Author Note Prompt courtesy of deanen via Tumblr.
"God, Sammy, let me have some meat once in a while." Dean huffed to himself as he checked the list Sam had prepared for him. He was bitching about not having enough good food so he forced a small slip of paper into Dean's hand before pushing him out the door. Grumbling and huffing didn't do him any good now, true, but he had his rights. He picked up some bananas, apples, and grapes. He grimaced at how healthy it all looked. And how tasteless it must be. He sneaked a few soda in his cart as well as a slice of cake. If he hid them well enough, he could play it off as if he bought them before he went to the store. He smiled at his victory, but soon something caught his eye. A small, yellow camera box.
"Huh, disposable camera? Sure, why not. Maybe Sammy has a knack for this nerdy crap." He thought, placing the box onto the conveyor belt and started putting up all the other groceries along side it. The clerk- a woman- gave him a little wink.
"On a trip?" She asked, lifting up the box before placing it in one of the paper bags beside her. Her smile translated to 'I dig it' so Dean smiled back, playing along. Maybe he'd get something good out of this after all.
"Yeah. I find it kind a interesting to capture the world as I see it."
"That is so sweet." That little quirk earned him a 2% discount.
Maybe this camera crap is good for business, Dean thought to himself, stepping through the large sliding doors. The cold wind blew on the back of his neck and it sent a shiver down his spine. He made a mad dash for his car, lit the engine up, and drove off.
Back at the motel, Sam was dividing up the groceries while Dean tore open the yellow camera box. Sam exhaled at the site of the slice of cake and the soda. He didn't say anything, though, as he saw how interested his older brother was with such a 'nerdy' possession. Sam looked away to check out everything he had to put in the fridge.
"Say cheese!" Dean called, snapping a picture the moment Sam turned to look at him.
"Dude, you can't just take pictures of people. You should ask." Sam was growing several shades of red, snatching up the milk and bread Dean picked up from the store. He shoved the milk in the mini fridge and the bread in the cupboard.
"Aw, come on, Sammy. I wanna capture the moment!"
Sam rolled his eyes, looked straight at the camera smiled. The flash went off after a soft click. Dean lowered the camera and reflected his brother's smile back to him.
"Are you done now?" Sam turned back to the groceries and packed the fridge.
Dean was definitely not finished. Not even when they got out of town was Dean finished. He took several pictures of landscapes, buildings, and people. A lot of people. More accurately, a lot of Sam. By the time Dean was out of film and at a Walgreen on the way out of town, Dean had taken almost half the film up with his little brother's face. And quite a few of the shots Dean had taken turned out near professional.
"Geez, Dean. These are all pretty good." Sam was admiring the photos in the passenger's seat of the impala. Dean was trying to push down a smirk.
"Nah, just luck."
Sam snickered lightly, punching Dean in the arm. "Own up. You're a photo nerd." Dean took a quick glance at his brother, but Sam was already looking over the photos again. Dean felt slightly proud about it, for some reason. He felt like taking more pictures of Sam. Especially with such a prideful look on his own younger brother's face. Was Sammy proud of him? Nah, younger brothers don't get to be proud.
Dean picked up another disposable camera on his way to the check out.
"Even gas stations have these!" Dean animated, lifting up his arms in a small triumph. Sam had just finished putting gas on and he had only sat down for a minute or less. Sam could see how happy his brother was and it sparked an idea.
One night, after a batched vampire hunt, Sam and Dean laid low in a motel two states away. The damn thing had latched itself onto Sam's neck. If Dean hadn't put the machete through the bitch's head, Sam might not have an esophagus right now. The elder Winchester was pretty broken up about it, cursing himself for letting Sammy get hurt like that.
"Hey, Dean." Sam began, walking over to Dean who was perched up on his bed's headboard. Dean had been staring off since he sat down, his hand cupping his mouth. Sam suspected he was hiding a grimace by the wrinkle in his brother's nose. But the taller man didn't say anything about that. Instead, he held out a good sized box wrapped in newspaper. Dean catch it in the corner of his eye and looked up at Sammy.
"What's this?" Dean asked, still slightly zoned out.
"It's your birthday, Dean." Sam reminded, nudging the present into his brothers chest. Dean took it reluctantly.
