( He doesn't nod, but lets her guide him. He's not so fucked up that he can't undress enough to crawl into bed in boxer briefs and a t-shirt. He cradles the pillow in his arms as he stretches his legs out and succumbs to the alcohol. That is, lets himself fall asleep.
Her alarm wakes him as he groans, having thrown an arm around Elena in his sleep. He can taste what's left in his mouth, dry from the alcohol. He needs to brush his teeth. He smacks his lips a few times and sucks in a breath as he squints one eye open. )
[Elena was up a little before her alarm - not so much that she's out of bed, but enough that the sound doesn't jarr her awake. She shifts slightly, still feeling her own pit of anxiousness as she rolls over to face him.]
Do you want the bathroom first? I can start the coffee.
( He checks in with his body. He's not hungover, he's a professional. But, he does need to take a leak. Aforementioned teeth brushing. Yeah. He could hit the bathroom first. He nods. Smiles, because he woke up next to her. Guilt sags at his eyelids but she isn't giving him that look, which he knew she wouldn't. He presses a kiss to her shoulder before getting himself out of bed.
After he's finished in the bathroom, he pulls a pair of sweatpants on, looks at himself in Elena's bedroom's mirror. Drags a hand along his cheek. He could look worse.
When did he look this old, though.
He emerges from her bedroom, moving to the cabinet to get two glasses. Water, to go with the coffee. She's also a water woman. He fills the two glasses up, turns and takes a sip from one. )
[Because it is. She doesn't mind if he wants to hang out in the Grille.
She glances up from the bowl of cereal she's fixing herself and meets his eyes earnestly and without judgement.]
But I do want to talk about it.
[Which she knows is not his favorite thing to do, but Elena's a communicator, and she doesn't want to let this lie and fester.]
It's not the drinking I have a problem with, exactly. I'd be kind of a hypocrite if that was the part that bothered me. But ... you were a little off yesterday, and I shouldn't have let it go, but I did. I'd like to talk about it now, though.
( He sets his glass down to the side and rubs his palms down his face. He was, wasn't he. )
Yeah, yeah, I was off. I think, maybe after breakfast. And it wasn't ( he holds one hand up )breakfast. Breakfast was good. ( The pancakes were fine, but also better than fine because she made them. ) You're going back to work. Work means -- life. Routine. I'll occupy myself, or Sam and me, we'll catch - hunts here or there, unless he's with Allison ( And ) I did this once before. A long time ago, right after our first almost apocalypse. I lost Sam and I went to see this woman, Lisa, who - basically invited me to get my shit back together once everything went to hell. Sam, literally.
I was there for a year. Helped raise her kid. Lived this suburban life. ( But, no, he didn't stay there. ) Sam showed back up, which, isn't the point of the story ( But is a story in itself. ) but, after a year, I started hunting again. Tried to keep things going with Lisa, stay in Ben's orbit. But I got dangerous. And distant. And they deserved better. Demons ended up taking them to distract Sam and me and -- after, I... ( He doesn't say it easily. ) I had Cas erase their memories of me. They weren't safe anymore. The kid was traumatized and I never fit in. Half the time back in that town, I was drunk, or quiet, or working on my car until I couldn't anymore and I covered her for a few months. Got a real job but it wasn't really living. Lied to myself, lied to them, almost got them both killed.
[Elena hears two things there. That Dean is worried that the side effects of his life are going to come down on Elena, and that Dean is feeling restless, doesn't do well with playing normal, which she already knew, but doesn't know how to navigate this in this new relationship.
First things first:]
That sounds like it must have been really hard.
[First, being in a place where he didn't fit, and then second having to make a very hard decision about people he really cares about.]
I moved on. And, threatened Sam if he ever mentioned them again.
( And he kept to his word. )
There were other really complicated things about that year, more resurrections and a lot of lies and shit we could've prevented. But the best thing I did was let them go. I even -- I thought he was my kid, once two years before. But, being there, with him -- he felt like mine. And, then the hits just kept coming and it's -- years later and I'm older and I'm here. I don't want to hurt you. And I don't want to upend your life.
( He wants to contribute, not be a burden. )
I'm in this, but sometimes, I'm... not good at being in it.
It's hard to be, when we're still figuring out what being in this looks like for us.
[She's not sure she's good at being in this yet. They're relearning each other in new ways, and she's always known that Dean's more comfortable on the road than he is in a small town.
She places her cereal bowl down, before making her way closer to him.]
And this isn't really your home. This is mine. I don't want you to feel like you're trapped here spinning your wheels just to be with me. So maybe there's a happy medium we can figure out. Because of course I want you here, but I'm not blind to the fact that sometimes you may need to go.
I will. One day. Maybe next week. Something will come down the pike. But, I also want to come back. And it's the first time - in a long time that I've wanted to be anywhere but the bunker.
( He has the Deancave in the Bunker. )
I know we're new. And we're figuring everything out. And, I should've just voiced my -- whatever. I will. Next time. You should take the cash on the counter for lunch today. Go deluxe.
[Saying that he will talk to her in the future is the thing she was hoping for, so some of the tension ebbs away. But she does also want to reiterate that she's in this too. She's willing to be the stable port in the storm, should he need it.
She turns towards the money on the counter, eyeing it briefly.]
Fancy.
