I would like to thank all of you to be there, following this story chapter after chapter.
Thank you also to my friend Elyrian for his wonderful work. I love her translation. Love the way she respects my fic.
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Hope you gonna like this new chapter.
Enjoy.
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Chapter 21: The Heart is so clumsy
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Bobby came back and saw Jo curled up on her chair, lost in her thoughts, staring at her plate. She had hardly touched her scrambled eggs.
She looked up when he discreetly coughed to notify his presence.
« Coffee? » he proposed, heading to the coffee machine.
« No thanks... I'm fine » she replied in a tired voice.
« Did you bang your head on the door? » he asked, pointing at his own lip.
« No, I bit myself while eating...Hence… » She showed her unfinished meal.
« Really? » Bobby found it hard to believe. « Is Dean already up? » he asked, looking at the empty plate on the table.
« Yes, but he went back to bed, he doesn't feel well... »
Bobby sat down next to her and took his hat off.
« He went through some difficult times lately. I think his aborted romance with Lisa was the last straw »
Jo slouched, hands between her knees, looking heartbroken...
« Don't worry, he'll recover, eventually »
« If you say so, Bobby » Yet she refrained from mentioning what she had learned, what she couldn't tell Bobby, hence keeping her promise to Dean.
She touched the bruise on her hitching lip… Was he that lost that he couldn't prevent from hitting her?
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This gesture had destroyed the little resistance left in his heart... She had seen her brother cry on very rare occasions and she had felt much more shaken by his blow than his attitude when he had collapsed in her arms, feeling lost, out of control.
Dean wasn't the man to show his grieves in any way, even with the closest family members. Since always... The only time when Jo saw her brother cry was when his mother died; and even then, he had taken refuge in the cellar, hiding his tears so that nobody would see him...
When his son was born, he cried of joy, even if he had tried not to show his emotions.
On the other hand, he had managed to do so when his little girl was born...
But she would never forget the cold and distant tears he shed when he lost his beloved Tessa.
Tears of hatred and anger as he had to cope with the feeling injustice had overcome all the rest.
She only learned several months later that he had let his pain explode in front of Castiel...when they were sorting Tessa's belongings in various boxes several weeks after she died. He had collapsed, holding a pj he used to hate. Castiel had walked closer and suddenly Dean had let go for good.
Since that time, he would keep his pain down deep inside. When the wall was about to crack, he was making fun about everything not to lose control… Dean had never been the exhibitive type, except with his children.
Although during all these years they had seen his love for Tessa in his eyes and gestures, they had never seen him kiss her in public or show more intimate token of affection openly... He kept it all very private...
Her brother was always uncomfortable showing his feelings, the very reason why Tessa fell for him at their first date.
Dean and that clumsy heart of his, as she used to say with tenderness.
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Jo hated to imagine how Dean was feeling right now.
The fact that he had slapped her in the face was an obvious evidence pain was eating him from inside and he was unable to cope with what had fallen on him.
Losing Lisa for one, the ambiguous situation as he felt attracted to a man, his best friend above all, and here he was, diving into tortuous doubts and challenging. He could look for answers leading to denial, but in the end, he would sink into the obvious fact he was refusing to admit... It was a strange mixture of desire and gut aversion.
Jo had felt this slap in the face as an act of panic. It had become obvious that Dean was unable to live with this duality. Initiating that kiss meant he had somehow privileged desire over reason although he hated losing control of his emotions.
He may try to deny it all, nothing would ever be the same anymore...
And it was terrifying to him, as the fear he experienced when he clung to this mother's light, or Tessa's. He was afraid to end up in the dark again if the light went off...
That same light that started flickering when Castiel ended in a hospital bed.
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The silence that grew between Bobby and Jo, lost in their thoughts, was suddenly broken when the children rushed in, fighting over who would have access to the shower first.
« Slow down, kids, this ain't a circus! » Bobby said in a harsh voice, which made them quiet down immediately. « Don't I get a morning kiss? » he mumbled, putting a finger on his cheek on which Jewel planted a strong kiss.
« Thanks Sweetie »
« Hi Uncle Bobby » Chadwick said as he sat down at the table.
« So… What do you want for breakfast? » Bobby asked as he stood up.
« Cereal » Jewel claimed with a big smile.
« I only have honey flakes...»
« OK ».
« What about you, Chad? »
« Same »
« Well, at least it's easy to please you, kids» he said, winking at Jo who smiled at him.
« Your father and your aunt used to require a different breakfast each and every morning »
There was a tender smile on Jo's face.
