【Ａｓｈｅｓ Ｔｏ Ａｓｈｅｓ】

-𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝔹𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕞-

With her exhausted body slowly sinking down into the crushed velvet cushions of the moss-colored chair she sat within, the phoenix watches in peaceful silence as scattered streams of frigid rainwater begin to trickle down the length of Bobby's living room window. For longer than she cared to admit, her eyes dragged up and down to curiously study the shining trails of racing raindrops until her attention was caught by the faint figure of Dean in the distance. He was working beneath a carport, somewhat tirelessly, on the sleek black car that she had overheard him once fondly refer to as 'Baby'. Turning slightly to the side to take a peek over her shoulder, (y/n)'s gaze lands on the form of Bobby as he hunches over a pile of tattered leather books across his desk with a furrowed brow, barking out a warning to leave his junk alone to the youngest hunter who seemed to be loudly rummaging through cabinets in the room beside them. She was surrounded by human beings, hunters to be exact, and yet her thoughts were surprisingly calm. Before she can unpack what that may mean for her, however, the low clearing of a throat catches her focus.

"Hey, uh, (y/n)." Sam emerges from the hallway, grey flannel sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Turning to face the man, she offers a friendly smile that takes little to no effort to muster. Whether or not it was to simply mirror the kindness the hunter naturally exuded or a genuine response to his appearance, the phoenix couldn't be too sure and was frankly too afraid to continue questioning it.

"Hello, Sam." She replies softly, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I-uh-" He's hesitant to continue, momentarily lost in his thoughts as if recalling an uncomfortable memory, "I just wanted to check in, make sure you were doing alright."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I mean, when we first found you..." He furrows' his brows as he trails off, hazel eyes glancing towards her arms as if he was searching for something there, "You were covered in your own, you know, blood. Kind of looked like a scene from one of those Saw movies."

Chuckling lightly at the comparison, understanding now how grotesque the experience must have been for the pair of men despite being somewhat desensitized herself, the woman offers a small shrug of her shoulders in gentle reassurance. "I'm tougher than I look and I recover quickly. I'm all good."

"But...What about your wrists?"

As if on cue, the exposed flesh from her burns begins to ache, the sting of the wounds making their way up the entire length of her arm. She avoids his concerned observation, turning to face the window again with a frown. "My wrists are doing fine-"

"(y/n)." the hunter moves closer to the girl, his voice as soft as the drizzle of rain outside when he continues, "You're bleeding through your sleeves. If we're going to be on the same team, you gotta let us help you, alright?"

"I've taken care of myself for a long time now, Sam, you shouldn't be wasting your time worrying about me." She sighs, pulling anxiously at the blood-soaked hems of her shirt creating stained ringlets of crimson across her skin.

"It isn't wasted time if I can help someone, especially if it's someone I want to be friends with." His voice held such an unwavering sincerity that it was almost jarring to hear, his words piercing through the soft spot in the woman's heart that she had kept shielded beneath a layer of charcoal for what felt like decades. (y/n) couldn't believe it. In front of her was a human being who was willing to put aside their differences for the chance to befriend her. "So, what do you say?"

"I'd say..." She swallows down her anxiety, chuckling lightly to herself before finishing, "I'd be an asshole to refuse after you say something like that."

"Here, follow me." He is quick to gently usher her to stand and herds her into the kitchen once he receives the consent he had been after, "Sit here for a second while I go get some stuff"