Title: Come What May
Fandom: One Tree Hill/Supernatural
Genres: Angst, Romance, Crossover
Pairing: Dean/Peyton
Spoilers: One Tree Hill, "The Leaver's Dance"; Pre-Supernatural
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't 'em. Wouldn't be able to keep my hands to myself if I did. The title comes from the Air Supply song of the same name. Air Supply, Cynthia Weil and Tom Snow own the song.
Summary: This is how Dean and Peyton's love affair began. Prequel to Split Second. It isn't imperative that you read that to understand this, though.
Author's Notes: Takes place before the Supernatural pilot and at the beginning of the summer following One Tree Hill's The Leaver's Dance. In this realm Cassie never existed and Jake never came back. Plus, Sam's still at Stanford and Brooke's off in California.
Come What May: Chapter Three
Dean tried hard to ignore Haley's piercing stare. He was looking off into the distance, trying desperately not to meet her gaze, but it was hard. Finally having had enough, he looked her square in the eyes, declaring, "Okay. Fine! What? What?!"
"What?"
"You keep staring me down… I figured you were trying to tell me something."
Haley sat forward, resting her elbows on the table. "Now that you mention it there was something that I wanted to talk to you about…"
"Oh, and that would be…?"
He met Haley's gaze which was fixated on something over his head. He didn't even have to turn his head to know what she was looking at. Or rather who. Peyton. Dean sighed in resignation. This was going to be a very long night…
"So, you and Peyton…," she began.
Dean groaned. "Oh, geez…"
"You two spent all day together, correct?"
"Yeah. We hung out. We walked. We talked. We took in a movie. What's the big deal?"
"You like spending time together?"
"I like spending time with her and I guess she likes spending time with me, too. You'd have to ask her that yourself."
Haley shook her head, lowering her voice as she said, "Dean, I don't think this is a good idea."
"What?"
"You and Peyton."
He'd never had someone try to dissuade him for going after a girl before. And even though he liked Haley and knew that she was looking out for the best interest of her friend, part of him was tempted to tell her to mind her own damn business. But he didn't. She had her reasons for being concerned. "There is no me and Peyton, Haley. We're just… hanging out."
"Uh huh," she said disbelievingly.
"We are!" he insisted even though the point was moot. Everyone knew that he and Peyton weren't just hanging out. Even though he liked to pretend whatever going on with Peyton was strictly platonic, it wasn't. They acted like a couple dating, save from the benefits, of course.
But it wasn't like he hadn't thought about. Because he had it. In detail. With lights and sounds and…
Yes, his mind was a scary place and you wouldn't want to vacation there.
"Yeah, right. Don't take me for stupid, Dean. I see the looks that you two have been sending one another and those are not at all friendly or platonic."
"You're an old married woman like you could spot a look, platonic or otherwise," he sneered.
"You'll be leaving next week and none of us will probably ever see you again. Don't start something that you can't or won't see through. That's all I'm saying." She had seen what leaving did to Peyton and Haley didn't want to have to watch Peyton go through that again.
Despite the fact that Haley had no say in whatever happened between he and Peyton--or didn't happen, for that matter--he chided, "You're a good friend, Haley. Peyton's lucky to have you."
Some good friend she was. She had ditched all of her friends as well as her husband to go on tour with Chris Keller. Yeah, she took the prize. Luckily, she had learned the error of her ways. She was home for good and planned to make up for lost time. She just wished that Nathan had stuck around long enough for her to prove to him that she wasn't going leaving ever again.
"I just don't want to see her heart broken again. It took her a lot to get through it the last time and I just don't want to see her to have to go through that again. I know you wouldn't hurt her purposefully, Dean. I know that we've known from the beginning that you're leaving but I think we were all culpable to the Winchester wiles."
Dean smirked. "I can't help it if all the women love me."
"What's your excuse for Lucas?"
"Uh… I'm just that pretty?"
Haley rolled her eyes at him. "I'm going warn Peyton about you," she warned. "Promise me that you won't mislead her or break her heart. That's all I ask."