[She leans in to kiss him, winding her arms around his neck.]
Or maybe I can grab dinner after work and we can do a take two for last night?
[This time they'll just stay in and not let the Grille get in the way.]
I'll even be on the wagon. Focus on romance and not hustling some townie at pool.
( Which means dressing up and going out of town. Which could be nice.
He likes being in her arms, in this apartment, in this town. He always liked Mystic Falls. He just never let himself. He was too much of a punk kid with chips on both of his shoulders.
It's the first time he wants to say 'I love you,' but he doesn't. The words hold too much weight for him. Instead, he kisses her lightly, nostrils picking up a delicious scent. )
One last kiss before she pulls away and goes to pour them both a cup. She knows she'll eventually have to resume her morning routine and go back to work but she feels steadier than she did the night before.
And with that the seed that maybe finding herself somewhere other than Mystic Falls might not be a bad thing.]
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everyonelives2025-07-26 07:05 pm
no subject
Her alarm wakes him as he groans, having thrown an arm around Elena in his sleep. He can taste what's left in his mouth, dry from the alcohol. He needs to brush his teeth. He smacks his lips a few times and sucks in a breath as he squints one eye open. )
no subject
Do you want the bathroom first? I can start the coffee.
no subject
After he's finished in the bathroom, he pulls a pair of sweatpants on, looks at himself in Elena's bedroom's mirror. Drags a hand along his cheek. He could look worse.
When did he look this old, though.
He emerges from her bedroom, moving to the cabinet to get two glasses. Water, to go with the coffee. She's also a water woman. He fills the two glasses up, turns and takes a sip from one. )
Sorry, I - stayed later. Wasn't planning on it.
no subject
[Because it is. She doesn't mind if he wants to hang out in the Grille.
She glances up from the bowl of cereal she's fixing herself and meets his eyes earnestly and without judgement.]
But I do want to talk about it.
[Which she knows is not his favorite thing to do, but Elena's a communicator, and she doesn't want to let this lie and fester.]
It's not the drinking I have a problem with, exactly. I'd be kind of a hypocrite if that was the part that bothered me. But ... you were a little off yesterday, and I shouldn't have let it go, but I did. I'd like to talk about it now, though.
no subject
Yeah, yeah, I was off. I think, maybe after breakfast. And it wasn't ( he holds one hand up ) breakfast. Breakfast was good. ( The pancakes were fine, but also better than fine because she made them. ) You're going back to work. Work means -- life. Routine. I'll occupy myself, or Sam and me, we'll catch - hunts here or there, unless he's with Allison ( And ) I did this once before. A long time ago, right after our first almost apocalypse. I lost Sam and I went to see this woman, Lisa, who - basically invited me to get my shit back together once everything went to hell. Sam, literally.
no subject
It didn't work out the way you hoped?
[Considering he is here with her, and not back with Lisa, living that life.]
no subject
no subject
First things first:]
That sounds like it must have been really hard.
[First, being in a place where he didn't fit, and then second having to make a very hard decision about people he really cares about.]
no subject
( And he kept to his word. )
There were other really complicated things about that year, more resurrections and a lot of lies and shit we could've prevented. But the best thing I did was let them go. I even -- I thought he was my kid, once two years before. But, being there, with him -- he felt like mine. And, then the hits just kept coming and it's -- years later and I'm older and I'm here. I don't want to hurt you. And I don't want to upend your life.
( He wants to contribute, not be a burden. )
I'm in this, but sometimes, I'm... not good at being in it.
no subject
[She's not sure she's good at being in this yet. They're relearning each other in new ways, and she's always known that Dean's more comfortable on the road than he is in a small town.
She places her cereal bowl down, before making her way closer to him.]
And this isn't really your home. This is mine. I don't want you to feel like you're trapped here spinning your wheels just to be with me. So maybe there's a happy medium we can figure out. Because of course I want you here, but I'm not blind to the fact that sometimes you may need to go.
no subject
( He has the Deancave in the Bunker. )
I know we're new. And we're figuring everything out. And, I should've just voiced my -- whatever. I will. Next time. You should take the cash on the counter for lunch today. Go deluxe.
no subject
[Saying that he will talk to her in the future is the thing she was hoping for, so some of the tension ebbs away. But she does also want to reiterate that she's in this too. She's willing to be the stable port in the storm, should he need it.
She turns towards the money on the counter, eyeing it briefly.]
Fancy.
[She leans in to kiss him, winding her arms around his neck.]
Or maybe I can grab dinner after work and we can do a take two for last night?
[This time they'll just stay in and not let the Grille get in the way.]
no subject
( Which means dressing up and going out of town. Which could be nice.
He likes being in her arms, in this apartment, in this town. He always liked Mystic Falls. He just never let himself. He was too much of a punk kid with chips on both of his shoulders.
It's the first time he wants to say 'I love you,' but he doesn't. The words hold too much weight for him. Instead, he kisses her lightly, nostrils picking up a delicious scent. )
I think the coffee's ready.
no subject
[He's welcome to hustle her anytime.
One last kiss before she pulls away and goes to pour them both a cup. She knows she'll eventually have to resume her morning routine and go back to work but she feels steadier than she did the night before.
And with that the seed that maybe finding herself somewhere other than Mystic Falls might not be a bad thing.]