Chapter 2: seems like everywhere you turn


8 years later

Dean cannot even begin to imagine just who in the sweet fuck thought it was appropriate to bang on his door at 6 in the fucking morning but either way, someone was gonna die. He stomps over to the front door, pulling his threadbare robe -a gift from Sammy eight father's days ago- a little tighter around his waist. He should really get a new one but with Sammy having left for college just a few weeks ago Dean can't even bear the thought of parting with anything his pup had given him, even if it was nearly falling apart and a little more snug than it used to be, either from age or Dean's slowly expanding midsection. At the thought of Sammy, Dean panics a little and rips open the door, worried it might be his son on the other side.

"Hi."

It is not.

"Lisa, what in the sweet fuck?"

The brunette Beta smiles sweetly and pushes her way into his house while simultaneously handing Dean a to-go coffee cup from the shop down the street. He should yell at her to get out, to go home to her husband who is probably wondering where she is. He looks at the cup in his hand and contemplates his life choices while standing in the open doorway of his house.

"Close the door! It's cold."

Dean sucks his teeth and takes a sip of his drink; It's still hot and is probably one of those pumpkin apple fall flavored lattes he claims to despise but secretly loves. On pain of death, he'll go to his grave with that. He doesn't even want to know how Lisa had figured it out. Probably after one of their wine nights with Charlie and her mate Gilda, he really needs to watch how much he drinks on those nights. He shakes himself and turns, kicking the door shut with his foot as he takes another drink. What do they even put in these things? Fucking crack?

"So, why're you in my house at the ass crack of dawn exactly?" Lisa knows that he only has a month and a half before another school year starts and he'll be up early every morning to get things set up for another round of kindergarteners. She snatches his drink out of his hand, takes a sip, makes a face, and then hands it back to him. "Is nothing sacred to you woman?"

"Hot guy." She makes her way to the front window and gestures outside.

Dean looks outside, it's still fairly dark though with the sun just barely creeping over the horizon. There's no one out there.

"Do ya …do you see 'im right now?" He asks conspiratorially.

Lisa shoots him a look and slaps his arm. "No, you shit. I don't see him 'right now'. But he'll be running by any minute now." She looks out the window again, peering down the street. "He lives like four or five houses away from me, I still haven't figured out which one. I don't know his name yet because he only moved in like three weeks ago, but just you wait," She points a finger in his direction. "I'll find out. Plus, I'm 83% certain he's single."

"Just outta general curiosity," Dean moves to stand next to her. "Why the fuck would I care?"

Lisa turns another look on him, "Because you're single and he's single and you need to get laid."

"Ya know, I don't actually need your help to get laid," Dean tells her from behind his cup.

"Bullshit." Lisa replies brightly, Dean opens his mouth to respond and jerks away slightly when Lisa waves a hand in front of his face while simultaneously shushing him. "Be quiet, here he comes."

Dean peers out the window, "Where? I don't see shit."

"Right there." She stage whispers, gesturing off to the left-hand side.

And sweet baby jesus there he is indeed. Even in the low light, Dean can tell the guy is a fucking smoke show; all lean limbs, thick thighs, and a pleasantly chiseled shirtless chest. He isn't sweating, not yet, but based on what Lisa'd said he'd just started his run. The most unfortunate part is that Dean can't really see his face, although he could see a mop of wild hair that looks like someone had run their fingers through it after they got a good pounding.

"Christ…" Dean mumbles, maybe he did need to get laid. The guy is gone within a few moments but both Dean and Lisa's eyes follow him down the street as far as they can.

"See what I mean?" Lisa turns, grinning like a crazy person. Dean just responds with a noncommittal 'hm' and turns, walking into his kitchen to pull out something for breakfast. There is no way in hell he is gonna go back to sleep now so he might as well make something special.

"What the hell do you mean 'hmmm'?" Lisa grouses, following him into the kitchen.

"Exactly what I said, 'hmmm'." He pulls eggs out of the fridge and after rummaging around the pantry for a minute, he finds what he's looking for. "Waffles." He holds the box out to Lisa who is too busy scowling at him to really appreciate what he's offering. He ignores her look and shakes the box. "You stayin'?"

She throws her hands up in frustration. "You're impossible."

" 'm not but ok."

"Did you not see what I saw? That man was so fucking hot the first time I saw him I tripped over my stairs in the living room."

Dean laughs at the mental image, "So that's a no on the waffles then?"

"Dean!" Lisa squawks, clearly exasperated.

"What?" he squawks back, mimicking the sound of her voice. She just gives him a look and he sighs, setting the waffle mix on the counter. "Look, he's hot. Very fucking hot but what even am I supposed to do with that?" He turns around and begins searching for the waffle maker he had picked up a few years ago at the thrift store. "Ya said you were what? 80% certain-"

"83% certain." Lisa huffs, crossing her arms.

