Title she's a slow fade
Rating Teen (nothing bad at all)
Word count 550ish
Characters Dean/OFC
Summary Very AU - drabble - sweet little angst ridden ficlet
WARNING story contains 1 profanity and foliage
When fall wandered in they were on the east coast, small town in Massachusetts.
Crisp air had already edged it's way and laced the sky with a chill that was welcomed after such a searing, sticky summer. The days were still pleasant with the sun still mothering what was left of her time to shine. The nights were harsher and perfect for layers, closeness and full beds.
Dean asked her if she'd like to take a drive and she smiled, so lovely, like a sunflower craning toward the afternoon light. Lunging at the chance to escape from one rented dark room to the next.
She'd let her hand fight the breeze, hanging half limp as he drove, window down and tangled hair everywhere.
When he parked she scooted gingerly to the middle of the seat, leaning and letting coarse, familiar hands drape over her. They watched over the verge of a rock face, nothing but straight drop down and a sea of forest at the helm.
The leaves had been changing for a week - starting out with a slow burn of color, working it's way from the leaf tips. Brown and orange, spreading like a beautiful sickness inward until it seemed the world was on fire.
Dean played with her finger tips, rubbing a coarse five o'clock shadow into her hair, soft scraping as he nuzzled back and forth - all in silence.
He wondered if she was febrile like the trees, things had been too good for too long.
He pictured her smoldering in the beginning, everything excitement and discovery and new and then love. She'd burnt warmer and warmer ,blazing in the glory of hoodwinking life, being able to become them.
Now everything she did was vigor and vivacity.
He watched her live as if tomorrow was just idle gossip. The way she kissed, watched, laughed, listened, spoke, felt he wasn't sure she believed the future was anything more than the now. He was convinced she'd rise in a beautiful crescendo, ablaze one moment then stripped ashes the next.
He speculated that given adequate time all her leaves would fall away. Her certainty would loose it's grip, her optimism would begin to turn when the weather did - when a strong enough gust blew she'd flutter away without even knowing she'd been chosen to be set free.
She was so beautiful in that moment, her colors peaking in a magnificent, quiet instant. He reminds himself splendor that bright comes to a swift end.
I never seen anything like this before. It's so…overwhelming. She lifts a hand droopily and points to the peppered autumn stage - Voice all husky, he wasn't sure if she was tearing up or drifting off.
He tipped his head back on the seat and felt her sigh, squeezing his hands.
It's so fast, once the change starts , it's over before you even have chance to really enjoy it She smiled sideways and up - lopsided and candid. The way she glanced at him made him clammy.
I know, too fuckin' fast, we better appreciate it while we can.