Somehow, I just knew. Most people would say that you can’t know so much about a person from a single glance. They’re wrong. You can know everything you need to know about that person if the circumstances are just right to let you see.

And I saw him. And he saw me.

I’ll always see him just how he was, and just how he is.

How both of them are.

Dean opens his eyes and strokes my hair again, centering himself. It takes a little longer this time, but finally his fingertips trace my cheekbone and down over my jaw until his hand drops to mine. He twines our fingers together. Whenever he does this, I fall for him all over again. It’s his way of telling me without words that it’s us against the world.

It’ll always be us.

“Is this the last one?”

I step closer, still holding his hand, and kiss him.

“I promise.” Another kiss. I’m sealing my promises with them. They were forbidden for so long, and now that they’re not, I’ll give them whenever I can. “And then we’ll get the happily ever after we should have had.”

“Okay,” he whispers, and presses a final kiss to my forehead. “Did you write me a note?”

I take out my notebook. The time and location are already there on the page. I tear it out, fold it up, and hand it to him. “Leave it in your pocket until he’s ready.”

“I always do.” He traces the note with the pad of his thumb, then slips it into his pocket. His eyes come back to mine with another question. “You won’t leave me, right?”

“I would never leave you. I love you both.”

He looks away. It’s my turn to put my hands on his face so he’ll look at me. I’ll never be able to erase the pain those people caused, but I can do my best to make sure he doesn’t feel like I’ll cause him more.

“We’ve talked about this,” I say gently. “You’re both worthy of love. You’re both worthy of so much love.”

“I’m the one who’s a monster,” he whispers.

“You’re human. Just like me. They broke us, but we survived.” He swallows thickly, the muscles in his neck tightening. “We’re not the same as we were, but we’re healing, and that’s what matters.”

“You think you’ll try to leave if I’m healed? Like if⁠—”