Honey-Trapped 12/?
Chapter 12
Bobby had expected that Sam would stay with Dean but a few minutes after the bedroom door had closed behind Sam and his tray of calories for Dean, the door opened again.
Deep in thoughts Sam came down the stairs and kept himself busy with putting away the tray and the at least half-empty dishes before he ran out of things to do and sat down in his chair again.
He'd used the chance and had changed into something more comfortable than the suit but even in jeans and t-shirt he didn't look relaxed.
"Dean is okay?" Bobby asked when the other man just stared into nothingness.
"He's fine." Sam pulled himself out of his thoughts and gave Bobby a little smile. "He ate and now he just needs rest. He should be back on his feet tomorrow."
Bobby hadn't been sure if Sam's reaction was just mother-henning his boyfriend or something more serious. Now it looked like Sam just cared about Dean. A lot.
Bobby didn't know what to say. He didn't want to ask more questions, not now, and he didn't want to give the impression that Sam had to prove himself. He still had to earn Bobby's trust, they both knew it, but it was time for Bobby to back off. At least a little bit.
So without that, he didn't know what to say.
Sam seemed to have a similar problem, he was shifting in his seat, eyes darting around the room to find something to say or do.
"Do you play pool?" He suddenly asked.
"Who do you think Dean learned it from?" Bobby asked and stood up. A little game could be exactly what they needed.
"I regularly get my ass handed to me." Sam said with a grin. Bobby took it as a compliment.
The first game Bobby won but he had the feeling that Sam had let him win.
"You don't have to coddle me, boy." Bobby set the table for the next round. "Play to win or don't play at all."
The second game Sam actually tried to win and Bobby had to put up a real fight to keep up with him. Bobby won but it was a tight one.
The third game was Sam's. Same with the forth.
They called it even after that because it was getting late.
"Good game, boy." Bobby gave Sam a quick pat on the shoulder when he handed the cue back. He pretended that he didn't notice the hopeful look in Sam's eyes and glanced over to the kitchen instead. It was dinner time and he was getting hungry but Dean was still sleeping.
Bobby looked up at the bedroom door and next to him Sam did the same. That did it. Bobby burst out laughing.
Sam threw him a confused look but then made the connection and a second later he doubled over.
Dean must be really out of it because he didn't come running when the two men were snorting and gasping, shaking with waves of laughter.
"I'm banned from the kitchen." Sam said in short spurts between suppressed chuckles. "But you could …" He wiped the tears from his eyes and made a gesture in the direction of the kitchen.
"You think after what I saw this morning I'm going to mess with his kitchen?" Bobby had almost composed himself and took a deep breath. "I'm not that brave."
"Chinese?"
"Sounds good."
They didn't wake Dean but Sam seemed to know his favorites and ordered for him as well. When the food arrived half an hour later Dean still hadn't come downstairs so they set his meal aside, he could reheat it later.
"This is good." Bobby said and relaxed more into his chair. He'd never thought this would happen but he felt comfortable in Sam's presence.
"Before Dean moved in." Sam said around a mouth full of noodles. "I lived on take out. Believe me, I know the best places in the city. And the worst." He shuddered theatrically.
"I bet." Even the little angry flare over how Sam said that Dean had moved in couldn't dampen the fondness Bobby felt for the young man. "Why do you have such a big kitchen in the first place? You could live on a coffeemaker and a microwave alone."
"What else would I do with all the space?" He gestured with his chopsticks around the open floor. Even with the kitchen, the wide lounge area around the TV and the pool and poker tables the room felt mostly empty.
"Besides." Sam added with a grin. "Dean loves the kitchen."
There was nothing to say to that.
Bobby ate more than he should and when he finally pushed the last container away, he felt full and tired but satisfied on a deep level. He'd just spent hours with Sam and he'd really enjoyed it.
"Espresso?" Sam asked.
Bobby was more of a shot after dinner kind of guy but he didn't have the heart to tell Sam that so he agreed to a tiny cup of caffeine.
Which turned out to be really good.
I need to find a way to steal that coffeemaker, Bobby thought with a glance at said coffeemaker. That thing most likely cost more than his house so he wouldn't just buy one for himself. Unlike some people he wasn't swimming in money. He tore his eyes off the machine and looked at Sam instead. He was nipping at this espresso with half-closed eyes. Only now Bobby realized how young he was, at least a few years younger than Dean.
