comment fic meme!

[mimblexwimble.livejournal.com]

It's the week leading up to Sam's birthday, which means *drumroll* pain! Pain and horror and terror and illness - and a wee bit of comfort too!

SPREAD THE WORD

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THE RULES

→ Leave a comment here with your prompt. This is a Sam-focused hurt/comfort community, so Sam should be the one in the hurt/comforted role. Your prompts may involve sick!Sam, hurt!Sam, angsty!Sam, basically anything that results in Sam being on the receiving end of hurt/comfort. (No rules against whumping other characters as well, of course, but you have to whump Sam first. ;) )
→ In your prompt, please state your desired characters or pairings. All genres/pairings welcome, but no real-person (RPF) prompts.

Example A: “Sam, Dean, gen, set in season 2. Sam has a vision and passes out. Cue caring!Dean and limp!Sam.”
Example B: “Sam/Dean, trauma. Sam is injured on a hunt, Dean freaks out when he thinks Sam might be dead.”

→ Post as many prompts as you like - but one prompt per comment. If you've got a couple, comment with each separately.
→ Prompts can be as short or detailed as you like. Remember though - more detail means less wriggle room for the writer, which might lower the chances of someone picking up your prompt.
→ Go through the prompts! If you find one you like, write a fic for it. There's no limit to how many users can reply to a prompt, or how many prompts someone can write for.
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THE MASTER LIST
(with shortened prompts - full prompts at link)

Back to Where We Were by authoressnebula
After Sam gets his soul back, Dean's become even more mother hen than usual ... Sam can't understand why Dean's so, well ... brotherly, after their downhill relationship the last couple of years...

Creepy-Ugly by glovered
Sam now has a Thing about cages. A jail cell is a cage.

And In My Soul, An Icy Dread Remains by authoressnebula
Sam gets himself locked in a freezer. The memories of Hell's frozen lake. Lucifer's icy touch, all those fun things, are banging on the wall and Sam? Sam's not coping too well.

Which Way Do I Steer by mercuryblue144
Jess was a vegan and Sam has some trouble readjusting to the hunter diet of Mountain Dew and Burger King.

Fire and Ice by weesta
Sam gets himself locked in a freezer. The memories of Hell's frozen lake. Lucifer's icy touch, all those fun things, are banging on the wall and Sam? Sam's not coping too well.

I'll Be There For You by cherry916
Sam has nightmares. Dean comforts him. Slash or gen.

Untitled by erisinia
Gen. Sam is stranded in the middle of the desert. Heat stroke, dehydration, mirages.

Same Time, Same Place by twoskeletons
Highlight to Reveal Summary - Spoilers for 6.18 [Sam & Castiel... Cas desperately needs to power up a lot and often to fight his war, and the soul of Lucifer's vessel is the most powerful one around. Sam helps him willingly, but it's still extremely unpleasant and draining.]

And Thus Was a Giant Felled by running_hot
Tall guys constantly get roped into changing light bulbs when shorter humans would need to get a ladder -- like the bulbs in the twelve-foot kitchen ceiling at Jess's parents' house. Sam really should have known better than to stand on a swivel chair to do it.

A Sore Topic by phx69
Highlight to Reveal Summary - Spoilers for 6.18. [Sam, who is the very definition of a novice rider, had to ride 20 miles to Colt's and 20 miles back. I would love me some saddle sore, limping Sam.]

Here It Comes, There It Goes Again by lavishsqualor
What with detoxes and resoulings, Sam's memories of the panic room can't be good. So it's unfortunate that they are under some supernatural siege at Bobby's and retreating into the panic room and closing the door is the only way to be safe.

Better On Our Own by si_star_x
Small fracture in a limb--not OBVIOUSLY broken, but hurts like hell, and no, you really can't use the limb. Sam gets it checked, but the first x-ray misses it.

