#came dangerously close to buying a monster hunter book i could not read

[drunkcleric]

I felt so smart looking at all the japan exclusive artbooks online thinking "ehehe, I'll have a rare art book"

Til I remembered I can't read Japanese

[m-y-fandoms]

Vampire Nagito Komaeda x Ultimate Monster Hunter reader - Part 2 (Supernatural AU)

Part 1 

WARNINGS: Blood Drinking, Vampire Bites

Please excuse any grammar mistakes. I think I got most but I edited this at 5 A.M. ... I will go back over it and scan for errors soon.

- Admin Kokichi

     Hours passed since your unfortunate encounter, and your heart and mind had finally shaken off the creeps. After finishing your little self-guided tour of campus, you headed to the Main Course dorms to find your room. Your luggage was arranged to come later that evening, but you wanted to see the dorms for yourself now with little else to do. 

      Once you shut the door, the warmth of the sunlight gave way to a wave of the best air conditioning money could buy. The place looked very clean and tidy, with nothing out of place save for a few displaced balls and plastic cups atop a pool table and what appeared to be forgotten lecture notes on a shelf above a central fireplace. This must be the common area, a lounge for the most deserving students in the world!

     Behind the fireplace on either side were two sets of pretentious-looking stairs that led up to what you assumed were the actual dorm rooms. You searched your pocket for your student key card. You flipped it around over and over again in your hand, searching.

     “What?” You weren’t going crazy, were you? Neither floor nor room number were indicated on your card. You pulled your phone out, quickly sifting through emails and texts. Nope. Nowhere, at any point, had the housing department told you exactly what room was yours. Way to drop the ball, Kirigiri… you sighed, finding this situation both a bit humorous and exasperating considering the status of the school.

     Well, you were a last minute transfer. There were bound to be slip-ups.

     Sighing, you resigned to sit, relax for a few minutes, then call the housing department, or simply walk over to the main office building if it was still open.

      "Maybe I'll just..." you decided you'd earned the two minute break and walked leisurely over to one of the beige leather seats. Sitting, you set your chin into your hand propped up by your elbow on the arm of the chair, and began to think of how much you missed your tools. School regulations didn’t allow poisons, crossbows, guns and silver bullets inside the dorms... for obvious reasons. Even students of the blade or other offensive disciplines had to keep all sharp and lethal objects in their practice rooms and out of the dorms (not that all of them followed these rules). Students were allowed to customize and adjust their uniforms according to their talent, but you couldn’t even do that, what with all of the tools of your trade being lethal or unexplainable to the ignorant masses.

     It felt weird, not having a wooden stake strapped to your ankle, not having wolfsbane hidden away in a compartment on your belt. You felt out of place, without knives and rune-inlaid whips hidden on your person... uncomfortable. This school really wasn’t for you.

     "Ah, it’s you!" A voice came from behind.

     "Huh?" You gasped, flying up from your seat, thoroughly startled. Your knee banged off of the coffee table in front of it, leaving you feeling like an absolute buffoon. Your hand instantly flew to your leg, and you hissed softly in pain.

     “Whoops! Didn’t mean to startle you, sorry!”

     Your eyes followed the voice all the way up the stairs to its owner. Nagito was scrambling down the stairs toward you apologetically, feeling responsible for your blunder. He reached his hands out as of to offer you his aid, but froze upon seeing you take a step backward. He stopped directly in front of you, clearing his throat before continuing.

     “What are you doing here? You don’t have to start classes yet?” You stared into his eyes, and a tremble ran up your spine. The greenish-grey, glistening spheres appeared icy and far away. “Well?" When you didn't respond, he spoke up again.

     "I uh... um..."

     "You have a way with words, I see, just like when we met earlier today." He teased, laughing warmly. He had one of those genuine smiles, where the eyes exude friendliness just as much as the mouth, and their misty shine entranced you deeply. He laughed again, a bit awkwardly as you merely gawked at him. A light blush formed on his cheeks and he swept some of his cloud-like hair away from his forehead. He held the eye contact, though, searching your mind for something, anything to tell him more about you. You felt a stinging begin, like a migraine forming in the depths of your brain.

      You shook your head roughly, tearing your eyes away from his gaze. How could you have fallen for that one? 

     Vampires could very easily compel the mortal mind, put one in a mind-hazing trance with direct eye contact alone. Being the offspring of one of the best hunters ever born, you were trained to notice when the bloodsuckers made their attempts to ensnare your mind or read it like a book. That headache was your warning sign, the last defense of a disciplined mind, but it shouldn’t have even of gotten that far. 

     You were slipping… why did this vampire feel… different?

     More importantly, you forced your mind to change the subject, how long had he been trancing other students? Was he doing this on purpose? Some vampires simply forgot their own strengths at times. Did Kirigiri know? Is this dangerous creature simply going around unchecked... doing whatever the hell he likes?!

     He coughed, his eyebrows furrowing with a sudden seriousness. He’d been searching your mind, looking around desperately for a clue, a story, a hint, and just as soon as he thought he’d found an interesting page to start reading, the book was snapped close in front of him. He was pushed out in an effort that seemed practiced, skillful. You saw the discontent lining his features, and decided you needed you stop this. You two needed to be on the same page, before he tried anything else on you; something stupid, or more bold. You couldn’t keep up this charade any longer. You had a feeling he was feeling the same way.

     "Stop that.” You spoke sternly, concisely, confidently. He needed to know not to try that shit again, that you would not simply be prey like others, not mentally nor physically. His mouth formed a smirk, one of relief and something like acknowledging the other player in a game.

     “Ahh~ so I see that I was correct after all. Are we done playing pretend now? Awww, I was actually having a lot of fun! It was quite stimulating, actually.” He frowned, pouting like a child called home at dusk after playing outside all day.

     “I’m afraid so. Sorry to disappoint you,” you crossed your arms over your chest defiantly,” and I don’t appreciate my mind being picked and prodded at. That’s extremely disrespectful, you know? That’s none of your business. If you’re doing that to people on the regular around campus, I will inform the headmaster.” You held a finger out, poking his chest firmly and with aplomb, and he only smiled in response, finding this attempt to intimidate him rather adorable. He held in a giggle behind his hand, not wanting to anger you. “Am I amusing to you?” You threw him a cross look, and he held his hands up in surrender.

     “No, of course not! I was just thinking, well... how do you know? About me, I mean?”

     You face went blank. You weren’t expecting this question, though you probably should have been. There was no possible way to answer this honestly. What were you supposed to say? The headmaster forbade you from telling anyone of your true talent. Disregarding that point, what would this vampire do to you once he found out you were one of those sworn to kill his kind? You didn’t have any means of defending yourself at present. You couldn’t outrun him, or fight back with raw strength. He couldn’t do anything right? He wouldn’t… if he were that brash, there’s no way Kirigiri would’ve let him enroll here in the first place. He has to be on excellent behavior to attend Hope’s Peak, right?

     You blinked once, twice. He was waiting for a response, staring patiently. You needed a response, and quickly.

     “W-what are you doing here?” Nice. Perfect.

     “Huh?” His head tilted, taken aback by the curveball you threw his way.

     “W-well you asked what I’m doing here, and you’re right, if I were starting classes today, I would be in one right now. We have the same core classes outside of the individualized training of our talent specialization. I saw the class rosters and schedules! I know you should be in class right now as well!” You were getting louder with every word, feeling very cornered and vulnerable at the moment. If you had just even one weapon on you… just one…

     “Well, uh…” now you had him. You smirked, feeling pretty clever at the moment. “I forgot my books... just my luck haha,” he countered, “So I came back to my room to get them!”

     “Then where are they?” And sure enough, he had nothing on him but the clothes on his back.

     “Hmm… well I came through the second floor entrance,” he gestured over his back “...and I was about to head to my room but I got uhhh… distracted I guess you could say. I really am hopeless.” There was that big, dumb, goofy grin again. Your mind took a second, but then it clicked.

     “...You smelled me…” you spoke slowly, cautiously.

      “Uh… I guess yeah. You could say that. Well that’s exactly what happened, really. I suppose I am glad we ended our little farce! Would’ve been hard to explain that one...” his index finger reached up, scratching at the side of his mouth pensively.

     “You really are a creep!”

     “Yeah, I’m the worst, I know...” Why was he smiling while saying this? “I’m sorry, again. Usually, it’s not like this. Of course I admire our talented peers and am drawn to them as they are pinnacles of hope and the building blocks of the future, but...” he pantomimed through the air grandly, “ I am very conditioned to the human scent. It doesn’t usually alert me nowadays. I dunno… guess the... tantalizing smell of a particularly interesting human was enough to… stir me.” He smirked almost tauntingly. Your eyes widened, but narrowed again immediately. You would not show him weakness. 

     “Stop that.” You scowled.

     “Apologies, (Y/N). Just speaking my mind. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m just sort of a disgusting waste of space.” Your scowl melted into a sort of sympathetic frown despite yourself. Did he really mean that? Why would he say that about himself? Vampires were usually more vain on the spectrum of supernatural beings. “I just hold Main Course students in really high esteem, and you’re no exception... actually, far from it. Ever since I met you this morning, you’ve been on my mind more then most mortals… strange...” he seemed lost in his own little world. What? What the hell was going on in his crazy little head? The silence caught his attention, and he seemed to remember you were there as well, looking into your eyes again. He caught himself, making sure to not to make such direct eye contact with you. When he was in these weird moods, he never could quite control his more passive abilities and instincts. “Anyway... yeah, it’s unfortunate that I’m going to be missing part of class now… not that I don’t enjoy the pleasant surprise! I knew there was something special about you right off the bat!" Would he still think that after he knew your true calling? You looked to your right, thankful for the large staircase to escape to. He was giving you unsettling vibes once again. 

     Supernatural beings were known to imprint easily on mortals. Some saw them as beautiful, perplexing, ethereal in their impermanence. Some killed and ate them just because devouring humans, or torturing them until the panicked aura of their tiny, weak souls radiated around the room and feeling that temporary fragility, that adrenaline, was the only way they themselves could feel human. This urge to feel close to humanity was only doubled, dangerously so, in supernaturals who were once human themselves. It was an insatiable need to return to that normalcy, that frailty. 

     Swiftly, you scampered over to the bottom step to put some distance between you and the increasingly imposing immortal before you.

     "Ah, I see. Well, anyway, thanks I suppose. I uh..." you grinned clumsily. “I was just looking for my room, albeit unsuccessfully. You can go ahead and get your books now! I don’t want to hold you up any longer!”

      "I can help! It’s no big deal. The way they get students moved in here can sometimes be confusing. Actually, they put your room number on the student portal, not your card or paperwork, heh! And they don’t even tell you, leave you to find out yourself!” He pulled a large, black rectangle from his pocket, crossing the distance to wave it in front of you like a treat.

     What the...? You patted down your shirt and bottoms alike.

     “Is that my phone? How the hell-?!”

     “Ah, yeah, sorry about that! I swiped it from you when I first came downstairs! I thought it’d help me get to know you better, had you not been willing to divulge the knowledge you have of my kind’s existence.” Once again he was calm, cool and casual whilst in the midst of saying such unusual words. What was this guy’s deal? “Here, you can have it back!”

     “Yeah, I should hope so!” You reached out to snatch your phone from his hand, and it was like time froze.

     The moment your fingertips touched his own in the exchange, your indignant eyes met his, and saw something feral flicker in them. The phone switched hands, and a spark of sorts traveled through your skin and into his. As you pulled back, his hand shot out, taking a tight grip around your wrist.

     Your cheeks warmed up, at once flustered when the atmosphere changed drastically. Your eyes dilated in panic and his lips moved forward, resting upon your hand. He seemed to tense up, a rigidness taking up his entire body. His closed eyes opened wide to match your own and he inhaled deeply of the skin of your knuckles. You pulled away quickly, spooked.

     "S-something wrong? Why are you so weird? I’ve never met any of your kind quite like you." You rubbed your hand curiously.

     “So, you’ve met others?” It was clear he was trying to hold back something deep inside of him that begged to crawl out, his eye twitching slightly.

     “Answer my question.”

     "No, of course not... you just smell... nice, as I said before." He looked away from you, hand extending to guide you upstairs and in the right direction, but your brain was telling you not to go anywhere with him in tow.

     “I- I can find my way myself, but thanks!” You began logging into the Hope’s Peak student portal through your phone’s browser, and quickly looking through your profile to find your room code and number.

     “I insist!” He followed you up the stairs, trailing after your scent like a starved hound. Why couldn't he just get lost? Your thoughts raced anxiously. If you’d had your equipment on you, he would’ve been long dead. He was exhausting, and he didn't feel… safe. “Found it?” he inquired over your shoulder. As you reached the top of the steps, you began to feel your blood boil, but you knew not the true cause of this involuntary reaction.

     Your last little exchange left you feeling foolish and naive. How could you have let a vampire get that close? Why would you let him indulge in the scent of you knowing how easy it was for them to take advantage of humans? You were royally pissed off, and looking for a way to expel that rage, to hurt someone or something the way you were hurting inside.

     “I know you’re a vampire because I kill them. My whole family does. It’s essential to be able to identify one in my line of work. I’d be a pretty shitty hunter if I couldn’t do even that, and you aren’t exactly good at hiding it.” You found your door, swiping your keycard into the extremely sleek, high-tech lock system, and forcing it open a bit too harshly. The frustration you tried to hide in your voice was evident in your actions. Nagito halted, stilled stiff by your suddenly bitter words.

     “Ah,” he cleared his throat, also hiding emotions of his own, “The Ultimate Hunter... it makes sense now.” He recalled seeing your title along with your name on his own school portal. How did he miss that one?

     “Yeah, so maybe you should get lost.” Heartlessly, you began to close the door on him, now fully inside the spacey room that was bare save for a luxurious bed and some basic, modern furniture. “Hn?” A soft gasp left your throat when a polished shoe wedged itself inside the door, stopping you. You looked up, your body filling the crack in the door, and met Nagito’s eyes. There was that far away look again. His eyes were cloudy, tameless, wild.

     “Why must you be so harsh?” His eyes bore into your own now, all inflection and kindness gone from his tone. “I understand you must hate my kind, and now I can appreciate why you reacted so aversely to my voice, my touch, my presence before, but have I done anything to harm you?” You were beginning to get scared now, reaching instinctively for your belt and finding it absent from your pristine uniform.

     “I think you should leave. We obviously aren’t meant to be acquaintances.” You refused to let your voice shake. This might be a turning point, a critical moment. Vampires were never so dangerous as when they knew their prey was afraid.

     “It’s your turn to answer me, now~” Nagito forced himself in the doorway nonchalantly, approaching your slowly retreating form into the middle of your room. You backed away, with him meeting every step.

     “If you must know, you have offended me, yes. Trying to read my mind-”

     “An accident.”

     “Stealing my phone-”

     “A precaution.”

     “Smelling my blood like a pervert, twice!” He smirked.

     “A natural, harmless instinct.” 

     “Even so...” Your eyes were on his own, obviously not focused on his body, and he took this opportunity to reach down, grasping lightly at your hand once again.

     “Even so, what? Those are all petty misunderstandings. Ahhh~” his cold, pointed nose skimmed across the back of your hand once again as he brought it to his face. This time, when you tried to pull away, he held fast, and warning signals flashed in your mind. “Just as I thought! Your scent appeals to me so because you are a shining beacon of hope! I see it now! It’s all coming to me! You protect the world from those of my kind who would seek to destroy it! How wonderful!” His cheek bumped across your knuckles, and you failed once again to pull away.

     “N-Nagito. Stop. This is.... you must consider context. If we weren’t in school right now, if we were just on the street meeting like this-”

     “You wouldn’t do anything~ because I’m allied and protected~” He sung, his eyes twitching again, lids fluttering softly. Your heart dropped into your stomach. He was right. 

     You were trying to resist, but he was making it so damn hard. It shouldn’t be this hard. You found supernatural beings repulsive. Your father did as well. And his father did! They weren’t trustworthy. Their words were always the lies of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They could charm and glamour weaker mortals with ease and enjoyed it! And you certainly were not a weaker mortal! You found joy in killing them... didn’t you?

     “What you’re doing now is-”

     “It’s strange, hah~ so strange~ I haven’t felt this inspired, this jittery about a mortal in such a long time... haha~ this excitement! I knew it! I knew you were special! You’re the true hope I’ve been looking for! The Ultimate of all Ultimates that will guide our classmates into their roles as the protectors and leaders that will inherit this earth!” He was manic now, inhaling deeply, raggedly onto your skin. One hand crushed your wrist into his own chest, the other held your hand so that it stayed splayed out flat for his access. There was something primal in his eyes. He was quickly becoming unstable. It was a perilous state so common to his kind, but yet it felt still so incredibly unique to Nagito himself, like it was not his immortality but his own character that caused this sudden shift in behavior.

     “Nagito! You sound like a lunatic! Let go, you’re hurting me!” Tears threatened to fall from your eyes. You were strong, usually able to ignore some measure of physical pain, but the way his fingers dug into your wrist coupled with the consternation you felt at the situation set your nerves aflame. Once again you reached instinctively for a weapon or poison you did not have.

     “Am I? I’m sorry. It’s just... I wonder...” You didn’t like where this was going at all. His chest shook with arousal , a bit of drool dripping from the fangs now on display in his mouth, which hung open in his state of reverie. “I wonder what this this hope tastes like... this pure, concentrated source of unbridled hope!” His voice shook, and you pushed at his chest with your free hand. He didn’t budge an inch. It was like he didn’t even notice your actions. “I know I’m unworthy, that a piece of trash like me doesn’t deserve to taste you... but I feel like now that I’m this close, haha~ I can’t stop myself! Truly, truly it’s a grand misfortune that a talentless, meaningless, soulless abomination like myself even dares to take part in such a feast! But...” He lowered his lips to your wrist.

     “Nagito, stop! You can’t do this!” You began to kick and struggle, to scratch and tear at his clothes, to claw at any exposed skin, leaving marks across his cheek and arms. “If you do this, you’ll lose your protection!” His top lip pulled back, something like a snarl emanating from his throat. Clearly that approach wouldn’t work. “You’ll be expelled!” You tried the next deterrent on your mind. Wow, you must’ve been the worst Super High-School Level Monster Hunter in history. Day 1: fooled into a vampire’s clutches. His inhumanely sharp canines grazed the skin of your wrist, feeling your pulse race beneath the surface. He was entranced; there was no stopping this now. A human, without weapons, without enchantments or defenses, without repellants, bombs, herbs, poisons, silver, or means of healing, was no match for a supernatural being. “Please! Please, you- don’t do this!” a last effort. Why did you even try? These savages never sympathized with begging and pleading. They were killers. You were an imbecile to let your guard down around Komaeda for even a second.

     His fangs sunk deeply into your skin, piercing a vein. You yelped out in pain, pulling at his hair and tugging your wrist back, which only nestled his fangs in deeper. You whimpered, little rivulets of your vital fluid running out of his mouth and down to your elbow. He was moaning in delirium, enraptured in the sensation of your blood running down his throat. You wanted to yell, to scream for help, but something inside you was hesitant and holding you back. Something inside you didn’t want anyone to find out about this, to find you two like this.

     “Mmmh~” Nagito’s tongue swirled around the puncture wounds, his lips latched on like a leech. He drank freely, deeply, seemingly careless of how much blood he was taking. It’d been a long time since he’d felt the exhilaration of feeding from true prey. These days they had him on willing donors and blood bags. Nothing compared to the flavor of adrenaline and fear in the bloodstream, no matter how much he hated himself for indulging in it.

     “Naaagi-t-” You stumbled backwards a step, wishing so desperately that you weren’t such an obedient student, that you’d deemed it justified to slip a stake, a knife, anything under your shirt. Your punches, your willful attacks on his abdomen, and the kicks to his knees began to slow down. They were losing the fight behind them, and yet, you would not give up. “St-tt-oo-” He continued to slurp and suck at your wrist, taking no note of the way you slowly were slipping to your knees. 

     The corners of your vision began to cloud and darken. Your head was ringing, much like a time you’d been left concussed after one of your first hunts. This might as well have been one of your first encounters with the supernatural world, with how badly you’d blundered every step.

     Now on your knees, your head hanging limply down into your chest with your arm raised and pulled taut, trailing up to the vampire’s mouth, you felt yourself slipping. Finally, your vision began to fade for the last time, and you fell unconscious. The last thing your mind registered was the sound of Nagito sighing blissfully as he finally detached from your flesh, followed by the sound of frenzied laughter.

[castielific]

The list

AO3 Link

Tags: Supernatural, Destiel, Alternate Ending, Canon Compliant (up to 15x10), Human!Castiel, First kiss Summary: 

Once there are no more monsters, the only thing left to fight for is happiness.

Here is my take on our boys’ happy ending. I hope you’ll enjoy it. 

**************************

"I hate you", Dean grumbles into his elbows. His arms are on the table, his head buried into it as he squeezes his hands over his ears. 

"I think he’s getting better," Sam lies, hiding his grimace just in time so that Dean doesn’t see it when he raises his head to glare at him. 

Dean opens his mouth, but is cut off by a particularly shrill note that makes him feel like someone is drilling right into his tympans. Even Sam can't help but squeeze his fists in pain, crumbling the edge of the book he's trying to read. 

"'This would be good for you, Castiel'," Dean says, imitating Sam. "What about us, Sam? This doesn't feel good for us!"

"It's not so bad," Sam offers miserably. 

Yes it is. It's even worse than bad. Dean flinches in pain at every horrible noise that resounds all around the bunker as Cas continues to play - or more like, tries to play - what Dean thinks is supposed to be 'Twinkle twinkle little star' on his newly acquired violin. 

Truth is, it is all Sam's fault. Dean can't ressent him that much though, because the look on Castiel's face when they went to the music store was worth the torture they've been enduring for the last two days. 

Since God has been defeated, they've all been having a serious case of cabin fever. Heaven and Hell have closed up their doors, angels and demons alike running home with their tails between their legs. Even the common monsters have gone into hiding. Apparently the Winchesters killing God has impressed them enough that they've all decided that they better keep quiet. Of course, they're still there, but smart enough not to do anything that might attract the wrath of the hunters. Apparently, they are exceptionally good at hiding when they want to because the only case the brothers have had in the last six months had been a rogue vampire that went on a rampage. He was still young and out of control. It took three hours to take him down, the whole deal was done in less than a day, even counting the drive. 

In short, hunting has become boring. All they've had to keep them busy have been some random salt and burn, nothing exciting. The rest of the time, they've stayed cooped up in the Bunker and it didn't take long for them to go crazy. Each in their own personal way. 

For his part, Sam has gone a little too far on his healthy lifestyle penchant, to the point that it became borderline unhealthy: Running up to three hours a day and eating nothing but vegetable smoothies. It lasted two months before he realized that all it was doing was giving him diarrhea and making his shins look like basketball. So now he's taken to digitizing and translating every book in their library….which sounds as exciting as getting all your teeth pulled out, if you were to ask Dean, but at least it passes the time. 

Dean's way of coping was on the polar opposite as his brother's: he decided it was as good a time as any to learn to cook better. Dean has always loved cooking and has been having a blast since they found the bunker. For the first time of his life, he has a home and a kitchen of his own. Until now, between the Amara, the Men of Letters, and all that crap with God, he never had time to really enjoy it, limiting himself to the few recipes he already knew: burgers, steak, and breakfast food. With the hunting gig slowing down though, he had all the time in the world to try his hand at more ambitious things like roast, chili, lasagna and way too many pies. 

His personal wake up call  came when he tried to put on clothes one morning and couldn't find any pants that fitted him anymore.They hadn't had a case for three weeks, and he had to admit that he became a little too familiar with sweatpants. When confronted with the terrible truth of his every single one of his jeans being suddenly too small, he had no other choice: he spent the whole day dismantling the dryer to find out why it was shrinking all his clothes. Sam had a blast mocking him and Castiel, with his usual discretion, was quite pointedly avoiding looking at Dean's stomach during that conversation. Dean spent a long time in front of the mirror after that. He regrettably had to admit that his stomach resembled more Father Christmas's belly than David Beckham's abs at this point. He started to follow Sam's health routine the very next day. Or, tried to, at least. It didn't last long before he couldn't take the smoothie torture anymore, and decided that limiting his pie intake to two per week and doing some exercise should be enough. 

Sam and him actually came to an agreement on food after that, and while Dean would never ever drink a kale smoothie again, it actually wasn't so bad to add a little more salad to his plate. 

All in all, it was a difficult time for everyone, but especially for Castiel. 

Castiel used to be an angel with a Godly purpose, a mission grander than anything people could even imagine. Then suddenly Chuck was gone, and the angels were gone too, and he just became a puny human with no real purpose, a soldier of God with no God to serve and no war to fight. Easy to say that he quickly joined Dean in his sweatpants' aficionados club. Except where Dean was happy to indulge in a laziness that he never really had a chance to try out before, Cas soon fell into depression. Even the best pies Dean made seemed tasteless to him after a time. He was lost in a human routine that he could find no pleasure in. It came to a point where he didn't even sleep in his own bed anymore, never leaving the couch except to satisfy the most basic needs. Sadly, on most days, showers didn't seem to be considered as one of those needs. 

Once they had their breakthrough about their own miserable situations, the Winchesters decided to tackle their new mission: helping Cas. 

It was Sam who proposed that they should all write a list of things they always wanted to do, but never had time for. 

They took a trip to the Grand Canyon on the very next day, dragging a reticent Castiel along. Their road trip lasted nearly a month, because they kept getting distracted by new destinations. Sam wanted to see the Harold Washington Library, Dean wanted to go to Baltimore to go to the Dangerously Delicious Pies shop he heard about while searching for new pies recipes, and so on. 

