Mint and apricots

57. Classic big brothers stuff

Dean Winchester's 2nd February began like any other Tuesday.

After waking up in the good mood that every visit to Agnes and the incoming baby granted him for days to follow, he had spent too much time under the hot water jet of the shower and had consumed his breakfast quickly. Then he had lingered in the kiss with which he had wished his husband a great day, before going to the garage and getting to work on a Honda Civic that had seen better days.

He had to wait until the second half of the lunch break that he was enjoying with a couple of sandwiches to realize that this was by no means just an unworthy to be told weekday. His smartphone began to vibrate in his pocket when he was about to finish the second of his ham and cheese sandwiches and Dean answered immediately after shoving the last huge piece of bread in his mouth.

"Heffo?" he grunted, with the maximum amount of respect he was willing to offer to an unknown number during his well-deserved lunch break.

"Hello? Dean Winchester?"

That voice didn't suggest anything. Dean listlessly swallowed what was left of his meal and exchanged a look of complice contempt with his colleague Cole, with whom he had chatted until a moment ago, sitting with him in a space miraculously free from cars and equipped with empty plastic crates to turn over and use as stools.

"The one and only" he replied, with more diplomacy than he felt within his bones. "Who am I talking to?"

"I'm Gabriel. Gabriel Hale?" the owner of the voice on the other side of the line ventured, as if he wasn't sure he had made an impression decisive enough to be remembered.

If someone had asked him later, Cole would have said that was when Dean's expression went from annoyed to astonished and confused in the blink of an eye.

"Hold on a sec" the boy mumbled, gesturing to his colleague to excuse him as he walked away to quickly reach the exit of the garage and then the outside sidewalk, where no one could hear him or ask questions about his suddenly frowning face. "Who gave you this number?"

"You remember who I am?"

"Of course I remember who you are" Dean snorted, rolling his eyes. As if forgetting such a character were in his faculties, just ten days after his little brother was saved by the skin of his teeth. "So, who was it?"

"It was Dr. Novak. He didn't seem to think it was going to be a problem" he was careful to add.

Dean pursed his lips.

Of course. Cas. Who else?

He should have made a little speech to his husband about a broader understanding of the term "privacy".

"And he advised me to call in the early afternoon, just to be sure that Sam wasn't around," Gabriel continued, perhaps worried by that silence.

As if the rest wasn't enough, Dean thought, raising his eyebrows and biting his lip not to say what was on his mind.

"I see."

He didn't mind that this man had his number or even that he had actually called him, but lately he had found himself impatient even with the tiny details that his husband happened to leave unspoken, forcing him to find out for himself. A bruise is a bruise, after all. Anyway, Gabriel Hale didn't deserve to be treated badly for such minutiae and the hesitation that came out of the phone speaker was enough of a confirmation for Dean.

"Is it a bad time for you, maybe?"

"No, no, it isn't" Dean hastened to reply, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger to wake up. "It's as good as any other. Sorry, I just didn't expect to get a call from you. What can I do for you?"