flashback } { it's the end of the world as we know it
Dean’s first meteor shower was probably one of the most terrifying experiences of his life.
Dean’s stared down some pretty bad things in his time-demons, Wendigos, ghosts-and he’d faced them all down with a hard stare and an idea of how to fix it, but this was different. This … this time the sky was falling, and there was nothing they could do to save themselves. Because when it came down to it-how do you outrun the sky?
You can’t.
The sky was falling, and Dean couldn’t find Lana anywhere.
He’s ninety-five percent certain that that bitch Isobel was behind it, but he has no way to prove it. The mark of transference or whatever, was still there. He should have known better than to think that just destroying the book meant that the witch’s spirit was gone for good. He should have been sharper, and should have questioned why the mark was still there if Isobel wasn’t, but he didn’t. He was just happy to have his girl back, and he didn’t think of the future. He never thought of the future. It’s why he wasn’t a better hunter.
He came to on the floor of their apartment, dazed and confused, with the Talon shaking around him as the meteors came down. Lana was gone, and he did the only thing he could do. He pulled himself to his feet, ran to his car, and went to the nearest place he knew would be safe.
“Jason?” Martha blinked as his car pulled into the driveway. “Jason, what are you doing here?”
“I can’t find Lana,” he said with wide, worried eyes. “She’s not picking up her phone, she wasn’t at the apartment. Something knocked me out, and when I came to she was gone. I’ve tried looking everywhere, and, and-”
“Jason, Jason-slow down. We’ll find her, alright? Let’s go inside and we’ll see where to look.”
He should have known better. They didn’t have a whole lot of time, and he should have just let them climb in their car and keep going on their way, and he should have been right behind them, but he was the needy idiot who forced them back into their house to look for a girl who didn’t want to be found. They would have been long gone by the time that the meteors started punching holes in the Kent farmhouse. It caved in with Dean inside it, and he was pretty sure he was never going to his brother or Lana again. And at the moment, he wasn’t sure which person he wanted to see more. Both faces were the last one he saw as the walls collapsed and Dean was trapped under it.
“Jason?” Martha Kent’s voice was hazy and cloudy above him. He could feel things getting moved, pieces shifting above him, and when he came to enough to make out a face, Martha’s fear was something that he hadn’t anticipated. True, they were close, but there was something about her being that scared about his well-being that made him realize just how much of a home he had wound up with in Smallville. “Jason, can you hear me?”
“Wha-what happened?” He started to sit up, and then groaned as pain. Having a wall land on you wasn’t an easy thing, and Martha’s hands caught his shoulders, pushing them down and keeping him in place.
“Easy, easy. Don’t move. An ambulance is on it’s way.” He took a breath, leaning back against her as he did his best to listen to her advice. “You’re gonna be okay,” she said softly. “Just relax. You’re okay.”
His hand shifted up from the rubble to find hers resting on his shoulder. “You should go. There might be more coming-you should get out.”
“This isn’t my first Smallville meteor shower,” she said softly, her hand squeezing his. “I’ll be just fine. Just relax. The EMTs will be here soon.”
His eyes started to close as he did, leaning back against her, and for the first time in a really long time, he actually felt safe.
It took a lot for Dean Winchester to admit that that felt scary.
***
When Dean came to later, he was pumped full of drugs, and was experiencing a warm feeling of a different kind. For all he may have hated hospitals, the drugs were awesome. He was on a warm and hazy high that was going to carry him for quite a while. It took him a while to figure out someone else was there. When he finally glanced over and saw who was sitting next to him, his face lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Heeeeey,” he said with a grin. “I was looking for you.”
“So I heard,” Lana said with a smile, leaning in closer. If he was more on his game, he might have noticed the injuries to her, but right now he was so happy to see her alive, he wasn’t really paying attention to much else. “You were a pretty big hero today.”
“I was?” he blinked. He didn’t remember hunting anything. “I mean. I was. Of course I was, I was awesome.”
She laughed, before pushing up from the chair and hobbling over so that she was sitting on the edge of the bed. “Do you even remember what you did?”
He was quiet for a moment. He really was trying to think of what he did, but for the moment it wasn’t coming to mind. “ … No, not so much.” He then grinned lazily up at her as he leaned back against the bed. “But you have a pretty smile. And pretty hair.”
“I think you might be a little stoned, Mr. Teague,” she sighed as she shifted so that she was leaning back against him. “So I’m going to save your tales of heroism until you’re a bit more aware of your surroundings.” There was a pause as his head turned to face her, and he closed his eyes, before inhaling softly. “-Jason?”
“You smell good too.”
She laughed. “You need to get some more rest. I should let you do that.”
“No,” he said, a bit urgent. His arm tightened around her, pulling her in closer so that she didn’t go anywhere. “Stay?” He didn’t want to lose her again. That was what had landed him in this mess in the first place. She looked over at him, watching him closely, before nodding, and settling in closer.
“Okay,” she sighed. “I can stay.”
“Good.” They shifted a bit, one arm coming up to rest over her protectively before pulling her in closer. Dean might not be able to stop everything, but he could at least do this. And he wasn’t going to be letting her out of his sight for a week, at least.
