The Hunter's Soulmate (Dean Winchester x Reader)

Chapter 13: More Than a Feeling

Dean tapped his phone, groaning softly at seeing the bright '4 AM' shining back at him. He couldn't sleep. His head was too full of thoughts and his heart too full of guilt.

He had gone to bed angry. He had yelled at you and ignored you, and then gone to bed without even sparing you a glance.

When he heard the quiet sniffles coming from you, he felt his very soul shatter. Oh man, did he feel guilty for everything. Guilty for finding you. Guilty for having you meet him. Most of all, guilty for the way he had treated you.

It wasn't your fault. Demons had been concocting a sinister plan to crush Dean, not you. You were simply a tool they were using against your will. You didn't deserve that, nor did you deserve to deal with Dean's unresolved anger issues.

He sighed to himself, tossing and turning once again in the creaky motel bed. He'd have to apologise, he thought to himself. Dean never apologised to anyone. He never felt the need to, but this time he did. The sense of guilt was almost crushing him and he needed to make it up to you.

Nothing had gone according to plan. Right now, you were supposed to be back home at your own place, going back to work in the morning and continuing to live your normal life. Instead, you were in a crappy motel room with them and in the morning, you'd be back at the bunker with them, too.

He'd have to teach you how to hunt, how to defend yourself. As much as he desperately wanted to get you back to your old life, he knew that time was over for you. There was no way you could get back to that ever again. That guilt ate at him, too.

He blamed himself for it all. Had he not been your soulmate, you wouldn't be dealing with demons right now. You'd be hanging out at a bar with friends, having a good time. You'd be working at the job you'd been complaining about since you got your memories back. You'd be normal. You'd be safe.

He took that from you and he hated it.

Yet, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel almost giddy. The thought of having you at the bunker all the time, getting to see you every morning in one of his shirts. He'd bring you a cup of coffee and you'd be all grumpy, but cheer up when you saw him.

You'd have movie nights and long, late-night drives blasting classic rock on the radio. You'd share an apple pie and Dean would even let you have the last piece. He'd give up that final piece of pie for you. Anything to see a smile on your face.

But that couldn't happen. He couldn't get close to you. It's what the demons planned. It's how they were going to destroy him. The second he'd let himself fall in love with you, they would take you away from him.

He'd do anything to protect you, but he just didn't know if he could.

It was an inner battle Dean had been fighting since the very moment he heard you say your name. The guilt already chipped away at him and it had made him act irrationally angry towards you. He regretted that now. He regretted it the second he heard you cry.

Dean wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep, however.

You had been awake this entire time as well. Thoughts of demons, monsters, and Dean occupied your mind and, as much as you wanted to, you couldn't keep the thoughts at bay. Imagines of blacked-out eyes filled your head, making you involuntarily shudder.

You were so tired, but sleep wouldn't come.

You held your breath as you heard shuffling over at Dean's bed. In the darkness of the room, you could still see him throw the covers to the side and get up. He walked in the direction of the bathroom, but stopped right in front of you.