◖𓈈﹗ ﹙ chapter twenty-four ﹚
❛ ▬▬ goodbye for a while . . . ❜
The vehement fragance of roses permeated Lilith Arduenn's entire room, and as the delightful spring breeze entered through the large window of the highest tower of the coven, it illuminated the blushing cheeks of the young witch. She gazed at the immense basket of vibrant roses that Dorian Monsieti had gifted her. It was a very tender gesture. Along with the flowers came a note expressing his best wishes and offering his assistance in this new stage of her life. That's how Lilith labeled it: a new stage.
"How long are the flowers going to stay there?" her mother asked, while brushing her teeth.
"Until they start to smell bad," Lilith replied.
Today was going to be a busy day. Lilith had resumed her classes with Rowena after feeling anxious and wanting to keep her mind occupied. Unconsciously, she was guiding her life in search of a meaning that no longer existed. If she wasn't going back to university—which wasn't part of her plans—she wanted to focus on completing her training cycle and perhaps achieve another wonder. She adjusted to her classmates' more relaxed study plan, without sacrificing sleep and fun. Lilith had found a balance.
"Are you coming with me to see the Winchesters? You know I have to talk to Sam about Dean's deal. We can't let him rot in hell. We have to find a way to prevent it. Are you coming?"
Her mother immediately returned to the bathroom after hearing her suggestion and didn't come out for nearly ten minutes. Patience was a piece of advice she had found in articles on the internet about post-traumatic stress syndrome or, as she didn't have a license to diagnose, the simple trauma experienced by others. Lilith had been very attentive to her mother's behavior and how it changed around their surroundings, in the coven, and with herself. There were significant positive qualities that the young witch had experienced while living with her mother again after almost a year of being apart. At first, the physical signs of torture went unnoticed by the naked eye, but Lilith could sense the mental impact reflected in her behavior—it didn't make her any less cruel. However, as her mother gradually recovered physically, those imperceptible signs became visible. Her mother regained lost weight, her skin radiated a youthful glow, her hair looked softer and healthier, and even her voice sounded clear and without any strange hesitations. She started showing her arms and legs, her neck and décolletage; physically, she had healed. But mentally, Lilith wasn't entirely sure what was happening. Her mother had taken good care of her, paying attention to every detail. In fact, she had discovered a magical ointment for healing wounds hidden in a jar of moisturizer that went unnoticed. Lilith acted as if she didn't know.
"Yes," she finally answered, "getting out of the coven would do me good. I feel suffocated here." It was curious how she avoided words related to her kidnapping and what she had experienced there. The term "trapped" sounded better than "suffocated" in that allusion. "I'm going home, daughter. I can't stand being in the coven any longer."
"Are you sure?"
"Don't you have to go to class?"
It was an endless cycle; her mother needed time to heal.
Lilith was the last to arrive in Rowena's basement. Her classmates had already taken out their books and cauldrons, but the mentor seemed delayed. She discreetly took her seat and avoided eye contact with the others. If they didn't like her before, now it was even worse. No one believed her story of how she rescued her mother. Every day they asked her a new rumor that only irritated her patience.
"Heather is turning twenty-one this Saturday," Coral said to everyone, except Lilith who wasn't included. "She plans to celebrate at a club in the city and she's inviting everyone. How should we organize ourselves?"
"I need to buy clothes. I don't have anything nice to wear," Macey said excitedly, genuinely one of the most sarcastic people Lilith had ever known. She was a petite twenty-one-year-old with short brown hair and an exotic face. She had large green eyes and a prominent forehead. "Do you know if Dorian will be there?"
The girls shared some laughs. Damn it! Lilith tried to act disinterested, but they excluded her from the conversation, and she wanted to know more about the gossip and the reason they were laughing.
"Let's go shopping! The nicest thing I have is a sequin blouse, and I don't think it's in style," Averi exclaimed in her own level of excitement. "You have the high school experience and you hang out outside the coven a lot. What's in fashion? And since I have the chance, how do I stop being weird in social situations?" Averi was the only one who tried to include her, which caught Lilith off guard, and she gladly wanted to respond, but Coral interrupted.
"Yes, he's invited and confirmed his attendance," Coral continued laughing along with her best friend Beatriz. "As a friend, I recommend you not to get your hopes up. It seems like he's enchanted by the new girl."
