Stuck In The Middle With You. {Ryder}

[Simone Winchester]

If someone had told her earlier that morning that she'd be spilling her guts to Ryder Winchester, Simi would have laughed herself silly. She's have sworn that not even the threat of death could have forced the words passed her lips.

And she would SO have lost that bet.

God, how was it that she couldn't stand the thought of anyone touching her but she could feel safe and comforted in Ryders arms? His words cut through the haze of pain and anger and the look in his eyes made her want to believe that maybe he was right... That maybe she wasn't defective or unlovable after all. The past six months were a blur of frantic emotion and the tiring efforts of keeping her friends and family away and with just a few sentences.. Ryder's words had succeeded in making her feel better than she had since that night.

He'd also pushed away the sick feeling in her stomach if only for a time.

On that wake came exhaustion and not even the realization that she was almost naked phased her as Ryder shifted to pull the covers up over her better. In fact, she suddenly wanted to protest the lose of his warmth as he seemed to pull away but before she could, he was back laying on the bed beside her and pulling her close. The brush of his lips on her forehead made her sigh in contentment and then she curled into his side and got as close as she could as if he could ward off all the bad nightmares that stalked her sleep.

“Please.... Stay... I don't want to be alone tonight....”she whispered, shivering just a bit.”I know you have your own troubles but... Thank you....”

Then, laying her head on his shoulder, Simi allowed the exhaustion to sweep her back into the first untroubled sleep she'd had in months. The sound of his heartbeat under her cheek lulled her into a soft, safe place where it seemed nothing more could threaten her, hurt her. With a final hiccuped sigh, her eyelashes fell closed and all was silent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Something smelled good. Like a combination of the engine oil, masculine cologne, and strength. Coming aware very slowly in her normal fashion, Simi rubbed her cheek on to her heated pillow and gave a soft soft. Man, she was going to have to have a talk about the pillows with her mother. This one was like sleeping on a rock even though it smelled like all her favorite things. In fact, it kind of smelled like the guys who'd used to hang around the academy working on vehicles and playing in the sun.

It smelled like.... RYDER?

The moment her eyes opened to stare at the hard, washboard chest in front of her, Simi froze. A slight snore escaped body she unwitting found herself sprawled across and a little giggle almost broke free.

Ryder SNORED?? She'd never have guessed that!

Only... It was kind of cute, she decided as she peeked back up at him. He looked so damned cute all sleep rumpled and his hair kind of spiked from where he'd no doubt slept wrong on it. In sleep, the heavy toll life had taken on him was swept away and he looked years younger. It made her suddenly want to see him that way all the time.

WHOA... Dangerous territory.

Shifting her gaze away, Simi suddenly came to another realization. Sometime during the night, she'd obviously kicked the covers away from herself and her half naked body was in intimate contact with his own. Blinking rapidly, the slender blond wondered briefly why she wasn't freaking the hell out but then shrugged it off with the more immediate problem of how to move without awakening him.

And that was about the time she realized his breathing had changed and looked up to stare into wide azure eyes that were almost as bemused as her own.

Huh.... Who'd have thought Ryder would look so damned kissable in the morning.... no sooner than she'd had that thought than his eyes widened and she wanted to slap her hand over her own mouth. Her annoying habit of thinking out loud had raised is ugly head.

Talk about AWKWARD.

"Um..... Good Morning??" she said brightly, trying to pretend that there was nothing usual about their positions or that she'd just blurted out something completely embarrassing for them both.

[Ryder James Winchester]

Ryder could see Simone visibly relaxing. Her wild sapphire eyes dimmed a little and the tension in her shoulders began to fade like the stars at daybreak.With the blonde wrapped around him even the hunter could take some solace. He soaked in the pure white magic that seemed to radiate off her and for once in so many months
-he- felt safe and whole.
Instead of letting the wrath Simi’s confession had cause eat him up inside the young Winchester focused on the way her body meshed against his and the consoling words she had offered him before.