Carried Home by samidha
Highlight - Spoilers for 6.18. [Dean, after hearing how soul juice helps Castiel, gets the bright idea to use his own soul to help Sam with the whole wall thing ... And if that isn't Sam-hurty enough for this comm, make the process of healing Sam's soul involve remembering hell. Bonus points if the fallout from this involves le classic telepathic soul-bond.]

Visible Evidence by authoressnebula
Sam's always spent a lot of time online, researching this and that, even when there's no immediate hunt. Dean doesn't think there's anything significant about it now. Though Sam's getting obsessed. Dean wakes up at three, four in the morning to the glow of the laptop screen and the tap of the keyboard. exhausted!sam

A Certain Beginning by mimblexwimble
AU Pilot. As horrible as the situation is, Dean's still sort of glad to know that 22 years later he can still carry his baby sister out of a burning building, even if she's now a heavily pregnant amazon.

Shot Down in Flames by winchesterhaunt
Highlight to reveal - spoilers for 6.18. [In the final shootout, both guns were fired. Dean's shot found it's mark. The Phoenix's shot went wide...and hit Sam.]

Hell Shall Not Wash Us Away brosedshield
The problem with permanent damage to the soul is that death does nothing to fix it. The wall lasts through Sam's life, and he and Dean are in their shared heaven, but there begin to be cracks and fissures. Sam stumbles from happy memories into memories of hell. And because this part of heaven is actually constructed of memory, this is shaking the fabric of things. Just Dean and Sam's heaven for now, but it's going to spread. Cas has a responsibility to heaven; he's going to have to seal off this part and set it adrift. Dean has the choice to leave if he wants to before that happens, but do we really think he'll take it? Cue Dean and Sam in their own bubble apocalypse, where the islands of sanity are fewer and farther between every day.

Panic by ratherastory
What with detoxes and resoulings, Sam's memories of the panic room can't be good. So it's unfortunate that they are under some supernatural siege at Bobby's and retreating into the panic room and closing the door is the only way to be safe.

Daydreams You Have in Hell by wave_obscura
Sam now has a Thing about cages. A jail cell is a cage.

balance good, everything good by de_nugis
Sam and Dean are sparring and Dean slips/misjudges and cracks one of Sam's ribs. Sam doesn't mention it.

Unravelling by emmram
Highlight to read - spoilers for 6.18 [Castiel has become addicted to the whole soul-touching thing, and Sam's soul? That's something special he can't get enough of. That doesn't make it any more pleasant for Sam.]

Along Every Horizon by twoskeletons
If Dean were to die on Sam now I don’t think Sam would ... fade, get killed by some random monster, not out of any suicidal drive, but just because he was having trouble paying attention to details like food or sleep or ravening creatures with lots of big, nasty teeth.

Kiss it All Better by sakura_no_mi
Sam and Dean are having sex and it goes all wrong. Sam falls off the bed and then manages to slam his head against the head board when he and Dean try again. Dean feels guilty and goes overboard in trying to help him recover.

You Have One Saved Message by killabeez
After Sam gets his phone back, it's time for a new one. The phone company's awesome enough to retrieve his contacts, his address book, his games, his photos, oh, and one voicemail he's had saved for what's now going on almost three years. Dean gets a hold of the new phone with all of this stuff first. Dean hears The Voicemail first. Dean is so not cool with it. Because to keep an email for beyond fourteen days, someone's gotta keep listening to it and making it fresh and resetting the delete date. Which means Sam's still been listening to it.

nothing left to lose by sikeminatural
When Sam is pulled from Hell by some unknown force (up to the author) a year after the showdown, he has his soul and goes to find Dean who is not living with Lisa but alone, and still hunting. Dean takes him in but its easy to see that Dean depsises Sam, he beats him, verbally abuses him, uses his memories of Hell to hurt him and blames Sam for everything that has happened. Sam becomes brainwashed and at first fights back but then starts to accept it. Would love if Cas or Bobby come and save Sam and make Dean see the error of his ways!

