More fic of the Dean variety.
Title: Blue Skies Fade to Gray
Author: Lizi (start_screaming)
Disclaimer: I own Rhys and Chloe. It'd be cool if I owned Sam and Dean though. But alas, I don't.
Fandom: Supernatural
Words: 2,588
Medium: TV Show
Genre: Relationship
Pairing: Dean/OFC
Characters: Dean, Chloe (mentions of past and hints of future Dean/Chloe)
Theme: B is for Bric-A-Brac. (bric-a-brac: miscellaneous small articles collected for their antiquarian, sentimental, decorative, or other interest.)
Rating: PG13 for language
Warnings: None yet, at least I don't think.
Author's Notes: Part 2/26.
&
Chloe & Dean
It's an odd sensation, really, when you see someone you thought you knew, through and through, good and bad, doing something you didn't expect. I knew Dean Winchester pretty well. I was his drinking buddy. We were best friends, thick and thin. The only person I was sure knew him better than I did was Sam. But, being that Sam was his brother, that was to be expected. I walked past Sam and Rhys as they made their way out of the front door of the hotel room du-jour, and started into the hotel, after a nice, calm day of shopping. Yes. Shopping. Because although I was a hunter, I was also a girl. And as such, I liked to look good after a long day when Dean and I hit the bars. And after I shopped, it was back to wherever we were staying for r-and-r, and then the bar with Dean.
The past couple of days had been rough, and we were staying a couple extra in Springettsbury, Pennsylvania and after a long, long week of hunting down a demon who had actually possessed the chief of police, we were long overdue for relaxation. Rhys and Sam had gone out to a movie or something. They'd heard that 'Skeleton Key' was playing and wanted to see how close it actually came to resembling hoodoo. Dean was somewhat worse for wear--he'd broken his wrist in a battle between he and a secretary for a gun, and been hit in the head before I got the chance to exorcise the demon. The three of us had minor bumps and bruises, but Dean…had just had a rough time, that time around. So, I knew he'd be more than glad to hit the bar with me.
But before I even got through the door, as it was cracked open a little, I saw Dean, immersed in what looked like some kind of…photo album. I took care to close the door carefully behind me, then headed toward him. As I got closer, I saw that it was, in fact, a photo album. I was actually quite surprised, since Dean wasn't that big on sharing emotions--at least not constantly. But he looked pretty lost in whatever state of nostalgia had brought him to this photo album. I took a couple of steps closer to him and reached my hand out. "What ya looking at?" I asked him with a shrug, watching as he jumped and whirled around.
Not a lot of people understood Dean Winchester. But, that was to be expected. He didn't like to let them understand him. He liked to…act like an open book without BEING an open book. I know that doesn't make any sense. It makes less sense to me, and I've known the guy for a decade or so. But he didn't like to be known. Sam was an anomaly among Winchester males, to be honest, because he really liked being known. That was the difference between my friendship with Dean and Rhys' with Sam. Sam and Rhys talked about everything. Dean and I talked about cars and drinking and singing karaoke at bars together. I was his 'forget it all' friend.
But at the same time, from time to time, I would see this little sparkle of sadness in his eyes. Like, loneliness. I understood and it made perfect sense to me, given that the life we led was a lonely one. But, it was more than that. He'd been through a lot. More than a soul should, at his age. He'd seen most of his family and friends die, and was left with only Sam, Rhys and myself…and showed no one his vulnerability. That was-just too much for one person to take. I was shocked that he hadn't disassociated himself from everyone he knew. Heaven knows in his position, I would have done so. I put my hand on his arm and watched as he jumped, then whirled around. "You were so far out there that I don't think you even noticed Sam and Rhys leaving…"
He practically jumped out of his skin and looked at me like I had two heads. "Jesus, Chloe! You scared the shit out of me!" he snapped the photo album shut and bit his lower lip.
I raised an eyebrow. "Sorry…" I turned and walked toward the bathroom. "I'll be in the shower, so if you decide you want to talk, you'll have to wait a few."
