Chapter Text
They drive the kids back to their parents, taking off before the teary ‘thank you’s could be said. It’s dark and cold, but Diego has only the spirit’s words and Dean’s actions on his mind. They haven’t really spoken since they got into the car, focused on other important things. Now they’re alone, Impala parked a few feet away, and both of them perched on a picnic table in a rest stop in the middle of nowhere.
Diego takes a slurp of his shake and topples backward, on his back, to look out at the starry sky. He wonders why Dean isn’t saying anything. Why he isn’t saying anything.
He racks his brain for something that’s not idiotically blunt, comes up with, “Thanks for the save.”
Dean jerks and twists around to look at him. He nods.
“No worries.” After a beat, “About, um- I wasn’t going to kiss you. At first.”
Oh.
Diego blinks, drums his fingers on his chest.
“What made you change your mind?” He asks, hesitant as he is because what if he doesn’t like the answer.
I got carried away.
Payback.
It was the heat of the moment thing.
I thought it would be funny.
I thought I’d like it but I don’t.
Dean shrugs jerkily, clears his throat, and starts peeling the label of his beer bottle. He mutters something that Diego doesn’t catch. Maybe he was too quiet or maybe Diego didn’t hear him from the sound of his heart beating in his ears.
“What?” He asks.
Dean clears his throat again, “I said I, uh, I saw you.”
“That sounds like a line from a rom-com,” Diego responds numbly, not knowing what else to say.
Dean knocks their knees together and tells him, “Jackass.”
Diego’s mouth twitches into a grin. He doesn’t know what he’s feeling, but it sweeps over him in a slow, all-consuming wave, filling up every crack in him. He wants to keep feeling it forever.