ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ: "I put in the work to get here, and I didn't need to use my gun once."
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DEAN'S SNORES FILLED A SMALL room at the Rockford Inn, just an hour outside of Stanford University.

Sam sat at the table across the room, decked in a blue dress shirt that was only halfway buttoned, black pants, and a matching blazer resting on his chair, nursing a cup of coffee and watching Venus attempt to sneak up on his older brother.

The brunette, whose curls were pinned up in large rollers, carefully flipped open her camcorder, pointing the lens at a sleeping Dean.

"Welcome to Commencement Day: Parte cuatro," she whispered in a news reporter voice, shushing Sam's laughter behind her, "As a treat to our loyal viewers, we've managed to capture a rare feat here, folks," she continued circling Dean with the camera, "A wild bear, deep in slumber."

Dean's eyes fluttered open seconds later to the horrifying sight of the inside of a camera lens. "Godamnit, Venus," he grunted, jerking away from the camera.

Venus' giggles filled the room soon after, replacing Dean's snores. She hit the zoom-in button, getting a closer shot of the drool on the side of Dean's lips. "You've got enough water there to fill a swamp, Dean. What were you dreaming about?" she grinned, pulling her eyes away from the camera for a moment.

Dean's eyes widened slightly. "Nothing," he quickly answered, looking away from Venus and the camera. He released a quick yawn and forced his body out of bed, standing to his full height and looking down at Venus' camcorder with obvious disdain. "Are we really doing this again? It's been five years," he gestured to the handheld recording device.

"Five years since the last graduation and now there's another one, so yes, we're doing this," Venus told him. It was a tradition that she started, recording each of their graduations for the sake of kept memories. The first was Dean's high school graduation, which almost didn't happen, then hers, then Sam's a few years after. Once she enrolled in Stanford she planned to continue the tradition even if the only people she'd be able to share it with would be Sam and Jess.

But with Jess gone and Dean and her uncle back in her life, Venus thought it was important now more than ever that she get it all on film.

"Oh, did one of you hear back from my uncle about if he was coming?" she asked, lowering the camera.

Dean and Sam shared a sad glance from across the room. "He said he tried but he's not gonna make it," Dean informed her, watching the joy disappear from her face in record time. He sighed and grabbed the camera from her hands, turning the lens in her direction.

Venus yelped in surprise, holding a hand out in front of her face. "No! Dean, come on!" she whined, "I haven't done my makeup yet, I look a mess."

Dean's brows furrowed from behind the camera. "What? No, you don't. You look beautiful," he said without thinking.

Venus looked above the camera at where Dean was staring at her. She knew he wasn't joking. She looked away fighting a smile.

Dean cleared his throat and walked away, now pointing the camera in Sam's direction. "Here we have the other half of the College Dork Duo," Dean announced in a game show host voice, "Tell the people about yourself."

Venus laughed watching Sam scowl at Dean before talking into the camera. She moved over to the hook where her dress was hung and waiting, zipping open the top of the garment bag and peeking in. She'd saved for months to pay for the dress, making a big deal of having Dean stop at a small boutique in LA to pick it up the night before.

"Does the audience get a peek at the special dress?" she heard Dean's voice behind her, feeling the camera over her shoulder.

Venus closed the bag before the camera could get a proper view and turned to face Dean. "No, they don't. They'll have to wait till I put it on," she smirked.

Dean rolled his eyes, "It's not a damn wedding dress, Venus."

"I don't care," Venus replied, shoving Dean's shoulder out of her way and walking over to her makeup bag. She sat down at the table next to Sam in front of her small table mirror and took out the products she needed. But she could feel Dean lingering behind her.

"Alright Stanley Kubrick, I give you permission to put the camera down and go take a shower," she looked up at him through the mirror.

"What happened to the number one rule? Always keep the camera rolling?" Dean grinned, pushing the camera into the small beauty mark on Venus' chin.

Venus glared at him.

Dean immediately put the camera down.

"Remember we need to leave in the next hour, Dean," she shouted once he marched into the bathroom.

