Chapter Text
Dean woke to a pounding headache. He groaned, burying his face back into the pillow. His tongue felt like sandpaper, and he had a taste he couldn’t describe in his mouth. He tried to remember the night before, but couldn’t after the seventh shot. He rubbed his eyes, swallowing down the lump in his throat.
“Hey, you awake?”
The voice was too loud. Dean shifted so he could peek out from under his arm, spotting his brother on the other bed. Sam was already up, an amused sparkle in his eye.
“You look bad,” Sam said, stating the obvious.
Dean grunted, rolling over. At least Sam had been merciful by not opening the blinds yet. The light sliding around them was enough to make his eyes hurt and his headache worse. At least he’d made it back to their room.
“Do you remember anything from last night?” Sam asked.
“Uh… maybe,” Dean said. He watched his brother with his fuzzy vision. “I remember downing tequila shots with a hot blonde.”
“A hot blonde you had fun with in the bathroom,” Sam said. “You don’t remember that?”
“Sadly, no.” He wished he could remember that.
“So unhygienic,” Sam teased. “I’m surprised you haven’t caught something by now.”
“Why? Were you watching?”
Sam narrowed his eyes, bitch face in place. “No. That’s disgusting.”
Dean shrugged. He sat up, the world spinning and sliding to the left. What he needed was a coffee, an aspirin, and a whole load of grease. “What can I say? I know how to have a good time.”
“But you can’t remember it,” Sam pointed out.
“Happens.”
“Exactly how many tequilas did you have?”
“Lost count. She just kept ‘em coming, so I kept drinking.”
“I’m surprised you got it up.”
It was Dean’s turn to glare. “I do not get whiskey dick.”
“Right.” Sam shook his head. “She was trying to take you home. She would have if I hadn’t intervened.”
That explained why he was here. “Why?”
“Dean, you didn’t even know your own name.”
“And?”
“And I think she’d been drinking water, not tequila.”
Oh. “So you think she was getting me smashed on purpose?”
“Easy target,” Sam confirmed. “Yes, I made sure you still had your wallet when we left the bar.”
Dean looked around, spotting it on the bedside table. He picked it up and opened it, noting that all the money was still there. “Well, she didn’t rob me.”
“Yet.” Sam didn’t look amused anymore. “Seriously, Dean, you need to be more careful.”
“It only happened one time,” Dean said.
“It could have happened twice, and we need that money.”
“We could always just hustle some more pool.”
“With what?”
That is a good point. Dean rubbed his eyes, trying to chase the sleep and fuzziness from them. “Thanks.”
“I shouldn’t have to bail you out,” Sam said. “You’re the big brother.”
“Hey, we’ve got each other’s backs.” Dean shrugged, smiling at Sam. “Besides, I’m only 27 once. Got to live a little.”
“Maybe.” Sam didn’t look convinced. He sighed, looking over at the wall. It was covered in newspaper clippings and notes. “At least we finished the case.”
“Yeah. Just a spook.” Dean was glad they had put it to rest. It had been terrorising the local cemetery. They’d come across the case by accident after stopping in town. “Should stop anyone else from dying.”
“Yeah. And now we can get back to finding Dad.”
Dean nodded. That was the end goal. Dean and Sam had been chasing John across the country. It was almost as if John didn’t want to be found. That couldn’t be right. John wouldn’t just up and abandon them. Again. Not without leaving a clue.
“I say we give it a day and then hit the road,” Sam said.
“Why a day?” Dean asked.
“It’s going to take that long just to get all the alcohol out of your system.”
Sam had a point. Dean could still feel its effects. He hadn’t intended to get so drunk. When a hot blonde sidles up to you in the bar, offering drinks and a good time, Dean can’t turn her down.
“Did she fight you?” Dean asked.
“Yeah, actually.” The amused sparkle was back. “She asked if I was your boyfriend.”
“That again?” Dean pulled a face. “Seriously, why do people always think we’re gay?”
Sam laughed. “You do overcompensate.”
Dean shot him a glare. It was an old argument. Dean sometimes did check out guys, but he would never act on it or tell Sam. If John ever found out, there would be hell to pay. Dean winced, thinking about the comments John had made in the past. He wasn’t against homosexuals, just so long as his kids weren’t. That was what he said. It was some sort of toxic masculinity thing.
