Honey-Trapped 5/?
Chapter 5
When Sam came home this time he actually looked awake. Tired and in need of the weekend after a long week but he didn't seem to be in danger of falling asleep walking.
Dean threw Sam a concerned look when he informed him about the plans for the evening and for a moment Bobby was sure that Sam would back out and rather spend the evening alone on the couch. Not that Bobby would mind.
"Sounds good." Sam agreed with a quick peck on the corner of Dean's mouth. "Just need to fresh up a little."
"Me too." Dean murmured, wiggling his greasy fingers.
Sam and Dean both went upstairs for a shower, which they took separately, Bobby noticed and for which he was grateful.
Sam was the first back downstairs and for long awkward minutes Bobby sat across him at the kitchen table with no idea what to say. Oh, he had pretty good ideas of what to say but that would only end with Dean kicking him out, out of this place, out of his life, so Bobby kept his mouth shut and settled for a silent glare.
Sam squirmed under his stare and didn't meet his eyes. Bobby counted that as a win.
"I know you don't like me." Sam finally said while upstairs the shower was still running. "But I would never hurt Dean."
"Pretty sure you did, boy." Bobby huffed. He hadn't wanted to go there, not now.
"I know." Sam sighed, fingers tracing the lines of the wood in front of him. "And I regret it. I was stupid and naive and I've no idea why Dean didn't run from me when he had the chance." He paused and now he lifted his eyes off the table and looked straight at Bobby. "I'm grateful for that. That he still wants to be with me."
Bobby tried to find the lie in his words but Sam's face was open and sincere. He meant what he said. Or he was a really good liar.
"I'm not a fan of the if-you-hurt-him-speech." Bobby ran a hand over his beard. "It would just say that I don't trust Dean to decide for himself. But in this case …" Bobby made a vague gesture at Sam.
"You're not sure if Dean can decide for himself." Sam finished the sentence for him. "You know, sometimes I wonder the same." He was back at staring down at his hands on the table. "Sometimes I wonder if I haven't stockholmed him into this."
Taken aback Bobby gaped at him. This was the last thing he'd expected coming from Sam.
"I sent him to you to sort this out and he came back." Sam gave him a weak smile. "But with his father coming for him and you in the hospital, he didn't have anybody else than me to turn to. So yeah, sometimes I wonder."
"You can stop with that." Suddenly Dean's voice came from above. Bobby looked up and found Dean standing on the gallery, leaning on the banister. "I want to be with you, Sam. Out of my own free will. So stop worrying, both of you. Jeez." He shook his head and then came pounding down the stairs. He went straight for Sam, caught him in a bear hug and buried his face in the crook of his neck.
After a second of hesitation Sam hugged him back with one hand firmly between his shoulder blades and with the other one cupping the back of Dean's head. There was still water dripping from his hair and his shirt clung to his body as if he hadn't taken the time to towel off properly.
He'd most likely been worried that Sam and Bobby would kill each other if he left them alone for too long. Which wasn't that far off, if Bobby was honest.
"I love you, you idiot." Dean said into Sam's skin and Bobby desperately looked everywhere but them. At least they hadn't their tongues down each other's throat. Yet.
Dean's face was hidden but Bobby caught the expressions flashing over Sam's. It was hard staying angry at him at that sight. He looked as if he couldn't quite believe that he had Dean in his arms.
"I'm starving." Dean announced without letting go of Sam. He did just give them enough space to look Sam in the eye. "Are you ready to head out?" He half-turned towards Bobby to include him in the question as well.
A minute later they sat in the Impala and the rest of the tension between them was blasted away by Dean's music. From his seat in the back Bobby had a good view on both of them. They weren't holding hands, didn't even look at each other and with the loud music talking wasn't an option either. They just sat there, Dean focused on driving and Sam looking out of the window, but they were both at ease. Their posture was relaxed and open and Bobby almost felt like an intruder.
It was a short ride to the place Dean had in mind.
Bobby took in the typical bar, he'd been at places like this with Dean before. Pick-ups and bikes filled the parking lot along with cars at least a decade old. There were some neons missing in the sign over the door. It was not a place he would have expected to see Sam at. Too down to earth for Sam.
"When we first came here we had some trouble with some homophobic assholes." Dean said on his way to the entrance. He and Sam shared a glance which Bobby couldn't make sense out of. There was some backstory here, that much was clear, but he couldn't even decipher if it was a fond memory or a horrible one.
"It's sorted out now." Sam said in a tone that sent chills down Bobby's spine.
The waitress who led them to a table in the corner greeted Sam and Dean by name so they had been here often enough to count as regulars. She had a curious eye on Bobby but didn't say a word about him.
