Growing up, she'd imagined that the moment she realized that she was deeply in love, there'd be fireworks, there'd be swelling music, and it'd be a moment to top every one that had come before it.

In reality, it had been calm.

Y/N had joined up with the Winchesters after a bit ordeal with Chinese forest spirits. She'd ended up back at the bunker as a waypoint, a stop as she tried to pull her life back into order. As it turned out, that order had involved never leaving.

She'd been there a few months. Dean came in where Sam and Y/N were working in the library, digitizing and alphabetizing like fiends. "C'mon, nerds, you've been in here for hours!"

Sam answered him with a well-practiced bitchface, whilst Y/N had stuck her tongue out at the elder Winchester.

"Hey, when was the last time we had a day off? No case, no world-ending Apocalypse bullshit? Let's celebrate!"

Y/N shrugged. "If you guys wanna go out, that's fine. I'm fine here."

Sam shook his head, his hair shaking out like a L'Oréal commercial. "Y/N, we aren't just gonna leave you here."

"Look, I'm not a barfly. You two go out, get laid, have fun. I'll stay home and watch those movies you two pretend to hate so much."

Sam sighed, looking to Dean. They had one of their conversations with no words verbally exchanged, and she was kind of in awe of it.

Dean sighed heavily. "Fine, we'll stay. But I am gonna veto anything stupid!"

She grinned, putting the book down. "You sure?"

"Well, you're the heart of the party, sweetheart."

She jumped up from her chair, hugging first Sam then Dean. "You two are amazing. We can catch up on Game of Thrones, how 'bout that?"

The boys were immediately excited. The elder Winchester tried to pretend that he wasn't excited, but the idea of more TV time obviously was all he needed. Sam left to set up the room as Dean and Y/N went for snacks. Dean didn't need any help, but she wanted to make sure that they brought something Sam would enjoy too, no matter how much shit Dean gave her for it.

Standing there, in the kitchen, with Dean's arms full of beer, candy, and waiting for the popcorn to be ready, she smiled up at him. He looked so excited, so much more carefree than he usually did, and she loved seeing that. He looked years younger, his jade green eyes practically twinkling and a grin that didn't seem able to leave him.

Sure, he was always attractive, and, if she was honest with herself, her feelings for him had never been platonic, but, in this moment she realized just how far off the deep end she was. She was in love with him. With his stupid jokes that make her laugh when she wanted to cry, with his self-loathing that permeated into so many things he did, with his stubbornness that had saved her one moment then made her want to tear her hair out the next, with the way that his eyes crinkled when he smiled, with the way her heart fluttered when she was the one who brought them out—everything.

He turned to her, catching her staring. He winked. "Can't keep your eyes off me, huh?"

She laughed, trying to ignore the way her face had sharply increased in temperature. "Nah, you just got something on your face."

"Sure, sweetheart," he rolled his eyes as the microwave timer dinged.

She swooped in, grabbing the piping hot bowl before he could.

"I would've gotten that."

"Yeah, and we would've had popcorn and beer soup to mop off the floor. I got this," she said as she turned on her heel and began walking towards the TV room. "Now, c'mon, Winchester, move that pretty ass of yours!"

"The word you're looking for is 'sexy!'" he corrected as he followed after her.

Sam was seated on the bed, remote in hand, and more than happy to see his kale chips in Y/N's arms. Dean walked over to his brother and immediately told him to move.

"Dean, we can both fit."

"First of all, no one can fit on this bed with you. Second, I wanna sit with Y/N."

Sam sent Y/N a look, a look that read What the hell did I miss?

She shrugged, just as confused as he was.

Sam looked up at his older brother, his eyes narrowing as he examined him. "Okay…sure. The chair's just as comfy anyway."

Dean laughed. "Yeah, sure."

Y/N settled into the bed with Dean, as Sam set it up.

As the insanity of Westeros began playing out on the screen in front of them, Y/N's head drooped onto Dean's shoulder. He started for a moment before wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Don't fall asleep on us now, Y/L/N," he got out between bites of popcorn.

She laughed, shaking her head. "Wouldn't dream of it."