Disclaimers and warnings: See chapter 1.

Many thanks to rascalflattsgurl43 for the speedy and accurate beta on this story

Chapter 14 Crossword not cross eyes.

Sam wasn't surprised Dean hadn't moved when he returned or when he watched TV and ate dinner. He was a little worried that Dean didn't move all night just stayed curled in a ball on his right side with the top of his head sticking out of the covers. When Sam bought breakfast back, Dean stirred slightly but kept sleeping. Sam had grown more worried by ten and shook him awake softly just to get some food into him.

Dean was a little slap happy but gradually woke enough to eat and drink some water. Sam gave Dean some more strong painkillers and let him fall back to sleep. Sam kept himself busy watching TV, reading and surfing the net. Dean woke at lunch time groaning softly as he moved slowly to the edge of the bed.
"You okay, Dean?" Sam asked going to his brothers side.
"Yeah, just need to pee like a racehorse."
"A Racehorse huh?" Sam put his shoulder under Dean's arm and lifted.
"Well camel maybe."

Sam huffed a laugh as he left Dean in the small room to do his business. When he came out he saw the cold pizza and detoured to the table.
"You want me to heat it up?"
"Normally I would say no but in this weather I say light her up."
Sam slipped the pizza into the small toaster oven while Dean went back to bed with one slice to munch on while he waited. Dean saw Sam had got the papers from New York and Washington when he went out for food.
"Hey, can I have the paper?"
"You looking for a hunt already?" Sam frowned as he threw the paper.
"No. Sports section."
Sam looked somewhat surprised as he handed Dean some meds and the other paper.
"I do have interests outside hunting…and girls."

Sam grinned as he checked Dean's food. Sam went to the bathroom then came out and found Dean sitting up against the headboard reading the paper his first slice of pizza gone. Sam took the heated up pizza over on the pizza box lid and Dean dug in while watching TV with Sam and doodling in the paper.

Or so Sam thought until he snuck a look when he took the empty pizza box lid back from Dean to throw it in the trash. He did a double take then looked down at Dean with a frown.
"Are you doing the New York Times crossword?"
"MmHmm." Dean nodded as he jotted another word in the puzzle not looking up.
"In pen?"
"So?"

Sam dropped the cardboard in the trash then came back to Dean with a frown.
"Remember that time when I was fourteen and I caught you doing the puzzle in the paper?"
Dean looked up and Sam could see the paleness there.
"You mean that time you were spying on me?" Dean grinned softly.
"Not spying just trying to see what you were up to. I picked up that puzzle later to find it half filled out properly and the rest filled out with 'Sammy. is. a. nosy. geek.'"
"Yeah." Dean huffed a laugh.
"I remember there being a few of those. I don't think I was too good at sneaking around and seeing what you were up to."
"Got you every time, baby brother."
"Yeah, you had eyes in the back of your head back then. I did ask dad however and he told me you did them when you were out doing surveillance on a hunt. He said he could never help you."
"Hah, dad doing a crossword! Me reading the clues out used to drive him bat shit crazy. He didn't have the patience."

Sam huffed a laugh himself mentally seeing Dean as a late teen driving John crazy by reading clues out while confined to the car with him. Sam tidied up from dinner and then lay on his bed with the TV on low while Dean did the puzzles from both papers and moved on to reading the actual news. Dean started to get tired around ten and got up to use the bathroom and get ready for bed with Sam at his elbow. Sam watched TV until after midnight then turned in for the night.

After a good night's sleep, Sam woke to find Dean tapping away on Sam's laptop.
"That better not be porn." Sam mumbled as he stumbled to the toilet.
"Live a little Sammy, you big prude."
By the time Sam came out of the bathroom after using the toilet and having a shower Dean had made them both coffee and was sitting back in bed tapping at the computer.
"Thanks." Sam picked up his coffee. "That must be addictive porn."
"That's the best kind." Dean grinned at Sam and Sam caught a green and red glow from the computer on Dean's face. Cartoon porn? Martian porn?

Sam had to check it out so he flicked on the TV and pretended to head to his bed before turning and looking.
"Games, Dean? You're playing games? What the hell game is that?"
"Bejeweled."
"Is it a kids game?"
"Could be I suppose but it's good for keeping the mind sharp. Until you get bored of it which is about a half hour."

Sam went to his bed and lay down. "Where did you pick it up from?"
"An internet café."
Sam raised his brows. "What were you doin' in an internet café? How do you know they exist? "
"Got banned from the library one time when I snuck in a coffee. Internet cafes let you drink coffee while you work so no problem going there more. I was in one in Portland when the chick serving coffee came up and started chatting. The place was empty and she was bored. I was only there to find a place to stay for a week. I ended up staying at her place 'cause she was going away for a few days to see her grandmother."

Sam noticed Dean kept playing while he talked.
"So she showed you how to play this game?"
"Yeah. We send our scores to each other when we play. She set that up for me. She is constantly giving me crap about my scores but I just don't get the time. "
"You still talk to her?"
"Yeah. We hardly know each other but yeah."
"Didn't you stay at her place?"
"Like I said she went away that night and I left just before she got back. We spoke on the phone less than half a dozen times."
"That's mighty trustworthy of her."
"She was fairly desperate to see her grandma. She had her best friend's husband do a drive by a few times to make sure everything was okay. He was a cop by the way."
"Oh okay. Still…"
"What can I say? I'm trustworthy."
"Yeah right."

TBC