to black.
Present
The loud banging on the door shocked and woke the younger brother from the memory.
“Dude? You gonna share the bathroom or what?”
Sam sensed the concern in his brother’s voice. God, how long had he been in here? He wondered as he swiped his hand over his face.
“Sam?”
Sam cleared his throat, “Yeah I’m coming, just give me a minute!”
---
Dean walked away from the bathroom door.
“Yeah a minute, you’ve only had over thirty minutes already, Sammy.” He moaned.
The older hunter Sat on the edge of his bed and ran his hands through his hair. He began to regret agreeing to Sam accompanying him to the bar. It was clear that his younger brother’s head was messed up, hell his was too.
The older brother within him allowed Dean put aside his own feelings and place Sam’s first, it was a natural trait of Dean Winchester, and he would always look out for Sammy, even if he wasn’t ‘Okay’.
The bathroom door clicked and opened to reveal a freshened up, but very tired looking Sam.
“You look worse now than you did when you went in.” Dean spoke as he picked up his bag and walked towards the bathroom.
“Thanks Dean!” Sam answered and smiled sarcastically.
“You're welcome! Be ready to go when I’m done. We leave in fifteen!”
--------
He lifted the drink and swallowed remains of the cold beer, placing the empty glass heavily on the counter.
The bar tender walked over and offered the youngest Winchester another.
“Yeah, thanks.” Sam turned his head to the pool table at the back of the room.
Dean had a large grin on his face, he watched as the young woman flaunt over to him, placing her finger on his lip. He shook his head in acknowledgement.
Sam turned back to face the bar as another cold, large beer was placed before him. Sam nodded in response and lifted the cool liquid towards his lips.
“Brother’s eh?”
Sam shot his head up at the bar tender; he tensed as his hunter instincts took over.
“What?” He spoke defensively.
“Hey, chill dude. I have an older brother. It was justa guess. You get to have great observational skills in this job.” The tall man held his hands up to signal no harm, he turned away and continued to work.
Sam watched him for a minute and returned to his beer. He ran his finger over the condensation of the cool drink; maybe he had been a little harsh, maybe he just needed some harmless banter to help detach himself from his thoughts.
He took another long swig of his drink. “You must get to see a lot, working in a bar?”
The blond headed bar tender turned to face him, he smiled and responded. “Oh yeah, probably one of the only perks of this job, it’s not my life’s ambition to do this forever, I’m just saving up.”
Sam smiled in response, understanding that bar work wasn’t something most people aspired to do. “You’re saving up? What for?” He inquired and took another sip of his drink.
“For college.” The bar tender replied with enthusiasm. He appeared excited that someone was interested in his plans.
xxxxxxxx
Sam couldn’t hide his amusement at the coincidence of the man’s plans.
The bar tender pushed the cloth further into the tall glass he was cleaning, lifting his brow to indicate that he wasn’t following Sam’s amusement.
The young hunter didn’t reply, he simply chuckled more to himself and took another sip of his drink before looking down into his glass.
“Okay what? Did I say something funny?” The bar tender paused and stopped what he was doing, “Are you just going to laugh at me for the rest of evening?”
“I’m not laughing at you, it’s just … ah …it's nothing” Sam replied with an inward smile.
“Nothing huh?” The young man standing behind the bar wore a dejected expression as he nodded and picked up his glass and cloth.
“Look man, that came out wrong, what I mean is, it’s just funny cause in a way I can relate to you…that’s all” Sam tried his best ‘forgive me’ smile and waited for a response.
“Another?” The bar tender offered pushing a shot glass towards the hunter as he lifted the bottle of Jack Daniels.
Sam rubbed his hand over his face, he had reached his usual limit for alcohol consumption, which in Sam’s case wasn’t much and was not sure if he truly wanted to drink the night away.
“I… uh… lemme finish this first.” He gestured to the remainder of the beer in his glass. The bar tender nodded and went to serve another customer.
The younger hunter turned around behind him to look for his brother, he sighed as he saw Dean in the same place he had been since he last looked at him. He watched as Dean grinned at the women’s flirtatious teasing, it didn’t take long for the brothers to make eye contact, at which point Dean nodded and untied himself from the women's grip.
“Sorry ladies, I’ll right back.” The older hunter gave them a wink while he walked away towards Sam.
“I did pretty well tonight!” He raised his eyebrows while he placed his hands in his pockets.
Sam glanced at the two women and then back to his brother with an unimpressed expression.
