Navigating Sunrise - SPN AU - Part 01/?
Title: Navigating Sunrise
Author: youaredriving aka Scarletsptember
Fandom(s), Characters: Supernatural / Sam, Dean (Non-related...)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: WIP, AU (I do mean this, Non-related Sam/Dean...for reals), past character abuse, language (shit, there you go), eventual slash
Summary: Sam had driven across the country and everything about Ponchartrain felt right, and that's what he could see from the interstate. He knew he needed a new start, a place where no one knew him and this would be the place that could allow it. He just didn't expect to meet someone like Dean the first night in town.
Author's Notes: I feel like I should warn you about a large variety of things that I haven't warned you about in the warnings. Ponchartrain isn't real, except it is a lake and I live near it. Oh and sunrises are different here, like everyone thinks for where they live. It offers a sense of home and belonging.
Navigating the roads of southern Louisiana wasn’t as easy as everyone made it out to be. Sure it might be flat, never ending, but there wasn’t anything to kept your mind occupied but the white lines dotting the highway and the loud rumbling of eighteen wheelers passing him by. Sam let the fog lights on the truck light the road as he cracked the window and turned the radio up a little louder to keep himself awake.
It felt like his mind was made up. He had driven across the country and it felt right stopping here, trying this place out. He didn’t have connections here, no one would look for him here, no one would think to ask questions as to who he was or where he came from. If they did he could always make something up. They didn’t have to know why he left. They didn’t have to know why he was living out of a suitcase, hoping for some kind of job to make the rent. No one would see the bruises, or the marks he was hiding from the world. Somehow it was going to be okay again.
Sam took the next exit off the interstate, feeling as good as he could about any, and he watched the world change right before his eyes. There were bright lights that melted out into trees and a darkness that spoke of a small town. Something that if he could get himself situated into would watch his back, if not it could backfire against him.
“This is better than the alternative, Sam. Bright lights are always a bad idea,” Sam whispered to himself and the cab of the truck. “Stay small town and everything will work out in the long run. Hopefully.”
He spotted a gas station that had already closed for the night and he kept driving in that direction. Soon buildings spotted the roadside. Diners, hair salons, and even a couple of schools sprung up out of the woodworks. Sam watched as a light blossomed in the distance, it was surrounded by cars and he let out a sigh of relief when he saw what it was. A twenty-four hour diner and he felt his stomach let out of gurgle of hunger.
“Yeah, yeah,” Sam muttered to himself as he parked and shuffled across the parking lot. “Maybe if they don’t cast me as a leper or something I’ll eat something while I’m in there too.”
Sam tried to make his way into the diner as quietly as possible but the door jangled signaling his arrival and every head spun his way. He ducked his head down and headed for the counter, not even bothering to sit down. He could already feel the questions forming in their minds. Who is he? What is he doing here? How long is he going to be here?
“Why don’t you take a seat there chief,” a deep voice had Sam looking up into mischievous green eyes. “This lot might have a lot of questions they want to ask but we don’t actually bite strangers.”
“Actually, if you could just tell me where the closest motel or hotel is, that would be great.”
Sam watched the mischievous eyes turn curious and a pair of bowed lips rolled together before the man wiped his hands clean on a rag and leaned over the counter and into his space. “How about this, you sit down for the twenty minutes it’ll take you to eat a sandwich or some soup and a cup of coffee, decaf, and I’ll get you to that bed you are dying to get into. I won’t let the sharks get you. Promise.”
Sam tried to work out something to say but he couldn’t figure anything out. By the time he had figured out to protest to what was being suggested his stomach let out a loud growl.
“See,” The guy grinned, “Take a seat and I’ll get you some soup, a sandwich plus that coffee and then I’ll send you on your way. No worries.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Eh,” There was a not so subtle look over before he turned away and headed back towards the kitchen still talking over his shoulder, “believe me, it’s the least I can do. You look like hell, man. I won’t keep you waiting long.”
Sam finally gave in and sat down at the bar. Within seconds a steaming cup of coffee slipped into his hands along with a couple packets of sugar and creamer. He automatically started to prepare his coffee just how he liked it, no matter if it was decaf or regular.
“Thought I had you pegged for a sugary kind of guy,” There was a hint of laughter in the statement that had Sam looking up. “So while your soup finishes up, I’m Dean.”
“Uh,” Sam sipped his coffee and let out a happy sigh, “Sam.”
