Authors Note: I'm so grateful for all of the support that my readers have been giving me. The number of favorites and story alerts completely blows my mind. This ship holds a special place in my heart, and I love being able to write it. I am, however, a little confused about the lack of reviews. Last chapter, 10 people added this story to their alerts list, and only 2 reviewed [which were two of the sweetest reviews I've ever gotten]. Your feedback means a lot to me, and has a dramatic effect on the story itself. Please take the ten seconds to let me know what you liked or didn't like, what you hope to see, what characters you want to show up; It's very important to me. Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it!
He didn't get nervous. He kissed his first girl at thirteen years old, and the progression was pretty quick after that. Dean Winchester knew women. He knew their likes, dislikes, how they wanted a man to act, what they wanted in life; and for as long as he could remember he had manipulated that knowledge to get what he wanted. He wasn't necessarily proud of that fact, but it was something that he needed to do. He couldn't get emotionally attached to these women; not with the life he had chosen (be destined) to live. He had never met a hunter who had fallen in love and lived happily ever after. More often than not, an angry demon took revenge on the hunter by killing the woman he loved. He had seen it happen a million times. And he very clearly remembered the way his father looked after his mother's death. He witnessed firsthand the way it had destroyed him, the way it changed him from a loving father who played catch every Saturday to a ruthless killer determined to exact revenge. Dean felt like he was hollow enough because of his experiences, he didn't want to add another death toll to his list. He couldn't let himself fall in love, so he kept a distance. He was cold, aloof, mysterious, and absolutely unattainable.
Which was probably why he was nervous walking to meet Caroline the next morning. Everything about the blonde went against what he had believed before entering her small town. He didn't want to manipulated her, he wanted to know her. He didn't want to just sleep with her, he wanted to wake up next to her. He didn't want to just put another notch in his bed post, he wanted to experience her in every way that was humanly possible. In the two weeks it took him to kill the Wendigo, he had thought about her every free moment he'd had. He'd imagined what she was doing, what songs she was singing, if she was thinking of him too. He couldn't wait to see her again, and when he realized that was when he realized that he was in way over his head with Caroline Forbes. It hit him even harder when he walked into the bar and saw her. When their eyes connected and she smiled, she took his breath away.
Which was why he was in his current dilemma. He had a mission, a purpose to fulfill. For the majority of his life he was trained for one thing and one thing only. A girlfriend had never fit into that plan. His father had made sure of that. But a small voice in his head kept reminding him that Dad was gone and maybe it was time for him to follow his own orders. He rationalized that he could still hunt and live a life. He could rent a small apartment in Banbridge, and travel to wear the hunts were. He could protect her, he knew he could.
"Hello," She was waiting outside the diner, smiling up at him. Her hair was back in its princess curls and his fingers ached to run his hands through them. He smiled back, all the thoughts that had been tormenting him on his walk quickly disappearing from his head.
"Hey, Princess. You hungry?" He held out his arm, and without a second thought she looped her own through his. He couldn't help but notice how soft her cool skin was, or how it sent tingles radiating from where it touched her.
"Famished," He opened the door and held it for her, causing her to raise one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows at him. He laughed, amazed by how she continued to surprise him.
"You sure you don't want to go somewhere fancier?" He looked at the dingy countertop and the fluorescent lights. It wasn't exactly romantic.
"This is the best place in all of Banbridge," She giggled, her laugh like wind-chimes. They sat across from each other in one of the vinyl booths. She didn't even open her menu, but rather rested her chin in her hand and stared at him.
"You took me as more of a fancy French bistro kind of chick," He informed her, opening his own menu and looking at it quickly.
"Oh don't get me wrong, I'm all for the fancy restaurants and pretty dresses once in a while, but this place makes the best cheese fries in the state,"
"It's ten am," He smiled, his tone slightly teasing.
"It's never too early for cheese fries," Her voice was completely serious, and her green eyes twinkled at him.
"So I guess it's not too early for pie either?" His eyes had drifted to the pastry case where there looked to be a fresh apple pie on the top tray.
"Oh it's definitely too early for pie," Caroline teased, and Dean was thrilled by the flirty tone in her voice.
"It's never too early for pie," He repeated, winking at her. The waitress came and they placed with orders (which included cheese fries and pie), and talked about things. Dean quickly learned that Caroline didn't like to talk about her family, which was just fine with him because if she didn't talk about it then he didn't have to either. She was from Mystic Falls, and moved away from home as soon as she turned eighteen. She wrinkled her nose when she thought about something she didn't want to talk about, she blushed just slightly when he flirted, and her smile was one of the most beautiful he'd ever seen. She asked him about his life, and he told her about Sam (the normal version anyway), and that he was a travelling consultant.
"So what are you plans," She asked him, her voice casual. He had just finished his pie and they were waiting for the check. The breakfast had gone way too fast for his liking.
"I've got another assignment coming up, but I've been thinking about settling down," She bit her lip, looking at him as he spoke. "I like it here, and there are…other benefits to staying," That adorable blush was back. "I'm thinking about renting an apartment in town. It would be nice to have a place to call home,"
"That's a pretty bit decision," The blonde told him, her face serious. "I hope it's not just because of those…other benefits…that you're thinking about staying,"
"Of course not, but they do help swing the vote," A smile broke out across her face, and he returned the grin. They stood for a few minutes outside, saying goodbye. She reached up and brushed her lips gently across his cheek before walking to her car. At the corner, she turned back and waved. He waved back, and decided that now was a better time than any to go apartment hunting. He wasn't going anywhere.