JustAnna

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Anna

Anna whimpered as Nat’s arms wrapped around her, and her eyes went wide over Natalia’s shoulder. She would have never expected a hug, after admitting that she was there…and survived when Cason was expected to die. Nat’s words about her brothers being serial liars hit Anna little harder in the chest than she expected, and she closed her eyes tightly, clinging to Natalia. Finally, there was someone that understood why she was so angry, and betrayed, and hurt…and felt like she had been lied to. She wanted to cling to this feeling, and so she did, as long as Natalia was willing to hug her.

As Nat pulled away, Anna just nodded at her with wide teary eyes. In a world where it felt like every single problem rested on her shoulders, or Sam’s shoulders, it was nice to have someone actually look her in the eyes and tell her she wasn’t at fault for something. It wasn’t true, though. They all knew that the barn incident was because of her. She wouldn’t be able to shake that feeling no matter how hard she tried, but she wished she could take it all back, and keep Cason safe…as silly as it sounded rattling around in her head.

“Thank you.” Anna whispered, pressing her lips together and nodding. She turned to the mirror behind her and took in her appearance. Her nose was red, something she wouldn’t be able to hide from Sam, no matter how hard she tried. But she could at least dry her eyes up and wipe some of the last bits of dirt away from her streaky cheeks.

She was just wiping the last bit of tear stains away from her cheeks, trying to compose herself not to start the whole teary process all over again as the overwhelm of Nat knowing…and likely planning to confront Dean cramped her stomach. She nodded as Nat said that they needed to leave the bathroom, and she returned her sad smile, walking toward the door. She opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom, walking straight toward Sam with her eyes on the floor. Maybe if she didn’t look at him, he wouldn’t notice her red nose.

Cason

Cason’s smirk turned into a full laugh when Sam joked back with him. He knew that in the tiniest of ways, he was now friendly with Sam, which gave him a lot more protection from the others than Sam would ever give himself credit for. He followed Sam’s gaze and turned to glance at the bathroom door as Sam commented on the delay. He was a bit curious, but he figured they were just hashing out whatever it was that was bothering Anna. Anna could be talkative when she was upset.

“I could always pop in and…” Cason started to suggest, before being interrupted by the sweet waitress from earlier. He turned his eyes up to her and put on his most charming smile, shaking his head, “No ma’am. I had a bit of a long day. I think I would rather just have beer for dinner.”

The girls piled out of the bathroom, obstructed at first by a few people stepping away from the counter and walking out the door. Cason turned his eyes from Maddie to both of them, and he instantly noticed that Anna’s hair was pushed behind her ears. She had pulled her hands into his jacket sleeves and had crossed her arms…and her nose was red. They hadn’t been together a lifetime or anything, but he knew her well enough to know her body language like the back of his hand. He narrowed his eyes, burning his gaze into her eyelids as she looked at the floor, trying to get her to make eye contact with him…but she didn’t.

“Everything alright?” He asked Nat as Anna sat on the edge of Sam’s side of the booth, hugging herself a little tighter as she took a deep breath. “Anna? You okay?”

“Yep. Just a little emotional, today, I guess.” Anna deflected, never turning her eyes from her knees. Cason narrowed his eyes even more at the fact that she couldn’t make eye contact with him, and he turned to Nat.

“Mhm. Okay. Well…what about you? You good?”

"From out of Nowhere" - SPN

Dean

Dean raised his eyebrows at Lexi’s teasing of Sam, expecting but also not expecting it from her. He almost felt proud that he had someone else to bounce teasing off of, as typically, Sam was quick with his remarks and could shut Dean up pretty fast. When Sam turned around and looked them both up and down, Dean looked down at his own torso awkwardly and he wiped a hand down his chest with a frown. He was about to tell Sam not to say a word, when Sam turned away from them and called back.

“Yeah well…you…” Dean awkwardly stuttered out, before waving a hand at his brother’s back, brushing off the fact that Sam was right. He would find other ways to make Sam uncomfortable, later on. Right now, he needed a shower or rather, he needed a shower…with Lexi.

Grabbing Lexi’s hand with a huff, Dean pulled her toward his room.

—

A little bit later

Dean was dressed, reluctantly, and he stepped out of his room, leaving the door cracked open for Lexi to follow him out. He could stay wrapped up in her all day, but then they wouldn’t get any work done, and it was already late…for him. He padded down the corridor, stopping at one of the turns to wait for Lexi to catch up. As she did, he reached out and placed a hand on her opposite hip, pulling her close to him while they were still out of eye sight of Sam and Anya.

He leaned in and pressed his lips to her ear with a smile, as he flirted with her, “So, I’m assuming I’ll see you after work? Massages are kinda my specialty.”

Anya

Anya was happily sipping her coffee on the counter when Sam stepped in. She raised an eyebrow at the fact that he was walking around in sweats and no shirt. It seemed very relaxed for Sam, who seemed pretty tightly wound. She didn’t even try to get his attention as he stepped in, but she did catch his eyes briefly and she gave him a sweet smile. There was no way he dodged Dean on his way in.

As he spoke up, she pressed her lips tightly together, raising her eyebrows with an exaggerated nod, taking a sip of her coffee in a way that let him know “I’ve already dealt with him this morning…trust me I know.”

