Work Text:
six months prior- SDSU cafe
"Uh, excuse me?" A blonde taps your shoulder lightly. causing you to jump slightly. then you met her startled eyes, slipping off your headphones. "sorry uhm, I was just gonna ask to sit there." she points to the seat across from you. your eyes scan the packed cafe, most seats were taken or had backpacks in them. she looked disheveled, but hell everyone did.
"go for it." you shrugged, looking back down at your laptop. the girl across from you opened her phone, sipping on what you guessed was coffee. blue flannel over her shoulders, nails with chipped polish wrapped around her phone. silver rings adorning her fingers.
small talk started, but both of you were pretty disinterested in one another. so it faded back into the not-so-silent chatter of the cafe.
you saw each other around campus. it was awkward smiles and polite waves, until it wasn't. you wouldn't talk, but you sat near each other, in the library on the rare chance Claire was studying. in the cafe, same table each time. it was a silent appreciation for one another. mutualism at its finest. you'd silently admire her while she wasn't looking. your friends had deemed her your 'campus crush'. which made you roll your eyes every time.
sure you liked her, but that was besides the point. but one day at lunch something shifted. she looked at you, for a second too long before speaking. "same time tomorrow?" she asked while shoving her water bottle into her backpack. you'd looked at her wide-eyed like she had just asked you to commit a crime. nodding before she took off.
and that's where it all started, It became more as time went on. shitty picnic dates in your truck. her carving your initials into trees. you'd climb in through her window, spend late nights with her. after three months of this, she nervously gave you a formal invite to a family dinner. on the surface it wasn't a big deal. but underneath it all it was vulnerability, like an attack dog laying belly up.
Present- Sioux Falls, Mills residence
you'd arrived on time, your hands cradling a homemade apple pie. your truck parked on the curb. determined to make a good impression. you knocked with your free hand. before you could even register it the door was swung open. a confused man stared down at you long brown hair falling into his eyes. fuck, you had got the wrong house.
that's what you thought until Claire pushed him aside and led you in without a word. she glared back at the man rolling her eyes.
she stopped to help you get your coat off. setting the pie aside, the man walking to sit next to a shorter man with ashy brown hair. your eyes scanned the room. it was nice, lived in. your thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash in the kitchen led by a few curses. you froze up, your hands clenching, nails digging into your palms. that was until Claire leaned into your line of vision. cocking her head at your sudden tension.
"hey, relax." her hands fell to your arms. rubbing over the fabric of your shirt. her brown eyes gazing lovingly into yours. "jody probably just dropped a few pots." she said, tucking her hair behind her ears. less wild than it normally is, tied into a braid that was haphazardly thrown over her shoulder.
"so," you heard a male voice behind you. the tension falling back over you. "this is your 'friend' Claire?" the man sounded skeptical. you turned to find the shorter man with his arms crossed. squinting his eyes at you, his distrust written all of his face. your eyes fell to the floor, throughly intimidated.
"yes," Claire says defensively, standing her ground against the man. "they're my friend. let it go dean." her lip curled into a snarl. she moves to block you from his view the man, who you now know is dean, looks down at her. still cautious, guarded, in a way you rarely saw in anyone but Claire.
"okay, knock it off." Jody walks in from the kitchen, hitting dean with a kitchen towel. which makes him retreat to the couch, grumbling to himself. then jody turns to you, with a welcoming smile on her face. pulling you into a warm hug that can only be described as motherly. she was the only familiar face in the room. you'd met her a few times when Claire invited you over to 'study'. she was always kind, maternal in a way that was uncommon to you. the hug lingered for a moment before jody started ushering everyone into the dining room.
you sat down next to Claire. dean sitting across from you as you get introduced to everyone at the table. smiling politely as you make your plate. the boys across from you scarfing down their food. forks scraping against ceramic filled the silence. most of the meal went by with awkward small talk and dean scowling at you from across the table. which was soothed over when Claire got up to bring out the pie you made. you helped cut it up and served it. donna and Alex thanking you before digging in. dean just cut right into the dessert. his younger brother declined your offer so you sat back down. watching everyones facial expressions nervously.