Rowena entered at that moment, and she usually commanded attention, but with Coral's accusation, all her classmates stared at her as if she had killed someone right in front of them. Oh God... boys entered the equation. Amazing!
"Do you like Dorian?" When Averi sighed disappointedly, Lilith knew she would never be called a friend. Averi was a sweet girl and had shown her liking from the moment she joined, so her words had a big impact. "Macey has been in love with him her whole life. She lost her virginity to him!"
"Averiiiiiii!" Macey shouted with a red face. "Shut up!"
"He sent her a basket full of roses," Beatriz commented. "I saw them. Barbara was bringing them into the coven, and obviously, a basket full of roses caught my attention, so I asked her who they were for. And what did she say? 'My son sends them to Lilith, he's a gentleman.'"
"I'm sorry, Macey, but it's not my fault," Lilith wouldn't stay silent or let an injustice happen to her image in this matter. "I knew nothing about the relationship between Dorian and you. If I hurt you, it wasn't my intention. I'm not bound by the rules of friendship here. Nobody considers me a friend anyway. Besides, I think it's important for you to know that Dorian is a free man, and if he sends me flowers or asks me out, you shouldn't get angry with me. I, nor any other girl he's been interested in, are responsible for your illusions. Talk to him about it."
"Don't be discouraged, Macey," Coral said as she walked over to the girl's table and comforted her with a hug. Honestly, the news had broken Macey's heart to the point where she was about to cry into her cauldron. Lilith contemplated leaving; sometimes she could be inconsiderate when it came to romantic matters. She had never bothered with boys; she saw them as a waste of time. "All men are the same, they want the most beautiful one even if they themselves are hideous. I told you, I know this type of people like my reflection, they like to show off, the aesthetic, they don't care about what happens in the heart.
That was the worst class she had ever had in her entire life.
"Ladies," Rowena decided to intervene, realizing that her students needed some order. "Let's save the chit-chat for outside of class. Today, we are going to focus on the stars and their influence on spellcasting. I'm going to ask you to concentrate on the subject; it's not an easy topic. We'll be combining physics and astronomy with witchcraft. How are you all with mathematics?"
Rowena was in a good mood, but it was a pity that her students didn't appreciate it.
• • ⛧ • •
After class, she headed towards the cafeteria, dragging her backpack and books. Her classmates had been cheering Macey on all morning, while Lilith tried to empathize with the emotions—although she was far from feeling guilty—she was not familiar with the heartbreak of a relationship and never managed to understand teenage drama. She thought she had never experienced genuine and deep infatuation. She had never been in love with any of her ex-partners. Without dwelling on the matter any further, she entered to grab her cold water bottle. She always tried to keep one in her bag and then meet the Winchesters at the usual burger joint in front of the lake. Her surprise came when she saw Dorian, Barbara, and her mother talking at one of the tables. Not only was she surprised to see Dorian there, but also her mother interacting with someone other than Barbara, James, and herself. Mom avoided all witches.
"Hello!" she greeted cheerfully, placing her heavy books on the table. "Are you ready, Mom? Sam told me you were already in town."
"Hello!" Dorian hurriedly greeted her with a friendly smile. How could Coral have said such things about him? "I'm glad you showed up. We were organizing a dinner for the four of us. Would you like to join? There's a place near the pier that is beautiful and elegant. If you can make it tonight..."
Lilith quickly glanced at her mother, wondering what her opinion would be. She didn't know if she had agreed under social pressure. The last thing she wanted was to force her to do something that would make her uncomfortable. She observed her mother. The calmness with which she breathed indicated positive signs. She knew that Barbara was one of her dearest friends, and Dorian was such a shy gentleman that he would be the one feeling awkward. Mom happily nodded.
"I would love to," she accepted convincingly. "Dorian, I'm happy to go out with you, but only after you've made things clear with Macey. I don't care about the relationship you had or have, but when I get involved in problems I didn't cause, I take it personally. Make things clear with Macey. She hates me right now because of some flowers. What did I do wrong?"
"What problems with Macey?" Barbara asked, confused.
For Dorian, it was like a spotlight shining on him on stage. Lilith let out an exasperated sigh. She really didn't want to pay any more attention to such topics than necessary for them to be resolved.