"Yeah, yeah," he shouted back through the door.

Sam took up the camera where it rested on the table and began recording Venus as she did her makeup. "So, how are you feeling?"

Venus paused to glance at the camera, but then returned to her makeup, grabbing her eyelash curler. "I'm...happy."

"Boo," Sam jeered from behind the camera, "That's boring. Use more words, college graduate."

Venus used her free hand to flip him off but obeyed. "I am happy though. Even if things aren't gonna go the way I wanted them to after I graduate, I'm still glad that I did this. I put in the work to get here, and I didn't need to use my gun once," she chuckled, grabbing her mascara, "But I'm also scared."

Sam's brows furrowed slightly, but he still kept the camera pointed at the brunette. "Scared of what?" he wondered.

"Scared of the future. Scared that I'm making the wrong choices."

"It's your life, V," Sam said, "There are no right or wrong choices."

Venus exhaled a shaky breath. "I'm not so sure about that, 'mano."

"Then get sure about it," Sam sassed, "You're one of the smartest, most compassionate people I know. But there shouldn't be a choice when it comes to your happiness. You shouldn't put anything or anyone over that. Not me, or Dean, or your uncle."

Venus looked up at Sam for a moment. "See that's where you're wrong. I don't put you guys over my happiness. You three are my happiness."

Sam stared at her slack-jawed.

"It was never Stanford and it wasn't hunting either. It was always you guys, and Jess too," she admitted, slowly coming to the realization herself. 

Venus turned to Sam upon hearing him sniffle, watching a tear fall from his eye.

"No llores," she smiled, reaching a hand out to hold his, "Save that for the ceremony," she added with a wink.

Sam released a wet chuckle at her words.

Dean came rushing out of the bathroom seconds later, shirtless and irritated, "What the hell happened to the hot water?"

Venus turned to answer him but remained silent at the sight of his naked arms and abdomen. She swallowed harshly once she spotted the small water droplets rolling down the taut muscles.

Sam, who was still holding the camera, made sure to record her reaction without getting caught.

"That's what happens when you're the last to shower, man," Sam eventually answered, snapping Venus out of her stupor.

Venus finished the last of her makeup and scrambled over to where her dress was hung up, grabbing it off the hook, "You two better be ready and waiting by the time I get out," she warned, closing the bathroom door behind her.

The bathroom door opened an hour later to reveal Venus in a thigh-lengthed white dress that hugged her figure perfectly. The neckline was a sharp V that allowed for a great amount of cleavage and on her feet were red three-inch heels. She missed the way Dean's eyes widened when she stepped out, beelining for the mirror to look at her hair which had been let down into loose curls that flowed way past her shoulders.

Seeing that her face and hair looked perfect, Venus turned to where Sam and Dean were seated and waiting for her. Sam's face wore a proud smile as he held the camera in her direction. Dean blinked a few times before finally landing on the sweetest smile Venus had ever seen.

"So?" she grinned, turning to give the camera and the boys a full 360 view.

"Ten out of ten," Sam chuckled.

Dean was silent for some time, looking at the woman fully. "You look incredible, Venus," he eventually said, his eyes containing an unreadable emotion.

Venus was grateful for the powdered blush that was already on her cheeks that hid the one spreading there now.

"Wait, your hair," Dean pointed out, "What happened to the other curls? I liked them."

"I liked them too, but my graduation cap won't like them so much," Venus explained, "Figured looser curls would fit better."

"Well since you decided to spend a whole century in there, we're gonna be like fifteen minutes late," Sam informed her, "I'll be in the car waiting," he finished, a smug smile on his lips.

Venus looked up at the clock to see that he was right and rushed over to her duffel bag, quickly packing her things.

Soon it was just her and Dean left in the room.

She zipped her duffel closed a few minutes later and brought it to the door, but before she could leave, she heard Dean clear his throat behind her.

"I have a present for you," he told her, a nervous grin on his lips.

Venus walked back into the room and smiled up at him. "You didn't have to get me anything, you being here is more than enough."

"Yeah but I wanted to," Dean replied, "Now close your eyes."

