Dean tugged on the doorknob once more before turning to Riley, satisfied that the cabin was secure before they left. The worn key was threaded carefully onto her key ring with her truck key, Bobby's house key and her faded pink flamingo keychain from Myrtle Beach. His green eyes raised to hers. "Ready to go home?" There wasn't that same trepidation there'd been a few weeks before and Riley smiled up at him.

"More than ready." Her hand slipped into the crook of his arm and they stepped down off the wooden porch. Dean walked her around to her side of the truck and opened the passenger door for her to get inside. He studied her closely after she'd slid onto the bench seat and she quirked an eyebrow at his expression. "What?"

"Nothin'," He leaned in to kiss her sweetly before stepping back to close her door. Riley watched Dean in her rearview mirror walk around to the bed of her truck where their bags were secured and he tested the ties downs once more to be sure before he moved around to the driver's side door.

The door creaked as he pulled it open and he was humming softly when he pulled the door shut. Dean turned over the engine and glanced at their fuel gauge on the truck's dash. "Gas station around here?"

"Not far from the grocery store."

Dean pulled out of the spot in the gravel next to the porch and she turned to watch the cabin fade from her sight, hoping she'd get a chance to come back there sometime. Dean watched Riley's gaze and he couldn't help but to smile a little to himself. He reached out to turn on her radio and she settled back down into her seat, reached to her right to pull on her seat belt.

Soft country came through her speakers and the brunette looked over, seeing his little side smile his eyes on the road ahead. "Dean?" There was a sense of surprise in her soft tone.

"Kinda grew on me."

Another mile rolled on underneath the tires of the old truck before she spoke. "Since when?"

Dean glanced over at her, his eyes twinkling. "Since the night I drove you home to the bunker from Bobby's house." Riley felt her throat get tight with emotion and the irony of the long ride home wasn't lost on her. It wasn't long before her breath was fogging up the glass of the passenger window and she was asleep against it, the fading sunset in the west.

spnspnspnspn

Dean followed Riley downstairs after pulling the iron door closed behind him, the noise echoing through the bunker. "Sammy? We're home." He called and he heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Riley reached the bottom of the stairs and set her bag down before finding herself being swept up into Sam's arms in a warm hug and she felt tears escape as he lifted her up for a few seconds. "Sam," Riley's whisper was hoarse and he only nodded in response, too choked up to reply.

"I know." Was all he whispered back. A small smile tugged at the corner of Dean's mouth as he watched the pair in front of him let go of the immeasurable sadness and anger they'd shared when Dean was gone. Riley spoke softly to the other man she'd grown so close to in the last year, her nose in his hair and Sam nodded again before releasing her a bit.

Her shoes touched the floor again as he let her down from the embrace, his hands moving to cup her face as he looked into her eyes. Riley smiled through her tears, her hands on his forearms. "I'm so glad you're home." She nodded and Sam looked to Dean. "Hey brother."

"Heya Sam." Sam moved to hug his older brother and Riley watched their happy reunion. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Dean and Sam parted and Riley's eyes found Dean's.

"I'm gonna go unpack and shower."

"Yeah, sounds good." Both men watched as Riley left them heading towards her bedroom. Sam looked to Dean, who was still watching her retreat.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?" Green snapped to hazel.

"She okay?"

"Yeah."

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

Sam's jaw worked a bit. "You two... seem different." He ventured carefully.

Dean shifted the bag in his hand. "We had a lot of time to talk over the last few weeks."

"Yeah?" He waited for the elaboration.

"Yeah... I think we're in a good place." Pause. "She wants to talk to Cas... apologize for making him lie to us." That made Sam smile. "Sam, I know I stayed at the cabin and that wasn't the plan..."

Sam waved him off. "Dean, I get it. I just didn't want you to be in some situation that you couldn't handle." That earned him a mock glare. "I meant, that you would have to protect yourself against Riley or the Mark."

"Riley and I... we're fine." The way he said that made Sam frown. "So let that go." Dean started to walk away from Sam until his voice called out softly.

"Did something happen up there? At the cabin?" Dean stopped his retreat towards the sleeping quarters. "Dean?"

"A lot of things happened." Was all Dean spoke before he disappeared into the hallway.

spnspnspnspn

Riley had showered in the shared bathroom, staying in a little longer than necessary. The lukewarm dribble of water from the cabin by Clear Lake didn't hold a candle to the seemingly unlimited hot water supply to the bunker's shower. Her body wash was still in the shower from four months before and that made her smile; both boys had held onto hope that she'd be home to use it.

Riley eventually pulled the towel hanging on the towel rack into the shower with her to dry off. She wrapped it around her torso and stepped out to comb her hair. She stepped up to the mirror and studied her reflection for a few seconds before a knock on the door startled her. "Just a minute."

Riley tightened her towel and pulled open the door. Sam was standing there, en easy smile on his features. "Hey. Anything special you want for dinner?"

"Pizza would be great."

"You sure? I can make up some pasta or something."

"Pizza'a great, Sammy. Really." She smiled up at him before slipping by him and heading down the hall towards her bedroom.