“What brings you into our happy little world of Ponchartrain? You know besides hurricanes, being under sea level and the humidity?” Dean quirked a brow in amusement while he waited for Sam’s answer.
“What makes you so sure I’m staying?” Sam asked as he finished off his coffee. He watched as Dean automatically turned to prepare him another one.
“You have that look about you.” Dean shrugged before he turned around and set the cup down. He squinted his eyes as he focused in on Sam’s face. It was as if he had already figured out the next words that were going to come from Sam’s lips. “Something felt right about stopping here, didn’t it?”
“Maybe.” Sam shrugged.
“Well,” Dean murmured before he abruptly spun around and headed for the kitchen. Sam waited for a few minutes. He glanced around the diner, taking in the way people would look at him. If he weren’t so tired he would have jumped up and yelled to see if they scared. He flinched as soon as Dean set the plate and bowl on the counter in front of him. “My bad, didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Long day in the truck,” Sam swiped a hand over his forehead and a hand reached out and gently wrapped around his wrist. Sam watched in a morbid fascination as Dean’s hand pushed the sleeve of his long shirt up and he did nothing to stop the motion. He was caught like a deer, frozen in a bright set of headlights, not knowing what to do now that someone had seen the marks.
“You sure it was just a long day in the car or is it something else that has you on edge?” Dean’s eyes had grown dark, full of a fury Sam never wanted to be on the receiving end of. Sam jerked his arm back across the counter and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see that look in Dean’s eyes. The pity, the disgust, it was always present.
Shame washed over his skin. Sam felt dirty again, like he was worthless and deserved what happened to him when he knew better. Curling his fingers into his palms, Sam took deep breaths before dipping his spoon back into his soup. Metal clacked against the porcelain of the bowl as his hand shook.
“If there’s a place I can head towards to get some rest; that you know about, that would be great to find out about. I could really use some sleep before hitting the road tomorrow morning.”
“Sam,” Dean let out a soft sigh, “I’m sorry.”
“About what Dean?” Sam set his spoon in the bowl with a loud clank. He shifted in his seat to pluck out his wallet and tossed a few bills on the countertop to pay for his meal. “Doing what the rest of this town would have done if I would have stayed? It’s just good getting it out of the way and moving on while I still have the energy to do so. No harm done.”
Dean looked at the money Sam threw down and frowned. “About two miles down the road there’s an inn. They’re normally closed up two hours ago but I’ll make a call and Lilly will take you in for the night. And before you say anything, I’m not doing you any favors, Sam. I’m trying to keep you moving with your life. Even though I think you’re going to wake up tomorrow morning and decide to stay here.”
Sam shook his head and shrugged, “Staying here defeats my number one purpose, Dean.”
“What’s that Sam?” Dean challenged him, his eyes drifting towards the bruising that was now covered by the sleeves over his shirt. Sam heard the unspoken words. To get away from whoever put their hands on you, to get away from the person who made you run.
“To start over new,” Sam gave Dean a sad smile, “And now I can’t do that.”
“Just before you leave, do me a favor Sam.”
“What?” Sam pressed his hand against the cool glass of the door and listened for Dean’s parting words.
“Watch the sunrise, it’ll change everything.”
~*~
Sam sat on the bed in a pair of sleep pants. His legs curled underneath him as he faced the open window and the blush of early morning in the sky. The light peeked through the branches of trees and over car tops and into his room. The light was so beautiful, so different Sam slipped from where he was sitting to move closer towards the window. The softest hues of organs, mixed in with the nights blues and purples. It was like a soul waking up, breaking free of the confines that was once placed upon it.
Sam set his fingers against the glass, expecting it to be cold but he felt warmth instead. Instead of a shadow brushing against the bruising on his arms and chest there was light pouring in through the windows. It warmed the ice that had been flowing through his veins since he left Kansas, since he realized how stupid he had been staying. That he wasn’t the one doing wrong. It was never him.
Grabbing a shirt from his bag, Sam slipped out of his room and out into the dewy grass. He tilted his head back and let the entirety of the morning wash over him. The humidity and salt from the lake wrapped around him like a protective blanket, the sun welcomed him, and the earth pulsed with awareness and hope.
Sam wrapped his arms around his chest, feeling his entire world already changing from the aide of a stranger, and he headed back to his room. He wasn’t wrong for who he was and this was the first place the every inch of him felt welcome, felt right being here. Dean was right, he wasn’t going to leave after seeing this, after experiencing this. Every fiber of his being hoped he didn’t have to leave. Sam hoped that this place offered him the refuge he so desperately needed.
