The kiss was swept under the metaphorical rug, though not forgotten... Sam had... made a mistake . They were all only human and that was becoming all the more apparent with each waking day that they walked with air still in their lungs. Through desperation, the group attempted to maintain their usual dynamic. A flawed outlook. Things had become somewhat bumbling due to Sam's decision. Dean teetered on the edge of despair and rage. Chainsmoking was prevalent when he wasn't wrapped up in the action of a hunt or dealing with Castiel. Sam, on the other hand, befitted the perfect dictionary description of 'awkward'. His friendship with Allie shifted into a grey area of uncomfortable glances and fiddly physicality. Previously they had been comfortable with sharing emotional touches—- not anymore.
Allie resided in a state that moved between nostalgia and, regrettably, resentment. The past had been so much brighter. The blonde lamented on memories of their previous energy in comparison to the way the trio was changing. The blame may have been inappropriate but in her mind, it did fall upon Sam. The lack of empathy was… unusual. Allie was generally a rather outgoing and rambunctious person; she had a way of accepting all in a room and enabling them to feel open and understood. But demon blood? Her best friend getting his tongue all up in her mouth and then ditching?
She had come far with her fight against the facade that was worn around others. The battle against maintaining a rough and angry persona was long and tiring but she was making advancements. Yet now Allie was reverting back to seething in frustration rather than being honest with her true feelings - disappointment and desolation. Sam had pained her greatly with his choice. It pained her because her own feelings were becoming involved. It was getting harder and harder to toe the line with both of them. After nearly five years of knowing Dean, and four of Sam, the material of their connection was unraveling at the seams.
They had to quit fighting, that had become abundantly clear. The trio needed each other, everything else could fall by the wayside. Sure they had Bobby and Castiel as well but Allie didn't trust the angel as far as she could throw him. She was never quiet about her mistrust, maybe it was misplaced aggression. God had let her down a long time ago. Plus being pieces in the apocalypse? Not exactly on anyone's bucket list.
They had found a nearby author by the name of Carver Edlund. He wrote a series of books that had aptly been given the title of 'Supernatural'. The literature detailed the trio's lives down to the deepest depths. The series was factual and somewhat disturbing due to its accuracy. They stumbled upon the series of books while at a local geek shop. The trio had bought all of the editions before approaching the publisher to gain insight into the author and find him .
Chuck hadn't been what any of them expected if there even were expectations. He was a rather squirrely man, a drinker, and a bit impish. Chuck was perhaps a psychic; he noted that the books were written after he experienced intense dreams. Not the best explanation in the world but stranger things had occurred to them. Truly their whole lives were 'stranger things'. After obtaining the newest manuscript from Chuck and retreating the trio languished inside a random laundromat. These days the locations seemed to fade away. They moved so quickly that sometimes it was like they weren't living at all. It was a blur and not in a good way. Certainly not a 'waking up in Vegas' scenario. Dean and Allie were reading the Supernatural books while Sam did laundry; weirdly mundane considering the absolute fuck fest they had just stumbled upon.
Allie was uncharacteristically quiet while Dean went off on a comedic tangent regarding Chuck knowing about their lives. Paying attention to both him and the mind-bending literature was too hard. She opted to focus on the book. Brows furrowed upon getting to a rather...saucy passage. The awkwardness of it? She was the sauce. Not in terms of having sex. In terms of... how the brothers viewed her sometimes. One instance in particular. "Jesus Christ." She grimaced, lips moving wide to show teeth in a humorous manner. "This is... very in-depth." A strong blush tinted her cheeks and forced them pink and flushed.
Dean chuckled, glancing over at Allie's reaction. "Yeah well, it is a porn novel disguised as horror fiction." He teased lightly, trying to break the tension that had settled between them after their fight earlier in the day. They used to bicker all the time but lately, he had been more aware of that and had tried to curve it. Breakfast was a weakness. The damn woman was on his case about his cholesterol. Middle of a fuckin' apocalypse and Allie was worried about his levels. "Besides," he continued, flipping through the pages of the book, "I think you should be flattered they made you out to be such a hot commodity."
