Chapter 11- Looking into your eyes I'm lost…

Buffy nervously looked at the clock, it was getting to be 6:00 P.M and the guy Dean had arranged was supposed to be over there by 3:00. She had even taken off early, hearing a litany of threats by her boss that if she didn't make it up next week to expect suspension. So, when the phone rang, Buffy jumped, hoping it was the guy telling her that he was on his way. Mrs. Peterson's house had been robbed last night, so that added to her jitters. She had already sent Dawn to stay at Sam and Jess's, so she could at least relax about her safety.

Dean dialed Buffy's number, "Hey did Walt or Roy show up yet?"

The voice that came over the line was laced with a nervousness that Dean picked-up on right away.

"No, I haven't heard from anyone. Do you think maybe they just didn't have time? Cause, if they didn't it's fine…"

"No, they're usually pretty good about being on time. Lemme give 'em a call and I'll let you know what the deal is." Dean slid his palm and dialed one handed to Walt and Roy.

When he was met with a frantic Roy telling him that all his service men were out and Walt was sick, so he couldn't even leave to take care of the alarm system himself. Dean, after only a moment's hesitation, told Roy to keep the shop open and he would come pick it up. Roy again apologized, telling Dean that because of the inconvenience he would cut the price in half.

XXXXXXXXXX

Dean arrived two hours later with the security system in hand. He knocked and Buffy opened the door with a warm smile.

"I was starting to think you forgot about me?"

Dean flashed an apologetic expression at her. "Yeah sorry about that. Traffic was murder on the highway and it took me a while before I could escape and wouldn't you know I hit every red light taking the surface streets. Anyway, sorry again."

Buffy stepped back from the door with a smile, "It's okay. I'm sorry you had to go to all this trouble and I feel really bad about it being a Friday night and all. Did you have time to eat? Cause I just made a burger… If you're hungry?"

Dean shuffled inside and lit up with a silly smile. "Well, there's always time for burgers. And seriously, it's no trouble at all when it comes to your safety."

Buffy led Dean down a wide hallway with two double French doors. The living room is in there if you want to have a seat and I'll make you a plate. What did you want to drink?" She pivoted to the left where Dean saw her turn to a wide arched doorway and she reappeared two minutes later with a burger piled with everything, chips, and a bottle of de sol. She handed him the bottle and plate with a sheepish smile, "Hope you don't mind, Sam said it was your favorite."

Dean stared at Buffy in awe as he took the plate. "Wow, I am in the wrong line of business. No one ever gives me a delicious meal when I do an oil change for a customer. I should bring you handy security devices more often."

Buffy scoffed, "I'm just lucky you don't want anything fancy. The beer was to make the food more palatable…but, thank you and it's the least I could do." Buffy went back into the kitchen and returned with another place and a bottle of Coke. She sat a few feet from Dean, noticing his stare, "What? I promise it is edible. I may not be Martha Stewart, but most of what I make is edible."

Dean absorbed her humble expression before he eyed the burger. It looked decent enough and definitely smelled edible. He shrugged and took a big bite out of the burger and was pleasantly delighted when his taste buds were greeted with all his favorite flavor combinations - meaty, cheesy, and bacony. "To hell with Martha Stewart, this is pretty awesome," he moaned gleefully.

Buffy gave Dean a warm smile, "You keep this up and I just may have to keep you…So, you're a mechanic? Sam said you restored cars, or is that just a hobby?" Buffy took a small bite and sipped from her Coke.

"No, on occasion I get a restoration job when I'm not doing the usual gamut of car maintenance stuff. It's a nice break when I can get it. What about you? Do you restore cars as a hobby?" he asked with a joking smile.

"No, I don't have the brain capacity to know the difference between a tire and a gauge…." Buffy shuddered, "Other than work, and taking care of Dawn …I really don't have time for hobbies…although once Dawn starts college, I've been thinking I want to go back part time and maybe be a teacher."

