I own nothing, and I love you all!
-o-
Dean
He entered Bobby's house feeling almost broken. He had fucked things up so badly with that little girl. But he just couldn't do it. Couldn't kill her. And then he had made everything worse.
But Sam would get his soul back. A shrivelled, broken, crushed soul that could destroy his mind completely. Dean didn't see any other option than to try to avoid that at all costs. They just had to make it work in some way or another.
He heard noises from the kitchen as entered the living room. No, please, he thought. I can't deal with anyone right now.
But then she was standing there in the doorway with soft eyes and a soft voice. "I know. I'm sorry, Dean." In the next moment she was there, hugging him, and he couldn't help himself from leaning in to her embrace.
He had no idea how long he stayed that way, just holding on to her as she murmured soft words to him. And it was exactly what he needed after a day where he had been forced to kill a little girl, and learning that his brother would most likely end up as a fruitcake.
He realised, that at some point, Nikki had gotten under his skin with her Mountain Dew, Sam's old AC/DC t-shirt that was way too big for her, somewhat bossy attitude and snappy remarks.
Yeah, she had definitely gotten under his skin, and Dean was baffled to realise that he was surprisingly okay with her being there. The realisation, however, scared the crap out of him.
He snapped out of his thoughts when Nikki spoke. "I think we need a beer."
Dean couldn't agree more.
-o-
About two hours later, Dean was starting to feel more like himself again, and especially because he was currently beating Nikki in Need for Speed – Hot Pursuit. And Nikki did not approve, which she was quite loud about. "Oh COME ON! This car has a flat tire, I swear! And the pop-off is broken! It was probably pre-owned by an old man that only drove the car at turtle-speed, making the car slowly fall into depression. You see? It's completely depressed!"
Dean glanced at her in surprise from the bits of car-knowledge she had just displayed before he grinned. "Suuuuuure, it's the car. Totally."
Nikki made a frustrated sound just as Dean crossed the finish line and he chuckled at her. "Aw, don't be so upset, babe." Her grinned wickedly at her before continuing. "It's just a game, you know."
Her head spun around so fast that he almost recoiled. "You better wipe that smug smile off your face pretty fast, or so God help me, I will hurt you."
Teasing Nikki was quickly becoming one of his favourite hobbies, so the smug smile stayed. "You know what you should do? You should turn that frown, upside down."
Nikki actually growled as she went in for the kill and launched herself at him, making PlayStation controllers and pillows fly. She was no match for him, though, and he caught her, pinning her arms down her sides as she worked eagerly on her flopping fish-imitation.
She kept up the struggle for an impressive amount of minutes, but in the end she gave another frustrated sound and went still.
Dean couldn't make himself let go. He had a moment of complete serenity with her lying on top of him with her head on his chest. It was like having her so close put the broken pieces inside him back together.
Restraining her was maybe not the most elegant move, though. But then, she saved him. With one sentence. "I bet I can beat you like this."
So they stayed that way. Nikki picked up the discarded controllers before returning to him with a nervous smile. He smirked at her and opened his arms in invitation. "You're on. Loser is a rotten egg, and bakes apple cake."
She narrowed her eyes at him before joining him again.
Who knew, that serenity was a PlayStation game while holding the controller on a woman's hip. A highly entertaining, frustrated woman, with sharp elbows that she did not hesitate to use, and long hair that had an uncanny way of disrupting his view.
And the icing on the cake, no pun intended, was that tomorrow, he would be eating apple cake.
-o-
Jenny
Sam was no longer soulless. And had no memory of the time as soulless. They had spent quite a while explaining who the hell they were and what they were doing there. Living there, none the less. But seeing how Sam was the less paranoid one, he had accepted the current situation as strange, but alright.
Something had changed between Nikki and Dean. They were still bickering, of course, but the bickering had changed somehow, and the genuine warmth between them was audible underneath the teasing and discussing. It was like they were touching more as well, like the bar had been lowered between them. Dean, as a well-known fan of personal space, did not seem to mind having Nikki invading his territory. And neither did Nikki when Dean came to sit down next to her in the couch, or stand next to her at the kitchen counter.
