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misskassiepierce · 2 years ago

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Two Truths || Sam, Crowley, and Kassie

Adventures on Kik/Skype/Discord with @ri-na-ifreann and @alwaysaweapon Blockquote: alwaysaweapon + italics: ri-na-ifreann ; plain: me

Sam finally learns the truth about her deal...

He hadn't heard from Kassie for longer than usual. Of course, he couldn't blame her. They had both said a lot, and things he had never meant to come to light had done so. Knowing that Gadreel had messed with his-- with Kassie and him bothered him deeply. It seemed to affect her as well, though differently. He hadn't been sure where they stood when they parted ways, and that was probably the part that bothered him the most.

Ry and Dean had been distant lately; he expected they had their own things to work through after everything that had happened. Still, he could have used the company. That was likely the biggest reason he'd gone to help Jody out for a few days. He'd left a note for his brother, packed up, and left. She of course played her mother card on him, and he eventually opened up to her. Her advice had him feeling better about things, if not great.

On the way back home, he'd stopped at a motel after driving for as long as he could. He was debating on whether or not to remain there for a couple days when there was a knock at his room door. Stupidly he didn't bother peering through the peephole, and found himself face-to-face with the King of Hell, looking smug as ever.

"What do you want?"

Ah, chaos. He lived it, he breathed it. It was his favorite passtime. Truly it was a glorious thing. With everything he had to deal with, it was nice to be able to drop some extra chaos on those he despised most.

"Hello to you, too, Moose." He eyed the hunter with amusement. "Honestly, reaching for your gun? You should know better." He was admitted entrance, without fight. Odd, but pleasing. The younger Winchester had his guard down, which suited him just fine.

"You wanna tell me why you're here?"

"Sam, after all we've been through together and you stillhave such hatred for me?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "The feeling is mutual, by the way."

"Great. So why are you here?"

"Mmm, impatient are we? Fine, no niceties, then. I think it time you know the truth."

Kassie had been out on her own, exploring through an abandoned village somewhere in South America with no agenda other than adventure. It was a pastime of hers, that usually resulted in trouble, but that never deterred her from wandering off again. In fact, it more than likely only stimulated the urge. But just as she had found an opening into a decrepit structure she felt, what was now familiar, wisp-like hiss in her ear. It was Crowley calling for her. She pursed her lips but put a pause to her curiosity, apparating to his throne room. However, when she landed, the place was empty-- all aside for a note he had left. Her curiosity returned, only now accompanied by slight confusion, as she approached the throne to lift the piece of paper from its seat. The message was for her to meet him at a hotel in Nebraska, but all it said was, "Meet me here," and a flash of the location came across her mind's eye, providing her with the visual aid to do just so. She only wondered for a moment what could be going on before she disappeared on the spot and landed in the picture conjured for her. At first glance of the area, she was unable to locate him here either, but then through her other senses, she felt him reach out to her again, giving her direction. She was brought to a door, marked with the number '9'. Though it now read as '6', as one of the screws had fallen out, hinting at just how well maintained this place really was. She lifted her hand to knock when she heard voices coming from inside. Crowley, she recognized, but the second was muffled just enough that she couldn't make it out. Instead of interrupting the conversation, Kassie lowered her hand and listened.

Confusion. There were things in play Crowley had no knowledge of, and some he was involved in. What truth did he mean? Sam scowled at the demon, shifting his stance a little to be ready for anything that might be thrown at him. "Truth about what?" He asked finally, not keeping the anger or confusion from his tone.

Oh, this would so lovely. "Well," he said after a pause. "It seems you and I share something dear. I was so shocked when I discovered that my new toy was the love interest of my favorite Moose." He enjoyed the look at confusion and panic that filled Sam's expression. "You seem lost. Here," he turned toward the door with a grin. "Why don't you join us, pet?"

Kassie thought the second voice sounded familiar, but just before it could click on the who exactly, Crowley answered a question the other had asked. Moose? They were talking about large, antlered mammals? No, that didn't make any sense. But what--? She felt Crowley pull at her once more, that prickle in her ear now more intense with only a door standing between them; it made her wince slightly. He then addressed her verbally, somehow knowing she could hear them, as he invited her to join. There was only a second of hesitation before she turned the knob and opened the door.

Immediately, her gaze fell upon Crowley as she stepped in, but then it drifted to where Sam stood. That explained the sense of familiarity, at least. Her expression had betrayed nothing, remaining blank as she looked from one man to the other. "You summoned?"

"Yes," he smiled at Kassie, then Sam, before focusing on the little witch again. "Yes, my Darling, I did. Sam here and I were just discussing things, and I was hoping you'd like to join the conversation." He smirked, though while he looked at Kassie, the smirk was for Sam.