Venus narrowed them jokingly. "Don't try any weird shit, Winchester."

Dean crossed his heart with a finger. "Scout's honor, princess. Come on trust me. Close your eyes."

Venus took a deep breath and complied, sliding her eyes closed.

Dean removed a small velvet satchel from his blazer pocket and turned it into his open palm, allowing a necklace to fall out. He moved to stand behind her and used a hand to gently sweep one side of Venus's hair to the back, catching the sharp intake of breath from the woman at the feeling of his hand on her neck. "What's happening?" She asked, her eyes still closed and her heart now racing.

"You can open your eyes now."

Venus opened her eyes to see a beautiful necklace dangling in front of them.

"I know you have your two necklaces that you wear on rotation every day but I saw that one broke in Texas so maybe you could replace it with this," Dean said.

The necklace was gold with a heart-shaped pendant hanging from it but at the center of the heart was a gorgeous red stone.

"I love it," Venus beamed, turning to look at him, "Thank you," she added bringing him in for a hug.

Dean returned the hug immediately, using a hand to cradle her head against his shoulder. "You're welcome." he twisted to place a kiss on the top of her head.

Venus pulled away first and turned to have her back facing him. "Put it on," she told him excitedly, using her hands to hold her hair out of the way.

Dean happily unclasped the necklace and placed it around her neck, his fingers dancing along the skin there, before he closed the clasp.

Venus released her hair slowly but noticed that Dean's fingers were still resting there. "Dean." She called out, the single word sounding strangled.

But Dean didn't answer, trailing his fingers a bit further down her open back.

Venus abruptly turned around to face him, looking up into his eyes in question. Dean looked down at her and ran his tongue across his lower lip subconsciously, trying not to focus on how closely her body was pressed against his, trying not to let her intoxicating scent get to him.

He was failing.

 Venus' eyes darted down to his lips then up to his eyes, her breaths coming out in short pants once she noticed how dilated his pupils were. "Dean," she repeated softer this time, a plea, but for what? She wasn't sure.

It happened so fast, that Venus could barely register it. Dean clenched his jaw and reached his hands down to her face before bringing her lips up to meet his in a fiery kiss.

Venus sunk into the kiss almost reflexively, her lips moving against Dean's in a familiar dance. It took mere seconds for the kiss to grow heated, with Dean slipping his tongue between the brunette's lips and bringing his hands down to lift her legs around his waist.

Venus couldn't stop the moan from leaving her lips once he brought her body slamming up against the nearest wall. She grabbed his shirt collar and brought his lips crashing into hers again, her hands securing a grip at the back of his neck while he rutted his growing frustrations into her thighs. Dean's hands trailed up to Venus' chest, squeezing through the material of her dress and pulling another delicious moan from her.

"Guys we're already late come on-OH GOD!"

The pair pulled away to see Sam stepping into the room with a hand in front of his eyes and a horrified expression on his face.

Dean immediately dropped Venus onto her feet, clearing his throat harshly and trying to wipe the dark red lipstick residue from his now kiss-swollen lips.

Venus brought a hand down to fix her dress where it had ridden up her thighs while the other fixed her hair. She tried to think of a lie out of this but her brain was still reeling from the last few minutes. "We were just uh-"

"Dry humping on our motel room wall? Yeah, I gathered that much," Sam finished.

Dean and Venus' eyes found each other then darted away. "I'll, uh, be in the car," Dean said, his voice low as he adjusted his pants.

Sam made a loud gagging sound with his mouth and took a step away once his brother walked past him.

Venus had fixed her hair but her fingers still rested on her lips and, from the look in her eyes, Sam could tell she was replaying whatever just happened. "Hey!" He stepped forward and snapped his fingers in front of her face, "You're about to be an hour late to your graduation and you're thinking about-"

Venus' eyes widened. "Oh shit!" she shouted, running over to grab her makeup bag and the purse she was carrying to the ceremony. "Damnit Sam, why didn't you burst in here earlier?" She complained, grabbing the keys to the room and closing the door.