« But you loved to please us, right, old grumpy »
« Mmm yes » he put two bowls and a half-opened cereal box.
« Where's Dad? » Jewel inquired.
« He went back to bed » Jo replied.
« Is he all right ? » Chadwick looked worried.
« Yes, Chad, he's fine. He just had several very busy weeks lately » she extended a hand and patted his nose with her finger. The boy forced himself to smile although he looked worried.
« He needs to rest… He's tired»
« He's not tired. He's sad because Castiel isn't here » Jewel words were filled with genuine innocence.
Jo and Bobby exchange a look full of undisclosed meaning.
« Why do you think that, Sweetie? » Jo asked her.
« Dunno » the girl said, shrugging her shoulders and pouring cereals in her bowl. The words had come out naturally... as if the association of both was natural in some implacable child logic...Daddy without Castiel is sad...It's as simple as that.
Jo smiled and sunk in her chair, uncrossing her legs.
« Jewel, watch out, you're spilling everywhere » her brother warned, grabbing the box.
« Let me do this »
« Chad? »
« Hm » the boy said, pouring cereals in his sister's bowl.
« Are you thinking the same thing as your sister? » Jo suddenly needed to know... The kids were living with them 24/7. They had been sharing everything for the last three years... They were sitting in the front seat.
He raised an eyebrow and stared at Jo. Nevertheless, he refused to answer.
« Do you want some? » he proposed some orange juice to his sister. She nodded a yes.
He was his father's son all right, Jo thought as she watched him taking care of the little girl. He wouldn't say anything but she has observed his expression when she had asked Jewel; the answer was painted on his face. The children were well aware, way before their father.
Indubitably, only the grown-ups were making things a lot more complicated than they actually were.
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Breakfast went on as if nothing happened: they talked about the day's projects. Jewel intended to spend the whole afternoon with Tessa... She had so much to tell her, she announced, without giving any more details...
Bobby was all smiles... He'd never thought a heifer could become the confident of a little girl asking herself a million questions and not knowing whom to turn to.
As for Chadwick, he still hesitated between a game online and a walk with Apache up the hills.
« It won't snow today; you should grab the opportunity and go for a walk. Tomorrow, it may not be possible »
« You're right » the boy acknowledged as he stood up. « Do you think I could take Jack with us?»
« It's already difficult for the poor Jack to go out for a leak, so running up the hills, forget it...» Bobby extended a little sad smile to the old Rottweiler lying at his feet.
« What are you gonna do, Aunt Jo? » Jewel asked.
« I'll start with the housework and then… nothing… I'll just sit on the couch and enjoy a hot chocolate and a good book… I'll play the lazy one » she answered with a big smile, stretching her arms.
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Around 11 a.m., Jo started to worry as she hadn't seen Dean yet. She gently knocked on the door. As she got no response, she half opened the door.
The bed was empty, the comforter thrown on the side.
« Dean? » she called as she stepped inside the room.
« Dean? » She took a look in the bathroom.
In a reflex, she ran to the window, but the Impala was still parked in front of the house, covered by six inches of snow.
« Where are you, dammit? » she mumbled for herself as she left the room.
« Bobby...Have you seen Dean? »
« I thought he was sleeping? »
« I thought so too, but the bed is empty »
He put down his peeler and walked out of the kitchen. No one in the living room.
« Maybe he got out for a walk? » Bobby finally said, somewhat reassured to see the car still parked.
And then his face lightened up.
« Have you checked in the attic? You know he loved to hang around up there »
« Bobby, I love you » she planted a kiss on his cheek.
« Yeah, sure » he stammered.
« If he's up there, tell him we're having lunch in about an hour. We're on holidays, but that doesn't mean we need to act as spoiled wealthy brats » he mumbled, heading back to the kitchen.
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The door to the attic was open; she could see the white neon light extending a little outside the room.
« Dean? » she whispered.
The attic was divided in two spaces: the bedrooms on one side and a large lumber room where Uncle Bobby was hardly visiting.
It was an ordinary attic. One window stained with years of dust, spider webs, dust, boxes and luggage filled with memories from their childhood and adult lives.
When they were kids, Dean and Jo used to lock themselves in and imagine worlds full of winged red-eye monsters and dark-winged angels, space pirates and amazons. Jo had always been what they could call a tomboy, she loved to share a weird world of adventures with Dean, casting aside her dolls and sewing games. Sometimes, Steven, the Mc Evroys' son, was joining them upstairs.