He grabbed my arm with the hand not in the cast and turned me around. For a second, I thought he was going to kiss me, but…that would just be…really weird. Sure, we'd kissed before. Plenty of times, actually. But it was always after drunken nights out, and we were both way too plastered to care. And we always forgot about it, too. It went along with being too plastered to care, I suppose. He didn't kiss me, though. Thankfully. He looked me in the eye and sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm just…"
"A bit up in arms about what happened yesterday, I get it…" I nodded. At least I thought I got it.
"No. Today's November second. Sam and Rhys went to do some…Sam and Rhys like ceremony together to honor my mother, but…I couldn't go. I just…" he turned and looked at the photo album. "I don't know. It's just…really hard this year."
And in that second, I felt like a grade A ass. "I'm…sorry, Dean. Want to just go for a walk? Maybe something will come to you, and you'll…feel better? I don't know…" I wasn't good at this type of thing. Maybe that was why I was that 'hanging out' friend to Dean. Made sense. He'd probably say that he'd just as soon look at his pictures and forget all about our 'Thursday night bar fest.' But that was okay.
He looked, though, like he was actually thinking about it. And when he spoke again, I think my jaw was permanently fixated in the 'shock' position. "Yeah. I think that would be nice. Thanks, Chloe…"
Okay, so…that was weird. Dean and I were going for a…walk. We hadn't just gone for a walk since…neither of us were legal to drink and Rhys and Sam were too young for us to drink anyway. But, I went with it and slung my handbag back over my shoulder, then changed from my heels into a pair of flats, and waited for Dean. I wasn't sure what to say, so I started with, "And then afterward? Thursday Night BarFest starts…" half-smiled.
He didn't say much, just sort of gave me this half-cocked smile that suggested that he was almost at his breaking point. But I stood from the bed and walked up beside him, noticing that he still had the photo album in his hand. Curiosity was bothering me. How had family photos survived the Yellow Eyed Demon's fire? How could it be family photos? I wasn't sure, but…maybe if I just let him be, he'd show me. I held the door open for him and smiled. But my smile wasn't returned, as we made our way out the door. He was really…not himself today.
We walked for fifteen minutes in complete silence, Dean just staring off into nothingness, clutching the photo album and acting…very Sam. He was kind of freaking me out. But I wasn't about to tell him that. I simply walked with him, following his lead. We wound up walking clear through the center of town, not stopping at any bar as I'd expected us to, and going to the creek on the outskirts of town. Before you say anything, it wasn't a REALLY long walk. Only long enough to surprise me. But, I followed. I don't even think he was paying attention to where we were going. I think, had there not been water in the way, he would have just continued on. But he stopped, turned and looked to see a fallen down tree in the distance.
The tree itself stood higher off the ground than I was tall, so I watched Dean set the photo album up on the thick branch and climb himself up, then sit down. I turned around and leaned my shoulders against the tree, relaxing a little. "So…after that long, looming silence that lasted throughout all of Springettsbury, you ready to talk to me?" This really, really wasn't the Dean I'd known since high school. The Dean that made jokes about any and everything. But then, I took into account the date, and what had happened today, and it made sense.
His eyes snapped down to me and he cleared his throat. "No…not yet. Can we just…sit here? I mean…I know I'm not acting like me, but…" he ran a hand through his hair, then reached that same hand down to help me up onto the fallen tree.
I took his hand, then climbed onto one of the branches that reached the ground, climbing up and sitting somewhat near him. "I understand…" I replied simply. It was hard to act yourself when it was the anniversary of a life changing event like it was for he and Sam. I put my hand on his arm and watched him jump a little, then my eyebrow went up. This was…weird. Really weird, actually. I cleared my throat and watched the river flow out to the dam. I didn't expect him to open up at all, anyway.
But after a few more minutes of awkward silence, he spoke, in something of a shaky tone. "You ever notice how fast things change?" he asked, his face not turning toward mine, his gaze seemingly fixated on the water. "Things…and people?"
This…was confusing. Dean was scaring me. "Yeah. It happens all the time, though. I mean…Sam went from the happy go lucky brother that you never spoke to…to your best friend. After…well, you know. Big events change people. It's not abnormal, you know?" I wasn't sure if Dean and I were still on the same process of thought here, but I'd follow this road wherever it led me.
