Sam shut the door to his room and leaned against it, warmed through from the shower he had sorely needed. He was thankful Dean had left him alone after that weird exchange in the library, since he had half-expected him to com charging after him demanding a better answer. Sam had lied, and Dean knew it. Rather than feeling ticklish, a wave of unfamiliar heat had rolled through Sam's body, and shortly after a sharp pain had burned through the scars, so clear he could almost feel it moving through the lines that covered his skin. Dean's proximity seemed to be the cause, Sam wondered why he had been so aware of it. From the moment they had returned home Sam's attention had been split between worrying about Dean and worrying about the mark. When Dean had come up behind him, the warmth of his hand on Sam's chair had registered so strongly that Sam wondered how he had never noticed things like that before. And Dean had gotten even closer after that; Sam felt himself flush at the memory. It didn't help that Dean was acting differently himself. Usually their contact was limited to playful smacks to the head or shoulder, and the occasional bromantic hug whenever the "chick flick" moment (as Dean referred to it) called for it. Sam knew Dean had meant nothing by it and felt guilty for thinking over something so trivial. But feeling Dean's hands on both sides of his face, and the warmth of his breath on his cheek as he looked over the mark had brought Sam closer to something he suspected he had been avoiding for years. He took a shaky breath and swallowed it again, turning his attention to what should probably be more important. He shuffled across the room to the small picture frame that sat on his desk, twisting it until he could catch a shadow of his reflection in the glass. The image of his scar made him shut his eyes with a heavy sigh. Now the line that Dean had been examining sported three new branches of markings, spreading out across the skin below his ear. So much for the theory of it wearing off, he thought with another sigh. It was probably better to avoid any contact with his brother until further notice. As long as he did that there was no reason to tell Dean about what had just happened. There was no sense in worrying his brother further.