Steven, her first kiss... All she could remember of the experience was it was "wet". She smiled at the memory and saw Dean.
He was sitting with his legs half folded on his chest, leaning on the large central beam.
« What took you so long? » He smiled at her and nodded at the empty space on his right, inviting her to sit next to him.
« Sorry, I was taking care of the kids and the household» she groaned, as she sat down.
He stared at her and raised his hand to softly caress her lip.
« I'm sorry » he planted a kiss on her forehead.
« It's OK. I've been through worse» she laughed a joyless laugh. « Dean? »
He leaned back against the beam, staring at the empty space in front of him
« Yes »
« If you ever hit me again, I'll smash your skull with a shovel and a pickax »
« I hope so… But it'll never happen again » he replied, looking with horror at his own hand.
He looked at Jo's hand taking his and their fingers entangled.
He squeezed so hard that she felt her fingers were gonna brake like glass.
« What are you gonna do? »
He sighed and looked away at the window.
« I dunno » he said in a tired low voice.
« You haven't answered my question yet? »
« Which one? » he asked with an absent smile.
She raised her hand and, without letting go of his fingers, put it on Dean's chest.
« This one »
« Are you playing a rehearsal of The Young and The Restless? » he teased her.
« I'm not. But since you don't wanna hear the words, I'm showing them to you »
He looked at her but didn't answer.
After a brief moment of silence, Jo leaned her head on his shoulder.
« Why did you kiss him? »
« I told you already. And I don't wanna talk about it anymore » He sounded tired. « I made a mistake and now I've got to live with it. Period! End of discussion. »
He somewhat slumped on himself, closing in like an oyster.
Jo gave him a few more minutes, so that he could regain his composure.
« How was it? »
« Piss off, Jo » he pushed her away. « Gimme a break with this. I shouldn't have told you. So stop bugging me » he stood up.
« I take it that you didn't hate it, otherwise you would have told me at once»
Dean was about to snap back but no words escaped his parted lips.
She smiled with tenderness.
« So? » she was insisting.
« Why do you wanna know? Why do you give a damn? What would it change? »
« It would change a lot of things » she stood up too. « You liked it. Admit it. And that's what scares you. You'd have preferred to find it disgusting or repulsive, to find the answer to your question, to your doubts » She gave a wry smile. « Bad luck! ».
« Would you give me a fucking break, Jo? » He let out in a whisper, looking away.
« Dean » she stepped closer and raised his chin with a finger.
« Answer the question? »
« I can't answer because I don't even know what to answer » he said, walking away from her, shuffling through his hair, squeezing his head and shouting his anger. « I feel good when I'm with him… I feel like I'm whole...I can't even imagine what we would do without him ».
« That's what's love is all about, Dean »
« No, Jo » he turned to face her. « Love implies you share everything and… I can't share everything ».
« How would you know? Look, you kissed him. So what? Your balls didn't fall off! »
He looked at her with bewildered eyes, and then he started to laugh. Jo couldn't help it and smiled when she saw him lean backward then forward again and lean on his thighs as he laughed. She loved to see him like this. It has become so rare it was now a precious moment.
He slowly regained his composure.
« No » He said eventually, with a final smile. He let out a sigh.
« You're right. It didn't upset me, now, there, you're happy? Yet it surprised me, in an unpleasant way, I must admit, so I ran away like a coward to avoid a … not to have to… » he was unable to finish his sentence and looked down.
« To avoid kissing him again» Jo went on
« Shit! » he said, raising his hand to his forehead.
« Dean Winchester, you're a certified imbecile! » she said, brushing a lock of hair, as she used to do.
« Jo...You know that this implies an interaction…. » he took a deep breath «...between men ».
« As in any other couple, I suppose » she replied, crossing her arms.
« I could never ... »
He had a hard time breathing normally.
« Dammit! » he started to pace around. « I couldn't do it »
« Shall I tell you what's stuck in my throat? » Jo asked.
« I don't wanna talk about it with you. You're my sister, for Heaven's sake! »
« Shall I remind you that this sister of yours tried all the shoes in the shop? » She said with a smile.
« What? » he said, raising an eyebrow?
« Well, not that sort of shoe » she replied as she make out the misunderstanding. « I don't mind talking about sex with you, nothing will shock me, I swear» Her eyes were shining.
« Well, I do. I will NOT speak about my sex life with my sister or anyone else for that matter » Dean was starting to be angry.
« Gay sexual non-life» Jo pointed out.
« SHIT » Dean shouted, pointing a finger at her. « You… you… you're pissing me off » he finally said.