She couldn’t help the smirk that graced her lips as he described the state HE had found them in. They seemed much more disheveled when she found them, and it didn’t surprise her a bit that they were headed to the showers, clearly not finished with each other. She tilted her head to the side as if she was thinking, and then gave him a wicked smirk briefly. She was excited to get her phone and tear Dean down a few pegs, if he tried to act as if she and Sam were sneaky teenagers, or something.

Her facial expression fell into a smile of admiration, as she took in how much lower his shoulders looked, and how much more relaxed and happy he seemed…less high strung. She sat her mug beside her, snapped her fingers at him to get his attention, and then signed as slow as she could, to help him understand her.

“You look pretty happy…” She signed, her hands moving slow and fluid as she watched his face with a soft smile. “It’s nice.”

"From out of Nowhere" - SPN

Dean

Dean turned, watching as Lexi made her way back around the bed and perched beside him. She was right there. He was pretty sure that if he touched her, they would never leave this room. So, he restrained himself. Instead, he lazily stood when she did, a goofy smile on his face as he retrieved his boxers from the floor and pulled them on. He walked to the door, ruffling his hair again, to try and make it look a little less sweat stuck to his head, and then cracked the door open to look around.

Just as he stepped out into the hallway, to go warm up his shower, Anya showed up and Dean raised his eyebrows at her. He then narrowed his eyes, “Well good morning!”

Her sighing back to him caused him to frown again, and he hoped that it was something friendly like ‘good morning’ and not some sort of insult. As she kept walking, he glanced down her back, not able to ignore the dark purple finger prints that adorned the backs of her thighs, what little skin was showing. Dean stepped back toward the door and he hissed at Lexi with a frown, “Well, the kids are awake and the little one? Bruises…everywhere. Her thighs look like she went ten rounds with a boxer.”

He raised his eyebrows, as if he was judging them, when in reality, it wasn’t like his ‘usual’ wasn’t just as fiery…depending on the woman. Lexi’s hand in his and how calm she was about the situation caused him to sigh and he couldn’t help the turn in the corners of his lips as Lexi gave him a wicked smile that melted his chest into nothing.

“Oh…it’ll be awkward alright. I wonder what my brother looks like.” Dean teased back, pulling her into the hallway. Dean was barely finished with the sentence when they turned the small curve between the rooms, and Sam stepped out into the hallway, looking disheveled. Dean raised his eyebrows again at Sam just standing there shirtless, visible scratches and darker skin in random places. Sam never walked around the bunker shirtless…but Sam also never brought anyone home.

“Wow, Sam…” Dean called out in a judgmental tone, ignoring the fact that he was also just standing in the hallway in his underwear.

Anya

Anya stepped into the kitchen with a yawn, and instantly went for the coffee pot. She pressed the button, happy that the brothers had a coffee of refilling it the night before. She could only assume it was for Dean, who seemed like a grump when he woke up, just judging by his attitude.

She waited, her fingers tapping on the counter, as the pot filled up and she finally could grab a mug and pour herself some. She held the mug in both hands, climbing up on the counter, making sure that Sam’s shirt was covering her bare thighs from the cold metal as she swung her legs and drank her coffee, like she was at home.

Maybe she was at home. The thought of just working through the day with Sam, curling up with him at night, things getting steamy when he needed to destress, riding around in their old car, all of it…it was all lovely. It’s not like she really had a home to go to, anyway, other than the same dusty motels at every stop, on her way to look for clues about her father’s death.

She realized around that time that she didn’t have her phone. It was still in Sam’s room. She wouldn’t be able to communicate with anyone, other than maybe Lexi and a tiny bit with Sam. Maybe it would make the morning less awkward. She smirked at the thought, knowing that Dean was going to thoroughly try to embarrass Sam…not that last night was anything to be embarrassed by.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Dean

Dean smiled sadly, at Mika’s words. Nothing was ever so simple that it just ‘went well’ for them. He knew they had both learned that over the years. Anything that went well, usually came with a price, like how easy it seemed to get Anna and Cason out of that barn…and yet, Duke died. He pushed that thought down. They weren’t losing anyone else. No one and he meant it, no matter how unlikely it seemed.

Dean unwrapped himself from Mika’s waist and sat back on his heels carefully, before standing, just enough to place a knee on the edge of the couch. He crawled over Mika, and then wrapped his arm around her, pulling her down with him. He lay down, pulling Mika close to his chest. If they were going to fix things, Dean knew that being close was always the best way, with Mika. He released her waist, bringing a hand up to card through the hair on the side of her face, drawing his own face close to hers.

“Hi…I’m Dean.” He smirked, scanning between her eyes as he spoke, toying with the top of her ear with his thumb. He then brought that hand down to her chin, using a single finger to tilt her chin up, so he could reach her lips. He carefully placed the slowest kiss of his life to her lips, like a timid teenager, sliding one of his legs lazily between hers, to make sure they were touching as much as humanly possible. After a moment of soft kisses, Dean deepened the kiss, his hand shifting to wrap itself around the base of her skull. Were they making out on the couch like teenagers? Sure. Did he mind, after all the time they lost? Not at all.

Whatever was coming down the road felt dire. He would never tell Mika, but he was worried about this next job from the angels more than he had let on. Something about it just seemed off. It seemed like the angels wanted him to do something that he might not come back from. So, for a moment…he was going to enjoy just having Mika in the present, and try to be thankful to be alive.

