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You hold your breath. You really don’t like making these calls. You don’t like to distract him when he’s on a hunt. It could get him killed. It could get Sam killed, and that would kill him, too.
But you have to hear his voice. Because it’s late at night. Because you know what’s out there.
Because every time could be the last time.
You slide your finger across your phone, trying not to look at the lock screen, the selfie of the two of you on the Navy Pier ferris wheel. It was one of those perfect days, where nothing happened from sun up to sun down. Where you could almost imagine that you were a normal couple, if you ignored the fact that he’d spent the night before hunting a vengeful spirit who’d been pushing innocent people onto the red line tracks.
You would never have known that, if you hadn’t almost been one of them.
There are three contacts in your phone. Dean is the first. Your hand shakes. Maybe he’ll answer. Maybe he won’t. Maybe you’ll talk to him, and the line will go suddenly dead. That’s happened before, and it’s always the worst.
“It’s never going to be an easy life. I’ll always be running off. Always be in some kind of trouble. You sure you want to sign on for that?”
“Y/N? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” You know he expects the worse, only because he’s been through it so many times. “I just needed to hear your voice.”
“You have no idea how much I needed to hear yours.” He sounds tired, more so than usual.
“Where are you?” You want to know, and you don’t, but you always ask, anyway.
He sighs. “Staking out a cemetery in Oklahoma. There’s supposed to be a gateway to Hell under the chapel in there, but you know how hit-or-miss those rumors can be.”
“And Sam?” The idea of Dean out there alone, near a literal gateway to Hell…
“He’s here. So, you know. Don’t say anything embarrassing.”
“Like the last time,” Sam says, raising his voice to be heard over the line.
You smile to yourself and hug one arm around your waist as you pace. “So…Oklahoma. That’s pretty far.”
“Yeah, well, I’m hoping after this one, I can swing back through and see you.” He pauses. “Or pick you up.”
“Pick me up?” You laugh, because the idea is absurd. He’s never once taken you with him, even when you’ve begged. “Like, take me along on a hunt?”
“Sure. If you’re gonna be part of the family, maybe it’s time you got into the family business.” He says it so off-handedly, you almost don’t understand what he means.
In the background, you hear Sam mutter, “Nice proposal.”
If Dean is willing to be casual about it, you can play along. “Great. Well. I guess I’ll get packed.”
“We might not be back for a couple of days,” he warns.
“I’m not going anywhere.” At least, not yet. “Stay safe, you.”
“Right back at you, babe,” he says, and hangs up. He doesn’t like to say goodbye.
That’s probably why he’s finally taking you along for the ride.