#'lore drop' murmured blue as it played in the car this evening

[shayvaalski]

a weird thing no one tells you about becoming a parent while being a person that gets overinvested in media is that you will, quite abruptly, exit the type of media people write thoughtful fanfiction and meta about, while -- and this is key -- not becoming any less consumed by the desire to consume thoughtful fanfiction and meta about the media you're currently deeply invested in

what i mean by this is that every time mint and I listen to the podcast we've both pairbonded with i am Compelled to either check the tumblr tags to see what people think about the latest expansion of the podcaster-focused framing narrative, or look for Little Hedgehog and Bebe fanart, or search AO3 to see if anyone has really like, dug into the complicated sibling relationship between the proprietors of competitor business The Sleep Railway and The Sleep Train

and they NEVER HAVE

[ladywinterwitch]

Infamous Winter Soldier

Pairing: Sebastian Stan X Fan! Reader 

Summary: You were convinced by your eight years old Brother to attend Wizard world con. He absolutely wanted to see his favourite hero, the winter soldier. During the photo op, you catch the hero's eye.

Warnings: Just fluff, it kinda turns into a social media AU at the end (but it’s not, it’s just texts)

Word Count: 2987

A/n: Y’all this is more like a fever dream than anything, but a girl can always dream ;) But one thing’s for sure: I have met him and I assure you he is that charming and sweet. So sweet.

                                                 (Gif not mine)

You yawned, then procedeed to shake your head a bit, squeezing your eyes to try and stay focused. You've been up til late to finish an assignment for college, even though you knew that the morning after you would've had to wake up early. Why? Your little devil (no, in reality he was a sweetheart, but you really wanted to hate him for this) of a Brother convinced you to take him to Wizard World Con after your parents said no. 

-That’s totally your responsibility y/n. Try to take him home alive, will you?- those were the last words that your mother said to you before your departure. 

So there you were, driving a two hours trip, sleep deprived and with the only thing that keeps you alive awake being a cold brew latte from Starbucks. But someone else, precisely an eight year old way too hyperactive, was definetely more awake than you. The only thing stopping you from getting Harry to actually drive in your place was that he doesn’t have a driver license.

-Swoooosh! y/n look out! Captain America's shield is coming your way!- Harry screamed too loud for your liking. You rolled your eyes, narrowing them a bit for the noise, but playing along anyway.

-Oh no, help me.- you responded with the tiniest bit of enthusiasm that you could find.

-Don't worry, the winter soldier will catch with his metal arm!- he made a noise that was supposed to resemble the metal impact -You're safe now. Thank Bucky now.- He shoved a little action figure in your face and you gave it a slap.

-Harry don't do stuff like that! I'm driving. And who the hell is Bucky?- you huffed and then asked. You really didn't want a car crash to happen, especially not for a damn toy.

-What? He's the winter soldier! Bucky Barnes. You don't know that?- he said shocked.

-You Always call him Winter Soldier, and I haven't seen the movies, so no, I didn't know.- you responded.

-Don't worry, I'll fix it. So, James Buchanan Barnes was born on march 10 1917..- he started to tell his whole story, comic and movies and lore, just to be sure to not miss anything.

You mentally cursed yourself for asking and just hoped that at least this actor is a good person, if he was a duchebag, you probably wouln't have responded to your actions. Not just because it would be a tremendous disappointment for your brother, but also because your gas, money, time and sleep would've been wasted.

-

Harry finished his storytelling, and you murmured a 'Thank God' and commented that it was very interesting. But, even if it was a neverending ramble, it had been actually quite interesting. You never saw the movies, but now, hearing all that story, you thought about how difficult it must have been to bring everything to the screen. Not just story-wise, but also emotionally. All the dark things that he'd gone through.

-We're here buddy.- you announced as you parked outside the building.

-Yeah!- he cheered and clapped. You both got out of the car and while you were walking towards the entrance you saw some people. Some of them were in costume and some weren’t, but everyone had their pass on.

-Shit, I almost forgot.- you muttered looking in your bag and pulling out two passes and your IDs. You passed one to Harry while you kept the documents, and he put it around his little neck.

-Okay, now let's go inside and take look at the schedule c’mon.- he nodded happily and you went inside. You found yourself in the lobby and saw a sign that gave directions to the various rooms. You took the main corridor and arrived in a big common lobby, where a lot more people and several booths were present.

You walked in between, looking around. Some of the booths were mainly selling nerdy stuff, some t- shirts, some art, and so on. Others, that were empty, had above them a large paper board with a collage of the actors faces and their names.

-How's Bucky called again?- you asked your little brother.

