Ding dong, surprise!

[low_key_angel]

Dean was doing well in school. Amazing, really and Gabriel couldn't be happier for him. They'd gone on vacation for spring break and more than once he'd caught him staring at the cell phone he'd given him. The cell phone with Sam's number programmed into it.

Stubborn kid.

So maybe he needed a little kick in the ass in this particular department.

Thursdays were fairly normal for them. Dean read, they talked and instead of Dean cooking, Gabriel insisted they order in.

.. he just wasn't going to mention the surprise delivery boy. Or the fact that Sam didn't realize he was delivering it.

"Get the door, willya Dean?"

Comments

[lostwaywardson]

He wasn't stubborn! Just... cautious. Yeah. Very, very cautious. And maybe a little bit of a coward, when it came right down to it. Dean was afraid to talk to Sam. The only thing worse than thinking his brother probably hated him was talking to him and finding it out for sure.

Dean had a good thing going, right now. A good... hell, a great life. He loved Gabe, even if he hadn't quite gotten the word out yet. He loved his classes. Their apartment. Everything was going so well for him. Sometimes he felt kind of guilty for that. He'd spent years punishing himself for his failure. When he let himself think about it, living well now seemed like a whole other betrayal.

What would Sam think of it?

So he didn't. Didn't call. Didn't think about it. Well, tried not to, anyway. He focused on Gabe, school, and anything but giving in to the urge to pick up that phone.

"No problem!" He called back to Gabriel, setting his book aside and pushing himself up off the couch. Food sounded awesome right about now. Of course, Dean could always eat. He snagged the cash off the coffee table and bounded over to pull the door open.

"You're a lifesaver, dude," Dean declared, already grinning before he even got a good look at who was on the other side of the door.

[hunter_returns]

.. Okay.

Sam had been reaching for the motel room door, a heavy pack of books on his back and two bags of takeout in his hands. He and Dad had research to do, even if he bet the $50 in the bottom of his backpack that it was a Tulpa. But the motel room door wasn't the door anymore and a young man was opening the door with a grin to take the food and suddenly Sam can't breathe. He can't breathe because he knows that face, that grin.

Looking down at the money shoved into his hand, Sam looks up again, voice barely a whisper as the door starts to close. "D-dean?"

[lostwaywardson]

Oh. Oh god.

"Sammy?" How is this even happening? No. He knows exactly how this is happening and if he could move, he'd be glaring so hard at Gabe right now. As it is, he's too solidly paralyzed by panic to do anything but stare, wide-eyed at his brother. His little, baby brother who's so much more grown up than when Dean last saw him. So long ago.

"H-how... wha... uh...?" He blinks rapidly, drawing a shaky breath. "Um... come in?"

[hunter_returns]

It's Dean. His big brother and he's alive. Sam can't breathe. All this time and he thought he was dead. All this time and he's been living just fine without him. With a cry he launches himself at him, fist crashing across his jaw. Sam might be thin and just this side of scrawny, but he's been trained his whole life how to fight.

"You're alive." He's alive and living in a great apartment without him.

"You're alive." Another angry blow before his voice cracks in a sob and he throws his arms around his brother.

[lostwaywardson]

Dean's head snaps to the side when Sam's first punch lands and he staggers back dizzily. Yeah... that's pretty much exactly what he expected would happen if he ever say his brother again. The second punch is equally expected and Dean doesn't bother to lift a hand to defend himself. Years of self-loathing he's struggled to put behind him come crashing in again and he's nearly sick with it.

But then Sam's... hugging him? Dean's arms wrap around him immediately, instinct pushing past his confusion. He's gasping apologies before his own words register in his ears. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Sammy. So sorry..."

[hunter_returns]

Dean's alive. Fury immediately gives way to relief and Sam wraps him close, sobbing raggedly against his shoulder. All this time and Dean was alive. He should have known, should have figured it out along the way somehow. "You're alive. Oh God Dean you're really alive."

Later that anger will be firmly directed at their father for even telling him that Dean was dead, not just a runaway. But right now, the only thing Sam can think about is his big brother is safe and alive. He's not alone anymore.

[lostwaywardson]

Somehow, Dean maneuvers them to the couch. Otherwise, they'd likely be on the floor, because he's none too steady on his feet yet. He's also not quite ready to let Sam go yet, even if he's not sure what to expect. They've never been a family big on hugging, well not after mom died, anyway, but he's happy to forget that now.

