RE: Tell Me You Understand (Excerpt) 4/5broken_cindersNovember 9 2017, 17:41:07 UTC
That afternoon, as Dean was staring at Sam's bedroom door again, he had an idea. He took a deep breath and knocked gently on the door to Sam’s room.
He could hear Sam shuffling around in there. Dean tried again, a little louder this time. He didn’t even get told to go away for his trouble.
Losing the better part of his patience, he banged his fist against the wood of the door. That time he heard the bed creak and hurried footsteps before the it was yanked open and Sam peered out at him wide-eyed. “Sorry, had my headphones on. What’s up?”
Dean scrutinized his brother, knowing it was a lie, but not sure of what to do about it. “I heard tell there’s a decent arcade in town,” he said instead. “Thought you might like to have a go at beating the Donkey Kong champ.”
Sam gave a small smile and bit his lip. He glanced back at his bed where his homework was spread out. At least Dean knew he’d actually been working. “Come on Sammy,” Dean wheedled. “You can take a Friday night off.”
Sam finally nodded and grabbed his coat. “You’re on.”
The arcade lasted about an hour, before Sam begged to go. He got snappish the longer they were there and anxiously eyed the surrounding machines. By the time he gave in, Dean was frazzled and annoyed. Apparently he wasn’t cool enough to be seen with anymore.
Sam pushed past him and out into the cool night. Dean followed a little more sedately, watching Sam shuffle towards the car with the same defeated posture he’d been wearing for months now. They had parked in the back of the lot because no way in hell was Dean taking the risk that some asshole with a learner’s permit might scratch his beautiful baby. From his vantage a few feet back, Dean saw the muscle car tear into the parking lot right towards his baby brother.
“Sam!” Dean yelled, lunging forward. Sam didn’t even look up as he stepped right into the car’s path. Dean jumped the last foot or so and tackled Sam down and out of the way just as the car careened past them.
“Ow, Dean! What the hell?” Before Dean could start yelling, Sam’s gaze landed on his arm they had landed on. He pulled it gently but firmly towards the light. “That looks like it hurts. Let’s get back so we can clean it out.”
Dean snatched his arm out of Sam’s grasp. Sam didn't get to act like the fucking rational one, like Dean had just lost his mind.
Dean grabbed Sam by both shoulders, blood still pumping from his panic, grip tighter than it probably should have been. He shook Sam as he said, “What. The hell. Is wrong with you?”
Sam scowled up at him. “You could have been killed Sam! That asshole almost creamed you,” he said waving his arm widely at the car now pulling donuts in an empty portion of the road. Sam followed his gesture and his eyes widened at the sight.
“I-“
“No. Whatever is going on with you ends now. You can sulk and hate us all you want but this whole ignoring us bit? It’s over. You could have died, Sam!”
Sam was squinting at him like he was speaking Latin, while also still managing to look vaguely panicked. His eyes darted around the lot and back towards the door to the arcade where a few folks had gathered to watch the stupid drunk. “I…Look, can we just go home. We can talk there. Please?”
Dean crossed his arms over his chest. So Sam didn’t want to be embarrassed out in public. Well too damn bad. “No.”
Sam’s shoulder’s sagged, but his attention never wavered. “Dean…”
“No, Sam. We’re going to do this now. I want to know exactly what’s gotten into you. For months you’ve been snapping at us or ignoring us in turns. You’re moody. You’re spaced out. Pissed I can deal with. Depressed cause of all the moves, I can deal with. But this is just stupid.”
“Dean.”
“You’re pushing away the only family you’ve got. You’ve done nothing but spit in our faces for these past few months.”
“Dean,” Sam said a little more forcefully.
“I’m not finished!” Dean roared. “It’s been you and me since forever. I thought you trusted me. I thought you could talk to me. But it’s like you’ve changed overnight. So fine. You don’t have to like me. But you sure as hell-“
“Dean!” Sam screamed at him. “Stop. Just stop. I can’t understand what you’re saying. It’s too dark and I just want to go home where I can fucking concentrate. Can’t it wait ten more minutes?”