-Sebastian Stan.- he answered, then pointing somewhere on your left.

-There! That's his table.- he ran towards the booth and you sighed, following him. You looked at the board and kinda tought that maybe it wouldn’t have been that bad. There were different photos, with different haircuts, but his handsome face was still the same. Blue eyes, sharp features, pink lips and a smile to die for.

-Well, damn.- you whispered to yourself, feeling definetly more awake.

Then you looked at the day’s schedule and saw that his first panel was at ten am. It was now nine thirty, so you wouldn't have to wait too long. You decided to go take your seats in the hall, and on the way you saw a few very long queues and your heart dropped a bit. It was going to be a long day.

-

The panel began exactly at the indicated time, and when the host annouced Sebastian, everyone cheered, screamed and clapped. He entered the stage with his fist in the air and a big smile.

You weren't exactly in first line, but you were close enough to see his figure clearly. He had a light grey tee shirt under a darker grey jacket, black jeans and brown suede shoes. His brown hair were slicked back and quite short at the sides, he had a scruff that adorned his sharp face.

You felt your stomach flutter a bit. You had never seen a man that attractive before. Not in real life at least. You were definetly going to watch those blessed movies once you got home.

-Hey everyone! How're you doing? Good? Yeah lemme hear ya!- he exclaimed with a big grin, laughing when the crowd cheered louder. You smiled and whoed a little with your Brother.

The panel begun and as the questions went on, you found out a few things about him: He couldn't take a compliment if his life depended on it, he was really smart and thoughtful, he was a dork but the adorable kind, he liked 80's rock and Star Wars. At some point a fan was so nervous to ask him her question that someone screamed 'someone give her a hug' and by everyone's shock she did recive that hug from Sebastian himself. You were a few seats away from the mic and took that opportunity to take a better look at him.

He squeezed her in his arms even raising her from the ground, and when he walked away laughing she fell on the floor. Same girl, same you thought.

After that little interruption the panel ended smoothly. He thanked everyone and said that he would see them at the photo ops.

You and your brother walked out of the hall to buy a snack. On the way to the vending machine you couln't stop thinking about him. You were bewitched by his voice, his mind and his appearence. How come you never found out about him before today? Harry was always talking about that Winter Soldier, but you thought that his interpreter deserved the same, if not more attention. But he was a little boy passionate about superheroes, so it was normal for him to prefer the punch and adventure kinda guy than tha thoughtful one.

-

Sebastian had his first photo op session and after his autograph session at four pm, and honeslty you didn't know what to do until then. It was just midday. So you looked at the schedule and opted for another actor's panel that was at three pm, maybe getting out a little early to take place in the queue.

From one to three pm there had been a lunch pause for everyone, so you and Harry went outside to eat a burger at a near diner. To get away from the crowd for a bit, but also because the food inside was hella expensive.

You had enough time to do everything calmly and you even had a brief call with your mother to update her.

-So, how was he?- she asked with a little excitement.

-Honestly? Surprising.- you laughed a bit.

-As good or bad?-

-Good. Very good. He seems like a very genuine and sweet person. We just saw his interview though. Maybe up close he'll be an asshole. But I doubt. He seemed like a really down to earth guy.- you heard her giggle a bit.

-My daughter has a crush on the superhero uh?- you blushed.

-What? No, no. I don't even know him, mom.- you quickly responded.

-Hey, chill honey. I was just messing with you. But I wouldn't blame you. You know, I've seen those movies under your brother's torture, but those pretty blue eyes didn't escape me. Nor did his even prettier face.- your mouth was agape.

-Mom!- she just chuckled like a schoolgirl.

-Oh, let an old woman dream a bit y/n. - your smirked and rolled your eyes.

-You're not old. Your fifties seem thirties, mom.You’re doing good.- you heard her sigh.

-My babygirl, always speaking the truth.- you laughed, shaking your head.

-I'll hear you later mom.-

-Later honey! Kiss the pretty soldier for me!- you hang up, shaking your head again. She was shameless.

-

This other actor's panel was interesting but not as much as Sebastian's one. Or maybe it was because you couldn't really concentrate. In any case four pm came rather quickly and you went outside to queue, and boy, did you wanted to run away.

An enormus line of people was already there, waiting. You told your brother to stay in line while you tried to see where it began. The first girls were in front of a closed blue tent, a big large bodyguard in front of it. You sighed, defeated, and went back to Harry.

After a few minutes the queue started to move. You were just behind the middle, and almost felt sorry for the people in the back, but you wouldn't have moved for any reason in the world.

You played a little with a game on your phone, looked at the notifications, the news and even searched for the weather broadcast for the day after. It was supposed to be sunny, just like today.

