Benny doesn't quite know what to think of Dean Winchester. The man is dangerous, clearly, and trained, obviously, but still...
No human ought to be able to make kills the way Dean does. Practiced. Clean. Efficient. Like a man with a purpose. Like a man who lost his purpose. Like a man with everything to fight for. Like a man who's got nothing else to lose.
A warrior, born and bred for the purpose of mindless slaughter.
Except, it isn't mindless.
Benny's a vampire and while he may not be quite as scary as Dean Winchester, he isn't lacking in the skills department. He's just as perceptive as any hunter, probably more so, and he ain't stupid.
And he saw Dean in Purgatory.
He saw the way Dean watched the light leave the eyes of every monster he kills. Even if it was just a brief glace, Dean made sure he saw their eyes. Especially when he was torturing them. He watched them die and it killed him.
Benny can tell that it killed Dean every time he killed something with a human's face. That Dean cataloged that face into his mind, burnt the image into his brain, stored that death in his soul, forever.
That doesn't mean he didn't like it though.
Dean knows torture, knows it like his own weapon (which Benny still doesn't know how the hell Dean managed to put together), and he was never afraid to use it. Not in Purgatory. Then again, if you're afraid in Purgatory, you're dead in minutes. Those bitches smell fear, they live off it. Benny should know.
Thing is though, to Dean, torture was- well, still is- a necessary evil, but it's one that Dean always seemed all too happy to exploit. At least that's what Benny saw.
Benny doesn't know what happened to Dean. Never will, probably, but sometimes, he can't help but be curious. What could have possibly happened to make a man that hated to kill monsters trying to eat him, love to cause immeasurable pain any chance he got?
Benny swears Dean is the biggest contradiction he's ever seen. Like a Starburst, a blood flavored one.
The most human man that Benny ever had the pleasure of meeting is the man who lost all his humanity.
And then he talks about his brother.
Benny thinks that a werewolf on the full moon could go through a more subtle change.
During their time in Purgatory, Dean only talked about his boy Sammy once. Once was enough.
Dean was happy when he found Cas, happier than Benny ever thought Dean Winchester knew how to be, but then he talked about his brother.
Dean talked about a Christmas that he and Sam once had. It wasn't even a happy Christmas he was remembering, the man had smashed three of his ribs and ruined his arm, but the way Dean had told it, it might as well have been Heaven. Two hundred years melted off of the man's face as soon as the word 'Sam' left his lips. Damn, he'd looked so happy.
It was enough to get that prissy angel to smile. Even Benny found himself unwinding for the first time in- literally- ages.
Benny painted himself this pretty picture of Dean in cleaner clothes and better times, sitting on a shiny porch and reading stories to a child.
And the way he envisioned Sam? Well, someone had to play the child.
And that's what Benny had thought the Winchester brothers were like.
At the time Benny had scoffed and thought, "Damn, these are the legendary Winchesters? I mean, Dean's pretty impressive, but this Sam? I could take him out with a pinky."
Benny also remembers the exasperated, mildly amused look Castiel had shot him.
Now, that all makes sense. Now that Sam Winchester has him pinned up to a wall with his left hand. Just holds Benny there like he weighs nothing.
Benny can't say he was shocked when Dean broke off ties. Benny figured it was only a matter of time. Dean had slaughtered his way back to Purgatory to get to Sam, and Benny was never under any delusions that he ever had a chance if it all came down to it. Dean cutting ties? Benny would've been a bit disappointed by how wrong he had Dean pegged if he didn't.
Benny was planning to honor that, he really was, but then a nest caught him on surprise and one thing led to another….
Before Benny even knew what was going on, the nest was dead and Dean lay, bleeding, at his feet. Benny had grabbed Dean up and hauled him back to his motel.
Not the best time for Sam Winchester to barge in. But, hey, that's life. If it can screw you, it will.
"Hey, Sam," Benny had tried to explain, but before those words were even out of his mouth, Sam had him pinned onto a wall. Pinned into the position that he's in right now.
So, here he is, Benny the vampire, about to die at the hands of his best friend's baby brother. Damn Winchesters and their strong-as-Hercules gene.
"What happened?!" Sam demands.
"Sam…" Benny rasps, grabbing wildly at the hand around his throat.
"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!"
Geesh, can the kid scream any louder? His loudness wakes Dean. Not surprising, that yell could've brought Abraham Lincoln back to life.
Dean is up in a heartbeat. Grabbing Sam's arms, pulling him off Benny, soothing Sam, murmuring something that Benny doesn't pick up on. He's simply too busy breathing, thank you very much.
Whatever Dean says, it calms down his giant. Sam immediately relaxes, and then turns to Dean, fire still in his eyes.
"Uh oh," Benny thinks, "Here we go again…"
Benny preps himself for more yelling, just happy that Dean'll be the recipient this time.
"You left," Sam all but whines, "You didn't even say anything. Deaaan."
Benny can't help but blink. He might have also choked.
The anger is evident in Sam's voice and it still has a hard edge to it, but compared to earlier Sam's angry voice comes out so soft and petulant and- and… whining.
"Benny called in an emergency," Dean answers.
"But-!"
"I know, Sammy," Dean replies, "I know, but can you honestly say you wouldn't do the same? For me? For Cas? For Amelia?"
"That's different," Sam mutters, more petulant than he was angry now.
"I would've made it back before your next dose of meds, princess. Benny wasn't in trouble and despite what anyone else says, I don't just leave my friends to die."
Sam sighs. This time, it's more resigned than anything else. That's his big brother, always dropping everything to help everyone. Sam can't fault Dean for being Dean, not really.
"I just wish you'd tell me," Sam says with a pout.
Dean chuckles and pats Sam on the cheek.
"Quit pouting, Samantha. I also think you owe someone an apology," Dean says, his eyes flickering over to Benny.
Sam gets the message.
"Wh-what? I owe an apology? You nearly scare me shitless, I have to track you down, and when I do I find Benny standing over your bleeding body, and you think I owe an apology? Fat chance, Dean!"
There's an awkward silence and Benny thinks he's witnessing an old-time show down. Sam has his arms crossed and dean has his eyebrows raised.
"Look, guys…" Benny starts to say.
"Shut up."
"Shut up, Benny."
And the awkward silence continues.
Finally, to Benny's shock, Sam stomps over to him and grits out a quiet, "Sorry."
Behind him Dean is grinning like mad man. Sam must sense it because he immediately turns around and flips his brother the bird.
Pretty soon, the Winchesters and Benny bid farewell, with a promise to call if any more emergencies pop up on either side; and the brothers are back on the road.
And Benny doesn't quite know what to think of the Winchesters. Either of them.