"Made me out to be?" Allie pretended to be pissed off. "How dare you insinuate that I'm not already the hottest of possible commodities? Ridiculous." They hadn't teased in such a childish way in a while. It was time for some catch-up. The moment distracted her and Allie turned the page while laughing but when her eyes eventually fell back on the page they widened significantly. "Oh god..." Listen— Being with two men meant constant tension. She wasn't stupid but outta sight outta mind. That sentiment could no longer be applied. "Dean!" Her jaw fell open but she continued to read.
"Wow. This is very visually descriptive." The book detailed a hunt from their second year together while they were searching for John. Right after Sam came home. Dean had a.. salacious dream about her. "A car wash? Seriously? Creative." It described her in a bikini washing Baby.
Dean's jaw twitched at the realization of being caught red-handed by no fault of his own. The only way out? Charm, charm, and more charm. He knew she'd eventually laugh if he tried to persuade her humorous side into making an appearance. "What? No way! I mean... well, yeah, you look hot as hell in a bikini but-" He stammered, trying to find the right words. "I mean, it was just a dream." His voice cracked slightly at the end and he quickly flipped through the pages, hoping to distract himself from the embarrassment that had suddenly engulfed him like a blanket on a cold night. He couldn't seem to get the charm out for this one. He found another passage where they were trapped together in an old abandoned house overnight while hunting a ghost. Simpler times.
"Shh! I'm reading!" Her hand gave a dismissive wave. It kind of read like fanfiction. She had read some in college about Smallville. Those were vastly different times but man— Tom Welling could still get it . The description of her was fucking dope. "Wow, Suds too." Allie totally forgot the boys were even in the room. She was deep in the tunnel. "This guy hypes me the fuck up." 'Carver' didn't just describe her as a hot blonde. He described her as a woman that could hold her own and didn't take bullshit… as well as being ridiculously hot.
Dean couldn't help but chuckle at Allie's reaction, his eyes still glued to the pages of the book. "Well, you are pretty badass." He agreed with a nod before looking up from the novel and meeting her gaze.
"And hot," he added as an afterthought, giving her one of his signature smirks that she had grown so accustomed to over their years together. It was nice to have this moment of levity amidst all the chaos they constantly found themselves in. A small break from the insanity.
His eyes drifted back down to the page, reading about another time when they were at Bobby's during a power outage.
Sam paused his filling of the dryer. They had been so tense lately. He couldn't help but feel partially responsible for their discord, knowing that his own actions had played a part. He couldn't get the kiss out of his head. Every time he looked at Allie he saw the way she had been trapped by his body, the sound of her moan. He knew that the demon blood was doing something to him but the coursing of power inside of him charged him forward. "Gotta keep the fans happy, I guess." Sam didn't have a lot to add to the conversation. He was too worried that his demon blood romps would line the new pages.
Dean glanced up at Sam, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Yeah, well, we're not exactly the most boring people to be around." He shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. "I mean, we've been through some shit together. It's bound to make for some good stories." An attempt to hide the effect the books had on him. They were fucking creepy.
Sam didn't respond. He was too busy being in his own head. His thoughts were clouded by guilt. Every time he looked at Allie he had to make sure her eyes weren't off the pages. Eye contact between them was now few and far between.
Allie had closed her own book. The thought of the innards being nearly three years prior was odd. They were different people now. When she read back to the beginning she sounded so... pained; In a different way. Back then her worst nightmares were Ryan. Laughable. They'd come a long way since then. Those memories were a drop in the sea compared to... new developments. "Okay. So we have the newest manuscript. We just need to avoid doing what it says, right?"
Carver Edlund, real name Chuck Shurley, had noted that the books were written due to visual dreams he often experienced. Maybe they had some 'wiggle room'. He was a drinker and perhaps a bit of a nut but his prior writings were accurate and that could only mean that the newest chapter was a futuristic path. Allie could only hope it would be one of many variations.
Sam looked up from his book, meeting Allie's gaze. "Yeah, I guess so." He agreed, trying to keep the mood light. "I mean, we can't let some hack writer dictate our lives." He chuckled, though it was forced. The books were too accurate for comfort.
Dean's eyes twinkled with mischief as he flipped through the pages of another book, coming across a particularly juicy portion. "Hey, Allie," he said, unable to resist teasing her. "Chuck put the zit in." graphical though not disproportionate. Chuck's description was dead on target about the time a massive pimple formed on her forehead while they dealt with a lucky rabbit's foot. Man, that day blew.