Dean didn't even look a the menu before he ordered a double bacon cheeseburger with extra onions. Bobby ordered the same minus the onions, if he could trust anything than it was Dean's taste in burgers.
The waitress, her name tag read Stacy, didn't even write it down and left to get their drinks without asking Sam what he wanted to eat. It seemed kinda rude but Bobby got the feeling that this was some kind of ritual grown from experience.
While she was gone, Sam actually studied the menu, pondering his options.
When Stacy came back with their drinks, Dean leaned in to Bobby and whispered: "Pepper steak with ranch potatoes and a small salad."
Sure enough that was exactly what Sam ordered a second later. Stacy didn't write it down either and just rolled her eyes at him.
"Every single time." Dean said loud enough for Sam to hear. Sam looked like he wanted to stick his tongue out but decided against it. Shaking his head Dean reached for his beer and they let the glasses clunk together.
The burger was as good as expected and not long after Bobby leaned back in his seat with a satisfied grunt. He let Sam and Dean carry most of the conversation while he listened.
It was obvious that Sam tried to show off his best behavior but after a while he relaxed, showing more of the real Sam. Who seemed to be a nice guy.
Dean was just Dean, however, it had been a long time since Bobby had seen him this animated. He was telling a story about a girl he'd met once, something about smoking pot and an angry father, and Sam convulsed in a full body laugh when Dean described his butt naked escape through the second story window.
Bobby was mostly busy dodging Dean's wide gestures while he told the story but even he couldn't help but laugh at that mental image. Only Dean.
"That reminds me." Sam picked up the conversation when he could breathe again. "Have I ever told you about Gwendolyn?"
Apparently he hadn't and the way Dean sat there in awe and took in every word, Sam usually didn't share stories like this.
Turned out, unlike Dean, Sam wasn't into women at all and Gwendolyn hadn't been interested in men. They had great discussions about Jules Verne, though.
However, her family and friends were a little conservative and never got the message. They constantly tried to hook her up with a man. Until one day she snapped and told them that she was with Sam. That's how Sam ended up at the wedding of Gwendolyn's sister as Gwendolyn's boyfriend.
"And then Gwen caught the bridal bouquet." Sam groaned. "Her family wanted to set a date for our wedding right then and there."
Bobby snorted into his beer while Dean nearly choked on his.
"Hope you could clear that up before they bought the rings." Bobby said with more fondness in his voice than intended.
"We kept the charade up for a while." Sam said with distant eyes. "People were less open minded back then."
"Are you still in contact with her?" Dean asked.
"No." Sam shook his head in sudden sadness. "That has been years ago. She died a while back."
Uncomfortable silence fell over the table, neither Bobby nor Dean knew what to say to that. There was nothing they could say. However, there was something in Dean's expression as if he got more out of Sam's words than the obvious meaning.
They were saved by Stacy and a fresh round of beer and then they went over to the pool tables for a little game.
Sam was a decent player but it was obvious that he'd never played for a living. Bobby knew that for Dean it more often than not had been "be good or be hungry" and he wiped the floor with them. Dean basically destroyed Sam but had to put more effort into defeating Bobby. Then Bobby and Sam tried a game which Bobby won without too much trouble. He may enjoyed that a little more than he should.
What really lightened Bobby's mood was that Dean didn't pamper Sam. He didn't try to let him win or even let it look like Sam had a chance. And while Sam and Bobby were playing Dean stood next to them, beer in hand and a constant teasing on his lips. Sam took it with a smile.
It was late when they left the bar and Sam and Dean were both too tipsy to drive. Bobby had held back all evening, figuring that at least one of them should keep a clear mind, so he drove them home.
He knew that Dean was either a happy drunk or a depressed sobbing in his glass one, depending on his mood, but today he was a happy one. He laughed loud and with his mouth open, leaning heavily on an equally intoxicated Sam.
Bobby had been worried that Sam would turn out as an angry drunk, that was the main reason he'd stayed sober, but so far the alcohol had only managed to turn him into an overgrown puppy who had no idea what to do with his limbs. The only thing Dean had to dodge were sloppy kisses.
By the time they reached Sam's place, both of them had sobered up enough to get ready for bed without being in danger of falling down the stairs or choking on their toothbrush.
Bobby wished them a good night and then turned in as well. The evening had been fun, he had to admit. Sam had actually surprised him with the objective view he had on his relationship with Dean. And with his whole behavior over the evening.
Still wondering how this Sam could be the same man who had bought Dean for his own amusement, Bobby drifted off to sleep.
He woke to a scream.
Chapter 6
Masterpost