Rated MA for language, sex and possible violance.

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural; Eric Kripke and his associates have that honor. I don't own Metallica either. I picked the two songs randomly and got surprised how well they fit the story. One character in this story is based on my friend.

Author's note: This is just a little something I started writing as light entertainment for myself and my friend. It's mostly romantic, with a hint of action and humor. There will be lemons. It's based on a little picture story I made for my friend few weeks ago. It told a little story about how I, a worried friend, asked Dean to go check on my friend that I hadn't heard from. And then he fell for her. And then he had to go away, do his job again. But obviously, the story doesn't end there!

Haunted

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Chapter One: Coming up for air

A picture of her is lingering in his head; he can't help but admire everything about her. The smile, the curves… He shakes his head and tries to clear it but the image remains. He pops his head to the drumming intro of the song, pushing his chin forward right to the beat. Then the music slows down as the singer begins: "All within my hands. Squeeze it in; crush it down. All with my hands. Hold it dear, hold it suffocate…" Suffocate is just the word for it. For what he feels now; had been feeling for weeks. Weeks since… He bites his lip and stares to the dark night and the road ahead. Thick woods are on both sides of the road, making it seem even darker. Sam snores next to him; that annoying bitch. Everything he does annoys Dean. It annoys the Hell out of him to be stuck in a car with Grumpy the bitchy drama queen. What he wouldn't do to annoy Sam for a change… An opportunity presents itself; the chorus of the song is up. He knows the rhythm gets more pumping again, the singer will scream the words.

He turns the volume up and starts singing along. "Hate me now!" He yells and looks at Sam from the corner of his eye. Sam's head pops up, confused. "Kill all within my hands. Hate me now!" He continues with a smirk. "Jerk!" Sam calls out reaching for the volume. Dean slaps his hand away and continues "Crush all within my hands. Squeeze all within my hands. Choke all within my hands. Hate me now!" –"Oh, I do, Dean. I do hate you, you dick" Sam says, not quite yelling back but his deep, thunderous voice carries over the music anyway. He shakes his head and stares out the windows, trying to determine where they're at. "Trap all within my hands. Hurry up and hate me now. Kill all within my hands" Dean sings few more lines and then lets his voice die. He loves that song but for some reason it really hurts inside his chest right now. It's all his life has ever been. Hurrying up to kill things. Now it just makes him feel more suffocated. Can't there really be more to his life? He never had to worry about this before. He was committed to it all. And then there was her…

Sam wakes up properly; sitting up, rubbing his neck and face. Dean seems deep in thought so he pushes his luck and tries to put down the volume again. Dean doesn't even register it. Sam leans to the door and takes a good long look at his brother. The man is clearly bothered by something. He's really pale and there are dark circles around his eyes. Sam can't remember when he last saw Dean sleep properly. Just a nap few times a day. For weeks. That can't do him any good. The guy looks like a ghost. Or rather like someone who saw one… Usually Dean gets mad when Sam stares at him this long. Asks a loud "WHAT?" But not this time. He doesn't even notice. Sam has always been a bit interested on what goes on in his brother's head. He wants to understand the man better. But Dean likes to keep most things to him self. As Sam sits there, exploring his brother's puzzled face, he suddenly sees a bit of warmth in Dean's eyes. Could it be…?

-"Hey, maybe you should take a few days off, man. Take a little holiday… down south, maybe?" Sam asks warily. Dean jerks his head to face him. "What?" He asks, pulling his brows together. "Yeah… I mean… It shorta looks like you're…um…" He can't help but grin when he realizes what he was going to say. Dean looks like he's in love, missing his woman. There's a new one! "Just spill it, Sam! I haven't got all night!" Dean spits out angry. Yeah, right we aren't gonna sit in this car all night, Sam thinks and snorts. "Nothing! Chill out man. Maybe I should drive for a while. You look like you need sleep" Sam says appearing to be calm. He has to turn to face the window to hide his grin from Dean. A chuckle slips. Shit. "What is it, Sam?" Dean sounds angrier now. He thinks he knows what Sam means, he just can't allow him self to think about it. Like it was possible to go… "Shit. Sorry, man. I was just thinking… You've looked like Hell ever since we left Brazil…" Sam answers carefully placing his words. Dean lets out a slow growl and shakes his head. He keeps his eyes on the road swallowing a huge lump in his throat. Was it really that obvious? "Maybe you should just go there… for a while. It's obvious you're haunted by…" Sam tries again but Dean cuts him short: "Shut the fuck up, bitch! It's none of you business!"

Sam feels as if he got slapped in the face and takes a deep inhale. "And the hell it isn't! You're the one looking my back! I can't have you distracted. Remember that little incident with the vampire back there?" rolls out of his out without thinking. He only just now realized why Dean had been so dazed out and the vampire, Vicky, almost got to bit Sam. Damned, nothing good happens abroad… Dean got under the spell of this girl with big dark eyes and luscious lips… Shit! Stop thinking about her. She's your brother's woman, he has to command himself as he notices he's getting aroused by her memory. Dean stares at him for a while and then turns back to the road. And pulls over. Oh great, Sam sighs in his mind. Dean gets out of the car and walks to the front of the car. He leans to the hood and rubs his hands to his face. Then he just stares to the woods. Oh fuck, we'll be stuck here all night, Sam curses. He gets off the car and winches as the squealing door hurts his ears. He bangs it back shut again and goes to hood, leans next to his brother. Offers him a beer. Fuck it, I'll just get him drunk if that's what it takes to get him to speak; Sam plans.

-"This one really got to you, huh?" He asks Dean in more conversational tone. –"It was just another vamp, Sam." Dean answers in a rasp voice. –"You know what I mean, Dean" Sam turns to face his brother. Dean just stares to the woods, looking constipated. –"Dean…" Sam continues; "Have you called her?" Dean snorts and throws his hands in the air. "God, why did you give me such over-observant brother?" he mutters. He takes a big gulp from his bottle before answering. "No." "Why the hell not, Dean?" Sam asks annoyed. Calling the girl he's got the hots for has never been hard for Dean. "Um… I don't know… International calls are so expensive?" Dean tries to joke. "But you've got her number, right?" Dean just nods, barely detectable. Looking down in the ground now. Sam stares at him frustrated. Dean chuckles: "Jeez Sam, your eyes look they're about to pop out of their sockets". "Give me the phone, Dean" he says in his strict voice trying to look scary. Dean just laughs. "This is not funny, Dean! You're gonna get me killed!" Sam shouts stymied. "Chill out, grumpy. It's night time in Brazil, too. I'll call her tomorrow." And just like that, he looks like a huge stone has been lifted from his chest. He takes a quick stride back to the driver's seat and starts the car, grinning like an idiot. The car roars like a wild animal. What the fuck just happened, Sam asks himself as he gets back into the car baffled. "You got to breathe, man, breathe. Coming up for air. Breathe man, breathe. Coming up for...Air…" Another Metallica song shakes the car; and Dean sings along. What did I just get us into, Sam questions himself and digs out his laptop. No way in hell is he gonna catch sleep again. Dean turns up the volume again. "Jerk", Sam mumbles. "Bitch", Dean responds. Grinning more widely. His hands are tapping the wheel and there are sparkles in his eyes.