The Impala rolled into town, cruising through the streets. Dean stared at how normal everything seemed. It wasn't helping. Normal was definitely not what he had come looking for. "Are you sure we are in the right town?"
Y/N looked up from her phone – he still hadn't texted her back, damn it! – as Sam said, "This is where the omens point to. I'm sure."
Dean glanced at Y/N through the rearview mirror, which of course she didn't notice in the least since she was so engrossed in her phone and was tapping away at a rapid speed. Who the heck was she texting all the damn time? It annoyed Dean to no end, especially since he had no reason to pry and no right to be annoyed in the first place. "Hey, Y/N," he said making her glance at him, all wide eyed and surprised. "Why don't do something useful with that phone of yours and find us the nearest motel?"
She simply rolled her eyes at him, pulled up the information on her screen, and they were at the motel in less than five minutes. They had gotten two rooms – one for herself, and the other to be shared by the boys. Dean helped her take her bags to hers even though she had protested saying she got it. He simply ignored her and did what he wanted anyway. She didn't know whether to be annoyed or giddy about it. Him paying even the slightest attention to her was just feeding the flames of her outrageous crush on him even more. She was absolutely pathetic, that's what she was.
She walked into their room to find Sam almost yelling at his brother. "We could use Cas' help on this one, Dean. Why won't you just talk to him?"
Dean scowled. "Why do I have to be the one to call him all the time? It's not like he lives in my ass or something."
"Uh he probably does," Sam scoffed, annoyed at Dean's bullheadedness and earning a reciprocal glare from him. "He practically ignores me every time I call, so might as well be you."
Dean just rolled his eyes at him. In this way, they went back and forth. It was starting to give Y/N a throbbing headache. Cas, if you're listening…she prayed to the winged angel. Please get your feathery ass down here. We could use your help, buddy. Then as an afterthought she added. I feel like I'm going crazy here. I haven't talked to you or seen you in practically forever. I need you, Cas…
The slight fluttering of the familiar trenchcoat was the only warning she got before a deep voice behind her said, "It has not been forever, Y/N. You are exaggerating." The look of utter confusion on his face was just adorable.
"Cas!" she exclaimed, ecstatic to finally see him after so long. "You came!" She enveloped him in one big hug which he hesitantly returned, noticing over her head how Dean seemed utterly put out with this public display of affection.
"I heard you pray to me," Cas said simply. "You called, so I am here."
Dean cleared his throat, making them break their embrace. "Well glad you finally made it. May be now we can actually get to work. It's not like these demons are gonna wait around for us to come gank them," he said and though Cas didn't pick up on the hostility dispersing off of Dean, Y/N sure did, and she didn't understand why. Were Dean and Castiel in the middle of some fight that she didn't know about? Was that why he hadn't wanted to call Cas himself?
She tried to put those thoughts behind her and channeled her focus to the case at hand. They needed to hunt those sons of bitches down and find out where their big boss was – soon!
The hunt hadn't turned out to be the success they had expected it to be. Sure they had managed to kill the demons but no one had known anything about the big badass demon they had been on the trail of for quite some time now.
Suffering from minor cuts and bruises which Cas had healed to his maximum capacity, they sat around the tiny table in the motel room, regrouping. Dean sipped from a beer, and was discussing the futility of their search with Sam when he saw Y/N flip out her phone. A couple of seconds later, a distinct ping came from Cas' phone, which was mirrored again by Y/N's phone. She stared into her screen smiling.
Y/N was texting Cas? All this time? Dean knew he shouldn't be jealous but he was. He glared daggers at his angelic best friend, thinking, Cas, you son of a bitch.
Castiel glanced up with a startled look on his face. "Why are you cursing at me, Dean?"
Y/N and Sam also looked up to Dean at the same time, staring, confused. He could feel heat creep up his neck. "Ugh, nothing," he mumbled gruffly, taking a swig off his beer, and watched Y/N go back to his phone – texting Castiel, of all people. What the hell are they even talking about damn it?
He looked at his brother, wondering how he could just be oblivious to Y/N's new budding friendship with Castiel. He scoffed internally to himself. Friendship, my ass! Was there something going on between them? Dean wondered, and all of a sudden he felt some kind of panic creep its way into him. He wasn't ready to analyze whatever it was that he was feeling. Not just yet. All he knew was that even the thought of anyone getting close to Y/N seemed to annoy him – hell, it pretty much pissed him off.
A gentle laugh escaped Cas and Y/N smiled at her phone some more. The distinct sound of ping kept going back and forth. Dean just couldn't take it anymore.
In one swift move, he had Y/N's phone in his hand and before anyone could even say anything, he rushed to the bathroom and locked himself in.
"DEAN! What the hell!" he heard her yell at him through the door and he winced. Oh crap. She was mad – she was really mad. "Give me my phone back, you arrogant asshat!"
"No!" he yelled back, and he felt pretty childish about his own behavior. You should be ashamed, Dean Winchester, he told himself with an inward groan but he chose to ignore the rational part of him. He just had to know what was going on between Y/N and Castiel. He just had to.
So even as Y/N pounded her fist against the bathroom door he leaned against, he pulled up the screen of the texts between her and Cas.
I can't hide my feelings anymore, Cas.
Dean felt like he was going to die when he read those words.
You have to. You don't have a choice. They are not ready for this. Cas had replied.
Anger crept up without warning, but Dean kept reading.
I love him, damn it. He's all I can think about. I feel like it's killing me. Just look at him, Cas! He's so perfect!
What did she mean him? Now, who was Y/N talking about? How many people did Y/N even like?
He's far from perfect. In fact, he's internally cursing at me right now. But I guess I understand how you feel about Dean. Now might not be the best time to tell him though.