Speaking of sun, you began to feel a little hot, so you took off your black leather jacket and were left with your pale pink short shirtdress. You really liked that dress because it reminded you a bit of the 50's. You loose braid fell from your shoulder on your back when you slipped off the jacket.

You looked at your brother that apparently was more social than you, because he had been able to found a few other children to play with. Then you gazed at the line and you were surprised when you saw that just a few more people were in front of you. With all the people in front of you you were honestly surprised that it took just twenty minutes, but on the other hand, it didn't take ages to take a photo either.

You put your phone away, not wanting to waste any more battery before you got to your hotel in the evening. A lttle past five it was your turn. The bodyguard checked your passes and got you in.

Your brother straight up ran to Sebastian, hugging his hips, his head barely reached his stomach.

-Hey bud! It's good to see you too. What's your name?- he chuckled squatting in front of him.

You remained in the corner watching. You didn’t buy a photo, so you weren’t supposed to appear. You had your arms crossed, your bag and jacket pressed on your chest. You grinned looking at the scene.

-Harry.- he answered proudly. Sebastian nodded, keeping his smile. Then he looked up, straight at you. His gaze locked on you. Your smile faded and a tremendous blush took place.

-And who's that, Harry?- he asked, a little smirk on his lips.

-That's my big sister y/n!- he exclaimed. Sebastian got up putting a hand on your brother's shoulder.

-Isn't your sister taking the photo?- his look never left your figure.

-Uh-Uhm...no, I just accompanied him.- you responded nervously with a gesture of your hand. He shook his head making a fake disappointed face.

-Nah, you're too pretty to not be included. What do you think pal?- your brother begged with a c'mon and you reclutantly gave up, passing your jacket and bag to the assistant with an apologetic smile. Then you walked to them and you were finally face to face with him. He was taller than you, your head reached his ear more or less.

-Hi.- you said, not really knowing what to do. He flashed a big grin.

-Hi to you.-

-Mr, there's still line outside.- the assistant said and you looked away embarassed.

-Yeah, sorry. Big smile.- Sebastian said, while he circled Harry, who was showing off his non existing muscles, with one hand, and the other was placed on your waist, pulling you closer to him. The little tug making you instictively place a hand on his chest. They were both smiling, so you did your best and gave the camera a small shy smile of your own.

-Done!- the photographer said. You moved and the assistant gave you your stuff.

-Thankyou.- you said to the handsome man. He winked.

-My pleasure.- after that you exited the tent in front of you. You brother went away jumping from the joy, while you stayed behind, walking slowly. You still didn't process what just happened. You touched unconsciously your side, where his hand was, smiling like an idiot.

-

You went to fetch the photo, and while Harry was basically flying with happiness, you couldn't stop yourself to look at how close he was holding you, your hand on his chest your rosy cheeks and his handsome grin. Your heart was about to burst.

The photo ops were over about half an hour later, and the authographs should’ve been starting in fifteen minutes. Your mind wasn't giving you a break. You kept repeating what happened in your head. At first you felt like a damn teenager in love, but then more bitter questions started to take place in your mind. Was he joking? Was he always this flirty with everyone? Was he even single in the first place? Was he just trying to get you to relax or was he hitting on you?

All these questions almost made you decide to not accompany your brother at the autograph booth. But then you just decided that you just couldn't do that, so you took a deep breath and went to queue. This time you arrived a little early, so you were on the first half thankfully. The wait was just about ten minutes.

You were next. Harry left to you the task to give him the photo to sign, just because you were taller and had better access to the table. You slipped the picture under his eyes and as soon as he recognized you, he looked up and smirked.

-Hey again.- he said with a suave tone, signing the photo. -Hey bud, are you having fun?- he asked and you looked at the little boy next to you with a smile.

-Yes! I'm your biggest fan! The winter soldier is my favourite character- he told him. You returned your gaze to Sebastian and he took the photo in his hand, passing it to you. A small smile on his lips while he watched you. You gave him a shy smile in return and felt yourself melting. You took the photo and thanked him again.

-Thank you bud. And thank you.- he spoke to you. You gave a small nod and went on.

-

After the autographs you went around a bit between the merchandise booths and ended up buying a winter soldier backpack for your Brother, then you went out to grab dinner. It was just six thirty, but you were both hungry. You eated then you sent a text to your mother saying that everything was okay. You didn't wanted to go into details.

Then you drove for a few minutes to the nice hotel you booked for the night. As soon you stepped into the room, Harry changed into his Avengers pajamas and started to watch tv.

