Who: Sara Lance and Sam Winchester What: Talking Where: Sara’s house When: Wednesday evening Warnings: Not really Status: complete gdoc
Time was somewhat of a blur since Sara found Sam in the back alley near Verdant on Sunday evening, bleeding and battered. She hadn’t hesitated to take him home and patch him up, just like she had with his brother so long ago. The big difference was that once she’d had him back together, she told him that she loved him.
She still wasn’t sure why she’d said it. Before Sam left, they’d had a relatively casual relationship, though they had spent some holidays together. She cared about him, she knew that, but after two hospital stays and his disappearance, she came to realize the depth of those feelings. Having him back apparently meant she was unable to keep those feelings to herself.
The problem now was that Sara had no idea if Sam heard her declaration. Several days had passed and he hadn’t brought it up, so she was assuming he hadn’t since he was still staying with her until he felt strong enough to go back to his place. If he’d heard her and it freaked him out, there was no way he would have stuck around this long, she reasoned.
Now he was feeling well enough to go back to his house, so she was helping him load the Impala with the clothes and first aid supplies he’d accumulated over the past four days. “I think that’s everything,” she said.
***
“Well, you know. We better make sure, because it’s too far, and way too inconvenient to have to come back over here if I forget anything.” He gave her a look. Obviously it wasn’t a big deal at all, and honestly he expected he was still going to spend a good deal of time at Sara’s. Being at her place made him feel closer to his brother.
If he had heard what she’d said, he wasn’t ready to bring that up and have that conversation yet.
He was grateful for everything Sara had done for him over the past few days. He’d come back to town after being shot, after losing Dean both in Madison Valley and at home. She’d been infinitely patient with him, and had dug a bullet out of his leg. He was able to walk now, still with a slight limp, but minimal pain.
*** Sara chuckled. “I guess you have a point,” she said. It wasn’t like Madison Valley was all that big and he had the Impala now, so he wouldn’t have to walk on his bad leg. She kind of wished he’d stay with her a little longer to heal up more, especially since she was worried the kids would run him ragged, but it wasn’t really her place to say anything about it.
“Did you figure out what you’re doing about work yet?” she asked. That was another conversation they’d had just as he was about to slip into unconsciousness and she wasn’t sure if he remembered that one either. And it was a far safer topic to bring up.
***
Definitely a safer topic. Sam certainly wasn’t ready to talk about his deeper feelings for Sara. The weirdness of Valentine’s Day aside, he wasn’t ready to admit how he felt. Especially after losing Dean like he had.
“I thought I might have dreamed you offering me a job at Verdant.That wasn’t a dream, was it?” he arched a brow. He was definitely interested in that. Mixing business and pleasure might not be a good idea, really, but he wasn’t even sure he still had a job at Electric Lady. He probably wouldn’t keep him on staff, if he were the manager.
***
“No, it wasn’t a dream,” Sara said, feeling like they were treading on dangerous ground now. If he thought that was a dream, maybe he thought her other declaration was too. She was okay with him believing that. “If you want to come work at the club, there’s a place for you.”
They were doing a good business and if she had another solid, reliable bartender, it would free her up to spend more time doing behind the scenes work. She enjoyed working behind the bar, but it did make it difficult sometimes to keep up with her other duties. Thankfully, she had Bruce to manage most of the business side of things.
***
Sam zipped up the bag that held his things. “I think I’d like that. I’m on pretty good terms with the boss, after all,” he said with a grin. He had a feeling he’d like working with Sara, and hopefully he’d be reliable. Hopefully he wouldn’t be beaten half to death or sent away again any time soon.
“If you’re sure.” He’d give her the chance to retract the offer. She’d worked with both Eliot and Oliver when she’d been in a relationship with them. If she didn’t want to mix business and pleasure again, he would certainly understand.
***
The only way that mixing business and pleasure would backfire this time was if her feelings caused trouble. Sara was hoping that wouldn’t be the case though. She wasn’t really expecting Sam to feel the same way and she could push hers down and pretend they didn’t exist. It wouldn’t be the first time.
“I’m sure,” she said. “But not until at least next week. I want you in good shape first.” They’d had some very cautious and careful sex, but Sara wanted him back in fighting condition before he started working.
***
Sam wasn’t going to let a simple gunshot to the leg keep him down for long, but he’d agree to taking another week to recover. It had been a deep wound, after all. And he’d refused proper medical treatment. Sara had patched him up just fine.
