The shark versus the geniuses
A gentle hand shook the other. "Dean?"
Dean had somehow managed to get on his stomach, sling, broken shoulder and all underneath him. He opened one eye, couldn't really focus, closed it and tried to go back to sleep.
Near's voice was softly insistent. "Dean must wake up. Watari has sent a meal for Dean to eat and Dean needs medications."
“Don't want to, Near. Sorry. Too sleepy. So tired.” Dean closed his eyes, drowsing off again.
What Dean didn't know was that Near was just as stubborn, if not more so, than the Winchester male. "Dean will wake up."
When Dean finally was awake enough to realize where he was, he knew he was in trouble. “Near, I'm on my stomach.”
Near pulled his cell phone out and a few moments later, Mello and Matt were in, teasing Dean lightly as they helped him up.
“Damn, that hurts! I don't recommend doing that, guys.” Dean scratched his head, yawning. “What time is it?”
"Five," Matt answered after they got him sitting up.
“The hell it is. Who let me sleep this long? I thought a couple of hours. Damn it, that's supper?”
"It's supper," he grinned. "Watari and L felt sleep would be best for you and you needed it."
“I guess I did. What did you bring. I'm really hungry.” Dean eased off the bed and walked to the table. “What have you guys been up to?”
"Outside of cases?" Mello asked. "Gaming with Matt and Near's been working on puzzles."
“Yeah, I worked three with Near yesterday. I enjoyed it. I've actually been messing with the gaming machine some. Still confuses me.”
"Matt is the one to teach you," the blond answered while the red head grinned. "And dinner is waiting for you."
Dean grinned. “I'd like that. I thought I was coordinated until I started struggling with it. What's for supper?”
Near's voice answered. "Watari sent up a turkey dinner," he responded softly.
“Really? I wonder what kind of stuffing he made. I bet I didn't get sweet potatoes or yams, but he might have put butternut squash in place of them.” Dean lifted the lid.
"Unsure." There was butternut squash, moist turkey, dressing, salad, and gravy for the turkey.
“Tell Watari, that I say thank you. Really. He'll know what I mean.”
"Not a problem," Matt answered. "Want company or need some quiet?
Dean did not want to be thinking right now, so he smiled. “Yeah, but if Sam shows, would you mind going? Some things happened today and I'm pretty sure he's gonna wanna talk after he figures out I'm awake.
"No problem," he grinned, all of them finding seats to keep Dean company.
Dean was having an enjoyable conversation with the boys, laughing. Even Near was smiling. He was through with dinner and drinking a cup of hot tea that was sent for after the meal. There was a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Watari popped his head in. "How are you boys doing?"
“We're doing fine, Watari. Near has a strange smile. “ Dean grinned when he said it. “I'm glad he can smile. What's going on?”
"Not a whole lot honestly, Sam sends his love to you and has gone to bed early. He has been in a session with L all afternoon and seems to be in better spirits. I came to bring dessert to you four."
“What kind of dessert?”
He smiled, passing out the dishes. "Since it was a rough day, you have another chance to be spoiled." Brownies with ice cream and fudge on that.
“Seriously?” Dean had a wide grin over this one.
The old man chuckled, handing out sodas as well. "Seriously."
“Thank you, so much. I really needed this. The boys too.”
"Mello is always up for chocolate." Said blond laughed at that, taking a bite into the dessert.
“Yeah, chocolate makes the second best dessert in the world,” Dean teased.
The spoon carrying the rich goodness paused on the way to his lips. "Blasphemer!"
Matt was laughing and not even trying to hide it.
“I've been accused of much worse in my day, boys. Apple Pie.”
"Blech..nasty stuff."
“Those are fighting words, boy. I love my apple pie, but I never say no to chocolate.”
Mello wrinkled his nose. "Disgusting. Chocolate is life, man."
“No man. A cheeseburger is life. So, enjoy that chocolate until a doctor tells you you can't have it any more.”
"A cheeseburger?" Matt was ready to fall over in hysterics.
