Dean frowned as he pulled the Impala into the parking space in front of the motel room he and his brother were sharing. All the lights were out and it was only a quarter after eleven.
Killing the engine, Dean pulled the keys out of the ignition and swung open the door. All was quiet. The steady chirp of crickets and the distant drone of traffic was all the hunter could hear.
Silently, Dean stepped up onto the sidewalk in front of the motel room's door and paused. He heard no sounds from within.
Raising his key, he quickly unlocked the door and threw it open, ready to attack.
"Sammy?" Dean asked and stepped inside when nothing jumped out at him.
"Sam?" he called again when he didn't receive an answer, "Are you asleep?"
Reaching out, he turned on the light switch by the door.
Sam's bed was unmade and he was nowhere to be seen.
"Sammy!" Dean called and heard the swish of clothing being moved from across the room, coming from the bathroom.
It was also dark, it's door slightly ajar. Dean crossed the room with quick steps and carefully pushed the door open.
The light from the main room illuminated Sam's outline, sitting against the bathtub.
"Sammy?" Dean asked and flicked on the light.
His brother sat with his knees drawn up to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around his shins, head bowed, and hair obscuring his face.
"Sammy?" Dean said again and crouched down, reaching out a hand.
Gently, he pulled one of his brother's arms away from his leg, "Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
Sam shook his head, keeping his head lowered.
"No," he whispered, his voice thick, "No, I'm not okay."
Dean drew in a breath and murmured, "Oh Sammy."
The older hunter reached out and pulled his brother forward, wrapping his arms around his younger sibling in a tight embrace.
For a moment all was quiet and then Sam started shaking and whimpering.
"It's okay, Sammy," Dean murmured, rubbing his sibling's back.
Dean waited patiently, as the shoulder of his shirt steadily grew wet but he didn't pull away. Sam needed this and if all he could do was to hug him and tell him it was going to be okay, even if it wouldn't ever again be okay, then he would do it. He'd do it a hundred times over if only it would offer a few minutes comfort to his brother.
"I've got you Sammy," Dean continued, "Just breathe, that's it… It's okay."
And for a short time, it was.
Author's Note:
Fanfic title comes from a song by the band Seether.
This was supposed to be a fluffy fic… I don't know what happened to it in the end. It's rather ambiguous. Take what you want from it.