Dean wasn't sure how much time passed but ultimately he got tired of listening to everyone arguing about this Ruby chick, who was apparently a demon, and Sam. He shared a semi helpless look with his dad, he was just as lost as he was, and then got up, going to the back where Sam had gone.
He stopped a few feet away, watching his brother as he spoke on the phone, trying not to spy on him but at the same time, wanting to know what was going on.
"No, I told you, I can't." Sam said into the phone, shoulders looking tense and firm. "There's too much happening, I can't just leave."
He listened to whatever Ruby was saying on the other end. "Yes I do understand the risk you're taking but I can't, it's my family."
If anything his shoulders got tighter. "Stop bringing it back to him." and Dean was taken aback at how Sam hissed that. "It has nothing to do with him."
Whatever Ruby said in response to that, it seemed to make him angrier. "Enough, end of discussion." he snapped. "Sorry you came all this way but it's not happening. Bye."
With that Sam ended his call, turning. Dean caught a glimpse of a scowl before his eyes widened at seeing Dean there.
"What the hell is it with people sneaking along here?" Sam demanded. "Can't have a goddamn conversation without the whole house hearing."
"Sorry, I was just...checking on you." Dean said, shifting slightly to lean against the doorway frame. He watched his brother for a moment. "Ruby's mad?"
Sam stared at him for a moment before he sighed, turning to sit down on the stairs. "Upset." he said, arms on his knees. Dean hesitated for a moment before he went to sit down next to him.
Sam didn't speak for a few moments. "Ruby and me it's...complicated." he finally said. "I get that she's a demon, I get that demons can't be trusted. But she helped me, and she's on the run from other demons that will kill her, or worse. She sacrifices a lot to be on my side, however much she is, and I just..." he sighed, bowing his head. "I don't know."
Dean was quiet. "Do you love her?" he asked, feeling a sharp bit of relief when Sam shook his head.
"I don't love her, I don't know or trust her enough to love her." Sam said. "But I like her enough."
Dean nodded at that, turning his head to just watch Sam, eyes following the lines on his brothers face as he stared down at the ground.
Without thinking he reached out and with his thumb smoothed out the lines on his forehead. "You're gonna give yourself wrinkles if you keep doing that."
Sam blinked and turned to look at Dean in surprise. "What?"
"Sam you look a hell of a lot older than you are, you look older than me." Dean said, watching Sam reach up to touch his face and then his hair. "You gotta take care of yourself man."
Sam gave a small sad smile. "Hunting ages you." he said. "Combined with the stress of the end of the world and everything else, all I have worked for me is my genes."
That made something in Deans chest twinge at that but he didn't say anything, he didn't really know what else to say to that. So he changed the subject, "Who was the 'he' you're talking about?"
Sam looked at him again. "He?"
Dean nodded. "When you were talking to Ruby, you mentioned that she kept bringing it back to him, who is it?"
Sam hesitated, looking straight ahead once more, head bowed before he sighed. "You." he finally said. "She kept bringing you up."
Dean wasn't quite sure what to say about that. "Me?" he repeated. "How does she even know me?"
"She knows about our family, she knows...about you." Sam said, swallowing hard. "Like I said before, she knew about the demon that had kidnapped you and she had let me know."
He had no idea how to feel about that. "Guess I'll thank her if I see her." he mumbled. "What did she say this time about me?"
Sam stood up suddenly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I don't want to talk about it." he said, almost curtly. He didn't go back inside, walking out into the back yard towards where the knives were laid on the table. "C'mon, let's keep practicing your knife throwing."
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