Chapter Text
Ben focused hard on the valentines he was making for his class. Mary thought it was cute, watching him find the perfect one for each classmate, sticking his tongue out as he scribbled the name on the "TO:" line. She remembered helping her sons make valentines for their classmates. Where did the time go?
"Thanks for watching Ben, Mom," Dean said, walking into the kitchen to grab two water bottles. "Lisa will get him after her shift."
"Of course. Where are you and Sam going again?"
"Singles mixer at Ellen's bar." Mary gave her son a warning look, which Dean calmly shook off. "I know, I know. Ellen's down a barback and I offered to help. Plus Sam needs the socialization."
Mary stood up from the table and joined her son in the kitchen. "You know how your brother is right now," she said in a low voice, "so please do not talk him into doing too much tonight."
"Scouts honor," Dean promised, holding his hand up in a salute. "Sam will do nothing more than talk to a pretty girl. Or two pretty girls."
Mary pursed her lips. Given how Sam had reacted to every other holiday lately, she did not approve of him going out for Valentine's Day. No matter how many times Dean promised to keep an eye out for him, she just had a bad feeling about tonight.
"Okay, how's this?" Sam said, coming down the stairs in new jeans and a button-up. It was his third outfit change of the evening. "Does this get your approval?"
"Hell yeah!" Dean said smiling. He went over to the table and kissed Ben on the forehead. "We'll be back late. Listen to Grandma."
Before Sam could object, Dean ushered him towards the front door. "Dude, are you wearing cologne?"
"Was I not supposed to?" Sam began to panic.
"Nope, too late now!" Dean closed the front door behind them.
Mary chuckled. They'll be fine she told herself. She made a cup of tea and sat back at the table where Ben was making valentines. She couldn't help but notice that he was putting a little extra effort on one specific valentine. "That's pretty," she said as Ben glued ribbon around the edge. "Who's that one for?"
Ben's face went white, then red. "No one."
Ah yes. We've been here before. "Is that for your teacher?"
Ben scoffed. "No."
Memories of having the same conversation with her own boys forced her to smile. "Is it for a girl?"
Ben continued to look away, embarrassed. "No?" he said nervously.
Mary took a sip of her tea to hide her excitement and further embarrass him. She watched as Ben quickly scribbled his name on it and brushed it off to the pile with the others. "Well, I'm sure whoever it's for will like it very much."
Sam sat on a stool by the bar. Dean was behind helping Ellen and the other bartender as they mixed drinks. Jo stayed walking around bussing tables and closing out tabs when available.
"If you're gonna sit and people watch, you can help buss tables," she half-teased as she walked by him to go toss dirty dishes in the kitchen.
"Sorry, Jo, Sam is here to make new friends," Dean told her. He leaned on the counter and faced his brother. "Go make friends."
"Dean-"
"Sam, you have been home for four months. The only socialization you do is related to work."
"That's not true! I have you and Jo."
Jo rejoined them at the counter, exchanging a look with Dean. "Sam, he's right. We're friends again which means I can legally tell you you need more friends."
"I'll make new friends when you make new friends," Sam challenged.
"Alright, both of you," Ellen said, interjecting herself, "Sam is perfectly capable of making his own decisions. If he's more comfortable sitting at the bar, let him!"
Sam couldn't help but grin. "Thank you, Ellen."
Jo and Dean laughed it off, leaving Sam and Ellen alone. Ellen topped off Sam's Coke in his glass. No more drinking alcohol on mediations for Sammy. "They're not wrong you know. I can fight them off but it is a mixer for a reason, Sam."
"But what if I just wanted to come and hang out and annoy you all tonight?"
Ellen laughed. "If you're going to do that, I'm putting you to work." Ellen casually tossed a bottle of spray and a rag onto the counter. Sam stood up from his stool and started spraying the counter and wiping it clean. He happened to look up at the same moment the door opened and Meg walked in. She caught him looking and gave him a friendly wave. Sam awkwardly waved back.
"You know her?" Ellen asked.
"Um, yeah, kind of." Sam laughed to cover up feeling uncomfortable.
Ellen didn't have to encourage him to talk to her. Meg came straight over. Ellen took away the spray bottle and rag, leaving the two of them alone.
"Sam!" Meg greeted. "What are the odds we keep running into each other?"
"Are you following me?" Sam tried to joke, but it came across as accusatory.
"Would it be so bad if I was?" Meg teased, pretending she didn't notice his tone. She hopped up on the stool next to Sam. "Whatcha drinking?"
"Coke."
Meg flagged down Dean behind the counter. "Hella stupid right? Not being allowed to drink on medication? It sucks so much."
"And yet, you chose to come to a bar." Sam quipped.
"Well, so did you."
"It belongs to a family friend."
"And they're making you sit here alone all night?" Meg asked with judgment. "Some friend."
"Meg!" Dean said, his disapproving tone hard to miss. "To what do we do the honor?"
"I'll have whatever he's drinking," she said playfully. Dean reluctantly reached under the counter for a glass and poured her a Coke. Meg spun around on her stool and pretended to take in the scene of couples talking all around the bar.
"Are you okay?" Dean whispered when she wasn't paying attention. He remembered the last time Sam had seen Meg.
Sam nodded quickly and took a giant gulp of his soda. Meg spun back around and accepted her drink from Dean. She watched Dean as he walked away to the other side of the counter to help another customer.
"So, Sam, do you have a valentine?"
"No," Sam answered bluntly. "Do you?"
Meg smiled. "I wish, but unfortunately, I don't think he knows."
Sam didn't like hearing that. He readjusted himself uncomfortably on the barstool, clearing his throat. "Maybe you should tell him."
"It might be better if I don't."
Is she flirting? Is that flirting? She better not be flirting.
