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impalas-r-important · 3 years ago

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Branch Out - Chapter 9

Summary: Y/N left everything she’s ever known, and Dean just wants to be left alone. With both of them trying to heal from heartache, they might just end up finding what they need in the last place they’d ever look.

Word Count: 6,587

Warnings: I don’t think there are any this time around. Let me know if you think I should add one.

A/N: Hey ya'll. Remember me? Yeah, it's your friendly neighborhood inactive writer comin'atcha with the next chapter! Apparently I lied when I said chapter 9 would be released months ago. But here we are. Life got crazy and then I got writers block, but I'm hoping to pick back up where I left off.

If I missed you on the tag list, I'm so sorry! Please comment or shoot me an ask or something if you'd like to be added. I hope you enjoy.

Series Masterist

My Masterist

You very strongly disliked life without Dean around. As much as you tried to convince yourself that all you had was a silly schoolgirl crush, his absence made it clear that you were too far gone. Those stupid green eyes were the first thing you thought of in the morning, and the last thing you thought of before you went to bed, and with every notification that popped up on your phone, your heart rate rose just a pinch (or more) at the possibility of it being a text from Dean.

He was working non-stop at the new mill sites, getting everything turned over after the buy-out but he occasionally found the time to text or call you. You knew better than to expect too much communication from Mr. Anti-Technology himself but were pleasantly surprised at how much he was conversing with you via text.

After work one evening, you were at Sarah’s house hanging out with her, Sam, and Cas, just lounging around and chatting.

Sam tossed his soda can into the garbage can across the room and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees with a strangely stern tone. “Hey, Y/N, you remember the first time I met you and I asked if you wanted to be on our team for that obstacle course race?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Good. You still wanna do it?”

“Count me in. It sounds fun!”

Cas jumped in, “We don’t mess around, so I hope you’re ready to train. We used to win every year, but we’ve fallen short the past few years.”

“That’s changing this year though. We’re taking the throne back!” Sam pounded his fist on the table, causing you to jump just a bit. Sarah rolled her eyes at the boy’s antics.

“Lucky for you, I’m overly competitive and hate to lose.” It was true. Although the fierce competitor in you lay dormant in your current life, it only took one little hint of competition to ignite that fire again.

Cas clapped his hands once and rubbed them together in satisfaction. “I think this means we can finally boot Jo from the team.”

Sam nodded in agreement, but Sarah quickly piped in, “you guys know she’s going to be pissed right?”

“She’s always known she was a fill-in.” Sam defended himself. “Plus, she’s not really that… athletic.”

“Or coordinated at all…” Cas muttered.

“I don’t want to take her spot though. I’ve only had a few interactions with Jo, and I don’t think she likes me that much. I wouldn’t want to step on her toes even more than I apparently already have.” It had been a while since you had seen her, but you were sure her opinion of you hadn’t changed over time.

“Don’t mind her, she’s just not easy to get to know.” Sarah added as she cleaned up plates from the coffee table.

“Who did she fill in for?” You wondered.

“Dean. After Cassie left and he became a recluse, we were left high and dry and just needed a body to be on the team so we didn’t get disqualified.” Sam answered.

Cas stood from his armchair and gathered his belongings. “Training starts first thing next week. This is OUR year! We are not going to lose for the fourth year in a row.” He pointed an expectant finger at each of you before ducking out.

You and Sam helped with the little cleanup that was left and then you began pulling on your shoes to head home.

“You ready for the big storm that’s supposed to hit?” Sarah wondered as she met you at the door to say goodbye. It was common knowledge around town that the last storm of the winter season was a doozy. Even work was calling it quits early tomorrow so everyone could be home before the snow started.

“I think so. I’m going to hit the grocery store and stock up tonight and then actually squat at Dean’s place. I’m not 100% sure that my roof isn’t going to cave in if the storm is as big as everyone says it is.”

“Good. I was going to invite you to crash here if you wanted, but I would pick Dean’s house over this little apartment too. See you tomorrow!”

No one stayed at work past eleven the next morning. Heavy clouds quickly climbed over the mountains grew dark and threatening. You said your goodbyes and made your way home to pick up the overnight bag you had packed, then headed up to Dean’s place and pulled your struggling truck into the safety of the garage just as massive flakes began to cover the ground.

It didn’t take long for inches to pile up outside, and you felt eternally grateful to be lounging on an oversized couch with a warm blanket, a fireplace, and a movie. The only thing missing was Dean. You picked up your phone and texted him a quick picture of your cozy setup.

You: Never leaving this spot.

Dean replied quicker than expected considering it was the middle of the workday.

Dean: I’m going to hold you to that. Wish I could be there with you.

You texted back and forth a bit about how his merger was going, but then he had to step into a meeting. You sighed and tossed your phone on the cushion next to you. You couldn’t focus on much of anything for the next while without thinking about him, and the thought began to creep into your mind that it might be time to act on your feelings, although the fear of ruining whatever relationship you two had tagged right along with that thought. Plus, there was always the trust issues you’d developed from your previous relationship.

The next two days were spent admiring the winter wonderland outside while completely enjoying the warmth and comfort of a magnificent cabin. The fireplace kept the place toasty, and movies were on a constant loop as you passed the time by baking, napping, and reading. You fully utilized the master bathroom with its spacious tub and luxurious shower, all the while thinking of ways to convince Dean once and for all to switch houses with you.

Sunday morning, you were awoken by a scraping noise outside. You sat up on the couch and rubbed your eyes, trying to gauge your surroundings enough to figure out what was going on. The scraping continued, but this time was followed by a distinct THUD. You wrapped a blanket around your shoulders, kicked your feet in some slippers, and rushed to the front door.

“Aargh…” A young man wearing a heavy coat pulled himself up from the ground and dusted the snow from his pants.

“You okay?” You asked and clearly startled the stranger who quickly flipped around.

“Uh… Hi…” You were greeted with a guilty, but familiar face.

“Wait, you’re…” you did your best to place him, “Jack, right?” Dean had introduced you to him at the Salty Hunter a few weeks back.

“Yeah.” His shoulders were tense and his stance awkward. “I should go.” He turned and took one step towards the steps, then turned back around. “Actually, I have to finish shoveling. But then I’ll go.”

“Wait just a sec. You’re bleeding.”

He put his hand up to his head where he had clearly hit the deck railing and pulled his fingers away to find blood on them.

“Why don’t you come in for a minute and we’ll get that taken care of.”

“Well, I’m not even supposed to be here right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was supposed to be here this morning before you were awake, but I worked a night shift last night and fell asleep for a few minutes so I’m here late. Dean is going to be so mad.”

Jack was clearly getting flustered, so you put an end to his rambling. “Why don’t you just come inside, and we’ll get everything sorted out before we both freeze to death.”

With a sigh, he reluctantly agreed and leaned his snow shovel against the house. He took off his boots and coat and you invited him to take a seat in the kitchen while you searched for band aids. You eventually found some in the drawer with bathroom towels, made a mental note to chastise Dean on his first-aid kit placement, then returned to the kitchen. You wet some paper towels with warm water and handed them to Jack so he could clean his cut a bit.

“Jack, why did you say that Dean would be mad at you?” You asked as you sorted through the assorted bandages to find the right size.

“He gave me very strict instructions that I was not supposed to let you see me.”

“I wasn’t supposed to see you shoveling the deck?”

“Or plowing the road and driveway.” He took in a short breath and then paused, realizing his mistake. “But I probably shouldn’t have told you that either…”

“Isn’t there a snowplow that does the road?”

“No, the snowplows don’t come up this far. Plus, those big trucks wouldn’t be able to handle the road. It’s practically falling apart.”

You distinctly remembered Dean telling you that one of his “good buddies” plowed the road and your driveway, and now you were starting to realize how gullible you were for believing that.

Placing that revelation on the backburner, you turned your attention back to Jack who was crumpling up the bandage wrappers. The dark circles and bags under his eyes were more than telling. The poor kid looked exhausted.

“Hey Jack, why don’t you give it another minute before going back outside. Just to make sure your head is doing okay.” Although the cut was small and he seemed fine physically, you couldn’t let him go back out into the cold just yet. He radiated the feeling of being drained which you picked up on quickly since you had become all too familiar with that particular emotion. “I was just about to make some breakfast, you hungry?”

“Oh, no. That’s okay.” He seemed somewhat skittish, so you didn’t want to give him a choice in the matter.