Dean unexpectedly chuckled. "Well, it's not rocket science. Anyone can learn basic stuff like changing a tire and reading an oil gauge. Anyway, 'teaching' huh? What subject?"

"Don't really want to teach any particular subject and you'll probably think its silly, but I want to teach kindergarteners or first grade." Buffy kind of blushed with her eyes lowered, afraid that Dean might think it's silly to want to teach small children.

"Oh, sounds like quite a task. You have to teach them not to eat paint or crayons or snails on the sidewalk...I can't remember how many times I used to pry ants from Sammy's mouth because he liked the way they made his tongue tickle."

Buffy spat out her Coke with a chuckle, "That is adorable, but their little minds are so rich and you can mold them…it's kinda exciting…" Buffy bounced a little, excited to share how much she wanted to be around young kids, then she looked a little sheepish. "You probably don't want to hear about how much I want to be around at least twenty adorable kids, right?"

Dean drank in the sight of her endearing expression as her eyes twinkled with excitement. He usually didn't like girls who chatted like crazy, but he found himself craving more of Buffy's captivating smile. "I don't mind actually. Go on, tell me about it."

Buffy blushed, "Well I guess I kinda am a little kid at heart. I mean, I still have a pink pig named Mr. Gordo that I've had since I was five and I love kids…. actually can't wait till Sam and Jess have one that I can totally spoil rotten…. Anyways, their little minds are like sponges and they are so gentle and it's only when they get older that they start getting vindictive and such, but when they're small, they see the world so differently… Yanno, they're so innocent."

Dean nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah and gullible too. I used to tell Sammy so many things when he was growing up. Like how the tooth fairy would bite his nose off if he didn't hand over the money she left him to me..." Dean paused to chuckle at the memory. "I know you're probably thinking that was a horrible thing to do, but hey, as his older brother it was my job to keep him on his toes and prepare him for the world as he grew up. Anyway, it sounds like it's a passion of yours, so I hope it works out."

"Me too…especially since it looks as though it may be years before I get at least a nephew or niece to spoil…and you sound like the typical older sibling… I have to admit when I was younger, I told Dawn that the tiny marshmallows were monkey brains …but you can relate to that right?" Buffy gave Dean a small smile, "You know aside from Jessica you're the first person I've ever told I want to be a teacher. My dad would tell me it's a waste of time…" Buffy looked down at her half eaten burger, "What about you? Any secret plans or fantasies you have?"

"Well, I used to want to save my allowance to buy the Batmobile, but I pretty much outgrew that dream. Well, actually, I still ended up having a kick ass car. So I guess in a way that worked out."

"The Batmobile? Really? Like really, really? And your car is pretty, but I'm not much of a car buff. As long as it runs, it's a winner to me…But I meant like any stuff that other people don't know about… Like, do you want to build a secret fort in the middle of the ocean?"

"Secret fortress in the middle of the ocean? No, can't say I'm that inventive... Although I wouldn't mind camping out with Yoda in the Degaba System for a while. Learn how to become a Jedi Master." He chuckled for a second. "Honestly, I think at one point I wanted to be a baseball star... Anyway, other than teaching young kids, what else flips your boat?"

"Well I'm afraid you might find my aspirations a little boring, but I kinda want to be married and have kids, but with the way my luck runs, the teacher thing is a better fantasy. At least with that one, it's more feasible…more likely to happen."

"I know you said you had bad luck in the past, but you can't keep thinking that way," he mused. "Maybe you just need to stop thinking about it all together and that might just be the day some luck hits you. You know what I'm saying?"

"I know, your right…So, enough of my whining." Buffy looked at the clock. "Yanno, it's getting kinda late. If you want, you can spend the night and that way you won't feel rushed or anything …but only if you didn't have plans…I feel kinda bad for forcing you to hear me whine when I'm sure you probably have plans…Do you need another beer?" Buffy nervously stood to change the subject. Dean was dangerously coming to be someone she felt safe with and was attracted to, best to terminate that line of thinking now before it got any worse.

