Man of His Word
"C'mon, just hang on Brother…"
He could hear the crunch of ice and the splash of water. His skin was on fire…Or was he freezing to death? He supposed he had gotten to the dangerous tipping point where it no longer mattered which extremity he was feeling. He'd die either way.
The notion should have disturbed him but he couldn't bring himself to care. It was like someone had severed the cord between his mind and his body and left him floating free.
He was…He just was. Nothing else. He could feel himself slipping farther and farther away from reality. Soon he'd be so high; he could never come down…
"No, no, no… You are not allowed to do this to me!"
Do what?
Rough hands shook him on impulse and he felt himself tugged back to himself abruptly. A familiar voice was tumbling over frantic words somewhere near his ear.
"Just hold on, Dean! Don't you go anywhere on me…You promised me, remember?"
A promise?
Yeah well, I'm not going anywhere. 'kay? And neither are you.
Oh yeah…
Eyes blinked open slowly and quickly shut against the white light assaulting them. He groaned.
"That's it, Dean. I'm gonna get you warm just stay awake for me, ok? Hang on. Your Baby's just up the hill…Gonna be just fine. Just fine…"
"'kay…" his tongue was heavy so he left it at that.
He felt himself hauled up the owner of the voice half dragging him away from the water he now realized was lapping at his boots.
"What were you thinking, huh? Chasing a spirit out over ice…Damn thing was luring people to their deaths and you just go and follow it…" The voice was grumbling near his ear. The panic of earlier had not entirely gone but had been subdued as though its owner had resolved to tuck it away until another time.
Sammy?
He must have voiced the question out loud because there was a huff of warm air near his ear. "Yeah it's me, genius. Though next time you pull a stunt like that, I'm leaving your sorry ass in the pond."
"N'y'won'…"
Another small laugh and he was leaning against something solid. He'd never admit it, but he was sure the only thing keeping him upright was his brother's hand against his chest. Sam cracked the back door of the car open with a familiar squeak and bundled him inside.
Everything kind of grayed out after that. He was vaguely aware of his brother cranking the heat up and wrapping him in something warm and dry. And then the engine was purring and they were moving and it was all he could do not to fall asleep…
But Sammy had asked him to stay awake so he focused his attention on the rattle of the Lego he'd jammed into his car so long ago.
Sam was driving his Baby one-handed. Under other circumstances, he would have chewed his brother out for that in memory of close calls while he'd been teaching a teenage-Sammy to drive. But for now he knew Sammy needed the contact of his free hand lying over Dean's heart, reassuring him that his brother was still keeping his promise. And Dean would be a liar if he didn't admit that he kinda needed it too.