Castiel never asked to see anything, pretending gloomily that he used to be able to go anywhere in a flap of his wings, and therefore had seen everything he ever wanted too. Dean dragged him to an amusement park anyway, because he was pretty sure the angel had never been on a rollercoaster before. Dean regretted that pretty fast when Cas became strangely fond of them, saying that it reminded him of flying. They took so many rides that Dean threw up and Sam's nose bled for nearly one hour after. 

Still, it seemed like a wake up call for Cas. He spent the rest of the drive home lost in his thoughts or scribbling a list on the back of a gas station's receipt. He even asked them to stop in Utah on the way back to see the largest bee hives in the US. They ended up buying so many types of honey that they now have a cupboard full of it in the kitchen. 

They had been back to the bunker for two days when Cas declared he wanted to learn how to play an instrument. They went to a music store, where Castiel tried on every instrument from a harmonica to a full drum set. After the obligatory harps jokes, Dean tries to entice him to buy a guitar, and learn all the best Zep songs. Cas was too polite and knew better than to criticize Dean's taste in music, so he chose the guitar. Dean wasn't oblivious to the way his friend kept lingering in front of a black violin though, so he relented and bought that instead.

He's sorely regretting it now. 

It's still totally Sam's fault though, he was the one to come up with the idea of this stupid list in the first place. 

**********************

"I've decided what I want," Castiel declares as soon as the movie's credit starts rolling about a month later. 

Sam snorts, waking up from the doze he'd fallen into. He blinks at them, wiping his eyes tiredly. 

"I said no cat, Cas," Dean reminds. Apparently, one of Cas' item on his stupid list is to get a pet.

"I don't want a cat."

"I'm allergic to animal's hair," Dean reminds him, suspicious. Last night Cas declared he wanted a Camel. A freaking camel. 

"Of course, Dean, your health comes first," Cas concedes amicably. "Although, I do wonder if you're not using this as an excuse, and would not have been amenable to adopt a pet anyway, were it not the case."

Dean scratches under his ear. "What? No. Of course, I'd want one. I love animals. Just, no snakes or anything that eats living food. I know you, and you would just end up saving all the mice or something."

"You know, they do make hairless cats and dogs," Sam pipes up, smirking when Dean sends him a side glare. 

"Those are majestic creatures, indeed, Sam, but I much prefer the softness of fur. Don't you Dean?"

"What." What kind of question is that?

"Wouldn't you like it if you could have a pet with a soft fur that didn't make you sneeze and suffer so much?"

"Huh. I guess?"

"Good," Cas concludes with a jut of his chin. "His name is Honey," Cas announces, raising the kilt that was on his lap to reveal a…

"What the hell is that thing?" Dean shouts, jumping to his feet. 

"Honey is a texel guinea pig," Cas says, cuddling the little beast to his chest. The pet starts emitting a little noise in pleasure as Castiel caresses his fur. It has long curly hair. Its head is black with a white spot on the top while the rest of its body is a mismatch of large black, white and orange spots. 

"It looks like a freaking sheep!" Dean exclaims, sending a betrayed look to his brother that is already kneeling next to Cas and petting at the small animal. 

"See, Sam, we do have a guinea pig now," Cas says proudly, making Sam chuckle at what is obviously a private joke between them. 

"We don't have anything! I'm allergic, Cas, remember? My health…," Dean finishes, faking a cough. Sam rolls his eyes while Cas squints at him. 

"I don't think you are, Dean. Honey has been on my lap all night and you haven't shown any signs of allergy. I've looked at you closely to make sure."

"Do you think he likes kale?" Sam asks, taking the little beast on his own lap as he sits on the ground. 

"I think he might, Sam. The internet says guinea pigs need to eat a lot of vegetables. Do you want us to go and try to feed him some?"

"Yes!" Sam declares, squeezing delicately the pet against his chest as he gets up. 

"But-," Dean tries to protest. 

"I bought him a little hammock that he really likes," Cas tells Sam as he gets up too. 

"But I haven't-"

"That's cute! I want to see it!" Sam says eagerly.

"My allergies…," Dean finishes lamely as he watches the two other men leave the room without a look in his direction. He scowls, staring at the beer he's still holding. He sulks for all of thirty seconds before he grumbles. "Dammit, I want to see the tiny hammock too. Guys, wait for me!"

**********************

"Oh, that's...that's a nice...tree."

"It's supposed to be Sam," Cas says with a pout, looking at his very first painting.

"Yeah no, I mean, behind him? The big woody thing?"

"That's you," Castiel pouts, looking dejected. 

Dean grimaces, inclining his head to try, and identify himself in the glob of paint on the canvas. 

"So you're not Van Gogh," Dean finally declares. "Or Mozart. The important thing is that you wanted to give it a try and you did. If you liked doing it, then that's what matters, no matter the end result," Dean tries to reassure, squeezing his friend's shoulder reassuringly. He learned his lesson when his words about Cas' lack of music skill were not so delicate, and the ex-angel ended up giving him the cold shoulder for a whole week. 

When he looks back at him, Cas has a small smile on his lips and a look so full of...of something, that Dean can feel his cheeks warming a little. Seconds pass and Cas keeps staring until Dean clears his throat, forcing himself to look back at the ugly painting.

"What's next on your list?" 

A hand pulling on his arm makes him turn back toward Castiel. Dean barely has time to react before his friend's lips brush with his. It's so fast and soft that he's left blinking in confusion, wondering if that really happened. 

"This was."

Cas is still smiling, even though Dean recognizes the worried line creased between his brows. The hunter opens his mouth, but doesn't know what to say. To say that he wasn't expecting it would be an understatement. To say that he never thought about it, a lie. To say that he regrets it…

"I liked doing it," Cas declares, nodding his head in satisfaction. "Now I want to ride a horse."

"A- a horse?"

"Unless we can still get a camel?" Cas teases, acting hopeful. He sends Dean a wink - a goddamn wink - before he grabs his painting under one arm and leaves the room. 

"Ride a...Wait. Cas! We're not getting a horse either! Cas!!" 

*************************

When Dean finds him, Castiel is sitting on the bench Dean made from the trunk of one of the trees they had to cut down to make this space into their garden. The sun hasn't set yet, but the end of september's evenings are already colder. The last flowers of the season are blooming, and the vegetables they planted in the spring are starting to wilt, only a few tomatoes popping red among the green and yellowing stems. 

Cas is bending forward, forearms resting on his legs. His eyes are closed and for a minute, Dean is worried that something happened, that he's sad or sick. He's reassured when he hears the low murmur of Cas' words, see the slight smile at the corner of his lips, the one Cas always gets when he's trying to be funny. 

His friend hasn't heard him approaching yet, so Dean waits, trying not to eavesdrop on a conversation he's not supposed to be a part of. 

Dean takes the time to check on the apple trees he planted instead. They're too young yet, too small to give any fruit, but by next year, maybe...He can't wait to bake a pie with his own apples. He rolls his eyes at the thought, that's so domestic. Yet here he is, planning on planting strawberries and raspberries, checking on the squash that is starting to grow and wondering if it'll be ready by Thanksgiving. 

Vegetables are Sam's thing. Flowers and the small hive they've built are Cas'. Dean is in charge of the fruits. 

They planted their garden over the underground garage, hidden by such a large ply of trees that there is no risk of anyone stumbling upon it by accident. They had to cut down trees, dig out every root, and plow the whole area to prepare the soil. They've spent nearly all spring and a good part of summer working to create that little bit of garden on the Bunker's roof. They've bought so many gardening tools that they're already making plans to build a shed here in the spring. 

It's nice. The bunker is feeling more and more like a home, like a place Dean could feel himself growing old in, maybe. 

They've talked about buying a house, especially Sam, but somehow they can't see themselves leaving anywhere else than in the bunker. It's their legacy, the place they were always meant to be, and they've come to love it despite all the horrors that happened there in the past. 

Maybe it will change someday. Maybe Sam will want to marry someone, to buy a more traditional place with a white picket fence where he can raise kids without fearing that they'll choose a cursed object or weapon laying around as their next toy. Dean has noticed more and more of Eileen's clothes in the laundry, more of her things left behind every time she comes to visit. He hopes it's only a matter of time before he's not surprised to see her at breakfast anymore. 

By the time he's checked on the fruit part of the garden, Cas has stopped praying and is observing him. The sun is setting, painting an orange glow behind him, and for a second it nearly looks like Cas has a hallo. 

"You told Jack about the horse riding lesson?" Dean asks as he straddles the bench to sit next to his friend. He rubs his hands against the cold, blowing into them to try and warm them up a little. 

"Maybe," Cas says with a mocking smile that makes Dean balks. 

"Oh, come on, you promise you wouldn't tell anyone about me falling on my ass!"

Cas chuckles at the memory of Dean's horse throwing him into a giant mud puddle. Dean had cursed for a whole ten minutes as he struggled to stand up but kept falling right back on his ass. It made Cas laugh so much that he'd started crying. That's a thing Cas does now, he laughs. He does it more and more, and Dean is amazed by it, every single time. 

"Technically, I didn't tell anyone anything," Cas argues with a smirk. He's not wrong. They have no idea if Jack can even hear their prayers now that he's taken charge of and close up Heaven. That doesn't stop them from regularly praying to him, especially Cas. 

"You tell Sam and I'll bury your damn guinea pig next to the tomatoes," Dean threatens. 

"No you won't," Cas says with a fond smile. 

"No, I won't," Dean admits, pouting half-heartedly. He's actually come to like the damn beast. Which no one would actually know if Honey didn't start screeching every time Dean comes near it, calling for the treat that he knows Dean will give him. It was supposed to be their little secret but Honey blew their cover more than once. Dean is still pretending he hates the little ball of fluff, on principle, even though no one is fooled anymore. 

"You were right about the horse, I hadn't realized the amount of dejection it actually produces," Cas concedes. "Also, my bottom is sore from the ride," he adds, squirming a little in his seat. 

Dean chokes a little on his saliva at the image that brings to mind. Honestly, even without the innuendo, watching Cas ride a horse, hips rising and bending over the saddle, has done quite a number on Dean's libido. If he hadn't been questioning his sexuality before, he would definitely be now. Good thing he already was. Cas kissing him has been the only thing on his mind for days now. They haven't talked about it, and Cas is acting like it didn't even happen, but Dean has barely slept since then, spending his nights thinking about Cas' lips on his, and how he might possibly maybe want to do that again. 

"Did you kiss Sam too?" he blurts out. It's not the most subtle or delicate way to bring up the subject, but apparently that's what his brain has chosen to say. Damn you, brain! 

"Why would I kiss Sam?" Cas asks, looking genuinely astounded by the question. 

"Wasn't that on your list?" Dean asks, scratching the back of his neck. 

Cas squints at him like he's the most idiotic thing he's ever seen and, well, Dean probably is. 

Dean squirms under the stare, rubbing his hands again, as much against the cold as in nervousness. The ex angel gives a long suffering sigh before he grabs Dean's wrists. He pulls on his hands until they're under his own sweater. Dean is so startled that he just looks at the bulge his hands are making over Cas' stomach with wide eyes, not daring to move his fingers. They're nestled between Cas' tee-shirt and his abdominal muscles. It's so warm under there that his skin is tingling from the temperature difference. 

"You're an idiot, Dean Winchester," Cas declares. Dean looks up, and Cas is looking at him so fondly that it makes him blush a little. 

"Yeah," he sighs. "I know."

"I must be one too, because I would very much like you to be my idiot for as long as you would have me," Cas confesses, a little shy as he draws patterns on the shape of Dean's fingers over the tissue of his sweater. 

"I'm not sure, Cas," Dean says, making the other man tense up. "Are you sure you want to be stuck with me forever?"

It takes a minute for Cas to get his meaning, brow furrows intensely before they relax in realization. 

"That was my plan all along," Cas says, his smile so wide it's showing his gums. 

And yeah, knowing Cas, it probably was. Cas would have stayed by Dean's side forever whether he was an angel or a human or even a God. Hell, Cas was ready to stay by his side when Dean was turning into a monster bearing the mark of Cain, and when he was a demon. He wanted to stay by Dean's side even when Dean was cruel and screaming at him to go. It was the irony of it all, wasn't it? It always felt like Cas was leaving him, running away for angel business or whatever, but Dean never ever doubted that he would come back. He always knew Cas would come back somehow. After all, even death could never keep Cas away for long. 

Dean slides his hands a little higher, making Cas shiver as they travel over his torso under his shirt. Dean's fingers tightens around the cloth, and pulls Cas closer, close enough that their noses are nearly touching. 

"And now it's mine too," Dean sworns,resting his forehead against the other man's. He cradles Cas' jaw, passing a thumb under one of his eyes. The stubborn angel refuses to close them, even though they're so close that he's going cross eyed. Still, he keeps looking right into Dean's green orbits and hell, that must mean Dean can't keep his eyes off Cas either

When they kiss, it's sappy and tender and sweet and everything Dean always thought he could never have. The relief he feels makes Dean wonders if it isn't everything he's been waiting for all along, without even realizing it. 

Cas is right by his side, as always, and Dean is damn well going to keep him as close as he can for as long as he possibly can. And hey, he knows the guy ruling Heaven now, so that might just be forever. 

The End. 

[theotherackerman]

Carry on My Wayward Son

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Any recognizable elements belong either to Supernatural, Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, or Attack on Titan.

Notes: Hange's spells are Latin from google translation so I'm sorry if they're not correct.The tree on Mikasa's arm is based on the Yggdrasil.

CHAPTER THREE:  DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

Eren came out to see Zeke sitting on the trunk of the Impala.

Eren let go of Mikasa's wrist.

"You want the good news or the bad news first?" Zeke asked. "Trick question. The good news is they found Mina's brother. The bad news is that he was cut in half. The entire lower half of him was missing. It looked like something had been chewing on it. But here's the best part, the teeth marks look human, at least that's what they said on the radio."

"What?" Eren asked.

"Yeah, I know. I called Levi, he'll be out here with back up tomorrow. I got us a room at the hotel. Two beds and a pull out couch. All they had left. That's okay with you two?" Zeke asked as he jumped down.

"It's fine. I can sleep on the couch," Mikasa offered.

"No, you won't. I will," Eren offered.

Zeke was surprised but didn't say anything as he walked around to the front of the car and got in. Mikasa and Eren got into the car just a moment after him.

"Food?" Zeke offered.

"Yeah, let's get food," Eren said as he looked out the window.

"Do you eat, Mikasa?"

Zeke saw her nodded in the rearview mirror.

"She'll eat anything," Eren muttered.

"Can you not be a bitch to her for more than ten minutes? Just because she's a fairy.."

"No! Not like that. We had to live on whatever in the apartment. Some weeks, especially close to the end of a semester, we had to buy cheap groceries," Eren explained. "A lot of burnt Ramen when I cooked. She never complained."

"Your hot dogs and macaroni weren't bad," Mikasa muttered.

"That's because I taught him how to cook that," Zeke teased. "So are you two good enough to work the rest of this job?"

Eren looked at Mikasa in the rearview mirror.

She was looking at him.

"I'll work the job with her. As long as she agrees to one thing," Eren said.

"Oh, this should be good," Zeke sighed.

"No trying to play hero and going off on your own. No risking your life for mine. As long as I’m alive, you’re alive."

It surprised both Zeke and Mikasa that Eren had chosen that as his condition.

"Okay," Mikasa said as she nodded.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After grabbing food from a McDonald's drive through, they came to the hotel.

Zeke called dibs on the first shower, leaving Mikasa and Eren alone again.

Eren wasn't sure how to act.

He was worried about her though.

He didn't know why.

Hadn't Grisha said that a monster was a monster?

If it wasn't human, Eren was supposed to kill it.

It was simple.

There was a clear, solid line between good and evil.

Eren looked up from his phone to see Mikasa sitting on the bed on the far end of the hotel room.

The hotel room was cheap. It was covered in tacky seventies wallpaper.

Mikasa's legs were folded in front of her as she read through some sort of leather brown book. Eren couldn't help but remember being back in the apartment with her. His head would rest in her lap while she read and absent-mindedly played with his hair.

Maybe Zeke was right.

Maybe Eren was being too harsh on her.

No.

He wasn't.

She had lied to him

She hadn't told him the truth.

But then again, he hadn't told her the truth exactly either.

What he wouldn't give for the solid line of good and evil to make more sense.

"Was it a Yellow Eyed Demon that killed your family?" Eren asked.

Mikasa looked up from the book she was reading.

"No. Just a regular one," she replied as her eyes met his. "Why?"

"Just curious, I guess."

Mikasa nodded before she looked back down at her book.

"I shouldn't have said I wanted you dead."

Mikasa looked over at him again. "It's a reasonable response."

"No, it's really not. I...I don't think we can go back to that but I don't want to kill you or for you to die. That would be...bad."

"It's fine, Eren," she replied as she closed her book.

"No, it's not. I'm trying to apologize here."

"Save it, okay? I don't need your pity. Look, I'm just working the job that Levi asked me to. You can't say horrible things to me just to think I would forgive them. It's fine because in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. Once this job is over, we should go our separate ways. That is what would be best for everyone involved. I'm going to go to bed."

Mikasa turned off the lamp next to her bed as she put the book she had been reading on the nightstand.

Eren then knew the pain that Mikasa had experienced.

His heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces.

-------------------------------------------------

One of Mikasa's hands was in Eren's hair while he left a trail of kisses down Mikasa's neck. The other hand had moved towards his belt.

"Eager, aren't we?" He teased her.

"You're lucky I don't rip it off of you," she replied as she purposely lifted her hips up so she grinded on him.

Suddenly, the dream shifted very quickly.

He clawed at Mikasa's flesh. Long claws came out of his hands. She screamed in fear but he didn't stop.

He wouldn't stop until she was dead.

The blaring of a car horn cut through Eren’s dream.

He was the first one up and found himself in need of a cold shower.

As Eren took his shower, he wondered why he kept having dreams about Mikasa. Besides the fact that he was still very much attracted to her, the whole fairy thing was really throwing him for a loop.

“Just work the job,” he told himself as he finished his shower.

He dressed in the bathroom and came out to see a very sleepy Zeke attempting to get the coffee maker to work in the hotel room.

Mikasa scurried by him to change in the bathroom.

“So what dumbass thing did you say to her last night?” Zeke asked as he slammed the lid down on the coffee marker.

“Who said I said anything dumb? You should have a little more faith in me,” Eren replied.

“I’ve known since you were born. You always say dumb things. By the way, Levi is on his way.  He wants us to try and get pictures of the area now that’s its day. He said he’s bringing a specialist with him. Whatever that means.”

“How many hunters is Levi in contact with?” Eren asked as he walked over to the coffee machine.

Zeke shrugged, “I just assume Levi knows everyone. You’ve seen how many different phones he has hooked up in his living room.”

The coffee maker spurred as Mikasa came out of the bathroom.

“Morning, Sunshine,” Zeke beamed at her.

“Hi,” Mikasa muttered as she came out of the bedroom.

Eren couldn’t help but glare at Zeke.

“What? I like her. I mean look at her! She can be the little kid sister I always wanted before I got stuck with you instead,” Zeke grinned.

“Did you hit on Eren the first time you met him too?” Mikasa asked as she sat down on the bed she had occupied the night before.

“See? This is why I liked her. I’m Team Mikasa while you two….are whatever you are,” Zeke pressed the button again on the coffee machine.

It didn’t work.

“Okay, so coffee run before we go to our possible doom?” Zeke asked as he walked away from the coffee maker.

-------------------------------------------------------

This time, they decided to go more south of the ranger station. There was a dangerous hiking path there that few people had taken, at least that was what Mina had told Zeke the night before.

They pulled the Impala into the parking lot next to the side of the road. Mikasa climbed up the highest tree.

“Are we any closer?” Zeke asked.

“Pretty much the same distance as the ranger station. I’m going to try something,” Mikasa told him as wings sprung from her back.

The next thing Eren and Zeke saw was Mikasa running along one of the branches of the tree.

The branch snapped in half and fell but that didn’t matter.

Mikasa shot up into the sky and flew off.

“Holy shit!” Zeke exclaimed as Mikasa disappeared into the tree line.

“Should we follow her?” Eren asked.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Zeke told him as they both took off in the direction that Mikasa went.

For it being a dangerous hiking trail, it was cleaner than the one Eren and Mikasa had taken the other day.

"How are you doing over there?" Zeke asked Eren as they made their way towards the dead spot.

"Just peachy," Eren replied as he rolled his eyes.

"So is it cool if I ask Mikasa out?" Zeke grinned.

Two thoughts ran through Eren's mind at the same time. One of them was to punch Zeke.

He took the second option.

Eren laughed. "She wouldn't date you. Never. You're not her type. I thought you saw her as a sister."

"I though that at first but now...I don’t know. And what's wrong with me? She could be into me!"

"Do you want the list in alphabetical order or….?"

"Alright, smart-ass. Shouldn't we let her decide? I mean she seems to like me a whole lot more than she likes you."

Eren snapped. He grabbed Zeke by the collar of his shirt.

Zeke just grinned. "There's the reaction I've been waiting for."

Eren released Zeke's shirt.

He fell right into his brother's trap.

Zeke had played him.

"You never tell her about this. Ever," Eren threatened before he started walking again.

"I can't believe you fell for that. All those years of schooling and you don't know bro code. You don't take the girl your brother loves. So how serious was it before everything?" Zeke asked as he trailed after Eren.

"Why does it matter?"

"Oh come on, Ronnie. Share with your older brother. Listen. The most serious relationship I've ever had is that bendy weekend I spent with that Yoga instructor.  I mean granted….It was pretty mind blowing. The things she could do with her…"

"You know I can hear you?" Mikasa's voice came down from the tree.

Zeke and Eren looked up to see her continuing her run and jump trick.

"She did say she can't fly for long distances," Eren remarked as he followed her.

"HEY! MIKASA! HOW STRONG ARE YOU?!" Zeke yelled causing Mikasa to stop and looked back.

"Why?" She asked as she leaned up against the tree.

"Could you pick me up and fly me up there?" Zeke grinned.

Mikasa simply nodded before jumping down to the ground. Her wings fluttered, making the most beautiful landing. She was the most beautiful, graceful thing Eren had ever seen.

She didn't look monstrous in the slightest.

No, she looked like an angel.

But suddenly, she turned and ran off in the opposite direction.

"What was that?" Zeke asked.

Eren shrugged.

It didn’t take them long to catch up to Mikasa. They could hear her throwing up.

Then Zeke and Eren realized it wasn’t the flying that had made Mikasa sick as they began to smell it too.

Rotting flesh.

There were bodies.

A lot of them.

They were on the outskirts of what could easily be mistaken for a forest fire.

Except the bodies and the damage looked like the life had just been sucked out of them.

Mikasa came out a few steps behind them.

She looked awful.

Eren reached into his pocket and pulled a pack of gum before he handed it to her.

“Thanks,” she muttered as she took a piece out of it and handed it back to him.

“What the fuck?” Zeke asked, as he looked around the area.

“Was this….is this magic?” Eren asked Mikasa.

“It looks like an energy exchange to me. A big one,” Mikasa replied.

“For what?” Zeke asked as he pulled out his phone and took pictures.

“I have no idea,” Mikasa answered.

Eren stepped into an area of the ash to get a closer look. “I can't even tell an age. This one looks like it’s been chewed in half.”  He reached down and touched the ash. "This isn't normal ash either."

“So it sucks the life out of them and then eats them. Fantastic. Sounds like a Tuesday to me,” Zeke laughed.

“More research?” Eren asked as he looked at the other two.

--------------------------------------------------

Mikasa wasn’t okay.

Maybe it wasn’t an energy exchange.

Maybe it was something more.

Maybe it was something worse.

Resurrection wasn’t something one did without thought.

Mikasa didn’t even know how to begin something like that.

Sure, she’d had jobs where someone made a crossroads deal with a demon to bring a love back but they all ended the same.

The person was dragged to hell.

She didn’t even know a spell that would allow resurrection. True resurrection. Not a zombie or a puppet of the person.

Mikasa sat fully clothed in the bathtub, her knees pulled up to her chest. She had debated adding water to the tub but it would just end up making a mess.

She wanted Hange. She could have used Hange right now. They always knew what to say, what to do. Mikasa had called them multiple times since the close call with the Yellow Eyed Demon.

Mikasa didn’t know when she had started crying.

There was a knock on the door.

“You okay in there?” Zeke’s voice came from the other side.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Mikasa said, her voice did not betray her.

“Okay. Levi should be here soon.”

“Okay.”

She waited until Zeke walked away to wipe the tears from her face.

That had been far too big of a loss that she had seen today. Too many innocent lives.

Mikasa wouldn’t allow that to happen again.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the moment, Mikasa had stepped out of the bathroom, all Eren could think about was finding a way to make Mikasa slip away with him. The two of them should be alone together, like it used to be. He could show her how much she could enjoy the backseat of the Impala.

What?

No!

Why was he thinking that?

There was a knock on the hotel door.

Zeke answered it.

Eren didn’t know who he thought Levi was going to bring with him. But this tall, glasses wearing scientist looking was not who Eren had pictured in his mind.

Mikasa practically launched herself at the person.

“It’s alright now,” the person told Mikasa as they smoothed Mikasa’s short hair down. “Oh, I do like your hair short. It looks even better in person.”

“Alright, enough of that. Zeke, Eren, this is Hange, Mikasa’s guardian, a hunter, and a magic wielder.”

