Right now the only thing bringing him down is the group of women standing beside him at the bar who are ogling his Dean brother and making no secret of it.
“Did you see his eyes? There’s a wild stallion raring to get out behind those gorgeous greens!”
“And the way those jeans show off his powerful thighs. Mmmmm!. You know he can deliver.”
“He had me at the leather jacket.That’s sexy as fuck.”
“Look at how he moves. Strong, graceful, totally aware of the pleasure his body is can give.”
“I know who I wanna be doing a midnight.”
“I’d give anything to feel those luscious lips around my-”
“Never in my life would I have thought freckles could be so sexy.”
It’s the last comment, arguably the most innocent of them, that gets a reaction from Sam and has him leaning toward the women to fake whisper “And they are not just on his face either. He has them all over those gloriously broad shoulders and back -all the way down to his gorgeous bite-able a-”
The shocked look on their faces makes him stop talking. Well that and the fact that what his words imply (that he and Dean are in a sexual relationship with each other) is a lie. The women walk away from the bar area and him pretty quickly after that. And despite the fact that none of them seem able to look him in the eye he thinks one of them mumbles “Sorry” as she passes by him.
Something close to shame (for lying, for embarrassing the women and for cock-blocking Dean) battles with his relief (for cock-blocking Dean -there’s now four less women Dean is likely to hook up with tonight). The relief wins out and he slides back onto his stool, lifts his drink and drains the last of it. When he turns back to the bar to order a new one he is met by the knowing eyes and proud smile of Lucy Johnson. Part time bartender, part time waitress, full co-owner (along with her brother Lloyd) of the Double J Bar & Grill. “It’s about time. You need to stand up for what’s yours more often, honey.”
Dean had discovered the bar shortly after it opened about 8 months ago and hit it off with Lloyd who thought Dean was an investigator as well as fellow ex-marine (Dean has not disabused him of either notion maintaining that it would be too hard to explain things believably). They’ve only bonded more over their mutual interests (cars, motorcycles, hot women, sports teams, war stories) in the months since. Dean had tried to draw Sam into the friendship. Bringing Sam to the bar about once a week and telling Lloyd that Sam is also an investigator, as well as alluding to him being ex-military too. Sam doesn’t have anything against Lloyd; He’s a great guy. Sam just hit it off better with Lucy. So now when they stop in, after they eat and Dean goes to play a couple of rounds of [friendly] pool with Lloyd or some unlucky patron, Sam sits at the bar and visits with her while she tends. They talk about books, movies, music, religion, history -pretty much everything.
Sam has no idea what she’s talking about right now though “Umm…what do you mean?”.
“The way you ran those girls off from lusting over your man” she nods toward where Dean is still playing pool “was a good start but why don’t you say something to him about the flirting?”
Sam gulps before nervously laughing “You don’t tell Dean Winchester he can’t flirt. It’s seventy-five percent of his personality.” He deliberately ignores the first part of her statement.
Lucky shakes her head “I think we both know it’s not just flirting, though. You don’t deserve to be cheat-” Maybe the complete shock he feels is reflected on his face because she abruptly changes “You know what? Forget I said anything. It’s not my place anyway. If what you have works for your marriage, or whatever you two have, don’t let me cause problems. But if you ever want to talk -I’m willing to listen”.
Sam gives a nervous laugh because this is really dangerous territory. He has no idea what Dean said to these people the first time he met them but he knows it wasn’t that they were married. She obviously doesn’t know they are brothers and he’s not sure how to proceed without making things really awkward and uncomfortable for all of them. So he hedges “It’s complicated. What exactly did Dean tell you about us?”
A shrug of her shoulders accompanies her words. “Not much really. He was in here asking questions about a dishwasher that used to work here. He mentioned he had a partner. I thought he meant the business kind but once he showed up with you, and you had the same last name I realized it was the personal kind too.”
“So he didn’t actually say to you or Lloyd that we were together?”
“Don’t be upset about it Sam. He didn’t have to. It’s very obvious. Anyone with eyes can see how you look at him. And it’d take a blind man to miss how he smiles at you. How he is always so aware of where you are and what you are doing. They way you two move around each other -like magnets.” She pauses briefly to take an empty glass off the counter. “He seems to be as crazy about you as you are about him. So I don’t get why he steps out on you.”
It’s not really a question but Sam can’t stop himself from answering. “He’s not cheating. It’s not like that. It’s… it’s really complicated. I don’t think I could explain what we have.”
“I’m willing to listen if you think it would help?” She offers again with a sympathetic smile that promises no judging.