The two of them had actually had a flour-fight the other day when Nikki was trying to bake an apple cake, ending up in both of them looking like old albinos.
The whole thing was utterly cute. She wondered when they would realise that they were both probably quite smitten with each other.
Then there was The Bloody King of Hell. God-damned-friggin-stuck-up-overpowered-defense-mechanism-Crowley.
Jenny was frustrated from the complete lack of success in contacting him. She was getting to a point where she was genuinely worried. The target on Crowley's back was not small, after all. She gave an utterly sad sigh and picked up her phone to send him yet another text.
-o-
Crowley
He was quite certain that he was going insane. She kept texting him, and it made him unable to keep his thoughts away from her. He was so close to caving. On a daily basis. And the way she had looked at him when he went to her to deliver the paper with Death's location.. It had been heart-breaking.
She had nailed it, though. She had immediately realised what was going on the second she entered the room and saw his face. He found it uncanny. The whole thing was uncanny. The whole thing was rubbish. Complete rubbish.
He was The Friggin King of Hell. This was below him.
But, bugger all, he missed her.
Bollocks. Bollocks.
He almost jumped when his phone vibrated. Her. Again. Why had he not just blocked her yet? Because he couldn't make himself do it, that's why. Rubbish.
With a heavy sigh, he unlocked his phone to read the text.
Crowley, please tell me just one thing, if nothing else. Are you alright? Are you alive? My train of thought has gone completely Monster-Truck on me, and I worry about you. I am going slightly insane, actually. So please.. Just let me know in one way or another.
Crowley growled in frustration as he held the phone an inch from his face. "BLOODY HELL, WOMAN! You are making me yell at my phone! You drive me insane! Who, in the name of Hades, worries about The King of Hell? I can't.. Oh, whatever. Fuck this!"
-o-
Jenny
She was pacing restlessly around her room with her phone in her hand, and she was pretty damned sure that she was going legitimately insane.
She didn't even have time to sense his presence before he was behind her, pulling her into his arms. Jenny sagged in relief, leaning back with her eyes closed.
Wait, what? Her feet were friggin cold! Opening her eyes, she realised why. She was standing in the middle of a beautiful, Christmas-decorated street. He had not yet let go of her, and she just leaned back again. "Crowley? You have no idea how happy I am that you are here, but I have no shoes, and there is snow and ice on the ground."
She could hear him chuckle in her ear, and in the next moment she was lifted bridal-style into the air. "Well, then, love. Let's acquire some for you then, shall we?"
Crowley was back. Her Crowley was back. She wanted to cry. Let's not do that, though, she thought. She put her arms around his neck instead, and gave him a warm smile. "Why? What? What changed?"
He gave her a dark look, but she could see the glitter of amusement when he rolled his eyes. "Well, someone just wouldn't stop pestering me."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "And that meant you had to come kidnap me?"
Crowley sighed, and his voice had a dark edge to it when he spoke. "Don't push it, love." He paused for a moment, and his voice was soft when he continued. "I couldn't convince myself to stay away any longer, now could I?"
His answer was more than she had ever hoped for, and she had no need to push the subject any further. Those words told her just about everything she needed to know. Although he had not answered her, he had read her texts, and needed to convince himself to stay away.
She was about to say something, but he silenced her with a sharp look. "And that, dearest, is the last we will speak of this. Now, let's see about those shoes, shall we?" He looked her over. "And perhaps a coat? I hear Paris is the height of fashion."
Jenny just smiled at him before leaning her head on his shoulder.
-o-
It ended up with her getting a whole new outfit, seeing how she had been wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. She was now feeling quite fancy, with dark grey jeans, a black top in silk with a glittery skull on it, black leather ankle boots, and an insanely expensive frock coat that she decided was the love of her life. She smiled nervously at Crowley. "I will pay you back for this."
He rolled his eyes. "And that will most certainly not be happening."
Jenny decided to pick her battles and let this one go. For now. So she linked her arm in Crowley's and gave him a beaming smile. "Not that I am complaining, but what exactly is it we are doing here?"
He smiled softly at her. "Whatever you wish, love."
"Can we look at the Christmas lights and decorations?"