“Hello!” Hange said as they broke the hug with Mikasa. “So, I hear there’s a  big dead spot?”

“It’s more than that. It’s got bodies,” Zeke explained as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“Wait, what? You didn’t tell me that,” Levi replied as he took the phone from Zeke.

"We should head out there then. Check it out in person. I can try a spell to trace the magic," Hange suggested.

"I'll stay here. I'm not feeling too well," Mikasa said before sitting down on the bed that she had been sleeping on.

"That's fine. Levi?" Hange asked.

"I'll go," Levi replied.

"I'll show the location," Zeke offered.

"I'll stay with Mikasa," Eren offered, which surprised everyone.  

Levi narrowed his eyes before he began moving towards the hotel room door.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Zeke said before he gave a wink as he exited the room with Levi and Hange.

"I'm not a child. I don't need you to act as guardian," Mikasa replied.

"Never said you were," Eren said as he walked towards her.

"Then stop treating me like one."

"I'm not."

"I don't get you. You spent weeks avoiding me and now all of a sudden you want to act like a knight in shining armor? Why? What do you possibly have to gain?"

"I don't know."

"Well, figure it out. Because I can't take these mixed signals."

"Mixed signals? Seriously?"

"Yes. You hate me, you want me to die. Then you don't want me to and you're holding my hand. Pick a side!" She yelled at him.

Eren wasn't really sure what he was supposed to do with the anger that has been welling up inside of him.

But her yelling at him? Standing up for herself? That was something unmistakably hot for him.

"I don't know! Okay? I'm supposed to hate monsters? I'm supposed to hate you! But all I can think about right now is reenacting a sex dream I had this morning! Okay? I don't know!"

"Wait, what?"

"I'm a guy, Mikasa. I have sex dreams."

"No, not that. Do I feel some sort of sexual urge more than normal?"

"What? No. Maybe. A little bit. Why?"

"Because I know what it is. We need to get there before Levi, Hange, and Zeke. Fuck," Mikasa cussed. "I'm so stupid. Why didn't I see it before? I guess the gruesome death confused me."

"You know what it is?"

"It's a succubus."

"Wait, what? Don't they just have sex with you to kill you?"

"Depends on the type. They can suck the life out of anything. But sometimes the side effects from going to a den can transfer onto the person. That's why you're feeling it. They can also make people have sex until they die. It consumes them."

"Oh. Well, there's a happy thought. Why aren't you and Zeke affected?"

"Half fae, remember?  I don't know why Zeke isn't.  I should get going."

"I'll go find a car to hotwire."

"You're not leaving," she told him.

He took a step forward.

"Who says I want to leave?" He asked her.

Eren realized in that moment how hot his skin felt. Only she could be the answer.

He lunged forward, his mouth connecting with Mikasa's.

Mikasa was in complete shock. She didn't respond.

How could he make things more clear?

He wanted her.

No.

He needed her.

He grabbed her, causing her to squeak as he threw her on the bed.

He climbed on top of her before kissing her again.

This time, Mikasa responded.

It made Eren happy.

Yes.

This is what he wanted.

He could feel her running her hands over his body as he pulled away.

One of Mikasa's hands was in Eren's hair while he left a trail of kisses down Mikasa's neck. The other hand had moved towards his belt.

"Eager, aren't we?" He teased her.

"You're lucky I don't rip it off of you," she replied as she pulled his belt off.

Mikasa then proceeded to headbutt Eren and knock him out.

-----------------------------------------------------

Zeke walked with Hange and Levi through the woods. He didn’t sign up to a boy scout as a kid and he sure didn’t want to be one right now.

There was some sort of weird dynamitic between Levi and Hange that Zeke didn’t understand.

“So magic wielder?” Zeke asked after a moment.

“Hmm...witch comes with negative connotations sometimes when it comes to hunters. How come you’re not like your brother when it comes to things being so black and white?”

“Oh. Because I realized our dad was a piece of shit when I was about ten,” Zeke explained.

“Why did you stay with him then?”

“Oh. Well, it’s simple. If he had me to fight with her wouldn’t go after Eren. Didn’t matter what Grisha did to me. I guess that’s why his death….this is going to sound horrible but it was freeing. I’m a terrible son, aren’t I?” Zeke said as he stopped in his tracks.

Levi rested his hand on Zeke’s shoulder. “You’re a good brother,” he said before he gave Zeke a bit of push forward.

---------------------------------------------------------

Mikasa had handcuffed Eren and used his belt to bind him. She threw him over her shoulder and had carried him to the car. She then had to carry him through the woods towards the deadspot.

She could get what she needed for the spell there. Everything would be fine. She could cure him without her powers.

---------------------------------------------------------

“Oh. This is interesting,” Hange said as they neared the area of ash.

“What’s that smell?” Levi asked.

“The rotting corpses,” Hange answered. “Look! There’s one over there!”

“Can you not be excited about finding dead bodies?” Levi sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Oh, I’m not. This looks like a den of some sort. It’s very interesting.”

“Any idea what it is?” Zeke asked.

“Well, it looks as if it has some sort of a sucker fish mouth,” Hange replied.

“You can tell that from its den?” Levi asked.

“Oh no. It’s staring at me,” Hange said as they pointed towards a spot in the middle of the dead trees.

Sure enough there was a creature that had a mouth similar to a sucker fish. Its eyes were beady and black. It’s skin was an inky, green color.

“I don’t  know what that is but I don’t like it!” Zeke yelled as he pulled out the knife Mikasa had given him.

“I don’t either,” Levi said as he pulled out his machete.

“Guesses?” Hange asked as they moved into place next to Levi. They pulled out their own machete.

With three of them, it meant they would always have someone watching their back.

“Well, succubus is the first thing that comes to mind for me. I’ve never fought one,” Levi replied.

Just then, the creature lunged and tackled Levi to the ground, causing him to throw his machete. It began to coat Levi in a greenish goo, making it impossible for him to move.

Hange swung at the creature, nicking it in the back.

The creature screamed before getting off of Levi and tackling Hange to the ground. It’s mouth moved towards Hange’s.

Hange tried to fight back. They pushed and thrashed.

“ ventilabis deinceps !” Hange yelled.

The creature stumbled a few steps but did not relent.

This gave Zeke the opportunity to pick up Levi’s machete and swing it at the creature.

The creature’s head was removed from its body and fell to the ground. A purple red goo covered Hange.

Eren and Mikasa came rushing into the scene just as Zeke picked up the head of the succubus.  Mikasa sat Eren down on the ground.

“What happened to him?" Levi asked him.

Mikasa sighed as she unlocked the handcuffs. “He stepped into the den and fell under the creature’s power. Since you killed it, he should be fine,” she said as she unbound his feet.

“So you’re telling me this thing attracts men and then fucks them to death?” Zeke asked as he looked into the creature's eyes. “I mean I’ve hooked up with some really ugly women but this….”

“Succubus can but sometimes they merely suck the life out of people before feasting on them. But you know, I’m fine over here, laying on the ground, covered in some sort of goo,” Levi replied.

“Green really is your color,” Hange agreed.

“Get this goo off of me and get me off of the ground!”

Just then a second, third, and fourth creature emerged from the den.

“Uhh….I think we have company,” Zeke said pointing to the creatures.

“Knife!” Mikasa yelled at Zeke.

Zeke threw the knife, and Mikasa caught it. Her eyes glowed as she extended the knife, turning it almost into a sword of sorts.

Just then, Eren tackled her to the ground.

“Fuck!” she yelled as her body his the ground, the knife sword dropped from her hand.

Eren swung at her, trying to claw at her face. Mikasa pushed against him to no avail.

“Zeke!” She called to Zeke who was fighting with another succubus.

“Kind of busy!” He called back to Mikasa.

“I’m still on the ground,” Levi yelled.

“ ventilabis deinceps !” Hange yelled again, throwing a succubus forward.

Mikasa fought against Eren who continued to pin her down and try to claw her face. She had to do it. She had to use her powers….again. The risk….did it outweigh everything else?

Eren’s eyes seemed to change colors to a red.

He was losing himself.

Eren.

Eren’s life outweighed the risk.

Mikasa’s eyes glowed as she pulled her hand back.

An exchange of energy.

The fog that seemed to have a hold of Eren’s mind lifted.

Mikasa’s world went black.

----------------------------------------------------------

Eren’s eyes opened as soon as Mikasa’s closed.

Zeke went to pick up the knife sword but it collapsed back into the knife.

It was good enough.

Zeke ran the knife through the succubus that he had been fighting. He was covered in the same goo that Hange was covered in.

Hange defeated two creatures as Eren tried shaking Mikasa.

“Mikasa. Hey. Not again. Mikasa,” Eren pleaded with her.

Hange rushed to Mikasa’s side, checking her pulse. “She’s alive. She’s just...she used too much energy. Probably another year off of her life, if not more.”

Eren just stared at Hange.

“We should get her out of here,” Levi said as Zeke helped him up.

Eren scooped Mikasa up and carried her off in the direction of the Impala.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No complaints about the goo.

No one asked to stop after they gathered their things from the hotel. It was the realization that Mikasa was still being hunted and the amount of energy she used probably set off another tracker.

Nine hours later, they arrived at Levi's. Thankfully, Levi's house had multiple showers and Hange, Levi, and Zeke disappeared into them. Eren carried Mikasa downstairs.

He put her down on the cot in the panic room. The wards would keep her safe.

"Why do you keep risking your life for me? Why are you killing yourself for me?" He asked Mikasa before he sat down on the floor. He leaned his back up against the wall.

But Mikasa didn't answer.

Zeke came downstairs.

"Has she woken up yet?" He asked.

Eren shook his head.

"Huh. I wasn't expecting you to still be sitting here to be honest. Are you finally getting over the fact that she's a fairy?"

"No. It's just...I had a nightmare. I was clawing Mikasa's face and then today…"

"Okay? Nightmares happen."

"But it wasn't like a nightmare. It felt real to me. I don't know. What if I'm the real monster?"

Zeke sat down next to his brother on the floor.

"You're not a monster, Eren. You're probably just stressed out. A lot of shit has happened lately. Just relax. If it happens again, then we'll worry about."

Eren nodded.

So the two brothers sat on the ground, trying to figure out what would happen next.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Hange sat down on one side of Levi's desk.

"I'm worried," they confessed.

"You and me both," Levi sighed.

Zeke came up from the basement.

"Is she awake?" Hange asked.

Zeke shook his head. "Last time, she was out for over a day for just a small heal."

"It's a large energy exchange. Her body has never dealt with it well."

"Those creatures were strange. Something is happening. They normally don't travel like that," Levi said as he pulled out a journal.

"I found it strange too."

-------------------------------------------------------

Eren sat by Mikasa's side.

He wanted to know what Hange had meant by years being taken off of Mikasa’s life.

He needed to hear it from Mikasa.  

He was so confused.

Life had been simpler when monsters were just monsters.

Grisha had hammered it into Eren’s head that everything that wasn’t human was evil. It was simple. It was us against them.

A demon had killed Carla.

Demons were bad.

Monsters were bad.

But as Eren watched Mikasa's breathing, he couldn’t help but think that there wasn’t an evil bone in her body.

He had told her not to put herself into danger for him, yet she had done it anyway.

“We had a deal,” he muttered to himself.

Suddenly, Eren’s shoulder felt like it was on fire and into his veins. He gripped his shoulder.

Moments later, Mikasa woke up with a scream.

She pulled at her shirt sleeve to reveal a large tree with its roots exposed, at least that’s what it looked like to Eren.

“Eren, what did you do?” she demanded.

[noladyme]

Skip To My Lou, My Darling - Chapter 5, Bloody Demons I

Disclaimer: I posted this story a few days ago, hating it, and regretting it the minute it was up. I re-wrote it, and hope you’ll like it.

The road so far…

Waitress. School teacher. Bartender. Hunter. Lulu has come a long way since she first met the Winchesters, including the father, John. Having left behind the occult for a life of peace, she was ripped out of it, when – once again – the Winchesters came in to her life. Realizing she is in the life now – for good – she also made a decision for herself. To live that life without the only man she has ever truly cared for. Both to keep him and his brother safe from leviathans, angels and demons; but also, because she doesn’t trust that her feelings for Dean are true – and not part of some higher plan set up by celestial powers.

Our story continues in season 8

Tag list (Let me know if you want to be added) @edonaspanca​ @wonderlandfandomkingdom​

I 

You’d be surprised how much info you can get in a library. This statement might seem ridiculous, because – of course – a library holds all the knowledge in the world. But there’s more than what you can find in books. There’s peoplewatching.

If you look at what people check out, you’ll learn a lot about them. That middle aged woman checking out a book on auto repairs – her car broke down, and he husband usually takes care of those kinds of things; but now he’s left her for a younger woman. The teenage boy with the masses of comic books in his arms – odds are there is at least one My Little Pony comic among them, that he’s too embarrassed to buy at a store; so he goes to the library to get it, hiding it among comics about big breasted women and superheroes. The woman sitting alone at a table with a massive paper cup of black coffee; surrounded by books on local history and papers and notes on the occult – if you came into the library on that specific day; that was me. And I was hunting a ghost.

I’d spent more than a year salting and burning my way across the states; avoiding any real fights, and sticking to the easier and more obvious cases, where all I needed was to open a grave, and take care of the bones. Managing to convince my ex, Pete – who was still reeling from the traumatic temporary memory loss he’d suffered, after being kidnapped by leviathans – to send my belongings to my friends in San Francisco; I was now free to disappear for good. No strings attached; save for the occasional call to Raul – letting him know I was alive, and still serving beer in Alaska. In reality, I was in Hartford, near Sioux Falls, South Dakota; having just picked up a box of old papers stood in the basement of a good acquaintance.

“How was your visit with the good sheriff?”, a female voice asked me. I jumped in my seat; having been deeply invested in a piece of paper scribbled over with rantings of what seemed like a madman – who’s every tenth word was balls. “Jesus Christ, Tamara”, I hissed. “You scared the crap out of me!”. My friend sat down across from me, and took the paper from my hand. “Bobby Singer… I still can’t believe what happened to him”, Tamara said sadly.

I rested my elbow on the table, and took a sip from my coffee. “When did you last see him?”, I asked. Tamara’s face was ghosted with sadness, before she met my eyes. “Years ago. Back when Isaac…”. She didn’t finish the sentence. “You never told me what happened to him”, I said. “I mean, you don’t have to…”. She smiled slightly. “It’s all right”, she said. “Demons. We were working on taking out a whole group of them, when… he didn’t make it”. She sighed. “Bobby was there; along with some younger lads… Sam and Dean Winchester. Heard of them?”.

It had been a long time since I’d heard those names. Even Jody didn’t mention them to me, when I checked in with her – as she’d insisted I do weekly, after that one time I called her from the ER, telling her about a tulpa in Minnesota; that I needed her to have the brothers check out. I’d had no idea what to do with it; and had ended up with a nasty gash down my ribs. She’d told me she hadn’t been in touch with them for months, and didn’t know how to reach them at the moment. I’d thanked her, but when she heard the sadness in my voice, she’d insisted on picking me up, and I’d spent a few days on her couch; eating lasagna and watching daytime tv. I’d been too afraid to decline, when she used her mom-voice on me.

I swallowed hard. “You worked with them?”, I muttered. “Only that once”, Tamara said. “Why, you know them?”. The corner of my lip twitched. “I saw that!”, Tamara gasped. “What?”, I croaked. “Which one…?”, she whispered. “Sam… he’s got that tall broody thing going”. She smirked at me as I looked away. “Oh… Dean… Sure you didn’t catch anything?”. “Tammy!”, I hissed. “Don’t you Tammy me!”, she retorted. “That car… is it to compensate; or does he not need that…?”. I met her eyes, and gave her a crooked smile. She grinned widely at me. I shook my head. “I have work to do”, I muttered.

Forcing myself to ignore the memory of Dean and his car – and Dean in his car; with me on his lap – I returned to the 1950 death of a young woman, who had ever since been seen, once a year, walking over a bridge near a lover’s lane. Tamara sighed. “I need to get to Kansas”. “That vampire nest?”, I asked, taking another large sip of my coffee. She nodded. “You sure you don’t want to join me? Girls trip?”, she asked. “You have all the help you need up there; and I never took down a vamp before. I’d just get in the way”, I answered. “But thank you for the ride here”, I added.

She stood up. “You, my friend, need a car!”. “Yeah… Digging up old graves and reading weird books doesn’t exactly pay well”, I muttered. The last car I’d had, had broken down three months earlier. She looked at me with worried eyes. “You can’t keep hitch-hiking across the country, love”, she said. “Bloody dangerous, that is”. “I’ll be fine. Really”, I smiled. I stood up, and hugged my friend goodbye; and promised to call if anything came up, she needed to help out with.

I took a bus back to my motel, and settled in for the night; with a beer and some day-old pizza. My burner-phone buzzed; and recognizing the number, I picked up. “Hey, Jody”, I said. “Did I forget something at your place?”. “Hey, sweetie. Uhm…”. “What? Jody…”, I demanded. “I just had a visit from a weird guy in a flasher-coat… he was looking for you”, she said. Castiel, I thought to myself – my heart leaping from my chest. “What did he… Did he hurt you?”, I asked; by instinct reaching for the angel sword. “No… But he wanted to know where you were”. She sighed. “Look, I don’t mind being your switchboard receptionist; god knows, things around here can get downright dull. But this guy…”. I chewed my lip. “I’m sorry, Jody… Did you tell him where I was?”, I asked. She scoffed. “You won’t even tell me yourself. How could I?”.

I sighed; unsure whether it was in relief, or something else. “You know, I’m aware you’re close by… I could just check all motels in a 40-mile radius for check-ins by classic rock superstars…”, Jody said, a smile in her voice. “Going full cop on me?”, I grinned. “I don’t use those anymore… too obvious”. “Burlesque names then?”, she said. “You caught me…”, I replied. As it was, I was checked in as Justinia Timberlake; going with boybands – for reasons I didn’t want to admit to myself. “Thanks, ma’…”. “Well, that makes me feel old… Anyway, he said he’d be back later tonight. Needed to find you. Do you want to be found by him?”.

I took a deep breath, pondering the question. No, I didn’t want to be found by the person who’d let leviathans loose on the world; causing me to be almost eaten by one 18 months ago. Yes, I wanted to see my friend; to know he was ok. He hadn’t hurt Jody to get to me, so maybe he was good Cass again. I sighed. “When he comes, tell him… Tell him I’ll be in the shower at the Motel 6 in Hartford. Room 13”. I’d know when he arrived if I could trust him. “That sounds… Ok, I’ll tell him. Be careful, Lulu”. “I will. Bye, Jody”. I hung up; and began preparations.

---

Bobby’s journal had helped me out quite a bit in the last year, helping me keep under the radar by pointing out which motels were off the beaten path; and which monsters to stay clear of. Even after it seemed the leviathans had disappeared, I still kept well away from anyone and everything that might put me in contact with angels and demons – and the Winchesters for that matter.

Another thing it had taught me was the sigil I was currently writing on the wall; while still wincing in pain from the gash in my palm I’d cut to draw blood. All my belongings were in my backpack – which I was wearing – and my sword was in my hand. I was ready to repel a crazy angel; and to skip town quickly. I took a deep breath, and readied myself.

After what seemed like forever – just standing next to a bloody scribbling on a wall – I felt a gush of wind; and Castiel stood in front of me. He was covering his eyes with one hand, and holding out a towel with the other. The sight brought joyous tears to my eyes.

“Cass…”, I breathed. The angel carefully parted the fingers over his eyes – and satisfied that I was indeed dressed – he dropped the towel, and smiled at me. “Lulu. It is good to see you”. I dropped my sword, and leapt over to embrace my friend. Castiel reacted as he’d always done when I showed him affection; by tensing up, and gently patting my head. He smelled like old librarian mixed with fresh air, and – for some reason – musk and gunpowder. He’d been with them.

I let go of him, and stepped back. “What happened? Are you ok?”, I asked. The angel smiled amiably. “Yes. I am… myself again”, he said. “I have to apologize for our last meeting. I was… different”. I gave him a crooked smile. “I wish I could say it was water under the bridge, but you did kind of bad-touch me”, I said. “Not sexually, I mean… but still”. Cass chuckled. It was a strange – almost human – reaction. “Yes, I carved words into your bones. It is also why I haven’t been able to find you”.

I took off my backpack, and got out the small first aid kit I had in it. Castiel frowned. “I’m sorry, but I can’t heal you. I need to save my strength”. I shrugged. “It’s fine. I’ve been taking care of my own wounds for over a year”. “Yes, that is what others have told us…”. My breath hitched, and I tried to seem indifferent. “Us?”, I croaked; and began running a bandage around my hand. “Yes”, Cass nodded. “Me, Sam… and Dean. We’ve been looking for you for a few weeks. We need… your book. Bobby Singer’s book”. Just the book. Of course, it was just that. “We are working on… something”. I let out a scoffing laugh. “Well call me not surprised”, I said.

Cass stepped towards me. “So… you’ll give me the book?”. I narrowed my eyes at him. “No”. “No?”, Cass retorted with a confused look at me. “That’s right”, I smiled. “It’s mine”. “But… we need it”.

I took a deep breath; and made a decision. “Where the book goes, I go… So, I’ll go with you”. Castiel’s eyes lit up. “You will? That’s… good. I think”, he smiled. “I can take you right away”. He stepped towards me. “Wait, stop!”, I said. Cass halted. “Where?”. “Lawrence, Kansas. It’s a safe place, don’t worry”, the angel smiled.

I looked down at my feet. I was wearing my boots; that was good. I packed up my backpack, and put it on my back. I picked up the box of Bobby’s old papers; but Cass took them from me, so I wouldn’t have to carry them. “Ok… let’s go”, I croaked.

Castiel lifted an arm, and walked towards me; putting his hand on my shoulder.

---

We were standing by a large mound with what looked like an old factory building seemingly growing out of it. My legs felt like jelly, and Cass grabbed my arm to steady me. “We’re here”, he said. “Where’s here?”, I asked breathily. “I’ll show you”, Cass smiled. We walked up a small road, and passed a black car I recognized from my past – and my dreams and nightmares. Cass led me to a metal door sprouting from the mound. “It’s inside”, he muttered, and opened the screeching door for me.

I stepped inside and was met by a dark spiral staircase leading downwards. Castiel walked ahead of me; which I was thankful for, as I didn’t trust my own legs, and would rather be caught by him, than fall and break my neck. Suddenly a warm light hit me, and I stepped out on a balcony overlooking a large room outfitted with a large table made out as a map. The scent of library hit me, and I understood why Castiel had smelled the way he did when I hugged him. The large room was warm and inviting; but also looked very official, with it’s filing cabinets, and papers on the table.

Castiel walked ahead of me down another flight of stairs, and put the box of papers on the mapped table. “I’m back!”, he called out. “About time!”, a voice that sent shivers down my spine growled. “Please tell us you got something. At least dinner”. “I’m afraid I didn’t have the time to get food for you”, Cass said, and walked towards a large archway leading to another room further inside the bunker – as I decided this place was. “Dude, I gave you 20 bucks for burgers!”.

I considered turning around and leaving. I screamed at myself internally to just haul ass up the stairs, and never come back. But I couldn’t.

Castiel stood in the archway, and looked up at me. “I brought the journal… And a guest”. “You shouldn’t bring people here”, I heard Sam’s voice. My heart pounded, as I heard footsteps across hardwood floor; and then my 6’4 friend stood in the archway with the angel; looking the direction he was. His jaw instantly dropped, and his eyes sparkled.

“I want my 20 bucks back, dude”, Dean said as he joined the other two. “I could eat a…”. He looked up. “Lou…”. Castiel frowned. “You can’t eat…”. “Shut up”, Dean croaked, stepping down the few stairs into the large concrete floored room.

I took a gasping breath; having to remind myself to breathe at all. “Hi…”, I rasped. Dean seemed unsure what to say. “Hey…?”. I began descending the stairs into the room; taking care to hit every step just so, so I wouldn’t trip. Before I hit the last step; Dean took four long strides towards me – and threw his arms around me – holding me tight against him. I put my arms around his neck, and he lifted me down the last steps. Musk, gunpowder, whiskey – Dean. My warm, constantly five o’clock shadowed, strong; yet so fragile, Dean.

I had to tear myself from him; taking short breaths, and trying desperately not to inhale him even further. It was agony. His eyes where as deep and soulful as ever, and the corner of his lip lifted; giving him an expression I couldn’t define as whether being relief, joy or pain – or maybe all three at once.

“Lulu?”, Sam croaked from behind me. I turned around, and threw myself into his arms, earning a spin in the air, as he lifted me. “Hi, Sammy”, I breathed. He squeezed me tightly. “Air!”, I gasped. “Sorry”, Sam chuckled, and put me down; before stroking my cheek.

All four of us stood for a moment, before Castiel cleared his throat. “Well, Lulu is here now. She has the book”, he said. “We can get on with our work”. “Just give us a moment here, Cass”, Sam said. “How are you, Lulu? We’ve been looking for you”. ”You shouldn’t have”, I muttered. “I know, you made that pretty clear last time we heard from you. But…”, Sam began. “We need Bobby’s book”, Dean said; having stepped up next to me. Right, the book.

I raised a brow at him. “My book. And you can’t have it”, I said. Dean frowned. “But… we need it”, he said. “So do I”, I retorted. He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Why does it feel like we’ve had this conversation before?”. “Because we did, agent Osbourne”, I chuckled. “Right”, he smiled.