"Sammy, this isn't reall-" He tried to protest, but Sam gave him the award winning bitch face. Dean put up his hands in defense and then he grabbed the box. He quickly unwrapped it, masking most of his excitement. When he got to the pale white box underneath the wrapping, he paused. It was a pretty big box... what could be in it?
"A camera? Like the expensive kind a camera?" Dean shouted, half joyous and half angry. "Where the hell did you get the money to afford this?"
Sam hid his face underneath his bangs. It was getting too damn long, Dean thought. "I've been saving up for... well, a very long time." Sam was now looking at Dean. Into Dean's eyes. "Since before Standford. I was planning on getting you something, but then I left. I just kept the stash hidden."
"Sammy..." Dean's face was soft now. All the anger and excitement withdrawn.
"I actually planned on using it earlier. Y'know. Just sending you a present in the mail." Sam laughed, obvious to how idiotic that sounded considering their lifestyle.
Dean just smiled. And Sam just smiled back.
But it wasn't just enough to smile anymore. Sam had this intense urge to climb up into his arms and nestle there as if he was five years old again. And for some reason, when Sam did, Dean didn't protest in the slightest. In fact, Dean seemed to invite it with every fiber of his being. He wrapped his strong arms around him, holding his close to his chest. And they sat there in silence; and it was a peaceful silence they wished they could experience more often.
Sam looked up at Dean, his nose brushing his older brother's neck. Leaning his head forward, Sam pressed his lips up against Dean's pulse point. His heart was racing and he wasn't sure how Dean was going to handle this, but it just felt so right to him. When Sam felt his brother's palm on the back of his head, Sam's shoulders relaxed and he exhaled deeply.
"I care about you a lot, Dean." Sam confessed, still pushing his face into his brother's neck. He felt Dean's jaw move, a sign he was going to say something. Nothing came out, however.
"I mean... more than a brother. And I know that must sound really messed up, but-" Sam's head was now being maneuvered by Dean's hand, pushing it backward. Dean's lips played gently on Sam's, pressing kisses all over them. Dean laid his brother down gently, swinging his own leg over Sam's form. Slowly he placed kisses up and down his younger brother's neck, mumbling incoherent sentences along the way. Sam merely breathed in and out slowly, indulging in the tender moment.
Dean lifted his head up then, meeting Sam's glossed over eyes. Sam smiled widely, allowing an earnest expression sit on his face. Dean smiled back. Some semblance of worry plastered on his face, but Sam's hand wiped it away as he touched Dean's face.
"Thank you."
The Impala's doors screeched open as Dean pushed it open, stepping on foot on the ground. He got out carefully, nursing his broken leg as best as he could. Sam was over at his side in minutes, trying to hold him up.
"I said wait." Sam amended.
"Yeah, yeah, Sammy. I can do it myself." Dean tried brushing him off, but his brother's grip was too much for his weary bones. They finally took out the vampire nest. One each day, getting every and all they could muster out of the shack they were laid up in. They were too damn cocky to run, but Dean took it as a challenge. A challenge they one, he might add.
Sam pushed open the door after unlocking it, acting as Dean's crutch until he could let his older brother down on the bed. Sam felt his foot nudge something under his brother's bed. He crouched down and discovered a big scrap book binder.
"Hey, was this here when we got this room?" Sam questioned, holding up the velvety black case. Dean's face went white.
"Fork it over!" Dean ordered, trying to move his leg enough to get out of bed. A gentle push of Sam's hand was all it took to put Dean back in his place.
"Uh-uh." Sam goaded. He opened up the case and saw pictures upon pictures of there time here. Some where back at the town where Dean found his new aptness for photography. The older man even took time to label and caption most of the photos. The most recent one was of Sam sleeping in the Impala. No doubt it was from right before they gangked the last vampire.
"If you fill up this whole thing up at once, you're gonna need another couple of binders." Sam joked, peering up at Dean through his monstrous bangs. Dean was blushing now. Looking away with his arms crossed, Dean huffed.
"Dude, that's personal."
"I know." Sam said softly, setting the binder on the floor. He snuggled himself into Dean's side, wrapping his long arms around his big brother. "I'm glad you enjoy the camera."