The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.
Hunter's Moon
Chapter 14
Love Along the Way
There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there.
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields –
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is always green,
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been.
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!
There is Another Sky by Emily Dickinson 1830-1886
It was early morning and bright sun bounced cheerfully through the window, an obvious liar as the air was cold and sharp. Winter was seeping down from the northern lands and mornings gave a warning of colder days to come.
Dean rolled on to his back and stretched. He flinched as his fist touched another body and he raised his head to stare.
Who the hell did he bring home last night? And why were they still here? He never let them stay for fear of morning questions and demands. "Do you want to do it again? Do you remember my name? Do you think you love me? " All questions for which he had no answers. Fear clenched his stomach muscles. Should he run away?
Then he recognized the hair and the wide shoulders that said this was no woman. Hell, it was his brother. No questions here. The memory of the cat came back. He had curled into its breast, rubbing against the soft, warm fur.
Sam also rolled over. Now he could see his brother's face, relaxed in sleep but starting to yawn and Sam's nose began to twitch. Dean smiled, the memory of a thousand mornings watching his brother wake came back to him and stilled his fears. No need to run away.
Sam's eyes came open and focused on this brother. He yawned. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
Dean realized that, yes, he had slept well. They both had. No nightmares, no wandering in the dark, no dreams of demons or failure or fear. All there had been was deep, dark, silent sleep; the very best kind of night for them.
He smiled back at Sam "Yes, and you?" He reached over and combed Sam's long chestnut hair out of his eyes and laid his head against his brother's breast. Again he felt warm, and loved and safe. His eyelids began to close and he thought how nice it would be to sleep again.
Sam rolled even closer and slipped his arm under Dean's head looking for a more comfortable position. He used his free hand to rub Dean's back. Now they both were happy and clinging together in the early morning chill. Sam reached down and pulled the comforter up over their shoulders, a warm huddle of flesh. There was no urgent need to move so they settled peacefully together.
Later Dean woke again, and stared into his brother's face. No need to hide or flee. He was nestled in his brother's arms. This time, however, there was something else going on. They both had morning wood and Dean was shocked to find he liked the sensation of rubbing against his brother's erection. Checking to make sure Sam was still asleep Dean rubbed a little more.
Sam huffed, "Dean, what are you doing?" He didn't even open his eyes.
Dean froze and went to pull away. Sam tightened his grip. "Didn't say you could leave."
"Let me go, Sam."
Sam finally opened his eyes and smiled then rubbed against Dean's erection with his own again. "Are you sure? It's awfully cold out there. It's nice and warm under here."
"I gotta hit the bathroom. Let me go."
Dean looked into Sam's smiling face. God, his brother was almost beautiful. If Dean wanted a guy, his brother would be at the top of the list. For just a moment he wanted to run his hands all over that golden flesh. Then he shivered and pulled away. This wasn't part of the big brother handbook.
XXXXX
They pulled out of Calgary right after breakfast, running before the cold front that was moving south towards the border. Dean decided to go east through Saskatchewan, turn south at Weyburn and then dive over the border into North Dakota soon as possible. The Mid West was no place to get caught by snow. The wide open spaces were a lovely concept but the wide empty spaces and snow up to your ass were a bad combination. The Impala was no snowmobile.
They had thought about checking in at Sioux Falls and seeing how Jody and Chuck Elbert were doing but the need to get further south of the impending front took precedence and limited the "checking in" to a phone call.
Listening to Jody go on about how great it was to have Chuck's help and companionship, Dean once again felt that he had made a good call. Chuck had already hauled his trailer into place on Bobby's lot and the land was being cleared by the junk dealers Jody had found. Comfortable with the progress on the Paintball project Dean promised to drive into Sioux Falls at least by spring, but everyone agreed that running away from the oncoming storm was a wise move.
The drive from Calgary to West Lafayette, Indiana was over seventeen hundred miles. If they drove in shifts and made only minimal food, rest and gas stops they could drive it in 30 to 35 hours. Rest stops could stretch that out to 40 hours if they slept. The Hunter's Moon Festival this year was the first week in October and Dean wanted to get there and have plenty of time to look up some of Dad's old contacts.
Other than Jody and Garth, the Winchesters had pretty much had lost all ties with the hunting community. The brothers were now considered either legends or something to hunt and Dean felt the urge to rebuild a network of people they could depend on to help in time of need. It might not be possible to reconnect with these people but Dean was willing to try. He hoped the tradition of a no-kill zone at the Festival was still in force.
