They'd barely made it inside the bar when the first message pinged on Dean's phone. Sam was well aware of who was texting his brother. If it had been a phone call, it might have been a mystery, but there was only one person that would have text. Not so much person, as angel.
He didn't really know what was going on between his brother and Castiel, and he had no intention of asking. He knew Dean would tell him when the time came, and for now Sam was mostly satisfied with letting them do… whatever it was they were doing. As long as Dean continued to be more relaxed and happy than Sam had ever seen him, he had no desire to press the issue. He was content to live in ignorance, for now.
He ordered them each a beer as he watched his brother smile down at his phone before typing out a reply.
"Is everything alright?" Sam asked after Dean had closed the window on his phone, just in case he'd guessed wrong.
His brother just grinned while he slipped his phone into his pocket. "Yeah, it's just Cas. He made it back to the bunker sooner than expected. I let him know we were down here." Dean picked up his beer and took a swig. "So, how are we supposed to recognize these guys?"
Sam glanced around the bar, trying to find someone that looked as rough and world-weary as they were. "They didn't really say. I assume they'll call or something when they get here."
Dean nodded and pulled his beer back up to his lips, scanning the other occupants of the room. He spotted a sign on the wall and grinned. "At least it's taco tuesday!"
Sam paled at those words from his brother's mouth. "Please don't say those two words together ever again."
It was nearly an hour of beers and tacos before the hunters they were supposed to be meeting with finally showed. They needed advice on the demon they were hunting and had practically begged the Winchesters to help them out. In the hour they'd been waiting Dean had received no less than six messages, all of which had gotten nearly identical responses from his brother. A soft smile and a flurry of texting.
When the other hunters finally showed, their greeting was interrupted by another message. Dean pulled out his phone immediately.
*ping* Dean grinned before typing furiously. He slipped his phone into his back pocket as he introduced himself to the other men. Sam was surprised that his brother had been distracted enough to turn away from another pair of hunters. That wasn't like him at all. Dean had always said that 'seemingly friendly' didn't mean friendly, and more often than not, it meant the opposite.
As they sat down with the other men, it became apparent that Dean had ended his conversation with Castiel. His phone remained silent as they heard about the demon, and what the other hunters already knew. It didn't make a peep while they offered all the advice they could on how to rid the world of that particular evil. His phone was even silent as they bonded with the hunters over a few more beers.
Dean decided that it was time for a friendly game of pool with their new allies and began pumping enough dollar bills into the jukebox to ensure he wouldn't have to hear anything but classic rock until they left. It was as Dean finished racking the balls at the end of the table that the phone decided to make it's presence known again. Dean seemed surprised, but pulled his phone out to look at it anyway.
*ping* Dean's face was excited but skeptical as he typed. He didn't even bother putting the phone back in his pocket, choosing to stare at it while he waited for a response. Sam wondered what the angel could have said to gain his brother's attention so completely.
*ping* Dean's face froze in shock and he exhaled slowly as he replied. Sam was beginning to think the conversation had turned to something more serious and was about to ask his brother what was wrong, but was interrupted again by Dean's phone.
*ping* Sam's suspicions of the conversation turned even more curious as a blush quickly formed across his brother's cheeks as he stared down at the screen. He hadn't even typed anything when the noise came again.
*ping* More intense typing. Sam and the other two men shared a look as they watched Dean apparently have a meltdown over whatever was happening on his phone.
*ping* "Well, that's just playing dirty!" Dean exclaimed after reading the new message. It was loud enough to startle all of the hunters and some of the other patrons nearby.
That's when the call came. As soon as the tone registered, Dean was answering.
"Hey." Dean's voice was gruff, but it surprisingly wasn't irritation that Sam heard in his voice.
"Yeah." His brother answered whatever had been said, quickly followed with another, "Yes."
The was a pause of silence and then Dean's voice was lowered, as if he would be able to talk without three professional eavesdroppers hearing what he was saying.
"Well, yeah, but I just put like ten bucks in the jukebox, and we just started a game of pool." There was a much longer break while the person on the other end of the line spoke.
"Holy. Fuck." Dean seemed genuinely shocked by whatever had been said, and he ended the call without even a proper sign off. He dropped his phone to the table, rubbing his palms over his face. He seemed to gather himself, before turning to the three men waiting on him.
"Sorry guys! Looks like I've got to go." He chugged down the rest of his beer while Sam tried to figure out why he had to leave so suddenly.
"Dean, what's going on? Is everything alright?" His brother ignored him, dropping his empty bottle on the table and heading for the bathroom.
When he came back out, he looked refreshed. As if he'd splashed water on his face and attempted to make himself at least look like he'd put in some effort.
"Where are you going?" Sam asked incredulously, as soon as he was within hearing range again.
"I've got to head home a little early. You can get a ride, can't you Sammy?" Dean's eyes were pleading as he grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair.
"Yeah, I can figure something out… but why? Why do you need to leave right this second?" He couldn't help his suspicion with his brother acting the way that he was.
"I uh… left something turned on." He paused for a second before adding, "It'd be pretty bad if the place burnt down. All our stuff, and the library… not to mention what they'd find if anyone called 911." Dean seemed to be really going for this excuse. The mention of the authorities shifting through their stuff was enough to make the other men nod in understanding. It was not good for hunters to try to explain themselves to the cops. It rarely ended well.
Sam still had doubts about this explanation. "You left something turned on at home?" It sounded like a particularly bad excuse to him.
"Yep. Something incredibly hot." Dean grinned and nodded, patting Sam on the shoulder and strolling out of the bar before he could say anything else.
Sam stared at the door for a minute before turning back to the other men again. "Are you guys buying that story?"
They grinned and shook their heads good naturedly before one of them reached down and picked Dean's phone up from the table. "Well, he left this here. Maybe you can figure out what's really going on."
Sam couldn't believe his eyes. There was his brother's fucking phone abandoned on the table at some random bar. Dean was never this irresponsible with his things. He certainly hadn't drank enough to forget, which could only mean that something else had been on his mind. With apprehension, Sam unlocked his brother's phone.
The last call that had come in had been from Castiel. So, he reluctantly clicked on the message icon. He was greeted by the last few messages between his brother and the angel.
UR not really UR just messing w me
Cas: You don't believe me? I can send you a picture…
Photos or it didn't happen
Cas: -photo attached-
Cas: Do you believe me now?
Uh, yeah it's kind of hard not 2!
Cas: Just come home now. I'll make it worth your while
And now Sam was traumatized for life. He didn't click on the attachment, but his imagination supplied him with enough ideas of what it could be that he'd probably have to scour his brain later. His brother had abandoned him at some seedy bar in the middle of nowhere, with two hunters they barely knew. Whatever Castiel was offering him must have been amazing.
He wanted to be angry. He really did. He couldn't believe he'd been ditched so his brother could get laid! That hadn't happened since back when they'd first started hunting together.
Then he remembered what his brother had said before he left, and started laughing before he could help himself. It was hard to be angry when he knew how Dean really felt about the angel. It was even harder when his brother's excuse was so terribly awfully transparent.
"What is it?" One of the other hunter's asked. They seemed very curious as to what was going on, and Sam could hardly blame them with the odd way his brother had been acting.
Sam composed himself enough to speak through his laughter. "He left something turned on at home!" And he started laughing again, because he just couldn't help it. "Something 'incredibly hot'!"
Yeah his brother's excuse hadn't been a lie at all..