He nodded. "Yeah," he shrugged. He didn't have much to say. But that was just how he was. Ever an enigma. So many levels to him that even after knowing him for ten years, I still had only an inkling as to what went on in the inner machinations of his mind. An inkling, however, is more than most people could say. Even Sam wasn't entirely sure about Dean most of the time. "Ever wonder why people change so much, though?"
I raised an eyebrow. He still wasn't looking at me. "People need to change. I mean, think about it. If we hadn't changed? Hadn't at least tried to be better people," I spoke in a smiling tone, since Dean and I knew we were hardly wholesome. "I don't think Sam and Rhys would want to be around us, you know? People change, but most of the time it's a good thing…"
He finally looked at me and nodded his head. "Yeah, you're right. But I mean, if there's a point in your life where you feel like things are going so awesome, and then something comes and changes all of it…I mean, that isn't changing for the better. Why does that type of shit have to happen?"
Somehow, I got the feeling that we weren't talking about his mother anymore, though I hadn't the vaguest idea what we were talking about. I ran a hand through my hair and looked at him, an eyebrow cocked. "I don't know, Dean. I'd give you the 'everything happens for a reason' schpiel, but I know you hate that. All I can tell you…hell, I don't even know what to tell you. But I will tell you that…no matter what changes, I'll still be around. I know I'm no prize, and you must have lost some contest from hell…but…you know you have me."
He looked at me and smiled slightly, that little Dean Winchester grin that signified that what I'd said had at least started to get through. "Want to see what I was looking at?" he asked, pulling the photo album out and setting it on both of our laps, opening it up.
I looked eagerly at the album, and my eyebrow raised when I saw that it wasn't their mother, or family photos at all. It was those stupid pictures that he, Sam, Rhys and I took all the time when we were on the road or in hotel rooms. On the very first page was a picture I'd snapped from outside the window of the Impala, of Dean, sunglasses over his nose, trying to decipher a map. I'd called his attention and he looked at me, annoyance evident on his face, and his eyes had been twisted in this…odd, almost inhuman look. I'd captured the photograph at the perfect moment, and Rhys, Sam and I fell into a fit of giggles. "I remember that. You were so mad at me…until I promised you free drinks that night."
He laughed. "And I ordered the most expensive ones on the menu…" he pointed to another one of Sam and Rhys. They'd fallen asleep on the same bed, which was a rare occurrence--mainly because Rhys wouldn't let it, but when it happened, it was obvious that they were made for one another. Rhys' head was on Sam's shoulder and her arm was draped over his chest, while his was wrapped around her waist. I had to take the chance and snap that picture. "I think Sammy was paranoid for the next week after you took this one."
I laughed. "Blackmail of the best kind. Oh, wow…you kept that one?" I asked as my eyes went to a photo of myself that Rhys had taken. She said she'd given it to Dean, and told him to 'use it well.' It was of me, when Rhys and I had gone shopping, modeling my favorite outfit of the day (conveniently the one I was wearing right then), and I think I actually looked somewhat like a model. I liked the photo. And that was saying something. Because I usually hated my pictures, even if I consented them. "You said you were gonna throw it away…" I chuckled.
He shrugged and cleared his throat, turning the page quickly. His eyes widened and he tried to flip the page quickly, but I wouldn't let him. I stuck my hand on the page and he cleared his throat again. "Um. That's not…um…"
I glanced at the picture he'd been covering. Our prom picture. The one night I'd convinced Dean to be a high-school student, rather than a hunter-in-training. "Wow. You still have that?" I asked, running my hand along the gloss and looking at our expressions. We'd left the dance early that night. Went out and gotten some liquor from a guy on a street corner, gone out to the trestle and drank all of it…and yes, we'd had sex that night. It definitely wasn't the last time, either. We'd been friends with benefits since that day. "So can't believe you kept that."
Dean shrugged and bit his lower lip. "It was a good night. I…" he shrugged. "I had fun."
