I Am Happy When You Are

.

AN: I am so sorry in advance because this story is un-betaed. Mistakes are mine and mine only.

.

Sam went out to the porch for the fifth time that day and sat on the lazy chair that Bobby have had set up at the porch just for him. His eyes never left the gate as he was rocking slowly back and forth with anxiety written clearly on his face.

Dean had gone out to hunt the night before, something about mauled bodies that had been found three towns away. Bobby guessed it was a kind of black dog or perhaps a werewolf. Whatever it was, Dean had promised to be back today and it was already past noon. Sam was worried. He was so worried that he'd missed his breakfast this morning and also his lunch.

"Sam, come on in! Your soup is cold," called Bobby from the door. When Sam did not answer he came out. "Sam? What are you doing here? Come on in, now!"

Sam shook his head, jaws tightened stubbornly. Bobby could only let out a sigh. He had been like this all morning, moping and sulking. Bobby had been able to drag him back into the house and got him distracted by something or other but in the end he would end up here, waiting impatiently at the porch for his brother to return.

"Sam? Would you come with me inside the house? We can play Othello. Don't you wanna beat me again?" persuaded Bobby. When the older man stood in front of Sam and blocked his line of sight, Sam looked up at him with an irritated frown before twisting his body to the side to look behind Bobby's back.

"I miss Dean," said Sam for what Bobby felt like the hundredth time. "When will he come back?"

"I told you. Your brother will come back when he's done his job," said Bobby patiently.

"But I miss him," muttered Sam with a sad pout, hands busy playing with the end of his shirt. "Do you miss him, Bobby?" asked Sam suddenly looking up at the scruffy old hunter imploringly.

"Of course I miss Dean."

"But he is not your brother. He's my brother and I miss him. Why do you miss him?"

Booby took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling in exasperation. This kind of question had also been asked many times and each time Sam found the answer unsatisfying. Ever since Sam's wall broke down few months ago, Sam had become more and more possessive towards his brother. He craved Dean's attention all the time and barely let him out of his sight. He did not trust other people except Dean and he only believed Dean's words. It took Bobby a month and a half to get Sam to warm up to him. Perhaps, it only happened because Dean said that he trusted Bobby and if Sam trusted Dean then he had to trust Bobby too. It was twisted logic but somehow it made sense in Sam's mind.

"Because you and your brother are family," Bobby told Sam, still in a patient tone of voice because if Bobby showed just a bit of an upset tone Sam would bolt. Dean was not around so who knew where Sam would end up to when he decided to look for his brother by himself.

"Family stick together," said Sam reverently as if saying a quote out of the Holy Testament. "Dean said that," Sam added, looking up to Bobby with an innocent smile that seemed to have a wondrous effect to wipe Bobby's exasperation out of him.

Bobby smiled down at Sam. "That's right. Now, would you come inside the house with me? I could do some company. I get lonely eating by myself in there."

"Sure Bobby!" An enthusiastic smile bloomed on Sam's happy face. "But we come back here and wait for Dean after, right?"

"Yes, Sam. We'll wait for Dean after we eat. Now come on!"

Bobby led Sam back in the house with a hope that he could persuade him to eat his soup. Then, he would have to find something to distract the boy from the thoughts of his brother. It was a futile effort but Bobby had to try anyway. The boys had been cooped up in Bobby's house for three months and as far as Bobby knew that was the longest that they stayed in the same place ever since Sam had dropped out of Stanford. Back then when John was alive, they had managed to stay in a city for almost a year out of necessity because the kids had to finish schooling. Well, at least Sam had to finish his schooling; Dean did not really give a damn about school. So, it was understandable that Dean was bored out of his mind. Sure, he'd managed to stay with Lisa and be domesticated for a year but Bobby knew that the boy had made them change their address at least three times the the previous year. Yes, Bobby kept track on Dean, so sue him.

The thing was that maybe John was only trying to do what he'd thought was best out of the situation. He wanted to keep his boys save but in doing it he'd forgot the repercussion of his action. It had been ingrained in their psyche, at least Dean, that staying in one place too long was unsafe. Another day spent in his house, Bobby was sure that Dean would kill himself out of boredom. So, yesterday morning, he threw the paper casually on the dining table where Dean was eating pancake with Sam. An article was circled with red marker and the headline immediately caught Dean's attention. The oldest Winchester looked up at him, full of eager anticipation laced with a layer of frustration in his eyes.

