Lawrence

Author: bishopsbird Word Count: About 5,000 Summary: For this hoodie_time prompt: "Dean is at Stanford checking up on Sam. He stops in a bar on the wa out of town thinking that since its a schoo! night, Sam possib! can"t show up there. #f course, he does. Sam in$ites Dean to sit with his friends and tries to keep changing the sub%ect to topics he thinks Dean can hand!e &cars, mo$ies, etc'. #ne of Sam"s friends is a big %erk and turns the topic onto something academic."

Sam can(t seem to get the bartender(s attention. )he bar(s not packed et, but it(s a prett good crowd for a )hursda night two weeks before fina!s, and she ser$es a group of !acrosse gu s c!amoring for beer, then a gigg!ing trio of sororit gir!s asking for cocktai!s who definite! ha$en(t been waiting as !ong as Sam has before she e$en g!ances his wa , indicting with a short nod that she(!! get to him soon. He(s anno ed. He %ust wants to get his drink and go back to the tab!e where he(s about to win an argument with *ike and +rad!e about wh e$er thing that their constitutiona! !aw professor said in c!ass tonight is wrong. Fina!! , the bartender turns to where Sam(s been !eaning o$er the bar, waiting for what seems !ike a centur . ,-hat(!! it be./ she asks. ,Another, p!ease,/ Sam sa s, pushing his empt beer across the tab!e to her. She takes it, is a!read turning awa from him, when a !ow, fami!iar $oice sa s, ,*ake it two./ Sam %umps, start!ed. He turns, certain he(s imagining things. He(s not. He(s wearing Dad(s o!d %acket, and !eaning o$er the bar and brushing against Sam(s shou!der with studied insouciance !ike he be!ongs here. 0ike he(s we!come. 0ike he and Sam had spoken more than once in the !ast ear. Dean. )he bartender acknow!edges the orders with a nod, a!read spinning awa to answer the gir! who wants &no, needs, !oud! and right now' another 1osmo. )he brush of the !eather2c!ad shou!der is soft against Sam(s shou!der2b!ade, and a memor f!ashes in Sam(s mind !ike a knife: Sam !eaning against his brother in the backseat of the 3mpa!a, measuring out the

distance b the spaces between the street !ights spinning b them, as he fa!!s as!eep to the stead rumb!e of the engine. ,-hat are ou doing here./ Sam asks. Dean smi!es, that cock ha!f2grin that Sam remembers. ,-hat are you doing here, Samm ./ he sa s. ,3 didn(t e4pect to find ou out drinking this !ate on a schoo! night./ ,3t(s not that !ate,/ Sam sa s. ,And it(s not a schoo! night, not rea!! . 3 on! ha$e one Frida c!ass./ ,-ow, eas tiger./ Dean gi$es him that smi!e again. ,3(m not re$oking our geek bo credentia!s./ Sam fee!s his cheeks redden. 5eek bo . 3t(s weird to hear that phrase here in his town, his bar. 6o one but Dean ca!!s him that. ,-hat are ou doing here./ he asks. ,3 was in town for a case,/ Dean sa s short! . ,-e finished for the night, and 3 wanted a !itt!e 787 before 3 turned in./ )he bar(s !oud, but Sam can fee! the moment of sti!!ness hanging hea$ in the air between them, fee!s that o!d fami!iar anger humming through his !imbs. He opens his mouth, not sure what he(s going to sa 9You were in town but you didnt call me? #r ma be: Theres more than one bar in town, Dean. Find another place to drinkand then c!oses it when the bartender appears with their beers. She pushes Sam(s drink across the corner to him, but keeps Dean(s c!ose, crad!ing it to her chest. ,Him 3($e ser$ed before,/ she sa s, indicating Sam, ,but for ou 3(m going to ha$e to see some 3D./ ,7ea!! ./ Dean sa s, dipping his $oice in that !ower register he uses when he(s f!irting, and training his ga:e down to his beer &and her chest'. ,3 promise ou 3(m !ega!./ ,3(m sorr ,/ she sa s, sounding an thing but. ,House ru!e for an one under thirt ./ ,-e!!, that(s $er f!attering,/ Dean sa s, and pu!!s out his wa!!et, hands her a !icense. She puts down the beer on the corner, and stares at the !icense for what seems !ike !onger than necessar before p!acing it back face up on the corner, and pushing the other beer toward Dean. ,)hanks, Frank,/ she sa s to Dean, she(s smi!ing at him, seems about to sa something e!se, but then is ca!!ed awa with another demand for drinks. Sam g!ances at the !icense9Dean stares up at him from a photo abo$e the name ,Frank Aberna!e/9and another memor raises to the surface. Freshman orientation, this bar.

