Fic: Baby Coils (Part 1 of Coils of Love)

[majestic_duxk]

Title: Coils of Love
Part 1: Baby Coils
Pairing: Sam Winchester/Dean Winchester
Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, John Winchester
Rating: T
wordcount: ~2700
Tags/Warnings: wincest, hunting au, cuddles, crack, snake bondage, case fic, were!snake, this is not John positive,
Summary: Stubborn to the core, Sam pushes to come hunting. Unfortunately it doesn’t go well: on his first hunt Sam is injured,
(based on a kinkmeme prompt)
a/n: I have to thank seafoxfire for the cheerleading and the gorgeous art to inspire me, and whitmerule, for reading through, as well as dreamsfromthebunker and deadmockingbirds - you all and making this so much better. All mistakes are my own. I don’t own the characters.

~o~

“You boys keep to the…” John stared at the two. He wondered if he could handle the hunt himself. At sixteen Dean was strong and wiry, had proved himself in the field. Sam on the other hand…

“Ow!”

Dean snatched the knife from his brothers’ hands, quickly moving Sam’s bleeding finger to his mouth and sucking. From somewhere a Band-Aid appeared.

“They’re not toys, doofus. Dad – can’t Sam stay-“

“No! I’m not staying home! Not this time. You promised, Dad! And if you go, and if you leave me home, I’ll… I’ll…” Sam looked around, and seeing nothing helpful got a mulish expression on his face. “I’ll follow you.”

“Sam…” Jesus Christ the kid was a stubborn nightmare! John really didn’t know what to say. Sam was so different to biddable, obedient Dean. He really didn’t want an angry twelve year old running around doing God knows what. Damage control was his best bet. If he sent them out together, at least Dean would keep an eye on his younger brother. John figured he could probably do this one alone… all signs pointed to a wraith, and it wasn’t like he hadn’t done those hunts solo. If he sent them to the south side… John’s fingers drummed on his hip. The monster was unlikely to go south, and if worst came to worst, he was pretty sure Dean had dealt with a wraith before.

“Boys, I need you to watch the south. All the signs point to a wraith, and Dean, you’ve dealt with one before?”

Dean nodded jerkily.

“Make sure you have your knives,” John eyeballed Sam. “Anddon’t play with it. It’s not a toy-“

“I know that, Dad!”

“Sam.” John put the full force of his authority into his voice. Dean straightened up immediately, and even Sam jerked. “When we’re out there, I’m in command. You do what I say. You don’t argue. You don’t talk back. You just do it. Lives depend on this. Civilian lives.”

Sam nodded seriously, and sighing John loaded them all into the car. He was probably worrying for nothing.

~o~

“De-De-Dean?”

“Shush, Sammy. I just need to clean this.”

When dad was wrong, he was very wrong. Now that he thought about it, why would a wraith be hanging out in a swamp? Was Sam looking paler? Fuck! What sort of snake was it?

“Hurts.”

He’d killed the snake that bit Sam. It’d come out of nowhere, and obviously realising who was weaker, headed straight to Sam. And Sam had made him proud. He’d stood his ground, slashing at the giant beast, even remembering to try to target its softer belly. It still got under his guard, biting him. Which is of course when Dean got there, hacking at it until it lay dead on the ground.

It would be forever Dean’s shame that he hadn’t stopped it. But he couldn’t think about it now. He had to save Sam. He had to help his little brother.
“Hurts.”

“You’re good, Sammy. You’re doing so good.”

“I… Dean?”

Sam was doing his best to be brave, but Dean could hear the tears in his voice. And he was about to hurt his brother more. Muttering a short prayer, he slashed the wound, intending to release the poison.

Instead, Sam screamed as soon as the blade touched him. Passing out, he promptly turned into a snake.

Fuck.

Desperately looking around, Dean’s eyes fell on the snake corpse. Which was now a human corpse.

Double fuck.

~o~

Dean managed to get Sam away from the clearing before he regained consciousness. Which was lucky. He couldn’t even imagine Sam’s reaction to seeing that body. As it was, Sam was an annoying bitch.

