SPN fic - In the Bleak Midwinter - PG13 - Dean & John

[eloise_bright]

It's been a while since I updated. RL has been horribly hectic, and I'm so glad to be off on holiday for a couple of weeks. I've been around on LJ, but not as regularly, so I feel like I've been out of the loop.

I did manage to see A Very Supernatural Christmas, which I adored, and I've been reading the Supernatural Offical Companion avidly. I

Comments

[kattahj]

Aw. So Winchester-y, messed up and touching at the same time.

[eloise_bright]

Thanks. They care for each other so deeply, but they have no way of expressing it.

[eloise_bright]

Thanks! I'm glad I managed to get the sweaty, sultry heat of Florida into your Glasgow office. *g* Oh, John loves those boys, but he's just so stubborn. And pig-headed. And misses Sammy so much.

*Belated Christmas hugs*

[ladymirth]

My heart broke a little, and I did feel angry at John's parenting methods until I remembered that they were also my own Dad's parenting methods and while I still think they were stupid, he was still a great Dad. I think that's just a tribute to the realism of your portrayal.

I just feel so sorry for Dean. He's a better son, a better man than anybody gives him credit for, least of all himself. For that, I DO blame John Winchester.

I love how completely human and well-rounded your portrayal of John is, at a time when fandom is either hell-bent on completely vilifying him or exonerating him. Also, I was rather thrown by the seriousness of this piece, as I am accustomed to reading lovely loads of fluff from you. But it seems you do serious just as well too.

The exchange at the end was wonderful and felt like a healing balm to all the hurt that had come before. For the record though, I believe that Sam's first Christmas away is not nearly as happy as Dean thinks it to be.

Excellence once again!

[eloise_bright]

Thanks. I do feel at the moment you either have to write John as a saint, who coddled the boys and gave them cookies and kisses, or as a complete asshole, who abandoned them constantly and treated them abusively.

Having read JDM's thoughts on how he played John, I'm happy to write his as human; a man with flaws, a man who made some big mistakes, a man who let his kids down; but a man who loved his sons unconditionally, desperately.

I laughed at the idea of me only writing fluff - I'd say at least three quarters of my stuff is horrible angst - the gentle fluff is my more recent fic. *g*

Dean has to believe that Sam is happy. It's probably the only thing holding him together at this point.

[gwendolyngrace]

Nicely done. I love Dean calling John a drama queen, because YES, I've always thought that the reason he and Sam butt heads isn't because they're so different, it's because they're THE SAME.

I keep going back and forth on whether John smokes--canonically we've never seen him and we know neither of the boys do. So I love the compromise idea that he only smokes when he's had a really crappy hunt, and that he hides it from the kids, even after Dean's also an adult.

LOVED the banter! I have been playing a lot lately with the differences between Dean's reactions to John's gruffness and Sam's and how the personalities meshing or clashing is what brings about either an easy equality or an escalation. It's a fun examination - those Winchesters and their ISSUES. Heh.

And Yay, they're going back across country to check on Sam. Oh, boys. You all love each other so much. Sniffle.

Merry Christmas!

[eloise_bright]

Thanks. John is so like Sam - they both have quick tempers and can overreact. That is indeed why they butt heads so often.

I have no idea whether John smokes, but I know JDM does, and I had this image of John outside in the still night air, cigarette in his shaking hand. I know a few guys who only smoke when they're stressed, so this worked quite well for me.

I think Dean is the peacemaker, he's spent years on the fence between Sam and John, and now without Sam, he's still in the same role, kidding around with John to try and defuse any tension. Sam, on the other hand, tends to push John, exacerbating the situation.

[hucknclem]

Awwww, you made me tear up! I loved this, sweetie. You do such a great job with John and Dean's relationship; as friendly and in sync as they can be at times, there are some places they just won't go. And John doping Dean so he can get a little private time? LOL. He should be a little sheepish. :) Nice to see him come around on his own terms. Wonderful fic; hope you have a Merry Christmas! :)

[eloise_bright]

Thanks. I loved the idea of John needing some time to recover from seeing Dean all strung up and bleeding, and poor Dean just wanting to see his wee brother.

Hope you had a good Christmas - sorry I haven't been around lately.