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thefallenbibliophilequote · 3 years

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Welcome to New York

Loki x Reader

1989, chapter 1

"We begin our story in New York"

Summary: It's hard to find the one, but even if you do find him it's always going to be a daily struggle to make it work. Can you even make it work after he broke your heart? The answer to that is complicated, but it all started when you found each other again in the stark tower- and that's where our story begins.

Word count: 2,306

Warnings: language as always

A/N: I have wanted to tell this story for so long but I was insecure I will ruin it. I am still not sure if my writing is good enough for this. But this is my idea and my story to tell, so with a little confident boost from my mutuals here we are. For all the non-swifties: The whole 1989 album has hidden messages but this one is different because it all combines to tell one story. the link to the song is down below!

A/N 2: thank you for @sweeterthanthis for giving me the encouragement, and to @slothspaghettiwrites for beta reading this alongside @nacho-bucky and to @chrissquares for making me custom dividers especially for this series! I love all of you!

No one is allowed to repost my writing or steal or copy my work! Reblog on tumblr is fine.

Series masterlist

song on Spotify or YouTube

"Do we have a deal then?"

"You assisted us, and our motives align- we will get those powers." The man closed the long suitcase, the red skull on it shining through the dimmed warehouse.

They went their separate ways after that, he heard the loud noise through the wind before it got quiet yet again, the wind was howling as he carried his case close to his chest, protective of it.

•

You walked through the crowd of New York, through the rushing people until you saw the doors to the big Avengers tower. After all this time you still weren't used to the extravagant halls, but you will have to eventually. This is your world and now this is your home.

Your powers were of no use to SHIELD, so after a long debate, you started to work with the avengers, being there every day and not living there seemed unreasonable- so you finally gave in to Tony's offer. "Your room here will always be waiting for you." He told you until you took him up on it.

Perhaps this additional new start will be good for you. You decided to abandon the past behind you a long time ago.

"Y/N dear, so glad that you're here," Tony hugged you and ignored the loud yells coming from his phone. "Set up in your room, then come down here, we have a special visitor."

"Oh okay, anyone I might know?" you smiled at him.

"No, he is not really important." Tony scrunched his nose and escorted you to the private Avengers elevator. You waved at him as the doors closed.

You ignored the bright lights and walked in with a smile into your new room, leaving all the past behind you as you shut the door. So here it was- your own little space all fresh and new- your small little corner in the tower. Well, it wasn't little by any means- if anything it was an apartment, but it was still yours.

"Hello new home" you said to yourself, looking at the four corners with anticipation of what's to come.

"Hello Miss Y/N" F.R.I.D.A.Y chimed in, causing you to laugh. You dropped your bags on the floor and went to unpack all of the boxes that were already there. Your music was playing at full volume as you danced around your room until it was clean and filled with all your favourite things.

"I'm glad to see you're settling in." Natasha's voice startled you and you turned around with burning cheeks. "Those are quite some dance moves."

"Haha very funny, you didn't see anything." You rolled your eyes, stupid spies. "What do you want?"

"Nothing, just came to see how you were doing, the room looks great." She smiled at you and giggled as you hugged her. "Finally you're here for good! Tony wanted to throw you a little welcome party."

"Tony? Little? The only time those two can go in the same sentence is if you're talking about height."

"Don't worry I talked him out of it. Besides, he was soon occupied with Thor when he got here- you haven't met him yet now did you?"

"Thor? Like the god from Asgard?" you stared at her in shock, but she just laughed at you.

"Yes, but don't worry he is really nice and surprisingly down to earth."

"Tony said he is not important." You let her lead you as the two of you made your way downstairs.

"Of course he did."

•

"He is doing better, he is even courting a young maiden, I am certain their marriage will be arranged soon." You heard the booming voice getting louder and louder. "Loki is on the right path I assure you, my friend."

Your heartbeat sped up more and more, but you willed yourself to look more put together when the god was in your sight, sitting on couch that seemed so little now, next to Tony and Steve.

"Thor, meet Y/N," Steve introduced you to the god and you nodded to him as he shook your hands.

"It is very nice to meet you Lady Y/N" Thor smiled at you, and you relaxed a bit.

"It's nice to meet you too. I am not a lady though." You chuckled.

"Well I have heard high praises about you so I assure you that you are." He spoke with such certainty that you decided not to argue it.

"Well she might look sweet, but don't piss her off." Tony snickered.

"Hey, I won't do anything." You stared at Tony who was quick to fix his mistake.

"She will kick your ass in training, trained by the Black Widow herself."

"That I can confirm." you looked at Natasha and winked.

You sat with them for a chat then. You might have been a different person before everything went down but you always did have manners even if you wanted to adjust in your room. You shook your head when Tony's phone ringed and he hastily took Steve and went out with him.

•

"What's up with this surprise mission?" Clint asked as he walked onto the quinjet, with his combat suit and his arrows. It has been ten minutes since F.R.I.D.A.Y alerted you of a new mission. You were already on your way with Steve, Tony, Clint and Maria Hill. You were on edge by the fact that she's here, clearly, some things about this mission were left unsaid.

"We are going to get some intelligence from an underground building we found," Maria answered instead of Steve.

"If that's the case then why am I here?" her eyes turned to you now, you could see her calculating an answer.

"Because the place is not abandoned at all, it is full of agents but we don't know what we are there to pick up, and we need the people there alive." Tony replied.

"Oh fun, I get to keep hydra agents alive." You took in the new information, something was still off about this mission, but you'll probably figure that out soon enough.

The snow was heavy as you walked through it; your daggers were safely tucked inside their pockets, not wanting to accidently draw attention to yourself with a glimmer of light.

According to Tony the small warehouse that was on the ground was mostly empty, so you advanced forward with Tony from above, searching for any devices that may lay hidden in the snow.

So Tony went down first, then Clint, then you, Maria and then Steve. You exited into a big area underground, you could already hear the hydra agents coming your way so you split up, as Maria and Steve went to find whatever it was they were trying to find, the three of you provided backup and tried to clear rooms.

The four of you got to the doors, and as Tony blew up the doors you moved in, pulling your weapons out at the soldiers. There were only seven of them there, but with the sounds of the fighting and the gunshots, it was certain that your presence was known.

"Y/N there are three scientists coming your way, keep them alive, to a certain degree at least- whatever you want." you heard blasts from your earpiece and you smirked when you saw the scientists in front of you. When you saw the guns in their hands you smiled at them.

"Hi," you advanced towards the first one, your eyes caught his- he saw the glimmer in your eyes and in panic he raised the gun and shot forward. You dodged it and quickly came closer, gently taking the gun from his hand keeping eye contact with him until he dropped to the ground and closed his eyes. "I hope you enjoy my gift."

