Need You Now
Chapter 1
AN: Hey guys! I thought I would try posting this here just to see what happens. This was originally posted to my tumblr as a reader insert but I'm pretty sure that's not allowed here. So I changed everything to a random name. Hope ya'll like it!
Based off of "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum
How long does it take to truly get over someone after a breakup? Days? Weeks? She could eat all the ice cream, drink all the liquor in the world and it would never make her forget. When she ended it, the expression in his green eyes was forever burned into her memory. His voice when he tried to call her back was like a skipped record in her mind: over, and over, and over, the way it cracked, the way it held so much panic and anguish at the same time. She ignored his phone calls, his text messages, hell even when he pounded on her door, pleading for her to come out and just talk to him, she hid. Like a coward. But she couldn't face him. Not after everything that had happened between the two of them. There had been, and still was she suspected, so much love. So much overflowing love and kindness and a sort of gentleness that she didn't even know existed. That was why breaking his heart was the hardest thing she ever had to do.
It was five months ago when Holly broke up with Dean. The more time passed the more the pain of his absence eased. Little by little, she put her life back together. It started with a new apartment in town immediately after he had come to visit her. She sold all of her furniture and bought new things because nearly all of it reminded her of him. And when she looked at it, it was all she could do not to break down into tears. The couch where they had many late night make out sessions. The small kitchen table where the two of them sat in the morning, drinking coffee and doing the crossword together. Her bed, her massive bed, where there had been several nights and afternoons of passionate lovemaking. That one hurt the most, because even after those blissful moments, they would stay up talking and sharing intimate details with each other. It was in her bed that she liked to snap Polaroids of Dean or of her and Dean. Kissing, laughing, laying in his arms, or sometimes merely just of Dean's beautiful face, giving her that grin that she loved.
Those were the pictures she had pulled out from a shoe box that was stuffed in the back of her closet. She was currently sitting cross legged on the floor in her living room, a half empty beer in her hand, with all of them spread out before her. There were a few with Sam in them but for the most part they were a collaboration of her and Dean. The first one she picked up was of Dean in her old kitchen. He was standing at the stove, gazing intently into a pan and stirring something with a wooden spoon. That was the night he made her dinner. She tossed that aside to pick up another. Her and Dean sitting on a bench in the park. The next was of her, Sam, and Dean at a bar. Another was of her laughing, probably at something Dean had said. She took a long swig of her beer before she found her favorite one: Dean asleep in her bed, the covers only pulled up to his waist and exposing his bare chest and arms. It was a morning shot so the sun was streaming through the curtains. The light hit his face just right and he absolutely glowed. It was almost ethereal. That was the moment she knew she was in love with him.
Her stomach clenched and her eyes welled with tears but she forced them back as she threw the picture to the floor. She downed the rest of her beer and stood up to go grab another from the fridge. On the way back she picked up her cell phone to read the time, check for messages. It was one twenty-five in the morning. She didn't realize so much time had already passed. She came home from work that afternoon and instantly parked herself on the couch. Definitely a pizza night. One Netflix marathon and several beers later got her in a certain mood as it usually did when alcohol was involved. She thought about Dean quite often but tonight was the first time she dug around for the pictures.
Did he ever think about her? She hoped that if he did it was of something pleasant and not her back as she walked away from him for the last time.
She sighed as she went to sprawl out on the couch. If she closed her eyes, she could recall the exact moment the two of them met.
Almost a year and a half ago she walked into her favorite twenty-four hour diner, completely exhausted and seeking caffeine. She was a teacher and while that was a tiring job on any normal day, she had volunteered to chaperon a school dance. Her feet hurt, every inch of her was sweaty and she was pretty sure her brand new outfit was stained with punch. She dragged herself to the counter where she promptly lugged herself into a chair. Alice, one of the older waitresses, knew her by name and she gave Holly a sweet smile after she begged for coffee.
"Rough day, honey?"
"God, you have no idea," she muttered darkly. "I am never doing another dance ever again."
"Well cheer up, it's over now," Alice consoled. "What can I get for you?"
"Alice, you know why I'm here."
