moonshayde | SPN Fic: The Quiet Outsider (Dean/Jo)

Okay, so this isn't the Bobby fic or the next wing!fic I was supposed to be working on. But I'm working on those both. I'm bouncing between the two as I am indecisive. We'll see which one is finished first.

In the meantime, this is another story in my wing!verse, but for the Dean/Jo component. If they aren't your thing, you don't need it to understand the main gen plot.

Title: The Quiet Outsider
Season: Four
Category: Drama, Vignette, Dean/Jo
Spoilers: Set sometime in the second half of S4
Series: Playing the Angel - While Sam and Dean continue fighting to prevent the Apocalypse, Dean inexplicably manifests a pair of wings. The brothers must work together to figure out what is happening and reverse the act before the changes overtake Dean completely.
Summary: When Dean crashes at her apartment, Jo grows uneasy at the rising tension between the brothers.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 342
Rating: PG

A/N: Takes place sometime after Midnight Run. You don't really need to read it to understand this story. Master list for both the gen and het parts of the series is here.

Disclaimer: Supernatural and its characters are the property of Eric Kripke and co. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This is for entertainment purposes only; no financial profit has been gained from this story. This story is not mean to infringe upon the rights of the above-mentioned establishments.

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Dean had steamrolled into her apartment, moody and impossible, muttering something about Sam getting stronger. She had let him vent even when she had no clue what he was talking about. Whatever was happening, it sounded serious.

Not Sam, she had told Dean, trying to reassure him, even when deep down she had her own doubts. Two years later and Jo still couldn't shake what Sam had done to her when he had been possessed. She knew he hadn't been Sam - she knew this - but the pain and unease still remained.

Sam wasn't slipping now. He couldn't.

What was happening to the Winchester brothers?

Jo finished stirring the hot toddy she had made for Dean and turned to the couch. She sighed.

Dean was passed out. He had fallen asleep sitting sideways, his head resting against the top cushion, with one wing jammed between his body and the back cushions, while the other hung limp down his shoulder to his ankle. Watching him, Jo wondered how long he'd gone without sleep.

Quietly, she padded across the room and eased herself onto the seat next to him. The mug was warm in her hands, the steam from the hot tea beckoning her to fall into light slumber. But she fought the sensation, choosing to curl up beside Dean instead.

She rested her head on the top cushion and watched him for the longest time. In sleep, he looked peaceful. Many of the lines in his face smoothed out, and the burdens he seemed to carry were lifted.

Not for long. Despite sleep, his eyebrows kept twitching, and every so often the pinned wing would flutter, as if he was in distress. She wondered what he dreamed and when he would be willing to share them with her.

"What are we doing?" she asked him.

Of course, there was no reply.

Jo took a sip of the hot toddy and allowed the warm liquid to course through her body. She inched a little closer to Dean, and for the rest of the night, sat in silence as he slept.