“Yeah, man. I've lived on those for years. I'm on the road most of the time. A good one is to die for. I had one that was ¾ pound of Angus beef, lots of cheddar cheese, vine ripened tomatoes, grilled red onions, damn good pickle slices, green leaf lettuce, and the best spicy mustard. The fries were cut with the skins on and were thick. I paid fifteen bucks for that meal and it was worth every penny. Haven't found one like it since, but I'd like too. Can't though.”
"Hamburgers could be had if prepared right," the red head said, laughing. "Fifteen bucks for a burger? Damn, almost as bad Mello's chocolate bill."
“It wasn't a burger, Matt. It was a masterpiece. If you can't have all the fixings, it's not a cheeseburger. I don't mind grilled, broiled, whatever. It's seasoning the meat right, and all the fixings.”
Near shook his head, nibbling on his dessert. "Puzzles would be better to spend the money on." Matt laughed and agreed. "Yeah, games..lasts longer."
“I wish I could get Watari to make some like I'm talking about. With cheddar, the right seasonings. You'd understand.”
"You could ask him to see if that's on the menu," the red head grinned.
“I will.”
He set the empty bowl aside, leaning back. "So you're having issues figuring out the game or is it the machine?
Dean turned red,. “A lot of both. Look, guys. I've never held one of those machines before. I've never played video games....ever. Sam and I weren't exactly on great terms when you gave this to me.”
He moved to sit beside Dean. "When you finish eating, I'll teach you cause gaming is just a great way to have fun and relax."
Dean finished his desert, and went and got the machine from his bedside table where it lay next to the Doyle book
“Okay, almighty teacher, teach away.”
Mello and Near watched as Matt patiently explained how to work the machine and take care of it before going into the game itself.
Dean figured it was no different then taking care of his weapons. He did that often and the machine could be added to the list.
Once he was sure Dean knew how to work it, the game was loaded and Matt explained it, offering to bring up a gamer manual for it later.
Dean thanked him, realizing it was going to take him time and two hands to get it right. He definitely wanted to read the manual.
"Every game comes with a manual..some even have cheat codes released later." "What Matty never uses," Mello teased.
“Cheating in a game? There's no pride in that. I'm a killer at poker, darts, and ah...pool.”
The blond grin. "You owe me a game of pool later. Poker sounds good to me right about now."
“I have a feeling I'd get my ass whupped by you, Mello, because geniuses can count cards better then a shark can.”
Mello laughed. "We'll take it easy on you."
Dean laughed, “Why do I not believe that. There's some cards and chips in my duffel”
Mello and Matt cheered, one running for more drinks and stuff while Mello grabbed the cards and chips.
Dean sighed. He had a gut feeling he was being drawn into a fleecing game by over intelligent delinquents. He jerked when he realized he'd have no control over the cards. He couldn't shuffle or deal with his hands like they were. Damn, he thought. They were not going to convince him to play for cash.
Near looked up when Matt came in with an electric shuffler. "Near did not know there was one of those in the building." The redhead grinned. "Yeah, this way no one can claim the deck is being stacked."
Dean eyed the machine. “Should I worry that you even have one of those?”
"Card games are good for hand dexterity off of the computer. Even L indulges at times," he answered.
Watari stuck his head in to get the dessert tray when he saw the card shuffler and the poker chips. He looked at the boys and then at Dean, who was looking askance at the shuffler and the over enthusiastic teenagers. Grinning, he picked up the tray, and went in search of Bobby.
Mello snickered. “This should be fun."
Dean calmly looked at the trap being set for him, softly said, “Chips only, no cash.”
"Of course!"
At that moment, Dean's door reopened and in walked Watari, carrying a chair, and behind him, with another chair, was Bobby.
Dean's eyes lit up. “Bobby! I didn't know you were still here. I haven't seen you.”
"I've been having fun working with Matty-boy over there on the database."
“Okay, just figured I would've bumped into you by now. Glad you're having fun, though.”
"Yeah, he's a barrel of laughs when you get him away from his gaming things," he teased and the red head stuck his tongue out at him playfully.