She halted in the doorway when she saw Dean had carefully unpacked her bag. The last thing he'd done was set her friendship lamp on her nightstand.

Where it belonged.

"Thank you." Her voice was quiet and he turned to look at her. Riley suddenly felt shy under his gaze and she felt a blush color her cheeks as the thoughts of them alone together washed over her again. "Sam's gettin' pizza for dinner."

"Mm." He hummed and she moved to her closet to pull some clothing off the rack. "I unpacked all your stuff... but I wasn't sure if you wanted it here... or someplace else." That made her heart skip a beat. Dean watched her ponder that. "I'm gonna make us some coffee while Sam gets dinner." He moved by the brunette, pressing a warm kiss to her temple before disappearing down the hallway. He could feel Riley staring after him and he smiled a bit to himself.

In fact, he was still smiling when he walked into the kitchen to put on some coffee. Sam was standing there on his cell phone. He did a double take of his older brother, a secret little smile on Dean's mouth as he pulled out the coffee filters. "Yeah, two large pizzas, one meat special and the other's a veggie supreme." His eyes never left his brother as he scooped some coffee ground from the tin on the counter. "Pick up." Sam paused. "Sounds great. See you in thirty." He hung up his cell phone. "Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"You alright?"

"Course." The older man clicked on the warmer. He turned to see Sam staring at him, unconvinced. "What?"

"You look... happy."

Dean's brow wrinkled. "Is that a crime?"

Sam smirked. "No."

"What then?"

"Nothin'." He clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder as he passed by him. "I'm heading out to pick up the food. I'll be back in a bit."

"We'll be here." Sam didn't miss the way his brother kept using we when referring to himself and Riley. He left a moment later and Dean heard the impala start up and he looked up for a second before he headed back down to Riley's room.

He stood in the doorway quietly, watching her slip on a flannel over her tank top and jeans. Her back was to him and she spoke softly. "Dean?" Riley could feel his presence. "Sam leave?"

"Mmhm."

The brunette turned to him and spoke quietly. "Look, I wanna talk about us."

Dean stepped inside and crossed her room to sit on her bed. "What about?"

"I feel like Sam should know."

He worried the inside of his bottom lip nervously. "I know."

Riley watched him. "I'm done with the secrets and doing things behind each other's backs."

Dean certainly understood that. "You're right." He reached out to her and she moved in between his knees. She leaned in to kiss him and his warm hands moved to her hips. "You're always right." He could feel her smile against his mouth. Riley pushed him back gently and he groaned in appreciation when she straddled his hips.

"How long until your brother," Riley kissed him, settling onto his denim clad hips, feeling him getting hard beneath her. "Gets back?"

"Half hour or so." He grunted, his hands smoothing her tank top up. "Take this off."

"So bossy."

"C'mon..." Dean actually whined. "I missed you."

That made her giggle and her intrusive hands undid his belt buckle before her fingers dipped inside the waistband of his underwear teasingly. His skin was surprisingly soft against her fingertips. "You've been with me for three weeks straight."

His eyes fluttered closed and she watched him as she ran her left thumb over his right hipbone before splaying her small hands over the slight bit of pudge below his belly button that she'd secretly grown to adore. It was the only soft thing about this amazing man besides his heart. "You better make it quick then, Winchester."

Her weight left his hips momentarily and his green eyes opened, half lidded as he watched her shimmy off her jeans and tug his down some to free him from the restrictive fabric. "It will be." Riley moved over him and Dean's eyes fluttered shut as she took him in, warm and wet and wanting. "Fuck." She rode him slow, watching the wrinkle between his brows deepen. "You don't know what you do to me." He murmured and she smirked before tightening around him, making him grunt. "The first time I saw you, you were all pissed off and pointing at me and shoving my gun outta your face... man were you hot."

Riley giggled and picked up the pace a bit, enjoying his filterless confession. "Was not."

"Was too, sweetheart." Dean opened his eyes then and his fingers dug into her hips and he lifted his to meet her eagerly, bringing them both to the edge together. Riley felt him let go inside her, twitching deliciously and letting out a contented sigh before opening his slightly glazed over eyes. "Did you..?"

"No."

"Fuck." A look of disappointment washed over his features. "I'm sorry."

Riley leaned forward to kiss him before sliding off him, reaching for the tissues to clean herself up a bit. "It's not always about that, you know."

Dean sat up on the edge of the bed and she bent over to pick up her jeans. "I'm gonna hop in the shower... wanna join me?"

"Just had one not even an hour ago."

Dean gave her a puppy dog look. "Make it up to you?"

Riley considered that for about half a second.

spnspnspnspn

A/N:

Guys, I apologize for the lack of updating. Horrible anxiety this last week and couldn't focus on anything. Please forgive me.

Thank you to jloh217, ButterflyAlley, jennhopp12, EmilyAnnMcGarrett-Winchester, SaphyraBlue13 and Dimac.31 for your reviews on the last chapter!

SaphyraBlu13, the pudge under Dean's belly button was especially for you! ;)

Have a wonderful week!

CitrineMama