Fic: "A Mouthful of Ashes", Supernatural, John, Sam/Dean

[darkhavens]

Author: darkhavens
Title: A Mouthful of Ashes
Fandom: Char/Pairing: Supernatural: John, Sam/Dean
Rating: PG-13
Words: 300
Concrit: Please. If you spot a typo or a grammar glitch, feel free to tell me in comments.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. No harm, no foul, no money made.
Summary: John finds out.
Warnings/squicks: Incest (off-screen)
Note1: Originally written for merihn's comment_fic prompt SPN, Sam/Dean, John always walked in. Edited to fit slashthedrabble's posting requirements, for challenge #204 "Over".
Note2: This spins off from havenward's earlier response to the same prompt, from where I shamelessly stole the succubus encounter and the idea of John using a 'charm'.


A Mouthful of Ashes

He's been fighting his suspicions since Sam tangled with that succubus, but they nibble away a little more of his denial every day.

Eventually, he gives in and pays a visit to a Voodoo priestess down in Charlestown, one whose work he trusts.

He leaves with a plain leather thong knotted loosely around his wrist and a promise writ in blood and paid for with the same. The closer his suspicions get to coming true, the tighter it will bind around his wrist.

He's always managed to get back to where he's stashed his boys before it's too tight to slip off with just little bit of effort.

#

Everything goes to hell when Jess dies.

He'd kept it as a reminder of his foolishness, his gullibility; a memorial to the rampant uncontrollability of teenage hormones. He's completely unprepared to wake one morning to find it lying snug around his wrist, no play left at all.

He stares for a while, uncomprehending, and then gets up to take a piss. Soon enough, his attention is caught up by the business at hand, and he almost forgets. Almost.

He's hot on the heels of the yellow-eyed son of a bitch when his left hand tingles and starts to go numb. The leather thong is cinching tighter with every breath he takes, cutting off circulation, sensation, and - if he doesn't act soon - his hand.

The skin of his wrist is bloody and raw, dotted with vicious little nicks and clumsy gouges by the time he finally digs the tip of his knife in deep enough to slice the damn thing off. It hits the floor and writhes for several long seconds; shrinking in on itself until it disappears.

Every nerve in his hand is suddenly aflame; he's choking on a mouthful of ashes.

Comments

[huntress69.livejournal.com]

John needs to get a grip and maybe if he looks hard enough he'll see the love that is there between his boys and relax about it. Oops. I forgot to say I liked it LOL.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

John doesn't want to see. He's happily in denial... until he isn't. *g*

[madeofsequins.livejournal.com]

gah, lovely.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[nevcolleil.livejournal.com]

Wow. What a clever and original idea. Nicely done :)

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

havenward deserves credit for the idea of John using 'a charm' to make sure he gets back every time before anything happens, but I picked it up and ran with it. :D

[adis723.livejournal.com]

Very interesting and smart. Liked it.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

(havenward deserves credit for the idea of John using 'a charm' to make sure he gets back every time before anything happens, but I picked it up and ran with it. :D)

[hunters-retreat.livejournal.com]

Wow... wonderfully dark story of John trying to come to terms with the boys relationship in a way that John doesn't have to actually come to terms with it... Love the way this is written :p

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

I can imagine him ignoring those nagging doubts for only so long before trying to find a way to make sure they didn't come true, without actually having to speak to the boys about something they hadn't done yet, but that he was sure they were going to do! *g*

[vampireotaku.livejournal.com]

That was a very...'john' way of making sure his boys don't get it on. Support their love!

This was great btw!

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

havenward deserves credit for the idea of John using 'a charm' to make sure he gets back every time before anything happens, but I picked it up and ran with it. :D

I think John is very good at denial, and also a man who knows his strengths. *g*

[outsideth3box.livejournal.com]

You're sucking me in with your evil, evil... suckness.

Not the ficlet, that was really beautiful. In a very dark, scary way.

I love your way with words.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

ROFL! Thank you!