"Yeah, I should get to what I came over for," Dean remarked as he fetched the box with the alarm system. He pulled out several dozen plastic bags with an assortment of parts and spread them along the coffee table, until it was completely covered. "Geez, I thought it was supposed to be a simple plug in here and turn on thing. Well, as long as it does the job..."

Dean began opening up several plastic bags and took only a quick glance at the complex instructions. He started shuffling pieces around as if they would make a puzzle. "Uh, I'll pass on the second beer and maybe take a cup of coffee. I didn't think it was going to take very long, so a caffeine jolt would be greatly appreciated." As he fumbled with a few pieces, he frowned. "This can't be any more complex than putting a car engine together..."

Buffy smiled, "You got it…but you still gotta take the beer with you when you go home. I don't want Dawn to get experimental." Buffy walked away, feeling really stupid. He probably wanted to get away from her as soon as he could…She was such an idiot. She probably should have kept her mouth shut. After shuffling off to the kitchen, she brought back a big cup of coffee with Eeyore on the side, "I hope Eeyore is okay…it was either that or Piglet…"

Dean swallowed his previous knowledge about Mr. Gordo and simply gave an amused nod. "It's fine. Thanks...it's kind of quiet in here. Maybe you can put on some tunes? But please, nothing that will make my ears bleed."

"Sure, I'll put my radio out here in the foyer for you and that way you can put it on whatever you want…I don't want to be in your way, so I'll just go read in the living room …" Buffy gave a weak smile. "And if you need me, just yell." She lowered her eyes. She was trying to stay out of Dean's way. She had humiliated herself enough for the night.

"No, no, please stay. Keep me company. Tell me some jokes. Do a little dance," he teased. "Although I have no Cheese Puffs to offer you." He chuckled briefly as he got comfortable on the couch. "Tell you what, you can be my handy assistant. It might make this task go by quicker."

Buffy perked up. "Sure, just let me know what I can do to help." The phone ringing in the background made Buffy back away. "I'll be right back…" when she went into the living room, she picked up the phone on the next ring, "Oh hi- dad…no, she's over at Sam and Jess's tonight…No…there's been a string of robberies, so that's why …Sam's brother is hooking up the alarm system… I thought she would be safer there…No… I, uh…but Dad…I didn't want her to be scared…no, I'm not wasting money on frivolous things…actually I didn't pay for it… NO! I didn't have to do anything for it…" Buffy brought her voice down low…Her father's voice rang out so loud, she had to pull the phone away from her ear.

"You are doing this so you can have a date, aren't you?"

"No dad…I told you I wasn't dating anyone…"

"Right…You're being irresponsible, Buffy. How many times have I told you that your responsibility is Dawn, not some boy that catches your eye."

Buffy shifted from foot to foot as her father continued to berate her. Five minutes later, a very defeated Buffy sniffled as she hung up the phone. She didn't want to cry in front of Dean, or anybody for that matter, so she cleared her voice and gave Dean a weak smile, "I'll go get my radio if you want to get started…" She turned to go, but closed her eyes tight for a moment while she fought back the tears threatening to spill.

Dean looked up from the floor filled with parts when he heard the increasingly feeble tone in Buffy's normally vivacious voice. He caught sight of Buffy as she whipped her back to him and let out a very soft breath before ambling away. After a few minutes, she returned to the living room with a small radio in her hand, which she set down on the coffee table. As the awkward silence lingered, Dean hesitated getting into what was such a messy moment, but the shakiness in her voice as she spoke on the phone had seeped into his nerves. He set aside what he was doing and glanced at Buffy, who kept fiddling with the electrical cord. After a few tries, she managed to get the plug in the outlet. Dean cleared his throat and took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Hey, uh...that phone call sounded kind of...tense."

