The Future is Now

Part 14

The next morning was awkward as they silently ate their breakfast but Dean knew that Sam was too in his own head right now to focus on any real conversation. The hunter knew that talking about Meg was something deep inside of Sam so, in some ways, he felt guilty for the man seeming so down today. He'd been the one to churn up all these emotions and memories.

Slinking over to him, Dean wrapped his arms around Sam's waist so he was close behind him. Resting his forehead against Sam's back, Dean began speaking.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... Just tired."

Dean couldn't figure out whether that was a lie.

-----

With Christmas fast approaching, Sam and Dean took the weekend to go shopping and buy some things for the festive period. The mall was pretty busy today but that was to be expected.

After ensuring that the hunter knew how to buy things with his credits, Sam let him lose in the mall alone. Dean watched to make sure that his partner took off in the opposite direction before he started searching for something important. Since the big day was getting close, he'd been thinking about a present for the last few days and had already decided on the perfect gift.

He had quickly decided on a notebook for Sam. The tall man had been enthusing about physical notebooks for weeks but they were notoriously hard to get a hold of. Nobody really used them anymore and writing had gone completely out of fashion. So, it was natural for Sam to be into something so obscure.

It took several hours, and many conversations with confused store owners, before he found a bizarre little place which specialised in strange gifts and antique items.

The store smelt strongly of wood which surprised Dean considering how there were just the purchasing machines placed in the middle of the room... And that trees were kind of extinct. He flicked through the on screen options until he found a sleek looking notebook with a fancy cover on it. It was a deep green color with swirls pressed into the faux leather material. More than happy, Dean transferred the credits over straight away.

Barely a minute later, the owner of the store carried Dean's purchase over to him in one of those instantly biodegradable bags. The hunter thanked the owner before making his way back to where he was going to meet Sam. He checked his phone like device to see how much of a dent was in his account. He winced, the book had been expensive but he knew that it'd be worth it. It looked as though there was still quite a sum left... He hoped anyway.

---
Sam's neck was aching. The pleasant aroma of strong coffee filled the air but it couldn't distract from the pain in the back of his neck. He knew he'd brought the pain on himself; Sam's neck was bent at a near 90 degree angle as he focused on his lap. He'd not moved from this position for over two hours.

His fingers worked quickly but he kept dropping his screwdriver and MagnoPen when their ends hit against the table. It was unbelievably difficult to work under the tabletop but he had to at least try to be discreet with his illegal work.

Bags sat on the floor beside him where he'd done a quick sweep of the mall and grabbed several gifts and Christmas decorations.

The tall man jumped when someone fell into the seat opposite him. Dean was leaning back in the chair with his legs spread out under the table. A single bag hung from his fingers. Sam tries not to chuckle at his partner's melodrama but the bag did tickle his curiosity.

"What's in it?" Sam asked in the hopes of an answer from the hunter.

Dean scoffed, "Wouldn't you like to know."