The other two scientists tried to fight you but soon their eyelids closed and they fell with a silent scream. You sighed and grabbed the back of their coats and dragged them to an empty room, oh what you wouldn't give for some telekinesis now.

The mission had to go on. So you got up and went to show some other agents your gift. Another agent to the kill, he screamed as he looked at you, the machine in his hand shattered and he fell to the floor before you were even near him. Shit. You relaxed him a bit when you reached him, his shaking calmed down a bit. You didn't mean to show him that much, but he brought it on himself- it was really easy to find with this one. Every weakness played as if it's a movie in your brain, you showed him just some parts of it now, and paralyzing him until you'll bring him out if you will at all.

"Y/N we need you here, leave them where they are- Tony will pick them up."

"Are you kidding? I kept them in a safe room for nothing? They are some heavy sons of bitches Steve!"

"Language," Steve sighed, you smiled. "He was busy then but now we need you, we found what we were looking for, but there are too many of them here, they will ruin the weapons."

"Or use them on us."

You came here for weapons? You jump a story down and advanced towards Steve and Maria.

"Go loose on them, they'll survive, we can't lose what they may have here."

"You don't even know exactly what they have there?" you questioned Maria, she only glared at you. So you went into the room, the doors slamming against the walls, you let yourself go, eyes sparkling as you reached into every soul in the room, their eyes going blank as you showed them every version of themselves that you wanted. You tuned out their screams until they passed out.

"All clear." You replied, and went around the room, looking at the files and unfamiliar technology. All sorts of sealed boxes were on the desks, they must have been packing. You passed a desk, and right then objects flew out as they combust into flames. "What the fuck?"

"Y/N stay away from this, we don't know what this does," Hill talked to you when she opened a case that you couldn't see. "Get out of the room."

It was an order with which you didn't argue and closed the doors behind you, leaving Steve and Maria in there.

•

They were shooting at you now, and you stole the best defense you could get from Steve. You snatched the pillow from under his arm and shielded yourself from the attack of popcorn the two redheads were now throwing at you. A girl has to fight back, so pretzels it was

"You can't use a pillow Y/N! That's not fair!" Wanda yelled at you. You will get betrayed by those closest to you.

"No, what isn't fair is you using your powers on the popcorn! It's not my fault that you threw all the pillows to my side- that was not a good strategic move for you."

"She's right about that- we are way better a team." Steve dodged a water bottle the spy expertly threw at him for the comment. The war always leaves scars.

Your laughs were cut short when F.R.I.D.A.Y called all of you in from the living room.

"What's up Tony?" Natasha asked when you walked into the room and saw all the other avengers there.

"We found some concerning new details about what hydra has been up to lately," Tony paced through the room, leaving you waiting.

"Did you contact Thor? Is it confirmed?" Steve asked him then and the billionaire nodded.

You shook your head and looked at them as you leaned on the wall opposite them.

"Hey boys?" Steve and Tony looked back at you and you smiled shortly at them before they had a chance to stop you when a flash of purple crossed your eyes.

Steve was annoyed when he saw the thunder in the distance and the rain pouring down on him and Tony. Tony grumbled and looked around Steve at the muddy ground they were surrounded with.

Within a second they blinked and saw the room in the compound, taken aback for a moment.

"Did you have fun boys? I personally love the rain but now I am just annoyed so can you please just share with the group for fuck's sake?" they glared at you now.

"Y/N, you can't just use your powers on petty things like that." Steve shook his head, shaking the imaginary feeling of the rain from his face.

"Don't ever, place me in that disgusting place again, you are lucky I wasn't in my favourite suit there!"

"I'll be sure to keep that little detail in mind next time you annoy me." You smirked.

"You little menace- Okay, we found Asgardian weapons and technology in the custody of hydra."

"What the fuck? How did they get it?" Natasha rose up now from the table.

"We are trying to figure it out, but from what we managed to gather is that these are ancient things… so we need an expert."

"Then why is Thor not here?" Bruce asked his friend, who pinched his nose.

"No, I said we need an expert…" he then looked behind you, and you turned when you heard the door opening. No, your past should stay sealed shut.

There in front of you came in Loki, when he caught your eyes, you were sure his look of shook matched yours. And you were frozen in place.

"Y/N?" he was confused to say the least, but your eyes never left each other even when you felt all the eyes in the room focusing on you. You shook your head at him. No.

"You said you'd never come back." It felt as if you stabbed him with that comment.

Tags: @ayybtch @buckys-other-punk @chaoticpete @madcrazy50

#1989 #my writing #loki x reader #loki #loki odinson #taylor swift #fluff #loki laufeyson #loki odinson x reader #loki x you #tom hiddleston #welcome to new york

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venteamocha · 4 years

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Hello! Sometimes I see you post stuff from IF blogs and I've recently started playing some IF games, which I've enjoyed so far. Do you have any IF stories you'd recommend in particular? I'm not attached to any particular genre and I don't need romance or a self-insert main character, (though I'm not opposed to either). Though, it's a definite plus if it's LGBTQ+ inclusive! I'm not really sure what the "cornerstones" are of IF so I'll take any and all recommendations haha

Oh god, I play so many IFs. So many. And it’s not even close to all of them, but I’m trying!!

Tbh IFs without romance seems to be very rare, I think because when I think IF I think Choice of Games, and those pretty much always have romance in them. At least, the most well known ones do. But a well done one without romance would be nice too!

Okay, this is a list of my favourites! They’re all LGBT+ inclusive, and most have gender selectable love interests, or at least ones that change gender depending on the gender and sexuality combination you pick. In no particular order, of course. Behind a cut because I’m gonna give them each a mini review. Because I haven’t done that yet.

(There are so many.)

Mind Blind: I absolutely love our big brother Nick, I love how witty and sharp so much of the dialogue is, I love how the MC clearly has a rather large handicap, but is still such an important person to so many people and not looked down on in the slightest. And when they are, we all know it’s because that person is a jerk! They’re not defined by what they aren’t, but what they are, and that’s a great message.

Shepherds of Haven: Part of why I love this one so much is I just love fantasy settings and this one just pulls it off so well. The cast is full of amazing characters, and I gotta say I die inside pretty regularly for not being able to afford the patreon content, lol. The author puts so much amazing stuff on there, and gives us so much great content in the game and through answers on tumblr, and you can tell this whole thing is just the best thing ever to them, and that makes it the best ever for us readers too!

The Wayhaven Chronicles: I’d be shot if I didn’t mention this one, the series that literally killed dashingdon when the book 3 demo dropped!! Again, another author that cares a lot and does their best to do right by their fans. We’ve been given drip after drip of these amazing characters backstories, and I just cannot wait for more! It’s definitely very romance centered, but the overall plotlines are also very good, and I have to say that no matter who I romance, I just feel like the group as a whole is a family. And that’s wonderful.

