Sam, Interrupted { for Lizardwhisperer }

[Nene]

For the fifth consecutive rainy autumn night in Lebanon, Kansas, Sam Winchester woke up from a nightmare, his tears staining his cheeks and the pillow under his head. His older brother wasn't at his side so he knew he hadn't screamed or cried out loud in his sleep. Sam swept the tears from his cheeks, and he rose from his bed.

Heading down the corridor to the bunker's kitchen, Sam couldn't get his mind off of those nightmares he'd been suffering. He hadn't felt right for months, years, even, but he knew his mental health was taking a downward spiral into the void the last couple of months despite his self-perceived best efforts to take care of himself and keep his depression at bay.

Sam rubbed his temples as he waited for the pot of coffee to brew. He'd only gotten about three hours of sleep, but typically, he only slept four or five and somehow still functioned, or at least, he thought he was functioning.

He felt like total ass. He was exhausted all of the time with no relief as he hadn't slept nearly enough for the human brain to function properly. He hadn't an appetite anymore nor was he even really taking care of his body.

Sam had been doing the bare minimum of self care and spent the rest of the time hunting or researching, and of course, denying that anything was wrong even though he had "I'm in pain!" written all over his face. He had chronic headaches and brain fog - His head felt fuzzy and his thoughts were harmful and nonsensical, and sometimes, he wasn't thinking at all and acted on impulse.

Sam hadn't been himself at all and he'd felt so alone, and he thought Dean hadn't noticed.

[Lizardwhisperer]

"Hey, man, how come I'm never invited to these late-night parties of yours?"
Dean chuckled, when his brother jumped at his voice. He stepped into the kitchen, from where he'd been leaning on the door frame, in his "Dead Guy's robe."
"Easy, there, big fella. I'm human, but you barely look like one. How long you gonna keep hunting on no sleep?"

[Nene]

Sam nearly leapt out of his skin at hearing a sudden voice, and he calmed down when he heard it was Dean. He hadn't known that Dean would be up at this hour and he shook his head. "I slept." he sighed softly. He still had tears in his eyes but he tried to avert Dean's gaze, not wanting Dean to question him further. "What are you doing up?" he hoped he hadn't woken Dean.

[Lizardwhisperer]

Dean Winchester put on his best Dean Winchester smirk--but it couldn't hide his slight blush.
He patted his stomach, "Well, you know, there's no sex like angel sex--Cas emptied my tank, tonight. A quick load of carbs and I'll be back on my memory foam."
Dean watched Sam squirm, thinking all of his brother's discomfort was from him once again tossing around TMI about his relationship.

[Nene]

Sam made a face and he shook his head. If he had an appetite before, which he didn't, he didn't anymore. "Dean." he rubbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head, trying to get those images out of his head. "Too much information." he swept away his tears, and tried to act as if he'd tried to rub away a headache. Once the coffee was finished brewing, he brought the whole pot over to the table and poured some in his cup. It looked like he intended to down the whole pot. It was at least eight cups.

[Lizardwhisperer]

Dean chuckled, as he stuck his head in the fridge and emerged, chewing on a drumstick. "Loosen, up, Sam--it's just sex. You should try some--or at least find some way to burn off stress. You're not looking so hot." He tore another hunk off meat off the bone, with his teeth.
"You wook wike you're settling in for an aw-nightuh." He swallowed the obscenely-big mouthful, "You got a case?"
Dean picked up his brother's laptop and handed it to him.

[Nene]

Sam had to laugh at Dean's drumstick-eating face, and how he was so pleased with himself and happy after having those relations with the angel love of his life. His smile faded and he sighed, "I'm fine, Dean... I-I don't have a case, though." he'd find one, he thought, and he took his laptop from Dean. He gulped down the first cup of coffee quickly, and refilled it, only to gulp that cup down as well, as if he'd not had anything to drink in days.

[Lizardwhisperer]

Dean shook his head again, at his brother. Sam was moody, overtired, stressed, and...weird--ALL the time. Despite all this, the hunter tried his hardest to keep up appearances--hunting and going through the motions of life--all the while, reassuring Dean and Cas that he was "fine."
In other words, Sam was a Winchester.
"Suits yourself. Hey, if you catch a case, let me know in the morning. All play and no work makes a Dean...well, you know. 'Night, Sam."

[Nene]

"Yeah, uh... night, Dean." Sam nodded to him and turned on his laptop, and began to look through recent news articles for anything strange. By morning, he'd downed a pot and a quarter of coffee, and he was drooling as he mindlessly stared at his laptop. He'd found something, and another hunter had shot him an email over it; his hands rested on the keyboard, and as he began to crash, his fingers pressed into the keys, creating a novel's worth of i's, w's, and spaces.

[Lizardwhisperer]

In the morning, Dean and Cas found Sam drooling into his keyboard.
"Well, will you look at this--they're so peaceful, when they're sleeping, eh, Cas?"
Dean lifted his brother back, so he could scroll up past his the gibberish Sam had typed with his forehead and read the details of the case.
"This looks like just the thing you and i need, Babe--get out of the house, a little road trip, some new monster--some new hotel rooms." Dean's eyebrows did the cha-cha.

Cas smiled, "Well, yes, Dean, this sounds like just what we need."

Dean sopped up spilled coffee, from the table, "What about sleeping beauty, here?"

"Your brother is obviously in need of some rest. You write him a note, I'll make him more comfortable."
As Castiel easily lifted Sam's 6'4" frame, the hunter stirred.

"Don't make me have to bust your ass, like Dad would've, little brother. Settle down and let the, uh...big, strong angel put you to bed, Sam."