Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The road was empty and dark as you drove back to your hometown. You’d left Lawrence after high school to pursue a career journalism, but after trying for almost 7 years to make it to the big leagues, you chose to move back. It was a tough decision, you’d made a life in New York after college, but the big city life wasn’t your favorite and freelancing stories to magazines was not enough to pay the bills anymore.

It was almost 10 pm when you reached the “Welcome to Lawrence” sign and you remembered the last photo you took there. It was your last day before senior prom and you and your best friend, Dean, skipped class to walk around town taking pictures with your brand-new camera.

***

“Come on, YN.” Dean said pulling you towards the woods and away from the high school building.

“Dean, it’s the last day of school, do you really want to have the principal call your parents again?”

Dean scoffed and gave you his stupid Dean Winchester grin as he extended his arms. “It’s last day of school, baby.”

You rolled your eyes and sighed before taking his arm. “Fine, I’ll come with you.”

He gave you another smile. “I’ll get you a beer.”

“I’m not even 18, yet.” You said as if you hadn’t drunk alcohol before.

“Like that has stopped you before.” Dean said and walked along the road next to the woods.

You stopped for a little to take your camera out of your bag and hanged it around your neck.

“You and that camera again?” He teased pointing at it.

“Shut up, Dean.” You said and punched his arm softly.

You and Dean spent most of the day just walking around and talking. You took a lot of pictures of the woods and Dean, you wanted to capture as many moments of your best friend as you could before you had to leave for college while he stayed behind to help his dad with the family business. You were excited for college, you were sick of how small your hometown was, you wanted to see the world and record it through photos and written pieces. However, a part of you wanted to stay, the part that was in love with Dean Winchester.

Your high school was different from the American high school archetype. Jocks and cheerleaders were still the two most popular groups, but the art and drama students were up there too. You, as an art student, were fairly known around your school as a cool kid, but never really stood up. At least not in the way that Dean did.

Dean was the football team’s quarterback and was basically the king of the school. Every guy wanted to be him, and every girl wanted to be with him kind of situation. In a different life, you probably wouldn’t have crossed paths, but your mom and Dean’s mom were best friends since school and that meant you and the Winchester boys were practically raised together.

You and Dean lived next to each other, had classes together, drove to school together, and sometimes even had dinner together at your house if John and Mary had to work late. All the proximity and intimacy made it really hard not to develop feelings for Dean. Dean’s attitude and charm didn’t help either.

“When are you going to finally show me all the pictures you take of me, YN?” Dean teased as he caught you taking yet another one of him, this time the sun was setting behind him and it created a beautiful lens flare around his already perfect face.

“Never.” You replied sticking your tongue out and checking how many photos you had left in your film roll.

“You’re leaving in like, two weeks.” He and walked towards you. “You can’t just leave and not show me your work.”

You chuckled and avoided the situation by pretending to take photos of a particularly boring flower on a bush. “I’m going to college, not fucking moving out of the country, Dean.”

He sighed and looked at you, a glimpse of sadness and nostalgia in his eyes. “Yeah, but you probably won’t come back once you get to the Big Apple.”

“That’s not true, Dean.” You said. “Come on, let’s take a photo by the town sign.”

“There’s way more interesting spots to take out last picture together, YN.” Dean joked, but still followed to the old metal sign.

“Yeah, but I like this one.” You replied and set your camera on a pile of rocks a few steps away from the sign. “Ready?”

Dean nodded and waited for you next to the sign as you set the camera at a good angle and put the 10s timer on.

You ran backwards and Dean caught you in his arms before you could walk to the other side of the sign. “Dean! The timer is running!”

“Just smile, YN.” He said and kept his arms around you.

You turned just in time towards the camera before it took a shot of the both of you smiling.

***

You reached your parents’ old house by 10:30 and your heart skipped a beat when you saw John’s truck parked on the driveway next to yours, ‘Winchester & Singer Co.’ it read on the side. The Winchesters were still your neighbors.

The lights were on inside and you saw Mary walking around the kitchen through the window. You wondered if Dean was still in town, or if he had finally moved out.

“YN?” You heard a familiar voice say and when you turned around you saw Sam, Dean’s baby brother.

“Sam?” You said surprised, not really knowing how to react.

“I can’t believe it’s you!” He said walking towards you and immediately wrapping you in a big hug.

“Woah, you got even bigger.” You joked and gave him a pad on the arm. “What are you doing here? I thought you moved out.”

“Yeah, well I’m back for my wedding.” He replied with a smile.

“W-Wedding?”

He chuckled at your reaction and nodded. “Yeah, I’m getting married in a few weeks. It’s a small ceremony by the lake, my parents finally bought that house we used to rent during the summer, remember?”