Anna

Anna felt another smile start to creep up on her lips, before Nat brought it all crashing down by asking her to clarify what she meant by her words. She assumed Natalia knew. She assumed that Cason would have spilled on her, and that’s why he was throwing jabs at Dean, but of course…of course she didn’t know. Dean would dance around the subject for years if it meant that he never had to deal with Natalia’s anger and upset.

Anna turned her eyes down to the floor, afraid that Nat was about to be angry with her, instead of Dean. She didn’t know how to tell her the truth, but she also couldn’t lie to her, especially if there was any hope for friendship.

“Um…we um…” Anna started, the world spinning a bit as she thought back to the barn, hearing her own scream as Cason bled out on the floor, not even able to move his legs. She brought her hands up and pulled the sides of her hair behind her ears, smelling Cason on herself from his jacket as the memories flashed through her brain painfully. “Cason was um…he got hurt. Like really hurt. So, I knew it was going to be hard to get him out of there. I mean, he couldn’t walk. The…the thing that was stabbed into his stomach had hit his spine…”

She broke her words off, glancing down at her hands. There was still a vague stain of blood around her wrists. She swallowed heavily and took a deep breath, “Dean was angry. He was really angry at…everything. He was scared. He took the opportunity to…to hurt him a little more. I thought he was just messing with him. You know how he is.”

Anna wrapped her arms around her chest, hugging herself tight as she found the courage to admit the worst to Nat, through the fresh tears that were rolling up in her eyes, quickly spilling down both cheeks, “So he released him, and he made the decision to leave him for dead. I shouldn’t be the one telling you this. I tried to get him out. I tried so hard…but I’m too small. I couldn’t carry him. Sam pulled me away and…and I assumed he was dead. There was no way he could get out of that barn. The demons were on their way back, and it’s a blur, but we ran. Sam carried me and Dean…well…Dean just lost it because you were gone.”

She softly scuffed her foot against the floor, scrunching her nose to try and force all the tears out at once so she didn’t go back to Sam crying over this again. She knew that she had just opened a dam of potential anger and fighting. She knew that Nat wasn’t going to take the news well. But Nat deserved to know…

Cason

Cason tilted his head curiously when Sam continued grilling him, asking him how he felt about Nat. He could feel what the question meant. Sam wanted him to admit he loved Natalia. Cason still wasn’t sure about that feeling, either, even if he knew in the back of his mind that’s what it was. That’s why he had told her he loved her. There was no way the burning in the back of his mind, as horrible as it was, was anything other than love. He had been obsessed before, no burn. He had been infatuated to the point of possessiveness, no burn.

Cason leaned his elbows on the table and he chewed at his lip for a brief second before answering Sam’s question, “I don’t know if demons are capable of what you’re asking me to admit to…but I’ve seen it once, in a book. Apparently it’s possible for a demon to love. So, I have to assume that the searing pain I feel when I’m around her means I love her. And I don’t know why I’m telling you this…”

Cason sighed and he thought about it for a moment, realizing that the reason he was confiding in Sam was probably because Sam was the easiest for Nat to talk down, if things went south, and he needed to keep an eye on him. He needed to know that Sam wasn’t on his way off the rails, for the sake of…well…humanity.

“And if I love her, then you know that there’s nothing I would do to hurt her. Nothing. I’m even willing to work with your brother, even after what happened. I’m willing to let it go.” Cason told Sam honestly, looking him in the eyes. He then smirked, choosing to joke with Sam, “You’re not going to water board me with holy water, are you Sam?”

Duke

Duke didn’t think he would ever tire of how responsive Esme was to him, now that they were just…them. It was like every touch meant something and every brush of his lips was magic. He could just breath it in for the rest of his life, buried deep in her eyes, now that she was his. Her little hum as he kissed her upper lip sent a slight shiver down his spine and he never lost her eyes, watching them intently, waiting for her to tell him exactly what she wanted.

His last name falling off her lips caused yet another shiver to roll down his spine, and he hummed during her pause, narrowing his eyes. But his smile never left his lips as she told him exactly what she was thinking. Neither of them had to work that hard anymore. It was another pool that he could just swim in, the honesty in her eyes. She wanted him, only him. He was putty in her hands and she knew it.

As her nose brushed his, and he felt her hands slide down every muscle of his back, he shuddered visibly with a soft groan, but a wide smile spread across his face, tugging at his lip between her teeth and he pulled her even closer to his body as she kissed him. He traced the line of her jaw with his thumb, as a brief memory of the first time he had held her face like this flashed through his brain.

It was much more forbidden, then. He knew he was crossing boundaries. He knew he was risking his entire world collapsing, and yet he had convinced himself, through what felt like a gallon of whiskey and a pep talk from Mika to make his move…to show her why she should love him . And she had turned him down, because she was in love with Dean.

His heart hammered in his chest as he took over the pace of the kiss, parting her lips with the tip of his tongue to kiss her deeply, drinking in any emotion he could feel dripping off her, just for him. The thought of hurting her crossed his mind, but he knew her well enough to know that she would tell him. She would set boundaries. She always did. He took a careful step between her legs, guiding her back and then let his own hands drop to her thighs with a slight dip, his lips only leaving hers to trail hungry kisses down her jaw and against the side of her neck. He lifted her, and ever so gently placed her on the small countertop by the door, stepping between her legs.

“I love you…you know that?” He whispered sweetly against the side of her neck, placing little kisses along the little spot below her ear that he knew would have her humming. He smiled against her ear, and tightened his grip on the back of her neck, bringing his face back to smile down at her, before he delved back in for another needy kiss.