"I was giving you a few minutes 'cause I knew Dean wanted to give you his gift but I didn't know he wanted to give you something else too." At the look on Venus' face, Sam burst into laughter.

Venus jumped into the passenger seat, feeling Dean's eyes on her. "Stop looking at me like that when your brother's in the car, Dean," she lowly spoke through gritted teeth, not even turning to look at him out of fear of the thoughts that she wanted to make a reality. She pulled down the sun visor and began using the mirror to fix her makeup.

Dean turned to look at where Sam was pointing the camera between the both of them with a knowing smile and immediately pulled himself together.

The ceremony took place outside, on one of Stanford's largest event grounds. White chairs lined the large grass-covered area, and black and red balloons were spread all around.

The hunters arrived only thirty minutes late, thanks to Dean's driving, but the only thing that they missed was the opening remarks and procession of the graduates. Venus ran up to the empty seat in the 20th row with her name on it and quietly sat down. "Venus, what took you so long?" her classmate, Brenda Castañeda, harshly whispered from beside her.

Venus shrugged. "Car trouble," she lied.

Brenda sent her a knowing look and handed her the black cap and gown she'd been holding for her.

"Thank you for this Brenda," Venus whispered, giving the woman a quick hug and shrugging on the gown.

"I got you, girl," Brenda replied. Her face quickly lit up at the thought of something, reaching down to pull a stole out of her bag. "Ooh, I had an extra one made for you," Brenda said, handing the fabric to her.

Venus smiled, running her fingers over the customized Mexican serape graduation stole with her name on it. Her family soon came to mind, and what it would've meant to have them there with her. "You don't even know how much this means to me, B," Venus turned to her friend, tears pooling in her eyes.

Brenda mirrored her smile, pulling a piece of tissue from her bag to wipe Venus' tears. "Can't have you ruining your makeup this early, preciosa," she joked, lightly drying Venus' eyes.

Venus sniffled away the remainder of her tears and sent the girl a last smile before turning to pay attention to the ceremony.

Meanwhile, further back in the crowd, Dean was seconds away from falling asleep. "This is torture," he fiercely whispered to his younger brother, "Why make these nerds sit through all this talking when they already spent four years suffering?"

Sam glared at his brother and gestured for him to be quiet, pointing the camera at where Venus sat farther up ahead.

-ˋˏ [  ] ˎˊ-

"James Castelo."

Venus smiled from where she stood, waiting in the line of graduates beside the stage, knowing her name was coming up soon. Her skin was buzzing in excitement, still in awe that she'd even made it to this point. Within seconds she would officially hold a bachelor's degree in Psychology. 

And that was something that would never be taken away from her, by any man, woman, or monster. 

"Venus María Castillo."

Venus took a deep breath and began the short walk onto the stage. She held her head up high and walked over to where her favorite professor stood holding her degree.

"Hell yeah, Venus!"

"That's my sister!"

Venus grinned, Dean and Sam's cheers being clearly heard over the crowd's applause. She stopped and took the ribbon-tied slip of paper, then leaned down to hug her teacher. "Glad to see you found your way back, Venus," the older woman whispered in her highest-scoring pupil's ear.

"Thanks for making this happen, Miss Shields," Venus softly replied, releasing the woman from her embrace.

"You made this happen, sweetheart," Miss Shields gave her one last grin, sending her on her way.

Venus released a relieved sigh as she continued her walk across the stage, turning to look out at the crowd. She gave an excited wave to each of the boys, spotting their wide grins despite the distance. But then she spotted something else.

On the outskirts of the crowd, sporting a baseball cap and aviator glasses, stood Arturo Castillo, a proud grin gracing his lips too. 

All air was knocked out of the brunette's chest as she ran down the sidesteps of the stage. But instead of returning to her seat, she sprinted to the back of the field and into her uncle's arms.

Dean and Sam, whose eyes had been following her worriedly, smiled at the sight of the older man. "You got that on camera right?" Dean whispered.

"Yup," Sam mused.