Speaker: I really like the lore. I really like the lore. I can’t wait until we get more of the overall plotline. Mostly I want my Speaker to get in deep trouble so Seb, Li and Seer (best sister ever) go off and beat the shit out of whatever is causing it. This probably says something about me, but what can I say, I thrive on angst and inflicting near death injuries on my OCs. Sometimes I even kill them, although all of this is offtopic. Or is it? I guess we’ll find out, although I doubt we’ll actually be able to kill off Speaker. And yes, I am definitely playing the Seb & Li poly route. I love them both so much.

Wilhelmina: I love vampires, ok? Ok? And this one is based off Dracula!! The OG!! And you can choose Drac’s gender!! Shit, sign me up forever!! Yeah, she might be literally killing my bff, torturing my fiancé and low key fucking with my mind, but vampires are hot!! Let me live! Or not. But yeah, this is a really well done retelling of the Dracula novel and I like how well it works as an IF. Did I mention I like vampires?? Especially when they get all monstery?? (This one has an MC with a set gender, as it’s based on an already existing literary figure. Mina can have a same sex relationship with dracula, if you make drac a female, or with Lucy, a female love interest.)

More Things in Heaven and Earth: Hi Nell!! First off, I gotta uncover a deep shame of mine. My family literally has a Shakespeare heirloom collection. As in, my greatgrandfather passed down through the family a collection of Shakespeare that was published in 1911. In ye olde englishe. I tried to read it when I was like 10 and was like what language is this?? What the fuck? What the fuck??? And ended up reading As You Like It, a bit of Romeo and Juliet, and a little of Hamlet. Didn’t touch the rest of it. I only got into the other stories through trashy ya reimaginings. That said, this retelling of Hamlet inspired me to go read the whole of the original and now I have a lot of fears for these characters that I’m so much more attached to, oh god I hope my Ophelia has a happy ending. I hope Hamlet himself has a happy ending. The dialogue is so well done, everyone is engaging, and yeah it made me finish an old af book when nothing else did. (This one also has an MC with a set gender, female, for the same reason. However, there are two gender variable love interests, so you can very much play a bi or gay Ophelia if you so choose.)

Guenevere: I love King Arthur. All the myths. I have so many books based on the King Arthur mythos, oh dear god. I love pretty much every version of it. All the movie and tv shows too! I just can’t get enough of those knights. I could go on for paragraphs about how courtly love worked and how all the different social castes were, but I’ll try not to. This series lets you customize Guen as a character to an amazing degree, considering that she’s also based on an actual literary figure like the other two I mentioned above. It really feels like she becomes your own character, and yet she still exists within this world very very well. I worry quite a bit that the author might have bit off more than they can chew with the current book they’re working on, what I’ve seen of it looks absolutely massive in scale. What is out so far is a wonderful read though, full of drama and laughter and lots of chances to make the story your own.

Bastard of Camelot: Yep! Another King Arthur series! Sue me! This one lets you set Mordred’s gender though, so it’s more inclusive in that way. It is very interesting to play as one of the “bad guys” of the King Arthur mythos. You can play them as straight up evil, as good, or you know, a bit of column a and a bit of column b. Or they can just be a rude little shit. It’s got dragons too! You get a dragon pet! Dragons are cool. It can be a bit tough to play sometimes, since a lot of people dislike Mordred quite a lot because of prejudices. Hopefully this will change a bit later in the series if you’ve been a fairly good person up to that point. Gotta say though, as a warning, that Mordred is a product of incest. It’s not glossed over, and it does cause a lot of problems for them in the story.

God of the Red Mountain: I just love that this inspired me to read more chinese mythology tbh. There is just so much here! And it’s just such a good read. I wish I was better at describing things. The MC being a spirit that you can define, the whole setting, most of the love interests also being spirits, the massive amount of history and culture and lore, how it all fits together. It is such a well done story. I really wish it got more attention than it does. I still miss Big Sister. I still can’t wait to find out more about the foxes, and how we can heal our MC.

The Nameless: Another one that lets you play as something otherworldly. I love the lore behind this one, and I love all of the cast I’ve met. I kind of like that our MC isn’t loved right off the bat, that we’ll have to win over all of our love interests and even the other npcs. I’m up for the challenge! Everything I’ve read on the tumblr for these characters just makes me love them all more tbh. I love how much they’ve written for all of them! Most of all though, I love Oisein. All the art of them is just *chef kiss* and their personality is magical.

A Mage Reborn: This is a really recent one but!! Wow, it’s really well done! That cliffhanger!! Oof!! Not many books literally start with killing your MC off! That takes guts! I told the author this already, but I love the way they formatted this, the way it starts with the end, so to speak, and then fills it all out. It just made everything feel so poignant, how MC is literally looking back at all these moments in time in the last minutes they have before they die. Shit. That’s powerful. And there’s gonna be more??? Can’t wait for that angst. Give me that drama. Of course I picked the one who had me killed, that’s just how I am!

These are all just the COG type games, there are a few twine games with graphics I’d throw on here, but the list is long enough as it is and they feel like they’re in a different category to me. Maybe it’s just me?

#if #if recs #rivi's recs #interactive fiction #there are more than these that i like too!#these are just the ones i feel the strongest about #and as i said these don't include the itchio twine ones #there are amazing ones there too but that feels like it should be a separate post?#i'd put links but i think it won't show up anywhere if i do #because tumblr is A Site #i can pass them on though if needed

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monsters-demons-and-ai-oh-my · 5 years

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What We Lost and What We Have

Chapter 4: Crony capitalism, big needles, and pep talks from hell

TW: Big Needles are mentioned Castiel and Dean take an awkward car ride to deal with an annoying little man. Meg attempts a pep talk and Sam is in over his head

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AU somewhat inspired by Episode 2x20 - What Is and What Should Never Be, and the season 14 storyline concerning Jack’s illness.

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It was nearly another hour before the doctors were done with Jack and Castiel was ready to leave. He'd stayed with the teenager as the doctors finished up their scans (and whatever else they had to do involving his lungs and cameras), and then he'd practically held Jack's hand all the way back to his hospital room.

Dean didn't know much about the teen but he figured if one of his parents did that when he was Jack’s age he would have been mortified.

Then again Jack still seemed far too high on pain meds to really give a shit about what was going on around him.

It wasn't as if Dean was going to say anything either way.

He didn't seem to be able to say much of anything lately without running his mouth off and starting World War bitchface.

The Klines always seemed to bring out the worst in Dean. Any time he saw Castiel the man always treated him the same; from the first time he'd taken the flight with his dad up to Washington state to meet with him when Jack was a newborn. Castiel always seemed to look at the Winchesters like they were his enemies like he expected John and Dean to stab him in the back if he dared to turn away from them.