The older woman frowned. She set the coffee pot back in its place. "I was afraid of that. I just gave away the last piece." She gestured to a man two seats down from Holly's left. She glanced over and sure enough he was preparing to dig into a sumptuous piece of cherry pie.
She groaned. "Damn. I was really looking forward to it. Frank's pie is my reason for living. It's what keeps me coming in every morning. That and the discount you give me for coffee."
Alice smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but if it's any consolation I have him making another one right now. It'll be a while but if you're willing to wait-"
"Yes. Yes, I'll wait. Keep the coffee coming," Holly said firmly. Alice grinned and gave a gentle pat to her shoulder, then walked away to help another customer. She picked up the sugar, poured some into her coffee, and gave it a stir while slyly shooting glances to the man who took the pie. She really tried not to be envious. After all it was free game. That pie was there for anybody. It's not like a note was attached to the glass display case that said to specifically hold it for her and her alone. Besides, she'd be getting the first piece of a freshly baked pie soon enough. She couldn't resist peeking over at him. He was eating it awfully slow.
Suddenly he started chuckling. He set his fork down and turned to her. "Would you like to share?"
She was so caught off guard that all she could say was, "What?"
"Well I couldn't help but notice your uh…stares."
"I-I wasn't staring. Was I?"
"Like a wolf. If you could have I think you would've tried to take it away from me."
She laughed nervously and clapped a hand to her forehead. "You're right, I'm so sorry. I just had a terrible night and pie usually helps."
"Ah, well then we have something in common." He slid the plate to her temptingly.
"Oh no I couldn't-"
"It's fine. Just buy me the next piece, since you get discounts here," he winked. "I'm Dean, by the way."
She smiled. "Holly. Nice to meet a fellow pie lover."
"You have no idea."
From then on the two of them talked into the early hours of the morning. She learned that he constantly traveled with his younger brother for work. He went all over the country. He passed through her state frequently so when she finally called it a night, they exchanged numbers and said he would let her know the next time he was close by. At first she didn't think anything of it. The night at the diner was great but he probably met a lot of women on the road and she didn't want to be just another notch in his belt. She got her first text from him nearly two weeks later, asking to meet up at the same place. This carried on for a good three months or so before she thought it might actually be going somewhere. So, after gathering all the courage she could muster, she finally asked him back to her place. After that the rest was history.
Everything was perfect. She cherished every visit from Dean, no matter how long he stayed. Sometimes they went out, other times they stayed in, but she couldn't care if all they did was lay in bed all day. Being with Dean was exhilarating yet simple. He gave her space when she asked but still loved to hold on to her like he couldn't get enough. It was safe.
Until the night a trio of goddamn vampires tried to attack her.
It had been a long day at school and she was exhausted. She had spent all of the day before with Dean but in a lucky turn of events, he said he would come back later that evening. He mentioned it might be pretty late but she didn't mind. There was some paperwork she needed to catch up on, essays to grade, and it was easier to think in her classroom rather than her living room. She didn't leave until almost eight-thirty and on the twenty minute drive to her house the night slowly creeped upon the world.
The vamps didn't even have the decency to wait. Oh no, they pounced as soon as she shut the front door. Three bloodsuckers would have been easy enough to kill on any normal night if they hadn't tackled her headfirst into the floor. Her slumbering hunter instincts kicked in and she scrambled away as fast as she could. She could vaguely hear them taunting her as she ran straight for the hall closet, where she barricaded herself inside, pushed the heavy winter clothes aside, and picked out a large machete from her arsenal of hidden weapons. Never in a million years did she think she'd need to use these, let alone in her own home against freaking vampires, but she thanked her lucky stars she hoarded them anyway.
A brief battle between her and the vamps had ensued. She sliced their heads off one by one. It wasn't until the third one's head went literally rolling that Dean burst in through the front door, wielding a machete of his own. The two of them exchanged loud claims of disbelief that the other was a hunter. And as they stood in her living room, berating each other for not saying anything about it earlier, her heart was shattering.
Because there was no way that she could be involved with another hunter.
Tonight as she thought back on all of these things…She needed Dean. She still missed him. She wanted to talk, to make things right, and maybe start over.
She set down the beer, her last beer, and started dialing his number.
