The days passed and Dean recovered from his recent exertions. Sam tried to make his brother as comfortable as possible and Josie always had an open ear for Dean. However, things were not the same as before. Even the Winchester held back, as much as he wanted to be near them. Even the rare hugs between them felt awkward, as he felt she was forcing herself. Especially when he saw how familiar she was with Sam, it offended him even more and he thought of her words. When you were gone, Sam was there for me. Especially in the evening these thoughts came to him, his subconscious imagined pictures in which way Sam was there for Josie and that robbed him of sleep.
Saddened, he shuffled through the bunker and got himself a glass of whiskey, with which he continued to wander around. He looked at the books on the shelves for the hundredth time until he had emptied the glass and poured himself another. Thoughtfully, he looked at the bottle. If this went on, he would become an alcoholic yet. Hesitantly, he put the bottle back and took only the glass with him.
On his way back to his room, he passed Josie's room. Her door was only ajar and a soft glow of light came from inside. Quietly he opened the door to see if she was still awake. But she was sound asleep with a book open on her chest.
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Dean walked toward the bed and lifted the thick book away. She had opened to a page about the Mark of Cain. Saddened yet touched by it, he placed it on her nightstand and tucked her in. Gently, he stroked her cheek and turned off the bedside lamp before leaving her room again and going to sleep.
The next morning, Josie woke up confused. She didn't remember drinking whiskey. Irritated, she looked at the crystal glass that stood on her bedside table on top of the book. Neither did she remember putting the book away and going to sleep with her clothes on. She concluded that someone was in her room. Discomfort spread through her as she concluded that it must have been Dean.
It wasn't the first time Dean had carried her to bed or just tucked her in because she had fallen asleep. But for the first time it worried her. She could hardly bear to look at him as it was and know that he was enjoying himself with others, shortly after she admitted to herself that she felt something for him. She had hoped all these weeks that his feelings for her were strong enough. In retrospect, she hated herself for having been so naive as to assume that Dean would be faithful even though they weren't together. Even if they had been, the demon wouldn't have hesitated to betray her at the first opportunity. But what a comfort that was, knowing it wasn't Dean but his demon side.
"Good morning," a voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Sam stuck his head in, but his smile faded when he saw Josie's teary eyes.
"Hey, are you okay?" he echoed, entering her bedroom.
"Just the usual worries," she fended him off with a forced smile, hiding the fact that she was simply heartbroken.
"You sure?", Sam probed with raised eyebrows.
She nodded eagerly and peeled herself out of the covers to make her way to the bathroom, but Sam stopped her. He wrapped his arms, around her and Josie instinctively snuggled against him.
