Perspective
The familiar rumble outside brought a crease to Adam's brow. He knew that engine anywhere. Some days, it was a blessing, other days it was a curse. Something in Adam never could deny the fact that either way it felt right. After all, he had Winchester blood in him, even if he barely knew John, and that made them his family.
He hadn't felt that way to begin with. He was insistent that his mom was his family and these two guys that he'd been thrown at were just some weirdos with gun fetishes. Then, of course, everything had been Hell. Literally. He remembered Zachariah toying with him, he remembered the screaming noise as Michael came down to take him, and he remembered watching, disjointed from his own mind, as Sam - Lucifer - Sam dragged them into that hole. He was terrified, and though for a short time he had Sam with him, soon his half brother was raised from perdition and he was left there, in agony, to rot with Lucifer and Michael.
But those days were gone. He had been cleansed of it, though the memories still lingered and the pain was still there, but he coped now. Sometimes he drank a bit, sometimes he called a whole day off just to lie in bed and hold a pillow over his head until the smell of blood and Hellfire went away, but most days he was okay.
Adam set down his pen, in the middle of the pages of his text book, closing the book on it for later. He knew why they were here. Something they called "family time" but something he thought was more of a duty visit. Adam didn't mind. He liked their stories, and he knew they were all he had left.
The knock at the door was what made him get out of his seat, flicking on the hallway light as he headed for the front door. It was late, maybe eleven, he hadn't checked, but he was pretty sure these guys never really did get the concept of normal sleeping patterns.
Pulling open the door, he was met with something familiar.
Dean was bloody, Sam was too, and both of them wore the smiles of men who had seen too much. Dean's hand was instantly on his shoulder, and Adam grimaced a little as he was yanked into a hug, blood transferring onto his shirt. Somehow, it seemed right, like he needed to be blood soaked to be within their presence, be it his own, theirs, or that of something they mauled.
Sam always offered a handshake first, and that always evolved into a hug. Sam didn't try to break his ribs with the hug, like Dean would, but they all knew Dean's hugs were furious while Sam's hugs were gentle, full of understanding.
He didn't know if he could ever quite grasp what a hug meant to a Winchester. He'd hugged plenty of people; friends, family, that one girl at that one party who had insisted she needed a hug and he was the only one around to give her it. These two, their hugs had a meaning, and Adam wasn't sure he would ever get used to the fact he had brothers who loved him.
Adam wiped his hands on his jeans as he led the way back into his apartment. Dean slumped into the couch, wincing at some unseen injury, and Sam settled beside him, the taller of the two sighing tiredly and resting back with a weariness to him that Adam had seen growing.
It had been a year since he'd gotten out, but every visit - twice a month like clockwork - proved Sam more and more weary, while it showed Dean more and more twisted.
Conversations were routine. How've you been? Fine. How's school? It's okay. You got yourself a girlfriend, yet? No, not yet. It was like they were fussy parents, and sometimes he wondered if that's what John and Mary Winchester would have been like with their boys, although then he wouldn't have been born and... well, maybe that would have been a good thing. Maybe then he wouldn't have seen the Cage and-- it was best not to over think it.
Letting them use the shower each, and change, that was routine too, and it was only after those tasks were done that he saw the people his brothers were. Gentle at heart, just toughened to be warriors, with odd senses of humour and the most ridiculous things to bicker about, but they were good men, and he was... perhaps a little proud to be a little bit Winchester.
The laughter came next, when stories were swapped and drinks came and friendly insults were flung around. It was these moments that Adam cherished most about his brothers. Sure, they were absent in his life most of the time, but he preferred it that way. They wouldn't ever really stop hunting, even Sam who got out a couple of times, and insisted he still wanted out. Adam wasn't stupid and he wasn't blind. He knew that his brothers needed each other.
He needed them too.
Some days he just called them to say hello, to make sure they were still alive.
Other days he wished he'd never met them, or his mom had never met John Winchester.
Most days, Adam loved his half brothers, and he knew one day he'd get a call from Sam - it would always be Sam who calls - and he'd know that he was one brother less that day, that Dean got killed on a hunt, and then Sam would get out again, Sam would quit, and run, and drink, and find a girl. Sam would be normal, and Sam would be alone.
Adam didn't want to think about that day, so instead he just smiled, laughed along with his brothers, and thanked God that they found a way to rescue him.
