Absolutely! Feel free to write anything for The Incredible Shrinking Winchester, I’d love to see what you come up with! (This was one of my most painful stories but I still love it so)
Tag: au
The only stipulation is that it be BA oriented, which means the Celeste’s curse is present in the story. I’ve always stuck with the Trails West for the stories I’ve done, but she could always find the brothers at other motels. Go nuts with it!
A note from neonthewrite:
Seeing a lot of guesses come in for the mystery AU! You guys are really curious, aren’t ya?
I just wanted to throw in a reminder that every AU to Brothers Apart is a collaboration, meaning I, your CoAdmin, am involved in writing it.
Here’s a hint: I do not write Sam or Dean. That’s all up to nightmares06. You don’t need to guess which character I write, but only the premise of the AU, just like “Kid finds Sam” or “Sam meets other borrowers”. These guesses have a general idea that involves a character or characters that are not Sam and Dean Winchester.
That’s all from me!
Guesses for the mystery AU!
Since no one has gotten it right, here’s a compilation of all the guesses so far to give you all a hand:
- A kid finding a cursed Dean
- A kid finding both cursed brothers (not the mystery AU, but a possibility for BL)
- Field Borrowers
- Both brothers are cursed and John saves them
- Reversed Brothers Together, where Dean got cursed and saved by Sammy
- Hitchhiking Sam, off to find his brother
- The witch gets Sam when he’s first cursed
- Sam/Dean grow to be a giant instead
- A brother is cursed and either Bobby or Gordon finds them
- Sam is cursed as an adult and meets the Watch family later on in life instead of as a child
- The trickster switches the brothers sizes (likely for a story within an AU, not an AU by itself)
- Sam adopted by a human family after being cursed
- Sam caught by other humans with no one around to save him
- Sam is cursed at a different motel
- Sam is adopted by sprites
- Sam and Dean are borrowers for most of their life
- The Winchesters genderswap
- Sam raises a family of his own that fits in Dean’s pocket (just plain adorable, really)
- Sam and Dean shrunk as adults (more likely for a canon story, since the curse in BA only works on children)
- Borrowers and humans coexist
- Sam had to survive on his own
- Dean discovers Sam earlier/later on in life
- Both brothers cursed; one has the curse broken
All good guesses but none hit the mark! If anyone gets it right, there will be a sneak peek put up for everyone to see!
Other points of interest brought up:
- The AU will involve one or both of the brothers being cursed
- The curse will happen at Trails West
- Bowman or Oscar may appear in the AU, but not as one of the central characters
- Celeste is involved to her normal extent; as the source of the curse
- One of the three campers from Fairy Tales: Bowman of Wellwood is involved in the AU
- The guesses that come closer to the mark without hitting it have been bolded!
He totally would, too. He’s gotta make sure his girl-awkward ‘little’ brother can get the ladies. He’ll just need to make sure he’s out of sight when he’s doing it!
Sam cautiously pushed open the door of his room, glancing around the dark interior before stepping in. It closed behind him with a click as he padded over to the light switch, trying to soften his footsteps as he went.
“Dean?” he called out as he snapped on the light, peering around every corner he could see. “You here?”
When no answer came, he carried his bags over to the table, piling them on the surface. He started to go through them, pulling out his lunch and a white container from the local quickee shop.
“Y’know, you need to work on your sneaking skills,” came a teasing voice from down on the ground.
Surprised, Sam pulled his feet off the floor, searching for the small figure. Dean was standing down next to the leg of the bed.
“I’m not trying to sneak around in my own room!” Sam shot back, watching wide-eyed as his tiny big brother darted out into the open, heading for the table. Watching Dean toss his small hook at the table, catching it on the edge of one of the bags Sam had placed there moments ago, was mesmerizing. He was so small, but he didn’t seem to have an issue getting around at all.
It was only a moment before Dean managed to scramble to the top, sauntering with a casual bow-legged walk across the wooden surface. Boots barely the size of Sam’s fingertip scuffed against the grain. “What if there was someone in here waiting for you?” Dean pointed out as he stopped, putting his hands casually in the back pockets of his jeans.
Sam had to hold back the questions he had shaking around in his head. Where did Dean get his clothes from? How’d he survive? Did he live nearby?
And the hardest question of all, one that Sam had no right to ask.
Would Dean consider leaving the motel?
For now, he simply picked up the white container. “If there’s anyone in here, I figure you’d warn me,” he stated dryly.
Dean frowned, then nodded sharply. Sam smirked. They both remembered the old days where Dean had always watched out for him. It didn’t seem like anything had changed there.
Dean took a step towards the box, then warily eyed the huge hands around it. “What’s that?” he asked.
A flicker of hurt hit Sam at the clear suspicion and distrust, but considering just a day ago he’d grabbed Dean in a fist, he couldn’t blame his brother for it. Hopefully he’d be able to get past that roadblock.
Sam mentally shrugged it off as he opened the container. “I figured I owe you… for yesterday and… leaving you here, all that time ago.” He sighed, shoulders slumping down at the memories. “I can’t really make up for that,” he mumbled, “but I figured I could at least start.”
A light touch on his hand drew his attention away from the past. Dean was standing there, right next to the hands he was so wary around. “Sammy, that wasn’t your fault,” he said in a gruff voice that was deeper than he’d ever expected from someone so small. “We can’t change the past. You were never to blame in any of this.”
Sam blew his hair out of his eyes with a sigh. “Right.” He did his best to believe what Dean had said…
But still.
If he’d never left, Dean wouldn’t be afraid of him. His big brother wouldn’t be leery just standing near his hands. He could have taken care of his big brother the way family was supposed to.