Dean was sure it would be that suspicious stuck up face he’d see if he dared to turn to look in Impala’s passenger seat.

Castiel had been nearly silent following Dean out to the parking lot, only thanking him stiffly and asking him if he needed directions to the hotel across town.

“I live here,” he said harsher than necessary, immediately regretting it and following up with a gruff, “just tell me the name I’ll find it…”

God was that was fucking awkward.

At least Dean had an excuse with Castiel…

Jack was… Jack was some awkward kid who as far as he knew didn't really deserve the hot ball of fire that rose in Dean's chest every time he saw him. He didn't like the person he became inside when he saw the kid and he wished more than anything Jack would just go back with his smug uncle a few hundred miles away.

Why Castiel with all his suspicion and mollycoddling thought it was a good idea to bring Jack back to Kansas… He didn't know.

But Dean had told Sam he’d be there while Jack was sick… and he didn’t want to let Sam down again.

No matter how hard he tried he couldn't see himself as a part of Sam's little remorseful crusade to make what happened right but his brother Sam mattered. So he’d try to grin and bear it, deal with whatever this was until it was over… and things went back to normal.

The car was uncomfortably quiet the radio off as Castiel was making phone calls to what sounded like a school.

"No no, please don't let Mr. Sully substitute for my class, he’s too lenient with the students they'll never finish their review packets on time for the exam…"

Dean squeezed the wheel and tried to remind himself to just focus on the road and mind his own damn business.

"Th-the exam?" he heard after a moment, "I… I um…"

He heard Castiel take a shaky breath.

"I… we should be back in time to proctor it, if… if everything goes well…" there was a long silence. "No… they still don't… they don't know…"

Dean felt like running the car into a ditch to escape.

"I… I'll let him know you hope he feels better… goodbye…" Dean heard the man’s voice choke slightly before he hung up.

He could hear Castiel breathing shakily, see him blink rapidly to clear his eyes in the mirror. It almost shook something in Dean too.

But like Castiel, he shoved the feeling back and clicked on the radio instead.

Led Zeppelin's " The Rain Song," started it's mournful tones and Dean quickly switched it off again.

The car was too quiet yet again.

Dean cleared his throat awkwardly, the silence was somehow worse than listening to a grown man near tears.

"So, you're a teacher?" he asked vaguely just for something to fill the void.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Castiel blink dubiously at him

"High School science…" he muttered shuffling in his seat slightly uncomfortable, "Advanced Placement Biology… and Physics."

Dean gave a non-committal noise of acknowledgment.

He thought for a moment back to when he first met the man.

Don't ask, don't ask…

"I thought you were going to school to be a doctor or something?"

There was a pause he could feel the man's eyes on him.

"Nurse Practitioner… and that was a long time ago…" Castiel said with an odd tone in his voice, cutting short the line of questioning.

There was no sound for a long moment and Dean tried to focus back on the road.

"The turn is up on the right…" Castiel said after a moment glancing at the time on his phone with an anxious brooding expression.

"Dude you have half an hour until two, chill," Dean muttered under his breath half hoping he wouldn't be heard.

"It not your property or your reputation on the line Dean," Castiel said stiffly, the stick in his ass somehow jamming up higher.

Dean took a deep breath and shoved down his need to aggressively defend the honor and reputation of mechanics everywhere.

Sick kid, sick kid, dude has a sick kid…

"I am driving though you know…"

Castiel finally relaxed slightly, slumping back into the anxious guilty posture he'd had at the hospital. It made Dean feel almost worse.

"I'm sorry… thank you…" Castiel said quietly, "let's… let's just get this over with…"

The hotel came up quickly on the right side of the road Dean raised an eyebrow, the way the dude on the phone talked and Castiel acted you would have thought he was late checking out of the Ritz Carlton.

This place had the "O" and "T" literally burned out of the lit "Hotel" sign and the pool looked like a suspiciously green public health hazard.

Maybe that's where Jack picked up whatever plague he had.

"It's… changed ownership since the last time I stayed here," Castiel tried to explain looking sheepish.

Dean just blinked at him incredulously and pulled up to the office, "Yeah… sign says under renovation… probably looks great inside."

He couldn’t not rub the obvious in a little, not with the way Castiel acted, he'd explode.

The man rolled his eyes, "Just… wait out here, this should only take a minute to sort out."

He slammed the passenger door a little harder than necessary getting out of the car.

Dean flicked back on the radio, now more appropriately playing Harry Nilsson's - "You're breaking my heart."

He turned it up and gave and gave Castiel an insincere smile when he turned back to glare at him.

The man just rolled his eyes again and went inside.

Dean waited as "You're breaking my heart" along with three other songs came and went and still Castiel hadn't returned. Dean tapped impatiently on his steering wheel turning the engine off to conserve gas.

Dean tried not to let his curiosity get the better of him, first telling himself to stay in the car, then telling himself he was only going inside to share his annoyance with Castiel taking his dear sweet time.

Real convincing.

He heard arguing as he got closer to the door.

"I'm not going to pay you to get our luggage back, you said nothing about that over the phone!"

When he pushed open the ajar office door he saw Castiel leaning against the desk and arguing with a short man dressed suspiciously well for the shitty barely air-conditioned office he was in.

Some scruffy little dirtbag sitting in a nice chair, in a fancy suit, surrounded by four walls covered in peeling dark maroon wallpaper that probably been there since the place opened.

"Well I'm sorry, but it's policy, it was in the room contract that you signed."

British accent too, wasn't he special.

"I already paid for the extra day…" Castiel sounded harassed.

Dean's eyebrows rose almost to his hairline something about the situation felt wrong and he nearly backed right back out the door.

Don’t get involved.

"It's a new policy introduced to encourage our guests to check out on time, I’m sorry if you feel that way, but it's in the fine print," the man shrugged smugly.

Searching his mind Dean couldn't come up with a more punchable face, it felt familiar though like he’d seen it before.

Castiel blinked at the man looking mildly disgusted before sighing and pulling out his wallet exasperated, "I really don't have the time for this how much do you need…"

The man in the suit shrugged, "I'll give you the discount, a flat fifty dollars."

Dean reacted to that without really meaning to, whistling at the fee, both men finally seemed to notice him at the door.

Castiel looked away quickly somehow even more embarrassed than before.

Part of Dean wanted to be happy about it, to be just as petty as his brain told him he deserved to be. To see the man who seemed to permanently assume he and his family were the scum of the earth (despite the fact that they shared half their blood with his sister's kid) embarrassed.

But… he couldn't.

Because this was a fucking joke. Separating himself from his feelings about Castiel this was some asshole separating a man from his money simply because he was desperate enough to actually pay it.