All Roads Lead To You

Duke

Oh no…There was that feeling in Duke’s gut again.

As Esme threw her hands up and turned her back on him, Duke’s stomach dipped and it was as if he was watching himself hurt her all over again. Though, he wasn’t sure why she was so hurt by him leaving in the first place. They had shared a moment…a moment that ruined Duke’s ability to keep away from her, knowing she was just right there. He could touch her any time he wanted, but at the same time, he couldn’t. She was trouble…

“Esme wait…” Duke muttered, dropping his chin almost to his chest as she stepped away from him, clearly frustrated and finished trying to fix whatever it was she could see as broken between them. He couldn’t place it either. But when she called back to him, telling him to forget she even came outside, Duke’s shoulders fell and he dropped his bag next to the RV, stepping off from his planted place in the gravel. “Wait wait wait.”

He had broke into a run, until he heard her cry out in what he could only assume was pain. He broke into a light run, and skidded to a stop beside her, wrapping his hand around her upper arm before he even realized what he was doing. He turned her quickly to face him and caught her eyes with a worried look on his face. He realized pretty quickly that she had just stepped on something barefoot and she would live, but also that she was genuinely upset with him for leaving.

“Hey.” He started, his bright blue eyes scanning hers for a moment before he swallowed thickly and then wrapped her up in his arms. He tilted his hat back onto the back of his head. It was a mistake to hug her. He knew that. Any touch was a mistake, after the weird intense emotions he had felt last time she was in his arms. But he held her there for a while, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “I’m sorry. I’m…I’m a little nervous to be back is all. I mean it when I say that I can’t explain why I left. There’s no way you would understand in a way that wouldn’t make me look horrible.”

Duke pulled away from the hug, his hands lingering against her body a clear indicator that it took everything he had to let her go, and then he placed both hands on her upper arms, holding her in front of him so he could lean down with wide eyes and talk to her on her level, “You promise to at least let me buy you a drink and me and you will sit on that tailgate out there…and I’ll…I’ll do the best I can to explain everything. When I’m done, if you want me gone…I’m gone.”

"From out of Nowhere" - SPN

Dean

Dean honestly didn’t figure they would hear from Sam and Anya for a while. They had been all over each other with their eyes…way before any of them ended up in a bedroom. Dean flinched when Lexi suddenly rolled over and her hand came to his face. Pretty quickly, a soft smile covered his face, and he watched her eyes for a moment. Then came the joke that brought memories flooding back through his body in a hot wave and he laughed with a wide smile, but the temptation to just melt back into the bed was intense. Her lips on his didn’t help that feeling…at all.

And just like that, she was wrapped in the sheet and off the bed. Dean sighed, pulling himself up to sit against the headboard as he watched her walk across the floor to prepare for a shower. He didn’t even realize that he was holding his tongue between his teeth, astounded that she had not only got out of his bed, but that she was staying close enough to touch…likely as long as he asked her to.

He needed this.

“I mean…it’s not like I couldn’t use the workout.” Dean teased back, raising an eyebrow as he raised a hand and ruffled his already bed messy hair. A thought came to his mind, and he smirked. It was a flirty smirk that usually could get him his way, no matter who he was talking to. “Or…my shower is pretty big. I’m pretty sure we could both fit in and uh…make the kids wait a little longer.”

Anya

As Sam stirred awake, Anya smiled even wider against the side of his neck, until his lips pressed against the top of her head. She pulled her head back from his neck, just enough to see him smirk. He seemed so happy and relaxed, even though she wondered if he was as sore as she was, after…that. He confirmed, teasing her about the night before and she giggled softly, allowing him to pull her as close as he wanted to. She could handle being this close to him for the entire day, if she thought that the other two would even begin to allow it.

Smiling, Anya reached a hand up, and pressed it to his forehead, using his body to sign a simple, “You’re welcome.”, with a silent giggle against his jaw. She nipped at the stubble against his jawbone, feeling oddly playful in her good mood. But she knew they would be disturbed soon. If anything, Dean would burst through the door like an animal, with lots of questions and judgement any time, now…just like last night, when Anya first gathered enough courage to kiss Sam.

She nodded at his assertion that they should get up, but even she knew that he would never leave this bed, if he wasn’t forced to. So after a few moments, she buried her fingers in his hair, trailing her nose up to the place where his jaw met his ear, and placed a soft kiss there. She then rolled out of his arms, forcing his hand, even if she didn’t want to. She stood from the bed, fluffing her hair out around her bare shoulders and looked around the floor for the t-shirt she had been wearing the night before.

After a moment, she found it, turning back toward the bed to slip it over her head with a soft smile at Sam. She then made a movement with her hands, simply gesturing that she needed a drink and stepped over to the door. She turned around and hoped he would understand her sign language, when she signed, “Hurry.”, with a smirk.

As she stepped out of the room, she had only walked a few steps, when she heard another door open down the way, echoing in the empty hall. She slowed her steps, her bare feet barely making any noise against the floor as she turned the tiny curve and Dean was standing there, coming out of Lexi’s room. His hair was wet and he sighed, a soft smile on his face. Anya matched his smile, until he turned and narrowed his eyes at her.

“Well good morning!” Dean beamed, not really getting a good look at her, other than the disheveled hair on her head, and Sam’s massive t-shirt hanging close to her knees. She signed a simple ‘morning’ at him, even though she knew he would have to assume what she said. If she was sticking around, she really needed to teach him sign language. She passed him, and as she did, she heard him turn and crack open his door, muttering something to Lexi about ‘they’re awake…bruises…thighs…’.