Buffy sighed briefly, "Just my dad checking on Dawn…it's fine…I …uhhh…" She cleared her throat, her voice was breaking a little and her shoulders were shaking. "Sorry…I just screwed up again…nothing to worry about…" Buffy looked at the floor, avoiding Dean's gaze. She was kind of hoping the floor would swallow her up so she could avoid the floodgates that threatened to break behind her eyes.

Dean unexpectedly found himself laughing when he saw Buffy drop her eyes to the floor. He quickly stopped his amusement and explained, "Uh, sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you. It's just... you'd make a lousy poker player, because I picked up you're tell...Anyway, why do you think you screwed up? I mean, I don't know much about Dawn, but from what Jess has mentioned, she's quite a handful. So, why is it that your dad thinks you're responsible for anything she does? She does a have a mind of her own and you can't always control a teenager. Believe me, I know."

Buffy opened her mouth then closed it then opened it again, "Dawn is my responsibility… if I had kept a closer eye on her she wouldn't have stolen all those things a couple months back and I am the oldest…I'm supposed to be able to handle things…I gave my word I would when he gave me custody of Dawn …that I would keep on top of everything…"

"Still, you could drive it into her head a hundred times a day about the consequences of her actions and she is still going to do what she wants to do," Dean reasoned. "You can't control her any better than you can control - the weather. For your dad to think that Dawn's misbehavin' is a reflection on you is just, pardon my French, friggin' ridiculous, not to mention unrealistic. In my experience, children are the products of their parents, so if she's rebellious and stealin stuff, it's because she's got daddy issues not big sis ones."

"He's right about one thing though, I shouldn't have pushed her off on Jess and Sam tonight…I just thought she would be safer there…That she wouldn't have'ta worry about people breaking in…" Buffy pursed her lips, "It just seems like no matter what I do, he always accuses me of being selfish…says that I don't put her first…" Buffy glanced up for a second, "I'm sorry I shouldn't be complaining to you about this…. Guess it's a good thing that I don't have any children, cause I can't even seem to do the right thing with my own baby sister."

Dean heaved a deep sigh as he got up and ambled over to Buffy. "You really need to stop blaming yourself for Dawn's indiscretions. It sounds like she puts you through a lot and leaving her with Sam and Jess ain't in any way 'pushing her off'. You're giving yourself a break. I mean, as an older sibling, we are entitled to a sanity break from our younger siblings because it is against the law to kill them. So, stop thinking you're being selfish, because what you're doing by taking a little time out is the best thing for you right now… Although, if you decided to kill her, I'd be obligated as the head of the Winchester family to cover it up."

Buffy stifled a giggle, "Well I don't want to kill her, but occasionally when she's lying there sleeping all peaceful like – I have the urge to choke her just a little…is that considered bad?"

Dean found himself chuckling again. "NO, no, to be honest, I've had a few times in my life where I got so pissed off at Sammy I'd think about locking him up in a dressing room full of circus clowns and leave him to fend for himself."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Circus clowns?" she chuckled. "Sam has clown fear?" Then she muttered to herself, "No wonder he wouldn't step foot in a McDonalds…"

Dean let out a deeper chuckle as he reflected on his past. "Oh yeah, he's got major Bozo issues. One time when he made me mad, I got this freaky clown mask and perched right by his face while he was sleeping. When he woke up, he nearly peed his pants!" Dean folded over and ripped with amusement for a long minute. After he settled down, he glanced at Buffy with a sheepish look. "Was that horrible of me? I mean, Sam was a good kid, never really caused trouble, so that's kind of why I ribbed on him a lot, and hey, clown hating is lame."

"Well, it's a little mean, but you two seem to have a good relationship…Jess is afraid of chickens…so that's kinda lame too, as well as Dawn's fear of midgets…If we ever wanted to get even with those three we could drop them off at a farm with clowns, midgets and chickens then head for the nearest exit."

Dean widened his eyes in glee. "Wow that is a BRILLIANT idea! I'm going to make a mental note to look up clowns, slash midgets, slash chicken farms when I get home. You never know when that kind of info could come in handy...Say, there's a dollar store around the block from my house, I think I saw that they sold rubber chickens. I'll have to get one and bring it over to the next family dinner. I could find a clown too and make it a matched set. Call it a his and her's post-wedding doll set."