“Yeah, of course.” You said with a smile when all the happy memories of your summer vacations started to come back.

“You have to come, YN.” Sam said.

“Are you sure? I mean, this is kind of late for an invite, I’m sure you have all planned by now.” You answered nervously.

“Are you serious? I’d love you have you there.” He said and put his arm around your shoulders. “I would’ve called or sent you an actual invitation if you had kept in touch after high school.”

You looked down and bit your lip. “Yeah, about that… I’m sorry.” You said guiltily.

“It’s okay, I guess we could’ve reached out too, you know?” He said and kissed your temple the way he used to do back when you were kids.

“But anyway, why are you back? Last thing I heard, you were a journalist in New York.” Sam asked looking at your car.

You chuckled and shrugged. “It didn’t work out for me. So, I’m moving back to our old house and I bought a shop on Main to open a café.”

Sam’s eyes went wide and he smiled. “You’re moving back?!”

“Wow, is that really so strange?” You joked.

“No… I mean, yeah.” Sam said explaining himself. “You kind of always said you wanted out, you know? Move to a big city and never come back.”

“Yeah, well… turns out big cities aren’t for me.”

“I’m glad, though.” He smiled genuinely. “I have my big sister back… do I need to call you ma’am now?”

You scoffed and punched him in the chest. “Like you’re much younger than me, Sam.”

“Sam? What’s taking you so long?” You heard a voice coming from the front door of the Winchester house.

“Mom, look who’s back!” Sam exclaimed and you smiled at Mary.

“YN!” She said excitedly and ran down the porch to give you a warm hug. “You’re back?”

“Yeah, I’m moving back home.” You said.

Mary smiled softly and held your hand. “Your parents would’ve been so happy to see you back at home.”

You nodded with a smile, but you felt sadness creeping the back of your mind at the mention of your parents. They had lived in that very house for years before you were born, it had initially belonged to your grandparents. A few years after you finished college your parents had gone to NY for a visit and they were hit by a drunk driver on the road.

Why couldn’t you just fly, dad?

Your parents had left you the house, and for years you rented it through online services, not wanting to go back and relieve painful memories of your mom and dad. You also didn’t want to face a certain Winchester, but you wouldn’t admit that.

“Is that your stuff?” Sam said pointing at your car.

“Yes. I sold most of my things back in New York and left what I couldn’t fit with friends.”

“I’ll help you bring your things inside.” Sam replied.

“I’ll heat up some of the leftover chicken we have and make you two some sandwiches.” Mary offered.

“Don’t worry,” You said. “It’s pretty late, I’m sure you both have things to do in the morning.”

“Nonsense.” Sam insisted. “Dean should be arriving home for his ‘late Sunday dinner’ anytime soon, he can help too.”

You swallowed hard when Sam mentioned Dean. You knew it was a possibility to see him, but you weren’t prepared to face him on your first night back.

“Are you sure?” You asked not wanting to take advantage. “It’s just a few boxes.”

“Stop it,” Mary said and kissed your cheek. “You’re family, YN. We’re here for you.”

You and Sam watched Mary walk back inside the house to make your food and then he turned to you. “So, where do we start?”

You both carried most of your boxes inside your childhood home with ease. Sam and you had been close back in the day, and it was easy to fall back into the same routine and conversation with him. You only had a few boxes left when you heard the familiar rumble of John’s old Impala coming from outside. Your heart skipped a beat and you wanted to run away upstairs, but Sam was already pulling you by the arm.

“Dean!” Sam yelled from your front door, you by his side.

You saw your old best friend get off the Impala and you felt your knees giving up on you. He looked different, but a good different. He wasn't a boy anymore, he was older, you could tell by the light stubble on his face and sprinkle of white hairs. He also had a slight limp on his right leg, almost unnoticeable, but your parents had told you about his injury at the workshop a couple of years ago. Despite the external changes though, it was the same Dean you’d left behind over a decade ago. Faded, ripped jeans, flannels, leather jackets, and boots were still his to-go clothes. His love for his dad’s Impala seemed to have flourished even more now that he owned it. And most of all, he still had those kind and sweet eyes you’d fallen in love with when you were 15.

“Look who’s here.” Sam smiled and pulled you towards the driveway.

Dean looked at you both surprised and confused. His eyes were fixed on you and his hands had dropped the paper bag back into the trunk of his car.

“Hey.” You said and gave him a little wave, you weren’t sure how exactly he was going to react.

“Hey.” He finally said after a few seconds and picked his bag again, closing the trunk.

“That’s all you’re going to say to each other?” Sam asked confused. “You were inseparable back in the day.”