Sam unfolded his hands from the box. “I hope your favorite’s still pie,” he said, letting himself smile again. “I know you used to love apple.”
Dean’s eyes were huge at the sight. A fresh slice of apple pie sat there, bigger than he was. “Holy shit…” he breathed. He took a step towards it, then hesitated. He craned his neck over his shoulder. “You got this… for me?” he asked in disbelief.
Sam’s grin covered his face. “Who else?” he asked back. “It’s all yours. I even have my own snack right over here.” He pulled out a wrap, taking off the aluminum foil to reveal his sandwich. “Take your time.”
Dean relaxed a little more, some of the tension that lingered from the other day dropping away. He walked up, putting a hand on the crumbling crust and breaking off a piece to stare at it for a moment. In complete disbelief that it was there, waiting for him. “Thanks, Sammy.”
Cursed Dean Compilation
All the links for the borrower!Dean story, in case anyone wants their own table of contents for it… any future borrower!Dean stuff will be added as it comes.
Sam and Dean’s first encounter:
Original Ask || Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 6 || Part 7
Archive of our Own || Fanfiction || Deviantart
Cursed Dean 7 (Final)
The man who’d named himself Sam gaped at the tiny amulet in amazement. It was so small next to him, Dean found himself in shock that someone so massive would even be able to tell what it was. He tucked it back into his shirt, hating how small it always looked against the gigantic surroundings.
And now it was smaller than ever. He was surrounded by massive books that Sam had been reading, a huge bottle of water looming overhead and an enormous laptop blocking the table from behind. There was nothing in the entire room that was made for his size. No, it was all made for Sam’s size. Who was still human.
Who was still alive.
Deep in the darkest recesses of his mind, Dean had feared for years that Sammy would get hurt, would get himself killed because their dad let his guard down or took Sam on a hunt he wasn’t prepared for. Dean had spent years trying to keep his brother safe, but none of that mattered when you were effectively dead to them.
He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to sort out the conflicting emotions. Anger. Rage. Unbridled joy at discovering his little brother was alive and well. A fucking Godzilla, but alive, and suddenly that’s all that mattered as the reality sunk in.
Sam must have been thinking along the same lines as Dean. He stared back at his ‘big’ bro like a man that had just found an oasis in the desert, hazel eyes more potent than ever now that they were the size of Dean’s head.
Dean took a step forward. “Sammy…” he started gruffly, throat closing at the emotions. He hadn’t uttered that name in over thirteen years.
Not once.
And now that baby brother was here, a full grown… overgrown… man. Lean, in shape, damn fast reflexes and good instincts… Someone that Dean could be proud of.
Sam’s face relaxed into a smile at the familiar nickname. “I’m here, Dean. I was gone for a long time, but I’m here now.”
He reached forward carefully, slipping his hand under the smaller Winchester’s body. This time, Dean didn’t fight it as a tear rolled down his cheek. This time, he was lifted from the table carefully, his back supported by long fingers that stretched over his head. Even the vertigo was gone as he stared into Sam’s watering eyes, as overwhelmed by emotion as Dean was.
The huge, powerful hands cupped him against Sam’s chest, where he could hear his brother’s steady heart thud along, where he could feel its every beat deep in his bones.
“You don’t have to be alone anymore.”
A/N
And so we have the heartwarming conclusion of Dean’s first encounter with Sam. Trust me, there may be more coming in the future for our reverse BA team, so keep an eye out for any other random drabbles. Also! Feel free to include borrower Dean in any prompts or asks. I have a vague idea of what I’d want to have happen with him, but everything is welcome. Stay tuned, more prompts on the way!
Original Ask || Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 ||
|| Part 6 || Part 7 (here)
Cursed Dean 6
The seconds dragged out as Sam stared down at Dean, unable to say a word. Having trouble even thinking.
The words that the strange little man he’d found in his room resounded in his head, taking root in his mind.
He left and he never came back and I got stuck here!
Not that you’d have any idea how it feels to be left behind by your family!
And of course, he was remembering what motel he was staying at. Trails West; the same motel they’d been staying at when his big brother Dean had died. He saw his brother in his mind’s eye, leaping into the witch’s attack and shoving Sam out of the way.
He saw the attack hit yet again, the air warping around Dean as he vanished. Protecting his baby brother to the last second.
“Holy shit,” Sam whispered in realization. His fingers almost leapt away from that tiny, frail body he’d just grabbed moments ago. His brother. He’d grabbed his brother. “Holy shit… I mean, fuck.”
Sam leaned in close, wanting to see all the features of the small person he was holding captive. “Dean… is it really you?”
Dean shuffled back a few steps, a look of fear briefly overriding his aggravation. Guilt hit Sam at that, realizing after the way he’d grabbed the man and trapped him, he deserved that fear.
Dean didn’t say a thing, but he reached inside the small black t-shirt he was wearing. Hesitantly, he pulled out a small necklace. Sam couldn’t see what it was since it was barely the size of a grain of sand, but his eyes widened in realization as the light glimmered off of a brass amulet.
And then he knew.
It was the amulet he’d given his brother.
“Dean…”
Original Ask || Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 6 (here)
I do want to bring them in, but the story hasn’t gone far enough, and I need to find a good story to have them in for.
It would be fun for the boys to get to the roadhouse and Jo clocks Dean with the butt of her shotgun, then Ellen catches Sam as he topples off the shoulder from the blow. Shocked faces all around.
“You boys have some explainin’ to do.”
There are plans in the works for other canon supernatural characters as well…
Brothers Apart 