dragojustine: (JDM smile)
dragojustine ([personal profile] dragojustine) wrote2008-01-13 01:45 pm
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Fight the Good Fight- John drabbles pt 4

Fight the Good Fight
Rating: PG
John drabble table

16- Purple

The marks around Sam’s neck stand out starkly. He’s still rubbing his throat and trying not to talk when Dean drops the match.

It turns out he doesn’t own a turtleneck. He’s too damn stubborn to call in sick to school, and John yells that it is an ORDER but the slam of the door cuts him off. John calls Dean home from the garage.

They’ve already started packing when Sam calls from school, crying that he’s sorry. He didn’t think the nurse would find the old knife scars or the fading purple welt across his back. So they run.


17- Brown

Dean’s easy to spot, all cocky wide-legged sprawl on the bottom row of bleachers. There’s a pretty girl on the other side, and John’s gobsmacked to see Dean not paying her one scrap of attention. When Sam’s team scores, Dean screams and hollers like it’s the goddamned Superbowl.

At the final whistle, Sam heads for Dean like he's drawn by a magnet, grinning bright and breathing only a little hard from a solid 90 minutes of running. Dean smacks him in the back of the head and Sam elbows back and their eyes just shine. John feels totally invisible.


18- Green

Vietnam is green. Rice paddies in particular are such a bright green they can hurt your eyes under full sun. Under the trees it’s worse, because the green isn’t so bright but it’s more pervasive, so that the very light is tinged. In the greenish light, blood looks black. The unit’s geek explains about wavelengths available for reflection, but all they know is they can’t see.

In the small part of his brain unaffected by war, John knows the green is breathtaking, covering every grave and bomb crater with beautiful life. But John wants his grave under rolling Kansas gold.


19- Pink

They’re pink, and lacy, and wedged under the back seat. Dean had been exercising his charm on every female under 30 for at least the last year, but John had kind of thought he was just practicing for later.

“You’re a little late on this, dad.”

“If you get some girl-”

“I’m not stupid.”

“Don’t you dare interrupt me. I’ll kick your ass myself. Then I’ll hand you over to her daddy so he can kick your ass. Do you understand me?”

“Yes sir.”

He manages to reach the doorway before his grin breaks through. Too damn pretty by half.


20- Colorless

Sam tells his friends his dad's an alcoholic. It explains the fact that he's never around, and their crappy apartments and old clothes. He pretends he doesn't know and files it under "picking his battles."

At first it bothers him because Sam might actually believe it. Then he looks at himself, halfway through a bottle of Jack alone in his kitchen at one in the morning.

Doesn't really dwell on it, though, because when you face down ghosts and monsters and things that go bump in the night, there are certain allowances, and innocent, protected, babied Sam has no right...
desertport: Kaneda on his bike (dean pen)

[personal profile] desertport 2008-01-15 09:30 am (UTC)(link)
Ouch. I really love the unreliable narration in Colorless, and the effect of trailing off at the end. It's a nice juxtaposition to Purple, where Sam was wrong and John was right. (Ah, teen logic. Gotta love it.) John and Sam are so much alike that it's no wonder they're always fighting. Neither likes to admit he's wrong, and that's asking for trouble. These drabbles are so fun to read, because they show a nuanced, often contradicting view of everyone's relationships. (I kind of hope you write one with Bobby eventually.:)

Also, Pink was adorable. Hee.

[identity profile] dragojustine.livejournal.com 2008-01-15 04:12 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm so glad- I kind of thought people would want to lynch me after that last one (or just stomp away angrily and not leave feedback. Heh). And there is a Bobby one, here: http://dragojustine.livejournal.com/20342.html#cutid3

Thank you!

[identity profile] nephthys101.livejournal.com 2008-01-30 08:56 am (UTC)(link)
Wonderful and bittersweet.

[identity profile] irnan.livejournal.com 2008-06-05 11:28 am (UTC)(link)
"John wants his grave under rolling Kansas gold." --- Beautiful line. *sobs*