Allo, allo! Dearest lovelies, you were so kind last chapter(s)! All those alerts and sweet reviews gosh! You honestly all just made my year!
Warnings: Um, sass? idek.
Disclaimer: manipulations of quotes, lyrics, and feels for context.
~8~
"So glad you could join us," the demon drawled. Sam had to give it to him, Dean could pull off a serious swagger – he strolled into the warehouse like he freaking owned the place. He couldn't resist a grin at his brother's audacity, and despite their fight earlier; there was no one in the world he'd rather see.
Dean completely ignored the demon. "You alright Sammy?" His eyes quickly catalogued the situation: four demons total and Sam in the thick of them. They'd had worse odds. Of course, those odds never included the threat of going Disney halfway through a fight. Still.
Sam rolled his eyes and sighed, "Yes Dean, but really you shouldn't have–"
The demon cut him off, eyes glued to Dean. "Loved your entrance. Very *Tarantino."
Sam did a double take. Was he, was he flirting?
Dean didn't miss a beat. Smirking, he cocked his head, "how are you with death scenes?"
Yes, definitely flirting.
The demon's grin only grew. He leaned forward and winked. "Oh very *McTiernan."
Dean rolled his eyes. "Right, so *Stephen Sondheim and Minions, here's how this goes. Either you release my brother or die."
The demon looked condescendingly disappointed. "Come now Dean, is that really necessary?"
Dean shrugged. "You know, you're right. I'm gonna gank you anyway. So the real question is how you wanna play this: hard or really hard?"
"Isn't that what you should be asking that angel friend of yours? Or is he too busy abandoning you?" Dean's hands clenched into impossibly tight fists at his side, then suddenly released, like it was nothing. Sam frowned, the noticed the telltale twitch that meant Dean was trying so very hard to act like nothing was wrong. He should be able to tell by now considering Dean had looked like that for the last few weeks. Well, months if he thought about it. The demon continued, smiling through razor sharp pearly whites, "You know, that seems to be a bit of a pattern when it comes to you and your relationships." He was basically puting a stick dripping in kerosene into a wildfire and he knew it.
Dean glowered. Sam swore he heard a growl emanating from Dean's chest. "Fine you wanna deal? Here's your deal. I can't kill you, I take his place and you and I skip down the bloody red road and shack up in Hellsville."
The demon took a moment, as if actually considering Dean's offer, rolling it around on his tongue before flinging his counter back at Dean. "And if I kill you?"
"Then that's your consolation prize, so Sammy walks out scot-free. Nothing changes." Dean's face remained sickeningly blank. Sam's heart constricted at the sight.
The demon leaned back on his heels and crossed his arms. "Well, ain't that a ray of sunshine."
Dean didn't even blink. "That's life."
The beginnings of a cat-that-ate-an-entire-cage-of-canaries smile slowly crawled across the demon's lips. "Come now, is that all life is to you? Is that really what you feel?"
And Dean felt it all right, that beginning, that inability to stop the words bubbling in his chest rising to a boil and spilling over his lips.
(You thought there were surprises in the Book of Revelations?
Them revelations got nothing on these babies.
Warnings: angst, angst, ANGST, and… fluff?)
Life's a show and well all play our parts,
And when the music starts,
We open up our hearts.
Dean strolled further into the room, seemingly oblivious to the demon's minions steadily forming a loose ring around him. But Sam knew better. Dean was drawing them out and away from Sam. Maybe everything would be ok, if he could somehow move, but the demon's mojo held fast, and made it impossible for Sam to even twitch a pinky. Dean was on his own. Again.
It's alright if something comes up wrong
We'll sing a happy song,
And you can sing along.
Dean shucked his jacket off his shoulders and into the face of an oncoming demon, punched it once, twice, then kicked it so hard in the stomach that when it fell it slid several feet across the floor.
Where there's life, there's hope,
Every day's a gift,
Another minion rushed him. Ripping an iron chain off its hook, Dean practically lassoed it around the minion's throat and yanked it towards him. Choking, the thing could barely register anything as Dean wrapped the rest of the chain around its body and kicked it over to the other minion. Two down, one to go.
Wishes can come true,
Whistle while you work,
The last minion looked from Dean to its master then back before smoking out of its body. Sam didn't blame it.
So hard, all day ––
At that moment, the door would have been thrown open once again had it not already been off its hinges, and Cas, Bobby, Gabriel, and Crowley stormed in. (Well, Crowley sort of wandered but, anyway.) Dean seemed to be at war with himself for a second before once again lyrics found their way between his lips.