Sammy boy
Have you left the coven yet?
Dean is starving, he wants to leave now
Lili
Yes, we'll be there in half an hour or so.
"I'll sort things out with Macey, don't worry," Dorian clarified apologetically. Lilith trusted his good intentions and was sure he hadn't even realized he might be hurting her.
"Shall we go, Mom? Sam and Dean are already waiting for us," he urged her. "Damn, I have to drop off the books in my room. Go ahead to one of the cars, and I'll be back in no time."
"Do you want me to take them to your room? I have to look for Macey anyway; it's on my way," Dorian offered, saving her from climbing the stairs. It would probably take him about ten minutes for the whole trip.
"Oh, thank you!"
Mom took the wheel, as Lilith didn't know how to drive. She only had a motorcycle license, and driving a car was a whole different world. Unlike before, Mom made cheerful progress in breaking free from her silent trauma with some casual conversation.
"Having trouble with your classmates?" she asked with a knowing smile. "What's going on between you and Dorian? He seems really into you, you know he's a good boy, right? I don't know him very well, but Bárbara has always spoken highly of him. He's a hardworking young man, old-school."
"I'm pretty sure he likes me," Lilith admitted truthfully. "Yeah, he's sweet, but he caused a problem with a girl, or maybe she caused it for herself. I don't know, it's their issue, and I don't want to get involved."
"You're wise," Mom started the engine a bit clumsily and nervously. Lilith tried to create a jovial atmosphere, taking her mother through the routine to relieve the pressure. "This road is a mess. Hundreds of years have passed, and they still haven't bothered to fix the dirt road, stupid witches."
"Can I turn on the radio?"
With her consent, Lilith searched for a station playing '80s music. She felt an immense desire to sing again. It was one of her greatest pleasures in life, but she had distanced herself from it for months. Now she wanted to reconcile. Within seconds, Lilith squealed with excitement, unintentionally startling her mother. Earth, Wind & Fire's "Let's Groove" was playing. It was impossible not to move her body to that amazing song! It made her want to dance and sing all night long!
"And lose yourself in the sky among the clouds in the heaven 'cause," Lilith jumped in her seat, the window rolled down, the cool forest breeze, her voice screaming with joy. "Let this Groove, light up your fuse. It's alright, alright, alright."
After the song ended, from the corner of her eye (without being too obvious), a nostalgic smile flickered across her mother's face, who kept cursing the dirt road. Mom lowered the volume a bit to have a conversation without shouting.
"What do you think about going back home next week?" Lilith was taken aback by the direct question and didn't want to respond too hastily. She had been contemplating and evaluating the pros and cons, placing a high value on the security offered by the coven. The world was not safe, and although they hadn't heard much from the others, there was no guarantee that history wouldn't repeat itself.
"What do you think about a vacation away from everyone? How about a trip around the old continent? I can plan everything in a week," Lilith became excited about the idea on her own, and even more so when her mom didn't reject it but also didn't accept it. "I'll ask Rowena for recommendations on anti-tracking spells, and I'm sure Edith can teach me some protection spells. I think it would do us both good, at least before going back home."
"And for how long?" her mom asked.
"I don't know, two weeks? Whatever we want, I'll plan it all," Lilith took her mom's hand to convince her. "Come on, Mommy! Some time just for the two of us: let's go to Spain to eat paella, have coffee in Paris, and get high in Amsterdam! Please! It's going to be fun, and we won't talk about witches, apocalypses, or anyone. When we come back, we'll go straight home."
"Well," her mom pondered, drawing out the word. "It could be fun, and you've never been to Europe."
"So, is that a yes?"
"Yes, a vacation together, but no witchcraft," her mom warned as the only condition, which was more than fine for Lilith. "And I mean it. Europe is the birthplace of ancient witchcraft. I know you very well, and I'm sure you'll encounter magic in some way."
