On the list of things that Dean wasn't supposed to think about, kissing his little brother was possibly the highest item on that list. Of course, his little brother wasn't so little anymore, but that still didn't justify his more-than-brotherly love towards him.
He tried - and he would tell you this til the end of the Earth - so hard to shove the feelings to the very deepest corner of his mind. But god damn, if he didn't fall for the way his eyes lit up when Dean laughed. The way that his cheeks puckered into the cutest goddamn dimples Dean has ever seen in his entire goddamn life. How he licked his lips when he was nervous - No. Dean was not allowed to think of his awkward, baby moose of a brother like that.
But that didn't stop him.
And now he was leaving for college. Suddenly the amulet that Sam had given to him weighed more than an elephant where it sat on his chest. How dare he leave? He was supposed to stick with Dean and John. They were family, even if Dean wished they weren't.
Dean offered to take Sam to Stanford. Well, offered is a broad term, seeing as John didn't exactly jump at the chance to take his son himself. The car ride was silent, not even the stereo playing as the two boys started the days drive to California. Dean was lazily slumped in the driver's seat, arm draped at the wrist over the steering wheel. Sam couldn't stop fidgeting. The silence was driving him absolutely nuts.
"Say something," Sam demanded, venom stinging his words, hand slapping to his thigh sharply. "Anything, at this rate. You have to talk to me, Dean."
Dean quirked his eyebrow, eye's almost dead of emotion. "Do I now?" He asked, shifting his eyes to his brother. His heart started to give him away, increasing it's rhythm against his ribcage.
"Yeah. You do." Sam said, back to his normal tone. "You can't ignore me forever. I'm your brother, that should mean something."
Dean flicked the radio on.
4 more hours.
Thanks to his less than legal driving, Dean got the two to California quicker than expected. There weren't many things said as they started to unpack the Impala. Sam's bags felt like lead in Dean's arms as he carried them to his dorm room.
"Dean..." Sam started, putting his bag down on one of the beds. "Please say something."
"What do you want me to say, Sam?" Dean said, anger burning at the back of his throat. "Congrats on getting out?"
"No I-"
"No. Listen to me," Dean said, jabbing a finger to his brother's chest. "You might think this is all fun and games, being on your own, making your own choices," his head shook with a small smile etched angrily onto his lips. "You're gonna get sucked back in eventually, Sammy. Everyone does."
"Not everybody," Sam whispered, licking his lips. Dean's heart went crazy again.
'You're supposed to be mad at him,' Dean thought to himself.
"Dean-"
"You're leaving me with him," Dean said, cutting Sam off sharply. "I can't do it alone, Sammy." Tears threatened to prick the back of his eyes. There was no way in hell he was crying now.
"You think I want to leave you?" Sam snapped, throwing his backpack to the floor. "Honestly. I'd keep you here with me if I could, but you're the soldier. You'll never stop fighting."
"Sam, stop-"
"No. You fucking stop," he said, the impact of a real smack in the face hitting Dean. "You've done nothing but bitch and moan about me since I told you I was leaving and now it's suddenly 'don't leave me' and 'I need you'?"
Dean stood in Sam's doorway, stunned into silence.
"Don't you dare think for one second that I don't need you just as much as you need me," he continued, hurt eyes finding Dean's as tears really welled. "Don't you ever think this isn't hard for me, Dean. Because leaving someone you love is never-"
And suddenly, Dean didn't have to think about it anymore. He threw caution to the wind, letting himself step forward and crash his lips against his brother's. It was angst; it was anger; and it was his brother.
But Sam kissed him back.
It was still angst, but also passion, love, and intensity. Dean's heart was racing as he broke his lips from Sam's, clinging tightly to his shirt as tears spilled over his cheeks. Long arms wrapped around him and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Fucking finally," Sam whispered into his brother's hair.
The next few hours of driving were a little more bearable. Just as Dean hit the halfway point of his trip, his phone rang. He flipped it open, pressing it to his ear just as he heard Sam's voice sound through the receiver.
"Dean?"
Dean's heart picked up, the simple word sending shivers down his spine.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
Silence.
"For what?"
"Leaving you with Dad. Just... you know where I am if you need to get away, okay?"
"Okay."
"Dean?"
"Yeah, Sammy?"
"I love you."
Silence.
"I know."
A/N: Well this is the end of this set of prompts! I dont know if I'm gonna just add to this story with the next set or make a completely different story but yeah. They'll come eventually. I'm a really big procrastinator sooo just keep an eye out!