He could hear Sam shuffling around in there. Dean tried again, a little louder this time. He didn’t even get told to go away for his trouble.
Losing the better part of his patience, he banged his fist against the wood of the door. That time he heard the bed creak and hurried footsteps before the it was yanked open and Sam peered out at him wide-eyed. “Sorry, had my headphones on. What’s up?”
Dean scrutinized his brother, knowing it was a lie, but not sure of what to do about it. “I heard tell there’s a decent arcade in town,” he said instead. “Thought you might like to have a go at beating the Donkey Kong champ.”
Sam gave a small smile and bit his lip. He glanced back at his bed where his homework was spread out. At least Dean knew he’d actually been working. “Come on Sammy,” Dean wheedled. “You can take a Friday night off.”
Sam finally nodded and grabbed his coat. “You’re on.”
The arcade lasted about an hour, before Sam begged to go. He got snappish the longer they were there and anxiously eyed the surrounding machines. By the time he gave in, Dean was frazzled and annoyed. Apparently he wasn’t cool enough to be seen with anymore.
Sam pushed past him and out into the cool night. Dean followed a little more sedately, watching Sam shuffle towards the car with the same defeated posture he’d been wearing for months now. They had parked in the back of the lot because no way in hell was Dean taking the risk that some asshole with a learner’s permit might scratch his beautiful baby. From his vantage a few feet back, Dean saw the muscle car tear into the parking lot right towards his baby brother.
“Sam!” Dean yelled, lunging forward. Sam didn’t even look up as he stepped right into the car’s path. Dean jumped the last foot or so and tackled Sam down and out of the way just as the car careened past them.
“Ow, Dean! What the hell?” Before Dean could start yelling, Sam’s gaze landed on his arm they had landed on. He pulled it gently but firmly towards the light. “That looks like it hurts. Let’s get back so we can clean it out.”
Dean snatched his arm out of Sam’s grasp. Sam didn't get to act like the fucking rational one, like Dean had just lost his mind.
Dean grabbed Sam by both shoulders, blood still pumping from his panic, grip tighter than it probably should have been. He shook Sam as he said, “What. The hell. Is wrong with you?”
Sam scowled up at him. “You could have been killed Sam! That asshole almost creamed you,” he said waving his arm widely at the car now pulling donuts in an empty portion of the road. Sam followed his gesture and his eyes widened at the sight.
“I-“
“No. Whatever is going on with you ends now. You can sulk and hate us all you want but this whole ignoring us bit? It’s over. You could have died, Sam!”
Sam was squinting at him like he was speaking Latin, while also still managing to look vaguely panicked. His eyes darted around the lot and back towards the door to the arcade where a few folks had gathered to watch the stupid drunk. “I…Look, can we just go home. We can talk there. Please?”
Dean crossed his arms over his chest. So Sam didn’t want to be embarrassed out in public. Well too damn bad. “No.”
Sam’s shoulder’s sagged, but his attention never wavered. “Dean…”
“No, Sam. We’re going to do this now. I want to know exactly what’s gotten into you. For months you’ve been snapping at us or ignoring us in turns. You’re moody. You’re spaced out. Pissed I can deal with. Depressed cause of all the moves, I can deal with. But this is just stupid.”
“Dean.”
“You’re pushing away the only family you’ve got. You’ve done nothing but spit in our faces for these past few months.”
“Dean,” Sam said a little more forcefully.
“I’m not finished!” Dean roared. “It’s been you and me since forever. I thought you trusted me. I thought you could talk to me. But it’s like you’ve changed overnight. So fine. You don’t have to like me. But you sure as hell-“
“Dean!” Sam screamed at him. “Stop. Just stop. I can’t understand what you’re saying. It’s too dark and I just want to go home where I can fucking concentrate. Can’t it wait ten more minutes?”
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