Never Buy Yellow Shoes by tversan
Sam buys a pair of cursed shoes that squeeze his precious little feet. He hobbles around, unable to take the wretched things off and they seem to get smaller and smaller the more he tries.

Heart of Stone by mamapranayama
A curse slowly turns Sam into stone. Frist his feet, then his legs - working its way up until he's completely motionless, cold hard rock. Your descision whether or not he's accompanied, whether the curse is broken, or whether he's simply left to turn to stone alone.

Some Guys Have All the Luck by si_star_x
Gen. S1-S3. Sam passes a Kidney Stone... or a series of them (your choice whether there's only one or several of them) -- and possibly has a kidney infection on top of it. Just give me whimper-y, tear-y Sam trying to piss and failing and the little he manages to pass is bloody and feels like shards of burning glass.

Let it Bleed by sakura_no_mi
Sam got into a fight (with a person or a monster), he's roughened up a bit, sore, bruised, scratched and dirty, and he really, really doesn't have any strength left. Dean drags him (carries, really) to a motel room, undresses him, grabs a wet washcloth and starts to clean him up in silence. His touches go from caring to sensuous to heated while all the time being very slow, deliberate and careful. Sam lies there and takes it, mesmerized by his brother's touch, his breath catching and heart beating faster.

To Die For a Memory by authressnebula
Season five. Sam is captured by a Djiin or some similar creature that keeps its prey docile by trapping them in a mental prison. Whatever the brain spits up as a treasured, wonderful memory becomes the gilded prison that keeps you docile and too happy to fight back. Dean saves the day and kills the creature, but Sam won't wake up. Desperate, Dean whips up some dreamroot tea and goes in after him.

Out of the Dark by samidha
Sam accidentally gets trapped in the panic room for reasons up to the author. Dean doesn't find him until Sam's in the midst of a flashback with Accusing!Dean and doesn't recognize real!Dean. Dean has to talk him back to reality.

Fade, Far Away, Dissolve, and Quite Forget by minviendha
Gen or Wincest AU of "The End"- In "The End" when Dean tells Sam that they should stay away from one another, Sam takes it to heart. He cuts off all ties with Bobby and any other mutual acquaintances in order to avoid inadvertently having contact with Dean. Not because he doesn't WANT to see Dean (he does) but he knows that Dean doesn't want to see HIM, and he's pretty sure he's a curse to anyone who cares about him. So it's just better that he disappear.

All is Fine by moviegeek03
Teen!Chesters. Dean's away on a hunt with Caleb and with Dean gone there's no buffer between Sam and John. Sam isn't meaning to be all angsty and rebelling against his Dad but the new school he's in he's having a hard time because he's getting bullied almost constantly and it's hard hiding bruises and cuts from his Dad but he manages somehow. He didn't want to tell Dean because he doesn't want to appear weak in his eyes and he sure as hell doesn't want to tell his Dad because he knows what his Dad will say No son of mine just get's bullied. Cue John not being a total dick but somehow finding out what Sam's been going through and comforts him/takes care of the problem.

He Ain't Heavy by beamin_sunshine
After getting his soul back, or maybe after a couple seizures, Sam wakes up in Dean's bed, which is definitely not where he was when he went to sleep. Sam is embarrassed, even though Dean doesn't really mind all that much. But then it keeps happening, with Sam never remembering getting up. Now Dean's starting to get a little annoyed because, as much as he loves the kid, Sam is not the best person to share a bed with, he moves around and makes noises and clings, so Dean gets him his own hotel room, just so he can get some sleep for once. But even that doesn't keep Sam away. As mangled as his soul is, once the brain is shut down, it's going to go find it's mate. Gen, please.

Big Things, Small Packages by winchesterhaunt
2.06, No Exit. H.H. Holmes doesn't usually take men, but he is getting dangerously close to his lair. Sam's trapped in a space nearly to tight for him to turn his head. His knees ache from being crammed up against the top, his scalp is bleeding, he's pretty sure his wrist is messed up worse, there's a hysterical woman with him for company, and all he can do is wait and hope for Dean and Jo to find him.