Sam – who apparently just needed a bucket of popcorn for the entertainment he was getting from our conversation – stifled a smile. “Lulu, we’re working on something pretty big here”, he said. “What?”, I asked. “Saving humanity”, Dean said. “Again?”, I sighed. Sam let out a soft laugh. “Wouldn’t be us if it wasn’t, right?”.

I walked up the stairs into the other room, which walls were covered in filing cabinets and books. “What is this place?”, I asked, in awe. Sam followed me into the room. “This is The Men of Letter’s bunker”. “Who are they?”. “Us… now”, Dean shrugged. “We’re kind of like a secret society”. His smugness was tangent of embarrassing. “Look, we’ll fill you in on whatever you want…”, Sam began. Dean cleared his throat, and suddenly looked at his brother with hard eyes.

I rolled my eyes. “This again…”, I muttered. Dean frowned. “What?”. “We need to keep you safe. Keep your head low. Stay here. Go there”, I imitated his growling. “I don’t sound like that!”, Dean growled; proving my impersonation had been right on. He frowned at me, looking cute as a button doing so. I sent him a pouting smile. “Whatever. We need the book”. “And I told you. You can’t have it. I need it”. “For what?”, he grunted. “For jobs”, I replied.

Dean pursed his lips, and blew out a deep breath; clearly trying to control himself. “So you have been… doing jobs…”. “Of course I have”, I said. “What else am I supposed to do? Officially, I think I’m probably dead. There aren’t a lot of teaching gigs out there for dead chicks, who hit the road with fugitives”. He stepped over to me, and grabbed my hand. “And what’s this?”, he asked, pointing at the bandage on it. “A precaution”, I said. “Against me”, Castiel said. “Lulu was right to be careful. Last time she saw me…”. He looked down in remembrance; clearly still ashamed of his former actions.

Dean unwrapped my hand. “Sam, this needs stitches”, he grunted. I tore my hand from his grasp. “I’m fine”, I muttered. “You’re not fine, Lulu. You’re bleeding. Just let us fix you up”. I shook my head in surrender. “There’s a needle and some floss in my bag”, I said, and took of my backpack. “We have actual medical supplies now”, Sam smiled, and disappeared through a door.

Castiel slipped away as well, leaving me and Dean alone in the large room. I sat down at one of the large tables. Dean sat on the edge of the table. “So, hunting?”, he muttered. “How’s that treating you?”. “Well enough”, I said. He clenched his jaw. “Huh… How do you take down a werewolf?”, he asked. “Silver bullet”, I said. “Vampire?”, he continued, raising a brow at me. “Decapitation or fire”. “Shojo?”.

I let out a frustrated breath. “I have no idea, Dean. Never met one”, I said. “Never met a werewolf or a vampire either”. “Good, you’re not ready for any of that”, he said. “You shouldn’t even be here right now”. “It’s not safe”, I imitated him again. “Stop”, he grunted. “You have no idea how to be a hunter. Or what you’re getting yourself mixed up in by coming back here with Cass”. I clenched my jaw. “You’re right on one of those two accounts”, I said. “No, I don’t know what you’re working on, and it’s probably much to dangerous for me. But yes – I do know how to hunt. At least partly. And I’m learning as I go. Isn’t that what everybody does?”. He scoffed, and shook his head with a sarcastic smile. “In over your head, sugar”. “Screw you, Dean”, I growled.

I got of my chair; almost making it topple over from the force of my movement. “I have been working jobs all over for a long time now”, I hissed. “I’ve been playing it safe, yes; but what I’ve been doing, matters!”. Dean rolled his eyes. “Lou, you’re…”, he began. “A newbie. Unskilled, untrained; and with a desperate need for better equipment than the .45 you gave me 18 months ago”. I drew my lips back in a sneer. “But I’m not an idiot, and I don’t want to die. I’m not gonna throw myself at monsters I know nothing about, and can’t take down. But I have to learn to survive in this job, and I’m learning by working”. He shook his head. “You have no idea what you’re talking about”. “Then tell me!”, I yelled. 

Dean suddenly laughed. The gesture made me want to smack him across the face, but my hand still hurt from the cut. I snatched Bobby’s journal from my bag, and held it up. “You want this?”, I snarled. “Then you treat me with a little more respect for what I’ve been doing the last year!”. I grabbed my bag, and stormed towards the stairs. “Lou!”, Dean called after me. “Go to Hell…! Again!”, I yelled over my shoulder.

I heard him run after me, and he grabbed my arm. “I’m sorry”, he said. “Really…”. I turned around to face him. “I don’t need your permission to do something I’m actually kind of good at”, I said. “You don’t know…”. “You’re right. I don’t”, Dean said earnestly. “So, tell me… please. Maybe I… we can help”. I calmed my breathing. “Let go of my arm”, I croaked. He instantly stepped back.

Sam returned with a box. “We’re out of disinfectant”, he said. “Whiskey it is”, I muttered. “Please tell me you have that”.

---

Soon after, we were seated at the big table; as Sam was carefully stitching up my hand. “So, Ohio… ow! Bloody hell, Sam!”, I hissed, as he poked the needle through my skin. “New curse words, Lou”, Dean chuckled. “And fancy English ones as well”. I smiled. “Yeah, speaking of Ohio… ow”, I continued. “A crazy nurse had been killing patients in the 40’s; and the hospital was closing down – pissing her off something fierce… ow”. “Sorry”, Sam muttered, and pulled at the surgical thread. Dean poured me another drink. “Go on”, he said.

“She was suddenly nabbing pretty much every and any patient she could”, I said; before taking a sip of the whiskey. “I was looking up where they’d buried her after her execution, but it turned out she’d been cremated”. “What did you do?”, Sam asked. He made a final stitch. “Remind me to smack you across the face, when this heals up”, I muttered. “That hurt!”. He chuckled at me, and began wrapping up my hand in a clean bandage. “I found out from an old picture that she had a locket around her neck; which they took from her before she died. It was displayed at a museum in Dayton; and when I tracked it down, I met another hunter”. I looked up at Dean. “Tamara”.

Dean looked stunned. “Tamara? As in British Tamara?”. “Yeah”, I smiled. “She’d gotten there before me; and like me, suspected a strand of hair might be stuck in the locket. I distracted the security guy long enough for her to nab it”. “How?”, he frowned. I looked at him innocently, biting my lip. He looked at me exasperatedly. “You didn’t… Please tell me you didn’t…”. I rolled my eyes. “Sleep with him? No. I just flirted with him a little”. Dean swallowed hard. “You do that all the time”, Sam grinned. “That’s totally different!”, Dean growled.

Sam shook his head. “Then what?”, he asked. “Salt and burn”, I smiled. “Which is pretty much all I’ve been doing. I haven’t been taking on anything hardcore. Yet”. “Really?”, Dean asked warily. I grimaced. “Well… about 9 months ago I came across a tulpa. I thought it was just your every day ghost, and I was just checking out the house; when it attacked me. Salt didn’t work, or iron…”. Dean suddenly looked tense. “What did it do to you?”, he growled. I lifted my t-shirt slightly; exposing a mostly white scar down my ribs. Dean reached over the table, and made to touch it, but I dropped the fabric, and sat back in my chair; finishing my drink in one go. “I had no idea what to do about it, but Bobby wrote something about you guys taking one out some years back; so I called Jody”.

“I asked the sheriff to help me find Lulu”, Cass said, having reappeared with a bag of Mexican food. “I have… taquitos. And jalapeño poppers”, he added, with a soft smile in my direction. “Ranch?”, I asked. The angel nodded. “I love you!”. Castiel cleared his throat. “I have warm emotions towards you as well”, he said.

“So, you called Jody. Why?”, Sam asked; packing up the medical kit. “To get her to have you take care of it. But she said she couldn’t get in touch with you”. Dean scratched his chin. “Yeah, Cass and I were in Purgatory, and Sam hit a dog…”, he muttered. I shook my head. “Nothing’s ever easy with you guys, is it…”.

I opened the bag Castiel had put on the table, and dived for my poppers. “Yum. Extra cheese”, I hummed. I noticed Dean’s eyes warming almost endearingly; but when I licked my finger for a stray dollop of dressing, his gaze suddenly darkened into something else. He parted his lips, and his eyes fastened on my mouth. My breath hitched, and I shook myself – quickly wiping my mouth with a napkin. “I’m gonna go grab the beer”, Dean grunted; and left the room as quickly as he could.

“So, what are you working on?”, my voice broke. “We found a tablet”, Sam said. “The word of God”. My eyes widened. “The actual word of God?”, I breathed. “What?”. “We’re going to use it to seal Hell. For good”. I nodded. “That sounds like an awesome idea!”, I smiled. “How can I help?”.

“You can’t”, Dean grunted, returning with three beers, and a bottle of seltzer for Cass. “This isn’t on you”. “But you need my book”, I said. “And you’re not getting that without my say so”. He tilted his head, and gave me his trademark smirk, sending electric jolts straight to my core. “We could always take it from you”. With bated breath, I put my sword on the table; keeping my hand on the hilt. “I’d like to see you try”, I croaked. “All right, you know…”. Dean clenched his fists, before rolling up his sleeves. I stood up. “We gonna dance now?”, I said; trying for menacing – and failing miserably. “Let me just get my NSYNC-album”, he snarled.

“Ok, guys! Stop!”, Sam called out. “Lulu, Dean’s right. This is a pretty dangerous operation we’ve got going on here. You shouldn’t get involved”.

I clenched my jaw, and took a deep breath to calm myself. “Tell you what… I’ll go back to my own work; and you three can figure out how to save the world without Bobby’s journal”, I said; beginning to put my jacket back on. “When you decide to stop acting like dicks, and let me in on why you’re trying to mess up my job, by taking away my research…”. “It’s Bobby’s research”, Dean snarled. “That he left for me!”, I yelled. “And it has my additions”. I went to grab my bag, when Dean snatched the journal from it, before I could reach it. He held it over his head, as he had my sword, years ago. “Don’t do this…”, I hissed. “I watched plenty of roller derby games, sweetheart. I know your moves”.

His smug smile lit a fire in me, like none other I had never felt before. I ran at him, throwing my shoulder against his chest, making him stumble backwards, and knock over a chair. The journal fell from his hand, and slid across the floor; and I threw myself after it. Dean grabbed my ankle; and I fell to the floor, on my stomach. I tried to kick myself free from his grasp – and reached the book; clutching it to my chest under me. Dean straddled me – his strong legs keeping me in place – and he twisted my body around by my shoulders. We wrestled for the books, and when Dean grabbed my wrists – forcing them over my head – I finally had to let go. He looked at me with hard eyes. “Take it”, he growled; still holding me in place. “Dean…!”, Sam yelled; running over to us. “Take it, Sam!”, his brother roared. Sam took the book from the floor, and looked at me with sad eyes. “I’m sorry, Lulu”, he muttered.

Dean stayed on top of me – holding me down. His weight on me made my body scream for his touch; at the same time as I wanted him to let me go, and to never touch me again. He looked enraged; but then a thought seemed to cross his mind – one that made him realize what he was doing. He let go of my wrists, and I pushed at his chest hard; making him get off me. Castiel came over, and helped me to my feet.

I stormed out of the room, and down a hallway of doors with numbers on them. Once I found number 13, I opened the door, and stepped inside; slamming it shut behind me.

I took deep breaths – fighting tears and hiccupping sobs. Looking around the room, I tried to focus on what I was seeing, to distract myself. Damn self-help books, I thought to myself. Please help me now. Five things I could see. A bed, a desk, a chair, a book on 1920’s psychiatry, and a dresser. Four things I could touch. I stood up. The floor, the wall, the comforter on the bed, and the gun in the back of my jeans. Three things I could hear. The clock ticking over the door, the drips from the faucet on the sink, and my own footsteps. Two things I could smell. Gunpowder and musk. Dammit. One thing I could taste. The whiskey I’d had earlier.

With one final breath, I felt my heart settle – before it sprang up in my throat again, when the door knocked. “Lou…? Can I come in?”. I stood with my back to the door, not answering. “I know you’re in there. Table 13; always table 13, right?”.

Dean opened the door, and stepped inside, closing it behind him.

“I’m sorry, baby… I didn’t mean…”, he began. “I still… It hurts… even being in the same room as you”, I croaked, and a tear fell down my cheek, as I turned around – making Dean’s face fall into a pained expression. “I keep trying to get over you… Hunting, drinking… sex”. He winced at the last word. “I tried it all, Dean, but it never works”. “I know…”, he breathed. He might as well have added an I feel the same – his eyes gave away the words. “Why doesn’t it work?”, I whimpered.

He stepped towards me, but I held up my hands to stop him. “Don’t… please”. I balled my fists up – forcing my body to stay in place, and not walk into his arms. “You can use my book. You have 48 hours, then I want it back”. Dean nodded solemnly. I closed my eyes. “After that, I’m gone. For good”. I crunched up my brows, and opened my eyes again, looking at Dean with as much determination I could muster. “You don’t look for me, don’t ask for me – pretend I’m a stranger if you hear my name”. Dean’s lips parted, but I continued before he could speak. “I’m done. I can’t… see you. It hurts to much”.

Dean’s eyes watered. “Lou, please… don’t do this”, he breathed. “Don’t throw me away like this”. “I’m sorry”, I rasped. “This isn’t real. If they hadn’t planned it, we would have never gone beyond that first kiss; you know it as well as I do”. He shook his head, and a tear escaped his eye. “I lo…”. “You don’t”, I said. “You think you do; but it’s only because I was made for you. I have to be my own. And I can’t, if you keep popping up in my life”.

Dean closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. When he looked at me again, I saw complete defeat in his gaze. I’d just broken his heart. “Ok. If that’s what you want”, he whispered, a tear escaping his eye. I wanted to say It’s not. I want you. I want us. But I needed a clean break, and I believed Dean needed that as well. “48 hours. Give me back the book, and you’ll never have to see me again. It’s better this way. For both of us”. Dean nodded. “You can stay in here, if it’s easier than being around me”, he muttered; eyes on the floor. “I’ll stay away”. “Thank you”, I croaked.

He left the room, and I closed the door behind him.

---

I stayed in the room for hours, curled up on the bed. At one point, there was a knock at the door; and when I opened, there stood a tray outside, with food and a bottle of seltzer. I sent a warm thought to Cass, and took the tray inside; eating my meal in peace. There was no entertainment in the room – save for the outdated book on psychiatry – and after finishing my meal, I was going stir crazy.

I tried to catch a little sleep, but couldn’t rest properly; and decided to leave the room. Avoiding going in to the library, I snuck down the hall; and examined my surroundings. I found a large kitchen, outfitted to serve a large amount of people. The fridge was filled with leftover fast food and beer; making it clear that the Winchesters had yet to become all the way domesticated. Down a smaller hallway was a large storage room, with things I was quite sure I shouldn’t be touching. I left the room as quickly as I had entered.

Passing another few numbered doors, I went past number 21. The door was slightly ajar, and inside, Sam was bent over Bobby’s journal, seemingly enraptured by what he was reading. He looked up, and met my eyes – sending me a crooked smile – before I hurried away, to avoid conversation. He didn’t follow.

I found what looked like an old-fashioned gym; and my eyes widened in glee. Here, I felt at home. The punching bags and boxing gloves reminded me of my sessions with Raul. I took off my boots, and grabbed a pair of gloves that seemed to fit my hands – turning my attention to one of the bags.

Punch, punch, kick. This I knew. All my frustrations – the pent-up emotions – I let travel through my arms and legs; as I attacked the bag. “You’re angry”, Cass said; having appeared in the doorway. “I’m… no”, I said. “You’re distraught”, the angel tried. “Something like that. I’m sad. Frustrated…”. I punched hard at the bag. “Tired”.

Muscle pain was building up in my shoulders, and I took off the gloves; dropping them on the floor next to me. “I thought you would be happy to see your friends”, Castiel said. I was thinking of a good way to explain my emotions to him. “I can’t… be happy. Not now”. “Why?”, Cass asked. I chuckled. “Talking to you is like talking to Rain Man”, I said. Castiel grinned. “I’ve seen that movie now. Uh oh, fart…”, he chuckled. “But I would like to understand”.

I punched the bag hard with my stitched-up hand; wincing from the pain. I held it up for Castiel to see. “This – pain – I can feel it. It’s real”, I said. “Impact… physical reaction… It makes sense”. “And happiness doesn’t?”, Cass asked. “No, because I can’t trust it… it’s not real”. Castiel looked like he was pondering my words. “But your physical interactions with Dean… those make sense, don’t they?”. I groaned. “Me and Dean… Is… was, more than physical”. “Yes I know”, the angel said. “You have feelings for each other”. “But they’re not real”, I explained. “Why not?”. “You should know”, I scoffed. “Angel…”.

Castiel seemed even more confused. “I’m not following”, he said. I shook my head. “I… just can’t do this anymore”, I breathed. I put my boots back on. “I’m going back to my room. You have about 40 hours left with my book”. I left the room and the angel behind.

I was feeling sweaty, and decided to search for a shower. The many hallways were confusing; and I finally caved, and decided to ask Sam for help. Arriving back at room 21, the door was closed, and when I knocked there was no answer. I opened the door to see if he was inside, but all I found was a made bed, and some clothes over a chair. I walked back towards the kitchen, and bumped in to Dean; who was leaving the room with a mug of coffee in his hand.

“Sorry”, I muttered, as I noticed his coffee having spilt slightly over the floor. “I’ll clean that up”. “Don’t worry about it”, he said quietly. “I got it…”. “Ok”, I nodded. “I just…”. He looked at me hopefully. “I was looking for a shower”. Dean nodded. “Down the hall, to the left by my… by room 11”, he said. “Thank you”, I whispered; and scurried off.

Finally finding the showers, I got undressed, and turned on the water. The water pressure and temperature were amazing; just like everything else in the bunker. So far, everything I had seen here was perfect. There were clean rooms, a well-stocked library, access to training equipment and weapons, and my friends were here. And Dean. I could stay here, and be happy. But it wouldn’t be real.

As I let the water drip over my naked body, I leaned against the wall. I began questioning my choice to continue hunting. I’d have never started in the life, if I hadn’t met the Winchesters – if angels hadn’t put me in their path. Maybe angels had sent the maren after me to begin with. Maybe I should quit.

The thought was comforting and terrifying all at once. I’d have to start over – again. Be a teacher or tend bars; that was all I knew, other than what I had been doing the last year. And I loved hunting, I helped people; even if I never let anyone know why their houses stopped having flickering lights; or why hospitals stopped losing patients who had only minor injuries. I stayed quiet about what I did; didn’t need the glory.

Turning off the water, I realized I hadn’t brought clean clothes into the bathroom; and wrapped myself in a large towel – slipping quietly down the hall to avoid meeting anyone. I passed room 11, and heard voices from inside.

“She doesn’t really want to be here, Cass”, Dean muttered. “Why? I don’t understand. You two…”, Castiel began. “Because it’s not real!”, Dean growled. “Your… ass-butt brothers made her specifically for me. It’s not real, it’s forced on me… and her”. “Dean…”. “Find some way to break this bond we have. It’s not fair to her…”, Dean said. “I can’t do that…”, Cass said quietly. “Why?”, Dean roared. There was no answer. “Cass… just get out”. The door began opening, as if someone was pulling at the knob, and I ran for room 13; closing and locking the door behind me.

Good. He was on the same page as me. And maybe there was a way to break our bond; and make me free of these feelings. Maybe Cass just didn’t know how to, and I just had to find another angel – or whatever – to help.

My phone rang – distracting me from my thoughts. “Yeah?”, I answered it. “Lulu. It’s Tamara”, my friend said. “Hey, Tammy. What’s up?”. “I need your help. My partner didn’t show up; and this nest isn’t a one-woman job”. I sighed. “Tammy…”. “I know, I know; but I really need you on this one. Think of it as a learning experience”. I frowned. It would be a good way to learn, I agreed – and I trusted Tamara knew what she was doing. On top of that, I needed to be as far away from Dean as I could. “Give me the address…”.

After Tamara had let me know where to meet her, I got dressed quickly, and put on my jacket. Almost running through the library, I saw Sam now bent over a strange looking rock, by the mapped table. “I’m going out. I’ll be back for my book”, I muttered, and went to get my backpack, when I realized it was missing. “I packed up a bag”, Sam said. “It’s got some better equipment for you; if you’re gonna keep up hunting”. I looked over my shoulder at him. “Thanks”, I muttered. “Welcome”, he said.

He handed me a canvas backpack, with a little more weight than my own. I opened it, and saw bullets and a large knife, and a machete in a leather sheath. “Silver ammo, iron knife; and there’s a zippo in the side pocket”. “Weres, witches and vampires. Got it”, I said; and put on the bag. Sam frowned. “Where are you going?”. “Just… out. Meeting a friend”, I said. “Do you have a car I can use until I get back?” He threw me a set of car keys. “There’s a Dodge parked a little way down the road. Take it. And uhm… my number. Just in case”. He scribbled down a number on a piece of paper, and came over to hand it to me. I smiled warmly, and pocketed the keys and the note. “How long will you be gone?”, Sam muttered. “As long as it takes. That’s how the job is, right?”, I shrugged. Sam’s face dropped. “What job?”, he demanded. I sighed. “Don’t worry. Your care-package here will keep me safe”, I smiled. “I’ll be back before you know it. Maybe you’ll even have a few extra hours with my book”. “Lulu… what job?”. I got on my toes, and kissed his cheek. “Bye, Sammy”. I ran up the stairs, and exited the bunker.

I found my “new” car half a mile down the road. It was rusty and sad looking; and fit my state of mind perfectly at the moment. I got settled in the driver’s seat, after having set the Dodge up the way I wanted it. Surprisingly, the engine started without trouble; and I turned on the radio. Dean must have driven the car before, because a tape began playing Girls Girls Girls. I was smiling sadly to myself, as I drove the car out on the road at the bottom of the mound.

---

[deliontower]

Hard to love - part 2

title- hard to love - 1, 

paring- Sam x reader (female) 

word count- 2.7k

warnings- swearing, mention of death, mention of blood, fluff and longing 

a/n- i have mixed feelings about this part but i like the ending a lot. probably has some mistakes so watch out but anyway please enjoy and tell me what you think.  i change to writing in second person in part 3, and will edit this to that when i’m free

MAIN MASTERLIST | REQUEST OPEN | series masterlist

We spent the day in the motel room, I still wore his shirt from the night before, happy he hadn't said anything about it.

Wearing it made me feel safe in it, it hung down to my under tight, it went well with some plain jeans. During the afternoon we both read our books, sharing our thoughts out loud now and then.  

It felt nice after a hunt just to relax and not be on the move right away. It was around 8 when we began to get ready.

"I hope you're ready for girl talk?" I say from the bathroom, I choice to go with a long dress with a deep v neck. You could just about see the anti possession sigil I had belong my breast.

Sam was sat on his waiting for me. He took all for me in with one look, he was dressed in jeans and his usual flannel shirt.

"is it too much?" I say looking down at my dress and then back to Sam who smiled.

He shook his head and walked up to me, "You look great, I'm just worried someone will steal you tonight".

I playfully hit his shoulder and tried to hide the blush that spread across my face. "I'm all yours tonight, I promise".

                                          //////////

 We decide to use my car this time, Sam gave it a look of approval, "nice car" he said, I had always loved this car. It held so many memories.

"Thanks, I got it from my Danny. He loved this car" I patted the car gently and climbed in.

Sam blinked in confused, "Who's Danny?".

"No one you know" I tried to push it off but Sam wouldn't let it go.

"You can tell me, like you said we've all lost people" his voice was sweet. Too sweet.

" You need to share you own demons before I share mine." I pulled out of the motel and went to a different bar from last night.

The car was filled with a thick layer of awkwardness. I knew I was the reason, I wish I hadn't been so hard and shut off with him.

"I'm sorry" I said still watching the road, "I'll talk about almost anything, like anything. But I can't talk about him" my grip on the wheel was tight enough to make my figures numb.

"I'm sorry I pushed you, I just want to know you" he said with too much guilt in his voice.  

"trust me you don’t" I said, seeking a look at him, his head was bent down, his eyes fixed on his hands in his lap. "Sam, this is just me, I act like I don’t care but it's just a wall and I can't let it down" I tried to explain to lessen his guilt along with mine.

We sat in a  uncomfortable silent until we reached the bar. A knot had formed in my throat. "Sam. I don't speak about what I went through because I can't trust myself" he looked at me with his eyes shining. "I ruin things, sometimes I mean to and somethings it just falls apart. "

With one last deep breathe I left the car and let the summer night air hit my skin. "I can do this" I whispered to myself. I just needed to get through tonight and I could go back to being alone, go back to not having to look at him and his eyes, that made me want to tell him everything.

"Did you say something?" Sam was stood next to me now, his hand was on my back.

I looked from his hand to his face, "Just I'm so ready to get drunk" I put on a fake smile and walked ahead. Sighing in relief when he couldn't see my face.

The place was pretty empty for a bar near the town, a few people were dancing together and more few sat at tables and the bar drinking away.

We settled in a booth near the back. I left Sam to get the beers, I could feel eyes on me my hands covered my chest as I walked forwards.   I saw Danny face everywhere, just mentioning him had brought back so much.

The walk back to the table pass without me knowing. "When did I get here?" I asked sitting down. "I was just at the bar" I pointed to the bar.

"how many shots did you take? Maybe you should slow down" Sam laughed sipping on his beer. I tried to laugh along but it out flat. "I was thinking about what you said about our demons"

"Sam"

"let me finish. You don't have to tell me anything but tell me something and I'll tell you something" Sam reached across to touch my hand.