Anya made a mental note to check herself out in the mirror later on. If Dean was complaining, she could only assume what he had seen on her way by. She glanced down at her wrists and smirked, as there were a few clearly defined large fingerprints still shining there. Today would be interesting…and she had a feeling she and Lexi would destroy both men with their teasing.

All Roads Lead To You

Dean

Dean looked down at Esme expectantly, but not pushy as he let her collect her thoughts. He had worked on his patience, a lot. He didn’t feel the need to hold her so close to his chest anymore. They had made long strides in the past month, and he was happy about that. He couldn’t help the scoff that left his chest when she said ‘he shows back up as if nothing happened’.

“Yeah, he tends to do that. I probably should have included that in the warning label.” Dean muttered, placing his hands on his hips as he grappled with the idea of a mopey Duke all night. Maybe he could get him drunk, hook him up with some random girl, and he would be better. Duke’s problem wasn’t anything other than Dean not being exactly ready to clean his boots for him, just because he stepped back into the house. Dean was tired. He was tired of worrying about one of a very small group of people he couldn’t cut out of his life if he tried.

“He’s upset because he thinks I’m not happy to see him. He does this every other time he leaves. You don’t have to fix him, Esme. He’s a big boy. But if you will lose sleep at night, which I feel like you will…go talk to him.” Dean sighed, shaking his head, “Just…never mind. Go. If anything, it will put him in a better mood when we go out.”

As Esme kissed his cheek, he leaned into her briefly, before dropping his hand and rolling his eyes. He needed a shower, and he needed to prepare himself for Duke’s first night back…

Duke

Duke was already most of the way to the RV when Esme’s voice called his name. He frowned, but didn’t turn around at first, until she was close enough that he knew he couldn’t ignore her. He closed his eyes tightly, huffing through his nose. Of course she followed him. Of course the trouble was going to start up again and he had just walked through the door.

“Esme…” Duke warned, but as he turned to look at her, her blue eyes took him off guard and he shut his mouth, sighing as he placed his hands on his hips and scuffed his boot on the gravel below him. When she began to apologize, he shook his head, though he was lying through his teeth.

“You didn’t upset me. I’m not upset. I just…”, he started, only to press his lips together again. It’s not like he could lie to her. She could obviously read every expression on his face and he wasn’t good at hiding any of them, anyway. Poker wasn’t his game for a reason. Duke simply nodded at her words, but tilted his head when she cut herself off, genuinely curious what she was going to say. But it didn’t take long for her to say something that completely crushed him.

‘I don’t quite know how to talk to you now.’

Duke shuddered, and frowned, a sad chuckle breaking from his chest as he looked down at the ground and tightened his grip on his bag, “I’m the same person I was when I left. Little banged up. A little more muscle, but it’s still me. I don’t…”

He shook his head, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he sighed, “This is about me leavin’ after I said I wasn’t, isn’t it? I don’t even know where to start explainin’ that in a way that won’t get me in a world of trouble. But I…I’m sorry? I didn’t know it would mean so much to you.”

Duke realized that he had just rambled to this girl. No flirtations. No winks or flashing the blue eyes. Just rambled and he instantly regretted it. So he sighed, unable to stop the frustrated growl that left his throat as he shook his head, stepping back from her a few steps.

“But hey. Dean warned ya…right?”

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Dean

Dean was so relieved that Mika didn’t push him away when he hugged her. He felt her hand brush his hair and land on the back of his head as he spoke to her, and the action caused a quick and rough sigh to escape his lips against her chest. He was a bit embarrassed to be on his knees, and to say a word that he swore he would never use, and had only used a handful of times before ‘love’. But he meant it. He loved her. He loved her more than breathing, even if it felt like someone had to choke him to make him say it.

As he turned his head to press his chin against Mika’s chest, and her hand fell to his neck, he felt trapped, but in the best way. Luckily, for his rattled brain, Mika agreed with him. She didn’t find new reasons to get angry at him. She didn’t tell him to leave, or to get off her. She echoed his thought, and admitted that she wanted to grow old with him, a thought that he would have laughed at any other time. There was no growing old, for him. He was lucky if he survived the next few days, much less thirty to fifty years.

“If there was someone I would fight to have that with, it’s you.” He muttered, just before Mika leaned down and her nose touched his, drawing a shuddered sigh from his lips, breath washing over hers. And then came the surge of relief hit him like lightning when she kissed him. He never moved his lips, just allowing her to take what she needed from them. She wasn’t going to run, after all the hard truths were said. For once, neither of them were leaving. She confirmed that when she pulled from the kiss and told him with her own words. It made his entire body shudder with a mix of relief and overwhelm. As much as she reminded him of Duke, he was able to hold onto her this time.

There wasn’t much else he could do, but nod and rock forward on his knees, raising himself closer to eye level. He placed a hand on each of her cheeks and kissed her. The kiss was deep and passionate, the best way he knew to show her how serious he was. For all of his faults, and his ‘whoring around’ as Duke called it, Dean’s love language was and would always be body language. He began to deepen the kiss, but decided against it, in a rare moment of self control. Instead, he broke the kiss reluctantly after a few moments, and pressed his forehead to hers, brushing noses with her, “I’m here…with you. No matter what way this whole thing goes, I’ll be right there.”