"No. Please don't. Then she'll know I told you. Then, who knows what secrets she'll spill about me? Like my secret fears…" Buffy shuddered thinking of evil teddy and zombie penguins. Then she gave Dean a slight smile. She had been so close to bawling her eyes out and Dean made her feel so much better. Maybe Jess was right…Dean was a great guy, but she reminded herself, that didn't mean he was interested in her.

Dean swallowed back his knowledge of the Summers girls' fears and reached over to snap on the radio. He rubbed his hands together and smiled. "So, Dr. Dean is in, the patient has been prepped for surgery..." He glanced at the mish mash of parts on the floor. "All I need is the graceful hands of a responsible assistant." He whipped his eyes around. "Can you recommend someone?"

"I can recommend lots of people; unfortunately, you're kinda stuck with me for the moment." Buffy gave Dean a sheepish smile.

"Well, you are exactly what the doctor ordered," he chimed as he pushed the sleeves of his shirt up. "Let's get started, shall we?" Dean shuffled back to the floor, took a seat and patted the spot next to him. "Have a seat and you can be very helpful in not reminding me to go by the instructions, cuz I'm a guy and I don't ask for directions either."

"Then you must have an amazing sense of direction or get lost a lot…" Buffy snickered,

"Okay, Dr. Dean I'm all yours. What would you like me to do?" Buffy had a seat beside him, Indian style, "Mold me –shape me…"

Dean cocked an eyebrow when he heard her say mold me, shape me. "Are you trying to seduce me?" He let out a hearty laugh as he started attaching wires. "Okay, Nurse Betty, hand me that funny looking tool by your leg over there."

XXXXXXXXXX

Buffy had brought out the remainder of the beer with a small bowl of chips, "Okay Dr. Dean…how does this game work? Do we take bets or is it more like truth or dare? Or who starts?"

"Well, you could say it's more like truth or...drink," he clarified. "You ask a question… Like, have I ever ended up in a place I don't remember going to? If I choose not to answer, I have to drink. If I answer truthfully, I don't. You can start if you want. Ask me anything you want."

"Have you ever stolen a car?"

Dean looked incredulous as he took in her wide-eyed curiosity. "Uh, wow, you go for the big questions, don't you?" He laughed awkwardly and thought for a minute before he knocked back a drink.

Buffy laughed before she started, "Sorry, but the look on your face was priceless," She twisted her lips, "What is the strangest thing you've ever done?"

"By strange, do you mean illegal or...freaky?"

Buffy shrugged, "Freaky, I guess?"

"As a gentleman, I decline to answer that in front of a lady so..." Dean raised his glass and knocked it back.

Buffy frowned, "Fine, I'll have to find another way to get all your secrets. So, is there anything you want to ask me?"

"Hmm, since you went big, so will I. Who was the first boy you ever kissed?"

Buffy grinned, "Well that was last weekend at the faculty dinner…" Buffy laughed, almost toppling over.

Dean stared at Buffy in wonder as he watched her in her giggle fit. "Uh...I forgot to mention that if I think you're not answering truthfully, you have to drink...So, were you really being honest?"

Buffy stopped laughing, "Technically, it wasn't the very first kiss, but it was the one that made an impression. Doesn't that count?" Off Dean's shake of his head, Buffy looked at the offending glass and quickly took a gulp, shaking her head, "Blech, this stuff is awful."

Dean flashed a sly smirk. "Oh, guess that means that you'll be telling me a lot of the truth now, huh? I get to go again, just because... So, what do you find attractive in a guy?"

Buffy pondered for a moment, "Someone who is sweet, caring, family oriented, and uhhh just a nice guy…and he must be single…"

"Hmm interesting, you just described Hugh Hefner in a way. I mean, you didn't specify an age, so he could fit what you're looking for. Never mind that he's got like eight hot bunnies. He's not married to them." Dean snickered for a long minute. "Or, the guy could be like eighteen for that matter."