You unpacked the only change you brought, then you wanted to put in the suitcase the documents,passes and the other stuff, but your eyes fell on the back of the photo. You took it into your hand and saw that a yellow sticky note was attached at the back.

Can't give u my number, but feel free to text me in instagram dms Seb ;)  

You were  shocked. Sebastian fucking Stan asked you to text him? You went into the bathroom with your phone, needing a moment to recompose yourself.

-Oh my God.-  you did a face palm. Walking up and down the little bathroom, you nervously toyed with the phone in your hands.

What should I do? I mean the worst that can happen is that he'll not respond. But he should, 'cause he did write the note.Your mind was spinning. You looked at yourself in the mirror.

-Oh, fuck it.- you huffed and opened instagram. You had an account but had barely two posts. You weren't the type to post or stalk people, but you did follow a lot of pages with art, photography, music and movie stuff.

You searched his user and then tapped to the dm icon. His profile pic was a black and white photo

You wrote at least five different senteces, but then went for the simplest. Then you closed the app, blocked the screen and waited. You decided to refresh yourself in the meantime. You brushed your teeth and just when you were about to take off the make up on your eyes, a notification popped up.You took the phone and unblocked it with shaky hands.

You closed the app and went back to your room with a smile plastered on your face, and almost didn't notice that your brother had fallen asleep. You you covered him with the bed covers, turned the tv off and then changed into your pjs and went to bed. You couln't wait for Tomorrow.

So, first off, I feel the need to precise that OBVIOUSLY the chat is fake and photoshopped. It’s kind of obvious, but ya know not everyone has enough braincells I guess. Just to be sure. Anyways, hope you liked it. Let me know what you thought <3

[elsewhereuniversity]

A fox of the brightest orange and fluffiest fur stood proudly before them, its muzzle twisted into a strange grin as it stared into their eyes. Its own blue irises seemed to stretch forever, and as they stared they saw blue beaches and skies, crystal clear but for the idle wave or cloud.

Whether or not the impressiveness of this was aided or hampered by it having appeared from nowhere to stand in the salsa bowl on the poker table was yet to be decided.

“I challenge your group… TO CARDS!!” It shouted, throwing its head back with as much gusto humanly (foxily?) possible.

For a few seconds, nobody moved. It was far, far, too late in the night for this to be happening.

“Ok… but uhhh…. what card game?” A girl finally asked.

“It matters not, for I will destroy you at it!”

“Well, I was going to suggest strip poker, but more as a jo-” A boy started.

“Fantastic!” it barked. It took a lengthy pause to think before adding “What’s strip poker?”

“It’s poker but you lose clothes as you lose hands. Clothes are returned at the end of the game, removal is for humiliation factor.” A different girl explained.

“Perfect.” It nodded, sitting down. Its front paws remained firmly planted in the salsa.

“You don’t have clothes.” The first girl flatly pointed out.

“Yeah uhh… you kinda need them for strip poker.” A second boy added.

“No need to be redundant.” It snapped, before flicking its tail to brush against its muzzle. The gesture was reminiscent of a hand rubbing a chin.

It dissipated in lavender colored smoke, smelling of strawberries. The band of students gave each other wary looks as they waited for its return.

In a puff of green smoke this time (cinnamon scented), wearing a hodgepodge of clothes- likely shoplifted from the nearest Walmart.

The pokemon hat it wore was adjusted slightly as it turned to look at them, the fox clearly pleased with itself.

“So!” It started, waving a gloved paw for emphasis. “The stakes!”

The students eyed it warily as it pondered.

“Perhaps… yes, that’ll be appropriate.”

It struck a pose, sticking its back leg in the chips with a crunch as it did so. “I offer one small request to each player upon a definitive loss! We will decide these before the game begins. These requests must be within my power to do in a time limit of three days. Does this seem acceptable?”

The first girl was the one to lead the response. “Personally, I’m fine with that.” She shrugged.

The other three murmured their assent soon after, if only because none of them wanted to risk offending the magic fox.

“Perfect.” It spoke, attempting to shake its rainbow sock free of chip crumbs. “Name them, and I will decide if they’re in my ability to do.”

“Any chance you could find a way to stop my car from breaking down? Seems like every week there’s a new problem.” The second boy asked.

“As long as you’re fine with magic in your human machinery, I don’t see why not.”

“Deal.” The second said. It’d be a pain in the ass to take it to a mechanic in the future, but if the fox did the job right then that wouldn’t be a concern.

“Alright, next?”

“How about helping me pass a test two days from now?” The first boy asked.

“A test? Of what type? I will gladly aid you should you earn it, my prowess a boon for even the most mighty of knights as they face off against their horrendous foes. Why, I remember when-”

“Do you know anything about calculus?”