To be like other guys,
And fit in, in this goddamn world's eyes
He glared at the demon, who had the nerve to tip his hat.
Don't give me songs. Dean pointed threateningly at demon, don't give me songs.
He spread his arms out in the quintessential Dean Winchester "come get me" gesture, and despite the situation, Sam rolled his eyes.
Give me something to sing about! He thumped his chest twice then pointed at the demon again. I need something to sing about!
Unconsciously, Dean drew nearer and nearer the demon, completely enthralled despite all the fight he was putting up.
Life's a song you don't get to rehearse,
And every single verse,
Can make it that much worse.
Almost face-to-face with the demon now, Sam realised Dean had put himself between the demon and everyone else, including Sam himself.
Singing his next lines, Dean gestured outward vaguely toward the rest of Team Free Will.
Still these guys don't know why I ignore,
The million things or more,
I should be dancing for.
He sang as though his words were about the weather or needing petrol or tying one's shoelace. It was vaguely terrifying and Sam had to actively try to stop wincing after every verse.
All the joy? Life ends.
Family and friends,
All the twists and bends,
Knowing that it ends,
Well that depends ––
On if they let you go,
On if they know enough to know,
That when you vow,
You leave the crowd.
Dean looked like he was about to stop and suddenly Sam had hope that he could overpower this, if he could only–
That was until the demon slowly flicked his fingers at Dean, as if somehow coaxing the lyrics from him. Dean was at his mercy. He stared at nothing, or perhaps everything, as the words wormed their way through his lips.
There was only pain,
Fear and doubt,
Till he pulled me out,
Of Hell.
Sam winced. He should have known. He looked to Gabriel but he wouldn't meet his eyes. Crowley watched on with morbid fascination. Strangely Sam wasn't surprised to see the lone tear slowly falling down Bobby's cheek and disappearing into his beard.
Castiel watched on in silent vigil, still and stoic. The image added another crack to Sam's heart.
So that's my refrain,
I still live this Hell,
Coz I've been expelled,
From what's deserved.
Dean shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.
The last was murmured almost to himself yet it still seemed to paint itself on the walls and shout itself from the rooftops in the deathly silence that followed.
I know it was deserved.
Shaking himself, anger once again at war with utter anguish on his face, Dean next words were hoarse and directed at the demon, who merely stood there with a small self-satisfied smile on his face.
So give me something to sing about!
Please, I need something ––
Dean broke off and, almost robotically, his head snapped up and he began to dance. Chaotic and uneven, his movements were more like uncontrollable spasms then dancing. It was then as he began to turn on the spot and sweat slid like rain from Dean's forehead. The room seemed to freeze and the others could only watch on with bodies congealed in frozen horror as smoke rose from his jacket.
Dean was burning and there was nothing they could do.
He was going to die.
Again.
Castiel shot forward, somehow breaking away from the demon's hypnotic and immobilizing mojo. Latching onto the blurred tornado that was Dean, his hand found its mark on Dean's shoulder and his other wrapped around the back of Dean's neck, ensuring the hunter be looking nowhere else except the two huge oceans staring back at him. Castiel's deep voice soothed the frenzy and the smoke seemed to dissipate as quickly as it had come.
Life's not a song,
Life isn't bliss; life is just this,
It's living.
Castiel pulled their bodies closer, chests and hips touching, lips barely breaths apart.
You'll get along,
The pain that you feel, only can heal,
By living,
You have to go on living,
Cas rested their foreheads together. Both shut their eyes as they breathed the other in, the closeness, the safety, the beatings of their hearts finding the rhythm of the other's and finally coming home.
So together we'll be living.
It… was truly something to behold. A falling angel and the righteous man. They couldn't have been closer if they opened their ribcages and merged their hearts. It was so, dare it be said of a Winchester, but it was strangely beautiful. So breathtaking in amongst the anarchy of the situation, an eye of a storm, that everyone else quite forgot about the demon.
Well, until he started clapping.
There were are my lovelies! Another one bites the dust! Only one more to go I think. Well, that would be were the episode ends, in one more chapter, but I think just because I love you all so much I'll think up an epilogue and wrap this baby like christmas! Au revoir till next time! xx
*If you don't know who Quentin Tarantino is then dishonour on you, your family, and your cow!
*John McTiernan directed "Die Hard" guys, come on!
*Stephen Sondheim (if you don't know then SHAME on you) is an American composer and lyricist, best known for his amazing musicals "Company", "Sweeney Todd", and "Into the Woods". He also did lyrics for "West Side Story".