They're driving somewhere, maybe Wisconsin, for a case, and for once Sam isn't thinking about it at all. He's not thinking like he used to, of course—not about the curious feelings that used to spring up at the mentions of Dad or Jess or Dean, that made his stomach curl in strange ways he can remember, but not replicate—but there's something on his mind that might have stirred that sensation again if he were normal. Maybe.
It's oddly silent in the car. Dean had turned off the music at the drive-through, and now as they race along some dead-as-the-night highway the only sound is the occasional crunch of the food bag under Dean's foot as he accelerates. He is reminded that this is probably supposed to be annoying.
"Mind moving that bag?"
Dean shoots him a venomous look and kicks it aside with his left foot. He's mad. Right. Sam's almost forgotten.
"Thanks."
More silence. They pass a lone billboard, its faded colors advertising a raunchy hotel off the closest exit. If Dean were Dean and Sam were Sam, one might have made a comment, and the other might have laughed or rolled their eyes, but neither are in their prime. Dean isn't supposed to hate his brother. Sam isn't supposed to not care.
It's still on his mind, though, what happened earlier in the day. Castiel's brief appearance has sparked in him some kind of curiosity, for investigative reasons rather than personal ones, but he wonders how much it would have affected him had he had a soul.
"Dean, can I ask you something?"
"...Yeah, what?"
"Y'know how Cas showed up earlier today—"
"—after I called once and you have been for months. Yeah. I get it. You're mad—or, you would be, if you could fucking feel anything!"
Sam sighs. "Dean, what did he mean when he said you two shared a more profound bond?"
Dean swerves a little too sharply away from the center line of the road, which they've been drifting toward, and there's too long of a pause before he next speaks.
"He pulled me out of hell, Sam. Maybe whatever you pulled out has a thing for you, too. What did you expect?"
"Are you saying Cas 'has a thing for you'?"
"No! No—" Dean groans. "That's not what I mean, damn it."
"Sure it wasn't," Sam says lightly, but his brother doesn't seem to find it amusing. He clenches his jaw and stares straight ahead, once again leaving them in stony silence.
Sam's discovered another weak point of Dean's, though, and it seems to be the angel Castiel. He doesn't know what their relationship is, or care to find out—he wouldn't understand it, anyway, not in this state—but he files it under 'Useful Things' in his mind.
It's also under 'Things to Tell Normal Sam,' because something about Dean's expression when Cas is mentioned triggers warning bells that emotion should be present in this situation. Normal Sam would feel a pang of annoyance at Dean's reaction, and stronger at his behavior around Castiel. Normal Sam would be (dare he say it) jealous.
But for now, Sam stares straight ahead, indifferent to the fact that there is one less emotional wreck in the car than there should be.
a/n: i'm sorry if it contradicts canon i'm sorry if they're out of character i'm sorry for shitty mobile formatting i'm sorry for apologizing but it's late and i just started s6 and this needs to be edited why am i even posting this it makes no sense sorry