Author: youaredriving aka Scarletsptember
Fandom(s), Characters: Supernatural / Sam, Dean (Non-related...)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: WIP, AU (I do mean this, Non-related Sam/Dean...for reals), past character abuse, language (shit, there you go), eventual slash
Summary: Sam had driven across the country and everything about Ponchartrain felt right, and that's what he could see from the interstate. He knew he needed a new start, a place where no one knew him and this would be the place that could allow it. He just didn't expect to meet someone like Dean the first night in town.
Author's Notes: I feel like I should warn you about a large variety of things that I haven't warned you about in the warnings. Ponchartrain isn't real, except it is a lake and I live near it. Oh and sunrises are different here, like everyone thinks for where they live. It offers a sense of home and belonging.
Navigating the roads of southern Louisiana wasn’t as easy as everyone made it out to be. Sure it might be flat, never ending, but there wasn’t anything to kept your mind occupied but the white lines dotting the highway and the loud rumbling of eighteen wheelers passing him by. Sam let the fog lights on the truck light the road as he cracked the window and turned the radio up a little louder to keep himself awake.
It felt like his mind was made up. He had driven across the country and it felt right stopping here, trying this place out. He didn’t have connections here, no one would look for him here, no one would think to ask questions as to who he was or where he came from. If they did he could always make something up. They didn’t have to know why he left. They didn’t have to know why he was living out of a suitcase, hoping for some kind of job to make the rent. No one would see the bruises, or the marks he was hiding from the world. Somehow it was going to be okay again.
Sam took the next exit off the interstate, feeling as good as he could about any, and he watched the world change right before his eyes. There were bright lights that melted out into trees and a darkness that spoke of a small town. Something that if he could get himself situated into would watch his back, if not it could backfire against him.
“This is better than the alternative, Sam. Bright lights are always a bad idea,” Sam whispered to himself and the cab of the truck. “Stay small town and everything will work out in the long run. Hopefully.”
He spotted a gas station that had already closed for the night and he kept driving in that direction. Soon buildings spotted the roadside. Diners, hair salons, and even a couple of schools sprung up out of the woodworks. Sam watched as a light blossomed in the distance, it was surrounded by cars and he let out a sigh of relief when he saw what it was. A twenty-four hour diner and he felt his stomach let out of gurgle of hunger.
“Yeah, yeah,” Sam muttered to himself as he parked and shuffled across the parking lot. “Maybe if they don’t cast me as a leper or something I’ll eat something while I’m in there too.”
Sam tried to make his way into the diner as quietly as possible but the door jangled signaling his arrival and every head spun his way. He ducked his head down and headed for the counter, not even bothering to sit down. He could already feel the questions forming in their minds. Who is he? What is he doing here? How long is he going to be here?
“Why don’t you take a seat there chief,” a deep voice had Sam looking up into mischievous green eyes. “This lot might have a lot of questions they want to ask but we don’t actually bite strangers.”
“Actually, if you could just tell me where the closest motel or hotel is, that would be great.”
Sam watched the mischievous eyes turn curious and a pair of bowed lips rolled together before the man wiped his hands clean on a rag and leaned over the counter and into his space. “How about this, you sit down for the twenty minutes it’ll take you to eat a sandwich or some soup and a cup of coffee, decaf, and I’ll get you to that bed you are dying to get into. I won’t let the sharks get you. Promise.”
Sam tried to work out something to say but he couldn’t figure anything out. By the time he had figured out to protest to what was being suggested his stomach let out a loud growl.
“See,” The guy grinned, “Take a seat and I’ll get you some soup, a sandwich plus that coffee and then I’ll send you on your way. No worries.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Eh,” There was a not so subtle look over before he turned away and headed back towards the kitchen still talking over his shoulder, “believe me, it’s the least I can do. You look like hell, man. I won’t keep you waiting long.”
Sam finally gave in and sat down at the bar. Within seconds a steaming cup of coffee slipped into his hands along with a couple packets of sugar and creamer. He automatically started to prepare his coffee just how he liked it, no matter if it was decaf or regular.
“Thought I had you pegged for a sugary kind of guy,” There was a hint of laughter in the statement that had Sam looking up. “So while your soup finishes up, I’m Dean.”
“Uh,” Sam sipped his coffee and let out a happy sigh, “Sam.”
“What brings you into our happy little world of Ponchartrain? You know besides hurricanes, being under sea level and the humidity?” Dean quirked a brow in amusement while he waited for Sam’s answer.