"Sam, I do trust you more than I feel I should but I don't know if I can relive it all" I moved to hand his hand with it being so close. I worried he'd pull away but he held on tighter.

"I would leave you. You can tell me anything and I'll stay right here or if you want me to go then I'll do that too" he moved around he table so we were sat up close.

"I'll just start with the bad stuff, that way I can get it over with." I said with a weak smile.

2006 Flashback I was living in a forgettable town in the Midwest.  Both my parents were long dead, working in a dine along with night classes for a PHD in mythology. And that's when I met Danny, he went to the same high school as me but we didn't really click until we were 22. He would always come into the diner and always get the same thing.

Then one afternoon we were talking about this or that and he suddenly said, "The only reason I come here is to see you smile". I remember blushing like a 5 year old but god did I love the way he made me feel. We move so fast in our relationship, but it felt right. After a year of dating we had moved in together and were already planning a wedding. We lived in this small 5 floor walk up, cost everything we had we didn’t earn much with the diner and the his job at a factory.  

The walls were painted this color that reminded me of   lemonade.  Nothing match because we just used whatever we had and put it all together. All our friends thought we were mad for doing everything so fast but I didn't care, I had him and that was enough.

Studying mythology, I always loved lore and stories. I guess that’s was my down fall. There was this local legend about a women who lived in the woods, in all the stories she said to be beautiful, she used her beauty to lure men and women, sometimes children to their deaths.

 I was planning on writing my final paper about her and how the whole town were still scared for her, even though no one had seen her. I guess I pocked around to much, I always wondered why no one else had.   I was leaving my class early one morning and it was snowing, everything was white and clean. The whole thing seems like a joke now, that night was pure and light until I reached our flat.

The front door was ripped open, stuff throw all over the floor. Blood was covering the walls. All my books hit the floor when I saw him. He was just sat on the sofa with his guts hanging from him, his throat ripped out. As I got close, my lungs closed up. I was so scared to breathe. Then something ran at me, tried to stab me but I fell hitting my head and they hit my tight, I guess. Next think I knew  I woke up the police were there looking down at me. The people living under me, had already called the police because of the noise and then again when they heard me scream.  

Turns out living in a small town with a local monster isn't as unlikely as I thought.  The mayor of the town has always been from the same family, no one fought to be mayor because everything ran fine as it was. Turns out the monster was a witch who kept everyone happy, all the mayor did was pay her in bodies. Whenever someone die, she got the body and did whatever she did.

I was closer to it all than I thought. The police clean everything up pretty fast, told me it was probably a wild animal which I didn't buy for a second. What kind of wild animal would get into a 5 floor walk up without anyone knowing. Something inside told me I had to look more into it, then the FBI came and started asking questions. I told them what I told the police, it wasn't a animal, it was the witch in the woods. It didn't matter how mad I sounded I needed them to believe me.    

I had all the research and stories to back myself up and I thought it was a miracle that they believed me, but turns out they were actually hunters. They found the witch and killed her. Told me everything because it was the kindest thing they could of done. After that I left everything behind and lived on the road.

2014

When I had finished talking Sam looked lost for words. My chest hurt from the effort of holding in my tears. In my dream I still dreamt of those yellow walls and how they suddenly turned red.

"Now you get why I'm such a mess" I say bitty finishing the rest of my drink off.

"I don't think you're a mess" Sam said, relief flooded my scents. "You thought you were safe and then your world ended".

"I think it's your turn to tell me about your demons" I said dirtily, wishing I had another drink.

Over the course of an hour Sam told me his whole life story, from the multiple deaths and all the heartbreak at came with the life. And most recently the fact that he was prosed by an angel, Dean had tricked him into it to save his life.

"So when I met you, you had an angel inside you? So why didn't it stop the witch?" I ask confused.

"It stepped in before when I was in danger but I guess you came before it had too" Sam explained.

"I know you want to stay mad at Dean for what he did but he did it to save you and from what you told me, you have done or would do the same" I rubbed his back as I spoke. "you can  still be mad at him, hell you can hate him but you shouldn't leave him behind. He's family and you don't leave family".

"I was ready to die though. I was ready, I had had enough of everything" Sam sighed lending back on the chair.

I hugged him without thinking, "I know, I know", my head was against his shoulder. His arms were wrapped around my waist. "Why don't we go back to the motel?" my hand lightly ran through his hair as he nodded.

                                              ////

The drive back so quite and still, Sam offered to drive this time. I laid my head against the window, small rain drops were falling down the other side.

It felt both bad and good that I told someone the truth about my past. I had never met anyone who I trusted enough to tell. Sam had broke down the walls I had built so high.

It was that time of night where everything felt unreal. Even the carefree day we spent had worn down on my energy, all I wanted was to sleep.

The motel was almost empty, only a few cars were left.  Neither of said anything as we made our way into the motel room. Lights were off, the only light coming from a street light.

Nothing needed to said, we had bared our souls to each other. While I changed in the bathroom Sam had the room to changes.

Sam POV Hearing Y/N story had opened his eyes to why she acted so strong but still held herself back. The wild girl he had met that first day had melted away but she still held the same fire that was winning his heart.

While Y/N was still in the bathroom, he checked his phone. Just like he thought a few missed calls from Cas and some from Dean. Y/N words replayed in his mind. "He's family and you don't leave family". She was right, he hated to say it but she was.

"Everything okay?" Y/N voice cutting his thought processes short, she stood in the bathroom door way, wearing the shirt he had given her the night before. Noticing him looking, she blushed. "I hope you don’t mind me wearing it again, I just don't have anything this comfortable.    

"No, it's fine" his watched her smile as she walked to her bed. He spotted a long scar at ran a cost her tight, it looked out of place . She barely had any scars, even the one she did have none of the others were as deep. She mentioned  something about be cut but never said it was that bad.

"So what's next for you?" She asked laying on her side. "Gonna call your brother?".

"I don't know if I'm ready to work with him again, it's hard working with my brother sometime, to tell the difference between what's best for everyone and what you do for family"  he explained, laying down too so they were facing.

"Love makes us blind. I know I would pay anything to get my old life back. I liked what I do, don’t get me wrong. I help people so they won't feel the pain I felt but I wish I had happiness in my life. You have your brother, someone who will always look out for you." she said.

"Do you every get lonely?" he asked.

"yes and no. Like I said, I don't trust myself with other people. Im better alone" she rolled over to her back, so he couldn't see her face.

"You could join me and Dean if you wanted?" he said, as he turned the light off. "We could also use the help"

She laugh which he didn’t expect, "Maybe you should fix what's happening between the two of you before you invited me to tag along ".

He laugh too, "I guess you're right but the offer still stands".

"Thank you, goodnight Sam"

"goodnight Y/N"

                                                        ////    

Reader pov

Sam and I facing each other in the parking lot. The past few had threw by. Sam was unlike anyone I had every knew, I had told him thing that I could hardly say out loud.

"So this is goodbye then" I said quietly. I didn't want to say goodbye.

"I guess it is" Sam said in the same tone.

"You have my number, you can call me whenever you need. " I told him trying to make my tone happier but it fell flat.

"same goes for me, but I don't think you'll need my help much" he joked, which made me smile.

I took a step away from him and to my car but before I made it, I turn around to Sam again. He looked confused at first. Before I could stop and think about it, I kissed him.

Our nose brushed as our lips met. He was hesitate to began with which made me pull away, thinking he didn't want this. But he hooked his hands on my waist and pulled me in closer.

I took my chance and ran my fingers through his hair, my chest burnt from not breathing. When we pulled apart, I was the first the open my eyes. Sam still had his closed, his chest was moving in the same way as mine was.

"That was…" Sam breathed

"Yeah, something to remember me by" I smiled and took a step away. "Leave it like this. If you don’t call or if I don't call then this will be our last memory". I held up my hand and opened my door. "Goodbye Sammy Winchester".

I couldn't but smile at the look on Sam's face through my wing mirror

part three 

[galacticbugman]

Colorado Fun! Summer 2019 Part 1: Prehistoric Adventures

Greetings from Colorado! It was sure a wild trek I took a few weeks ago. It was so cool to visit some of the old hot spots and the new places. This was a photo of me taken at one of my favorite Dinosaur Museums. This place is called the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center. It has a lot of cool things in it. It may be a small little place but it has quite the collection. Here I am behind a model of a Megalodon’s Jaws. These suckers got huge. They wouldn’t have to bite just to swallow you whole. I am so tiny compared to this set of Shark Chompers. It was kind of freaky yet cool. I got a lot of neat photos so lets get started. Just a warning you will be hearing and reading a lot of Jurassic Park related stuff in this posting. 

Okay so you know I can’t pass up a Jurassic Park post it is one of my favorite movies of all time. This one is at the same place as the Meg jaws. This poster I am next to is an authentic original Jurassic Park (1993) Poster. I have all the movies and now the original books. Jurassic Park has had a big impact on my life and I enjoy the whole series. The movies are great and the books are even better. I have been a big fan and no trip to a Dinosaur museum is never complete without some references to classic Dinosaur films from the Sliver Screen. Did you notice my clothes? I thought you did. Yep I wore my Jurassic Park button down and my Jurassic World Raptor shirt for this trek. I went all out and even wore my fossilized Shark Tooth Necklace. I always have a theme when I got to certain places or at least I try to. 

On the other side of the theater area they have another authentic poster from my favorite JP movie in the series. This is an original poster from The Lost World: Jurassic Park which came out in 1997. This was so cool to see posters from the two best Jurassic Park films ever created. I really enjoy finding Jurassic Park based things. I just crazy about stuff like this. I really enjoy the novels that Michael Crichton wrote back in the 90s as well as the movies. I like both types of media and I know that when this movie came out many fans of the book were pretty outraged by the movie not being like the book like we saw with the first movie which did follow pretty close to the book with a few plot differences and things. Jurassic Park for me is one thing I really enjoyed growing up with I have some of the Toys, a Jurassic Park bed sheet set, all of the movies that does include the Jurassic World stuff. I have the Lego Jurassic World Video Game for the Nintendo 3DS, I have played countless Jurassic Park games including the Rampage Edition, the NES Jurassic Park game, the SNES game, I have played the demo for Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis, I have played Jurassic Park Builder for Android, Jurassic World the Game, and Jurassic World: Alive. i even have the Jurassic Park: Danger board game. I am just a huge fan of this and have several shirts and things that I wear pretty often. I wasn’t able to watch the films until I was older. I was I was about ten or eleven when I was finally able to watch the films. Ever since I was able to watch them my mind was blown and I became an instant fan. Of course I did collect  the toys way before I saw the movies I have several that I might post in post of their own in a collection of my collectibles that I have collected over the years of being a huge fan of many things. Still a pretty cool find in one of the coolest museums on the planet. 

One of the coolest things about this museum is that they have the third Largest Tyrannosaurus-Rex. It used to be the second almost topping Sue; but in recent years there is another one that has been discovered to be even taller than Sue. Still this monster is one of my favorite dinosaurs and has always been my favorite since I was kid and it is one of my favorites in the Jurassic Park franchise. Tyrannosaurus-Rex was not really an active hunter but more of a scavenger. It’s teeth are kind of dulled out and only used for ripping and swallowing whole instead of chewing. What is the deal with the tiny little stubby arms you ask? It has been up for debate for years but some thing that they played a part in the mating ritual of this species but we are not too sure about that. It is just speculation which paleontology is all about. Still a fantastic and giant creature from the last Cretaceous period. 

 One of my favorite shark fossils is this one. This is an almost complete spinal region and skull of a shark. It maybe the only one in existence so far as we know. This is kind of a really interesting rarity. As we know Shark skeletons are made of cartilage and it often breaks down and deteriorates after a while but in this is one of those rare fossils of cartilage. It is kind of neat and this shark may looks small but it is pretty large. The photos don’t really do it justice than experiencing these fossils in person. Lets look at another cool fossil shall we. 

What is this weird creature? Is it an alien? Well it is from a time very different from our own. This is the Giant Ground Sloth and my brother and I saw this guy being put together on a display stand. This is one of the weirdest creatures. You may have heard of the Horse Apple or Bois De’ Arc tree. Well the horse apple was a favorite food of this species as well as the mammoths that lived here thousands of years ago. This one was pretty young and just a little taller than me. I am about 5′ 9″ and these guys could get up to ten foot tall so this guy was not even close to being done growing. This guy is kind of a weird dumpy animal but it is quite interesting to look at. It was kind of cool to see all kinds of extinct animals other than Dinosaurs. There was a bunch of neat stuff at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. 

As a huge Jurassic Park fan I couldn’t help but notice this skull hanging in the prehistoric wing of the museum. You may recognize it from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. This guy is the Stygimoloch AKA Stiggy in Jurassic Park. Sorry to bust your bubble on these guys but they can’t actually ram each other or solid brick wall. These guys would shatter their skulls if they were to do that. These guys may have used their heads to amplify noise or to show off for the ladies. These guys are still pretty cool to look at. I saw this and was instantly familiar with it. Stiggy is one of my favorite Jurassic World Dinosaurs for the chaos at the auction scene when we was running about causing panic and confusion to buy Owen Grady some time. This was one of the coolest fossils in their collection. This is the first one of these I have seen in any museum collection. 

A cool battle scene between an Allosaurus and a Stegosaurus. You might think of a Stegosaurus to have a pretty good defense due to those big thick bony plates; however this is simply not the case. The plates are actually very thin and were possibly only used for mating purposes. This made the plates more like a blood filled cookie. Still they did have their famous weapon the Thagomizer which was used as a weapon and could really do some damage. I will never forget the scene in The Lost World: Jurassic Park when Sarah Harding gets attacked by the family heard after her camera messes up when she is photographing the baby causing it to sent of an alarm call. Stegosaurus is a huge dinosaur and will always be one of my favorites. Fun Fact: In the first Jurassic Park novel by Michael Crichton instead of using a sick triceratops like they did in the film it was actually a sick Stegosaurus that Dr. Harding was caring for when the Toyota Land Cruisers came up to that point on the tour. That was one of the biggest differences in media but the same thing was going on with both animals in both forms of media.   

A close up of a Stegosaurus Thagomizer. 

A cool Hadrosaur fossil that was also at the Denver Museum. They had a lot of cool fossils but I didn’t get a chance to photograph them all. There was just too much and so little time to see the whole museum but heck it was really cool to see some of the Jurassic Park superstars in this museum. Hardrosaurus was not in Jurassic Park but this was one of the first dinosaurs I ever learned about. These guys are also known as Duck-bills for their goofy looking mouths. Dinosaurs had some of the coolest features from weird headgear, to weird mouth shapes, to their wild arsenal of weapons. Even in the time of the dinosaurs biological warfare was very weird. 

A rather cool replica I got on the trip was this cast of a Raptor claw. I am a huge Raptor fan and adding one of these to my collection was really cool. My collection is now in a nice display cabinet with some of my Jurassic Park toys in the mix just to make it more interesting. Fossils are just one of my favorite things to collect and even though this is a fake it is still a nice edition to my educational collections and too I got it reminded me of Alan Grant’s Raptor Claw from Jurassic Park (1993) and I am a huge JP Raptor fan. I will be doing a top ten Jurassic Park Dinosaurs post soon to show you what my top 10 pics are after the trip photos. So stay tuned more animals and stuff to show you from Colorado as my Colorado trip review continues. 

[hexusproductions]

Meeting With The Mentor

Summary: Melody Shepherd, my level 1 cleric, meets Nyx Murrain while out on an adventure for the first time in her life Author’s Note: I was meant to write part of a hero’s journey, and since Nyx is part of Melody’s story, I figured their meeting was a good fit.

Flickers of the overhanging sun broke through the forest onto the beaten path. Melody’s steel boots crunched through the dirt, kicking up dragged clumps. Her steady pace slowed to a stop, and she looked back the way she had come.

It had been almost a week since she had first left home. Her family had to have known that she was missing by now, must have figured out why. Would they care about her mission now, now that she had shown how badly she wanted to complete it?

The clouds that formed Melody’s hair turned a downcast grey.

Of course they cared about her, but would the shock and fear of their child running away convince them to care about what she had lost? She could easily just walk back and see for herself…

Melody shifted her weight from foot to foot and fiddled with her fingers, still looking down the path she had already travelled. Once upon a time, she would have hummed to help her think. But she couldn’t anymore. At that thought, Melody straightened and redirected her gaze to the path ahead, pushing herself forward at a march-like walk.

She had to do this.

She didn’t have a choice.

Through the thick interwoven canopy, a monstrous roar thundered. Upturned birds flew from their perches, and the sounds of a panicked crowd followed after. Melody spun and cut through the forest at a run, the air giving her stride strength. She dodged stray branches and wildlife until she broke into a clearing, the trees giving way to lush green grass. The source of the roar – a hulking beast, pale and bald with teeth and claws longer than her forearm – lay collapsed on its side, sickly green running from its mouth as if poisoned. It was clear that a battle had taken place, stray trees that had managed to break the fringes of the clearing now lay toppled as splintered stumps, and long marks had been sporadically clawed into the earth.

Melody skirted around a fallen tree trunk, watching the monster’s body before searching for the culprit. The panicked crowd she had heard earlier were gathered to one side, though none of them had their eyes on the fallen creature, instead focused inward and cheering. Melody hurried over to find what had captivated them so, weaving her way to the front. A slender ghost, dressed all in black, knelt down to apply aid to the injuries of a man sitting on one of the uneven stumps. The wide brim of their sunhat shadowed the beak of the mask covering their face. The members of the crowd were showering the figure with thank-yous and praise, and Melody stared as the realisation came that this doctor had been the one to slay the monster.

Melody stared, and slowly her slack jaw turned into a grin, eyes alight as her hair flared. She broke from the ring of the crowd, skating forward until she was an arm’s length from the stump.

“You defeated that thing? That’s amazing! I can’t believe you were able to do that by yourself! Was it difficult?? Did you have any help?!” In her haste she skipped any form of introduction and blurted out her excitement and questions, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Every word was silent, instead parts of her hair breaking off and floating in front of her, forming into letters. The doctor didn’t turn away from their patient, and it was impossible to see through the lenses of their mask to discern whether they were even looking at her or not.

“I didn’t have help.” Clipped, flat, like sitting through a long dusty novel, “It was dangerous, I couldn’t let it hurt these people.” Melody could feel the cold disposition hanging around the doctor like a fog, and she’d very rarely felt the words ‘go away’ in such a tangible air. But she was at least glancing at Melody’s words, so she continued.

“How did you do it? Can you use magic or did you use some kind of weapon?”

“Excuse me.” The doctor insisted, and waved through Melody’s sentences to disperse them. Melody faltered, and then frowned, hands on her hips in a way others had described on numerous occasions as childish. She watched the doctor weave medicine and healing words through the man’s broken leg. Melody’s frown deepened to a pout, and then she willed the full clouds of her hair forward, right in the doctor’s face. The doctor stopped, hands still raised. Slowly, she lowered them. Her head turned at the same weighted speed. Even through the mask, Melody could feel her intense gaze, so much so that she stopped herself from backing away. The doctor looked back to her patient for a moment-

“That should heal in a few days. Try to stay off of it.”

-and then stood. While she did so, the man thanked her once more and was helped by one of the townspeople to join the now dispersing crowd.

“You shouldn’t use your magic like that.” She advised, but that glee had spread across Melody’s entire being again, bouncing like before.

“I’m Melody! Melody Shepherd. I’m not very experienced in this whole thing but you must be if you were able to hunt down a whole monster by yourself!”

The doctor remained still.

“Nyx Murrain.” She introduced herself in kind, more polite than willing, and her beak turned down a degree, “I’m not a monster hunter. I only treat people if I can help it.” Melody nodded, her hair going fluffy with new blooming hope. Things could not have worked out more perfectly, no one could have been more perfectly suited than the person standing in front of her now.

“I want to learn how to heal people too. I don’t just want to fight.”

At this, Nyx looked down. Melody couldn’t tell whether she was taking in her blue dress with a puffy skirt and adorned with armour, or the weapons belted at her hips.

“…But I am prepared for one.” Melody added, hugging her arm in a shrug. Nyx shook her head, reaching down to adjust the fastening of the thick book attached to her belt.

“I can’t teach. I’m not a good fit for what you’re looking for.” Once again she insisted and refused. Melody used both arms to point to the giant creature lying on the grass. Nyx gave it a glance and simply gave a shrug.

“I didn’t even know if I’d be able to kill it or not. I just wanted to protect the townspeople.”

Melody hopped forward. Her haste sent her next words up close to Nyx’s beak as she clasped her hands together.

“That’s what I want to do. Protect people, help them.” Her eyes went wide with starlight as she looked at Nyx with a sweet and pleading smile, “I want to be like you.” Nyx shifted back a step. It may have been because of the forefront words made out of clouds that were beginning to dissipate, or to help her buy time for a pause. Melody continued to smile, and she didn’t even laugh when Nyx inclined her head in a very bird-like fashion matching her mask.

“You shouldn’t leave your sickle out in the open like that. It’ll make people nervous.” Nyx finally spoke. Melody straightened, her hand going to the handle of the blade, but she nodded obediently at the advice. Nyx continued to shift her weight and look Melody over, but Melody no longer shied away from what she now knew was appraisal.

“You need to slow down when you speak. Not everyone will be able to read fast enough to understand you.” Nyx took a step to the left and settled there, standing front-on to Melody as she gestured with her hand, “Don’t rely on magic to heal just because it’s easier. You need to be proficient with physical medicine as well. You seem like you might have a good bedside manner, but remember to prioritise treatment over being a people-pleaser-.”

“Would you be willing to take on an apprentice?” Melody interjected once she had the opportunity, focusing on slowing down her question.

“I wasn’t finished.” Nyx fixed her with that glare again, and Melody clammed up her mouth, using both hands to be extra quiet. Nyx disarmed the look, but a sigh then emanated through the mask.

“I don’t know how to be a teacher.” Nyx repeated. Melody took Nyx’s hand in her own, trying to be reassuring, and she suppressed her surprise at feeling a long scar, running diagonally across Nyx’s left palm and old by the feel of it.

“You’re already being helpful.” Movement behind her. The crunch of fallen branches. Melody ignored it, writing it off as a woodland creature, and continued.

“I really do value your advice, Miss Murrain.” Melody’s smile faded, clouds stilling as she looked downward at Nyx’s hand still in hers, “I don’t have anyone else to go to. No one else has helped me so far.”

Nyx stilled. Melody waited, uncertain about so many things but most of all about what Nyx’s reaction would be. Then she heard Nyx exhale. It sounded nothing like any of her irritated sighs earlier. In fact, Melody could have sworn there was a touch of grief that fluttered through it like a stale wind. Squeezing Nyx’s hand in comfort seemed like the appropriate thing to do, and while leaves crunched and growled behind her, Melody spoke again.

“Something very precious was stolen from me…” Her free hand drifted up to brush over her throat, and she lifted her gaze to see Nyx was looking just left of that area and her own body had stiffened, “I know that I can get it back, but no-one else has given me the chance. I know that if you would find it in your heart to—"

“Look out!” Nyx shoved Melody to the side, darting in front of her. The monster roared, one deadly limb still raised in the air. In the same motion that had thrust Melody out of the way, Nyx raised her arm. A skeletal hand, ghostly and bleeding blue mist, thrust from her own and clenched around the monster’s face, forcing it over its own unstable feet and crashing head-first with a shriek into the earth.

Melody once again was slack-jawed from where she had fallen on the grass as she looked at the monster’s chest rise and fall a final time, then stop completely. Her eyes flicked back and forth from the now certainly dead monster to Nyx and then back again. If it hadn’t been for Nyx, she would’ve been struck down where she stood.

“I thought you said you weren’t a monster hunter.” Melody finally spoke over her own racing heart.

“I’m experienced.” Nyx stated. The ghostly hand dissipated, and when Nyx adjusted her cloak back around her shoulders, Melody’s eyes caught on the knife strapped to her thigh. With shaking legs, Melody eased up to her feet.

“So then…” A moment’s hesitation until Nyx turned to look at her forming words, “Do you think teacher might also be something you’d dip your toes into?” Nyx hummed a grunt and turned, an invisible frown as she walked back to the stump she had sat her patient down on earlier. Melody faltered, fiddling with her fingers as she watched Nyx begin to assemble her supplies. She hadn’t looked too closely before but now, in a state of hyper-vigilance, Melody noticed the staff embedded in the dirt beside the stump, moulded from glass with a head wrapping elegantly around itself. Nyx stood, and her hand reached out and grasped the staff in such a way that it seemed like second nature. For a moment, Melody could swear she was a powerful vision, a statue a wizard had toiled over carving to honour a saint.

“Do you really not know what to do? Being alone?” Nyx looked back over her shoulder. Melody’s awe sobered, and her own shoulders sagged. She forced her arms to her sides instead of hugging herself as she met Nyx’s gaze.

“Yes.” She answered, honest and certain. She was no adventurer. She was afraid of what she might face. But she was more afraid of failure.

Nyx Murrain, this monster-slaying doctor, this ideal of what Melody wanted to become, looked at her boots and adjusted her grip on her belongings.

“Alright.” Nyx conceded, and with that one word Melody perked up like a cloudy summer’s day, “But please don’t do anything dangerous.” Melody nodded and shook her head and skipped in place. Nyx had already turned and begun to walk in the direction the townspeople had flocked through. With another grin, Melody hurried forward to catch up. She matched Nyx’s stride, repeatedly glancing towards Nyx even though the later kept her own gaze set forward. Melody’s grin widened and she puffed out her chest, walking side by side with her newfound teacher.