Anna

Anna nearly rolled her eyes at Cason and Nat fighting, and when Nat turned to her and offered her arm, Anna reached her jacket covered hand out, taking Nat’s arm with a silent look back at Sam. She knew he was worried about leaving her alone, but he seemed pretty confident that she would be fine with Nat. So, she turned away from him and moseyed off to the bathroom with Natalia. As soon as they were safe behind the womens bathroom door, Anna turned and locked it, just to make sure they had privacy.

“So, I um…I figured they were going to be a minute and I haven’t really had a chance to talk to you much…like ever.” Anna muttered awkwardly, crossing her arms over her chest. She smirked slightly, feeling comfortable enough with Nat to at least let a bit of a smile grace her lips. She then dropped the smirk and shifted from one foot to another, “I don’t know how much Cason told you about…you know…what happened. I just wanted to say that I’m glad he got out and I’m glad he got back to you. I have no idea what their plans were for me, especially since I barely have any bumps or scratches.”

Anna shook her head and glanced toward the door for a moment, before looking back up at Nat’s face, “I think the only reason I’m here is because of him. I don’t know if Sam even realizes that, and that’s a whole other thing…me and Sam.”

She scoffed, and shook her head as another smile teased at her lips. It was awkward to talk to his sister about him, but at the same time, she was closer with him. Anna could tell. If anyone was going to be respectful to her, and maybe even a damn good ally to have…a friend, it was Nat.

“Considering the way he looked when we left him…” Anna paused, looking down at the floor with a frown as flashes of Cason, sitting against the wall, bleeding out as Sam dragged her away flooded her mind. “I’m glad…um…I’m glad he’s okay. I’m glad he’s pretty much back to normal.”

Cason

Cason rolled his eyes at Nat, bobbing his head side to side in a mocking way when she explained that technically she was eating a salad, because her burger had veggies on it. Of course she would bring that up, like potatoes being a veggie, just to shut him up. Cason was also reminded that Natalia was only alive by the skin of her teeth, and the small chance that he managed to heal enough to get to her. So, she deserved a little bit of happiness…even if it was artery clogging garbage food.

“Fine. I get to pick the food next time we’re out…” Cason conceded with a sigh, giving her a smirk as he glanced down at her. He then looked up at Anna when she asked to speak to Nat, trying to catch Anna’s eyes before they walked away. He wanted to give her a silent little ‘don’t say anything about the barn’ look before she walked away, but Anna never made eye contact. So, Cason just sighed nervously, and turned his attention toward the counter as Sam walked up and leaned against it.

Cason raised his eyebrows at the way the waitress spoke to Sam, knowing through his watching Sam over the years that Sam had been pretty terminally single his whole adult life, outside of that poor girl that burned on the ceiling of his dorm. He could see the slight flirtation that the waitress was trying to convey to Sam, even if it was her just being nice, and he was tempted to make a comment. Instead, he smirked and turned his head down, tapping his fingers on the counter. He knew Sam better than some of the others, and there was no way in Hell he would ever let him know it.

As Sam stepped away from the counter, Cason sighed and walked over to the booth with him. It felt like an interrogation was coming. But it wasn’t like the girls would be gone too long, right? He glanced out the window, waiting for the silence to break, and when it finally did, Cason shook his head.

“There was no way any of you could have, this time. That place was crawling with demons. I killed close, and I’m faster than you.” Cason spoke bluntly, but then sat back in the booth and smirked, “But I um…I appreciate the thanks.”

Then came the dad talk, and Cason felt like they should have beers in front of them with a broken down gun in front of Sam, like some high school boyfriend. It was polite enough, as Sam tended to be. He was tactful, and calm, unlike his brother. It was one of the big reasons Cason felt that Anna was safe with him, and the second that he didn’t feel that way, he would zap Anna to the moon or something to keep her away from Lilith, with or without Sam.

“I guess taken is the right word.” Cason spoke up plainly. “Look, I know I’m a…I’m not the type of guy anyone would want for her. But as long as I’m around, like I told her, there’s nothing on this planet that will touch her. I’ve promised it to her and I’ll say it to you.”

Duke

Duke laughed softly as Esme looked up at his face and pointed out that he was a bad student when it came to caring for women’s hair. He would never admit that he had mostly pretended not to understand, just so he could spend more time with her, alone. He had spent hours scouring for her favorite snacks, movies he thought she would like, the right shampoo for his messy blonde hair…all of it planned to the letter, just in an attempt to get close to her, back then.

He tilted his head, just looking down at her with more fondness than he had ever expressed before as he scanned her face, just taking in her features standing there, all wrapped up in him, all his. Then he smiled a little wider, “When have you ever known me to let a little stab wound stop me from havin’ fun?”

The idea of holding her hostage in the RV and making her rest definitely intrigued him. He lifted his head, tightened his lips and raised his eyebrows in a way to say ‘that’s not the worst idea in the world’, and then he turned his eyes back down to hers, “Well…takin’ care of you is high on my list. Bein’ clingy is on my list. Kissin’ you is on my list…”

He smiled widely, and tilted his head down, brushing his lips over hers as he closed his eyes, gently nibbling at her bottom lip. He pulled back, and brought one of his hands up to the back of her neck, bending so that he could press his forehead to hers, “I never get tired of that. Like a cool drink of water in the desert.”

