The Search for John Winchester

16) Shadow

Percy was frantically texting Leo, panic beginning to grow across his phone with each buzz that arrived from Leo's annoyingly fast messages.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked, looking a little worried. They were ready for a case, the boys wearing outfits from an alarm system company. He stopped the car, Sam climbing out quickly, leaving the couple.

"He won't tell me," Percy hissed, typing up a new message.

"He won't tell you what?" Dean asked gently, putting a hand on Percy's shoulder. "Is something wrong at camp?"

"No," Percy groaned. "He won't tell me why he found a man strung up on a post like we did! Scarecrow!"

"You're still freaking out about that?" Dean questioned, suddenly looking exasperated as he opened his door, Percy doing the same. "It's been, like, a month."

"Five weeks," Percy corrected, typing as Dean grabbed a toolbox from the trunk of the car and Sam smiled, amused. "It's been five weeks since Leo told me he and Calypso found a man strung up on a post in the middle of a forest. And he won't tell me what the fuck happened!"

"Well if he didn't tell you then, I don't see why he'll tell you now," Dean shut the trunk and looked at his boyfriend, an eyebrow raised.

"I got a reply from him, and I've been nagging him since then, so I don't see why he wouldn't tell me," Percy grinned, showing Dean his phone screen, which showed that he had been sending Leo a text just about every ten minutes for five weeks.

"Leave the poor boy alone," Dean gave Percy his disappointed mom look, which didn't affect his boyfriend in the slightest.

"He won't tell me!" Percy cried, gaining a few dirty looks from the people around them. "I mean, that's important stuff! What if there was a serial killer! What if he almost died!"

"Well, he didn't die," Dean rolled his eyes, snatching Percy's phone, and stuck it in his pocket. "Once we're done with this, I'll give it back. But think about how much you've probably annoyed him."

"It was a lot more annoying when he replaced all my clothes with pillowcases," Percy pouted, but they started walking towards the apartment anyway.

"You know, I've gotta say we did just fine without these stupid costumes," Dean turned to look at Sam, motioning to himself and Percy. "I feel like a high school drama dork." He smiled. "What was that play that you did? What was it — Our Town. Yeah, you were good, it was cute."

"Look, you wanna pull this off or not?" Sam pouted, looking down at their outfits.

"I'm just sayin', these outfits cost hard-earned money, okay?"

"Whose?"

"Ours. You think credit card fraud is easy?"

***

"Thanks for lettin' us look around," Sam said to the landlady as they entered a woman named Meridith's apartment. She had been killed the week before, and the boys thought it could have been a job for them.

"Well, the police said they were done with the place, so..." the landlady trailed off, and they walked inside, Percy closing the door behind them, noticing that the chain on the door was broken. When he walked into the living room, he saw spots of blood on the carpet. "You guys said you were with the alarm company?"

"That's right," Dean nodded.

"Well, no offense, but your alarm's about as useful as boobs on a man," the landlady said, and the boys shared a look.