Title - Sunken Salads.

Author – BecomeMyObsession.

Disclaimer - Sadly still do not own The Winchester brothers or anything associated with their world. Just playing with them for my merry amusement.

Summary - The boys, post hunt, beer, the starry night sky and the hood of the Impala. When is there ever a better time for a chick flick moment? Hurt/Comfort. Brotherly schmoop. One-Shot - Set any season. (My first SPN fic.)

A.N/ - Three...Two...One. And we're off! My first solid attempt at entering the vast talented world of SPN fandom writing. I hope you enjoy... drop a line to tell us what you think?

If you want a happy ending, it depends on where you stop the story." - Orson Wells

Up against good, evil, angels, devils, destiny, and God himself, they made their own choice. They chose family. And, well...isn't that kinda the whole point? No doubt - endings are hard. But then again...nothing ever really ends, does it? - Chuck, Swan Song.

Sunken Salads

Sam watched his brother grimace as he closed the trunk of the Impala, his right hand a little too tightly clenched and his usual confident stride leaning a little to one side. An obvious tell of an injury that Dean was trying to hide. "Hurry it up Dean, growing old here." Sam tried to keep the concern out of his voice, knowing he was just as battered and beaten as his brother but unable to stop worrying.

"Shut it Sammy. Didn't anyone ever tell ya, patience is a virtue." Dean knew perfectly well that Sam was worrying about him, and knowing made him frustrated. He was supposed to be the one worrying. Why couldn't Sam ever accept his role of little brother?

"Yeah, you did. When I was Eleven and you were more interested in staring at girls asses than buying us food." He rolled his eyes, shuffling up a few feet to make room for Dean and gratefully taking the offered up beer from his hands.

Dean grinned. "Can't blame a guy for looking when a parade of cheerleaders prances past." Wiggling his eyebrows at Sam's disgusted bitch face. "They wear such short skirts, I swear when they bent over-"

"All right, all right. Got the imagery, don't need the commentary." Taking a swig from his beer, he heard Dean chuckle, a chuckle which quickly morphed into a quiet gasp of pain as he shifted on the cars hood. "You 'kay?"

Dean spared him an annoyed glance. "I'm fine. Stop badgering me, it's nothing I haven't slept off before." His brother raised his eyebrows at him, looking down to Deans leg which he had propped up behind him to rest on the Impala's bumper. Dean shrugged. "Not like you weren't hurt." He slapped a hand on Sam's shoulder, shooting him a pointed glance when his brother hissed in pain.

Sam shifted so his brothers hand fell of his shoulder, rolling it slightly and gritting his teeth when pain shot down to his hand. "Okay I get it. No injuries." Still he couldn't help but shoot another concerned glance at the leg that Dean was taking extreme caution to keep the weight off.

Dean didn't miss the glance and rolled his eyes, gingerly moving his leg from the car bonnet and holding in a gasp of pain as he placed it on the ground. Sam blinked at his brother guiltily and looked away, biting his lip.

Dean was now able to give his brother a quick once over, double checking he wasn't hiding any other serious injuries. Seeing nothing Dean nodded to himself, turning his attention to the burger which sat beside him. "Dude, I'm so hungry." He eagerly stuffed the burger into his mouth, spotting his brothers half amused and half disgusted expression and smirking at him around the food.

"Dude, that's gross. Get some manners." Sam shifted slightly away from his munching brother.

"I have manners." Dean swallowed, grinning at Sam's turned away head, knowing he was pulling an expertly crafted bitch face. "I just don't feel like showing them."

Sam raised his eyebrows. "When do you ever show them?" He couldn't help his lips curving up a little at Dean's snort.

Dean pretended to ponder for a second, before facing his brother and grinning. "When I feel like it."

Shaking his head, Sam let out a loose chuckle and glanced at the almost finished cheeseburger in his brothers hand. He pulled a face, took another swig from his beer and turned to look at the open road beyond the car. Their only light came from the Impala's headlights shining a few yards in front of them and then the road faded away into nothingness. Sam squinted, trying to make out shapes from the shadows, he sighed quietly when he came back with nothing. They were driving into the unknown, as always.

There was a rustle of paper as Dean scrunched up the now empty wrapper into a ball and stuffed it into a paper bag. He sighed, his cheerful mood deflating a little when he spotted Sam's unopened salad sitting beside him and his brother staring vacantly into the distance. "Dude, stop swigging that beer and eat." He pushed the rabbit food towards Sam. "Need you big and strong."

Sam glanced at his brother and at the sunken sorry looking salad. "I'm already big and strong." He strained a smile and flexed his non injured arm to prove the point.

"You know what I mean." Dean rolled his eyes, pushing the salad further towards his brother. "Eat already."

Turning away, Sam sighed and his shoulders dropped. "M'not hungry Dean." In truth his stomach was churning. It felt like it was eating itself, and he knew why, today's events may be over, but how long would it be before some other danger threatened to kill them? Or eat them? Or turn into them? He'd give it a day.