“If I know Dean Winchester, he has a stockpile of frozen waffles in his freezer. It’s no effort at all. In fact, it’s the least I can do to say thank you for digging me out of the mountain of snow outside.” Opening the freezer proved you right as you pulled out two full boxes of blueberry waffles. “I insist.”

A small but grateful smile gave you permission to pop the waffles in the toaster, then you pulled out some plates.

“So, you mentioned you were working last night, right? I thought you worked at the sawmill.”

“That’s my full-time job, but I also work night shifts at the gas station just outside town.”

“And you’re a freelance snow shoveler? That’s quite the workload you have on your plate.”

“I do handywork around town, but I don’t usually clear snow. Dean said he’d give me three hundred bucks if I plowed the road while he’s gone, but please don’t tell him I told you…”

“My lips are sealed.” You reassured as the waffles popped up. You placed them on a plate and slid it across the counter to Jack, then looked around for the maple syrup. “How old are you?”

“I’ll be twenty-one pretty soon.”

“That’s really young to be working three jobs.”

Jack shrugged. “Yeah, well it’s just my mom and me. She’s been pretty sick lately and hasn’t been able to work so I’ve been trying to pick up the slack with the mortgage and hospital bills.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that. And I’m sorry you have to work that much. Your mom is really lucky to have such a good son like you.”

“She’s taken care of me my whole life, this is just me returning the favor.” Jack’s waffles were gone in the blink of an eye so you make him another round and continued that process until he could eat no more, which came in good time since the boxes had just about been emptied.

You and Jack chatted for another while. Although you weren’t exactly sure how to help him with his financial situation, you knew that you could lend a listening ear, and boy did that kid need it. He vented about his family life and working a bit, but also opened up to you about his dreams to go to college and become an engineer. It’s amazing what a little conversation and a full stomach can do for someone, as he began to genuinely smile towards the end of your visit with him. You helped him shovel the last bit of the deck and then sent him on his way with some of the baked goods you had conjured up during while being snowed in, along with the open invitation to vent or have a free meal anytime.

Once Jack was on his way, you had time to think about Dean’s ploy to hide his act of kindness. You debated calling him to confront him but decided that talking about it in person would be much more entertaining.

Sam and Cas kept you busy afterwork almost every day the next week with “training” for the upcoming summer festival obstacle course. It was mostly just going to the gym and an occasional run with Sam, but you quite enjoyed it. You had been out of the habit of running and hadn’t realized how much you missed it. Finding that little spark was like happening upon a missing puzzle piece of your personality that fallen off without you noticing.

Tuesday finally rolled around, and you were excited to see Dean. He was flying in this evening, but you weren’t sure exactly what time he’d be home. The last big snowstorm had caused some damage in the canyon that led into town, and the constructions crews had the undivided highway narrowed down to one lane, causing some pretty major backups.

While at work that day, the thought occurred to you that, as a thank you for Dean secretly plowing your driveway these past few months, you would make him the blueberry pie bars that he loved so much. You picked up the ingredients on the way home and whipped them together quickly.

The mid-March sun was still setting early, making the night seem longer than it really was. It didn’t help that every time your eyes flicked over at the clock, it seemed like only a measly five minutes had passed. You debated calling Dean but knew that he wouldn’t pick up if he was driving, and instead settled down on the couch with a book you had been meaning to read. Your eyes scanned the same page at least four times until you gave into your disinterest and set it down. A small light out the back window caught your attention and you unwittingly smiled as you realized that it was the light on at Dean’s place, meaning he must be home.

You stood up and began to pull on your shoes when the thought popped into your mind that Dean might just want to take it easy after being gone for three weeks. You sat back down with a huff and twisted your mouth to the side.

“Screw it, I’m just going to go say hi.” You said aloud, as if you were trying to justify your actions to an invisible audience.

You pulled on a coat, grabbed the treats, and made your way up the road. Walking with blueberry pie bars in hand was reminiscent of just a few short months ago when you were told by Dean that he wasn’t looking for any friends. It was almost comical to see how far you’d come since that point.

You climbed the tall staircase, placed the bars on the stack of firewood that was piled neatly against the house and knocked on the heavy wooden door. A few moments of silence passed until Dean opened the door and smiled as he leaned against the doorframe with his arms and legs crossed.

“Hi, I’m Y/N, I just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood.” You offered your hand and Dean tentatively shook it. “You got really lucky with this place, it’s amazing. The guy who used to live here has been gone forever so we all figured he wasn’t coming back.”

Dean playfully shook his head. “Come here.” He pulled you by your shoulders gently into his chest and wrapped his arms around you. “I missed you, Sweetheart.” He eventually let you go and took a step back. “You know you don’t have to knock.”

You shrugged in response. “It’s still your house. For now, anyway. I did a fair amount of reorganizing while I was snowed in.”

“I’m not even a little surprised.” Dean stepped to the side. “You wanna come in for a bit?”

“No, it’s late and I’m sure you’re tired after being gone for so long. I just wanted to say hi and also drop this off.” You grabbed the plate and presented it to Dean who clapped his hands and rubbed them together in excitement.

“Wow, what’s the occasion?” He asked as he reached for them.

“Actually, those aren’t for you.” You moved the plate away from his reaching hand.

He looked up sharply and gave an exaggerated frown. “What do you mean they’re not for me?”

“I was hoping you’d give them to someone.”

“I can’t make any guarantees….” Dean grumbled, a childish frown still on his face.

“Well now that it’s supposed to be done snowing, I wanted to make these as a small thank you for the snowplow driver who’s been clearing my driveway for me. But it’s funny because I’ve been asking around and no one knows of a snowplow that comes up this far out of town. I remember you telling me the driver was one of your good buddies, so I was hoping maybe you could clue me in.”

Dean did his best to fight the smile that pulled on one side of his mouth. “Maybe he likes to remain anonymous.”

“Maybe. Or maybe you’re just a big teddy bear.”

“Oh, I see what’s going on here. You think that I’ve been clearing your driveway and plowing the road so that you can get to work without crashing because I know how much you hate fishtailing and how bad you are at driving when there’s more than three snowflakes on the road.”

“Tell me I’m wrong.” You challenged. “But those seem like oddly specific details for someone with clean hands.”

Dean narrowed his eyes and studied you playfully. He finally broke the interrogative silence. “Well, I don’t know what you’re talking about. It wasn’t me.”

“Mmhmm, okay. So, my driveway just got magically cleared. Like I have some kind of fairy-snow-plow-mother looking out for me?”

“I guess if you believe in that kind of thing.”

You and Dean shared a small chuckle.

“Well then,” you handed him the plate of goodies, “thank you to my fairy-snow-plow-mother.”

His acceptance of the treats was just as good as a confession in your books.

“Well, I’m going to let you get some rest. I’m glad you’re back.”

“You really walked up here just to give me some treats and falsely accuse me of being a good guy?”

“Don’t read into it.” You shrugged as you echoed your parting words from the last time you had given Dean these treats; a time when your relationship with him was vastly different than it was now. You sent a playful smile his way and then made your way towards the stairs, giving one last wave once you reached the bottom.

You had just gotten out of your Wednesday morning meeting with Ellen and approached your desk to find a certain Winchester sitting in your chair, arms crossed and his feet up on the table. Sam was leaning on the front counter talking with Sarah. You slowly slid Dean’s feet off your desk and brushed the remnants of sawdust that had fallen from his boots onto his lap.

“You haven’t even been back for one day and you’re already ditching out on work? That doesn’t seem like a very responsible thing for a CEO to do.” You teased and sat in the now vacant spot on the desk.

“I took the next few days off. I think working for three weeks straight allows for two days of freedom. I had to stop by my office and grab a few things and I overheard Sam saying he was heading here, so figured I’d tag along and say thank you for the treats.” Dean reached into his jacket and pulled out the plastic plate that he had been concealing, then handed it to you with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Your giggle resembled that of a schoolgirl as you shook your head at Dean’s gesture. “I forgot; I’m supposed to give you paper plates instead of these fancy plastic ones, so you don’t keep washing them and returning them.”

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “You wanna come over after work?”

Sam had impeccable timing and jumped in as he and Sarah joined the desk clump. “Sorry big brother. I have dibs on Y/N today.”

“What?” Dean shot a glare his brother’s way, then turned to you for confirmation.

“It’s true,” you gave a guilty half-smile, “we’re training tonight and then going on a run.”