"You asked me why we didn't tell you that I was there." Sam suddenly broke the silence. His relaxed posture didn't change and he didn't even open his eyes all the way. "John grazed me and then knocked me out. Dean had just shot his own father, there was blood all over and I was out cold, no wonder he thought that I was dead." Now Sam opened his eyes and looked at Bobby. He had thought that Sam looked young just a second ago but his eyes were different. Those eyes were old.
"I know I should have stayed. Be there for Dean, let myself get checked out and all that." Sam said. "Truth is, I was scared. I was pretty out of it and I was scared what would happen if the police got interested in me." He paused, looking Bobby straight in the eye. "I was scared of what you would tell the police about me." Bobby had to admit that he had a point there. Dean had never wanted to get the police involved in what had happened to him and Bobby had respected that. But if the police or Sheriff Mills had asked him directly what he knew about Sam … Bobby knew what he would have answered back then. Now he wasn't so sure anymore what his answer would be, though.
"It was Dean's idea." Sam continued. "He told me to hide in the basement until everything was over. When everyone had left, Dean came for me and fixed me up. After that he just collapsed. I took care of him until we picked you up from the hospital."
It sounded right, plausible. Bobby wasn't sure if it was the whole truth but it didn't feel like a lie either.
"Thanks for telling me." Bobby said and he meant it. "And just for the record? Next time you get shot and hit over the head you get yourself checked out, understood? Dean likes you too much for you to die on him."
"Yes, sir." Sam gave him a broad smile and Bobby couldn't help it, it warmed his heart.
With that out of the way Bobby once again didn't know what to say. When his eyes settled on the toy car on the fridge, Sam followed his gaze.
"Have you ever tried one of the cars?"
"No." He felt a bit stupid for it but only now it occurred to him that the cars were actually working toys. He had known that in an abstract way but every time he looked at one of them, it struck him as art. Something to look at, to admire, but for sure not something he would put on the floor and play with.
"Of course Dean would never suggest it." Sam muttered. "He's been holding his breath for your opinion on them but is too much of a coward to outright ask."
The car on the fridge was the nearest one so Sam grabbed that and put it on the floor.
"Here, try it." Sam held out the remote but Bobby hesitated to take it.
"I don't want to break it." He said. He wanted to try it, he wanted it badly now that he'd realized that the cars were actually working, but he was too afraid that he would run it into a wall. Dean had put so much work into this little car.
"You won't break it." Sam assured him. "You can't be worse of a driver than I am. Besides, it's made of steel, the worst that can happen is a scratch and a dent in the wall and believe me, I caused plenty of those."
"If it breaks I'll blame it on you." Bobby said but took the remote.
At first he didn't dare to go beyond short sprints but after a few minutes he felt confident enough to let the little car race through the room.
"How about a race?" Sam picked up another car, there were more than enough around. This one was red and orange with elegant swirls and lines that almost look baroque. Sam set it next to Bobby's dark blue one that looked more like it belonged to Cthulhu than anything else but strangely enough, they fit together. All the cars Bobby had seen around the loft seemed to belong to the same series. They looked completely different but somehow it was clear that they belonged together.
But then the race was on and all philosophical thoughts were forgotten.
Of course Sam beat him the first time but with every round Bobby grew more confident and in the end they were racing for real.
"Take that." Bobby yelled when he won his first race. Okay, Sam had missed a turn and had crashed into the couch which gave Bobby the chance to overtake, but in the end it only counted who crossed the line first, right?
"I want a revenge." Sam said, already maneuvering his car into position for the next race.
Bobby was about to do the same when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. When he looked up he found Dean leaning on the balustrade, looking down at them with an expression he couldn't quite read and it was gone the second Dean became aware that he'd been spotted.
Dean looked still tired but he seemed more awake now.
Grinning he came down the stairs and grabbed the car sitting on the side table.
"Mind if I join in?" Dean asked, startling Sam who hadn't noticed him before.
"Dammit, Dean." Sam cussed but made room for his car at the starting line. "I'm going to kick your ass for that."
"You can try." Dean got his car in position.
As expected Dean took the lead immediately, Sam hot on his tail. What Bobby didn't expect was that Sam deliberately crashed into Dean's car, sending them both off the track.
"That's cheating." Dean yelled while Bobby finished the race.
"It's not. Bobby won fair and square."
"This doesn't count."
"You're just a sore loser."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm not." Dean pointed with his finger at Sam. "We do this again. And no cheating this time."
"I didn't cheat."
"You did."
"It was an accident."
"Which you did on purpose."
"I didn't."
"You did."
"I did not."
Bobby just shook his head, muttering idjits under his breath.
Chapter 13
Masterpost