He had lost an irreplaceable love in his girlfriend and unborn child, but here were still people that cared about him and missed him. He could even feel it from Simi, though they hadn’t seen one another in ages.

When the blonde’s eyes started to slide closed and she asked him to stay, Ryder let his own exhaustion overtake him.
It was quite amazing how mental torment could steal all the energy from your limbs. He could feel his body riding a wave of fatigue towards a much needed deep slumber.

-----------------------------------------------------

The smell of ambrosia was the first thing Ryder became aware of when he began to rouse from sleep. That enthralling aroma, as well as a warmth that swathed him like a rich velvet duvet.
He shifted and pressed his body against the source of that warmth, quietly sighing in contentment at the utterly new, but familiar form that was wrapped in his arms.

Unbidden, his body tensed when he realized he was all but naked and his lower half was pushed intimately against her soft, bare satin skin.

Simi’s voice woke him fully, and gazing down into her impish face drew a sheepish smile over Ryder’s visage.
Where as he should have been mortified and discomfited by the compromising position they were in at the moment, it actually caused a surge of anticipation to pour through his veins.
“Hey stranger.” He said in a sleep-husky voice and shifted, propping his head up a little to grin down at her. “Imagine meeting you here…”

A quiet chuckle escaped him and Ryder closed his eyes a moment, knowing he should move or get up but strangely reluctant to do so.
Simi didn’t seem uncomfortable either, and amazingly enough he was more comfortable laying here with her than he was under the hood of a vehicle or behind a sawed-off pointed at a black-eyed demon.

Damn. When did the little girl in pigtails grow into this devastatingly beautiful woman?
It had been entirely too long.

Clearing his throat and trying to ignore the fact that instead of thinking about an escape he was imagining what those virtuous lips would taste like, Ryder untangled his limbs from Simi’s.
“I should…I should get dressed and get to work on your car.” The hunter said absently and slid out from under the sheets to stand awkwardly with both hands covering his lower half. “Do you need anything? I mean...are you feeling better this morning?"

God. Hello, uncomfortable!

[Simone Winchester]

This situation would have been comical if it wasn't for the fact that she was living it. Ryders first words, however, made her want to giggle. Yeah, of all the places she'd ever imagined being.. Lying half naked in Ryders arms wasn't exactly one of them. When they'd been kids growing up, they'd played good natured pranks on each other and Simi could still remember him dumping mud over her head. That hadn't really lead to waking up in bed with him so this seemed like something of a interesting development.

Very interesting she decided as he gave her that warm sleepy grin that made her heart flip flop strangely.

Reaching up, she brushed a lank of blond hair out of her face and was just trying to decide how the hell they were going to extract themselves from this when Ryder seemed to be of the same mind and rolled from the bed to stand a bit self conciously by the side.

WIth a bit of an "Eep", Simi felt her cheeks grow rosy as she glanced at him and then immediately moved to get up, taking the sheet with her. For a moment, they stared at each other awkwardly over the bed before Simi suddenly burst out laughing.

"Of for Pete's sake! Would you LOOK at us two? You'd swear we hadn't worn less to go swimming in the past!"

Shaking her long blond hair, the little witch looked around and then blinked. Try as she might, she didn't see any of Ryders clothing laying around and she had a feeling he'd probably charged out of his room without thought for any. Than meant...

Oh Dear.

Turning wide eyes to Ryder, she blinked and then bit her lip before asking the million dollar question.

"Uh... Um... Ry? I don't suppose you took the time to grab your key before you came in last night, did you?? Because... If not... Your going to have to call the manager to get in..... and... well...."

Letting her eyes run down his front, she blushed again and then peeked back up at his face.

"Why don't I just get dressed, shall i? You can use the phone if you like and call the manager or check your room or... um... yeah... Whatever it is you need to do...."

Spinning on her heel, she turned to head for the bathroom and almost tripped over the sheet. Falling forward, she caught herself on the small desk at the last moment and then wanted to groan at her own lack of cordination.