Once again he wanted to insist that he and Peyton were no more than friends, but how much longer could he deny how he felt about her? He was only in town for a few more days and his window of opportunity was fading fast. "I promise," he swore.
But what good were his promises anyway? He very rarely kept a promise, but this was one that he could. He didn't want to hurt Peyton and merely a few days ago he had no intentions of getting close enough to hurt her. Of course he said that now. His intention and clear thinking were usually tossed aside when he was in her presence.
Haley slipped from the table as Peyton approached. "Hope she didn't leave on my account," Peyton said as she slid into the seat previously occupied by Haley.
Dean shook his head, not wanting to relive his tumultuous conversation with Haley on the ins and outs of their relationship. Boy, that'd be an awkward conversation. "Nah… she had to… go do… something or talk… to someone or… something," he stammered, coughing uncomfortably.
Peyton seemed not to notice, or care. "So…" she began.
"So…"
"You gonna sit here all night? I was getting lonesome at the bar with no one to talk to."
Dean motioned to the group of boys sitting at the bar, still fawning over Peyton. One was even blowing her kisses. He had to tamp down the urge to stalk to the bar and rip Mr. J. Crew from his chair. "Lonesome? You?" He motioned to the bar. "Because you seemed to have a lot of company. Besides, I didn't want to intrude on the Peyton Love Parade."
"Jealous?"
"Hardly," he scoffed even though he knew he was. It wasn't like Peyton was his girlfriend… he just didn't like other guys talking to her. Geez, Dean, you're sounding like a boyfriend, his conscience pointed out.
"They're regulars," Peyton intervened. "Freshmen from the community college. Annoying ones, at that," she said even as she waved to one, unable to ignore the pointed look that Dean threw at her when he took notice.
"It is possible to be annoying and charming at the same time, you know."
"Yeah, you pull off that feat pretty well."
"How'd we wind up going from talking about annoying college boys to me?"
"Everything always comes back to you."
"Your adoring fans are waiting," he pointed out as he picked up his beer, frowning when it turned up empty.
"I'd rather sit here with you."
Dean smiled, glad that she wasn't running back to the co-eds. She wanted to be with him. He knew that he shouldn't be so giddy over the fact, considering his stance just a few days before on not getting involved with her. Plus, if you counted his conversation with one of her best friends mere seconds before...
Ow…
His head hurt from all the logical thinking.
Logicality be damned! "So what are we doing after you get off work?"
They had wound up spending the night at Tric after Peyton was finished with her shift. Talk about their relationship or lack thereof was further fueled as they spent the night in each other's company, only breaking when one of them had to make a trip to the restroom or when Haley demanded a dance from Dean.
After TRIC had closed it's doors for the night, they had stayed behind for clean up but no cleaning up was done. Instead, they had turned on the portable stereo that Peyton kept behind the counter and danced even more, save for the hundred pairs of eyes watching their every move.
"You don't dance so bad," Peyton teased Dean as they moved slowly along to the music streaming from the small boom box.
"Thank you. I'm glad that you've taken notice."
"Well, I have."
"Lucas has been giving me lessons," he joked. "While you're at work we steam up the windows in the café."
"You're lucky no one's around to hear you joke about that."
"Why?"
"Because it could be misconstrued and everyone wouldn't be so concerned with the two of us anymore."
"Right… right." Dean tightened his grip on her, pulling her flush against him. "I have no interest in Lucas. I just want to state that right now."
"Who do you have an interest in?" Peyton wondered, knowing that there was no way she was going to get an honest answer out of him, especially once they started kidding around.
"Fergie," he answered quickly. "I think it's his hair. It's get me all hot."
Peyton pushed him away, playfully. "Come on, Romeo. Let's get this place cleaned up."
"Or it could wait until tomorrow."
"No. It can't," she insisted. "We have plans for tomorrow or have you forgotten?"
"Beach. Everyone. Nope. Haven't forgotten," he said tapping his head. "Like a machine."
