A/N:

Thanks to goldacharmed for the review!

Much later that night, after a hearty dinner with lots of catching up and Mariana trying to convince Jacob to find work nearby, Jacob excused himself from his family. He managed to sneak away a small plate loaded with some light foods and a glass of chilled ouzo, a cloudy, almost-green drink with a bittersweet aroma.

Jacob's eyes scanned the floor of his sparsely-decorated room once he closed the door. He didn't expect to find anyone there; the brothers very rarely allowed themselves to be caught out in the open like that. Even knowing that, caution was always important.

"Hey, guys, you in here?" he called, taking a few steps towards the dresser and pausing to glance around and see if anyone emerged from a hiding place. "I brought you some ouzo to try if you want it, and some food if you didn't already find some."

Up on the desk, Dean peered around the edge of the books that were piled to one side. The tremble of the floor was unmistakable as the teenager entered his room, and for a second, it flashed through Dean's mind exactly how out of place they really were. This was Jacob's world, and it was catered perfectly for his size (or at least, almost his size - the bed wasn't as big as most of the motel room beds, making it a little small for the towering human).

And on the flipside of the coin, Sam and Dean were standing up on the desk, concealed from view by a few books. Completely out of place, but welcome to stick around, which continued to blow Dean's mind. Once Jacob had gotten past his first fascinated capture of the brothers, he'd put in boundless effort to make sure they knew they were welcome, and he saw them just like any other people.

They'd spent the last few hours scouting out the immediate area around Jacob's room, and had found at least one entrance into the walls not far from the dresser. Inside the dark corners of the house, the atmosphere was warmer than they'd grown used to at the motel. The dust wasn't as bad, and their boots didn't get caked on their hike.

In fact, it wouldn't be much work to make it livable inside the walls. Dean found himself sizing up a nook attached to Jacob's wall, and he had to admit, it would make a better home than the one he'd worked on with Sam in Trails West. If they were around for long enough, it might make a good base camp for the brothers when Jacob was busy.

Until then, they'd come back to Jacob's. With his room on the second floor, it made getting downstairs a timely process, and he'd offered dinner. They might as well save the time and concentrate their efforts.

A smile quirked Dean's lips as Jacob was carefully examining the dresser and the area around his boots. They could still ninja their way around with their hulking companion none the wiser.

Dean stepped out into view with Sam not far behind and waved up at Jacob to catch his attention. "You're late with the delivery!" he joked gamely. "I think we'll have to keep your tip."

Jacob turned, surprised to find them on the desk, but at the same time not surprised at all. He knew they could get around on their own quite handily. After last seeing them on the dresser, he'd gotten himself to expect the wrong side of the room when he returned.

He smirked and made his way to the desk, attempting lighter steps so he didn't "stomp," as Dean always said he did. "Jeez, I'm never gonna earn my cash back," he lamented, though the smile lingered on his face.

He sat in the chair and set down the small (to him) plate and glass of chilled liquor. "Here we are, guys. Some mezedes and ouzo. Just pretend you're close to the sea and it's a Greek experience." The plate was loaded with small cuts of sausage, soft cheese, olives, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Tourists and locals alike in Greece could expect an appetizer just like it, and Jacob's mom kept the tradition going with their family despite being an ocean and half a continent away.

"Remember, Dean, with this stuff you gotta sip it," he teased with a grin.

Dean rolled his eyes grandly at the sky, hoping that Jacob would be able to see the gesture from his point of view. It was meant for him, after all. "I'm never living that down," he grumbled to himself.

"Aww, don't say that," Sam cooed, two tin foil cups already in his hands and a shit-eating smirk on his face that Dean knew well. He was tall enough to stand next to the tumbler glass and be able to reach, so he took it upon himself to fill up a cup for Dean. For himself, he stuck to water, having no desire to try the sickly sweet-smelling liquid. The smell alone was more than he ever wanted to experience of a licorice flavored alcohol. "I'm sure you'll manage another stunt that's just as memorable within a week."

Dean snatched his cup from Sam. "I can handle myself fine," he said grouchily. His mood wasn't destined to stay down, however. The plate of food nearby beckoned him, and he strolled over to the side that the sausage was laying on. "So, pretend we're close to the sea?" Dean asked. "Y'know, we had one time we drove along the coast in California. I've never seen anything like it since."

Jacob leaned his chin on his elbow, leaving the food alone for the two standing on the desk to take their first pick of it. While everything had already been cut into small pieces, he'd cut them a little smaller so Sam and Dean could sample more if they wanted to. It was the way to drink ouzo, after all.

"I bet it's really amazing," he answered. "I've never actually been to the coast before, unless you count one of the great lakes. We've got pictures around here somewhere from the times my dad was in Greece."

Despite being born-and-raised American, Jacob had quite a bit of influence from his father's side of the family across the ocean. It was, as he understood it, another Greek thing. The result was a very Americanized Greek kid who knew a lot about how they did things back home.

He grinned at a sudden thought. "Hey, maybe we'll get you back in California sometime. Hollywood's bound to see a few ghosts now and then, right?"

Dean sat down next to the sausage as Jacob talked, taking a whiff of his ouzo. The bittersweet fragrance gave him a shock of nostalgia, the tint of licorice in the air another smell he'd never expected to experience again.

"We could always get a tour on set in Hollywood," Dean said, going along with Jacob. "I mean, I'm sure Sammy's always wanted to meet a star from the Gilmore Girls."