« And you're repeating yourself » she replied, refraining from laughing at her brother trying to overcome his principles of sexual non-commitment and the desire to brush away the reason for his denial.
Dean eventually sat on the trunk with a big sigh, looking miserable. Hands on his knees. Bundled up on himself.
« Why don't you speak with Balty about it? »
« What? » he looked horrified. « Are you mad? Besides, I AM NOT GAY » he claimed, hiding his face in his hands.
« He is bi… the only one I know who could help you out »
« Help me with what? » Dean snapped. « Accepting to sleep with a man… Ending up naked and…...» He looked disgusted.
« So, here we are, at last »
« I've told you several times already, I CAN'T DO IT » he stood up and started to pace in the room. .
« You know what? » she said with a gentle tone « I think you should tell him ».
« Who? Cass? Tell him what, Jo? That I enjoyed kissing him but I find the idea of having sex with him quite repulsive? » He shouted out in frustration.
« Maybe not in those terms » she was surprised by the harsh tone of his words. « You could tell him you're attracted to him but that you're unable to take a step further for the time being… that you need more time to fight away your fears and that you need him to do so ».
« Attracted to him? »
« Dean... Shall I remind you that you were to one kissing him in the first place? »
« Yeah but... »
« Dean »
He looked completely at a loss, overtaken by the events, unable to put things in perspective.
« Dean » she stepped closer. « I'd like to ask you one question. You're not obliged to answer ».
« Why do I fear the worst all of a sudden? » he raised his eyes to the ceiling and looked down again. .
« Have you ever wanted him? »
« Huh? » He suddenly straightened up.
« Have you ever imagined sleeping with him? »
« No, God no… Stop this, it's disgusting... I never... » He looked horrified by his sister's question.
« Have you ever had a physical reaction as you think of him? »
« God N… » He suddenly remembered the erection he had the night before.
He didn't reply.
« Dean? » Jo insisted.
« I've already dreamed I had sex with my Math teacher, that doesn't mean I wanted to do it for real »
« Who, Peterson? » she hesitated between laughter and astonishment « the old Mrs. Peterson » she insisted.
« She wasn't that old » Dean retorted, feeling uncomfortable.
« She was almost 60 and rather ugly...Holy shit, Mrs. Peterson! » She started to laugh. « I now have the ugliest image in my mind... Thanks for the future nightmares I'm gonna have » she couldn't help but laughing some more.
« That's it, laugh it up! ».
« I'd rather see you in Castile's arms rather than hers » she stopped laughing.
« Jo »
« Sorry… Couldn't resist »
He sighed for the hundredth time. Jo went serious again.
« What are you gonna do when he's back? Because, at one point, it will get out of hands, Dean… And you risk losing everything if you go on like this»
« Don't you think I'm not aware? »
« Talk to him »
« AND WHAT SHOULD I TELL HIM? » he reached out as if to beg for a solution.
« That you love him, Dean. Nothing less, nothing more. You'll see, words will then flow easily...» She put a hand on his cheek « Castiel loves you... He'll understand... If he's to come to you and be able to love you, you gotta tell him how you feel ».
« But he's my best friend. I can't risk losing that for… for something that may never happen ».
« Have you ever contemplated you might gain more than expected...? Did it occur to you that, beyond your apprehensions, you could find some balance and pleasure in it…? We're talking about Cass, remember… Castiel, and not some stranger you had a crush on in the street ».
« Exactly ».
« Exactly indeed» Jo smiled at him. « If you ever had to fall in love with a man, he was meant to be the one » she kissed him on the cheek and left without another word, leaving Dean swimming in a sea of doubts, but also gaining a certainty… This evidence he was now unable to deny.
He was in love with Castiel… Dammit!
Fifteen days wouldn't be enough to change that, nor fifteen years, or a hundred...
Everything was now depending on him and the courage he would show to see it through.
Castiel being a man wasn't the source of his fear, generating a whirlwind of uncontrolled panic, even if he had to admit this represented an obstacle taking time to overcome...
Actually, he was afraid of the empty space that Castiel left behind when he left the house, not hearing his voice between the walls, not seeing his eyes on him, to carry him forward… The missing smiles lightening up his days.
He was afraid of feeling a similar pain in his heart to the one he felt when he crossed her eyes… Jo was right; Tessa wouldn't have wanted to be the only love in his life… He was in love with a man, so what?
He started to laugh.
