Honey-Trapped 8/?
Chapter 8
Dean flirting with a woman or two was such a familiar sight, it made Bobby's heart ache. It was good to see him just enjoying himself and Bobby let his gaze linger on the small group for a little while longer before he turned back to Sam who also was watching what was happening on the ground floor.
"You're not worried he's going to cheat on you?" Bobby asked only half joking. He tried to read the other man's expression but couldn't really make sense out of it. Not anger or hate, though, he was sure of that. If Bobby was honest, those were the ones he had been looking for.
"I know the difference between harmless flirting and serious intentions." Sam gave him a look as if he knew exactly what Bobby was thinking. "I'm not worried. And for sure I'm not going to yell at him or hit him as soon as we are alone." The last part came out with a hint of bitterness.
"I know you won't beat him." Bobby sagged deeper into his chair. Sam wasn't John. However, that didn't mean that Sam wasn't abusing him in other ways.
Sam let out a sigh. He put the book aside, to the back to the shelves pile, and reached for another one.
"Dean has some catching up to do." He said without looking up.
"What do you mean?" Bobby had been back to watching Dean, who now had one arm around the brunette's waist while the blond was telling them something that made all of them laugh. It was a nice picture.
"He didn't have much of a chance to go out and meet people over the last few months." Sam elaborated.
"And who's fault is that?" Bobby bit back.
Sam didn't answer, nose in one of the books. Something about blacksmithing. Bobby looked at the one in his own hand about Romanian folklore and decided to not comment on odd reading habits.
"Are you ready to go?" Sam finally asked and put the book on his to buy pile. They both had an impressive pile in front of them and Bobby knew it would only grow if they stayed longer.
They picked up their books and brought them downstairs where Dean said goodbye to his lady friends and joined them in the checkout line.
"You're both nuts." Was his comment when he saw the piles of books they carried. He snagged the one on top of Bobby's pile but put it back with an almost horrified expression when he read the title. He had more luck when stepped over to Sam.
"The New Art of Blacksmithing, at least somebody has taste." He commented and skimmed through the book. Bobby caught glimpses of glossy pictures of different kinds of metalwork.
"Thought you'd like it." Sam snatched the book back to put it on the counter.
"For me?" Dean faked surprise. "You shouldn't have." He flattered his lashes at Sam and gave him a peck on the cheek. They both couldn't keep up a straight face and broke into broad smiles.
The clerk behind the register almost melted at that sight but Bobby only rolled his eyes.
"You need to leave a bookstore with something that has actually words in it and not only numbers. It's a rule." Sam said in a very serious tone.
"It's not my fault that they insisted on giving me their numbers." Dean shrugged, not hiding the fact that he had scored their numbers. He had the book back in hand as soon as the clerk had scanned it. "And you two are buying more than enough books to cover my quota for this year as well."
Heavily loaded they left the store, taking Dean in the middle. He couldn't get his nose out of the book and had to rely on Sam and Bobby to stir him out the store without running into somebody.
"Why are you the one who looks like the bookworm now?" Bobby muttered when they stepped outside. He was surprised how dark it had gotten and by now the air held a little chill.
"How about dinner?" Sam asked already leading the way. At that Dean perked up.
"Food?" He asked hopefully.
"The steakhouse on the 7th?"
"Oh yeah."
Bobby could almost hear Dean's mouth water.
"The steaks are awesome there." Dean fell in step next to Bobby and used the chance to sneak his book in his bag. "And they make this awesome pecan ice cream for dessert."
"I'd never say no to a good steak." Bobby agreed.
The place wasn't packed but full enough that people had to wait a moment for a table. They didn't have a reservation so Bobby expected that they had to wait as well but Sam seemed to know the right persons around here. After a short exchange with one of the waitresses which was too low for Bobby to make out what Sam was telling her, they were seated in a quiet corner in the back.
He wasn't sure if he liked that.
"Are you just rich or some kind of secret mobster?" Bobby muttered more to himself than as an actual question to Sam.
"Maybe a little bit of both?" Sam joked with a smile. Dean let out a snort as if this was one of those jokes between them Bobby didn't get.
But it got him thinking. Sam had money, that much was obvious. But he must also have some shady connections. He had bought Dean somewhere. You didn't get people at Walmart.
With an uneasy feeling in his stomach Bobby studied the menu.
The steak was great and the pecan ice cream to die for but Bobby was glad when they went back to Sam's place after that.
He excused himself and went upstairs with his books but his mind wasn't on reading.
The day had been fun, he had to admit that. He had learned quite a bit about Sam and had seen different sides of him. If that had answered more questions than it had caused, Bobby wasn't sure, though.
