The announcement had been pinned to the bulletin board for weeks: FIELD TRIP, MANDATORY ATTENDANCE. You'd tried ignoring it, when that didn't work you then tried forgetting about it. As a last resort, you then tried hoping a meteor would hit Lawrence before Friday. Unfortunately, none of those options worked out in your favor. So now you were standing in the school parking lot at six in the morning, surrounded by loud teenagers and diesel fumes.

Hell. Actual Hell.

The buses were already filling up by the time you finally dragged yourself across the pavement, backpack hanging low on your frame. Maybe if you got lucky, you'd find an empty seat near the back. Maybe if you got really lucky, you'd spontaneously combust before stepping a foot in the vehicle.

The moment you got on the bus, you immediately regretted it– every seat was occupied, every single one. Except– Your eyes landed on a familiar head of shaggy brown hair, Sammy. Who was sitting alone with an empty seat beside him. Huh, weird.You started making your way down the aisle, noticing several people throwing strange looks in his direction. (That wasn’t unusual, to be honest) One of the football players muttered under his breath as you passed. "Dude's been saving that seat all morning" Your mouth twitched. Of course he had.

The moment Sam spotted you, his broad shoulders visibly relaxed. "Hey"

"Hi" He moved his backpack from the empty seat, making space for you to sit down. Neither of you acknowledged the fact that he had apparently spent twenty minutes defending your spot beside him like an overgrown medieval knight. Outside, the bus began pulling away from the school. Inside, Sam handed you a granola bar. You stared at it. "What's this?"

He shrugs, fully sure of himself. "You skipped breakfast"

"You don't know that"

"You skip breakfast every Friday" Honestly, you can’t even deny it. "You also forget lunch on Wednesdays" At this point you’re just staring at him with wide, curious eyes. "Bet you forgot your water bottle too"

Slowly, you accepted the granola bar. "You scare me sometimes"

He just grinned– boyish and proud, dimples melting into his cheeks.

The bus ride over to the woods wasn’t too bad. Most students were busy with their own conversations, loud chatter filling the truck, teachers trying to ignore all of the ruckus while drinking their morning coffees. Sam and you were stuck in your own little bubble, sharing headphones in comfortable silence.

The nature reserve wasn't terrible. Well, correction: it wasn't terrible as long as Sam was nearby. (Which he always was, standing tall beside you like your own personal bodyguard) Teachers herded students across trails and information centers while guides talked about local wildlife. You weren't really listening– mostly because the guide had just spent ten minutes talking about deer. The irony wasn't lost on you. Beside you, Sam looked equally unimpressed. "Think they know?" You hum, bumping your shoulder against his side.

His eyebrows furrowed in that curious-puppy look of his, looking down at you. "Know what?"

"That they've accidentally dedicated this whole trip to us"

A laugh escaped him– warm and soft. The kind that always felt like an accomplishment. "Pretty sure there's no moose in Kansas"

You chuckle softly, waving him off. "Details"

"Details" He echoed with a small nod. The guide kept talking– something about migration patterns, habitats, animal behavior. For a couple seconds, you weren't paying attention. Then a sentence caught your interest: animals tend to seek familiar environments during periods of stress. Your smile faded slightly, morphing into something more thoughtful. …Huh.

The problem with field trips was that eventually people spread out. One moment Sam was beside you– the next, he was being pulled away by a teacher asking for help unloading supplies. You waved him off, despite how much you wanted/needed his company, you also knew helping people was literally hardwired into his DNA. He hesitated but then went, trailing behind the teacher. You were perfectly capable of existing alone for ten minutes. (Probably) Unfortunately, ten minutes became twenty– then thirty, and you’d started trailing off towards the trees, called in by the pretty color of the leaves. After a while, the trails all started looking the same. The noise of other students disappeared. Trees stretched in every direction. Great, fantastic. You weren't lost, not exactly at least. You just didn't know where you were. There probably was a difference, even if the knot in your stomach disagreed. You tried your very best to focus on the warm breeze on your face, the crunch of leaves beneath your feet, the sound of birds in the distance… Anything but the tightness in your chest, the beating of your heart, how little breath was getting into your lungs. You kept walking, and walking, and walking. Until—

"There you are" Relief hit so fast it almost made you dizzy. Sam emerged from around one of the bends in the trail– slightly out of breath, hair a mess, looking concerned. His expression softened immediately when he saw you. "There you are" He repeated, chest rising with a deep breath of relief.

Like he'd been looking– for a while.

You folded your arms, falling into your defensiveness despite just having been mere seconds away from a full on mental breakdown. "...Took you long enough"

Something in his face relaxed further down, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah?"

"Yeah"

The silence that followed felt easy, comfortable. The kind that only existed between the two of you. Eventually Sam outstretched his hand to you: "C'mon"

"Where?"

"Back to the group"

You sighed heavily, though you still took his hand. "Do I have to?"

"No" A pause, then: "But I'd like it if you came back" And really, how were you supposed to argue with that unbelievably soft honesty?

Meanwhile, back at the main area– Dean Winchester was having a terrible day. Not because he was chaperoning, not because he was surrounded by teenagers, not because someone had somehow gotten gum stuck in his carefully spiked up hair. No. Dean was having a terrible day because his little brother was apparently an idiot. By chaperoning, he’d just gotten a front row seat to the Sam Winchester hopelessly in love show. He spent all day watching his baby brother trailing behind you like a huge shadow, carrying your bag and giving you water every couple minutes. Jesus Christ he was spineless, he made a mental note to give him a lesson in making a move when they got back home– the lack of game his brother had when sharing DNA with him astounded him.

The ride home was quiet. Everyone was exhausted from walking all day. The sun hung low outside the windows– golden, warm, comfortable light seeping in through the windows. You hadn't meant to fall asleep. Really, you were just resting your eyes. Just for a second, just… Sam noticed immediately how your head was dipping forward, then sideways, then finally dropping against his shoulder.

He froze completely, every muscle in his body locking up. Across the aisle, Dean looked over and saw the scene– immediately he started grinning. He glared at his older brother, but the guy just widened his teasing grin.

You drifted deeper into sleep, breathing slow and even. Trusting him even when unconscious– that made something warm and satisfied fluttering inside his broad chest. Without a doubt Sammy adjusted himself slightly, slow so you wouldn't wake up– his arm carefully wrapping around your shoulders to let you lean into his frame, your face instinctively nuzzling into his warmth.