The World You Thought You Live In 2/12
Chapter 2
A heavy knock on the door woke Victor in the morning. He looked around in confusion till he remembered where he was and why. The knocking became more demanding.
"Yeah, yeah. 'M awake." He shouted and immediately the knocking stopped. Which was probably a good thing because the door didn't look like it could take any more hits. Victor could already see the light of the morning sun through a crack.
"Take off in thirty minutes." Sam yelled through the closed door. Who knew this calm boy had the voice of a drill instructor? Victor rubbed his eyes. Considering their ex-marine father he shouldn't be surprised.
Then he looked around in his room for the first time. Yesterday his only thought had been to go to sleep as quickly as possible. Now his head was clear and his ribs had calmed down to a low pounding and he was more aware of his surroundings. Water strains on the ceiling and the walls, the sheets smelled moldy and he would rather die than set a bare foot on the carpet. With a sigh he put his shoes on and went to examine the shower. It wasn't as bad as he had feared but he took the quickest shower in his life.
Victor was at the car ten minutes early.
A few minutes later a door opened and Dean stepped out. He looked much better with some color in his face and you know being conscious and all.
"Morning, Vic." Dean greeted him. When had Vic become his official name, Victor wondered. Not that it bothered him. "Ready for some coffee?"
Just a little too cheerful, a little too much. Victor had questioned enough suspects in his career to recognize insecurity. And hadn't Sam warned him that his brother was a grumpy old grouch without his morning coffee?
"As long as you don't faint again." He answered with a grin.
"Dude, I didn't faint. Girls faint." Dean shot him a glare. Behind him Sam tried to keep a straight face. He really tried.
"Looked like fainting to me." When in hell did he get comfortable enough around the Winchester brothers to banter with them?
Dean turned to his brother for reassurance but Sam just hurried to the car his shoulders shaking.
"I'll drive." Dean announced and Sam let him this small victory. Apparently Dean was well enough so Sam didn't mind him behind the wheel. Victor however wasn't so sure about that. Not twelve hours ago Dean just collapsed and now he wanted to drive? Victor shook his head but got in the car without a word.
The whole drive Victor watched Dean closely despite the fact that from the back seat he could do nothing if things went south. But Sam did the same and he was close enough to grab the wheel if necessary. A few minutes later they stopped at a diner for breakfast and they were all still in one piece.
"Oh god." Dean grunted as he killed the engine. "Now I have to of them hovering over me." He caught Victor's eye through the mirror. "Stop it. I'm fine."
He shot a look towards his brother as if to dare him to say something then turned his attention back to Victor. "Besides, the way you're favoring you left side you're the one not fine, Vic."
Victor bit back the I'm fine he was just about to say. Damn, Dean was rubbing off on him.
They took their time with their breakfast neither of them eager to spent the day in the car. After he finished his meal Victor pulled out his wallet but was stopped by Sam.
"I got it." Sam threw some bills on the table.
"You already paid the room last night." Victor reminded him. Of course the waitress had to choose this moment for a coffee refill. Coffee spilled on the table while the poor girl looked bewildered between the three man and suddenly was very busy cleaning up the coffee.
"Sorry, I ..." She stumbled with red ears.
"I don't know them." Dean hurried to say. "Don't swing that way." He smiled his charming smile which wasn't exactly helping. With a face making a tomato looking pale she fled.
It took Victor a moment to realize what he just said. "That sounded wrong, didn't it?"
"Don't mind. You wouldn't believe how often we were mistaken for a gay couple." Sam reassured him. Thinking about it Victor could imagine that. Two good looking guys traveling together? Brothers wasn't the first thing coming to mind. He felt the waitress watching them on their way out.
"But a threesome is a new one." At least Dean had his fun.
They were on the road again and now Victor could smile about that little incident.
"By the way, Sam." He broke the silence. If you can call AC/DC blasting out off the speakers silence. "Why wouldn't you let me pay for breakfast?"
"As soon as you are on your own feet you'll need all the money you have." Sam answered after a second reminding him that this was a temporary thing. Just to teach him the basics. After that he was on his own. And he had to admit he had no idea how to get some cash. Technically he knew how to do a credit card fraud but he never thought he had to actually do it.
"Speaking of money." Dean spoke up. "We should find a place to restock some cash."
Sam just nodded. Apparently he knew exactly how to get some and where. The life of a hunter suddenly seemed a lot more complex than Victor had thought.
Yelling over the music wasn't his preferred way to have a conversation so he just leaned back. He would find out soon enough.
The next hours showed another difference between the lifestyle of the Winchesters and the one Victor had been used to. They spend nearly the whole day in the car and the brothers took turns in driving. Victor didn't even dare to offer to drive for a while. They made two stops for gas and some junk food and another two to stretch their legs. The latter however Victor suspected were for his benefit only. How could someone just sit in a car for hours straight?
It was interesting to listen to Dean's stories of past hunts - Victor wasn't quite sure how exaggerated they really were - or Sam's excerpts of the Encyclopedia of Weirdness like Dean called it. But after hours in the car it got boring.
So Victor let out a sigh when Dean finally stopped for the night. He didn't even complaint about the choice of accommodation. They stayed only long enough to drop their bag before they head out to a Bar&Grill. Judging by the heavy bikes and trucks in the lot this wasn't a place Victor would frequent but the Winchesters moved like they belonged there. They found a table in the corner not too far from the pool tables. Victor couldn't help it. He scanned the crowed, wondering who had a warrant out for arrest or was carrying a concealed weapon and found too many candidates for his liking. When he realized he was sitting with two of them at the same table he nearly burst out laughing.
"Having fun?" Dean asked with a raised eyebrow but Victor was saved from an answer by the waitress serving their dinner. Main ingredient: fried grease. After they finished their meals - Dean was the only one really enjoying it - they just sat there, nursing some beers and talking about nothing important. It was just like a nice little evening with some friends.
"Watch and learn." Dean suddenly stood up, wiggled his eyebrows towards Victor and strolled over to the pool tables. Victor shot Sam a questioning look but the boy just smiled and took another sip of his beer.
"He isn't really good at this." Victor commented after Dean had lost the second game, too. "He shouldn't play for money." Hadn't it been this morning that the Winchester mentioned they were short on money? Maybe they had to relay on Victor's stack sooner then he thought. But Sam didn't seemed concerned. That bastard just kept smiling.
The biker Dean was playing with and his two friends had payed for a round or two and by now Dean seemed slightly drunk. Scratch the slightly, Victor thought. And now there was real money on the table not just a few bills like in the games before.
And all of a sudden Dean could play.
"That damn bastard." Victor could only watch in awe when Dean cleaned the table as if it was nothing. His opponent grabbed his cue tight and didn't look happy at all.
"We should be ready for a quick retreat." Sam whispered behind Victor.
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