He had a new chance at life, new perspective, and brothers who were, sure, a little strange and distant, but with them out there he knew the world was going to be a safer place.
He hadn't felt that way to begin with. He was insistent that his mom was his family and these two guys that he'd been thrown at were just some weirdos with gun fetishes. Then, of course, everything had been Hell. Literally. He remembered Zachariah toying with him, he remembered the screaming noise as Michael came down to take him, and he remembered watching, disjointed from his own mind, as Sam - Lucifer - Sam dragged them into that hole. He was terrified, and though for a short time he had Sam with him, soon his half brother was raised from perdition and he was left there, in agony, to rot with Lucifer and Michael.
But those days were gone. He had been cleansed of it, though the memories still lingered and the pain was still there, but he coped now. Sometimes he drank a bit, sometimes he called a whole day off just to lie in bed and hold a pillow over his head until the smell of blood and Hellfire went away, but most days he was okay.
Adam set down his pen, in the middle of the pages of his text book, closing the book on it for later. He knew why they were here. Something they called "family time" but something he thought was more of a duty visit. Adam didn't mind. He liked their stories, and he knew they were all he had left.
The knock at the door was what made him get out of his seat, flicking on the hallway light as he headed for the front door. It was late, maybe eleven, he hadn't checked, but he was pretty sure these guys never really did get the concept of normal sleeping patterns.
Pulling open the door, he was met with something familiar.
Dean was bloody, Sam was too, and both of them wore the smiles of men who had seen too much. Dean's hand was instantly on his shoulder, and Adam grimaced a little as he was yanked into a hug, blood transferring onto his shirt. Somehow, it seemed right, like he needed to be blood soaked to be within their presence, be it his own, theirs, or that of something they mauled.
Sam always offered a handshake first, and that always evolved into a hug. Sam didn't try to break his ribs with the hug, like Dean would, but they all knew Dean's hugs were furious while Sam's hugs were gentle, full of understanding.
He didn't know if he could ever quite grasp what a hug meant to a Winchester. He'd hugged plenty of people; friends, family, that one girl at that one party who had insisted she needed a hug and he was the only one around to give her it. These two, their hugs had a meaning, and Adam wasn't sure he would ever get used to the fact he had brothers who loved him.
Adam wiped his hands on his jeans as he led the way back into his apartment. Dean slumped into the couch, wincing at some unseen injury, and Sam settled beside him, the taller of the two sighing tiredly and resting back with a weariness to him that Adam had seen growing.
It had been a year since he'd gotten out, but every visit - twice a month like clockwork - proved Sam more and more weary, while it showed Dean more and more twisted.
Conversations were routine. How've you been? Fine. How's school? It's okay. You got yourself a girlfriend, yet? No, not yet. It was like they were fussy parents, and sometimes he wondered if that's what John and Mary Winchester would have been like with their boys, although then he wouldn't have been born and... well, maybe that would have been a good thing. Maybe then he wouldn't have seen the Cage and-- it was best not to over think it.
Letting them use the shower each, and change, that was routine too, and it was only after those tasks were done that he saw the people his brothers were. Gentle at heart, just toughened to be warriors, with odd senses of humour and the most ridiculous things to bicker about, but they were good men, and he was... perhaps a little proud to be a little bit Winchester.
The laughter came next, when stories were swapped and drinks came and friendly insults were flung around. It was these moments that Adam cherished most about his brothers. Sure, they were absent in his life most of the time, but he preferred it that way. They wouldn't ever really stop hunting, even Sam who got out a couple of times, and insisted he still wanted out. Adam wasn't stupid and he wasn't blind. He knew that his brothers needed each other.
He needed them too.
Some days he just called them to say hello, to make sure they were still alive.
Other days he wished he'd never met them, or his mom had never met John Winchester.
Most days, Adam loved his half brothers, and he knew one day he'd get a call from Sam - it would always be Sam who calls - and he'd know that he was one brother less that day, that Dean got killed on a hunt, and then Sam would get out again, Sam would quit, and run, and drink, and find a girl. Sam would be normal, and Sam would be alone.
Adam didn't want to think about that day, so instead he just smiled, laughed along with his brothers, and thanked God that they found a way to rescue him.
He had a new chance at life, new perspective, and brothers who were, sure, a little strange and distant, but with them out there he knew the world was going to be a safer place.