Depending On You

chapter three - school

When Grace woke up the next morning, Dean wasn't in bed. He'd gotten up early to make sure Grace got a nice breakfast before she went to school. He'd also set out an outfit for her to wear so she could shower while he was gone in the kitchen.

On the table next to the bed, Dean had set out a pair of his boxers, a Slipknot tee shirt, and the smallest pair of jeans he had in his wardrobe. He hoped they'd fit her well enough.

Grace rolled onto her side and saw the items, and her heart nearly burst. She grabbed the clothes and the towel he'd put next to them and headed to the bathroom.

She set the clothes and towel on the counter and grabbed the toothbrush Dean used for her the night before. She brushed her teeth quickly without looking in the mirror above the sink.

She didn't know what time it was, so she consciously decided to tell herself that she was running late, just in case she was. But in reality, she'd only woken up moments after Dean left.

She took off her shirt and her panties and turned the shower on. She locked the bathroom door before she got in.

She adored the burning feeling of the hot water on her back. It relieved her sore muscles but did nothing for her fatigue. It comforted her just enough to make her even more drowsy.

She reached for the bottle of body wash. She ran it over herself and realized that it smelled like Dean. She hoped it would stay forever.

She lazily massaged shampoo and conditioner into her scalp, feeling sleepy and wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep.

She turned the water off – much to her dismay – and wrapped the towel around her. She dried herself and tried to keep her eyes open.

She put the shirt on first. It covered the most of her out of all the clothes and assured that she wouldn't have to see her body even if she happened to accidentally look in the mirror.

Then she pulled the boxers up her legs and settled them around her hips, followed by the dark jeans Dean had left for her. Though they were his smallest pair from his high school days, they still hung loosely on Grace.

She secured the buttons on the jeans, but continued to hold them with her hand as she grabbed her discarded clothes and opened the bathroom door.
She sighed as she left the steamy room and put her clothes in the laundry bin. She wandered out of the bedroom and heard Dean in the kitchen.

She saw him at the stove, and he wasn't wearing a shirt. He heard her walking in and turned to look at her over his shoulder, smiling. "Hey, baby," he greeted her.

Grace smiled back; she wasn't sure how much longer she could handle being just his friend if he continued to be so nice. She sat at the kitchen table, pulling her knees up to her chest. She mumbled, "Hi, Dean."

Dean watched her for a moment before turning back to the stove, clicking the burners off as he finished making her breakfast.

He liked seeing her this early in the morning, and he liked that she was getting ready in his home. He wanted it to be like that all the time. He wanted her to be here all the time.

He put a plate of pancakes in front of her. They weren't perfect, as he'd never been the best at cooking, but still, Grace was so flattered. He'd tried – and somewhat succeeded – and that was more than anyone had done for her in a very long time.
"Thank you," she smiled as he placed his hand on her shoulder, gently rubbing his thumb across her shirt.

He leant down to kiss her damp hair. "You're very welcome, Grace," he said to her. He was genuinely delighted to take care of her. Then, he patted her shoulder lightly and stood straight, "I'm going to shower and get ready and then we can go, okay? Do we need to stop by your place first?"