“… What’s calculus?”

The boy huffed. “So that’s a no. Then uh… a… uh…”

“I will return to you.” The fox decided, seeing that the boy was going nowhere with his words.

“You?” It asked, nodding towards the first girl.

“The ability to change my hair color at will?” She asked, tugging at a hot pink strand.

“Acceptable. I can grant this immediately upon winning.”

The fox turned its head to the second girl, waiting.

“If you lose, I get the hat you currently have on.” She decided.

The fox stared blankly before nodding confirmation. “Readily given, should the requirements be met. But humor my curiosity… why pick that?”

“I like eevee.” She shrugged. The hat floated off the foxes head to hover in front of it.

“What is ‘eevee’?”

“A pokemon.”

“What’s a pokemon?”

“A fictional character created for human entertainment.”

The fox gave her a curious look before deciding the topic wasn’t worth the effort.

“Alright, back to you.” It informed, turning to the first boy.

“… Silent footfalls?” He requested, sounding entirely uncertain.

“Done! And now, what will you all be loosing?”

The first girl immediately picked a pin off of her shirt, placing the silver four leaf clover on the table.

“A luck charm by belief.” She briefly explained. Green and gold clovers remained pinned to her.

“Accepted!” It barked. Belief was a powerful thing, and backed by lore… this would be a nice addition to its collection.

The second girl picked a card out of her wallet and placed it on the table.

“What’s a Flare…. Flareon?” The fox asked, examining the pokemon card.

“A pokemon similar to eevee.”

“Uh… does the card hold power?”

“No, I just like it.”

“… Sure, that works.”

The fox turned expectantly to the two boys.

“Well uh… fuck… how about… this?” He asked, taking a ring off his finger. “It’s non ferrous, I got it last week 'cuz I liked the pattern.”

The fox nodded as it eyed the 'braided’ bands of the ring. “That’ll do.”

“I don’t have anything on me to give.” The second claimed.

“Don’t you like… always carry some type of essential oil?” The first asked, staring at the second incredulously.

“Dude, don’t call me out like this.”

“Whatever that is, it’ll likely work for our low stakes game.” The fox noted. It waited for a decision.

The boy mumbled as he bought out a couple of tiny bottles, selecting one to shove forward.

“Concentrated peppermint scent. Careful sniffing at it, concentrated isn’t an exaggeration.”

The fox nodded, leaning in the direction of the bottle and slowly breathing. The human was not exaggerating, and the bottle was still capped.

“Accepted. That is the last of the deals, correct?”

“Yeah.” The first girl informed, taking off the four leaf clover pins and dropping them in an empty cup. “Everyone ready?”

“Almost.” The fox sighed, adjusting its baby blue rain coat. The players waited for the fox to continue.

“I must ask what poker is, and how to play it. I understand we’re playing the 'strip’ variation well enough, so skip over that part.”

The four stared blankly, baffled. This was happening?

The first girl grabbed a deck and shuffled, letting out a heavy sigh. “Alright, so the first thing to know.- I’m called Lava by the way, seems appropriate to give a title if we’re going to play a game- is that players get given five cards as a hand.”

The fox listened raptly, blatantly missing the other threes exasperated and stunned stares.

x

[dedicated-but-delirious]

Sacrifice

Pairing: Dean x Angel!Reader

Word Count: ~3,300-ish

Summary: You and Dean have finally stopped dancing around your obvious feelings for each other, but the situation is less than ideal. He thinks you screwed up a hunt; you think you saved his life. It all works out in the end, but not without a few sacrificed feathers.

Warnings: A bit of angst, but a happy ending; Nothing vivid, but talk of blood and injury(to the reader mostly); fluffy fluff; swearing; I think that’s it??? Oh, and speculated/personal opinion angel wing lore.

Your name: submit What is this?

“Hey Y/N, there’s a case about a town or two out. Feel like coming along?” Sam asked, ducking his head into the guest room you’d claimed as your own.

You knew he was only asking because the Winchesters’ resident angel, Castiel, wasn’t available at the moment. You were a back-up of sorts. An angel they knew just well enough to trust on a hunt, but not enough that you’d earned yourself a spot on their team permanently.

And yeah, that stung a bit. You prided yourself on being significantly more reliable than Cas, despite having more duties in Heaven and a higher angelic rank. You were also infinitely more in tune with human emotions. But try as you might, the brother duo never seemed to take a real liking to you. You’d patched them up (both with and without the assistance of your grace) more times than you could count. And for some confounded reason, they still prayed to Cas first.