If it wasn't then he was throwing himself and his brother into the fire.
The trip to the border was almost 600 miles and would take 10 to 12 hours. Sam offered to take the first shift and even with the thought of driving through the night hanging over him, Dean could not sleep. He sat and watched the passing landscape and his brother.
Sam was the one person in the world that Dean felt he really didn't need to defend himself against. They had their problems but kept coming back to each other, two souls bound together, in perpetual orbit. Sam could be considered the center of Dean's world. Dean wondered if he was Sam's center and if, in spite of all his efforts to leave, that was why Sam kept coming back to him.
XXXXXXX
Swimming up from the depths he could see the rippling light of the moon reflected above him on the face of the water. Reaching desperately for air he touched the surface and the moon seemed within reach, just an arm's length away. His hands touched the warmth and he breathed. He felt strong arms enfold him and safe harbor arrived.
"Dean, are you alright?" He heard Sam's voice and it meant everything to him. His brother stoked his hair; fingers touched his lips and outlined his face.
"It's alright. You're safe. Come back to me." Sam's voice promised everything he had ever wanted.
They sank together, body, mind and soul matched and melded. No longer afraid, here was warmth and love.
Sam rocked him slowly, murmuring words of comfort; a humming in his mind of a song long looked for but seemingly lost in time. "Hey Jude, don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better."
Their lips locked together and he breathed his brother's air. No longer alone, shut out in the dark, no monsters here, only each other. Safe in their bed, hands roaming everywhere. No separation, flesh to flesh, just one heartbeat, synchronized.
XXXXXXX
After crossing the border, Dean had taken over the driving and they had crossed North Dakota in the dark. Another 500 miles and 10 hours later the lines on the blacktop had begun to double and slide. After 22 hours in the car, they were more than half way to Indiana and the need for sleep was overwhelming. Dean stopped at a small motel outside of Fargo and they got a room. Shower warmed flesh had piled into bed and they slept, interrupted only by Dean's dream of drowning.
Now Dean studied his brother as they ate breakfast in the little diner. He remembered what they had done in the dark and suddenly he let go of his doubts. He loved his brother, so what? This was real, no magic 'gifts' no hiding behind a Supernatural persona, he simply loved his brother and wanted to sink into that safe, warm flesh again and again, ensorcelled by his brother's eyes.
No more skanky woman and meaningless sex, now he wanted more. He wanted the promise of forever, the dream of belonging, a world in his brother's eyes. They could be one, unshaken. A unit forged in fire and blood and fear. The only sure safety in this world was their bond. Dean was content and he knew deep in his bones that Sam was too.
They left the diner in lock step and Sam reached over and held the door as Dean passed through. Dean could feel the eyes on their backs, hostile, judging and cruel. They were an obvious pair, a couple in tune with each other, their bond apparent to all who cared to look.
Out in the lot they circled the car. "My turn to drive, I think." Sam said, smiling into his brother's eyes. He took Dean's face between his hands and kissed him in the early morning light.
"Freaking homos!" a voice cut through the cold air. "Keep it off the streets. There's children here, you perverts." A man stood with his hand on the handle of a car parked a few spaces down; his features twisted in hate. Dean looked at him and wondered if it was all hate. Maybe there was just a touch of jealousy there. A longing after what he could never have, as if not only himself but God too, denied him.
Sam shrugged and got into the driver's seat. Dean walked around to the passenger side.
"Keep it to yourself, man." Dean said. "No one asked for your opinion and last I checked even North Dakota was still free."
"Not for your kind; freedom is for men, not freaks." The man made a little run at Dean. It was not even a believable threat but Dean felt Sam coming forward.
"Not now, Sam." Dean put out a hand to stop his brother. "Leave the cat at home. I'm pretty sure this guy is all hot air. No need to scare the crap out of him"
Dean turned and smiled at the still advancing man.
The stranger was eyeing Sam, all 6'4" of him and weighing his chances. "Just get out of here." he shouted. "Your kind is not welcome in a God fearing town with decent people. Stay away from our kids."
"Boy, that just winds it up all in one big ball of spite." Sam glanced at Dean. "Come on; let me eat his heart, if I can find it."
Dean laughed and pushed Sam back. "No heart eating, no terrifying the natives. Get in the car, It's still a long way to Indiana."