I half-smiled and looked out at the water, shrugging my shoulders. "Me too, Dean. Me too." I was still confused as to what was bothering him, but now, I was glad I'd come out here with him…
Author: Lizi (start_screaming)
Disclaimer: I own Rhys and Chloe. It'd be cool if I owned Sam and Dean though. But alas, I don't.
Fandom: Supernatural
Words: 2,588
Medium: TV Show
Genre: Relationship
Pairing: Dean/OFC
Characters: Dean, Chloe (mentions of past and hints of future Dean/Chloe)
Theme: B is for Bric-A-Brac. (bric-a-brac: miscellaneous small articles collected for their antiquarian, sentimental, decorative, or other interest.)
Rating: PG13 for language
Warnings: None yet, at least I don't think.
Author's Notes: Part 2/26.
&
Chloe & Dean
It's an odd sensation, really, when you see someone you thought you knew, through and through, good and bad, doing something you didn't expect. I knew Dean Winchester pretty well. I was his drinking buddy. We were best friends, thick and thin. The only person I was sure knew him better than I did was Sam. But, being that Sam was his brother, that was to be expected. I walked past Sam and Rhys as they made their way out of the front door of the hotel room du-jour, and started into the hotel, after a nice, calm day of shopping. Yes. Shopping. Because although I was a hunter, I was also a girl. And as such, I liked to look good after a long day when Dean and I hit the bars. And after I shopped, it was back to wherever we were staying for r-and-r, and then the bar with Dean.
The past couple of days had been rough, and we were staying a couple extra in Springettsbury, Pennsylvania and after a long, long week of hunting down a demon who had actually possessed the chief of police, we were long overdue for relaxation. Rhys and Sam had gone out to a movie or something. They'd heard that 'Skeleton Key' was playing and wanted to see how close it actually came to resembling hoodoo. Dean was somewhat worse for wear--he'd broken his wrist in a battle between he and a secretary for a gun, and been hit in the head before I got the chance to exorcise the demon. The three of us had minor bumps and bruises, but Dean…had just had a rough time, that time around. So, I knew he'd be more than glad to hit the bar with me.
But before I even got through the door, as it was cracked open a little, I saw Dean, immersed in what looked like some kind of…photo album. I took care to close the door carefully behind me, then headed toward him. As I got closer, I saw that it was, in fact, a photo album. I was actually quite surprised, since Dean wasn't that big on sharing emotions--at least not constantly. But he looked pretty lost in whatever state of nostalgia had brought him to this photo album. I took a couple of steps closer to him and reached my hand out. "What ya looking at?" I asked him with a shrug, watching as he jumped and whirled around.
Not a lot of people understood Dean Winchester. But, that was to be expected. He didn't like to let them understand him. He liked to…act like an open book without BEING an open book. I know that doesn't make any sense. It makes less sense to me, and I've known the guy for a decade or so. But he didn't like to be known. Sam was an anomaly among Winchester males, to be honest, because he really liked being known. That was the difference between my friendship with Dean and Rhys' with Sam. Sam and Rhys talked about everything. Dean and I talked about cars and drinking and singing karaoke at bars together. I was his 'forget it all' friend.
But at the same time, from time to time, I would see this little sparkle of sadness in his eyes. Like, loneliness. I understood and it made perfect sense to me, given that the life we led was a lonely one. But, it was more than that. He'd been through a lot. More than a soul should, at his age. He'd seen most of his family and friends die, and was left with only Sam, Rhys and myself…and showed no one his vulnerability. That was-just too much for one person to take. I was shocked that he hadn't disassociated himself from everyone he knew. Heaven knows in his position, I would have done so. I put my hand on his arm and watched as he jumped, then whirled around. "You were so far out there that I don't think you even noticed Sam and Rhys leaving…"
He practically jumped out of his skin and looked at me like I had two heads. "Jesus, Chloe! You scared the shit out of me!" he snapped the photo album shut and bit his lower lip.
I raised an eyebrow. "Sorry…" I turned and walked toward the bathroom. "I'll be in the shower, so if you decide you want to talk, you'll have to wait a few."