The texts ended there, and Dean still stared at the screen in disbelief. They were talking about him? If that is so, it mean that Y/N had feelings for him – not Castiel, not anyone else, but him. Over the sudden loud pounding of his heart, he failed to notice that Y/N's pounding on the bathroom door had stopped long ago.
He sneaked a peak by slowly thrusting his head out the door, trying to gauge the situation outside. As happy as he felt inside, an angry Y/N was not something he wanted to barge into unprepared. The room was empty but for Sam who sat in front of his laptop. He looked up upon Dean's entrance and said disapprovingly, "That was a new low, Dean. Even for you. What were you thinking grabbing her phone and reading her private messages, dude?"
He ignored his brother's questions and asked one of his own. The most important one. "Where is she?"
"She stormed out. I hope you're prepared to grovel 'cause I'm sure I heard her swear that she wasn't going to forgive you. Ever."
Dean gulped, nervously, and moved towards the door. He knew he should have asked where Cas was but all his mind could think about was talking to Y/N.
He found his way to her door, and knocked. Castiel opened the door, and stood in the way, blocking Dean's view of the inside of the room. "She doesn't want to talk to you," he told Dean tonelessly. "But she does want her phone back."
"Y/N!" Dean shouted over the angel's head, trying to be heard. "I'm sorry I took your phone. I need to talk to you." There was no response from her. He turned to face his best friend of an angel that he'd been throwing mental daggers at just a few moments ago. "Cas, please," he pleaded. "I need to talk to her, man. I had no idea she felt that way about me. I never thought I had a chance."
Cas observed Dean curiously, trying to gauge the truth of his words. Seeming satisfied, he said, "Fine, but if you hurt her, you will answer to me." With that warning hanging in the air, he let Dean in and left him alone with Y/N in the room.
The sound of sniffling coming from the other side of the room startled Dean. Why was she crying?
Her back was turned to the door, and she lay curled on the bed crying softly. Not knowing it was Dean who was now standing in the middle of the room, she said, "It's over, Cas. My life is over." A sniffle interrupted her declaration. "I can't hunt with them again. He knows now. He knows damn it. Now he'll tease me and laugh at me and I just can't go through all that. I just can't."
"I'm not going to tease you, Y/N," he said softly, taking a step towards the bed.
She bolted right up and his name was a whisper on her lips. "Dean, what…why…what are you doing here?"
He sat on the bed next to her as she watched him with her beautiful eyes – her widened, wary, and tear filled, beautiful eyes. He kept the phone in her hand. "I should be sorry I took it, but I'm not."
Even through the tears, a reluctant giggle escaped her. "If that was an apology, it's the worst one yet."
"How long?" he asked. She simply stared at him, refusing to answer, not knowing what to say. "How long, Y/N? How long have you had feelings for me?"
So he had read the messages. Resigning herself to her fate, she decided to tell the truth. "Pretty much since the day I met you." All she could focus on was her fidgeting hands wrapped around her phone in her lap.
She heard him sigh but she didn't dare look up. "So almost a year now," he said almost to himself. "How long were you going to keep it from me?"
"Does it matter, Dean?" she asked feeling more tears well up in her eyes. "You know now and I…I'm sorry okay? I know you don't feel the same way but I can't help how I feel about you, damn it." In her frustration, and self-directed anger, she rambled on, "In fact, it's all your fault. Why'd you have to go around making me fall in love with you and shit – being the perfect wonderful gorgeous person that you are? Why couldn't you just leave me alone to my loneliness? Why?" A sob escaped her.
Dean didn't want to hear anymore. Dean didn't want to wait anymore. In one fell swoop, he caught her lips in a swift kiss. It was only meant to silence her but the moment their lips touched, it turned passionate.
She was the first to pull away in a gasp. "What are you doing?"
"I think it's pretty damn obvious, don't you think?" he asked grinning at her. "I'm kissing you."
"Yeah, but why?"
He moved to cup her cheek in his callused palm. "Because the feeling's mutual, sweetheart. This sounds straight out of some chick flick but I'm totally in love with you." Then with that declaration hanging in the air between them, he pulled her into him for another kiss. This one lasted longer, and was softer.
He leaned into her and made them both lie down on the bed. "I get so jealous where you're concerned, Y/N," he confessed. "I can't stand it when you get all close to Cas or anyone else for that matter. Especially Cas though."
"Dean, he's your best friend!" she pointed out.
He smiled. "Well, best friend or not, I prefer it if he stayed away from you, babe."
Possessive Dean – a side to the older Winchester she never thought she'd see. "He's my best friend too, Dean," she protested weakly.
"I don't care," he practically growled into her mouth. "You're mine, Y/N. I know I sound like some possessive bastard right now –"
"You do," she interjected with a grin.
" – but you're mine, babe." His fingers tangled in her hair and pulled her down for another demanding kiss. "I love you, Y/N," he whispered to her smiling lips.
Outside, Cas leaned against Y/N's door, strangely feeling triumphant about whatever part he had played in all of this. Sam walked up to him with a smug smile. "Did he finally give in?" he asked the angel.
Cas smiled indulgently. "I believe he did. I think my work is done here," he said, also feeling smug, and with a flutter of wings, he was gone.
Savor this, Dean, Sam said to himself. Happiness comes so slow to us in this life. Savor it and cherish it when you can. With that thought in mind, he left his brother and Y/N to 'work things out' and retired back to his room. He had the room all to himself to do just as he pleased for he knew for a fact that Dean was most definitely spending the night with Y/N in her room. He couldn't help the smug grin that took over his face. Dean, you lucky son of a bitch!