“So what’s the plan?” Sam asked. “For today?”
“Well, I, for one, am going to sleep this off,” Dean said. “You do what you want.”
“You can’t stay in bed all day,” Sam said. “It’s already lunchtime.”
“Fine,” Dean said. “Wake me up for dinner. We’ll have something greasy.”
“I think I saw a Biggerson’s on the main street,” Sam said.
“Sounds like heaven,” Dean said, laying back down. He was surprised he didn’t need to take a leak yet. The alcohol mustn’t be that far through his system yet. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
#
Sam didn’t end up having to wake him. Nature called, dragging him out of bed. When he looked at his watch, he saw that it was nearing 5 pm. Rush hour, but it’s a good time to go load up on greasy food. Sam was reading a book over on his bed when Dean came back out of the bathroom.
“Where did you get a book?” Dean asked.
“There was a bookstore down the road,” Sam said. “They had a huge occult section.”
“Right.” Why would a bookstore have a large occult section? Were the owners dabbling? “Should we be worried?”
“Teens love this stuff,” Sam explained. “You studied it when you were a teen.”
“Yeah, because it’s part of the job. Kids don’t realise this shit is real.”
“It’s harmless fun.”
“Until someone dies.”
Sam gazed at him over the top of the book. “They mostly just collect crystals and use essential oils.”
“To start with.” Dean dropped to sit on his bed. It bounced under him. He had to give the motel credit for having a decent mattress. Some motels they stayed in were too lumpy or weren’t thick enough. These had a little spring in them. He’d also checked for bedbugs, but there didn’t seem to be any. Far better than a lot of places they stayed.
“You good to head out?” Sam asked.
“Let me change,” Dean said, grabbing something clean to wear. He wasn’t about to go out in sleep-rumpled clothing. You never know who you might meet. Dean got changed and then went to the bathroom for a quick shave. He needed a shower, but he could have one when they returned to the hotel. His stomach was growling at the need for food.
Stepping back out into the main room, he found Sam waiting for him. “Let’s go,” Dean said.
#
The drive across town to Biggerson’s was uneventful. The rush hour traffic wasn’t too bad, with most people seeming to avoid the main road. Pulling into the parking lot, Dean found a park easily enough at the back of the car park. They got out, Dean locking up Baby and leading the way toward the restaurant.
Stepping inside, they found it moderately busy. Casting his gaze around, Dean was disappointed to see there weren’t any hot girls in here, at least not any that weren’t a minor. His eyes landed on one table. There were two guys seated there that looked close to his age. They were both attractive, one more so than the other. The taller one with dark hair would look much better if he smiled. He had a scowl fixed on his face while the other talked.
“Wonder what’s up his ass,” Dean muttered.
“Huh?” Sam asked.
“Nothing. Let’s get some chow.”
Dean led the way to the counter, ordering himself a nice greasy double with bacon. Sam ordered something with a little more green. Dean chalked it up to Sam having spent so much time on the West Coast for college. It had tainted him. They got their food, finding themselves a table in the back corner.
“So what’s the plan with Dad?” Sam asked after they’d eaten about half their meal.
“He was last sighted in Arizona, right?” Sam nodded. “Then I guess we head there.”
“We’re still three steps behind him,” Sam said. “He’ll be gone by the time we get there.”
“I know. But it will clue us in to where we’ve got to go next.” Dean took another bite from his burger. He wasn’t big on Biggerson’s, but it was cheap and greasy. It was hitting the spot for him. “Maybe he left us something.”
“Maybe. Doubt it.” Sam shook his head. “I think he doesn’t want to be found.”
“That’s not right.” Dean looked over at his brother. “He wouldn’t abandon us.”
“Yes, he would. He’s done it before. Plenty of times.”
“Not this time.” Dean shook his head. “Something is different this time. I think he’s finally got the trail of Yellow-Eyes. We just need to catch up with him.”
“Maybe.” Sam didn’t look convinced. It would be a losing argument. Dean was surprised Sam was still with him. But Yellow-Eyes had killed Jessica, so Sam had a score to settle. That was why he needed to find Dad.
