Space Cowboy - Dean Winchester
So, I'm alive still. This one demanded to be written. Please excuse any minor mistakes as it also demanded to be posted without any editing. This is the first of these that's angst so I hope y'all like it.
I try to leave my readers non-specific so if I add details please let me know and I'll endeavor to fix it.
Obvious disclaimer: the lyrics aren't mine
Dean Winchester x Reader
You look out the window
While I look at you
When you really thought about it (which let’s face it, normally you didn’t) you knew that this day would come. No matter how much he insisted that he could balance both sides of himself, you had always known. His visits, which used to be so often, any time that he could justify them really, had started becoming fewer and farther between. They started to seem like just another job to him. At first, when he would come to you, he couldn’t take his eyes off you. Recently (recent is a stretch, his last visit was months ago, as was the one before that) his eyes never seemed to leave the horizon, like he couldn’t wait to be back on the road. It was hard to work up the courage to let him go, you’d opened your heart and your home to him for years after all. Your county was kind of a hot spot for supernatural activity, you’d learned that after the third time he’d walked into the bar you worked at in as many months. His case hadn’t been in your town that time, but close enough. He’d said he wanted to see you, those gorgeous greens had snared you right away.
Sayin’ I don’t know
Would be like sayin’ that the sky ain’t blue
You hadn’t seen him in months, not since you had very nearly had to beg him to visit for your birthday. The signs of a rougarou in the next town over told you all you needed to know about why he’d shown up at your door that sunny afternoon. He was a good man, you knew that, he couldn’t come that close and not visit the person he claimed was his “slice of the apple pie”. The little voice in your head reminded you that a sense of obligation didn’t mean he had missed you. He showed up because that’s what he did when a case brought him close, but he didn’t visit just because, not anymore. Still, you’d invited him in, said you were just about to start dinner, “something simple, pasta and wine probably”. It was like your heart took over and your logic was having an out of body experience. You probably should have asked how long he’d be staying.
And boots weren’t made for sittin’ by the door
Since you don’t wanna stay anymore
After the food was gone and the table cleared you had suggested a movie. “I know you’ve probably had a long day, we can just relax”.
That look of hesitation on his face, there was a time it would’ve been followed by regret, but not tonight. “I was actually just in the area for a case.” You almost reminded him that he always stayed with you while he was hunting in the area. “It was pretty cut and dry, Sammy’s waiting for me back at the motel, we gotta get on the road.”
He hadn’t even taken his boots off at the door, you’d noticed too late. You could imagine your logic was standing to the side and shaking its head while it watched your heart sink to the floor. “Oh” You could feel your body curling in on itself. He noticed. (Of course he noticed, at one point he’d been so aware of you, you would’ve sworn he loved you. Lately you weren’t so sure).
You can have your space, cowboy
I ain’t gonna fence you in
Ever since his visits had started slowing, he’d started offering you empty reassurances. “Hey, you’ve always said you were ok with the traveling.” He grabbed his keys from the counter; you spotted the batman keychain you had gifted him seven months in, a key to your house (to your heart). “I’ll be back when I can.” You had always trusted that if you let go, he’d come back. For the first time, you weren’t so sure anymore.
Go on ride away, in your Silverado
Guess I’ll see you ‘round again
His goodbye kiss was quick, more habit than anything else, before those long legs were eating the distance to his Impala. You stood in the doorway and watched him drive off, hoping it wouldn’t be your last glimpse of him.
I know my place, and it ain’t with you
Well, sunsets fade and love does too
Once a month you went to see your childhood friend who had moved one town over after high school. The two of you would sit and have milkshakes at the local diner, catching up on life. That day should have been like any other, the ‘67 Impala parked on the street told you it probably wouldn’t be. The two large (gorgeous) men in one of the booths, confirmed it. This town was smaller than yours by a lot, newcomers would never go unnoticed. “Who’s that?”
Your friend didn’t even look to see who you meant. “Some FBI guys, they’ve been in town since Monday, investigating those deaths up at the Greaves’ Homestead”. All week. He’d been twenty minutes away, all week. The waitress asking if their food was ok was the same stunning blonde that had brought your shakes, you noticed. Dean noticed too. That look on his face, it had given you butterflies that first time he aimed it at you, and every time after. As your friend was counting cash to leave on the table, the waitress was writing on her notepad. Whatever it said, he watched her tuck it into the front pocket of his shirt with a grin. As you finished your shake and set the glass down (a little too loud, of course, because why not) he looked up. His eyes caught yours as you slid out of your booth and all of him froze, for about half a second before he recovered and threw an exaggerated wink at his brother. By the time he looked back at you, your gaze was locked between your friend’s shoulder blades as you followed them outside.
