Sam was stretched out on the sofa using his laptop when Dean walked into the library the following afternoon. Presumably he was doing research, but that wasn't what made Dean do a double-take. Sam looked to be...eating a lollipop?

"What's up with the lollipop? A little out of character for you, Sammy." The last thing Dean needed was more weird shit going on with Sam. Not that anyone had bothered to fill him in on what exactly was already going on.

Sam gave Dean an annoyed look, and pulled the lollipop out of his mouth with an obnoxious pop.

"I've been having at least one of these basically every night since 2009," he deadpanned, and popped the sucker back into his mouth, turning back to his reading.

Dean blinked. "Wait, what?" He gave an uncomfortable laugh. "Are you serious?"

Sam just sighed.

"I thought you didn't like sweets?"

"I didn't." Sam muttered around the lollipop.

"This is. Downright freaky. Are you're trying to tell me your whole 'only salads and healthy things' thing was just a lie? That's like your whole personality dude. So, what you just sit up all night eating candy?"

Sam shrugged, and fished the lollipop wrapper out of his pocket to wrap it back up. "I like salads. Healthy food is important."

"So...you don't sit around at night gorging yourself on candy?"

Sam scrolled further down the page. "No, that's pretty much what I do."

Dean stared at his brother incredulously. For such a little thing, this was a big thing. For years? For that many years? And he had no idea?

Sam licked his red stained lips, and brought his left hand up to chew on his thumb nail. Dean shook his head.

"So, what, you just decided not to tell me for some reason, and now you're just acting all casual about it as if it's no big deal?"

Sam scrolled again.

"Stop fucking reading, dammit!"

Sam looked up. "I don't know what you want me to say. It's candy, Dean. We've hidden a lot worse from each other."

Dean looked like he was restraining himself from yelling. "Fine, be a dick about it!"

Dean stomped his way out of the library, and Sam camly continued his research.

Later that night, he stared at his ceiling and thought about what Dean had said. Thought about how it was hard for the conversation to matter when it was about 8 years too late.

The remnants of a breath mint fizzed on his tongue and called him 'Gorgeous.' He didn't bother getting up to turn off the light.