So... are you ready to start watching? *bats eyelashes*

[skund.livejournal.com]

Awesome ficlet! Very in character and just... wow.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[aubergineautumn.livejournal.com]

Clever.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :D

A Mouthful of Ashes

[corenlee.livejournal.com]

Great fic! I rarely read short fics of any kind but I couldn't pass up a 'John finds out' story, and I'm so glad I didn't skip it :) You managed to get a lot of detail and intensity in so few words < patting you on the back >

Coren

Re: A Mouthful of Ashes

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

You managed to get a lot of detail and intensity in so few words

Intensity is exactly what I was aiming for. Thank you! :D

[willow-fae-20.livejournal.com]

Oh, John... Poor, silly, misguided John. This was very intense. Due in full, I think, to it's length. I liked it very much.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

I've been addicted to the drabble form for several years, but I'm trying to nudge my wordcounts up, bit by bit. Still, sometimes shorter is definitely better - one quick gut-punch is all it takes. ;)

Thank you!

[tabaqui]

Ah, John.
*pets him*
Nothing a man ever wants to really know. He would have been better off leaving it off altogether.
Good stuff, bay-bee.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks, darlin'!

John just couldn't let it go, y'know? He thought he could keep them apart, and then convinced himself it was just teenage hormones, and then... oops. Too late. :D

[iwrotethissong.livejournal.com]

I don't understand, where's the sam/dean?

[solar-cat.livejournal.com]

Off screen. ;)

[lerah99.livejournal.com]

Beautifully done! I love John being suspicious but not willing to talk to them and then having to face the truth and STILL not talking to them. So Very John! He is both a hero and a bastard.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

He is both a hero and a bastard.

So very true. *g*

Thank you!

[solar-cat.livejournal.com]

Oh, damn. That was some very fine John Winchester right there. Very, very him. I love that he keeps it as a reminder, but he forgets. Beautiful. <3

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I don't think it's that he forgets, so much as he convinces himself it was all just teenage hormones running out of control and that he'd been silly to even consider that his boys were... misbehaving. :D

[jameschick.livejournal.com]

This was lovely.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :D

[mangacat201.livejournal.com]

Great, he finds out without really finding out. Genius!!
Cat

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Eventually, he'd probably manage to convince himself it was all just bad voodoo. *g*

[seize.livejournal.com]

OH JOHN....

I like the idea of the bracelet, that's something he would do.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I loved the idea that he thought he could tie all his worries around his wrist so he wouldn't have to actually think about what they meant. *g*

[weesta.livejournal.com]

Ah...very interesting way to deal with John finding out about the boys. I love that it doesn't get to the point of cutting off circulation until after Jess' death.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I love that it doesn't get to the point of cutting off circulation until after Jess' death.

Ah, but that's because he always managed to get home in home. ;)

[skpo-writes.livejournal.com]

oooh, i love this idea! ...i wish this fic was longer! but it's amazing how you manage to make the process of john's realization feel long and gradual even in so few words. in short...*adoresyou*

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[scribed-n-blood.livejournal.com]

I wonder if John ever thinks about the fact that if it wasn't for the way he raised his boys in the first place that Sam and Dean probably wouldn't need to seek comforting solace from only each other. (ignore the runonsentence i mean well) :D

Nicely done, a joy to read.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Thinky thoughts are always welcome here. :D

[velvetine01.livejournal.com]

Hmm that was interesting. I like the idea of John getting suspicious enough to consult a Voodoo priestess.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[literati.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love this. You say so damn much without actually showing us anything. ♥

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Yesh! I make it all happen in your BRAIN! :D

fankoo *smooch*

[vinniebatman.livejournal.com]

Very nice. I could see John doing something like that. Nicely written.

~Alice~

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I can imagine him reacting in so many different ways to finding out that his boys are sharing more than brotherly love. This is my second 'John finds out' fic, and I'm pretty sure it's not my last. :D