#but you have to know how much it delighted me to see Sam and Rowena fake married with a puppy

[amaranthhiding]

Rowena and Being Needed

For a supposedly uncaring, cold-hearted person, she sure thrives on being needed or appreciated even in her early seasons. The lengths this woman will go just to see Sam Winchester smile at her in gratitude.

It 10x19 “The Werther Project”, she begins by making absolutely sure that Sam knows he needs her.

And while Sam does seem impressed, it still doesn’t quite do the trick and he’s about to leave, so she has to kick it up a notch.

She stresses again that she’s the only one he can turn to for help in this situation (while coincidentally using the chance to reinforce her point by covering his hand with hers... absolutely nothing to see here, very normal enemy behavior. She’s not at all fascinated by a hunter who would turn to a witch for help rather than hunt her.)

Even within the same episode, there’s a repeat of this...this mating dance she’s  performing here for the man she’s so clearly attracted to from the start:

Little did she know that she got under his skin the same way he got under hers, and that she did, in fact, already manage to lure the first smile out of him.

She actually seems affronted when he rejects her help, and with that rejects her  statement that he needs her.

Even less did she know that at this point, she didn’t only have Sam smiling at her. She had him hallucinating her touching his arm in a mirror to the real touch from before, in the strangest mixture of sexually charged blood sacrifice and linguistic validation (Sam, what is your mind!)

But that hallucination is a whole separate topic I already discussed here. It’s just hilarious to think how delighted the real Rowena would be if she ever found out about the contents of the hallucination.

In 10x21 “Dark Dynasty”, after Sam has taken her as his prisoner, she constantly tries to assert her position against Charlie, making sure Sam still has a need for her, too.

(And yes, she does manage to make him smile again in the process.)

Sam “The Turf” Winchester then proceeds to reassure her that she is still needed, and only then does she calm down and stop bristling at Charlie for the time being (admittedly, not for very long, but at least for this scene).

Just the fact that he recognizes what she’s doing and knows exactly what she needs to hear is... quite something. Especially considering that she’s supposedly his enemy and he shouldn’t give a damn over what she needs or doesn’t need to hear. The little smile Sam draws out of her when he openly tells her “We need you” in 11x22 “We Happy Few” is kind of killing me.

She likes this feeling.

She likes it so much even that in 12x11 “Regarding Dean”, she voluntarily shows up to help them without even having been asked to come in person, and without asking for anything specific in recompense.

Yes, she wants the Black Grimoire, but the episode clearly shows us on her face and in her actions multiple times that that isn’t all she cares about here, even though Sam is still oblivious to this fact. She saves Dean from the amnesia curse, and she almost dies this episode trying to save Sam, rushing to his rescue as soon as she hears his pained screams over the phone.

The show, for reasons I cannot understand, chooses not to give us the expression on her face in that moment. It also does not to show Rowena driving Baby with amnesiac Dean on the passenger seat, even though that’s exactly what must have happened. And I reallyreallyreally needed to see both of this!

At the end of the episode, when Sam takes the Black Grimoire away from Rowena, the thought of using a stun spell or something similar on him to flee with the book doesn’t even seem to cross her mind at all.

I think what she really wants is for Sam to give her a repeat of this feeling, to show her again and again that he needs and appreciates her. She wants him to consciously leave the book in her possession as a token of trust, that’s why she doesn’t fight him over it and grudgingly gives it to him when he demands it.

But she does, without exception, manage to put some variation of a smile on Sam’s face basically every single time she does one of her little stunts.

In 13x12 “Various & Sundry Villains”, Rowena has just returned from her most violent death at Lucifer’s hand and a very slow, painful resurrection that lasted months until her body was restored.

But she doesn’t even consider just walking up straight to the bunker and telling them she’s back alive (and so traumatized by her death that she’s canonically too scared to even sleep at night.)

No.

She has to concoct an intricate plan because she thinks she has to be useful to be welcomed back. (Sounds a lot like a certain angel, if you ask me.) That she has to be needed to receive any of the warmth of that feeling Sam gives her, which she’s craving now more than ever before, after that horrible death.

Not that she’d ever admit to herself that that’s why she’s doing this. She can logically reason all of it away by needing the spell from the Black Grimoire to unlock her powers, though again, the episode gave her many chances to just grab the book and run, which she never attempted even just once.

Neither did she even try to stick to her original deal with the witches, which was supposed to end with the book in her possession. Instead, she went back to the bunker with the Winchesters after saving Sam from Dean, and apparently let enough time pass there for all three of them to wear different outfits when they confront the witch girls.

At the same time, she's desperately trying to cling to her old belief that love is weakness, which she had to tell herself after getting her heart broken so thoroughly over 300 years ago that it almost destroyed her.

(image from 11x10 “The Devil in the Details”)

She loved that man who impregnated her and left her to give birth to their baby all alone on a straw mat in a barn where she almost died from internal bleeding, without anyone around to even know or care if she did.

And that was when Rowena was still her genuine, far more innocent young self.

If her lover didn’t care about her then, how could anyone possibly care whether the flawed, petty, evil creature she has become lives or dies?

(And that is what she’s still thinking of herself at this point, as is shown 7 episodes later this season when she calls herself that.)

So before letting Sam know she’s alive again, she makes absolutely sure that his reaction to her return from the dead will be a positive one because she thinks she has to. (And she couldn’t bear it if he didn’t care.)

She has to make sure she’s needed.

And she does this by... hiring two witches to curse Dean, creating a mirror to the situation where Sam last called for her help.

Just that the curse this time isn’t something lethal at all, merely a harmless and easy-to-stop love spell that she probably imagined Sam having actual fun watching as it plays out. The fact that a love spell is the first thing that came to her mind when creating this plan is also giving me Thoughts (tm).

I doubt she ever expected that Dean would end up trying to strangle Sam or that Sam’s life would be in actual danger. As soon as it is, she heroically swoops in to save him, though, so that makes her plan work even better than intended.

And then in the bunker, she even says out loud that they need her tracking spell to get the book back.

That they need her.

And she does get everything she wanted out of this. Both Sam’s smile and obvious welcome of her return to life, and even finally his trust. She never tries to flee with the Grimoire throughout the entire episode. No, she wants Sam to give her the spell voluntarily, and she has been working towards that goal from the start of the episode.

And she achieves it.

My god, the twists and turns this woman’s brain does just to strengthen her bond with Sam—and all of that without realizing that’s why she’s doing it. Gaaaah! I’m losing my mind here just thinking about this.

After being told by Sam this episode that Crowley has died, she had some epiphanies because her next appearance in 13x19 “Funeralia” shows her mad with grief over the loss of her only child that she herself wanted dead 3 seasons ago.

So she’s suddenly feeling things she hasn’t allowed herself to feel ever since the night of that betrayal by Crowley’s father. We’re actually watching the progression as her heart unthaws over the seasons.

But it isn’t before this episode that she is ready and willing to admit to herself how overwhelmed she is by all these contradictory feelings she has no experience whatsoever with, other than locking them out (love, loss, grief, guilt, fear, loneliness.)

And what she does in this situation is ask Sam for advice for the second time because he has shown her repeatedly that he gets her despite everything, despite being the deadliest witch around (which he calls her with fondness of all things!)

After that, she’s honestly just gone on him, in a way that’s even more unhinged than before. She already stopped asking for recompense for helping them in season 12, but from here on out it seems there’s barely anything she wouldn’t do.

They ask her for help to save their family, and even though Sam warns her that Lucifer—her biggest fear and the reason she is too scared to sleep at night—is back and likely to get involved, she agrees to help them after Sam said they need her.

In 13x21 “Beat the Devil”, she is left all alone in the bunker after having been forced to push Lucifer through the rift in self-defense when he was trying to kill her (again).

She looks exhausted and very done with the world after just having had to relive her biggest nightmare.

But it’s only when her gaze falls onto the spell bowl keeping the rift open that no longer has a source of grace now that Lucifer is gone that her look changes into one of sheer panic.

Still very rattled by having had to confront her Lucifer trauma and just very narrowly having made it out of the situation alive, she’s overwhelmed again.

It’s hard to sort out her priorities after centuries of solitude by choice, of telling herself like a mantra that there’s nothing in the entire world that she loves.

(It’s actually heartbreaking that not only did she say she didn’t love any person in 10x23 “Brother’s Keeper”, she said she didn’t love anything. Her entire life had been empty here!)

There’s nobody around to turn to for moral orientation. It’s just her all on her own in the quiet of the bunker, surrounded by the treasures of the Men of Letters, ancient enemies of all witches.

All she has to help her with the decision this time are her centuries of experience of how she has dealt with things so far. So she tries to do what she logically knows her old self would have done, which is grab the book and run without a care in the world.

(Very interesting that she only mentions Sam and Dean here, when they were accompanied by both Cas and Gabriel—whom Rowena had been making out with as soon as it was clear that Lucifer would be involved in their plan.)

She doesn’t have to be told she’s needed here. She knows it.

Her experience might not be the only thing at her disposal after all to help her with the decision.

There’s also a nagging, burning feeling that she refuses to acknowledge the name of.

But she doesn’t need a name for it to act on it.

And suddenly, it’s not hard at all any longer to sort out her priorities. All the treasures around her stop mattering. Her own near-death and trauma stop mattering.

She pours everything she has into the one thing that does matter now, to the point of almost passing out from exhaustion.

And just as an aside, on the other side of the rift, that sentiment is mirrored by Sam one-to-one. Sam dies in Apocalypse World, gets resurrected by his own biggest trauma in the form of Lucifer (which is even worse for him than getting killed by Lucifer would have been).

Sam has no idea if Dean, Cas, and Gabriel managed to escape that tunnel where he died. But the first person Sam asks Lucifer about is Rowena.

Yep, really. I’m not making this up.

I cannot even stress how meaningful this is.

Rowena watches in near-desperation as about 30 people step out of the rift one after the other. She can feel her powers waning, she knows she has already pushed her limits beyond what should have been possible during all these hours she’s done nothing but keep the rift open.

”Disposition affects execution,” is what she said to be one of the cardinal rules of magic, and she has done all of this in a state of complete shock over her own near-death.

And I’m so mad at the show for depriving us of the moment when finally, at a point where Rowena couldn’t have managed to keep the rift open for another 5 seconds, Sam is the very last one to pass through.

And we were not shown the expression on either of their faces in that moment, even though we spent precious episode time on Rowena’s detailed reaction to a lot of the other characters stepping through.

I mean, come on.

After all this build-up?!

Why?

I’m almost willing to forgive it, though, because while we didn’t get their instant reactions to seeing each other again, we join them in the middle of an ongoing conversation a little later (who knows how long they have been talking with each other already):

Tell me they weren’t in love here. Tell me, because this scene makes me silently scream inside of myself at the top of my lungs.

It seems almost small in comparison that in 14x07 “Unhuman Nature”, she drops everything and rushes to Sam’s aid when he calls her.

I’m having even more Thoughts (tm) now that this time Sam is the one who creates an artificial mirror of the situation where Dean was cursed and where Rowena voluntarily chose to help them without recompense for the first time.

Sam pretends that instead of Jack, Dean is the one suffering under some kind of magic-induced ailment to get Rowena to come to the bunker.

And not only does she heed the call, she brings the Book of the Damned. Voluntarily.

The meaningfulness of this gesture easily gets lost in everything that’s happening. In that weird way they’ve always done things between them, the books are both a flirtatious game, but also a symbol for their growing trust in each other.

And she voluntarily carries the last book she stole from the bunker straight back into it, outright telling Sam she brought it and obviously having no intention of stealing it again. I cannot. I really cannot with these two.

Now watch a 300+-year-old witch and a badass hunter who have both been through Hell act like teenagers around each other while Jack of all people is the only adult in the room.

They continue playing their game of “I always come when you call” in 14x14 “Ouroboros”.

And in 15x02 “Raising Hell”:

If his face looks far less happy about her arrival here than it did the other times, it’s because Sam had actually been in the middle of a fight with Cas that saw Sam almost-yelling. In comparison to just a second before, his expression actually has softened considerably.

When I said earlier that Rowena had gone unhinged in the things she would do for Sam, I seriously meant unhinged.

Because this is the first time in centuries that someone has needed her. Or appreciated her. Or wanted her around. Or cared.

I’m... fine.

[dothwrites]

'our father who aren't in heaven' is sure a buckleming episode! fifty thousand characters, at least ten subplots, and somehow, entertaining in spite of it.

i AM furious at dean "not knowing" the achilles heel reference. this is a man who canonically reads homer and who is interested in movies like clash of titans. this is a cheap "hurr hurr dean is stupid" joke made at his expense and i will NOT stand for this 'dean is stupid' slander

the scene where everyone is watching donnatello translate the tablet is so ridiculous that it is entertaining. (additionally how much is on that demon tablet? there's been about twenty different pieces of information on that tablet. how did they find room for it?)

"if you want to stay here then stay here" said to cas when cas' love language is the phrase "i could go with you". dean is still so BRUTAL here and it's still so painful.

at least in the fight with charlie's demonic angels, EVERYONE is getting their ass kicked. "are any of us winning" is a line that has no business being as funny as it is

ROWENA! MY LOVE! MY GREATEST LOVE! queen of hell is actually the perfect character arc for her. it is so fitting. we also love rowena as a relationship counselor. dean and cas both say "it's fine" like "i love him; talk to HIM". and rowena says "fix it" like it's the easiest thing in the world (and you know what? it could be!). it just kills me HOW MUCH attention was given in the divorce arc to dean and cas' relationship and how integral to the show it was. and then in the last bit of the show it is DROPPED! like a hot potato!

jake abel looked at misha and jensen and said "i do not NEED a coworker; i will have extraordinary chemistry with MYSELF" and then proceeded to do exactly that. but seeing jake abel on my spn screen again after ten years was DELIGHTFUL.

this conversation between dean and sam is why i do not UNDERSTAND this idea that "dean wouldn't want sam to be with someone who was in the life". dean is so openly supportive of sam's relationship with eileen, and he GENUINELY enjoys her company. why is there the idea that dean doesn't support their relationship????

castiel's eyes should ALWAYS flash blue! i also enjoyed the idea of cas being the one to pray to michael for a meeting. and then "i didn't come to beg" like! what a fucking POWER MOVE. my GOD! cas and michael share a lot of good moments in this episode, and it's fun to think about cas, who is this insignificant seraph, finally catching michael's attention.

cas baiting michael into snapping... the BALLS on this angel are unbelievable. but he knows it's the only way he's going to get close enough to michael to make him see the truth! he's so smart! "we didn't bond" whoever told cas that he wasn't funny is a DAMN LIAR. and dean is STILL second-guessing cas! he's still criticizing cas' choices and how he chooses to go about things. annoying!

love how things like getting in and out of purgatory become so ridiculously simple in the later seasons. cas and crowley spend an entire season trying to find purgatory and in s15, michael snaps his fingers and BAM! there it is.

"since when do we get what we deserve" i am WEAK. i know that rich said that the glance to cas wasn't necessarily intentional but it still FEELS intentional.

[samcybercat]

Supernatural Characters That I Liked :D

On 2nd April 2023, we finished watching all 15 seasons of Supernatural. My history with this show is that I didn't really know it was a thing while it was popular and then by the time I joined Tumblr it was "that series people on Tumblr like that I don't think would be for me". Up until late 2021, the only things from Supernatural that I'd seen were the Destiel Confession (TM), a short scene of Dean telling Sam & Jack that Castiel was dead and the montage of Sam dying from the final episode. Beyond that, I genuinely knew nothing about the show But in 2021 (I think?) my housemates and I had finished BBC Merlin and were looking for a new long series to try, which ended up being Supernatural. Our set-up was that Gemba had seen up to Season 12 (and thus had to endure us asking many questions about it), but Amber and I had never seen any of it Now, no one needs me to review Supernatural. Enough other people who know more about it than I do have done that. But it's been a long ride and I wanted to do something to celebrate it. So instead of picking apart the good and the bad, I thought I'd simply make a list of the characters I like. This is not an all-inclusive list, as in over 15 seasons there are bound to be a few fun one-off characters who I'll forget. But I tried to include as many characters as possible Starting off with my beloved - everyone's favourite Supernatural character whose name begins with the letter C...

...Crowley! (Don't worry, Castiel is also on the list lol)

I cannot understate how much Crowley kept me going with this show. We'd just come off the back of the Trickster dying and I was bummed about that, but then Crowley came along with all his yelling and his bisexual villainy and I was won over immediately. Everything about Mark Sheppard's performance was a delight and all his interactions with the rest of the main cast were so fun. When Crowley ended up on the path from enemy to frenemy to begrudging ally, it never felt like character-derailment at all. Though having said that, I also fully understand and respect Sheppard's choice to leave because he was disappointed with how Crowley was being written - as much as it was a big miss for me to see Crowley go. Crowley is my blorbo for this show He is also incredibly shippable with Sam

Next up is Sam, Mr. Skrunkly Himself and the greatest shipping bicycle I could ask for Now, some of you who I have talked to about Supernatural might remember me saying that I didn't like Sam, which certainly was true in the earlier seasons. I just feel like in the beginning, Sam's stick-in-the-mud attitude needed a bit longer to bake until he became the absolutely endearing, doe-eyed giant that he would become later on. I also think that Sam becoming a better character ended up lining up quite well with Dean becoming... less of a characters that I could enjoy, so that worked out nicely. I'm sorry that I was a non-believer to start with, Sammy, but I'm 100% a Sam Girl now lol

You're on tumblr, you know who this is I now definitely understand why this website was so obsessed with Castiel. What could've easily been a throw-away character was turned into a series main-stay and I'm sure that a large part of that was due to the clear love that Misha Collins had for the character and poured into his performance. Every time Castiel was around it was always great and, like a lot of people, my biggest problem with Castiel was that they didn't use him enough. They (probably accidentally) wrote one of the best autistic characters I've seen in a while and also, his Dadstiel scenes with Claire and Jack are one of the few times I've really enjoyed seeing a character take on the role of a parent Castiel is also incredibly shippable with Sam (sorry Destiel shippers, I'm Sastiel through and through)

Queen of my heart, Rowena! The treatment of female characters in Supernatural is another topic with not a great reputation, but you've got to believe me when I say that Rowena is a brilliant character, one of the best and most-fun female villains. When she was introduced as Crowley's mum, I knew we were in for a great ride and, sure enough, every episode she was in was charming. Ruth Connell really ran with the concept of "vengeful Scottish witch". My fears for Rowena had been that she would be killed off shortly after Crowley's departure, but I was delighted to see that she continued to be a main-stay for most of the show, ending with her destined death scene with Sam, before being triumphantly crowned Queen of Hell Rowena is also incredibly shippable with Sam, though I've also gotta give a shout-out to my short-lived OTP of Rowena x Gabriel

Speaking of Gabriel, the Trickster was definitely what kept me watching at the start of the series. In the beginning, Supernatural was a bit dry for my taste and he injected that shot of fun into it that it needed to keep me interested. His episodes were few and far between, but just knowing there might be a Trickster episode on the horizon always kept me going until Crowley came along to take the mantle from him. I was glad to see Gabriel return later on, even if I feel like they didn't really use him or play to his strengths quite as much as they did in the early episodes The Trickster is also incredibly shippable with Sam

The best baby boy, Jack! On paper, the concept of Lucifer's son joining the team felt like a desperate attempt by the writers to show a new, younger audience that they were still hip and relevant, but that ended up not being the case. From the moment Jack appeared, he was wonderful, bringing the same energy as Castiel, but with that child-like optimism attached that would lead to him ultimately saving the day and making a better world for everyone. Seeing the trio raising a son was also brilliant and actually the perfect kind of fanfic-fodder the show needed. My biggest regret for Jack is that he came along after most people stopped caring about the show, so he didn't receive the appreciation I think he deserved

I actually feel bad that it's taken me so long to get to Bobby, as he's one of my big faves, but in my defence he wasn't in the later seasons very much. Bobby went from being "Guy who tells the brothers where the monster of the week is" to the actual perfect father-figure they deserved. There was a reason why when Dean gets to heaven it was Bobby waiting for him and not John, and it wasn't just because getting Neegan back was probably expensive. Bobby is another underrated autistic icon imo and excellent boyfriend-material for Crowley. Even though I was sad when his time on the show was cut short, he was one of the few characters who I felt was given the right amount of fanfare for his send-off

Ketch! I love Ketch! He's our fave in this house. After the very dull Darkness season, I had my hopes low and was rolling my eyes when the British Men of Letters were introduced, but then they ended up being so cringe that it cycled back around to being funny again. We would cheer every time Ketch appeared

Yes, I like Bela and think she was fun in her appearances, you're all just mean about her :(

This version of Meg specifically was wonderful and top-tier shippable with Castiel. It's no wonder that she was the one they called back to play The Empty all those years later. Meg's flirty banter was the perfect foil for Castiel's serious cluelessness and I would always look forward to scenes with both of them

I'm gonna be real with you: most of the season-long villains were very hit or miss for me, but Zachariah was one villain who I thought was excellent. It's a shame he was so early on, so I don't remember too much about his specifically, but I do remember enjoying him and how powerful he made the angels feel

Pamela or, as she was known in our house for a long time, The Woman Who Was Fine About Everything. When Pamela first appears she's like "Two brother? Awesome, let's have a threesome!" ...Then she gets her eyes blasted out. When we next see her, Pamela is totally cool with being blind and is even using it to help her work. ...Then she gets killed off. But when we next see her in the afterlife, wouldn't you know it, she's totally cool with being dead. Even when she later appears as a figment of Dean's imagination, she's fine with that, too. So here's to you, Pamela. Wherever you are, I know you're totally cool with it!