“What makes you so sure I’m staying?” Sam asked as he finished off his coffee. He watched as Dean automatically turned to prepare him another one.
“You have that look about you.” Dean shrugged before he turned around and set the cup down. He squinted his eyes as he focused in on Sam’s face. It was as if he had already figured out the next words that were going to come from Sam’s lips. “Something felt right about stopping here, didn’t it?”
“Maybe.” Sam shrugged.
“Well,” Dean murmured before he abruptly spun around and headed for the kitchen. Sam waited for a few minutes. He glanced around the diner, taking in the way people would look at him. If he weren’t so tired he would have jumped up and yelled to see if they scared. He flinched as soon as Dean set the plate and bowl on the counter in front of him. “My bad, didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Long day in the truck,” Sam swiped a hand over his forehead and a hand reached out and gently wrapped around his wrist. Sam watched in a morbid fascination as Dean’s hand pushed the sleeve of his long shirt up and he did nothing to stop the motion. He was caught like a deer, frozen in a bright set of headlights, not knowing what to do now that someone had seen the marks.
“You sure it was just a long day in the car or is it something else that has you on edge?” Dean’s eyes had grown dark, full of a fury Sam never wanted to be on the receiving end of. Sam jerked his arm back across the counter and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see that look in Dean’s eyes. The pity, the disgust, it was always present.
Shame washed over his skin. Sam felt dirty again, like he was worthless and deserved what happened to him when he knew better. Curling his fingers into his palms, Sam took deep breaths before dipping his spoon back into his soup. Metal clacked against the porcelain of the bowl as his hand shook.
“If there’s a place I can head towards to get some rest; that you know about, that would be great to find out about. I could really use some sleep before hitting the road tomorrow morning.”
“Sam,” Dean let out a soft sigh, “I’m sorry.”
“About what Dean?” Sam set his spoon in the bowl with a loud clank. He shifted in his seat to pluck out his wallet and tossed a few bills on the countertop to pay for his meal. “Doing what the rest of this town would have done if I would have stayed? It’s just good getting it out of the way and moving on while I still have the energy to do so. No harm done.”
Dean looked at the money Sam threw down and frowned. “About two miles down the road there’s an inn. They’re normally closed up two hours ago but I’ll make a call and Lilly will take you in for the night. And before you say anything, I’m not doing you any favors, Sam. I’m trying to keep you moving with your life. Even though I think you’re going to wake up tomorrow morning and decide to stay here.”
Sam shook his head and shrugged, “Staying here defeats my number one purpose, Dean.”
“What’s that Sam?” Dean challenged him, his eyes drifting towards the bruising that was now covered by the sleeves over his shirt. Sam heard the unspoken words. To get away from whoever put their hands on you, to get away from the person who made you run.
“To start over new,” Sam gave Dean a sad smile, “And now I can’t do that.”
“Just before you leave, do me a favor Sam.”
“What?” Sam pressed his hand against the cool glass of the door and listened for Dean’s parting words.
“Watch the sunrise, it’ll change everything.”
~*~
Sam sat on the bed in a pair of sleep pants. His legs curled underneath him as he faced the open window and the blush of early morning in the sky. The light peeked through the branches of trees and over car tops and into his room. The light was so beautiful, so different Sam slipped from where he was sitting to move closer towards the window. The softest hues of organs, mixed in with the nights blues and purples. It was like a soul waking up, breaking free of the confines that was once placed upon it.
Sam set his fingers against the glass, expecting it to be cold but he felt warmth instead. Instead of a shadow brushing against the bruising on his arms and chest there was light pouring in through the windows. It warmed the ice that had been flowing through his veins since he left Kansas, since he realized how stupid he had been staying. That he wasn’t the one doing wrong. It was never him.
Grabbing a shirt from his bag, Sam slipped out of his room and out into the dewy grass. He tilted his head back and let the entirety of the morning wash over him. The humidity and salt from the lake wrapped around him like a protective blanket, the sun welcomed him, and the earth pulsed with awareness and hope.
Sam wrapped his arms around his chest, feeling his entire world already changing from the aide of a stranger, and he headed back to his room. He wasn’t wrong for who he was and this was the first place the every inch of him felt welcome, felt right being here. Dean was right, he wasn’t going to leave after seeing this, after experiencing this. Every fiber of his being hoped he didn’t have to leave. Sam hoped that this place offered him the refuge he so desperately needed.