“I can see that, so did you actually win anything, apart from the local entertainment?”
“Uh yeah! Made 150 dollars, hence I said I did pretty well.” Dean straightened as he corrected his sibling. He glanced towards the girls and smiled.
“Okay, so yeah maybe the local women have found themselves drawn to me, I can’t help being attractive.” Dean smiled.
Sam snorted at his brother's comment “Whatever Dean, so you're done right?” The younger hunter turned to the women once more and continued before Dean could reply. “Well, in here anyway?”
“I sure am bro, uh Let me take you back to the motel and drop you off.” Dean threw another wink towards the women, causing them to giggle and wave. “Unless you wanna… You know...meet the locals?” Dean smirked.
“No thanks, I'll pass. Go on, I'll stick around here for a bit. See you later Dean, you have fun and…” He gulped the last of his beer down, forcing a smile at the waving ladies “Uh play safe...”
“I always do Sammy” Dean’s smile turned to a frown as he noticed the empty glass.
“So how many have you had? You're planning on staying here? You sure you don't want a lift back?”
“Bye Dean.” Sam answered with sarcasm in his voice.
“I’m just looking out for you Sammy.”
“Thanks, but I’ll be just fine, Dean.” The younger Winchester smiled and placed his hand on his brother’s back ushering him towards the women. “Have fun.”
“Later dude!” Dean grinned and left.
Sam watched his brother walk away with both women on either side of him. He rolled his eyes and snorted before bowing his head to stare at the countertop.
Sam looked up from the puddle he had been staring at on the bar while he thought about another beer. He was met by the now familiar face of the bar tender; in the dim light his pale skin contrasted with his intense, blue eyes making for a very unique and unforgettable appearance.
“That drink still on offer?” he asked.
He was answered by the sliding of the shot glass over to him, followed by the bottle.
-----
Laughter echoed through the nearly empty bar. The two had joked and shared light chatter until the early hours of the morning. It surprised Sam at how easily he had opened to the stranger, although part of him knew that it was mainly to do with the alcohol, there was another feeling he had that he couldn’t quite pin point. Sam reached into his pocket for the twenty he knew he had put away. His hand brushed his cell phone and he pulled it out along with the note.
The Winchester glanced at the screen, confirming the time as he thought about his brother. The thought of calling him for a lift passed as quickly as it came and he stood up from the bar stool, trying to gain his balance.
“Look, thanks man, that should cover it” Sam slipped the twenty onto the bar as he discreetly held onto it for support.
The bar tender frowned for a brief moment and took the twenty before retuning shortly with fifteen dollars.
Sam scrunched his face, confused at the amount change, “I think you uh…I don’t understand?”
“I told you those last few were on the house. It's least I could for you, seeing as you listened to me babble on for hours” He spoke playfully at the confused and slightly tipsy young man.
Sam nodded and stepped back, suddenly feeling confident enough to balance on his own. He scooped up his change and placed it in his pocket. Sam watched as the bar tender held out his hand and smiled.
“I’m Tristan by the way.”
He met the greeting hand “Right….Sam. Thanks again and… uh …if I don’t see you again good luck with everything”
“Thanks. Same to you” He replied and watched the young Winchester walk out of the bar. He stood there for several minutes, wearing a grin at the closed door.
----
Sam brought his jacket tighter around himself, he had thought the long walk back to the motel would sober him a little, that and he didn’t want to have to bother his brother, knowing he was probably ‘busy’ with his own entertainment.
After a few minutes the crisp air certainly did its trick with the sobering up, the young hunter was now fully awake and regretting staying at the bar so late, the appeal of a nice warm bed was growing with every step he took.
Sam’s thoughts were disturbed by a sudden presence; he quickly turned around, bringing out his gun to point it at the threat. Sam frowned and hastily darted his eyes from left to right. He was sure someone was behind him, he gripped harder to his weapon, the wide open space made him feel increasingly uncomfortable. He turned around to continue towards his destination, but was immediately met with a blow that drifted him into unconsciousness.
----
The room was drenched in darkness, only one bed lay empty.
The tall figure stood over the bed where the youngest Winchester lay. He had been striped down to his jeans, his limp form was draped across the bed.
The pale, soft hand stroked away the young man’s brown locks covering his face. The same hand took the butt of his cigarette and put it out in the unused ash tray on the bedside table. He licked his lips while he dipped his head lower towards the unconscious Winchester and drew in a deep long breath. He held it in and smiled before leaving the room.