“Training for what?”

“Training for what?” Sam mocked. “Training for the obstacle course, obviously! Y/N is our secret weapon. We’re winning this year! No more second place!”

“Okay, easy there, tiger.” Sarah placed a calming hand on Sam’s shoulder when she could see the vein in his neck bulge just a bit like it always did when he got amped up.

“Oh, alright then. What about tomorrow?” Dean suggested as an alternative.

“Sorry, she’s mine tomorrow.” Sarah answered. “We’re leaving work early to go find some bridesmaid dresses. The wedding is almost here, and I can’t put that off any longer.”

“And Friday, Ellen and I are going to be helping out on a county audit in Avery all day.” You shot a sympathetic look Dean’s direction, desperately wanting to cancel all your plans and spend the time with him.

Sam began to head for the door with Sarah trailing a few steps behind to say goodbye. Dean sighed and stood from his chair. “Saturday then?”

“Saturday.” You confirmed.

“And we’re still on for lazy Sunday?”

“Obviously!”

“Good.” Dean shot you a quick wink that made your heart flutter and departed.

Training that night was interesting. Sam, as Team Captain, split everyone into two groups to race through a make-shift course he had thrown together. The team with the faster time would be the recipients of a round of drinks, courtesy of the losing team. While this did up the intensity, Meg and Charlie got sick of Cas and Sam yelling at them and left early, essentially putting an end to training.

You figured this would be your time to slip out and go see Dean, but Sam caught you before you left and asked if you would still go on a run with him since there was even more time for it now. You complied since you’d already agreed, and just did your best to put the miles behind you quickly.

There were no lights on up at Dean’s place when you were pulling into your driveway, and you figured he had turned in early to catch up on some sleep.

You and Sarah left work about noon the next day and drove to Couer d’Alene to dig through every last dress in the city until Sarah found the perfect bridesmaid gowns. With each dress you were forced to model, you did your best to point out the positives and pros so that the search would mercifully end, but Sarah’s impeccable and immovable standards remained unchanged until she had that “aha!” moment.

The moment she saw you step out in the twenty fourth (yes you kept count) dress, she exclaimed, “that’s the one!”

It was a full-length black satin gown, a similar fabric to her own dress, with a slit down one side of the leg and sleeves that rested gently just off your shoulder. Admittedly, it was gorgeous. Because she already had the measurements of all the bridesmaids, she ordered dresses on the spot with rush delivery to accommodate any time needed for alterations. Shoes were the next item on the list to be found, but luckily those were far easier to track down as Sarah had a distinct style in mind. After grabbing some dinner and then picking out necklaces for the bridal party, the two of you headed home and arrived just before ten.

The next morning, you had to get up earlier than normal to head over to Ellen’s house. You two arrived at the county office about eight-thirty and were there until almost eight that night, then had another hour drive home. As tired and ready for bed as you were, you were also more than excited that you got to spend time with Dean tomorrow. He had occasionally texted you throughout the past few days, but he wasn’t much of a conversationalist over text, which was okay with you.

Sam begged for you to go running with him again the next morning, and you agreed after a ten-minute phone call where he listed all the benefits of running to get your day started. You gave him no more than four miles, and then returned home to shower and get ready for the day. Dean knocked on your door around noon and you let him in while you finished picking up around the house. No plans had been set in stone, so you both opted for the Back to the Future double header at the old theatre in town, followed by a bite to eat at the Salty Hunter where you surely would run into the rest of your friends.

You two arrived at the bar before the night crown really picked up, and Rufus roped both you and Dean into being guinea pigs for his new burger creation – The Ballpark Burger. It was a cheeseburger sandwiched between two horizontally sliced hot dogs, topped with crunchy fried onions and pickles, and smothered with an unhealthy amount of ketchup and mustard. Dean loved it. You got about two bites into the monster and were full.

Over dinner, he told you all about his trip and how surprisingly smooth things were going with work. Although he still didn’t enjoy all the details and ins and outs of running the company, he didn’t hate it as much anymore and finally felt like he was getting a good grip on the job.

Benny and Charlie joined before not too much longer, followed closely by Cas, Sarah, Sam, and Meg. After a few rounds of drinks, they began their usual tipsy-pool competition, from which you had been banned because you didn’t drink, meaning you had a leg up on everyone since you were far too coherent and stable on your feet. Dean, who had only had one beer tonight, ended up sweeping everyone. He really wasn’t joking about being the best. Cas had found a toy sheriffs badge on the floor and cleaned it off, then dubbed Dean the pool-king with the pin-on star. Dean wore it proudly on the front pocket of his red flannel shirt for the rest of the night.

He dropped you off at home around eleven and like normal, walked you to the door.

“Thanks for a fun night, Sheriff.” You teased as you unlocked the door.

“It was my pleasure, ma’am.” He tipped his imaginary cowboy hat at you.

“You wanna come in for a sec?” You offered.

“Nah, actually I’m going to head home. I’m still trying to recover from pulling almost three weeks of all-nighters, but I’ll take a rain check.”

You set your keys and purse on the entryway table and leaned against the doorframe. “You need a break tomorrow? I totally understand if you need to sleep.”

“Cancel lazy Sunday? No way. That’s the best day of the week.” Dean shook his head as if you should know better than to offer. “Oh, and by the way I don’t think I’ve said thank you for bringing in my mail.”

“And watering your plants.” You chimed in sarcastically.

“Yes, and the one day you watered my fake plants. I probably should have bought you a thank you present or something.”

“No, you definitely shouldn’t have. Letting me pretty much take over your place while you were gone was plenty of payment. There was a good possibility that I would have frozen in my little place during that snowstorm.”

“Well still, I’m sure grabbing my mail from the box next to yours was hard work. Here.” Dean removed the Sheriff’s badge from his shirt and placed it in your hand.

You exaggeratedly gasped. “Does this mean you’re crowning me the honorary pool champion? It must be hard for you to hand over that title.”

Dean smiled a shy smile and looked at the ground, then up at you and shrugged. “Don’t read into it.” He waggled his eyebrows and slowly backed away, then sauntered down the steps. “See you tomorrow morning.”

He left you with a grin on your face that you couldn’t wipe off. You looked down at the small pin in your hand and bit your bottom lip. This warm feeling that burned in your chest was better than anything you’d ever felt. There was no anxiety, there was no hurt, there was just Dean, and you knew that you couldn’t go much longer without saying something. At this point, you wanted to express your feelings, but that hurdle of vulnerability was still looming, and you weren’t sure you had the strength to jump over it.

You slept in longer than expected the next morning and didn’t end up being fully ready until around noon. You grabbed your keys and jacket but once you made it outside and the hint of warmth from the sun hit you, you decided to walk up to Dean’s place instead of driving.

You knocked on the door and opened when you heard Dean invite you in. He was jogging down the staircase when you entered. He casually checked his watch and remarked, “You’re later than normal. I was wondering if you were ditching out on me.”

“I figured I’d give you plenty of time to sleep in.” You kicked off your shoes and made your way into the kitchen, looking around for something to make for lunch.

“Hungry?” Dean asked.

“Starved.”

“Well, I didn’t sleep in this morning, and I got bored waiting for you. I went to pick up some food. There’s some sandwiches from the deli in the fridge and some chips in the cabinet on your left.”

“Wow, look at you being all proactive!” You grabbed the food and some plates and set them out on the counter, then dished up a plate for the both of you and sat down next to Dean at the counter.

“So, when I was here during that big snowstorm, the funniest thing happened. I fell asleep on the couch one night and woke up to someone shoveling the deck.”

Dean rolled his eyes and finished the bite that he had in his mouth. “I knew I should have asked Benny.”

“No, no! Jack was seriously so sweet. Do you know that poor kid works three jobs?”

Dean’s eyebrows furrowed together in a frown. “No, I didn’t know that.”

“Do you know his mom? He said she’s been sick, so he’s been picking up the slack with bills.”

“Kelly’s sick again? I had no idea.” There was a pang of guilt in Dean’s voice. “She taught school with my mom and has had health issues on and off for a while, but it sounded like she was out of the woods. Do you know how long she’s been sick for?”

You shook your head.

“I wish Jack would have said something.” Dean twisted his mouth in thought. “I guess that’s why he looks like he’s half asleep all the time. I figured he was just staying out too late with friends.”

“He said he works a few nights a week at the gas station just outside town and does any handywork he can find.”