« Who would've thought? » He nodded his head gently. « Now that I have acknowledged this » he looked through the window, « How am I supposed to tell you? I'm not good with words and I must admit, I'm scared to death... »
« You won't get an answer from the birds out there, but from him » Jo casually replied from the door frame. « Bobby is waiting for us. Come down now. »
« Jo »
He walked to her.
« Come here »
He took her in his arms and held her tight for a long while, with his chin resting on her head, so small and yet so strong.
« I'm sorry. And thank you. I love you, that's for sure »
She huddled up to him a bit more. Here he was, Dean Winchester telling her he loved her. She had heard those words so rarely, even though he had a way to tell by just looking at her...
« I love you too, more than anyone. I hope you'll find the strength to love him, whatever the obstacles»
« I sure hope so too… But first, I gotta find the courage to tackle the subject » he replied, kissing her hair.
« You'll manage, don't worry...C'mon, or Bobby will go hysterical» she put her arm around his waist and dragged him along.
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The rest of the day ran smoothly. Jewel disappeared after lunch, dressed up in three layers of sweaters… Tessa was waiting for her.
Chadwick decided to talk a walk in the hills with Apache. Dean didn't mind anymore his son needing some privacy and moments of solitude to secure his emotional balance.
At first, he had worried, there was no denying there. He had started to show the need for solitude after his mother's death, yet Dean soon realized it was also in his son's nature. He had friends and a happy life. Ty had become an ideal friend and Lindsay had become his first love, the one that turns you into a complete teenage idiot.
Dean smiled when he left the house, making sure his son had taken his mobile. As for the rest, with Apache by his side, he wouldn't risk anything.
He ended up slumped on the couch in front of the television, with a beer in his hand. Should anyone ask him what he was watching, he'd been unable to answer, as all his thoughts were converging on his last conversation with Jo.
He had two weeks to prepare for the inevitable... Knowing he was attracted to his best friend who happened to be gay was already quite a shock; he now had to summon up the courage that seemed to melt away. The evening phone calls were making things even worse.
« Why does it always happen to me? » he closed his eyes and rested his head on the back. « Why didn't he wear a 34B, as expected, moron? » he let out a deep sigh...
He fell asleep at the quiet humming of the television. Jo found him later on, curled up on the couch.
She covered him with a blanket and sat down next to him, with a Stephen King's novel in her hands.
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That evening, Dean revealed another side of his personality, unknown until then. He was the greatest coward of the universe, at least, in his universe that much was certain.
He picked up the phone, recited a few phrases and then used his bowels as an excuse, under the stunned gaze of his sister, to hand the phone to his son. He soon disappeared in the bathroom, cursing himself all the way.
The lie he had served to Castiel had unexpected consequences, as he felt sick for good because of the stress.
« Shit! »
That night, it took Dean quite a long while to fall asleep, rolling over so many times in his bed.
There was no hot kiss… Just an old Math teacher, languishingly leaning against a blackboard… Dean started to laugh in his sleep...
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The morning after, he had a hard time keeping the children quiet in front of the Christmas tree. They were so excited and impatient to guess what the content of the parcels … Jewel took it that Santa Claus must have done an extra trip as there were more gifts under the tree than the night before.
« Dad, look... » Her eyes were shining and she was pointing at the footsteps from the chimney to the tree.
« What? Did he forget to wipe his feet again? » Dean stated, winking at Bobby, probably the author of the crime.
Jo was nervous too yet for other reasons. VIN had called earlier, he was on his way. He had postponed his arrival on account of an opening.
She was going to introduce him to the family; as all the previous lovers hadn't been that appreciated, she felt rather anxious.
« Don't worry… It's gonna be fine… We're gonna love this artist of yours » Dean was attempting to make her more at ease. « I'm pretty sure he's gonna take the test just fine » His lips stretched in a slightly ironic smile.
« Don't you start with this » Jo groaned, hitting his chest with her fist.
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Ten minutes later, the person they had been waiting for long finally showed up, making quite an entrance, to say the least.
He was a foot taller then Jo, and so he was as tall as Dean: he was wearing a pair of jeans with more holes than Swiss cheese and a abominable electric blue shirt... his hair was so black that his complexion seemed even paler...
He looks like a vampire, Dean thought so loud they could almost have heard it.
« Hello... Please excuse my poor outfit, I came straight from a party organized by my godfather, I should say my mentor... » He extended a hand towards Dean « I don't usually dress up as Edward » He smiled although it seemed obvious he was feeling uncomfortable.
« That reassures me all of a sudden » Dean smiled as well and shook hands.
« I'm Dean, the Miss's brother »
« Pleased to meet you » he let go of his hand.