"Okay, definitely not Hugh Hefner. He is a creeper, gives me the willies. I just want a guy who treats me decent and has no bunnies or other ladies-in-waiting. Must be willing to settle down and/or be willing to fall in love…" Buffy stared off dreamily, "I guess I want what all girls want, a knight in shining armor."

"Well nothing wrong with that, IF you live in medieval times where there actually were knights in shiny armor."

Buffy frowned at Dean, "Not literally a knight in shining armor…just no Hugh Hefner types. I guess if he was a decent guy, with no string of bunnies…I guess that if the right guy were to come along…as long as he is family oriented, I would be willing to give him a shot, but what I find most attractive is a guy who is willing to open up his heart to me."

"OH, I see, okay...Uh so, I think it's your turn to, uh, ask a question."

"Okay Mr. Dean, since you put me on the spot. What do you find attractive in a girl?" Buffy smiled with a glow.

Dean lifted his glass before he paused and chuckled with an awkward smile. He leaned back against the couch and answered, "Uh...let's see, sweet and caring sounds good, must love chickens and clowns and midgets...preferably no hairy moles and...a sense of sibling woes would be nice too... no blood relations either." He forced out an awkward laugh. "Uh... not too into crazy chicks... and absolutely no Cheese Puff teasers."

Buffy laughed, "Those are really random, I mean nothing specific there …I mean that could be anybody …" She mused for a minute before continuing, "If there is one thing you could do right now without any consequences, what would it be?"

Dean absorbed the sparkle in her eyes and felt himself drifting closer. After a brief second, he slipped an arm around her waist and plopped a wet, slow kiss on her mouth, unleashing a precarious amount of lust as he ran his tongue along the soft folds of her cheek. God she was hot.

Buffy closed her eyes. She was so not expecting this, but her fingers drifted to the back of his head while she got lost in the kiss. She threaded her fingers in his short hair, allowing Dean's tongue to travel down her neck. When he pulled back seconds later. His eyes traveled the contours of her face as if he couldn't look at her enough.

'OH SHIT!' she was in so much trouble, the way he kissed made her communications go down again, if he kept this up…her whole way of life was going to change, because she was at the precipice of saying, 'MAKE LOVE TO ME PLEASE' Good thing she had strong will power, but Dean Winchester was making her rethink waiting till she got married.

Dean took in the immense surprise knitted over her face, then noticed a moment of suspicion in those hazel eyes. What the hell just happened? She put the question out there and he answered – with his mouth. He sucked in a short breath, almost wondering if she was going to smack him upside the head or across the face. After all, the last time he had permission to grace those soft luscious lips, he was in a public place and it was for the means of garnering attention from Angel and his arm curtain. Now however, he was alone with her, knocking back drinks and playing an innocent game of twenty questions that had suddenly gone off the main path. When he caught her cheeks flushing red, he let out a sigh of relief, as a telling sign that she didn't take offense.

"Uh, so that concludes our fun little game," he said with a sheepish smile. "It's getting kind of late and I'm a little toasted so…"

Buffy immediately stood, offering to grab sheets for Dean. When she returned twenty minutes later in a pair of shorts, that accented her ass perfectly and a t-shirt that had seen better days. Dean was hoping that in the course of the night, the shirt might grant him a wish and fall apart on her body. He just stood back while she made his bed on the couch, 'Fate must hate him like a mug, to dangle this in front of him before he got sent off to sleep.' He repeated in his head 'Buffy is off limits, you can not make a move on her, and dude …she's not like other girls.'

XXXXXXXXXX

Dean had lain awake the majority of the night. He had to get out of this house. He was at his wits' end. He had never denied himself when it came to pleasure, but if he didn't get out of this house in the next say two hours… He was going to find himself waking Buffy up and giving her the ride of her life. He respected her and therein laid the problem. His libido was fast approaching its limit of restraint and the woman of his dreams was lying in the bedroom above him. It was as if he could smell her perfume taunting him like a serpent's song. If he didn't get out of this house soon, he was going to be damned, completely damned.