“Damn. Well, I’ll have to see if we can do something about that.” Dean pulled out his phone and sent a quick text, then tossed it to the side and turned his attention back to you. “What movie are we watching today, Sweetheart?”

You settled on watching the last Back to the Future movie and then decided to change things up a bit and take a walk around town. Sundays were always so quiet and slow, so it was nice to get out of the house and enjoy the almost-warmish weather. While you knew what spring fever was, it wasn’t something you’d ever had to deal with while living in Arizona. Even just the idea of warmth from the sun hitting your skin was exciting and made you want to be out and exploring. You were obviously aware of the staples around town, but you’d never really explored it on foot because of the cold.

The town had done such a good job of preserving the integrity of these old buildings that you felt like you had stepped back in time a few decades. Just about every structure was made from bricks, but each had its’ own unique look. Large windows lined with decorative wooden frames gave peeks into the charming mom and pop stores and as you passed by each one, Dean explained what each was and who owned it along with sharing memories he had made in them while growing up.

The air was crisp, but the sun found its way through the thick clouds enough to keep the cold from chilling your bones. Dean had tucked his hands into the pockets of his jacket because he was worried that he’d do something stupid like subconsciously grab your hand if he didn’t keep them constrained as he walked so close to you.

“How has training been with psychopath Samuel? He takes this whole obstacle course thing way too seriously.” He asked.

You let out an airy chuckle. “It’s actually been really good. I like competing so it’s been fun.”

“Even the running?” The Disgusted look on Dean’s face was enough to tell you about his opinions on jogging for recreation.

“Yes, even the running. I used to run all the time, but I stopped while I was with Billy. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I started again. Sam is good competition, but I wish I knew how far and fast we were running. He likes to just run until he’s done, but I like to pace myself and then try to beat that.”

“You always gotta one up someone, even if it’s yourself, huh?”

“No, only you.” You nudged Dean slightly with your elbow and took an overly dramatic step to the side as if you had shoved him. You just rolled your eyes and kept going. It only took Dean a few large steps to catch up to you. “It sounds like the team never really recovered once you left. You don’t miss it at all?”

“Not up until this year.”

“What’s different about this year?”

Dean’s eyes moved from the sidewalk up to yours and held your gaze for a moment with a side smile, all while admiring the bit of pink that dusted your cheeks from the slight breeze. “A lot.”

Still unsure, but hopeful, of the context behind his answer, you chimed in, “Why don’t’ you come and at least train with us then? I’m sure there’s a spot on the team for you somewhere.”

“Yeah, I might just take you up on that.” Dean agreed. He pulled his hand from his pocket and checked the time. “We should head back, maybe make some dinner?”

You agreed, fully aware that you’d be doing the cooking, and walked back to Dean’s truck to head up the rocky road.

A dinner of spaghetti and meatballs was the easiest thing you could think of, and once dinner had been cleaned up, you figured it was about time to head home. As you pulled on your jacket and shoes, Dean narrowed his eyes as he looked out the window.

“Wait, where’s your truck? Did you walk up here?”

“Yeah, I did. It’s not too cold out today.”

“I’ll be damned. I never thought I’d hear those words come out of your mouth.” Dean pulled his coat from the rack by the door. “I’ll walk you down there.”

Knowing Dean as well as you did now, you were fully aware that resistance to his offer was pointless. Not that you really wanted to resist anyway.

Dean cleared his throat when the two of you made it to your driveway. “Sam and Sarah’s wedding is coming up pretty fast.”

“Right? I can’t believe it. I’m excited for them though.”

He had been thinking his next few sentences through for a few weeks now and was just praying that he would get them out coherently. “We’re both in the wedding party, so I figured we could go down together. You know, since we have to be there a few days early for all the crap leading up to the actual wedding.”

That wasn’t quite how he had wanted to word things, but he was hoping it was enough for you to get the message as he followed you up the steps of the porch.

“Oh, like road trip buddies?” Was this Dean’s way of friend zoning you once and for all?

“No, not like road trip buddies!” Dean scolded himself, then became even more surprised at the self-inflicted betrayal that came out of his mouth next. “Yeah, road trip buddies…”

“You idiot! No!” The voice in Dean’s head was screaming at him to correct himself.

“Yeah, that sounds good. Wouldn’t want to waste gas. Gotta keep that carbon footprint small…” A foreign and uncomfortable feeling settled between you both until you decided to break it. “Well, I should probably, uh, finish up my laundry. So, I’ll see you around?”

“Right. See you around.” Dean agreed and watched as you slowly shut the door and gave a shy smile. He took two steps towards the edge of the porch before he stopped and pivoted quickly, knocking firmly on the door.

“I don’t want to be road trip buddies.” Dean stated as soon as you opened the door. “I mean, I want to drive down there with you, but I want you to be my date.” He began to doubt his sudden rush of confidence when the few seconds that it took you to respond seemed agonizingly drawn out.

“I’d like that.” You mustered a smile, despite the racing emotions flooding through your body.

Dean returned the gesture, letting out a breathy chuckle as he glanced shyly down at the porch, then back to you. “Me too.” Not wanting to ruin the moment by blurting out something stupid, Dean said his goodbyes and proudly made his way down the driveway.

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#dean winchester fanfiction #dean fic #dean winchester fic #dean fanfiction #dean winchester #dean x y/n #dean x reader #dean winchester x reader #supernatural

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impalas-r-important · 3 years ago

Text

Branch Out - Chapter 8

Summary: Y/N left everything she's ever known, and Dean just wants to be left alone. With both of them trying to heal from heartache, they might just end up finding what they need in the last place they'd ever look.

Word Count: 7,975

Warnings: I don't think there are any this time around. Let me know if you think I should add one.

A/N: Ahh, here is chapter 8! Thank you all for being so patient with me as life just doesn't want to seem to slow down. But I come with good news. Chapter 9 is almost done as well and will be out SOON! If you'd like a tag, or I missed you on the tag list please let me know. I love you all.

Series Masterist

My Masterist

The next morning, you met Sarah over at her apartment bright and early so that you could get a head start of dress shopping. There weren’t any worth-while places close by, so that meant you would be out of town all day. Sarah drove with her mom, sister, and Mary while you carpooled with Meg and Charlie, more than happy to avoid the crusty looks from Victoria as much as possible. Sarah knew exactly what kind of dress she wanted, and finally found it six stores later. It was an elegant satin ballgown that took everyone’s breath away the second she stepped out to show it off. She genuinely looked like royalty. After a quick stop for dinner, the group made the two-hour trek home. All you could think about was your soft bed waiting for you back at your cabin and you couldn’t wait to slide under the covers and fall victim to sleep, even if you were positive you’d have nightmares about sinking slowly into the tulle depths of a sea of wedding dresses.

A familiar truck was parked in your driveway when you got home, but you weren’t entirely surprised to see that Dean was avoiding spending any kind of alone time with his father. Your door and windows were secured tight with the new locks Dean had installed, so you couldn’t help but wonder where he might be. The faint smacking of an axe hitting wood told you he was out back, so you dropped your things off just inside the door and wandered around the side of your house to see that Dean had created a makeshift wood chopping station and had built up quite the stockpile of lumber already.

How was it possible that someone could make something as seemingly mundane as chopping wood seem so mesmerizing? Although the evening air was chilly, Dean had tossed his plaid over shirt off to the side and was still working up a sweat in his thin grey t-shirt that hugged his arms in unfair ways. You pulled yourself together before drool started to escape from your mouth and wandered over to him, careful not to startle him whilst he was wielding an axe.

“Looks like someone’s been busy.” You pulled your jacket tighter across your body and folded your arms as a gust blew through the trees.

A smile pulled on the corner of Dean’s mouth as he looked up to see you and dropped the axe from his hands, then added the freshly cut pieces to the impressive pile he had stacked. “Yeah, well there’s supposed to be one more big snowstorm coming through before things start to warm up. I figured I’d make sure you had enough wood to make it through.”

“I think that’s probably enough to last me a whole year.” You looked over the pile that was half your height. “But I’m sure you’re here only out of the kindness of your heart and not because you’re dodging your dad, right?”

“Remind me to never offer my guest room to any family members again.”

“Ah, come on. Hasn’t it been nice having your mom around for a while?”

“It was good until she started telling me that I was washing my underwear wrong.”

You chuckled until another strong wind rushed past you. Dean wrapped a sweaty arm around you and led you back towards the house. “How do you expect to survive up here with how cold you get?”