Lilith was incredibly happy. Her life was slowly moving towards conventional normality (her own normality). Despite the lingering unresolved issues, she deserved a vacation, and it seemed like the best alternative to returning home. Young Arduenn took care of her mother with hawk-like eyes and sought professional information to treat her trauma. From the psychological signs she was able to pick up on, she noted evasion as the primary response in her notebook. Mom avoided talking about the subject, and that included any word that could trigger a related conversation. Startling at loud noises or sudden unexpected movements was another noticeable symptom, leading to a series of frustrations for Regina as she realized how much her daughter worried. Lilith believed that a vacation, cutting ties with the traumatic event, would serve as treatment, and she believed she was right. Maybe her mother didn't say it directly, but the change in mood upon leaving the coven—and even just the damn city for a few hours—expressed how much her mother needed to distance herself from what she had already distanced herself from. That's when she remembered the main reason her mom had abandoned witchcraft: the death of a best friend. What if bringing her to the coven had reopened that wound?
"Are we going shopping? No?" Mom had just unleashed a psychopathic smile on Lilith, the same one the Joker would have upon hearing that Batman was nearby. The words "buy" and "clothes" in the same sentence drove Lilith crazy. "What are we going to wear for dinner tonight?"
The coven's car was parked behind the Impala. The boys were already inside the store.
"Yes, shopping!" Lilith exclaimed. "You know, Salem's downtown doesn't have seasonal clothes or nice stores like New York... The amount of clothes we can buy in Paris! But we can still find a nice and elegant outfit." Lilith continued excitedly discussing how they could dress up until, out of nowhere, they had arrived at the brothers' table. "I already know what I want, a pair of tall black boots and probably a leather skirt with one of those white shirts that look like they came out of a fairy forest. Hi, guys!"
The brothers looked up and greeted her, much calmer than last time. Time had achieved great things, and Lilith noticed that they had reflected on their mom's behavior and understood that she was just speaking from a concerned mother's perspective.
"Have you already ordered?" Lilith asked, moving closer to the wall so her mom could sit beside her. "What's new?"
Both of them had long faces. She didn't know if it was because Dean was unbearable due to hunger or because they had fought.
"Waitress!" Dean almost shouted, raising his index finger towards a girl with pink hair and long lashes. "Hi," he said, remembering to be polite to the waitress. "I'd like to order a double burger with extra onions, bacon, and cheese. A combo of fries and a beer."
Someone was really hungry. The rest of them ordered simple and light meals, not at Dean's level. When the food arrived, they began to converse more relaxed, as if they were eating in the dining room of their home seven years ago.
"Guys," before Sam and Lilith could steer the conversation towards their topic of interest, Regina grabbed their attention with a serious expression. "I'm really sorry for how I behaved towards you. What I said is not what I truly think, and I'm very grateful that, with everything that was happening in your lives, you had time to take care of my daughter. I'm truly sorry."
"Don't worry, we understand," Dean said, downplaying it, but Lilith noticed a certain relief in his eyes. "It's okay."
"See?" Lilith smiled. "Everything's resolved then! Now, how do we solve Dean's problem? I've been looking for other similar cases of people who have sold their souls and eventually gone to hell. I couldn't find anyone who escaped the hellhounds, apparently the ones that drag you to your new sweet home."
"Is it a deal, right?" - to everyone's surprise, Mom entered the conversation with an interest beyond the obvious concern for a loved one, walking with the energy of a proposal. "What are the terms? What did you and the demon agree upon?"
Dean wasn't going to enjoy his burger in peace. It seemed that Sam had dragged him to Salem with some lie because his reaction to glimpsing his problem with Hell took him by surprise. He looked at his brother with hatred.
"Don't be dramatic and answer," Sam told him.
"My soul for Sam's life," he blurted out as if it was nothing. For the witch, it meant a lot; she hadn't even thought about trading her soul to get her mother back. Dean took a bite of his burger, planning to avoid the subject. It was difficult for Lilith to realize what Dean truly felt. "I made the deal for one year, and the demon said that if I tried to evade payment or cheat, the deal would be canceled, and Sam would die. That's it."
"So, you only sold your soul, not your body?" his mother posed, and soon Lilith understood what she meant. "Staying in Hell is very different from going to Hell. You can fulfill your debt within this demon's legal parameters by going to Hell; they didn't agree on anything about coming back. In that case, your debt would be settled, you fulfilled your promise."
Brilliant!
