Sam sneezed, "Dean, I told you I didn't think I felt so good. God, my head hurts." Sam slowly went back down on his pillow. His shirt and pants were shed leaving him only in his boxers, and his fever wasn't going anywhere. Dean sat on the edge of Sam's bed as his little brother started working on building a tissue pile, "I'm no good for the hunt and we don't even know where the vamp nest is yet. Have some other hunter deal with it."

Dean patted Sam's leg, "You're not going to let a little bug take you down, are you Sammy?"

Sam coughed into his fist, "I'm already down and I'm not getting up. I'm sorry."

"Don't sweat it." Dean said, "I'll go get you some soup and some Advil, and maybe start lookin' into the case. It can't be too hard to find the vamps if they're snacking on people like they've been."

Sam asked, "You're going to do the case by yourself?"

"I'm a big boy, Sammy. There anything else you want when I go out?"

Sam sniffled and wiped his incredibly runny nose with a tissue, "Uh, I guess some cough medicine would be good. Also, get the good soup, not the shitty kind. I kinda want some 7 Up, my stomach doesn't feel too great so saltines too, and maybe some popsicles."

Dean got up for his keys and plaid shirt, "Okay, I got it. Call me if you feel worse or need anything else."

Sam replied, "Call me if you need help or anything. I can come if you really need me to."
Dean raised a brow at his mostly naked, sweating like a pig, sniffly little brother, "You can barely get to the bathroom without feeling dizzy. You're staying put, kid."

Sam grumbled, "I'm a grown man."

Dean made sure all the sigils were still good before heading to the door, "Watch some porn. It might make you feel better, and remember: Call if you get any worse."

Sam tried to shout but his throat was so raspy it sounded pretty pathetic, "Porn doesn't fix everything, Dean!"

Dean closed and locked the motel room door before heading towards the Impala. With Sammy down for the count he was going to have to go the case alone. He could always call Kevin and Charlie but he was always hesitant about putting the kids in any line of fire. Garth was in the South, Cas was dealing with a heavenly weapon that had been found, and it wasn't like Dean hadn't ever flown solo on hunts before. He wasn't overly fond of doing it, but he was a grown up and a trained hunter who knew how to get the job done. It wasn't like he had many friends to call up for a hunt anyway. His thoughts turned to Steve.

The last thing he wanted was to get Steve involved in any way with the hunting life.

He knew that Steve had probably seen some tough things in the military, but he'd probably never seen a vamp rip out someone's throat, never have his worst nightmares come after him due to a Night Hag, never had to clean up a mass pile of young children's corpses after a Changeling ripped through the neighborhood.

Steve wasn't like him.

Just thinking about Steve made him smile. It took some guess work and a number of different translator sights, but he planned to figure out what Steve had said in Irish or Gaelic or whatever no matter how long it took. You're a wonderful man. You're so handsome. Of course the one time Steve flirted with him he said it in a different language. Of course, Dean had to first not tell him what he had said, so Steve took it as free game to say whatever the hell he wanted. The German actually turned out to be harder than he had anticipated to figure out. He reluctantly ended up going to Sam and trying his best to say exactly what Steve had said to him slowly so Sam could possibly translate; Sam was a language buff like Bobby had been.

Sam had squinted at him confused, "You just told me you like me, and you think I look beautiful when...when." He took out his phone to search the word, "When I blush. What the hell, Dean."

It only took a few moments of silence from Dean for Sam to come to his own conclusion, "Did you meet a German chick or something?"

Dean walked purposely in the other direction, but then being such a smart little bitch Sam got another idea, "Oh my god, does Steve speak German?"

The bitch.

Jesus, who told someone stuff like that without even batting an eye. Fucking Steve Rogers apparently. Fucking Steve Rogers thought he was so sneaky hiding behind a language barrier, but Dean knew how to be just as sneaky.

The bartender knowing ASL not included upon that.