Sam's confusion quickly changed to disbelief and-- fear as the door opened and Kassie walked in. He felt his chest tighten, his vision focus to a pinpoint. She met his gaze and suddenly it all made sense. Her sudden change in personality, her suddenly disappearing for days at a time and not answering his calls. Son of a bitch. "You bastard," he growled. "What did you do to her?"

Kassie had noted the shock on Sam's face when she first entered, reflecting some of her own feelings at seeing him here alone with Crowley. Although hers was not nearly as intense. He seemed somewhat in a panic, but by what, Kassie couldn't say. Crowley obviously wasn't here to hurt him, otherwise he would have done so already, so there wasn't much threat there. His gaze was directed at her, but he knew she would never hurt him.--Right? She pushed away the speculation and instead focused on Crowley, offering a tiny smile in return and then nodding slowly in understanding. "Concerning what?" she inquired, but before Crowley could answer Sam burst out a snarl in his direction, demanding to know what he had done to her. Her eyebrows pinched, confused by what he meant by that, but instead of questioning it, she let Crowley respond.

Crowley began to answer Kassie, but Sam lashed out with that Winchester anger before he had the chance. He smirked, tilting his head to one side as he weighed his response. "I did nothing more than what she asked of me," he said at last. "You know I never go outside of a deal, Sam. It's bad business."

Sam's hands clenched into fists. His nails left half-moon creases in his palms as he fought against the anger rising through him. Some was irrational, he was aware of that. But this was Kassie and she was answering to Crowley. He decided to shift his attention from the object of his hatred, to the woman he loved. "Kass you-- you made a deal with him?"

Kassie watched as Sam went through anger, his muscles rigid under its strain, fire burning in his eyes, but the moment his attention turned back to her, after hearing Crowley's response to what he had done, his anger morphed into something to a kin of betrayal, like she had hurt him somehow. She didn't understand that look, either. Her deal had nothing to do with him; affected him none. So why did she feel suddenly unsure? "Yes," she admitted, though not as strong as she would have liked. "Not that its any of your concern..." She looked at Crowley, searching him for answers. "You brought this to his attention. Why?"

Sam stood baffled by her response, unsure how to take it. His lips pressed together in a mixture of anger and, truthfully, betrayal.

"Why?" Crowley addressed the question aimed at him with mild amusement. "Oh, my darling. Ever the clueless one, hm? Though, I suppose with the deal-- never mind." He chuckled. "You ask why. Honestly, I had no clue who you were when we met. It was only a happy coincidence. But knowing the truth-- that I had ensnared the object of Sam Winchester's heart? Well, how could I pass up the opportunity to share such news?"

He wasn't stupid, or deaf. Despite his focus on Kassie, Sam heard Crowley's every word. He'd deal with that later. For now, he just needed answers from her. "Kassie," he said softly, doing his best to contain the slurry of emotions. "What did you make a deal for? What did he give you?"

Kassie furrowed her brows, vexed that Crowley not only involved Sam in this but also the underlying condescending attitude he gave her when she asked him why. Apparently he thought the answer was obvious. After hearing his explanation, in his words, however, she could see why he thought that. The whole superhero/villain cliché where the bad guy steals the good guy's girl to gain leverage. But she didn't see it that way. Because again, she didn't feel as if her deal affected him in any way. "Hate to burst your ecstatic bubble," she told Crowley, with only a hint of bite. "But you've been misinformed on the nature of our relationship. There is no great love lost between us. So-- I'd put a hold on breaking out any champagne." She crossed her arms, looking unimpressed that she had become a gloating prize-- and a premature one, at that. "Is this the only reason you summoned or may I go?" But before Crowley could respond, Sam was recapturing her attention with a few questions of his own. Her expression softened immediately but still remained blank as her gaze went over to him. "Relief," she confessed truthfully. "Separation from the constant grief; past, present, and future. Best decision I've ever made."

"I see," Crowley replied quietly, debating on reacting to her attitude toward him or not. He decided to let it slide, for now. Sam was the focus now, and that was what he needed to remember. "Sam?" He turned to the larger man. "Is she correct? No love lost between you two?"

"No," Sam said solidly, keeping his eyes on Kassie. "She's not."

"I thought not." The King purred, a smirk forming. "But I expect you were too stupid to verbalize such." The look on Sam's face and the silence confirmed it.

Sam shook from the pent up emotion raging through him. As Kassie replied to him, he snapped, losing hold on the dam he used to hold it back. "Right. I'd be proud of losing my soul, too. Ten years from now, you're going to really regret this, Kass. As the hellhounds tear you apart, you'll realize everything you're going to miss. All for a stupid deal."