"hold on," dean spoke up, your eyes snapping over to him. "you made this?" he said with his mouth full. crumbs lingering over his lips. Claires hand found yours again, she looked at dean skeptically. like she had a wager that he was going to say something stupid.
you nodded at his question, trying to read his face. he let out a lowly 'hm' under his breath and continued shoveling pie into his mouth. the grip on your hand loosening as the unease fell from Claires shoulders. Jody and Alex left the room to start cleaning up. Claires eyes meeting yours, her soft grin making you fall for her all over again. your eyes flitted away after the younger Winchester cleared his throat. your cheeks heating at the notion. it could've been chalked up to just a friendly look. that's what you thought until you looked over to see dean squinting his eyes at the two of you.
with jody out of the room, a tense silence fell over the table like a blanket. dean still finishing off his second slice of pie while him and sam eye you wearily. Claire seemed to sense your discomfort.
"well, glad you got to meet my friend. night guys," she pulled you up out of the chair. leading you to her room before either Winchester could get a word in. closing the oak door behind her. a drained sigh leaving her mouth. "deans weird about new people, I probably should've warned you." she gave you an apologetic kiss to your cheek. flopping back onto her own bed.
you followed, laying on your back against the cool feeling of her sheets. Claire cuddling up to your side like a magnet. her leg slung over your hips, her face in your neck. wayward blonde hair tickling your jaw. you laughed softly as she smothered you. pressing a kiss to the top of her head, running your hands through her hair. slightly taming the honeyed length of it.
you let yourself relax with her as she softly traced over your collarbone and shoulder. her head still comfortably set in the cavern of your neck. your hand in her hair soothing her. you'd found the trick weeks ago after Claire had a rough argument with jody. she had fled to your dorm, you could tell she was a bit shaken up about it. so you led her to the couch. she had refused to leave your side. you had mindlessly stroked her hair until a weight fell against your shoulders. it was a trick you were glad to have up your sleeve.
Claires hand left your shoulder to wrap around your waist. her hand wandering as she grinned into the tract of your neck. which led to her above you. her lips a wild press against yours, her hands in your hair as you held her hips. the kisses only growing more heated as her tongue swiped over your lips. slightly tugging your hair to pull you impossibly closer. she snickered softly as she pulled back, you practically ruined beneath her.
it was then that the moment was shattered. "Claire jody says-" the door is opened the hall light flooding open to welcome dean. both of your heads snapping to him. "..door stays open." he mourned, finishing his prior thought. just standing there baffled. Claire quickly climbed off of you and tried damage control.
"it isn't what it looks like-" she held out her hands like she dealing with a wild animal. but dean only stood there looking between you and Claire. "we were just-" she's cut off by a gruff noise by dean. he shoots you glare, trying to find his footing within the situation.
"look kid, not my business." dean held his hands in surrender. looking around the room like he had more to say. "just keep the damn door open, I don't want jody on my tail about it." Claire nodded, you looked to her unable to read her features. dean lingers for a moment before exiting, unable to cope with the awkward silence. Claire just stands there. her eyes never leaving the door, her face full of dread.
she stands there for upwards of three minutes before the pacing begins. you just sit there on her bed, watching her. her pacing turns to panic relatively fast, curses leaving her lips. after another moment her eyes find yours.
"how fast can I pack up what I need?" she says, but its more to herself as she turns to pull a duffel from her closet. the answer to her question was five minutes. she was never one for decor anyway, her bag consisted of clothes, a textbook or two and her laptop. you stand, looking at her from the other side of the room. trying to wrap your head around the situation.
"start your truck were leaving." she slings the bag over to her window, tossing it onto the roof as she maneuvers outside. the cold night air nipping at her ears as you follow her out dumbfounded.
"Claire you can't juts run away-" you begin but she shushes you as she slowly lowers herself off of the roof. a practiced motion you both could do with your eyes closed. "Claire you aren't listening." you whisper, still sitting atop the roof.