Points of Authority by kiscinca
So the boys have just gotten back together after taking a break, and they're already arguing with each other, or really, Dean's arguing with Sam while Sam's attempting to not argue but still getting pissed off at Dean. Then Dean throws down the trump card: that Castiel was the one who saved Dean, not Sam. Sam was obviously too busy screwing Ruby.

Really Bad Day at Black Rock by gwendolynd
Dean has to cut off one of Sam's limbs.

Just One of Those Weeks by authoressnebula
Sam is having a really, really, really, crappy week and just needs a hug...

To Die for a Memory authoressnebula
Sam is captured by a Djiin or some similar creature that keeps its prey docile by trapping them in a mental prison. Whatever the brain spits up as a treasured, wonderful memory becomes the gilded prison that keeps you docile and too happy to fight back. Dean saves the day and kills the creature, but Sam won't wake up. Desperate, Dean whips up some dreamroot tea and goes in after him. He finds Sam reliving the same memory over and over again - the two of them as kids, playing hooky from training, laying out in a field of grass on a summer day watching clouds and wrestling and just being BROTHERS.

Until Death Do Us Part by phx69
I don't care what the situation. I just want Dean carrying Sam bridal style.

All Waters Have the Color of Drowning by minviendha
Meg captures the boys -- somehow -- and decides to have some fun with them -- because she's crazy. And as she goes to work on Sam, she somehow accidentally triggers a Hell seizure. Her reaction: Ooh, Sammy. Twice the bang for the buck. Let's do that again!

Aim, Shoot, Repeat by authoressnebula
"There's a pattern in the system,
there's a bullet in the gun.
That's why I tried to save you,
but it can't be done.
It can't be done."

Comments

[paper-rose16.livejournal.com]

After Sam gets his soul back, Dean's become even more mother hen than usual (always watching Sam, asking if he's okay, even the occasional "non-chick flick" hug or pat on the back). Sam, still in his 5x18-5x22 mindset because of the wall blocking his memories, is extremely confused. He can't understand why Dean's so, well ... brotherly, after their downhill relationship the last couple of years, but he can't bring it up in case it makes Dean's behaviour stop. Bonus for Dean figuring this out without Sam telling him and assuaging his fears.

FILLED: Back to Where We Were

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

Oh dammit. It's too good not to fill.

--------

"You want some more water?"

Sam glanced up to where Dean was standing beside his chair. "Um, sure," Sam said, frowning slightly. "If it's not too much-"

He didn't even finish before Dean sat a large glass of water in front of him. "Your throat sounded dry," Dean said, like that explained his bizarre behavior.

Sam blinked, then gave a tentative smile. "Thank you," he said, and Dean grinned before heading off to where Bobby was seated in the living room. They were both pouring over books in less than a minute, leaving Sam in the kitchen with a fresh glass of water and a serious case of confusion.

Not that this behavior was new or anything. Dean had been vigilant in his Watch Sam Mode ever since Sam had opened his eyes in the panic room. When he'd last looked around, it'd been a dark pit in front of him, dark pit behind him, and Lucifer screaming in his head. When he'd awakened to the panic room, he'd, well, panicked. If this was going to be his Hell...

But then Dean had suddenly been right there in his vision, asking him if he was okay, hands grasping his shoulders and cupping his cheeks and smiling a broad smile and looking happier than he'd looked in...god, years. And he'd kept smiling for days.

It was...

"You okay, Sammy?"

Sam blinked and found Dean staring at him from the living room, frowning and moving to stand up. "Yeah, I'm good," Sam said quickly. He took a big gulp of water that almost went down the wrong pipe, then set it down on the table and gave Dean a small smile.

Dean sat back down, concern being replaced by that smile again. "Let me know if you need anything," he called. He waited until Sam nodded before turning back to the book.