"You're really here," Venus spoke barely above a whisper, her hands shaking as she held onto her uncle.

"Of course, I'm here, mija, how could I miss the first Castillo college graduation?" Arturo cradled his niece's face in his palms.

Venus laughed, using a hand to wipe away the tears falling from her eyes. "You told the boys that you tried but you wouldn't make it."

"Yeah well I decided to try a little harder," Arturo grinned.

Venus smiled up at him and pulled him in for another hug. "I love you, tío."

"I love you more, chiquita," he answered without hesitation, "I'm so sorry I couldn't be here for you all these years."

Venus shook her head, "It's okay-"

"No, it's not okay," Arturo interrupted, his voice firm, "That part of me, that was angry at you for leaving all those years ago? He's an idiot. I was just ashamed of myself. I thought I screwed you up so bad that you were taking the first chance you could to get away from me."

"Oh, God, no tío," Venus shook her head adamantly, "You did the best you could. I know that. The things you taught me about helping and protecting people, those things made me want this degree. It was never about wanting to get away from you."

Arturo never thought he'd live to hear those words from his niece. But he still needed to know one thing. "Then why won't you stay here? Get a normal job, and stay safe?"

Venus frowned slightly, looking away for a moment. "Hunting sucks sometimes. I get that. But so does every other job. I mean, why try and be something I'm not? At least hunting's actually something I'm good at.

"But I don't ever want you to be unhappy while doing it, Venus," Arturo replied.

Venus looked back at where Dean and Sam were standing up from their seats in the crowd and approaching. "I can't be unhappy when I'm helping people with those two losers by my side. The me that wanted to escape this life isn't the same one who just walked across that stage."

Arturo looked down at his niece with love clear in his eyes. He was so proud of the woman standing before him. "I'm happy if you're happy, mija."

Venus' chest could simply burst with how happy she was at that moment. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," Arturo's grin grew wider as he reached into his pocket for something. Venus watched him fish out a bundle of keys and then hand her a specific one.

"What's this?" Venus questioned.

"This is your graduation gift," he explained, turning her to face the parking lot where a brand new, sleek black motorcycle was parked directly in their eyeline.

"No fucking way," Venus nearly stopped breathing, her eyes darting between the bike and her uncle's face.

"Go, I know you've wanted one since '99 when I ditched my old one," her uncle waved her off towards it.

Venus giggled happily, her eyes crinkling at the sides with how wide her smile was. She didn't waste another second before dashing out into the parking lot and coming to a stop by her gift.

She looked back at her uncle, finding Sam and Dean now standing beside him. "Get it on camera, hermano," she excitedly urged Sam over. Sam flipped open the camcorder and walked over.

Venus' fingers danced along the side of the bike, tracing the white Yamaha logo and already falling in love with it. She came to a stop by one of the side mirrors where a new pair of sunglasses hung from it. Venus chuckled and placed the yellow lens on her face, posing for the camera.

Arturo and Dean came marching over after some time. "I bought those to help you see better when you're riding at night," her uncle explained, "and 'cause I thought they'd look good on you," he added with a shrug.

"What, no helmet?" Dean jokingly asked.

Arturo's brows knitted together slightly. "Absolutely not. You want mi sobrina to look like a loser?"

The Winchester boys chuckled at his response, each thinking about how similar the older man was to his niece.

Venus swung her leg over the motorcycle seat, slightly hiking up her dress in the process but not caring. "Tío this is..insane," she mused, "This must've set you back like five–"

"Not a dime or a dollar, mija," he corrected, gaining bewildered stares from each hunter.

Sam lowered the camera for a moment, his green eyes widening, "Did you steal this?" he questioned, his voice a whisper.

Dean chuckled, lifting a hand for a high five, "Yeah he did."

Arturo rolled his eyes, still meeting Dean's high-five. "Relax, you kids know I've got friends in high...and low places."

Venus released a relieved breath, "Good. I'd hate to see Freddy here get repossessed before our first hunt together," she grinned, running her hands over the handlebars.

"Freddy?" Dean huffed, "Don't bikes normally have girl names?"

