[Fic] Right On Back To You
Fandom: Supernatural/Heroes
Ship: Dean Winchester/Claire Bennet (established)
Summary: Dean has commitment issues, but is trying to work on it?
Disclaimer: I own nothing, yo. I'm borrowing Dean and Claire, but these words are mine, please don't steal them.
Dean lost track of how long he'd been driving, but he knew he was still in the same crappy town where he'd been staying with Claire. He didn't know why, but he couldn't stray too far. It was stupid to leave, he knew that, but it was hard to stay all the same. He pulled over, shutting off the Impala's engine and leaning forward, resisting the urge to bang his head against the steering wheel. Wouldn't exactly solve anything, would it?
She'd done it again, managed to get closer to him than he was able to allow her to get, and so he ran. Put his tail between his legs, stormed out of the motel, hopped into his car and drove off. He knew he'd really upset her this time, she didn't even bother trying to hide her tears. He felt a little twinge of regret, remembering the way her big green eyes looked up at him, pleading with him, begging him not to go. He just mumbled that he might be back before walking away.
It'd take a lot of damage control if he really wanted to fix this. Claire was crazy about him, yes, but she was also a strong, independent, beautiful woman. She could have any guy she wanted - and if she got it in her head to go find one, well, that'd be the end of it. Dean gritted his teeth at the thought of her wrapped up in the arms of another man, and was surprised to find himself gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. Huffing a sigh, he looked up at his reflection in the rearview mirror. He looked tired, he felt tired. All he really wanted was to go back to the motel and crawl into bed, then sleep as long as humanly possible.
"You're a damn fool," he said to his reflection, then scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to sort out his thoughts. He missed her. That stuck out like a sore thumb. He couldn't have been gone for more than a couple hours, and he was still in the same town, but he missed her. Well, that had to mean something, didn't it? Before he even realized what he was doing, his hand moved to turn the key in the ignition, the Impala roaring to life, the engine purring almost contently. The drive back to the motel was a short one; he'd been driving in circles around the town most of the time he was gone, only stopping for a quick cup of coffee at a drive-thru place.
Before Dean headed back to the room, back to Claire, he sat in the car for a moment, the engine off. He tried to think of what to say to her, how he was gonna make it up to her this time. He didn't know how many chances he'd have, and a small part (okay, a big part) of him worried that she might not even be there now, having decided that she was tired of playing games with him. But, he realized with a tiny sigh of relief that she was there, her van was still parked where it was when he'd left. She was probably up waiting for him to come back, maybe she'd heard him pull into the parking lot.
She didn't meet him outside like she did the last time, and Dean wondered whether it was because of the cold or something else. He knew she wasn't overly fond of the winter weather, and had been trying to get him to head south, but jobs kept coming up and so they'd been rolling around the Northeast. If she forgave him this time, maybe he'd listen to her, surely there were scary things that needed to be killed down South, right?
Dean made his way to the motel room, slowly opening the door, and his heart dropped when he saw Claire curled up in the big bed, fast asleep and looking tinier than ever. Even from where he stood he could see her face was still red from crying, meaning that she'd only recently stopped, considering her regeneration. He quietly shut the door behind him, not wanting to wake her, and pulled off his boots. So much for trying, Claire stirred, seeming to have a sixth sense for Dean's presence. She gave a quiet, sleepy groan, and rubbed her eyes, lips turning down into a pout of epic proportions as she saw Dean standing there.
"Claire," he started, his brain suddenly going blank on him. He'd had a whole speech prepared, an apology - but then it was gone. Claire must have caught on, because she just sighed, rolling her eyes and patting a spot beside her on the bed. His sigh echoed hers and he crossed the room, sitting beside her. "I'm sorry, Claire." he finally added, laying his hand on her head, fingers threading through her silky blonde hair.