And Sam finds himself telling her things he’s never said to anyone. He tells her how he’s been in love with Dean since he was fourteen. How he’s never felt attractive enough for someone who looks like Dean. How he took off to college to try to avoid his feelings. He tells her about Jessica, and Ruby and Amelia and a few others. About how even though he really cared for them when he was with them they were basically substitutes for Dean. While he omits things or changes dates or lies about details he tells her about the good times together and the bad times that drove them apart. He tells her how irritating he finds it when Dean gets overly protective and how much Dean’s possessive behavior turns him on. He tells her as much as he can without revealing the thing that he would rather her not know (that they are actually brothers). He implies that they had a recent really bad break up and that even though they are physically living together again they haven’t quite made it all the way back to a committed, monogamous, sexual relationship yet. Which, he explains, is why their hookups (and he makes it clear that it’s not just Dean) aren’t technically cheating.
It’s clear that the whole story leaves her a bit perplexed and speechless but she recovers quickly “You weren’t kidding were you? That is complicated. But I think a good long talk would really help things along”.
He’s not sure if she means he should talk to Dean or she will talk to Dean but he can’t have either so he quickly and a bit loudly spits out “Lucy you can’t say anything to him. Or anyone. Ever. You can’t let on that you know any of this. He absolutely hates when our private lives become public fodder. And he’ll be so hurt if he finds out I told you any of it.” He’s not above using whatever means he has to ensure her silence so he turns what Dean refers to as his puppy eyes on her “Please. Please don’t say anything.”
She is quick to reassure “Okay. Okay. Like I said before it’s not my place. But you two shou-”
Sam doesn’t get to learn what they ‘should’ because one of the waitress interrupts to let Lucy know that it’s time to get out the champagne and glasses. Midnight and the New Year is closing in quickly. Sam offers to help get cases out of the walk-in refrigerator.
He’s on his third trip when he realizes that Dean is no longer at the pool tables in the back but is waiting on him at the bar now. He looks a bit impatient. When Sam is done bringing the last case out and Lucy has thanked him Dean grabs his arm and pulls him to aside to quietly ask if he is ready to ring in the New Year?
Sam is a bit incredulous because he figured Dean would be plastered to some hot chick that he could kiss at midnight, not seeking Sam out ten minutes beforehand. Something is wrong with that picture. “What? Why? Dean what’s going on?”
“I need to tell you- You’re not gonna believe what Lloy-”
The place goes completely quiet as the lights come on and everyone turns to where Lloyd and Lucy are now standing on the bar as the wait staff hurriedly passes out glasses of champagne to everyone.
Lloyd raises his glass and makes a touching toast about how great the year has been for the Johnson siblings. How thankful they are to be back in Kansas and running a profitable business together. Lucy joins in to add how grateful they are for the support of all the family and old friends who are still around and how happy they are for the new friends they’ve made. With each acknowledgement she either gestures with her glass or nods her head in the direction of the persons she mentioned.
The Winchesters get a nod; and a bunch of curious looks.
Then the volume on the televisions is being turned up and everyone is counting down.
- Ten, nine, eight - Dean presses a glass into his hand.
- Seven, six, five - Dean is pressing up close to his side.
- Four, three - Dean is smiling up at him.
- Two - Dean is whispering ‘Happy New Year Baby Boy’
- One - Dean is pulling his head down so their lips can meet and-
- - -
“Sam.” A large strong hand lands on his upper arm and gives him a small shake “Sam, come on, wake up.” His eyes when they open, focus on Dean, who is standing over his bed, grinning down at him. He’s fresh outta of the shower, dressed in black jeans, and a gray Henley under a dark green button up shirt. And in his hand he is carrying the black leather jacket that Sam remembers Dean was wearing in what was apparently his dream. “It’s almost time to go and you still need to get dressed.” He watches as Dean steps over and opens his closet then reaches in to pull out a maroon sweater and a black denim-look leather jacket both of which he tosses on the bed indicating that Sam should wear them.
They are the clothes Sam was wearing in his dream. He blinks, more than a little confused “Go where?”
“The Double J. Don’t you remember? The Johnsons invited us to the bar’s first New Year’s Eve Bash.” Dean is halfway out the door before he finishes saying “And you agreed to go with me. Now get your gigantic ass in gear. You got fifteen minutes to make yourself all pretty. Baby and I will be waiting for you in the garage.”
He wastes the first couple of minutes wondering what the hell is going on. Is he trapped in some kind of time loop? Maybe he is still dreaming. Or maybe he was having a vision?
A vision of his future?
A future that could be happening tonight?
There was only one way to find out.
Sam has never gotten dressed so fast before.