Way to go there, Blair! What a way to show a guy your no longer a klutzy little witch.

That thought gave her pause as she rushed into the bathroom and pulled on her now dry clothes from last night. Since when was she trying to show that? Before yesterday, Ryder was just a fellow childhood playmate who'd been something like an idol to her. The Winchester family were legends and though she'd known Ryder... He'd just always seemed to be untouchable with his golden boy looks and devilish smile. Granted, he'd never given off that air himself but Simi had never looked at him like a woman looked a man before because.. well, it just hadn't occurred to her.

Last night though.. Last night had brought a new awareness of him that she wasn't at all sure she was comfortable with. He made her feel safe and protected while still stirring things inside that she'd thought dead after the "incident" as she had dubbed it. His own pain made her want to sooth him just as he soothed her and she knew that she would never forget the feeling of waking up in his arms.

Damn..... She really was touched in the head.


The last thing she needed to be doing was crushing on a man who had problems bigger than her own. And even if he HADN'T... she had enough for both of them. As much as she'd liked laying beside him, she'd felt the evidence of his manliness and he wasn't the sort of man who'd be content with a cuddle and kiss. She wasn't at all sure she'd ever be able to offer a man more so it would be best just to forget all about it.

No matter that that thought made her want to cry.

OH Yeah, she was definitely MENTAL.

Pausing a brief moment to brush out her hair with the brush from her purse, the little blond pulled it up in a messy ponytail and then stepped out into the main room. Thankfully, Ryder was no where to be seen so she pulled on her socks and boots before checking the room for her things. Finding everything picked up, she tucked her purse under her arm and stepped out into the cool, crisp morning.

The snow had stopped and the sun was shining on the sparkling ice. Cars moved slowly up and down the street and then Ryder was stepping from his room.

Giving him a bright smile, she tilted her head and waited for him.

"Will you let me buy you breakfast or do you want to grab something and get to the shop? Totally up to you!" she asked brightly.

[Ryder James Winchester]

Ryder let out a snort at her comment, looking down at the floor with a sheepish smile and rocking back on the ball of his heels.
Thank goodness for Simi.
The young Winchester would have been mortified had he been asked to explain why men just woke up like that.

Still, the cupped hands stayed right where they were until she glanced away and then Ryder hastily grabbed a pillow off the bed and planted it there, grinning wide with a red glow when she turned back around.
All wrapped up in that white sheet made him picture her with white feathery wings and a halo, and he had to chew on his lip to distract himself as the unexpected mental image of peeling away that cotton material and finding out how much a devil she could be that rushed into his mind.

What. The. Fuck.

The hunter was glad the witch had sense enough in -her- head to move them on from that uncomfortable place, and he let a quiet curse escape from his lips when he realized he hadn’t had time for clothes or his key when he’d come over last night.
Blushing a deeper shade of crimson when he caught Simone’s eyes ghosting down his body, Ryder inhaled sharply, nodding in vehement agreement when she talked about getting dressed and made a beeline for the bathroom.

Ryder couldn’t help but chuckle when the blonde nearly dove into the dresser, and then he let out a relieved sigh when she finally disappeared behind the door and he dropped the pillow.
Running a hand through his sleep-tousled hair, Ryder dropped on the edge of the bed with legs splayed and grabbed the desk phone.
He was loosing his freaking mind. He really was.

A quick convo with the young man at the front desk had the hunter ducking out of Simi’s room and going back to his own.
Hastily, but giving the white witch enough time to do her girlie thing, the man pulled on his jeans and pushed into his boots, coming out of his room just as he was tugging down the black Affliction tee-shirt down his abdomen.

Finding Simi’s bright smile waiting for him drew a little side-ways grin on his own visage, and he shrugged on his leather jacket and stuffed his wallet into his pocket as he opened the passenger side door for her.