Kevin Tran and his mum. These two characters are the absolute example of deserving much better from the writing, especially Kevin. At least his mum got some cool scenes when she tried to rescue him, but poor Kevin was basically the Wincester's hostage who then died to give Dean more man pain. Which is a shame, because Kevin was great and I really wish we'd been given more fun scenes with him

Hannah (Agent Stone version) ...Look, it's Lee Majdoub, the guy who plays Agent Stone in the Sonic Movies! Turns out he had a brief role in Supernatural as one of Hannah's vessels. I wish he'd stuck around, but as a big Sonic fan I'm glad he moved onto other things :')

Claire Novak - I never expected the kid from Castiel's vessel's old life to come back as a full character later on, but Claire filled the role of the vengeful daughter who grew to respect Castiel so well and I definitely wish we'd seen more of both Claire and her short-lived relationship with Kaia. I also had the exact same Grumpy Cat plushie that Castiel gave to Claire, so I was very endeared by that

Both the original Death and Billie who came after him were excellent! Both very different and strong personalities who filled every scene they were in - when these two appeared, you really knew Dean had to sit up and pay attention, because shit was about to get real

Another one of my top faves, Eileen! Imagine my surprise when Supernatural of all series introduces one of the very few portrayals of a deaf character I've seen and she ends up becoming a recurring character and love interest to one of the main characters. Eileen was annoyingly killed off-screen, but then they made up for it by having Sam go to such lengths to bring her back. She had an adorable relationship with Sam. ...Then they killed her off again and left us to only assume that she must've been returned to life by Jack, but never actually showed that. Oh well, I will choose to believe that the blurry woman they showed with Sam in his montage in the last episode was Eileen and they got the happy ending they deserved

Rufus went from having a somewhat subdued first appearance to being Bobby's partner in crime and that was when he really shined. Another character who was killed off far too early, wasting his potential, but I enjoyed the few Bobby & Rufus episodes that we did get

Garth was just a nice guy and I wanted good things for him. After his short, but successful, role as The New Bobby, I'm glad that Garth was able to retire and live with his werewolf family without becoming yet another victim of characters dying by association with the Winchesters

Becky went from being a very fun nod-to-the-fandom character to having that... one very uncomfortable episode with Sam... to disappearing for a long time and finally coming back to be shown living her best life with her family and thriving. Screw Chuck for killing her off, but I choose to believe that she came back

Crowley having a son who was brought to modern day from ye olde Scotland and then let loose into a park somewhere will never not be funny to me. I liked Gavin for the few episodes he was in

...And I'm bored of looking for screenshots now, so I'll cap this off by also giving a shout-out to fan-fave, Charlie, who they once again killed off before they should've done but at least had some good episodes, Balthazar, who was the idea friend for Castiel and gave me big Dionysus Hades Game vibes, Metatron, who really grew on my from his initial introduction as villain to reluctant frenemy, and to Chuck, who was a character who really annoyed me for most of the series, but then once they started playing him as a straight up villain it felt like he was the perfect way to sing the series out. Amara also got a lot better in later seasons from her unfortunate first appearance and it was a shame about her hand-wave ending I have mixed feelings about Dean. Goodnight

[sarah-dipitous]

Hellsite Nostalgia Tour 2023 Day 327

Back and to the Future/Nikola Tesla’s Night if Terror

Did I mention there’s a mistake in my “final” calendar? I put the episode of dw I watched the other day on there twice 😎👍 luckily what that really means is I can skip watching one some time this weekend

“Back and to the Future”

Plot Description: Sam, Dean, and Castiel reluctantly team up with a demon inhabiting Jack’s body to battle an army of undead souls that includes some infamous killers

Would I Survive the First Five Minutes??: (not even started it yet and certainly not, right?) guess who was riiiiight

Cas making sure to bring Jack’s body with them to safety (even temporary safety) 😭😭😭

Vs Cas also pointing out that he wouldn’t starve to death if they stayed in this place forever

Dean’s so mad at Chuck and in such a funny way

So….not running water, just more zombies

Oh this is actually kind of fun, like when Misha gets to play evil versions of Cas

I’m not trusting that this demon was your basic pencil pusher. He just stopped the (not-)zombie horde that god himself put in our trio’s way

Yeah, MAYBE these girls are a little spoiled but that doesn’t mean this ghost has to go after them

We’re starting to see the aftermath of various ghosts who stayed true to form

This murder clown is decidedly not sexy (to me. Could be someone else’s yum, and I won’t yuck it)

How long ago was this demon last on earth??

Oh a big bag of salt and a human heart?? Is THAT all you need??

Of COURSE Sam had to go to the clown house, poor guy

I love that Rowena made Dean say please and use the descriptor “exquisite” when he first told her they needed her to move her ass

Omg we cannot be getting Michael back again (but this universe’s Michael who got———hey, what about Adam? I know we’re NEVER revisiting that plot thread but like…that’s so stupid)

And if COURSE the gunshot wound Sam has isn’t able to be healed by Cas AND he’ll hide it…

Hey, free, fresh human heart, I guess

Lizzie Borden’s here too??

Castiel sassing Sam shooting him with rock salt when he can’t help when a ghost decides it’s gonna vanish

Worst ghosts in a show ever. Why do they HAVE to run? The ghosts are running

Oh man. The bad tension between Cas and Dean continues

Thank you, Sam, from saving Dean even temporarily from a nihilistic spiral

This is unintentionally the funniest fucking show in the world. “If we win—when we win this, god’s gone” I love this stupid show so much, I can’t believe I’m in the last season

“Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror”

Plot Description: 1903. Who or what is sabotaging Nikola Tesla’s generator plant at Niagra Falls? And has this maverick inventor really received a message from Mars?

Ruh roh I’m not gonna make it before midnight. Can we blame Megumi?? And how cute she was being tonight?

Hey, did this one come out before or after Elon became obsessed with going to Mars? Because the Tesla-Mars connection seems too on the nose

Ok I can see why he believes he’s getting messages from space

Companions should get in period dress more often

These two ACTUAL geniuses in a room together and supporting each other and comforting each other, realizing they have so much in common

This dude in the cape is bad news. Wtf is happening with him??

Ok, since we’re in NYC…I’m just thinking, what if we could DO something that would have prevented what happened to Amy and Rory.

They do this to angels in spn to interrogate them, too…but these are no angels, that’s for sure. The makeup they used almost reminds me of the spider queen from the runaway bride

Voice too, actually

Graham telling off Thomas Edison is delightful

Oh but instead of spiders, it’s scorpions, and they can shoot lasers from their tails!

And what a crazy thing that they also steal tech from other places

Edison should not be allowed to be this close to the plan

Aw, she just wants a high five and he doesn’t know what that is because it hasn’t been invented yet?

The return of the goggles!! Yay!

It’s effective for getting people off the street and away from the scorpion aliens, but it also feels slanderous for Edison to be saying that shit about Tesla

Excuse me? The Doctor is typically about stopping but not killing…but kind of in the way Aang is, but…she seems pretty dead set on killing the queen. I’m not even sure how they managed to save earth this time

[elizabethrobertajones]

I've been thinking about Justin Smith and John-lives-Sam. At first I was laughing because I'm sure Jared had a blast playing these ridiculous dicks ^_^ But then I thought, what's the show saying about Sam? Pseudo Steve Jobs Sam was this incredibly repressed no-family pretentious prick, and J Smith, presumably a manifestation of Sam wanting a normal family to be happy, is a Stepford husband (also repressed). Two sides of the same coin, or of a 20-face die?

I’ve also been laughing since Lawboy Sam that “we keep each other human” doesn’t even have to be literal, it’s just like, without hunting with Dean, Sam is the Worst™

I definitely don’t think it’s casting shade on Sam because there’s obviously a LOT of trauma behind Lawboy, who was an extrapolation of Sam’s career path rejecting everything he’d grown up with. Including that he has a notorious serial killer brother. I think in the first draft of the pilot Sam literally did think Dean was a serial killer, or suspected it, and he’d never been in on the secret, so though that’s canon implausible I feel like that sort of emotional background was implied by where they ended up, that perhaps at least Lawboy was rejecting the violence he was raised in but in a really extreme way. And not even in a cool fighting for world peace lawyer friends with Tahani Al-Jamil thing, but just writing off family entirely. Which is a commentary on the absolute extremes of repression Sam can and will inflict on himself, since in 1x01 he was a fair bit of the way there, complaining about his family and throwing himself into his future career full denial ahead. 

I do think though that as much as Sam is superficially the worst, most of Dean’s worst traits especially in season 1 were smoothed out by their story pretty quickly and obviously all the good development Dean’s made out of his own repression and trauma never would have happened in that world so miserable solitary hunter Dean would have been the absolute worst. Especially if he is careless enough to stay on the most wanted list and honestly he’s probably been running around with Gordon for 13 years still trying to impress him and make him think he’s cool without ever realising he is into dudes or that Gordon is the worst :P But that’s all left to speculation, as this season has had a greater focus on exploring Sam so he is actually getting the kind of attention to single him out to play multiple character variants in a short space of time so we even have data to compare, which feels like a total novelty.

(I’m in no way a bitter Sam girl or anything but Carver era just naturally leaned into Dean over Sam and Dabb era has corrected that lean and it sort of feels like suddenly we have tons of Sam exploration and Dabb era Sam is rapidly turning into one of my favourite characters ever based on a whole bunch of stuff that was completely absent since like season 7… Just don’t use this comment to validate bitter Sam stanning of the carver era even as I admit they had something of a point :P)

Anyways. Justin Smith was brilliant because he’s not technically a Sam variant because he was a conjured personality but at the same time it put Sam in that position and made it clear that Sam crumpled into it because it was easy and Cas could totally see how he ended up there, like, almost to the point of forgetting that Sam had succumbed because he was human and Cas hadn’t not done so because he was more emotionally aware after treading this storyline years earlier but rather the more obvious that Chip’s powers didn’t work on him because he’s an angel. It’s a complete have cake and eat it moment about saying this isn’t who Sam is but wow does it say something about Sam anyway. 

I think the context that Lawboy lurks under Sam’s skin helps there because that version of Sam clearly still lost Jess one way or another, and we know that Sam can do stuff like run off with Amelia, which I think seems to be the more immediate emotional parallel - maybe making a point about the sort of denial of self that Sam put himself through by cutting off hunting and looking for Kevin… Whatever motives he had for it, and however justified his emotional breakdown at that point, they kept on bugging Sam for doing it by reminding him of the “hit a dog” comment for years until Robbie sat Dean down and made him apologise in 11x11. At which point Sam was moments from morphing into Dabb era Sam, who first appeared in 11x14 by my reckoning of “who is this guy because I love him!?!” I felt there.

Exploring that territory through the brainwashing and also showing us a Sam who was from the pilot but grown up and awful, and coupled with where Dean’s been at for a while but helpfully confirmed in 14x13 to John’s face, is that Sam needs to be hunting, and definitely seems to need a romantic endgame in a way that Dean ~weirdly~ does not (*cough because he already has it cough*) despite how season 13 for him had been 100% giving him Jack as a son in a main character arc way that neither Dean or Cas got as much focus on - like, even Cas. I’m bitter about Eileen forever, moved my hopes to Rowena, but Sam has still yet to have a girlfriend who is a hunter, and something about Justin Smith really firmly tells us that Sam can’t go back to wanting the white picket fence and ever accomplish it with any authenticity to himself. But also perhaps that he still struggles, even with finally calling the Bunker home, and having a family there of all the other parts except a wife, that either this is still his perception of what marriage and endgame should/has to be or that he can’t conceptualise marriage existing in his life in the Bunker, despite the example Dean n Cas are setting in front of his nose.

He also got to see Mary briefly have John around for that family dinner but then have to let him go, for perfectly valid other reasons, but comparing it to his dream in 13x21 of the family dinner, which included all 3 generations of their family, in their non traditional set up that Dean claimed to John was what he had instead of the white picket fence, we got a weird glimpse of the nuclear family unit that SPN spends the rest of its time rejecting in favour of family not ending in blood. That wasn’t particularly framed as for Sam’s eyes but it’s definitely another example of endgames and marriage in the hunting world that he got to glimpse and the surrealty of setting the library table for a fancy sit down meal for a nuclear family instead of them stuffing their faces with pizza at the war table, which had been Sam’s dream birthday party, definitely shows there’s still conflict going on there in how family is being presented. With Dean apparently fully chill and at peace with his family life, and these examples for Sam, it’s definitely all focused on him what he ends up wanting and what he can be happy with, and what ideas he has to let go. 

(I’m not sure this is going to go anywhere this season but it’s definitely a necessary bit of psychoanalysis for Sam, who was pretty much legally dead in the wants and desires department between like 8x10 > Dabb era)

[phynali]

another post about the secret good supernatural that lives in my brain

where’s that interview or convention quote from mark sheppard about how he wishes Rowena had been Crowley’s ex-wife instead of mother?

i absolutely love Rowena and Ruth O’Connell did an incredible and fantastic job with bringing her to life, but i do feel like that’s the world’s most Valid critique. 

and i kind of get that the show’s later seasons really like to dabble in the parenthood narratives, with Rowena, with Mary, with the Jack storyline, with Lebanon. what does it mean to be a mother/father/parent, and how do we do the best by our kids? what happens when we fuck up? what happens when we’re selfish? how do experience being a person and a parent when those are in conflict?

but i don’t see how making rowena into crowley’s mother really added to any of those conversations, tbh. 

if anything, them as exes would give a lot more weight to her, y’know, killing her (other) son at the end of s10. obviously she’s got this “i hate that i can’t hate you i hate that i love you” maternal thing with crowley but what if she was killing her son and crowley was thinking about the kid crowley had all those years ago who also gets resurrected when rowena is around and who crowley has to let go of, right? i mean what if that was both their kid? what if they had to mutually watch him die? what if that’s why they hated each other in the first place? what if crowley made that stupid childish deal he did just to punish himself for rowena leaving him after their son died and he blamed himself and meanwhile rowena went and got herself invested in witchcraft in a vain and failed attempt to bring their kid back and everything about them went to shit - 

god, i want this so badly now?

and i see why they might not have wanted to reduce all their stories to siblings or lovers, why other dynamics keep things fresh, but i think exes who still get along but also can’t stand one another but also love one another but are never, ever getting back together and that’s for the best but also if you lay a finger on him i’ll kill you only i get to kill him - 

well i just think that’s a bit more interesting than what we got? especially with lucifer thrown in the mix and the obvious infidelity feelings. right now lucifer and rowena reads as abusive romance but they didn’t lean into any paternal dynamic between lucifer and crowley, like it’s just pure debasement on an equal level, and they obviously just did not know or were too afraid to tap the very disturbing familial parallels they could have setup there so why even paint themselves into that corner? 

why not setup lucifer and crowley as romantic rivals, neither of whom actually want rowena or a relationship but both of whom play tug-of-war with the loyalty and allegiance of women because they’re awful people (devils, literally) and why not have rowena’s narrative involve rejecting all of that bullshit and overcoming the inherent misogyny. not to say there’s not some of that in her maternal storyline as well but it’s - empty? in comparison (by which i mean delivery). and much better explored with mary in s12.

and the samwena vibes would be so fascinating!! if rowena was crowley’s ex the show might have actually dug into crowley and sam’s super interesting and massively under-explored dynamic because the weird jealousy and territorialness would be so goddamn fun!! 

“no i don’t want to be with her but no she is not allowed to flirt with you what the hell do you mean you’re the one destined to kill her oh fucking no you aren’t that is my job she broke my heart and i am the king of hell, not you mr boy-fucking-king-who-abdicated so you will pry the right to kill her from my cold dead demon hands i will save her life just so you don’t get to kill her you bastard - “

come on! 

right now samwena and crowley was super under-explored as it is, and at minimum we 150% deserved crowley being cheeky with sam for having chemistry with his mother and sam being a little flustered/unsure how to respond while inevitably sassing crowley back. please. it would be so weird. you cannot convince me that the crowley we know and love wouldn’t have deliberately flirted with mary just to see sam’s eye twitch and for dean to break a tooth by tensing his jaw too hard. i mean it wouldn’t work because mary hates demons almost as much as sam but it would be in character and it would delight me, personally.

anyway i also saw someone else comment that when rowena was introduced the witchcraft in the show went from super fucking dark (how it was introduced to the show in kripke era, then left mostly untouched in s6-9) to pretty purple sparkles and tbh that’s so true and also dull? like rowena was legit introduced in the process of reading a book and drinking tea (or wine?) while two guys bled out slowly on her ceiling held up by her dark af magic and by the end she’s just ...  doing spells that sam and dean have no moral compunctions about using? dabb do you know what horror is as a genre why did you change the genre of this show in its final 3 seasons? why did we not get to retain the dark and demonic aspects of witchcraft? 

i am so disappointed at how they watered down so many different things with rowena and final note she absolutely should have fucked sam literally any other character behind the bookstacks except gabriel omg.

[icefire149]

Way to say 'I love you' #22, Dean/Crowley

I'll be honest, this took me by surprise BUT in a great way because my mind took this ball and ran with it. This is definitely inspired by my reading of the production draft of 12x23. It still didn't play out as I initially imagined, but sometimes stories make their own plans. Enjoy <3

#22 – Muffled, from the other side of the door

He was hanging on by a single, frayed thread. That was all that was tethering Dean to his body at that moment. Everything was too much: his chest was too constricted to beat and breathe, the volume of his thoughts were stuck on one hundred, his mouth was sour with bile, and somehow he simultaneously wanted to bolt until he was too tired to panic and crawl into the nearest ditch to close his eyes forever.