“It’ll be fine, Sammy,” Dean assured him. “We’ll catch up with Dad and hunt down Yellow-Eyes together. We’ll take that son of a bitch out.”
“I know.” Sam stared down at his meal. “I just… wish it was easier. Dad’s been hunting Yellow-Eyes our whole life. What if he never catches him?”
“He will. It’s Dad.” Dean smiled tightly. “Dad always gets his target.”
“Not always. He’s missed a couple.”
“And we swoop in and clean them up.”
“I don’t like the way he keeps sending us on hunts,” Sam said. “Why can’t he do them himself?”
“Because he’s after Yellow-Eyes,” Dean said. “We pick up the stragglers.”
“But what if it’s a ploy to keep us away?”
“Dad’s not like that.” They’d had this conversation before, on more than one occasion. Sam seemed to think that John was abandoning them. Dean was more worried that John had gotten into trouble and needed rescuing. “Hey, we’re doing pretty well for ourselves. We’re finishing this case.”
“I know.” Sam poked at his burger as if he’d lost his appetite. He was silent for a moment before he looked up at Dean. Dean could see by his expression he was about to change the subject. “So, when was the last time you got tested for STDs?”
Dean almost choked on his drink. “What?”
“You heard me.”
Dean glared at him. “I’m clean.”
“All these random hookups? You’re bound to catch something.”
“I’m clean,” Dean repeated. He wasn’t about to tell Sam he got himself tested, primarily because of the blood splattered around on hunts. There was a high chance of picking up HIV from that mess.
“Right.”
Dean kicked Sam lightly under the table, getting a glare as Sam rubbed his leg. “What about you?” Dean asked. “When did you last get tested?”
“I don’t do random hookups.”
“Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get tested.”
It was Sam’s turn to glare. Dean chalked that up as a win.
“What’s the matter, Sammy?” Dean teased. “Got a burning sensation when you pee?”
“Sounds like something you’ve experienced,” Sam countered.
Nice one, kid. Dean glanced around the restaurant. Most of the clientele were families out for an evening meal. His eyes fell on the two men again. The shorter, long-haired blond seemed to be big when talking with his hands while his dark-haired compatriot listened stiffly. They couldn’t be more opposite.
“What is it?” Sam asked, following his gaze.
“Just wishing I could be a fly on a wall,” Dean said, nodding toward the two. “Don’t you ever wonder what other people are talking about?”
“Um… no.”
Dean looked back at Sam. “What? Not ever?”
“Not really.”
“Not even when we were kids?”
“I was too busy with my homework.”
Typical. “Nerd.”
They went back to eating, Dean polishing off the last of his burger and fries. He took another glance around the restaurant. No one seemed to pay them any mind. Dean glanced again at the two attractive men, the taller man now talking while the shorter one listened. It looked serious.
“Dude, stop staring.”
Dean looked back at Sam. “I’m not staring.”
“You are.” Sam glanced sideways at the pair. “Why are you so interested in them, anyway?”
“No idea,” Dean admitted. “They just don’t seem to fit in.”
“Anyone can eat at Biggerson’s.”
“I know, but they seem more like a fine dining pair. Look at the suit on the taller one.”
Sam took a quick look. “It doesn’t look like it fits him.”
“Noticed that too, huh?” Dean shrugged it off. “Maybe it’s a rental.”
“Maybe.”
Dean took the last drink from his soda, dropping everything onto his tray. “Anyway, let’s make tracks. If we sleep early, we can be on the road at sunup.”
“As if you’d get up at sunup.”
“I’m capable.”
Sam didn’t look like he believed him. Dean was determined to prove him wrong. They gathered their rubbish and put it in the bin. As they crossed the restaurant toward the door, Dean saw the coat of the taller man slip off the back of his chair. Dean was tempted to let it go but decided to be nice for once.
He stooped down, picking it up. “Hey, your coat fell.” He placed it on the back of the chair. “There you go.”
The two men stared at him, agape as if it was the first time they’d seen someone do that. It was quite frankly creeping Dean out.
“Anyway…” Dean said, stepping back and away. He headed out the door with Sam, feeling eyes on the back of his head as he went.