Despite her brain demanding otherwise, Claire leaned into his touch, just as she always did. The pout stayed, though she did reach a hand out to grab his hand, the one not petting her. "You should be," she mumbled, sounding quite miserable. "But cuddle me and I'll forgive you." She knew it was stupid, that she should stop being so easy on him. Dean had quickly become her weakness, she couldn't say no to him, couldn't turn him away. And as he was stretching out to lie beside her, she was reaching for him, settling comfortably against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I'd promise it won't happen again, but I wouldn't wanna make you a promise I can't keep," he said quietly, dipping his head to press a kiss into her hair. Claire melted against him, hugging him a little tighter as though it would make him stay. "Just as long as you always come back, I guess." she replied. "I mean, I'd rather you didn't leave at all... but I'm starting to understand why you do it. I- I'll try not to do that stuff."
Dean winced; he knew what she was talking about, and while that was a factor in his leaving, it wasn't her fault. It was his, his inability to let himself just get close to her, to trust her. He did trust her, to a certain extent, he trusted that they were together, that whatever they had, Claire was with him. But he still hadn't told her about his hunting, he couldn't bring himself do to it just yet, even though he was sure she'd react positively to it. She had certainly been through her fair share of weird shit, from what she'd told Dean, so it was entirely possible that she'd warm up to his lifestyle. But that was just the thing, it was his lifestyle. He wasn't sure he could share it with someone else, someone who wasn't his father or Sam. He wasn't sure he could share it with Claire. Then again, Sam had kept his life secret from Jess, and he lost her anyway. Granted, it wasn't likely he'd lose Claire in the same way Sam had lost Jess, but it was still something to consider.
Another time, though. Right now Claire just needed him. He held her more snugly to him, nuzzling her hair. "You didn't do anythin', sweetheart." He knew she loved it when he called her that. "It's me. Honest. You've been nothin' but good to me, I'm just an idiot who doesn't know a good thing even when it slaps him upside the head."
Claire couldn't help but giggle, her face turning up, that adorable pout turned up into a tiny smile. "Maybe I oughta slap you upside the head next time you try 'n leave me." It was obvious that she was kidding, and Dean leaned down to steal a kiss, chuckling.
"Or you could just drag me to the shower."
Ship: Dean Winchester/Claire Bennet (established)
Summary: Dean has commitment issues, but is trying to work on it?
Disclaimer: I own nothing, yo. I'm borrowing Dean and Claire, but these words are mine, please don't steal them.
Dean lost track of how long he'd been driving, but he knew he was still in the same crappy town where he'd been staying with Claire. He didn't know why, but he couldn't stray too far. It was stupid to leave, he knew that, but it was hard to stay all the same. He pulled over, shutting off the Impala's engine and leaning forward, resisting the urge to bang his head against the steering wheel. Wouldn't exactly solve anything, would it?
She'd done it again, managed to get closer to him than he was able to allow her to get, and so he ran. Put his tail between his legs, stormed out of the motel, hopped into his car and drove off. He knew he'd really upset her this time, she didn't even bother trying to hide her tears. He felt a little twinge of regret, remembering the way her big green eyes looked up at him, pleading with him, begging him not to go. He just mumbled that he might be back before walking away.
It'd take a lot of damage control if he really wanted to fix this. Claire was crazy about him, yes, but she was also a strong, independent, beautiful woman. She could have any guy she wanted - and if she got it in her head to go find one, well, that'd be the end of it. Dean gritted his teeth at the thought of her wrapped up in the arms of another man, and was surprised to find himself gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. Huffing a sigh, he looked up at his reflection in the rearview mirror. He looked tired, he felt tired. All he really wanted was to go back to the motel and crawl into bed, then sleep as long as humanly possible.
"You're a damn fool," he said to his reflection, then scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to sort out his thoughts. He missed her. That stuck out like a sore thumb. He couldn't have been gone for more than a couple hours, and he was still in the same town, but he missed her. Well, that had to mean something, didn't it? Before he even realized what he was doing, his hand moved to turn the key in the ignition, the Impala roaring to life, the engine purring almost contently. The drive back to the motel was a short one; he'd been driving in circles around the town most of the time he was gone, only stopping for a quick cup of coffee at a drive-thru place.