“Why couldn’t you be a caterpillar?” Dean panted as he attempted to drag all six feet of his struggling brother out of the swamp. Sam was busy trying to wrap his head around trees, and he kept tasting the air. “And stay still! I’ll drop you Sammy, and I’ll never find you again. Long and fucking skinny.” The last was muttered under his breath.

Sam hissed resentfully, but obediently dropped down from the foliage to coil himself around Dean’s arm and neck.

They walked in companionable silence. Until fucking Sam stuck his fucking tongue in Dean’s ear, and Dean bashed him against the side of tree.

“Don’t do that, Sam! I’m a hunter with hunter's instinc – oh fuck.”

Fuck! Dean stared at the unconscious snake. He couldn’t bring him back to Dad like this, dad would freak. Holy fuck, Dad would freak! Sam was a fucking snake. Oh god.

“I’m the worst. The worst. What the fuck do I do?”

Use your training, Winchester, he berated himself. Dad would be ashamed of him.

Dad.

Right.

Dean felt his breathing ramp up, and his head spin.

This was not the time to have a panic attack. Digging his fingernails into his palm he let the pain steady him before he took a slow, deep breath. He had to think of something, and now.

There was no way he could show Sam to Dad. Son or not, Dad would probably kill him on the spot. But Sam wasn’t a monster. Dean eyed Sam, who was coming round enough to glare at Dean.

“Don’t you dare bite me, or I’ll tie you in a knot around that branch, and leave you here!”

Sam didn’t bother replying, just came back and coiled huffily around Dean’s neck. Stroking him gently, Dean explained the plan.

“I’m gonna have to get you home, Sam. We can’t meet up with Dad. He’s not going to like that you’re...,” Dean waved his hand in Sam’s general direction, “a… a snake. So I’ll get us a lift, and you’ll have to hide in my shirt.”

Sam hissed bitchily.

“What, you think everyone’s cool with snakes on a bus, Sam?” And wasn’t that the truth. At least Sam was helpful even as he hissed his complaints – he curled himself up small enough that Dean could put him in his pullover.

As it turned out, it was way too early for a bus - if busses even came out this way - so Dean walked along the road until a truck stopped for him. He really hoped Sam was asleep, as the man flirted none too nicely with him. At least he wasn’t pushy, and dropped his passengers off without too much trouble. Dean stifled a snicker. Part of him would have loved to see the man’s reaction if he stuck his sweaty hands on Sammy.

Speaking of which… Focus restored, Dean headed to the opposite end of the motel (just in case the guy was watching) before jogging back to their room. Once he had Sam on the bed, he had no idea what to do. What… What if Sam was a snake permanently?

“Sammy?”

Sam, who had been busy coiling round all the pillows, stopped to look at his brother.

“Do… D’ya think you’re gonna change back?”

Dean blinked at Sam’s response. He didn’t know that snakes could make a bitchface. Huh. Dean smiled softly, before frowning. That was a pretty human thing to do, which meant there was a lot of Sam still in there. Now if only he’d get his snaky ass into gear and change back before Dad got home.

~o~

It was much too close for Dean’s liking, but a shaken, barely conscious Sam laying on the bed did more to convince Dad that Dean had acted with Sam’s best interests at heart than any amount of Dean explaining would ever do.

When John turned to go, Dean let his breath out, sagging against the side of the bed. Dean brushed Sam’s sweaty hair back from his brow, just glad to have his kid brother back.

It was probably fortunate he didn’t see John stop and frown as he picked up a small, sparkling scale.

~o~

The next day Dean stoically endured Dad’s lecture. After all, he had left the field without informing his commanding officer. Sam’s injury wasn’t a good enough reason, apparently, but it might be enough to get him a phone.

It was still worth the laps in rain. Sam was worth a little pain, even if the snaky bitch was cuddled up in bed watching TV. Dean was an adult – his brother was still just a little kid. This just proved it.

