【Ａｓｈｅｓ Ｔｏ Ａｓｈｅｓ】

-𝕊𝕡𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕡-

It had been an hour since (y/n), Bobby, and Dean were able to calm Sam down from the bombardment of hallucinations Lucifer forced him through, the warmth of the phoenix by his side slowly lulling his mind to settle while, at the same time, the pair of men offered distractions through research and discussion regarding their little Leviathan problem. When the devil would start up his brutal torment once things grew too quiet for his liking, all Sam had to do was grimace before (y/n) was up onto her feet to hum an old western tune. After all, it was hard to pay attention to Lucifer's ramblings when there was a whistling guard dog casually walking through his misted mirage. In fact, it would be not long after Dean takes it upon himself to make a supply run before Sam is finally granted a break from the torture and able to bask in the momentary stillness of the kitchen we sat within.

"Did you-" the younger brother clears his throat, the exhaustion he feels still present in the fragility of his voice when he turns to speak to the phoenix beside him, "Did you get that article I sent you?"

Humming in acknowledgment, warm (e/c) eyes focused on the muddled words across her screen, (y/n) clumsily clicks on a few black keys. "You sent it through-?"

"Email."

"Eeee-" the phoenix drags out the syllable, Sam unable to hide the amusement in his eyes at the way she almost frantically tries to hunt down the app before she can finish saying its name. "-mail..."

"Yeah." he pauses for a moment, peaking over her shoulder to watch her wildly navigate her chaotic groupings of open tabs. "That's the one that looks like a-"

Suddenly swatting him away in annoyance as if he were a hovering fly, the phoenix poorly covers her embarrassment with a scoff. "I know which one it is!"

"You just seemed a little confused-"

"Shut up and stay on your side." She shoves his hands away when he tries to find the email himself, drawing an imaginary line between them as he laughs. "I'm a big girl, I can figure it out."

"Alright, alright" Sam complies, teasingly raising his hands in the air as if in surrender when she throws a glare in his direction. "Just, let me know if you need help, okay?"

Waving him off once more, the man letting out a light chuckle in response, the phoenix continues her stubborn search for that little icon she knew Sam would undoubtedly find faster than she could even ask if given the chance. Thankfully, it doesn't take as long as she thought it would and she is soon plunged into a contemplative silence when met with the gruesome news story in her inbox. However, before she can collect the finer details of the report, too distracted with the task of offering another beer to Bobby when she notices his empty bottle, The front door to the cluttered home swings open. Dean is back, paper grocery bags crushed against his chest as he kicks the slab of wood shut behind him.

"Hey, there, gunga din-" Bobby greets casually, motioning to their little research group, "-buck up and listen."

"So, it looks like we got some bad news for a change." Sam is quick to take over for the older hunter when Dean motions for them to explain, shifting (y/n)'s laptop until both are able to scan over the article he had found. "Stockville, North Kansas. A majority of a high-school swim team were found mangled to death in their locker room."

"Cop-talk on the wire's kind of garbled" Bobby adds, standing from his spot to rummage through a pile of decomposing books on the shelf behind him. "But they're sayin' it looks like some kind of wild animal attack."

Dean walks over, resting his hands against the back frame of the chair (y/n) sat within to focus on the pictures of brutality she scrolled through. "They think that whatever murdered them must have been about the size of a linebacker."

"It's a lead, Dean" Sam offers quietly, eyes bright with hope for the first time in days when he stares up at his older brother.

Dean, however, is more than ready to argue. "Lead or not, you're not ready to go out on a hunt."

Although he had expected it, Sam can't help but feel a little disappointed when he hears the finality of his brother's words. Leaning back into his seat, arms crossed over his chest, the hunter finally concedes through a nod of his head. "You're right, I'm not...But you are."

"Sam-"

"Look, Bobby's running the hub, I'm 5150'd, which leaves you to follow this thing up." Sam swiftly interrupts, expertly presenting his argument before that familiar scowl can form itself onto Dean's face fully. "You can even take (y/n) with you if you think that you'll need a partner."

"(y/n) isn't going anywhere and neither am I. " Dean retorts, hands resting themselves against his hips as if emulating a scolding mother. "You're in the middle of a psychotic break."

"It's a couple hours' drive, Dean, and it could be a Leviathan thing!"

"I said no, Sammy. If you think I'm leaving you here alone-"

"What am I, chopped brains on toast?" Bobby growls out, the pair of squabbling boys swiftly shutting themselves up the moment the older hunter speaks. When he knows that he has their attention, he continues gruffly, "I can eyeball the kid. If you're that worried, leave (y/n) here and she'll help look after Sam."

"Bobby..."

"Go." There is an almost harsh finality to the demand, but Bobby is quick to soften his words around the edges when he notices the anxiety beginning to take over Dean's expression. "Work off some of those nerves on somethin' useful."

Unable to defy his father figure, trying desperately to suppress the nearly unbearable concern he had for his brother, Dean wrings his calloused hands together before begrudgingly nodding. It was obvious to the phoenix how much it pained the hunter to be sent away. In the few weeks that she had known him, there was one fact made clear to her the moment she met the Winchester brothers. Dean based his worth on his ability to care for the people that he loves and when it came to Sam, it was as if the hunter's sole purpose in life was keeping his little brother safe. She supposes they were similar in that way as it was a mindset she once shared. At least, before-

"(y/n)?"

Clearing her throat to rid her tongue of the sudden taste of soil and decay invading her senses, expertly shielding the tremble of her hands by shoving her nails deep into the grooves of her palms, (y/n) lifts her head to meet Dean's expectant gaze. She doesn't respond at first, too afraid that her words will be tainted by the fear coiling itself around her heart as if a serpent made of ice. However, when Dean silently motions towards the front door through the nod of his head, (y/n) finds that the confusion she feels distracts her from the panic, if only for a moment.

"Well?" he questions, furrowing his brow when she is still unable to catch on to his silent gestures

"Well, what?"

Opening the door, the hunter dramatically waves his hands through the frame, "You comin', Tweety?"