(Untitled)

[hopeitsworthit]

It's not that Dean really took a whole day to talk himself up to walking out the door to what has been, up until now, his room.

It took that long to convince himself to start walking down the stairs.

(Well, that and trying to sleep. And then dealing with what happened after he tried to sleep

Comments

[jack_inthegreen]

They haven't talked for a long time, but Jack's fairly certain Dean will remember him.

And the apples, one of which is now on the bar by Dean's hand.

"You look like you could use a friend, Dean."

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean's hand does not move like lightning away from the apple, but it moves away from the apple nonetheless.

"Huh?"

His grip on his water glass shifts just enough that he could throw it if he needs to. (There's no way of bein' too careful.)

[jack_inthegreen]

"Jack Green? Tree god? Laws of hospitality?"

The man looks utterly benign, too, with his teacup and sketchpad.

"I know it's been a while but I didn't think it had been that long."

[hopeitsworthit]

Sweet as cream don't mean someone's not gonna go for the throat.

(It's a lesson Dean's not going to forget.)

"Oh. Uh. Yeah."

He brings his glass of water to his mouth, wetting his lips.

"You know how time flies."

[gonna_live]

It's a couple of minutes later when Kaylee shows up a couple of barstools down. Not that she's been around much lately herself -- she's come in on the off chance there are messages, and that's been... pretty much it.

But when your husband's working late and you've been told dinner won't be necessary, there's not much point in cooking and making a mess for just yourself. Kaylee starts off with some kind of so-sweet-your-teeth-will-rot wine.

And it's after the glass shows up that --

"Dean?"

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean's head turns toward the voice almost fast enough to hurt --

Then he looks incredulous.

(And maybe a little relieved.)

"Kaylee?"

It is Kaylee.

"Hey."

Starting slow's okay. He can do this.

[gonna_live]

The incredulous doesn't make much sense -- but then again, it has been a while. More than a year, she thinks -- so when she was still on Serenity, and when there was something wrong with Sam.

Not really anybody who comes here has it easy, Kaylee thinks, but she's aware that her problems have been a lot more personal in the last several years than the Winchesters' problems. And if it's been that long --

Well. No sense in speculating.

"Hey, you." Dean gets a warm smile. "Been a while."

Start slow.

[hopeitsworthit]

It takes him a second to crack a smile. He has to think about it.

"Yeah."

What comes next? There's gotta be --

Oh. Yeah.

"Didn't mean to let it go so long."

[parkerlee]

Parker is passing by with a well-earned cup of coffee. She gives Dean a wave and a friendly smile.

"Hey, Dean."

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean catches the wave, and he turns in his seat in order to see who's doing it a little more clearly.

Just in case.

It takes him a second to pull up the name, and he doesn't bother putting on a smile.

"Uh. Parker, r -- Hi."

[parkerlee]

Parker kind of thinks she must have caught him deep in thought about something. So she doesn't take a seat, but does pause for a moment.

"Did your brother ever find his shoes?" she asks.

Last time she'd talked to him, his little brother had been having some issues in that area.

[hopeitsworthit]

Sam.

Except -- shoes? What the --

"Uh. I don't think I kept track."

Was he supposed to?

[bannion_sight]

She really had intended to get home early enough to go to the market; she had.

However, she'd ended up lingering over a cup of tea (coffee just didn't seem right, somehow) and her thoughts in the Abbey's outdoor cafe for far too long.

Knowing that the market would be closed when she finally left, Kim hadn't even bothered to check. Instead, she'd ducked through the standing rock portal off to the side of the path home, and ended up in Milliways for dinner instead.

She's stirring through the remains of a pasta dish the waitrat had recommended -- at least she thinks that's what it had been trying to do -- when she glances up and spots a familiar face.

Kim brightens and waves hello.

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean braces his hand on the edge of the bar, taking a second to make sure his eyes aren't playin' tricks on him.

(And that he's got some leverage if he needs it.)

"Kim Ford."

He doesn't manage a smile, but the set of his shoulders relaxes --

And then tightens up again.

"Hey."

[bannion_sight]

"Dean Winchester," she returns, smiling a little, but there's a flash of quick concern in the clear gray eyes as he tenses.

"Hey, yourself."

[hopeitsworthit]

"You been, uh -- "

He knows what goes here. He does.

"Doing okay?"

[untiedtheknots]

Artemis is a couple of seats over, nursing a beer.

There's a bright yellow rain poncho on the stool beside her. (It may have a smiley face on it; Bar's idea of a joke.)

She waves. "Hey there."

[hopeitsworthit]

His hackles go up, in anticipation of --

Well, not a wave, for one thing.

"Hey."

Shit. Shit, this is --

Shit.

"Uh."

[untiedtheknots]

"Long time, no see."

She keeps both hands visible, her movements slow.

"You doing okay?"

[hopeitsworthit]

"Huh? Yeah. I'm fine."

His smooth-talking skills are a thing of the past.

Drinking water helps. In theory.