Dean grinned, 'Well, I think I'm being set up for a fleecing. Let's get the guy who makes part of his living playing poker. By the way, Watari, you got a pool room here? If you do, how good is Mello?”
The older man smirked. "He's fairly decent at it."
Dean smirked back, but there was no twinkle in his eyes. “I think I'm better at it then he is. I make a good portion of our living off of pool.”
Watari stared at the hunter as he turned his head towards Mello putting cards into the shuffler. After what Watari had seen and heard that day, he was surprised the man went near a bar, much less a pool table. He had more strength then he would admit to.
"In time, you'll have to play Mello for fun.... when you're ready." He took a seat after setting out snacks and drinks.
“Knowing all the geometric tricks can be fun, but in the long run, it's still eye to angle, knowing just where to tip the ball, and with how much power.”
Mello looked at him. "When we play, you're not going for tricks and stuff, we're gonna do it for fun and I'll teach you how to really trash talk." Watari shook his head at that, smothering the laugh.
“You misunderstood me. I was commenting on geniuses I've played who use mathematical formulas to make a play. What I was saying is it's in the eye, the knowledge of the game, and the power you use. I'd love to do it for fun, and trash talk is not necessary to a friendly game. It's usually used in pool halls to try to intimidate the competition. Does it work?”
He grinned. "It's fun honestly. And I can use the formulas if I'm in the mood to decimate someone but just having fun is what I enjoy."
Dean was enjoying the verbal play with the youth, but he got serious. “I never get to play just for fun, so I'd like that. I was serious when I said it was a job. I can pick up between 1000-5000 dollars on a good night, if I play it right. I'm a hustler, Mello. Sam's not bad at it either. He's lousy at cards, but don't challenge him at darts. He can beat me on those.”
Matt laughed. "Mello's good with darts too. Near, not so much." Near shifted his position. "Near does it to practice hand and eye coordination."
Mello shook his head. "You need more fun in your life and will definitely get it with us around."
“Yeah, Sam and I never get to do that. Could we include him in some, you think? He's been changing a lot, and he's really a fun guy once you get to know him. He's not crazy like me but he's pretty smart. Oh, yeah. He plays video games.”
Matt's eyes gleamed in a way that had Mello snickering and Near shaking his head. "You know, if you get Matty playing with Sam, your brother is dead meat in the video game world."
Dean grinned, “Shame this isn't a betting establishment. I want to sit back and watch.”
The blond grinned deviously. "We could and will." He set the rest of the cards in to shuffle as Matt handed out the chips evenly.
“All right, let's play.” The game went on for hours, Watari realized he was watching a master as Dean kept it close but pulled out and was the winner by the end of the night. He smiled, yawned, and said he really wanted to read a little while and get some sleep. None of the boys had realized they'd been outwitted. He let them win enough to keep them happy and to encourage them to want to play again. He winked at Bobby and Watari and thanked them for teaching him a couple of tricks he'd not seen before.
Mello and Near had been pretty darn close though, so the blond was fairly pleased as the group bade him good night and headed towards their late night activities.
Dean hadn't thought he could enjoy himself playing cards for chips and halfway hustling a group of teens who had thought they were hustling him most of the evening. It had really been fun.
He propped up some pillows on the bed and picked up Doyle. He wondered about Bobby. He had to know what Watari and L were doing and was staying out of it, to give Sam and him room to deal. His only sense of panic was if Bobby had seen the video taken today. He didn't want to have to deal with Bobby over it too. Sam and he had not talked, but Sam stayed behind and spent the day with L and gone to bed way early. No point worrying about it now. Nothing he could do, but he repeated the mantra, and opened the book. He dozed off an hour later, sitting up, with the book in his lap, and the table lamp still on.
If Dean were to ask, Bobby did not know anything as Watari and L had only told him that the two were willingly seeking their help in regards to past issues as well as Sam's addiction, which the older man had been told of by Sam at one point the last few days.
At some point during the night, Dean ended up on his left side, the book under his head. He slept like that the part of the night, lamp on.
Watari slipped in after he'd fallen asleep to turn the light off and arrange him a bit comfortably.
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