He grabbed my arm with the hand not in the cast and turned me around. For a second, I thought he was going to kiss me, but…that would just be…really weird. Sure, we'd kissed before. Plenty of times, actually. But it was always after drunken nights out, and we were both way too plastered to care. And we always forgot about it, too. It went along with being too plastered to care, I suppose. He didn't kiss me, though. Thankfully. He looked me in the eye and sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm just…"
"A bit up in arms about what happened yesterday, I get it…" I nodded. At least I thought I got it.
"No. Today's November second. Sam and Rhys went to do some…Sam and Rhys like ceremony together to honor my mother, but…I couldn't go. I just…" he turned and looked at the photo album. "I don't know. It's just…really hard this year."
And in that second, I felt like a grade A ass. "I'm…sorry, Dean. Want to just go for a walk? Maybe something will come to you, and you'll…feel better? I don't know…" I wasn't good at this type of thing. Maybe that was why I was that 'hanging out' friend to Dean. Made sense. He'd probably say that he'd just as soon look at his pictures and forget all about our 'Thursday night bar fest.' But that was okay.
He looked, though, like he was actually thinking about it. And when he spoke again, I think my jaw was permanently fixated in the 'shock' position. "Yeah. I think that would be nice. Thanks, Chloe…"
Okay, so…that was weird. Dean and I were going for a…walk. We hadn't just gone for a walk since…neither of us were legal to drink and Rhys and Sam were too young for us to drink anyway. But, I went with it and slung my handbag back over my shoulder, then changed from my heels into a pair of flats, and waited for Dean. I wasn't sure what to say, so I started with, "And then afterward? Thursday Night BarFest starts…" half-smiled.
He didn't say much, just sort of gave me this half-cocked smile that suggested that he was almost at his breaking point. But I stood from the bed and walked up beside him, noticing that he still had the photo album in his hand. Curiosity was bothering me. How had family photos survived the Yellow Eyed Demon's fire? How could it be family photos? I wasn't sure, but…maybe if I just let him be, he'd show me. I held the door open for him and smiled. But my smile wasn't returned, as we made our way out the door. He was really…not himself today.
We walked for fifteen minutes in complete silence, Dean just staring off into nothingness, clutching the photo album and acting…very Sam. He was kind of freaking me out. But I wasn't about to tell him that. I simply walked with him, following his lead. We wound up walking clear through the center of town, not stopping at any bar as I'd expected us to, and going to the creek on the outskirts of town. Before you say anything, it wasn't a REALLY long walk. Only long enough to surprise me. But, I followed. I don't even think he was paying attention to where we were going. I think, had there not been water in the way, he would have just continued on. But he stopped, turned and looked to see a fallen down tree in the distance.
The tree itself stood higher off the ground than I was tall, so I watched Dean set the photo album up on the thick branch and climb himself up, then sit down. I turned around and leaned my shoulders against the tree, relaxing a little. "So…after that long, looming silence that lasted throughout all of Springettsbury, you ready to talk to me?" This really, really wasn't the Dean I'd known since high school. The Dean that made jokes about any and everything. But then, I took into account the date, and what had happened today, and it made sense.
His eyes snapped down to me and he cleared his throat. "No…not yet. Can we just…sit here? I mean…I know I'm not acting like me, but…" he ran a hand through his hair, then reached that same hand down to help me up onto the fallen tree.
I took his hand, then climbed onto one of the branches that reached the ground, climbing up and sitting somewhat near him. "I understand…" I replied simply. It was hard to act yourself when it was the anniversary of a life changing event like it was for he and Sam. I put my hand on his arm and watched him jump a little, then my eyebrow went up. This was…weird. Really weird, actually. I cleared my throat and watched the river flow out to the dam. I didn't expect him to open up at all, anyway.
But after a few more minutes of awkward silence, he spoke, in something of a shaky tone. "You ever notice how fast things change?" he asked, his face not turning toward mine, his gaze seemingly fixated on the water. "Things…and people?"
This…was confusing. Dean was scaring me. "Yeah. It happens all the time, though. I mean…Sam went from the happy go lucky brother that you never spoke to…to your best friend. After…well, you know. Big events change people. It's not abnormal, you know?" I wasn't sure if Dean and I were still on the same process of thought here, but I'd follow this road wherever it led me.