Any other time Dean knew Sam would want the kind of popsicles with frozen fruit and low calorie. Dean wouldn't just gone with fudge pops if he had to choose popsicles, but Sammy was sick so regular old Orange Cherry and Grape popsicles would have to do. Or maybe Bomb pops? Maybe he could make Sam laugh with the Hello Kitty ones. Dean know he wouldn't like sugar free, but Sam might. Tropicals maybe?

"Ma'am, here let me help you with that."

No fucking way.

There was no fucking way Steve Rogers was in the same town as him. The same town where there was a nest of vampires running around. Nope, it just had to be some other guy who sounded an awfully like Steve. Dean looked out of the corner of his eye to see if it was. Yep, definitely Steve. Maybe if he stayed totally still in front of the popsicles Steve wouldn't notice him.

Dean did his best statue impression when he found Steve standing right behind him; he could see him in the glass door of the freezers. Steve smiled, "Hey, Dean. Fancy meeting you here."

It had not worked. He should've known.

Dean smiled back anyway, "Oh, hey Steve. I was uh...just getting some popsicles. What's up with you?"

"I was just in town checking out the Arts Center." Steve asked, " What kind of popsicles are you getting?"

Dean replied, "I'm thinking either the bomb pops or just the regular kind."

For some reason Steve got a weird look on his face when he looked at the red, white, and blue popsicles, "I think you should go with the regular ones."

"Yeah, Sammy would probably like those better since his tastebuds aren't in the best shape. We're in town for a job and he's stuck in bed sick. It could be the flu, but either way he's not up for a case"

"Has he gone to the doctor?"

Dean pushed the shopping cart along as Steve walked beside him,"I think we've been over this health insurance thing, buddy. It's just a bug, not too bad, Sammy can be more whiny than usual when he's sick, but he's okay. Just needs rest, meds, and soup."

Steve had never once asked what Dean did for a living. He never asked what his job was, why he drove around the country for it, and didn't ever ask what he meant by cases. Dean hadn't really ever lied to him so much as left out details and skirted around the truth, but they hadn't talked about their jobs when they met up. They talked about family, hobbies, Dean talked about the things he thought were cool, Steve would add onto the conversations the best he could even though he sometimes didn't get a lot of things; they had a nice system. Dean hadn't asked about Steve's job either or what he did for a living, but he didn't care all that much about it. If he did ask that might lead to Steve asking about his job, and he didn't need that.

Steve offered, "Maybe I can help you with your case then, if Sam can't. I can help in anyway I can."

Dean put all the things on the conveyor belt and tried to pretend like he didn't hear Steve. Of course, Steve just took it as Dean hadn't heard him, "I can help you if Sam can't."

Dean sighed, "Steve, it could be dangerous."

"I've done some pretty dangerous things in my line of work." Steve said, "I was in the military, Dean. Your partner's not up for it, and if your boss can't send another person then you need someone to watch your back if it's dangerous. I know it's a going against protocol, but I don't want you getting hurt."

"I've been doing this job all my life." Dean argued, "I'll be fine."

"You can't know for sure."

Even though they were technically arguing Steve still helped him carry the few grocery bags to the Impala. Dean said, "Look Steve, I really appreciate it, but I think you should just leave town. You can check out the Mall of America or Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, but I've got a job to do, so you should just go. I'm sorry, man, but it's for the best."

The dejected look on Steve's face almost broke Dean's resolve to get him to leave; almost. It was better Steve was out of town, thinking Dean didn't want his help, and sullen then dead with his throat ripped out. Steve's shoulders were slumped as he walked to his motorcycle, and as much as Dean didn't like seeing it he needed to get the popsicles back to Sam and the case over with.

Of course, Annoying, sickly, observant little brothers couldn't let sleeping dogs lie.

Sam whined, "Dean, Dean, Dean, De, Deedee, Deana, Dean, Dean, Big Brother, Dean!"

Dean demanded, "What the fuck do you want?"

Sam wiped his dripping nose, "I just wanted to know who pissed in your cheerios. You come back from the store and you're all grumpy and gloomy."

Dean said, "It's nothin' just eat your damn soup."

