synopsis ⋆˚࿔ dean has been getting on your nerves for a while now, and it’s finally bubbled over leading to you storming off into the woods. after you get attacked, dean cleans you up and admits how much he needs you.
warnings/tags ⋆˚࿔ dean winchester x fem!reader, light angst, angst/comfort, fluff at the end, sweet ending, reader referred to as sweetheart/baby, let me know if i missed any!
notes ⋆˚࿔ inspired by this lovely request!! hope you enjoy <3 (dividers made by @/strangergraphics)
Dean was driving you up the wall yet again. Surprise, surprise.
“I don’t need you to come with me. I can handle this myself, and in case I need to remind you, I’ve been hunting for much longer than you.” Dean spit out, beyond agitated with you.
“Dean, don’t be like that. She just wants to help out here.” Sam sighed, trying to diffuse the situation, but Dean was a loaded gun and once he let loose there was no going back.
“No. Let him speak. Let him tell me how much he doesn’t need me and how inexperienced I am, nevermind the fact that I’ve helped you solve cases in half the time you normally would. You’d be nothing without me.” You rolled your eyes.
“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” Dean took a step towards and squared his shoulders, bracing for impact.
“I think you heard me.” You smiled at him, although it looked more like you were baring your teeth.
He smiled back, used to biting at people and said “I’m nothing without you? Sweetheart, I have spent all my life fending for myself with no one to help me. I think I could survive without you.”
“Oh really?” You asked incredulously, feeling anger surging through your body. “So what about the time that I saved your ass back in Wisconsin?”
“I could have figured out a way to do that myself. You think you’re so special but you’re not! I don’t need you! I never have! I never will!” He screamed, pointing his finger harshly in your face, each word like a punch to the chest.
Your fists clenched and unclenched, and you tried your best to blink away the hot tears welling up in your eyes. You thought you were going to explode if he was in your sight for any longer. You turned on your heel and stormed off, not caring where you went, just that you were gone and out of his sight.
“Where are you going?” Sam had called after you.
“Where your idiot brother isn't!” You screamed back.
“It’s not safe to be by yourself!” He shouted back as a warning.
“I’m fine on my own!” You yelled over your shoulder, moving your legs even faster.
“Go ahead and leave! But if you get hurt, don't come crying to me!” Dean yelled furiously, his voice fading as you went farther into the forest.
Twigs and leaves snapped underneath your feet, and with each step you felt more and more stupid. No matter how angry you were at someone during a hunt, you never split up unless you knew it was safe. In fact, it was a set rule you had on all hunts that you always reminded Sam and Dean of. How had you slipped up this bad?
You knew the answer good and well.
Dean Winchester. The biggest pain in your side, yet somebody you couldn’t see yourself living without. You angrily scrubbed away the tears threatening to spill over your cheeks, not allowing yourself to cry over him.You could never form an opinion on the man, always falling head over heels for him, or wanting to rip his head off, you never knew which one to pick. Sometimes you felt both simultaneously, it was all just so messy with Dean. But foolishly, you wanted all of his mess.
You were pulled out of your thoughts by a branch snapping a few feet away from you. You instantly became alert, and began checking your surroundings. Then from out of nowhere a strong force smacked you sideways into a tree, scratching the left side of your face raw. The wind got smacked out of you, and for the next couple seconds you couldn’t do much but try to get breath into your lungs. Before you knew it, you saw the strange force, it was the spirit you were hunting. How lucky for you.
It choked you up against the tree, strangling you with an eerie smile on its face. You scratched at the hand on your throat, and tried to think of what to do but with all the blood rushing to your head, you couldn’t think of much at the moment. You were seeing stars now and you knew you were done for, at least you thought you were before the ghost vanished. You crumpled to the ground, instantly gasping for air.
You looked at the two giants, also known as Sam and Dean, towering over you and lowering their rifles. You huffed a laugh and said “Found the spirit for you.”
Dean rolled his eyes and stormed off, making his trek back to the Impala. Sam shook his head at him and helped you up, and you both followed Dean back to the car.
Dean was furious with you, and more so, at himself. How could he let you get hurt like that? While you only had a few scratches, a lot worse could have happened and he hated that he would’ve been to blame for it. He hated his big mouth and how it only got bigger the more worried he got. He hated how much you cared about him and he never knew what to do with all that care.
All those sweet reminders to “Eat your breakfast Dean, and no, pie does not count as a meal”, or the firm “We’re not leaving this motel until you get eight hours of sleep, you and I both know you need it”, or the one that always felt like a sucker punch to the chest was when you looked at him in the eyes and said “We stick together. I’m not leaving you Dean.”