;$er one in Sam(s dorm had %ust !istened to a presentation about the dangers of binge drinking at co!!ege, which of course meant that a!! the freshmen wanted to go out and break a!! of the safe drinking ru!es the (d %ust !earned about. #ne b one Sam(s c!assmates went up to the bar with their fake 3Ds, returning with beers and g!eefu! grins whi!e Sam sat nursing his coke. You dont have a fake? +rad!e had asked him. Sam had shaken his head and +rad!e , a!read a !itt!e drunk, had said !oud! to e$er one, ook, !ve discovered a mythical character" #am $inchester, the only %uy to survive hi%h school without a fake !D. Sam pretended to be embarrassed, but rea!! , he(d fe!t a!most gui!t at how happ he was to ha$e burned a!! those other 3Ds in the sink before he got to schoo!. He(d been a!most gidd %ust knowing that he was at co!!ege. ;4cited that peop!e here knew him not as that kid who(d %ust mo$ed here or that kid with that weird brother but rather as Sam -inchester, that dork gu who can(t e$en get it together to get himse!f a fake 3D. 6ow, Dean(s putting enough mone on the tab!e for both of drinks9at !east he(s not pa ing with a fake card9and taking a !ong swig of his beer as puts his 3D back in his wa!!et. ,So, ou drinking a!one, Sam./ he asks. ,6o,/ Sam sa s, again offended. ,* friends and 3 are %ust back there9/ And then he stops himse!f. Shit. -h does Dean a!wa s ha$e to ri!e him up !ike that. He shou!d ha$e %ust said he was a!one, drank one beer with Dean and then to!d Dean he was going to bed. He cou!d ha$e made e4cuses to his friends about !ea$ing une4pected! !ater. +ut Dean(s a!read standing up, grinning9no doubt he(s thinking about how fun it wi!! be to mock Samm (s dork co!!ege buddies9and he(s going to ruin e$er thing. Sam %ust knows he wi!!. +rad!e (s fine, he(s nice to e$er one, unf!appab!e, but *ike(s a different situation entire! . -h did Dean ha$e to show up on a night when Sam was drinking with *ike. ,Dean, 3 don(t think that9/ ,-hat. <ou(re worried that our friends wi!! fina!! disco$er that ou(re the ug! one in the fami! ./ ,6o, Dean, 3 %ust9/ ,<ou(re embarrassed that a!! of our friends are fans of pocket protectors./ ,6o, Dean, 3 %ust. -e($e been ta!king about academics. About c!asses, 3 mean. And teachers. And ou(d think it was boring./ ,3 won(t think it(s boring,/ Dean sa s. ,<ou know me. A rea! !o$er of academia./

Sam can te!! that Dean won(t be stopped now. ,#ka ,/ he sa s, mo$ing awa from the bar and !eading Dean to the tab!e in the back where *ike and +rad!e are sitting. )his wi!! be fine. 3t(s sti!! oka . Dean(!! ha$e a beer, e$er one wi!! ta!k a bit and then he(!! !ea$e. 6o big dea!. +ut e$er one(s staring at them9no, at Dean9as the na$igate through the mass of bodies c!ustered around the bar and back to the tab!e. Sam(s used to it= peop!e had been staring at Dean e$er since he hit pubert , but this is different. )his is more than %ust his brother(s !ooks. Dean doesn(t be!ong here, and the other students can fee! it. Sam !earned >uick! , those first few weeks, traded his o!d work books for f!ip f!ops, his p!aid shirts for a co!!ege t2shirts, and disco$ered how much persona! know!edge he(s not supposed to bring to the tab!e during a c!ass discussion about First Amendment rights. +ut Dean doesn(t know an of this. And e$er thing about him9that !eather %acket, the sturd boots, e$en the wa he carries himse!f9is a!ien, and e$er one from the grad students to the sororit gir!s fee!s it. A!! the students part in front of them !ike Dean(s a contamination. 