Dean Winchester was getting too old to deal with the world crumbling and plummeting from between his fingers into oblivion. He could feel himself losing pieces, and he was terrified to know how little would be left when the game was all over. Rowena was the first to fall.

He wasn’t sure if he had it in his DNA to trust her, ever, but obviously he cared more than he was aware. The way Lucifer’s voice purred in delight recounting what he did…...it sliced deeper than anything Alistair could have dreamed of.

It was strange. His fingers slowly curled into a fist, but he watched it like it was through different eyes. And then, it was like he was finally being hammered back into his bones. Again, and again with every punch he felt less disjointed. It wasn’t until a single voice cut through his jumbled thoughts, clear as a bell: stop.

His fist froze mid motion in the air, and for a second the eyes in front of him were blue. And then a weight latched onto his forearm. Dean turned to see Sam’s exasperated glare.

“Don’t kill him,” Sam said, releasing his grip. “At least not yet.”

Dean uncurled his fingers and felt the skin on his knuckles tear open wider in places. He wasn’t strong enough to look over at his hard work, the resculpt of Crowley’s face. Instead his gaze remained fixated on the way their blood, Crowley’s spit, and his sweat pooled and ran down his fingertips in shame.

His breathing barely calmed when he finally lifted his eyes. Dean didn’t find the anger he desperately wanted to find in Crowley’s stare. Only understanding.

The grounding didn’t last and Dean was quickly feeling the minutes blur until they secured a line on Cas’ location. His fingers curled tight enough on both hands that his nails bit deep into his palms. Kelly, the baby, Mom, Cas, Crowley, Sammy….once he pinned Cas down, he could figure out how to fix this. How to keep everyone breathing.

His mouth trembled the second he realized that Crowley planned to follow them.

“I can help,” he argued.

Dean shoved him back into the chair. “I know.”

“This is my mess to clean up. Not yours.”

“Your damn right it is.” Dean grabbed Crowley’s hand. The motion made both of their mouths snap shut. Gently, Dean moved the hand to the table, marking him with faint bloody fingerprints. For a moment they were both wrapped up in that quiet spell until his other hand tore through the moment, and slammed the demon blade deep into Crowley's flesh until it was buried into the wood.

“The Hell are you-”

“Stay.”

Neither uttered another word after that. Dean grabbed his things and found his brother and their mom by the door, waiting for him.

“Are you really leaving him here?” Sam asked with his hand keeping the main door open.

“Less to worry about.”

Rolling his eyes, Sam gave up the argument immediately. He followed after his mom, and Dean turned back to the door. He couldn’t see the Crowley from there, but he could somehow still feel his stare burning every inch of his skin.

Closing his eyes, Dean shut the door and waited for the click of the lock before letting out a deep sigh. His leg was going to shake the entire drive if he didn’t compose himself now. He hated that after all these years that word finally tumbled out of him.

His fist connected with the door. The vibrations of the strike traveled up his arm, and knocked loose a mumble of a plea. “Please, don’t make me ask again…..I don’t think I’ll be able to get another out in this lifetime. I-” The rest of that thought died in his throat.

Ask me more writing prompts (I'm using these as warm ups so can't guarantee the speed I'll post if I get any more)

[440mxs-wife]

Eight Years

Pairing: Dean x Reader. Other Characters: Sam x Eileen, Jody x Benny (not a vampire), Meg (not a demon) x Castiel, Rowena x Gabriel, Donna x Doug, Charlie x Stevie.

Word Count: 4995 (whew!)

Warnings: Mutual Pining, a smidgen of angst, mostly fluffy though.

Prompt: “Life is like a box of chocolates.”

Summary: Reader goes to Kansas City for a ‘Girls Weekend’ with her friends, while the guys decide to have a weekend of their own in the bunker. But, the guys get bored and decide to join the girls, which has everyone paired up except for Dean and the Reader. Will true feelings finally come out, or will it be Friend-Zone City?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jeans. Flannel/Hoodie. T-Shirts. Shorts. Swimsuit. Boots, just in case. You ran through the packing list in your head to make sure you didn't forget anything. The bag for your toiletry items was under the sink, so you put your toothbrush and other bathroom stuff inside. The last bits you needed to pack were the book you were reading and your phone charger. Once they were in your bag, you zipped it and threw it over your shoulder as you exited your room.

Sam was sitting at the map table, reading a book when you dropped your bag onto its surface. "All packed and ready to go?" he asked.

"Yep. Kansas City's not that far away, should you guys need any help with anything. Plus, I'll be with the 'Ladies' Hunting Contingent', so you'd have plenty of back-up," you chuckled.

"Nah, we're going to take the weekend off too. Dean said no hunting this weekend, so he invited the guys to come here," Sam replied.

"Really?" you asked incredulously.

"S'all your fault, you started it. Donna will be with you, which leaves Doug with nothing to do. Dean told him he should come here and hang out. In fact, you and Doug will probably pass each other on the highway," he grinned.

"Well, whatever. Y'all better behave yourselves," you warned.

"I'm sure we'll behave ourselves about as much as you girls are going to," Sam smirked.

"Ha ha, very funny. So, are you gonna miss me?" you asked.

"Nope, it'll actually be quiet without your snoring. But I bet Dean will," Sam countered. He knew about your feelings towards Dean, and figured out that the current ran both ways. Sam was convinced his life would be even better if only you and Dean would get past your self-doubts.

"'Dean will' what, Sammy?" Dean inquired as he pulled up a chair to the table.

"You'll miss her this weekend while she's gone," Sam clarified.

Dean then noticed your packed bag on the table. "Oh, that's right, this is your, uh, 'Girls' Weekend' in Kansas City," he replied. "That should be fun, all of you chicks together," Dean remarked.

"Yeah," you answered. But you didn't exactly answer the question, Dean...."I should probably get going. Got a decent drive ahead of me," you mumbled as you reached out to pick up your bag again.

"Here, I've got it, let me help," Dean picked up your bag and threw it over his shoulder.

You started to follow Dean up the stairs to the garage, but Sam called you back. Dean kept walking, so you said you'd meet him in the garage.

"C'mere, kiddo," Sam said as he pulled you into a hug. "Of course I'm going to miss you this weekend. And just because Dean didn't say so doesn't mean he won't miss you too. Maybe you should tell him--," Sam started.

You interrupted, "Wow, look at the time, I gotta go." You moved towards the stairs then turned to face Sam. "I'll miss you guys too. Have fun, you deserve it. Hell, we all deserve it," you chuckled softly. "Bye, Sam," you called as you made your way up the stairs.

Dean was waiting by your car when you entered the garage. "I put your bag in the trunk, I hope that was where you wanted it," he informed you.

"Oh sure, no problem. You didn't have to carry it up here for me, I would've managed okay. But thank you, Dean," you remarked.

"S'no problem, what are best friends for?" he replied, bringing you in for a hug that seemed a little tighter than usual. He pulled back abruptly and nervously cleared his throat. "Anyway, you should--ah--you should probably get going. Got that drive ahead of you, all by yourself. Drive careful," Dean said with a smile.

"I will. Have a good weekend with the guys, Dean. See you soon," you murmured as you ducked into your car. You turned the key and brought to life the rumbling engine of your 1968 Chevy Nova. With a slight wave of your hand, you backed out of the garage and drove out of sight.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You popped in an Aerosmith CD and cranked the volume as you tore down the highway. Dean certainly didn't approve of your decision to update the audio component for your classic car. But, driver picks the music, and you wanted more to choose from than the same 5 cassette tapes all the time.

Best friend, you muttered to yourself as you drove. After eight years, it's probably all I'll ever be to Dean. Even though he means more to me than I can ever put into words to tell him....

A pit stop at a Gas-n-Sip for fuel, snacks and a change in music to an 80s CD, and you were back on the road. After another three hours, you had reached your destination. It was an old ski lodge on the outskirts of the city that had been remodeled but without the ski lift. It had seven bedrooms and a wide open floor plan. The lodge came complete with a large kitchen, dining room and a common area with plenty of seating.

When you pulled up to the lodge, you saw Donna's truck, which brought you a little relief at not being the first one to arrive. She must have heard you drive in, because she came flying out of the front door over to your car.

Wrapping her arms around you, Donna nearly squealed with delight that you had finally arrived. "Oh, it's so good to see you!" she gushed. "I only got here about an hour ago, and I already picked out my room. Now that you're here, you get your pick!" she exclaimed.

You laughed as you retrieved your bag out of the trunk, linked arms with Donna then you both walked back into the lodge. She poured you a margarita as you unpacked your bag for the weekend. You sent Dean a text message to let him know you had arrived safely, then stowed your phone in your pocket.

By the time you came back out to the common area, Jody, Meg and Eileen had arrived. They gave you a hug in greeting, then went to stake their claims on the remaining rooms. Rowena and Charlie with Stevie rounded out the rest of the weekend's participants.

"Okay, everyone has a drink, right?" Donna asked. The ladies all nodded in agreement. "Good! Let our 'Girls Weekend' officially commence!" she declared. "Let's go 'round the room and give everyone an update. You know, say what or who we've been doing," Donna grinned mischievously.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back at the Bunker.....

Dean watched as you backed your car out of the bunker's garage, gave him a halfhearted wave, then drove off down the highway. He was mentally kicking himself for not giving you a better sendoff than a hug and a 'drive careful'.

The two of you were alone in the garage and he had you in his arms. It was a comforting feeling, like coming home, and he never wanted to let go. You idjit, he thought to himself. That would've been the perfect time to tell her how you feel....if only you hadn't chickened out. Dammit.

Shortly after you left, Doug arrived. He entered the bunker with Dean and noticed that Benny, Castiel and Gabriel had also made their appearances. Sam introduced Doug to the new arrivals then showed him to his room for the weekend. Once Doug had finished getting settled, he came out to the common area in time to hear Benny ask, "So what are y'all drinking?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At the lodge.....

Most of the ladies had given their update on their activities over the past month, leaving just you and Donna to spill your secrets. Charlie and Stevie were working together at a tech firm, but not for much longer. Between them, they almost had enough money saved and/or investors to start their own consulting business.

Rowena and Gabriel were seeing each other off and on, both trying to stay out of trouble. Sam and Eileen were still going strong, texting each other, and meeting for dates whenever possible.

Jody and Benny had started dating, having been introduced by Dean. Benny moved to Sioux Falls and was hired on as a bartender at the local tavern, where he fit right in with the locals. He and Jody tried to see each other as often as possible, depending on their schedules.

Donna and Doug were back together, with their relationship picking up where it had left off. He had finally come to terms with the whole 'monsters are real' thing, and had even gone on a couple of simple cases with Donna.

Finally it was your turn. "Nothing much to tell, really," you shrugged.

"What about that guy you went out with a couple of weeks ago, what was his name?" Eileen asked.

"I think his name was 'Mr. Not Dean Winchester'," Meg snorted.

"Aren't they all named that?" Rowena chimed in.

To everyone's surprise, you chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I suppose you could say that. Maybe I'm a sap for holding on these past eight years, but I can't help it. I love him," you replied softly.

"The heart wants what the heart wants, even if the head says something else," Jody interjected.

When Donna walked back into the room, you realized you didn't even notice she'd left. "So, I just got off the phone with Doug. The guys are bored, so they've decided to head up this way. I might have said they could stay here with us," she explained hesitantly.

The color drained from your face, because you knew what this meant. Everyone would be paired off, except you and Dean. You looked into your glass and drained what was left of your margarita. "I'll be right back, I need a refill," you remarked as you exited your chair. Every eye followed you as you left the room.

"Okay, girls. I think y'all know what we have to do about her and Dean," Donna whispered conspiratorially. Each woman nodded in return, signaling a readiness to do her part.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At the Bunker....

Dean was sitting at the table, eating the last slice of a cherry pie you had made him yesterday. Damn, am I glad that woman can bake, he smiled to himself.

He thought back to the day you made him that pecan pie, when you had decided that a frozen crust wouldn't do. You probably didn't know, but Dean watched as you made your own crust. You had even incorporated some finely crushed pecans into it.

Dean followed your movements as you cut the butter in with the flour, then added the water and the rest of the ingredients. He was mesmerized as you worked everything together and rolled out the crust, singing to yourself. The entire time, you had this smile on your face, and he couldn't recall the last time he'd seen you so content.

Ever since the two of you met eight years ago, he'd always thought you were beautiful. Not just on the outside, but to him, your beauty radiated from within. You showed it in how you made sure that everyone's needs were met, usually before or instead of your own. It was in the way you interacted with people, especially children, and in how they responded to you.

Even though he'd sometimes flirt with you, often just to see you blush, there was truth behind his words. You'd captured his heart all those years ago. Now, if only he'd had the strength or courage to tell you....

Sam poked his head into the kitchen to see his brother taking his dessert plate to the sink to rinse it. "Hey, Dean? Doug was just talking to Donna on the phone, and he came up with the perfect idea. You know, something other than watching movies and drinking," Sam explained.

"Oh, but Sammy, movies and drinking does sound like a good idea," Dean retorted sarcastically.

"I think you'll like this idea better, though," Sam persisted.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Fine," he huffed. "What is this 'perfect idea'?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On the road:

The girls sent you into town to pick up some extra supplies, since the guys would be joining you tomorrow at the lodge. You still weren't sure that this was a good idea, but if the girls wanted to see their guys, you weren't going to stand in anyone's way.

You stopped at the meat counter for some burgers, hot dogs and thick-cut bacon. After grabbing a couple of onions, you headed for the canned goods to pick up some baked beans. Your recipe called for the addition of bacon and onions, and you knew at least Dean wouldn't mind.

Once you picked up some cold cuts, you wandered over to the snack aisle for potato chips. When you saw the graham crackers, you remembered that there was a fire pit outside. S'mores would be awesome, you thought with a smile. So, you added the chocolate bars and marshmallows to your cart.

At the lodge:

"Ladies, I checked the weather report, and tomorrow's going to be a perfect day to head out to the lake and go swimming," Charlie announced.

"You sure, hun?" Stevie asked.

"Of course I am, babe. Can't wait to see you all smokin' hot in that red bikini I know you packed," Charlie winked, causing Stevie's cheeks to get warm.

Jody wandered in to the common area, eyes glued to her phone. "Okay, I texted Benny for him to make sure everyone has swimming trunks packed," she remarked.

At that moment, you stepped through the kitchen door with grocery bags in your hands. "A little help, please?" you called. Everyone pitched in to transport the supplies from your car to the kitchen, then helped put everything away.

"Marshmallows, graham crackers--wait, are we making S'mores?!?" Donna squealed.

You nodded. "There are benches around a fire pit out there, might as well put it to good use. I also grabbed a couple of rotisserie chickens, some noodles and sauce for Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo." Your announcement was met with a chorus of appreciative groans from your friends.

"It's a wonder those boys haven't gained, like, a million pounds, if this is how you cook for them," Meg chimed in. "Especially with as many pies as you bake for Dean," she added.

"They work it off by chasing after or running away from monsters," you chuckled.

"Or through other activities," Eileen signed. You translated for the group and joined in the raucous laughter that ensued.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At the Bunker, Next Morning:

"Rise and shine, Sammy! C'mon everybody!" Dean belted out as he knocked on Sam's and all the other doors. Dean had packed the night before, because he didn't want to waste any time in the morning. He poured some coffee into his travel mug and made his way to the bunker garage.

Some time later, they stopped at the gas station on the way out of town for fuel and snacks, then it was back on the road. Doug, Benny and Sam went back to sleep in the car, leaving Dean time to think. He knew that with his friends and brother pairing off with their girls, that was going to leave the two of you together.

Questions raced through his mind about whether or not he should confess his feelings for you. So much could go wrong that he wasn't sure if he should mention anything to you. Sam stirred in the passenger seat next to him.

"So, are you going to tell her?" Sam asked.

"Tell who, what, Sam?" Dean countered.

"You know what, and you know who. Are you going to tell your best friend that you are in love with her," Sam clarified.

"I've been asking myself that same question for the past 50 miles. So many 'what-ifs'. What if she doesn't feel the same is a BIG one. What if we get together then fall apart six months from now? What if something happens on a hunt and she get hurt, or worse? What if--" he stopped.

"Dean, you can't do that to yourself. That stuff could happen whether you confess or not, no one knows the future. You have to take life as it comes at you," Sam remarked.

"Life is like a box of chocolates, brother," Benny drawled from the back seat. "You never know what you're gonna get or what the future holds. At least with her, though, you know you've got a good woman who loves you."

"Dude, did you seriously just 'Forrest Gump' me in the middle of my love crisis?" Dean asked, which drew everyone's laughter. Even Dean laughed before turning serious again. "You really think she loves me?"

"Oh, ya, Benny's right, Dean. Anybody can tell by looking that she loves you," chimed in Doug. "I've seen the way she smiles whenever you enter a room, or how she blushes whenever you 'accidentally' brush her hand," he replied.

"Huh. I never noticed that. Guess I'd better do something about it, then," Dean remarked as he continued down the road to the lodge. A smile tugged at his lips as a plan formed in his mind.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At the lodge:

You were the first one out of bed in the morning, which meant you got first dibs on the hot water for a shower. On your supply run yesterday, you'd picked up bagels, cream cheese, muffins and some croissants for breakfast. A pot of coffee was started, and you filled a teapot with water for those not wanting coffee. You set the breakfast table with the baked goods, along with plates, cups and silverware.

At the counter, you started making the food for the picnic lunch by the lake with the guys. There were some sandwiches with ham, some with turkey and some with both. You even made some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, just in case.

By the time the coffee had finished brewing, you had finished making the sandwiches. You put them in the fridge to go into the cooler later, and poured a cup of coffee. You tinkered with it until it tasted the way you wanted, then sat back in your chair to relax.

As you sipped your coffee, your thoughts wandered to the elder Winchester. Dean and the other guys were due to arrive any time, which excited and frightened you at the same time. You were excited to spend time with your best friend. At the same time, you were scared as hell that he would see past that, right through to where you hid your feelings for him. But then you thought, what if I didn't hide them this time?

Unfortunately, you didn't get a chance to answer yourself, because you heard the familiar rumble of the Impala's engine. Coffee cup still in hand, you rushed to the front door to greet the boys. You opened the door and leaned against the door frame as you watched the guys pile out of the Impala. You put your finger to your lips to indicate that everyone else was still sleeping.

Dean was the first to reach the front door. "Morning, sweetheart," he greeted you with that sexy grin of his.

"Morning, Dean," you replied quietly, returning his smile. "Come on in, but please keep the noise down. Everyone but me is still sleeping," you said. "If you guys are hungry, there's breakfast stuff on the table, help yourself."

Suddenly, you felt someone take hold of your free hand as you walked to the kitchen. You turned and saw that it was Dean, which caused a warmth to bloom in your cheeks. Instead of letting go, your smile grew and you adjusted your hand so your fingers were laced with each other.

"Where can we put our bags?" Sam asked.

"For now, just leave them by the patio doors. Should be out of the way enough until you can each locate your girlfriend's room," you teased.

Dean leaned in close to your ear. "So, where does that leave me?" he rumbled, his breath hot against your skin.

"Um, well, I can show you to my room if you want to store your bag in there for now," you replied. "There's only the one bed, though, so....," you murmured.

"I'm okay with sharing....as long as you're sure you're okay with it, darlin'" he said smoothly.

You could only nod, because the power of speech momentarily eluded you in that exact moment. A shake of your head seemed to reboot your brain and return your voice. "My room is at the end of the hall, to the right, if you want to put your stuff away," you remarked.

Dean squeezed your hand before letting go and headed for your room. You quickly ducked into the bathroom to try and gather your wits about you. "Get it together," you hissed, pointing at your reflection. After splashing some cold water on your face, you went back out to join the others.