Had Sam missed something somewhere? Okay, well, obviously he had. Bobby was alive, Castiel was alive supposedly, Lucifer was still in the cage, and yet Sam was still here. It had to have taken time.

It still didn't make sense.

The whole mother-henning routine should've stopped days ago. It shouldn't have continued. Dean should've let him go to get something to drink, or abandoned him with the texts, or anything to not spend so much time in the same room as Sam, not...not this. Not this brother type of attitude that Sam had all but forgotten existed, once upon a time. When they'd been brothers. Before Lucifer and all of Sam's other monumental mistakes.

And that was it, plain and simple. It was like Dean had forgotten everything that Sam had done and was just...okay with it now. Like they were just brothers again.

FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 2

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

"Sammy?"

Sam glanced up from where he was apparently making idle patterns in the table with his finger. Dean was definitely concerned now, and no amount of drinking water was going to help.

Easiest way to make Dean stop looking worried or harried about Sam was to get out of the way. "I'm just gonna go lay down for a little bit," Sam said, pushing away from the table. Let Dean keep talking with Bobby about whatever it was they were dealing with now. Even with Lucifer locked up, they were still hunting things. The world went on.

Except Dean wasn't sitting down like he was supposed to: Dean was getting up and hurrying to meet Sam in the hallway. "Let's get you upstairs then, somewhere horizontal," Dean said. He led Sam to the stairs - the ones leading to the second story, not the basement - and followed him up. His hand was pressed between Sam's shoulder blades gently as could be, just enough pressure to let Sam know that if he stumbled or fell back, Dean would be right there.

Yeah, because that was normal for them these days. Not.

Sam was just getting into bed when Dean asked, "What's going on with you? You feeling okay?"

And god, Sam hated that he was about to lie to Dean again. Dean was acting like, well, Dean again, and Sam was still pulling them back down in the deep darkness that had been their brotherhood for the past year and a half. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said with an attempted smile.

But he had to lie. Because he was certain that if he did, Dean would realized exactly how he'd been acting. And then that would be the end of the big brother attitude that had been there for the past three days. Dean was talking to him again, looking at him without any mistrust or disgust, god, touching him again. He'd patted Sam's shoulder and pulled him in for random one-arm hugs more times in the past three days than he had in the past two years combined.

And Sam was selfish enough to want it to continue. Wanted it enough to keep lying.

Sam laid down and closed his eyes before he could see Dean's reaction. "Get some rest," Dean said a moment later. Then, "Call me if you need anything all right? I mean it, Sammy."

He'd been Sammy more times in the past few days than he had in a long time, too.

"I will," Sam promised. The door quietly shut, and Sam opened his eyes. He could hear Dean's footsteps treading down the stairs, not shifting outside the door to listen to what Sam might be doing. The entire thing made his eyes burn, and he shut them again in an attempt to stave off stupid tears.

It was all going to fall down around his ears anyways: he might as well enjoy it while he still had it.

--------

He wound up falling asleep despite his best intentions, because when he opened his eyes next, the sky was dark outside the window. He sat up, that groggy nap feeling making his vision blur for half a second and leaving him feeling disoriented. When he finally blinked again, the door was opening and Dean was quietly poking his head in.

"Hey, sleepy head," Dean said, but he looked honestly pleased to see Sam. "You feeling any better?"

"If you'd let me wake up first, I'll let you know," Sam said without thinking, then froze. Seriously? That was how he was going to answer Dean, the guy who so far hadn't kicked him out on his ass? The guy who'd asked him to come back, had even gone so far as to consider his idea for taking down Lucifer?

FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 3

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

When he glanced up, though, Dean actually looked more relieved and happy than he had a moment before. "Nah, gotta keep you on your toes. You always did wake up fast."

That...was it? No recrimination about him sleeping on the job while the apocalypse he'd started was still running? Dean used to tease him like this...before. God, Sam hated dividing his life into "before" and "after" his mistakes.