“I have a personal lumberjack who keeps me in good supply of firewood, so that helps.”

“You’re welcome.” He teased, then opened the door and followed you in. “How was today?”

“I never want to see another wedding dress again in my life, and we still have to find bridesmaids dresses, but I’m trying to convince Sarah to look online so that we don’t have to spend another day with her crazy family. At the first store, her mom pulled every dress but two for Sarah to try on. Do you know how long it takes to get in and out of that many poofy dresses?”

“I can’t say I have much experience with that, so I’m going to go with no.” Dean responded while he washed up in the kitchen sink.

“Way way way too long. Oh, and crazy-pants Victoria insisted on trying on some dresses as well. I’m pretty sure she’s planning your wedding.”

Dean sharply turned his head. “My wedding? To her? Fat chance.”

You giggled and put away your coat and purse. “Well, I’m going to go change into pajamas, but you can hang out as long as you want. I just went grocery shopping the other day, so the fridge is stocked and anything in the pantry is up for grabs too.”

Dean opened the cupboard and formed his hand into a victorious fist as he pulled out a bag of cookies.

“Save me some of those!” You warned before closing the door over to change out of jeans.

“Hey,” Dean yelled loud enough that you could hear him, “so plans might be changing for tomorrow. My mom invited Sam and Sarah over to my place for lunch so they can see them one more time before they leave.”

You pulled on a pair of oversized pajamas and an old t-shirt, then pushed the door open. “You’re canceling lazy Sunday? That’s the best day of the week!”

“Just postponing it. My parents need to be out of here by four in the afternoon, so we can watch a movie tomorrow night after they’re gone if you still want to.”

“Hmm,” you pretended like you were internally debating, “only if I get to pick the movie. I don’t know if I’ll be able to sit through another old western without falling asleep.”

“You fall asleep during every movie we watch.”

“Not every movie.”

Dean raised a doubtful eyebrow as you stood and made you way over to the kitchen table to grab your phone which was ringing. Sarah’s name popped up on your screen and you slid the green answer button to the left.

“Hey, Sarah. What’s up?”

Dean gathered his things, figuring that you’d probably be a while considering Sarah’s passion for talking. He waved casually and mouthed, “Goodnight,”. With a smile to match his, you waved back as he walked out the door.

With it being late, Dean didn’t want to wake his parents and entered his house quietly while carefully shuffling his boots along the floor towards the kitchen. Chopping wood at your place for hours resulted in quite the appetite, so he opened the fridge and pulled out a container of leftover meatloaf that his mom had made a few days before. He grabbed a fork from the utensil drawer and sat down at the counter to tuck into his second dinner, but the all-too-familiar footsteps of his father coming down the hall had Dean jumping from the stool to make a break for it, desperately wanting to avoid any kind of interaction.

John rounded the corner and stopped for a moment when he saw his son scrambling to pack up his food to take with him.

“Sorry if I woke you up, I was just heading to my room.” Dean half-greeted with his eyes looking anywhere but at his dad.

“Dean, wait.” John knew that Dean’s usual cold shoulder was well deserved, but he didn’t want this whole trip to pass by without having any kind of meaningful conversation with his oldest. While Dean refused to take a seat, he set the glass Tupperware down on the counter signaling that he was listening.

John took a deep breath, doing his best to muster the courage to do something he wasn’t very good at: swallowing his pride. “I know you and I have had a… rocky relationship at best. At the risk of sounding cliché, these past few years have been very humbling for me.” John cleared his throat and leaned against the bar counter. “I never thought that I’d get cancer, never mind get close to death, but unfortunately I think that I had to go through something like that to get some lessons drilled into this thick skull of mine.” He paused as if to organize his thoughts. “I’ve been hard on you. Too hard. I always figured that if you followed exactly in my footsteps, that you’d be successful without a chance of failure, but what I realized far too late is that you aren’t me. You’re a much better person than me.” John humbly chuckled as he clasped his hands together and looked at Dean, whose eyes met his fathers for what seemed to be the first time in years. “When I prioritized work over the family, you were the one who stepped up to be there for your mother and Sam. You were the one who taught Sam how to ride a bike and throw a ball and shave when that should have been me. I hate that it’s taken me so long to initiate this conversation, but I owe you as big of an apology as I do a thank you. You made a damn fine father to your brother without having much of an example to look up to yourself.”

Dean exhaled slowly through his nose and folded his arms, waiting for his dad to continue.

“Son, I am sorry that I’ve always been more of a manager to you than a father, and I’m sorry that you had to grow up faster than any kid should. I can’t give you the childhood that you deserved, but I can tell you how proud I am of the man that you’ve grown up to be. You seem happier than I’ve seen you in a long time, and I know that’s because of the life you’ve built for yourself. That’s something not many people have the character strength to do.”

Deal still remained silent, so John continued. “While you were gone today, I took a little trip down to the sawmill to say hello to a few folks. I know how much you hate running the family business, but for what it’s worth, the company is doing better under your direction than it ever has before. Your mother wanted to tell you and Sam together tomorrow that we’re moving back here in three months when the renters are out of our house, so if you want to step down from the head position, I’ll be happy to take over. But if you want to stay where you are, you should. You’re one hell of a leader.”

Dean traced the woodgrain on the floor panels with his eyes while he processed what his father said. “I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I can ask for.” John offered a feeble smile, hoping that Dean would accept this beginning effort of trying to repair their relationship.

Dean walked a few steps out of the room, and to John’s surprise, came back with two glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Dean set them down on the counter and poured each of them a drink while the white flag of a peace treaty hung in the air in place of the usual overwhelming tension. The two men sat in silence for a few minutes while they finished off their nightcap, then parted ways with a simple nod.

Dean had grown accustomed to the tradition of slow Sundays with you, so his mother bustling around the house trying to cook and clean to get ready for Sam and Sarah coming over felt hectic and unnecessary considering the house wasn’t dirty to start with. But, still, Dean humored her and followed her laundry list of chores. Sam and Sarah showed up just before noon and Sam was immediately sent to help Dean finish cleaning while Sarah volunteered to help in the kitchen.

The brothers finished all their assigned tasks just in time to help their mom set the table. Mary began to put out placemats and casually asked Dean, “do we need to set an extra place?”

“No, why?” Dean raised a questioning eyebrow at his mom.

“Oh, I was just wondering if Y/N would be joining us. You two seem like close friends.”

Dean knew from the tone in her voice that his mom was speculating. “I didn’t realize that we started inviting friends to family parties.”

“I just heard Sam mention that you two usually spend Sundays together, that’s all. I hope we didn’t ruin your plans.”

“She might come over later, after your guys are gone.”

“Well, that’s a shame. I was hoping to say goodbye to her before we left.” Mary watched out of the corner of her eye as Dean ignored her statement and continued to set the table. She added a simple, “I like her.”

Dean slowly tilted a don’t-go-where-I-think-you’re-goinglook her way. With a knowing grin proudly on her face, she dropped the subject. In just the few days she and John had spent back home, she knew exactly why her son was starting to act like his old self again.

After a late lunch of sliders and potato salad, Mary brought out a plate of brownies that Sarah had brought for dessert. Sam scooped ice cream into bowls and handed them out while Mary placed a brownie in each one.

“Before we go, your father and I just wanted to tell you all that we’ve finally decided to move back home.” The excitement in Mary’s voice was evident. She felt like she was missing too much of her son’s lives. “Now that John has been in remission for a while, we feel like it’s time to come back.”

“Oh!” Sarah gave quick excited claps. “Yay! When are you coming back?”

“The people renting out the house only have three months left on their lease, so once they’re gone, we’ll move back in.” John explained.

“It’ll be so nice to have you both around again!” Sam said through a mouthful of dessert.

Everyone helped clean up, then John and Mary finished packing their things. Sam and Sarah were going to follow them to the rental car place, then give them a ride to the airport.

Once all the goodbyes had been said, Dean changed into sweats and a t-shirt, then plopped down on the couch, happy to have the place to himself again. He turned on the TV and scrolled through hordes of movies while he waited on you to come over.

You pulled up to Dean’s place and climbed the porch steps, then pushed the heavy back door open. A warm smile pulled on your lips when you saw Dean sprawled out on the couch with his head sharply angled back and soft snores escaping through his agape mouth. You couldn’t help but giggle to yourself while you grabbed a blanket and slung it across his lap, then took a seat on the opposite end of the couch, careful not to make too much movement and wake him up. You turned the volume down on the TV and searched for a movie that struck your fancy.