Duke pressed his lips to her upper lip, and then smiled again, brushing his lips against hers as he spoke, “So, what would the lady prefer? Stayin’ in. Or goin’ out? Because either way, I’m gonna sweep you off your feet. It’s not every day you get a second chance…and I’m gonna take it.”

All Roads Lead To You

Dean and Duke

“Nothing happened while you were gone. We’ve been…here. Things have been quiet.” Dean chimed in as Esme began to stretch and ready herself to stand. Duke looked back at Dean, narrowing his eyes and then back down at Esme who still hadn’t really acknowledged him, past a simple ‘hi’. Either they had discussed him, or she was upset with him for leaving…or her and Dean had been way way way closer the past several weeks than ever, which was going to be awkward out with the three of them.

Then Esme suggested that they go out together, and Duke smirked, turning to Dean. Finally, she acknowledged him. Dean took a drink from his coffee and turned his eyes down to the map, as he drew his final line with the marker in his hand. He dropped the marker on the table and looked up at Duke as Esme stood from the from the floor and Duke hovered his hand out, like he was waiting to help her up.

After Esme was on her feet and stretched out, she walked right past Duke, heading to get more coffee without looking at him, and Duke frowned as he watched her. His normally chatty nature was lost, as he just watched her keep the entirety of her attention on Dean.

Dean sighed and leaned back in his chair, placing both hands on the back of his head as he looked up at Esme, watching every move she made, down to the way the coffee cup touched her lips. Duke chewed at his lip, placing his hands on his hips, and tilting his head down as the need to ask about the tension he felt around him, no matter how misplaced or misjudged was. The reality was, the tension was coming from HIS shoulders. He was a little offended that neither of them seemed happy to see him. Neither of them seemed like they cared that he came back.

“I can go on my own. I just thought we might could put last month behind us and have some fun.” Duke sighed, dropping his hands. He walked over and picked his bag up from the chair he had thrown it into but Dean cleared his throat.

“Alright. We can go out.” Dean said, looking up at Esme with an unsure but willing look. He gathered all of the information from the table, and stacked it, writing a quick note for Bobby on a torn off sheet of paper. He placed the piece of paper on the top of the pile, and scooted his chair back just as Duke stepped up to the back door.

“By the way…I’m happy to see both of you. Just thought you might want to know.” Duke muttered, snapping a bit as he pushed the back door open to head out to his RV and change clothes.

“And he’s upset. He’s going to sulk all night…” Dean sighed, waving his hand at the door. He shook his head and walked his coffee mug over to the sink, turning to Esme, “Just because I don’t really trust that he’s back doesn’t mean that you can’t…talk to him or anything. We talked about that.”

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Dean

Dean was reeling from the whole conversation, his heart sinking as Mika flinched under his touch. It was all hard to hear, especially what Mika said before he had dropped the bombshell of being jealous of Duke. He hadn’t thought, in his selfishness, about how many times she could have died while he was gone. The mental images that it brought just caused his stomach to cramp painfully again, and he groaned quietly, wrapping his other hand around to grip his stomach.

As she said how much the jealousy hurt her, Dean nodded so quickly that he feared his head would fall off his shoulders, “I know. I don’t want you to. I know.”

Dean gasped lightly as Mika’s hand touched his and he scanned her face. He just let her spill the words out, ready to take any vitriol or anger, sadness, whatever she needed to get off her chest as she spoke. He listened to how bad the relationship with Ethan turned, because of him. Part of him was thankful, and felt justified in the phone calls, since they brought Mika back to him. But the other part of him knew that it hurt her so bad. It hurt her so bad…HE hurt her.

He turned his eyes down to look at their hands, absently nodding at her words. Why she came back to him, after all of that, he couldn’t place. He didn’t deserve the second…third…or hundredth chance she had given him. Her hand touching his face caused him to flinch so hard that he squeezed his eyes closed, pushing some tears over the edge and down his cheeks, off his chin. He reluctantly turned his eyes up to look at her, sniffling to try and push the tears back down.

He couldn’t help the wince that flashed across his face as she explained what she was willing to concede to Esme but was also requesting that he back off Duke’s case, to let him be happy with Esme. Their history, Duke, Esme and Dean, was something that Dean had to assume Mika had heard all about from Duke. She didn’t even seem surprised when he told her that he was pretty sure Duke had always loved Esme. He scrunched his nose and nodded, taking a deep breath.

But when she said she needed him, Dean’s heart rushed back into his chest like it was ready to explode. His ears were ringing, and suddenly, he felt the need to just touch her. He needed to let her know that he wasn’t going anywhere. He needed to let her know that the past was the past, no matter how hurtful it was. He wanted to move on, finally, and break all this tension. He pulled his hand away from her knee and slid off the side of the couch, slowly lowering himself to his knees in front of her, something he would NEVER allow anyone to see any other time. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his head tightly to her chest to hear her heartbeat.

“I’m not going anywhere. I was never going anywhere.” He almost whispered as he held onto her. “Whatever you need me to do…wherever you need me to go. I’ll do it. I don’t deserve it, but I’ll do it…”

He tightened his grip around her waist, and turned his head from her chest, resting his chin there to look up at her, “I mean it. All the lies, the hiding, the coldness…it all stops here. I didn’t tell you any of that to hurt you. I told you so that I can try to fix it. You and Esme both deserve that…I love you so much. I don’t say it enough but I’ve never felt more sure about anything in my life.”