Dean found himself speaking, “It’s just… fifty bucks is a little steep, don't you think? Considering your room rate is only forty-five a night?”

Where most people saw a parent scared senseless and in a tight spot this asshole just saw dollar signs.

"You know I was just thinking…" Dean leaned nonchalantly again the frame of the office door, "it only really makes sense to try to get your customers to obey the rules by threatening to hold their junk hostage if they already knew that rule existed when they checked in."

"Ah," the man smiled at him with mild malice in his eyes, "Well, as I said, it’s in the contract I’ll just have to make it more obvious next time…"

Yeah right...

He reached out for Castiel's money but Dean found himself speaking again.

"I'm guessing Cas here told you he wasn't able to meet the check out time because he's been at the hospital all night, because his kid is sick…"

"Dean," Castiel shot him a warning voice full of mild panic like he was afraid of the very real possibility that Dean would make things worse.

Dean kept his eyes on the bargain basement con man.

The man had the decency to look nervous, "While I have the greatest sympathy for your friend here, I can't afford to look away this time. I only recently acquired this place and we're in the middle of renovations you see."

The man’s face finally clicked in Dean’s mind.

"And what did do before you bought this place, sell used cars?"

The little man looked like he about fit the colorful descriptions of the seller half the lemon owners who came into his auto shop described.

"You're name is Crowley right?"

Dean felt a hand suddenly tighten on his shoulder, Castiel had moved at some point without him seeing.

"Could you please excuse us for a moment?" he said through gritted teeth shooting Dean a frustrated look.

Crowley seemed mildly relieved to look away from Dean, "of course…," he smiled casually, "I have nowhere to be…"

Castiel's mouth twitched and he almost dragged the larger man out of the office.

As soon as they were out of earshot…

"What are you doing!?" Castiel asked looking exasperated.

Dean blinked at him for a long moment before replying, "you can't tell that dude is playing you?"

Castiel's mouth opened and closed before he huffed, "I don't know? But do I look like I care?"

The man looked like he was about to blow a vein, all the nervous energy that Dean thought was building up to get to the hotel was still there. Dean felt like an idiot.

It was never about the stupid fucking suitcases or his reputation...

"Look," Dean said carefully, "I'll get you back to the kid just go get your things, wait at the car… if I'm not back in five minutes I'll pay the stupid fee myself and we'll leave, okay?"

Castiel hesitated looking unsure, tettering, but the need to get the hell out of there won out.

"Five minutes…"

Dean smiled thinly patting his shoulder awkwardly and tossing over the keys, "thanks."

Castiel gave him one last incredulous glance before leaving in search of the luggage.

Dean headed back to the office to deal with the con man.

Crowley smiled nonchalantly as if nothing had happened, "finished the lovers quarrel and here to foot the bill?"

Dean huffed, "You're really sticking to this bullshit aren't you?"

Crowley gave a fake tired sigh, "Again, it is not 'bullshit' it is written into the contract all guests sign when they rent a room, I'm just holding them to it."

Dean puzzled over what to say for a moment his mind turning to Sam…

"Well you know there's a law that protects customers from…" Dean searched for the word Sam threw around whenever Dean called to ask him about anything law-related, "predatory claims like this…"

Crowley's eyebrows rose mirthfully trying to cover slight nervousness, "it's a contract, it's not my fault your friend didn't read the fine print before he signed."

"Really because penal code…" Dean rolled the mental lottery, "67845 C says otherwise."

Crowley looked skeptical.

"Believe me I know, I own an auto shop people try to use it all the time when they get a rate they don't like…" Dean lied through his teeth giving a small shrug.

"Well, I highly doubt anyone who stays in this dump would have the cash lying around for a frivolous lawsuit…" Crowley said unconvinced crossing his arms.

It seemed like the innocent owner act was finally slipping but unfortunately, Dean knew he was probably right.

Mary had worked at the local high school teaching history for a while after she and John separated, Dean knew a teachers salary wasn’t exactly high.

"Look I'm sorry about your friend's situation, I really am…"

Bullshit

"But I apply the same rules to every customer, I can't bend them for one person. My mother once came in wanting a free room saying she was terminally ill,” The man shrugged and leaned back in his chair with a squeak, “I did not give it to her."

Dean’s eyebrows rose.

"Relax she was lying…" Crowley said flatly.

Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree I guess.

“I… I really don’t care,” Dean said back just as monotonously.

He was beginning to worry. It didn’t seem like logic or appealing to Crowley’s “ better nature ” was going to work.

It wasn’t about Castiel, it really wasn’t, he told himself. It was just this man thought he could get away with this ridiculous and bad-natured con just to get a quick buck and he’d probably continue to prey on people who didn’t have the money to stay at a nicer place and fight back.

Dean was going to have to change tactics.

“Do you still own that shitty car lot along with the shitty motel?” Dean asked innocently.

Crowley’s eyebrow rose in fake offense to Dean’s overt implication.

“I do own both establishments yes…”

“Mmm…” Dean tilted his head and smiled mirthlessly, “so how about you forgive Cas’s luggage debt and I don’t post the six-page list of complaints I’ve gotten about your lot up in the waiting area of my auto shop…”

-------

Dean exited the office a minute later to see Castiel pacing the length of the Impala.

“Did it work? If it didn’t I promise I can pay you back I…” the man had started wringing his hands anxiously.

Dean raised a hand to cut him off and smiled like the cat who got the canary.

- Which it turned out was sheepishly, like he had a mouth full of feathers and was questioning his life choices -.

“Don’t worry about it… it’s done,” Dean said vaguely before quickly changing the subject, “you get your stuff?”

Castiel still looked a little puzzled but nodded, “I put the bags in the backseat…”

Dean grunted satisfied before climbing into the car himself, “Let’s get you back to your car so you can get back to your... hovering.”

He said it half talking to himself like it meant nothing.

Let’s get this over with…

Castiel nodded hesitantly before climbing in the passenger side.

Dean turned back on the car, the radio resuming it’s blaring of the classic rock station and they left the crap show of a motel behind.

Castiel said something he couldn’t quite catch.

“What?”

Castiel huffed and reached over to turn down the radio, much to Dean’s chagrin.

“I said… thank you…” the words were dragged like Cas was struggling under the weight of the sentence.

Dean shrugged not looking up from the road, “You don’t have to, I would’ve done it for anyone, dude was shady.”

It was probably true...

Castiel seemed to go back to staring into nothing out the window.

Dean’s thoughts began to nag at him.

“So where are you staying tonight?” managed to slip out, “I mean, obviously you aren’t staying at that dump anymore…”

Castiel was quiet for a long moment, “I’m probably going to stay with Jack at the hospital again, I’ve already been away too long...”