"You sure you're okay?" Dean said, frowning. The next thing Sam knew, Dean was taking a seat on the bed next to Sam and pressing the back of his hand to Sam's forehead. "You don't feel warm, but hey, I'm kind of a suck ass doctor."

Dean had always been the best doctor, as far as Sam had been concerned. Always knowing when Sam needed medicine or a popsicle, tv in the motel room or a hospital room. It was Sam who'd screwed everything up.

"I'm fine," Sam insisted, pushing himself to his feet in one good shove. He wobbled for half a second, but no longer than that, because Dean was right there to catch him.

"I do not think that word means what you think it means," Dean quoted, and despite himself, Sam grinned.

"You really must think I'm sick if you're quoting that film."

Dean grinned right back at him. "Hey, The Princess Bride is a must for any sick person. That's how it even starts, so ringing endorsement right there." Once Sam was stable he let go of one hand, but still used his other to hang onto Sam's elbow. Like he was afraid that if he let go, he'd lose Sam.

Sam was terrible enough to admit that he'd missed that part of Dean, though he couldn't remember Dean ever being this insistent on keeping an eye out for Sam. Especially not lately.

"You want something to eat? Bobby's making some of his soup and crackers." Which meant Campbell's soup from the can and saltines spread out all over the table for grabs. Comfort food. One of Sam's favorites.

Sam swallowed hard and really wished this wasn't going to end. "Yeah, it sounds great."

-------

Dinner was great, and not just for the food. Dean joked and teased and smiled at him all throughout the meal, and when Sam haltingly replied back, Dean was all ears. It was like he couldn't get enough of what Sam had to say. This wasn't the Dean who'd run away and literally tried to commit suicide by angel. This wasn't the man who ranged from strong for the fight to defeated and ready to curl up and die.

This was the man who was a big brother. This was his Dean that Sam was fairly certain he'd lost. Except somehow, he hadn't.

"You want another glass of water, Sammy?"

God, what was up with him and hydrating Sam lately? "Uh, sure," Sam said, raising an eyebrow at his brother. Dean just snorted in amusement before taking Sam's glass from the table. At this rate, Sam was considering checking his brother for possession. Bobby always kept holy water in his drinks-

Oh.

The small, warm feeling that Sam had felt growing during dinner immediately fell away, leaving his stomach in knots. Dean was checking him for possession. It made sense. Lucifer had been inside him for...who knew how long, actually. It'd just been "too long" as far as Dean had been concerned after he'd woken up, right before he'd hugged the crap out of Sam and led him from the panic room. And he'd been chugging down a lot of demon blood before hand. Made perfect sense that Dean would-

Would be getting the water from the tap. The non-possessed water, though Sam wouldn't put it past Bobby to holy up his water tank. But it completely killed Sam's idea, leaving him...back to square one on the confusion board.

Dean smiled and placed the water in front of Sam. "So, uh, from the tap, huh?" Sam couldn't help but ask. Bobby had water in the fridge: cold and holy, but they drank it sometimes when they wanted something filtered and chilled.

Dean raised his one eyebrow. "Uh, yeah? That's where we always get the water from, Sammy. Why wouldn't I?"

And there Sam was, suddenly two steps away from ending his time as a loved little brother again. "Nothin', just curious," Sam said, clearing his throat and turning to the glass. "Thanks, man."

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 3

[paper-rose16.livejournal.com]

That was fast! And very good, thank you, especially the last section :D

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 3

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've added the last two sections, so hopefully that fills out your request in full! :)

~Nebula

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 3

[greeneyes-fan.livejournal.com]

OMG!!! So sweet and cute and fuzzy! I wish I could say how cute, but I'm not that eloquent right now, so I'm going to use more exclamation points!!

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 3

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

LOL exclamation points are totally okay! I love exclamation points! :)

~Nebula

FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 4

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

He could feel Dean staring at him for a long time before he felt his brother's hand fall on his shoulder. "You're welcome," Dean said softly. Then Dean's steps walked away, getting softer until he heard the rustling of pages and the soft murmur of voices. Not trying to be secretive, just soft by virtue of distance. And just like that, Sam knew that if he wanted to, he could join them. No reluctant looks from Dean, no wary gazes as he suggested something. Just his opinion, offered freely and freely taken with respect to his voice.