[kingfugue]

swan kingdom part 4-- EP

The first thing I noticed was the soft nature of my surroundings. My eyes weren’t open yet, but I felt as though a cloud was giving me a gentle hug, and I squirmed around in disbelief. “Oh,” a voice said from my right.

I opened my eyes to find the speaker, who, to my horror, was Mr. Crosswicks, dressed in a smart lavender sweater vest and holding an open book. “Mr. Crosswicks? W-what happened?” I stuttered. “Did I-- am I--”

“Well, after you passed out, I couldn’t just leave your lifeless body on the floor, could I?”

“Ah. Thank you very much, Mr. Crosswicks, I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

“Yes, I’ll make sure of it.” He snapped the book shut and scrutinized my face for a few tense moments before speaking. “When was the last time you ate something?”

How did he know everything I tried to hide? Could he read minds or something? “I’m not sure,” I replied. “How long was I asleep?”

“Approximately fourteen hours.”

“Fourteen--? Oh goodness, I’m so sorry. I really will make it up to you.”

“Answer the question.”

I swallowed, then mumbled, “er… three days ago… I think… or maybe four?”

“Good god. Remind me of your name.”

“Eden… Perelli…”

“You are a fucking idiot, Eden Perelli.” Mr. Crosswicks stood up and walked around the bed to open the door and yell down the hall, “Bellamy, lunch for two, and bring it soon.”

While he relayed orders, I observed the space. A wardrobe faced me on the other side, and to my right, a window let rays of sunlight filter inside. One electric light blazed from the center of the ceiling encased in a glass flower. And the walls-- I recognized the lavender walls at once-- I was still in Mr. Crosswick’s house. My face reddened. This man, a renowned scientist, caught me in his arms and let me sleep in his home. In a bed! I couldn’t recall the last time I slept in a bed.

“Do you take tea or coffee?” he asked me over his shoulder.

“Uh-- I’m not sure.”

He rolled his eyes. “Both, Bellamy, please and thank you. Yes, that’s all.”

“T-thank you.”

Without acknowledging me, Mr. Crosswicks closed the door and went back to his chair next to the bed. “So, you told me last night that you had information about IRs. Some information that you assumed I don’t already possess.”

When he put it like that, I realized how pompous it seemed for me to visit. More blood rushed to my face. “I suppose so,” I said.

“Would you care to share your findings with me?”

I decided to start with a preamble. “I’m a friend of Holland Rusk. She helps run the Rusk Bookshop, just north of here, and she gave me your name.”

“Oh, yes, I recall buying a book from her a few days ago. Rather chatty. Intelligent, for a civilian.”

“That’s her. She told me about your research, which is why I’m here.”

“I’m aware.”

“Mr. Crosswicks, forgive me if I sound ignorant, but how many interactions have you had with IRs?”

He considered this. For how rude he acted, at least he seemed to be taking me seriously now. “I have never met one,” he said. “My parents conducted most of the experiments and they died from radiation poisoning. I have utilized previous research or experimented on light forms of radioactivity-- plants, and the like.”

“You know the mutations vary from subject to subject, right? Some humans become animalistic, some humans can still think and communicate?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Well--” I sat up in bed and rearranged my blankets, and realized that I was no longer wearing pants. I yelped and yanked the covers up over my legs. 

“Oh, yes. I treated your leg,” Mr. Crosswicks supplied.

“Y-you did?” I lifted the covers a few inches to check. Sure enough, my left shin was wrapped up in clean white gauze. “Oh! Thank you so much, Mr. Crosswicks! I--”

“Yes, yes,” he replied impatiently, “continue.”

I replaced the blankets. “Right. I’m sorry. Well, I’ve spent the last few years searching for IRs and helping them hide from monster hunters. I like to think I’ve got a good reputation among them.”

Mr. Crosswicks pondered this. “Miss Rusk mentioned you,” he mused.

“Right! You see, when I first moved to New London, a humanoid IR was the first one who showed me any kindness, and I knew that that they had to be misunderstood. So I found an old radiation suit in a dumpster, and I thought, I might as well try to do some good-- pay that kindness forward. I tried to be public about it at first. I rallied in the streets with a few IRs to bring public awareness to the issue, but I was arrested. A year later I escaped from prison and I’ve been on the run ever since. Oh, and if you want to turn me in,” I added quickly, “I won’t fight, Mr. Crosswicks, I understand. I just need you to hear me out before that happens.”

He held up a hand to stop me and I fell silent. “I am less interested in IRs and more interested in you.”

“Er-- me? Why?”

“Yes. You say you have lived with multiple IRs?”

“That’s right. Dozens, probably.”

“When did this begin?”

I counted on my fingers. “About-- ten years ago, is when I started.”

“When did you get the radiation suit?”

“That would be nine years ago.”

“You’ve used this suit ever since?”

“I haven’t had the money to buy a brand new one, so… yes.” His eyes hadn’t left me once and it was starting to make me uncomfortable. “Mr. Crosswicks, I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about,” I continued.

“You don’t? Eden-- may I call you Eden?”

“Yes.”

“Eden, by all rights, you should be dead. I could feel the radiation coming off of you the moment you stepped into my study. As I have explained, I have studied various forms of radiation for years now, and I consider myself something of an expert on the subject. According to my research, the radiation suit you dug out of the trash should not have worked as well as you hoped, and your continued interactions with IRs should have killed you.”

So that’s what he meant last night when he told me that I was dying. He hadn’t predicted that the Rat Catcher was hunting me, he somehow felt the leftover radioactivity from the IRs. “Does that mean… I can’t help you?” I asked, feeling my heart sink.

“That depends. How do you feel about being observed?”

“Observed?”

A knock sounded at the door. The woman, Bellamy, came in, balancing a gargantuan tray in her arms, and setting it down with practiced precision on my lap. Fine china plates bearing piles of steaming sausages, arrays of tiny sandwiches, glazed meats, and salad, were spread out in neat rows in front of me. “Thank you,” I said, wondering what to eat first.

“You’re very welcome, dear,” she replied, casting a shifty glance to Mr. Crosswicks, who didn’t return it, and instead waved her out.

The moment she closed the door behind, he ordered, “eat.”

“Don’t you want some? You said it was for two.”

“Yes. I’m betting you can eat enough for two people, considering how long you’ve gone hungry.”

He wasn’t wrong. Without bothering myself with a fork, I began by sampling all of the sandwiches, which were cut into neat little squares and that I could fit between two fingers. Each one fit perfectly in my mouth. I didn’t recognize most of these flavors, but enjoyed each one all the same. Normally, what I ate came out of other people’s trash cans, so this was a real treat.

Mr. Crosswicks had gone quiet, probably because he knew I couldn’t get a word out while I ate. I glanced over at him. He had taken out a notebook to write in. 

I swallowed the sandwich I was working on and asked, “What are you writing?”

“Notes.”

“Notes about what?”

He used the pen in his hand to point at the plate of sandwiches in front of me. “You reached for the cucumber first. Then the chicken, tomato, and finally, the potato salad. Tomato elicited the most positive reaction.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to this. Was he taking notes on me? “Is this what you meant by ‘observing’?” I said.

“Yes. I’d like to learn how you act, what patterns you exhibit, in a controlled environment-- if you don’t object.”

“Would it help your IR research?”

“Very much, I think. You see, the majority of the population is scared of IRs because of their unavoidable radioactivity, and the belief that living in close proximity with them is fatal. You could prove them wrong. In fact--” Mr. Crosswicks put his pen and paper down so he could lean closer. “If you want to pay me back, you can start by cooperating in experiments.”

“What would I have to do?”

“It’s simple. I want to visit you as regularly as possible, in your natural habitat. At your home.”

My heart skipped a beat. Home. “I’m not sure that would be possible, Mr. Crosswicks,” I replied.

He placed a hand on my arm, as though to comfort me, and again my heart fluttered. “You would only have to act as you normally do,” he coaxed. “I ask you questions, you answer. I need a blood sample, you give it to me. And if you want the IRs to keep visiting, I’ll donate an old radiation suit of mine, so I will know exactly what types of radiation you are experiencing.”

“It isn’t that. I would be fine with all that.”

“Then what on earth is the problem?”

“I-- I--” My hands clenched at the blanket. I could never go back to the warehouse, not while the Rat Catcher continued to hunt me. Considering that I planned that last night would indeed be my last, I hadn’t even contemplated the possibility that I might survive another day. Where was I supposed to go now? Straight back to the warehouse to wait for the Rat Catcher to find me, to sit in anguishing wait for death? 

A tear dripped down my cheek and I rubbed it away and swallowed my cries. “It won’t work, Mr. Crosswicks, I’m sorry,” I whimpered.

“Won’t work?” He placed his notes on the floor. I could tell he had no idea why I was crying or how to stop me. “I’m-- Eden, look at me, it’s alright-- I’m offering you the opportunity of a lifetime. You came to me--”

“I know, I did, and I’m sorry. Thank you for everything but I should go now.”

Out of instinct, he reached his other hand for my face, and then just as awkwardly withdrew it, and put it on his lap. “Would you tell me why?” he inquired gently.

“The sad truth is, if I tell you, you may be in danger,” I replied.

“I’ll be in danger?”

I stared down at the tray of food to avoid his concerned eyes. “Someone wants to kill me, Mr. Crosswicks. They know where I live. They follow me. I’m not sure if they know I’m here, but if I go back home, I’ll die.”

“Why do they want you dead?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know, they didn’t say. They hunt IRs for a living, I think. Yesterday, I wanted to keep a promise to a friend that I would find you, so I came here after I escaped. That’s where the cuts on my leg came from. So, you see… I have no home to go back to.”

He paused, and rested his hand on my arm again. Goosebumps rose on my skin. “Why did you come here? Were you looking for a place to hide?”

“No, I swear that isn’t it! I made a promise to my friend that I would share my knowledge of IRs with you. He knew how much I wanted to make a change but was too afraid for so many years. I just thought, if I’m going to die, I should die after I accomplish something.”

“Good god. And here I was thinking you were some starving tramp coming to my door to take advantage of me.”

“I would never!”

Mr. Crosswicks chuckled. “Yes, I believe you.”

He was smiling. Actually smiling. Up until this point, a frown stayed painted on his face, and now a little grin emerged from under the facade. 

It was beautiful.

“I-- I wish I c-could help you,” I stammered.

“Perhaps we could help each other. Go on, eat, you need it.”

I didn’t want to remove my arm from his grasp, so I used my left one to fumble around for the fork and skewer leaves of salad.

“You have no place to live,” Mr. Crosswicks began. “If you go outside, you could very well be killed. I want to observe you on a regular basis in order to advance my IR research. Do you understand where I’m going with this, Eden?”

I frantically chewed my mouthful of salad, swallowed, and replied, “not really.”

“I’m suggesting that you live here for a time.”

“Here? Here, as in-- here, here? Your house?”

“Here here.” He withdrew his hand from me and gestured around the room to prove his point. “I have more than enough space for myself since my parents died. I’ll give you this extra bedroom, a bathroom, everything you could need.”

This was too good to be true. Was I dreaming? I just sat there, stunned, waiting for him to add a “kidding!”.

We stared each other down. “I need your consent before I set this up,” he continued.

“Uh. Are y-you sure?”

“Yes. I don’t care if you’re being hunted, my house is the safest place in New London. You agree to be my test subject?”

I didn’t like the term test subject, but I didn’t know how else to define myself now, so I nodded and answered, “yes, I’ll be your test subject.”

“Perfect! Let me draw up the papers and I’ll be right back. Finish your lunch, I want you to regain your health as soon as possible.” He stood up, abandoning his book and notes, and strode out the door, leaving me in contemplative silence.

Test subject. Me, a test subject? Have I gotten myself into something bad?

No, no, I persuaded myself. You can trust Mr. Crosswicks.

Why? Another voice chimed in. Why should I trust him? I only just met him.

And in that time he’s done more for me than anyone has in years without my asking him to. 

Yes, I was sure of it. I could trust him. I would keep my guard up-- not like I had been during lunch when I poured my heart out-- but I could trust him for now.

[whitewitchdani]

Infinitely Different: Chapter 4

Read Chapter 3 Here

Word Count: 1419

Pairing: Winchester!Sister Reader x ???

Warnings: Language

A/N: Chapter 4! Yaaaaaay! lol. I hope you guys like this next chapter. As always feedback is welcome and let me know if you’d like to be tagged!

Infinitely Different Masterlist

Even though everyone wasn't supposed to meet for another hour, you decided to head over to the boarding house. Hopefully, you could catch up with the boys and maybe raid Damon's bourbon stash. God knows you'd probably need it. 

You loved both of the Salvatore brothers to death, but damn if you and Damon didn't just butt heads all the time. You argued a lot and it may seem like you hate each other but when push came to shove, Damon was one of the best friends you'd ever had. He took a long time to warm up to you when you first arrived in Mystic Falls, being a hunter and all, but after you saved him from being bitten by a rogue werewolf, he realized you were a friend. Your personalities were similar and tended to clash, but when it mattered, Damon was a good friend. You realized he was one of your best friends when you stumbled into the boarding house one night after a particularly nasty ghost hunt a couple towns over. You laughed to yourself as you recalled the memory. 

The ghost had impaled your left side with a metal rod in an attempt to keep you from its body, unsuccessfully, and you had somehow stayed conscious long enough to drive back to the boarding house and stumble inside. Damon was the only one home and smelled the blood as soon as you entered. 

"What the hell happened?!" He sped to where you were leaning against the doorframe and brought you to one of the couches. 

"Casper the dickbag ghost happened. He wasn't very happy when I started salting his bones. Stabbed me but I managed to burn them, sending him straight to Hell hopefully." 

You winced as Damon lifted your shirt to look at the wound. The room was spinning and you were getting extremely lightheaded. "Damon..." Your eyes fluttered as blood loss tried to drag you into unconsciousness. 

Damon smacked you a little, "Hey. Hey! You gotta stay awake. Shit," He knew he had to heal you but that you weren't going to be happy about it. He bit his wrist and held it to your mouth, "Drink." You tried to push it away. 

"Dammit, Y/N. Either you drink it or you bleed out on my couch and die. And I like this couch." 

You let out a breathy laugh, wincing as it made the pain in your side shoot through your body. Dammit, you knew he was right. You latched on to Damon's wrist and drank until he decided you had enough and pulled away.

"My god that was fucking awful," you grimaced as you wiped your mouth.

"You're welcome," He said with his signature smirk. "Come on, I'll take you upstairs so you can get some sleep." 

He insisted on carrying you up to your room in the boarding house, laying you on your bed while he took up residence in a chair. You talked for a while, regaling him with the exaggerated tale of that night’s hunt until you fell asleep. You woke up in the middle of the night that night and noticed he had never left, fast asleep in the chair in the corner of the room. He was too worried to leave you alone. And that's when you realized that Damon Salvatore was one of your best friends. 

You pulled into the drive of the boarding house and parked. You couldn't help but smile; even after 2 years pulling into this place still felt like coming home. You strolled through the front door without knocking, "Honey, I'm home!" You heard a book drop in the other room and Stefan appeared in front of you. 

"Y/N?" He looked at you confused at first and then smiled, pulling you in for a hug. 

"What's shakin', Salvatore?" You pulled away from the hug and made your way to the parlor. 

"It's really good to see you, Y/N. We've missed you around here." 

"I've missed you guys too. And I've missed this house. I don't mind the danger and the blood and guts that comes with hunting, but bouncing around cheap motels blows." 

You and Stefan both laughed as he sat on the couch and you browsed the bar. "Damon still keep the good stuff in his underwear drawer?" you asked with a smirk. 

Stefan threw his head back and laughed, "As far as I know. I'm pretty sure he's still upset you found out about his hiding spot." 

"I'm a hunter, you can never hide the good booze from me. Speaking of, where is the less handsome Salvatore?" 

"Blood bag run. Should be home soon." 

"Perfect. Don't tell him I'm stealing his bourbon!" You yelled over your shoulder as you ran up the stairs to Damon's room. 

You walked in and flopped down on his bed. Still the most comfortable bed in existence, you thought to yourself with a laugh. You sat up and looked around. Nothing had changed in the two years you'd been gone: still a beautiful room, awesome freaking bathroom, and way too many black V-necks. 

Rolling across the king sized bed, you made your way to his dresser, pulling open the first drawer and rifling through it. You finally found it shoved in the very back left corner, pulling the bottle of amber liquid out with an "Aha!" As you spun around, the dark haired vampire was there leaning in the doorway with a smirk. 

"You know, if you wanted to root around in my underwear, all you had to do was ask." 

You rolled your eyes. "Don't be crude, Damon. I just know where you like to hide the good stuff," you shot back at him as you opened the bottle and took a swig. You relished the burn as the bourbon slid down your throat, the taste much better than the cheap stuff you were normally forced to buy.

"Hey! You know, I keep that stuff hidden for a reason. There's plenty of alcohol for you to choose from downstairs." He replied in a singsong manner as he took the bottle from your hands. 

"Spoil sport," you spit back as you stuck your tongue out at him. He returned the bottle to his underwear drawer before turning to envelop you in a giant hug. 

"It's good to see you, kid. I've missed you around here."

You smiled and dug your head into the crook of his neck as you deepened the hug, feeling some of the built up tension leave your body. "I missed you too." 

Damon smiled against your hair and kissed your forehead before pulling away, "So, to what do we owe the pleasure of having the big bad Y/N Winchester back here in little ole Mystic Falls?" He sat down on the foot of the bed with a smirk and patted the bed next to him, signaling you to join him. 

"Stefan didn't tell you? They were investigating the deaths of those campers and when they found out it wasn't a vampire they called me in. So here I am to save little ole Mystic Falls from the big bad Wendigo that is most likely lurking out there." 

"I thought your brothers wouldn't let you have anything to do with this place?" Damon asked with a confused look. 

You rolled your eyes, "First of all I'm an adult and my brothers don't have to LET me do anything. But we weren't together when I got the call anyways. We've been apart for a year now, I've been hunting solo." 

"Seriously they force you to leave then ditch you to hunt alone?" Damon was getting angry. He came close to ripping their hearts out when they made you leave last time and this is how they treated you? 

You let out a long sigh, "Not exactly. About a year after I left, my brothers and I were on a case in Missouri when Dean for some reason decided to bring up Mystic Falls and you guys and how I'm irresponsible and stupid for playing house with bloodsuckers. It ended in a giant fight, and I just kinda left. Started hunting on my own." 

It was Damon’s turn to roll his eyes. He was about to comment on how your brothers were dicks when Stefan's voice called from downstairs announcing the arrival of the rest of the Scooby gang. 

You got up, turned to Damon, and clapped your hands together with a smile, "Let's go plan the murder of a monster shall we?"

Read Chapter 5 Here

Tag List:

@lovesamwinchester

@winchesterxtwo

@assass-is-here

@rosethesupernaturalhunter

[eclecticpatrolsweets]

Fog strange talk Season 3 ——Jinjiang City 2020 Top10

preface

The city was swept by high temperature, and there were two pairs of mandarin ducks, who migrated for a long time to build their nests and settle down in a warm place. One was unable to bear the high temperature and fell, dying on the concrete floor. One opened its wings to block the hot sun for his partner. The male struggled and died soon. It was a long way and a spare dream. The mandarin ducks did not eat or drink, and rested beside their husband.

Mandarin ducks are amorous, not to mention people in the city.

TOP10

Early in the morning, the mountain fog came down like a tidal wave, blocking the road.

"It is called foggy city. What a thick fog!" "Sheng exclaimed.

He drove up the hill with fresh groceries, Alma asleep, and the servant opened the door and together they put the groceries in the refrigerator.

"Make me some pasta." "He said to the servant.

The servant took the pasta ingredients to the kitchen and sat down on the sofa to watch TV.

Another servant came forward and said, "Little Alma is growing. She needs more."

"You should teach her that not every meal needs to turn the table red and that greed will only lead to death."

"It is. Children don't understand that..."

"I'll find a way."

"It's so foggy out there." The woman walked to the stairs.

"The stairs are very steep and I don't know what the architect thought. You need to be careful every time you go up and down. Falling is very bad for pregnant women."

"I will." The woman replied.

"Alma's thirsty again." The woman continued.

"You have to know that this is Jinjiang City. It is no longer a place where you can get what you want." He looked at the woman and said.

"I think I can understand why they don't come."

"We are always on the road. If they are just greedy for resources, they are no different than clowns. They will be wiped out."

The servant poured a cup of soy milk for Sheng, who drank it and continued, "I have no power here. People have learned to keep their doors and Windows as closed as their mouths. I'll take her somewhere tonight and be back late."

When the fruit tree called, he said warmly, "Good morning!"

"What's interesting?" L asked.

"Oh, fun stuff. What could be more fun than pushing you for a manuscript?"

"I was thinking about the plot, and it was really hard for the plot to come together."

"The team is struggling, and everyone needs to rest and have enough energy the next day to create something the audience will love. Every phone call is a source of inspiration."

"What did you want to tell me?"

"You wouldn't believe this guy gave me a script when I was at the beach yesterday."

"What story? Did you read it?"

"I think it's ok. But his clothes are so abject. It may have taken him years to write one."

"If you think he's a talent, you can get more work."

"I prefer to be able to create something immediately within a few hours, and a deep artistic foundation is the best tool to test a creator's flexibility." "Of course, if it is a popular book, I can also benefit from it," he said. "In this era, there are not many people sitting in front of a desk, but in the sofa, in front of the TV or computer."

"How did he recognize you?" I'm a little confused.

"It means I'm famous."

"It's a great thing to have someone love you!"

When the woman saw sheng hang up the phone and the pasta was already on the table, she said, "Have you come back to see your brother?"

"He doesn't want to see me. There's a lookalike replacing him. It's dangerous here."

"But we still have the missiles, don't we?"

L put down the fork, he carefully looked at the woman and said: "the most powerful weapon in this world is not teeth and sharp nails, TV, books are told, 'the power of the sun', in my high school days, I am very close to this force, honestly, I was scared, unexpectedly dare to believe that the world's most powerful weapon is in your hands. And at the same time, I'm proud of it, and the aura, the glory of being the Sun god is overwhelming. Now it's more on my own."

In the afternoon, three good students called to make an appointment for a small party with several friends.

It's just time for dinner.

They chatted while eating. The classmate said, "I am very optimistic about you. I hope you will continue to work hard."

My classmate is running a large farm and he badly needs others to buy his produce.

Rose said: "it is the direction of our knowledge we learn and the power, to obtain resources and money has been the eternal pursuit and purpose, in addition to the supermarket will provide a better quality of fruits and vegetables, there will be no other people, and industrialization of the product must be no market, or do a better job, you also want to hard work."

After the party, he took Alma to the White Bar. "This is my niece. Please give her a drink to quench her thirst."

After Alma had a drink, she drank a substitute.

"You have to learn to be patient and control your cravings," Sheng said. "You can't drink it all the time."

"I drink it every day and NEVER get thirsty."

"Jinjiang City is not the place where you used to enjoy yourself. The conditions here are difficult. You need to develop the ability to control your desires. Without power, there will be no red drink to quench your thirst. You will be treated as a monster by the people, and they will beat you to death!"

"You are more verbose than my teacher!" Alma said ruthlessly.

Old woman called to rise: "young man, you come here."

Sing and Alma went to grandma's table. The old woman took out her mobile phone and said, "Jinjiang city has changed. It is no longer a bustling factory city. Poverty makes everyone want to have more. A girl fell down and died this afternoon. Watch this video."

Sheng looked at his phone: The girl was cradled in her mother's arms, her family was screaming hysterically, and the ambulance nurse was stunned by the screams.

"Isn't this where my brother lives?" Rose said.

"Storm is not without foundation appear, when I was younger sailing together with the husband, he is a handsome captain, we through the silk to make purchase capital ship, the sea will there be hurricanes, mainly decided by temperature, must be extremely sensitive to the temperature of the sea, or a hurricane, empress is always along with the ship's porcelain sink to the bottom of the ocean. High temperatures are in the air in Jingang City. "Said the old woman serenely, her tone having the air of seeing through the world.

"Unfortunately she was sucked dry before she fell. I wish I could have tasted it before she died." Alma gave her phone back.

"If a hunter comes after me, I will no longer be able to provide the necessary food for my guests." "Said the old woman.

"If you hadn't been there, there would have been a great deal of trouble. There have been reckless incidents."

"If there's no money, they're not going to get anything here. The hunter wants them to act alone and catch them all."

"How long do you plan to leave?"

"I have no intention of leaving. I am settled in Jingangseong and will not go anywhere. I hope I will not have to travel so much before I die. Pu Chun is my son, I hope he can inherit the White Bar, also hope you can buy shares, maintain the white bar operation. Xiao Yang has agreed to buy in. He came at five o 'clock with the money. This will be your home."

"Good!"

[teme-xuha]

Dungeon Diving

With a small whiff of fire controlled by the arcane will of Tinge’s fingers, the wick quickly began to glow as the magic flame ignited a mundane one at the center of the lantern. With a twist of the knob on the side she adjusted the light to illuminate the walls of the underground tunnel. The young tiefling’s eyes saw well enough in the darkness, but only revealed shades of colorless grey. To locate the treasure she was after, natural light would be needed.

