Title: The Water Feels Right

Author: Saberivojo

Rating: PG

Genre: Gen, Pre-series

Pairing: None

Warnings: Some potty mouth

Disclaimer: I own nobody

Notes: Sam has something to prove.

XX

I'm doin' it, Dean."

"Oh, Christ, Sammy…let it go. It ain't worth the risk, man."

Sam stood quietly and resolutely, glared at Dean. How could a 12 year old glare like that? It wasn't normal.

"It's worth it to me." Simple, straightforward. That was Sam. He had found true north, and just like a compass, he was unwavering.

"Sam, it's not safe. Really. There's shit out there. You can't even see bottom."

It occurred to Dean that he had a good 60 pounds on his brother, and that in itself was comforting. If push came to shove he would win a physical argument. Of course with Sam, winning physically was only a small part of the battle. Sam was a sneaky kid—just because Dean stopped him right now didn't mean he had stopped him completely.

Sam was already toeing off his sneakers. Next came the shirt and shorts, all the way down to boxers. Then, with a defiant look at Dean, Sam dropped the boxers, too.

"Sam…" Dean tried one more time, but his little brother was already running full speed to the end of the pier. He executed a beautiful arcing dive into the water.

Shit, shit, shit. Dean was dropping clothes faster than Sam had, hopping on one foot as he pulled his leg out of his pants.

"Sammy, slow the fuck up, I'm coming!"

And he was too. As naked as his brother, he dove off the pier, using all of his considerable muscle to catch up, cutting cleanly through the water. Sam was swimming smooth as silk, each stroke slicing through the water, but his reach was a little shorter than Dean's and Dean caught up pretty quickly.

It's hard to yell while you are swimming, but if Dean wasn't trying not to drown he would totally be yelling. Stroke, stroke, stroke, stroke, breathe, stroke, stroke, stroke, stroke, breath. At each breath, Dean watched Sam, strong tan arms flashing out of the murky water. His brother was breathing heavy with exertion, but not overly, just working the hell out of his muscles and lungs.

Sammy's determined expression never changed; he just pushed right on. Not slowing down, not speeding up, rhythmically moving through the water. The other side seemed pretty damn far, even for Dean; if he survived this little skinny dipping excursion, he might have to kill Sam.

Dean dropped a quick look back at the receding shoreline. They were about half way across. There was a strong current in the middle not killer strong, but bad enough he needed to put more effort in to push through it. He glanced at Sam, saw him power up, increase the amount of strength to stroke ratio. For just a second, Dean forgot to be mad. Shit, Sammy, you got more balls than I gave you credit for. It was brief though, that shining moment, because he needed to buckle down himself. Drag his sorry ass through this fuckin' river.

The current pulled steady, but Sam and Dean moved through the water at a pretty good clip, getting ever closer to the approaching shore. They were both good swimmers Dad made sure of it-but it was a long haul anyway. Dean stayed with Sam, stroke for stroke, watching his little brother to make sure he was okay, that he was still swimming strong, when suddenly, there was the unpleasant squish of soft delta sand under his feet. A moment later Dean watched Sam touch too.

They stood there, one hip deep in water, the other almost chest deep. Sam was breathing deep gulping breaths but his eyes were shining, a combination of exhilaration and just a bit of "fuck you". Dean barely resisted the urge to choke his brother,

Dean took a ragged breath, spit out a mouth full of river water. God knows what the hell is livin' in this river.

"Jesus, Sam…what the fuck did you do that for?" Dean's hair was dripping wet, and he blew his nose into the water, shook his head to get the water out of his ear.

Sam was just standing there, not shaking or spitting just standing, breathing heavy.

"The old man said I couldn't. Said I needed to work on my upper body more, said he figured maybe by the end of this summer….well, shit, I showed him huh?"

"You mean you just swam across this fuckin' river to prove you could? Just to prove Dad wrong? Sammy, for cryin' out loud! That is about the stupidest thing you've done in…" Dean flapped his hands out to his side, letting them slap back at his hips with a splash. "I don't know…forever!"

Sam glared at Dean. "I did it though. I proved him wrong."

"Well shit, Sam, it's not like you can do anything about it. You can't tell him – he'll kill you for not following orders. And it'll be a double funeral, 'cause I let you do it." He offered his own blazing glare at Sam.
"Takes away some of the glory when you can't even gloat about it."

"And….we have to swim back across, shithead. I am not walking my naked ass up to that foot bridge a mile down river, then back to the pier where our clothes are inconveniently sitting." Dean was hot now, just the thought of swimming back across that fucking river. Just because his little brother got a bug up his ass.

"Don't care if he knows, don't care if he finds out. I know. " Sam sniffled a bit at the last sentence. Dean would bet that it was more than river water he was sniffin' up.

"Whatever, dude. It was stupid. I oughta kick your ass on principle alone." Dean growled low, dumping some John Winchester into it.

Sam seemed unperturbed, barely noticed the menace in his brother's voice and looked back at the broad expanse of river that stood between him and his clothes.

"You didn't have to come, Dean. I had it under control." Sam leveled a look at Dean, steady and determined. "I coulda done it myself."

"Yeah, well maybe, dickhead, but what if you drowned? Dad woulda really blown a gasket over that one. Plus it would've proved him right."

"Well, Dean, I guess I'll have to prove him wrong twice then."

Sam smiled a little and shook his head, sending a spray of river water in Dean's general direction. And that grin right there, tinged with stubborn Sam was enough. Enough to elicit a sigh from Dean. Jeesh, the things he did for his little brother.

Dean shook his head, looked at Sam and then eyed the bank. Well, hell.

"Okay little brother, let's show the old man what you got."