You left and I think I finally get why

Chapter 1

Dean pulled into the driveway of the house his little brother had been living in for the past three years. Sammy's refuge ever since he walked out of that hotel room, dropping the bomb that he was going to college and that he had received a full ride scholarship to Harvard.

Dean knew at the time what that meant. The kid had been planning for it. But that wasn't the worst part. No, the worst part was that Dean had known it was coming and started putting away $100 a week for the kid just so he could have a foot on the ground to take off from.

He'd known it was coming cause he'd found Sammy's acceptance letter five months before he dropped the bomb. Dean had panicked when Sammy had finally let the truth out. He knew as soon as the argument began that his little brother was leaving that night. The only thing Dean could do was hurry up to his and his brother's room and put the envelope of money on Sammy's bed, knowing his brother would pack before he left. Sammy was smart like that, not as reckless as his older brother.

Dean had contemplated writing a letter, but when he'd sat down and finally tried to write one, the words just wouldn't come. He'd instead hoped the money would convey enough.

He still felt betrayed though. How could Sammy do that to him? Leave him behind after he had basically raised the kid, not that he would ever say it out loud but dammit, if it wasn't the truth! Still, he hated himself for thinking like that. He'd always hoped the kid would get out of the hunting business before it consumed him like it had done to Bobby, his dad, and, though he loathed to admit it, him. And he got his wish. Only thing was, in his little fantasy that he had concocted, there had been a lot more contact between the two of them. Maybe that was why he was okay with not writing a letter. Figuring he'd get a chance to finally say what he needed later. But nope.

And now their dad was missing. Which was truly just the cherry on top of this whole situation. His dad had started letting Dean take missions by himself only a week after Sammy had left, but when he had gone to meet back up with him for info about his next hunt, Dad didn't show up. So now Dean was here.

He shook his head, clearing the intruding thoughts with a few deep breaths. He attempted to work up the courage to walk (break) into the house without any lights on. He didn't stop to wonder why Sammy had bothered with a house, too cautious of losing his nerve. He needed his brother's help, and he needed it now.

*

Dean picked the lock to the front door, walking into the eerily quiet house. He couldn't even hear his brother's deafening snores, and he had spent over 14 years sleeping with that as white noise. He snuck around before coming to a room with the door closed. He approached, gently placing his hand on the handle, fighting a battle within himself. This was his last chance to walk away. To let his brother lead his life away from hunting, away from the things that went bump in the night. With his mind made up, he took a deep breath and slowly turned the handle. It opened with a soft creak, revealing a room with a queen-sized bed. Two figures lay intertwined on top.

Dean paused, trying to compute the image in front of him.

'No way. Sammy's gone and gotten himself a girl!' Dean huffed a chuckle, oddly proud of his, from memory, goofball of a little brother.

He knew it was an actual relationship from the pictures on each of the bedside tables, and it honestly looked like the two had gone to sleep without doing the deed, another obvious sign that it was a relationship rather than a one night stand.

Dean sighed through his nose, contemplating what to do. He eventually settled on trying to make enough noise in the kitchen by rummaging around that it would wake one or both of the figures in the bed up. With a new objective in mind, he made his way to the kitchen, which he had passed on his way to the bedroom.