Despite all of this, you didn’t hesitate to agree to Sam’s offer. Honestly, the more time you spent with them, the happier you were. More specifically, the longer you got to be in Dean’s company, the happier you became. 

That led to sitting in the backseat of the Impala for an hour straight. Your wings, although held on a different dimensional plane, did not go well with tight spaces like cars. But if you just flew to your destination, that was an hour spent without Dean jamming to his classic rock. So you endured.

On the way, Sam informed you (by shouting over Dean’s surprisingly pleasing singing) about the hunt; just a demon, maybe two, had been raising a little hell. So you three were off to raise a little hell of your own. In all fairness, you could've had the demons roasted in two seconds flat. Angel perks, and all that.

But Dean - Dean needed to get out of the bunker and kill something, and you knew better than to interfere. You were a safe-guard, only there to step in if things got out of hand.

And when there turned out to be twelve demons instead of two, that’s exactly what you did.

Shouting at the brothers to turn away or close their eyes, you had six of the demons snagged and smote with a brilliant flash of white-blue light, their eyes smoking with the intensity of it.

The fight was fierce; these demons weren’t playing around, and they weren’t run-of-the-mill grunts either. Armed with angel blades of unknown origin, they were a bit of trouble for even you. Sam and Dean had nearly killed one each, while you grappled with the remaining four. Finally, one caught you on the arm with his angel blade and your cry caused Dean to become distracted, a fact that did not go unnoticed by his opponent.

Shit.

You didn’t have any options.

One demon slipped away from you and grabbed him from behind, locking his arms behind his back. His original quarry geared up to put a blade through his throat.

Dean froze, struggled, and finally slumped in defeat, all within a few fractions of a second. He accepted it. But you couldn’t. So without thinking you swung your wings wide and covered him. 

Blood dripped to the floor, feathers falling just after.

It hurt. It hurt more than anything you’d ever felt, but Dean was safe, and that’s what really mattered.

Your grace swept through the room, expelling the rest of the demons in a matter of seconds, more as a reflex than anything else. 

It was quiet.

“What the fuck, Y/N?” Dean growled after the long pause, stalking over towards your shaking form. It was hard to focus on anything but the flood of pain tearing at your nerves and making your vision fuzzy. 

“What the hell was that? I had it covered!” He shouted, pushing himself into your personal space, and you vaguely remembered him telling you off several times for doing the same thing. Humans were hypocrites.

“You would’ve been killed.” You answered softly and a bit slurred. You'd never injured a wing before. Was it normal for the pain to spread all the way to your vessel?

Dean scoffed, backing away from you.

“Y’know, Y/N, maybe you shouldn’t have come with us. You turned out to be a distraction and more trouble than you’re worth. We don’t need you.”

That cut deeper than any blade. It wasn’t just the words, it was the tone he used: totally calm and a bit exasperated. It would’ve hurt less had he shouted it in anger in the heat of the moment. 

Sam didn’t speak up, and you interpreted that as his silent agreement with his brother.

Your knees gave out and you hit the stained concrete floor, scuffing your knees and palms.

You had saved his life and this was the thanks you get? To be fair, you did eliminate his hunt. That didn’t justify his behaviour, but your pain-riddled mind couldn’t come up with much else. 

Suddenly, you felt overwhelmed. You couldn’t be here, not now. You needed to be in the bunker, or just away from the brothers you valued so highly. You needed to get the knife out of your wing and fix whatever you could, if anything.

Lucky you, with only one of four wings down, you could still flutter your way to the bunker, if a little haphazardly. So you did.

Dean was still pacing. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling but he knew it had to do with you. You and the flickering black shadow that had been cast over him when that demon went to kill him. He wasn’t sure what exactly happened.

The brothers had called Cas, but he was taking his sweet time. The boys had no way of knowing, but he was with you, his big sister who had been reduced to a shaking, sobbing mess, on the verge of passing out from the pure agony.

So when Cas did show up, the boys were shocked at the utter rage rolling off him in waves.

“What have you done to her?”

“To Y/N? Nothing, man, she took off after the fight.” Sam answered cautiously. Cas wasn’t usually so emotional, but when he was it was a serious matter. A furious angel was an unpredictable one.

“What fight?” Dean snarled, clearly still pissed. “She took them all out before we could gank hardly any!”

That’s when Cas spotted the silvery feathers on the ground, splattered with still-wet blood. And it clicked.

Cas scooped them up in one smooth motion, thrusting them in Dean’s face.

“She sacrificed one of the most important parts of herself and you’re upset with her? Her wings are her life, Dean, and this wound could prevent her from flying properly for the rest of her existence! Most angels would die before giving up their wings.” Cas growled. 