Apparently needing a second needle to burst that persistent bubble of his, Crowley turned to Sam, asking him if what she said was factual. Sam corroborated by saying 'No,' there wasn't anything romantic between them, but then he went and flipped it, claiming that she was incorrect in her statement. Kassie's brows furrowed once it clicked on what exactly he was saying, turning her head to lock gazes with him for a moment. Why had he said that? Why was he telling Crowley what he clearly wanted to hear? Even if it was true, what kind of progression would come of it? She frowned. She didn't like this situation; it made her anxious. Crowley, on the other hand, was pleased, of course, to which you could hear emanating through his voice as he affronted Sam. It was curious, seeing his words affect him, like there was real truth behind them, but Kassie didn't want to think on that and asked to leave. Only she never got far, as Sam was now focused on the deal and what it entailed. He was physically shaking by the time she admitted what her grant had been, and then practically sneered his reply at her. "I am aware of the costs," Kassie shot back, a bit of her own form of anger leaking in. "I am not some naïve child." Though, she didn't seem to recall any say about hellhounds... "It was my choice. Mine. Just because you don't understand doesn't give you the right to judge me for it."

While he was enjoying this, it was not as entertaining as he had hoped. Sam was resisting his Winchester instinct, and it was more sad than anything. Poor lost puppy kind of sad. "Sorry to interrupt this moment," he claimed, though was clearly lying. "But I--"

Sam's anger should have been at Kassie; she was clearly delusional and the words she said had his skin crawling. He probably knew better than anyone why she'd do such a thing, as well as why it was such a horrible idea. But instead his anger was directed at the source; Crowley. He had manipulated her, convinced her to make the deal as he did with everyone. And then he had played her like a puppet. Finally letting go of the hold he had on that anger, Sam turned as Crowley spoke. He stared for a second before he acted, landing a punch in the direct center of the demon's face.

It was a quick secession of moments. Succeeding her reply was silence as Sam looked as if he was trying to hold back from yelling, clearly angered. Why was he so angry about this? What did he care what she had done? She didn't understand. Next came the voice of their third party to this conversation, with a sort of amusement ringing in his tone as he interrupted. It was what happened after that that had a surprised gasp escaping the small brunette, with panic immediately following. Sam had punched Crowley straight in his face, just like he had done to that drunk bastard who had treated her poorly. Only this bastard could do some serious damage back. "Sam, don't!" Kassie shouted, moving herself in front of Crowley, with her back to him as she faced Sam with a pleading look. "Please. This won't end well."

Crowley let out a muffled chuckle as he covered his mouth and nose with a hand. He popped his broken nose back into place, then wiped the blood away. "C'mon, Moose. There's no need for violence," he claimed, as the witch placed herself between them The concern wasn't for him, however, but for the hunter. Lovely.

Sam's fists clenched and un-clenched as Kassie put herself between them. "Kassie, move. This piece of shit has had this coming for years." The tension in his jaw was actually painful, but he could ignore it. His pain didn't matter after knowing what Crowley had done. All that mattered was destroying the son of a bitch (literally) once and for all.

Kassie heard a dark chuckle come from behind her and then Crowley mention a moose again... It dawned on her a moment later that he was referring to Sam— for some reason, like a pet name. Her confusion, however, was cut short as Sam was now barking at her to move out of his way; that the demon deserved what he was willing to dole out. But that wasn’t why Kassie stood in his way, not really. “That may be,” she allowed but didn’t back down. “But beating him to a pulp is redundant— and stupid.” She reached for her wand, standing up straighter. “And I won’t let you.”

He was ready to move her himself when he saw her hand move for her wand. Anger shifted to surprise momentarily, but quickly switched back to anger. "You're going to use magic on me for him? Wow. He really fucked you up, didn't he?" Sam shook his head. His attention moved back to Crowley with a deep scowl. "Why? Why her?"

He was amused at the little witch, but more pleased than anything. She had been learning. Clearly Sam was less impressed, however, throwing his words at her as his own form of weapon. He raised a brow at the hunter's question. "Well, it's not as though I knew who she was to you, Samuel. I'd have asked for much more if I had. She was just another deal. When I discovered her connection to you, though--" he licked his lips, the taste of blood strong. "That changed things. It's about time I have an upper hand with you, don't you think?"

"You already have Ry. Let Kassie be."

"Do I? I think we both know that particular situation has changed." He admitted with a frown. "Even still, a deal is a deal, Sammy. And I don't think the lady wants out, anyway. Do you, darling?"

Anger and violence was really the wrong way to handle this, on multiple levels, but with a bunch of hot heads, at least in this instance, it was kinda unavoidable. "You aren't giving me much of a choice, Sam!" Kassie retorted, her English accent thick with heightened emotion. She couldn't let him, not when she knew what Crowley would be able to do to him, could still do if he really wanted to. She just hoped that her stepping in would prevent him from hurting Sam.

