Title: End of the Road
Author: Fenikkusu Ai
Rating: T
Fandom: Supernatural
Characters: Dean Winchester, John Winchester
Words: 288
Genre: Angst
Summary: Dean sneaks some of his father's whiskey, and it leads to a revelation years later. Set in Season 3.
Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.
"Dean, get your ass out here!"
Dean was getting out of bed before his father even finished his sentence.
He raced into the kitchen. "Yes, dad?" Dean was relieved that he had gotten it right. Sometimes, he addressed his father as "John" by mistake.
John was holding a familiar glass bottle. "Can you explain why the level of my whiskey bottle is getting lower and lower? I didn't touch it last night."
Dean supposed that he was going to get caught sooner or later, and he had no reasonable explanation for his actions.
"I...drank some, sir."
Sam had sipped some too, but Dean wouldn't tarnish his name. There were some things that his father wouldn't forgive.
Apprehensively, Dean stood there while expecting some explosion of anger; a hand meeting his face or the bottle crashing against the wall.
Instead, John sighed heavily. He set the bottle down.
"Don't learn from my bad habits, son. A man should only drink if he has nothing left to lose. You have a future, son."
As Dean grew up, he gradually forgot his father's words. He drank longer and deeper. Even John seemed to have forgotten when Dean turned legal as they both frequented all the bars and greasy spoons. The conversation no longer had any relevance.
However, now, as Dean poured himself another shot with trembling fingers in a futile attempt to calm his nerves; the words came rushing back.
It was April, and next month, he was going to die. Unless a miracle happened. It would be the end of the road.
Maybe he was getting a little too drunk, but in a burst of insight, Dean was beginning to think that his father knew exactly what he was talking about.