"I'm glad that your brain is capable of storing data that was told to you only hours ago, but you agreed to help so come on," she told him as she pulled him in the direction of the bar, ignoring his moans of protest.
"You never said anything about manual labor," he pointed out as she threw a washcloth at him.
"I know I didn't. If I had, would you have stuck around?"
"Uh… no." Rounding the bar, he caught her hand, pulling her out from behind it. "Come on. You have people that do this. You don't have to. You wanted me to stay with you. Not with your trusty friends Lysol and Clorox."
Peyton relented as soon as they were back on the dance floor, once again finding herself locked in Dean's embrace. "You know, I could get spoiled to this," she said, resting her head against his shoulder.
"So could I," he admitted, closing his eyes as they continued to sway to the music.
Dean woke to the sound of insistent pounding on his door. Yawning, he glanced at his clock, moaning, "Seven. Sunday. It must be a joke."
He lay still for a moment, hoping that he had dreamt the knocking, but alas it started again a few seconds later.
Kicking back the blankets, he stumbled out of bed, mumbling and grumbling to himself as he made his way across the room. He flung open the door not surprised in the least to find Peyton waiting for him.
"I have…," Peyton began, her gaze dropping to zone in on Dean's bare chest and the fact that he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs. Black ones that hugged his muscular legs, she noted. "… coff-coffee," she finished with a stammer, her mouth suddenly dry despite the coffee she had just dumped in the trashcan a few blocks back.
"Come in," he said, leaving the door open for her.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I figured you'd be awake," she told him as she closed the door. When she turned around Dean was pulling a pair of jeans over his hips and it took all her might not to moan out loud.
"If you wouldn't have kept me out so late last night I probably would've been up a lot earlier," he told her as he zipped his pants, leaving them unbuttoned.
God, must he turn me on? Peyton wondered silently as he stalked toward her, grabbing the coffee out of her hand. "Uh… yeah… sorry… about that."
"No big deal. Don't worry about it," he said, taking a sip from the coffee cup. "Mmm," he moaned. "Good. Just what I needed it."
Peyton leaned against his dresser, trying her damnedest to not focus on his chest. Floor. Wall. Ceiling. Bed.
Bed…
Gulp!
Focus, Peyton! She told herself.
Floor. Okay. Good.
Carpet.
Dean's feet. Shit!
Dean's legs.
Dean's unbuttoned jeans.
Look at his face! Look at his face!
LOOK. AT. HIS. FACE.
Even despite her best attempts not to look, her eyes snapped back to his chest. She tried not to think about his disheveled appearance and his unmade bed. She tried to keep from thinking about raking her fingernails over his smooth skin, plucking his nipples, tonguing him from throat to…
"Peyton?"
Her attention snapped from his chest up to his eyes and she felt her knees go suddenly weak, realizing the moment their eyes met just how handsome he was with stubble. Stumbling she said, "I-I have to… go. Away." Slowly, she began inching toward the door. "You have your coffee and I… I have to go."
As she tried to whiz past him, Dean's hand shot out to catch hers. "Whoa. Hey. Where's the fire? Where are you flying off to? I know you didn't come here just to rile me out of bed and then leave me alone. We have plans. What's going on?"
"I just… forgot… that there's something I have to do…," she stuttered, frowning at how schoolgirl she sounded. "…you know before we do the thing that we have to do… together." If she couldn't control herself during five minutes with him shirtless how was she going to survive a whole day with him at the beach?
"Let me get dressed and I'll go with you," Dean said, reaching for his drawer handle.
"NO!" she shouted quickly.
Dean looked hurt as he pulled his hand away. "Uh… okay?"
"It's just… I should probably do this… alone and you should… wake up… and we should do those separately," she insisted. "Preferably when you have a shirt on," she muttered under her breath.
"What?" Dean asked, wondering if he'd heard her right.
"Nothing," she insisted, brushing profusely as it dawned on her that he had overheard her mutterings. "I-I have to go. Bye!"
Peyton flew past him in a rush, leaving Dean to ponder what had just happened.