Sam shifted his attention to the demon behind her, his anger only skyrocketing as he demanded an explanation on to why this was even happening. Crowley reiterated himself, claiming that he hadn't know who she was when they met-- which was true. Their meeting was purely happenstance. It was only later that Crowley had let slip mention of the Winchester Brothers and recognition sparked in his newest conquest, causing him to realise just how fortunate the struck deal was. A fact he apparently felt the need to rub Sam's nose in.

Ry was brought up, the Huntress that housed some of Crowley's power, with Sam making a poor argument that since she was his she should be spared. Missing the definition of 'upper hand' aside, the demon argued back that she wasn't his anymore; Kassie shifted her gaze to her left peripheral but stayed silent on the matter. It was only until the subject returned to her did her jaw unhinge. "I do not wish to return to the way I was, no," she replied, and her blank stare fell back on Sam. "I chose this, Sam. Me. For whatever reason you're upset, you're directing it at the wrong person. It was my decision."

"No," Sam replied forcefully, shaking his head before a hand jutted through his hair and clenched into a fist. This wasn't happening. Couldn't happen. Not again. Not with her. Finally, after several moments of trying to reign in his emotions, Sam met Kassie's gaze. He allowed his worry, sorrow, and concern to fill his features. "Why?" He asked again, but this time it was a question for her. He wanted to shout at her, to take her in his hands and shake her until she admitted she had been coerced. Truthfully, he knew no deal was ever truly the choice of the victim, but completely on the demon offering. They played to weakness, offering everything someone could want. And all it would cost was their soul-- ten years of whatever they wanted in exchanged for an eternity of torture. And now Kassie was-- he couldn't think about that. Not now. He needed answers. Needed to get her to back down, let him do what he wanted to Crowley. Not just for her deal, but so much more. Especially the look that was pinned on him at that very moment.

Sam chose to reply with outright denial as he apparently had a hard time accepting the truth, even now that it came from her lips. She still didn't understand his reaction, the anger and the intensity with which he displayed. He had shown this side of him before, but those times had been because of a threat, and he had protected her-- even from his own brother. But she wasn't in danger here, nor did she believe he cared as much for her now as he did then. Things had transpired and changed between them, leaving everything murkier than ever. But then, after a long moment of struggling with his rage, Sam's gaze locked with hers and new expressions emerged. Ones that had the small witch hesitating-- especially with his accompanied question. She blinked, her brows pulling slightly together. "'Why'? Why what? Why did I take the deal?" The reason was personal, but she told him anyway. "Because I couldn't keep living the way I was. It was like I was suffocating; drowning even though I walked on dry land. Depressed to the point where I considered just ending it all. Came close too...but every time I botched it. Couldn't even do that right. Pathetic. I was pathetic-- and practically worthless. A disappointment and a screwup..." She cocked her head to the side. "Does that answer your question?"

Crowley remained silent, enjoying the show. Poor, pathetic Moose crumbling under the realization that his love had given up everything. And the little witch-- she was deliciously oblivious to the hunter's feelings. Such a wonderful situation, better than he had hoped for.

Sam gaped at Kassie. How had she felt this way and never shown him even a hint of it? Sure, they hadn't been as close of late but this... "Why didn't you talk to me? I would've-- I could've helped. Anything would be better than this." He knew there was desperation in his tone, but he didn't care. Not right then. All he could picture was the day the hounds came for her. He couldn't let that happen, wouldn't.

Kassie gauged his reaction to her admittance, watching as shock flowed out and started to mix with the clear agitation he already wore. She supposed it would come as a surprise as she never really confessed to anyone about how utterly and irrevocably broken she felt, let alone him. But it wasn't as though lately he had been too keen on the idea of letting her anywhere close... Which is why his reply came as a bit of a joke; something Kassie called him out on. "You're joking, right?" she asked, sounding dubious. "Sam, I had an easier time opening up to a complete stranger. What does that tell you?" Especially considering that stranger happened to be Crowley, a bloody demon. She shook her head. "I don't understand why you're so upset by this... He helped me. Made me better. No longer do I lie awake at night, hating myself and just wishing that I would just blink out of existence. I can breathe again. Don't you see that?"

He had to remind himself his anger was at Crowley, not Kassie. But her responses were honestly infuriating. At the same time, he felt something break inside of him at her words. How had he missed all of this? He pressed his lips together, wincing. "He doesn't help people, Kass. He manipulates them into selling him their souls. He always has a hidden plan." His attention shifted back to the demon who was smiling smugly at him. "Let her out of it." He demanded.

"What? You heard the lady; she's happy she made the deal, Moose. Now, why would I put all that pain and misery back on her when she's clearly so satisfied with the deal we made. Hmm?"