“Fair enough,” he told her. “I’ll wait until next week. Start first thing Monday.” That was only a few days. And honestly, he needed work to distract him from thinking too much about his brother being dead and gone. Dean in both worlds, there probably wasn’t any hope of him returning to Madison Valley.
***
She certainly understood the idea of needing distractions. It was how she’d coped after losing both Dean and Sam.
“You sure you’re ready to go back to a house with two exuberant teenagers?” Sara asked, her expression mostly amused. Star was… interesting. She had no idea how Sam managed to live with her.
***
“No,” Sam shook his head. “But I know they’re ready to have me back.” And truthfully, as much as he enjoyed being with Sara, staying in the house Dean bought didn’t make him feel closer to Dean so much as it made him feel heartsick for his brother. Of course, he was pretty sure everything and anything was going to make him feel heartsick for his brother.
“I’m sure they’ll tone it down a bit for me.” Maybe. Probably not, really. “It’ll be good to be back in my own bed anyway. Not that I don’t enjoy being in yours…” he flashed a smile. He did very much enjoy being in Sara’s bed, no question about that.
***
“Well, if you ever want company in your bed, all you have to do is ask,” Sara said, giving him a smirk. Of course, the benefit to him coming to her place was that there were no teenagers there to potentially interrupt them.
It was hard being in this house sometimes and thinking about all the good memories she had with Dean so she didn’t blame Sam for wanting to go back to his own place.
***
“I just might take you up on that,” Sam told her. He would, within a few days, most likely. He could count on Adam to keep the kids busy if necessary. Besides, they knew not to bother him if his door was closed.
“We should get moving, though. They’re going to start to think I changed my mind.” He heaved his bag over his shoulder.
***
Sara reached over to take the bag from him. He didn’t need to be carrying anything right now when he was having enough trouble simply walking. “Let me know if you need anything,” she said as they headed out to the car.
Once she got his bag stowed in the backseat, she leaned up to give him a kiss. “I’m glad you’re back, Sam.”
***
He didn’t object to Sara taking the bag from him. He could have carried it, but he was just as happy to let her take it.
Sam nodded. He had mixed feelings about being back. He couldn’t say he was exactly happy to be back, but he wasn’t unhappy about it either. He was sad his brother was dead and gone, but that was, as far as he knew, true back home as well.
“I’m glad I’m here with you.” He figured that was true enough.
***
If there was a way for Sara to take away the pain he was feeling over losing Dean, she would do it. It was a pain she was all too familiar with having lost Laurel and she hated that it was something Sam was dealing with.
“Tell Adam if he doesn’t take good care of you, I’ll kick his ass,” she said. ***
“I’d like to see that anyway,” Sam said with a grin. He hobbled out to the car, and had something of a twinge of regret. Maybe he was leaving too soon. Maybe he should stay with Sara a little longer. There were so many ‘maybes’ that he could lose himself if he thought too much about all the possibilities.
“I’ll miss waking up next to you every morning,’ he said. It had only been a couple of mornings, but he’d gotten used to it all the same.
***
“Yeah, me too,” Sara said. “The irrational part of me says that if I don’t let you out of my sight, you won’t disappear on me again. Which is ridiculous, I know, because I was sitting at your bedside in the hospital when you got sent home.”
She wasn’t sure if he actually knew that, given that he’d been unconscious when Constantine found him and hadn’t regained it before she dozed off.
“But do me a favor and try not to end up in the hospital again, okay? I’m kind of over that.”
***
“You’re over it. How do you think I feel?” Sam gave her a look. He’d had enough of hospitals. He’d spent far too much time lately in the hospital. “So really, it’d be doing us both a favor not to end up there again.”
As long as his leg didn’t get infected, he didn’t see any reason he’d need to go to the hospital. He’d probably go to the clinic, eventually, and let his brother Adam take a look at his leg, but other than that, he’d avoid the hospital at all costs.
***
Hopefully, she’d done a good enough job stitching him up and cleaning his wound that he wouldn’t have any negative side effects. “Okay, fair enough,” she said. “I guess I’ll talk to you soon?”
Part of Sara didn’t want him to leave, but she knew that she couldn’t actually say that.
***
“Yeah. I’ll call or whatever, later,” He leaned in and kissed her quickly before getting into the car. He pulled the door shut and cranked the engine. “Thanks, Sara. For taking care of me.” And everything else, but he didn’t want it to sound final because it wasn’t. He’d see her soon.
***
“Anytime,” Sara said, stepping back from the car so that he could drive away.