Haley lay with Peyton on Karen's bed--the bed that was hers for the duration of summer-- listening as her friend recanted the events of her five minute encounter with Dean.
"He was standing there with no shirt on and his pants unbuttoned and all I could think about was getting him into bed, That's not normal, Haley," Peyton told Haley, pulling a pillow over her head in a vain attempt to hide from her embarrassment.
"It couldn't have been that bad."
"Deeeuthas."
Haley yanked the pillow away exclaiming, "What?"
"But it was," Peyton whined, pulling the blankets up to her neck. "I can't do it, Haley. I thought I could, but I can't. I can't spend time with him with the pretense that we're just friends when I don't think him of a friend. He's not in the same category with Luke and the rest of the guys. He's… he's… he's Dean."
"Lean, mean, Dean," Haley said with a sigh, her head bolting up to meet Peyton's when she declared, "Haley!"
"What? He's gorgeous and I've noticed, okay? I'm married. Not blind."
Peyton shook her head. "What am I going to do? How am I going to face him without my mind conjuring up kinky things to do him?"
"Hey, you didn't mention kinky things?" Haley leaned forward. "What? Englighten me."
"Go. Away."
Haley straightened, all serious now. "I don't know what to tell you, Peyton. I can't honestly say that I haven't thought about him naked."
Peyton couldn't suppress a laugh. Giggling, she told Haley, "You don't need to be thinking about him naked. I don't need to be thinking about him naked, either." Peyton frowned, then looked at Haley horrified.
"What?" Haley asked, not calmed by Peyton's horrified look.
"Oh, God! You've got me thinking about him naked! I'm never leaving this room," Peyton said, pulling the pillow away from Haley to cover her face once more.
"It'll be okay." Haley was patting Peyton's arm to comfort her when Lucas walked into the room, not bothering to knock. Haley was afforded no privacy. It wasn't her house, after all. She was Luke's housemate while Karen was away for the summer and though she was borrowing Karen's bedroom, she had hoped Lucas would put his manners to use and knock before he entered a room.
Obviously his manners had left town when Karen and Brooke did.
"Hey I thought that we were all meeting at the café?" Lucas asked, glancing from Haley to Peyton with concern. Lucas pointed to the curled up ball of Peyton. "What's wrong with her?"
"Oh, she's just having a mini-freak out. She'll snap out of it sooner or later."
"About…?"
"Tell him nothing," came Peyton's muffled response from behind the pillow.
"About seeing someone half-naked."
Peyton unearthed herself from her hiding place long enough to bark at Haley, "I told you not to tell him!" before she disappeared once again.
"Who?" Lucas asked as Dean sidled up behind him.
Haley cleared her throat. "Dean. Hi. Wh-what are you doing here?"
Dean immediately realized that he'd walked in on something that he shouldn't have. "We were all meeting at the café at eight-thirty. Since you and Peyton were late, it worried us so here we are."
"Ow!" Haley yelped when Peyton tugged on her ponytail. She smacked Peyton without tearing her eyes away from Lucas and Dean who was staring at her with keen interest.
Peyton lifted the pillow away from her face just enough so that she could see Haley. "Haley?" she whispered, crooking her finger to motion Haley closer.
Haley smiled politely at the two boys standing in the room with her, then leaned forward so that she was eye level with Peyton. "What?" she snapped. "Do you know how ridiculous this looks?"
"Whatever. Shut up," Peyton cut off. "That's Dean, right?"
"Right."
"What's he doing here?"
"Well, I think he came to get you."
"Can I die now?" Peyton grumbled, not in any hurry to relive her previous humiliation and the fact that she had run from his room earlier that morning.
It was the male body, she chided herself. Since when had she ever been impervious to it? Since the body belonged to a man. Peyton felt her newfound resolve slowly shrink away once more.
"Uh, no. I think he'd notice."
"Okay, what's going on?" Dean asked aloud, interrupting the private conversation between the two girls.