One by one, the girls trickled into the kitchen for coffee and whatever else for breakfast. Castiel and Gabriel had recently appeared and were saying hello to their girlfriends. Dean had returned as well, and took your chair just before you could sit down. Before you could walk away, he grabbed you around the waist and sat you down in his lap. "Comfy?" he asked with a smirk.

"So far, so good, Winchester," you countered with a wry grin. He wrapped one arm around your waist and hooked the other across your lap then gave you a squeeze in response. From the time you left the bunker to when the guys arrived, something seemed to have changed with Dean. You decided to go with the flow and see where it would lead.

In between bites of bagel, you explained the plans for the day. "We're going swimming at the lake, then we have stuff for a picnic lunch, with burgers, beans and hotdogs for dinner." Dean's eyes lit up at the mention of burgers. "And, since we have a fire pit, I got the stuff to make S'mores!" you added enthusiastically.

"You know, Dean is somewhat of an expert at roasting marshmallows," Sam threw in slyly.

"You are?" you asked as you gazed into his perfect forest green orbs.

"Oh yeah, sweetheart. I have it down to a science now," he boasted.

"This I've got to see," Meg replied.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The day could not have been more perfect for swimming and a picnic at the lake. You chose to stay on shore, relaxing with your book. Most of your reading is lore for whatever case you're working, so time spent reading for fun was golden. Every once in a while, your eyes would drift over to your friends, who were laughing and having the best time together.

A soft smile crept across your lips at seeing everyone so happy. You were so engrossed in your thoughts that you didn't hear Dean sneak up behind you. He leaned close to your ear. "You have a lovely smile. I've always thought so," he whispered.

You gasped in surprise at the proximity of his voice. "Thank you," you whispered back as your smile returned.

Dean sat down, cross-legged, on the blanket in front of you, while your eyes were still on your book. He gently pried the book from your hands and replaced your bookmark. Then he hooked his finger under your chin and tilted your face upwards to gaze into your eyes. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you," he started.

"Oh? What's that?" you asked, your voice wavering a bit as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind your ear.

He nervously cleared his throat before speaking. "Well, you see, I--" he started.

"Hey you two, we're starving for some burgers and hot dogs! Can we please head back to the lodge to get cleaned up?" Meg broke in.

You put your hand up. "Wait a minute. Meg, can you guys give us a minute?" you implored. She shrugged and started walking back to the car. "What were you saying, Dean?" you asked.

Dean shook his head. "S'okay, we probably should head back anyway," he mumbled as he picked up the cooler.

Inside you were screaming at Meg for interrupting your conversation with Dean. You made a promise that if you and Dean were alone again, you'd ask him to finish his thought.

Dinner was a rousing success, with the juicy burgers and hot dogs, plus your kicked-up baked beans. As Dean was grilling the food, he was talking with the guys and laughing at their jokes. On the outside, he looked like he was having fun, but you were dismayed to notice that his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

After dinner was done, Benny and some of the others went out to start the campfire and to make sure they had a good seat. Dean stayed behind to help you with the dishes, even though you told him he didn't have to, since he cooked. The two of you worked in a comfortable silence, even though the events of earlier were still on your mind.

Several rounds of S'mores later, everyone started to head off to bed, one couple at a time, leaving you and Dean alone again. There were still some marshmallows in the bag, so you grabbed a couple and held them up for Dean. "Okay, Winchester. Time to show me your marshmallow roasting secrets," you grinned.

Dean grinned back as he plucked them from your fingers and skewered them on the stick. "Now, if you're not careful, these will flame up and you're left with a blackened, charcoal mess," he began. He walked around the fire pit, trying to find the best heat source for the marshmallows. Once he found one, he moved so he was sitting on the other side of you on the bench. "The trick is to use the embers. That's where it's hottest, but you're less likely to 'flame out', as it were," he explained.

You watched his movements, completely entranced by his concentration and softness in his voice as he continued. "You kinda have to keep turning it, so it gets golden brown, but not torched." From the side, you could see a reflection of the flames, dancing in his eyes. "A few more turns, and voilà. The perfectly cooked marshmallow," he remarked.

Dean pulled the stick from the fire and carefully slid the marshmallow off of the end. You tried to take it from his fingers. "Ah ah ah, open up, sweetheart," he smirked. You did as he asked and he gently placed the marshmallow on your tongue. A groan of appreciation escaped your lips, as you broke the delicate crust that gave way to a melted but not molten center.

"Perfect," you whispered.

He slid the other marshmallow off the end of the stick and popped it in his mouth. A little of the melted center somehow ended up on the corner of his mouth. "Oh, wait a second, you've got some--um--some marshmallow on your--here, let me," you stammered.

Without thinking, you dove in and meshed your lips with his on the spot where you'd seen the marshmallow. When it seemed he didn't respond, you leaned back and broke the kiss. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean--I should go," you stood up from the bench to head back into the house.

Dean grabbed hold of your wrist to stop you from leaving. "Wait, I need to tell you something," he pleaded.

"No, it's all right, Dean. I get it, I made a mistake. You don't feel the same, and that's okay. Just please let me go inside," you whispered, tears threatening to fall.

"Aw, to hell with this," he growled as he closed the distance between you until you were mere inches apart. "I'm gonna finish what I started to say earlier. Then if you still want to run back inside, I won't stop you. Okay?" he asked sternly.

You nodded slowly. "Okay," he said more softly as he brushed the back of his knuckles on your cheek. "You and I have been best friends for the past eight years. Somewhere along the way, things between us changed. For me, anyway. I can't believe it's taken this long to tell you, but sweetheart? I am in love with you," he declared.

Tears of happiness streamed down your cheeks. "I've waited so long to hear those words. Wasn't sure I ever would, but I never gave up hope. I love you, Dean Winchester. Always have, always will," you replied. You placed one hand alongside his face, caressing his cheek with your thumb.

Dean gently brushed your tears away with his thumbs. Then he slipped his hand around to cradle you behind your head and inched forward until your lips met yet again. This kiss was different, because you felt the depth of his emotions contained within it. The friendship between you, his fear of your rejection at the offer of his love. And finally, his acceptance of your love for him.

When the kiss was broken, you pulled back a little from each other enough to rest your foreheads together. "I love you so much, baby," Dean whispered.

"I love you too, Dean. C'mon, let's head inside to my--our--nice and cozy room," you suggested.

"Right by your side, sweetheart. Forever and always," Dean added. He took your hand in his and intertwined your fingers, then you both walked back into the lodge.

Donna and Doug were in the kitchen with Jody and Benny, getting some water. "Goodnight, all," you and Dean called over your shoulders.

Jody smirked at Donna and held out her hand, into which Donna slapped a $10 bill. Donna rolled her eyes and said, "Shut up", which caused Jody to break out into laughter.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tags: @deanwanddamons​ @yourelivingwrong​ @akshi8278​ @magssteenkamp​ @swiftlymoniquesblog​ @lyarr24​ @miss-nerd95​ @distefano123​ @hobby27​ @jessica-noel94​ @wayward-mikaelson​ @jawritter​ @gabrielslittleangel​ @jensengirl83​ @deangirl93​ @ellewritesfix05​ @supernatural-jackles​ @babygurltt​ @ejlovespie​ @flamencodiva @supernatural-love14​

[fablesrose]

Tell Me a Story 4 (Finale)

Summary: Finally, Chuck is out of the picture. Happily ever after, right? Looks like we’re taking a detour.

Word Count: 1,837

Pairing: fbi!dean x mafia!reader

Square Filled: Mutual Pining

Masterlist ~ Bingo Masterlist

Other parts in Bingo Masterlist!

A/n: SURPRISE! I’m posting this a day early because I wanted to. Final chapter to Tell Me a Story! All of them have corresponded with @girl-next-door-writes​ Make Me Feel Bingo. Thank you all for reading!

“I still can’t believe they did this to you!”

“I can.”

“I mean, you helped take down Chuck! A highly wanted crime lord! They can’t do this!”

“Dean, you and I both know they very well can,” I readjusted the plastic phone against my ear as Dean looked angrily at me through the glass.

“You shouldn’t be in prison.” He tapped at the table subconsciously.

I shrugged, “Nothing either of us can do. They connected me to some other unsolved crimes, getting Chuck reduced my sentence by quite a bit though, so there’s that.”

He nodded, knowing I was right, but still angry.

I looked him over and bit at the inside of my lip, “You kind of robbed me, you know that?”

“Hmm?”

“You look good in a suit.”

He smiled beautifully, though I could see some blush on his ears, “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“Oh yeah,” I gestured to my jumpsuit, “because prison orange is totally my color right?”

He laughed, “I meant for the circumstances.”

“Suuurrreee...” I smiled teasingly at him. “You back at the FBI?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Got any new cases with hot girls?”

“No, but if I did they wouldn’t compare to you.”

“That’s hilarious,” I tried to hide my blush, but I was sure it wasn’t working very well.

“You holding up okay in there? Your shoulder okay?”

“Dean, we talked about this, that was months ago, my shoulder is fine. I’m bored out of my mind most of the time. What am I supposed to do if I’m not getting into knife fights with teenagers?” I giggled at him and he joined in.

“Yeah, okay, okay.” Dean turned as a guard tapped his shoulder, “Alright, visiting hours are now over, I get it.”

I glanced around and saw that we were the last ones left.

Dean placed his hand on the glass, “Hang in there, okay Angel?”

I smiled and placed my hand on his on my side of the barrier, “You got it Hot Shot.”

I didn’t get many visitors. Dean came the most often. Eventually Dean talked to Sam and told him that I was here. We caught up for a couple of visits. He’s really happy. He also told me that his wife doesn’t enjoy the thought of him coming to a prison frequently, which I don’t blame her, so he only comes occasionally.

“You know, Meg calls me sometimes.”

“At the FBI?” I was confused and impressed at the same time. She really did like Dean.

“Yeah, it’s always from a pay phone. She asks about you. If you’re okay.”

I blinked, “I… I was not expecting that.”

He chuckled, “Yeah, I didn’t either.”

“Why don’t you tell her to stop by if she’s so worried about me next time she calls?”

“I will.”

It seemed Meg never took me up on my offer, but Dean did say that she and the boys sent their love when he told her. That’s okay though, I wouldn’t want to see what the inside of a prison looks like either.

I did, however get an unexpected, though not unwanted, visitor.

“Castiel! It’s so good to see you!”

“Hello Y/n.” He had the usual look on his face: tired, serious, slightly confused.

I shifted to a more comfortable position in my highly uncomfortable chair, “So how’s the city all mafia free?”

He sighed,  “I wish that were true. The Fallen are still running around. A name has been in the rumors of who’s taken over. A Rowena.”

“Damn, I thought she was dead.”

“So you know her?” He leaned forward extremely interested.

I leaned back, “She won’t cause you too much trouble. She was in very close relations with Crowley. She’ll help build the city back up, maybe even get somethings legal.” I paused to think, “At least, that’s what she would have done when I knew her. It’s been a while, and I don’t plan on meeting up with her again.”

Cas’ shoulders slumped a little bit, “Hmm...”

“At least you’re not bored.”

He rubbed his eyes with one hand, “I wish that were true too.”

I smirked, “Awe, don’t tell me that you missed me.”

“I won’t.”

“Well, I missed our little talks too.” I smiled at him, trying to show him I was sincere. “Speaking of little talks, have you talked to Meg since I’ve been gone?”

He mumbled something.

“Hmm?”

“I said no, she’s in the mob Y/n!”

“I was in the mob and you talked to me.”

“This is different and you know it.”

I knocked on the glass, “Come on Cas! You need a little creativity and fluidity in your stiff life. Bring some joy. I think Meg can do that. She likes you, you like her, and don’t tell her I told you or else she will break in here just to kill me. That is highly classified.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he kept his eyes on the table, softly scratching at it.

“You’re a good man Cas, remember that.”

He didn’t comment on that, but raised his head suddenly with a burst of confused energy, “Speaking of classified, why didn’t you tell me that you were working to take Chuck out of power.”

I looked at him sympathetically, “I think you know why Cas.”

“I would have helped you.”

“I know.”

“You know, I think we would have been friends, in another life. If you believe in that sort of thing.”

“What are we not friends now?”

His smile made his eyes crinkle, “We would have been good friends, close friends. Not separated by lines.”

“How ‘bout the new life when I get out of here huh? Would we be friends then?”

“Well that depends, are you going to live a good life?”

I exaggeratedly concentrated, “I don’t know yet. I still have time to think about it though, don’t I?”

He laughed, “Yeah, I guess you do.” We just looked at each other for a moment, wondering what was next. “You’re a good woman, Y/n. I hope you know that.”

I bit my lip before giving him a half smile, “Thanks for stopping by Cas. See you again?”

He stood up with a teasing look on his face and said before he hung up the phone, “I’ll think about it.”

The days slowly ticked by. While these various conversations were heaven sent, they only took up so much of my time, and there were only so many days people could come and talk. And there were only so many people who would.

In my down time I ended up picking up a pen. Making stories was strangely soothing. It was a place where I could do what ever I want, be what ever I wanted to be. I started to see why Chuck liked them so much. We’re all just trying to escape.

I swear I was starting to become a romantic. Dean stopped by and as a lull in the conversation came, I traced his face with my eyes. Every line, every inch. His facial hair was a short scruff, but well kept. The annoyingly bright artificial lights reflected off his skin and made his eyes sparkle. This man was going to be the death of me.

For a moment, but only that, I thought he might have been doing the same to me, but then he swallowed and looked at the table for a second before breaking the silence. “I got assigned to a case so I’m going to be busier.”

I nodded in understanding, “Congrats, I miss- I’ll miss you.”

He smiled softly, waiting for me to cover his hand on the glass, “I’ll miss you too.”

The last couple of months of my sentence were quiet. Dean didn’t come by as much, if at all. I wasn’t sure if time was moving faster or slower, if it even existed. Then, out of nowhere, they gave me my clothes and possessions, and told me I was free to go.

I walked out in the dress I was wearing to court, I probably should have worn heels, but I was stubborn and had worn boots with it instead. As I walked through the doors the warm sun hit my face and I took a moment to breathe the fresh air as a free woman.

As I walked toward the gate I saw a familiar man leaning against the fence. I was delighted to see that he was wearing my favorite suit, and it looked even better on him out in the open and not through the dingy glass in the prison. I could tell it was tailored to him, going the extra mile in flattering his figure.

“Hey Hot Shot.”

He pushed himself off the fence making it clang against itself as he locked eyes with me, “Hey Angel.”

We walked toward each other until we were face to face, “And what are you doing here?”

“I figured you could use a ride.”

I smiled and snuck a glance at his car, “Is that all?”

He sighed and looked up at the sky before looking back at me, as if he was hyping himself up for something, “No… I also wanted to say something that I’ve been wanting to for a long time.”

I bit my lip, wondering if I should get my hopes up I whispered, “What would that be?”

He took a step closer, “That I love you.” His hands reached out and grabbed my arms as if making sure I was really here.

I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face, “Why didn’t you say it earlier?”

“Because then I couldn’t do this,” he pulled me closer and dipped his head towards mine, “may I?”

“I’ve been waiting too long for this for you to stop now.” I met him where he was which seemed to surprise him slightly.

My hand traveled up until it was running through his hair. My other hand rested on his shoulder to give me some stability. His hands left my arms and found their way to my waist where he could pull me closer.

He was firm and eager like he had waited too long too. He nibbled on my lip to which I let out a moan before softly pulling away.

“I love you too.”

He kissed my cheek gently, “You know, ever since that ally way I’ve been wondering what those noises sounded like for real.”

I laughed and shoved him playfully, “Is that so!”

He laughed with me and grabbed my waist with one arm to lead me toward his car, “Yeah… I hope you haven’t been too bored in there without my company.”

“Oh, I’ve managed. I actually took up writing to fill up my time. Knights in shining armor, villains with a cause.”

“That sounds very interesting.”

I huffed lightly, “So what made you make the stupid decision of loving me?”

He smiled and paused to give me one more loving kiss.

“Come on Angel, let me tell you a story.”

Best Buds Tag List: @snarky--starky​ @kitkatd7​ @confetti-its-an-imagine-blog​ @kaogasm​

Dean: @akshi8278​ @msmarvelouswinchester​

TMAS: @flamencodiva

[clickbaitcas]

The Truth

Dean has a special present for his boyfriend. Dean rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans. He wasn’t sure what Cas was going to think. He looked at hiagain, and almost tore it apart to start over. It was a care package of sorts. It was really just a box of knick knacks that made Dean think of his boyfriend over the years. There were some cheesy ties that reminded him of Cas, a little jar of honey he picked up at a local shop after a hunt one day, and at the bottom, a silver wedding band. God he was nervous. He’d been carrying the ring around for months, but didn’t have the guts to bring it out in front of Cas. They were planning a huge party for Christmas Eve, and they all agreed everyone would open presents together. Jody, Donna and the girls, Charlie and Stevie, Bobby, Rowena, Eileen, Becky and her family, Garth, Bess and the kids, Ketch, and some hunters who don’t hate their guts. Dean thought that if he was going to propose, he may as well do it in front of all their family.

That didn’t make him any less nervous. He decided to just wrap it and forget about it before he over thought it too much. He wrote “Cas” on it in his best handwriting and went to go set it under the giant tree they put in the library. The bunker was full of noise. People were chatting and laughing, Jack was playing ‘Sorry’ with some of the kids, Claire and Alex were arguing over who got the last snickerdoodle, and there was Christmas music playing faintly from a corner. Dean was talking to Jody with a glass of sparkling… apple cider in his hand, but really he was nervously glancing over at Cas who was talking with Charlie. “Alright, you haven’t listened to a word I just said, what’s up.” “Hm? Oh, nothing,” Dean said quickly. “I’m a mom, I know when someone’s not listening to me,” Jody admonished. Dean sighed, “I’m just… nervous to give Cas his present.” Jody’s face shifted into a soft smile. “I’m sure whatever it is, he’ll love it.” He flashed a quick smile, “yea, ‘course.” “Dean, you look like you’re going to puke. What the hell are you so nervous about giving Cas?” Jody put a hand on Dean’s elbow. Dean cleared his throat. “I, uh, I’m going to,” he lowered his voice to a whisper, “I’m proposing to him.” Jody squealed with delight and then immediately clamped a hand over her mouth when Dean glared at her. “Sorry,” she said in a hushed voice before returning to her normal volume. “Dean, that’s wonderful! Congratulations!” Dean chuckled, “Can’t congratulate me til he says ‘yes’” “Oh but he will,” she gave his shoulder a light punch. “He loves you, Dean, anyone with a brain can see that.” They both turned around to see Cas trying very hard to understand something Charlie was saying, probably about LARPing. Dean relaxed a little looking at his boyfriend. “Well, I’m gonna get us some more punch,” Jody grabbed Dean’s glass and left for the kitchen with a wink. Dean sat down at the table and was soon wrapped into a discussion on the intricacies of Led Zeppelin with one of Donna’s hunter friends. After dinner, it was time to open presents. They all sat in a big semi circle around the tree. The kids got to open their presents first. Garth gave them all socks so that Mr Fizzles could have some friends. Jody and Donna gave everyone a tin of cookies with a cute note on each. Sam gave Dean an exercise book with a DVD. “Really, Sam? You know I’m never gonna use this,” Dean had said with a dubious look at his brother. Sam shrugged with a glint in his eye, “just open it.” Dean rolled his eyes before opening the cover. It was full of assorted chocolates, and closer inspection of the DVD revealed that it was actually a copy of Star Trek IV. They all laughed at that. Finally, it was Dean’s turn. He handed out a couple things to Sam, Charlie, and Bobby before picking up Cas’s present and gingerly handing it to him. Cas smiled up at his boyfriend before gently ripping open the wrapping paper and looking through the items in the box in turn. When he got to the little velvet box at the bottom, Dean slowly sank to one knee.