0ike Dean shou!dn(t e$en be here, in this bar, this town, this wor!d. )he sit down at the tab!e, and Sam introduces e$er one, his choking a !itt!e on the word brother. *ike and +rad!e both !ook curious9the know that Sam ne$er ta!ks about his fami! 9and +rad!e asks, as the sit down, ,So where do ou go to co!!ege, Dean./ ,3 don(t,/ Dean sa s short! , taking a !ong drink from his bott!e. *ike !ooks up from his smart phone9he casua!! to!d Sam that he ,picked it up/ during the summer when he ,happened to be in ?apan/ with his fami! 9and speaks for the first time. ,<ou(re doing a gap ear./ Dean !ooks at him, confused. #hit, Sam thinks. #f course Dean has no c!ue what a gap ear is. He(s probab! thinking, a gap from what. ,* sister did one,/ *ike continues. ,She backpacked through )hai!and and then spent !ike a month at some Ashram in 3ndia./ *ike !aughs. ,@ind of !ike a throwback to the 5rand )our a!! the +rits used to do before the went to uni$ersit , 3 to!d her then, on! she did Asia instead of the 1ontinent./ ,3(m not going to co!!ege,/ Dean sa s. ,3(m a mechanic./ )here(s a phrase. ,#h,/ *ike sa s. ,Sam ne$er said./ His tone is studied! casua! but the g!ance he gi$es +rad!e is an thing but. #f course *ike9whose dad runs some start2up in Si!icon Aa!!e that %ust went pub!ic for !ike bi!!ion do!!ars and whose mother is ,dearest friends/ with the 5ett s9is practica!! sneering at Dean(s re$e!ation. +ut e$en down2to2earth +rad!e , whose dad is a !aw er and whose mom teaches at a pri$ate schoo!, !ooks a !itt!e surprised.

Sam stares down at the tab!e. -h cou!dn(t Dean make up something e!se. Beop!e(s sib!ings at Stanford take a ear off to find themse!$es, intern with Senators and go to co!!ege ,back ;ast./ )he don(t work as mechanics. Dean doesn(t seem to notice the tension. ,So what does our sister do now. She(s sti!! in 3ndia./ he asks *ike. ,#h, no,/ *ike !aughs. ,)hat was ears ago. She(s at +rown, stud ing semiotics./ Dean opens his mouth to rep! . +ut Sam in a panic before Dean can ask $hats semiotics? #r worse, $hats &rown?9interrupts. ,So Dean(s been asking me what mo$ies are good right now. He(s been rea!! bus at the, um, at the garage and he hasn(t seen an thing for ages./ ,3 saw this documentar about9/ *ike starts. ,6o, not a documentar ,/ Sam interrupts, ,a mo$ie mo$ie. <ou know. Something funn ./ ,How about Shaun of the Dead. Ha$e ou seen that./ +rad!e sa s. ,Do !ike horror mo$ies, Dean./ Dean twists in his seat, to smi!e at Sam. ,<eah,/ he sa s s!ow! . ,3 !ike them oka ./ ,-e!!, Shaun of the Dead(s not rea!! a horror mo$ie, but it(s rea!! funn . Sam and 3 went to see it !ast weekend. 3t(s !ike this parod of a horror mo$ie where this gu fa!!s in !o$e with this gir!, on! she turns out to be a :ombie./ ,3t(s funn ,/ Sam agrees. ,+ut rea!! inaccurate, if ou know an thing at a!! about what :ombies are rea!! !ike./ +rad!e snorts good2natured! . ,<eah,/ he sa s. ,0ike ou know what :ombies are rea!! !ike./ ,<eah,/ Sam sa s, smi!ing !ike it(s a %oke. ,How wou!d 3 know something !ike that./ He darts a >uick g!ance at Dean, who grins back at him, and then !ooks back down at his drink. Sam fee!s a g!ow ting!e through his bod . 