Venus raised a brow at him. "Yup, which is a stupid concept so I'm calling him Freddy."

"Whatever you call it," Arturo lifted a hand before the pair could start bickering, "Just be careful, por favor," he begged.

Venus deadpanned. "When am I ever not careful?"

Sam and Dean exchanged glances and prepared to speak.

"It was a rhetorical question," she quickly added.

Arturo chuckled. "I'll leave you kids to it," he said, leaning in to give Sam and Dean each a hug.

"Tell our dad we said hi?" Dean told him.

"Of course," Arturo nodded. He then walked over to Venus, opening his arms. The brunette hopped off the motorcycle and walked into his open arms, happily accepting his hug.

"You wanna tell us where he is?" she attempted with a pout.

"That face doesn't work on me anymore, chiquita," he replied, laughing at the way her face dropped, "When we need you, we'll come find you," he told her, also turning to the boys as he spoke.

Sam and Dean nodded in understanding and so did Venus after some time.

"Alright, I gotta go," the older hunter reluctantly released his niece.

"Bye," Venus offered him a sad wave.

Arturo smiled at them one more time before taking off in the direction of his parked car.

"So," Sam turned to Venus, wanting to keep the mood light, "You ready to go back in?"

Venus looked back at where the ceremony was still going then at the boys. "Hell no. Let's get out of here," she grinned.

"You don't gotta tell me twice," Dean scoffed, pulling out his car keys from his pocket.

Sam's brows shot up. "But–"

"I already got the degree, hermano," Venus reminded him, waving the rolled-up sheet of paper in his face, "What are they gonna do? Take it back 'cause I didn't sit through some boring ass ceremony?"

Sam thought for a moment then shrugged, realizing she had a point. "Alright, we'll go get the car."

By the time Venus pulled out her phone and shot Brenda a text telling her she was ditching the ceremony, the Impala's horn honked from her left. She turned to see both Winchester boys looking at her with wide smiles.

"Where to, princess?" Dean asked.

Venus pulled off her cap and gown and threw them in the backseat of the car, safely tucking her degree in her duffel in the process, then returned to her motorcycle, kicked up the side stand, and started the engine. "San Fransisco's less than an hour away. Wanna hit up Pier 3?"

Sam's eyes lit up in recognition of their old hangout spot. He turned to his older brother with a wide grin. "We have to go to Pier 3, man."

Dean chuckled at the pure joy on his brother's face. "Then I guess we're hitting up Pier 3," he agreed.

Venus straightened her new glasses along the bridge of her nose and kicked the bike into gear. Before she knew it, she was barreling down the straightaway of the parking lot, far ahead of the Winchesters.

-ˋˏ [  ] ˎˊ-

Pier 3 was one of Venus' favorite places in the entire world.

It wasn't very well known—so it was never crowded—it had a perfect view of the Golden Gate Bridge, and it was where she often went when she needed time off campus to think.

She was currently seated on one of the numerous green benches overlooking the sea with a Winchester brother on each side. The first hour they spent there was filled with silence, only the sounds of each hunter sipping a beer filling the air on occasion.

Both brothers had left their blazers in the car, each sitting with a few buttons unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up, while Venus' hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, allowing the cool breeze to fan her tanned skin. It was the most at peace they'd felt in weeks.

"Thank you," she was the first to speak.

Dean and Sam turned to look at her in question. 

"For making today so special," she continued, smiling at each of them.

Sam finished the last of his second beer, "Of course. I mean, who knows if we'll ever have a day like this again," he grimly added.

"Dude," Dean scoffed from where he sat, gesturing to how Venus' face fell at his words.

"What? We're getting closer to finding the demon and I'm starting to realize this is more of a suicide mission than anything else."

Venus sighed, looking down at her lap, "I think you're wrong, Sam," she eventually looked up, an optimistic smile on her face, "Three Winchesters and two Castillos against one shitty little demon? I like those odds."

Dean nodded in agreement, "Me too."

Venus and Dean clinked their beer bottles together and then took a sip.

