In Milliways, but upstairs, the boys talk. After Dean wakes up, of course.

[hopeitsworthit]

Long day, lots of driving, not a lot of sleep--probably explains why Dean's catching up now.

Maybe a nuclear blast would wake him.

Maybe.

Least it looks like that's the only thing that could shift him out of his heavy, heavy slumber.

That's until the door opens, making his hand (where it's resting under his pillow) clench, gripping the hilt of his knife very firmly.

Life's been proving, lately, that it's better safe than sorry.

"Mnsthatyou Sam?"

Comments

[gavemea_45]

"You were expecting someone else?"

The duffel bag thuds to the ground.

"... you know, if you were, man, I can get another room."

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean grumbles, mashing his face deeper into the pillow.

Then, sighing, he turns his head and enunciates clearly.

"Get the fuck in here, Sam. Jesus."

[gavemea_45]

"Open your eyes, Dean. Or did you think I was standing out in the hall yelling at you?"

Sam sounds exasperated.

He sets the computer bag down on a nearby table and starts taking off his jacket.

[hopeitsworthit]

"'Cause you've never done that before."

Dean and his pillow enjoy a comfortable moment or two, and then, reluctantly, he turns over, squinting at his brother.

"Man, who pissed in your Wheaties?"

[gavemea_45]

"Only when you deserved it. Which, come to think of it, is most of the time."

The jacket gets dropped on a chair, and Sam sits down on the end of his bed, staring at the door.

"I'm fine."

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean follows Sam's look.

His eyebrows go up.

"Uh huh."

He's not even trying to sound like he believes Sam.

[gavemea_45]

"I'm fine," Sam repeats, and flops back on the bed.

He's staring at the ceiling instead when he adds, oh-so-casually,

"Talked to Jess."

[hopeitsworthit]

"Got her voice back, did she?"

His tone isn't quite snide, just--brusque.

Dead things give him the creeps.

Kind of.

Lately.

[gavemea_45]

"Don't start," he warns.

Sam hasn't bothered to look over.

"Just don't."

[hopeitsworthit]

"Yeah, whatever."

Dean flops back down on his bed, turning back over.

If Sam's down with the not really talking, Dean's going back to sleep.

[gavemea_45]

Sam's silent for long enough that Dean might have slipped into a doze by the time he speaks, but when he does it's short and to the point.

"I offered to help her-- you know. Leave. Go on."

[hopeitsworthit]

Jesus, Sammy.

Dean turns over at that, narrowed eyes looking Sam over carefully.

"And? What'd she say to that?"

He bets he can guess.

[gavemea_45]

He's still staring at the ceiling.

"Said she doesn't want to go on to a place she doesn't know."

Silence.

"Said she prefers being stuck."

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean holds back his snort with a sheer effort of will.

He kinda makes a strangled sneezing sound, instead.

"Did she."

Is she nuts?

Don't answer that.

"Lemme guess. You were all 'sure, sweetheart, whatever you want'."

He doesn't sound scornful, and he doesn't sound dubious.

He does, however, sound very, very distant and professional. Almost analytical.

[gavemea_45]

"She was really certain about it. I asked."

Another long silence, and then Sam sighs and rolls onto his side, looking at Dean.

"I don't know, Dean. Maybe it's different here, somehow, you know?"

He doesn't sound all that convinced.

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean looks back at Sam, lips pursed in what might pass for a thoughtful expression.

"Yeah, man. Maybe."

He gives it a second.

"For a while. But this ain't where she belongs, Sam. This ain't where any of us belongs."

If that matters any. It might not.

That's kinda what Dean's worried about.

[gavemea_45]

"I'm not arguing that."

He's frowning, though.

"Met someone else tonight, too. Her name's Meg, Meg Giry. She's Andrew's girlfriend, I think."

Sam meets Dean's eyes.

"She's been dead for a year and a half, Dean."

[hopeitsworthit]

"Dude, I had no idea the guy was that kinky."

Dean's laughing smirk is reflexive, a means of buying himself time to think, and hopefully a way to deflect Sam's attention completely.

He's good at it.

"Man. The things you learn."

He shakes his head, still apparently amused.

[gavemea_45]

Sam gives him a disgusted look.

"Dude. Ew. Come on."

[hopeitsworthit]

"What?"

Dean looks mortally offended at the face Sam's making.

"You've gotta admit it's kind of creepy."

[gavemea_45]

"Yeah, okay, if it were like that, it would be--"

Sam shakes his head.

"--I didn't realize at first, man. It wasn't until she said something that I caught on. It was unreal."

[hopeitsworthit]

This time Dean does snort.

"Well, yeah, Sam. I mean--bar at the end of the universe, strange as all hell--that ringin' any bells for you?"

[gavemea_45]

Sam just gives him a look.

"Oh, so you noticed?"

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean looks right back.

"And they say I'm the oblivious one."

Beat.

"Oh. Wait. They don't."

[gavemea_45]

"No, they say lots of

other

things about you," Sam agrees.

"Anyway, I dunno. Figured I'd talk to him about it."