3t(s his second drink, and the bar is sweat with the rush of oung bodies pressed together but Sam fee!s something more than %ust the ease of drinking on a warm spring night= fee!s for a moment !oose and re!a4ed in a wa he can(t >uite e4p!ain. +ut then, *ike sa s, ,Stop tr ing to change the sub%ect, Sam. <ou to!d me that ou were going to respond to m interpretation about awrence after ou got our drink. -e!!, ou got our drink. So now te!! me./ *ike !eans back in his chair, si!ent with an anticipator grin !ike he(s %ust can(t wait to see how Sam is going to get out of this. Sam hates *ike when he acts !ike this. ?ust because *ike was on the debate team at his fanc pri$ate schoo! and has an unc!e who(s a %udge, doesn(t mean that *ike knows more than Sam. And Sam knows he shou!dn(t care what *ike thinks, shou!dn(t tr to compete with them, but there(s been this

undercurrent of tension between the two of them e$er since their 0aw 8 Societ c!ass freshman ear, when the both rea!i:ed the were the two smartest students in c!ass. And since then, it(s a!wa s been !ike this between them: breaking down the c!ass after the !ecture with these ha!f2serious, ha!f2friend! debates that !ea$e Sam triumphant when he wins and su!k when he doesn(t. ,-h are ou and Sam ta!king about 0awrence./ Dean asked. Dean thinks we were ta!king about @anas, Sam rea!i:es, and he sa s >uick! , before *ike can respond, ,-e were %ust ta!king about something our professor said in c!ass about this Supreme 1ourt case. 3t(s not important. +rad, do ou think there are other mo$ies that Dean wou!d9/ ,<es, it is important,/ *ike interprets. ,<ou can(t keep changing the sub%ect %ust because ou are going to !ose, Sam. 3 sti!! want to hear wh ou think @enned (s decision is Cbri!!iant( when it(s ob$ious that it(s not supported b precedent or b an origina!ist interpretation of the te4t of the 1onstitution./ ,3t is supported b the te4t,/ Sam sa s before he can stop himse!f. )hen, remembering Dean, he continues: ,+ut can(t we ta!k about this !ater. Dean doesn(t know an thing about the case, and it(s got to be boring for him to !isten./ Sam turns in his chair to !ook at +rad!e . ,+rad!e , wh don(t ou te!! Dean about that weird sound our car(s been making. *a be Dean can he!p figure out what is9/ ,6o,/ *ike sa s. ,<ou can(t keep changing the sub%ect %ust because the mechanic brother who ou ne$er ta!k about random! shows up and ou(re worried our discussion wi!! bore him./ 3n *ike(s mouth, the word mechanic becomes a s!ur. *ike turns to Dean, and sa s, ,#ka , Dean, so awrence versus Te'as is a case where ?ustice @enned wrote an option for the Supreme 1ourt. )he 1ourt decided that a !aw making it i!!ega! for two men to ha$e ana! se4 was unconstitutiona!./ *ike speaks s!ow! , !ike Dean(s a chi!d. )hen, in his norma! $oice, he sa s to Sam, ,#ka . 6ow he understands./ He raise his hand, as if to sa , !s that enou%h? (re you happy? before continuing. ,So, ou know, 3(m not homophobic or against ga rights or an thing, but 3 think the Supreme 1ourt(s decision was wrong, because if ou can(t make a !aw against ga se4, who(s to sa ou can(t a !aw against bigam . #r bestia!it . #r incest./ *ike !eans back in his chair, his e es g!ittering in the ha!f2!ight of the bar. ,So./ he sa s. ,1ome on, Sam. )e!! me wh 3(m wrong./ Sam rea!i:es that he(s gripping his bott!e too tight! , s>uee:ing his fingers around its sweat neck with a force that wi!! break the g!ass if he doesn(t !et go. He re!a4es his grip. Fuck *ike for being such an ass and not !etting go of his stupid competiti$e arguments and for being so rude to Dean. And fuck Dean too, for coming here and surprising him !ike this. )his is his co!!ege and his bar. Dean and has Dad and the car and hunting. 1an(t Sam ha$e an thing that(s his.