Dean grunted non-commitally, he couldn’t imagine sleeping in one of the hospital’s half cushioned pink monstrosities they called chairs.

“Why are you asking?” Cas quipped back.

Deans shrugged cooly, “I mean it’s just, what are you going to do when you need a shower or something?”

Castiel bit his lip unsure, “I’ll get a new hotel room.”

Dean gave another half-convinced huff.

- As in he only had half of either man convinced he was convinced of anything. -

It took all of ten seconds before Dean blurted...

“I mean probably one of the reasons that jackass was in such a hurry to chase you out of his place was there’s gonna be a premium on shitty hotel rooms around town with Kansas University big spring preview ga-...”

“Dean…” Castiel cut him off sighing rubbing at his face, “I… I appreciate what you did for us back at the motel I really do, but I don’t need you to play host or anything like that.”

Dean’s mouth opened and closed awkwardly and he focused back on driving,

“I was just going to recommend a few places,” Dean lied smoothly.

Castiel seemed to take the excuse, “I’d actually appreciate that…”

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Sam resumed his awkward chair perching in Jack’s hospital room as soon as Castiel and Dean left.

He’d bought a black stuffed bear holding a little yellow “Get well Soon” heart while waiting for Jack to come out of the lab in an attempt to make things a little less awkward.

Did sixteen-year-olds even like that sort of thing? He wasn’t sure but thankfully Jack was passed out again by the time Sam got back upstairs from the gift shop.

He didn’t seem to want to do much more than sleep lately…

Part of Sam hoped to hell that Jack wouldn’t wake up until his uncle got finished with his business at the hotel. But at the same time it was not wanting the kid to wake up alone that held him in place in the hospital room.

Sam pulled out his laptop determined to get some work done on upcoming court documents as Jack remained peaceful in his bed. An orderly came in at some point to deliver a lunch tray for the boy.

After about a half-hour though Sam could hear Jack’s breathing speed up and set aside the computer concerned.

A thin veil of sweat bloomed across the teen’s forehead and the muscles of his face grew tense, teeth clenched. He was in pain.

Sam pushed the nurse call button, but when they arrived they explained the pain medication was originally given when they were resetting his wrist and they were letting it wear off until they had a better idea what was going on in Jack’s body.

The thought made Sam wince but as there was nothing he could do he tried to ignore the sounds from the bed and go back to typing up his court document.

It worked for all of ten minutes.

Jack started to move around restlessly in his sleep and finally, Sam heard a pained sigh and a soft anxious, “Cas…?”

The teenager had woken up.

He pushed himself up on one elbow coughing into the crook off his arm and blinking around owlishly searching the room for his uncle.

Jack’s eyes met Sam’s only for a moment before he seemed to shrink into himself again looking down to study his bed covers. The dazed drugged look in his eyes had passed but it was replaced with a pained glassy awareness, like he was looking at the world through a feverish haze despite the fact the monitor only read a mild ninety-nine point seven degrees.

Sam cleared his throat and finally gave an answer, “He… he went with Dean to sort something out at the hotel…”

“O-oh…” Jack said disappointed still not looking up, fiddling with a loose string on the edge of his blanket before sinking back against his pillows.

Sam searched for some way to help cheer him up feeling like “The Problem”™.

“Castiel should be back soon they just had to pay for the hotel and pick up his car from the restaurant you went to last night…”

Jack nodded against his pillow noncommittally, wincing slightly at the movement.

“Are you in pain?” Sam asked stupidly already knowing the answer.

Jack eyed him warily pulling the thin hospital blanket tighter around him, “I’m alright, headache…”

There was a long pause before Sam tried again, he couldn’t blame Jack for not wanting to talk to him. Even before the incident in the graveyard they’d never been close. He didn’t think being in as vulnerable a state as he was at the moment would make him much more comfortable around Sam.

Most of Sam’s memories of Jack were of a tiny crying blonde baby that grew into a shy but curious toddler who sucked on his fingers and took to following his much older brother around the Winchester’s house. When Sam couldn’t find an excuse to stay at his mom’s or be out he rarely volunteered to watch the baby unless there was no other option. Because at the time that was all Jack was, “a baby,” who cried and got into things and required Sam to be around John longer than he cared to be.

For Sam the first two years of Jack’s life were a game of avoidance with their father and by extension Jack himself. The only consolation was that Jack had probably been too young to retain any memories from that time…

And it wasn’t as if any of the newer memories Jack had created of his older brothers warmed him to either of them. John’s funeral, a no-contest court hearing when Jack went to live with Castiel full time… and now the one time he’d tried to open up to his half-siblings he’d just gotten burned. They’d be lucky if he ever trusted them again, even in a situation where he wasn’t alone, and terrified, and feeling absolutely horrible in a fucking hospital.

Sam pushed away the urge to descend into another self-hating spiral.

“They brought you lunch…” Sam tried pulling the cover tentatively off the tray and revealing it’s rather unappetizing contents.

Jack just blinked at him and coughed hoarsely into his arm, his breathing was still wheezy but at least it didn't sound alarming like choking like before.

Sam pushed the buttons on the bed controls to push the back of bed into a more upright position like he’d seen the med student do before.

At least there didn’t seem to be blood this time...

“Th-thanks but I… I’m not really hungry…” Jack rolled over onto his side facing away from Sam trying to clear his throat.

Sam sighed a little to himself with a pang of concern. When was the last time Jack had eaten? He’d been sleeping most of the morning and early afternoon and Sam remembered Castiel mentioning he’d had very little to eat at the diner the night before.

“You should still have something,” Sam said, trying to think of what Castiel would want if he was there.

“I mean there’s…” he looked over the paltry spread, a meat sandwich of some sort, a mug of rather gray looking chicken soup, a fruit cup, and… “there’s lime jello, that looks good?”

Jack grumbled mumbling something that sounded like "then you eat it", before looking up and hugging himself with a grimace, “No thank you.”

“Well… the nurse said they could bring you something else if this didn’t…”

“Sam…” Jack interrupted him sounding a little frustrated.

Sam quickly shut his mouth.

“I… sorry,” Jack looked down at his lap poking at the splint on his sore wrist with his free hand, “I just… my head hurts… and my stomach’s kind of bothering me…”

“Do you feel like you’re going to be sick?” Sam asked cautiously rubbing his hands together in front of him to suppressing the urge to lunge for the nurse call button again.

“No!” Jack said quickly blushing pink crossing his arms in front of him, “It just... hurts, it’s probably f-from…” He coughed roughly again into the crook of his elbow, “coughing so much…” he muttered frustrated.

“I just,” he sighed, “I just want to rest okay?” Jack attempted to give Sam a reassuring smile that didn’t quite cover the pain lurking in his dark bruised eyes.