He nodded. "Yeah," he shrugged. He didn't have much to say. But that was just how he was. Ever an enigma. So many levels to him that even after knowing him for ten years, I still had only an inkling as to what went on in the inner machinations of his mind. An inkling, however, is more than most people could say. Even Sam wasn't entirely sure about Dean most of the time. "Ever wonder why people change so much, though?"
I raised an eyebrow. He still wasn't looking at me. "People need to change. I mean, think about it. If we hadn't changed? Hadn't at least tried to be better people," I spoke in a smiling tone, since Dean and I knew we were hardly wholesome. "I don't think Sam and Rhys would want to be around us, you know? People change, but most of the time it's a good thing…"
He finally looked at me and nodded his head. "Yeah, you're right. But I mean, if there's a point in your life where you feel like things are going so awesome, and then something comes and changes all of it…I mean, that isn't changing for the better. Why does that type of shit have to happen?"
Somehow, I got the feeling that we weren't talking about his mother anymore, though I hadn't the vaguest idea what we were talking about. I ran a hand through my hair and looked at him, an eyebrow cocked. "I don't know, Dean. I'd give you the 'everything happens for a reason' schpiel, but I know you hate that. All I can tell you…hell, I don't even know what to tell you. But I will tell you that…no matter what changes, I'll still be around. I know I'm no prize, and you must have lost some contest from hell…but…you know you have me."
He looked at me and smiled slightly, that little Dean Winchester grin that signified that what I'd said had at least started to get through. "Want to see what I was looking at?" he asked, pulling the photo album out and setting it on both of our laps, opening it up.
I looked eagerly at the album, and my eyebrow raised when I saw that it wasn't their mother, or family photos at all. It was those stupid pictures that he, Sam, Rhys and I took all the time when we were on the road or in hotel rooms. On the very first page was a picture I'd snapped from outside the window of the Impala, of Dean, sunglasses over his nose, trying to decipher a map. I'd called his attention and he looked at me, annoyance evident on his face, and his eyes had been twisted in this…odd, almost inhuman look. I'd captured the photograph at the perfect moment, and Rhys, Sam and I fell into a fit of giggles. "I remember that. You were so mad at me…until I promised you free drinks that night."
He laughed. "And I ordered the most expensive ones on the menu…" he pointed to another one of Sam and Rhys. They'd fallen asleep on the same bed, which was a rare occurrence--mainly because Rhys wouldn't let it, but when it happened, it was obvious that they were made for one another. Rhys' head was on Sam's shoulder and her arm was draped over his chest, while his was wrapped around her waist. I had to take the chance and snap that picture. "I think Sammy was paranoid for the next week after you took this one."
I laughed. "Blackmail of the best kind. Oh, wow…you kept that one?" I asked as my eyes went to a photo of myself that Rhys had taken. She said she'd given it to Dean, and told him to 'use it well.' It was of me, when Rhys and I had gone shopping, modeling my favorite outfit of the day (conveniently the one I was wearing right then), and I think I actually looked somewhat like a model. I liked the photo. And that was saying something. Because I usually hated my pictures, even if I consented them. "You said you were gonna throw it away…" I chuckled.
He shrugged and cleared his throat, turning the page quickly. His eyes widened and he tried to flip the page quickly, but I wouldn't let him. I stuck my hand on the page and he cleared his throat again. "Um. That's not…um…"
I glanced at the picture he'd been covering. Our prom picture. The one night I'd convinced Dean to be a high-school student, rather than a hunter-in-training. "Wow. You still have that?" I asked, running my hand along the gloss and looking at our expressions. We'd left the dance early that night. Went out and gotten some liquor from a guy on a street corner, gone out to the trestle and drank all of it…and yes, we'd had sex that night. It definitely wasn't the last time, either. We'd been friends with benefits since that day. "So can't believe you kept that."
Dean shrugged and bit his lower lip. "It was a good night. I…" he shrugged. "I had fun."
I half-smiled and looked out at the water, shrugging my shoulders. "Me too, Dean. Me too." I was still confused as to what was bothering him, but now, I was glad I'd come out here with him…