“Yeah, well people change, I guess.” Dean said and you looked down.

He’s still mad.

Mary came out of the house with a tray with sandwiches, juice and glasses.

“Dean, you’re just in time.” She said and kissed him on the cheek. “Sam was just helping YN with her things. Be a darling and give them a hand so you can eat?”

Dean gave you a weird look. "You're moving back?"

"Yeah." You said.

Dean clenched his jaw and you could tell he didn’t want to help you, but he nodded. “I’ll just put this in the fridge.”

You saw him disappear into the house, Mary and Sam exchanging looks.

“Come on, let’s get your last boxes in.” Sam cut the silence and picked a couple boxes from the back seat of your car.

Dean came into the house with the last two boxes a couple of minutes later and set them on the kitchen counter.

“Just leave them there, I’ll move them later.” You said uncomfortably and he nodded.

You stood in silence together for a moment before he shifted in his boots and walked towards the dining room where Mary and Sam were setting the table.

Very smooth, YN.

You took a deep breath and picked the four glasses you were looking for before walking towards the dining room.

Sam and Mary’s conversation made it easy to ignore the obvious tension between you and Dean. Dean was quiet throughout, outside from casual smiles, he didn’t interact at all and you noticed. From time to time, you caught him looking at you, but he quickly shifted his eyes towards his beer or food.

There were so many unsaid things between you, so much unfinished business, but you knew this was not the time or place to talk about it. Hell, you weren’t even sure you wanted to talk about it at all. After you left for college in New York, you’d kept in touch with Dean through calls and texts. The first few weeks you talked for almost an hour every single day. After a couple of months, the daily calls became weekly calls, and then monthly texts. Once you had started your 2nd semester, you barely communicated with Dean anymore, and all the updates on his life came from your mom.

“Anyway, we should get going, boys.” Mary said picking up the dirty plates. “We should let YN sleep, I’m sure she’s exhausted.”

Sam agreed and picked up the glasses, following his mom to the kitchen. Dean stayed behind wiping the crumbs from the table.

“Dean… look, I’m sorry…” You started, your voice barely a whisper.

“Don’t.” He cut you dryly.

You nodded and looked down, your hands sweating in your lap as you tried to reconcile the sweet memories you had of Dean with the man standing in front of you. He had never spoken to you like that, he’d never even gotten mad at you when you were kids.

But like he said, people change.

A couple of minutes after the unfruitful exchange, Sam and Mary came back and hugged you goodnight. Dean just gave you a look and walked out first, which made Mary and Sam look at each other again.

“He must be just tired.” Sam said and smiled before they both left.

You locked the door behind them and breathed out deeply. You were exhausted physically from the drive and mentally from the sudden and unplanned reunion with Dean. You picked the bags with your clothes and walked upstairs to the bedroom. The house had been renovated by the last tenant and your childhood bedroom was now the master bedroom. The old bathroom next to your room was a small walk-in closet, and your dad’s old office was a TV space. Your old parents’ room was gone, and it was turned into a full bathroom and an office. Much of your mom’s decoration choices were gone and you were glad. It was enough that this used to be her home, you couldn’t deal with it still having her essence.

You kicked your boots and changed into an oversized t-shirt before finally getting in bed. You sighed in relief when your head hit the soft pillow and you rolled to your side, your face towards the windows. You realized Dean’s old bedroom was still in the same spot across your room, you couldn’t see much because of the distance, but you recognized his old football trophies. The old memories came rushing back, and you just wanted to forget and sleep. You got up to close the curtains on that window and made yourself ignore the feelings and thoughts in your mind as you laid in bed again, this time with your back towards the window.

Chapter Text

You woke up the next day and your mind immediately gravitated towards Dean, how angry he had looked the night before, and how much you hated yourself for being the reason behind it.

It took you a few minutes, but you got out of bed and walked downstairs to make yourself some coffee. But then you remembered you hadn’t bought any because of the whole Winchester reunion you had. You cursed and jumped when your doorbell rang.

“Good morning.” Sam said in a way too cheery tone.

“Just kill me, Sam.” You joked rubbing your tired eyes.

“Always such a morning person.”

“Yeah, shut up.” You replied.

He chuckled and wiped some sweat off his forehead, he seemed to have been running.

“You run now?” You teased him.

“Yeah,” He said. “Exercise is good for you, you know?”

You rolled your eyes and yawned. “Don’t wanna sound rude, but it’s 9am and I was planning to go back to bed, so unless you have something to tell me, Sam.”

This time he rolled his eyes and smiled. “Mom wants you to come by for breakfast, we figured you didn’t have time to go grocery shopping.”