The term, 'smothered in love' was fast becoming a possibility. Sam quickly grabbed his glass, drained it, then softly rose from the table and stepped out the back door.

The night air felt good, even though it felt chilly. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself but couldn't bring himself to go back inside. Not yet. He felt tenuous, torn between two worlds. It was almost like this one, this one where there was a Dean who didn't hate him and actually loved him, this one was a parallel world to the one he belonged him. He felt like Alice, stepped freshly through the rabbit hole, only to find her world upside down and nothing acting like it should.

Not that he wanted Dean to loathe him, but it was just...weird. Sam hadn't played this part in a long time. He missed being that little brother, but it was unknown territory to him. So was Dean's being so brotherly.

Something heavy fell onto his shoulders. Sam jerked away out of instinct and found Dean hurrying to catch the jacket that was falling. "Little twitchy there, Sparky?" Dean commented before he walked up to Sam and laid the jacket over his shoulders again. "You were shivering, dude. And that's generally not a good thing."

"No, not good," Sam agreed, feeling stupid for his initial reaction. "Sorry." God, the word ever on his lips, the one that nobody could ever take seriously given how much he said it.

"Hey, no apology needed," Dean said, very serious now. "Ever." He began to speak again, then stopped himself, as if contemplating what he was going to say next.

Before he could speak again, though, Sam hurried to fill the silence. "I just, uh, wanted to walk around the yard," he said, his words coming out in a sort of pleading defensive way. "I wasn't planning on staying out here much longer, I swear."

Dean stared at him for so long Sam began to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. "You must be cold," Sam said, aiming for a smile and feeling it come out more as a grimace. "Let's head inside."

"Can we talk first?"

And there it was. Four words, and Sam was going to be pulled out of the beautiful world of Wonderland and shoved back into his regular life of distrust and barely hidden loathing. "Sure," Sam said resignedly.

Dean turned and headed for the house anyway, but stopped at the steps to take a seat. Sam slowly took a seat on the lower step, keeping to his side as far as he could. Dean would appreciate the space in a minute, if he wasn't already.

With a huff Dean shifted down to sit on Sam's step, then leaned in and fussed with Sam's jacket. "You trying to catch cold, Samantha?" Dean grumbled, and it was such a Dean thing to do that Sam felt like he was going to choke on the lump in his throat.

Dean sat back and regarded him for a long moment with a gaze Sam couldn't quite read. "So, uh, what did you want to talk about?" Sam asked. Anything to stall the inevitable.

FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 5 - End

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

Dean sighed, thinking his words over. Sam held his breath.

And then Dean said the last thing Sam would even have thought he'd say.

"I'm sorry."

Sam let out the breath he was holding with a gasp of incredulity. "You...wait, what?"

Dean glanced up at him, and there was that look again that Sam still didn't understand. "Yeah, you. The look on your face when I tossed you your jacket. Or when I said I needed to talk to you. You just..." Dean turned away. "Not a look I ever wanted to see on your face again," he said quietly, and for half a second Sam was certain Dean was looking elsewhere, remembering something. And it wasn't something good.

When he turned back to Sam, Sam realized what the look on Dean's face was: regret. "And I managed to put it there, somehow," Dean continued, and when he smiled this time, it was small and tinged with sadness. "So you gotta tell me what I did-"

"No," Sam immediately corrected, his stomach twisting again. God, none of this was Dean's fault at all. "I mean, no, Dean, it wasn't your fault."

"Yeah," Dean said, but his voice was firmer. "And you're still trying to take the fault for something that's not yours. God, it's like you're-"

Dean froze. Sam froze. He wasn't exactly sure why he did, but he knew whatever came out of Dean's mouth next wasn't going to be good.