It was at least an hour before Dean startled awake and blinked a few times before rubbing the sleep from his eyes and began to grasp his surroundings. He looked up at the movie playing, then over to you.

“Morning, sleepy head. Bad dream?” You greeted. With the way he jumped while waking up, you couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in his mind.

“Ugh,” Dean grumbled, “I guess.” He checked his watch. “How long have you been here?”

“Just about an hour.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Who am I to interrupt your beauty sleep?”

“Beauty sleep my ass. My neck is killing me.” Dean stood and stretched the kink in his neck before heading into the kitchen. He grabbed two water bottles from the fridge and handed you one as he sat down next to you. Fully aware that it would take him a while to shake the grogginess from his eyes and be alert enough to have a conversation, you turned the movie back on and nestled into the couch.

Once the movie had finished, Dean began, “So, I just found out earlier today that Sam and I are heading out of town this week. The company is buying out a smaller mill with a few locations and we’ll be gone to finalize the sale. Do you mind – “

“No.” You interrupted Dean before he could finish his sentence.

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask you.”

“You were going to ask me to bring in your packages again, and I just about killed myself last time. So, no.”

Dean chuckled and leaned back. “I was just going to ask you to grab my mail and water the plants that my mom decorated the place with. Apparently, my house is, as she so lovingly put it, ‘dull and boring’.”

You cleared your throat, slightly embarrassed at your assumption. “Oh. Yeah, okay I think I can do that. Any specific instructions for the plants?”

“Put water on them?” Dean shrugged cluelessly. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

A light, airy laugh escaped from your chest. “Hey, what ended up being in that big package anyway? I think I deserve as explanation for risking my life to move it.”

“You didn’t buy into the dead bodies thing, huh?” Dean stood and offered you a hand to help you up. “I’ll show you.”

He led you out the back door and pushed the garage door open. In the empty space next to his truck, there was a large piece of metal among other bits and bobs of what you assumed to be car parts.

“Ta da.” Dean held his hands out and you did your best to give an appropriate reaction. Was he being sarcastic? Or maybe he was being serious and was very proud of his hunk of junk.

“Wow!” You smiled and nodded. “That’s a very pretty chunk of metal, Dean.”

With a laugh and an eye roll, Dean explained, “No, this is an engine block. I’ve been slowly ordering parts to make a brand-new engine that I can put in my dream car one day.”

“Dream car, huh? What might that be?” Not that you knew anything about cars, but you felt the need to humor him.

Dean’s response was quick and to the point. “A ’67 Chevy Impala, black with a tan interior.”

“I’m not going to pretend that I know what that looks like off the top of my head, but I’m sure that if anyone can build a car from scratch, it’s you.” You had never been much of a car person. You bought your truck because you could afford it, and because it had a working AC; a must have for any Arizona dweller.

“Let me see you phone.” He held out his hand, so you unlocked the screen and gave it to him. He swiped through a few screens with an annoyed look on his face. “There’s so much crap on your screen. Where’s the damn internet?”

You showed him the large icon at the bottom of the screen that was clearly labeled “internet”. With a low grumble, he pulled up pictures of a sleek classic car and showed them to you.

“Oh wow…” Never one to be very impressed by something like a car, you found yourself ogling the beauty vehicle on the screen. “That’s gorgeous.”

“Damn straight.” A proud grin pulled up the side of Dean’s mouth. “One day she’ll be mine.” He tapped the disassembled engine with his foot, then subconsciously looked at you for a split second, not quite sure which ‘she’ he was referring to. “I’m starting small by building the engine and then I’ll find a good body when I’m ready for it.” His stomach gave a loud rumble that echoed off the hard concrete surfaces of the garage. Dean placed his hand on his stomach in an attempt to tame the beast inside. “You hungry? I’ve got leftovers in the fridge. I’ll stop boring you with car talk.”

“You’re not boring me. I just don’t know anything about cars, but you could always teach me. I could be one of your mechanics once you open up your own shop someday.” You playfully suggested and sauntered towards the house.

“Easy there, tiger. Why don’t we start small and teach you how to drive in the snow first?” Dean was fully aware that he was pushing your buttons and a muddled smirk painted across his cheeks.

“Hey! I am way better than I was before!”

“Whatever helps you sleep a night, sweetheart.”

Still grinning, he held the back door open for you and gave a playful wink that could have melted a few inches of snow off of the deck.

You helped Dean warm up some leftover food from earlier and the two of you sat at the kitchen counter eating it.

“So, you’ll be gone a week, huh?” You asked in between bites.

“Unfortunately. Sam and I are heading out to California tomorrow. I hate California. There’s too many people and they all think they’re famous or some crap.”

Dean’s general dislike of people was one of your favorite things about him, and you couldn’t help but chuckle to yourself as he generalized an entire state’s population based off of an assumption.

After finishing the movie from earlier, you decided to head home since Dean had to be up at an unholy hour the next morning to catch his flight. Dean stopped you as you slid your shoes on by the back door.

“Before I forget,” he pulled a key from his pocket and handed it to you. “Thank you for looking after the place while I’m gone.”

“I guess I kinda owe it to you since you’re pretty much my personal handy man.” You shrugged and slid the key onto your own keyring. “But you already know that I’m going to make myself right at home here while you’re gone, right?”

“I would expect nothing less.” Dean wrapped his arms around you and held you tight. Hugs between you two were becoming more and more routine at this point, and you’d be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t feel completely safe from the world when you were pressed tight against his chest.

The small space between you and Dean held for just a moment when the hug you shared had come to an end. Dean’s eyes flicked down to your lips ever so slightly, then jumped back up to yours. Was he trying to give you a hint that he wanted to kiss you or were you just imagining things? There was no way that the most attractive man to ever walk the earth wanted to kiss you, right? You panicked and stepped back.

“Have a safe trip, Dean. I’ll miss you.”

Dean gave a warm smile and parted with a simple, “I’m gonna miss you too, Sweetheart.”

He closed the door after you had slipped out and let out a disappointed sigh. Not necessarily disappointed that he didn’t kiss you, but disappointed that he didn’t know how to do this anymore. He was so rusty at flirting and anything romantic, surely a direct result of years of purposely distancing himself from pretty much everyone. He resolved that he had a week to clear his head and find a way to muster up enough courage to make a move, even if your smile made him weak in the knees and your bright eyes sent his mind a-racing.

Bobby and Ellen were out for the week on a trip for their anniversary, so that meant that you were sure to stay more than busy at work. Ellen swore up and down that she was taking the whole week off because Bobby had been slammed at his shop and they hadn’t had much time to themselves, but you had a sneaking suspicion that it was because there were three meetings with Ketch on the slate. He and Ellen butted heads like two mountain goats fighting a rage fueled battle. The worn carpet at city hall had enough unidentifiable blotches, so you figured it would be for the best that you handled the meetings and avoided adding any blood stains to the collection.

You went in an hour early to get a head start on your workload. Sarah plopped down at her desk with a huff once she arrived.

“I hate when Sam is gone on business. The apartment seems so lonely and dark.” Her eyes lit up and she straightened from a slouched position. “Hey, what are you up to tonight?”

“I think you can take a wild guess on that one.” Unless you were hanging out with Sarah or Dean or the gang, you were always at home.

“You’re such a homebody. But you’re my favorite homebody. Do you want to help me with a little DIY project at my place?”

“Sure. I probably won’t be much help but I’m happy to try!” Considering the fact that Dean had done most of the maintenance around your house and yard, it was safe to say that you weren’t in the running to be the next host of any HGTV show.

“I wanna repaint the place. Those blue walls are so dreary. We can go grab some paint and dinner after work and turn on cheesy movies that you know Sam and Dean would never let us watch.” She waggled her eyebrows at you in hopes that she was persuasive enough.

“You’ve got yourself a deal.” You were more than happy for the invite. The thought of spending a week all alone up the mountain without anyone close by wasn’t what one might call especially exciting. Even if you didn’t spend every day with Dean, it was comforting to know that there was someone you trusted just a hop, skip and a jump away.

During your meeting with him, Ketch had reached the point where he started repeating himself over and over, so you didn’t feel guilty about discretely checking your phone when you felt the buzz of a text coming through.