Several hours later, after a broken sleep and endless fantasies pushing at his sanity's reserve, the clock that had struck every hour on the hour rang six times. After fighting the sheets and blankets for about twenty minutes, Dean slipped his shoes on and knocked briefly on Buffy's door where he was met with a yawny, "Yes." He immediately told her he had to go take care of something, practically breaking his neck to get to his car and as far away from temptation as humanly possible.

XXXXXXXXXX

Buffy went to retrieve the sheets and put them away when she noticed a small black device fall out of the sheets. Oh, it was Dean's cell. She mused lightly, he probably felt lost without his phone. She knew she did whenever she misplaced it, which was usually on a daily basis. She would just give Jess a ring, find out where he lived, and drop it off on her way to pick up Dawn. And maybe if he wasn't too busy, she would finally invite him to coffee.

XXXXXXXXXX

Buffy nervously stood at the door, knocking a third time. She was sure he was home. His car was parked in the space that correlated with his apartment number and Jess had said he was most likely home, because he never went anywhere without his car. Buffy's voice caught in her throat when the door swung open to reveal a half-naked brunette wearing what looked like Dean's shirt. She was so caught off guard, that it took the brunette asking about two more times 'could she help her' before Buffy found her voice.

"I'm sorry I must have the wrong apartment I was trying to find Dean… Dean Winchester."

Buffy had prepared to turn away when the brunette rolled her eyes, "No, you got the right place, sweetheart…He's a little busy at the moment. Something I can help you with?"

"Oh, I just wanted to return his phone. He left it and I figured he might need it… So here." Buffy handed the phone to the girl with a small smile.

She only hesitated a moment before she turned to go, but the door slammed shut before she had even made it half-a-turn from the door. Well, she sighed with slight disappointment, better that she know he has a girlfriend. Buffy sighed again. She had acted like such a slut with Dean. Here he was being nice and she was such an idiot. He had a girlfriend and she had kissed him and liked it, but she was kind of confused about the whole thing. If he had a girlfriend, why did he keep kissing her? The kisses were great, very memorable, but if he had a girlfriend, what did they really mean to him? Maybe she was just reading way too much into them.

XXXXXXXXXX

Dean stepped out of the shower refreshed. He had relieved his pressure and he was totally relaxed. Tess raised an eyebrow, handing him his phone as he stepped out of the shower. Her smug smile gave Dean pause.

"Sugary blonde dropped this off," Tess scoffed with a snort. "Didn't think she was your type."

Dean absorbed Tess' condescending expression as she widened a boastful smile and sashayed away. He had been completely unaware he had forgotten his phone. HELL, he had flown out of there so fast he was lucky he remembered where he was. That was probably the first flee in his own history where he had run out of a girls house where wild antics hadn't gone down. JUST ONE KISS, ONE FANTASTIC KISS WITH A FANTASTIC GIRL, ONE…

Dean flinched when his thoughts started drifting toward the saccharine, chick flick, slow motion couple in his mind, running toward each other with silly stupid smiles. SHE WAS A SUGARY BLONDE AND DAMN IF HE WASN'T GETTING A MAJOR SWEET TOOTH. Buffy had stopped by, driving out of the way to return his phone in a friendly, kind gesture and he had missed her.

Maybe he could give her a call later and see if she was free for some coffee, or would that be pushing it? What the hell? Dean wasn't the type for coffee. Well, he liked coffee and drank it on occasion, but what excuse could he possibly give to see her? Because as much as it was getting harder to be around her and not want her, he enjoyed the time around her and looked forward to it when he didn't see her for more than a weekend.

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Buffy arrived about 15 minutes later to pull up into Jess and Sam's driveway. She slowly moved her way up to the walkway. When she spotted Sam weeding one of the flowerbeds, she waved and he waved her over, giving her a hug.