Jo was standing in the background.
« Hello, I'm Bobby... The Miss's uncle » the old man said in turn.
The dog jumped among the group, shoving Dean on the way.
« Just let me know if I'm in the way » the latter groused, staring daggers at the animal.
« Hello, you » the visitor stroked the dog behind the ears.
« And this fur ball is Apache »
Dean stepped aside and showed Vin to the living room. Bobby and Jo followed them.
« This one looks all right » the man whispered to Jo; she smiled.
« And the young man over there with his eyes stuck on his PSP screen is Chadwick » Dean looked at his son with angry eyes.
The boy extended a hand.
« The young lady over there staring at you with puppy-dog eyes is Jewel »
« Hello » she said with a very shy smile.
« Don't you worry, Mister, my kids hardly remain silent for more than an hour »
« Vin. »
« Excuse me? »
« You can call me Vin »
« As you wish » he patted his shoulder.
« Would you care for a drink: beer, coffee, soft drink? »
« Do you have some fruit juice? »
« Er… I think we may have some of that » Dean replied, a bit perplexed by the young man's request.
« By the way » he went on as he headed for the kitchen, « Jo's shown me your painting… You do have a gift. That being said, I don't know much about painting, but I really found this one extraordinary »
« Thank you » Vin seemed sincerely touched.
« Orange or apple juice? » Dean asked, with his head in the fridge.
« Orange juice will be just fine, thanks »
They sat around the table and talked as if they'd never stop for ages. Vin turned out to be a well-balanced young man, with a clear state of mind and a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do with his life.
He was in love with Jo and what she brought him even though he was reluctant to plan for the future of their relationship... He had told Jo on the very first day of their encounter, painting would always come first. She had accepted it; she had acknowledged that part she was attracted to… The artist.
« I must say it's a rather brave attitude » Dean stated, turning his beer bottle between his fingers.
« Life's too short to make compromises… I'd rather tell it as it is from the start, that way we avoid misunderstandings and unspoken words ruining human relationships and stack the deck »
« We do have a philosopher here » Dean said, with a little sad smile.
« Not really, I just learned my lesson too late and I don't wanna make the same mistakes... No one should play with the feelings of another or try to bend them to our will »
Dean tried not to laugh.
« So you believe I'm wrong, is that it, that I'm too inflexible? » somehow, he was afraid of the answer he'd get.
« Not at all… I think you're right... And I think my sister made the right choice » he said, raising his eyes and looking at her. « I'm the one who should follow your advice, for that matter » he drank the rest of his beer in one gulp.
Vin spent the rest of the afternoon with them. Then he reluctantly said his goodbyes, as he had to go and visit his parents. Jo guided him to her room so that he could change before leaving.
« Nice little guy » Bobby said casually.
Dean smiled back.
« So where is that caterer of yours, huh? » Bobby muttered, looking at his watch.
Vin reappeared and Dean couldn't help laughing.
« What? »
« You changed from Edward to Nosferatu? »
Vin was all dressed in black, except a white shirt. His complexion looked even paler because of the dark suit. The young man pulled nervously on his vest.
« Too dark, is that it? »
« Well, it's Christmas, not Halloween. Don't you have anything else to wear? »
« I didn't have the time to pick up something else »
« Stay here and take off that mortician jacket! »
The young man complied, looking at Jo in search of some silent support.
« Here, put this on » Dean came back and gave him a gray mark blazer. « This should fit. And it's in fashion again.»
« Isn't that your prom vest? » Bobby noticed.
« It's been hanging for ages, so it might as well serve to someone"
« Thanks » Vin smiled.
« Don't mention it… Just put on a bit of perfume to mask the mothballs smell and that should do it » Dean laughed.
His phone suddenly started to ring, his expression turned serious all of a sudden, yet Jo saw that little sparkle in his eyes. That was from HIM.
Vin gave Jo a sideways glance.
« It's Castiel...»
Vin saluted Dean who saluted him back absent-mindedly, already focused on his interlocutor.
Leaning on the sink, he was talking about this and that, for a longer while than usual, because he was missing his voice, his laughers and the smiles he could perceive behind the words.
« Talk to you tonight, one minute to midnight » Dean smiled then immediately nibbled his lower lip. « Cass... » There was a short moment of silence.
« I miss you » he hung up straight away, let out a sigh, suddenly feeling ridiculous and pathetic.
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End of chapter XXI
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Thank to be there.
Hope to see you in two weeks, if you wish.
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Love you.