Sam pushed his bowl away, "Nothing my ass."

"Eat the soup!"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong!"

Dean slumped into the plastic chair across from Sam, "I ran into Steve at the store. I didn't plan for it. He was just checking out the art center thing in town, but we were both pretty surprised."

Sam asked, "Well, why are you pissy then? You're always in a better mood after you see, Steve."

Dean asked sarcastically, "Why are we in town again, Sammy?"

"Initially we were looking into a vampire hunt-Ohhh."

Dean replied, "Yeah, Ohhh! Steve isn't a hunter. He's a civilian! I don't want him in the same town as vampire next. I told him he should leave and I could do the job on my own; though he doesn't even know what it is. He actually wanted to help. I told him it was dangerous and the idiot still wanted to help out. I told him to leave, so I hope he actually does it. He probably won't get hurt, but he would if he's around me, so-"

Sam interrupted, "Wait, you told him to leave?"

Dean nodded.

Sam pointed at Dean with his spoon, "He's going to think you don't like his company anymore."

Dean stood up, "Well what do you expect me to do! That's better than him being dead!"

Sam said, "I was just saying he's going to think that if you told him to go without any explanation."

"Oh, hey Steve guess what? I hunt monsters for a living! The reason you can't help me with my case because it involves people getting their blood drained by vampires. Because that always goes over soooo well."

"Just check out the vics with the police, interrogate, find the nest, take it out. Then try to make up with your beau."

Dean warned, "Say that word anymore I will hit you don't test me."

"What word." Sam asked, "Beau?"

Sam might have been sick, but a good punch to the arm wouldn't make him any sicker. Sam whined more and bugged him about going to apologize to Steve, but Dean didn't even know where Steve was staying in town. He could always text him, but he didn't have time. He could apologize to Steve after the case was over with. Dean couldn't have Steve jumping into the fray. He just needed to get the hunt over and done with first.

The case looked pretty cut and dry. The vics were clearly killed by vampires, the police had no leads to what caused it though they thought animals due to the throats being ripped out, and by asking around he found out some people had been seen in an abandoned building, but most assumed they were just squatters. Dean liked a nice break with a cut and dry case; no demons, no end of the world consequences, just a nice clean monster hunt. It got dark before he had enough info to run into anywhere and start chopping off heads. Dean picked up his own dinner; quesadillas and nachos, while Sam was on soup and crackers since he didn't feel like eating anything.

The taco place, not being that far from the motel, seemed like an okay place to walk to. Sam would've complained about Dean taking the car that short of a distance, and since he was always riding his ass about getting exercise Dean actually went against his better judgement and walked. In the dark of night with his gun and quesadillas, he walked back to the motel under the dim light of the streetlamps. Steve's usually welcomed voice became very unwelcome when Dean heard it behind him, "Dean!"

There was a real possibility of not being able to outrun Steve, so Dean just decided to face it head on, "Rogers, what did I tell you? You can't help me with my case. It's too dangerous."

Dean never expected Steve to have bitch faces, "Oh, and walking out alone in the dark in a supposedly dangerous town isn't dangerous? Geez, I guess I'd had it all wrong."

Dean rolled his eyes, "I'm a grown ass man and I just got dinner. Now's not a time to be a little ass-a-nine."

"I am also a grown ass man if that's not apparent." Steve replied, "I'm not being whatever the hell you just called me, but I just want a straight answer. You just keep diverting whatever I say or evading me. You say it's too dangerous and I don't know why."

Damn Sammy and his weird intuition.

Dean said, "You should just take my word for it."

"I just want to know why."

Any not very well thought out explanation or harsh reply died on Dean's lips when a piercing scream was heard not far from where they stood. Steve took off in the direction without a second thought. Dean swore, "Son of a bitch! Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Dean chased after Steve with his bag of food still in his hand. Maybe it was just a mugger; yeah, Steve could handle a regular old human thug. Dean hoped, and yet everything in him was telling him to reach for the machete sheathed on his back. He tried to keep up with Steve, but even though his legs were shorter he seemed to run even faster than Sam.