He had left the door ajar, just to let Dean know that he wasn't sleeping yet and that he could come ant talk to him if he wanted to. Not to eavesdrop on them, of course not.
For a while there wasn't anything to listen to anyway. Bobby was pretty sure that they were engrossed in their books and he pulled one out of the bag as well. At least it took his mind off things for a while.
When Sam and Dean started to talk downstairs their voices carried surprisingly well. With the door open Bobby had no other choice than to listen in to them.
"Bobby was worried when you were flirting with those women." Sam came to the point right away.
"Uhh?" Dean made after a second and Bobby pictured him tearing his gaze from the book Sam had bought him. Bobby would never have thought of buying a book for Dean and for sure it wouldn't have been this one. Something about cars or guns maybe but for sure not blacksmithing. Sam did know Dean very well.
"Why would he be worried?"
"I guess he was more worried how I would react." Sam let out a tired sigh. "If I would get jealous or something. He always expects the worst from me."
"What, was he thinking I would cheat on you?" Dean tried to stir the conversation in a different direction. "Right under your nose?"
"I don't know." There was resignation written all over his words.
"C'mon, you know that I only cheat on you when you're not looking." He was clearly teasing now and Bobby wasn't sure if he wanted to find out where this was heading. And if closing the door would be enough to keep out the sound.
"Make sure that nobody else is looking either, I have a reputation to lose." Sam finally played along. "If word gets out that I can't satisfy one man …"
"The whole community would laugh about you." Dean finished the sentence for him. "Nobody would take you serious anymore."
There was a moment of almost silence and Bobby pictured kissing and groping in his mind but didn't step out of his room to confirm his suspicions.
"You can't be serious." Dean let out a laugh. "After last night? And the night before Bobby arrived? You should be good for at least two weeks."
"I'm under stress." Sam almost whined. "You want me to suffer?"
Bobby tensed at those words and held his breath for Dean's answer.
"Nice try, big guy." There was a pat loud enough for Bobby to hear but Sam was built like a brick wall, he could take a friendly hit. "But I know all your tells. You're far from starving."
Sam didn't say anything but Bobby pictured him pouting.
"Besides, Bobby would probably hear us and I want to be able to still look him in the eye when he leaves." Dean said and Bobby couldn't agree more. "No sex while he is here." Dean said it in a firm voice and Sam didn't argue.
They fell silent, probably went back to reading, and Bobby turned his attention back to his own book as well.
He was just about to call it a day and turn in for real, when a phone rang. It wasn't his own and a quick glance to the alarm clock on the nightstand confirmed that it was awfully late for a social call.
Bobby got up and stepped out of his room just in time to see Sam answering his phone. Dean sat in one of the chairs, feet on the table and his book in his lap but he had an equally concerned eye on Sam.
"Yes?" Sam answered the phone. "Benny? What happened?"
At that Dean took his feet off the table and sat up straighter. Bobby didn't know who Benny was but Dean's reaction told him that this call couldn't be good. For a moment Sam didn't speak and just listened, pacing up and down the living room.
"Are you sure?" Sam asked, his free hand fisting his hair. "Okay, I'll be there. Give me twenty minutes." He ended the call and just stood there for a moment.
"What happened?" Dean asked while Bobby hurried down the stairs. Whatever this was, it didn't sound good.
"That was Benny." Sam stated the obvious. "There has been …" He glanced at Bobby. "... an incident. He wants me to have a look."
There was a lot he wasn't telling them and Dean opened his mouth to demand answers, he had that look, but to Bobby's surprise he closed it again without saying a word.
"I have to go." Sam gave Dean a quick kiss and a minute later he was gone.
Bobby and Dean stood there in stunned silence.
"Who is Benny?" He finally asked and sat down on the couch which was still warm from where Sam had been lying only moments ago.
"A friend." Dean flopped back in his chair, clearly not liking this either. "He's a cop. He was the one who told me about John getting free."
If Dean had mentioned the name before Bobby had forgotten but that wasn't the point now.
"What does he want?" Bobby ask. "That didn't sound like he was inviting him over for a beer. Sam's some kind of consultant?" Sam was working in law but Bobby had no idea what exactly he did.
"Not really." Dean shook his head. "No idea what this is about, though."
Bobby couldn't shake off the feeling that Dean did know more than he let on and he was sure that Sam would have told him more if Bobby hadn't been around.
The thoughts about Sam being a criminal of some kind came back but he was working with the police now. At least with one cop. The cop who had known about Sam keeping Dean prisoner and who had done nothing about it. That cop.
Bobby ran a hand over his beard. He didn't like this one bit.
Chapter 9
Masterpost