"It's okay, Sammy. It's okay." He's not sure what to say. It never crossed his mind that Sam might think he was dead. "I really missed you..."

[hunter_returns]

No, it's not okay. It's about as far from okay as possible and it only makes Sam want to cling harder to his brother. "He said you were dead. He said you were taken by a striga. Killed." He scrubs at his face. "Dad. Dad said you were gone. He didn't really talk about it for years."

[lostwaywardson]

"He did...?" Dean swallowed hard and tipped his head back, staring into space for a moment. Dead. Well. He supposed that would have been an easier story to tell Sam. Part of him, though... part of him whispered that maybe that was how his dad wished it had ended?

He shook his head to clear it and squeezed his brother a little harder. "The striga was what attacked... when you got-- when I got you hurt. I ran. I guess he thought it got me?"

"I'm so sorry, Sammy. I screwed up. I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I was so stupid...."

[hunter_returns]

"I missed you so much, I didn't even understand where you had gone or what had happened," he scrubs at the tears on his face, turning it back into Dean's shoulder, still hanging on for dear life. "Dad didn't say anything about it for months until I pressed him on it. I hunted everything i could find after that, because the monsters took you away."

At least he'd thought so.

"Didn't you look for me?"

[lostwaywardson]

Fuck. So much for making sure Sam was safer and better looked after. If he's hunting as much as it sounds, and he'll bet Dad's doing no less, then it's all been for nothing. Dean can't speak for a second, choked by a renewed rush of despair. Fuck.

"I wanted to," he finally manages through a tight throat and tears of his own. "I wanted to all the time. But, it was my fault you got hurt... I was stupid and selfish and not good enough. I was scared I'd get you hurt again."

"I missed you all the time, Sammy. Every minute."

[hunter_returns]

"You're my brother, Dean. That's all I wanted back. Not a guardian," he protests, scrubbing at his own tears. "I thought something was wrong, that you got taken because of me."

"But you're okay. You're really okay." And in a pretty damn nice place. "How.. how did I even get here? A second ago I was trying to get back into the room so I could finish dinner and get back to researching how to take down a vetch without getting pasted."

[lostwaywardson]

"Taking care of you was my job," he whispered, head spinning. How could Sam think he did anything wrong? Dean was the one who screwed up. Royally.

He gave a watery laugh at the question and sat back a little, still not letting go. As long as Sam was going to let him cling, he was damn sure going to do it. "I'll tell you how you got here, but I don't think you'll believe me. Half the time, I'm not sure I believe it's real."

Gabe is hard to explain. Then again, an archangel boyfriend is still a hell of a lot easier to explain than how Dean survived before Gabe. God, he hasn't even thought of how he'll answer if Sam asks...

[low_key_angel]

"We met a couple of years back. Dean was working this crap job at a bar and we struck up a conversation. Since then, Captain Stubborn has let me talk him into going back to school and giving up the crap job life for something a little better," Gabriel supplies smoothly. Not technically a lie, but it's enough that the younger Winchester won't really press for details. "All right kiddos, I'm outta here. Brotherly bonding is a two person party."

A wink at Dean. Yes, you can kill him later. Also, you're welcome.

Sam simply stares as Gabriel walks out the door and turns back to his brother with his mouth still slightly ajar. "He seems.. um. Nice?"

[lostwaywardson]

It's bizarre how often Gabe seems to know exactly what he's thinking. He's sure the angel's not actually peeking into his thoughts. Gabe just knows him that well, because Dean really is torn between murdering him and being unspeakably grateful.

He'll sort that out later. One emotional upheaval at a time.

He grins a little and gives a half shrug at Sam's observation. "Yeah, he is. He's a little on the strange side, but... he's a good guy. Saved my life, pretty much."

[hunter_returns]

Gabriel knows they'll have Words later. But Dean is finally done dithering about whether or not he should call his brother. He can leave them to talk on their own until later that evening.

Sam is still having a hell of a time taking it all in. A nice apartment, a good guy, hell even a pet bird. All that time apart and Dean had a life that was a hell of a lot closer to normal than his. "Dean.. this.. it's incredible. You've got an amazing life here." Better than his, but there is no tinge of bitterness to his voice, just quiet wonder.