Meg grabbed her stool and dragged it over closer to Sam, her knees barely grazing his.
Oh, she's flirting.
Jo kept an eye on Sam while Dean took the garbage out to the dumpster. Something about this girl Sam was talking to rubbed her the wrong way. Sam looked uncomfortable as hell, but Sam always looked uncomfortable talking to girls. She was trying to find an excuse to go over there to interrupt them but failed to think of something that wasn't going to be obvious.
"I didn't know Sam's type was skanky," she commented as her mom walked by.
"Joanna Beth!" Ellen scolded.
"Look at her mom!" Jo argued. "She's practically sitting on his lap. Mary would flip her shit if she knew he was talking to her."
Ellen rolled her eyes. "You and Dean are killing me. Sam is a big boy. If he didn't want to talk to her, he could tell her off himself."
Jo bit her tongue, not liking that response. Dean returned from the dumpster. "God, what now?"
"Do we stop that?" Jo asked quickly. Too quickly. "We should stop that right?"
Dean sighed. He filled Jo in on everything earlier that evening when Meg first showed up. "I don't like her either, Jo, but unless Sam flags us down for help, we're not stepping in." Jo continued to stare at the two of them. Dean continued talking. "I mean, we can't exactly encourage him to make friends and then scare away the one friend he makes."
"Even if we don't like her?
Dean's suspicions heightened. "Joooo?" he asked, dragging her name out. "Are we perhaps jeal-"
"NO!" Jo snapped.
Dean let out a big laugh and smiled hard. "You like my brother," he teased in a sing-song voice.
Thank god the lighting in the bar is dark and Dean can't see how pink her face is really turning. "Please, I have more respect than that."
"Meaning?"
"We just started trying to be friends again. And his girlfriend was just brutally murdered," Jo explained. "I know not to overstep and ruin that unlike some bitches."
There was a loud commotion coming from the direction of the bar where Sam and Meg were sitting. Some of the other patrons turned to watch. Sam had fallen off his barstool and stumbled behind the counter while Meg continued to sit there dumbfounded. She leaned over the counter trying to talk to Sam, who continued to try to crawl away.
"What happened!?" Jo and Dean asked at the same time while rushing over.
"We were talking and he fell off the stool," Meg explained.
The voice in Dean's head told him that wasn't the full story. That and the fact that Sam was huddled in a ball behind the bar counter. "I think it's time for you to go, Meg."
"Nothing happened Dean."
"Do you want to go or do you need a police escort?" Jo threatened.
Meg dramatically grabbed her belongings. Dean was surprised she didn't spit in their faces on the way out. Luckily the lookie-loos lost interest once she had left.
Dean crouched down next to his brother. "Sam, are you okay?"
Sam was tense, his eyes squeezed shut and breathing hard. Dean and Jo couldn't help but notice how hard he was trying to cover his crotch with his arms, twisting his hips away from them. Jo quickly excused herself, feeling for her friend's shame and embarrassment.
"Just stay here and wait it out," Dean said sympathetically. Sam nodded in agreement not caring if he was in the way or not. Dean jumped up and immediately started clearing the area where Sam and Meg were sitting. Cleaning up the crime scene. After several minutes, Sam began to relax, taking a deep breath and opening his eyes. Dean returned to him. "Are you okay to stand?" he asked. Sam nodded and Dean helped him up off the floor, leading him towards the door to take him home.
Sam walked into the house, determined to take the hottest shower ever and go to bed. He'd scrub off all his skin if it meant getting rid of Meg touching him. Dean insisted on going in with him, but he didn't want to take the risk of their parents asking questions. Sam tiptoed up the stairs making sure to avoid the ones that creak. He peeked his head around the corner and felt relief seeing his parents' bedroom door closed and the light off.
After Sam showered and threw on his baggiest sweatpants, he collapsed on the bed. He stared up at the ceiling until his exhaustion overcame him and he fell asleep.
Dean entered the apartment quietly. He yanked off his jacket and tossed it onto a chair at the dining table. Ben's valentines were still sitting out as they continued to dry. Dean looked through a couple of them, smiling at the innocence behind some paper and stickers.
"Hey," Lisa said, closing the bedroom door behind her. She snuck up behind Dean and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I missed you tonight."
"Who is Sarah and why is her valentine the biggest?"
Lisa laughed so hard that she snorted. "Your mom and I think that someone has their first crush."
"What!?" Dean asked. "He's seven."
"He's also your son," Lisa said, confused by her boyfriend's reaction. "It's just a schoolyard crush, Dean," Lisa tried to assure him. "He'll get over it."
Dean continued to act frazzled by the news.
"Did something happen tonight? Did a girl get hurt at the bar?"
"Why?" Dean scoffed. "Because only girls can be assaulted?"
Lisa only grew more confused. "Um, no of course not, but I don't see what that has to do with our seven-year-old."
Dean ran his hands down his face trying to ground himself. "Ben knows no one is allowed to... you know-" Dean made a vague gesture around his waist "-touch him there?"
Lisa couldn't help but feel offended. "Yes, of course, and he knows to tell us about it right away. But Dean, you're scaring me."
Dean began anxiously pacing around the apartment. He fidgeted with Ben's bedding on the futon, straightening out the blanket and pillows. "It happened to Sam tonight," he whispered. "A girl touched him and he did not want her to." Lisa stayed silent while Dean continued messing around the apartment. "I mean, it's not like he was-" Dean couldn't bring himself to say the word.
Lisa understood what he was getting at. "It's still not okay," she said, expressing her sympathy. "Doesn't matter who you are."
Dean nodded in agreement. Nothing else needed to be said. He went into the bedroom, Lisa following behind him. Ben was spread out across their bed, knocked out. Dean carefully scooped him out and carried him out to the futon. Lisa tucked him in and shut off the lights behind them.