Or until she punched him in the face for it.
Dean’s stared down some pretty bad things in his time-demons, Wendigos, ghosts-and he’d faced them all down with a hard stare and an idea of how to fix it, but this was different. This … this time the sky was falling, and there was nothing they could do to save themselves. Because when it came down to it-how do you outrun the sky?
You can’t.
The sky was falling, and Dean couldn’t find Lana anywhere.
He’s ninety-five percent certain that that bitch Isobel was behind it, but he has no way to prove it. The mark of transference or whatever, was still there. He should have known better than to think that just destroying the book meant that the witch’s spirit was gone for good. He should have been sharper, and should have questioned why the mark was still there if Isobel wasn’t, but he didn’t. He was just happy to have his girl back, and he didn’t think of the future. He never thought of the future. It’s why he wasn’t a better hunter.
He came to on the floor of their apartment, dazed and confused, with the Talon shaking around him as the meteors came down. Lana was gone, and he did the only thing he could do. He pulled himself to his feet, ran to his car, and went to the nearest place he knew would be safe.
“Jason?” Martha blinked as his car pulled into the driveway. “Jason, what are you doing here?”
“I can’t find Lana,” he said with wide, worried eyes. “She’s not picking up her phone, she wasn’t at the apartment. Something knocked me out, and when I came to she was gone. I’ve tried looking everywhere, and, and-”
“Jason, Jason-slow down. We’ll find her, alright? Let’s go inside and we’ll see where to look.”
He should have known better. They didn’t have a whole lot of time, and he should have just let them climb in their car and keep going on their way, and he should have been right behind them, but he was the needy idiot who forced them back into their house to look for a girl who didn’t want to be found. They would have been long gone by the time that the meteors started punching holes in the Kent farmhouse. It caved in with Dean inside it, and he was pretty sure he was never going to his brother or Lana again. And at the moment, he wasn’t sure which person he wanted to see more. Both faces were the last one he saw as the walls collapsed and Dean was trapped under it.
“Jason?” Martha Kent’s voice was hazy and cloudy above him. He could feel things getting moved, pieces shifting above him, and when he came to enough to make out a face, Martha’s fear was something that he hadn’t anticipated. True, they were close, but there was something about her being that scared about his well-being that made him realize just how much of a home he had wound up with in Smallville. “Jason, can you hear me?”
“Wha-what happened?” He started to sit up, and then groaned as pain. Having a wall land on you wasn’t an easy thing, and Martha’s hands caught his shoulders, pushing them down and keeping him in place.
“Easy, easy. Don’t move. An ambulance is on it’s way.” He took a breath, leaning back against her as he did his best to listen to her advice. “You’re gonna be okay,” she said softly. “Just relax. You’re okay.”
His hand shifted up from the rubble to find hers resting on his shoulder. “You should go. There might be more coming-you should get out.”
“This isn’t my first Smallville meteor shower,” she said softly, her hand squeezing his. “I’ll be just fine. Just relax. The EMTs will be here soon.”
His eyes started to close as he did, leaning back against her, and for the first time in a really long time, he actually felt safe.
It took a lot for Dean Winchester to admit that that felt scary.
***
When Dean came to later, he was pumped full of drugs, and was experiencing a warm feeling of a different kind. For all he may have hated hospitals, the drugs were awesome. He was on a warm and hazy high that was going to carry him for quite a while. It took him a while to figure out someone else was there. When he finally glanced over and saw who was sitting next to him, his face lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Heeeeey,” he said with a grin. “I was looking for you.”
“So I heard,” Lana said with a smile, leaning in closer. If he was more on his game, he might have noticed the injuries to her, but right now he was so happy to see her alive, he wasn’t really paying attention to much else. “You were a pretty big hero today.”
“I was?” he blinked. He didn’t remember hunting anything. “I mean. I was. Of course I was, I was awesome.”
She laughed, before pushing up from the chair and hobbling over so that she was sitting on the edge of the bed. “Do you even remember what you did?”
He was quiet for a moment. He really was trying to think of what he did, but for the moment it wasn’t coming to mind. “ … No, not so much.” He then grinned lazily up at her as he leaned back against the bed. “But you have a pretty smile. And pretty hair.”
“I think you might be a little stoned, Mr. Teague,” she sighed as she shifted so that she was leaning back against him. “So I’m going to save your tales of heroism until you’re a bit more aware of your surroundings.” There was a pause as his head turned to face her, and he closed his eyes, before inhaling softly. “-Jason?”
“You smell good too.”
She laughed. “You need to get some more rest. I should let you do that.”
“No,” he said, a bit urgent. His arm tightened around her, pulling her in closer so that she didn’t go anywhere. “Stay?” He didn’t want to lose her again. That was what had landed him in this mess in the first place. She looked over at him, watching him closely, before nodding, and settling in closer.
“Okay,” she sighed. “I can stay.”
“Good.” They shifted a bit, one arm coming up to rest over her protectively before pulling her in closer. Dean might not be able to stop everything, but he could at least do this. And he wasn’t going to be letting her out of his sight for a week, at least.
Or until she punched him in the face for it.