"There are actually two options!" Lilith wasn't the only one captivated by Mom's idea; Sam was equally surprised (and happy, one could say) as he tried to share it with Dean, but as always, he didn't empathize with his brother's feelings. "I know about a soul extractor; it was my guide for the magic extractor. We can do it and start testing; all the blueprints are in my coven room. I read the project information; it hasn't been tested enough to say it's safe... ha ha ha... Well, all attempts ended in death. But! We can work to make it function and extract your soul to give it to the demon. Isn't that what she wants? And if that doesn't work, plan B is to let you go to Hell but then retrieve you and return you to your body. With witchcraft, we can easily make it seem perfect for a while, almost like being in a vegetative state."
"Girls!" Sam sighed with a huge smile. Having options was already a relief. "That's a very good plan, Dean."
Dean thought differently. It could be that he was overwhelmed by the concern they expressed for him and their determination to find a solution to his problem, or something was gnawing at his brain, preventing him from seeing his salvation. He didn't deserve to go to Hell. Lilith couldn't understand why he was so obsessed with looking at the negative—coming from her, who wasn't particularly optimistic—she genuinely believed in trying. Was that their biggest similarity, then? They fought. Giving up was not an option.
"It's not that easy," he finally spoke. "Look, there wasn't even a mention of whether I'll just rot there or if I could leave whenever I wanted. It's a trap. And let me tell you right now, I can't hand over a little vial with my soul to that stupid demon, she'll throw it in my face. Can I even live without a soul? This is ridiculous."
"So you changed your life, not your soul," he said in a way that made everyone's spirits dampen. It was a cruelty towards the act of family that Dean had done, or, as he had discussed it with Sam, selfishness.
The young witch turned to Sam, wondering if Dean would do anything to save himself...
"Can you track down the demon and subtly ask her about the details of Dean's deal?"
Dean scoffed sarcastically at Sam, who had a remorseful expression on his face.
"I killed her," he admitted, head bowed and shoulders weighed down by desperation.
"And the deal didn't end," Lilith said, opening the door to the explanation of that.
"She doesn't have Dean's deal, her boss does, and she didn't want to say who it is."
"Very well," his mother intervened before Lilith could start punishing Sam. "You need to find out who has his deal and ask a few questions. You could also ask other crossroads demons how these deals work, what they really want. It doesn't matter that the demons hate you and have an obsession with the Winchesters, someone has to give you the information."
The rest of the afternoon, Lilith and her mom strolled arm in arm through the shops of Salem, like two excited tourists ready to spend all their money in the eccentric city. Lilith was thrilled to be able to spend time with her mother, considering the vacation to Europe the best decision to strengthen their mother-daughter bond. She had the vague hope that her mother would open up and share her pain with her, so she could let her mind rest. Whatever they had done to her in that mansion couldn't overcome her well-being. She wished she would leave forever. Lilith remembered very well how her mom had been by her side during her intervention for anorexia. It was her duty as a daughter to help her as well.
Both of them enjoyed buying clothes under the sunlight, carrying several bags in one hand and a refreshing smoothie in the other. They bought everything that caught their attention, apart from the outfits for dinner. Lilith loved shopping because when she was a child, she had watched Clueless and Pretty Woman, and her mom was to blame (she even went to see Breakfast at Tiffany's when it came out in the '60s). They found a set for her mother that suited her body and personality. Caramel-colored dress pants, fitted at the waist, and a matching jacket. She always said her mom had the style of a typical New York lawyer, emphasizing elegance and intimidation as her personal trademark. On the other hand, Lilith embraced her youth with a short, tight white skirt and a closed top of the same color. She only wore a pastel pink blazer to add some color. However, she found a little hidden store where a young girl had made one of the sexiest dresses she had ever seen. She bought it without hesitation, and they also looked for shoes and boots. By the end of the day, they had to hurry back to the coven to be on time.
Dinner with the Monsietis turned out to be a wonderful evening that ended too quickly due to personal commitments of Dorian and his father. They had dined at the most expensive restaurant that required formal attire to enjoy its services. The conversation revolved around comical and embarrassing anecdotes that their mothers shared about their children and the achievements they had accomplished. It made her wonder if she would ever become a mother. Certainly, it wasn't in her immediate plans or even in the next ten years, but she acknowledged that the love between a mother and her daughter was unparalleled and special.