Haley bolted upright, asking, "What do you mean?" He had his hands on his hips, emitting an air of attitude that she shouldn't find sexy but did. It was funny and quite cute. Too bad Peyton wouldn't look at him. She would probably melt into a puddle of goop at his feet. The girl had it bad.
"Peyton, come out from under that pillow," Dean commanded.
"No, I like it under here, thanks."
"You've been acting weird since you came to my room," Dean said as he crossed toward the bed, yanking the pillow away from Peyton's face. "What's your problem?"
"What's your problem?" she asked as she sat up on the bed, her ponytail whipping around her face.
"I have no problem. You have the problem."
Haley looked to Lucas for help, but he just shrugged, not knowing how he could help the situation. Then Haley yelped out the first thing that came to her mind. "Cramps!"
"What?" Dean and Peyton asked in unison, pinning her with hardened looks as if she had miraculously sprouted two heads.
"She has cramps," Haley repeated, staring at Peyton with hard eyes so that she'd get the drift.
"Right," Peyton said with a nod of her head. Peyton turned her attention back to Dean. "I have cramps. You know because I'm on my period." Dean handed her back the pillow as he muttered, "Good. Problem solved. Though, for future reference, that's something I could've done without knowing."
"Hey, you're the one that asked," Peyton reminded him.
Dean slid off the bed, moving to follow Lucas to the door. "We'll just… wait in the kitchen."
After the boys were gone, Peyton sat up in bed. "Thank you."
"Well, I don't think that the truth would've gone over well. 'Yeah, Dean… Peyton keeps thinking of you naked'," Haley joked.
"That's not funny, Haley! This is serious!"
"I'm sorry, Peyton, but it is funny. Why's this got you so freaked anyhow?"
"Because I'll probably never see him naked and I can't have these thoughts in my head without them ever coming to fruition."
"I can see how that would be a problem. I mean to see and not be able to touch…"
"You are not helping!"
"And now we'll spending the day with him and the guys at the beach and… and this is all your fault," Peyton said, pointing her finger at Haley.
"My fault? How?"
"You invited him to TRIC!"
"He was deserted in town, what was I supposed to do? Point him in the direction of the library?"
"Yes!"
"Well that would have been hospitable!" Haley snarled.
Peyton grunted, "Whatever!" as she slipped off the bed. "This is still your fault!"
"I didn't tell you to flirt with him, missy! You're the one that talked to him and danced with him and… and dreams of him naked!"
Peyton sucked in a breath. "That was so… so… low. Even for you Haley!"
"Yeah, yeah. You have all day to blame me for your relationship woes, Peyton. Come on. Get your ass up. We have to go."
"You could've asked nicely," Peyton whined, following Haley to the door.
They stopped at the door as Haley asked, "Will you please stop whining? For me, at least? We planned this day together and I don't want it to be ruined because you have a severe case of… cramps."
A snickering Lucas was standing outside the door when the girls exited the room a few moments later. "You two finally kissed and made up?"
"We weren't fighting," Peyton insisted.
"We were just discussing a potential situation in which… well, it's none of your business," Haley stated flatly. "You been standing out here the entire time eavesdropping?"
Lucas shook his head. "I just came to check on you."
"Can we please go and get this day over with?" Peyton begrudged.
Lucas slung his arm over her shoulders. "I know that you can put on a happy face, Peyton. Do it for me?"
"I can't. I'm already doing it for Haley," she said pasting a fake smile on her face. "See?" she pointed out, referring to her mock grin. "Now, let's go," she said, waving her arms over her head, instructing them to follow.
"Tell me she's not going to be like this all day long," Lucas begged Haley.
"Nah, she'll perk up later. Just hope that Dean keeps his shirt on," Haley told Lucas as she followed Peyton out the door, still trying not to laugh at her friend's expense.
Haley and Peyton sat on their beach blanket watching all six boys struggle with setting up the volleyball net. "You guys got it or do you need us girls to go and do it for you?" Peyton asked, receiving a glare from both Lucas and Dean.