“It’s okay, I’ll figure something out.” You said not wanting to face Dean again.

“Uh, yeah with your 10 unpacked boxes.”

You sighed and looked down in defeat. “Fine, just give me 20, I need a shower.”

Sam made a face and waved his hand in front of his nose. “Yeah, you do.” He joked.

You glared at him and shut the door on his face before breathing out. This was going to be a long ass day.

You took a quick shower to wake up and grabbed the first thing that was at the top of your unpacked bags, which was a pair of short overalls and a faded graphic tee. You combed your hair the best you could, popped on some eyeliner and lipstick to look alive and put on your shoes.

You didn’t want to show up empty handed, especially after Mary had fed you last night and Sam had basically carried all your stuff in. So, you rummaged in one of your boxes to find your photography portfolio. You looked through it for a couple of minutes before you landed on a medium-sized photo you’d taken at Central Park. You had taken it a couple of weeks after you started college, and it looked like it would go nicely in a middle-class house. You picked apart one of your old frames with an old college party photo in and put your photo inside before walking out the door.

You noticed Dean’s car was still parked outside, right behind John’s truck and took a deep breath. It was okay, right? You were both adults, you could handle a simple breakfast together… right?

You put on your best smile and knocked on the door.

“YN, good morning!” Mary welcomed you.

“Thank you for having me.” You replied and walked into the house.

It was the same as you remembered it. The walls were still that light peach color your mom and Mary had picked after John had agreed to renovate the house. The furniture was new, but the homey feel was still the same, and it brought a smile to your face.

“Wait, this is for you.” You said and handed Mary the photo.

“Oh, YN, this is beautiful!” She replied with a big smile. “Did you take this?”

You nodded half embarrassed and smirked. “I used one of the camera rolls you gave me before leaving for New York. It seemed right to bring you back at least one photo.”

Mary gave you a hug again and placed your photograph over the chimney, right next to their family portraits.

“Perfect.” She said. “Thank you, YN.”

“It’s nothing, Mary.” You replied and smiled.

“Come on, everyone is waiting for you in the dining room.” Mary said hurrying you.

You walked behind Mary towards the dining room and saw Sam sitting next to a woman, who you figured was Jessica, then John at the head of the table and Dean next to him.

“YN, you made it.” Sam said and stood up to say hi. “This is Jessica. Jess, this is YN, one of my best friends from high school.”

“It’s so nice to finally meet you.” Jessica replied with a smile.

“Ditto.” You said and hugged them both.

“Come here, kid.” John said extending his arms. “It’s been too long.”

You grinned and gave John a big hug.

Growing up, John had been like a second father to you, next to Bobby. You always joked you had three different dads with shot guns every time you thought about bringing a boy home. After your parents were killed, John made sure to send you money every month for about a year until you asked him to stop.

“Wow, you look exactly like your dad.” John joked. “Hopefully won’t go bald like the old man.”

You chuckled. “Nah, I got my mom’s genes on that.”

After Mary sat next to John, you realized the only empty seat was next to Dean.

“What? I don’t bite.” Dean said with a hint of a joke in his voice when he saw you thinking about where to sit.

You rolled your eyes and took the seat.

“So, Mary tells me you’re moving back.” John started as you all ate breakfast eggs and bacon.

“I am.” You nodded. “The big city life didn’t work out for me. I needed to come back to sell the house, so I figured I might as well use it and start my own business here.”

“You were going to sell?” Dean asked surprised.

You looked at him and shrugged. “My parents were gone, the last tenant was leaving. It was back when I still had enough jobs to support a life in New York.”

“I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out, YN.” Mary said. “But if you’re still interested, I work at the local newspaper, we could use someone with your skillset.”

“Wow, really?” You asked. “Yeah, I’ll think about it.”

“Doesn’t have to be full time, I know you want to start your business. Maybe a weekly column to start with.”

You smiled at Mary and thanked her again.

“What business are you starting? The bakery-café your mom always talked about?” John asked in between bites.

“Actually, yeah.” You replied. “I have enough savings to pay for some renovations on the shop I bought.”

“Dean can help you with that.” Sam added. “He worked construction for a while a few years ago.”

You saw Dean glare at Sam, but he put up a regular smile for you.

“It’s okay, I can hire a crew.” You said nervously. “If you can hook me up with a friend, I’d appreciate it.”

“Nonsense.” Mary said. “Dean will help you.”

“Sam and I can help around too.” Jess added. “All the wedding stuff is almost finished, and we are going to go insane if we don’t distract ourselves until the big day.”

That lightened the mood around the table and you all laughed.

“Okay, but only if Dean’s alright with it.” You said looking at him.