Before Dean headed back to the room, back to Claire, he sat in the car for a moment, the engine off. He tried to think of what to say to her, how he was gonna make it up to her this time. He didn't know how many chances he'd have, and a small part (okay, a big part) of him worried that she might not even be there now, having decided that she was tired of playing games with him. But, he realized with a tiny sigh of relief that she was there, her van was still parked where it was when he'd left. She was probably up waiting for him to come back, maybe she'd heard him pull into the parking lot.
She didn't meet him outside like she did the last time, and Dean wondered whether it was because of the cold or something else. He knew she wasn't overly fond of the winter weather, and had been trying to get him to head south, but jobs kept coming up and so they'd been rolling around the Northeast. If she forgave him this time, maybe he'd listen to her, surely there were scary things that needed to be killed down South, right?
Dean made his way to the motel room, slowly opening the door, and his heart dropped when he saw Claire curled up in the big bed, fast asleep and looking tinier than ever. Even from where he stood he could see her face was still red from crying, meaning that she'd only recently stopped, considering her regeneration. He quietly shut the door behind him, not wanting to wake her, and pulled off his boots. So much for trying, Claire stirred, seeming to have a sixth sense for Dean's presence. She gave a quiet, sleepy groan, and rubbed her eyes, lips turning down into a pout of epic proportions as she saw Dean standing there.
"Claire," he started, his brain suddenly going blank on him. He'd had a whole speech prepared, an apology - but then it was gone. Claire must have caught on, because she just sighed, rolling her eyes and patting a spot beside her on the bed. His sigh echoed hers and he crossed the room, sitting beside her. "I'm sorry, Claire." he finally added, laying his hand on her head, fingers threading through her silky blonde hair.
Despite her brain demanding otherwise, Claire leaned into his touch, just as she always did. The pout stayed, though she did reach a hand out to grab his hand, the one not petting her. "You should be," she mumbled, sounding quite miserable. "But cuddle me and I'll forgive you." She knew it was stupid, that she should stop being so easy on him. Dean had quickly become her weakness, she couldn't say no to him, couldn't turn him away. And as he was stretching out to lie beside her, she was reaching for him, settling comfortably against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I'd promise it won't happen again, but I wouldn't wanna make you a promise I can't keep," he said quietly, dipping his head to press a kiss into her hair. Claire melted against him, hugging him a little tighter as though it would make him stay. "Just as long as you always come back, I guess." she replied. "I mean, I'd rather you didn't leave at all... but I'm starting to understand why you do it. I- I'll try not to do that stuff."
Dean winced; he knew what she was talking about, and while that was a factor in his leaving, it wasn't her fault. It was his, his inability to let himself just get close to her, to trust her. He did trust her, to a certain extent, he trusted that they were together, that whatever they had, Claire was with him. But he still hadn't told her about his hunting, he couldn't bring himself do to it just yet, even though he was sure she'd react positively to it. She had certainly been through her fair share of weird shit, from what she'd told Dean, so it was entirely possible that she'd warm up to his lifestyle. But that was just the thing, it was his lifestyle. He wasn't sure he could share it with someone else, someone who wasn't his father or Sam. He wasn't sure he could share it with Claire. Then again, Sam had kept his life secret from Jess, and he lost her anyway. Granted, it wasn't likely he'd lose Claire in the same way Sam had lost Jess, but it was still something to consider.
Another time, though. Right now Claire just needed him. He held her more snugly to him, nuzzling her hair. "You didn't do anythin', sweetheart." He knew she loved it when he called her that. "It's me. Honest. You've been nothin' but good to me, I'm just an idiot who doesn't know a good thing even when it slaps him upside the head."
Claire couldn't help but giggle, her face turning up, that adorable pout turned up into a tiny smile. "Maybe I oughta slap you upside the head next time you try 'n leave me." It was obvious that she was kidding, and Dean leaned down to steal a kiss, chuckling.
"Or you could just drag me to the shower."