Sam looked at them both and released a small smile. He picked up the camcorder from where it was resting on the bench beside them and turned it on, handing it to Venus. "The day's not over yet," he reminded her.

Venus smiled down at the camera before pointing it at Sam. "Got anything you wanna say to the people?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "I meant for you to record the landscape," he said, pointing to their picturesque view.

Venus moved the camera closer to Sam's face, barely dodging his large hand when it came out to smack her away. "You've been doing most of the filming all day so I think the people should get a chance to see more of the man behind the camera," she paused and turned to Dean, still holding the camera in Sam's direction, "Don't you agree, Dean?"

Dean smirked at his younger brother's expression. "Oh yeah, a thousand percent! Give the people a smile, Sammy," he heartily agreed.

Sam glared at his brother, but soon his lips spread into a plastic grin. "I would like to say that I've failed my job as a cameraman."

"Why's that?" Venus asked from behind the camera, genuinely curious.

Sam's grin morphed into a playful one, "Because I didn't manage to capture the moment that would've taken this tape from family-friendly to x-rated, isn't that right?" he grabbed the camera from Venus' grasp and pointed it at her and Dean.

Dean choked on his beer at the reminder of the event while Venus' eyes widened.

"I'm gonna kill you—"

Sam lept off the bench and turned the camera to capture his own face, beginning to run away from the other hunters. "Well, there you have it folks. Commencement Day: Parte cuatro," he cheered loudly looking back to see Venus unbuckling her heels. He ran even faster down the boardwalk, his giggles captured by the camera as Venus realized he was too far to throw her shoes at him.

She sat back down with a sigh, slipping back into her heels.

Dean continued to idly sip his beer and look out at the bay.

A few minutes of now awkward silence passed between the pair before Venus spoke.

"Did it mean anything?"

Dean kept his eyes on the sea in front of them, but Venus was close enough to see the subtle clench of his jaw. "Did what mean anything?"

"You kissing me in the motel room," Venus answered, no hesitation in her voice.

"If I remember correctly, you kissed me back," he replied, turning to face her with a smirk on his face. But he detected no humor on the brunette's face, only hope, and what he could've sworn to be fear. "It meant...that I wanted to kiss you, so I did," he vaguely answered.

Venus scoffed. "That's something that boyfriends and girlfriends do. And you made it very clear four years ago that we are not that," she told him bitterly.

"Well, why can't we be a couple of friends who enjoy kissing each other and...sometimes more?"

"Because we're not teenagers anymore, Dean," she slightly snapped.

Dean looked away for a moment.

"I'm not going anywhere y'know?" Venus softly said, knowing that was the main reason for his apprehension.

"You say that now and then..." Dean trailed off in a humorless laugh, still unable to meet her eyes.

"Yeah well I mean it," she said firmly, "Whether you believe me or not, it's the truth."

Dean wasn't convinced. He couldn't let himself be convinced. Because that would mean being able to love her freely, letting her consume his every thought and action like she once did, which also meant more pain when he inevitably loses her...again.

And he couldn't go through that a second time. He wouldn't survive going through that a second time.

"But fine," she broke the silence again, swallowing her own feelings, "You wanna be 'friends with benefits'? I can do that."

She can't do that. 

But it's better than whatever they were right now. Better than pretending like there was nothing between them. She'd just have to take the time to convince him that she wasn't going to leave again. "But don't come running and crying to me when you fall in love with me," Venus added with a smirk.

Dean smiled at her, "I promise you I won't, princess," Cause I'm already in love with you. I just wish I wasn't.

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A/N: Never in my time as a writer has it ever taken me this
many chapters to get to the first kiss. This slow-burn is slow-burning!
This chapter and the next two are just something sweet 
and domestic before shit goes left :)

How are we feeling so far? Lemme know, I love reading your comments so muchhhh

Translations:
Parte cuatro - Part four
No llores - Don't cry
Preciosa - Beautiful/precious
Mi sobrina - My niece
Por favor - Please

Lovely GIF banner up above made by the incredibly talented prodigybitxhhh 

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