Easy on You Now
"Has anyone ever taken it easy on you?"
That was Dean and it was accompanied by the sound of his footsteps as he entered the room, making Sam look up from the stack of books and open laptops that had taken over the library table. His older brother was following a very well worn woman, whose sweat soaked hair meant that the sparring session that she and Dean had every morning was officially over.
And she looked pissed.
She didn't have a scowl on her face, in fact to everyone else she would have seemed completely fine but Sam had seen that look in her eyes far more times than he cared to count, which means Dean said something to set her off.
"If I wanted easy, Winchester, I would have stayed home and binged watched netflix."
Standing, Sam didn't interfere with the exchange but he definitely was curious to what happened, especially when Dean reached out, wrapped a hand around her upper arm and spun her to face him.
"I meant," he paused as they locked eyes and Sam prepared himself for an all out fight, but Dean's voice only went softer. "What is going on that would make you take a chance like that?"
"Wait," Sam finally interjected, "what's going on?"
"Well, Ninja here thought it would be funny to try a move that usually would have her gutted if I didn't see it coming"
"Ali?" Sam watched her fist clench
"Listen," she snapped, "I'm not in the mood to talk about it. It all worked out, I just wanna take a shower." Sam stilled as her eyes landed on him. "I only get the weekends with the two of you, can we not make this into some sort of made-for-TV movie?" Neither man moved. "Good, I'm going to take a shower."
And with that, she shrugged out of his arms and headed off down the hall.
Sam cocked his head and Dean who only rubbed his forehead in frustration.
"There's something going on with her, Sammy, she hasn't been right since Havre."
"I know, but she's not going to talk unless she wants too."
"Yeah, well, she needs to, to hell with what she wants. That shifter did a number on her and she hasn't once let it go."
"Dean," Sam turned as his brother walked by, "don't push it."
"I'm not going to hurt our girl, I'm just going to go take a shower," Dean paused, "down the hall."
Sam shook his head as he moved back to the library, trying to get a handle on the monster of the week that they were hunting. The trail had gone quiet but he knew he was onto something.
It wasn't a half and hour later that he heard the hush whispers of voices that flowed from the hall behind him. They weren't arguing, but he was pretty sure something was up.
He made his way past a few of the unused rooms, following the sound of the voices, and stopped right before he hit his room. Ali didn't have her own, most of the time she shared Sam's except for fleeting hours when she and Dean needed to talk, which meant she was curled up against the older one in his room, but right now, Sam was looking into his own at the two people sitting on the bed.
Dean was shirtless, his hair damp from the shower, jeans on and sitting on the edge of the bed. Ali had apparently only made it into one of Sam's flannels, which looked like a dress on her and was straddling his thighs, but it was the concerned look on Dean's face, as his fingers touched Ali's cheeks and his thumbs brushed her lips, pushing her hair back. Sam could tell by the way she was breathing that she was trying to avoid the emotions that built up in her.
Sam leaned against the door, Dean's eyes flickered toward him but instantly went back to the woman on his lap and after a pause, whispered again.
"We're here, Sam and me, you get that right?"
"That's not the point, Dean."
"Yes, it really is. You can't hold this shit in, trust me, I've been doing this my whole life."
"I know, but Dean… It was Sam."
Sam, himself swallowed hard. She hadn't told him that, she had just said that the monster was dead and that she didn't want to talk about it.
"No, babe, Sam is here with us."
Ali shifted on his lap as if she were trying to get away. "I know that."
"No, you obviously don't!"
"Don't start lecturing me, Dean, or I swear I will walk out right now."
She wouldn't because Dean, and his hands, were keeping her grounded.
"See how far you get, Princess."
"Why him? Why Sam?"
"Because you love him, Ali, you're so damn in love with him that it's not funny, and it feeds on that, on the prospect of having to hurt the one you love most."
"If I love him," she paused, "why am I sitting on your lap?"
"Because you want me."
"Don't get cocky!"
"Well, that is a little hard to do with you so close."
"Dean…"
"No! No, Ali, I'm not letting you run away from this. You need Sam and we need you, it maybe some sort of screwed up poly whatever relationship but it works. It works."
Sam watched her lean forward, turn her head away from him and rest it on Dean's shoulder, her face buried against his neck, but it was the content look on Dean's face as he closed his eyes and held her that made him realize that this polyamorous relationship was actually just that. He had thought about it for a while, thinking it was weird that he was okay with Dean holding her, touching her, sleeping with her, but it was at that moment that he really came to terms with the fact that he wouldn't want it any other way.
"I should go see Sam." Her voice was muffled against his neck and Dean looked over at his brother.
"Nah, he's already here, no need to leave, besides, I'm still wet and you're keeping me warm."
"You should really dry off better."
"I figured that you were just going to get me dirty again, why not just skip a step."
"You think I'm going to fuck you silly?"
"The thought had crossed my mind."
"Oh, Dean, you have so much to learn."
"Teach me," and that was seductive, and made Sam stand up straight, wondering what she would do next. "Teach me just what you mean."
Ali sat back enough to look him in the eye before she turned and landed her eyes on Sam, who took in a deep breath. He never did tell them that it was okay to be together without him there, but he was always too curious on what they would do to voice it, so when she reached out a hand to him. Sam grinned and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him as his own touch ran along her arm.
He moved to stand behind her as Dean brushed the hair from her shoulders and Sam placed his own against the back of her neck. Ali leaned against him, closed her eyes and tilted her head back so Sam could place his lips on her forehead. He watched his brother hesitate, lick his lips and then glance up at Sam, who only smiled, before Dean popped that first button through on the flannel she was wearing.
"Don't worry about anything, Ali," Dean's voice was low and the woman under Sam's hands shivered, "we'll take it easy on you now."