“Boss man always brings donuts in the morning, and I think I remember you have a sweet tooth.” He admitted sheepishly. “Besides, the sooner we get your spark plug fixed, the sooner you can get to where you were headed. Karlie has got to be bouncing off her sugar coated walls by now.”

Ryder smirked and closed the door after she climbed in, and the smile suddenly disappearing as he clenched his jaw tight.
And the quicker he could do a little ex-boyfriend hunting… He didn’t add out loud.

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Just as he’d promised, a box of fresh donuts in every imaginable flavor was waiting at the garage.
Ryder enjoyed the company he had in Simi as he leaned under the hood of her classic muscle car while they swapped silly stories of their childhood.

The broken man couldn’t remember laughing that hard in ages. It felt really good.

And so with a quiet, disappointed sigh, the hunter/mechanic wiped the bit of black schmutz from his hands and closed the hood. It was time to say good-bye.
Damn. Why did his chest feel so freaking tight now?

“Well, that’s it. You’re all fixed up.” Ryder tossed the rag into a bin and offered Simi a half-hearted smile. “Guess you’re ready to get out of this hell hole by now, huh?”

[Simone Winchester]

And just like that, they were back on normal footing. Simi found herself laughing up at him as he tucked her into the passenger side of his Jeep and then they were heading for the shop. Slyly, Simi used the time to slid several big bills into the console of his truck and then smiled innocently as he climbed in for the drive over. The place was already open and, true to Ryder's words, there was a box of donuts on the table. The boss man seemed surprised to see Ryder with someone but after a knowing sort of smile... He went back into his office to work on paperwork while the younger man worked on her car.

Time past way to quickly in her estimation before her beloved challenger was suddenly up and running again and Ryder shut the hood with an audible "thump". Having been so caught up in the teasing and laughter, Simi was suddenly aware of a sinking feeling in her stomach as she realized that it was time to get the show on the road and head out.

Unsure of why she suddenly felt so sad, the little blond simply nodded at Ryder before taking care of her bill and then stepping outside in the cold, crisp morning. Her emotions were so mixed up that it was hard to even breath but after opening the drivers side door and turning back to him, she meet his gaze.

"Promise me something, would you?? You start taking better care of yourself, you hear? You've got a lot of people who love you and care whether your living or dead in a ditch somewhere. I .. I won't tattle on your wear abouts or anything but you might wanna at least consider calling home and letting your family know your OK.... Chey misses you bad...." she said, leaning with her back on the car. "And.... well.... I care.... I don't want anything to happen to you either...."

Biting her bottom lip, she blurted out.

"Um... Would you mind if I called you sometimes? I mean.. If you don't mind me having your cell number?? I mean, I won't bother you or anything but...."

As soon as she said it, she instantly felt like an idiot. Why would he want to give her his cell number? Before she could think, however, he smiled and took the pen she'd already been pulling from her hand and wrote a number on the inside palm like they'd done in the old days.

Beaming brightly as he handed the pen back to her, Simi impulsively stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. When she pulled back, she blushed a bit and then shrugged her shoulders.

"Thanks alot... For everything, Ryder..... It was really .. REALLY.. good seeing you again. You make sure to eat and that you don't get yourself into any trouble, you hear? Next time I see you, I wanna see a smile on that handsome mug, got it?"

Then, without waiting for him to respond, she slid into the car and allowed him to shut the door. Her gaze was falsely bright as she started the ignition and hide the tears that suddenly caught in her throat. For some reason, she felt as if she were leaving something precious behind.

How WACKED was THAT?

It wasn't as if she hadn't known Ryder forever. Why suddenly did she have the impulse to throw her arms around him and hold on for dear life?

Oh yeah.. Definitely time to get a move on.

"Good Bye, Ry.... Keep Safe!" she whispered huskily before shooting him one last smile, putting the car in reverse and getting the hell out of Dodge before she did something to embarrass herself further.

Man, Goodbyes royally SUCKED.