Dean: Made it to Cali. I can smell the veganism in the air. It’s disgusting.

You had to bite your bottom lip to keep from bursting out laughing. Another text came through before you could type up a response.

Dean: I watered the plants before I left this morning, so you can probably skip that today. Thanks again.

Your eyes jumped up from the screen and you gave a few acknowledging nods to ensure you were still fully invested in the meeting that had already run twenty minutes over before replying.

You: I’m sure you’ll be a full-blown vegan by the time you get home. I’ll do you a favor and throw away all the bacon in your freezer.

You expected a snarky response in return, but all you received in return were three words that made your heart beam.

Dean: I miss you.

It was funny that such a short simple sentence could make even the ramblings of Mr. Ketch seem bearable and the rest of the day fly by without a hitch that you couldn’t handle with ease.

Once work was wrapped up, Sarah made a quick stop at the hardware store, and you went to the local deli for some subs then met her back at her place. Moving the heavy sectional and entertainment center into the kitchen was quite the feat and you successfully transferred them with only a few dings and small gashes in the wall. Sarah laid out drop cloths on the carpet while you readied the paint, brushes, and rollers then turned on a movie for some background noise and got to work.

Charlie and Meg came over after a while and you were able to get the living room done with the extra help. Next up was the bedroom, but all any of you were willing to do after a long workday was move furniture.

“Looks like I’m sleeping in the hall tonight.” Sarah half-joked with her hands on her hips, observing the makeshift sleeping area/obstacle course that was her hallway.

“You wanna crash at my place?” You offered, fully aware that you’d both be cramped in your tiny cabin.

“Ooh! We should make it a sleepover!” Charlie chimed in gleefully.

“On a work night?” Meg doubtfully interjected.

“Maybe not tonight, but we actually should do one this weekend.” Sarah’s input brightened up Charlie’s face once more. “The only problem is location. None of us really have a place big enough.” Sarah had a one-bedroom apartment, Charlie and Meg both had roommates, and you had the smallest place of all.

“I might have an idea.” You reached in your pocket and pulled the key to Dean’s place out. “I have an all-access pass to Casa Winchester this week while Dean’s gone. It might take some, or a lot, of begging, but I think I can twist his arm into letting us use his place.”

“Yes!” Sarah clapped her hands excitedly. “I love Dean’s house. It’s all bachelor-pady with bland décor, but oh my gosh it’s beautiful.”

“I’ve never been, but I’m so down.” Charlie agreed, then turned to Meg. “You in?”

Meg hesitated and folded her arms. “Do you honestly think Dean I-hate-everyone Winchester is going to let us crash his cabin for the weekend when he’s never invited us over before?”

“Oh, come on. You guys know how hard he had it for a few years. He barely even invited Sam over. Plus, Benny and Cas have only seen it because they pitched in when Dean was building it.”

“I’m sure I can persuade him to let us hang out there. He did tell me that I could make myself at home, so it shouldn’t take too much convincing.”

“I’m sure it won’t.” Meg’s words, while not hostile or rude, were definitely loaded.

“What do you mean?” You questioned.

“Oh, nothing. Just that since meeting you, Mr. Green-eyes has been a little bit more…” She narrowed her eyes as she looked for the right word.

“Fun? Nice? bearable?” Charlie suggested.

“All of the above.” Meg agreed.

“Guys, we became friends purely by coincident and honestly, I think he just pities me because I have no idea how to deal with snow or fix up my cabin that is always falling apart.” You did your best to stop any kind of speculation but were sure your efforts would be in vain.

“Sure.” Sarah nodded unconvincingly while trying to conceal a smug grin, “It’s totally normal for friends to fake date to avoid my crazy sister’s over-the-top flirting, right?”

You rolled your eyes at Sarah and ignored Charlie and Meg chuckling. “Yes, it is totally normal. It’s also totally normal to uninvite a friend from crashing at my place so that she has to spend the night in the hallway of her apartment.”

“Nooo! I take it back.” Sarah pulled gently on the sleeve of your jacket. “All this is just a round-a-bout way of saying that we’re happy Dean is happy again, and you have a big part to play in that.”

Meg leaned over to Charlie and said under her breath, “How much do you want to bet there’s going to be another Winchester wedding not too far off.”

“I’ve got a hundred bucks on two years.” Charlie discretely placed her bet.

“Two hundred on under two years.” Meg raised her.

A subtle handshake sealed the deal as everyone wrapped up for the evening and Sarah packed a bag to take over to your place. The couch was far too small for anyone to sleep on, so she just stayed with you in your bed, but you didn’t mind. Sarah was pretty much your sister at this point.

The plan for the next day was the same as the last. After work, you’d go to Sarah’s place and help with painting, but this time you had to go water Dean’s plants before heading over. You let yourself in and sifted through the cabinets to find a pitcher, then filled it up with water and wandered over to the line of red clay pots that were placed along the ledge of the wall of windows. Water was pooled above the dirt on the first plant you approached, almost as if it hadn’t been absorbed from Dean watering it before he left. You rubbed the leaf with your fingers and let out an airy laugh upon finding it to be plastic.

You moved from each plant to the next and found each to have the same pool of water sitting stagnant on top. As you walked the pitcher back into the kitchen, you pulled out your phone and dialed Dean’s number. You two had casually texted throughout the day when you had down time at work, but you’d by lying if you said you weren’t excited to hear his voice. He picked up after just two rings.

“Hey there, Sweetheart.”

“Hey!” You realized how over-excited your tone was and tried to dial it down a notch. “Is this a good time?”

“Sure is. Sam and I just got back to the Hotel. We’re going to go find some dinner after he finishes curling his hair.”

You could hear a muffled “Hey!” in the background as Sam protested his brother’s claim and you laughed at their brotherly banter.

“So, I’m here at your place and I’m just curious, how long have you been watering these plants?”

“Just since my parents were here last week. My mom brought them in. Why? Don’t tell me they’re dead already.”

“No, no I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about them dying.”

“Why?”

“Dean, you do realize these are fake plants, right?”

Silence on the other end of the phone was deafening and you could just picture the fed-up look that was surely plastered on Dean’s face right now.

“There’s a lot of water sitting on top of the dirt. Did you not think that was odd?” You teased.

“I don’t know anything about plants. I figured it was just a slow absorbing dirt…”

Your laugh echoed with Sam’s on the other end, so you figured it was time to change the subject and spare Dean of any further embarrassment.

“While I have you on the phone, I actually have a favor to ask.”

“It’s your truck, huh? I’ve been wondering when that thing is going to poop out on you for good.”

“Hey, my truck is reliable, albeit a little old. But no, actually I was wondering if maybe you might be okay with me using your place this weekend.”

“Yeah, you already know you can hang out there as much as you want.”

“Would you be okay if maybe Sarah came over too?”

After miniscule hesitation, Dean agreed. “Sure. It’s not like she hasn’t been there before.”

“And what about Charlie and Meg?” You weren’t sure how far you’d be able to push your luck.

The hesitation this time was longer, but still shorter than you’d originally expected. “As long as Meg keeps her nosy self out of my stuff, then yeah, that’s fine.”

“Yay! Thank you!”

“What do you guys have planned that you need to use my place for?”

“A sleepover. None of us have a house big enough for all four. We’re just going to watch some movies, eat some junk food, make a few sacrifices for our black magic cult. Nothing too crazy.”

Dean had developed a specific laugh when it came to dealing with your sarcasm, and you loved it. Even hearing it over the phone made your stomach flutter just a little. “Just no virgin blood on the couch, okay?”

“That’s fair enough.”

Sam’s voice bellowed in the distance, telling Dean to hurry up.

“Sam’s finally done picking out earrings, so we’re going to go grab a bite to eat, but I’m glad you called.”

“Me too. Goodnight, Dean.”

“Night, Sweetheart.”

Dean flipped his phone shut and slid it into his pocket while he grabbed his jacket, unaware that the remnants of a goofy grin were still on his face. What he did notice were the side glances from his brother as they walked down the hall towards the elevator.

“What?” Dean’s tone was sharp.

“Nothing.” Sam shrugged. “Just, I never thought you’d let anyone use your house for a party, let alone a sleepover.”

“It’s not like I’m letting a bunch of homeless crazies crash there for the weekend. We’ve known the girls for years.” Dean entered the elevator and pressed the lobby button three times, as if that would make the elevator go faster.

“Not Y/N. You’ve only known her for a few months.”

“And?”