He picked up the box and opened it to reveal the band. The room slowly stopped talking.

“Cas- Castiel. You have been… the best part of my life. You have taught me so much. You taught me how to never give up, you’ve always been stronger than me. Ever since we first met, well actually, I tried to kill you, I don’t know when I started loving you, but I know that I’ll never stop. You’re the one thing I’ve been sure of. I love you so much, will you- I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but it’s the truth. Cas, will you make me the happiest man alive, will you marry me?”

Dean’s eyes were shining as he looked up at his boyfriend’s face. Cas didn’t say anything for the longest time, at least it felt like that to Dean. Then his face cracked into a wide smile.

“Yes, Dean. Yes. Of course I’ll marry you.”

The whole room erupted in applause but the only thing that Dean was aware of was Cas’s lips on his. When they pulled apart Dean realized he had been crying and moved to wipe his eyes on his sleeve, but Cas used the pad of his thumb to swipe them away before kissing where each one had been. Both men were grinning wildly as they stood in each other’s arms, the rest of their family surrounding them.

-Ugh this took me so frickin long to write... sorry it's so late...

Ask to be tagged if you want:

@jellydeans @galaxycastiel @rambleoncas

[bktynes-writes]

Hey friends! Chapter 2 is up because I’m impatient and didn’t wanna wait to post until Tuesday. Please let me know if you want to be tagged in future chapters. Read on ao3.

The Blood of the Covenant

Chapter 2: Drinks

Dean's mouth had gone dry. He sat, frozen, hand clasped firmly in the grip of the man in front of him. He was dimly aware of the fact that he had taken far to long to respond, and the look Castiel was giving him now made him even more painfully aware of the knot forming in his stomach.

Novak. The name rang in his ears. He composed himself and managed to shake the man's hand before withdrawing his own and lifting his glass. 

"Novak, huh? What is that, Serbian?" He grinned at the surprised look that crossed the face of the other man.

"Yes, actually." He turned back to face the bar. "Most people don't get that the first try."

Dean chanced a glance at him from the corner of his eye and caught the small smile still tugging at the corner of his lips. Something in Dean's chest tightened as he wondered what it would be like to see him smile in earnest.

"So, Castiel, do you make a habit of jumping into random people's bar fights?" Dean asked. He motioned to Lee for another round. The alcohol in his veins made him less aware that he was sitting with a potential rival and more aware of how attractive he found the man.

"No, I can't say that I do," Castiel replied. "But I'm new in town. And I like this bar. I would rather it not be sullied by unsavoury company." He thanked Lee with a nod as he placed down two bottles of beer on the bar.

"Well, Dean here is about the most 'unsavoury' as it usually gets in here, and you seem to have made his acquaintance rather nicely." Lee provided with a smirk.

"Dean," Castiel said to no one in particular. It was like he was testing the name, rolling it around on his tongue to see how it felt, and when he let it loose from behind is lips in that low growl of a voice, Dean felt his knees wobble, making him very thankful for the stool under him.

"Right, yeah. Dean Smith," He introduced himself, and he didn't miss the look from Lee who, mercifully, did not comment at his use of a pseudonym. "Sales representative with Sandover Enterprises." He smiled.

"Sandover?" Castiel questioned. "The steel distributor?"

"The very one," Dean replied, raising his beer to Lee and giving him a look that he hoped conveyed the importance of his silence. It must have worked because Lee turned and busied himself cutting limes on the back bar.

"I see." Said Castiel. "Tell me, Dean, can I often expect to have to jump in and save you from brutes prowling alleyways and backwater establishments? No offence." He added to Lee, who raised his hands in surrender and continued to obviously ignore their conversation.

Dean chuckled. "No, I'm usually good on my own, Cas. It's just been a long day."

Castiel's lips twitched at the use of the nickname. "Ah. I understand. The last few weeks have been...exhausting."

"Oh yeah?" Dean looked the man up and down, letting his eyes linger slightly on his broad shoulders, his throat where his adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, and back to his impossibly blue eyes. "You don't look like a labourer. And I'm guessing this whole tax accountant thing you've got going isn't the case either from the way you swing a punch. What do you do?" He felt like he was in grade school trying to make friends again, asking what their favourite colour was.

"My family..." Castiel began, pausing and looking down at his drink. "Let's just say we've got varied interests." He smiled slyly at Dean, who was suddenly very aware of how his hands were itching to reach out and thread themselves through Castiel's hair. He kept them clasped tightly around the cold glass of his beer bottle instead.

"Well, maybe it's a good thing I ran into you then, Cas," Dean drawled. He let his tongue dart out quickly to wet his lips and didn't miss the way Castiel's eyes flicked down at the movement. "I've got some 'varied interests' of my own." 

Dean could see the man's pupils dilate over the bottle that hung at his mouth. There was a distinct red tinge to his cheeks as his eyes flitted across Dean's face, from his lips to his eyes to his throat, back to his lips. Dean pulled his lower lip between his teeth and smiled at the nearly inaudible gasp that escaped the other man.

Dean heard Lee cough, fake and dramatic, behind him. He grimaced as the trance Castiel's eyes held over him was broken. Cas shook himself and turned his face from Dean to peer sheepishly at Lee, who was now smirking at both of them.

"Well, Mr. Smith, thank you for this...eventful evening. When I say the pleasure was mine, I mean it most sincerely." He took one last long swig from his beer and clambered off of his seat. "Perhaps if I'm lucky, I'll get the chance to see you again." He turned on his heel, trenchcoat billowing behind him as the breeze from the door caught it. Then he was gone.

"Dean Smith?" Lee chided. "Really?"

Dean didn't realize he had turned to watch him leave until he heard Lee speak. He spun around to see a knowing smirk plastered across his face and rolled his eyes.

"What?" Dean scowled, taking a few more gulps from his beer.

"Nothing, man, nothing..." Lee chuckled. "Just the next time you eye fuck a dude at the bar, you should probably have the decency to give him your real name. Maybe your number?"

"Shut up." Dean groaned. "I just heard about the Novaks tonight at dinner, okay? Bela says they're trying to start a war in her district, and Sam and I are supposed to 'deal' with them." He pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes until stars popped behind them. "Why did it have to be Novak..." He said quietly.

Lee roared with laughter. "Because you, Winchester, invite trouble wherever you go, and I have seen that look on your face before."

Dean flipped Lee the bird and reached over to take Castiel's abandoned beer bottle. "Yeah? What look is that?"

"You think he's cute, and you wanna feed him shots until he's drunk enough to let you blow him behind the dumpsters at Antoni's on 64th St." Lee raised an eyebrow as Dean choked on his mouthful of beer.

"That is...oddly specific," Dean said when he recovered.

"Only because it's the same way you used to look at me." Lee shrugged and turned back to his limes as Dean glowered at him. "And that's specifically what happened with us."

"That was thirteen years ago, Lee," Dean said, his voice dropping. "Things are different now."

"I know, I know. Things change, people change even more," Lee glanced over his shoulder, the same shit-eating smirk as before stuck on his face, but this time it didn't quite reach his eyes, "you've always been a hopeless romantic Dean, no matter how much you hate to admit it. And I like to think, after all this time, I know you pretty well, sometimes even better than you know yourself."

Dean looked away as Lee made a few more drinks for some of the other patrons. He couldn't bring himself to look him in the eyes. He was right; Dean did find Castiel attractive.

It was getting late, and as more people rolled in off the street to escape the rapidly cooling night, Lee became too busy to chat with Dean any longer. He finished the two bottles of beer in front of him, bid Lee a quick farewell with a promise to come back again soon, and departed.

He was rather tipsy now, and the alcohol sloshed warmly in his stomach as he walked back through the city towards downtown. He wasn't ready to go home yet, but the conversation with Lee had left him feeling less than willing to engage in meaningful human interaction, and he knew there was a strip club a few blocks away that might offer just the distraction he needed.

He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and pulled out a crushed pack of menthol cigarettes. Dean didn't often smoke, but the alcohol combined with the thoughts in his head had him craving the sweet sting of nicotine. He stopped on the corner and lit one of the white paper tubes, hissing on the inhale as the minty smoke filled his lungs.

What did Lee know? So what if he thought the dark-haired, blue-eyed man in the trenchcoat was cute? He was a Novak, and if Bela was to be trusted - which he quickly reminded himself was questionable - that made him the enemy. Still...Dean found himself thinking more and more explicitly about Castiel as he continued to walk.

Would his pupils blow wide with desire and blackout that gorgeous blue if Dean touched him in just the right way? What would his already messy hair look like after having had fingers run through it a few times? How would Dean's name sound, groaned and gasped, in that rough voice, made deeper by lust? What would those chapped, pink lips look like slick with spit, wrapped around his - 

"Hey! Watch it, buddy!" Shouted a voice as Dean's shoulder bumped into another man on the sidewalk. "Fuckin' drunk..."

Dean couldn't even be bothered to respond to the man he had walked into. He really had been deep in his thoughts. Looking up, he realized his feet had once again carried him unconsciously to his destination, and he praised his knowledge of the city for allowing him to lose himself without getting lost.

Rowena's club was one of Dean's favourite places - second only to his car - and the buzzing neon sign above the door was music to his ears. Emerald green cursive spelled out "Eden" and turned into a snake coiled around a deep red apple missing a single bite. Dean delighted in the sacrilegious nature of the name. Given the activities that went on behind its doors, it suited the place. The knowledge that Rowena had chosen "Eden" to be intentionally heretical brought a smile to his face; even in Catholic school, Dean had never had much respect for the bible.

He cut the line with a curt nod to the bouncer and walked through the doors into the dimly lit club. Dean felt the tension of the evening evaporate from his limbs as soon as the pervading scent of cherries and tequila washed over him. The black brick walls and tables draped in blood-red velvet made the room feel smaller than it really was. It was hardly past midnight, and yet every table was full of men, mostly suits from the business district here to pretend their sexless marriages weren't failing. Dean snorted. Sam could have his apple-pie life with Jess; at least Dean would never end up like these poor schmucks.

Out of habit, he scanned the crowd and saw a few familiar faces, but thankfully no sparkling blue eyes and no trenchcoats in sight. The brightest source of light came from the rotating floodlights on the main stage. Dean supposed that keeping everything in shadow allowed people to feel more comfortable here. After all, a strip club may be fine and well, but when the money changed hands and gentlemen were lead to back rooms by beautiful ladies, it was best that no one knew each other's names in the morning.

A young woman in her early twenties gyrated and slowly removed her clothes on the main stage to the beat of the rock music blaring through the speakers. Dean couldn't help but watch her as she moved, dark hair falling over pale skin as she thrust her hips sinfully against the stage. Dean once again found his mind wandering, and he forced himself to engage the bartender in conversation as a means of distracting himself.

"Hey there, handsome," She said to him as he sidled up to the bar. "What's your poison?"

Dean noticed the way she leaned enticingly on the bar as she spoke, shoulders back, chest out in invitation for him to stare. He let his gaze linger for a moment before returning her suggestive smirk.

"Just a water for now, darlin'," he said. He could feel the whiskey from Lee's slowly soaking into his brain, clouding his judgement.

"Aw, you're no fun," the bartender pouted, placing a glass in front of him and filling it with water from the gun attached to the bar. "What, are you some kinda teetotaler or something?"

"Nah, nothing like that," Dean chuckled. "Just had a few already and wouldn't wanna forget your pretty face."

The bartender smiled coyly and extended her hand for him to shake. "Pamela." She said.

"Dean." He replied, taking her hand delicately in his own. "Do you just mix drinks around here, or can I look forward to seeing you on the stage later?"

She laughed. "I dabble. But tonight's not my night. I get off around three though, and uh, well, if you're still around, maybe you can too." She winked at him before being called down the bar. Dean watched her walk away, the sway of her hips capturing his attention.

"Well, well, well..." Dean heard the unmistakable accent drawl from behind him. "A Winchester. Alone in my club. To what do I owe the honour?"

Rowena was a tiny woman who had come from Scotland and made quite the name for herself in America's lucrative sex industry. She ran a tight ship with her girls, who did everything from stripping to pornography to escort work, and, in the case of Ruby and a few others, the occasional special favour for the Winchesters. No man controlled Rowena or her girls, and if anyone ended up on the wrong side of the devious little redhead, they were likely to find themselves in a sealed box at the bottom of the river.

"Rowena," Dean stated simply, rotating his chair to face her as she stepped closer to him. Her red gown caught what little light the club offered and shimmered. 

"I expected I'd be getting a visit from you boys soon." She sighed heavily and waved to Pamela, who nodded and brought her a martini glass of something pink and fruity-looking. "I was hoping it would be Samuel coming to call, but I guess you'll do."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Dean asked, sitting up straighter in his seat.

"Well, I suppose it's his well-muscled arms, his gorgeous hair, his tall, strong physique..." She mused, sipping her drink with a smirk.

"No, not that, Rowena, and ew," Dean cringed. "Why were you expecting us?

"Perhaps because of those Novak boys that Miss Talbot had Ruby go looking into." Her face darkened. "I don't know what she was thinking, but that poor girl came back beat half to death. She was a good dancer, always made a lot of money on her nights..."

"Where is she now?" Dean asked. "I wanna know what happened."

"Ah, well, we agreed it was probably for the best if Ruby took some time out of town." Rowena swirled the liquid in her glass and looked away from Dean to the stage. "I have other dancers that can fill her slot for the time being."

"Where is she?" Dean asked again, an edge to his voice that made Rowena glare.

"Not here, Winchester. And if you think for a moment that I'm so disloyal to my girls that I would tell you where she's gone, then you are sorely mistaken." She defended. Dean didn't push the issue. Her mind was made up, and there was no amount of bargaining or coercion that would change it.

"Alright, so why don't you tell me what happened then?" He directed. Rowena pursed her lips into a thin line. She was the only person Dean had ever met who could rival him and his brother for stubbornness.

Rowena sighed. "Oh, why not. The more, the merrier, I suppose." She gestured to a table next to the bar where an attractive young man stood guard, keeping the table open. She waved at Pamela for more drinks and slid into the booth's bench, touching the young man's arm gently as she did. When they were seated comfortably and had been presented with a fresh round of drinks - Pamela had ignored Dean's continued request for water and had brought him another glass of whiskey - Rowena continued. "What do you want to know?"

Dean wasted no time. "The Novaks." He said. "Who are they?"

"I can't say that I know too much, honestly." She purred. "But after the incident with Ruby, I did a little research. It would seem that the father, Chuck, had a wife years ago, Naomi, who was killed in some kind of gang war. He became obsessed with revenge and took over a good chunk of Newark, eliminating the gangs, building the communities, doing all sorts of goodwill charity work, all with funds gathered through several nefarious means." 

"What sort of means?" Dean asked again.

She sipped her drink slowly before she continued. "Standard fare. Murder for hire, arms dealing, the occasional art heist. If I had to guess, that'd be what made him target Bela in the first place. I don't know if you've noticed, but that woman can be a wee bit hard to handle. Not the type to make many friends." Dean snorted. He had no arguments there. 

"Now, Chuck and Naomi had four sons before she passed. Apparently, everyone is a bloody Catholic because they named them all after archangels, the poor boys. Chuck started sort of 'collecting' street kids who had lost their families to the gang wars. He took them in, made them a home, and built his own family, not out of associates and partners like you lot, but an actual family of brothers and sisters." She pushed her glass away and leaned forward into Dean, dropping her voice barely above a whisper. Dean had to move even closer to catch her words as the music from the club's speakers continued to fill his senses. "They are ruthless. Especially the four oldest brothers. They will fight and kill and bleed for their family, and they will smile while they're doing it. You think you and Samuel are close? You've got nothing on these boys."

Dean swallowed hard. Rowena wasn't one to exaggerate her claims. If she said the Novaks were dangerous, he had no reason not to believe her. "How much of a threat are they?" He asked bluntly.

"Well, they certainly aren't a problem you should ignore." She smirked. "But, I do have a feeling that some of that Winchester charm could come in handy." She reached out and tapped Dean lightly on the tip of his nose. 

"Thanks, Rowena," Dean said, slipping out of the booth. "And if you see or hear anything else..."

"I'll be sure to call you, quick as a whip." She said sarcastically. He nodded and headed towards the door. Pamela's earlier proposition rang in his ears, and, as much as he wished he could stay and accept, his gut was telling him to return home and relay the information from Rowena to his brother.

He staggered out into the alley again and rubbed his hands together to stave off the rapidly cooling September night. He thought about calling Benny for a ride. The Winchester bodyguard could always be relied upon to answer his phone at any hour and never say no to Dean. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and frowned. The screen displayed several missed calls from Sam and a few from his mother. He grinned widely. They were probably calling him to chastise him for not being present for Sam's proposal. 

Quickly tapping open the screen, he dialled his brother's number. It only rang once before Sam's voice came through the other end.

"Dean?"

"Hey, Sammy!" Dean beamed into the phone, staggering a little on the uneven sidewalk. "So? Did she say yes? Is my baby brother getting married?"

"Yeah, Dean, she did. Where are you?" Sam huffed into the phone.

"Out," Dean stated. "Celebrating on your behalf." 

"Are-are you drunk?" Sam stammered into the phone.

"I mean, pshhh, maybe? A bit?" Dean smiled. He was feeling great. Who cared about that pretty-eyed guy in the trenchcoat at Lee's? Dean didn't care. And he didn't care that he didn't care. "Listen, I talked to Rowena and - " Sam cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"Jesus Christ, Dean!" Sam yelled into the phone, and Dean immediately began to lose whatever happy buzz he had gained through the night. Sam never yelled at him. "It is 2am, and I've been trying to call you for HOURS! I even called Lee's, but he said you left before midnight, and now you're wasted downtown by yourself and I just..." There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Dean could hear Sam taking deep breaths to calm down.

"Hey, hey, Sammy, listen, I'm okay." He tried desperately to soothe his brother's worries. The panic in Sam's tone had sobered him, and he transformed immediately into Big Brother. His primary focus was back on protecting his little brother, making sure he wasn't afraid. "Everything is fine. I'm not wasted, just a little buzzed. I'm gonna call Benny for a ride and head back to my place. I'll text you when I'm home and call you in the morning, okay?"

"No, Dean," Sam said weakly into the phone, "it's not okay."

Any remaining happiness Dean had from the alcohol was extinguished. His feet stopped moving, and his own voice seemed distant as he spoke. "What's wrong, Sammy? What happened?"

Sam sounded like he was speaking through a tub of water. "It's Dad. You need to get home."

Tags: @valleydean @fighterfortheforgotten

[thecleverdame]

This Is Not A Fairy Tale - Three

Alpha!Prince!Sam x Omega!Reader

Story Masterlist

Summary: You’re a suppressed Omega who is forced into servitude after the death of your father. Your stepmother Naomi is a heartless woman who forces you to do the cooking and cleaning, while she tries to marry off her own two daughters, Alex and Claire. But your life takes a wonderful and dangerous turn when you meet the charming Prince Sam who also happens to be an Alpha.

Warnings: ABO smut, abuse, death of parents, magic

Beta:  ilikaicalie  

*This story is complete and posted on Patreon. Become a patron for a monthly pledge of $2.50 and get access to all my Patreon content.

-

“This is what I look like,” you whisper unable to look at yourself for more than a second at a time.