Amongst the anger, she saw a flicker of pain cross Sam's features as she tried to make him see things from her perspective, which again gave her pause. She knew that it wasn't Crowley, his dark power making no insidious movements towards the hunter, so the pain had to have come from her somehow. From her response, but she didn't know in what way, and his retort back only really vaguely shined a light on things but nothing specific. She had only told him that it had been her choice to make, so if it was an act of injustice that had him so riled up then he needn't worry, but before she could reiterate that she understood the consequences, he shifted his attention to the demon behind her and barked out an order to let her out of her deal. That actually caused a negative reaction in the witch as a spark of fear of reverting back lit within her. She didn't want to reverse it, for all the reasons she had listed. But before that fear could spread, Crowley spoke up, using a tone that said he would do no such thing. She could hear the taunting easily enough, which caused her to keep a close eye on Sam, only now there was a frown upon her lips. She turned around to face Crowley before asking, "May I speak with him alone a few minutes?"

This wasn't how he had intended for things to go in this situation. But, the little witch was just full of surprises. He raised a brow as she turned to face him, hitting him with her request. While he very much did not wish to leave the room, he needed her to trust him. So, despite his reservations, the King gave a slight nod of consent before exiting through the door of the room. Of course, he'd be able to hear everything said, but that was his secret.

Sam watched as Crowley consented to Kassie's request, which really surprised him. Granted, he knew the demon likely wanted to make it seem as though he actually respected his newly acquired soul, so he'd do anything to make that seem reality. His attention shifted back to Kassie as the door closed behind Crowley, and he allowed a deep frown to encompass his features as he did so.

Kassie waited with bated breath for the King to answer her, unsure how he was going to respond. She hadn't really asked him for anything since their contract was signed and her soul bound to him, but simply went along with whatever he had asked her, but now that Sam was involved... Something inside her wouldn't let her just stand idly by and watch it all unfold according to Crowley's wishes. She had seen first hand what he was capable of, and she couldn't let Sam befall a similar fate. She wouldn't. Finally, Crowley gave a slight nod of his admittance to her request and exited the room. Only he went through the door instead of blinking out, which meant he intended to stay close and perhaps listen in. But Kassie just needed him out of the room and away from Sam, so he could focus solely on her and direct his reactions to the news on the one who was responsible and not on the one who could so easily end his life should he say or do the wrong thing...

Once they were alone and the door resounded shut, Kassie's gaze fell upon Sam about the same time his did with her. He was frowning, and briefly, Kassie thought back to the time he had become a dog as his eyes resembled that form before shaking that thought away. "Sam, you need to understand that this was my decision," she said, calm but firm. "I know what he is, what demons do...but it wasn't like that. I wasn't manipulated. I knew exactly what I was doing and the cost of it all. To me, even if you disagree, the cost is worth it. For all I know I would've ended up in Hell, anyway, for being what I am and what I've done. At least this way I can have a chance to breathe again and actually feel somewhat alive..."

The deepest sadness filled him to the brim, threatening to spill out in the form of tears. He wouldn't let her see that, though. Her confidence that she had made a good decision was so clear to him, that it hurt. It was a hurt that went deeper than most he'd felt, and he wasn't sure what to do with that. On top of that, he knew how contracts with Crowley went, how they were signed, and it turned his stomach as he pictured it. He had to look away from her, so he looked to the door that Crowley had just exited through. He couldn't do this, couldn't just-- just sit by and let her become a slave to the bastard. And then the ten years... why-- how could she consider this a good decision.

Composing himself, he forced himself to look at her again, doing his best to mask every emotion as he was so well versed in doing. "So you are really going to stand there and tell me that ten years being that-- being his puppet is better than a life free? That you'd rather be tied to Crowley? Really? How can you even think that is a viable option? Do you really think he's just going to let you live the next ten years the way you want to?"

Sam, apparently being so sickened by her decision, couldn't even stand to look at her and turned his back so that he faced the door. Something that would have honestly torn the woman up--had she not made the deal. Instead, she just stared at his back with the same confusion she's worn ever since she walked into the room. No, she hadn't expected him to express happiness for her, but she also hadn't expected him to look as though she had just stabbed him both in the back and the chest, either. Opening and closing her mouth a couple of times, trying to decide if she wanted to ask, but before she could get the question out, Sam turned back to her, face struggling to maintain a hardened look that could arguably be similarly compared to Dean's. Which made sense since-- The witch didn't get a chance to finish that thought as a string of enquiries were now being pelted at her, one right after another. Right. "I'm not a--" she started to argue before realising that the definition of a puppet wasn't what was important, so she took a deep breath and started over, choosing instead to insert a bit more calm into the conversation. "What is it you want me to say, Sam?--That I regret it?" She shrugged a shoulder, shaking her head a little. "I don't. I felt horrible, every single day, and now, that's just...gone. Crowley gave me a new life, that yes, has a shorter expiry date, but... I can't go back to the alternative. I won't live-- exist like that again. I'd rather be dead... At least, this way, I can still live, if only for a little while." She looked at Sam, trying to catch a glimpse of recognition instead of looks of betrayal. So much for not caring what he thinks. "Now do you understand?"