Tinge slowly made her way deeper into the silent tunnel. She knew well enough to remain cautious, even if this dungeon had been cleared out by other adventurers.  While mostly empty, the degree to which the previous inhabitants explored the area still left the dangers of un-tripped traps and other gathered dangers waiting to spill out.  More than once Tinge has had to deal with treasure hunters and bandits seeking an easy fortune left behind. There was often a few missed skeletons walking around ready to fight, but the chance of something truly dangerous hiding behind a closed door was too risky to allow for much exploring. Worst still would be finding a dead party deeper within, and knowing that whatever large evil that lurked in this place still remained.  Tinge was smart enough to flee in that case.

Along the walls a mossy buildup had formed and the floor was slicked by small rivulets of ground water snaking deeper into the dungeon. The path split into three directions, but straight ahead a large stone door sat open. Carved into the door were three slots which now each contained a stone marked with the symbol of an animal. Undoubtedly this door required finding the stones and arranging them in a specific order to proceed.  For Tinge the door was left open.  A small blush of nervousness crept up her back as she passed through; a part of her embarrassed for what felt like cheating.

Further in the air took on a more putrid quality as some kind of rot drifted toward Tinge’s nose. Ahead she saw an small yet indistinguishable pile of flesh in the path ahead.  A few bones stuck out, but it was hard to tell if this had once been humanoid.  She approached it cautiously until she saw movement. Stopping dead in her tracks she watched as a green viscous liquid seemed to envelop the pile of meat and bone.  Tinge immediately knew what was consuming it.  She had encountered them before, and it always made her uneasy.  This was another danger of coming into a long cleared dungeon, jellies and slimes seeking any kind of food left to eat.  This slime was joined by another smaller one, slowly pushing it’s way from a crevice in the stone wall. 

It never failed how Tinge was reminded of her mother when she saw one of those things. She remembered the day well, many years before, when she still lived at the Darrington Estate...

What began as a quiet afternoon reading stories in the estate gardens, quickly turned into a play fight with small sticks standing in for brilliant knight swords. Tinge had fought her brother Warran valiantly, but had ended up tripping into a mud puddle. After she was helped to her feet she ran off into the large mansion. Sneaking along the hallways and into her room, Tinge closed the door and carefully removed her soiled dress. Still in just her small clothes she placed the dress on a chair in front of her and began searching for a replacement in her wardrobe. She heard the door open behind her and thought one of the maid’s had come in to check on her.

“It’s alright Sarra, just give me a---,” as Tinge turned she froze still.

Standing in the doorway was the Duchess Emmelina, staring at Tinge with eyes like cold blue mountain stones.

“Mother!” Tinge gasped. Rarely did she ever visit Tinge, least of all in her own room. While Tinge stood straight with her eyes lowered to the floor, the Duchess’ eyes slowly went to the mud stained dress on the chair next to her. Her demeanor barely shifted.

“So this is how you would treat the nice things we buy for you Celestine?”

“No mother.” Tinge meekly spoke.

“Do you think this is how the ladies act in those stories of yours? or perhaps you’d rather be one of the little monsters?” The Duchess spoke with slow venom dripping in her voice.

Tinge instantly thought of several examples in her books of ladies behaving in a similar manner, but she couldn’t bring herself to name them, only managing to speak, “no mother.”

“Living in filth will just attract slimes to devour you in your sleep. Then they’d prey on the rest of us. I bet you’d like that wouldn’t you?”

Tinge shook her head and spoke slightly louder, “No! Mother.” The young Tinge had heard about slimes in her books but had never though about them coming for her in her sleep.  That thought combined with her mother’s cold questions caused her to start trembling.

“Sarra!” The Duchess called followed by a kind but unassuming woman dressed in servant’s garb entering the room.

The Duchess picked up Tinge’s dress with the tips of her fingers as if handling a dead animal.  “See to it that this is destroyed.  Then have a bath drawn and make sure the Lady Celestine is bathed and dressed properly for dinner.”

For a moment Tinge forgot herself. “I can do that myself!” She growled under her breath but just loud enough for her mother and Sarra to hear.

The air stood still in the room as Saara looked between the Duchess and Tinge, who now looked frozen and terrified. After a long uncomfortable pause the Duchess tossed the dress at the feet of her daughter.

“Sarra, forget the bath.  See that Lady Celestine is dressed.” she spoke motioning to the garment on the floor.  “We’ve never had to entertain slimes at dinner before. Hopefully they will have their fill.”

As the Duchess left, Tinge stood trembling with a strange mix of embarrassment, fear, and anger. That night, and many nights after Tinge would dream of finding her brothers and sisters bodies half-devoured, trapped in slick ugly slime, and somehow she knew it was her fault.

As Tinge watched the small slimes inch along the dungeon floor she gathered herself and leapt past them, giving them plenty of berth.  Confident she was getting close to her goal, she marched onward, deeper into the dark tunnels. After a short distance the walls seemed much different. The mossy buildup was gone.  The rotten smell had dissipated, and Tinge looked around marveling at just how clean the deeper dungeon area seemed.

After a slightly more narrow passageway she came into a large cavern room.  The bones of some mighty creature Tinge couldn’t identify laid in the center of the room.  Towards the back she found the remains of another creature, a inert blob of flesh next to an open wooden chest.  No doubt this was a mimic that surprised whatever weary adventurers that cleared this place.   The chest was empty, but that wasn’t the treasure Tinge was after.  holding her lantern to the cavern walls Tinge finally spotted what she was after.  Thin lines of red and orange laced the cavern rock.  Dyonisia, her mentor, had been right and this area was rich with the pigment they needed to make a truly dazzling shade of red. After a noisy time of swinging her pick-axe, Tinge gathered a healthy supply in a large, thick glass jar which she sealed with a cork. 

Her treasure in hand, Tinge began to exit the large cavern room but paused as she came to the narrow corridor.  A small pile of bones rustled back and forth on the other end of the corridor that wasn’t there before.   Scoffing at another half-formed animated skeleton she’d have to slay Tinge confidently walked forward.  For a moment it seemed the air came alive and pulled her into the corridor and she floated above the floor.  

Panic filled her mind. The air felt cold and wet, like she was covered in damp clay. With horror she felt the room move, carrying her with it as her skin began to feel as if pressed to a flame. She tried to struggle but incredible pressure kept her in place. She tried to scream, but the same cloying air began to force its way into her throat and nose. She couldn’t breath. Another sudden lurch forward and she realized she was now trapped in this giant gelatinous cube set to consume her. 

She started to feel dizzy and her struggles became more frantic. She could feel her skin begin to burn but knew she would suffocate long before the acid ate her.  She was alone down here, and the only one who knew where she was, was an old woman who could barely traverse the steps in front of her shop. Her vision started to fade. It was already hard to see with the pressure on her eyes.  She could feel the fight draining out of her. 

Suddenly she felt a shift in the cube at her side. Whatever made up this creature’s body was having a reaction to something at her side.  Forcing her neck to crane down she spotted the jar of pigment.  Straining her arms to reach her side she fumbled with the cork, on the verge of losing consciousness. With one final snap of determination she cracked open the seal on the jar.

She felt her face was cold and leaning against something hard. In a daze she blinked her eyes and found herself lying on the dungeon floor. She lay there a moment catching her breath when a searing pain gripped her ankle. Looking behind her she saw the same slime feasting earlier, but this time they had congealed into a true jelly. She tried to free her foot, but the jelly held tight.  Drawing her sword she sliced at it wildly, and her strike cut true.  With a sickening plop next to her, the swath of jelly she cut off rose from the ground and started to shuffle towards her. She stared in horror as the unfeeling, soulless, blob came to try and consume her.  Deep within her veins a fire erupted. It was a primal, elemental fire boiling in her blood.  The flames illuminated the dark tunnels.

Dyonisia gasped as the door to her shop was flung open. Tinge practically collapsed in the doorway, her simple leather armor burnt and in tatters, deep red marks across her light purple skin. 

“By the gods, child!” Dyonisa shouted, using what strength she had to carry the fortuitously petite teifling to a bed at the back of the shop.  Dyonisa still had some skill as a healer, but her brow knitted with doubt as she worked.  After a few hours Tinge opened her eyes, smiling to see Dyonisia’s face.  As Dyonisia prepared some tea and a bite for Tinge to eat, Tinge sat up in the bed, slightly trembling as she thought about her escape. Dyonisia came back and laid a reassuring hand on Tinge’s shoulder, and Tinge finally stopped trembling.

A week afterward the new paint was made, a brilliant red hue that the local artists were going crazy over. After their work day was done, Tinge cleaned the shop and big Dyonisia a good night, then settled into her loft bed.  Something rustling below woke her with a start. Descending into the shop tinge saw movement in the corner. Her breathing became more frantic as a small slime inched along the floor from her adventuring equipment. A piece of the jelly must have come back with her.  She quickly leapt down to the floor and attempted to crush it as it scurried away. 

“T----Ti---nge” a small voice called from the back of the shop.

As Tinge turned she saw the old woman half consumed by a monstrous jelly, her arm outstretched in desperation.

“Dyna!” Tinge called out as she was jolted from her nightmare. Her sheets were covered in sweat and the confusion of the dream still lingered.  She peeked down into the shop and saw nothing but stillness, then crept quietly to Dyonisia’s room.  She slept peacefully in the bed. 

Tinge sighed with relief, then all of her held back emotions started to pour into her as the adrenaline faded. She sat quietly on the floor of the shop, and stared at the ceiling.

Her thoughts went to her mother...

[tngrayson]

A New Life - Ch.3 - Guests

A/N:  This story is an AU that begins roughly around season 9.  Reader is Cuthbert Sinclair’s daughter. I do not own Supernatural or any of its respective characters. Only this story’s plot.

Characters: Reader, Cuthbert Sinclair, Sam, Dean, Castiel

Pairing: eventual Dean x Reader, Castiel x Reader (platonic)

Warnings: Probably violence and adult situations eventually, but I’ll update appropriately on a chapter by chapter basis.

Word Count: 1700

Summary: When you decide it’s time to leave the nest, your father points you in the direction of the bunker. What happens when two strangers show up in your new home?

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

“So,” you said into the phone pinned between your ear and shoulder. You were walking the halls of the bunker with a large file box on your hip. “the nerds kicked you out for being ‘eccentric and irresponsible,’” you mocked with a smirk on your face as you took the steps into the library and slid the box onto the table.

Cuthbert sighed on the other end. He sat at the massive desk in his study, feet propped up with a book in his hands. “Yes, Pumpkin. I understand that my projects were a little…sophisticated. But I only ever had good intentions. We could have put an end to all of that monster business out there if they would have just listened.”

“Well, I can’t say I blame them.” You placed the phone on speaker and set it down on the table.

Cuthbert nodded, taking a sip of scotch. “That’s right, Pumpkin,” he spoke automatically, flipping a page. “What?” he said, shutting his book and sitting it down on the desk. “You agree with those librarians?”

You smirked. Of course he hadn’t been paying attention. “Dad. You ARE eccentric and irresponsible. I mean, you have a Creature Zoo full of mind controlled monsters.” As if you suddenly remembered, you slammed down the file you were holding, tossing an accusatory glance at the phone as if it were him, “You let me play with them as a child! That’s eccentric and irresponsible on its own. Don’t get me started on how you raised me. Who arms an 8-year-old with knives and an Enochian spell book?!”

“Alright, alright. I get your point.” He picked up his book from the desk again. “My methods may be unorthodox, but you’ve turned out that much better for it if you ask me,” he said, adjusting his reading glasses as he looked for a page. “You’re ten times more talented than any of those librarians I mentored back then.”

“Of course you’d think that about your own daughter.”

“I mean it, Y/N. You’re a talented young woman.”

“Thanks, Dad.” You looked over at his journal that had been resting on the other table. “You know, you could always come back here.”

“No, I could never go back to the bunker.”

“Well, it’s not like they’re going to re-expel you from Hogwarts,” you joked. “The Men of Letters are all…gone, and this place is amazing.” You sat back in your chair taking an appreciative glance at your surroundings. “We could pick up where they left off-“

“That life’s over for me, Y/N. No,” his tone was suddenly more serious. It caught you off guard. You were speechless for a short moment; opening your mouth to say something and then closing it again when the words didn’t come.

“Right,” you finally breathed out, looking down, “obviously.”

“Look, sweetie I’ve,” he hesitated. “I’m meeting someone about a 12th century cursed skull soon. Talk later?”

“Yeah,” it came out as barely a whisper. You cleared your throat and spoke a little louder.  “Yeah, talk later. Love you.”

“Bye, Pumpkin.”

You had been living in the bunker for nearly a month now. You read for days, about previous members, about rituals and spells and all kinds of lore. You took your time to get familiar with what your father said was your birthright. As it turned out, he had raised you with quite a few of the standards and codes of the Men of Letters.

You had also done very little hunting since you’d been here; only taking on two or three cases, and they were always nearby.  Cuthbert had told you where the Men of Letters liked to hide their emergency cash; you used it to buy yourself a laptop and some clothes supplies for the bunker.

You had also set out to digitizing the archives from room 7B, cleaning out the kitchen, and giving the place a few modern upgrades.  There was now an automatic opener for the garage. You favored the blue ’54 Corvette in there so you would take her out to run your errands. The Library now has a mini fridge for your beer, seeing as you spend most of your time in there memorizing lore. The kitchen surprisingly didn’t need much upgrading, just a good scrub down.

You found out that you loved to cook, and you were quite good at it. You’ve even started yourself a small collection of cookbooks. Right now, with Asia’s ‘Soul Survivor ’ blaring through the kitchen from your cell phone on the table, you had two pies—one apple, the other blueberry—baking in one oven, a few burgers going in the other, and you were currently chopping up fresh veggies for a stew. You liked to cook a few days in advance.

Sam and Dean had landed themselves on one case after the other, getting them further and further away from the bunker. They hadn’t been home in weeks.

“I cannot wait to get back into my own bed,” Dean reminisced, “When we get home, I’m gonna sleep for a week.”

“I hear ya,” Sam said yawning from the passenger seat. He had his head buried in his tablet.

Dean looked over. “Oh, don’t tell me you’re looking for another case. Sam, no. There’s a memory foam mattress with my name on it…literally!”

“Well yeah, I just figured if there was anything on the way…wait, literally?” Sam looked up from the tablet.

“That’s how we got into this mess in the first place. Look, just give me a few days and then we can get back out there. I need a break, you need a break…”

“I don’t need a break,” Sam said, scratching at the scruff on his chin that had begun to grow since he hadn’t been shaving as often.

Dean glared over at Sam. “Alright,” Sam said, closing the tablet and raising his hands in surrender.

A few hours later, Sam and Dean pulled up to the front entrance of the bunker. They didn’t bother to park in the garage this time. Sam got out and headed for the trunk.

“Leave it,” Dean called as he headed for the door, pulling his key from his pocket, “I’ll bring it in later.”

As soon as Dean stepped onto the balcony  he smelled food cooking. Automatically, he pulled out his gun and checked his surroundings, immediately in hunting mode again. How the hell was anyone in the bunker right now? This was supposed to be the most secure place on Earth. No one could get in without the key, and Dean had that in his pocket. Hell, he’d just used it. Sam came in close behind him, taking out his gun and lowering his stance when he saw Dean with his. “What’s going on-“ Sam started, “Do you hear that?” he whispered.

“You SMELL that?” Dean responded.

They stalked down the stairs and into the War Room. The music grew louder and the smell grew stronger. “Is that pie? …and Asia?” Dean mouthed to Sam.

Sam shrugged.

He and Dean cleared the library. There were files and books spread out all over the tables. Was someone looking for something? They made their way down the hall. The music was definitely coming from the kitchen. When they rounded the corner they stepped in with their guns raised and ready.

What they saw caught them by surprise. It was you, barely clothed in your matching bra and panties, with your back to the doorway. You hadn’t heard your new visitors over your music; oblivious that you were in the gunsights of two of the most dangerous hunters there were. You continued chopping veggies, occasionally making wild gestures and using the knife as a microphone.

Dean, having had enough, crept near the table and turned your music off.

You turned around to investigate, finally realizing that you were on the business end of not one, but two guns. Your heart began to race.

“Who are you?” the tall one demanded.

You adjusted the grip of the knife in your hand, taking a defensive stance and figuring your best way to gain the upper hand here.

“Who are you?” you spat back. Looking from one to the other, slowly creeping towards the shorter one. Did he just check you out? You thought he might be kind of cute if he didn’t have a gun pointed at you right now.

“Don’t.” Dean pulled back the hammer on his gun. He was going to be a problem.

The tall one tensed. You could tell he didn’t want to shoot, but that he would if you made the wrong move. You raised your hands in surrender, placing the knife on the counter towards the door as you took a slow step forward.  “Abi, ab…” you whispered, looking at the cute one, still approaching.

“What?”

“…oculis…” you pointed your finger at him.

“Hey! Don’t move!” He raised his gun.

“These are witch-killing bullets,” the tall one warned.

“…meis!” you shouted the last part as the short one pulled the trigger.

He vanished.

You immediately ran at the other one. He fired, missing you. You ducked under his arms and jumped on his back, making him drop the gun. You wrapped your arms and legs around his neck and body squeezing as hard as you could. He backed up and slammed his body against the wall. It sent a pain through your shoulder, but you didn’t let up. He began to pull at your arms and legs, trying to get you off of him.

He went down on his knees, struggling to grab the gun again. Finally, he fell unconscious and you eased his body onto the floor.

Suddenly, Dean found himself outside of the bunker. The shot he fired hit the iron door.

“What the hell?”

Quickly, he went to the trunk of the Impala and changed out his regular bullets for witch-killing ones. Sam had been bluffing earlier. He grabbed the key from his pocket and rushed into the bunker again.

“Sam?!” he called as he carefully made his way down the hall. He turned into the kitchen ready to fire, except he didn’t see you anywhere. Sam was lying on the floor. Dean walked over to him and checked for his pulse. When he felt it, he let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Dean cleared the kitchen and headed back up the short steps, risking one more glance at Sam on the floor.

It had been a mistake. The next thing he knew, he felt a sharp pain in his head as he hit the floor. The last thing he saw before his vision faded was you walking towards Sam.

Feedback is always welcome and highly encouraged. I love to hear what you think of my work. This story is my own, please don’t post it on any other sites without my permission.

SPN Taglist

@spn-imagines-fics @nickthboywonder @lilly-sinclair @jadepc

[mittensmorgul]

Hey! So I have been wondering this ever since I started watching the show, and I'm sure it's been discussed but who do you think is the better hunter? Sam or Dean? I cannot decide for the life of me

Hi there! Well, this isn’t a potentially loaded question or anything, so I figured I’d give a shot at answering.

I really don’t think either of them is a better hunter. I think they do have slightly different approaches, slightly different strengths and weaknesses, but that they really do complement each other so well.

Hunting in general seems to be a safer occupation when you’ve got backup you trust working with you, but even more it seems like two (or even three *wink wink*) hunters working together when they all know each other’s strengths and weaknesses is the equivalent of a special ops military team going in on a mission together. They can work quickly and silently and get the job done better than any single hunter working alone.

Maybe on a run-of-the-mill salt and burn a single hunter can do just fine on their own, but heck just for grave digging purposes, it’s better as a team…

From the beginning of the series, we knew that Dean had been hunting on his own for a while. He survived, so we have to assume that he was pretty damn good at the job. To this day, I don’t think we really saw Dean’s concerted best effort at hunting in 1.01, partly because he knew he had Sam as backup on the case, but also because at every turn he kept waiting to discover evidence that John had been hurt or killed while hunting the same thing… He was legitimately off his game from worry over his dad.

We’ve also seen instances throughout the series where Sam and Dean have separated for a time for one reason or another, and Dean tended to continue hunting while Sam ran away from hunting (for the most part). 

1.11 was the first short example of this, and it was only Sam returning to help Dean that saved Dean’s life… (again, I contend Dean was emotionally compromised because of his fight with Sam, and Sam leaving him that led to him being sloppy enough to be caught in the first place, but whatever…)

But then in 3.11 we got a first terrifying glimpse of the ruthless sort of hunter that Sam could potentially be on his own, driven by Dean’s death into a sort of Vengeance Mode. Then in 4.01 we began to see how Sam coped with Dean’s actual death, “hunting” with Ruby, and falling more and more under her sway, even after Dean comes back. A lot of Ruby’s plot to manipulate Sam hinged on her convincing Sam that Dean was the “weak” one, and that only Sam was “strong enough” to do what had to be done regarding Lilith. She needed to convince Sam that Dean was lesser, as a hunter or even just intellectually or morally. She literally used that concept to drive a wedge between Sam and Dean.

In s6, when Sam was soulless and Dean had fallen under the spell of Veritas when he’d asked for the truth, we got a bit of insight from Bobby:

BOBBY: I never told anyone that. Why am I telling you? Maybe ‘cause you’re my favorite. Although, Sam’s a better hunter. Lately, anyway.

Sam’s a better hunter– while he’s soulless. And then after he gets his soul back, we learn a lot more about how much “better” a hunter he actually was… in frankly disturbing and horrifying fashion. He wasn’t better at all, just colder and more ruthless, not caring about innocents who were hurt along the way, so long as he got the monster in the end. And even then, he wasn’t all that great about getting the monster… (Arachne specifically, but we’re led to believe there were others like that, such as the girl he got killed and who’d haunted him in 6.22).

But we’ve also seen Dean similarly off the rails, notably after he’d sold his soul and had been playing fast and loose with his own life in order to get the job done on hunts. S3 showed us a Dean who was nearly as reckless as Soulless Sam (but more in a self-destructive way than Sam’s disregard for others in general). Then we had Dean with the Mark of Cain, who may have been efficient and brutal when it came to hunting, but whoa nelly he was out of control to the point where he terrified HIMSELF.

But again both Sam and Dean have their own strengths as well. We’ve been witness to Dean’s incredible gut instincts when it comes to both the supernatural and to just reading regular old people. He’s able to sniff out a case at a hundred paces, and his bullshit detector is set to extra-sensitive.

Sam’s got a way of being absolutely charming and playing the compassionate puppy to the degree that people in the most disturbing circumstances feel they can trust him and open up to him. I mean, go all the way back to 1.11 again:

DEAN: I know it sounds strange, but, uh—you might be in danger.MAN: (annoyed) Look, we’re trying to eat. Okay?DEAN: Yeah. (He looks disappointed. The couple seems worried by DEAN.) You know, my brother could give you this puppy dog look, and you’d just buy right into it.

Sam’s got a gift when it comes to getting people to open up to him. Dean may be the more empathetic and be able to just cold-read people, but Sam’s got this equally important gift. In 6.12, one episode after Sam gets his soul back, Sam sweet-talks them into an interview with one of the victims, and Dean looks so freaking pleased that “his Sam” is back, the Sam who knows how to sweet-talk victims into opening up that way.

There’s also the fact that as kids, Sam was kept out of the hunting for a lot longer than Dean was. Even after he LEARNED about the monsters, he still seemed to be largely exiled to research duty (as we saw during the flashbacks in 7.03, when John and Dean were doing the physical hunting, and Sam was relegated to the library looking up stuff for them).

But Sam’s mostly had two (three if you count Bobby, which we probably should at this point, but for the purposes of this ask, I’m gonna focus on the other two…) main role models as far as what it means to be a good hunter– John and Dean. We saw how horribly Sam clashed with John throughout his life, but he’s largely worked very well together with Dean. Not because Sam and Dean shared a similar style, but because they complemented each other so well.

But then there’s Sam’s own words in 8.14:

Sam: I’m closing the gates. It’s a suicide mission for you.I want to slam Hell shut, too, okay? But I want to survive it. I want to live, and so should you. You have friends up here, family. I mean, hell, you even got your own room now. You were right, okay? I see light at the end of this tunnel. And I’m sorry you don’t – I am. But it’s there. And if you come with me, I can take you to it.Dean: Sam, Be smart.Sam: I am smart, and so are you. You’re not a grunt, Dean. You’re a genius – when it comes to lore, to – you’re the best damn hunter I have ever seen – better than me, better than dad. I believe in you, Dean. So, please – please believe in me, too.

Sam may be the more inclined to pursue the scholarly side of hunting, but that doesn’t mean that Dean’s deficient in research or understanding the lore. We KNOW he’s probably read every book in the bunker, just as Sam probably has. They just use and process the information differently.

Dean may be the more interested in the actual physical hunting, but that doesn’t mean that Sam is any less physically capable on a hunt than Dean is. They each just have their own approach to implementing what they know and the tools at their disposal to dispatch the bad guys.

Either one of them could put themselves in the running for Best Hunter Ever, but honestly I believe the entire point is that the analysis of the matter leads to a draw every time.

But really, the most formidable hunting team on the planet has to be Team Free Will. The three of them, when they work together, have always been enough to save the world.

[diminuel]

I was asked to recommend some creature!Destiel fics. Most of the fic I’ll rec are over 20k. That should leave you all with a lot of reading material! :D

Note: If the fic is marked as explicit or mature, then it’ll have bottom!Cas and top!Dean content. If it’s not bottom!Cas (only) there’ll be a note.

@unforth-ninawaters has kindly sent me a creature!Destiel rec list she put together, so if you have a more varied taste when it gets to top/ bottom preferences that’s a good place to start!

Rec list will be updated as I read more material. 

(Current version: 10th July 2017)

Enjoy! ♥

(Right now the fics are ordered alphabetically and by creature if I’ve got more than one fic with that type.)

Mermen/ Cecaelia:

Water bound characters with fins and tentacles!