You didn’t realize how much you avoided seeing your own reflection until this moment. You are unrecognizable. You look like a shell of a person, an empty husk that’s been hollowed out and held together by string and sheer force of will. You've wasted away to almost nothing. Your eyes are sunken, your hair matted and ratty.

“I can’t.” You look away as tears slip down your face. “I can’t go out in public like this.”

“Don’t be so dramatic.” Rowena takes your hands in hers. “You’re beautiful. It’s just been hidden for a long time and we have to find it, bring it to the surface.”

“I don’t want him to see me like this.” You feel the panic rising, how could you have possibly entertained the idea that a prince would be interested in this thing you’ve become.  

“You just let me take care of everything. Come with me.”

She leads you to the dining room, sitting you at the head of the table and unpacking her satchel full of dried herbs and flowers. She grinds together a homemade concoction with a mortar and pestle, then puts in it all in a small stone bowl.

“I need your hand, dear.” She holds out her palm expectantly and you hesitantly hand over yours. Brandishing a rather terrible looking knife, she makes a tiny cut on your palm and turns it over so that the blood drips into the bowl.

“I’m scared,” you admit quietly.

“There’s nothing to be scared of.” Giving your hand a squeeze she twirls her finger toward you. “Now, I need you to sit back and close your eyes. Don’t open them until I tell you, do you understand?”

“Yes.” You give her one last look and blink your eyes shut.

“I want you to think of the last time you felt completely safe and happy.”

“I was very young.”

“That’s perfectly alright. Just hold that moment in your mind.”

You nod and remember one of the only detailed memories you have of your father, the way he smelled and the sound of his voice reading stories before bed.

Rowena's voice is low in the background, reciting some ancient incantation.

“Tui gratia Iovis gratia sit cures. Tui gratia Iovis gratia sit cures,” she chants.

A strange, exciting feeling spreads from your belly out in all directions. Sore muscles begin to relax one by one and the kink in your back is suddenly gone. This healing glow emanates out until you are restored from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

“Now, think about the most beautiful dress you could ever imagine,” Rowena whispers.

You think back to a powder blue dress you saw in the city last year, you can’t remember the details but it was ornate and surely made of the finest fabrics. A dress the likes of which you would never have the chance to wear.

“Keep your eyes closed and stand up.” You listen to her shuffle closer, taking your hand and guiding you across the room. “Now, open your eyes and have a look.”

Your reflection is not one you recognize. The haggard woman from before is gone and in her place in a breathtaking picture of a woman. A woman of such beauty you’ve never seen anyone who could possibly compare.

“This is not me,” you gasp, moving your hand up and down to ensure the image is real.

“It is you.” Rowena smiles. “I didn’t change a thing. The spell I cast was not transformative, but rather a spell of healing. I restored you to your natural state. This what you should look and feel like if it wasn’t for that awful tea and a lack of a proper mate. This is the true you.”

“It’s not possible,” you murmur, leaning forward to inspect your pink cheeks, supple skin, and shining hair. A thought occurs to you and your stomach drops. “The prince will not recognize me.”

“Oh, I think your prince would you know anywhere,” she laughs. “He saw the beauty in you without any magic. I simply brought it to the surface for everyone else to enjoy as well.”

Blushing, you focus on the dress. This incredible dress. You couldn’t get past your face but now this dress is all you can see. The bodice is tightened just right to give you an ample amount of cleavage, pushing everything up just so. The waist is synched and then puffs out into a shimmering pale blue ball gown that takes your breath away. The sparkles are twinkling as if the fabric is alive, made of tiny fireflies.  

“I can’t believe this is me.” You stare in awe at yourself, a million feelings bubbling up, but one overtakes them all. This is all so that you can see Sam again. “How will I get there?”

“You should know by now, I’ve thought of everything.”

You follow her outside, watching as she finds the fattest pumpkin in the garden. With a twitch of her wrist, it begins to grow and grow, slowly forming the shape of a sliver, glittering carriage.

“And now for a driver.” Rowens bends down and picks up a squealing mouse, your little friend from the basement.

“You don’t hurt him will you?” You watching cautiously.

“Of course not,” she wiggles her nose and drops the mouse. But what hits in the ground is a teenage boy who blinks wide-eyed at the pair of you. “Now, my dearest Y/N, you must go. Your prince is waiting for his mystery woman.”

-

“I know you’re disappointed, but you might at least try to conceal it.” Dean stands beside his brother, sipping wine.

“I knew this wouldn’t work,” Sam sighs. He looks around the packed room, hundreds of people laughing and dancing. Every woman in the place is hoping to be noticed by him but he's only interested in one person. “She’s not coming.”

“You don’t know that for sure. She could be late,” Dean offers.

“This late?” Sam raises an eyebrow.  “Hours late to a royal ball?”

“It does seem unlikely.” Their father, King John, appears behind them. “Are you positive she’s not here? There are so many women, perhaps she’s just lost in the crowd. You should do another walkthrough.”

“I would see her in an instant.” Sam’s disposition is souring with every passing minute. “This was a ridiculous rouse.”  

“Well,” his father looks around. “You do need a wife Sam and you need one soon. We tried to find your mythical Omega and now we’re faced with reality. Pull yourself together and go talk to some of these women. There is a sea of beautiful faces and they’re all looking to you.”

-

“He’s coming this way!” Alex squeals in delight, grabbing her sister’s hand.

“Calm down!” Claire hushes.

“She’s right, compose yourself.” Naomi, stands up straight, behind both her daughters. “Remember what we talked about.”

The youngest prince is headed toward them with his mother on his arm. Naomi has had the good fortune to have met Queen Mary on a couple of occasions and knows she’ll focus in on a familiar face. Like clockwork, the Queen spots Naomi and smiles in relief, tugging her son along.

All three women bow as Sam comes to stand in front of them.

“Good to see you again my queen,” Naomi speaks first.

“And you, Naomi. You look well. And who do we have here?”

“My daughters, Alex and Claire.”  She makes the introduction to Sam who smiles softly.

“We’re having such a lovely time.” Alex bats her lashes.

“Indeed. Although I expect it can be quite tiresome for you, Prince Samuel.” Claire has practiced and knows exactly how she’ll make her impression. “All this attention is a lot for one person to bear.”

“Yes, it can be.” Sam smiles, happy for any passing interaction that’s not another woman falling over herself to impress him. “Would you do me the honor of a dance, my lady?”

“It would be my pleasure.” Claire lifts her skirts and takes his hand as they walk through a whispering crowd.

Sam hasn’t danced with a single woman all night.

Alex sighs, and Mary stands beside Noami while their children dance in front of a crowd of onlookers.

“She’s a very pretty girl. How old?” Mary inquires.

“Twenty this spring,” Naomi confirms, holding back the urge to jump with joy.

“Old enough,” Mary mutters, more to herself than anyone else. “It was wonderful to see you, Naomi, I hope to see more of you and your lovely daughters in the future.”

“As do I.”

-

You’re late. There’s no one else about as your carriage arrives and you climb up the steps of the castle. What if the ball is ending? What if Sam has found another woman he likes better than a scullery maid? What if your heart breaks in a thousand pieces? But nothing can be worse than the life you’re already living.

Reaching the top of the stairs you look to your right. There’s another wide staircase descending downward and you can see the outskirts of the ball and hear the music and voices swirling into the night.

It’s now or never.

You take one last look down at your dress, your plump bosom and twinkling skirt. I look like I belong here, you tell yourself and begin to descend down the staircase.

-

Sam has just finished his dance with Claire. He kisses the back of her hand as hundreds of eyes watch with bated breath. He says his goodbyes and turns to look for his brother. He’s in need of some air and stronger drink.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spies someone entering late. He turns to find a sight that takes his breath away. He’d recognize you anywhere, but you’re a far cry from the women in the field. Your tattered dress has been replaced with a brilliant gown. You’re practically glowing. But your face is unchanged, that breathtaking beauty that’s been seared into his mind for weeks.  

He nearly trips over himself, scrambling through the crowd that parts like the Red Sea.

You’re scared, looking around for something familiar, but instead, are met with what seems like a million faces scrutinizing the late-comer interrupting the festivities. Fear rises in your throat and you’re about to turn and run away as your prince steps forward out of the crowd with a brilliant smile plastered across his face

“I’m so sorry I’m late.” You can’t help but stare at how handsome he looks, hair slicked back and overcoat fitted perfectly.

“You came,” he breathes, staring at you as he offers you a hand down from the last step. He pulls you closer, taking both your small hands between his. “I didn’t think you wanted to see me again.”

“On the contrary,” you crane your neck up toward him like a flower searching for sunlight. “You are all I’ve thought of.”

“You look radiant.” He brushes his thumb over your cheek. “Just as I remember.”

You don’t have a response for that, but the whispers of the people around you break the bubble.

“There are quite a few people watching us,” you whisper, looking around him.

“Are they? I thought we were alone.” He grins, giving a happy laugh. “I just want to hold you. Will you dance with me?”

“I would like nothing more.” You take his hand as he leads you toward the dance floor.

-

“And who do we have here?” John looks at his wife and eldest son as they watch from a terrace above the crowd.

“I think Sam has found his Omega,” Dean grins.

-

“Who is she?” Claire stands on her tiptoes, craning her neck to spy on this new mystery woman.

“Look at her dress,” Alex mutters in awe. “Where would someone even find a dress like that.”

“Paris?” Claire looks to their mother for confirmation. “She must be visiting”

“She’s beautiful, that's for sure.” Naomi squints, trying to get a better look as Prince Samuel leads his guest toward the dance floor.

“I don’t stand a chance against a woman like that,” Claire huffs, her shoulders dropping in defeat.

“Don’t count yourself out so quickly.” Naomi raises a brow. “Let’s see what we can find out about this rare beauty.”

-

“I can’t believe I’m here.” You stare up at this man towering above you who looks just as thrilled to see you as you are him. “I feared I’d ever see you again. This is a dream.”

“I tried to find you,” Sam explains. You’re swaying to music but only to keep up the appearance of dancing. This is nothing more than an excuse to touch each other. “I tried to follow you that day but you got away before I could. My brother and I searched, but I couldn’t remember how I found the willow tree. We spent days in the woods.”

“I’m sorry I ran away.” You want to tell him everything. All the details of your life and how it came to be what it is.

“Luckily my mother came up with this solution. She said you’d show up. I should have had more faith.”

“There’s so much I want to tell you,” you admit, swimming in his kind, understanding eyes.

“We’ll have time to talk later,” he assures you. Glancing up he grimaces as the music slows and the song ends. “Can we go somewhere private?”

“Yes, of course,” you agree. He offers his arm as you head toward the corner of the room, gossip already spreading.

Sam leads you down a series of dark and winding hallways. You have to trot to keep up with him and nearly run right into his back when he finally stops. You find yourself on a small balcony overlooking the lights of the kingdom below.

Sam pulls you into his arms, wasting no time with an intimate embrace and you eagerly gaze up at him. This time together is precious and you won’t take it for granted.

“I don’t know how it is that I feel so strongly about you.” His shining eyes search yours for understanding. “We’re strangers and yet I feel as if you are the piece I’ve been looking for all along.”  

“I feel the same. After that day we met, I felt sick, more ill than usual. I’ve never met an Alpha before so I didn’t know what was happening but I think you did something to me.”

He makes a sound akin to a growl, a low hum in his throat as his long fingers curl tight around your waist.

“Do you understand the gravity of what you are?” he asks, a hand sliding over your neck as his thumb trails your jawline. “That being an Omega means you don’t have much choice in where or who you end up with?”

“I haven’t had much of a choice since I was a girl.” You breathe jagged breaths as his eyes drop to your breasts. “But I had a choice tonight and I chose to come and find you.”

“I want to make you mine,” he confesses. “I’ll do it tonight if you want it too.”

“I do but...there is so much you don’t know about me.” You want time to talk, to get to know each other and slow down this frenzied pace, but you also know that’s not possible.

“Do you belong to another?” he asks.

“No.”

“Do you want to be mine?”

You blink up at him, knowing this is the moment that will change your life.

“So much,” you whisper.

His lips catch yours without another word, the heft of his tongue sliding over yours and the sweet forage of his mouth searching deeper. He kisses you senseless, the press of his mouth is unrelenting until neither of you can breathe and he’s forced to pull away.

His touch is invigorating, the physical proximity bringing you to life as you pull him back down for another kiss. He backs you up against the wall, the heat and weight of him nearly crushing you into the stone. But you’d happily die just like this, in his arms and surrounded by his scent.

“Can I have you here and now?” he pants, pink lips parted while he waits for your answer.

“Yes!” you plead, gripping his arms as he dips down to scent you, open mouth leaving a wet trail up your neck. A shudder runs up your spine and you twist into him, desperate for more.

Immediate disappointment sets in as his body leaves yours, but it’s quickly tempered as you watch him crouch down to gets his hands under your dress. You feel his big, warm hands on your bare legs as he slides upward, brushing over the back of your knees and then your thighs, lifting your skirts.

You give a little shout when he cups your backside, one buttock in each palm as your feet leave the floor and your thighs seal around his hips. He dips back in for a quick kiss and then performs a balancing act of holding you up with one arm and somehow reaching the crotch of his pants.

The warm, silky-soft head of his manhood is suddenly pressed against your inner thigh and your eyes widen in anticipation.  

That familiar throb is back, the ache between your legs that you never felt until Sam came along.

The dress proves to be problematic, but it doesn’t stop either of you. You giggle against his lips as he fishes through layers of tulle to find his own cock.

Your light-hearted laugh turns into a moan as you feel him push the head of his shaft against your sex, slipping easily inside where you’re slick and warm.

“God,” he gasps against your mouth, before pulling back and looking up at the ceiling as he slides all the way inside, filling you to the absolute brim. “Omega,” he groans.

“Alpha,” you respond in kind, wiggling your thighs against his hips. It hurts but just a bit. Any true discomfort is overshadowed by how perfectly he fills you. If he were any bigger you wouldn’t be able to take him. This is surely fate the way your bodies join together.

With a grunt, he pulls out, watching your face as he slides back inside. Your senses are overcome, nonsensical, as he begins to move in a hurried rhythm fucking you against the stone of the castle.

This was not how you pictured your first time together. You’d never admit to how many times you fantasized about what it would be like to have him between your legs. But none of those fantasies had you fully dressed, with stone scraping up and down your spine.

And yet it’s perfect. You want him any way you can get him and in this moment, this rough, less than fairy tale moment, it’s exactly what you both need.

His hand struggles to hold you in place while the other reaches between your bodies. He fumbles several times, almost losing his grip before giving up and curling all ten fingers into your backside.

“I’m sorry,” he grunts, scraping his nose up the side of your neck. “I wanted to touch you, to bring you pleasure.”

“You are,” you gasp. “Please just...don't stop.”

“I thought you were gone forever, Omega.” His voice is hot breath over the hollow of your throat as he nips and kisses his way across your chest. “I won’t let you go again.”

His words are like smoke, curling inside you, the sound of his voice is enough to bring you pleasure. He’s moving faster now, his cock stroking easily in and out of your sex at a pace that has you bouncing in his arms as he chases his own release.

You feel him beginning to swell. You’ve only heard whispered stories, but enough to have a vague idea of what’s coming. The thick ring of muscle at the base of his cock thickens rapidly until he gives one final thrust and buries himself in you to the tilt. There’s an even more challenging stretch that should hurt, but instead triggers your Omega instincts.

You cum with his name on your lips, the back of your head smacking the wall as you squeeze around his cock, fluttering and shaking from the burst of satisfaction that makes your jaw clench.

Completely engulfed in this new indulgence you’re unprepared when his teeth sink into your neck. You feel your skin tear open as his hips push upward, trying to rut further inside you as he makes a permanent mark, biting even deeper than he needs to.

You cry out, still racked with pleasure that now blend with sharp pain and a sense of complete catharsis. The fear and pain you’ve been holding on to since your father died let's go in a deluge of emotion and you begin to cry.

He nuzzles his face into your shoulder. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“It’s not that,” you sniffle. He raises his head to look at you, blood on his lips.

“What is it then?” he asks gently, rubbing the tip of his nose over yours. “My knot?”

“No, there’s nothing wrong. For the first time, there’s nothing wrong.” You look into his eyes, he’s so close you can feel his breath on your cheek. “I’m yours.”

He smiles, his eyes darting to the fresh claiming bite.

“Yes, you are. We’ll have the rest of our lives together.”

He holds you in this precarious position until his knot recedes. There’s a sad, empty feeling without the heat of his body pressed against you. Then the uncomfortable sensation of his seed sliding down your thighs.

“Come with me,” Sam grins, tucking you under his arm and leading you back inside the castle.

[marril96]

When in Rome...

Pairing: Rowena x reader

Summary: Your and Rowena’s moment of fun is ruined when an alternate world hunter starts making unreasonable demands.

A/N: Set after 13x21.

Editor: @miss-moon-guardian​

*****

Things were hectic at the bunker, and if it wasn't for your and Rowena's tiny, same-private space, you would have gone insane. The two of you settled on a pair of chairs by the library, invisible to the swarm of people around you. It was more for your benefit like hers; Rowena could handle herself amongst people just fine, having done so for almost four hundred years.

As an introvert, you were finding it difficult. There was too much noise, too many people. They were like ants, swarming you, surrounding you, technically harmless but not enough for you to let your guard down. They may not have wished you harm, but the majority of them were still hunters. As such, they couldn't be trusted. Just because Rowena had helped them didn't mean they posed no threat. The two of you were witches, and that was enough for them to want you dead.

You were supposed to be on your way home by now. With the rift taken care of and everyone back home and safe, you and Rowena had done your part. But there were still a few things the Winchester needed help with and Sam had asked Rowena to stay for a while longer. She agreed, and thus you were stuck. You weren't going to leave her here alone, the only witch in a sea of humans. Leaving her alone had gotten her brutally tortured and murdered by Lucifer the year before, and from then on the two of you had agreed to stick together as much as you could. Where one went, the other followed.

"You have to work on your pronunciation," Rowena said. You were having difficulty with a spell and had asked her to help you out. Anything to pass the time.

"Gaelic is hard," you said.

"It is," Rowena agreed, sympathetic. She was a great teacher, endlessly patient, quick to calm you down every time you got into one of your I-quit moods. "Would it help if I wrote down the phonetics for you?"

"Yes, please!"

She smiled. "Alright." You handed her the piece of paper the spell was written on. She took a pen from the coffee table and started scribbling on the back. "When we get home, we're starting Gaelic lessons again."

"Okay." You'd handled Latin just fine, but could never grasp Gaelic. It was a difficult language to learn. Pronouncing it was all but impossible. "There's a language school in town. Maybe I should sign up for Gaelic lessons."

Rowena looked at you, deadpan, serious. "Don't insult me."

You grinned, which prompted a smile to break free on her mouth. "Just kidding. You're a good teacher."

She raised an eyebrow. "Just good?"

"Great. Awesome. Gorgeous." Her face lit up; the way to Rowena's heart was through flattery. "Sexy. Lovely. Adorable."

"Adorable?" she questioned.

"Most adorable." You booped her nose, and she scrunched up her face, confirming your words. Adorable. Adorablest. Goodness, you loved her! "God, you're so precious!"

She playfully smacked your arm, cheeks flaming, red as her hair. "Am not."

You pouted. "Ow! No violence!"

"Then behave."

"So mean."

"That's right. I'm mean. Not adorable, and certainly not precious."

"Sure." Your tone was dripping with sarcasm. Rowena rolled her eyes with all the drama of a theater actress, a practiced, seasoned one. "Think I'll ever be as powerful as you?"

