Eating After Dark (Open, Multiple Threads Welcome)

[sticktotheright]

Dean sat at a table in the dining hall, hunched over a plate of chili fries. He'd been thinking about Jack's idea. It was sound, and it was fair, but he wondered if it would work. He half-hoped it wouldn't, and half-hoped it would. He'd pick a direction and walk, same as he expected everyone else would

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[semper_fi_house]

((OOC: I realize this post is from about a week ago... Is it too late to respond?))

John hadn't been sleeping well since arriving in the hotel. It was too strange, being cut off from everything and everyone he knew, trapped in this little box full of random strangers (and old acquaintances), without any explanation.

He was naturally an early riser, but this was really rather too early even for him. The sun wouldn't be up for some time yet. Still, he hated the idea of just lying in bed, knowing he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, and so John picked himself up out of bed, got showered and dressed quickly, and headed to the dining hall to get some breakfast.

He was surprised to find a young man sitting at one of the tables. He hadn't thought anyone else would be up. He nodded a quick greeting to him and then headed to the kitchen to grab a couple of hard-boiled eggs, some toast and orange juice. Then he came back out and sat down at the table where the young man was seated -- it'd be rude to sit anywhere else.

[sticktotheright]

((OOC: Not at all! :D))

Dean nodded back at the older guy. From the haircut he guessed ex-military, and the way he carried himself didn't hurt either. Once a guy hit the armed forces for any amount of time, he just sort of permanently walked at attention.

"Can't sleep either? This place is killer on the sleep cycles." Dean tried making small talk. If the guy didn't want to talk, that was fine too.

[semper_fi_house]

John grunted in agreement and took a bite of his toast. He swallowed and then said, "Didn't think I'd found anyone else in here, this time of morning. Or night." He smiled slightly. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised." He poured a bit of milk into his coffee, nodding to the boy without looking at him, and asked, "So how long you been here then?"

[sticktotheright]

"Couple months." He shrugged and scooped up another few fries. "I sleep really good when I do sleep, but I don't really know when I'm supposed to be sleeping." He was fairly familiar with hotels - their dark curtains often lent him a good eight hours of sleep, at any time during the day. That could fuck with a body.

"You? You seem like you just got here. I haven't seen you around before."

[semper_fi_house]

John nodded. "Been here a couple weeks now... Still find it hard to believe, you know? That's we're just stuck here..."

He shook his head in angrily. He hated feeling useless. But he pushed that thought away forcefully, containing his anger with the careful self-control he always tried so hard to maintain. Leaning forward in his chair, he raised his coffee mug to his mouth and blew gently, cooling it, before taking a sip. He eyed the young man over the rim of his mug before placing it back down on the table.

"But there's nothing to do but make do," he said. "Take what we've been handed and deal with it."

[sticktotheright]

Dean couldn't help grinning a bit. "You sound like my Dad. You two serve together or something?" He'd refrain from calling the other guy sir until he knew if he was military or not.

"It's... different, yeah. I'm lucky, though, my family's here." He looked at the other guy, hoping that he hadn't said anything offensive. Lots of people at the Hotel had missing families.

[semper_fi_house]

John chuckled. "Ah, your father's military, is he? I guess we do all start to sound alike after a while. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't proud that I give myself away." He smiled and took another bite of his toast. "Sounds like your Dad's a smart man. You're lucky to have him here with you."

[sticktotheright]

"Yeah, he was in 'Nam with the Marines." Dean smiled, and straightened up a little. If this guy was anything like his dad, they'd get along. "My dad's the best man I know. He's a hero. And yeah, I'm lucky."

Dean sat up in his seat a bit and extended a hand toward the other man. "I'm Dean Winchester. It's nice to meet you, sir."

[semper_fi_house]

John took Dean's hand in a solid grip, a small but genuine and proud smile on his face.

"Nice to meet you too, Dean. John House. I never met any Winchester that I can recall, but I was there in 'Nam with the Marines too."

[sticktotheright]

"Well, then, it's an honor to meet you, sir. Thanks for the job you did over there." Dean sat up a little straighter. His father didn't really have any military buddies, but he assumed that if John had introduced him to one, he'd want him to behave.

[semper_fi_house]

John nodded. "So, what about you? You following in your father's footsteps, or was there something more important came along?" He smiled wryly, teasing.

[sticktotheright]

Dean chuckled a little. He was following in his father's footsteps, just not in the way that he'd understand.

"I help Dad out with the family business. My brother and I." He looked back down at his food. "I didn't enlist, though."

[semper_fi_house]

"Ah." John shrugged, accepting this answer and paused to take some more of his meal. "Well, that sounds like a suitable alternative to me," he said then. He looked at Dean and said seriously, "Your father must be very proud, to have two sons like you and your brother." After a moment, his gaze fell to his coffee, where he stared blankly. He'd wanted nothing more than to have a son like that, he thought -- a man of honor and respect, strong, a man who would have been proud to be his son. He thought of Greg and snorted lightly to himself, shaking his head almost imperceptibly.

"I have a son," he said then, toneless, surprising himself -- he wasn't sure why he'd volunteered that to this young man. "He's here, in fact. Or so I hear. I haven't seen him yet." He shrugged again and picked up his coffee, cradling it between his big hands and sipping at it.

[sticktotheright]

Dean couldn't help snorting softly. "I was hoping that son wasn't your son, with all due respect." He wiped his hands on a napkin, looking over at John. "We... don't really get on." Lot of that's my fault, but still.

"I wouldn't mention you met me." John's voice hadn't sounded like he and House got along particularly well.

[semper_fi_house]

John's eyebrows rose slightly at the news that Dean and his son had met. Then he snorted, putting his coffee back down.

"I have a feeling I'm going to be getting that a lot. Greg seems to have made a lot of enemies here. I met this young woman the other day -- Alice, I think her name was. Same reaction." He shook his head and sighed. "Can't say I'm surprised."

He remembered then that Alice had mentioned dating a Marine named John Winchester. It seemed Greg had had some kind of run-in with that whole family. Frowning, he leaned forward in his seat, toward Dean. "Look. If there's some kind of trouble between your family and my son, I want to put it right. When I find him, I'll be sure to talk to him about it. And I want to apologize right now on behalf of my son and whatever bullshit he's pulled this time. And you can pass that on to your father, too."

[sticktotheright]

Dean chuckled. "Really, it's a pretty short story. I don't know why Alice doesn't like him, but he and my dad got into a fight 'cause he said some stuff about my mom. I'll admit he and I tussled, but my mom's sort of a sore spot with us. And he said it again. You don't have to say anything. I doubt he'll try to hit me again. I think I scared him off."

Dean didn't mention the sex that was also a factor, there was no need. But it did make him happy to know that House's father wasn't a douchebag like his son.