Dean opened his brothers salad and pushed it under his nose. "Eat your rabbit food, I need you with me on this Sam." His brother didn't move, except to turn his nose up at the food. "Sam."

"Dean." Sam retaliated, grimacing when Dean dropped the food into his lap. He opened his mouth to argue but snapped it closed when he briefly caught hold of the fleeting lost look in his brother's eyes. Relenting, he picked up the salad, silently telling Dean he would always have his back. "Fine." He grumbled, picking at the sorry mistake for a salad and raising it to his mouth anyway.

"That's my boy." Dean grinned, relief running through him as his brother finally listened. Finishing off his beer, he threw it into the paper bag with the rest of the rubbish. "So, where we headed too?"

Sam paused, his face scrunching up as he slowed his chewing and was forced to taste the disgusting salad. He swallowed, his eyes flicking down to the leg Dean was still discretely keeping his weight off and back up to regard his brother closely. "Why, Dean?" He sighed in exasperation and shook his head as his brother remained silent, raising his eyebrows in expectation. "Lakehurst, New Jersey." He threw the plastic fork into the salad container and chucked it into the paper bag. "Mr and Mrs Browning were found dead two days ago in their home. Doors and windows were locked, no spare key. The neighbours heard nothing, said the two were the most respected couple on the street."

Dean nodded, "and?" He winced as he accidentally brushed his hand over his leg. His brother looked at him with sympathy. Dean glared. "Leave it Sam."

Sam sighed, hanging his head. "Dean, we're both injured and barely walking. Don't you think we should rest, even if it's just for a little while?"

"We can't Sammy. Not while people are dyin'" Dean scrubbed a hand over his face, sighing as his brother looked at him sadly. "Maybe after the next case, we can hit the bars and take a few nights off. 'Kay?" Sam's puppy dog look disappeared and his eyes brightened slightly. Dean grumbled to himself, ignoring the amused smile on his brothers face. "So, this definitely our kinda gig?"

Sam finished his beer, throwing it into the bag with the rest of the trash. He shivered and pulled his jacket tighter around him as he looked up at the night sky. "Yeah. The couple murdered showed no signs of internal or external injuries; except for, get this, both their right thumbs were missing. I dug into it, it matches an unsolved case from five years ago; couple, no injuries apart from their right thumbs missing, and again five years previously, same thing."

"You think this thing cuts off the thumbs of it's victims as trophies or what?" Dean leaned back against the Impala, his hands in his pockets and looked at the stars.

Sam shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. Could be some kind of ritual."

Dean nodded, his eyes still pinned to the night sky. "Could be." He muttered.

Sam glanced at his brother, smiling slightly at the sight of his brother. "Yeah."

A peaceful silence settled over the two brothers as they stared at the night sky. The only audible sounds were the brothers slightly laboured breathing and the light breeze which ruffled the brother's hair and blowing Sam's into his eyes. Dean cracked a small affectionate smile at the sight of his little brother trying to blow his hair away from his face and failing. Little things like that reminded him of when Sam was little, just his innocent kid brother that Dean had to look after, when the world was a much simpler place, untainted and breathable.

Sam knew his brother was looking at him, and he studiously avoided turning his head, knowing Dean needed this moment, probably more than he himself realised. He thought back to the time when monsters weren't anything but in scary TV shows and movies, a time when the look his brother was giving him now was more common. Then again, Sam knew that although he didn't know about the harsh truth of the world then; his brother did. So he supposed he was silently thankful that he had found out when he did, that way he could look out for his brother as Dean had done for him, all his life.

Dean sighed, looking away from his brother and back at the night sky. Now his brother knew about the monsters and the reality of the world and Dean's job of being the protective big brother didn't seem to hold as much meaning as it once did. He had vowed to himself, as a kid and a big brother, that he would never let anything hurt Sam. Amazing job he had done at that, even now his brother was sporting an injured shoulder, probably dislocated, and Dean knew his brother was worse then he let on.

"Don't do that Dean. I'm fine." Sam's voice broke through the silence, although he had tried to keep it low in tone it still disturbed the fragile peace the brother's had created.

Dean glanced at his brother and away again. "Don't do what Sam?"

"Blame yourself for my injuries. It's not your fault, you can't keep both eyes on me all the time." Sam shook his head, running his hand through his hair and sighing. "I can protect myself."

Grasping the material in his jackets pockets, Dean turned slightly and glared at his brother. "I shoulda kept an eye on you. I should of seen the ghouls advantage before he pushed you down those stairs." He gritted his teeth. "I should have known Sammy."

Sam was shaking his head before Dean had even finished his rant. "No, no Dean. You were busy with the female. If you had been paying attention to the male too then you could be in even a worse condition then you already are." Shoving his hands in his pockets he finally turned to look at his brother. "I don't want to see you dead Dean, you need to watch out for yourself too."