Cason and Anna

Cason rolled his eyes at Nat’s babying of him, looking his hand over and telling him he would be okay, like he was human and had cut his hand on something. He dropped his hand with a sigh, as Nat opened the door and walked inside. He reached his hand out, her taking it, and walked in behind her. With Natalia, he was definitely not the vicious demon that so many were afraid of. He was leashed, and gentle, and part of him hated it. But for her, he would be whatever she needed him to be.

Anna raised her eyebrows at Sam, not saying a word as she looked up at him with those big blue eyes. He was being a gentleman. Maybe he needed to be around Cason more, if Cason could teach him some of his old man manners. She almost cracked another smile, but simply walked through the door, pulling him in behind her.

Anna and Cason took their menus, and Anna looked over the typical greasy spoon menu, her stomach grumbling at the idea of eating literally anything. Anna looked up and watched Nat, feeling the need to pick her brain at some point. Before Anna lost a bit of her shine, she could see herself and Nat having a lot in common. It was hard for her to want to make friends, these days though. She glanced down at her own menu awkwardly, as Nat spoke about Dean’s love for burgers. The conversation between her and Dean was looming over her head like a dark cloud, and she was going to push it away. She wasn’t ready to face him, yet.

Cason shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t eat.”

“We know, idiot.” Anna corrected him, her eyes holding a smirk as he glanced over to her, and frowned. He then smirked and glanced over at Nat’s menu.

“Is it impossible for you to eat something healthy? I mean…human food is disgusting but you and your brother are walking heart attacks.” Cason complained about Nat’s decision in food. Anna couldn’t help the giggle she forced herself to cover when Nat began to rant about the proper way to order a cheeseburger, but Sam asking her what she wanted caused her to look down at the menu, uncovering her mouth to nod.

“Yeah. I think I want the chicken Cobb salad. I’m a little worried about…eating.” Anna replied quietly, almost a whisper. Cason frowned and looked over at her with a sympathetic look on his face.

“You’ll be fine. I got your back. Eat what you want, kid…” Cason spoke softly, turning his eyes up to Sam with a quick smile, and then back down to Anna, who shrugged her shoulders.

“Fine. I’ll take a cheeseburger, then. But if I get sick, it’s on you.” She teased Cason, giving him an accusatory look. She then sat her menu down on the counter, and wrapped back up on Sam’s arm, using his warmth to help with the cool air still hitting little parts of her burning hot skin. She then decided that she did want to say at least something to Natalia, and she reached up and brushed some of her bangs away from her face, “Hey Nat. Wanna walk me to the ladies room? Might be a little awkward to drag Sam along.”

She gave her the smallest of smiles, and squeezed Sam’s arm.

Duke

Duke tilted his head, confused when Esme said she was just sore. There was no way she should even be walking on her own from the looks of it, and yet, here she was, wanting to go out to a bar. He couldn’t wrap his head around it, but apparently, she couldn’t quite figure it out either. He concentrated back on the moment, watching her lips as she kissed the backs of his fingers. A sigh left his chest, finally letting out a breath he had been holding in while in thought, and as she placed his arms around her, he splayed his fingers out across her back, just concentrating on the feeling of her skin under his fingers.

Duke watched her eyes, taking another deep breath at her words. His nickname sounded different falling off her lips, now. It rang like a welcome bell in the quiet RV and Duke softened his face. Just the thought of Esme even wanting to be around him, alone, was still new. Sure, when he had first showed back up, seeing Mika back, he knew he could at least get her alone and talk to her. But it had never occurred to him that they could get this close as a duo…not a trio.

“Fine. But I don’t like it…” Duke muttered, turning his eyes down to Esme’s chin for a brief moment. He really didn’t like it. He wanted to fix it and fix it right then. He leaned into Esme’s touch. It was as if she was reading his mind, when she spoke his exact thoughts out loud, and he furrowed his brow. He shook his head against her hand and sighed, “No. I’d probably look worse. You know me…”, he chuckled sadly. He didn’t want to look at her as if she was broken or anything. He knew she could take care of herself, better than most. But the feeling was still there that he should have been there to back her up.

Duke just wanted to whisk her away from all this. He had a bad feeling about what was coming, and that feeling got worse every single time they came back banged up, and now? Standing in front of her, that feeling was almost painful in his chest. But he couldn’t dwell on it. He knew she could feel every single thing he was feeling, and the last thing he wanted was to bring her down. So, when she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, Duke sighed through his nose, pressing his lips to the top of her head. He smiled softly into her hair as she promised not to be upset with him for protecting her, something that she would NEVER have said back in the day.

He could feel a tiny bit of calm radiating off Esme, even if she wasn’t trying to calm him down, and he didn’t complain. He just took a deep breath against her hair, and then tilted his chin up to stare over her head. He brought a hand up, brushing it through her hair, and frowned when he found the stitches, “You cracked your head pretty good, didn’t you. Actually, you know what…I won’t…I won’t go there. You um…you need help makin’ that more presentable? I think I still remember that little loose braid thing from all our slumber parties.”

Duke forced out a little chuckle, also trying to lighten the mood, although he was worried about the obviously horrible wound that she had suffered to her head. He tightened his arms around her, and trailed his hands down to her lower back, rubbing his thumbs gently against her skin.

“And if we can cover up most of that blood, I’ll take you out…sweep you off your feet, and you might actually let me kiss you this time.” He teased, shrugging a shoulder, and laughed quietly, “Or take you home…pretend we’re strangers…”