Dean had to keep him safe. That was his job, after all.

~o~

Keep Sammy safe, keep Sammy safe. That had always been his job, his mantra, but now it was even harder than it had been. Because now Dean had to keep him safe from John as well.

Dean sometimes wondered if Dad knew. Sometimes he’d look at Sammy funny, and Dean held his breath, wondering if he’d have to step in and stop his father from… he didn’t even want to think about it. He’d stopped sending Sam out on hunts, and even Dean had been benched, Dad telling him to for God’s sake, take care of Sam.

And this time was no different. Dad was all packed up gone - gone for who knew how long. If Dean hadn’t been so worried, he would have argued. Not that he needed to - Sam was doing enough arguing for the both of them.

“And how long are you going to be gone this time?”

“Don’t even start, Sam.”

“And when you come back, we’re gonna move again?”

“I’m warning you-”

“It’ssss not fair!”

And fuck… there it was. Dean went to step in but Dad pushed him back before he could reach Sam.

“Dean!”

How did he end up on the floor?

“Look what you’ve done! And you call yourssssself a father-”

Sam was slipping. Dean could hear it. Reaching for his brother, he grabbed his arm. “I’m ok, Sam. Just settle down.”

Dad’s eyes rested on them. Dean could have sworn he saw remorse, but there was no apology forthcoming. Of course not, Dean had just gotten in the way.

“I should be back in two weeks. If I’m not, clear out.”

And then he was gone. Sighing, Dean closed his eyes and leant back against the wall. His head really did hurt. Still, what the hell?

“Did you really have to do that, Sam?”

Maybe Dean had been hiding from the truth, but Sam had been really fucking weird since he’d gotten bitten. Not only was he more difficult and argumentative than ever, he was even bitchier, and how was that even possible? And when he got too upset he’d spontaneously turn into a snake. More than once Dean had to barrel him out of the room before he hissed - literally - at their father. And this time he’d just been lucky: either Sam was gaining more control, or that all happened a lot quicker than he’d thought.

“What the fuck are you doing, Sam? Are you crazy or something?” They’d had this argument more than once. Sam was just unwilling to back down.

“You really think that’s ok, Dean? That he treats us like dirt?”

“We’re not dirt! We’re doing a job. Dad’s doing a job!”

“Dad is a selfish, asshole who-”

Dean slammed his hand over Sam’s mouth. “What’s wrong with you anyway? Now that you’re a fucking skin walker-”

Sam’s expression hardened as he pulled away. “I’m not a skin walker. I’m a were snake.”

Rolling his eyes, Dean pushed himself to his feet. He felt ill, but he could see Sam wavering.

Once again, Dean had to keep it together.

And once again, Dean put his foot in it.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Sam? Since you got bit you’ve been…” Dean waved his hand dramatically. How the hell did he explain this? “You get a personality overhaul when you got bit?”

“It’s called being a teenager, Dean!” Sam hissed at him before he promptly turned into a snake.

~o~

Nothing changed. Not really. Dad got back weeks late, but didn’t say anything. Just packed them up and onto the next place. Dad and Sam’s relationship got worse - the two couldn’t go on the same hunts now, and Dad wouldn’t let Sam stay alone… so Dean was benched. He tried not to be resentful - after all, he was doing his job - but the few hunts Dad sent their way did nothing to ease his sense of uselessness.

And did nothing to endear his family to each other. It just got worse until the day Sam informed Dad that he was leaving for Stanford at the end of the week and he wouldn’t be back. Dad hadn’t said anything, just grunted and sent them on a hunt.

Which left them here.

“Ow!”

Sam, who had been glaring at him, decided a more physical response was required, and jabbed him in the side. Hurt like a motherfucking bitch.

“Pretty sure they’re broken, Sammy, and hitting broken ribs is not fucking cool. Just… just patch me up so I can go join dad and - fuck!”



The bitchface that earnt him (number 28 You have to be fucking kidding me), was pretty epic. Then his face crumpled, and he leaned into Dean’s shoulder.