"You are," Dean said softly, as if just realizing something. He huffed an incredulous laugh before shaking his head. "Oh god, you are. Of course you are."

The urge to get up and flee had never been stronger, but Sam hadn't so much as given energy to his muscles before Dean was focused on him again. "You listen to me," he said quietly, but it wasn't a resigned tone, or a defeated one. Not even the upward swing of elated that Dean had taken for months when he wasn't one of the others. No, this was all big brother who knew what was right and what was wrong and how the world worked. This was the big brother he'd kept believing in.

"You've been gone for...awhile," Dean said vaguely. "And I've had some time to pull my head out of my ass, all right? You were gone, Sam. Straight down that hole into the Pit and..." He swallowed convulsively and blinked hard for a minute. "And I didn't think I was getting you back," he added. "But I did. And it's not gonna be like it was before, all right? This is it. No angels between us, no demons, nothing. This is us, the Winchesters, just doing the family business. And I'm not doing it without my little brother. I fought hard to get you back, and I'm gonna fight just as hard to keep you."

It was Sam's turn to swallow hard and turn away. The hand that fell on his shoulder this time definitely wasn't reluctantly put there as an obligation. It felt like the rest of the times Dean had caught him or patted his shoulder for the past few days: it felt like a reassurance that Sam was still there, and that Dean was still there and not going anywhere.

Just as Dean was about to pull his hand away, Sam's hand shot up and caught his brother's tightly. Dean gripped back just as hard. "It's over, Sammy," Dean said softly.

And for the first time since he'd opened his eyes and found his brother hovering above him, not the darkness as he fell, Sam truly believed it.

He glanced over at his brother, his big brother, and Sam gave a genuine smile. "I know," he said, and Dean grinned back at him.

It was over. And they were picking up right where they'd left off.

~Nebula

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 5 - End

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

aaaaah, my heart!!! *cries a little*

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 5 - End

[lissa-ann.livejournal.com]

YAY!!! You could really feel Sam's hesitation in this one. And of course, awesome!Dean.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 5 - End

[paper-rose16.livejournal.com]

This ending was just perfect! And Dean fussing with Sam's jacket ...! love love love love!

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 5 - End

[borgmama1of5.livejournal.com]

YAY!

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 5 - End

[de-nugis.livejournal.com]

That was so very satisfying. Dean fussing over Sam and Sam angsting over it are two of my favorite things.

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 5 - End

[marziebarz.livejournal.com]

CURSE YOU AND YOUR AWESOME!!! I'm supposed to be studying for a calc midterm and then sleeping, but this was too awesome to pass up! You see how well my self-restraint works =P. Anyways, this was cute and awesome and made of WIN. Now I really do need to go study...wish I could salt'n'burn this stupid test.

MADE OF AWESOME AND FILLED WITH WIN ^_^

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 5 - End

[cordelia-gray.livejournal.com]

Love! Poor Sam, waiting for the other shoe to drop,while Dean fusses.

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 5 - End

[tamsin]

This is lovely.

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 5 - End

[vail-kagami.livejournal.com]

I loved this. You're awesome.

Random moment of random squee: And I've had some time to pull my head out of my ass, all right? I almost litterally squeed, because "pulling his head out of his ass" was exactly what I thought Dean needed to do through most of season 5.
it's a stupid thing to make me happy. But I already was happy about the story, so why not?

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 5 - End

[ladytiferet.livejournal.com]

That! That's exactly why I love Sam and Dean.
Thank you!

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 5 - End

[elliemurasaki.livejournal.com]

*hearts*

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 3

[borgmama1of5.livejournal.com]

I want this to be longer!

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were Pt. 3

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

Lucky day for you: it is! There's five parts total: I'm gonna compile them all together in a few days on my journal, but just follow the thread down and you'll find them all. :)

~Nebula

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were

[elliemurasaki.livejournal.com]

*hearts*

Re: FILLED: Back to Where We Were

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

*is filled with love*

~Nebula