His pretty green eyes were on yours and he shook his head with a chuckle. “Fine.”

You saw Mary and John smile with the corner of your eye. “Don’t worry, son. I’ll have Garth pick up some of your work at the shop while you help, YN.”

“Oh, right. I saw the truck outside.” You said. “I can’t believe you still have the shop, John.”

He chuckled and finished his coffee. “Yeah, me and Bobby are still going.”

“That’s awesome.”

“Couldn’t have done it without my boy, Dean.” John said proudly and gave him a pat on his arm.

You saw Dean smile at the compliment, but you realized something else was there in the way he looked down right after when no one was looking at him.

“So, what are you up to today?” Sam asked picking up his plate and Jessica’s.

“I’m going to go to the shop, see what needs to be done.” You replied walking with him towards the kitchen.

“Dean should come along.” Mary said putting the dirty dishes in the sink. “He can help you figure out what you need.”

You swallowed and chuckled nervously.

A full day with Dean? Nope.

“It’s okay, Mary.” You answered trying to come up with an excuse. “I’m sure he has things to do.”

“He actually doesn’t have any cases right now.” John said coming to the kitchen to help Mary load the dishwasher. “Right, Dean?”

Dean was standing by the arch between the kitchen and the dining room and you could see he was uncomfortable. You wondered what was going in his mind at the proposal of spending basically all day with you.

“Yeah, I finished my last car yesterday.” He said leaning on the arch. “I can come by.”

You weren’t expecting Dean to say yes, you thought he would try to stay away from you as much as he could.

“Oh, okay.” You replied with a faint smile. “I just need to get my stuff and we can head there, if you want.”

“Sure.” Dean replied and walked away and upstairs, to his room you figured.

“Is he okay?” Sam asked out loud and you shrugged.

You said thank you to Mary again and hugged everyone goodbye before leaving. Once you were in your house, you hurried upstairs and sat on your bed before taking a deep breath. You were so confused by Dean, the night before he could barely stand you, but this morning he had been kind to you, he’d even smiled. To keep you mind off things you grabbed your small leather backpack and started packing for the day.

Dean closed the door of his old childhood bedroom and leaned back on the door. Why was he feeling like this? Why did you still made him feel like this? He went to his bed, which had been replaced from his old twin bed to a double soon after he finished high school. He’d moved out from his parents’ house years ago, but Mary wanted to make sure her boys always had a bed to come home to, so she’d kept both Sam and Dean’s rooms, even if John wanted to turn those into an office and a poker room. Dean went to open his curtains and saw you across the window, you seemed busy running around your room trying to find things. That made him smile, he stood by his window watching you and it reminded him of all the nights and days you’d spend in front of each other by those windows. They were so close you used to throw small rocks at each other with messages on them, or simply hold a paper to the glass and the other would read it.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when you stopped by your window and looked at him, thanks to the distance he couldn’t see your blush, but he smiled, nonetheless. You smiled back and went to your small notebook and wrote ‘Just like old times, huh?’ on it before showing it to him. Dean laughed and gave you a genuine smile, the one he used to give you all the time when you were kids. You saw Sam come in behind him and then Dean turned around quickly and closed the curtains behind him.

You checked your bag twice before heading downstairs again. You saw Dean already by the Impala from the small windows by the front door and you went to check yourself in the mirror, fixing your hair and applying some lipstick.

Wait… why am I fixing myself for Dean? You shook your head and looked at yourself again before walking out, the sun was brighter at this time of day and you were glad you chose shorts.

“Hey, ready?” You asked opening your car door.

“Yeah.” Dean replied. “But we’re going in my car.”

You raised your eyebrow at him. “Says who?”

“I do.” He grinned and opened the driver’s seat of the Impala before jumping in.

You rolled your eyes and locked your car before walking towards the passenger’s seat, the familiarity of the car making you smile.

“Wow, I haven’t been in here since prom.” You commented as you drove downtown.

“I remember that night.” Dean chuckled. “I had to promise dad I would help him around at the shop for a whole week to let me take this baby to prom.”

You laughed at the memory and ran your hand over the dashboard. “I see you’ve taken good care of her.”

“Are you kidding? Baby is my whole life.”

“’Baby’?” You teased looking at him.

Dean cooed the wheel of the Impala. “Don’t listen to her, Baby.”

You laughed again, this time louder at the situation and you felt a warm feeling spreading across your chest. You hadn’t laughed like that with Dean since prom and it was the best feeling in the world to be doing it again, even if it was just once.

Dean seemed to notice your mind going elsewhere and cleared his throat. “So, what kind of renovations have you planned for the place?”

“I’m not sure yet, I only saw pictures.”

