Lily woke up alone the next morning. She took a quick glance around the room and toward the bathroom. The light was off. No Dean. She ran a hand through her hair as she sat up. She hadn't expected Dean to leave. At least, not without saying goodbye. Not now that he knew how she felt. She got out of bed, and as she opened the bedroom door the smell of food hit her. She stopped, completely taken off guard, before she continued into the kitchen, where she found Dean at the stove.

Dean saw movement out of the corner of his eye and looked up. When he saw Lily, he smiled. "Good morning."

"Good morning. What's this?"

"Breakfast."

"Since when do you cook?"

"I've always cooked. Just never really get the opportunity. You like your eggs scrambled, right?"

Lily nodded and sat at the bar, and Dean turned back to the stove. She took that opportunity to bring up his absence from the bed. "When I woke up, I thought you had left."

Dean sat an empty plate in front of her, and the seat next to her. "Why would I leave without saying goodbye?"

"We've both done it before."

"It was different then."

"Yeah, it was."

Dean placed bacon and sausage on their plates before returning back to the stove for the eggs. He scooped some out for both of them, then sat next to her as they ate. When they were finished, they stood together at the sink. Lily washed, while Dean dried, the dishes. She could tell that he was preoccupied. Probably worried about where Sam was and what he was doing. She figured it would be best to get him to talk about it.

"Where do you think Sam is?"

"Probably trying to dig up a case to keep from thinking about Amy. He'll wanna keep busy."

"What about you? You wanna find a case to keep busy?"

"Maybe in a day or two." He looked at Lily and smiled, leaning back against the counter as he dried a plate. "I can think of other ways to keep busy."

"Really?" she asked, with a grin on her face. "Such as?" She knew the answer. She liked the answer.

Dean sat the dish he was drying in the drain board and walked behind Lily, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Such as..." He kissed her neck and moved his hands to rest on her hips.

Lily put down the dish she was holding and rinsed her hands before turning off the water. She held on to the edge of the sink as Dean kissed her neck. After a moment, she dried her hands and turned to face him.

"No one here to walk in on us this time," she said as she pulled him over, away from the sink. She lifted herself up onto the counter and pulled him closer. Dean's hands went into her hair, pulling her into a passionate kiss. When they broke for air, Lily began tugging at his t-shirt, but Dean grabbed her hands. She looked up to find him staring into her eyes, with an expression on his face that she couldn't quite read. He took a step back before gently pulling her from the counter, putting her back on her feet. She was just beginning to wonder if something was wrong when he pulled her closer, one hand on her hip and the other at her face. He kept his eyes locked on hers until their lips touched. It was so soft and gentle, but deeply passionate. He stopped their kiss just long enough to scoop her up into his arms, and he carried her back into the bedroom.

They slowly removed each other's clothes as they continued to kiss standing next to the bed. When Dean removed her last piece of clothing, he stared into her eyes, his hand caressing her face. She stared back, almost trying to read his mind. Dean was always a gentle lover, but something was different here.

"Lily..." He hesitated, and his other hand came up to her face. His eyes still staring deep into hers. His lips were suddenly on hers again, and he laid her down on the already unmade bed. Dean kissed her neck as his hands explored her body. When he finally took her, his eyes were once again locked on hers. He watched every time she closed her eyes, every time her mouth opened as if to make some sound, every time she looked down to try to watch them moving together. He took it all in as they reached that peak together, then he kissed her as their bodies trembled. Slowly. Deeply. His hand on her face as he hovered over her. When they finally broke apart to catch their breath, Lily found him staring down at her again. Nothing could have prepared her for the words he spoke.

"I love you."

Lily felt her eyes grow wider, and her chest tighten with emotion. "You..."

"... love you." Dean's expression was serious, but soft, with just a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You heard me."

"I don't think I did," she said with a grin on her face.

Dean smiled as he leaned in to kiss her again. He whispered, "I love you," just before capturing her lips.

Lily was soaring. She never dreamed she would ever hear those words from Dean Winchester. Her hands ran through his hair as they kissed. She never wanted to stop. She wanted to be in this man's arms forever. With her hands on his face, she whispered, "Make love to me."

"Isn't that what I just did?" Dean was smiling from ear to ear, feeling happier than he had been in a long while.

"Do it again."

Dean lightly kissed her lips, then moved to her neck for a moment before kissing his way down her entire body. His head disappeared beneath the sheet and Lily's back arched completely off of the bed when she felt his mouth on her. Dean pulled the sheet back to watch her enjoy it before he made his way back up her body and took her again.

They lay in each other's arms, hands roaming as they kissed. They spent the next week and a half enjoying each other, and enjoying being in love.