Sam sat mouth slightly open for a moment before deciding to let the subject drop and covering the lunch tray again, “Okay…”

Jack tried to get comfortable under his covers again and Sam tried to get back to working on his laptop. But when he caught Jack’s eyes again, they were looking in mild confusion at the small bear sitting in the chair beside Sam like a second visitor.

The teenager turned pink and he looked determinedly away when he caught Sam looking at him.

Sam’s mouth twitched slightly, and he thought that maybe he made at least one positive decision today.

“I um I bought him for you…” Sam said a little sheepish, holding out the bear, “I wasn’t sure if you still liked that sort of thing… but…” he trailed off.

Jack watched him unsure for a moment before tentatively reaching out a hand to take the bear, wincing a little as he pushed himself up into a seated position in bed and stared at it for a long moment. For a split second, a small smile crossed his face.

“Thank you…” He said softly, gently running the fingers of his non-splinted hand over the bear’s soft fur before going red in embarrassment again and reluctantly perching it beside his uneaten lunch on the rolling tray table facing towards him.

He settled back against the pillows and they both relaxed for a moment into silence Jack trying to settle into sleep.

It didn’t seem to work, without the painkillers he shifted almost constantly occasionally huffing sounding exasperated like he couldn’t find a comfortable position. The beads of sweat across his forehead seeming to grow more prominent, his eyes tensed shut. His lip occasionally quivering like he was trying not to cry.

Sam wished there was something he could do to end the kids suffering but he felt like anything he did would be unwelcome, just make the kid more emotionally tense and uncomfortable alongside whatever pain his body was already in.

He was relieved a few minutes later when the nurse from earlier entered.

“Are you sure you can’t give him anything for the pain?” Sam asked quickly wringing his hands slightly.

“I wish I could big man really…” She smiled thinly, more of an empathetic grimace, “but they want to run more tests without any drugs in his system for reference… and I’m just coming in him to prep him for the LP…”

“LP?”

Sam and nurse Master’s looked back to see Jack peeking at them warily over the sidebar of the bed, “what’s that?”

The nurse looked a little hesitant for once before smiling in an ‘oh honey’ way that was not at all reassuring.

“It’s a procedure to collect spinal fluid and test pressure around your spinal cord, I believe the doctor is trying to rule out possibilities for what caused you to have a seizure,” the nurse began moving the lunch tray onto the empty seat beside Sam and setting the bear at the foot of Jack’s bed.

“Sp-spinal fluid,” Jack mumbled going a pale, knees pulling up to his chest.

“Isn’t that what they do to test meningitis?” Sam froze for a moment, “I thought didn’t think it was that?

Jack went more white if that was possible and looked at the nurse wide-eyed.

If looks could kill the one the nurse gave Sam would get her convicted.

“Maybe that's why they’re in a hurry to try to rule it out, ” nurse Master’s explained sardonically, before turning to Jack and speaking in a much kinder voice, “ and there are hundreds of other issues that are not meningitis that can be ruled out through spinal fluid…”

Jack was still pale but seemed to relax a little at that, “Wh-what are they going to do to me?”

Nurse Master’s explained, “What the doctor is going to do when they come in… is called a lumbar puncture, they’re going to numb part of your back and carefully use a needle to collect spinal fluid from the space between your vertebrae…”

Jack’s eyes were wide as saucers and his voice shook when he finally spoke again.

"W-will…?" He paused swallowing and looking down centering himself before speaking again hands gripping his blanket, "will it hurt?"

Sixteen suddenly felt absurdly young...

The nurse gave a practiced but not unkind answer, "The needle for numbing medication should be the worst of it, after that you shouldn't feel much more other than pressure on your lower spine.

Jack nodded and tried to smile back like he fully understood, it came off as a frightened grimace.

"Can… can it wait until my uncle gets back?" He asked hopefully.

"Wish I could do that for you kiddo, I really do, but the doctor wants to get this done as soon as possible, so I guess you're stuck with Mr string bean over there."

Both the nurse and Jack looked in Sam's direction with an unsure expression…

Sam was momentarily tongue-tied, "I um… I can just wait outside if that's better, I don't want impose if…" he trailed off seeing the nurse giving him a contemptuous look, “what?”

She shrugged, "I was just wondering, you two don’t look much alike are you really his brother or some weird perv who snuck in when we weren't looking?" the nurse said sarcasm somehow still bleeding from her monotonous tone.

Sam blinked taken aback mouth twitching irritated, "I… I really don't think that's…"

The nurse's eyebrows rose pointedly at him silencing him again.

"Jack I need to talk to your brother alone for a moment outside okay?" she gave Jack a thin smile.

Jack just nodded the prospect of what was coming, making him seem to physically and emotionally curl into himself, refusing to look at either of them.

Sam sighed setting his laptop under his chair and following the nurse outside.

And as soon as they were...

"I really don't know how things are run around here but you are really out of line…" Sam started his “lawyer voice” cut off by a withering look from the nurse.

"Are you really planning to leave that kid alone in there?" She sounded disbelieving like he’d just admitted to planning to abandon Jack on the side of the road somewhere.

"Look lady," Sam was beginning to get irritated himself, "I appreciate what you are trying to do but you know nothing about me or my family, yesterday was the first day in about six years we've seen each other, it would be…” he tried to search for the word but couldn’t find it settling on, “inappropriate… if he wanted me there he’d say so."

The nurse crossed her arms unphased, "Fine, I don’t know you, but you wanna know what I do know? I work here every damn day and I know a freaked-out kid when I see one. A kid like that? Sixteen? If you’re waiting for a personally signed invitation he’s probably not going to give you one because of macho bullshit or because he’s trying to prove how he's a 'grown-up' or something. But you want him not to talk to you for another six years? Leave him alone to get needle shoved in his back…”

Sam’s mouth hung slightly open but he had no retort for that. There was a movement behind him and he glanced back to see the doctor from earlier go into Jack's room.

The nurse’s expression hadn’t changed when Sam looked back at her, “Now I could call another stranger to stay with him during the procedure but somehow I think a familiar face might better don't you?"

Sam didn't respond glancing back again through the room window the doctor who was doing the procedure was re-introducing themselves to Jack who looked on warily, still hugging his knees.

Sam heard the nurse still talking to him "So how about you stow your shit, and go back in there?"

What if he doesn't want me there?

What if I make things worse ?

A hundred quips and excuses and things that could go wrong spun through Sam's head but he finally just sighed and said…

"Okay…"

Nurse Masters huffed and stood straighter, "My hero… now get back in there before the doctor starts without you…"

Reflexively Sam’s mouth half twitched into a polite smile back and he went back into Jack's room without another word.

