Jackalope living room, Wednesday night

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean was camped out in front of the tv with a beer, listlessly flipping through the channels. He was feeling antisocial and maybe even a little sulky. Saying goodbye to Jaye had made sink in what Jack and Sam's departures hadn't -- that there was never going to be another full Seahorse gathering again. That really was the first group outside his family that Dean had belonged to and he hated that it was over.

He took another long swig of his beer. Goodbyes, he decided, sucked.

[ooc: for x5_alec, but open to other jackalopes as well]

Comments

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

Alec came in and flopped down beside Dean, looking like someone had viciously kicked his puppy or maybe told him he wasn't allowed to take any more arts and crafts classes. "Today can end any time now," he growled, hunched down and scowling.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Said goodbye to Jaye, huh?" Dean asked, glancing over at him.

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

Alec's scowl deepened and he hunched down even further on the couch, grabbing a pillow to hug it give himself something to do with his hands. "Yeah."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean looked at him for a moment, then got up and went over to the small fridge, getting out another beer and offering it to Alec wordlessly.

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

Taking it with a grateful look, Alec popped the tag open and took a long drink. He seemed marginally less scowly when he stopped to breathe and sighed deeply. "Thanks."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean nodded and sat back down next to Alec. "Goodbyes suck," he said, sharing his earlier conclusion.

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

"They do," he agreed, grumpy. "The rest of Seahorse was bad enough."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"See, this is part of why I don't want you to leave without me," Dean said, emphasising the point by gesturing with his beer bottle.

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

"I don't plan on it," Alec said with feeling, taking another sip. "This is the hard part about having friends, I guess."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Can't argue with that," Dean said. He paused and took another drink. "I told her if she didn't keep in touch we'd hunt her down."

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

He nodded, still watching the TV. "Damn right we will." He glanced at Dean. "You know where she's going?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Y'know, we never got around to talking about that. I meant to ask but we got off on a tangent about being shirtless and pixelated on the news with cops." Dean gave a fond smile and shook his head. "I never have these kinds of conversations with anyone not Jaye."

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

Alec sighed and scowled again. "Yeah."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Do you know where she's going?" Dean asked.

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

"L.A. She's going to go be an office monkey for the vampire who graduated last year," he said, tipping back the last of his beer. "She wants me to come visit."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"The one that looks like Seely? Huh."

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I know," Alec said, bemused. "But she said she'd keep in touch at least."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure she will," Dean said. He didn't actually have much experience with people keeping in touch; generally once they left somewhere that was it. But this was different. "And if she doesn't, well, phones work both ways. Can call her up and yell at her about it."

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

"It's not the same," Alec complained, sulky.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean sighed. "Yeah, I know."

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

Alec scooted over and leaned against Dean, still sulky.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean turned his head to rest it against Alec's. "I'm not planning on going anywhere," he said. It was the only comfort he could think to offer over this.

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

"Good," Alec said with feeling, comforted somewhat by Dean's presence, but still morose and way too thoughtful. "Friends aren't like family, not quite, as much as anyone's told me they can be."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean thought that statement over for a while before speaking. "I think there's different levels of friendship," he finally said. "And it's only the closest, most special of friends that become like family."

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

"If friends were family, then you wouldn't ever be able to stop being friends," Alec said quietly.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"I think there's some friends that's true about." He glanced at Alec. "The kind that are family in all but name."

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, maybe," Alec said, though he didn't seem completely convinced, not quite looking at Dean.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean nudged Alec. "That would be a description of the kind of friends we are. Least, that's how I think of you."