[h3] Anya [/h3]

Anya sighed with relief as Sam reacted exactly how she hoped to her words. She was worried he would brush it all off and ask her what she was talking about, as if he wasn’t covered in tension. Anyone could see by just looking at him. She could have chalked it up to grief, or him being worried about his brother, but every time their eyes met, the tension rose higher. When he pushed off the counter, her heart jumped into her throat, and her hands began to shake with nerves. It was the first time that they seemed on the same page since the moment they met, not awkwardly dancing around each other.

She turned her eyes away from him briefly, thinking about typing another message. But she decided against it, laying her phone on the table behind her, before stepping up toe to toe with Sam. As if asking permission, she reached a nervous hand out and placed it on his chest, feeling his heart beat beneath her fingers.

Looking up at him, she smiled softly, trailing the same nervous hand up to his shoulder and then the side of his neck, curling his hair around her fingers. She was terrified to kiss him again, but everything on her face made it clear that she really…really wanted to.

[h3] Dean [/h3]

Dean sighed with relief as Lexi not only didn’t pull her hand away but verbally agreed with him, and squeezed his hand. It was a step. It was a tiny step toward allowing themselves to get closer, without instantly jumping into each other’s arms, which he wasn’t sure he was ready for. He knew he wanted to be around her, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to just…allow himself to.

—

At the meeting point, Dean perked up when Lexi pointed out the nervous looking guy standing near an old beat up car. He scanned the guy over, and judging by his demeanor, he didn’t look too hard to take down, if the need arose. He looked as if a stiff wind would blow him over. Dean scoffed, “He looks about like I expected.”

As Lexi moved to get out of the car, Dean pulled her hand back, kissing her knuckles one more time with a stern look, “You stay…”

The words buzzed in his brain, the same warning he always gave Mika. It was the same speech, different hunter. Same speech, different attachment. The thought made his stomach churn, and he couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. He cut himself off and shook his head with a sad smile, “Get out of here. Go get him.”