“Dean… I thought… I thought you were going to-!”

Dean’s face softened, and he stroked Sam’s hair. Eighteen and still a girly sap. How was he going to manage at college alone?

“I’m ok, Sammy. I’m tougher than I look, y’know, and - owwwww!”

Why wouldn’t Sam keep his fucking fingers out of Dean’s side? Gasping a little, he wondered if he had a burst lung. If he did, he knew who to blame. It hadn’t hurt this much before.

Before Dean could yell (he had to get his breath first), Sam had the puppy eyes out.

“I only want to look after you, Dean. I couldn’t stand it if, if anything happened.”

Closing his eyes, just for a moment, Dean took a deep breath. He needed all his faculties about him for this argument. When he opened them again, Sam was on the phone and in the middle of an argument with Dad. What the hell? When had Sam even got the phone?

“I just told you, Dad. Dean can’t come to phone right now.”

Dean watched, fascinated as Sam’s expression grew tighter at whatever Dad was saying. Even though he couldn’t hear his dad’s response, he could imagine. Dad didn’t deviate from his standard script much.

“His ribs are cracked, possibly broken, and I don’t like the sound of that breathing. They need firm compression, and he should actually go to a hospital, but of course you’re not going to-:”

And wow. Even Sam could be silenced by the full force of John Winchester.

“Of cour… I heard you. I heard you!”

More silence. Wow. Dad must be on a roll.

“Yesssssss. Yesssss, I heard you Ssssssssir. Fine. Thanksssssss.”

Dean jerked at Sam’s voice, doing his own hiss as his poor ribs moved. He couldn’t take his eyes off Sam though. This was going to be bad.

~o~

“We really don’t need to do this, Sam.”

Sam ignored him. Of course he did. Because Sam was a stubborn, pain in the ass-

“Ouch! Too hard, Sam!”

His tongue flicked across Dean’s temple, but it wasn’t an apology. If anything, the son of a bitch tightened his coils.

Closing his eyes, Dean reflected on his life. Much as he hated to admit it, the steadiest thing in his life was his brother, and his brother was a goddamn snake. What was even worse, was wrapped in Sam’s snaky embrace, he just felt so safe. Sam was so much warmer than you’d expect a giant cold blooded animal to be. And his scales were soft. Dean frowned. He’d have to remind Sam to take care of his belly. Maybe he could protect himself like Smaug, covering himself in jewels no blade could pierce.

Sam was suddenly all hissing in his face. What was his proble- oh. Oh, ok. Well, maybe that could be taken as hysterical laughter, but, “I’m ok, Sammy. Just gotta make sure you’re well protected before you leave.”

Sam would probably be ok. He was sneaky like a snake. And he was huge - both as a human and a reptile. Dean jerked in Sam’s hold. He was forgetting the most important thing!

“Oh my god! I can’t really call you Sasquatch anymore! Snakezilla? Do you think that’s bett-arugnhnf!”

Choking slightly on a snake tail, Dean thought about biting his brother. Eventually, he decided not to chance it: Sam looked liable to snap at any moment. When Dean had laid quiescent for long enough, Sam removed his tail, tapping it menacingly against Dean’s chin. Yeah, yeah. Dean got the message.

Sighing huffily, Dean settled down into his snake bandage. After all, there wasn’t much else he could do. There was probably something he needed to deal with… he felt a little twitch against his fingers, and automatically opened his hand before closing it over the tip of Sam’s tail.

It was still wet with his saliva.

Gross. Completely gross. But still… it reminded him of when Sam was just a little snake, and he’d curl up on top of Dean’s chest and shiver until Dean wrapped arms around him. Dean gently stroked Sam’s tail. And while he didn’t shiver, he did snuggle closer. Dean smiled: still a needy little brat then.

Squeezing Sam’s tail reassuringly, Dean decided that whatever needed to be done could wait until tomorrow. Closing his eyes, Dean let sleep take him. Right now he was safe and where he wanted to be.

PART 2