Title: Hopefully Tomorrow

Author: Stacee Phelps

Disclaimer: 'Supernatural' does not belong to me and I am not getting paid for writing this. Any and all recognizable characters, events, places, etc belong to the CW Network and Eric Kripke. Any non-canon characters belong to me, so please ask before using.

A/N: Ok, no, I have not been murdered or anything or fallen off the face of the Earth. Nope, I have just literally been too involved in my job and everything since about December. See, I applied to this new job (forget the friggin' factory!) in Pigeon Forge, TN and in March, I got it. So, in the mean time, I have moved to Tennessee and started my new life as… a Titanic Museum Attraction First Class Maid. ^_^ Quite the mouthful, but I LOVE it. Yeah, but "unfortunately" (not really), my new job has completely filled my brain and left no thought for anything else. So, sorry, and here is my humble start to more writing! Yay! LOL, but, please read and review!

Timeline: Set mid-season two

Summary: After a hunt gone bad, both brothers just need reassurance. Hopeless brotherly fluff

SN

"SAM! Sam, answer me, damn it! Sammy!" the hunter's voice barely carried in the pouring down rain, his desperation the only thing that was really pushing through the storm. His anxious hunt for his baby brother was seemingly fruitless. Stumbling and attempting to run through the torrential downpour, Dean Winchester had to blink rapidly to keep the falling liquid from obstructing his vision. Unfortunately, he was reduced to only a few feet in front of him.

The trees swayed dangerously in the howling winds, the lightning flashed ominously overhead and lit up the path for only brief spurts. Thunder shook the very ground beneath his feet and almost made him fall many times. Batting branches out of his way and trying to avoid the free-falling debris, Dean's eyes flicked almost maniacally around his surroundings. Disregarding anything and everything that was not his six-foot four baby brother, including his own head and leg injuries, the older hunter could only stop and spin around.

"SAM! SAMMY!"

"Dean, Dean!"

Hope flared and he had to duck a heavy limb flying towards his head, but Dean's eyes widened as he tried to lock on to Sam's figure. "Sammy, where are you? I can't see you!"

"I'm right here, Big Brother. I'm right here, come on…"

Feeling the agitation rise as more time passed and he still couldn't locate his wayward sibling, Dean almost collapsed to his knees as sudden and overwhelming pain ran through his abdomen. Wrapping one of his arms around his midsection, he listed dangerously to the side as he attempted to compensate for the loss of balance.

Knowing abruptly that he was worse off than he first realized, Dean's heart sank with the knowledge that his body was going to give out on him in the middle of a storm while his little brother was missing. Feeling the defeat swelling within him, his consciousness started to slip as a last flash of lightning overcame his sight.

The last sensation that broke through to him was of a strong voice and even stronger arms wrapping him in warmth, even despite the relentless storm that raged around him…

Jerking awake was possibly the worst possible idea at this point. Sadly, that was exactly what happened as Dean came back to himself. Immediately, a pain more intense than anything he had felt in quite some time overtook him and he was not even able to voice his agony. Opening his eyes and arching his back as he struggled to take in breaths and push down everything that he was experiencing, he was completely oblivious to the tears that streamed down his cheeks and the warm weight that was instantly at his side.

"Shh, shh, I'm here, I've got you," a worried, and extremely familiar, voice tried to get through to him. Feeling a hand on his chest and the other trying to wedge itself under his neck, Dean closed his eyes once more to try and regain control of his body.

Senseless mutters reached him and he raised one of his own hands to twist in the shoulder of his brother's t-shirt as he turned his head to rest against Sam's chest, trying and trying to ground himself.

Sam, for his part, was attempting to not freak out. Only very rarely had he been in this role, Dean completely vulnerable and relying on his little brother, but each and every single time had nearly been enough to shake the younger hunter down to his core. He was doing his best and no matter what he did, it never felt as if it was enough to help his big brother in whatever situation he found himself. With this, he knew that there was a poison that needed to run through Dean's system and there was nothing he could really do but sit and wait, but it still didn't make it any easier to witness his brother's agony.

Forcing himself not to rock, knowing it would only make it worse for Dean, Sam tightened his hand around the nape of the other's neck. Bringing his other hand to rest more fully across Dean's abdomen, he hoped the heat from his own body would help temper whatever pain was running through the ravaged body.

After a time, Dean's breathing seemed to ease and the tension was slowly, oh ever so slowly, releasing from his weakened frame.

Relaxing more and more against his brother, the process taking longer than either brother desired, Dean finally took as deep of a breath as he could muster and opened his tear-glazed eyes. Looking up at Sam, he gave an exhausted, completely drained smile as his eyes fluttered open and closed.

"Well, that sucked."

The younger barely withheld his own light chuckle and shook his head. "Understatement, you jerk."

Dean's eyes closed and the smile grew on his face. "Whatever, bitch." He therefore then proceeded to drop into a heavy, much needed sleep without any warning, earning a tired grin from Sam.

Shaking his head and tightening his grip on his big brother, he laughed internally that as Dean had barely been conscious, he was not at all unhappy that he was wrapped up in Sam's concerned and supportive embrace. In fact, he had even "snuggled" closer.

If this hadn't been the hunt from hell, Sam would have almost found it funny. But as remembrances from this latest mishap came literally flooding back to him, the smile dropped from his face.

Whatever it was that they thought they were hunting had been completely wrong and Dean had been made to pay the price for it. In a thunderstorm, after Sam had gotten thrown down a hill from the monster they hadn't even known about. Oh, yeah. Completely their proudest moment. Really and truly.

Keeping his arms wrapped around Dean, and yeah, it would be worth the ribbing later, Sam tried to make himself more comfortable as he listened to the reassuring sounds of the rain (now that they were indoors) and the reliable sounds and feelings of his big brother breathing regularly beside him.

Too tired to even think about turning the bedside lamp off, the young hunter lay beside his brother and let himself drop off. Hopefully tomorrow, Dean would be back to normal and all this could be put behind them. Yeah, tomorrow…

THE END