-a!king o$er to the bar after c!ass, Sam had !ots of good reasons wh he thinks that the case is right, but now, with Dean and *ike and +rad!e a!! staring at him, he can(t remember an of them. He stammers something about fundamenta! rights, and downs his beer in one !ong gu!p, sh ing awa from *ike(s triumphant ga:e. ,)hat(s a!! ou($e got, Sam./ *ike asks. ,So ou think this @enned dude was wrong./ Dean speaks >uiet! , but it(s the first thing he(s said in a whi!e and a!! of them9e$en +rad!e 9!ook at him, surprised. Fuck again, Sam thinks. Dean(s going to make some horrib!e %oke about what happens in Te'as stays in Te'as ma be, or go on about the bestia!it thing, sa something !ike: Te'as" $here the men are men and the cows are scared. -h did he ha$e to be stud ing about ga se4 on the one da his brother decides to $isit. ,<eah,/ *ike sa s, ,3 mean, it(s ob$ious. First ou a!!ow ana! se4, which is fine, but the ne4t thing ou know, incest and bestia!it wi!! be !ega! as we!!./ Dean takes a drink from his bott!e, sets it down on the tab!e. ,So basica!! , ou(re sa ing that ou agree with ?ustice Sca!ia(s c!aim that !aws forbidding bestia!it and incest are on! sustainab!e in !ight of &owerss $a!idation of !aws based on mora!it ./ )here(s a !ong phrase as e$er one stares at Dean. *ike(s mouth is ha!f2open, and his %aw works, but no sound emerges. Dean takes another drink, casua!, !ike he hasn(t said an thing out of the ordinar . ,Am 3 right. Sca!ia, the dissent. <ou($e heard of Sca!ia right. Sici!ian dude. #!d gu . Has some strong ideas about guns./ *ike gu!ps. ,<eah,/ he manages. ,)hat(s what 3 meant, um, what ou %ust said. About Sca!ia./ ,#ka ,/ Dean sa s. ,3 think 3 get what ou(re sa ing. And ou make a few good points, but rea!! , 3 think ou(re o$er simp!if ing things./ *ike steep!es his fingers together, pu!!s himse!f together a bit, and sa s, $oice dripping with sarcasm, ,7ea!! . 3(m o$er2simp!if ing things./ ,<eah,/ Dean sa s, !eaning forward, !ike he(s %ust getting into the argument now. ,-hat ou($e gotta remember is that this is a crimina! case. )he !aw in )e4as was a crimina! !aw. And so with crimina! !aws there(s this thing ca!!ed the harm princip!e, which means ou can(t %ust !ock up somebod cause ou don(t !ike what the (re doin(, the gotta be actua!! in%uring somebod e!se./ ,0ike, sa , ou9/ Dean points a finger at *ike. ,*ike, right. -e!!, sa fuck our 7ottwei!er9/ ,*ike has a go!den retrie$er,/ +rad!e interprets. ou, *ike, decide ou want to

,#ka ,/ Dean sa s, without missing a beat. ,Sa *ike wants to fuck his go!den retrie$er. -e!!, un!ess his dog is into some rea!! kink shit, 3(m going to guess the dog isn(t going to !ike that $er much. -hich means that e$en after awrence vs. Te'as, !aws against bestia!it are oka cause the aren(t based on mora!it , the (re based on the idea of protecting a !i$ing thing from being hurt./ Dean pauses to take a !ong drink, then smi!es, the corners of his e es crink!ing. ,+ut sa whi!e she(s wa!king around Bro$idence thinking about the meaning of words or whate$er, *ike(s sister decides she wants to s!eep with her brother. -e!!, assuming she(s o$er eighteen, it(s rea!! not an one(s business what the two of them get up two./ *ike(s b!ushing now, and he opens his mouth, but before he can get a word in, Dean continues. ,3t(s !ike, down at the auto shop where 3 work, peop!e keep coming in, asking me to put 1D dri$es and *BD p!a ers and shit in their cars. 6ow me, 3(m a