Sam threw him a bitchface, sitting down on the other side of the plate. He gathered up some of the cheese and fruits, sampling some of each. He was trying to be cautious with new food, remembering how it didn't settle well if they tried a lot of unknown foods, especially rich food. That was just another thing that their bodies needed to adjust to after years in the motel. A diet of crackers, occasional granola or cereal, dried fruits and whatever else they could scrounge up didn't help build up a strong stomach.

When Jacob's attention was off him, he quietly gathered up a piece of cheese, wrapping it in a strip of fabric to save for later that night if they needed it. It was instinctive, and since they hadn't had luck yet with finding a supply of food separate from Jacob, it was better to be prepared for anything. Sam stuck the bundle in his satchel, patting down the bag. It brought him a small iota of comfort to know he'd kept mindful of the things Walt had always told them about growing up, and even their dad before that. Always prepared.

Dean was savoring his first try of ouzo while all that was going on, impressed by the anise-enhanced flavor. "That hits the spot," he declared. He put it down next to him and jabbed a finger at Jacob. "See? I know how to take it easy!" He snatched up a piece of sausage and started in on the appetizers Jacob had brought in, musing about how they'd turned into a full-course meal for the cursed pair.

Jacob held up his hands slowly in mock surrender, somehow managing the gesture without moving too abruptly. One of the first things he'd learned about the brothers was their skittishness about his hands (which he knew was understandable after his first reaction to seeing them was to grab them back when they'd met). Faint scars from two silver knives remained on one hand to remind him what they did when they got too keyed up.

"Yeah, yeah, you got this all figured out," he relented, moving just as carefully to claim the rest of the glass. He wasn't about to leave that much booze around for Dean to potentially cause trouble with. The little guy could practically swim in it if he wanted to.

"Okay, so, tomorrow, mom did ask me to head into Des Moines to do some shopping for her," he brought up, leaning back in his chair while he absently swirled the ice cubes in his glass. "I feel like a shitty host leaving you hanging like this but I'm guessing you don't want to go along for that? You'll pretty much have run of the place while I'm gone."

Dean considered it for a moment, but there wasn't much question of the Winchesters coming with him on a shopping trip. It meant they'd have to spend just about the entire day concealed from view on Jacob somewhere, and the only place they could use on him was the hood of his shirt. Aside from that, he had the pockets of his jeans, which looked a lot smaller and tighter, and they'd risk getting squashed, or the bottom pockets of his hoodie. Those were at least big enough, aside from the fact that it would be easy for someone to bump into Jacob, putting an end to them.

"You should get yourself a shirt that has a chest pocket," Dean recommended dryly. "Maybe we could come with ya then. But yeah. We'll stick around, maybe get some more exploring done during the day while you're out." He took a bite of his sausage, following it up with ouzo. He had to hand it to the kid, it was a great combination.

"Mind leaving out our dad's journal on the desk?" Sam piped up from the side.

"Oh, right," Jacob said with a nod, remembering the worn journal that was still tucked safely in his duffel bag from the trip. Their father had taken notes on every supernatural thing he knew about; how to hunt it, and how to kill it. It had saved their asses more than once, helping get the brothers and especially Jacob up to speed on the fight against things that went bump in the night. Sam seemed determined to memorize the entire thing at the rate he was going, and Dean and Jacob were inclined to let him.

"Journal, shirt with pockets, got it," Jacob repeated with a grin, claiming an olive from the plate when he was certain his hand wouldn't be invading anyone's personal space.

"I'll get a bunch done and tomorrow you guys can just chill for a while."

Bobby Loran quirked an eyebrow at the monstrous car parked outside of Jacob's house. The black and chrome classic sparked envy in him, and he found himself wondering who was driving that around. He doubted it was Jacob's stepdad, and his mom probably never would.

It was equally hard to believe that Jacob would end up with such a nice car, considering the less than glamorous line of work he'd taken up.

Not that Bobby would judge his old friend for it. Jacob had never been afraid of hard work. Bobby hadn't had a chance to hang out with Jacob in a long time, but as soon as he heard the big guy was back in town, he paid the little house a visit. The tiny front lawn was immaculate as always, showing off Mariana's care for the landscaping. Despite having a smaller home, she took the advice from magazines to heart.

Bobby traipsed up the lawn to knock on the door, glad to be in the shade of the house after the walk there. There was a shuffling of shoes on hardwood floors before the door opened and Mariana answered. Bobby offered her a smile; anyone who knew Jacob knew that his mother was one of the sweetest people on the planet.

"Hey, Mrs. Andris," he greeted her. "I hear Jacob's back in town?"

She bobbed her head and her curls bounced with the motion. "You hear right, Bobby, but our timing's off. I sent him into the city with my car to run some errands for me. You're welcome to come inside and wait for him, though; I doubt he'll be gone too much longer."

"Thank you, ma'am, I might just do that," he replied, stepping into the house.

"Good to see you again, hon," Mariana said, closing the door before opening her arms for a hug.

Bobby chuckled and let the petite woman embrace him. "Yeah," he replied.

Once Mariana took her leave to return to whatever she'd been bustling about doing (she always had a project going on when she wasn't at one of her jobs), Bobby trudged up the stairs, tired footsteps landing a little heavier than might usually happen. He'd visited enough times to know exactly where Jacob's room was, and he didn't even look up from the phone he'd retrieved from his pocket to check for texts until he'd already thrown the door open and walked in.

A/N

Introducing one of Jacob's best friends from childhood: Bobby Loran!

Now, who remembers this kid from Bowman of Wellwood ;)

Next: July 10th, 2019 at 9pm EST