Feelings Remain

Present Day

Dean Winchester presses the accelerator on the '67 Impala a little harder while he drowns out his brother's rambling about their recent case. The drive to Souix Falls, one they've made hundreds of times during their lifetime, seemed to be taking longer this time. Sam, his baby brother, knows Dean is not listening but continues anyways. Their current case involves some incidents at the local hospital with recently deceased patients having their flesh devoured. The brothers suspected a possible ghoul but they've been surprised before by thinking a case is one thing when it's really something else.

Sam and Dean meet Sheriff Jody Mills right out front the local hospital. Dean's heart jumps to his throat standing in front of the huge building. He stands motionless staring at the hospital. Thoughts of running into you captivates Dean's mind walking up to Jody. He plasters a smile on his face walking up to give the sheriff a hug.

"Boys, glad you could come check this out. Figured it be something right up your alley and since things have been more mellowed since the natural order of things has been restored, thought you two might could use the excitement," Jody gives them both a smile while standing tall in front of the two men who she saw as her sons. Her view switches over to Dean. Her voice changes as she clears her throat. "So, uh, Dean, I told (Y/N) you would be coming to town because of these incidents. I know she will be happy to see you," Jody gives Dean a soft smile, thinking of how happy you will be seeing Dean.

It's been a few months since Sam and Dean last came to town. Even though you tried to put distance between you and Dean because of your new boyfriend, it remained a struggle with Jody constantly finding a way to bring Dean's name into any conversation you and her would have together. Dean knew of you going on some dates with a new doctor. He practically encouraged it .

"Yeah, uh I hope," Dean awkwardly chuckled, a quick raise of his eyebrows as his green eyes darted away for a moment. "She's kind of been dodging my calls," Dean takes a glimpse at Jody. He looks away the moment a sympathetic look is thrown his way. "Anyways, so you said this has all been happening over the last two weeks?" Dean changes the subject, not that you ever truly leave his mind.

"Yeah, patients who recently died have been found later in the morgue downstairs with their flesh eaten," Jody explained, glancing back at the hospital behind her. "One of the nurses I spoke to mentioned how a patient that coded and died last week that she swore she saw the old man getting coffee before sunrise. She said she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her since she just got off of night shift," Judy notices the guys' worried glances at one another. Sam and Dean sighed simultaneously. "What? You know what it is, don't you?"

"Sounds like a ghoul," Sam glimpses over at his older brother who acknowledges him with a knowing glance they've shared countless times. "Ghouls feed off the flesh of the dead. They will sometimes take the form of the last corpse they munched on," Sam further explained. They head inside the crowded hospital with Jody continuing to update them on the case.

Jody introduces the federal agents she brought in on the case to couple of security guards for the hospital. Jody pats Dean on the back before hustling over to some teenagers being loud down the hall. Sam does most of the talking while Dean stands to the side surveying the place. He tells himself it's to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious but he knows that is mostly a lie.

"I'm going to take a walk down to the ICU. See if anyone noticed anything strange, alright?" Dean clamps a hand on his brother's shoulder before strolling off before Sam could follow him.

You stand outside your assigned patient's room while checking your medicine cart for a few items. As you are about to head inside, you swear you hear a familiar voice faintly down the hall. It's only your imagination though because the voice you thought you heard is no where in sight. You know Dean is coming to town per Jody. Dean also sent you a text letting you know he be in town soon to hunt down whatever is tormenting this hospital. You gave him a quick reply that day since you were in the passenger seat of your boyfriend's truck and he instantly asked who was texting you.

You've been trying to keep distance between you and Dean since you began dating one of the new attending physicians at the hospital. The guy didn't like the fact you had pictures of you and Dean plastered throughout your small house that you rented not far from the hospital. Sure, you have pictures of you with Sam and Dean. Pictures of you with co-workers. Pictures of you with other friends. The ones with Dean, however, sent venom through your boyfriend's veins. The way his fists would ball up at his sides. It made you wonder would he would do if he actually ever meets Dean.

Familiar sound of heavy boots has you pause in the middle of scanning the patient's medications. Hints of whiskey and leather come into the atmosphere. A warm smile spreads across your lips when your heart recognizes its lost home. Butterflies develop in your lower abdomen remind you that Dean is the only man to ever give you that feeling.

"Missed me, sweetheart?" Dean's husky voice coming from behind you sends shivers down your spine. He must notice the goosebumps on the back of your neck because you hear him lowly chuckle. "I see I still give you goosebumps," he whispered next to your ear before stepping around to lean his shoulder against the glass of the ICU patient's room. He shoots you that familiar Dean Winchester smirk, his eyes scanning you over and drinking in the sight of his girl, his best friend who isn't Sam nor an angel who is now with Jack, The New God.

"Whatever...you wish," you grinned ear to ear trying to keep the "innocent" flirting at bay, enjoying the way his green eyes widen then narrow into a sultry gaze. That's how it goes between you and Dean. Always flirting, but nothing more than friends.

Only one time anything ever happened between the two of you right after Dean returned from purgatory. Dean showed up at your house unannounced late one night that you almost believed it to be a dream. The moment he stepped inside and kicked the front door close, kissing you as if he needed you to breathe, you knew it was real and felt the sparks popping off like fireworks. After a couple of days of bliss, Dean left early one morning with you unfortunately watching him walk out of your place leaving you confused and hurt. Dean swore that the two of you could only be friends because you deserved someone better than him and closer to your age. You had to tell yourself he only wanted to have hours of endless, mind-blowing sex because he just came back from fighting monsters in purgatory. Over time, everything fell back into place with your friendship. You and Dean never brought up those few days of paradise. It was as if nothing romantically or sinful ever happened between the two of you.

Maybe it is best that's how to view it as—it simply never happened.