Sam snorted in response... "Dude." He glanced over at Allie before looking back down at the book in front of him. It was nice to have this moment with them all together., even if it wasn't under ideal circumstances. Sam had wondered about the misfortune that would enthrall him regarding his impulsive decision to lip-lock with Allie but thus far— no conversations. "Leave her alone about the zit. You know how she gets about it."
Dean grinned, unable to resist pushing it further. "Aw, come on, Allie. It's just a zit." He teased, knowing full well that she was sensitive about her appearance at times. "Besides, it adds character." As he flipped through the pages, he came across another passage that detailed a particularly intense hunt they had been on. Chuck managed to capture the adrenaline-fueled chaos of the fight with vivid descriptions and heart-pounding action. It was strange to reread it.
Allie shot the older man a defiant, glaring expression. "That's right, leave me alone— Mr. Birdshit Breakdown . Do we need a recap on that part of the day?" A challenge. Dean had no right to tease. The man had almost completely lost his mind over the Impala being covered in bird poop. The memory was clear as day behind her eyelids. The blonde chuckled a bit to herself.
Dean groaned at the memory of his Baby being covered in avian feces. "Don't bring that up!" He snarked, suddenly frustrated by the thought of what once was. No one hurt Baby; no one tarnished her. Fuck that rabbit's foot. Dean relented his teasing. "Okay, so we know what's happening today. We gotta not do what this shit says." One calloused hand held the newest manuscript in the air and gave the stapled stack of papers a light shake. "I'm goin' out for a cowboy killer." The older Winchester placed a Marlboro between his lips, barely held, and walked outside.
The newest manuscript noted that Sam slept with Lilith; not exactly child's play. Various other small events were laid out but try as they might the trio could not change the events, as though the words had been written in stone. The chapter noted that Allie wouldn't be around for the action and due to a deep desire to change their outcomes the brothers initially didn't let her out of their sights. That was at lunch. The chapter stated that Allie would get lost after becoming separated from Dean and Sam.
The books were fact, not fiction. It was long after Sam's rendezvous with Lilith when Allie finally saw the Impala in her view. She had been aimlessly walking for hours; the split up was frustratingly random. Dean had been hit by a car while she lagged behind; he drove off. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, they split up all the time.
But when she looked down her phone was dead and her wallet was still in Baby. Dean had just gotten a new burner phone. Remembering the number proved difficult. She had no choice but to walk. Maybe asking for help would have worked but Allie didn't see anyone while striding through the outskirts of the town in an effort to find their stupid motel room. Hitchhiking would have been a reckless option. "I won't leave your side, Allie. We can't get split up, Allie. I'm not taking my eyes off of you, Allie. " Alice spoke to herself in a deep voice while imitating Dean out of frustration, her hands moved expressively, reenacting the man's words and movements from earlier on in the day.
It was fucking cold out.
She didn't even know what time it was but Allie could only hope they had found a way around Sam sleeping with Lilith. Her mind wandered to the events that had led her here. She couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt for getting separated from Dean and Sam.
Sam was quiet as the classic car moved through town while the brothers attempted to find Allie. The proximity he had held with Lilith was seared into him; it burned at his subconscious and caused him to wallow within himself although he didn't do anything wrong. He had tricked her but still felt vile; the ghost of her sadistic flirtatious touches remained over his bootcut jeans.
Headlights flashed in a sort of morse code that the trio had established years beforehand. Allie ceased her strides and paused while the sleek black exterior of Baby rumbled over the gravel that littered the shoulder of the desolate road and as Allie approached she could see Sam's facial expression in the mirror—- one she had never witnessed before; their eyes connected for the first time in what felt like years though it had truly only been a few weeks and the blonde softened with compassion.
"I didn't sleep with Lilith." Sam finally noted, gritting his teeth at the look on Allie's face while she climbed into the back bench. "Dean brought Chuck and she hopped town —- Chuck's a prophet." Sam glanced down at his knees.
Dean didn't say much, he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts but his eyes flickered up to the rearview mirror and met with Allie's, unspoken reflection was exchanged between them.
Allie nodded, settling into the familiar leather. "It's okay, Sam." The blonde finally breathed out and for the first time in a while, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, a show of affection and understanding despite her frustration with him. Sam was still her family; they needed one another. "We'll get her."