"Three towns over, should be back by tomorrow afternoon at least." It's the only words Bobby said.

The childlike grin on Dean's face made Bobby thought that his decision to send him out on a hunt was the right one but then he turned to his brother and some of that eagerness leached out and replaced by worry. Bobby did not see regret in Dean's eyes, only concern over the fact that he would leave Sam for the first time since Sam's wall broke down. He'd spent the rest of the day persuading Sam to let him go and promising to his brother for what seemed like a hundred times that he would be back tomorrow. Sam, of course, was upset. He was sulking for the rest of the day and using the power of his puppy dog eyes in full force. Dean almost caved in. Almost.

By the time the last ray of sun went down behind Bobby's house, the sound of the Impala's engine rumbled through the front gate. Bobby, who had spent the rest of the afternoon distracting Sam with Othello game was left gob smacked in the living room as Sam dashed away to the door scattering black and white buttons all over the room. Bobby was surprised that the giant kid still had the time to open the door at all instead of running through it.

Sam burst out of the door just when the Impala turned the corner but instead of waiting on the porch like he'd always did before, he jumped off the stairs and continued running to meet the car. Dean had to hit the brake when he saw Sam running full tilt towards him with no intention to stop. He almost hit him and Sam only stopped when he was sprawled face down on top of the hood.

"Sam! Dammit, are you okay!"

Dean quickly stepped out of the car as his little brother scrambled off the hood. Sam threw himself into his brother's arm, wrapping his long arms around him with a happy grin fixed on his face.

"Dean!" shouted an elated Sam. "I've missed you!"

"Hey, Sammy! Missed you too, bro. Are you being a good boy today? Not pulling Bobby's hair, aren't you?"

"Bobby doesn't have much hair left."

"Hey, hey, don't let Bobby hear that," reprimanded Dean bemusedly while he was snickering over Sam's back.

The brothers spent a few seconds just standing beside the Impala, hugging without a care in the world. Sam kept muttering over and over that he had been missing Dean so much and he was not going to let go of him anytime soon.

"Come on, dude. We have to get in the house. I gotta go clean up. There's blood on my shirt."

Sam gasped, alarmed but Dean quickly reassured, "no, no, it's not my blood. Some dog splashed its blood on me as I stabbed it."

"You're okay, Dean?" asked Sam still worried.

"I'm okay. Promised. Now, let's get in the house."

"I'm so happy that you're back, Dean."

"Hey, I'm happy to be back too Sammy," said Dean, rubbing Sam's back in a comforting gesture.

Dean manoeuvred both of them so Sam still could wrap his left arm around Dean's shoulder as they walked side by side to the house.

Sam followed Dean around the house for the rest of the day. He waited in front of the bathroom door when Dean took his shower and slept on Dean's lap when they were relaxing on the couch in front of TV in the living room. With a cold beer in his right hand, remote in his left and Sam curled up with his head on his lap watching TV with a pleased smile firmly etched on his face, Dean felt content. He spied the black and white buttons that cluttered the floor and asked Bobby.

"What's with the Othello buttons on the floor?" asked Dean, tilting his head backwards to address Bobby who was puttering away in the kitchen.

"Your brother got too enthusiastic when you return."

Dean's laughter rang throughout the house making Sam's smile spread wider as he turned to his back looking up at his big brother who took a gulp of his cold beer. Dean smiled down at him. "What you did whole day today, Sammy?"

"He was moping on the porch all day, missing his breakfast. Almost missing his lunch if I didn't drag him inside to play Othello."

"Did you, Sam?" asked Dean. "Didn't I tell you to do what Bobby said? You promised to be good before I left."

"I was missing you sooooo much, Dean. But I'm happy now 'cause you're back," said Sam with outmost serious expression on his face before burrowing into Dean's stomach wrapping his long arms around his brother's waist.

"Yeah, I'm missing you too, kiddo." Dean put down the remote to run his fingers through Sam's hair, settling more comfortably on the couch with a content smile on his lips. Dean's live wasn't perfect but considering the circumstances he knew it could've been worse. As long as Sam was safe and happy; Dean was happy.

The End