Stanford, pre-series.
XXXX
Bad mood
It has been two weeks since Pastor Jim called him asking if he'd heard from his brother. Two weeks since his heart almost gave out. Two weeks since he hadn't been able to concentrate on absolutely anything. Two weeks since his mood had taken a very, very sour turn and everyone of his friends that thought Sam was such an easy going guy started to consider a change of mind.
It was ten days since Bobby called him to tell him they'd found his brother and that he was hurt, but alive. Ten days since he felt relief for about eight seconds before turning to absolutely fucking pissed off, because Bobby didn't put Dean on the phone. They weren't together. Apparently Dean had lost his fucking phone and the only reason Bobby knew about him was because his father had fucking told him.
His father had told Bobby, but never thought of calling Sam.
He knew his dad was still pissed at him, he gathered that much. He'd been in Stanford for a year and every time he talked to Dean on the phone - which was an occasion that was beginning to become rarer and rarer - his brother avoided mentioning the man. That was the most obvious sign his dad was definitely not over him leaving.
He got that his father wouldn't call him, but would it kill Dean to find a god dammed phone himself? Really?
Sam had called Bobby and Pastor Jim both every other day trying to find out more. They claimed they didn't know more. Ok, so that was unfair with them both, he knew, but his brother went missing and got hurt and could have been killed and he only found out about it days after and goddammit, he's just in college, he didn't do anything wrong and Dean is still his brother.
All Pastor Jim knew was that Dean was in a solo hunt and after he missed three previously appointed check-ins with his dad, John went looking for him. And Sam just couldn't believe his dad waited for three (three!) misses before going to search for the only son he has now left. All Bobby knew was that his father found Dean, killed the thing that got him and that Dean was pretty beat up, but alive.
How beat up? They were both sure he was okay, but they didn't know. They didn't fucking know. Dean could be paraplegic for all they knew. It's not like his dad would care anyway. Again, unfair, Dean was John's golden child, but what sort of father waits so long to go after a son they sent in danger's way themselves? Huh?
Sam is pissed and getting angrier by the day. He's definitely not good company these days. He even had to reschedule that second date with Jessica Moore and he really wanted that second date with Jessica Moore. But he couldn't think or concentrate or have a date until he knew more about his brother.
His brother.
His brother who is now, apparently, in front of his building.
He's silent and sulking coming back to his dorm with Zack and Karen when he sees him.
He's there.
He's alive and he's there.
And now Sam is going to fucking murder him.
Dean gets out of the car when he sees him approaching and slaps on a shit eating grin Sam is sure he's gonna pound in a second. His left arm is in a cast almost all the way to his shoulder. He has a cut on his right eyebrown and Sam is pretty sure there's more stuff hiding beneath his clothes.
He shouts "I know what you're thinking…"
Do you, really, Dean?
"…my baby looks great on the California sun…", he widens his arms and his smile is fully plastered across his face now and Sam has to stop and take a breath to calm himself down. Zack and Karen are staring. Zack in confusion and Karen in the ways girls do when they see his brother. Enjoy that pretty face while you can, Kare.
"What are you doing here?", Sam tries to fake nonchalance from his side of the street.
"Well, Bobby said you were full-on bitch mode worrying about me for the last two weeks. By the way, cute, Sammy. So I decided to drop by, show you I'm still in one piece", he glances at his cast. "Well, mostly".
Sam crosses the street in three quick strides.
And punches Dean square on the jaw.
He hears Karen yelp. That will definitely cement easy-going-Sam for eternity.
Dean waits a moment, before he turns himself, cleans the blood from his cut lip - and Sam is so not sorry - before he's pouting in mock disappointment. "You hit your injured brother? What sort of man are you?"
Sam is not amused.
His finger is against Dean's chest (and there it is, he flinches, the idiot is hurt) and his face is inches away and he hisses. "You pull a stunt like that and you disappear? Next time you better be dead because I'll fucking kill you myself".
Dean's still smiling when Sam calmly adds. "I'll kill you, then I'm going to take your car to a back road and I'm going to torch it."
And Dean's not smiling anymore.
Sam turns himself back, but he feels his breathing coming back to normal now.
He hears Dean's "don't worry, baby, he doesn't mean that, he's just upset" and then apparently Dean notices Karen because he cuts himself short.
"Hi, I'm Dean."
And there, he done it. Sam feels like he's breathing for the first time in two weeks.
Dean is alive, cooing to his car and flirting with Sam's friends.
Sam is smiling for the first time in two weeks.