He stared back at her slack-jawed, not believing the words she was saying to him. "No," he said softly, shaking his head. "I don't understand. I don't understand how you could think that anything offered to you that would cost you-- no. You know what? I can't do this. Stand back and just be okay that I have to lose you to him. That you honestly thought that even I wasn't enough for you to live for."

Clearly, the level the comprehension was at an all-time low as she too was struggling to understand the situation from his perspective just as he was with her. She wasn't sure how else to explain it to him, but she could tell he wasn't getting it, even before he verbally confirmed as such. And then, as he went on, they swapped positions, and confusion crossed her face. "What? What are you even on about?" she asked incredulously. "'Live for?' 'Lose me?' Sam, the last time we were together you told me that this..was a mistake. That I was. And you know what? You were right. You were right to push me away." At this point, she knew that those words had come from an angel and not actually Sam, but she hadn't known that in the moment and they correlated with his insistence to keep her at a safe distance, so, it hadn't really mattered who had actually said it, it had come out of his mouth anyway. "I was never going to be good enough for you. I know that. So, if this is...guilt, or whatever, don't. Just don't. Let me be and I'll...do the same with you."

His lips pursed. Okay, yeah, he'd said that. It was a stupid attempt to keep her safe. No, who was he kidding? It was his attempt to keep himself safe from any more heartbreak. Everyone he ever loved, he lost. Usually by some violent, traumatic means. Of course, the current conversation just handed him exactly what he'd been trying to avoid, so that worked out well, huh? "I pushed you away because-- well, because obviously I'm an idiot. I was trying to prevent this type of scenario. Trying to keep you alive. I didn't think that would mean you'd literally sign your death contract." His tone was a bit angry, but he felt he had every right to be. Question was, was he angry at her, himself, or both? "I-- I care about you, Kass. Forget what I said before, I do and always have wanted you in my life. It's just--" Nope, too much to say in a space of time he knew didn't warrant it. "I won't let you be. I won't, because that's not what I want and I know for damn sure it isn't what you want, either."

In all honesty, Sam pushing her away had been the final nail in her impending coffin, but she had been broken long before him, so when Crowley came along...it hadn't exactly been his fault. Her opinion of herself was about as low as one could get, believing she was nothing more than a waste of space, despite others telling her differently; she just couldn't believe them. And because of her nonexistent self-esteem, she had assumed that Sam would grow tired of her as obviously she had a long list of deep-rooted issues that would drive any sane person away. So when he started to wall himself off from her...that's what she told herself was happening, and naturally, she jumped at the offered chance to avoid dealing with any more heartbreak. She had been in enough pain as it was, she couldn't handle more. Weak and pathetic, just as she mentioned, and not someone she wanted to be again. That woman would already be in tears on the floor; a stark difference from the one who now stood her ground, taking the verbal lashing head-on. Though she did have to admit it was getting to her slightly; she had to swallow against the slight lump in her throat. "You literally just said you couldn't do this," she reminded him, hating that her voice shook a little. "No one's making you. Least of all me."

His jaw set with frustration as she misinterpreted his words. Emotions running high, confusing what each other was saying was inevitable he knew. Did that mean he was going to give up right then? Of course not. If anything could be said about Sam Winchester, it was that he fought for those he cared about no matter the situation or cost. So he took a slow, deep breath and let it out, meeting her gaze with determination. "When I said I can't do this, I meant that I can't just stand by and allow this to be. I can't just watch you be his--" Another slow, deep breath. "I know you believe you made the right choice. I know I was probably the reason for it, because that's just the way shit happens in my life. But I don't believe it was, and I am not going to let you stay trapped in this deal when you shouldn't be in it to begin with." He'd gotten Crowley to reverse a deal before, right? He could do it again. He just needed something-- anything-- that Crowley would want more than Kassie. Tall order, but he'd served plenty of those over time. The trouble was that the stakes felt higher with this one. Because he-- she was-- it was different.