Dean blinked, his anger melting away. You had done that for him? Sure, he thought you were beautiful and funny, and your ability to joke with him made you different from most angels. But this was - this was so different. This wasn’t just you icing a nasty bruise or grace-ing away a few cuts. This was a part of you. Physical feathers and blood that, according to Cas, might never heal.

“I...” Dean trailed off, unsure how to fix his mistake. “I had no idea.”

“I’ve already tried to help her, but she won’t let me see her wings. But you - if she was willing to destroy them for you, she should be willing to let you help.” Cas speculated gruffly.

“She won’t. Not after what I said to her.” Dean plucked the feathers from Cas’s hand twirled them in his grasp. They were soft, but they places where the blood covering them had begun to dry were stiff and bristled against his palm. Your feathers were large and mostly silver; when the light hit them just right they reflected a thousand different colours. He couldn’t help but wonder what a whole wing’s worth of the colour-changing feathers would look like.

“It’s our only chance. If the wound isn’t treated it will worsen. Eventually...it could kill her. But we must hurry, she won’t be able to stand the pain for much longer and we need her conscious to bring her wings onto this plane of being.” Cas said impatiently, still acting unsettlingly emotional.

“Wait, wait, I thought humans couldn’t see an angel’s wings without their eyes getting barbecued?” Sam chimed in.

Cas shifted, appearing nervous.

“While that’s usually true, Y/N can, if she so chooses, make her wings take a more...physical form. But it will intensify her pain.” He revealed. 

“Well, shit.” Dean grumbled. “Guess we gotta try though, right?”

With a terse nod, Cas flew both himself and Dean to the bunker. Sam would bring the Impala.

The minute the two arrived, screams ripped through the air, causing Dean to break into a run, looking for you and calling out as he went.

“Y/N!”

. . . 

“Y/N, dammit, where are you?”

Was that - was that Dean? Calling for you? He couldn’t possibly be back yet unless - Cas! Your younger brother Castiel had pulled through and gotten Dean to come back.

Steeling yourself, you managed a weak “Library!” before the pain took your words away.

Dean’s footfalls sounded closer and closer until they came to a stop beside you. 

“Y/N...” He quickly dropped to his knees beside you, but didn’t dare touch you.

You opened your mouth to say something, but another wave of pain rippled through you, your body convulsing and trembling, weak whimpers leaving you.

“Shit, you’re really hurting...” Dean murmured haltingly, seemingly unsure of what to do.

“Cas...Cas says I have to fix you, Y/N, but it’s gonna hurt worse for a while. You gotta let me see your wings, okay?” His voice was velvety soft and gentle. For a moment you almost forgot about the hurtful words he’d spat at you minutes before. Almost.

“No.” You breathed, trying and failing to pull your legs underneath you to stand. “No, I won’t.”

“Y/N, come on - “

“No, Dean! I’m not letting - “ Your words cut off with a slightly muffled scream as you accidently shifted your wing in an attempt to find balance.

“Look, what I said was shitty and uncalled for. I’m sorry, but you need to get over it and let me help you! Then you can be mad at me, alright?” Dean took a hold of your shoulders, pulling you upright, his fingertips digging in and betraying his true worry.

You stopped and thought for a moment. The intense pain had your brain swimming and it was hard to put words together, but one thing you knew for certain. Manifesting your wings would hurt like a bitch but it was the only way to save them.

Making your decision, you slowly nodded your head.

“Okay,” Dean sighed, “okay, so, uh, what now?”

Wordlessly, you placed your shaking hand over his eyes; and then braced yourself as best you could. It took only a thought and a gentle tug to pull your wings into this dimension, and the blinding flash of light was accompanied by double the pain you felt before.

You couldn’t scream. You couldn’t move. The sounds caught in your throat as the agony ripped through you. Your hand slipped away from Dean’s eyes as you collapsed, your four silvery wings going limp. Your own eyes closed and the last thing you heard was Dean’s amazed gasp. 

You woke up alone. 

Which was unsettling to say the least, but also a bit relieving.

Your wings were still physically present. You’d chosen Dean, and only Dean, so having anyone else in the room would be highly upsetting. Wings were an intensely private thing for angels, and not even other angels were privileged with seeing them.

But the fact that Dean wasn’t there hurt. Did he think your wings were unsightly? Maybe he thought they were downright ugly? Maybe he didn’t think they were worth fixing...

No. The pain was gone, and you could move all four wings without any discomfort. You shifted your injured wing to wrap in front of you so you could inspect it. The angel blade had clearly been removed, and the wound left behind had been cauterized. It still left a sizeable gap in your feathers, but they would grow back, along with most of the missing tissue. Most of the blood that had covered your wing and clotted its’ shiny feathers together had been gently washed away. All in all, it was a better fix than you could’ve hoped for.