Dean ended up dropping his dinner, so he could sprint to keep up.

They came to an alley where another woman seemed to be attacking a girl who was shoving the woman away and attempting to escape. Steve shouted, "Hey!"

Any miniscule hopes of the woman being a mugger evaporated when the woman turned her head to them and snarled flashing them her pearly dagger like fangs. Dean grabbed his machete and ordered, "Steve, stay here."
The vampire shoved the girl away and lunged at Dean. Not one to do what he was told to do, Steve ran for the girl and attempted to help her. He swept the girl up and put his body in between her and the vampire attempting to rip Dean's throat out. The vamp woman was quick, but Dean had been chopping off vampire heads for years. His swing was precise and Steve hid the girl's face from the carnage when the vampire's head came cling off and the body and head fell to the concrete. The head rolled a few inches before stopping only a few inches from Steve. The girl shook against Steve's chest, so he rubbed her back and spoke softly in an attempt to calm her down, "Hey, it's all okay. It's gone now. We're going to get you home. Where do you live Ma'am?"

The woman stammered, "O-O-Only a few blocks away. I-I was almost home and-and that thing attacked me."

Dean kicked the head away and dragged the body a little more towards the wall, "Lady, did that thing hurt you in anyway or drip anything in your mouth maybe?" He glanced at Steve's turned back, " Steve, are you okay"

The woman shook her head, "No, it grabbed me and shoved me down and tried to attack me with-with those teeth. I'm not hurt, but what was that thing?"

"A monster, but I'm going to take care of any of the ones in town, so you and everyone else will be safe. You should just go home and I'll give you a number to call incase you see anything else like it. Me or someone else will help. I'll make sure you get home okay." Steve still hadn't answered him, " Steve, I asked you a question."

Steve glanced at the body then he turned to Dean, "Yes, I'm okay. I'm perfectly fine. What about you?"

Alright, so not running for the hills in terror was a pretty good start.

Dean plastered on a grin, "I'm fine! Not a scratch on me. You'll get this lady home, and I'll take care of the body, you'll go back to your motel, then I'll just do my job."

"So this is your job?" Steve asked, "Taking care of things like whatever that thing was?"

"Saving people, hunting things, it's the family business. Come on, you want to escort her home? Since apparently you can't stay put anywhere and actually listen when it concerns your safety."

"I was trying to help. I'll take her home then." Steve gently put his hand on the woman's shoulder, "Ma'am, can you stand. I'll walk you right to your door if that's alright with you."

With the lady on his arm Steve took her out of the alley and towards the woman's apartment. Steve had patted Dean's back right before he left, but Dean was suspicious that he wouldn't be coming back. Any sensible person wouldn't come back to some guy who casually beheaded a monster; they'd be scared for their life. He felt some weird sense of pride with how Steve was handling it, but the guy just had to be freaking out on the inside. Sure, he tried to protect the victim, and hadn't batted an eye at the corpse and head, and hadn't looked at Dean any differently for what he had done, but Steve just had to be freaking out; it was normal.

Dean grabbed the vampire's head by the hair and glared at it, "This is all your fault. You just had to go and attack some chick while Steve was with me; fucking asshole. Fucking stupid ass bloodsucking bastard."

"If your done insulting the dismembered head I'd like to get this cleaned up, so you can tell me what that was and about what you meant by monster?"

Dean hid the head behind his back when he turned to Steve, "Oh, hey Steve. What're you doing back here?"

Steve's mouth quirked, "Hey, Dean. I've seen some stuff okay. I was in the military. Blood and bodies aren't pleasing in the slightest, but I'm used to it. Did you think I was going to ditch you just because of that? I've seen some weird stuff in my day, but nothing like this, so I want to know the truth."

Dean mumbled as he threw the head into the nearest dumpster, "Any normal person would be running for the hills right now."