A Fish Called Castiel by Bellacatbee (Explicit, 37k // mermaid!Cas)

Dean Winchester plans on proposing to his summer fling, Lisa Braeden. He buys a ring, against the advice of best friend Charlie Bradbury, and books a table at an expensive restaurant. Before he can propose however, Lisa breaks up with him. His pride wounded, Dean drives out to the coast, gets liquored up and throws the engagement ring into the ocean. When he goes in to retrieve it, he heads too deep and that should be the end of the story. He shouldn’t end up back on the shore, coughing up seawater with a beautiful young man tending to him. Dean doesn’t know where this man came from or who he is but he gives him the engagement ring as a thank you for saving his life. He never expects to see the guy again, but two days later he gets a call from the local Sheriff about a strange man she’s picked up wondering naked in town with Dean’s wallet and ring on him. The guy’s name is Castiel and, much to Dean’s surprise, he’s a mermaid.

Glory In The Water by Bellacatbee (Explicit, 20k // octo!Cas)

After the mysterious drowning deaths of three teens, Sam and Dean find themselves in a small town, investigating the possibility of a monster living in the local lake. Eventually, their search leads them to believe they’re dealing with some kind of tentacle monster. They attempt to take down the creature, but it overpowers them, dragging Dean down into the lake. Sam, distraught, believes his brother is dead, but Dean awakens in a cave under the lake, being cared for by one of the monsters, Castiel. Even as Sam vows revenge, Dean finds himself falling for the strange creature who believes Dean is his mate.

The Lonely Sea and The Sky by whelvenwings (23k // merman!Dean)

When Dean, a little lost and a little lonely, finds himself wishing on a star one night, he doesn’t expect anything to come of it, and certainly not for the star in question to fall right out of the sky. The very last thing that he could have possibly anticipated is Castiel - winged, angry and looking for the grace that he lost in the fall, so that he can get back to Heaven.

Dean’s a little fascinated by Castiel, and Castiel is intrigued by Dean and his seafaring life. But Castiel has to go back to Heaven, and finding the grace has to be his first priority, even though it often seems he would rather put Dean first. But Dean knows it’s foolish to hope. After all, a bird may fall in love with a fish - but where would they live?

Dragons:

Fire breathing creatures, sometimes like gold, mostly just like Dean/ Cas.

Castiel’s Dragon by Unforth (Explicit, 38k // dragon!Dean)

Note: Dean is an actual dragon, he has no human form

Born without legs, Castiel was destined to be a dragon rider. He’d always dreamed of how it would be, and when the day for his pairing came, he knew he’d met the perfect dragon.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Monster by firefly124 (11k, dragon!Dean)

Dean’s doing pretty well, he thinks. His diner is doing well enough to support him with money left over to send Sammy at college. He may not get the best sleep at night, but he’s used to it. He’s used to ignoring the memories that haunt him and the parts of himself he doesn’t like. What he’s not used to is dealing with the hot new owner of the business that just moved in at the other end of the building, and somehow the guy manages to shake things up without half trying.

Taming The Dragon by iDiru (Explicit, 57k // dragon!Cas)

Note: graphic depictions of violence

Dean, along with his brother Sam, is a dragon slayer; hunting dragons for sport and coin. Usually their life is pretty straight forward, but Dean comes to hunt a rare dragon that will change his view on the species forever. A dragon who's finally outsmarted the great Dean Winchester.

SPN canon inspired monsters:

Fics with a setting that is close to canon (hunting is a thing) and/ or present the creatures as we know them from the SPN canon. Angel!Dean is also featured here.

Basileus by SillyBlue (Explicit, 48k // creature!Cas)

A basilisk’s egg is said to be able to break any spell or curse and dissolve any claim on a human’s soul. With the ten years he had been given quickly coming to a close, Dean has no other option but to follow this one desperate lead. While Dean’d love to be able to escape the clutches of hell (and make sure that Sam doesn’t take the bait and follow him directly down into the fiery pits), he really, really doesn’t want to go hunt a probably extinct monster in Europe. But he needs a basilisk and apparently a town in Switzerland just happens to have one as its guardian beast.

It’s just Dean’s luck that this one wears a trench coat and is the hottest guy Dean’s ever seen.

Black Dove by SillyBlue (105k // leviathan!Cas)

With no recollection of how or why, Dean finds himself transported two years into the future.

The only chance Dean’s got to survive in a world where civilization is either gathered into Leviathan controlled cities or in small Settlements is someone he had believed dead. Joining Castiel on his travels through the Settlements and the toxic wastelands gives them both a chance to mend what’s been broken between them while Dean tries to find a way back home. It’s a little bit inconvenient though when the only clues as to why he’s been sent to the future are a very unstable connection back to Sam in 2012 and a number of seemingly random weapons and items, including an ominous gold thread and… a box of condoms.

Convenient Husbands by Annie D (scaramouche) (Explicit, 39k// phoenix!Cas)

Note: There’s switching in this story

"It's only temporary, right?" Dean says. "Just until you're healed up, and then we'll never have to see each other again. So what do you say, Castiel, do you want to marry me or not?"

Divine Justice (sucks) by consultingcas (13k // angel!Dean)

The archangels don't take kindly to those who break Heaven's laws. Dean and Castiel both get put on heavenly community service to pay for their "crimes". And they learn their lesson alright, just not the one Heaven had planned on teaching them.

Faerie Strange Circumstances by almaasi (30k // fairy!Cas)

Still-hunters AU. Driving home after getting his broken leg set into a cast, Dean finds a naked and rather disoriented faerie in a box beside the road. The little guy calls himself Castiel; he's seven inches tall, a self-proclaimed warrior, and comes complete with a pair of butterfly wings and a sword the size of a toothpick. (Note: if you value your fingernails, do not call him 'cute'.) Feeling generous, Dean takes Cas back to Bobby's place to offer him some food, a bath, and a place to sleep - oh, and Barbie clothes, but that one is strictly off the record. Sam and Charlie assist in finding a way to return Castiel to his home realm, but the problem is, the longer Cas stays, the more Dean doesn't want his fae buddy to leave. Going home seems to entail certain death, after all...

Like A Stain Upon My Skin by SillyBlue (explicit, 61k // amazon!Dean)

“Prudence and Clarity” was Mary Winchester’s credo for staying alive despite a curse flowing through the blood of all the women in her family. Learn how to lie, was the second rule she had to implement when she watched her son grow up within 3 days of being born. Being the only male amazon in the history of their messed up species meant that Dean’s life was dominated by lies, shame and loneliness. After unwittingly saving Castiel Novak from becoming the next human sacrifice to the amazons’ mating cycle, he allowed himself one night where he could pretend that he had a shot at a relationship. But breaking Mary’s first rule not only pulled Castiel back into a world he had escaped from years ago, but also drew the amazons' attention who would love to get their hands on Dean.

Man in the Wilderness by OneHundredSuns (explicit, 68k // creature!Dean)

Dean Winchester is fresh out of Purgatory along with every other Tom, Dick and Wendigo that called the cesspool home. As the monsters lay waste to the Earth and eat anything they can get their hands on, Dean sets out to find his only remaining family so that they can hunker down and fight the assholes head on. He doesn’t mean to stumble upon Castiel Novak and his adorable twins in the middle of the apocalypse and he sure as hell doesn’t mean to offer them a ride to wherever they are trying to get to. But the world is a dangerous place now and he’s always been a sucker for blue eyes and cute kids. So he’ll help them out and just hope it doesn’t get him or them killed in the process.

Tamed by Winglesss (explicit, 39k // angel!Cas)

In a world where supernatural creatures are coveted for their powers, and often kept as pets, Dean and Sam are infamous hunters. Known for capturing creatures too dangerous to own and selling the ones that aren't. When they hear about an Angel sighting, they know they have to find this rare and dangerous winged creature. With a help of an Enochian book with instructions on taming Angels, they manage to capture Castiel. When things take an interesting turn between Dean and the creature, Sam realizes he may have made a translation error that will change his brother's life forever.

Various creatures:

Land mermaids, pagan gods, plants come to life... it’s all here!

25¢ pocket guardian angels by hopelessheathen (ElspethMcGillicuddy) (13k// creature!Cas)

Dean walks into his local bank one day and notices that someone has filled the old gumball machine with these tiny, wiggling, sentient angels in individual plastic packaging. Deeply concerned about their air supply and the fact that they're trapped there in the sun, he starts pumping in quarters to rescue them. This is worse than leaving a dog in an overheating car.

Now he's got forty of the little guys running all over his house, and god knows how many others might be trapped and dying all over the city.

Beyond the Ether by Powerfulweak (Explicit, 52k // Pagan God!Dean)

Mythology fascinated Castiel. On a professional level, of course (a requirement when you teach world religions and philosophy), but very much on a personal one as well. When he accidentally summons an ancient pagan god and protector called Dean, he is thrust deeper into that world then he ever thought possible

Clipped and Unbound by garrisonbabe (explicit, 50k // angel!Cas)

Castiel is a slave widely regarded as unbreakable and unruly. Dean Winchester is a billionaire ending a five year long search to rescue him. They'll both learn that peace can be the hardest thing in the world to find.

Convergence by snarklyboojum (13k // creature!Dean)

Dean Winchester wasn't the sort of king Castiel had been expecting at all.

Cruel Winter by bellacatbee (15k // vampire!Cas)

Dean is surprised that anyone would rent the big house at the edge of the woods. It’s been empty for years.

He’s even more surprised to find it’s been taken by a man caring for his sickly ward. There must be hundreds of places better than a musty old house for someone to recuperate.

Dean finds employment at the house working as a gardener and begins to realize that things aren’t all they seem. The curtains are always drawn and he isn’t allowed inside, The house’s new owner is strangely jumpy and rude whenever Dean suggests bringing his ward outside to enjoy the sunshine.

It’s only when Dean sneaks inside the house that he discovers the reason - the man’s ward, Castiel, is a vampire.

King Frost by r2metoo (Mature, 34k // creature!Cas)

The Frost King will kiss the unwary at the first frost of winter and then take them to his palace and make them his slave. But it’s sooo way more fluffy than that. Just a Christmas fic from me to you. Base on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, with other fairy tale themes mixed in.

Living Right Is In the Trying by OneHundredSuns (explicit, 70k // angel!Cas)

Dean Winchester hadn’t lead an exciting life or a particularly good one but he’d always tried to do what was right, especially when it came to his little brother, even going so far as to take the blame for a crime he didn’t commit. Now with his brother a big shot at college and no prospects of his own, he takes a job from an eccentric man named Gabriel until he can get himself together. He meets and becomes fast friends with Castiel, a mysterious man with a dark troubling past.

But Dean and Castiel’s budding relationship is soon threatened by Dean’s commitments in California, and the arrival of a known gangster named Crowley, who’s determined to have Castiel as his own...as well as his wings.

Monsters On the Mountain by TheIttyBitty (41k // mutant!Cas)

In which Castiel lives quietly with his family in a post-apocalyptic world where humans occasionally mutate, and are promptly killed. When Castiel turns seventeen and begins to mutate, he assumes his life is over. He manages to escape execution, but is promptly exiled which, for him, might actually be worse.

Oadriax by Daksgirl (Explicit, 83k // creature!Cas)

After the death of their estranged mother Mary on a planet called Oadriax, Sam and Dean hop the first transport out to the edge of the civilized galaxy. After a tense run in with the base’s demonic security chief and his creepy second in command Alistair, Dean finds himself lost in the forest, and stumbles into an angel with black wings and blue eyes that calls himself Castiel.

Our Lady of Modesty by Unforth (Explicit, 97k // creature!Dean)

Note: there’s twincest in this story

The death of Jimmy and Castiel Shurley’s parents grants them a modest inheritance and, more importantly, freedom to make their own choices. After hunting for the perfect house, they find what they’re looking for in an old farmhouse in the mountains of upstate New York: nice neighbors not too close, the beauty of nature surrounding them, and solitude, save for each other. The isolation is both a blessing and a curse; Castiel has pined for his brother since puberty, but incest is forbidden and homosexuality is taboo, and he knows if he speaks about his feelings he’ll lose his brother as a best friend and destroy their careers as children’s book authors as well.

Fortunately, Castiel finds a new friend in Dean, the strange man who hangs around their property. Sure, it’s a weird, especially since Dean refuses to enter the house or even meet Jimmy, but Dean is gregarious, beautiful, kind, and brilliantly knowledgeable about the natural wonders surrounding them. Castiel isn’t the best at assessing people but he’s absolutely sure there’s no harm in Dean…

Smoke Jumper by Nikolaus_Chaser (Explicit, 47k // nymph!Cas)

Note: references to switching

When Dean Winchester's parachute fails to deploy in the middle of a raging forest fire, he prepares for death. What he never expects is for his life to be saved by a creature he didn't even know existed until now.

The Emptiness of His Chest by of_dreamdust (25k // zombie!Cas)

Note: there are references to past suicide

In The Flesh AU. Dean Winchester lost his best friend too early, but there was no time to grieve. The Rising happened; the Undead were roaming the streets, and the Living had to do everything they could to survive. But the cure was found and, as everything starts falling back into place, Dean has to deal not only with his brother leaving, but with his dead best friend coming back.

Through the Rain by SillyBlue (20k // naga!Dean)

Since the war between angels and the Naga had ended, very little happened at their shared border. Rains Landing, one of the major outposts that guarded the realm of the angels against the snake-like creatures hadn't seen a single Naga in 30 years. There were some monsters, but most of all there was rain, rain, rain.

Prince Castiel could hardly believe his ears when he was told that a small group of Naga soldiers have accidentally invaded the land of angels. Deciding to strike up a conversation instead of demanding retribution, Castiel learned that the leader of the group is none other than THE Dean of Winchester, the fabled warrior prince Metatron had been so afraid of.

Finding Dean to be an easy-going man, Castiel suggests that their two countries should at least try to entertain friendly relations. Unbeknownst to them, their parents seem to have reached the same conclusion. And what would bring two countries closer than an arranged marriage?

Together by TheAuthorGod (19k // dwarf!Dean, elf!Cas)

Dean doesn’t travel alone so he hires a man to travel with him. He hadn’t expected the elf to be quite as strange as he turned out to be; but, he found that he wouldn’t have had it any other way. It seemed that they worked pretty well together.

[comfortcharacterinc]

Wanted.

Words: 2391

Pairing: Sam x Reader

Characters: Sam x Reader, Dean, Garth (mentioned)

Triggers: Depression, spouts of anger, Dean being a dick, self-depreciating thoughts.

A/N: This is for @iwantthedean‘s Sickie Challenge. However, if you're having trouble with yourself and you need a friend or someone to vent to, I AM HERE FOR YOU. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I’ve been where you are. On a personal note, this oneshot is inspired by my own actions. Thank you for reading my work!!

*****MY WORK IS NOT TO BE COPIED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM AND CLAIMED AS YOUR OWN. GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.*****

   Sam and Dean were out. Finishing up a case, Dean said. They’ve been ‘finishing up a case’ for two weeks now. Though, in reality, I knew what was really happening.  Dean doesn’t feel that I’m a good member of Team Free Will. You see, I suffer from anxiety and depression. It’s kind of a package deal. Neither of the brothers know this, of course. I just hide it because I don’t want to burden them with my problems. Sam, who I’ve been dating for two years, still doesn’t know. I refuse to have him worry about anything else than the Life. They had finally agreed that I had enough training to come on this hunt, but I ended up on the floor with a head-splitting migraine. Dean had simply rolled his eyes and stormed off.      “This is why I refused her to hunt. This is why.” He grumbled as he walked off. Sam had collected me off the floor, helped me into my bed, and told me he’d be home before I knew it. That was two weeks ago. Now here I am, laying in my bed, staring at the wall. My migraine had ebbed away two days into their absence. I’ve slept for hours on end, only being productive when a hunter calls for information. And seeing as I’m not really known by the hunting community, that’s hardly ever. Garth had called to check in on me, asking if I was okay. I smiled softly, and told him I was fine. That there was no use in worrying over me. I had asked him how his hunt was going and he had told me he didn’t know what he was hunting.      “I thought it was a vampire, but the new victims are showing signs of werewolves. Is there a creature that could be both?” he had asked, and I chuckled.      “Have you tried looking for a Hybrid? Those are vampire and werewolf combined. You can either cut their head off like a normal vampire, or rip their heart out. The choice is yours. That’s the only ways you can kill them.” I spoke lowly, wanting to go back to sleep. I looked at the time, and notice it’s only been an hour since I’ve woken up. I sigh, “Be careful. Okay?” I asked Garth, and he agreed, saying he would call me later. We disconnected the call, and I turned over and the thoughts came flooding back to me.      “You’re not good enough for him.”      “Dean is right, you’re nothing but a wasted space.”      “Ha! You really think they want or need you?!”      “You’re nothing but a disappointment. A failure!” My inner voice spewed to me. I turned onto my side, and curled up to try and block out the noise.      “Failure!”      “Unhelpful burden!”      “Useless!”      “No one cares abo- shut up. Shut up. SHUT UP!” I screamed out to shut the voice up. I ripped the blanket from my pajama clad body and got out of bed. I started pacing, focused on the feeling of an escape. The thoughts from when I was younger came back and I desperately looked around for an alternative.      “Go ahead. Look for it. Don’t you remember the promise you made Y/B/ N? You threw them away.” My inner, more rational, voice whispered.      “I just need…. I just need an out. SomETHING!” I yelled to no one, and knocked a lamp to the ground. I sighed and picked the lamp back up, checked to make sure the lamp wasn’t broken, and placed it back where it was. I left my room, headed for the kitchen, when my reflection in the hall mirror caught my eye. I stopped and stared at myself. There, stood before me, was a girl whose hair was in a matted messy bun. Whose clothes, now a week and a half old, were wrinkled and untidy. Her eyes were sad, and the bags under them weren’t from lack of sleep. No, they were from the tiredness of the constant battle in her soul.      “I’m sorry, sweetie. I know you’re tired. Just… just keep fighting. You can do it.” I said to the girl in the mirror. She did not like what I had to say but couldn’t do anything but fight. I continued my quest to the kitchen and fixed me a small salad. I wasn’t hungry, per se, I just knew I had to eat something.  I’ve eaten all of Sam’s salad mix, but I needed to go get beer and supplies for when they came home, so decided to stock up on everything when I went again. I finished my salad prep, and took the bowl to the library. If Garth was hunting a hybrid, then I need to know what to expect, I told myself. Having been so engrossed in the research of a new-ish monster, the vibration of my cell phone scared the ever-living daylights out of me.      “Y/N speaking, How may I help you?” I answered, forgetting to keep my voice non-monotonous.      “Y/n? Hey, it’s Garth again. Are you okay? What’s wrong?” he asked, worry ebbing into his voice.  I snapped my eyes closed with dread.      “I’m fine. How was the hunt?” I asked, trying to change the topic. He bought it.      “Great actually! It was, in fact, a hybrid and they are a lot more difficult than you’d think to kill,” he said, going back to his original question, “What’s wrong? What happened since the last time I’ve seen you?”      “Garth…” I started, and realized He’d get it out of me anyway, “a lot of things has happened. None of which I’d be comfortable speaking about.” I said, hoping he’d get the hint.      “Darlin’, what’s going on?” He asked again, tone changing to a sympathetic pleading, and with that, I broke.      “Garth… I don’t belong here. I don’t belong in the presence of either boy. I definitely don’t belong around Dean. He’s made that clear.  I’m not a hunter. If I can’t save myself, how in the world am I going to save everybody else? I don’t belong here.” I had finished with a whisper. I had cleaned as I was talking, so now I was on my way back to my room.      “Don’t belong?! Are you kidding me? You’ve saved so many people by just being the bookworm you are. You saved my hide tonight. Yes, you may not be the physical hunting type. Not everyone is, but you’re a key player in the game. Darlin’, whatever Dean has done is out of fear. Okay? He won’t admit it, but that’s what it is. He’s just a giant teddy bear under that tough guy façade.” He tried to reason, but I wasn’t having it.      “Tough guy façade? Garth, they were supposed to be home in a couple days, not weeks. Get some rest. Call if you need anything else. You know the drill.” I spoke with finality. Garth agreed and we hung up. I sighed and decided to change the sheets and take a shower. 

   Ten minutes into my shower, my phone rang. Figuring it was Garth again, I ignored it. It rang again, and again, and again. On the fifth ring, I got out of the shower effectively ticked off. I picked up my phone, and saw it was 3 in the afternoon. Really? It’s only been four hours since I woke up? I thought to myself. I also saw that Sam had called four out of the five times, and Dean had called the last time. I rolled my eyes and decided to answer the sixth phone call. It happened to be Dean.      “Hello Dean, What can I do for you today?” I asked, tone swinging into the danger zone.      “When we call, you are to answer. Why didn't you answer?” He demanded, a vibe of…… concern?      “I was in the shower, Dean. Why would I have my phone in the shower. What happened on the hunt to cause both of you to panic on my safety?” I snapped, already fed up with his attitude. I got dressed, and moved to the library as he huffed and the phone was ripped from his hand.      “Y/N? Are you okay? You’re not hurt?” I heard Sam say, genuine concern dripping from his words. I huffed, Garth… you betrayed me.      “I’m perfectly fine, Sam. No need to worry.” I said, voice light and airy. He didn't buy it.      “Garth told me something was up. We are an hour and a half out, We’ll be there by night fall, okay? When I get home, You and I are having a conversation on why Garth called in a panic. Understand?” He said, tone unwavering. I rolled my eyes.      “Yeah, I understand. See you then, Sam.” I say, hoping to keep my tears in check until the call was over.      “why are you even crying? You're the one who broke and told Garth. You knew he’d rat to the brothers.”      “Nice going, idiot.”      “S-sam, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you later.” I get out, losing my battle with the tears. I hang up, and throw my phone. I’m angry, so the next thing I get to is the lamp on the table. it goes flying, and hits a pillar. tears stream down my face as i bang my fist against the opposite pillar— bloodying my pinky knuckle in the process— and kick whatever my foot hit when i slid to the standing position i took in front of the pilar i hit. I had kicked my phone, rendering it useless. Nothing but a broken hunk of glass and metal. I slid down the pillar with my right leg extended and my left leg pulled up to my chest. I rest my head on my knee as i lean back against the pillar.

     Should I clean my mess up? Yes, I should. Am I going to? No. I sat there for the next hour and five minutes. 

   Sam came in first. He immediately saw the destruction the library has taken and come running in, gun raised. He looked around, looking for the culprit.      “No one got in the bunker, Sam. Everything is safe. The lore books, the files, everything.” I spoke from my same spot, having not moved. Sam whirled around and spotted me sitting around the glass and debris.      “Y/N… what happened?” Sam asked as he got to me and bent down to check on me. Then Dean got in and saw everything.      “Seriously?! What the hell,Y/N?!” Dean bellowed, finding me immediately. I don't flinch like I normally would have.      “What, Dean? Did I disrupt your life again? Did I interfere with your plans to come home and drink your whiskey? Did I interrupt the brother time again? I’m. oh. so. sorry.” I said, sarcasm oozing with every syllable. I stand, knuckle still bleeding—now dripping— and turn to face Dean.      “Well, if that was your plan, congratulations! You succeeded.” Dean snarked back. I decided I had enough.      “You know what? It was about time I broke. For 3 years I’ve had to deal with this constant berating from you. Now, I love Sam way too much to walk away from him. He's had too much pain in his life. But what he doesn’t deserve is his brother and his girlfriend fighting all the time. I’m aware that garth told both of you he was concerned for me. For three years, I’ve hidden the fact that theres this depressive cloud that follows me. The same one that follows you, Dean. The same one that comforts you in whiskey and beer until you cant walk straight and I have to help you into bed because you cant do it yourself.” I start, and Dean takes a step back, “You bossing me around, acting like you're some dictator over me isn't going to cut it anymore. Got it?” I ask, eyeing him down. He nods.      “Thats what I’ve been waiting for… this right here. I don't hate you, Y/N. I just needed to see you stand up, and get angry. This is the side that will keep you breathing in the Life. I understand the consequences. I do. I just needed you to get angry and discover your true anger. You can hate me all you want. I deserve it. Just don't take what I did out on Sammy. Okay?” Dean said, and I realized that he had a point. He never acted like he hated me. Just irritated me until I couldn't stand him any longer, “my work here is done. Sammy, take care of your girl.” 

I turned to Sam,      “Did he just…” I trailed off as Sam walks up to me, taking my bloodied hand in his to inspect the damage.      “See? I like always told you… You are wanted. Especially by me.” He said as he lead my to the bathroom.      “But why the theatrics? Why act coldly to me for all these years?”      “He had to make sure you were ready. I knew you were ready physically, but the main part of the job isn't just the physical exertion. Its the mental. This job will wear your mental state down to nothing and then expect more out of you. We didn't want that to happen to you. So, he hatched the oh so brilliant plan.” He explained as he cleaned my hand. I winced when the antiseptic hit my hand,      “Well.. now that I know that… does that mean I can stop trying to get your brother to like me?” I huff, watching as he butterfly bandaged my wound. He laughed,      “He’s always liked you. You make me happy. You give me a reason to come home after every hunt. You give me love. He’s always accepted you. He just wanted to protect you. As twisted as that sounds.” He chuckled, and I shook my head.      “Well, I’m exhausted and guilty that I broke the lamp. i’m going to clean that up as you shower, and then we can sleep. Deal?” I ask as I flex my wrist. Sam nodded.      “Deal,” he said and I go to leave, “oh, and Y/N?”      “Yeah?” I ask, turning around.      “I love you.” he whispers, and I smile softly.      “I love you too, Sam.”

  A/N: You don't always know when you're wanted, but someone out there wants you. You just gotta keep telling yourself that daily. My inbox is always open for those who need an outlet to vent or to talk. I’m not the best speaker, but I can listen like my life depends on it. Always Keep Fighting. Love Yourself First.