“W-What? You bought it without checking it out first?”

You chuckled nervously knowing it was stupid of you and played it cool. “Yeah.”

Dean shook his head. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

You rolled your eyes. “Just park here, that’s the shop.” You said pointing at a very dusty and dirty glass door.

“You bought that shop?” Dean asked walking out of the Impala. “My dad’s shop is right in front.”

You turned around and saw a big ‘Winchester & Singer Co.’ sign across the street.

“Woah, that’s big.”

“That’s what she said.” Dean joked.

“You’re a freaking child, Dean.”

He laughed and walked with you towards the place you’d bought. The big front windows and glass doors were covered with newspaper from the inside, but you could already tell it was not what you’d seen in the photos.

“Okay, let’s do this.” You said and unlocked the front doors.

The place was very dark inside, and it smelled funky. Dean turned on the lights and you gasped. It was horrible. The walls were painted a very ugly green, the floors were stained and cracked, the ceiling was peeling off, the counters were dirty and growing mold, and the tables and chairs were covered in some weird blue plastic.

“Holy shit.” Dean said looking around.

“Please tell me it’s a good ‘holy shit’.” You sighed.

“I’m sorry, YN.” He said running a finger over the dust covered counters.

“Fuck.” You sat on one of the chairs and put your face in your hands. “What the hell was I thinking.”

Dean felt bad for you. You’d been home one day, and you’d already been scammed.

“Hey.” He said pulling a chair next to yours. “Hey, look at me.”

You rubbed your face with both hands before raising your eyes to his.

“It’s not that bad, YN.”

“Come on, Dean.” You said defeated. “This is the worst place I could’ve bought to start over.”

“I mean… it’s clearly and upper-fixer.” He joked.

“I shouldn’t have come back.” You said sadly. “I should’ve just… I don’t know, stayed away.”

Dean held your hand in his and gave you a soft smile. “Everything’s going to be alright.”

“You don’t know that, Dean.” You chuckled and shook your head. “I mean, look at this place.”

“I know for a fact everything is going to be okay.”

“How could you possibly know, Dean.” You said playing along.

He grinned and winked. “I just know.”

You rolled your eyes and punched his arm playfully. “Why are you being so nice to me, Dean?”

That question seemed to bring the mood down for both of you and he sat back on his chair, moving away from you.

“I left here and didn’t come back like I promised. I didn’t call, didn’t text. I was awful to you.” You continued.

Dean was quiet for a while, just looking down at his hands. “I don’t know.”

“I’m really sorry… I feel horrible.”

“Let’s just do this, okay?” Dean said standing up and gesturing to the room.

“Dean, listen.” You stood up in front of him. “If you don’t want to say anything, don’t. But I have to say it.”

He sighed and ran his hand over his face. “5 minutes, and then we never talk about it again.”

You took your chance and nodded.

You were nervous to say the least. You’d practiced this speech a thousand times before, but you were out of words. You knew nothing you’d say would ever make up for the way you cut Dean out of your life, but you had to try, right?

“I… Fuck, I don’t even know where to start.” You said and chuckled nervously.

“How about the part where you cut me out of your life without any explanation?” Dean spat out with his arms crossed.

You looked down guiltily and nodded. “I didn’t want to, Dean. When I left for college, it broke my heart.”

Dean scoffed sarcastically and looked away.

“Dean, I… I was stupid and young.” You said sadly. “I thought that was the right thing to do, for the both of us.”

“For the both of us? Don’t give me that crap, YN.” Dean replied with anger in his voice.

You walked towards him and rested back on the counter next to him. You stood there in silence for a while before you spoke. “For the longest time, I don’t even remember since when, I had a crush on you, Dean.”

He seemed to be shocked by the admission and looked at you before looking away again.

“At first it was a stupid kid crush, you know? You were always so cute around me.” You chuckled remembering 10-year-old Dean bringing you flowers to bed when you were sick.

“But then, when we were in high school, that crush developed into something else.”

Dean, who was fidgeting with the keys to the Impala turned to you.

“God, you were so charming, so sweet.” You said half embarrassed. “It was all unicorns and rainbows until you figured it out how to flirt with girls.”

Dean was silent next to you, but you knew he was looking at you and listening carefully.

“I used to get so angry and so sad whenever you’d flirt with a girl. I wanted to be them so badly.”

“YN, I didn’t know.” Dean interrupted, his voice was soft and calm.

“I know you didn’t.” You smiled at him. “But it hurt, nonetheless.”

He nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“You were a teen boy, Dean.” You replied. “Anyway, college seemed a great idea to go out into the world and get over the stupid feelings I had for my best friend since we were like, 10.”