Dean narrowed his eyes at his brother. "I'm supposed to be taking care of you not the other way around. Don't get in the way again Sam."

Sam's temper flared a little, he gritted his teeth together to keep from snapping at his brother. "If I hadn't intervened then it would have been you at the bottom of those stairs, and with your already injured leg, it could have broken Dean."

Dean glowered. "Least you wouldn't be hurt."

"Stop it Dean!" Sam raised his voice a little, he did have a headache but it hadn't bothered him until now. The attention drawn to it caused the pain to flare up behind his eyes. He quietened his voice down a little. "Just stop it. This is stupid. I'm fine."

"Fine Sam." Dean glared, but at his brothers crinkled expression, a clear sign his head was hurting, guilt flooded through him and he sighed. "– just don't do it again. It's my job to watch your back."

Sam rolled his eyes. "And it's mine to watch yours."

Dean sighed, but nodded anyway. Once again turning away from his brother, but this time to glance at the road, the one which disappeared outside the light from the Impala's headlights. Sam watched his brother for a second longer, before turning his attention back to the night sky. "Do you think were gonna be stuck in this job forever Dean?"

Frowning, Dean's attention was once again diverged from the surroundings and back to his brother. "I don't see a way out, it's all we know. I know you want a happy ending Sammy, but I just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak." A little weak smile flitted across his features.

Sam's expression fell a little and he turned his lips inwards thinking. "Are happy endings even a possibility for us Dean? If we leave this job or not, both ways there's something to lose." If he left this life, there was a good chance he would lose his brother, yet if he kept living it, there would always be something else. It never ended.

"Dunno Sam. It's not that bad, I mean, sex, booze and rock n' roll right?" Dean winked at his brother, trying to dispel the growing tension.

Sam chuckled loosely. "Yeah, because we get so much of that nowadays." He shook his head. "I'm serious Dean. Will we ever get a happy ending?"

Dean shrugged, his eyes crinkling as he thought. He often wondered that himself, was there ever going to be a happy ending. He doubted it."There's no such thing as a happy ending Sammy. It just depends on where you decide to leave the story." He watched his brothers expression fall slightly and guilt washed through him, but he knew his brother wanted the truth.

There was a breath of silence as Sam wondered what the future meant for them, everything that had happened recently and what he was sure going to come and tackle them, challenge them. The saying 'it always gets worse before it gets better' fleetingly passed through his head.

Dean watched his brother think, briefly wondering if he was even going to answer, but just before he turned around Sam breathed in, there was a moment of silence and then a whispered. "Do you think nows a good time to close the book?"

Again, another beat and Dean frowned, thinking through his brothers innocent question. Sam looked at him, his eyes a mirror of how they used to be, wide and trustful – hoping his big brother would make everything better. It once again making Dean think of then he was a kid. He sighed. "I don't know." He smiled sadly and shrugged, digging his hands further into his pockets. "I don't know Sammy."

Sam sighed, briefly closing his eyes. "Our lives are like that one long terrible novel that seems to go on forever."

Dean laughed lightly and lifted one eyebrow. "A novel without a end... poetic."

Sam cracked a small smile, shrugging lightly. "Least we can decide when we want to stop reading."

Dean smiled back at his brother. He knew his brother wanted a way out, he wanted a family, a home, a dog – the whole works. Dean would admit to himself, that the idea of it seemed perfect, but he knew the apple pie life just wasn't for him. It was selfish of him to force that onto his brother, he wanted him with him, but Sam wanted a way out, somehow. "Do you want the book to end?"

Sam stalled, blinking at Dean as spoke, his voice was whispered, almost illegible and Sam almost wondered if he had imagined it. But he knew Dean had spoken from the way he looked away and pretended to be interested in a small tumbleweed at his foot. Sam eyed his brother slowly, he did want to close the book, but after everything that happened, he knew Dean would never. He felt like there was to much resting on him – relying on him. He locked eyes with his brother and forced a grin. "Until the next chapter."

Dean blinked, his head shooting up to lock eyes with his brother. Sam's forced grin grew wider and genuine when he saw the hopeful and lighter look in Dean's eyes. He shrugged innocently and looked down, his hair falling into his face. He promised he would have his brother's back, and he would. "So were still stuck with each other?" Deans voice may have been teasing, but Sam knew he meant it more than he showed.

Sam looked up, grinning. "And your horrible music tastes." He laughed when Dean frowned, his eyes narrowing, and dodged out the way when his brother moved to whack his arm.

"Bitch." Dean glowered, only half-heartedly because in reality he felt lighter than he had in a long while.

Sam laughed, an honest to god proper laugh. "Jerk."

The End.

A.N/ This is dedicated to my little brother 'cause he thinks he is so awesome. ;D. Listen here buddy, the more you write, the better you become! So stop complainin' to me about not being able to write... write and you will achieve.

This stands for all wannabe writers... I may be far from the best but I improve with every word. Keep fightin'!