Leave it to her to focus on one part of what he said instead of the whole, but it was that part that fit the narrative she told herself and therefore made the most sense. Anything else just...didn't. But why shouldn't they just go their separate ways? They had both made their choice--or, at least, she had thought they had. Sam apparently thought now was a good time to rescind his and claim that he had never not wanted her in his life. Despite all his actions to the contrary. Miscommunication at its finest, really, which is exactly what plagued the pair here as well. Even after Sam had clarified, Kassie still wasn't grasping it as she felt the need to repeat herself. But he was continuing before she was able. Only then did things click. "'Let me?'" She scoffed softly. "You're not going to 'let me?' Really? What I do with my life and my soul is my choice and my choice alone. You don't get to decide my fate. I'm sorry that you feel guilty or whatever, but I am telling you that it wasn't your fault. So let it go."

He stared blankly at her as she dismissed him and his words as if they were of no importance. She had, once again, taken part of what he had said and turned it around to suit herself, rather than actually listening to what he was saying. It was clear that emotions were far too high for either of them to communicate thoroughly right then. He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know what? Fine." His hand dropped and he looked at her. "When you're ready to talk, and actually hear me out, you know where I'll be. Because you clearly don't want anything to do with me right now." He had started moving toward the door, but stopped to look back at her with a deep frown. "I'm sorry, Kass. Whether you believe it or not, this whole thing is my fault. And I'll fix it, with or without your help." He didn't wait for her to respond, instead pulling the door open and stepping out, deciding he'd just check out and get back on the road rather than stay there any longer.

As the door closed behind him, his gaze met Crowley's, who was standing with his back against a support beam to the balconies of the rooms above. To his credit, the demon wasn't allowing anything to show in his expression, which was probably the only thing that saved him from getting punched in the jaw. "I don't know what you think you're going to gain from this, but I can promise you it isn't going to stick." His voice came out as more of a growl than he had meant for it to, but it helped get his point across.

He had, of course, heard the entire conversation behind the closed door. He wasn't about to reveal that to the livid hunter staring him down at the moment, but having the knowledge was useful. He kept his expression blank, even after Sam's veiled threat, knowing better than to antagonize a Winchester. "I look forward to seeing what you come up with," was all he said in response as the man stormed past him, clipping him with a shoulder. Smarter of the two that he was, Sam's emotions certainly clouded his intelligence more often than not. Which was what he had hedged his bet on. He turned to watch Sam as he moved to his vehicle. "I'll be seeing you sooner than you think, Moose."

He was glad he hadn't taken his bag out of the car, yet, giving him the freedom to leave without having to go back into the room and face Kassie again. Crowley's parting words struck him, causing his jaw to set against the string of insults he wanted to set loose on him. Instead, he pulled open the driver's side door and climbed behind the wheel, slamming the door closed once he was in. The car started easily and he drove across the parking lot to the office to check out. A quick process, that soon allowed for him to be tearing out of the parking lot, tires squealing as they hit the pavement, and speeding in the direction of home.

Any relief she might have felt from him finally giving this up and therefore, reprieving her from that awful kicked puppy expression he was trying and failing to hide while staring at her was cut short by what he said next. Still, she stood firmly in place and swallowed--albeit heavily as this conversation--him in particular--was provoking feelings that should not be present anymore. It actually caused her heart rate to rise slightly as it scared her into thinking that her deal was somehow wearing off and that was absolutely the last thing she wanted at the moment. Tied with, apparently, Sam bloody apologising, claiming that this whole thing was his fault (despite her clearly saying that it wasn't), and promising that he would fix it. "Sam, don't," she replied somewhat sharply, her voice rising, but he wasn't sticking around to argue anymore and promptly walked out the door of the motel without another word. The witch lowered her head and placed it into her hands like it suddenly hurt, but really, she was holding back a frustrated scream as so many emotions hit her all at once. And unfortunately for the room, that forced the suppressed intense feeling to escape another way. Light-bulbs shattered, mirrors cracked, and fuses exploded; only for Kassie to finally give in to that exasperated yell anyway.

He watched until the car driven by a moose was out of sight before deciding to see what all the noise coming from the room was. He opened the door, gaze taking in the destruction before falling upon the witch. He clicked his tongue, then moved a few steps into the room. "I take it the conversation did not go to your liking, then?" Of course, he knew exactly how the conversation had gone, and it pleased him more than he was going to let on.

It was only a moment after she let out her irritation did Crowley walk through the door and the expression she gave him after looking up was not one of welcome. Still, her response was relatively mild, she just wasn't exactly pleased at the moment. "Don't pretend you didn't hear every word," she replied, fighting to keep the bite out of her voice and therefore the accusation. She honestly didn't care that he eavesdropped, but she wasn't in the mood to play games. "I hope you're at least happy. I assume this is the outcome you were searching for."