Sam teetertottered with the thought of confronting Dean about having feelings for you. He settled on the conclusion that all he had to risk was having dinner with a grumpy brother, which was not abnormal to start with.

“You like her.”

Dean felt blood rush to his face as he studied the blurred reflections of himself and his brother in the stainless steel of the elevator door. A few seconds of anticipation dragged.

“And?”

“And nothing. I really like Y/N. I think you two would be good together.”

Sam did his best to control the pleased grin that controlled his face at the moment. He wasn’t going to pry for any more information, considering that it had been years since Dean had felt anything towards anyone, never mind having romantic feelings for someone. The brothers enjoyed a fairly quiet dinner, and although Dean didn’t want to talk much more about his feelings, he was actually glad that he had confided in Sam.

By the time Friday rolled around, you were more than ready for the week to be over. It had been difficult without Ellen there to help at work, but that was behind you and a weekend of relaxing and doing nothing sounded perfect. You ran home and changed, then headed up to Dean’s place to turn light on and get the heat going before people got there. You ordered pizzas and pulled out some paper plates you brought from your place. Sarah showed up soon after you did with treats and drinks, followed by Charlie with games and Meg with movies.

Benny and Cas showed up later in the night as well, having been tipped off by Meg who “just can’t say no to Cas’s angel face”. It was fun having the boys there, although it was definitely different without Sam and Dean, especially considering this was Dean’s house. Benny’s contribution to the party was a case of beer, which seems to vanish quickly. Games were played, treats were eaten and by the time midnight rolled around, the locomotion was halting to a grind. You’d been having a thrilling conversation with an all-too-tipsy Cas, who was rambling about the benefits of intermittent fasting, a practice that he’d never actually tried, but apparently knew all about. After a while, you realized that the noise level had significantly dropped.

Meg, Benny, and Charlie were passed out on the couch not even an hour later, so you snapped a quick picture of the adorable trio piled uncomfortably on top of each other. Pulling some blankets from the wooden chest Dean had unsurprisingly handcrafted, you draped them across the puddle of friends and then joined Sarah and Cas in the kitchen. Sarah hadn’t had much to drink, so she was helping Cas pour himself a bowl of cereal without spilling milk all over the nice countertops. After he was done eating, you and Sarah ushered him over to the couch and got him comfortable with a pillow and blanket and he drifted off to sleep quickly.

“Are you tired?” You asked.

“Not really, you?” Sarah responded.

You shook your head and motioned towards the back door. Behind his house, Dean had a large deck with comfortable, oversized chairs facing out into the woods. You wrapped a thick wool blanket around you to block out the chilly breeze and Sarah did the same.

“This was fun. We should do this again soon.” You thought aloud and looked at the starts that seemed so close on this clear night.

“With Sam and Dean next time.” Sarah added.

“Yeah, it’s kinda weird without them here.”

You could tell simply from Sarah’s energy that she was dying to say something. You figured you’d have a few more moments to enjoy this peaceful night before she said what was on her mind.

“Okay,” she spat out, “I’m just going to ask once and then I promise I’ll drop it forever.”

You looked over at her, waiting for her question, pretty sure you already knew what, or who, it would be about.

“Is there something going on between you and Dean?”

Yep. There it was.

You took a deep breath and sighed. “I don’t know. Don’t get me wrong, I like him. He’s handsome and funny and kind and overall amazing. I just have a hard time believing that someone like that could have feelings for someone like me. And aside from that, I still have some trust issues after the whole Billy thing…”

Sarah did her best to scoot her chair closer you yours and give you a hug.

“How are things on that front? Any news on that asshat?”

You smiled slightly. “No, not that I’ve heard. Conor keeps me updated, but it sounds like Billy’s still at a fork in the road. He could either wake up or get worse.”

“I’m sure that’s so hard, Y/N. I’m so sorry. I wish I could just erase him from your life!” Sarah huffed, but then calmed herself. “But enough about that walking sack of dog crap. As far as Dean goes, I can tell he likes you. A lot. But can you blame him? You’re smart as a whip, gorgeous and hilarious. You’re literally the whole package. In just a few months, you’ve done what all of us,” she signaled towards the house full of sleeping friends, “have been trying to do for years. You bring out all the best parts of Dean. Not to mention, I’ve seen the way you two have fun around each other. You’re like children in the best possible way. Plus, you’ve got a best friend that loves you to death and would actually commit murder for you, even if it means that I’m killing my future brother-in-law if he ever puts a foot out of line.”

Sarah offered a guilty smile that made you giggle. “The scary thing is I know you’re not exaggerating! But really, thank you, Sarah. That means a lot to me. I’m just not sure that I’m ready to take the first step towards a relationship, you know?”

“Understandable. All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t cross Dean off your list just yet.” She stood and offered you a helping hand up. “Come on, let’s go to bed. We’re going to need energy if we’re going to be dealing with those four and their hangovers in the morning.”

You and Sarah opted to share the guest room. Technically there were two guest rooms, but Meg had gotten uncomfortable on the couch and found her way down to the other. There was always Dean’s room, but you felt a little strange sleeping in there without asking permission first.

The next morning went smoother than originally anticipated. Benny, who you were sure would be hating his life, was up before anyone else and making breakfast for the crew. You wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water.

“Morning, Benny.”

Benny flipped three pancakes and then turned to face you, leaning against the counter. “Mornin’ cher. How we feeling today?”

“I’m pretty sure I should be asking you that. I’m surprised to see you up and at ‘em this early. Or on your feet at all.”

“It’s just in the Lafitte gene pool to bounce back quick.” He leaned towards you and spoke a notch quieter than before. “But between you and me, I know I’m getting old since it’s taking me longer and longer to recover.”

You took over the bacon station and started in on scrambled eggs while listening to Benny tell you all about Andrea. He seemed more than smitten with her so you suggested that he should invite her to come and hang out with everyone. Charlie eventually joined in and helped finish up the food. People trickled in one by one as the smell of bacon eventually woke them up.

Clean up didn’t take long with everyone pitching in, and after a few more hours of lounging around and talking, people started to head home.

You plopped down on the couch and pulled out your phone, swiping through the pictures you had taken from the night before. You picked the best ones and sent them to Dean. Not even three minutes later, he was calling you. You slid the green answer button over to the right and pressed the phone to your ear.

“Hey!”

“Looks like you guys had some fun last night.” Dean greeted. “I kinda figured Benny and Cas would find their way over at some point.”

“Benny made everyone breakfast this morning, so I’d say he earned his keep.”

“The man knows his way around a greasy hangover cure. Is Sarah there with you still?”

“No, she left a few minutes ago. What’s up?”

“Sam’s been trying to call her but hasn’t had much luck. He needs a ride back from the airport tonight.”

“You guys are coming back early?” You did your best to not be overly excited about the thought of Dean being back a few days early, but his response let you down.

“Sam is. The guy is too good at his job and got things wrapped up early on his end. But I’m actually staying another two weeks out here to get the transition underway.”

“Two weeks?” The disappointed tone couldn’t be hidden.

“It’s either stay now or miss Sam’s wedding in a few weeks, so I don’t have much of a choice.”

You let out a small sigh, but didn’t have time to add onto the conversation before Dean jumped back in. “But, hey listen, I know there’s a big storm supposed to roll through this week, so you should stay at my place. Park your truck in my garage so you don’t have to scrape it off and use the fireplace there. I didn’t get the chance to make sure yours was working properly before I left.”

“Dean, you’re literally 3 states away, you should not be worried about me.”

“You get cold in a room that’s seventy degrees. How are you supposed to survive a snowstorm in your cabin with those garbage windows?”

Your initial reaction was to deny his accusation, but you knew it was true.

“Plus,” he added, “if you froze to death, then I wouldn’t have anyone to bring in my mail for me while I’m on business trips.”

“Wow… I’m glad that’s all I’m good for.” You shook your head. “You know what, I shouldn’t have told you about the fake plants. I should have just let you water them to see how long it would take for you to notice.”

“We’re playing dirty now? I expected more from you, Sweetheart.” Dean’s airy laugh on the other end of the phone elicited a playful giggle from you.

“Shoot.” You could hear Dean’s voice slightly distance as he pulled the phone away from his ear to look at the screen. “I’ve got a call coming through that I’ve gotta take. I’ll call you later, okay?”

“No problem, bye Dean.”

“Talk to you later, Y/N.”

Chapter 9