The thought came to you out of nowhere, though it wasn't the first time you'd pondered it. Rowena was a powerful witch. One of the most powerful witches in the world. Was it possible for you to acquire such power? Birth hadn't gifted you nearly half of it, but was it possible to amplify what you had? Was practice and studying enough? Or would you forever be a regular witch, no different than any other in the crowd?

You were okay with being ordinary, but it would be a lie to say you didn't aspire to be like Rowena. The woman could make gods fall to their knees, could make archangels tremble in their vessels. One word, and what she wanted was hers. Who wouldn't want to be like her?

Many witches would kill for a chance to study under her. You were dating her. All you had to do was ask, and all her knowledge, gathered through centuries of hardship, was yours.

You just needed skill to harness it.

"Aye," Rowena said without a moment's hesitation. Completely and utterly sure of her response, as if you'd asked if the sky was blue or if bees made honey. She just knew it, and she was certain of it, and it made your heart swell up with warmth. "You're a natural-born witch, just like me. You're skilled, and you work hard." A smirk grazed her lips. "You have a great teacher, after all. I don't see why you wouldn't be like me. Power is taken, not given. Remember that, dear. I was born with potential, just like you. It was up to me what I did with it, and I made the most with it because why wouldn't I? It was mine for the taking."

She made it sound so easy. So effortless. Want? Take. Have. The end. If only you were gifted with such confidence. If only you were so sure of your capabilities. You weren't a bad witch by any means, but your power was still raw. Untamed. You still struggled. In comparison to Rowena, you were a peasant.

To be fair, almost every witch was a peasant in comparison to her, but that didn't make you feel any better about yourself.

"You're really good at pep talks, you know that?" you joked, trying to lighten the glum mood that befell you. No use beating yourself up over something trivial. After all, it was just magic. Your magic, that worked perfectly fine the way it was. However much you wanted it, you didn't need limitless power. You weren't helpless; you could defend yourself if you were in need. You could fight. You could have fun. So what if you couldn't seek out and kill reapers? It didn't make you any less of a witch, no matter what your insecurities said.

"Shut up!" Rowena said, a traitorous giggle — one of the most adorable, precious sounds she could make — escaping her mouth.

"You should pursue it as a career," you teased.

It earned you a glare that had to have killed before. The kind that scared everyone but you because you knew her enough to know she was all bark and no bite. A yappy puppy that loved to put on an act in attempts to be tough, all the while melting into a puddle at the softest touch.

You pecked the tip of her nose and blew her a kiss as she shot you another glare. The corners of her mouth twitched; she kept it shut, lips a thin line, giggles begging for freedom that would never come.

"You know what my favorite spell is?" Your eyes wandered to a bookshelf across from you, right behind Rowena. You focused on the spine of a random book; a leather-bound one, with neat writing and intricate lines trailing around the letters. As old as you and Rowena combined, possibly older. Beautiful in that way old, well-loved books were. Your hands rose up in the air, palms open, and you said, "Liber."

Magic stirred within you, a warm, comforting rush of delight, and the book shot out from the shelf, straight into your waiting hands. Your mouth dissolved into a grin as you clutched the book to your chest, heart brimming with pride, with wonder. No matter how many times you performed the same spell, it never ceased to amaze you.

"Lazy-arse," Rowena commented.

You shrugged. "Why should I get up when I can just say the word — Liber—" you glanced at another book, and it, too, jumped into your hands "—and voila! It's here."

Rowena shook her head. "I should have never taught you that spell."

"Hey!" you protested. "I'm a practical girl."

"You're a lazy girl."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

She sighed, shaking her head.

"It's fun and you know it! Liber!" This time it was a journal, written almost a century ago by some Man of Letters. You set it on your lap, atop the other two books. Rowena couldn't help it — she chuckled, and you shot her a smug glance. "Told ya."

"It's not—"

"Could you stop?"

The two of you looked up, startled by the unknown voice. A man was staring at you. He was tall, hair a scruffy brown, clothes hanging on him like curtains — Sam and Dean's borrowed flannel, too big for his skinny frame.

Rowena frowned. "Beg pardon?"

"Could you stop doing magic?" His voice was strained. Politeness as fake as the smile he was trying to put on. "Please."

"We're not doing anything bad," you said, baffled by the request. Unsure how to approach it. "We're just having fun."

He swallowed. Cleared his throat. Swallowed again. "Could you please not do it?"

Why did that please sound so accusatory? So insulting? As if he wanted to call you a bad word and opted for a pleasantry instead, hoping you wouldn't notice.

"Why should we not?" Rowena asked, daring him to shed the mask and say exactly what was on his mind. Challenging him the way she always did, never one to back down.

"It's making me uncomfortable," the man said.

Rowena raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"We're not doing anything to you," you said. You didn't even know his name. Up until now, you'd never seen him before in your life. Plenty of people had rushed in through the gate; you were more focused on Rowena, tired, at the end of her strengths, than the swarms of strangers bursting in through the rift.

"I don't like magic."

The man's cheeks flushed, a faint tint of shame staining them red. It was hard to believe he had any shame, saying things like that. For all you knew, it was as fake as everything else about him.

"Or witches." Instantly, pulling on a ridiculous smile, he added, "No offense."

People always said that, as if the phrase somehow made the blatantly offensive thing less offensive. As if it made it okay just because someone said (and lied through their teeth) they didn't mean it.

You stared at him, flabbergasted. Rowena's face was the picture of offense, but there was a flicker of amusement in the small smile on her mouth. She'd heard it all before. All the worst insults, she knew by heart. Nothing surprised her anymore. The audacity of the man, though, made her want to curse him right then and there (you could see it in her eyes, the desire to let her magic roam free, to unleash it upon him), but she kept herself in check. No need to make a scene — yet — over an insolent man.

"I don't mind you… doing whatever it is you do," he said. "Just, please, don't do it in front of me."

"Then don't look," Rowena said simply.

He tilted his head. "What?"

"If our magic bothers you so much, don't look at it. Surely you are able to look away?"

A nervous smile. "In my world, witches—" the word was spat out as if it were dirty, foul "—don't hang around hunters. And they don't use their magic around us, if they know what's good for them."

Was that a threat?

"This isn't your world, is it?" Rowena said, cold as ice. Tone a thinly-veiled threat.

"I'm just saying I'm not used to seeing magic being used so openly," the man said with an innocent shrug.

You couldn't resist a retort. "And we're not used to being threatened so openly." Two could play this game.

"I'm not threatening you."

"Yes, you are." You weren't going to back down, either. Rowena had taught you well. Alone, you would have cowered, maybe ran away, but with her there, you had nothing to fear. She wouldn't let anything happen to you. She wouldn't let a stranger — an ungrateful hunter — lay a finger on you. "Leave us alone."

He held up his hands, a feigned surrender. "I'm not doing anything to you. I just want you to stop using magic around me."

Looking him straight in the eyes, you held out a hand to your side and exclaimed, "Liber!" The book — a random paperback — flew perfectly into your palm. Not taking your eyes off the man, you laid it on the others in your lap. Does this bother you? your gaze said. Challenged. Dared. Does it make you uncomfortable?

It apparently did for he shifted his feet awkwardly and took a large breath. "Please, don't do that. I don't want you any harm. I just don't want to be around magic."

"You're the one who approached us," you pointed out.

A gulp. "Like I said, in my world—"

Rowena cut him off. "Shall we find you a way to go back?"

He stared, baffled. "What?"

"You seem to miss your world. Would you like us to help you go back?"

"Wha-that's not what I'm saying!"

"Witches fear you in your world, do they not? Isn't that what you want?"

"I don't… that's not what this is about. I don't want you to fear me!" The tone of his voice, his demeanor, the flicker in his eyes said otherwise. "Just stop using magic! How hard is that?"

"You didn't mind our magic when it kept the rift open for you and your people to come here," you said. "Maybe we should've let it close and left you in that war-torn shithole."

A vein on his forehead popped, face flushing an angry red. "I didn't ask for your help!"

"Why'd you come here, then? You could've stayed home. No magic there."

"You don't know what it's like to see everything you've ever known destroyed. The people you grew up with dead. Your home shattered to pieces."

"Sounds horrible." It truly did. "Seems you're better off here. With witches."

"I'm not used to your kind."

"Get used to us, then."

"Your kind is unnatural." He spat it as if it were filth.

There we go. "So you do have a problem with witches." Surprise, surprise.

"I don't want you here," he said. As if his opinion held weight. As if he had any say in the matter.

You couldn't hold back a laugh. "Sam and Dean are our friends." Acquaintances? Allies? Who was counting anymore? "We've been here long before you. If that bothers you, why don't you leave? You're living here for free. You're wearing Sam and Dean's clothes and eating their food. You don't get to make any demands."

"Who are you to talk to me like that?" he spat. "You're just a witch!"

"And you're an ungrateful bastard!"

"Watch your mouth!"

"Or what?" Rowena said. "What are you going to do, boy?"

The hunter leaned in as if to whisper a secret. "Sam and Dean won't always be around."

"That's right," Rowena told him, looking him straight in the eyes. Making her own threat clear. "They won't."

He laughed. "You're pretty feisty for a witch. Knew a few of them just like you. At the end, they were all begging for mercy."

"I don't beg."

"Yet."

"Leave us alone!" you shouted, purposely loud, having had enough of this. You'd agreed to stay on Sam's behest, but you'd never signed up to be harassed. You weren't going to let some lowly hunter threaten you.

All the chatter in the Bunker instantly stopped. Heads turned your way. Eyes observed you, curious, confused. The hunter froze at the sudden attention, caught off guard.

"Is everything okay?" Sam asked, walking over.

"This guy's threatening us," you said.

"What?" He eyed the hunter, who put his hands up.

"She's lying."

"She is not," Rowena said. "This nit won't leave us be."

"Is that true?" Sam asked him.

The hunter sighed. "They were using magic. I just told them to knock it off."

"We were just having fun," you said.

"And I told you I don't want you to use magic around me!"

"It was a simple bloody spell to pick up books!" Rowena snapped. "We weren't hexing anyone!"

Sam looked from the two of you over to him. "What's the problem?"

"The problem is, they're witches!" the hunter said. "How can you let them into your house?"

"They're friends," Sam said defensively.

"They're witches." His face twisted with disgust. "And they were using magic. Doesn't that bother you?"

"No. They weren't doing anything wrong."

"Their entire existence is wrong."

"Fuck you!" you spat.

"Okay," Sam said, holding up his hands. "Okay, let's all calm down."

It was easy for him to say. He wasn't the one being insulted.

"I want them gone," the hunter said.

Sam turned to him. "They're not going anywhere. Like I said, they're friends, and we need them."

"I don't need them."

"That's fine, but this is Dean and I's home. They're welcome here." He pointed up the stairs. "If you don't like it, there's the door."

Warmth swelled in your chest. Rowena smirked victoriously.

The hunter was flabbergasted. "Are you seriously siding with witches over a hunter?"

"Yeah," Sam said without a flicker of a doubt. "I am. They've helped us a lot. If it weren't for them, the rift would have closed and none of us would be here right now. I understand your reservations, but they're not bad people."

"You're crazy! This world is crazy!" Sam shrugged. The hunter rolled his eyes. "Suit yourself. I'm not hanging around witches."

He slid up the stairs and slammed the door on his way out so hard the walls shook. You sighed in relief. Good riddance.

"What was that all about?" Dean asked, emerging from the kitchen with a sandwich in his hands.

"One of the other world guys didn't like our rules," Sam said.

"Sucks to be him," Dean commented, took a bite out of his sandwich, and went back to the kitchen.

"You guys okay?" Sam asked.

"Aye," Rowena said. "A wee hunter doesn't scare us."

"Sorry about that. Most of the guys are really nice. I swear, this won't happen again."

You sure hoped so.

"Don't worry about us, Samuel. We're big girls."

You nodded, though it felt nice to know the Winchesters — for once in your life— were completely on your side.

"You're always welcome here," he said.

"We know," Rowena said. "Do you happen to have any more of that scotch from last night?"

Sam laughed. "Sure. I'll get you some."

"It would be much appreciated."

You quirked up an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

She shrugged. "That nincompoop exhausted me. I need a drink."

You supposed that was fair. Maybe you could snag a glass as well.

And, hopefully, you could head home soon.

As welcoming as the Winchesters were, there was no place like home.

*****

Tags: @werewolfbarbie​ @oswinthestrange​ @songofthecagedmoose​ @apurdyfulmind​ @getthesalt-sam​ @metallihca​ @salembitchtrials @jay-eris​ @hellsmother​ @elizabeth-effie​ @shadowgirl-vsb​ @rowenaswife​ @wonderifshelikesroses​ @xfireandsin​ @liddell-alien​ @hotdiggitydammit​ @lae-lae​ @darkhumorsblog​ @angel7376​ @cherrypierowena​ @evil-regal-vampiress​ @collectorofsecretsandsouls​ @angel-e-v-a​ @a-queen-and-her-throne​ @carryon-doctor-lock​ @fangirlxwritesx67​ @rowenaslilwitch​ @midnight-lestrange​

[fangirlxwritesx67]

Closer

art by @armellin​ - commission for @ltleflrt​ Both were gracious enough to allow me to write a story to go with this picture (see the original post here)

Sam x Rowena, 2550 words.

AN: You know what to expect by now: flirting, kissing, dirty talking, sex, a little biting (not cannibalism tho), size kink, excessive descriptions of Rowena being gorgeous and Sam being hunky.  I imagined this being an aside to the Taken By The Wind series, something with an established, loving and sexy relationship.  Thanks to @mskathywriteswords and @there-must-be-a-lock for the preread. This one needed more work than usual, so, thanks, friends. 

Sam took Rowena’s hands in his as she stepped toward him. In one smooth motion, he pulled her onto his lap, arms wrapping around her. She settled down easily, curling into his embrace. 

For once, the two of them had all the time in the world. They could slow down, sink into the moment, savor one another. 

Sam’s hand slipped around her waist and then slid down farther, cupping her ass. 

"This close enough?" he murmured.

"Closer."

Sam Winchester wasn’t too proud to ask for help, Rowena knew that. But he also didn’t say anything until he had exhausted every available resource. 

This time, he called her with a puzzle, a passage in a book written in a code he couldn’t decipher. As soon as he read it, she recalled the translation. She could’ve given it to him over the phone. But how often did she get an excuse to visit him? When he mentioned that he was alone in the bunker, that settled it for her.

Sam caught on, when she provided an answer quickly, that she had an ulterior motive for being there. She watched as awareness dawned on his face. 

“You knew the answer as soon as I asked, didn’t you?”

She smiled, lowering her eyelashes before looking up at him. “And what if I did?”

“Then why did you come all this way?” He spread his hands in confusion.

“How often do we have time and space to ourselves? I missed you, wanted to be closer to you.”

She rested her chin lightly on one of her hands while she reached across the books opened on the table. He clasped her other hand in both of his. His hands were huge, callused and scarred from battle, but he had long fingers like an artist. She lightly dragged her painted nails over one broad palm, her eyes never leaving his face. She was gratified to see his pupils widen until his gold-flecked hazel irises were only a thin ring.  

“Rowena,” he whispered her name like a question.

She put on her best coy smile, nodding. 

Seduction, now that was a game she had been playing -and winning- for years, with men and women alike. But with Sam, things were different. He was so much more than a prize to be won. Never had she met someone with whom she was so evenly matched in almost every way. She had taken him as a challenge, at first  He had grown into a friend, and then a lover, her equal. 

Rowena licked her lips in anticipation, her eyes never leaving Sam’s. He pulled his hands back, looked away and huffed out a sigh. She could watch that all day, his chest heaving and his shoulders lifting. 

With that deep breath, he seemed to lay aside a burden that always weighed him down.

When he looked up again, his eyes were wide, his face open. He only looked this soft when he felt safe. Seeing him like this, knowing he was hers, never got old. 

This was a rare moment, just the two of them, alone together. They were safe, close, and had all the time in the world.  

He ran one hand through his hair, a boyish smile crossing his face. She felt her heart leap, looking at him, thinking about getting her fingers into those silky chestnut curls. Then he pushed back his chair and held out both hands.

“How close?” he asked, his voice husky, the invitation unmistakable. 

She stood up and walked towards him with graceful steps. The long blue dress she was wearing had been chosen carefully, specifically for this moment.  Knowing how the clinging fabric draped over her curves, she put an extra sway in her hips, making the dress ripple like water. 

Her hands slipped into his outstretched grasp, and he tugged her until she was standing against him. Her breathing quickened. With one smooth motion, he pulled her easily onto his lap, face to face with him. She fit so perfectly into his embrace. 

He slid one hand down to cup the curve of her ass while the other rucked up the hem of her long dress. His fingers trailed over the silky material of her stockings until they found lace, and above that the velvety skin of her bare thighs. 

His eyes widened, lit with delight, as he discovered the surprise she had prepared for him.

 “A garter belt?” he whispered eagerly. 

“I prefer them, don’t you?” She smirked. He did, and she knew it, loved to watch him go all flushed and eager.

Rowena leaned in until their noses brushed, her gaze fixed on his. Her fingers rested for a moment over his heart as they breathed in sync. He leaned in to close the tiny space between them, and their lips met, whisper soft. 

Sam wasn’t the only one who felt safe when they were together. The sanctuary of his presence allowed her to open up parts of her soul that she had kept locked safely away for centuries. She loved Sam, and he loved her. Together, their magic was powerful.

The next kiss was deeper, hungrier. His hand caressed her cheek and she leaned into his touch. She let her mouth drop open, inviting him in. His tongue explored her, slow and savoring, until she whimpered, the sound muffled between them. 

She felt her skin prickle under his lips as his kisses trailed over her jaw. His mouth followed the line of her collarbone all the way to her shoulder before he returned to the base of her neck.

“Wish I could bite you,” he murmured against her creamy skin. “Taste you, make you all mine.” 

“Why, Sam Winchester!” She tipped his chin until his gaze met hers, nails rasping against his stubble. Her lips curled with delight and a hint of wickedness. “Who ever said I’m not all yours? Taste as much as you want.” 

“Oh,” he sighed as she ground down on his lap. 

She just had to tease him further.  “Or did you want to make me beg?” 

“You’d like that, hmmm, you little witch?” 

“Wouldn’t you?” She breathed the words against his lips. 

He stood up, and she felt how carefully he set her down with an arm around her waist. 

“Bed, now,” he commanded as he pulled her with him, wrapped in one strong arm. Her heels clicked on the stone as she hurried to keep up.  

Inside, he spun her to face him. She threw her arms around his neck as he tugged her to him. His hands roamed her body, broad palms and long fingers skimming and pressing and squeezing as she rolled up against him eagerly, tangling her fingers in her hair. 

They kissed desperately, breathlessly. She reached down and tugged up his shirt. Her hand slipped under it, feeling the flex of his muscles under his warm skin. She trailed her fingers around his waist, over his hips and down towards his belt buckle.

At her touch, he pulled away from her lips with a gasp.

“How do I get this dress off?” he asked.

 She showed him the zipper, and he helped until the blue garment pooled at her feet. 

She had dressed carefully for this exact moment, choosing a grey lace bra and panties, and garters snapped to stockings that circled her thighs. She was well aware of how she looked, skin glowing alabaster gold. 

Sam’s gaze raked like fire over her body, hot and consuming. Her spell of eternal beauty ensured that she would look stunning. But for him, no additional magic was needed. He knew her, saw her for who she truly was, and wanted her just like that. 

If she happened to be wearing elaborate, expensive lingerie? That was just a treat for both of them. 

He stepped towards her and cupped her breasts, thumbs pushing down lace until he could circle her nipples. She arched up into his touch. 