Steve threw the beheaded body over his shoulder and tossed it into the dumpster. Some blood stuck to his shirt, but he only picked at it a little not particularly bothered by it, "I'm not exactly normal. So what was that thing?"

There was enough paper in the dumpster to start a good enough blaze. Dean took out one of his disposable lighters, lit up a scrap of paper, and tossed it into the dumpster, "A vampire. Now, let's get out of here before the local fuzz show up. My cars back at the motel, but it's not too far from here if we book it. I'll take you to your motel and-"

"If your brother sick you need someone to back you up. I'll help you."

Dean tugged Steve along as they walked in the direction of the motel, "Did I mention that thing was a vampire? Did that just happen to slip your mind, Rogers?"

"No it didn't, Winchester." Steve replied, "I want to know about vampires and such from you, so I need to hear it from you before I help you with the job. It's probably bad business, but I don't care. You have the dope and I don't want you to get hurt without no one there to help you."

Dean furrowed his brow confused, "I don't see how heroin will help in anyway."

"Information, Dean, I meant information; about how I can help."

"You're a civilian this isn't your fight."

"It might not be, but I want to help you with it."

Dean sighed, "Steve, you did great with that lady and everything, but you're not a hunter so you should just go."

Steve stopped walking. Dean's biggest mistake was turning to look at the big lug. With his baby blues wide and sullen looking it reminded Dean of how puppy dog eyes seemed to be his kryptonite. Everyone tried it with him; Charlie, Cas, and Sammy was the reigning king. The powers of the puppy eyes were just too great. It wasn't like Steve wouldn't eventually follow him in an attempt to help anyway, and it would be better if he knew the truth.

Dean caved, "Alright, I'll tell you and let you help, but I have to show you how to swing a machete since I don't think the army covers that. Frankly, down to the nitty gritty, almost everything you've heard about in stories like monsters under the bed, things that go bump in the night, they're real. My brother and I hunt ones who hurt innocent people."

Steve asked, "You really weren't foolin' when you said Bigfoot wasn't real?"

"No, but some pretty bad stuff does exist; vampires, werewolves, pagan gods, witches, demons."

"If demons exist...do angels?"

Dean asked, "You said you were catholic right? Well, uh, some stuffs not exactly true while some is it just differs sometimes and gets messed up in translation. Angels do exist, but they're not halos and flying babies; they're warriors. Truthfully, some of the angels are just dicks with wings, others aren't so bad, some actually give a damn about humanity. A few years ago I would've told you God was just another dead-beat dad, but now I'm not so sure. Free will's kind of a big thing for us, but the big man upstairs does exist if that's any consolation."

Steve ran a hand through his hair, "It's alot to take in, but I'm used to being shoved out the door and hitting the ground running."

Dean bumped his shoulder against Steve's as he walked, "I'll tell you more when we go get quesadillas?"

Steve furrowed his brow, "I thought we were going to find the other vampires. Why are we getting quesadillas?"

Dean explained, "Since you instantly ran like a bat out of hell when you heard a scream and I had to actually try and keep up with you I dropped my quesadillas and nachos; that was my dinner. So, you're going to buy me some more. You want some?"

"Oh, so now you're letting me pay for something without any complaint?"

"Fucking asshole."

Steve chuckled, "You said the same thing to the vampire head."

Dean said, "I've said it before and I'll say it again; you're somethin' else, Steve Rogers. It's probably one of the biggest things I like about you."

"Really, I thought it was the hair?" Steve asked.

Dean snorted, "Dude, my hair is way better than yours. Don't flatter yourself. My dazzling personality and great taste in music all blend together nicely with my awesome hair."

When Dean looked at Steve he knew he saw a man who had been through some things, and even if the stubborn wanted to hunt and help people Dean just wanted to keep that look of awe when Steve saw certain things and that genuinely happy smile safe. He didn't want Steve to ever see some of the things he had seen, but he did have high hopes for his ability as a hunter even if he did feel some reluctance. Never would be tell Steve he was actually a little pleased about how things had gone, but Dean would see how he fared taking on a nest. After they got quesadillas that is.