By nine o'clock, Lilith wandered the city of Salem in search of some fun and ended up walking to the motel where Sam and Dean were staying. She had changed her outfit, abandoning her more elegant and reserved appearance. She had bought a faux leather dress, the most beautiful one she had ever found in her entire life. It had a golden zipper running down the center, starting from the top to the bottom of the dress, accentuating not only her waist but also two cups that lifted her chest like an exotic dancer. The dress had a belt-like design on the sides of the legs and shoulder straps. Super sensual!
"Sorry, wrong room. The perverts are in the front block," Sam jokingly said as he opened the door, commenting on her dress. Lilith had anticipated this and, because they were friends and it amused her, she burst into laughter.
"You know, I never let anyone touch my body without my consent. And when someone does touch me, it's because I want them to, and I'm going to enjoy it. So between the two of us, you're the old woman's gigolo."
Laughter echoed throughout the room, both from Dean and Lilith. Sam pretended to be indignant, probably wondering when he found out. Dean shared many things with him through messages.
"What do you want, Lilith?" Sam let her in and saw Dean lying on the bed, watching television. However, he stopped as soon as Lilith entered his field of vision.
It wasn't just the dress; Lilith's face also drew all the attention of the older hunter. She had straightened her hair and applied intentionally smudged eyeliner. Since she didn't plan on kissing anyone, she wore a deep red lipstick and a gloss that made her lips appear fuller. Many would be surprised that with a few changes, Lilith could be the girl who would break your heart without empathy... oh, wait, she wasn't far from that reality.
"I'm going to tell you what happened," Lilith said, putting all her effort into convincing them to go where she wanted. "I had to change in the bathroom of a restaurant. Not that I'm complaining because the bathroom was divine, but anyway, I had dinner with Dorian, his mother, and mine. In my plans, Dorian was supposed to accompany me, but he had to leave early. So, I called Mandy to go out together, but she has an exam in the morning, and that's where my friends stopped. Don't you want to come with me to a slightly modern bar? Not the kind you're used to... Before you say no, look at me." Lilith twirled around. "I'm heating myself up here. I don't want to go back to the coven with a sad face because I couldn't show off my dress tonight, and going alone is boring."
"Would you be offended if I told you that I was going to follow you like a dog anyway?" Dean asked, completely serious as he grabbed his jacket from the back of a chair.
"No," she responded simply. "That was the intention. I know I look beautiful."
Both brothers followed her into the night. They had to park the Impala about three blocks away because there was no space for such a car. The night was delightful, with perfect weather that kept them from freezing.
"You're the Elaine Benes of our group," Dean commented as they entered the brightly lit bar filled with young people around Sam's age. "We would need another member to be a group, I don't want to use the word trio, it's too sexual."
"I want to continue being the girl in the group because that's the only way I can shine, as if I were as amazing as a witch," she said humorously and ironically. "So, if you guys become better friends with someone, make it a guy, so we can finally be the Elaine Benes, and it has to be someone short, like George. Sam is Kramer and you're Jerry. We're missing George."
"So, there's a show? Are they musicians?" Sam asked, looking towards the band on stage singing a Nirvana song. The lead singer was really good, with a distinctive voice, a '90s sound. "Who's going to get the drinks?"
They sat at the only available table, near the corner and away from the dance floor, where a few people crowded at the feet of the stage.
"Let Lilith go, she can get them for free," Dean encouraged. "Or ask the idiots at the next table who have already noticed you."
"You're exaggerating," Lilith glanced at the group of five men with several empty beer bottles. They burst into laughter and patted the back of a young redhead, typical behavior, but Lilith needed a bit more evidence to determine if they were interested in her. Maybe Dean was better at reading men's behavior than she was. "I know what to bring you, I'll be right back."
Eventually, Dean was right. It turned out he wasn't exaggerating, and he was able to figure out what the group of guys had in mind with just one look, as the redhead approached with a recognized confidence. He was quite attractive, she wouldn't deny it.
"Can I buy you a drink?" he leaned against the bar and smiled charmingly. She caught a whiff of Dorian's fragrance, she had no idea which one it was, but it was the same scent. "I'm Peter."