cassette tape man. 0ike to ha$e m music traditiona!, accessib!e. 6one of this modern shit. +ut as !ong as the aren(t hurting an one, it(s not rea!! an of m business if peop!e want to douche up their cars with whate$er t pe of 1D p!a ers the want. And that(s kinda how 3 fee! about that case too. 3f both peop!e are adu!ts, how is it an of our business what the do a!one together./ Dean punctuates his !ast sentence b taking his beer, draining it, and putting it down9not too gent! 9 on the tab!e. His tone(s been e$en, his $oice !ight, but now Sam rea!i:es that he(s mad. Dean stands up, shrugs his %acket more tight! around him !ike his about to !ea$e. He(s smi!ing, but it doesn(t reach his e es, which are co!d and dark. <eah, he(s definite! mad. Sam strugg!es to think about something to sa to stop him from going, but a!! that comes to mind is, absurd! : )ow did you learn that #calia is #icilian? +ut before he can sa that, or something e$en stupider, Dean(s standing, sa ing, ,-e!!, it(s !ate. 3 shou!d probab! !ea$e ou to it. <ou wou!dn(t want to ha$e a mechanic drag down the tone of our co!!egiate on$ersation an !onger./ Dean !ets the corners of his month turn up, f!ashing his >uick smirk at them. He starts to wa!k awa , and then pauses, !eaning o$er his shou!der. ,And rea!! , if ou ask me,/ he sa s, ,the rea! issue with awrence is that @enned didn(t %ust come out and sa that se4 is a fundamenta! right. +ut 3 guess #(1onnor was on the fence, dude was probab! strugg!ing to gi$e fi$e $otes as it was./ Dean shrugs, !ike a non2$erba! sigh !ike9so it %oes9and then he(s mo$ing, disappearing into the sea of bodies around the bar. Sam mutters something to his friends, and then he(s on his feet, scramb!ing after Dean. Dean doesn(t stop, and Sam fo!!ows behind him, spitting out an apo!og as he bumps into a grad student on his wa to the door.

Sam doesn(t catch up with Dean unti! he(s outside, wa!king awa from him through the patio in front of the bar. )he sun(s set, and the gre tones of dusk are !eeching the co!ors from the bar(s !itt!e garden. )he night(s warm, the air around them thick and hea$ with the fumes from the student smokers who c!ing around the bui!ding(s edge in !itt!e groups. ,Dean, wait,/ Sam sa s. Dean stops, turns back to face Sam. He waits= doesn(t sa an thing. ,How did ou know a!! that stuff./ Sam asks. ,)hat(s it. 3t(s been ears and ou don"t ca!!, ou don"t write, and now that(s what ou want to ask me./ ,)hat(s not it, Dean, 3 %ust9/ ,3 worked a case with Dad !ast ear at a !aw schoo! where a teacher died the da after he didn(t get tenure./ Dean(s $oice is dr , de$oid of energ , !ike he(s tr ing to sa : (fter ! tell you, will you leave me alone? ,)he teacher came back as a spirit, started ki!!ing off the other teachers who re%ected him. 3 had to pose as a !aw student for a whi!e, sit in c!ass,/ Dean e4p!ains. ,And ou !istened./ Dean shrugs his shou!ders, takes a step awa from Sam. ,<eah, 3 !istened. <ou(re not the on! one who can understand a !ecture, Sam./ ,)hat(s not what, 3 meant, Dean./ Dean raises his e ebrows. ,#h. )hen what did ou mean./ ,3 %ust. 3 was %ust. -e!!, surprised. <ou a!wa s sa how boring a!! that schoo! stuff is. 3 was surprised ou(d be interested. 3 don(t think ou(re stupid./ Dean takes another step back, !ike he(s been s!apped, and the word stupid rings in the air between them. Sam immediate! wishes he hadn(t said it. ,6o,/ Dean sa s >uiet! . ,3(m not stupid, 3(m %ust our mechanic brother who ou ne$er ta!k about./ Dean turns again to go, and Sam !a s a hand on his shou!der and turns him around to face him. Ep c!ose, his brother(s e es are wide, and greener that he remembers. ,3(m sorr ,/ Sam sa s, not actua!! sure what he(s apo!ogi:ing for. For a moment Sam fee!s Dean tense under his hand, but then he shifts, and some, but not a!!, of the heat goes out of Dean(s e es. ,<eah, oka ,/ Dean sa s. ,-hate$er ou sa , Samm ./