Yea, we had our day in the sun
When a horse wants to run
There ain’t no sense in closing the gate
You can have your space, cowboy
The cheerful sound of the bell above the door didn’t break your stride as the two of you crossed the street, the deep voice asking you to wait didn’t register past your friend’s rambling so you managed to ignore him without any questions. You poured yourself into the day of catching up, anything to keep your mind from highlighting all of his recent distance for you.
After the gold rush, there ain’t no reason to stay
Should’ve learned from the movies that good guys don’t run away
You made it home that night with a quart of ice cream and two bottles of wine. Maybe you should have realized that you had seen the back of that classic too many times. There were a lot of things you probably should have taken more notice of. How he never stayed long enough to get too comfortable; how he lived out of his duffle whenever he would visit and never unpack. Somehow you had convinced yourself that he didn’t say those three words back because he wanted to show you instead. He certainly had shown you his true feelings; they weren’t at all what you expected.
But roads weren’t made to not go down
And there ain’t room for both of us in this town
It was two more days before there was a knock at your door (a knock, when he had always used his key). You hadn’t invited him into the house when you answered (not into your heart either). His words had rolled right off. “supposed to be a simple salt and burn” Once, he hadn’t needed to make excuses. “we didn’t think we’d be in town so long” It hadn’t occurred to you in the past that there could be someone else. “I was just being friendly, I threw the number away”.
So you can have your space, cowboy
I ain’t gonna fence you in
“I think you should go Dean.” It was a good thing you had cried all your tears that first night.
Maybe their absence should have been his hint. “Yea, ok, you need some time, I get it. I’ll get a room at the motel” He seemed like he was gearing up for a speech; you shook your head and grabbed his hand to stop him, the cold metal of his keys a stark contrast to the once welcome heat of his skin.
“No, Dean.” You pulled your hand back, his keys in your grip. There had been a fine tremor in your fingers as you unhooked the batman keychain and handed the rest back. “I think you should go.” Shock had been the only thing to register on his face before you had softly closed the door and turned to lean your back against it. The click of it latching had never sounded so final before.
Go on ride away in your Silverado
I’ll see you around again
You weren’t likely to ever forget the roar of that engine. With where you lived, it wasn’t likely to be the last time you heard it either. Even if he wasn’t coming back for you, he’d come back for the cases.
‘Cause I know my place and it ain’t with you
Sunsets fade and love does too
Hunters still came by the bar, you stopped trying to figure out what they were after; it didn’t matter to you anymore. You bought new clothes to put in that drawer you had always hoped he would use. (He hadn’t)
We had our day in the sun
When a horse wants to run
There ain’t no sense in closin’ the gate
So you can have your space
There was a case big enough to catch his attention a few months later. (you had secretly hoped he’d let someone else handle it) When you had replaced their empty beers with fresh ones silently, Sam had studied you curiously. “Do I know you from somewhere?”
You can have your space, cowboy
I ain’t gonna fence you in
Dean’s hand had stuttered on the way to put his bottle to his lips. You hadn’t looked away from Sam’s eyes. “There’s a lot of things that go bump in the night around here.” They had both been taken aback by your response. “Not quite as many bartenders, you know me from here.” He almost certainly didn’t know you from the picture you had stuck in his brother’s wallet once.
Go on ride away in your Silverado
I’ll see you around again
The news had suddenly had nothing to report and you knew they were out of town; you also knew they’d be back.
‘Cause I know my place and it ain’t with you
Sunsets fade and love does too
It had taken time, but eventually you didn’t feel like your heart was in your throat every time a new boogie man drew them in (only a couple times a year now, other hunters had started keeping a closer eye on the area). Sometimes (when you let yourself consider it) it made you sad to think of the feelings you used to have.
Oh, we had our day in the sun
When a horse wants to run
Ain’t no sense in closing the gate
You can have your space
The truth is, sometimes, you just have to let them go.
Yeah, you can have your space
You can have your space
Cowboy