I don't have time to listen, would you get down here?" she says her voice obviously shaken. you toss her bag down and meet her on the ground. sneaking around the back garden to get into your truck, tossing her bag to the backseat as the engine starts. she stares at the house as you pull out of the driveway. her hands in her lap, fidgeting with her rings. you drive for a few blocks letting the silence wallow then you turn onto the first backroad you see, pulling over into a clearing.
"Claire." you turn to her, starting off gentle. her shoulders gear up like she's ready for a fight. "cmon talk to me," you sigh, it's a nudge, not a push. but she takes it all the same. she pulls her jacket around her shoulders, you wordlessly turn up the heat for her. she rolls her eyes and looks out the window. hiding her face because showing vulnerability was never a strong suit for her. she was quick to bite the hand that feeds.
her tongue ran over her teeth as she shook her head. a hand coming up to wipe her eyes. her shoulders trembled with silent sobs. her cheek pressed to the cold glass of the window. you gave her the space, knowing she needed it in the moment. when she was ready she would reach out on her own. and you were sure she would..
eventually.
"I didn't want him to know." Claire says after a few minutes, eyes still shine with unshed tears. licking her chapped lips as she turns to face you. pulling her knees up to her chest as she sits on the passenger side. her voice is scared, something you'd never heard from her.
"im sure he won't say anythi-" you begin, trying to help, but it only adds fuel to the fire. Claire cuts you off anyway.
"but he knows." She buries her head between her knees. the moment weighing heavy on your chest. the look in her eyes and the tone of her voice. physically paining your every breath. "he knows and now nothings gonna ever be the same, I almost had it- I was so close." and that was when she broke. moving from her spot across the front seat into your side. shattering like glass, shards cutting everyone involved.
Claire cried into your shoulder, blonde hair tickling your jaw. just like it had hours prior, though this time the notes were all somber. she's mumbling things you can't make out. and you're sure you weren't supposed to hear it anyway. it stays that way, a mutual understanding of silence. the silence lulled you both to sleep. neither of you wakeup until the sun had risen and Claires phone was buzzing wildly on your dashboard. the sound waking both of you.
"shit, shit, shit-" Claire reached for the phone, Jodys contact flashing on the screen of it. Claire picked up the phone and put it on speaker, immediately going in to defend herself. "whatever dean told you, its not true- okay he's-" she started frantically, jody cuts her off. Claire lefts her head in panic.
"woah, woah kid, clam down. take a breathe so we can have a normal conversation." jody waits a moment, Claires breath slowly evening out. her head still rested against your shoulder. it was only then did jody continue. "Claire, we need to know if you leave like that- you scared the shit out of me- out of everyone." jody chastises, but it's full of worry. jody sighs on the other end. "and what was dean supposed to tell me?" her tone is pointed, you guessed dean was in the same room.
Claire shifted against you, trying to get a grasp on the situation. her eyes still not meeting yours. "dean didnt tell you?" Claires tone is laced with confusion and a spark of hope.
you hear some bickering across the phone. until dean speaks up. "Claire, I didn't tell anyone anything. okay just tell us you're okay." dean sounds worried, something that seems out character for him. Claire takes a deep breath in and sighs it out. letting her head fall back against your shoulder.
"im fine," Claire mumbles, you hear jody pull the phone back from dean.
"where are you? I go upstairs to make sure you were awake for breakfast and you aren't there. and your window is wide open letting in the cold air." jody rambles, it nice to hear someone else be so protective of Claire. she never talked about her family much, you'd get short and vague answers. but hearing Jodys genuine worry soothed something in you.
"I- im sorry I just needed some time. im in Y/N's car, we're fine." Claires attempt to console jody seems too work well enough. they continue the phone call for what seems like forever. Claire tenses every time dean speaks like he's gonna throw up her big secret at any moment. conversation fades off with Claire promising to be home in the next hour.
and then she hangs up.
she lets out maybe the deepest sigh youve ever heard from her. her shoulders dropping as she hides her face in you. "you think Dean would tell jody?" Claire mumbled.
you shook your head, trying to assure her. but she spoke again, sitting up slightly. taming her hair to one side. "well then, i guess im going back." said said, more to herself than you. so, you pit the key into the ignition, and started driving.