“Ten?” Dean asked.

“Basically, yeah.” You answered.

He put his keys into his pocket and turned his body towards you, his body resting on his elbow on the counter.

“At first, it was great, you know? We kept in touch, but you were away, so I thought I had a chance to get over you. Maybe even meet someone.”

“I bet you had a lot of guys looking to hook up with you.” Dean teased.

“I’m pouring my heart out here and you answer with that? Just let me continue, dumbass.”

Dean chuckled and gestured you to continue.

“Like I was saying, everything was awesome until… well, until you met Cassie.” You said and looked down. “You talked about her so much, I mean, how hot she was, how awesome she was, how she made you feel things you’d never felt before.”

Dean sighed and shook his head. “Cassie, yeah. That was very intense.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Sorry. Continue.”

“It broke my heart, Dean.” You admitted and felt tears pooling in your eyes. “And then, my mom kept telling me how happy you were, how she thought maybe Cassie was The One.”

Dean noticed your eyes and wanted to reach out, but you took a couple of steps away before he could.

“It all became too much when you proposed to her.” You said, your voice cracking at the end. “I just… I couldn’t keep pretending everything was okay.”

You felt tears roll down your cheek and you turned your back on Dean. You walked towards the covered windows, the memories making the pain come back as if it had just happened.

“I was in love with my best friend, but he loved somebody else.” You said with a sarcastic chuckle. “That’s the title of a hideous romcom somewhere.”

Dean felt his heart ache at the sight of you crying. He didn’t know you loved him, he wouldn’t have done the things he did if he’d known. Because he had been in love with you too.

“Hey, hey.” Dean said wrapping his arms around you. “It’s okay.”

You didn’t turn around, but you let him embrace you, and you put your hands over his as you cried.

“I’m so sorry, Dean.” You said in between sobs.

He turned you around and wiped your tears away with his thumbs before kissing your forehead. “It’s okay, baby. I’m not mad at you.”

You nodded and took a deep breath. “Aren’t you going to cry with me? You’re kinda ruining the moment, Dean.” You joked.

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around you again, this time your face was on his chest and his chin was on your head. “You’re a dumbass.”

“Yeah, yeah. I thought we had that covered.” You agreed.

Chapter Text

Sam and Jess arrived at the store shortly after you and Dean ended your conversation. You were ripping off the newspaper from the windows, Jessica was collecting the garbage from the floor, and Dean and Sam carried the old furniture out.

“What are you going to do with all this?” Sam asked rubbing his hands on his shirt.

“Recycling? I mean, it’s pointless.” You replied with a sigh. “I’m going to have to extend my budget a little to get new furniture.”

“I can help you build new counters and tables.” Dean offered wiping his hands on a cloth. “That way you can save some money for better chairs and sofas.”

“We can help painting the space, I can help you decorate, too.” Jess said. “I have a minor in design.”

You were overwhelmed with the support, and it showed on your big smile. You didn’t notice, but Dean was looking at you.

“I-I can’t ask that; you’ve already help me out so much today.” You said.

“Are you kidding? We’re helping you, YN. No more discussion.” Sam replied and wrapped one arm around your shoulders.

“Yeah, I can see the lawyer in you.” You joked. “Kind of annoying, to be honest.”

Sam poked your side teasingly. “Fuck you, YLN.”

“Right back at ya.” You said and winked at him.

“You’re both super cute,” Dean joked. “But I am starving, how about we go for some lunch and then continue.”

“Food! Yes, please!” Jess said and you chucked.

“The water should be working, and I brought some soap and towels, so let’s clean up and get out of here.”

Ten minutes after that you locked the store and walked to the local diner for some food. The staff seemed to know the boys as they were greeted by almost everyone.

“Hey, Dean.” A waitress called ‘Nancy’ said while delivering your menus.

“Hi, Nan.” Dean replied with a smirk.

You looked away and couldn’t help but feel jealous. Apparently, nothing had changed.

“We’ll both have the salad special.” Sam said pointing at Jessica. “With beers.”

“I’ll have the usual.” Dean said with a wink.

The waitress smirked at Dean and picked up his menu.

“I’ll have the bacon cheese and some coffee.” You said dryly and folded the menu before giving it back.

“Alright, be right back.”

You rolled your eyes when you saw Dean checking out the waitress as she walked away and pulled your phone out.

“So, what’s the plan for the rest of the day?” Sam asked you.

“Uhh, I think we should finish cleaning up everything before we do the paint and replace the floors.”

“I can ask dad and Bobby if I can use the back of the shop to build the furniture, it’s close by and I can leave my tools there.” Dean said.

“If you’re helping me, you have to let me pay you, Dean.” You said.