He’d be lying if he said he didn’t get a warm fuzzy feeling in his chest every time you said that. He’d be lying even more if he said he didn’t put up more of a fight each time just to hear you say those sweet words.
Then he noticed little things about you that were hard to ignore. The way the sun glinted off of your hair, and the way you laughed full and loud, not caring how awful you sounded, and how effortlessly smart you were, it was all so frustrating how perfect you were. You were too damn pretty for your own good, and he despised it. He was falling fast and he knew he was going to hit the ground hard at this rate.
You were such a puzzle to him. All his life he understood that love and care was conditional. He did something in order for people to love him, and that was the end of that. But you were different. You didn’t allow him to do anything for you most of the time, and you always took care of him. He tried to shake you up by mouthing off and acting like a brat, but if anything, that just made you stick closer. He didn’t understand it, but deep down he was so grateful that you didn’t leave.
So when you left earlier today, he felt sick to his stomach. He knew that someday you would get fed up like all the others and leave him, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. Everything he said earlier was a lie. He did need you, he just didn’t realize how badly he did until after you finally walked away.
Back at the motel, freshly showered and your face and throat hurting like hell, you felt like a new person. You flopped back onto the lumpy couch and sighed, closing your eyes feeling as if you could fall asleep right then and there.
“Well you look awful.” You opened your eyes and saw Dean sitting next to you, holding a rag and some rubbing alcohol.
You didn’t give him a response, choosing to give him the silent treatment.
“I get that you don’t wanna talk, and that's fine. Just let me clean you up." He spoke softly.
You still didn’t say anything, just moved your face towards him in a gesture of compliance.
“I thought you said if I got hurt you wouldn’t help me.” You rasped, echoing his words back at him.
“Just let me do this, okay? It’s my way of apologizing.” He sighed, jaw clenching.
“Wow, Dean Winchester apologizing? That’s new.” You rolled your eyes at him.
He didn’t respond this time and just took your face in his big calloused hands, heat blooming across your face from each delicate touch. To your surprise, he was achingly gentle with you, never rough, touching you like you would break if he did too much. It felt right somehow, him holding you softly. Each time you winced from the sting of rubbing alcohol, he’d whisper a gruff “Sorry” and would somehow make his touches even lighter.
“Y’know I don’t mind your comments.” He said out of the blue.
“I don’t mind the smartass comments you make all the time. I like them.” He admits, focusing his gaze on cleaning your wounds with the damp cloth in his hand.
“Dean, why are you saying this?” You asked softly.
“Because I do need you. I need your smartass comments, no matter how much they irritate me. I need you on these hunts because it wouldn’t be the same without you. I need you around because you’re the only one who seems to care about me, no matter how much of a dick I’m being, and I’m not used to that because I’m always the one taking care of people. I need you around because I love you.” His green eyes bore into yours and you felt weightless in that moment. This felt unreal.
“You love me?” Your voice was a hoarse whisper now.
“You have no idea how much I do and it scares the hell out of me.” He said solemnly, his tone sounding like he was taking an oath.
“You truly mean that?” You looked up at him and his stern face.
He let out an annoyed growl and pulled you aggressively into his lap by your arm, securing each hand on the sides of your hips. Your hands dug into his shoulders and he groaned, pulling you closer. He kissed you rough and desperate, all teeth, and you couldn’t get enough of it. It was as if each kiss was his attempt to tell you how much you meant to him, of trying to erase all the stupid words he said.
After you both came up for air, Dean held you close and looked up at you.
“M’sorry for everything I said. I was stupid and worried about you.” He mumbled, shame swirling in his eyes.
“I forgive you.” You whispered as you ran a gentle hand through his hair.
He melted into the touch and nuzzled into your neck as you held him close. All the screaming and harsh words came undone and forgotten as you held each other close. Instead there were only unsaid “I love you”s and sweet soft kisses exchanged in return.
Late into the night Dean whispered “I need you baby. I’ll always need you.” rocking you back and forth gently.
You sat there until you both eventually fell asleep, and Sam found you in the morning. Your legs wrapped around his waist, hands looped around his neck. Dean’s head resting on your shoulder as he snored softly, arms holding you close even in his sleep. When you both woke up, Dean refused to leave your side.
When you got up to brush your teeth, you did it together. As you got dressed for the day, Dean sat outside the door quietly waiting. As you ate breakfast, he pushed your chair closer to his. A silent reminder that he would always be here, needing you.