The doctor looked up when the large man entered. Jack seemed to still be attempting to study for a doctorate in the pattern on his blanket and refusing to look up so he aimed his uncomfortable smile towards the doctor “Hannah.”

She offered him a more reassuring smile back, “are you the one who’s going to assist me today?

Jack’s head snapped up at that and gave Sam a look somewhere between horror and betrayal.

“I um…” Sam looks unsure, “are you sure I can do that?”

“Don’t worry I won’t ask you to do anything complicated,” she said while laying out complicated supplies on the rolling side table, Jack looking on warily.

“I just need someone to help hold his knees when he’s curled on his side for test, with the IV and his wrist it will be difficult for him to do… As long as that’s alright with you Jack?” she addressed Jack with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Jack nodded silently eyebrows furrowed, eyes still wide.

Sam sat awkwardly in a chair near the bed pulling his it closer to the bed with a strangled squeak giving Jack a strained smile and awaiting further instructions.

The doctor instructed Jack gently to turn onto his side facing away from her. The boy complied strangely quiet aside for a few soft coughs as the doctor dropped the bed flat and carefully rearranged the wires and tubes attached to his body.

When she told Sam to provide counter-pressure for the boy’s knee as he curled up in a fetal position he could feel Jack shaking.

His eyes were clenched tightly shut, breathing shallow and heart beating rapidly on the monitor.

“Jack?” Sam asked gently worriedly.

The boy jumped violently at the sound of his own name, blue eyes opening wide pupils tiny pinpricks.

He looked absolutely petrified.

“You’ve done this before right?” Sam asked Doctor Hannah unsure.

She smiled back carefully pulling on sanitary gloves, “over a hundred times…”

Sam gave Jack what he hoped was a reassuring smile, “see it’ll be okay…”

Jack nodded lip quivering slightly, jumping at the feeling of the doctor applying antiseptic iodine to his back.

He still looked on the verge of tears.

Sam searched for some way to calm him down, something to say, “just take a deep breath… it will all be over soon…”

It didn’t seem to help, Jack’s breathing sped up further.

“Hey hey… Jack just look at me…”

The boy sniffled softly.

Sam was at a loss he knew nothing about kids, he searched the room desperate for some way to distract him.

He spotted and used the hand not supporting Jack’s knees to grab the “get well soon” bear from where the nurse had set it at the end of the bed.

“Remember him?”

What the hell Sam he’s sixteen not six…

It seemed to work though because Jack’s breathing slowed for a moment as he blinked at Sam in confusion.

“I, um… sorry…” Sam said sheepishly glancing between the boy and the bear’s duel glassy-eyed stares.

The smallest of confused smiles crossed Jack’s face quickly disappearing with a sharp hiss of pain.

“It’s alright… just the anesthetic… this is the worst part I promise…” the doctor comforted him gently.

Jack gave a tiny nod stiff as a board trying not to move but still shaking slightly. Sam set the bear back on the bed carefully taking Jack’s hand with the IV.

“It’s okay…”

Jack just bit back a soft strangled noise and gripped his hand tightly until the anesthetic needle was removed.

“The, worst part’s over Jack, but I need you to hold very still for the next part alright?” the doctor says gently.

“O-or what?” Jack mumbled nervously not daring to move to look at her.

“Don’t worry where I placing the needle save for a freak accident there in next to no chance it would cause anything like paralysis, if that’s what you’re concerned about…” the doctor comforted, “But still we want to be very careful…”

That didn’t seem to relax Jack very much but he nodded sheepishly, “I… I’m sorry,” he looked forlorn and like he was embarrassed for even asking.

Sam tried to cheer him up again letting go of his hand just long enough to bop the stuffed bear on the head with his finger.

Jack shot him another weird look but gave him another soft bemused smile through watering eyes and he tried to take deep shaky breaths, hand closed tight over Sam’s again.

When it came time for the needle he fixed the bear with a death stare.

Sam felt numbness spread across his fingers as the boy’s hand tightened as the needle was inserted into his back.

He silenced the knee jerk reaction to tell Jack to ease up when he saw the paralyzed fearful look the teen's face. Tears start to roll unbidden down his face.

Sam couldn’t even convince himself to look at what the doctor was doing on the other side of Jack without feeling woozy he could only imagine what the experience was like for the one going through it.

Unsure what else to do Sam found himself mumbling platitudes.

“It’s alright… You’re doing great… It will be over soon…” the words seemed empty and he felt stupid and for saying them, Jack barely knew him why should he listen, but slowly, surely he felt the boy’s hand loosen a little.

And then before he knew it...

“Aaanndd…we’re finished…” doctor Hannah said smiling gently setting aside the last of three small sample tubes and beginning to clean and bandage Jack’s back.

Sam was surprised Jack didn’t immediately dissolve into a puddle of jello instead just quickly letting go of Sam’s hand and turning a little pink, “thank you…” he mumbled bashfully.

Sam smiled awkwardly back as if he wasn’t flexing his fingers trying to get the feeling back just out of sight.

“Now I’ll want you to lay flat on your back for at least an hour after this, and if you feel like you’re getting a headache that’s perfectly normal…” The doctor said as she cleaned off the last of the iodine.

“I already had a headache…” Jack mumbled, suddenly wincing and giving a hiss of pain as the doctor pressed down on part of his back.

She paused and frowned, “did that hurt?” she asked concerned, cautiously pressing her hand down near the same spot, worryingly far away from the injection site.

Jack gave another wince of pain but nodded.

The doctor’s frown deepened and she moved to touch the same area on the opposite side of the boy’s back getting a similar reaction.

Sam felt genuine concern start to build up in his chest, “Jack said he was having stomach pains earlier,” he found himself blurting.

Jack gave him a look of betrayal but after the doctor finished bandaging the procedure site he obediently rolled onto his back and raised his arms above his head when she asked and let her gently probe his abdomen.

His face screwed up and he actually whimpered when she applied pressure to one side, slightly below his ribs.

Unlike before the doctor’s face was uncomfortably anxious.

“Is… is that bad?” Jack asked nervously.

The doctor's mouth opened and closed before settling on a tight line, “I… I want to run a few more tests…”

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Oof And I'm back from vacation :) Sorry this took a few more days than I thought but the chapter turned out longer than I thought 21.5 pages instead of my usual 14. So... really it's about a chapter and half long, please enjoy.

I'd really love to know what you liked or what you think, even if it's just a sentence or two or a quote you enjoyed. It really, really helps me improve as a writer and gives me confidence knowing people are interested.

#SPN #Supernatural #Dean Winchester #Castiel #Sam Winchester #Jack Kline #fanfiction #whump #humor #illness #family drama #crowley #Meg Masters #Hannah #TW needles #5 points to anyone that can guess what's happening to Jack at the end of the chapter

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