But where was Dean?

You didn’t know if Sam was back yet or if Cas had stuck around. You also didn’t know if ‘vanishing’ your wings would damage the delicate skin that was trying its best to heal. You shouted for Dean a few times, but ultimately did not receive an answer.

So you did the next best thing.

Tucking your wings as close to your back as you possible could, you eased your door open, peeking both ways before slipping out into the hallway. You were mostly silent, but a small squeak escaped you when you passed under a vent and the draft rustled your sensitive feathers.

In a flash, Dean was scrambling out of the doorway in front of you: the bunker’s library.

“You’re awake! You okay?” He questioned quickly, his eyes scanning over your form frantically.

Oh, so I yell from my room and you can’t hear me, but you heard that? Makes perfect sense... You thought sarcastically. 

“Yes, Dean, I’m just fine. Thanks for...you know...” You pulled your patched-up wing out from behind you, swishing it gently through the air before folding it back into place.

Dean followed the movement with his eyes distractedly and had to shake himself out of a daze to reply.

“Oh, yeah, it wasn’t, uh, it wasn’t a problem. You’re really feeling okay, though? Not hurting or anything?” He was being over-bearing but it made you feel nice. Cared for.

You noticed his eyes would not leave the few feathers that peaked over your shoulders. You weren’t quite sure what to think of that.

“Sam or Castiel here?” You questioned casually. If they were, you were hiding out in your room until your wing was healed. You were lucky enough that you hadn’t run across anyone else yet.

“No, they left. Sam got back but Cas said you would want privacy because of your, uh, your...wings.” He informed your thickly, finally tearing his gaze away from said appendages and meeting your eyes. “Cas said you couldn’t put ‘em away or anything for at least an hour or two.”

Well, it could be worse. Surely an hour or two wouldn’t kill you. You thoughtlessly shifted your weight, your wings adjusting themselves to the new position and Dean’s eyes were back on them.

“Do they bother you?” You questioned quietly, dreading his answer. 

“What?”

“Do my wings bother you?”

“Oh - oh god, no, I’m sorry. Staring is probably rude, right? I’ll just - “ Dean’s gaze immediately found the floor and he stumbled back towards the library.

Wait.

Was he - was he blushing?

“Dean.”

He stopped, his body half turned away from you. He opened his mouth and then closed it repeatedly, as if he didn’t know what to say.

“I don’t mind the attention.” You began, taking a risk. “It’s flattering, really. I was afraid...well, when I woke up and you weren’t there, I was afraid you didn’t think my wings were worth fixing. I figured you didn’t like them.” You had unconsciously pulled your lower set of wings in front of you, nervously fiddling with the reflective feathers. Your larger set stayed tightly held to your back.

It took several moments for Dean to even acknowledge that you’d spoken. But when he did it made your grace buzz with warmth.

“God, Y/N, I feel like a jerk now. I thought you’d prefer the privacy. Cas kinda suggested that angels didn’t like anyone seeing their wings. Your wings are...I don’t have the words to describe them. I know that sounds really cliché but your wings are incredible. And the fact that you were willing to protect me at the cost of a part of you. I mean, seriously!” He emphasized at your incredulous look. “And then I...I got so mad. I didn’t - you gotta believe me, I didn’t realize that you’d...” He trailed off, looking conflicted.

He wasn’t mad anymore? It wasn’t exactly an apology, but it was the closest Dean Winchester got. 

“Dean...”

“And then, Cas showed me the feathers that you’d lost. I just - I got so worried, and I was furious that you’d go so far for someone like me; someone you had treated you so badly so many times. When I found you on the floor, I regretted everything. I regretted not having you around more. I regretted being such an ass to the one person who had done nothing but help me. I just...dammit - “

Before you could blink, he had rushed at you and pressed his lips against yours.

At that moment, you didn’t care that he was so self-critical. You couldn’t bring yourself to care about much more than the feeling of his lips, the feeling you’d dreamt about and never thought you’d get a chance to experience. 

Eventually though, he had to break away for air.

“I regretted not doing that sooner.” He was breathless and his voice had dropped an octave. It sent shivers down your spine. You could feel his fingers idly tweaking the downy feathers in the spot where your wings met the soft skin of your back.

“I’m just happy you did it at all.” You whispered back, sounding just as breathless.

“Never put yourself in danger like that ever again.”

“Well, if I get this kind of treatment...”

“I love you, you know that?”

“I love you too, Dean.”