His brows lifted as he feigned surprise at her accusation. "Why would you ever assume that this would be what I was striving for?" His tone showed no signs of mocking, or even offense. It was just a simple question, but one he didn't allow her time to answer. "To have you, here, distracted by the tumultuous interaction you just had? While Pretty Boy drives home to cry to his brother? Yes, exactly what I want." The last was dripping with sarcasm, as a final attempt to drive home the point that he hadn't wished for this to be the outcome at all. Of course, he couldn't say he was as bitter about it all as he seemed; it did offer up an opportunity he hadn't foreseen prior to this moment.

Stupidly, the girl believed the demon at face value, buying into the narrative he laid out for her, and ended up apologising to him. But she had spent too much time with him, building trust, to suspect that he was lying. "I'm sorry. I just--" She looked at him, displaying some of that previous emotion that shouldn't be accessible anymore. "Why did you have to tell him? Really? He could have gone on not knowing. And we all would have been better for it. Now, he's... Now, he thinks this is his fault and he has to save me. I never wanted that. It's actually one of the last things I wanted. So, why? Was it really just to gloat?"

A single brow quirked upward, mere centimeters, as he watched and listened to her. He had to consciously stop himself from narrowing his eyes as the thoughts in his head triggered further thoughts and questions that went beyond their conversation. "It's just something about those Winchesters," he made a face and shrugged. "Can't help but share with them. Must be those eyes, hmm?" A slight smirk twitched the corners of his mouth upward a moment before he recovered. "Truthfully, though, I must admit that I struggle keeping much from Sam or Dean, as they have been such significant help to me in the past. Even if it means making things more difficult for another." Please. If she believed that, the poor sod would believe anything at this point.

Crowley had been believable...right up until that point where he clearly took it too far. "Oh, come off it, Mate," she tossed back, the edge now entering her voice as she crossed her arms, looking non-too-happy with the demon. "Now you're just mocking me.--Thanks." As if she didn't already feel shitty enough as it was. He really didn't need to add to it. "Fucking hell..." She placed a hand on her creased forehead, rubbing it with her fingers before looking back at Crowley. "Are we quite finished? May I go now? Or did you want another stab at my expense?"

He tilted his head watching the slight woman. Why was it always the tiny ones that housed such immense power? He wasn't even sure that this one was aware of just how powerful she was, which suited him just fine. "Aww, Pet, don't be sour with me. I apologize, that was uncouth." He let that sit for a moment, then continued. "Yes, we'll be done for today."

Unless your name was Sam or Dean Winchester, giving this demon sass was a risk you had better make carefully or things just might turn disastrous. However, right now, Kassie wasn't thinking about that as it was obvious she was far too upset to act cautiously and mouthed off, letting him know that she was not appreciative of the shit he was currently giving her. Thankfully, but more so surprisingly, Crowley actually apologised to her. Not for telling Sam, of course, but for poking fun. Which was something that might have stunned her more had it been under different circumstances, but she could, at least, acknowledge the sentiment. "Thank you," she said a little stiffly but the anger was easing off. She stepped to leave the room. "Let's go get drinks. You're buying."

He was amused at her change in attitude. Normally, having anyone tell him what to do would have him immediately reminding them who they were speaking to. However, he needed to ensure she remained loyal to him and continued working on the things he asked of her rather than outright rebellion. Not that she was indentured to him beyond the basics of their deal, but she seemed unaware of that fact thus far, and he intended to keep it that way. "Right," he scoffed, still, rolling his eyes. "Just don't drain my accounts, eh?"

It was her turn to scoff. Not only did he owe her, but also-- "Hey, I'm not the one who opts for top-shelf whiskey, Mate," she pointed out, tossing him a knowing look over her shoulder. "Or hundreds-of-years-old wine. I mean, you do you if that's what you like, but as a personal preference, I like not to be punched in the face by my drinks." She was sure to hear all about how underdeveloped her pallet was but honestly, after the conversation she just had, she welcomed whatever long-winded and petty retort that was about to come out of Crowley's mouth.

Amusement played along the edges of his features from the way she worded things. A single nod was all she got in response, however, as he was doing his best to keep her on good terms, for the time being. Angering her wasn't on the agenda, and so neither was saying anything that she could twist to suit her need for someone to pick a fight with. All those pent up emotions-- ones she shouldn't be able to have per their deal-- were likely just waiting for a single moment to take over. He wouldn't be the one to provide that.

He rolled his eyes after a moment, shaking his head for emphasis. "Right. Well, let's get at it then, shall we? I know just the place."

The demon disappointed her by not answering in kind to her sassy remark, leaving her to become slightly huffy and irritated because she wanted the distraction; to focus on something trivial, but, of course, all she got was a couple of nonverbal gestures that could be barely construed as responses. "Brilliant," she said, again sounding a bit short, but she was ready to knock back a few in hopes of forgetting what had just transpired.

#alwaysaweapon #ri na ifreann #adventures elsewhere

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