"Hey, is Jess around? I was hoping to talk to her before I take Dawn back home."

"Her and Dawn went shopping, so it could be hours." Sam frowned at Buffy's disappointed expression. "If you have stuff to do, I could drop Dawn off for you…?" Sam offered, noticing Buffy's distraction.

Buffy waved it off with a single gesture. "No, it's not a problem or anything just…" Buffy flushed slightly, "It's nothing…"

Sam perked up, "Come inside and we can have a snack and wait for them." He gave Buffy a smile and they walked inside where he grabbed them some drinks from the fridge. "Yanno Buffy, you're practically my sister. So, if you wanted to talk –Jess tells me I'm a good listener."

Buffy pressed her hands against the counter while she sipped from her drink. Well, no better time than the present and at least if she spoke to Sam, she could get a better feel for Dean, because at this point she was so turned around. She didn't know her right from her left. "So um, Sam, how long has Dean been with his girlfriend?"

Sam raised both eyebrows, almost spitting his drink out. "Girlfriend? Dean?" He sat his drink on the counter while he eyed Buffy, not really knowing where she was coming from. "Dean doesn't have girlfriends, 'special friends' is a more accurate term. My brother's never had any interest in tying himself down to one girl when, as he puts it," Sam hand quoted, "Why settle for the same meal when there are way too many options in this big world?"

Sam noticed the blushing cheeks and downcast eyes and his sister-in-law avoiding eye contact. "Buffy, my brother hasn't done or said anything again, has he?"

Buffy glanced up with a shocked expression, "Oh no, I was just curious as to why he doesn't have a girlfriend and if he was seeing anyone?"

Sam scrutinized his sister-in-law's behavior before taking a deep breath. Buffy was way too sweet and Dean was actually behaving with her, so better to nip this in the bud before it got to a bad place for her. Dean was behaving now, but if he knew Buffy kind of liked him, he wondered if his opportunistic brother would continue to behave."

Sam gave Buffy a genuine smile before he continued explaining about his brother, and although Buffy grew quiet with a lot of what Sam said, he knew it was better in the long run, if Buffy had no expectations from Dean. As much as he loved his brother, he didn't want Buffy hurt either, so better to help her to understand that Dean would never settle down.

XXXXXXXXXX

Merely minutes after Buffy had snagged Dawn and headed home, Dean arrived. Sam looked out the front window after hearing the Impala. One thing was certain; he would never mistake the sound of the Impala for anything else. When Dean ambled up to the door, Sam waved him in. Maybe they could hang out while Jess, who told him she was extremely tired for some reason after just shopping, was lying down.

While Sam flipped channels on the television and handed another beer to his brother, who looked like something was on his mind.

Dean had just finished his third beer. He was so out of his element. If anyone knew how to tell if a girl was 'THE ONE', it was Sam. The guy was an honorary girl if anyone was. But, before he even got a word out, Sam was chuckling to himself.

"You might want to rein in all that charm you've been dishing out to Jess and Buffy."

Dean frowned and turned in his seat to give Sam a strange look, "Whadya mean?"

"All that charm seems to have backfired…" Sam chortled, "It seems my sister-in-law has a big, fat crush on you."

Dean's face glowed with extreme curiosity, "Really?" It seemed like maybe the fates did like him after all. He sat up more with each passing second. This was turning out to be an interesting day, "WHAT? What do you mean she has a crush on me?"

"Oh, nothing. She was just asking me if you had a girlfriend. Why you haven't had one? That kind of stuff… but don't start breaking into a sweat. I told her you would rather have your eyeballs pricked out incessantly than get serious with any girl."

While Sam guffawed loudly, Dean was disappointed. He gave Sam a weak smile, "Right."

Sam continued, not noticing the look on his brother's face, "I saved your single life Dean."

"Yeah," Dean gave a fake laugh, "You sure did."