John stared down at the phone, wondering if he had made the right choice.
He had called Sammy and Dean to check in on them and see how they were. They seemed to be having the time of their lives, exploring and wandering around the area. They had already gathered quite a few flowers for them when they came back and Dean was describing all the insects that they had seen thus far.
And then it came to asking them about the hunt and John hesitated for two reasons. The first was that he didn't want to get into too much detail. He did tell them that they had found the supernatural beings and Mary had been the one to get rid of most of them.
But he also said that they would be coming back tomorrow night, not tonight. The excuse was that they wanted to make sure that the town was completely clear of any other possible vampires, even though he knew that the coven they had taken care of was the only ones there.
But that was the second reason he didn't want to tell them the truth.
He wasn't ready to go back to the kids with Mary, he wanted to have a little bit more time to themselves without the kids. He wasn't sure when the next time that they were going to be together alone like this and he wanted to savor it as long as he could.
Just one more night wouldn't hurt. They were going to pick the boys up tomorrow night and be back on the road with the aim to go south for some sunshine and warmth.
But for the rest of the day and tomorrow morning, it was just going to be him and Mary.
Mary had seemed to cool off a bit at her anger at him as she slowly ate, sitting across the table from him. John stared at her for a moment but when she turned her head to look at him, he looked down at his food once again.
Something had changed, he felt it deep, something had changed between them and he couldn't name it or really start to understand it.
It didn't make sense, nothing had really happened to make any sort of change. He shouldn't be feeling any different now than he had yesterday.
But something had happened. He had gotten captured on a hunt and Mary had rescued him, she had been the one to kill the vampires, she had been the one to find him.
He couldn't get the image out of his mind, Mary standing there with fire and hatred in her eyes with a machete in hand as she stared down the vampires. She was furious and angry and seeking righteous revenge.
She was beautiful, there was no denying that and he wasn't going to try. She was beautiful and confident and most of all free.
John ate his meal slowly, not sure what he was eating and definitely not tasting it, mind a million miles away.
He had given her those excuses, that he needed time to see her as a woman and as a partner, not just someone he had rescued from a hunt.
And she had proven that, she had proven herself. He could argue that it was just a one time thing that might not happen again but he had a feeling that it wasn't the truth. She had faced her past in a big way, she had faced vampires that had known her from before and had even used her and hurt her in the past.
And still she refused to back down, didn't look away. She looked them straight in the eye as she decapitated them, unflinching, unhesitant, and most of all, unafraid.
John tightened his grip on his fork.
She wasn't a child, she had told him that countless times. She wasn't a naive, unwilling, girl. She had her moments but ultimately, she was an adult woman who knew what she wanted, knew what to expect, and wanted to go and get it.
In this case, she wanted him.
He wanted her too, he wasn't going to claim some sort of chastity or disinterest. He had hidden behind the whole idea that maybe she wasn't sure, maybe she wasn't actually ready, maybe she was just searching for some sort of comfort from someone familiar.
He knew it was stupid to think that he should base it all on one time, a single hunt.
But at the same time, he couldn't help it. He knows her well enough to know just how stubborn she was and her unyielding personality.
It was something that the vampires hadn't been able to take from her even after all these years and it was just another part of her that he loved all the more.
They finished eating and John paid for them, leaving the diner in silence. Neither of them really had spoken over dinner, John was lost in his thoughts and Mary was maybe the same or she was just giving him the silent treatment over him leaving her behind.
Mary had started to go back towards their motel but John took her hand in his, making her look at him and raise an eyebrow. He motioned with his head towards a small park, more of a field and a few benches.
"Care to sit there?" he asked. Mary didn't say anything but followed him, entwining their fingers together as they walked.
Sitting on the bench, John leaned back, enjoying the fresh air and the last rays of the sunshine, and her hand in his.
"I'm sorry." he finally said, breaking the silence between them. Mary turned to look at him, not saying anything yet. "About leaving you behind, I shouldn't have, I just…" he sighed and with his free hand ran his fingers through his hair. "When I heard that the hunt was vampires, I was just so damn afraid for you. That you would be terrified. That I wouldn't be able to protect you. That you'd get hurt. And then, I'd never forgive myself."
"I can take care of myself." Mary told him matter of factly. "I can handle a hunt. I can handle a weapon."
"I know you can." John said. "I just...I guess I needed to see it for myself that you can do it. And you showed me, you've proven it to me."
Mary narrowed her eyes at him, leaning forward. "You don't do that again." she told him. "You don't make choices for me, I make my choices."
John nodded, squeezing her hand which she returned after a moment. "Alright." he said. "I promise I will."
Mary stared at him for another moment before she nodded, scooting closer so that she could place her head on his shoulder. "Are we going to get the boys?"
"Tomorrow." he told her, feeling her surprise when she looked at him. He smiled down at her. "Today...today is just for us."
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