-o-
Crowley
She was not the demanding sort, honestly. Quite the opposite, in fact. He was the solemn cause for her arriving in Paris-winter land wearing a t-shirt, but still he had to almost threaten her, just to get her to accept the clothes. And when she got to choose whatever she wanted to do in Paris? Look at the Christmas decorations. She wanted to look at the Christmas decorations. Although, seeing her awestruck expression, and the light in her eyes from something as simple as a brightly decorated Christmas tree, who was he to judge.
He inwardly sighed from the fact that he was here with her. And from the fact that he was so bloody delighted for it. He knew, he knew that this was the wrong thing to do. It was all wrong. And he was delighted.
"Oh! Look!"
She was shaking his arm and pointing, and he turned his eyes to what she was pointing at. Marvellous, he thought. The King of Hell will probably be going ice-skating.
He was indeed correct. A few minutes later he was The Friggin Ice-skating King of Hell.
Jenny gave him a beaming smile and clapped her hands as they entered the public ice-skating rink. "Oh my god, it's been ages since I have done this. Let's see if I still remember it."
Crowley was extremely thankful that this was one of the things he had been good at once upon a time. And that he still remembered how to skate. So did Jenny. She was actually quite impressive, and he stopped to watch her as she raced away from him. She did a big turn and headed his way again, and right before she reached him she spun around in a pirouette, coming to a dead stop right in front of him, making the ice fly around her. He smirked at her. "Consider me impressed."
She giggled. "I'm generally complete rubbish at sports, but ice-skating, inline skating and swimming is not too bad."
They spent almost an hour on the ice-skating rink. Jenny fell flat on her arse twice, causing fits of laughter and him having to help her up.
-o-
They were back in the Christmas decorated streets again, and it was getting dark. He looked at her. "Are you afraid of heights, love?"
She considered it for a moment. "Not really, no. As long as there is no immediate risk of falling horribly to my death, I don't mind."
He gave her an amused smile before pulling her close to him. "Close your eyes, my dear." He almost shook his head when she instantly closed her eyes. This trust she had in him was almost uncomfortable. Turning her around so she had her back towards him, he focused for a moment. The view changed, and, instead of letting go of her, he pulled her closer to him and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Alright, you can open them."
She was silent for a moment, and he was about to say something, but then he heard her voice, barely a whisper. "Oh my god."
"It's quite a sight, is it not?"
"It's..it's incredible."
Crowley had to agree. Seeing Paris at night from the Eiffel Tower was quite frankly incredible. And with the Christmas lights basically everywhere, the sight was amazing. "You wanted to see the Christmas lights, love. I figured this was an excellent way of doing it."
She didn't answer him, but took his hands, pulling him even closer to her before entangling her fingers in his.
-o-
After a long while, she spoke in a soft voice. "How long have we been standing here?"
He kissed the side of her head as he thought about it. "I have no idea, love."
She laughed softly. "I cannot feel my toes. I haven't even noticed."
Crowley chuckled. "Ah, silly humans and their frail bodies."
She turned her head and gave him a sharp look. "Insufferable demon."
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Watch your words, frail mortal, the ground is quite a distance away." She just turned away from him, but then he felt a small twinge of pain on his hand. The insufferable woman had just pinched him. "Stop pinching The King of Hell, dearest."
She giggled. "Yes, Your Majesty."
He rolled his eyes, even though she couldn't see it. "Try without the sarcasm, and we might have a good thing going here."
"Indeed. Next on the list is to achieve the perfect curtsy."
"I am looking forward to it, love." Remembering her comment regarding her toes, he sighed. "I believe it's time to leave. It is still night in the States." When she gave a disapproving sound, he smiled. "Humans still need sleep as far as my knowledge goes. And warm toes. Close your eyes, sweetheart." The next moment they were standing in her room, and Crowley almost sighed when he let her go.
She turned around to face him with a warm smile. "Thank you." Before he could answer her, she was hugging him, and he felt her place a kiss on his cheek as she let go. "I mean it. Thank you. Today was wonderful."
He took her hand and gently turned it around before lifting it to place a kiss in her palm. "Today was lovely. Sweet dreams, love."
The King of Hell left before he could do anything he would regret.