"Lilith," she introduced herself politely. "I'll be direct. I think you're handsome, and I'd love to have a few drinks together, but I'm with my friends right now, and I want to be with them for a few hours. So, if you're still around later, I'll accept your offer."
Peter nodded, understanding the situation, and did so in a way that showed he had manners and alcohol didn't turn him into a complete idiot.
"Alright!" he said enthusiastically. "That's really nice. My friends usually forget that 'boys' night' is for spending time together after studying and working all week, not for seeing how many girls we can pick up."
"Doesn't this count as picking up?"
"Well," he laughed, "it does. I'll blame them; they wouldn't shut up until I tried. You're beautiful, and I can't lie, you would have noticed... I'm quite pathetic."
The waitress brought him a couple of craft blonde beers and a Cosmopolitan.
"I have to get back to my table."
"Let me help you," Peter took the two beer pitchers and placed them in front of the boys. Sam watched him amusingly, probably thinking he got them for free. He paid for them out of his own pocket, like always! "I'll see you later then," Peter returned to his friends like a martyr, wishing he hadn't heard a "Man, don't tell me she rejected you."
"I told you so."
"Shut up, Dean."
The night turned out to be very different from what Sam and Dean had anticipated, even for Lilith, who feared being the only one having fun in a neon-lit bar with contemporary music. The old tavern blended perfectly with pool tables for gambling and a spacious hall for karaoke. Sam and Dean, especially Dean, found economic productivity in defeating all the young people at the pool table, earning a good amount of money to cover their fuel and motel expenses. At one point in the night, they became the center of attention because no one had beaten them in a game, and Dean's pride swelled when he skillfully took $400 from the guys at the next table. They were unstoppable.
Dean drummed his palms on a section of the table where Lilith sat, sipping from her bottle of pure vodka, waiting for the DJ to play "Dirrty" so she could fall unconscious while dancing and singing.
"Sam just made another $100!" he exclaimed, ecstatic, positioning himself in front of her. "We should do this more often! These loser college kids don't know how to play, and they don't know when to quit. Care to bet?"
"Hey!" Lilith had to lean in closer to hear him over the loud music. "Don't take money from me! Whenever I'm with you guys, I pay for everything from the depths of my heart: the hotel, food, drinks, I even bought you clothes so you don't walk around with worn-out shirts. I always pay for everything."
The hunter pulled out a crisp $100 bill from his pocket.
"For you," he said, laughing heartily. Even drunk, he was a billiards expert.
"No, no, no, darling," Lilith laughed back with a mischievousness she only possessed that night. "I'm worth much more than that. In that filthy pocket, you don't have enough to even buy a kiss from me."
"Don't lie to yourself, Lilith." Dean made space between her legs and wrapped his hands around her waist. Her whole body trembled as soon as he touched her, and her heart raced. She couldn't deny the memories they had created in the Impala. "You know that, probably, I'm the best you've ever been with. That's not something you forget."
"Wow!" Lilith said sarcastically, but her arms had already encircled the hunter's neck and pulled him closer. She wanted to rub in his face how wrong he was. She hated boosting men's egos; if anyone deserved an ego boost, it was herself, right? Dean drove without looking at the sides of the road because he was right, and he realized it on his own. "Do you want to make a bet?"
"What kind of bet, Arduenn?"
The witch took the $100 bill from his hand.
"If you can keep me awake until sunrise, they're all yours."
And she missed song. The young witch's lips were attacked by the hunter causing a horrible accident with her red lipstick. There with the lights flickering and the music encouraging people to dance and sing, the peculiar couple had no intention of separating, they only did it to abandon Sam in the middle of the city because they couldn't stand the urge to take off their clothes anymore. They ran to the impala and approached the wooded area. Lilith didn't understand—or admit—the reason that made her choose Dean among the variety of boys and girls at the bar. At first the idea of sleeping with someone that night hadn't crossed her mind, she just wanted to drink and dance, but Dean did it in seconds, he lit her body with a few words and a sweet and strong touch. He won the fucking hundred bucks. She'd watched the sunrise screeching in the backseat of his stupid car, even watched a squirrel climbing the tree get stunned by the bouncing of her breasts and the sound of her vagina being brutally penetrated. Damn Winchester and damn her who couldn't keep her sanity, but he knew how to do it.
⛧.