)he !ight on the patio is a!read dim, and getting dimmer, but so near to Dean, Sam notices what he missed in the bar. Dean(s pa!e. )here are shadows under his e es, and he(s thinner than Sam remembers, !ess substantia!. +ack when Sam was with them, Dean was a!wa s the good son b defau!t. 6ow Sam(s gone, and Dean(s the so!e focus of their Dad(s attention. Sam usua!! tries not to think about hunting, tries not to imagine what Dean and Dad are doing without him, but now he wonders what it(s !ike for Dean to hunt a!one with their father. He wonders how the get on when it"s %ust the two of them. 6ot good he thinks, remembering Dean(s desire to p!ease that(s a!most frightening in its intensit , and Dad(s harsh, unre!enting criticism, his count!ess orders, and his sparse comp!iments. ,<ou ne$er to!d me what case ou came out here for,/ Sam sa s. ,3t(s not a big dea!,/ Dean sa s short! . ,)urned out to be nothing. ?ust a hunch that didn(t work out./ ,#ka ,/ Sam sa s, thinking. *a be he cou!d suggest going to another bar with Dean. #r going to a diner, eah that(s it, !ike when the were kids and Dad used to s!ip them a few bi!!s to get dinner and the used to wa!k down the street unti! the found a p!ace that made pie. <eah, Sam can ditch his friends9he(!! make up a reason for them tomorrow, the won(t care9and he can Dean can %ust sit and ta!k and eat. ,Shou!dn(t ou be going back./ Dean asks. ,6o, it(s oka ./ Sam started, ,Dean, ma be ou and 3 can9/ ,<ou sure./ Dean interrupts, his $oice sharp. ,Don(t ou need to get back to our friends./ Sam takes his hand from Dean(s shou!der, mo$es awa from his brother, remembering: Sam, standing outside their rented house on the night he !eft for co!!ege, fingering the bi!!s in his pocket and hoping it was enough to get the bus to 1a!ifornia. -a!king down the street, the aspha!t s!ick with rain, his Dad(s words sti!! echoing in his ears. Sam had screamed at him, argued, tried to reason with him. You never let me do anythin%. *very time we %et settled or ! start to make friends you make us move. )o which Dad had rep!ied: )unters dont have friends, #am. They have family. Dean(s !ooks %ust !ike Dad, Sam rea!i:es. )he same grin, the same wa!k, e$en the same fucking !eather %acket. And he sounds !ike him too: Dean sa s friends %ust !ike Dad does, with %ust the same sneering inf!ection. 0ike friends are a dirt secret. 0ike ha$ing friends is something to be ashamed of. Fine. 0et Dean be the good son. ,<eah, 3 guess so,/ Sam sa s. ,#ka ,/ Dean sa s. ,#ka ,/ Sam sa s. ,3 guess, um, take care of ourse!f, Dean./

,<eah,/ Dean sa s. ,<ou too./ And then he(s wa!king awa , and for a sudden insane moment Sam wants to stop him, wants to bring him back and tr again, wants to apo!ogi:e for *ike(s rudeness, for ne$er ca!!ing, for !ea$ing, for e$er thing. +ut then, the fee!ing is gone, and Sam turns toward the !ight emanating from the open door of the bar, and back to the sounds of !aughter and drinking within. He goes inside, and he doesn(t !ook back.