Chapter Title: Piecemeal
Series: Downtime
Fandom: Supernatural
Summary: It's puzzle time in bunker. Season 13.
"Sam, if you aren't gonna help figure this out then get away. The pieces have to fit just right. No...no...no, come on! Really? Why would you put that there?"
"I am helping, Dean. I know how to do this. I'm not an idiot."
"Coulda fooled me."
"Whatever. Can we just do this please without the drama? The weather has us stuck in the bunker, so this is what we have. Hand me that pile over there."
"I need those to finish what I'm doing. They're blue pieces and I need blue pieces. I'm workin' on the sky and it's blue."
"This piece isn't blue, Dean. Just the tiniest bit on the end. The rest of it red. I'll do the red ones."
"I've already got most of the red ones in place. Make yourself useful and work on green."
"Then we have to change chairs. Green is on your side. Or just turn it around."
"If we turn it, it falls apart. And my ass is comfy in this chair. Here, try this piece in that corner there."
"That piece is red. The corner is blue. It's not gonna fit, Dean."
"No, It's got one of those weird squiggles on it. Try it."
"Dean, it's a completely different color. Nothing around it matches. It won't fit. I'm not gonna try it there."
"Damn it, Sam. Move, I'll try it...hm. Okay, doesn't fit there."
"I told you."
"Sam, this is supposed to be fun."
"It's not. It's never been."
"What do you mean, never?"
"You're a puzzle bully, Dean. You always have been."
"A puzzle bully? Really?"
"Yes, really. You always used to take over my puzzles when we were kids. It was one of the things I'd use to pass the time when you and dad were out hunting. Then you'd come home and push me out of the way to take over and celebrate when you finished."
"You were slow, Sam. Took forever to put together a simple thousand piece puzzle. I mean, it's not like you had anything else do to while we were out on the road, but it still took you forever to finish one."
"I had things to do, Dean."
"Yeah? Other than school, name it?"
"Worry mostly. Wonder if you and Dad were both coming home every time you left me alone. The puzzles helped me concentrate on other things. I wasn't slow with them, just focused."
"We were always coming home, Sam. You knew that."
"I didn't, Dean. I only knew what you told me and Dad wouldn't let you tell me everything, so my mind made things up. Bad things. Things that scared the hell out of me."
"Sam..."
"Dean, can we just do the puzzle please? I'd rather not rehash certain memories."
"Yeah. Okay. You know...here, let's turn this thing. You work on the green pieces...Sorry about all that stuff when we were kids. I guess I knew, but you shoulda told me how scared you were."
"Didn't want to sound like a whiny weak little brother, I guess. I just wanted to go out hunting with my dad and big brother and telling you I was freaked out every time you left wasn't the best way to accomplish that."
"True."
"Why the hell do you think I bear-hugged you for five minutes every time you came home?"
"Because I was awesome?"
"No. What? No. Dean."
"Sorry. Okay, I get it. I never really thought about it from your point of view. Or maybe subconsciously I did and bullied you with the puzzle thing to not think about it. I don't know."
"Doesn't matter. I survived. Don't think I ever completed a puzzle, but I survived."
"We can finish this one then. Together. And I promise, no more bullying. I'll even let you do the celebrating when we finish."
"Dean, we're not kids anymore, I don't need to celebrate finishing a puzzle. I'd like to think I'm a bit more mature than that."
"I'm not. I'll celebrate for us then. No, you know what? Forget all that. Let's me and you take a break from this and I'll pick us a movie to watch. We're gonna be snowed in for a few more days at least. Plenty of hours in the day to finish this thing tomorrow."
"Sounds good. Pick something funny though, Dean. You've run though all the Die-Hard's and Lethal Weapon's four times already. And no Chick-Flicks!"
"Dude, you need to stop talkin' to Jody so much. Comedy it is."
"Naked Gun?"
"Marathon?"
"Yup. I'll make some popcorn."
"I'll grab the beer. Meet you in the 'Dean Cave' in ten."
"Dude, stop calling it that. It's stupid and it's just a TV room."
"It is so much more than a TV room, Sam. It's you and me and home sweet home. Ten minutes. And don't skimp on the butter either. None of that diet cardboard popcorn crap you like so much."
"Loads of butter, got it."
"And salt. Don't forget the salt."
"Salt. Right. Heart attack in a bowl, coming up."
"Awesome!"
"Only you get that excited about popcorn, Dean."
"Eh, it's not just the popcorn, Sammy. I figure I owe you a bit of additional brother time after leaving you alone all those times when you were young and thinkin' you might not ever see me again. So, a little we time, huh?"
"Dude, we're together practically 24/7 365. Our entire adult lives are we time."
"You know what I mean. Hurry up now. Popcorn! Chop chop. Or I'll drink your beer and start the movie without you."
"Got it. Be there in ten."
The End
