Chapter Text
“Sam?”
Sam didn’t answer even though Dean could hear him breathing down the line. He didn’t have much time. The cop who’d arrested him was already breathing down his neck. Maybe he shouldn’t have jammed his elbow so hard into the guy’s face but who the fuck in their right minds snuck up on someone? In a dark alley on the wrong side of town? He was just asking, no begging to get hurt.
Technically though, aside from assaulting a police officer, Dean had done nothing wrong.
“Sam?” he said again, hopefully, “I need you to come get me.”
“Where are you?” Sam’s voice sounded rough, like he’d been screaming into the void. That, or he was just mad as hell.
Yeah so what else was new?
“I’m at Cowley county jail.”
“How long have you been at Cowley county jail?”
Dean hardly thought that was relevant right this minute…
“What does that-“
“How long Dean?”
Dean sighed, “Five days.”
“I see. And is this the first they’ve let you call?”
Actually Dean had been hoping to resolve this little snafu all by himself but…sometimes he just rubbed people the wrong way. And he’d never had the best relationship authority figures. Especially authority figures who tried to bully him.
∞
Sam was grim when Dean caught sight of him waiting at the reception of the police station. The look in his eye reminded Dean eerily of Dad that time he’d caught him at the club when he was fourteen. Super crazy to think about.
He didn’t want to think about Sam looking like dad.
He opened his mouth to say, “Heya Sammy!” in that tone which usually got him a narrow look and a “It’s Sam.” But then closed it again. This probably wasn’t a good time.
Sam was driving the rust bucket truck that usually stayed parked somewhere in the back of the MOL garage. Dean opened his mouth to complain about how he didn’t want to be seen in that thing but closed it again. Sam’s face was completely closed off. Even more than usual. His usual schtick wouldn’t fly here. He’d just make things worse. And contrary to popular opinion, he wasn’t as unself-aware as advertised.
“Baby’s parked at this motel I was staying at,” he said instead.
Sam just shot a glare at him.
“I can maybe take an uber…” Dean said.
“Get in the car Dean.” Sam growled, the air visibly cooling around him.
Dean got in the car.
They drove to the motel in silence. Sam didn’t ask for directions. Dean opened his mouth once or twice to say something. To ask maybe how Sam knew where to go. But he closed it without saying a word. They drew up at the motel, Sam parked right next to the Impala.
“How did you-”
“Get out of the car Dean” Sam interrupted him again. This boy really thought he held all the cards just because of one itty bitty possession.
“I will leave the car when I feel like it and not a moment before,” Dean retorted.
“Well then, feel like it now!” Sam said alighting the vehicle and slamming the door behind him. He walked briskly and angrily to Dean’s motel room door, not looking back as if he expected that Dean would just go trotting after him like an obedient puppy.
Dean considered it. For all of half a second.
But no.
He’d already given Sam too much power in this relationship.
“I said get in here,” Sam appeared at the motel room door, glaring back at the car.
Dean got.