Dean stops, shoots her a look, and then continues on his search. "-83% certain that he's single. And so, what if he is? Ya think someone who looks like that is gonna go for some used-up, almost-forty-year-old Omega who has a kid in college? Come on Lis. How old even is that guy?" When Lisa doesn't respond, Dean looks up at her and sighs. She's standing in the doorway, eyes pointed at the floor, looking about a hair's breadth away from crying. "Lis come on-"

"I fucking hate it when you talk about yourself that way Dean. You're wonderful." Her bottom lip pouts out slightly and Dean pushes himself up, wincing when his knees crack.

"I know, I'm sorry Lis." He holds out his arms for a hug and after a few moments, she marches forward and gives him one. "I know you're worried about me. I know Charlie an' Gilda an' Garth an' everyone else is too but I'm ok. Really." She pulls back, wiping her eyes and Dean laughs a little before wiping a tear off her cheek with his thumb. "Besides, you don't know anything about that guy, brain-melting hotness aside. Maybe he isn't single, maybe he's only into women, maybe-" he fake gasps "-maybe he's a total fucking douche that fuckin' hates dog or somethin'."

She laughs and shoves him away. "Well, I'm still gonna find out everything about him, I can. You deserve someone, Dean. Someone who will take care of you."

"And why would I need someone to take care of me when I have you?" He bats his eyelashes and cups her face in his hands. Lisa rolls her eyes and swats his hands away.

"You're a shit."

"But I'm your shit."

Dean kisses her forehead and turns back toward the cupboard he was rooting around in. "So, waffles?"

"You know," Lisa starts, "He comes back around. Oh! There he is now!"

Dean whips around so quickly, he almost loses his balance. Lisa just stands there, grinning mischievously. "Gotcha."

Dean gives her a mocking laugh and flips her the bird. "Ass."

"I'm going home." She says after a few moments and starts making her way toward the front door. "He does come back around though, in about 20 minutes."

Dean offers the same noncommittal hum he had before and waves even though he knows Lisa can't see it. And if he did watch as the hot guy ran by 20 minutes later, now covered in sweat thank you very much, well that's between him and his waffles.

It becomes something of a routine; Dean watching the 'hot guy' every Saturday and Sunday morning. He never runs on the weekdays though. Lisa says she thinks it had something to do with him working in the city.

"I was right!" She all but yells one afternoon as she follows Dean into his house while he carries in the last of his groceries.

Dean jams a finger in his ear and shakes his head, "Shit Lis. Right about what?"

"He does work in the city, marketing or sales or something. Either way, it doesn't matter." She starts pulling out the groceries she had asked him to pick up for her and placing them in one of her own reusable bags. "He's coming to the barbecue by the way."

Dean's head jerks up and he drops a can on the ground. "What?"

"Yeah! I finally met him in person a few hours ago." Lisa smirks as Dean bends over to pick up the can of baked beans, handing it over to her. "He's really nice, smart, kinda dry, and stupid handsome."

Dean rolls his eyes at the last comment. "So, ya just invited some rando to your barbecue then?"

Lisa sticks her tongue out at him, "He isn't 'some rando', he's my neighbor."

Dean half concedes to that by nodding. "What's 'is name anyway?"

"Oh? Interested, are we?" Lisa waggles her eyebrows and Dean launches the sack of napkins at her head and she squeals when they smack her in the face.

"I'm interested in his name, considering I'll see him at your party."

Lisa nods her head in a 'yeah okay sure whatever you say' kinda way and Dean flips her off. "His name for your information is …" she trails off and makes a face.

Dean rolls his eyes, "What? Do ya want a drum roll or somethin'?"

"No, you shit, I maybe… can't remember his name."

Dean bursts out laughing, "All this big talk an' ya don't even remember his name?"

"Listen!" Lisa grouses, cramming the last of her groceries in her bag. "I know it starts with a 'J' …" She pauses and bites her lip, "Possibly a 'K'… Or maybe a 'C'?" She looks to the side, a confused expression on her face.

"For sure it's a letter in the alphabet though yeah?" Dean teases, still laughing. Lisa throws the napkins back at his face and he catches them midair. "Gonna be honest Lis, 'K' and 'C' do sound similar but 'J' makes a different sound."

She snatches the napkins out of his hand, shoulders her grocery bag, and sticks her tongue out at him. "I'm leaving. Don't be late on Sunday. 5 pm!"

Dean ignores her completely, "Ya know cause 'C' makes a 'cah' sound, as in 'cat', sometimes 'K' doesn't make any sound at all, like in 'knight' and 'J'-"

"Fuck! Off!" she yells at him, making her way toward the front door.

"'J' makes a 'jah' sound like in-"

"Jackass!"

"Exactly!" Dean laughs as he hears Lisa blow a raspberry at him, the door slamming shut behind her.

So come Sunday he would get to meet the elusive 'hot guy'. He smiles a little to himself and then stops suddenly, what the hell did he even care anyway? Lisa's parties were always pretty big in the neighborhood and given that it was the last one before fall really settled in, he was sure there would be quite the turnout. 'Hot guy' was bound to find someone at the party, someone who was decidedly not Dean.

Dean sighs a little wistfully, he's content with the way his life is, sure he's lonely on occasion, but he supposes that this is just the way things are.

Besides, this doesn't mean he couldn't continue to watch 'Hot Guy' on his morning runs, and tomorrow was Saturday, after all.