Dean scoffed and shook his head. “First of all, how dare you. And second, if I even try to charge you, mom will kill me.”

You all chuckled and Sam agreed. “That’s true. No way any of us is going to charge you.”

You sighed and shook your head. “Are you sure?” You asked looking at Dean’s eyes.

“As you yourself used to say: ‘Abso-fucking-lutely’.” He replied with a smirk.

“Shut up.”

You ate while sharing some stories. Sam told you about how he and Jess met, it was very cute, and very Sam. You told them about the time you wrote some columns for Playboy, Dean asked if you had a premium membership because of it, you said no. Dean told you about how he had fixed John’s Impala and had taken it as his own ever since, ‘Baby’ he called it.

“Alright, we better head back. There’s still a bunch of crap we have to get rid of.” Dean said placing some money on the table.

“Oh, no.” You said putting the bills in his back pocket. “My treat today.”

“Are you sure? I mean, you’re putting a lot of money into the store.” Sam said.

“Yeah, it’s okay.”

The next couple of hours went by quickly and you were exhausted by the end of the day. But your hard work had paid off. The store was clean, as clean as it could be for the time being, and it was empty. Dean had contacted his friend who worked at the recycling plant and they had sent a truck to pick up your trash.

“Okay, I think that’s the last of it.” You said tying the last trash bag.

“Yeah, I think so too.” Jessica said wiping her hands on a cloth before tossing the trash bag outside.

“This is looking so much better already.” Sam said looking around.

“All thanks to you guys,” You said. “Thank you, really.”

“Of course, YN.” Sam replied and gave you a hug.

“Okay, lets get out of here.” Dean said.

You arrived at the Winchester’s house after twenty minutes, even with the traffic.

“I desperately need a shower.” You said walking towards your door.

“You and me both.” Jess said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You said goodbye to her and Sam and watched them go inside their house.

“So, see you tomorrow.” Dean said awkwardly.

“Hey, wait.” You reached out to grab his hand. “About earlier…”

“Hey, it’s okay.” He said with a soft smile. “What’s done it’s done.”

“No, but… I mean, I know things won’t be the same as before.” You started. “But I’d really like to have my best friend back.”

Dean smiled at you and wrapped his arms around your frame.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” He replied.

“Okay.”

He gave you a quick kiss on the forehead before heading back to the house.

Ah, crap.

You took the longest shower and got ready for bed. You grabbed an old and faded graphic t-shirt from the top of your bag and remembered you still had to unpack them. But that had to wait until tomorrow, you were too tired. You plugged in your phone and stretched under the clean sheets of your bed with a sigh. Nothing had ever felt so good. You were about to turn off your lamp when you saw Dean through your window, and he was shirtless.

He’s certainly grown.

When you had left town, Dean was still caring some of his baby fat. Soft cheeks were now replaced with a sharp jaw, his skinny arms were now well defined and strong, and his back muscles bulged under his t-shirt, not that you had noticed. You bit your lower lip when you saw him toss away his pajama pants, it was Summer after all. You were startled when your phone rang.

“Enjoying the view?” Dean’s text said.

You felt your cheeks and neck getting warm, and you were thankful Dean couldn’t see the pink shade that now colored them.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You texted back and rolled your eyes.

You turned to Dean’s window and saw him sitting on the edge of his bed, he chuckled when he read your text.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, baby.”

You stuck your tongue out, making sure to make a face at Dean. He laughed from his window and shook his head. You watched Dean get in bed and lay down facing the window. You mimicked him and laid your head looking at him. You both stayed like that for a few moments before he picked his phone.

“I’m glad you’re back, YN.”

A warm feeling spread over your chest when you read the text. When you had made up your mind to come back, you didn’t know what was going to happen, let alone what was going to happen if Dean was still in town. To say the least, this was a very good outcome, and you were more than happy.

 “I’m glad I’m back too.”

You could see Dean’s smile when he got your text and he looked at you through his window.

“We should sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast.”

“What do you mean breakfast?”

“Do you really think my mom won’t make you come here for breakfast for at least a week?”

“You do know I’m a full ass grown woman, right?”

“Oh, I know, baby. It’s my mom who doesn’t seem to get it.”

There was that nickname again. And what did he mean with that?

“Fine, but I won’t come by unless she calls me or something.”

“She’ll probably have me go knock on your door.”

“She better, someone’s gotta make you wake up early.”

“Fuck you, YN.”

“Yeah, goodnight too.”

You chuckled and put your phone on your side table before looking up at Dean’s room, he was texting something, but you weren’t going to give him the satisfaction of having the last word, so you just waved at him and turned off your lamp.