Dean came out of the bathroom and looked around the small, seemingly empty motel room, a tickle of unease whispering through him.
"Sammy?"
There was a rustling sound and Sam poked his head out from underneath the bed. His shaggy hair was full of dust bunnies and lint; his small face scrunched up in distress. "Dean!"
Relieved, Dean crouched down beside his brother and brushed the debris out of the five-year-old's hair. "Whatcha doin' under there?"
"I can't find my ball! Dad said we're leaving tomorrow morning." The youngster disappeared back underneath the bed. "I don't want to leave it!"
"Oh." Dean picked his duffel off the bed and dug through it, hiding a grin. "You mean this one?" He pulled out a baseball and held it up.
"Huh?" Sam poked his head out. "You found it!" He crawled out and jumped to his feet, a happy grin on his face.
Dean tossed him the ball, then pulled another one out of his bag. "Or did you mean this one?" He tossed the second ball to his astonished little brother, then pulled out a third ball and stood flipping it casually hand to hand.
"Or maybe this one?"
"Wow!" Sam looked at Dean with disbelief. "They're all for me?"
"I was savin' 'em for your birthday, but –" Dean shrugged and gave the top of Sam's head an affectionate noogie, then gave him the third ball.
"Ow, cut it out!" Beaming, Sam backed away to noogie-safe distance, clutching all three balls. "Where'd you get 'em?"
"The ball store, dummy. Where else?"
The door behind them opened suddenly and John came in, pizza box in one hand and in the other –
"My ball!" Sam cried.
John tossed it to him and Sam grabbed reflexively for the new ball, dropping the others to the floor.
"I found it in the parking lot." Frowning, John looked at the other balls. "Where did all these come from?"
"Dean buyed them for me!" Sam gathered up the fallen balls, giving his older brother a brilliant smile.
Eyebrow raised, John looked at his eldest.
"It's okay, Dad." Dean's expression was angelic, spoiled just slightly by the twitching of his lips. "You can never have too many balls."
John rolled his eyes.
It took Sam a little longer to catch on.
After a few seconds his entire face twisted in distaste. "Ew, Deeeaaan!"