“Rowena,” he repeated. “Wanna taste you.” 

She had to tease him, one more time, just couldn’t resist.

“I seem to recall talk of someone begging. Is it you, now?” 

The look that came over Sam’s face was one she could never resist, controlling and almost princely. He wasn’t one to ask for what he wanted, so she loved when he demanded it. 

“Get on the bed.” He bit off each word.

She obeyed.

He knelt between her knees. She looked down and he raised his gaze to meet hers, dark and hungry. All that power, that lethal skill of the world’s most dangerous hunter, was at her bidding. She had never felt more safe. 

Sam hooked one knee up over his shoulder and turned his head to kiss her thigh, first under and then over the lace band, lips trailing across her leg. She felt him unsnap the clasps keeping her stockings up as he kissed over her thighs. She lifted her hips to help him ease off her panties and garter belt, and toss away her shoes. 

She was stripped bare before him, wet and waiting. Still, he took his time. His chin grazed the sensitive skin of her thighs, kisses growing more hungry, nipping and sucking as he worked his way higher. He bit her, lightly, right on the crease where her thigh folded into her ass. 

“Please,” she gasped. She couldn’t help it. 

She felt his lips curve up in a smile. Without looking down, she knew exactly the expression that would be on his face: predatory and proud. He had made her beg. She didn’t care. She needed -

“More,” she moaned as he finally lowered his mouth to the copper curls covering her. 

He knew what he was doing, what she loved. Her head tipped back against the pillow and her fingers wound tight in the sheets as he continued, insatiable, pushing her higher.

Every touch of his mouth was pure pleasure but he was still teasing her, taking his time. She couldn’t stand it, couldn't wait any longer. She reached for him, fingers skimming his face before slipping into his hair. 

She yanked, pressing him in hard, her hips bucking against his face. Her breath was coming in short gasping pants, murmuring his name among her curses and pleas. He kept working her over, relentless, generous, until she was coming, crying out for him. 

He eased her through her orgasm, lapping at her gently until she stopped shaking. He turned and planted one more sharp kiss on her inner thigh, just a hint of teeth along with warm wet lips, before standing up. 

She raised herself on one arm to watch as he took his clothes off. She would never tire of watching Sam undress, all those layers peeling off to reveal his beauty underneath. He was tan and toned, skin marked with ink and scars. His careful control belied his strength, but when he was naked, there was no denying it. 

If it weren't for her magic, he could overpower her completely. Even with all of her skill, he had gotten the best of her more than once. But he loved her, cared for her, took his time to pleasure her. And he gave himself to her over and over.

He had commanded armies of hunters, angels and demons, fought Death and won. She could own him with the magic in one of her fingers. The two of them were perfectly balanced: quick, skilled and lethal. Both of them among most dangerous people in the world, but together, they were safe. 

He settled back on the bed, sitting up against the headboard with the pillows behind him. 

He held out his hands, palms up as she straddled his lap. Her fingers laced between his, the two of them eye to eye, before she lowered her mouth and kissed him. He felt her lips curve up in a smile as she nibbled along his lower lip. 

She relaxed into his grip, letting him hold her, handle her.  She fit so perfectly into his grasp. He pressed careful bites and kisses all over her heated skin, He tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling until she tilted her head back. He ran his teeth along the sharp angle of her collarbone, the soft rise of her breast, the meaty curve of her shoulder. 

She shivered under his touch, skin prickling where his lips trailed against it. His attention was incredible, lighting every nerve on fire with desire.  She whimpered and writhed against him, covered him with her warm slick. 

“You promised,” she whispered, her voice thick with desire. “Bite me.” 

He looked up at her, eyes dark with lust, as he pressed in to her. His hands tightened around her waist, holding her down. She felt his thumbs dig bruises into her hips.

As he thrust into her, she shimmied against him. Even sitting on his lap, he had to lower his mouth to the base of her neck. She could feel that he was careful, restrained, not wanting to hurt her. She tried to urge him on with the wanton sounds falling from her lips.  

Desire burned through her with every breath like fire. She rocked her hips as he stretched her, filled her so perfectly. He was overwhelming, taking her apart and holding her together at the same time. 

His tongue traced a spiral on the hollow of her throat before he finally bit down. He was deliberate, measured, could hurt her but chose only to mark. She didn’t see it but she knew how it would look: the imprint of his teeth, a dark purpled bruise, angry blood rising to the surface. 

Rowena heard herself cry out as her mouth dropped open in a low, ragged sob.

Sam was everywhere, inside and all over her. His lips and tongue were pressing soft kisses over the marks left by his teeth. The sensation of mingled pleasure-pain was incredible. 

Her nails dug into the breadth of his shoulders, red crescents pressed into tanned skin, trying to anchor herself as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her.

She felt her climax building, desperate tension like a rising tide. She pressed kisses along Sam’s jawline and down his neck. His muscles were tense, inviting. She couldn’t resist - she bit him, too, right at the top of his shoulder. She felt him shaking, buried deep inside her, and then he was shouting her name. 

She was clenching around him, her mouth still filled with the salty taste of his skin. Then she was coming, crying out, cursing, as her world disappeared in a burst of light. 

When her eyes fluttered open again, she was resting in Sam’s arms, wrapped in his close embrace.

She could feel his chest heave as he tried to catch his breath. She was still quivering, heartbeat racing against his. He ran his hands lightly down her back, petted her skin with his fingertips. 

This was a rare moment for the two of them, so intimate and warm. Finally, she sighed and relaxed. She nuzzled her cheek against him and whispered his name. 

“Ro,” he murmured. “I wish I could keep you, care for you, love you like this always.” 

She lifted her chin to look him full in the face. His eyes shone radiant, satisfied. 

“Hold me, Sam,” she answered. “Hold me closer.” 

SPN First Last and Always: @boondoctorwho @dawnie1988 @deanwanddamons @defenderrosetyler @defenderrosetyler @emoryhemsworth @fookinghelljensensthighs @idreamofplaid @kalesrebellion @kickingitwithkirk @maddiepants @magssteenkamp @onethirstyunicorn   @the-chocolate-moose  @there-must-be-a-lock @tloveswriting

Sam Girl For Life: @awesomesusiebstuff @lilsylvia @winchesterxfamilybusiness

Rowena My Queen: @delightfullykrispypeach @lilsylvia @marril96​ @pansexualdarling @songofthecagedmoose​

[found--family]

watchnotes for 15x16: 

🎶 ..If I didn't care more than words can say.. If I didn't care, would I feel this way? If this isn't love then why do I thrill? And what makes my head go 'round and 'round.. While my heart stands still?.. 🎶

Rooster's Sunrise motel 🐓 *rubs hands together for impending meta* 

Travis kinda reminds me of Dean 🥃 

looking forward to the meta on Gwen's wardrobe.. 👀

no other show does funky-fugly motel chic like SPN does 😂 

*HEAVY SIGH* yet another Cas-absent episode w. lazy 'splainer writing 🙄 Sam thinking that Cas just "bailed" is OOC + Dean's "Cas just being Cas" like.. REALLY?!? they've done this scene a dozen times over the years and it always grates on my sanity 🤬 

HOWEVER: i can buy Dean wanting to keep The Thing™ a secret for now (as long as we get hints at his reasoning) + *delighted squeal!* Dean checking the text from the Cas mid-drive 😅 Cas wants Sam to know, it seems. i hope Sam finds out by the end of the ep 🤞

what IS on your Bucket List, Dean? 👂

KID!CHESTERS! 😍 (wardrobe!meta = 🙏) 

kid!Sam looking @ college stuff, he just wants to be normal 😭💔 

reminded how much i love the fact kid!Sam had an "imaginary" friend that turned out to be a Supe #ZannaAreFriends 🤗 

Kid!Dean projecting onto kid!Sam 🥺 

🎶 it's THE SCORE™ 🎶

kid!Dean knowing how to hack a 90s vending machine 🍫😎 

so the MoTW takes on the visage of its victims? 

facing one's fears in order to heal #Relevant

monster grabbing a kid trying to steal candy.. hmm.. 

kid!Chesters working the case w. other kids 👏 why didn't we have this content year's ago?? 

"You've changed, Dean" .. and not in a good way 😖 (reminds of Billie 13x05) 

it's an interesting ep so far: the case being mostly in flashbacks w. older!Dean not believing in a present-day-monster. i think they've done something similar a few times but not exactly. 

"This ain't the friggin' Goonies" and yet.. 

"Let's Boggle™" 😅 

kid!Dean being nervous + posturing on a hunt *nods solemnly* 

107 (room key) x 2 = 214 (room) 🔑🤔 

Dean being confronted by his dead kid (monster) self 👏 

also: that camera move where Dean seems to shrink as he goes to his knees + kid!Dean looms over him.. 🎥🏆 

is it a revenge-killing thing? 

this is the 3rd episode in a row w. focus on Fingers 🖐️ 

Second Chances™ 

*Jack's* neon sign in the bar over Dean's shoulder as they discuss a case w. dead kids 💡

way to scar kid!Dean on his first unsupervised hunt, but it's insightful: the Worst/Scariest Thing™ wasn't the monster itself but what it did, the sight of the damage done 😢 

kid!Dean "shoved it down the ol' memory hole" and "had nightmares about that [dead kids] for the longest time" reminds us of what Sam said in 15x14 about how "ignoring your trauma doesn't make you healthy" 😔 

kid!Dean keeping the visual horror to himself to protect kid!Sam 😭 

SAM: We used to keep a lot secrets from each other. DEAN: 😳 (Jack) 

BILLIE! comin' in w. sound logic #Priorities? 📋 

another Star Wars ref by Dean for compilation gifsets 🙃🛸 

UHOH 🌎 Chuck's done deleting other worlds + shit's about to hit the fan 

Billie lays it out plain (i love her): Jack chose self-sacrifice for Dean's freedom + hopefully forgiveness; even if Cas finds A Better Way™ to defeat Chuck, Jack would probably refuse. Dean's anger is playing a big role this season. 👀 

Sam reflects on Normality™, how his wants/view changed since childhood because they help people. 

can't help but see Billie as being on Destiny's side ie. somewhat The Enemy whose plans never quite work out: the Soul Bomb™ in s11, Ma'lak Box in s14, even Rowena's "death" saw her survive in a way. She speaks of adhering to Chuck's Book™ ie. what is already written/fate, reminding us of Writer!Chuck/the absence of Free Will 🤔 

Dean is willing to let Jack sacrifice himself ☹️ which is why he hasn't told Sam ☹️ because he knows Sam would want to help Cas find A Better Way™ (which is the synopsis for 15x17!!!) 👀 

DEAN: I want Chuck dead, I need him dead. (he's being selfish because it's personal, letting his anger drive him. If TFW 2.0 is going to win Dean will have to deal w. his anger before then). 😠 

another Ring for season 15 💍 and more heart/power symbology ❤️ 

LoTR ref from Dean 👏 

Gwen + her bong in the store room 😂 

"You have changed, Dean." .. in a good way; being truthful about being scared 💗 not that he thinks it's a good thing, but Caitlin does: "What do they say about getting older? You tell the truth more because you know that lies don't make anything better." (i think we all know where this is leading..) 👀 

hug Hello + Goodbye; platonic, despite kid!Dean initially crushing on Caitlin. Trauma + truth overshadows things. 👤 

kid!Dean being truthful w. kid!Sam in the end (not about the horrors of the hunt but about Life™: he "doesn't know" about Sam+college but he no longer shuts the idea down; says they make a good team in any case) 👨‍👦‍👦

Dean comes clean to Sam - rather than him finding out from Cas that he's been lying - about Jack and the fact Cas told him, not Billie. It's A Good Thing™. #CharacterGrowth 🌱 

.. what's not a good thing is the resulting argument shining a light on #AngryDean not caring about the Ethics™ of Billie's plan (hello callback to season 6 Castiel) and saying they "don't get a choice" #WhatHappenedToTeamFreeWill ??? 😧 

Sam lashing out @ Dean = YES. GO SAM GO. 😡 ... 🥺 

BONUS: 15x17 promo has Dean + Jack working together! 👏 

[mrsmess]

Faves and fails of SPN (season 15, finally):

Favorite episodes (in chronological order):

15:4 Atomic Monsters - Demon!Sam flashbacks! Dean in a beard! Some old fashioned banter! Meatman! Beaverdale! Love how Sam starts arguing w the parents in the parking lot - Me too, Sam, me too. Loving the self-aware monster. I know Becky is problematique™, but I dig her, so, all kinds of fuck Chuck. He must die, and when he does this is the episode I’ll think about.

15:6 Golden Time - Badass protection spells. Dean in a robe and a hot dog pyjamas. Cas going by Clarence. Jogging Sam. Eileen! God I ship her and Sam, and I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that I don’t ship him w anyone. Liking this ep a lot, every little side plot. Nice. And Eileen is back and I know it won’t last but like, that was awesome.

15:10 The Heroes’ Journey - Pretty neat intro. Monster on monster violence to the sound of Clair the Lune. Oh, and excellent casting of Garth’s kids. Regular people trouble... Awesome! Brilliant! This is the kind of meta storylines this show should deal in, exclusively. Oh my Garth! Explosives! Why isn’t every episode like this?

15:11 The Gamblers - Oh, is this another lucky coin episode? In that case yes please! More inconsequential bullshit kindly! Loving Sam staying in touch w Eileen. Hey guys, remember when you did the gambling thing w your years? And the rabbit’s foot? Good times. Will this be an equally good time? I hope so. A god! Excellent. ”Lady, I’m Tolstoy.” Yeah ya are, and i’m dead. The guys and Fortuna bashing god. And I'm equally delighted and distraught over the lore that god created man, man imagined gods and god decided to create the other gods to play into man’s ideas, or as a distraction.

15:13 Destiny’s Child - Omg the intro! Savage garden! I’m dead. Jack w the sandwich, why is that so funny? Cas is a gem this episode! ”’Sexually intimate’?” Lol. That’s what you get for trying to speak plainly, Cas! Hunter Corp. I’m dead, again. Keep the different Deans and Sams coming! I’m digging this! Why would they send ‘em to Rio? They could be your buffy-bots!

15:14 Last Holiday - Weird people popping up in the hq is awesome. And Dean’s immediate instinct to yell for Sam reminds me of me calling mr mess for everything! ”Shouldnt you be in the woods? Nymfing?” Monster radar? Oh, oh this is excellent. So mrs Butters is capable of murder when home and family are threatened, good for her. They better not kill her. I can accept them returning her to the wild. Yes! Did I call it or did I call it? Good Supernatural, good boy! And Dean making a cake for Jack! My heart.

Fail episodes (in chronological order):

15:2 Raising Hell - Rowena! Instant win. Ketch. Instant lose. Ketch undressing Rowena with his eyes = rating plummeting. Jeez. A bit dangerous even joking about the GoT finale, don’t you think? Rowena and Ketch full on flirting... this is hell, I'm being punished.

15:3 The Rupture - Don’t call him god! His name is Sucky-Chucky. The shock of Cas! “You’ve been playing us the whole time!” This is how it works Cas, where have you been? They're always solving problems like Jason Mendoza. In-Dean-angry-voice: “Anytime I had a problem and I threw a Molotov cocktail, boom! Right away, I had a different problem.” Rowena! And Sam! No!

15:5 Proverbs 17:3 - Listen, spn, it’s your last season and if you like just wanna stop writing and casting women completely rn i won't stop you or hold it against you (also why are these ladies identical?). We’ve had a terrible run but lets just let bygones be bygones.

15:8 Our father, who aren’t in heaven - Gosh, having Eileen in the show is painful, I’m just constantly expecting a piano to fall on her head. *Ugh* Sucky-yucky-Chucky. But hey, at least everybody else looks better alongside him. Case and point: I never rly cared that much for Donatello, but it’s great to see him, and Michael’s back, sure is nice to see him too.

15:9 The trap - Ugh. Main plot shit and Sucky-yucky-fucking-Chucky. Fail. Although the flashforward to jan 6th 2021 was a hoot (but probably not meant like one, huh?) Dean’s monologue in purgatory though... gosh. This show would be nothing w/o Jensen Ackles. Omg the kiss! Nice. However, the show at this point has lost the ability to offer any sort of pleasure. Because like Sam, we know which way this will go. They used to have some hedonism working for the characters but now they don’t even have that.

15:20 Carry on - You know what? I’m not gonna make this post longer than it already is talking about the last episode of Supernatural, that has been done better by people w real grievances w the show. The kindest thing you can say about the finale is that it just as well could’ve been jammed into a few extra minutes added to the previous episode.

Mediocre mentions:

Drag me away (from you) - what is this ugly cell interface? The opposite of product placement. Yay! Retro episode! And they got the same actor to play Dean, neato! Dean admitting he had a hard time handling hunting, that always gets me. Woah! That scream effect without reverb was kinda startling. And the camera zooming in on the little porcelain clown even though Sam is nowhere n- oh shit. This was an interesting episode

Inherit the earth - Goooood I hate Chucky. Barefoot Sam is okay though. Digging this soundtrack too. Very un-Supernatural. Nice to meet ya Betty, but I wouldn’t pull up a chair if I were you. Always a fan of the shiteating grin. Jack, stripping god of his power, that’s so hot. And again: kudos to the soundtrack! The Youngbloods and then Jackson freakin’ Browne! And you know, it’s clichéd and kinda vacant, but also kinda nice. I’m cool with the story ending like this. Why did they have to do another one? Supernatural has never known when to quit, and this is the very real backside of this.

Honorable mentions:

I don’t know who this Ardat chick is but killing Ketch puts her instantly in my win column.

Winchester-dumb, new household term.

”Feels like were taking a big, probably stupid risk. Feels good.” That made me feel good too.

I’m vastly enjoying this dark-art hippie couple in Unity and Jack’s interaction w them.

Cas launching straight into his dramatic I-will-not-let-you-end-your-own-life-speech when Sam casually mentions he’d like to talk to death in Unity, that angel has seen some things, and he has learned.

Those are some pretty pretty death effects on Jack in Despair/The Truth.

Obviously Misha Collins

Things that makes you go hmm:

Which of the clowns is this supposed to be in Back and to the Future? Because the one from season 2 was a monster, right? So he would’ve gone to purgatory. You know what? I’m not an expert. I try to not pay too much attention ’cause it makes me funny in the head. But just, y’know, a general objection.

Here’s my deal w death as a looming threat in this show: it holds no weight. And even if it did it has been painted as the ultimate relief, unless you go to hell, these characters know for a fact that there’s a potentially blissful afterlife, so their attitude towards death should be, what? More pragmatic, I think. And it’s partly why Ackles is wasted on this show; That man can deliver a death monologue like it’s nobody’s business, too bad all those words have been rendered meaningless after 15 seasons of this shit!

Summing up:

So, I did not go into or leave this season happy, I knew how it would end and I was sad for everyone the show screwed over (more than it already had). Which really meant that I always had to force myself to watch another episode, knowing what was coming. But I had to see it through. I did, so I’ll give myself a pat on the back and get to work on my own personal selection of episodes that will henceforth represent spn to me. A selection I’ll enjoy all the way through. All in all I think the most frustrating thing about the show is how it insists on taking itself so freakin’ seriously. It has always done horror *and* humor best and this whole heaven and hell aspect has never sat right w me, and in any case they should’ve leaned more on “supernatural” narrative tropes (if you will) getting out of their plot problems, gambled some more and thought a bit more outside genre conventions *especially* in their main arcs, they opened up so many opportunities that they never even used. They could’ve been more like Buffy, or Doctor Who. That said, I’ll always get that spn-itch, and when I do, I’ll be happy to have seen all the episodes so I’ll know which ones to avoid.