[ON HOLD] Amor Vincit Omnia (Firefighter/Dean & College/Cas AU)

Chapter 1: 𝘌𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮 𝘔𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘰 [Although changed, I arise the same.]

"Amor vincit omnia, et nos cedamus amori." -Virgil

(Love conquers all things, so we too shall yield to love.)

_

Tick tick tick tick tick.

A clock above the exit door of a minuscule library in Lawrence, Kansas was the only sound audible to Dean Winchester as he sat at an outdated computer with the end of a pen in his mouth. He nibbled nervously at the cap as he retained a focus so strong not even an earthquake could shake his line of vision.

"Dean I'm bored." Sam Winchester's grating voice caused Dean to break his focus for just a moment.

Dean took the pen out of his mouth and set it aside, returning that hand immediately to run anxiously through his hair, the other glued to the mouse of the computer so hard you'd think it was keeping him alive. His eyes still glued to the screen, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed, he responded in a harsh whisper, "Sammy just wait a little longer please."

Sam rolled his eyes and slouched back in his chair, obviously annoyed and inpatient because this was the third time this week his big brother had dragged him to this gritty, old library. Dean refreshed the web page again. Nothing. And again, nothing. Dean shifted in his chair uncomfortably, his heart pounding in his chest hard enough to question whether or not the whole damn library could hear it.

They should've responded by now.

As he refreshed the page one last time the email he was looking for came up almost immediately. Dean's lips moved softly and silently as he read the subject line: University of Kansas Firefighting Program Application. Dean sat straight up in his chair and leaned forward as he hesitated to open the email. His finger hovered over the mouse as Dean held his breath longer than he had ever before. He opened it and as his eyes skimmed over the first line, "To Whom it May Concern, We regret to inform you-" the tension in Dean's body immediately released and he let out a shaky breath. No.

A red hot anger filled Dean to the brim as he pressed the palm of his hand against the computer mouse hard. The hand that was still in his hair (Dean hadn't even realized he had been mussing with his hair that whole time) paused abruptly before slamming down onto the table in front of him. A few people glanced their direction and the desk clerk at the front of the room shot Dean a hateful glare. That red hot anger seeped deep into Deans chest, and down to his belly where it morphed into hurt and embarrassment as he ran through his mind the implications that followed. Dean's shoulders slouched and he took in another soft, shuddered breath in a sad attempt to shove it all away as quickly as possible.

"Did they answer?" Sam spoke softly and more careful this time, sensing a tension in his older brother that wasn't there before.

Dean swallowed hard, doing his best to remain collected in front of his little brother. "No not yet Sammy, uh let's just go home." Dean allowed his eyes to skim the email one more time where he found at the bottom. "Rejection Reason: DID NOT PASS KA STATE BACKGROUND CHECK." A lump quickly rose in Dean's chest as he quickly deleted the email and shut down the computer.

Dean stood up swiftly with a fake confidence that took all his willpower to act out. He grabbed his backpack that had been sitting on the floor next to him and turned towards Sammy, "Well? Come on I don't have all damn day."

Sammy rolled his eyes again, and stood up from his chair, trudging behind Dean as they exited the library and started the long trek home. They walked in silence. Sam was the little brother sure, but Sam wasn't exactly a kid anymore. He was fifteen, and in those fifteen years he had seen Dean go through every emotion a human could go through. Right now Dean was defeated, and Sam could read right through the act Dean was putting on. The library was only around two miles from the boys' house. Dean and Sam soon found themselves at the end of a driveway that laid in front of an old house. The once white siding was a tinted gray from the lack of care and various storms that had blown over the years. The lawn was in desperate need of a mow and the gravel driveway was almost worn down to the dirt beneath, and sat empty.