"If it needs a woman's touch just let us know," Haley added and was afforded the same glare that Peyton had received moments prior. The two girls looked at each other laughing as Skills pointed out, "The net's all wrong," forcing them to take everything down again.
"Don't even laugh," Dean warned as Haley and Peyton fought to hold in their laughter. The moment the net was back on the sand they erupted into giggle fits.
"We better go away before they glare us to death," Haley told Peyton as she scrambled to her feet, holding out a hand to help Peyton.
"Where are you two going?" Dean called after them.
Peyton turned back toward him, yelling, "We're off to look for surfer boys. Maybe they could help you with the net."
A hint of a smile quirked his lips before he frowned and focused his attention back to the task at hand, his head zipping up now and again to focus on Peyton's retreating figure.
The two girls moved down the crowded beach, boy scouting and gossiping all along the way. When the pier came into view, Haley suggested that they turn around.
As they made their way back down the beach to where the boys were still working on the volleyball net, they slowly inched toward the water's edge to sink their feet into the water. "So, have you talked to Nathan lately?"
Haley shook her head. "I've written him letters but he hasn't written me back. Not that I expect him to."
"He's hurt, Haley, but he loves you. He just needs time. He'll come around," Peyton reassured her.
"Thanks. It means a lot that you're still behind us even after…"
"Water underneath the bridge," Peyton said, shrugging off Haley's absence over the last few months. She'd missed her friend, but knew that it was a journey that Haley had to take for herself otherwise she'd spend her life regretting not following Chris on tour. She hated that Haley had abandoned Nathan, but that was Haley's cross to bear. She was just relieved to have Haley back.
"I'm really glad we got everything sorted out, Peyton."
"Me too. I don't know how I could get through all this Dean angst without you," Peyton replied with a chuckle as a volleyball landed in the surf at her feet.
"You girls coming or what?" Lucas yelled back at them.
Peyton snatched up the ball as Haley said from beside her, "Looks like they finally figured out how to get the net up."
"Guess we're needed to keep score," Peyton laughed as they began to trudge through the sand where the guys were waiting.
Dean stood aside in his jeans, drinking a bottle of water and was caught off guard when Peyton threw the ball at him. Water splashed everywhere as he lost the grip on his water bottle.
"Oops!"
"Funny," Dean said, wiping the excess liquid off his shirt then realized the point was moot and just pulled it over his head. He watched the look that was exchanged between Haley and Peyton and wondered what that was all about.
"Can we play now?" Skills interrupted. "Fergie's hair can only take so much heat before it starts to frizz out," he said, teasing his friend in jest as Lucas tossed the ball at him to start the game.
Peyton wasn't sure how the teams had been decided. All she knew was that she and Haley were on opposite sides of the net and that she was standing behind Dean. Well… at least the view was decent, she giggled to herself, drawing Dean's attention.
He turned around to face her, furrowing his brows at her, his eyes hidden behind dark shades.
"What's so funny?" he asked as the game continued on around them.
"Nothing," she conceded as the ball flew in her direction. She readied her hands to send the ball flying back across the net in hopes of hitting Lucas, but Dean was faster than her, pushing her out of the way. The ball ricocheted across the net, it's landing unknown to her as Peyton found herself laying in the sand half-trapped beneath Dean's hard body.
"You okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
Peyton nodded her head, her body reacting to his hand on her bare stomach. "It would've been much simpler to just tell me that you had it. You didn't have to push me out of the way," she said sarcastically as Dean offered his hand, helping her to her feet.
"I'm sorry," he said, helping her dust sand off her body. "I didn't mean to…," he continued to apologize without realizing that his fingers were grazing across her breasts. "Oh. God. I'm sorry," blushing profusely as if it were his first occurrence with a woman's breasts.
"It's okay. I like getting felt up with an audience watching."
Dean turned around, realizing that the game had ceased and everyone was watching the two of them. On the other side of the net, Haley's face was buried into Lucas' shirt, in an obvious attempt to try to mask her laughter. "So, uh… game? It's game, right?"